Africa and Middle East
Abortion boat barred from Morocco port
A Dutch boat that offers abortions in international waters has been barred entry to the port of Smir in Morocco. The country’s health minister announced the block. The boat, which is run by ‘Women on Waves’ provides the service to women in countries where abortion is illegal. They claimed to have been invited to Morocco by a youth group entitled, ‘Alternative Movement for individual Freedoms’. The group who direct the actions of the boat have said in response they have a ‘surprise’ for the government of Morocco.
Asia
India: Go ahead for historic retail reform
India’s government has approved measures to draft in foreign investment into 49% of the retail and pension sector. Opponents of the reform bill have protested the change. The bill means the market will now open up over half the stake of multi-brand retailers to international firms such as Tesco and Walmart. Ministers say that the move comes as part of a series of stimulus reforms aimed to pick up a stagnating economy. It has been reported that The Prime Minister told his cabinet that, “the time for big bang reform has come; we have to go down fighting”.
Europe
Turkey’s Parliament permits Syria attack
The Turkish Parliament has authorised its troops to engage in military action across its border. The mandate is legal for one year. The decision follows an attack by Syria on a Turkish town, killing two women and three children. According to Turkish State media, the shelling began this morning and is due to continue. The Act passed with moderate ease and according to the Prime Minister was not an act of war but rather an act for deterrence. The UK based NGO, Syrian Human Rights Observatory have claimed that a number of Syrian targets have been hit with fatalities. Damascus has not reported this.
Belgrade bans gay pride event
Europe’s Human Rights watchdog express concern of Belgrade after they banned a gay pride event for the second year running. Serbia won European Union (EU) status this year and breaches fundamental rights set out by the EU. Further concerns have been illustrated in a statement made by the Serbia Prime Minister who described the previous ban as a “victory for Serbia”. The official discourse in regard to the ban is related to crowd safety from homophobic attacks that occurred three years ago, the last pride to be held. Mr Whitmore who leads the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities said, “Banning pride events runs counter to this obligation and only adds to the worrying rise of homophobic actions in Europe”.
Latin America
Mexican men held over US official shooting
Mexican officials have confirmed they have arrest a couple of Mexican nationals they believe to have shot a US border agent in the state of Arizona. The shot was fired last Thursday killing Nicholas Ivie and injuring another officer. It is the first time such an incidence has occurred since the ‘Fast and Furious’ fiasco. Where A US official has said that 14 people face legal action for their roles in a gun-running operation which went wrong. The Operation saw US officials lose track of hundreds of guns illegally sold in Arizona and allowed into Mexico to target dealers.
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