Robert Mugabe ‘Seriously’ Considering Castration as Punishment for Rape
Dictator Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe announced this week that his government is “seriously” considering castration as a punishment for rapists, particularly those who rape minors.
Frances Martel
Latest News
On Putin and Assad, America Finally Sees the Kinder, Gentler Trump
Before taking the California stage last night, Donald Trump promised he would attempt to “tone it down” for the second Republican debate. He mostly failed to be less Trump than his usual disposition, save for one topic: the ongoing civil war in Syria and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in keeping the war alive.
‘Alexis Betrayed Us,’ Greek Youth Lament, as Syriza Slumps in Polls
As Greece braces for parliamentary elections on September 20, ruling Radical Left party Syriza finds itself slipping in the polls and possibly handing the nation back to the center-right, chasing an ever-elusive youth vote.
Ethnic Malaysians Paralyze Capital with Anti-Chinese Rally
A rally of thousands of ethnic Malays froze the city of Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with police resorting to water cannons to subdue the group. The Malay majority organized to show support for Prime Minister Najib Razak as he faces a corruption probe but had clear ethnic undertones as many chanted anti-Chinese slogans.
Colombian President Visits Venezuela Border amid Mass Deportations
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos visited the border town of Paraguachón on Monday, where thousands of Colombians formerly living in Venezuela have been deported. During the visit, Santos confronted Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard, accused of multiple human rights violations against Colombians.
Video: 12 Cuban Refugees, Dog Land to Cheers in Miami on Broken ‘Sailboat’
A group of thirteen Cuban refugees–11 men, one teenage girl, and a dog–arrived on American soil on Tuesday to the cheers of Miami beachgoers, two days after they had run out of food and the tiny motor on their makeshift sailboat ceased working.
Sierra Leone Quarantines 700 as Teen Diagnosed with Ebola
700 people in northern Sierra Leone have been quarantined, as the country, recently celebrating the discharge from the hospital of their last Ebola patient, diagnosed a 16-year-old girl with the disease.
South China Sea: China Building Airstrip for ‘Constant’ Surveillance Power
Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies warn satellite evidence shows the Chinese military is developing a new airstrip in the South China Sea, one that could allow for “more or less constant” surveillance of the internationally disputed waters.
Switzerland Hosts Reality TV-Style Contest to Replace ‘Awkward’ National Anthem
The Swiss people have just chosen, through a reality TV-style voting process, their new national anthem. Drawing on the same melody as the “Swiss Psalm,” the winner–written by healthcare director Werner Widmer–reportedly better embodies secular “Swiss values.”
‘Scores’ of Boko Haram Jihadis Surrender, Nigeria Claims
The Nigerian military claims “scores” of Boko Haram jihadists are surrendering to authorities, following targeted attacks on their food and fuel supplies in the dense Sambisa Forest of northern Nigeria.
Kurdish Businesses, Individuals Are Latest Targets of Angry Turkish Mobs
Hundreds of attacks by Turkish nationalist mobs on Kurdish-friendly parties, Kurdish businesses, and even knowing Kurdish individuals in the wake of the nation’s struggle against the Marxist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group threaten the peaceful coexistence of Turks and Kurds, leaders warn.
Colombia Lodges Complaint as Venezuela Flies Military Jets over Army Base
The government of Colombia is lodging a formal complaint against Venezuela for allegedly violating its airspace with two military aircraft over the weekend, the latest provocation in a series that includes the mass deportation of hundreds of Colombian nationals.
Cuba Arrests 50 Catholic Dissidents as Pope Francis’ Visit Nears
The Cuban government’s now-ritual weekly arrests of pro-democracy dissidents continued on the last Sunday before Pope Francis lands on the Caribbean island, with more than 50 Catholic protesters arrested after attending weekly Mass.
The Last Frontier in Africa’s Ebola War: Sex Among Survivors
The World Health Organization is warning that the time frame in which male Ebola survivors can spread the virus through their semen may be longer than previously anticipated, keeping an outbreak that began in February 2014 alive as those who are considered free of the disease engage in sexual activity.
Witch Doctor Business Booms as 30,000 Lose Jobs in Zimbabwe
A Supreme Court decision allowing employers to fire workers with only three months’ notice has led to a boom in the witch doctor industry as the nation’s unemployed turn to any means possible to help land themselves a new job.
Leopoldo López, Venezuela’s Most Prominent Political Prisoner, Sentenced to 13 Years
The leader of Venezuela’s largest opposition party, Popular Will, has been found guilty of organizing protests against the socialist government. Leopoldo López has been condemned to serve 13 years and 9 months in prison.
Study: Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman Was Murdered
Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman–who was found dead in his apartment the day before he was to testify before the Argentine legislature that President Cristina Kirchner had worked with Iran to protect the perpetrators of the nation’s deadliest terror attack–could not have killed himself because if he did, he would have had metal traces on his hands, a new study shows.
Turkey: Pro-Erdogan Columnist Threatens Life of Hurriyet Writer
During a week in which the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet has fought off three violent mobs at two of its headquarters, a rival columnist supportive of Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened the life of Hurriyet writer Ahmet Hakan, noting that the AKP has “been merciful today and you are still alive,” but that can always change.
Venezuela Takes Out Full-Page NYT Ad to Defend Violent Deportation Spree
The Venezuelan government has published a full-page ad in the New York Times this week arguing that the mass, arbitrary deportation of Colombians from its border territories was necessary for national security interests.
Nigerian President: Boko Haram Married Off Most Chibok Girls
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari told BBC Hausa in an extensive interview that he believes most of the girls Boko Haram kidnapped from Chibok village in April 2014 are alive, but have been dispersed and married off to Muslims.
UN: Venezuelan Deportation Spree Has Displaced 20,000 Colombians
A deportation spree triggered by alleged “paramilitary” vandals has forced 20,000 Colombians to leave their homes in Venezuela or be forcefully deported.
Islamists Storm Turkey’s Hurriyet Newspaper a Second Time
Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper has suffered a second, bolder attack on headquarters in both Istanbul and Ankara, following an attack earlier this week in which Islamists broke office doors with stones and sticks, while yelling, “Allahu akbar.”
Nigeria Bans Horses in the North as Boko Haram Escalates Village Raids
Nigeria’s military has imposed a ban on riding horseback in northeast Borno state in an attempt to make members of the ISIS-affiliated terror group Boko Haram more conspicuous and, thus, easier to arrest or kill.
Kurd-Friendly Turkish Party Claims More than 400 Nationalist Attacks in Two Days
The head of Turkey’s People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş, stated this week that his Kurdish-friendly party had experienced more than 400 attacks by Islamists and Turkish nationalists in the last two days.
Syrian Refugees Stage Sit-In Demanding Uruguay Return them to Lebanon
The 42 Syrian refugees granted asylum in Uruguay are staging a sit-in before the office of the President in Montevideo, accusing the government of lying to them about economic opportunity and demanding to return to Lebanon.
