WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Baloch activists accuse state-backed death squads of new killings
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)…

United States pledges $212 million in aid for Gaza

Oct 11, 2014
The United States has pledged $212 million towards reconstruction in Gaza at a donor conference held in Egypt.

The Palestinian Authority is calling for $4billion in order to reconstruct the region, after an estimated 18,000 homes were destroyed and 100,000 displaced during the seven-week conflict with Israel.

US Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the conference in Cairo, saying, "the people of Gaza do need our help desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now."

"Out of this conference must come not just money but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians for all people of this region,” continued Kerry, adding “I promise you the full commitment of president Obama, myself and the United States to try to do that."

Calls for Western Sahara self-determination at UN Fourth Committee

Oct 11, 2014
Several states called for a self-determination referendum to be held in Western Sahara, whilst speaking at the UN Fourth Committee for Special Political and Decolonization, in New York on Thursday, reports SPS.

Reiterating Botswana's support of Sahrawi self-determination, Botswana's ambassador to the UN, Charles T. Ntwaagae, said "Saharans should have the right to choose between independence and integration with Morocco, and be given the opportunity to do so through a referendum".

UK troops to train Kurdish forces in Iraq

Oct 11, 2014
Britain's Ministry of Defence announced that UK troops will be training Kurdish forces in Iraq, as they continue to battle against Islamic State militants.

A “specialist team” of 12 soldiers from the UK's Yorkshire regiment will be training Kurds how to use UK-supplied machine guns, reports the BBC.

Last month the UK supplied the Kurdish Peshmerga with heavy machine guns and almost half-a-million rounds of ammunition.

The announcement comes as fighting continues between Islamic State and Kurdish forces for the town of Kobane. US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel acknowledged that US airstrikes had made “some progress” but said the situation in Kobane remained “dangerous”.

BBC accused of giving voice to genocide deniers by Rwandan survivors groups

Oct 10, 2014
The BBC have “made no effort to seek out the voices of those who witnessed and suffered through the genocide in 1994,” said Rwanda survivors’ groups in a joint letter to the broadcasting channel.

The author of “Silent Accomplice: The Untold Story of France’s Role in the Rwandan Genocide,” accused the BBC of overlooking 20 years of academic research in their recent documentary on the genocide in Rwanda, reports the Independent.

Ntaganda trial date set by ICC

Oct 10, 2014
The trial of the former M23 rebel commander, Bosco Ntaganda (also known as 'The Terminator') who is accused of committing mass atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been set for next year, reports AFP.

“The Trial Chamber scheduled the opening of the trial on June 2,” the International Criminal Court (ICC), said Friday.

A pre-trial hearing took place earlier this year, where Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor at the ICC, said Ntaganda had "played a key role in planning assaults against the civilian population in order to gain territory… He persecuted civilians on ethnic grounds, through deliberate attacks, forced displacement, murder, rape, sexual enslavement and pillaging."

FC Barcelona signs Catalan self-determination pact

Oct 10, 2014
FC Barcelona, the city's world famous football club, backed the call for Catalan self-determination, despite a threat from Spain's football league that it would be excluded if the region chose to secede.


Photograph Yes Catalonia Facebook

In a statement on Friday, FC Barcelona, said it had signed the Catalan National Pact for Self-Determination.

"The Club formalised their adhesion in a formal letter from President Josep Maria Bartomeu to the Pact Co-ordinator Joan Rigol. The Pact brings together over 3,500 organisations and associations from a wide spectre range of social and political positions which endorse the Catalan people's right to self-determination," the club said.

Pointing to a previous declaration made by the club president in 2013, FC Barcelona added:
"FC Barcelona has already signalled its position in favour of self-determination for Catalonia in a declaration made in the President’s Report at the 2013 Members Representatives Meeting – the maximum authority of the Club."

Boko Haram releases 27 hostages

Oct 10, 2014

Islamist militant group Boko Haram has released 27 hostages including 10 Chinese workers and the wife of Cameroon's vice-Prime Minister Amadou Ali, according to a statement from Cameroon President Paul Biya’s office.

UN Special Envoy urges Turkey to allow fighters into Kobani

Oct 9, 2014

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has implicitly appealed to Turkey to allow fighters across the Syria border to protect the city of Kobani from Islamic State.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Friday, Mistura stressed the dangers of an impending invasion of Kobani by Islamic State said,

"Please take action to protect the civilians, in this case of Kobani –Ayn al-Arab. Do we have an international scenario to justify any type of action?… Everyone who can should be doing what he can in order to control and hopefully stop this atrocious terrorist movement, especially when they are clearly indicating where they are going."

"We would like to appeal to the Turkish authorities in order to allow the flow of volunteers at least and their own equipment in order to be able to enter the city and contribute to a self-defence operation. And if they can, to support the deterrent actions of the collation through whatever means from their own territory."

UK MPs set to vote on Palestinian statehood

Oct 9, 2014

Lawmakers in Britain are set to vote on a historic motion on Monday, where they will decide whether the UK will officially recognise Palestine as a state.

The motion, which states "this House believes that the government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel", was proposed by Labour backbencher Grahame Morris.

Morris told the Independent he felt it was “time to shout out loud that this should be done” adding, “not only is statehood the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, but recognizing Palestine will breathe new life into a peace process that is at an impasse.”

 Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander also commented on the motion, saying,

"Labour believes statehood for the Palestinians is not a gift to be given but a right to be recognised: That is why since 2011 Labour has supported Palestinian recognition at the United Nations and called on the government to support this important principle."

Turkey says action in Syria 'unrealistic' as IS captures districts in Kobane

Oct 8, 2014
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said the country cannot lead a ground operation against advancing Islamic State (IS) forces on its own, calling for a Nato-enforced buffer zone to be established on the Syrian-Turkish border.

"It is not realistic to expect Turkey to conduct a ground operation on its own," said Cavusoglu, adding, "We are holding talks. Once there is a common decision, Turkey will not hold back from playing its part."

The international response to the request for a buffer zone has been mixed so far. Whilst US Secretary of State John Kerry said the idea was “worth looking at very, very closely,”  President Obama’s spokesman, Josh Earnest stated a buffer zone was “not something under consideration right now”.

United States pledges $212 million in aid for Gaza
Calls for Western Sahara self-determination at UN Fourth Committee
UK troops to train Kurdish forces in Iraq
BBC accused of giving voice to genocide deniers by Rwandan survivors groups
Ntaganda trial date set by ICC
FC Barcelona signs Catalan self-determination pact
Boko Haram releases 27 hostages
UN Special Envoy urges Turkey to allow fighters into Kobani
UK MPs set to vote on Palestinian statehood
Turkey says action in Syria 'unrealistic' as IS captures districts in Kobane