WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

German police arrest Rwanda genocide suspect accused of ordering killings
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,…

Israel rejects talk of time-frame for withdrawal from captured territory

Dec 13, 2014
The Israeli prime minister, rejected any talk of Israel withdrawing from west Jerusalem and the West Bank within two years, reports the Associated Press.

Responding to efforts at the UN to pass a resolution placing a two year time frame for withdrawal of Israel from land seized in the 1967 war with Palestine, Benjamin Netanyahu said,

“We stand against the possibility of a diplomatic assault, that is an attempt to compel us by means of UN decision to withdraw to the 1967 lines within two years.”

Tens of thousands march in New York City and Washington, D.C. protesting police killings

Dec 13, 2014
Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and in New York City, to protest the killings of unarmed black men and boys by police officers in the United States.

Many demonstrators wore shirts and held signs with messages reading “Black Lives Matter”, “I can’t breathe” and “Hands up don’t shoot”. Others carried pictures of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Akai Gurley and Tamir Rice, who were all killed by police while unarmed in recent months. Their families were all in attendance at the “Justice for All” march in Washington. “I’m marching for everyone’s sons and daughters,” said Esaw Garner, the widow of Eric Garner.

ICC Darfur inquiry suspended, Bashir hails 'victory'

Dec 12, 2014
The International Criminal Court's inquiry into alleged war crimes in Darfur was suspended on Friday by the Court's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who blamed the UN Security Council for a lack of action.

Stating that the Council's inaction would only "embolden perpetrators to continue their brutality”, Bensouda added: “I am left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur as I shift resources to other urgent cases."

The suspension has been hailed by the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir was a "victory" over the ICC.

The decision came about "because of the Sudanese people's refusal to be humiliated and to kneel down", Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported Bashir as saying on Saturday. 

Hundreds' of UK troops to be sent to Iraq next month

Dec 12, 2014
Britain's Defence Secretary announced that hundreds of UK troops will be sent to Iraq next month, as part of the fight against Islamic State (IS) in the region.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the troops would be there to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces, but added that there would also be a combat-ready contingent.

“We have not finalised numbers yet - obviously we have got a lot of kit back from Afghanistan that we can make available - but we are talking very low hundreds,” said Fallon.

The soldiers "will not be expected to fight a war but will be there to defend the British personnel if necessary", he added.

There are currently 50 British troops in Iraq training local forces, with a specialist team training Kurdish peshmerga how to use UK-supplied machine guns.

US seeks to defuse Israel-Palestine tensions

Dec 12, 2014
The US was seeking to defuse Israel-Palestine tensions the US secretary of state said on Friday.

John Kerry said he would be meeting the Israeli prime minister and senior European officials in Rome on Monday to discuss possible resolutions to help de-escalate heightening tensions between Israel and Palestine.

“We’re trying to figure out a way to help defuse the tensions and reduce the potential for more conflict and we’re exploring various possibilities to that end,” Kerry told reporters.

Russia warns of retaliation to further US sanctions

Dec 12, 2014
Russia will take responsive action if the US imposes new sanctions said Russia’s deputy foreign minister on Saturday.

“We will not be able to leave that without an answer,” said Sergei Ryabkov

The statement came in response to US congress readying a new sanctions bill that will target Russian weapons companies and investors in the country’s oil projects, reports Reuters.

Russia retaliated to previous sanctions through a range of actions, including restricting food imports to the west. 

China offered to help combat Islamic State militants says Iraqi foreign minister

Dec 11, 2014
China offered to help Iraq combat Islamic State militants, Iraq’s foreign minister, Ibrahim Jafari, told the Financial Times.

Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, offered to assist defeat the Islamic state when he met Jafari in New York at the United Nations anti-terrorism meeting in September, reports the paper.

Jafari noted that Chinese involvement would be independent from the US-led coalition, Jafari told the paper.

“I welcomed this initiative. I told him we are ready to deal with the coalition and also co-operate with countries outside this coalition,” said Jafari.

Kenya passes controversial anti-terror bill

Dec 11, 2014
Kenya's parliament has passed a controversial new bill which will give the government a range of powers to tackle security issues and terrorism on Thursday.

The bill allows the authorities to detain terror suspects for up to a year and also grants the country's spy agencies permission to tap communications without court consent. Journalists will also be required to obtain government approval before reporting on security issues, facing a fine of $56,000, a three-year prison term or both for violating this.

The opposition political coalition CORD and human rights groups have criticised the bill, with opposition MP Ababu Namwamba saying,

Abbott vows to 'sweat blood' for indigenous referendum

Dec 11, 2014
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has vowed to hold a referendum on the constitutional recognition of the country's indigenous people as the nation's first people in 2017, stating he would “sweat blood” to ensure it takes place.

Australia's constitution does not currently recognise Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders as the nation's first people. In 1967 a referendum held on constitutional changes relating to the indigenous population passed with 90% support.

Speaking in Sydney, Abbott said,
"The country we created has an Aboriginal heritage, a British foundation and a multicultural character and it's high time that this reality was reflected in our constitution."
He went on to suggest that 50 years from the1967 referendum “would be a richly symbolic time to complete our constitution."

EU bans jet fuel exports to Syria

Dec 11, 2014
The European Union agreed to ban the export of jet fuel to Syria from Sunday, reports Reuters.

EU ministers, initially agreed to ban jet fuel exports to Syria in October, and finalised the decision on Friday.

Commenting on the EU decision, the British Middle East Minister, Tobias Ellwood, said,
Israel rejects talk of time-frame for withdrawal from captured territory
Tens of thousands march in New York City and Washington, D.C. protesting police killings
ICC Darfur inquiry suspended, Bashir hails 'victory'
Hundreds' of UK troops to be sent to Iraq next month
US seeks to defuse Israel-Palestine tensions
Russia warns of retaliation to further US sanctions
China offered to help combat Islamic State militants says Iraqi foreign minister
Kenya passes controversial anti-terror bill
Abbott vows to 'sweat blood' for indigenous referendum
EU bans jet fuel exports to Syria