WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

  Three United Nations (UN) experts called for a full and independent investigation into the killing of three Lebanese journalists by Israel last week, which they described as ‘another attack on press freedom by Israeli forces.’ On March 28, Israeli forces killed Al Mayadeen reporter Fatima Ftouni, her brother and cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, and Al Manar TV reporter Ali Shoeib as they were…

UAE and Egypt carry out secret airstrikes against Libyan militants

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have secretly worked together to launch airstrikes against militants battling for control of Libya’s capital Tripoli, reports the New York Times.

Egypt and the UAE, both allies of the United States, shocked Washington by not informing the US of their strikes, senior US officials said.

The news of co-ordinated strikes against militants, comes as the militias consolidated control over Tripoli and its international airport on Sunday.

Holocaust survivors condemn Israel’s 'genocide' in Gaza

Over 300 Holocaust survivors and descendents have signed a letter condemning Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) said in a press release that it penned the letter in response to “an inflammatory ad campaign”, in which prominent Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel compares the killing of children during the Holocaust to Hamas’ actions in Gaza.

Boko Haram declares Islamic caliphate in captured town

Boko Haram’s leader declared an Islamic caliphate, in northeast Nigeria town seized by the militants last month.

“Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gowza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,” Abubakar Shekau said in a video obtained by the Agence France Presse.

The news comes as 35 Nigerian police officers training in the northeast regions, were reported missing by the government, after Boko Haram attacked their training facilities.

Iran downs Israeli drone over nuclear enrichment site

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard said that it brought down an Israeli stealth drone above one of its nuclear enrichment sites on Sunday, reports AlJazeera.

“The downed aircraft was of the stealth, radar-evasive type and it intended to penetrate the off-limit nuclear area in Natanz... but was targeted by a ground-to-air missile before it managed to enter the area" said a statement by the Revolutionary Guards.

Britain appoints security envoy to Kurdish regions in Iraq

Britain has appointed a security envoy to Iraq’s Kurdistan region to bolster efforts to defeat Islamic State militants reports the Associated Press.

The Prime Minister’s office, on Sunday, said  the government would be sending night vision equipment, body armour and other non-lethal military gear to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.

The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond added that the Royal Air Force would begin to ship ammunition and weapons of types used by the Kurdish forces.

Ukraine boosts military spending

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced $3bn will be spent on re-equipping his country’s army.

Speaking on the Ukrainian independence day, the president said that his country was fighting "a war against external aggression, for Ukraine, for its freedom, for its people, for independence".

"It is clear that in the foreseeable future, unfortunately, a constant military threat will hang over Ukraine. And we need to learn not only to live with this, but also to be always prepared to defend the independence of our country," he said, according to Reuters.

Russian convoy returns from Ukraine as Merkel lands in Kiev

A convoy of hundreds of Russian vehicles that entered into eastern Ukraine without government permission have returned to Russian territory, according to the latest reports.

Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told Reuters, "According to our information as of 1pm (10.00 GMT), the departure from the territory of Ukraine by 184 Russian vehicles has been confirmed." However, when asked whether there were any Russian vehicles remaining in Ukranian territory, Lysenko replied “I don’t know”.

Russia meanwhile stated that it was “satisfied” with the delivery of humanitarian aid into the pro-Russian separatist held city of Luhansk, adding “We were guided in this exclusively by the goal of helping needy civilians.”

UN condemns Israeli attack on Palestinian residential areas, Israel vows to 'intensify' operation in Gaza

The UN Secretary General condemned an Israeli attack on a school, which killed 10 people today, as "a moral outrage and a criminal act," reports the Independent.

Israeli attacks reportedly destroyed several residential blocks in Gaza, killing over 118 people. 

Hamas militants, on Saturday, wounded over 17 Israelis and killed a 4 year old child with rocket attacks on Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the Israeli military operations would "intensify" in response to the killing, reports the BBC.

Netanyahu’s spokesperson quoted the prime minister as saying that Hamas would pay a "heavy price" for the death, reports the BBC.

Hamas agrees to joining the ICC

Hamas today signed an agreement with The Palestinian Authority to join the International Criminal Court, reports The Guardian.

The decision could leave several senior Hamas officials at risk of prosecution at the court. The Hamas decision to back the Palestinian bid to join the ICC comes after Hamas leaders met with the Palestinian authority in Qatar last week.

UN warns of possible massacre in Iraq

The UN has expressed “serious alarm” about a possible massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amerli, besieged by Islamic State militants.

The town has been cut off for two months and residents, mostly Shia Turkmen, have no electricity or drinking water and are running out of food supplies.

"The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens," Special Representative Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement.

"I urge the Iraqi government to do all it can to relieve the siege and to ensure that the residents receive life-saving humanitarian assistance or are evacuated in a dignified manner."