Not Your Casual News Week 31: Violent far right riots sweep across United Kingdom
A weekly read to keep you in the loop on geopolitics and humanitarian issues
Recent riots in the United Kingdom have erupted into widespread violence, sparked by racism and an anti-immigrant sentiment and disinformation following a stabbing incident in Southport.
The riots began in response to a stabbing attack that left three children dead in Southport, northern England, and have since spread to several locations.
In the aftermath of the attack, false information and online misinformation spread rapidly, including a supposed suspect named “Ali Al-Shakati” that circulated on social media.
This false information was fuelled by a mother of three who initially posted on Twitter/X that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived by boat and was on the “MI6 watch list.” The story was then picked up by Russian media and far-right figures, such as Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage and Andrew Tate.
The suspect’s name was revealed by the justice to counter the false narrative. He is a 17-year-old boy born in the UK to a Rwandan family — a country where 92% of the population is Christian.
Rioters have vendalised mosques, attacked ethnic minorities and asylum seekers, thrown bricks into homes and cars.
They targeted two hotels housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and Tamworth, causing significant damage and trapping terrified residents.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence as “organized, violent thuggery” and chaired an emergency COBRA meeting to address the crisis, where he declared the ones participating in the unrest will “feel the full force of the law.”
For now, over 400 people have been arrested.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains in India kill hundreds
More than 400 people are confirmed dead and many more missing after multiple landslides hit the Wayanad district of Kerala, India, on Tuesday.
The disaster, triggered by incessant heavy rains, struck in the early hours of the morning, giving residents little time to react.
Many of the victims were plantation workers living in vulnerable, makeshift shelters. Rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather and damaged infrastructure, including a bridge that was washed away.
Ponnaiyan, who ran a tailoring shop in the area, told the BBC that he and his family narrowly escaped death that fateful night.
“But many of my neighbours, relatives and friends, who were sleeping peacefully in the night, have all died,” he added to the English newspaper.
Despite efforts, the chances of finding more survivors are slim. The landslides are the deadliest natural disaster in Kerala’s history.
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What Else Happened?
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country after weeks of escalating protests over a controversial quota system for government jobs. The demonstrations, which grew into a wider contest to her 15-year rule, saw thousands storm her official residence and other party buildings. Following her departure, the military chief, General Waker-uz-Zamam, took temporary control, with plans for a national government and new elections announced by the figurehead president, Mohammed Shahabuddin. The unrest resulted in at least 300 deaths since early July.
A new record ransom of $75 million has been paid to the Dark Angels ransomware group, almost double the highest known payment to date. Cloud security firm Zscaler discovered the unprecedented payment in early 2024, but did not disclose the identity of the victims. The firm also reported an 18% increase in ransomware attacks from April 2023 to April 2024, with manufacturing, healthcare and technology being the top targets. The United States remains the most targeted country, with Dark Angels and other ransomware families such as LockBit and BlackCat being highly active.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and RFE/RL reporter Alsu Kurmasheva were freed from Russia on 1 August in a 24-person prisoner swap between the US and Russia. The deal, which took place in Ankara, Turkey, saw the US exchange 16 American, German and Russian citizens for eight Russians, including a number of spies and a murder convict in German custody.
Climate News
Santiago, Chile sees first rainless July on record. For the first time since records began, Santiago and the greater metropolitan area of Chile experienced a completely rainless July. Chile, which has been facing a decade-long drought, saw a brief respite in June, but July’s dryness signals continued dry conditions. Climatologist Raul Cordero noted that Santiago usually receives at least 50 millimetres of rain in July, making this month’s lack of rainfall “exceptional.”
Park Fire rages across Northern California, 360,000 acres burned. The Park Fire, California's largest wildfire of the year and the seventh largest on record, has burned 360,141 acres in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported "significant runs" of the fire, exacerbated by heavy vegetation and difficult terrain. The fire, which is believed to have been started by arson, has forced the evacuation of 4,200 people, destroyed 67 structures and threatened 4,200 more. More than 4,000 firefighters are battling the blaze in difficult conditions.
Image of the Week
The picture, shared on the Korean Olympic Instagram account, shows athletes from South Korea, North Korea and China taking a selfie together after the mixed doubles table tennis event on Tuesday.
China won the gold medal, North Korea the silver and South Korea the bronze.
Nice to see. Despite all the geopolitics and tensions, people can still bond. Thank you reading this week’s newsletter. Take care!