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One of three Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2022, Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski.
Applause and debate over Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to human rights activists in a region at war. While many celebrated the work of all three in the face of authoritarianism, the shared nature of the award also stirred debate. A Russian civil rights organization, an agency investigating war crimes in Ukraine, and a Belarusian activist won the coveted award.
Jailed Belarusian Ales Bialiatski, Russian pro-rights advocate group Memorial, and the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine have all undertaken difficult work at great risk to challenge authoritarianism in their countries.
“[The laureates] have for many years promoted the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee.
Memorial, officially outlawed by Moscow last year, was dedicated to uncovering Soviet-era repression. On Friday, as it received its Nobel, the group lost a court battle against the Putin government when a judge ordered the state seizure of its Moscow headquarters.
Bialiatski, meanwhile, founded the human rights center Viasna in Belarus and has fought for civil liberties for decades. Detained without trial since last summer, Bialiatski reportedly faces up to 12 years in jail if convicted.
Finally, the Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv dates back to 2007, when it was set up to promote human and democratic rights in Ukraine. Since February, it has documented alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
While many hailed the work of all three and the Nobel committee’s choice, some were frustrated by the decision to bunch the Ukrainian group together with the winners from Russia and Belarus, the two countries that coordinated to attack Ukraine seven and a half months ago.
A barricade is seen inside the Waterloo Station in London.
Hard Numbers: Train strike slows UK, terror in Mali, pricey Peace Prize, deadly tremor hits Afghanistan, crafty house-selling in China
30: If you’re based in the UK, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to exercise this week. The biggest transport strike in 30 years got underway on Tuesday, affecting commuters and tourists alike. More action is planned for Thursday and Saturday, with tens of thousands of railway workers participating and threatening to continue striking until their demand for a wage increase is met by the UK's rail, maritime, and transport union.
100: Over the weekend, more than 100 civilians were killed in attacks in central Mali. The government says members of the al-Qaida-linked Katiba Macina militant group assaulted three rural villages in the Mopti region. Jihadist violence in Mali has been on the rise in recent years but is now spreading and raising fears in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
103.5 million: Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, auctioned off his medal to raise money for Ukrainian child refugees. The medal sold for $103.5 million, with the money going to Unicef. It is by far the highest amount that’s ever been paid for a Nobel and, according to Muratov, reflects "an enormous amount of solidarity."
920: An earthquake in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika and Khost provinces has killed at least 920 people, Taliban officials say. Hundreds more are injured, and the death toll is expected to rise from Wednesday’s quake — the latest crisis to hit the drought-ravaged country.
$23,900: In the market for a new home in rural China? Got some spare garlic or wheat lying around? If so, you’re in luck because one property developer is now accepting these crops to cover up to $23,900 in down payments. The promotion is aimed at local farmers, but it reflects the challenges faced by Chinese developers in a turbulent economy.