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)…

Turkey arrests opposition activists

Turkish authorities have arrested 44 suspected supporters of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

According to Anadolu news agency, the arrested included several top bureaucrats and police officers.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who won polls last week, giving his party a parliamentary majority, sees Mr Gulen as a rival.

According to the BBC, European observers said violence and media restrictions marred the polls.

Historic meeting between China and Taiwan to be held

China's President Xi Jinping will meet with the Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in a historic summit in Singapore on Saturday, the first meeting between the leaders of both countries.

The leaders said the talks would focus on bilateral ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and does not officially recognise its independence.

Taiwanese spokesman Chen Yi-hsin said President Ma's aim was "to promote peace cross the Taiwan Strait and maintain status quo".

Kashmir clashes claim Indian lives

Two Indian soldiers were killed in clashes with Pakistani forces in the disputed Kashmir territory.

An Indian army officer said Pakistani troops fired machine guns and grenades in the Gurez area of Bandipora district on Monday evening.

The violence occurred days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Indian-administered Kashmir.

Elections on self-governance begn for Native Hawaiians

Ballots have gone out in Hawai'i to elect delegates to a convention which could create a government independent of the United States.

Polls to the convention, or 'aha, opened on Monday. Only Native Hawai'ians will be able to take part in the election, which will last till the end of the month.

China, Japan and South Korea 'completely restore' ties

A trilateral meeting between the leaders of China, Japan and South Kora has ended with the complete restoration of trade and security ties, at the first meeting of this nature since 2012.

Talks between South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul, resulted in an agreement to continue work on concluding the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a 16-nation free trade area favoured by China.

AKP regains majority in Turkey polls

Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP), led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has regained its majority in parliament, which it lost during elections in June.

State-run Anadolu Agency said AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%.

However the party fell 14 seats short of the number required to call a referendum on changing the constitution and increasing the powers of the president.

Fate of Assad must not hold up Syria's peace process says UN Sec-Gen

The establishment of a humanitarian ceasefire and negotiations to end the civil war in Syria must not be delayed by disagreements over the eventual fate of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, said the UN Secretary General on Saturday.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva on Saturday, Mr Ki Moon said,

UN and ICRC call for actions to end impunity for violations of international law

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer called for states to act and ensure that violations of international law during war were punished.

In an “unprecedented joint warning,” they accused the world of responding to violations with “a disturbing paralysis.”

Condemning the routine violations of international law during war, Mr Ki Moon said,

Violence ahead of Myanmar election

An opposition MP was attacked in Myanmar, just a week ahead of historic elections in the country.

Naing Ngan Lin, an MP with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, was attacked by men wielding knives and swords at a campaign rally.

"We have no idea what are the motives for the attack and who is behind it. It's important to take effective legal action after investigation," said NLD spokesman Nyan Win told Reuters.

US throws out Kurdish crude oil law suit

A court in the US has dismissed a case over a cargo of Iraqi Kurdish oil, which faced controversy after Iraq attempted to block the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from directly exporting oil, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The lawsuit was dismissed on Wednesday by District Court Judge Gray Miller because the vessel carrying the crude sailed away after the US-based buyer balked at taking delivery, due to the controversy and ongoing legal wrangling.