Canada closes embassy in Iran and expels diplomats

The Canadian government has decided to close its embassy in Tehran and kick out all remaining Iranian diplomats from Canada. A statement by Foreign Minister John Baird said that Canada had suspended all diplomatic relations with Iran, due to its continued and increasing military support for the Assad regime in Syria, its noncompliance with UN resolutions in relation to its nuclear programme and its incitement to genocide and anti-Semitic rhetoric against Israel. “Canada has closed its embassy in Iran, effective immediately, and declared personae non gratae all remaining Iranian diplomats in...

Colombia rejects Farc ceasefire call

The offer of a ceasefire in Colombia by Farc rebels has been rejected by the Colombian government, as the two sides look to peace talks to be held in Oslo in October. Leaders from the Farc rebels stated that negotiating a ceasefire would be their top priority at the upcoming talks with spokesman Mauricio Jaramillo saying , "We will propose a ceasefire the moment we sit down at the table… We are going to discuss it." However Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos firmly rejected the notion, stating, "There's not going to be any ceasefire. We will not give anything until we get the final...

Maldives take a leaf out of Sri Lanka's book

An Amnesty report released on Wednesday, ‘The Other Side of Paradise’ , has accused the Maldives government of several actions amounting to violations of human rights. It outlined that there would be no meaningful reconciliation unless there was an end to the campaign of violent repression, abuses and impunity. The accusations include many instances of arbitrary arrest and torture by security forces with complete impunity. Security forces are also said to have increased attacks against peaceful demonstrations, which were instigated by the controversial resignation of the first democratically elected President, Mohameed Nasheed, who later claimed he was forced to resign at gunpoint, suggesting a coup by forces aligned with the previous leadership.

Putin remains steadfast on Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Moscow will not be shifting its stance on Syria and has instead called on other nations to review their policy, as battles continue to rage in the country. Speaking on Russia Today television, the President said, “Why should Russia be the only one reassessing its position? Perhaps our negotiating partners should reassess their position” “To us, the most important thing is to end the violence, to force all the sides in the conflict to sit down at the negotiating table, determine the future and ensure the security of all the participants of the domestic political process,” he said. “Only then move on to these practical steps about the internal organisation of the country itself. " See his full interview below (comments on Syria start at 4 minutes 20 seconds).

Ethiopian threatens to sue Dfid over human rights abuses

An Ethiopian man, only identified as Mr O, could sue the British government over the alleged funding of a project which led to human rights abuses. Mr O, a farmer from the Gambella region, said a “villagisation” scheme, which received funding from the Department for International Development (Dfid), caused him to be evicted and beaten. He also claims he was forced to witness the rape of several women. His lawyers at London firm Leigh Day & Co said his family was forced from the family farm by the Ethiopian National Defence Force and resettled in a new village without being given farmland...

Save the Children to be kicked out of Pakistan

Pakistan has ordered foreign staff from Save the Children out of the country according to the charity, over fallout from a CIA raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. The raid by the USA in Pakistani territory embarrassed Pakistan, who have since sentenced Dr Shakil Afridi to 30 years in jail, for running a fake vaccination program which gathered information for the CIA. According to media reports, Dr Afridi was linked to Save the Children. Justin Forsyth, the charity's chief executive however denied these allegations, saying, "There have been allegations in the Pakistani media that Dr Afridi was somehow linked to Save the Children. It is absolutely untrue. He has never worked for us, we have never paid him, we have never run a vaccination programme in Abbottabad. The charity, which has operated in Pakistan for over 30 years, has only 6 foreign staff out of an estimated 2,000 employees in the country.

Mauritania extradites al-Senussi

Mauritanian state media has announced that former Gaddafi-aide Abdullah al-Senussi has been extradited to Libya. "He was extradited to Libya on the basis of guarantees given by Libyan authorities," a Mauritanian government source told Reuters news agency. Al-Senussi fled Libya during the uprising and was arrested for entering Mauritania illegally. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity during his time as spy-chief for Col Gaddafi’s regime, but his extradition to Libya will make a trial at The Hague less likely. Libya wants to try Al-Senussi for...

Turkey slams Syria as “terrorist state”

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Syria as a “terrorist state” on Wednesday, as recently elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi also joined the criticism of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan accused Syria of committing “mass murders” and Assad of being "up to his neck in blood", saying, " The regime in Syria has become a terrorist state… Syria is not an ordinary country to us. We do not have the luxury to remain indifferent to what's happening there. " His statement comes as Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi warned his Assad to “learn from...

Gunman attacks at Quebec separatists' victory speech

A gunman killed one and injured another in Montreal, as the separatist government was delivering its victory speech, after it was voted into Quebec, the French-speaking region of Canada, for the first time in nine years. As he was taken away by police, the gunman, speaking in French, vowed the English would fight back. The Parti Quebecois (PQ) won 54 of the provincial legislature’s 125 seats, beating the outgoing Liberal government by just 4 seats. The shortfall in the PQ’s majority means that the party will not have the backing it needs to push for radical reforms and will have to water down...

India and China to hold joint military exercises ‘at the earliest’

The Indian Defence Minister AK Anthony announced on Tuesday that joint military exercises with China will resume after a four year gap, after meeting with his Chinese counterpart General Liang Guanglie in Delhi. "We have decided that (to restart military exercises)," Mr Anthony told reporters. "We covered a lot about the situation in the South Asia, Asia-Pacific region," Antony said. "We had a very frank and heart-to-heart discussion on all the issues... including in the border areas." The neighbours also agreed to strengthen border security cooperation between the two countries’ forces. "We...

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