DES ABEND NEWS

Turkey has begun 'retaliation' missile strikes in Northern Syria and Iraq, after a bomb attack in Istanbul last week killed six people.  Credit: anews.com.  By: Sam Feierabend. The target for the bombings has been against Kurdish militant bases and have killed 11 civilians, including a journalist say the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF are led by militants from Kurdistan, the long-debated region that covers Northern Iraq and Syria. Kurdish people have long been targeted by others, including ISIS and Al-Assad's Syrian army.  Despite claiming no responsibility, the SDF have seemingly been the target for Turkish counter strikes which have been carried out as retaliation. Last Sunday (13 November), a bomb set off in central Istanbul killed six people and injured another 80. The Turkish ministry of defence has called this offensive Operation Claw Sword, which is claimed to only be targeting terrorist organisations and structures belonging to terrorists. ...

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops is underway in Kenya after a ban was reversed last month, but not everyone is so certain of GM’s role in the country. Credit: Alliance for Science. By: Derry Salter. For the latest four seasons, Kenya has seen no annual rain, with fellow African counties like Ethiopia and Somalia succumbing to the same fate. 1.5 million have fled their homes in the last year to seek for food and water. 4 million people in Kenya remain starving. Earlier last month, Kenya lifted their ban on the use of genetically modified crops after seeing the worst drought to affect the country in over 40 years. Reversing the ban was the first move to hopefully improve crop yields and the future of food security in the country. GM was first banned in Kenya in 2012, with a scientific report concerning a close relationship between cancer in rats and GM crops providing the basis for the ruling. Scientists celebrated the lift of the ban and many see GM crops as the answ...

This weekend yet another mass shooting happened in the USA, with five people killed in a gay nightclub in Colorado. Credit: Indiatvnews.com. By: Sam Feierabend. The suspect has been named as Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, who was taken into custody and treated for injuries.  At least two firearms were found at the scene and the FBI is helping with the initial investigation to see if the gunman acted alone.  The shooting happened in Club Q, a gay nightclub in the heart of Colorado Springs and is evidently a targeted hate attack against the LGBTQIA+ community.  The attack was first reported to local police at around 11:45pm whilst the venue was hosting a Saturday night DJ and dancing evening, which was due to run until 2am. Many lives were saved by two witnesses, who confronted the attacker, fighting and restraining him until police arrived at the scene. Jared Polis, the governor of Colorado, commended those who stepped in as 'brave individuals who blocked the gunman.' It i...

Over 150 different universities will take part in strikes over pay, working conditions and pensions in what has been coined as the ‘biggest ever’ strike. Credit: UCU. By: Derry Salter. 70,000 members of staff across universities in the UK plan to undertake industrial action on 24, 25 and 30 November. The University and College Union have said over 2.5 million students will be affected by these strikes which could even “escalate in the new year alongside a marking and assessment boycott.” Students are set to face cancelled lectures and those who do attempt to attend university will have to cross picket lines. However, the union have offered their employers a way to stop all of this: “Disruption can be avoided if employers act fast and make improved offers.” Action begins on 24 November, but a lot of staff plan to take action the day before by refusing to cover for any absent colleagues. UCU demand a pay rise because of the cost-of-living crisis and a cut in pensions, which the...

The UK will pay France £8m extra a year to try to stop people crossing the English Channel in boats. Credit: MSBN.com.  By: Sam Feierabend.  In the revised deal, UK police officers will be embedded with French police in control rooms and on beaches. The number of officers patrolling the French coast will increase from 200 to 300. The Government is under increasing pressure to limit the number of Channel crossings, with numbers hitting record levels this year. More than 40,000 people have crossed in boats this year, up from 28,000 last year and 8,500 the year before. Rishi Sunak has recognised that there is no single thing that can bring numbers down, but he is confident that the problem can be 'fixed'. In the new agreement, Home Secretary Suella Braverman increased the amount that the UK pays France from £55m to £63m. This would help to cover the 40% uplift in the number of French police patrolling beaches.  The UK will use night vision equipment and increase the usage of...