WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

The worst fighting in Tripoli for years calmed down today after the government announced a ceasefire.  Clashes broke out on Monday night after reports that the leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus (SSA), Abdelghani al-Kikli, was killed. After calming Tuesday morning, the fighting reignited overnight.  The defence ministry said,  “Regular forces, in coordination with…

38 migrants confirmed dead off the Djibouti coast after shipwreck

The UN has confirmed that thirty-eight migrants, including children, have died after the boat they were traveling in capsized off the coast of Djibouti. 

The boat carrying 66 migrants, primarily from Ethiopia, left Yemen for Djibouti around 2 am. At approximately 4 am on 8 April, about 200 meters from the northeastern coast of Djibouti the boat sank. 5 migrants are missing and presumed dead. 

According to the 23 survivors, the vessel was overloaded before water began flooding causing it to overturn. 

Rwanda's President says 'world failed all of us' as 30 years marked since 1994 genocide

Rwanda's president said the international community "failed all of us", as he marked 30 years since the 1994 genocide that killed around 800,000 people.

President Paul Kagame addressed dignitaries and world leaders who had gathered in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, to commemorate the bloodshed.

"Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss," he said.

"And the lessons we learned are engraved in blood."

On this day in 1994, extremists from the Hutu ethnic group launched a 100-day killing spree, in which members of the Tutsi minority and Hutu moderates were slaughtered.

UN human rights expert warns of deteriorating situation in Haiti

A UN expert has expressed concerns over escalating gang violence in Haiti. 

American human rights lawyer and UN human rights expert on Haiti, William O’Neill has voiced alarm over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Port-au-Prince. "There’s a level of intensity and cruelty in the violence that is simply unprecedented in my experience in Haiti," said O'Neill. The UN expert has described the current state of affairs as "apocalyptic".

In the first three months of 2024 over 1,500 people have been killed. 

Brazil apologises to Indigenous people for persecution during dictatorship

Brazil has issued its first-ever apology for the torture and persecution of Indigenous people during the military dictatorship, including the incarceration of victims in an infamous detention centre known as an “Indigenous concentration camp”.

The apology was made on Tuesday by an amnesty commission attached to the human rights ministry that is tasked with investigating the crimes of the 1964-85 regime.

he president of that commission, the law professor Eneá de Stutz e Almeida, knelt before the Indigenous leader Djanira Krenak as she voiced regret for the violence inflicted on the Krenak people.

Seven aid workers killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza

On Tuesday, seven people working with a humanitarian organization delivering food aid in Gaza were killed after an Israeli airstrike hit their cars which were clearly marked with the charity's logo.

The airstrike on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy killed a Palestinian, a Canada-US dual citizen, an Australian Citizen, a Polish citizen, and three UK citizens.

 

UN states Eastern DRC 'at breaking point' as humanitarian crises worsen

The UN warns of a deteriorating situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as M23 rebels continue to make gains, pushing hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes. 

Heavy fighting between the DRC government forces and armed group M23 has intensified in the eastern part of the country since February, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes as the rebels make territorial gains.

Israel warns 4 European countries against Palestinian statehood recognition

Israel told four European countries on Monday that their plan to take steps towards recognizing a Palestinian state constitutes a “prize for terrorism”.

On Friday Spain joined Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia in agreeing to take the first steps toward recognizing statehood declared by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

UN Security Council passes resolution calling for immediate Gaza ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the United States abstained from the vote.

Resolution 2728 was proposed by 10 elected members of the council, 14 council members voted in favour.

The resolution demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, which will end in two weeks. Additionally, it called on Hamas to enact the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

India to enforce migration law that excludes Muslims

The Indian government has enacted a controversial citizenship law that has been described as discriminatory towards Muslims by critics. 

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), proposed by the Modi government, explicitly makes religion the basis for acquiring Indian citizenship. 

Under the CAA, Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who entered India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before December 2014 can fast track to Indian nationality. Muslims are excluded from the same rights. 

60 migrants die in the Mediterranean Sea

Source: Flickr, July 29, 2016 

While attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, about 60 migrants have died after the engine of their small dinghy broke down. 

On Wednesday, the dinghy was spotted by a ship belonging to the humanitarian organization, SOS Mediterranee. The humanitarian group was able to rescue 25 survivors who were showing signs of dehydration.