Latest news with #deathtoll
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Thousands displaced as gunboats deployed in Thailand Cambodia border conflict
The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has entered its third day, with the death toll rising to 33 fatalities. Over 81,000 civilians have been displaced, with more than 58,000 Thais and 23,000 Cambodians fleeing to temporary shelters. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting, urging both nations to de-escalate, show restraint, and resolve the dispute peacefully, also calling on ASEAN to mediate. Thailand accused Cambodia of potential war crimes due to civilian deaths and hospital damage, while Cambodia denied attacking Thailand and accused Thai forces of targeting civilian areas. The latest flare-up in the long-running dispute began after a landmine explosion wounded Thai soldiers, leading to intense clashes involving heavy artillery.
Washington Post
18-07-2025
- Washington Post
Officials try to identify 18 bodies in deadly Iraq shopping mall fire
BAGHDAD — Officials struggled Friday to identify more than a dozen bodies pulled from a deadly shopping mall fire in Iraq , amid ongoing investigations into what caused the blaze. An Iraqi medical official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment said the final death toll was 63, including 18 bodies that could not be identified due to the severity of the burns and would undergo DNA testing.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Iran raises death toll from war to 935, won't guarantee safety of nuclear inspectors
Iran has raised the official death toll for its 12-day war with Israel, with official media reporting that 935 people were killed in the country based on the latest forensic data. Among the dead were 38 children and 132 women, said Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary. Iran also criticised US President Donald Trump's comments on potentially striking Iran again and his shifting stance on whether to lift economic sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the comments were "games" and not aimed at solving the problems between the two countries. "These [statements by Trump] should be viewed more in the context of psychological and media games than as a serious expression in favour of dialogue or problem-solving," he said. Mr Trump said he was not speaking to Iran and was not offering the country "anything", and reiterated his assertion that the United States had "totally obliterated" Tehran's nuclear facilities. The death toll was a sharp increase from a previous Iranian Health Ministry tally of 610 killed in Iran before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday last week. Mr Baghaei said Israel's "act of aggression had led to many war crimes". He said Iran would transfer evidence to international organisations, which he said should hold Israel to account. "The Zionist regime's [Israel] action was done without any reason or justification, therefore we do not believe in separating military and civilian [victims]," he said during his latest press briefing. He said any "martyr or destroyed building is an example of war crimes". Late last week, a hardline Iranian newspaper said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) boss Rafael Grossi should be tried and executed as an Israeli agent. Mr Grossi did not respond to the newspaper, but did say his top priority was ensuring IAEA inspectors could return to nuclear sites in Iran as soon as possible. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mr Baghaei said Iran could not yet be expected to guarantee the safety of IAEA inspectors. "How can they expect us to ensure the safety and security of the agency's inspectors when Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities were attacked a few days ago?" he said. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, denied that there was any threat against Mr Grossi. But Iran has increasingly criticised him and threatened to halt cooperation with the IAEA, which Tehran blames for providing a justification for Israel's bombing. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Monday that the IAEA's "double standards" had created problems for regional and global security, Iranian state media reported. "The view of the Iranian government, parliament, and people is that the IAEA director has not acted impartially in relation to our country's nuclear file," the reports quote Mr Pezeshkian as saying. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said Mr Grossi was not welcome in Iran, having carried out "malign action" and played a "regrettable role". Britain, France and Germany denounced threats against the head of the UN nuclear watchdog. "France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and reiterate our full support to the Agency and the DG in carrying out their mandate," said a statement from the three countries' foreign ministries. "We call on Iranian authorities to refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA." ABC/wires
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Crossbenchers call for federal intervention after ‘deeply shocking' revelations about prison deaths
Key crossbenchers have called for the federal government to intervene to drive reforms to state prison systems after revelations that 57 Australians died from hanging points that were known to authorities but not removed. A Guardian Australia investigation on Tuesday revealed that inaction to remove known hanging points from 19 prisons across the country had caused a shocking death toll, more than 30 years after state governments promised to make prisons safe in the wake of the Aboriginal deaths in custody royal commission. In one case, 10 inmates hanged themselves from the same type of ligature point at Brisbane's Arthur Gorrie prison over almost 20 years, despite early warnings that it be immediately addressed. Guardian Australia has spent five months investigating the deadly toll of Australia's inaction to remove hanging points from its jails, a key recommendation of the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. The main finding – that 57 inmates died using known ligature points that had not been removed – was made possible by an exhaustive examination of coronial records relating to 248 hanging deaths spanning more than 20 years. Reporters combed through large volumes of coronial records looking for instances where a hanging point had been used repeatedly in the same jail. They counted any death that occurred after prison authorities were made aware of that particular hanging point. Warnings were made via a prior suicide or suicide attempt, advice from their own staff or recommendations from coroners and other independent bodies. Guardian Australia also logged how many of the 57 inmates were deemed at risk of self-harm or had attempted suicide before they were sent into cells with known hanging points. In adherence with best practice in reporting on this topic, Guardian Australia has avoided detailed descriptions of suicide. In some instances, so that the full ramifications of coronial recommendations can be understood, we have made the decision to identify types and locations of ligature points. We have done this only in instances where we feel the public interest in this information being available to readers is high. In another, four inmates were able to hang themselves from the same hanging point at the Adelaide Remand Centre after the state government was explicitly warned to either remove it or minimise its risk. In many cases, prisoners who were known suicide risks – like Gavin Ellis, a beloved son whose mother still mourns his loss – were sent into cells with hanging points that had been used in prior deaths. The revelations prompted immediate calls from crossbenchers for the Albanese government to show national leadership on the issue and pressure state governments to engage in reform of their justice and prison systems. The independent senator David Pocock said the cases were 'deeply shocking' and highlight 'a widespread failure in our prison system'. 'I would support more federally coordinated action to better address these persistent failures, whether through a Senate inquiry or action by national cabinet,' he said. The Greens justice spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the 57 deaths showed Australia's prison system was 'fundamentally broken and killing people, even though governments have been on notice for decades'. He said it was time for the federal government to intervene. 'Thirty-four years after the Royal Commission, First Nations people are still dying from government inaction and broken promises,' he said. 'It's impossible to imagine something more awful than families losing their loved ones because a hanging point, that the authorities knew had killed before, still hadn't been removed.' The deaths disproportionately affected Indigenous Australians, who remain vastly overrepresented in the system. Seven Indigenous Australians hanged themselves in 2023-24, a number not recorded since 2000-01. The independent senator Lidia Thorpe said Guardian Australia's findings revealed 'shocking negligence'. She said the federal government could not keep 'pretending this is just a state issue'. 'That's not only misleading – it's a shameful abdication of responsibility,' Thorpe said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'The Prime Minister needs to show leadership. These are preventable deaths. This is life or death. And it's long past time for action.' Thorpe called for the coronial system to be overhauled, and 'real accountability mechanisms' to be put in place. She also wants to see someone tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and driving the implementation of the royal commission recommendations. 'Thirty years after the Royal Commission, people are still dying in exactly the same way. Governments are sitting on their hands while our people die in these brutal facilities,' Thorpe said. 'Implementing the Royal Commission recommendations won't just help First Nations people – it will save lives across the entire prison system.' The independent MP and former barrister Zali Steggall said the deaths represented a 'systemic human rights failure' that 'demands immediate action'. 'I call on the government for firm national leadership,' she said. 'There urgently needs to be commitment and a timeline for the implementation for reform and previous recommendation. 'It's been more than 30 years since the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and countless more inquiries, and little has changed. It's clear that a step change on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy is needed by the government who have done very little to push progress since the referendum.' In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support. Other international helplines can be found at
