WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Photograph: Screenshot/ BLA video A fresh wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances has been documented across Balochistan this month, as Baloch rights groups recorded the recovery of several bodies of men who had earlier been forcibly taken, and appealed once more to international institutions that have largely ignored the province. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)…

UN envoy calls for extension of ceasefire in Yemen to allow further distribution of aid

The UN envoy to Yemen called on the Saudi-led military coalition and Houthi militants to extend the humanitarian ceasefire due to expire on Sunday.

A senior envoy official, Islmail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called for the extension to allow for further aid to be delivered to Yemeni civilians.

Egyptian court seeks death penalty for former president Morsi

An Egyptian court sought the death penalty for former president Mohamed Morsi who was ousted from Presidency in the 2013 uprisings.

Mr Morsi and 106 other supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are being tried for their connection with a mass jail break in 2011. Egyptian prosecutors alleged that the Bortherhood was planning of sending elements to receive training from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants.

The court is expected to make a final ruling on June 2 reports Reuters.

India-China sign $22bn deals

Prime Minster Narendra Modi's visit to China is concluding today, with the signing of $22bn (£14bn) worth of trade and economic cooperation agreements.

The deals signed during his 3-day visit cover a range of industries including renewable energy, the financial sector and ports.

"Let us work together in mutual interests," said Mr Modi. "Now India is ready for business."

More deals worth $10bn (£6.3bn), covering education, railways, and scientific research were signed on Friday.

War crimes committed in Libya warns UN mission

Armed groups across Libya are responsible for crimes that could leave them liable in front of the International Criminal Court, warned the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL.)

Islamic State seizes city, US pledges heavy weponry to Iraqi forces

Islamic State militants in Iraq seized the local government headquarters of the Iraqi city of Ramadai on Friday, reports Reuters.
 
Militants attacked the city of Ramadi overnight using suicide bombers to get to the city centre.

The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi met with Iraqi security leaders following the attacks, and pledged to intensify efforts to expel Islamic State militants from Ramadi.

The announcement came as the US Vice President Joe Biden, pledge to aid Iraqi forces with heavy weaponry.  

Iran open to all level of talks in exchange for sanctions relief

Iran pledged that it was open to all levels of talks on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief during talks in Vienna on Friday.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking to Austrian press said,

“Even if I’m optimistic, that doesn’t mean that any deal is acceptable. All parties want a good deal, and for Iran it’s only a good deal if our legitimate rights are respected and sanctions are finished.”

Thousands of Rohingya asylum-seekers stranded at sea as South-East Asian countries turn away boats

A boat of largely Rohingya Muslim asylum-seekers from Myanmar is adrift off the coast of Thailand and Malaysia, after having been turned away from both of those countries and Indonesia. This boat is among many that have been stranded in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca as a result of finger-pointing between South-East Asian countries of who should take responsibility for the thousands of asylum-seekers looking for refuge. Many of the boats have been abandoned by their crews, leaving people on board with no water, food or way to safety.

Malaysia and Indonesia in the past few days have both declared that they will not be accepting any more boats of asylum-seekers, after approximately 1500 arrived on their shores over the last week. On Tuesday the Indonesian navy turned away a boat carrying thousands of asylum-seekers, urging it on to Malaysia, while Malaysia turned away two boats on Wednesday carrying a total of approximately 800 passengers.

Burundi president returns

The president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, says he is back in the country, only a day after an attempted coup led to heavy clashes in the capital Bujumbura.

The country's military declared a coup against the president, a former Hutu rebel leader, following weeks of clashes between police and demonstrators protesting his decision to run for a 3rd presidential term.

Coup leader Major General Godefroid Niyombare, also a Hutu, in a press statement on Wednesday said,

“President Pierre Nkurunziza is removed from office, the government is dissolved. All people are asked to respect the lives and property of others.”

There were no new statements from Gen Niyombare on Thursday but a spokesman for the coup forces, Gen Cyrille Ndayirukiye, told Agence France-Presse the uprising had failed.

Islamic State has no foothold in Gaza says Hamas

Hamas said that Islamic State will not have a foothold in Palestinian territory in a statement made on Thursday.

The statement came after it detained lawbreakers for setting of explosions near its headquarters and the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

ICC urges Israel to cooperate with preliminary probe into atrocities

The International Criminal Court warned Israel that if it doesn’t cooperate with the initial investigation into possible violations of international law, a full investigation may be conducted without Israel’s input.

In an interview with the Associated Press, the chief prosecutor of the ICC Ms Fatou Bensouda, urging Israel to cooperate with the initial inquiry, said,