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…

Over 30,000 march through Glasgow in support of Scottish independence

Over 30,000 people marched through Glasgow on Saturday in support for Scottish independence reports The Guardian.

The march was led by the ‘All Under One Banner’ movement which describes itself as “open to everyone who desires an independent Scotland”

The march came after Nicola Sturgeon announced she would introduce legislation to hold a second independence referendum before the end of the year.

Gaza-Israel violence continues into second day of airstrikes and rocket attacks

Israeli warplanes and gunboats have continued to target the Gaza strip today in retaliation to Gaza fighters firing more than 400 rockets into Israeli territory.

Cyclone Fani kills dozens in India and Bangladesh

The strongest cyclone to hit India in the last five years has devastated India’s eastern coast, killing approximately 16 people in the state of Odisha before hitting Bangladesh where at least 12 people have died.

A mass evacuation of over a million people in Bangladesh has saved a great number of lives. A similar evacuation occurred in Odisha moving 1.2 million people into safety. West Bangladesh avoided substantial damage but authorities had moved nearly 45,000 people to safer locations as a precaution. 

Persecution of Christians coming close to genocide levels

<p>The persecution of Christians in some regions of the world&nbsp;is coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to a report commissioned by British Foreign Secretary,&nbsp;Jeremy Hunt.</p> <p>The interim report, led by the Bishop of Truro the Right Reverend Philip Mountstephen, has highlighted the geographical spread of anti-Christian persecution and it’s increasing severity.</p> <p>The independent review on the global persecution of Christians has estimated that one third of the world’s population suffers from religious persecution in some form, with Christians being the most persecuted group.</p>

US accuse China of using ‘concentration camps’ and aggressive military expansion

<p>The US Defense Department has accused China of pursuing an aggressive military build-up to combat US interests whilst also maintaining concentration camps which have detained close to three million Muslims.</p> <p>Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said that "at least a million [Uighurs and other minorities], but likely closer to three million, out of a total population of about 10 million” are being detained in “concentration camps”.</p> <p>The Chinese have continued to deny the allegation describing these camps as “education centres”.</p>

Ebola outbreak in DRC is worsening

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society says the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is “worsening”.  

The DRC health ministry has reported that the death toll has risen to 1,008 and more than 1,450 cases have been registered since August 2018.

Photograph: World Health Organisation

Ebola treatment centres and health workers have repeatedly been subject to violence, complicating efforts to contain the deadly virus. 119 incidents have been reported since January. 

Human Rights Watch says China’s Xinjiang citizens are monitored by police app

In a new report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that Xinjiang police are using a mobile app to illegally gathering information about people’s lawful behaviour and using it for mass surveillance and arbitrary detention of Turkic Muslims.

Photograph: Human Rights Watch

HRW “reverse engineered” the police app that officials use to connect to the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP), to find out what types of behaviours and people this mass surveillance system targets.

Videos of 'war crimes' in Libya shared online

<p>An investigation by BBC Arabic, has found evidence of alleged war crimes being shared on Facebook and YouTube.</p> <p>Disturbing images and videos have been found on these social media platforms showing bodies of civilians and fighters being desecrated by fighters of the Libyan National Army during an offensive in 2017.</p> <p>Under international law, the desecration of bodies and posting the images online for propaganda is a war crime.</p>

Venezuela plunges into new phase of political crisis

<p>Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition leader, posted a video online urging supporters to take to the streets to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power.</p> <p>Guaido posted an online video in which he appeared to be surrounded by dozens of armed troops near a military base in Caracas.</p> <blockquote><p> “The time is now,” Guaido said. “We are going to achieve freedom and democracy in Venezuela,” he added. </p></blockquote> <p>"Today it is clear to us that the Armed Forces are with the people and not with the dictator,” Guaido addressed demonstrators in Caracas.</p>

Brexit has driven up recruitment for the New IRA

Senior members of the militant republican group, known as the New IRA, have said that Brexit has helped to drive recruitment amongst young supporters as there is a renewed focus on the border and partition.

Speaking to The Sunday Times a representative of the New IRA told the reporter that:

“Brexit has forced the IRA to refocus and has underlined how Ireland remains partitioned […]

It would be remiss of us not to capitalise on the opportunity. It’s put the border on the agenda again.”

The group further acknowledged that their violent acts did not progress the cause for a unified Ireland but instead were symbolic acts.