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...

With the most controversial World Cup set to begin in Qatar in just under a week’s time, FIFA wrote to the 32 competing teams to ‘now focus on the football.’ Credit: Talk Sport. By: Derry Salter. At a time where human rights abuses are arguably at an all time high, FIFA’s letter only served to highlight the body’s insensitivity and weak stance on the matter. President Gianna Infantino signed the letter, stating that football should not be ‘dragged’ into ideological or political ‘battles’ and it should not be ‘handing out moral lessons.’ But, moral lessons are necessary when people are being punished and killed for their sexuality. Ten different European football associations, including England and Wales, as well as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International responded to the governing body stating: ‘Human rights are universal and apply everywhere.’ The 10 responding countries recognised the assurances from the Qatari Government and FIFA ‘regarding the safety, security and incl...

The American owners of Liverpool FC have said that the club is open for investors to buy, just 12 years after buying the club themselves. Photo: liverpool.com By: Sam Feierabend. The Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who also own baseball team The Boston Red Sox, bought Liverpool in 2010 and have overseen an upturn in the club’s fortunes. Since the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager in 2015, the club has become regular challengers for silverware, winning the Premier League in 2019/2020 and The Champions League in 2019. FSG announced on 7 November that they would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club. They have however, reiterated the fact that in the meantime, the group remains committed to the club both on and off the field until a suitable buyer comes forward. The group have invested heavily in the club, mainly in the redevelopment of their famous Anfield stadium with £190m being spent on new stands. They have taken the capacity of th...

A team of Swedish engineers have developed the first crash test dummy designed on the real average body of a woman. Credit: NBC News. By: Derry Salter Crash test dummies have been used to determine the safety of a car since the 1970s. It estimates the effectiveness of seatbelts, airbags and other safety features. However, safety is only ensured for men as a majority of crash test dummies are based on the average male build and weight. Women make up more than half of the population and half of all drivers, they are also more prone to injury in accidents. A woman is three times more likely to suffer whiplash injuries in rear car collisions than a man, according to data from the US government. Whiplash is not always fatal, but when it is, it can lead to permanent disabilities. Women who are even wearing seatbelts in a collision are 47% more likely to be injured than their male counterparts. Scarily, women are 17% more likely to die in crashes too. When a crash test dummy is ‘female...

World leaders are meeting in Egypt this week to discuss climate change and what action should be taken to tackle it.   Credit: yahoo.com. By: Sam Feierabend. After initially saying he would not attend, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be present in Sharm-El-Sheikh. The annual COP meetings are held by the United Nations where governments agree to measures to combat global temperature rise. This year’s meeting has a lot to focus on, given the record-breaking heatwave across Europe and devastating floods that hit Pakistan.    More than 200 nations have been invited to the conference, with Sunak stating how the conference should highlight the Russian invasion of Ukraine will reinforce the need to end dependence on fossil fuels.    Russian delegates will attend, and it is not clear if China will send any representatives. The host nation Egypt has said that countries attending should put aside their differences and focus on dealing with the climate crisis.   Ahead...

  157 years ago the US constitution banned slavery – where one person is the legal property of another. So why will voters in five states see slavery on the ballot? Credit: Vox. By: Derry Salter. In the US, there is an exemption for slavery when it comes to convicted prisoners as involuntary servitude is a legal punishment for a crime. Tomorrow, five states will decide whether to remove these exemptions from their state constitutions and ban slavery entirely. Three states, Colorado, Nebraska and Utah, voted in 2018 to ban all forms of slavery. Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont are next to decide. 800,000 prisoners across the US work for pennies and in seven states, they work for nothing at all. Human rights researchers call it an ‘exploitative loophole’ which originates from the roots of the enslavement of African-Americans. After slavery was outlawed, many laws were passed that specifically targeted Black communities and forced them into prisons. Such movem...

An own-goal and a calm finish from Aaron Lewis was enough for Newport County to settle this all League Two clash against Colchester United in the FA Cup First Round. By: Sam Feierabend Newport came into the game unbeaten under new manager, Graham Coughlan, whilst Colchester had not won since 8 th October in all competitions and sat bottom of the Football League. The sides met in League Two just a fortnight ago at Rodney Parade, with Newport coming away with a 1-0 victory. The game started in torrid rain in South Wales, with Newport’s hybrid pitch proving slippery meaning the ball was hard to control, and players often lost their footing in possession. This led to some unattractive ‘hoof-ball’ from both sides trying to get a hold in the game. The first clear chance came in the 18 th minute when Alan Judge cut back for an unmarked Freddie Sears in the box who could only flash his effort just wide of the post. Colchester attempted to overload the midfield, which opened up space fo...

British politics is the gift that keeps on giving, with this week’s bizarre story coming as Matt Hancock has been suspended as a Conservative MP. C redit: inews.co.uk. By: Sam Feierabend. Was it because of his abysmal record as Health Secretary during the Covid-19 pandemic in which he mislabelled PPE equipment or gave out contracts to companies run by close Conservative donors? No. It is because he has announced his participation in this year’s I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! cast. Hancock will jet to Australia to join other celebrities such as Boy George, Mike Tindall and Jill Scott to take part in challenges and trials that the public vote for. Ministerial code for sitting MPs states that ‘any appointments or employment must be checked before they are taken up.’ Allegedly Hancock did not do this. His spokesperson claims that one off media broadcasts are permitted within guidelines. Nonetheless the announcement of the former Health Secretary’s participation in the show h...

On Tuesday 1 st November, Australia introduced a ban of single-use plastic in New South Wales in a bid to reduce waste. Credit: WWF Australia. By: Derry Salter. 3.4 billion tonnes of plastic is used and thrown away in Australia each year. 30% of this is single-use. Over half of Australia’s states and territories have a ban in place for single-use plastic and now its most populous state, New South Wales, is set to be part of the move to a cleaner future.   Single-use plastic included in the ban are: straws, drink stirrers, cotton buds, cutlery, polystyrene take-away containers and micro beads used in shampoo. New South Wales took their first step in June this year banning lightweight plastic bags, before taking this massive, but positive, step.   Australian Marine Conservation Society’s plastic campaign manager Shane Cucow said: ‘It’s been incredible progress considering just two years ago not a single state and territory had banned single-use plastics.’   ...