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…

British parliament passes bill to evade accountability for war crimes

The UK government’s proposed legislation to restrict the ability to hold British soldiers accountable for crimes committed overseas – the Overseas Operations Bill - passed its second reading in Parliament yesterday. The law will provide a “presumption against prosecution” after five yearsfor British soldiers and veterans. The legislation forms part of the Conservative party election manifesto pledge to protect British armed forces from ‘vexatious’ claims.

Protests erupt across US as police not charged for murder of Breonna Taylor

Protests have erupted across the US following the news that the two officers who killed Breonna Taylor were not charged however one officer who fired shots during the incident was indicted for wanton endangerment.

Controversial farm bills passed in India

Indian lawmakers approved 2 controversial farming bills on Sunday that the government claims will boost growth in the farming sector, but opposition parties and long-time ally of the ruling party called “anti-farmer.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi fiercely supported the bills saying, the new laws will remove middlemen from agriculture trade, allowing farmers to easily sell their produce to institutional buyers and large retailers.

Mediterranean storm sweeps through Greece leaving three dead

<p>A rare Mediterranean hurricane, known as a medicane, swept through western Greece on Friday, flooding streets and homes.</p> <p>The storm, named Ianos, uprooted trees, flooded highways and caused power cuts in the Ionian islands of Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca.</p> <p>The body of one man was found under the collapsed roof of his house;&nbsp;another 63-year-old man was found dead in the same area;&nbsp;and, the body of an elderly woman was found nearby Farsala, as reported by brigade officials.</p> <p>Officials are still searching for a woman reported missing in Karditsa.</p>

India attempts to censor tweets commemorating ‘1984 Genocide of Sikhs’

India’s government has requested Twitter to delete a trending post by The World Sikh Organization (WSO) which commemorated the 1984 Genocide of Sikhs. India’s government has claimed that it “violates the law(s) of India.”

Twitter’s legal department has responded stating that it was notifying WSO in the interests of transparency but was not taking any action “at this time.”

Netherlands vows to hold Syria responsible for 'gross human rights violations and torture'

The Netherlands has announced that it is preparing a case against Syria at the UN’s International Court of Justice and is seeking to hold President Bashar al-Assad accountable for human rights violations, including torture and the use of chemical weapons.

Protestors in Eastern Libya set government building on fire

<p>Protestors in the Libyan city of Benghazi set a government building on fire after the third straight day of protests condemning the living conditions and continued corruption within the country.</p> <p>The protests also began in Al-Bayda, where the government was previously based and in Sabha and for the first time in Al-Marj.</p> <p>Several hundred demonstrators gathered in Eastern towns to protest against the political elite and the lengthy power cuts and a severe banking crisis.</p>

‘Like an experimental concentration camp’ – Nurse speaks out on conditions at US migrant detention centre

A nurse who worked at a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Georgia came forward this week with reports of unsafe medical conditions and concerns over the high rate of hysterectomies performed on detainees.

The complaint said that many women who were detained in the facility expressed concern about the high rate of hysterectomies performed in the facility. One woman in detention said, “When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they’re experimenting with our bodies.”

Nurse Dawn Wooten said that one gynecologist, who has now been identified as Mahendra Amin, was referred to as “the uterus collector.”

11-year-old girl killed in ‘unprovoked’ Indian attack claims Pakistan's miltiary

An 11-year-old Pakistani girl was killed, and four others critically injured after “unprovoked firing” by Indian troops along the line of control in Kashmir, reports Pakistan’s military.  

The military claim the Indian troops used long-range guns and artillery on Friday, targeting the disputed region of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan claimed by both in its entirety.

Among the four victims injured, one was a 75-year-old woman and two young boys, as reported by Pakistan’s army.

Pakistan's Police chief ‘victim blames’ mother who was gang-raped 

<p>Following a statement from Pakistan's lead police investigator, Chief Umar Sheikh, who suggested a mother was at fault for being gang-raped on one of Pakistan's most secure highways, several protests are planned across the country and there are calls for the police investigator's resignation and an apology.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to investigators,&nbsp;the victim was assaulted and gang-raped by several men in front of her two children after she ran out of petrol outside of Lahore.</p>