US takes a U-turn, approves $650 million weapons sales to Saudi Arabia
The sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia will mark a U-turn in US president Joe Biden’s foreign policy declared in the first week of February. At that point, he had promised to end the US role in the war in Yemen and the sale of all offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia
Protests erupt at the opening of biennial international arms fair in London
The Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair is held at the Exhibition Centre London where armament manufacturers showcase their latest products and technologies
Rights groups ask Canada to stop its weapon sales to Saudi Arabia
The Justin Trudeau-led government in Canada has repeatedly ignored similar calls in the past, claiming that “there is no serious risk” of its military equipment being used for human rights violations in Yemen
UK violated own laws to sell weapons to countries with poor rights records
Between 2011-2020, the UK sold arms to 39 of the 53 countries with a poor record on human and political rights, as per US-funded rights group Freedom House. Similar findings were reported by the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)
Opposition grows against Canada’s decision to buy drones from Israel
Citing manufacturer Elbit System’s human rights record, pro-Palestine groups say that purchase of drones from Israeli companies strengthens the occupation of Palestine. Elbit has faced numerous protests by the Palestinian BDS movement
UK decision to reduce aid to Yemen criticized by activists and rights groups
Critics also point out that the UK’s decision intensifies its crimes in Yemen due to its continued arms sales worth billions to Saudi Arabia and its allies responsible for the war and destruction in the country
Anti-war groups and opposition demand the UK government suspend arms sale to Saudi Arabia
The demand to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia has gained widespread support in the UK and across party lines in the parliament following Joe Biden’s announcement for the same last week
Chomsky and Prashad: Three major threats to life on earth that we must address in 2021
Noam Chomsky and Vijay Prashad discuss the threats humanity and earth face today that require urgent attention
US companies sold more than 60% of all arms in the international market in 2019
US sanctions against Russia and China have helped maintain its hegemony in the global arms trade with 12 of its companies featuring in the world’s top 25 arms producing and military service providers
UK to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite concerns on Yemen
The UK has supplied Saudi Arabia with at least 5.3 million British pounds worth of arms and ammunition since March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition decided to militarily intervene in Yemen
Halting conflict globally is the only way to effectively tackle COVID-19, says report
According to the report published by international NGO, Oxfam, global military expenditure in 2019 stood at USD 1.9 trillion – an amount several times over what is required to pay for the UN-led efforts to fight the COVID-19 crisis in developing countries
Peace activists protest docking of Saudi ship at Spain’s Sagunto port
Activists allege that the ship, Bahri Abha, is carrying weapons for use by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Since 2015, the ship has transported military equipment worth €143 million on eight voyages from the United States to Saudi Arabia
- Moroccans protest normalization of ties with Israel
- Rights organizations call for renewed probe into possible war crimes in Yemen
- Saudi Arabia extensively lobbied to derail war crimes probe in Yemen, says report
- Pakistani parliament member and Pashtun leader Ali Wazir gets bail but to remain behind bars
- Latin America and the Caribbean is the region where hunger has grown the most in the world, says the UN
