DUBLIN  –  A member of the Irish Defense Forces has been stabbed several times, during an attack at Renmore Barracks in County Galway.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ is reporting that the man in his 50’s is an army chaplain.

He was taken to University Hospital Galway and his injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening.

In a post on Facebook, the chaplain thanked the public for their prayers. He said he is awaiting surgery.

Gardaí (Irish police) said a teenage boy was restrained by soldiers and then arrested. The Defense Forces said shots were fired by personnel during the incident.

The Irish Defense Forces said: “Soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area.

“The assailant was quickly detained and handed over to An Garda Síochána.

“The injured Defense Forces member was provided with immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to hospital for further treatment.”

Members of the Garda’s armed support unit were also sent to the incident last Thursday night.

The teenager is being detained at a police station in the northwest, police added.

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris has described the incident as “shocking”.

“My thoughts are with the member of the Defense Forces in hospital. I want to thank the Defense Forces and gardaí for their action and response,” Mr Harris said.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) and Minister for Defense Micheál Martin said: “I condemn the violent attack at Renmore Barracks last night.

“I commend the members of the Defense Forces on duty at the time, whose intervention was critical.

“Our thoughts are with the Defense Forces member injured in the attack.”

Bishop Michael Duignan of Galway said that news of the assault was “deeply shocking and upsetting”.

Bishop Duignan said he would pray for the injured man’s full recovery as well as for his family, army colleagues and medical personnel. (BBC)

Photo: Father Paul F Murphy. (Facebook) …[+]

KOLKATA  –  Indian doctors have called for a nationwide shutdown of hospital services, as public fury over the rape and murder of a trainee medic in the eastern city of Kolkata last week mounts.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest grouping of medics with 400,000 members, said the 24-hour shutdown would be implemented on Saturday, affecting most hospital departments except for essential services.

The shutdown comes after thousands of people took to the streets in several cities to express their outrage at the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor, whose brutalised body was found on August 9 at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

On Friday, large protests were held in various cities – including Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, Mumbai in the west and Hyderabad in southern India – demanding justice and better security at medical campuses and hospitals.

“We want justice,” doctors chanted in Kolkata, waving handwritten signs that read, “No safety, no service!”

Demonstrators held banners calling for accountability as they gathered near parliament in New Delhi.

“Doctors, especially women are vulnerable to violence, because of the nature of the profession. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses,” the IMA said in a statement issued on X.

Multiple medical unions in both government and private systems have backed the strike.

Doctors in government hospitals across several states on Monday had halted elective services “indefinitely” in protest.

Indian media have reported that the murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital’s seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a brief rest during a long shift.

An autopsy confirmed sexual assault. Doctors say the circumstances of the rape point to the vulnerability of medics left without proper protection and facilities.

Though police have detained a man who worked at the hospital helping people navigate busy queues, state government officers have been accused of mishandling the case.

Last Wednesday night the hospital, where the trainee doctor was killed, was attacked. Police did not identify who was behind the rampage, but said they have arrested 19 people so far.

There were more than 31,000 reported rapes in India in 2022, the latest year for which data is available, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The gang rape and murder in 2012 of a young woman on a bus in Delhi, northern India, led to nationwide protests and outrage over the country’s failure to tackle sexual violence against women.

At about the time of the 2012 attack, police were recording up to 25,000 rape cases a year across India, NCRB data showed.

Since 2012, the government has brought in sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including tougher sentences and the death penalty for repeat offenders.

Conviction rates for rape ranged between 27-28 percent from 2018-2022, according to NCRB data.

The definition of rape has also been widened to include non-penetrative acts and the age threshold for rape trials lowered so 16-year-olds can be tried as adults.

But campaigners say little has changed despite the tougher laws.

Criminal lawyer Rebecca M John, who has represented many rape victims, said some rapists still believe they can get away with their crimes.

“One of the factors would be the absence of fear of the law,” she said.

Many cases of crimes against women also go unreported, because of the stigma surrounding sexual violence and a lack of faith in the police. (Al Jazeera)

Photo: A woman holds a candle during a vigil in Mumbai condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata. (Reuters) …[+]

TOKYO  –  Hundreds of thousands of people are being advised to evacuate in parts of Japan, with some homes losing power on Friday, as Typhoon Ampil approaches the east coast near the capital.

The storm, located 121 nautical miles southeast of Yokosuka, Greater Tokyo, has intensified to the equivalent strength of a Category 4 hurricane, bringing winds of up to 212 kilometers per hour (131 mph) as it moves north at 18 kph (11 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).

Ampil has rapidly intensified over the past two days, partly because it moved over very warm water – meaning more moisture in the air to fuel the typhoon. It could strengthen further in the next 12 hours, with the storm reaching peak intensity as it passes by Japan.

More than 178,000 households – nearly 404,000 people in total – were issued evacuation advisories in the cities of Mobara and Asahi near Tokyo and Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, which are near the east coast expected to feel the brunt of the storm by late Friday. Local authorities called on the elderly, those with disabilities and anyone living in high-risk areas to evacuate.

A similar notice was issued in the city of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, with authorities warning that all residents should be prepared to evacuate.

By Friday afternoon, as rain and wind picked up in coastal areas, more than 2,000 households lost power, according to electricity company TEPCO.

Railways and airlines are also canceling services on Friday, during the peak summer travel season.

Two major airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, canceled about 500 flights in total serving the capital’s Haneda and Narita airports, NHK reported.

Rail travel has been disrupted too. Six lines on Japan’s extensive bullet train network are suspending services between certain stations and warning of major delays on Friday – including the key Tokaido line that connects Tokyo with Osaka.

Meteorology officials have warned that some parts of northern and eastern Japan may see violent winds, rough seas, heavy rain, flooding, landslides and overflowing rivers, according to NHK. They urged the public to exercise caution and stay prepared.

The storm’s center is expected to remain slightly offshore as it turns toward the northeast and moves away from Japan, according to the JTWC and Japan’s Meteorological Agency. If it stays offshore and only brushes the coast, it might only have a light impact on Japan, bringing rain and wind to some areas including Tokyo.

However, it could have a much stronger effect if the direction changes to bring the center closer to the coast, or even makes landfall.

The storm is expected to weaken by Saturday morning local time and die down as it moves into cooler waters over the weekend. (CNN)

Photo: People shield themselves from heavy rain as Typhoon Ampil approaches Tokyo. (AFP) …[+]