Three Kurdish women activists - including a co-founder of the PKK - have been found shot dead in a Kurdish information centre in Paris, the BBC reports . French Interior Minister Manuel Valls called the killings "intolerable". The three women had "undoubtedly" been executed, Mr Valls said, adding that the French authorities were determined to "shed light on this act". "In this neighbourhood, in this Kurdish information centre, in the 10th arrondissement [district] where many Kurds live, I also came to express my sympathy to the relatives and close friends of these three women," he said...
The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the UN-Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, "flagrantly biased" and accused him of being one of those "conspiring against Syria and its people." The remarks were made in response to comments made by Brahimi earlier in the day when he asserted that President Assad could not have a role in a transitional government: "In Syria...what people are saying is that a family ruling for 40 years is a little bit too long," "President Assad could take the lead in responding to the aspiration of his people rather than resisting it."
Amnesty International has released a statement urging for a full investigation into the murder of three Kurdish activists in Paris, calling for ‘no stone to be left unturned’. The human rights group’s Europe and Central Asia Programme Director John Dalhuisen said, “There must be justice for these apparently political killings – no stone must be left unturned in the investigation by the French authorities." “The Turkish authorities must cooperate fully in the investigation to bring those responsible to justice." “Both sides must ensure that the killings do not derail negotiations aimed at...
Condemning the deaths of two Indian soldiers in Kashmir, New Delhi summoned Pakistani envoy to lodge a "strong protest" against the incident on Wednesday. Accusing the Pakistani soldiers of crossing into the heavily militarised Line of Control in the disputed region of Kashmir, Indian officials described the mutilation of the soldiers bodies as "barbaric and inhuman". India's Minister of External Affairs, Salman Khurshid, said : "I think it is important in the long term that what has happened should not be escalated," "We cannot and must not allow the escalation of any unwholesome event like...
In the first successful lawsuit against torture, an US defence contractor, Engility Holdings Inc, whose subsidiary body L-3 Services Inc. was accused in the torture of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib prison, has paid $5.28 million to the victims. Another contractor, CACI is believed to be going to trial this summer over similiar allegations. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland over four years ago, accused L-3 services of having “permitted scores of its employees to participate in torturing and abusing prisoners over an extended period of time throughout Iraq" and having “wilfully failed to report L-3...
Japan has summoned China’s ambassador to the country this week, after Chinese vessels entered what Japan claims to be their territorial waters for over 13 hours. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that strong protests were registered after four Chinese surveillance ships entered the area surrounding the disputed islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, said the Chinese excursion was “an extremely unusual incident and very regrettable”. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded by saying that the islands were "an...
2130 opposition prisoners were released by the Syrian government in exchange for 48 Iranians abducted in Damascus, while apparently on a pilgrimage five months ago. The swap is the first major swap of the 21-month long civil war and was brokered by a Turkish humanitarian group and the Qatari government. Syrian opposition fighters alleged that the 48 prisoners were members of the Iranian revolutionary guard corps which was assisting Assad to crush the rebellion. Iran denied the allegations although admitted that some of the detainees were retired guards. See here for full report on the...
Loyalist protests in Belfast have resulted in a fifth consecutive day of rioting in the city, as a dispute over the flying of the Union Jack flag at Belfast City Hall continues. Plastic bullets and water cannons were deployed by police, after they were attacked with weapons including hatchets and sledge hammers. There were also reports of a clash between loyalists and nationalists, early on Monday evening. 8 arrests were made, bringing the total to 104 since violence erupted. Loyalists have been protesting in Belfast against a decision made by the council to only fly the Union Jack flag on 17...
The M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a unilateral ceasefire. The rebels are due to hold peace talks with the government soon and expressed hope that Kinshasa will reciprocate the move. "We've been for peace... today we're declaring that we're in a ceasefire," M23 spokesman Francois Rucogoza told reporters in the Ugandan capital Kampala. "Even if the government refuses to sign a ceasefire agreement we'll continue with the negotiations.” The government however said they will have to wait and see whether the rebels were being sincere. "We don't think we can see this...
The Ugandan government has returned £3.26m of aid to the Irish government, after it was transferred to unauthorised recipients within the government. A report by the auditor general of Uganda found that the funds from Ireland had been taken by officials in Prime Minister Patrick Amama Mbabazi’s office. Ireland, the UK, Norway and Denmark suspended aid to Kampala following the report. The Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore said that the government’s return of aid money followed "intensive high level discussions with the government of Uganda over the last two months". "I am satisfied...