Author: Lucas Bennett

A memorial service at Westminster Abbey will bring together more than 2,000 guests to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, in which over 8,370 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically killed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995. The service, organised by UK charitable initiative Remembering Srebrenica, will see twenty candles lit in honour of the victims, with the President of the Mothers of Srebrenica association, Munira Subasic, sharing her personal testimony before the congregation. The United Nations has described the massacre as the worst crime committed on European soil since the Second World War. Prime Minister…

An ice cream product bearing the name and image of Adolf Hitler has been found on sale across India, drawing condemnation from Jewish communities and international observers who say it reflects a significant gap in Holocaust education across the country. The product, sold as Hitler-branded ice cream cones, features an unsmiling image of the Nazi dictator dressed in military uniform printed on its packaging. According to reports, the cones are available nationwide rather than being limited to a specific region, suggesting the brand has achieved widespread commercial distribution. Commentators have pointed out that the use of Hitler’s name and likeness…

President Donald Trump has issued a stark public warning to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening severe military consequences if any mines are found in the critical waterway and are not immediately removed. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening, Trump demanded that any mines placed in the strait be cleared without delay, warning that failure to do so would result in military action at a scale he described as never seen before. “If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want…

American electronics importers facing shipment detentions and seizures at the border will gain new procedural rights under a rule change that came into effect in October, following widespread industry concern about delays and a lack of transparency in the existing process. The updated regulations, issued as a final rule by US Customs and Border Protection effective October 19, 2015, introduce several key changes to how detention and seizure cases are handled. Manufacturers will now be permitted to play a greater role in helping customs officials verify the authenticity of detained products, while importers will be able to request samples or…

American agricultural biotechnology firm Monsanto has announced it will cut 2,600 jobs over the next two years as falling sales of both genetically modified seeds and its flagship weedkiller Roundup continue to weigh heavily on the company’s finances. The planned redundancies represent a 13 percent reduction in the company’s global workforce of around 20,000 employees, with marketing and sales departments expected to bear the brunt of the cuts. The restructuring is targeted at generating savings of between $275 million and $300 million, with the full programme expected to be completed within 18 to 24 months. The job losses come against…

Microsoft has introduced a new feature to Skype that allows users to search and send short clips from well-known films and television shows directly within their conversations, giving people a new way to respond when words alone fall short. The feature, called Mojis, gives Skype users access to a searchable database of memorable moments drawn from titles including Jurassic Park, Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect and Despicable Me, with the library built through partnerships with major entertainment providers including Universal Studios, the BBC and The Muppets franchise. Microsoft described the collaboration as an effort to bring the funniest, most recognisable and most…

American health regulators have approved a new heart failure medication that performed so strongly in clinical testing that some medical experts believe it could replace existing treatments currently used for one of the country’s most widespread conditions. The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Entresto, developed by pharmaceutical company Novartis and previously known as LCZ696, for use in patients suffering from heart failure — a condition in which the heart becomes too weak to pump sufficient blood to meet the body’s needs. Around 5.1 million people in the United States are currently affected by the condition. The drug combines two…

Teen Mom 2 cast member Leah Messer is facing a police investigation after reports emerged that she repeatedly failed to provide her disabled daughter with a wheelchair at school, with the situation allegedly reaching a point where the child was unable to evacuate her classroom during a fire drill. The investigation was triggered by a tip from one of the children’s teachers, according to reports. Messer’s daughter Ali, who shares with her twin sister Aleeah, suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy that prevents her from moving around independently. Complaints have been raised that her mother has not consistently…

A dual Russian-American citizen who ran an electronics company in Texas has admitted in a New York court to illegally supplying controlled microelectronics to Russian military and intelligence agencies over a period of several years, in a case that prosecutors say directly compromised United States national security. Alexander Fishenko, who operated Houston-based ARC Electronics Inc., pleaded guilty on September 9, 2015 to a series of charges including conspiracy to export controlled technology, money laundering and obstruction of justice. He had originally been charged in October 2012 alongside ten co-conspirators. Prosecutors said Fishenko used his American company as a front to…

New Zealand has established a new marine sanctuary covering one of the Pacific’s most biodiverse stretches of ocean, with the announcement made by Prime Minister John Key at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Kermadec ocean sanctuary is home to almost 35 species of whales and dolphins, around 150 types of fish and three of the world’s seven sea turtle species, making it one of the most ecologically significant marine environments in the southern hemisphere. The New Zealand government said the decision reflects the high value the country places on its oceans and coastlines, which play a…