WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

Rwandan genocide memorial in Nyamata (Fanny Schertzer) German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national on suspicion of complicity in genocide and 25 counts of murder during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. The suspect, identified only as Innocent S. under German privacy rules, was arrested in the central German state of Hesse on Wednesday. According to Reuters,…

David Cameron pledges to seek approval to support attacks against Islamic State militants

Britain’s premier David Cameron pledged to increase support in the fight against Islamic State militants by looking to gain parliamentary approval to join US led airstrikes.

Speaking to US TV broadcasters, NBC, Mr Cameron said,

“I want Britain to do more. I’ll always have to take my parliament with me. We are talking and discussing at the moment, including with the opposition parties in Britain, what more we can do. But be in no doubt we are committed to working with you to destroy the caliphate in both countries.”

Ayatollah pledges to continue support for Assad

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the country's policy towards the US, Syria and other countries will not change, despite the nuclear deal signed earlier this week.

During a speech in Tehran, marking the Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, the ayatollah said Iran still had sharp differences with the US, especially over the Middle East, and pledged continue to back Syria, Iraq, the Palestinians and "oppressed people" in Yemen and Bahrain, he said.

"Whether the [nuclear] deal is approved or disapproved, we will never stop supporting our friends in the region and the people of Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Lebanon," Ayatollah Khamenei said. "Even after this deal our policy towards the arrogant US will not change."

Saudi king holds talks with Hamas

The leader of Saudi Arabia, King Salman, held rare talks with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal, the firsttime in four years the Saudi monarchy acknowledged talks with the Palestinian group.

Mr Meshaal, who was on pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, "praised the positive stance of the kingdom's leadership towards the Palestinian cause", Saudi Arabia's SPA state news agency reported.

The Hamas chief currently lives in exile in Qatar, after he left his previous base in Damascus, when Hamas decided to support rebels against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

ICC judges ask prosecutors to review decision over Gaza flotilla raid

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) were asked by judges to review their decision not to investigate the raid on a humanitarian flotilla destined for Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2010, reports Reuters.

The ICC judges sought the review in a ruling published on Thursday.


Last year, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda said that Israel will not face prosecution for the attack on the flotilla, which left nine activists dead, despite a “reasonable basis” that war crimes were committed.

Protests in in Budapest against anti-migrant fence

Close to one thousand people gathered in Budapest on Tuesday to protest against an anti-migrant fence, currently being built by Hungary, along its border with Serbia. The fence is aimed at preventing increasing numbers of migrants, most of whom are refugees, from entering Hungary from the south. Around 80,000 migrants and refugees have reached the country so far this year.

‘Book keeper of Auschwitz’ convicted by German Court

A 94 year old man has been convicted for his role in the extermination of 300,000 people in a Nazi Concentration Camp.

Reuters has described the trial as one of the last big Holocaust trials.

Mr Groening remains free until the court decides how much of his four year sentence he will need to serve.

Groening did not kill anyone whilst working at the death camp, but by sorting belongings seized from Jews who were being transported to the camp, prosecutors argued that he tangibly helped to support the system that orchestrated the genocide of millions of innocent people.

UN to vote on resolution to lift sanctions on Iran

The UN will vote on a resolution that looks to endorse the recently agreed nuclear deal with Iran and end targeted sanctions next week, reports Reuters.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, briefed the 15 member Security Council on a draft resolution, diplomats said under conditions of anonymity.

Pro independence Catalan parties unite to fight Spain's regional elections

The two main pro-independence parties in Catalonia announced on Monday that they would unite to fight Spain's regional election in September in order to further the independence campaign, reports Reuters.

Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya (CDC), the party of Catalan's governor Artur Mas, and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) would be campaigning for a mandate of pursuing independence for the region.

"It is an agreement to win the elections with the aim of Catalonia becoming an independent state," the CDC's Josep Rull was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Iran agrees nuclear deal that sees lifting of international sanctions

Iran and six world powers reached a deal on Tuesday, with an agreement that concluded over a decade of negotiation over the nation's nuclear programme.

Clashes in Belfast during Orange Order march

At least eight police officers were injured during the annual Orange Order march by protestants in Belfast, after loyalists were stopped from passing a Catholic estate.

PSNI officers were pelted with bottles and other missiles, in response to which a water cannon and plastic bullets were deployed.