By Yadnom Awu/Asaba
The South African government is probing the mysterious airlift of some 153 Palestinians to its territory in controversial circumstances.
The Palestinians, the second batch to arrive in the country this year, were allegedly smuggled across the Yellow line under the tight control of the Israeli military in Gaza, into Israel where they were airlifted from the Israeli military airport of Ramon to Kenya from where they were put onto another plane that took them to South Africa.
Their arrival in Johannesburg stirred controversy as the South African government discovered that the Israeli government which obvoously facilitated their clandestine trip, had deliberately not stamped the required exit date requirement in their visas.
However, out of compassion for the plight of the Palestinians, the government of Cyril Ramaphosa, which had been at the forefront of Palestinian cause, took them in.
But the government is not amused by the mode of their arrival and the obvious mystery shrouding their trip.
Consequently, it is investigating how a controversial group, Al- Majd Europe, allegedly in conjunction with Israeli authorities, deceptively ferried the Palestinians into its territory.
The Palestinians said they paid between $1,500 and $5,000 each for the controversial trip.
Right wing elements of the Israeli government, especially Finance Minister, Smotrich, had persistently called for the voluntary migration of Palestinians to willing third countries.
Both the United Nations UN and other stakeholders have classified the idea as an element of the ethnic cleaning desire of the Israeli establishment
United Kingdom
UK To Unfold New Refugee Policy Monday
The United Kingdom (UK) is set to unfold a new asylum policy on Monday .
The Home Secretary , Shabana Mahmood,; said the new measure is expected to help check the rising incidence of migration to the country.
The new plan is to grant asylum seekers the right to only temporary permission to say in the country., unlike the current one which grants the permanent right to stay.
The envisioned policy models the Danish model, which many say has helped curb migration to that country.
Trump Vows To Sue BBC, Despite Broadcaster’s Apology
The President of America , Donald Trump, has threatened to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) despite its public apology for the error in its editing of his January 6,2021 post- election speeches.
The BBC, in a rare error of professional judgment, in an attempt to correlate the two speeches, edited them in such a way as to give the false impression that he had actually called for violence by the march on Capitol Hill.
The BBC has since admitted to the error and publicly offered an apology to Trump, but said it would not pay him for defamation.
Aside from the apology the Director -General of the BBC, Tim Davies, and the Director of News and Current Affairs, Deborah Turness, have both resigned .
However, Trump insists that he would sue the corporation for potentially up to $5billion.
He told reporters aboard his official.plabe, Air Force One , that his suit, which could be instituted next week, was to discourage the corporation and other media organs from mischievously disparaging people, especially political office holders.
China
Beijing Warns Citizens Against Travelling To Japan
China has strongly advised its nationals against travelling
to Japan.
The advisory was issued after Beijing summoned the Japanese diplomats in the country to strongly express its reservations to the statement credited to the Prime Minister of Japan.
The newlly elected Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, had recently beenn quoted by the media as saying that any attempt to invade Taiwan, which China regards as its renegade province, would be treated as a threat to collective survival.
China interpreted the statement as indicating that Japan was in support of Taiwanese independence overtures, and that it would be military involved in the event of that attack happening.
Japan has since explained that the statement was misreptesented by Beijing,but failed to retract it.
America
US Congress To Vote On Epstein Files Full Opening
The Congress of the United States is soon to meet to vote on the full release of the Epstein files.
The move followed the recent release of 2,300 pages of the controversial files by Democrats.
President Donald Trump’s had described the move by the Democrats as targeting him.
The vote by the Congress, which is likely to happen next week, is already creating tension in polity of the country, with the Presidency suspected of trying to influence Republicans to vote against opening all the files.
Many Republicans, are, however, understood to be insistent on opening the entire files so that the American public would know the truth and ascertain the truth regarding the link of Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender who died in prison allegedly by suicide, while serving terms for the rape of a teenager and the assault of a woman.
Trump has consistently denied any links to the serial sex offender,but media publication of their affectionate mutual communication exchanges have done little to defrost growing suspicions of a cover up.
Trump has recently threatened to order a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigations ( FBI) into the alleged link of Epstein to top Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.
