UK to begin air strikes in Syria
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has urged MPs during a 10-hour Commons debate to vote in favour of air strikes targeting Islamic State militants, saying bombs will “keep the British people safe.” The debate has since ended and the votes are in, revealing support for the bombing of IS targets to begin. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claims Cameron’s arguments in favour of military action against the extremist group don’t make sense and could make the situation worse. According to BBC, Cameron called on MPs to take up action against the “woman-raping, Muslim-murdering, medieval monsters” of Islamic State, adding that they are “plotting to kill us and to radicalise our children right now.” Corbyn is reportedly allowing his MPs a free vote, which Cameron hopes means a majority in favour of air strikes. The UK is currently providing surveillance and intelligence support to countries fighting the group in Syria. [Source: BBC]
Mass shooting in San Bernardino claims 14
Two people, a husband and wife identified as 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook and 27-year-old Tashfeen Malik, are suspected of opening fire Wednesday morning at a social services building in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and wounding 17. The two were killed in a shoot out with police in what the NY Times writes is the deadliest mass shooting since the one that took place in a Newton, Conn., elementary school. Authorities are saying some level of planning must have gone into this, as the suspects were wearing tactical gear, and had reportedly dropped their child off at a caregiver’s house before the attacks began. The details are gruesome, and police are still searching for a motive. “They came prepared to do what they did, as if they were on a mission,” Police chief Jarrod Burguan told the NY Times. [Source: NY Times]
TV station dedicated to the sale of guns to air early 2016
Gun TV, a station dedicated to the sale and promotion of guns, ammunition, conceal and carry holsters and all related attire. It’s the home shopping channel for guns, making a diverse array of artillery available to those who are unable or too lazy to leave their homes. According to a video posted on guntv.tv, the station will “responsibly offer extraordinary access to purchase the most diverse representation of firearms in the world. The gun sales environment in America is fertile and the Gun TV 24-hour direct sales network is poised to capitalize on that opportunity.” Gun control lobbyists are sceptical. The station is set to air sometime in January of 2106. [Source: Guardian]
Hundreds dead, thousands evacuated as floods ravage southern India
Floods in India’s Tamil Nadu region have killed 269 people. The rainfall event, which is being touted as the largest in a over a century, is expected to continue over the next 48 hours, forcing the military to evacuate more than 2,000 residents. Earlier this week, the area received 14 inches of rain over a 24-hour period. [Source: Reuters]
Pistorius guilty of murder, original conviction overturned
Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, South Africa’s supreme court ruled, overturning his original conviction of culpable homicide. Pistorius, who is currently under house arrest, after serving less than a year in prison, will now face a stiffer penalty (minimum 15 years in prison) for the shooting death of Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013. [Source: Guardian]
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