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,…

Saudi Arabia resumes air strikes in Yemen following end of ceasefire

The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition resumed strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen on Monday, hours after the expiration of the humanitarian ceasefire in spite of calls for an extension by the UN.

EU approves naval force to address migrant smuggling from North Africa

The European Union has approved a plan to use naval forces to intercept migrant smuggler ships operating from North African countries, such as Libya, at a meeting of EU defence ministers and foreign ministers on Monday.

The plan aims to militarise the EU response to the surge in migrant smuggling ships crossing the Mediterranean, where thousands of asylum-seekers have already died attempting the perilous journey.

The plan to use naval force still requires further approvals from European governments and legal legitimacy from the UN Security Council, in addition to possible cooperation from countries in North Africa. The UK will play a leading role at the Security Council in drafting a resolution that provides the legal basis for this use of naval force.

UN envoy calls for extension of ceasefire in Yemen to allow further distribution of aid

The UN envoy to Yemen called on the Saudi-led military coalition and Houthi militants to extend the humanitarian ceasefire due to expire on Sunday.

A senior envoy official, Islmail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called for the extension to allow for further aid to be delivered to Yemeni civilians.

Egyptian court seeks death penalty for former president Morsi

An Egyptian court sought the death penalty for former president Mohamed Morsi who was ousted from Presidency in the 2013 uprisings.

Mr Morsi and 106 other supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood are being tried for their connection with a mass jail break in 2011. Egyptian prosecutors alleged that the Bortherhood was planning of sending elements to receive training from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants.

The court is expected to make a final ruling on June 2 reports Reuters.

India-China sign $22bn deals

Prime Minster Narendra Modi's visit to China is concluding today, with the signing of $22bn (£14bn) worth of trade and economic cooperation agreements.

The deals signed during his 3-day visit cover a range of industries including renewable energy, the financial sector and ports.

"Let us work together in mutual interests," said Mr Modi. "Now India is ready for business."

More deals worth $10bn (£6.3bn), covering education, railways, and scientific research were signed on Friday.

War crimes committed in Libya warns UN mission

Armed groups across Libya are responsible for crimes that could leave them liable in front of the International Criminal Court, warned the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL.)

Islamic State seizes city, US pledges heavy weponry to Iraqi forces

Islamic State militants in Iraq seized the local government headquarters of the Iraqi city of Ramadai on Friday, reports Reuters.
 
Militants attacked the city of Ramadi overnight using suicide bombers to get to the city centre.

The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi met with Iraqi security leaders following the attacks, and pledged to intensify efforts to expel Islamic State militants from Ramadi.

The announcement came as the US Vice President Joe Biden, pledge to aid Iraqi forces with heavy weaponry.  

Iran open to all level of talks in exchange for sanctions relief

Iran pledged that it was open to all levels of talks on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief during talks in Vienna on Friday.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking to Austrian press said,

“Even if I’m optimistic, that doesn’t mean that any deal is acceptable. All parties want a good deal, and for Iran it’s only a good deal if our legitimate rights are respected and sanctions are finished.”

Thousands of Rohingya asylum-seekers stranded at sea as South-East Asian countries turn away boats

A boat of largely Rohingya Muslim asylum-seekers from Myanmar is adrift off the coast of Thailand and Malaysia, after having been turned away from both of those countries and Indonesia. This boat is among many that have been stranded in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca as a result of finger-pointing between South-East Asian countries of who should take responsibility for the thousands of asylum-seekers looking for refuge. Many of the boats have been abandoned by their crews, leaving people on board with no water, food or way to safety.

Malaysia and Indonesia in the past few days have both declared that they will not be accepting any more boats of asylum-seekers, after approximately 1500 arrived on their shores over the last week. On Tuesday the Indonesian navy turned away a boat carrying thousands of asylum-seekers, urging it on to Malaysia, while Malaysia turned away two boats on Wednesday carrying a total of approximately 800 passengers.

Burundi president returns

The president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, says he is back in the country, only a day after an attempted coup led to heavy clashes in the capital Bujumbura.

The country's military declared a coup against the president, a former Hutu rebel leader, following weeks of clashes between police and demonstrators protesting his decision to run for a 3rd presidential term.

Coup leader Major General Godefroid Niyombare, also a Hutu, in a press statement on Wednesday said,

“President Pierre Nkurunziza is removed from office, the government is dissolved. All people are asked to respect the lives and property of others.”

There were no new statements from Gen Niyombare on Thursday but a spokesman for the coup forces, Gen Cyrille Ndayirukiye, told Agence France-Presse the uprising had failed.