What is in the EU’s planned KIDS Act?

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced plans to return to her home country in December, despite facing a death sentence following her conviction for crimes against humanity. Speaking via audio broadcast to journalists at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi, her first direct address to the press since being ousted in August 2024, the 78-year-old former leader acknowledged the grave risks associated with her return. “I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, anything may happen, but still I have to go back.” Hasina stated, while declining to reveal specific travel dates or logistics. Hasina fled to India two years ago following a mass student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Last year, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death in absentia after prosecutors presented evidence, including verified audio recordings, showing she authorised the use of lethal force against demonstrators. UN reports estimate that up to 1,400 people were killed during the crackdown. Hasina continues to reject the charges as politically motivated, alleging that external groups transformed student protests over government job quotas into a violent movement. The announcement has heightened diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh’s newly elected government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), expressed outrage over India permitting Hasina to address international media, renewing its demands for her immediate extradition. Meanwhile, analysts suggest Hasina’s high-stakes gamble aims to re-energise her banned party, the Awami League, whose supporters face increasing political isolation and violence ahead of her proposed return.

Armed gunmen launched a hours-long night-time raid on the village of Lajinge in northwestern Nigeria’s Sokoto state, killing at least 12 people and abducting several women and children. The assailants set fire to homes during the assault, causing six members of a single family to burn to death inside their residence. Local residents reported that four additional individuals sustained injuries while the attackers also rustled significant amounts of livestock. Sokoto state police forces confirmed an ongoing investigation into the assault, which follows a similar attack that left 24 farmers dead in neighbouring Zamfara state just a week prior.

Professor Jason Arday, who became the youngest Black professor appointed in the history of the University of Cambridge, has resigned from his post with immediate effect following escalating accusations of academic misconduct and misrepresentation of his qualifications. In a statement released on Wednesday via the Good Law Project, the 41-year-old sociologist said he had “concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”, citing the severe personal cost of public scrutiny. Arday maintained that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt or an acceptance of the allegations against him. The resignation coincided with an official announcement from the University of Cambridge confirming the launch of an investigation into new details surrounding Arday’s academic credentials and honorary titles, alongside ongoing complaints handled under its research misconduct policy. Jesus College, where Arday held a fellowship, confirmed a parallel internal review. The controversy began when former Cambridge researcher Nathan Cofnas published allegations detailing extensive textual overlap in Arday’s published academic papers using plagiarism-detection software. Cofnas also questioned several public claims made by Arday regarding his charitable activities, including assertions of running 30 marathons in 35 days and raising more than £5 million for charity. Arday previously acknowledged editorial oversights in his earlier work, attributing textual similarities to processing methods linked to his neurodivergence and autism, while strongly denying intentional deceit or dishonesty. He argued that the scrutiny was part of a racially motivated campaign targeting his position and diversity initiatives within academia. Publisher Simon & Schuster, which is slated to publish Arday’s memoir later this month, issued a statement defending his professional integrity, while Cambridge officials stressed that formal review processes will proceed in accordance with employment law and institutional guidelines.

Communities across southern Japan are facing growing hardship after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake left at least 17 people dead, damaged essential infrastructure, and cut off water and electricity for thousands of residents. As emergency teams continue rescue and relief operations, authorities are racing to address the worsening impact of intense summer temperatures on affected communities. The earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction in Yatsushiro, a port city where cracked roads, collapsed buildings, and broken water pipelines have made daily life increasingly difficult. While damaged homes and public buildings are visible reminders of the disaster, local officials say the lack of clean water and electricity has become one of the biggest challenges facing residents. Akio Matsushita, a city official involved in coordinating relief efforts, said restoring the damaged water system could take a long time because of the scale of the destruction. He explained that repair crews are still assessing the underground damage and cannot estimate when normal services will resume. With temperatures reaching around 35 degrees Celsius and humidity remaining high, the shortage of water has become especially dangerous. Even city hall has been affected, forcing officials to install temporary toilets above sewer manholes after indoor facilities stopped working. Authorities have confirmed that at least 17 people lost their lives in the earthquake. Most of the deaths occurred at a paper manufacturing plant operated by Nippon Paper Industries, where severe structural damage trapped workers. Others were reported at an Aeon shopping mall after what officials believe may have been a gas explosion. Six more people remain in cardiopulmonary arrest, while authorities continue investigating additional deaths that may also be linked to the earthquake. Including those cases, the overall death toll could rise to 28. Emergency responders are also preparing for another serious threat as weather forecasts predict temperatures could approach 40 degrees Celsius over the coming days. Officials have warned that people staying in evacuation centres face an increased risk of heat related illnesses. To reduce that danger, Japan’s Self Defense Forces have begun installing around 300 air conditioning units at evacuation shelters and other important relief locations throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. In the hours after the earthquake, military vehicles transported large water tanks to schools and community centres across Yatsushiro. Emergency water stored beneath city hall has been used to refill the tanks, allowing residents to collect drinking water. However, supplies remain limited, with each person allowed only three litres. Among those waiting for water was Masahiro Miyamoto, who spent hours clearing debris after a temple gate collapsed during the quake. Although his own home remained standing, the neighbouring house was destroyed. Without running water, he has depended entirely on military water deliveries. He said the few stores that reopened after the disaster were crowded with shoppers trying to buy food and other essentials, while long lines formed outside petrol stations as people rushed to fill their vehicles. Japan’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire makes earthquakes a frequent occurrence. The country has invested heavily in earthquake resistant construction and emergency preparedness, helping reduce casualties during many disasters. Even so, powerful earthquakes continue to cause severe disruption, especially in regions with major industrial facilities. The latest earthquake has also affected manufacturing across Kyushu, an important centre for Japan’s automobile and semiconductor industries. Several leading companies, including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Aisin, and Sony, temporarily suspended parts of their production while inspections were carried out. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company also evacuated workers and briefly stopped operations to ensure facilities remained safe. Many residents of Kumamoto still remember the devastating earthquakes that struck the region in 2016, killing more than 260 people and destroying thousands of homes. Even those who survived that disaster said this week’s shaking felt stronger in parts of Yatsushiro. Miyamoto recalled shelves crashing to the floor and computers being thrown across rooms. He said the violent movement was unlike anything he had experienced before, describing the sensation as if he had been lifted off the ground and tossed through the air.

Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing has arrived in Thailand for an official state visit, marking his first international trip to a neighbouring democracy since assuming the role of civilian president following highly contested national elections. The visit comes despite international condemnation surrounding Min Aung Hlaing’s role as the chief commander responsible for the 2017 campaign of mass violence and expulsion against Muslim Rohingyas in Rakhine State. Already subject to Western sanctions and target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant application for crimes against humanity, the former general faces renewed calls for accountability. Human rights organisations, including the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, have petitioned international judiciaries to coordinate with Thai authorities to execute active arrest warrants regarding acts of genocide and persecution. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul received Min Aung Hlaing with full diplomatic honours at Government House in Bangkok, including an official guard of honour and a scheduled state dinner. The two leaders are set to preside over a bilateral business forum aimed at bolstering economic ties, cross-border security, and trade infrastructure between the nations. Thailand’s formal reception of Min Aung Hlaing highlights a policy of “calibrated re-engagement” with Naypyidaw, separating Bangkok from several Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) members that continue to exclude Myanmar’s leadership over unfulfilled peace commitments. While Thai officials maintain that direct high-level dialogue is essential to address shared border concerns and transnational crime, rights campaigners argue that hosting the general grants undeserved diplomatic legitimacy to an administration accused of severe human rights violations.