At least 10 killed in attack on police station in Pakistan
Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan Reuters At least 10 police personnel were killed and six others injured in a pre-dawn attack on Monday by militants on a police station in north-west Pakistan, police said, as violence escalated ahead of general elections this week. At around 3am local time militants attacked the police station with sniper fire […]
Australian writer Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence in Beijing
Sydney, Australia/Beijing, China Reuters A Beijing court on Monday handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence, five years after he was first detained in China and three years after a closed-door trial on espionage charges. Yang, a pro-democracy blogger, is an Australian citizen born in China who was working in New York before […]
Satellite images show 30 per cent of Gaza destroyed, UN centre says
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Satellite imagery analysed by the United Nations Satellite Centre shows that 30 per cent of Gaza Strip’s buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Israel offensive in the densely populated Palestinian enclave. Israel’s assault, launched in response to attacks by Hamas militants in southern Israel on 7th October, has killed more […]
Philippines ready to use “forces” to quell any secession attempt – official
Manila, The Philippines Reuters The Philippine Government is ready to use “authority and forces” against attempts to divide the nation, a security official said Sunday, after former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to separate some southern islands from the rest of the archipelago. Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines […]
El Salvador President Bukele declares himself winner of election
San Salvador. El Salvador Reuters President Nayib Bukele on Sunday declared himself winner of El Salvador’s national elections in a landslide, claiming he captured more than 85 per cent of the vote – even though electoral officials have not released any results. Bukele was the heavy favourite to win another five-year term as voters largely […]
Iceland builds defences for a future of increased volcanic activity
Copenhagen, Denmark Reuters Icelanders are working round-the-clock to build dykes the size of three-storey buildings to protect a vital power plant and homes from lava flows, since volcanoes near the capital Reykjavik that were dormant for nearly 800 years became active. The six volcanic systems, which experts forecast will be active for up to three […]
EU diplomat says defunding UN Palestinian agency would be dangerous
Brussels, Belgium Reuters The European Union’s top diplomat said on Sunday cutting funds to UNRWA would put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, amid allegations some of the UN Palestinian refugee agency’s staff were involved in the 7th October Hamas attacks on Israel. A string of countries, including the United States, Britain and Italy, […]
‘Genius: MLK/X’: New docudrama depicts the personal lives of the two civil rights activists
ADELLE M BANKS, of Religion News Service, reports that the series includes scenes of Martin Luther King, Jr, and Coretta Scott King, and Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, at home with their families and discussing their faith…
Russian cosmonaut sets record for most time in space – more than 878 days
Moscow, Russia Reuters Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on Sunday set a world record for total time spent in space, surpassing his compatriot Gennady Padalka who logged more than 878 days in orbit, Russia’s space corporation said. At 0830 GMT Kononenko broke the record, Roscosmos said. Kononenko is expected to reach a total of 1,000 days […]
Essay: How the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can guide governments through the turmoil of 2024
Law professor KATHRYN MCNEILLY, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights could provide a way forward in a world in conflict…