WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

In recent weeks Yemen’s Houthi armed group has shot down seven US Reaper drones worth over $200m. The drones destroyed between 31 March and 22 April mark Washington's most significant material loss.  Three of the drones were destroyed in the past week, suggesting an improvement in the Houthis’ ability to strike high-altitude US aircraft.  The drones were conducting surveillance or…

Almost 12,500 people arrested in Iran protest crackdown

Almost 12,500 people have been arrested and nearly 250 killed since the street protests began in Iran, according to a prominent human rights group, HRANA.

Maj Gen Hossein Salami, said security forces were close to snuffing out the remaining protests. He said: “Sedition is going through its last moments.”

UN sanctions Haitian 'gang leader'

The United Nations security council has approved a "sanctions regime" to punish criminal gangs in Haiti, as protests intensified against a possible foreign intervention.

The UNSC on Friday unanimously passed a resolution proposed by the United States and Mexico that sanctioned powerful gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as “Barbecue”. The sanctions include an assets freeze and a travel ban.

While Cherizier was the only target named in the resolution, the measure establishes a foundation for further sanctions going forward.

New date set for Tigray Peace Talks 

The Ethiopian government have announced that peace talks with the TPLF would commence next week.  

Representatives from the TPLF and Ethiopian governments will meet on the 24th of October 2022 in South Africa. 

BJP bans Popular Front India for 5 years

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) outlawed the Popular Front of India (PFI) and eight affiliate organizations for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The ban came close on the heels of raids on PFI offices across the country. Hundreds of its leaders have been arrested.

 The government of Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has alleged that the PFI has links with terror groups such as the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Paris joins in TV boycott of World cup matches from Qatar

Paris has decided not to broadcast any world cup games on giant screens in public fan zones amidst concerns over the rights violations of migrant workers and the environmental impact of the tournament in Qatar. 

Several other French cities have joined the boycott. More than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup 11 years ago,

Failure to extend Yemen ceasefire leaves millions at risk

The expiry of a six-month ceasefire in Yemen has pushed the country back into conflict. 

Charities have criticised the failure to extend the ceasefire beyond Sunday. The truce was first agreed upon in April.

“The end of the truce is terrible news for the people of Yemen. Millions will now be at risk if airstrikes, ground shelling and missile attacks resume,” said Ferran Puig, Oxfam’s country director in Yemen.

Burkina Faso coup: ousted leader resigns

Burkino Faso ousted leader, Paul Henri Sandaogo Daminba has offered his resignation to "avoid confrontations". 

Religious leaders and community leaders held mediation talks between Damib and the new self-proclaimed leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore. 

The second change of leadership in a year started on Friday when military officers announced the deposition of Damiba, the dissolution of the transitional government and the suspension of the constitution.

Russia annexes four regions of Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has signed “accession treaties” formalising Russia’s illegal annexation of four occupied regions in Ukraine,

The Russian government spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the signing of the “treaties on the accession of territories into the Russian Federation” would take place at 3pm local time in the Kremlin’s St George’s Hall. Putin would deliver a “major” speech at the ceremony.

Guinea puts ex-leader on trial for stadium massacre

Over a decade after 150 were killed Guinea puts Ex-President Moussa Dadis Camara on trial. 

The trial of Guinea's former President and 10 others accused of responsibility for a 2009 stadium massacre and mass rape began on Wednesday in the country's capital. 

13-years ago, on September 28, 2009, security forces stormed a stadium where tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters were demonstrating against the president at the time, Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, who had seized power in a coup.

Myanmar Junta attack on school condemned

At least 11 schoolchildren have died after an airstrike on a village in Myanmar, according to the United Nations children’s agency, in what could be the deadliest attack on children since the junta seized power last year.