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…

Former Rwanda police officer on trial in France over genocide

Former Rwandan military police officer who fled to France after the 1994 genocide and started a new life under a false identity is going on trial in Paris charged with crimes against humanity.

Philippe Hategekimana, 66, fled to France five years after the genocide, under a fake name, Philippe Manier.

He worked as a security guard at a university in the western city of Rennes and gained French citizenship in 2005.

Clashes in Pakistan following arrest of Imran Khan

Protests are ongoing nationwide, and at least one person has been killed, following the arrest of Imran Khan.

Mr Khan was arrested by security forces at the High Court in the capital, Islamabad.

Dramatic footage showed dozens of officers arriving and detaining the 70-year-old, who was bundled into a vehicle and driven away.

He was appearing in court on charges of corruption, which he says are politically motivated.

Airstrike on civilians were 'terrorists' claims Myanmar military junta

Airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military on a civilian crowd have sparked widespread condemnation.

The initial death toll stood at 53 from Tuesday’s attacks on a village ceremony in Sagaing region at which women and children were present, but later tallies reported by independent media raised it to 170.

Myanmar military bans 40 political parties drawing condemnation

The military, which seized power in a coup in February 2021, has abolished 40 political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD).

The military imposed the law and began compiling voter lists in preparation for promised elections. Analysts say any vote held under the regime would be widely considered invalid.

What does Putin’s arrest warrant mean?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian premier, Vladimir Putin, for war crimes committed during his illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Tunisian President's racist speech triggers mob violence against Black migrants

In a speech on 21 February, Tunisian President Kais Saied made racist remarks about Black African migrants inciting violent anti-Black mobs. 

In his speech at the National Security Council meeting, Saied stated "hordes of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa" had come to Tunisia "with all the violence, crime, and unacceptable practices that entails." He claimed that the Black immigrants would "turn Tunisia into just another African country that doesn't belong to the Arab and Islamic nations anymore." 

60 migrants killed in shipwreck near southern Italy

60 people including 12 children have been killed after a wooden sailing boat carrying migrants to Europe crashed against rocks near the southern Italian coast according to authorities. 

The crash occured in the early hours of 25 February near Steccato di Cutro. 

The boat was sailing from Turkey and carried migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and several other countries.

Speaking to Reuters, a provincial official stated that 81 people had survived the shipwreck. Twenty of those who survived were hospitalized with one person being in intensive care. 

Australian Civil society bodies back Indigenous voice to parliament

Dozens of Australia’s leading social justice and civil society bodies are launching a new partnership to support the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum.

Ugandan government will not be renewing mandate of UN human rights office

Uganda has stated that it will not be renewing the mandate of the United Nations human rights office, the Ugandan government argues that it has sufficient capacity to monitor rights compliance.

On 3 February, the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The letter cites Uganda's progress regarding developing a domestic capacity for monitoring rights as the primary driver behind its decision not to renew the OHCHR mandate.

Investigate Bolsonaro for genocide says Brazil's Marina Silva

Former president Jair Bolsonaro should be investigated for genocide, Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has said, as she prepares an operation to drive illegal goldminers from the site of a humanitarian disaster on Indigenous land.