Category Archives: WORLD NEWS

Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world. An opposition fighter steps on the decapitated statue of late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in Mezzeh Military Airport in Damascus, Syria 12 December 2024. The Israeli army stated it has conducted airstrikes across Syria targeting strategic weapons stockpiles. Rebels ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad 08 December 2024. Picture: EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI A whirling dervish performs as Syrians celebrate the fall of the President Bashar al-Assad regime, at Umayyad Square, in Damascus, Syria, 11 December 2024. Syria’s Military Operations Administration announced on 11 December the lifting of the curfew imposed on Damascus following the ouster of Syrian President al-Assad on 08 December. Picture: EPA-EFE/ANTONIO PEDRO SANTOS Boats are seen sitting on the

Defence Ministry says it tracked 53 Chinese military aircraft and 11 navy ships in 24 hours. Taiwan’s presidency has called on China to halt its “provocative acts” after the self-ruled island’s officials accused Chinese forces of ramping up military drills on its doorstep. The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday it had tracked 53 military aircraft, 11 navy ships and eight civilian vessels near the island in the past 24 hours. “These actions inject uncertainty and risk into the region, creating disruptions for neighbouring countries, and it confirms China’s a troublemaker that undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When asked about the increase in military activity, a Chinese government spokesperson did not directly confirm new exercises but stated that Beijing

A social media post arguing that Singapore is superior to neighbouring Malaysia has brought together Southeast Asians to push back against “gentrification” of their cities, which many tie to growing demand from Western expatriates seeking “affordable luxury” in the region. Locals in Southeast Asian tourist destinations have long complained of rising living costs, as governments in the region seek to lure digital nomads to tropical paradises like Bali and Boracay to live the high life, without the high costs associated with cities like New York or London. The latest online kerfuffle started with a post over the weekend by fitness influencer Alexander Cortes on X, who ranked Malaysia as the best Asian country with its strong command of English, safety and “S-Tier” or super-tier food on par with New York

Reuters A Conservative former minister has called for first-cousin marriage to be banned in the UK. Introducing the proposals in Parliament, Richard Holden said the children of first cousins were at greater risk of birth defects and the practice should be prohibited to protect public health. However, independent MP Iqbal Mohamed argued a ban would be ineffective and said these issues would be better addressed through education programmes to raise awareness of the risks. Downing Street said the expert advice on the risks of first-cousin marriage was clear but indicated that the government had no plans to change the law. “In terms of legislation, the government has set out its priorities,” a No 10 spokesman said. Holden introduced his proposals using the 10-minute rule process, which allows a backbench MP

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday afternoon (Nov 21, 2024) destroyed defective ballot papers printed for the Ahafo and Volta regions for the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections. There were serial number issues with the ballot papers at the press house and so the EC took a decision to destroy all ballot papers meant for the Ahafo and Brong Ahafo regions and print new ones. The ballot papers were burnt at the Adipa Waste Management Centre, near Nsawam in the Eastern Region. It was due to serialisation errors encountered during the printing process. The affected ballots were burnt in the presence of representatives from political parties, the National Intelligence Bureau, Ghana Police Service, the media, and officials from the EC. The destroyed materials included 184 presidential ballot paper bags

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as the military commander of Hamas. A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. A warrant was also issued for Mohammed Deif of Hamas, although Israel has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July. The judges said there were “reasonable grounds” the three men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations. The Israeli prime minister’s office condemned the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic”, while Hamas said the warrants for Netanyahu

Through the lens: The Citizen’s Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world. Climate activists perform during a protest action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, 20 November 2024. The Azerbaijani capital of Baku hosts the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) from 11 to 22 November 2024. Picture: EPA-EFE/ANATOLY MALTSEV We bring you a visual snapshot of the day’s news events, including highlights featuring Israeli military vehicles during the second day of an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, SpaceX Starship lifting off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Mine Rescue Services personnel prepare for a possible rescue at Stilfontein, and Mexican journalists participating in an ‘Honor and Glory’ evening to pay tribute to murdered colleagues

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – A United States-led effort to transition the Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti into a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission has faced a significant setback following Russia and China vetoing the proposal. The two countries called for a special UN Security Council meeting to voice their concerns, dealing a blow to Kenya’s hopes of securing a more stable and well-funded mission under the UN’s framework. The multinational force, which has been assisting Haiti in battling a surge of gang violence, is facing mounting challenges, including a critical funding shortfall and insufficient troop deployment. The United States proposed transitioning the multinational force to a UN peacekeeping mission in early September to address these financial issues to secure regular funding through UN mechanisms and provide more sustainable logistical

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a top Hamas leader on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is the first time that Netanyahu or any Israeli official has been indicted by an international court for the ongoing war on Gaza. In a decision posted online on Thursday, the ICC charged Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif over Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent genocidal war in Gaza. Israel claimed to have killed Deif in July, however. It is unclear whether he is still alive. Effectively, the defendants are now internationally wanted suspects and ICC member states are under legal obligation to arrest them. Israeli officials slammed

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 What you need to know: Father Rene taught me philosophy, introducing me to Heidegger and Levinas (masters of phenomenology – his favorite study), Nietzsche, Camus, Hannah Arendt and many other greats. He also taught me a very important lesson that I try to carry up to this day: the moral imperative of judging through evidence. BY January Makamba Today marks two years since the passing of Father Rene McGraw OSB, a Benedictine monk, who was my teacher, friend and mentor at St John’s University, a Catholic university in Minnesota, USA, where I was privileged to graduate from. Father Rene easily makes the list of people who have had a positive influence in my life. He was thoroughly grounded in his Catholic faith but was generous and

Pilipey, AFP’s Photo Coordinator in Ukraine, received an honourable mention and secured first place in the General News category. He also won second place in the Feature Picture Story category.   “I am deeply honoured to be awarded alongside many talented colleagues […]. Sadly, these awards cannot stop the Russian invasion, but they give me another chance to remind the world of what millions of Ukrainians face every day during the brutal Russian full-scale war in Ukraine,” said Pilipey in a post published on his Instagram account.   Tato, AFP’s East Africa Photo Coordinator, won the Best Portfolio award. He also earned third place in the Sports feature category, and second in International Sport News.  The work of both photojournalists was also recognised in the Chris Hondros Memorial International News category