World news in brief
Strong tremor shakes central Greece
An earthquake of magnitude 6 struck central Greece yesterday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The fire brigade service said there were no immediate reports of casualties although dozens of proeprtues were damaged. The EMSC pinned the quake 17 km (10 miles) west of the town of Tyrnavos, central Greece. A powerful quake shook the same area on Wednesday, sending people rushing out of homes and damaging houses and cars in nearby villages. Seismologists have said they expected a sequence of post-quake activity in the coming days.
Man beheads daughter and takes it to police in India
A man in the northern Uttar Pradesh state in India has admitted to beheading his daughter because he
disapproved of a relationship she was in. The man, identified as Sarvesh Kumar, 45, was seen on Wednesday walking towards the local police station to inform them that he killed his teenage daughter.
As the police arrived, they recorded the interaction where he can be seen sharing his whereabouts without hesitation and admitting to beheading his daughter with a sharp object. “I did it. There was no one else. I closed the latch and did it. The body is in the room,” he is heard saying in the video. The police said charges against him will be filed soon.
Australian teenager dies from box jellyfish sting
An Australian teenager is thought to be the first person to die from a box jellyfish sting in 15 years. The 17year-old’s life support was turned off just over a week after he was stung while swimming near Bamaga, Cape York, on Australia’s northern tip, according to Queensland Police. The unnamed teenager was intubated at the scene on 22 February, before being flown to Townsville Hospital. A report on his subsequent death is being prepared for the coroner, police say.
South Korea’s first transgender soldier found dead
South Korea’s first transgender soldier, who was forcibly ousted from the military after she underwent gender assignment surgery, has been found dead at her home. Emergency services found Byun Hee-soo, 23, in her home in the central city of Cheongju after her mental health counsellor alerted the police that she was not reachable since 28 February, news agency Yonhap reported. The cause of her death is not known and no suicide note has been found.
Byun was dismissed by the military from serving as a staff sergeant in January 2020, shortly after she had her gender reassignment surgery. The defence ministry classified her loss of male genital as physical disability under the military law. The transgender rights campaigner then went on to file a suit against the military’s decision, seeking to continue her services as a female. The first hearing in the case was scheduled to take place next month.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.