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…

Palestinians plan to take their cause to the UN

Following the US-Israel proposal to grant Israel, Jerusalem and territories in the West Bank, Palestinian authorities have responded by rejecting the deal and stating that they will present their case to the UN.

Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas was reported to have responded to the proposed deal with “a thousand no’s”.

For more information on the proposed deal read: Palestinians protest Trumps Middle East plan 

Palestinians protest Trumps Middle East plan 

Following the announcement of US President’s Middle East plan, which aims to grant Jerusalem to Israel as well as recognising Israeli sovereignty over Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians have taken to the streets in Ramallah and the Gaza strip.

ICJ orders Myanmar to protect Rohingya from genocide

 

The International Court of Justice reached a preliminary decision on Thursday as all 17 judges voted to order Myanmar to protect the Rohingya population from genocide.

UK reject demand for Scottish independence referendum

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has rejected Scottish demands for a second independence referendum, nicknamed indyref2, stating that it would simply perpetuate stagnation and that the 2014 referendum was predicated on the idea that it was a “once in a generation” vote.

Nepal civil war victims concern over return of transitional justice process

Victims of the Nepal Civil War have criticised and voiced their discontent over the government’s decision to revive the transitional justice process, this week.

China condemns Taiwan for re-electing separatist President

A senior government diplomat for China has condemned the election of Taiwan’s President Taiwan pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen; stating that “those who split the country will be doomed to leave a stink for 10,000 years”.

President Tsai Ing-wen was rejected in a context of growing Chinese aggression and she successfully campaigned on a message that Taiwan would not relent to Chinese demands. 

One year on - Wet’suwet’en people's disputed territory remains in limbo

Just over a year since a dispute over the access to traditional territory in Northern British Columbia (B.C.) arose between Wet'suwet'en people and a pipeline company, tensions between the two parties have re-emerged.

The Wet’suwet’en chiefs have incessantly opposed the $6.6-billion project, which would connect gas fields in North-Eastern B.C. with the planned LNG Canada export plant in Kitimat. Last week they issued eviction notices to Coastal GasLink workers to vacate the premises immediately.

UN - DRC violence “may amount to crimes against humanity”

A UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) investigation into the Dominican Republic of Congo (DRC) has revealed that at least 701 people from the Hema and Lendu communities in the northeast province of Ituri, DRC, from December 2017 to September 2018, raising concerns of “crimes against humanity.

The report details the DRC’s security forces engaged in actions or arbitrary arrests, detentions, executions and sexual violence. The DRC has been actively deployed to this region in February 2018 but has not ceased the violence.

HRW director denied entry to Hong Kong

Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch’s executive director has reported that he was denied entry to Hong Kong where he was set to launch HRW’s latest annual report.

On Twitter Roth announced that this report would detail how China is “undermining the international human rights system”. The reason given for denying him entry was “immigration reasons” however the decision follows China’s pledge to sanction HRW, along with several other pro-democracy US organisations, in relations to anti-governments protests in Hong Kong in early December.

Delhi police file charges JNU students, not assailants

<p>Two days after an attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) university students and staff, Delhi police, who have been criticised for turning a blind eye on the attack, has filed charges against several students for attacking security guards and vandalising a server room.</p>