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,…

Kosovo makes constitutional change for war crimes court

Kosovo’s parliament amended its constitution to allow the creation of a special court to investigate alleged war crimes committed by ethnic Albanian fighters during the 1990 conflict on Tuesday.

The tribunal will be part of Kosovo’s judicial system however the proceedings will be held abroad. Early reports suggest that they will be held in the Netherlands.

The constitutional change comes as the US and European Union have applied pressure on Kosovo to address longstanding accusations of war crimes committed by Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

The constitutional changes were backed by 82 seats in the 120 seat parliament reports the BBC

US calls on Venezuela to remove ban on opposition politicians

The United States called on Venezuela to remove its ban on opposition members from holding office and participating in upcoming parliamentary elections.

The request was made after opposition leader Maria Machado said that her registration had been rejected.

The US State Department, in a statement said,

“We call on all relevant Venezuelan authorities to reconsider the ban imposed on candidates, and reiterate our call for credible and timely electoral observation.”

Sudan committing war crimes in South Kordofan - Amnesty International

The Sudanese army is shelling and bombing civilians in South Kordofan, Amnesty International said in a report released today, accusing Sudan of committing war crimes in their war against armed militants who demand more rights for the region.

Historic' Naga peace deal signed with India

A major Naga separatist movement has signed a peace deal with the Indian government, potentially ending decades of conflict.

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muviah) demanded an independent homeland for the Naga people in India's north-eastern states and in neighbouring Myanmar.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the deal as "historic".

"I have the deepest admiration for the great Naga people for their extraordinary support to the peace efforts," Mr Modi said, after the agreement was signed on Monday.

“The Naga political issue had lingered for six decades, taking a huge toll on generations of our people [...] Our oldest insurgency is getting resolved, it is a signal to other smaller groups to give up weapons," he added.

NSCN (I-M) leader Thuingaleng Muivah also praised the Indian premier.

“Under Modi, we have come close to understanding each other and have worked out a new relation with the government,” the Naga leader said.

Senior Burundi official killed in attack

An aide to Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza was killed in an attack on his car on Sunday.

Gen Adolphe Nshimirimana, a former army chief of staff and intelligence chief, was targeted by armed men in the capital Bujumbura's Kamenge district.

The general is reported to have been in charge of the president's security and responsible for a heavy-handed crackdown on demonstrations opposed to Mr Nkurunziza's decision to run for an unconstitutional third term.

Presidential adviser Willy Nyamitwe told Reuters: "He has been killed by a bullet... He was in the car with some bodyguards but I don't know exactly what happened."

The violence continued on Monday, with prominent rights activist Pierre Claver Mbonimpa also attacked in Bujumbura. Mr Mbonimpa, a stern critic of the president, was shot and seriously wounded by gunmen on motorbikes.

US 'support fire' for US-trained forces

The US has for the first time provided support to defend Syrian militants, trained by the US.

Pentagon spokesperson Capt Jeff Davis said "defensive support fire" was provided to the militants last Friday, while they were engaging suspected al-Nusra fighters.

The US-trained militants from the New Syria Force, were fighting alongside the Free Syrian Army.

Capt Davis said the US would provide defensive fire support to the NSF "no matter whom they came up against".

US pledges to garner support for UN peace plan in Libya

US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined his intention of securing greater support for a UN peace plan in Libya, reports Reuters.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shukri, Mr Kerry said,

Palestine to file suit at ICC over arson attack

The Palestinian Foreign Minister Raid Malki confirmed that the Palestinian Authority will file a case at the International Criminal Court this week to seek justice for the arson attack in the West Bank that killed an infant on Friday.

Mr Malki was speaking after arriving at the Palestinian mission to the United Nations in Geneva, reports Harretz.

The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is also set to fly to Egypt on Monday to meet with representatives from the Arab League in attempts to request diplomatic support for the ICC law suit.

Turkish soldiers die in Kurdish attack

PKK militants attacked a military police station in Turkey's south-east, killing two Turkish soldiers and injuring 31.

The suicide attack by the Kurds came after hundreds of air strikes on PKK positions in Turkey and Iraq by the Turkish military.

Turkey's state news agency, Anadolu, said a tractor carrying two tons of explosives was detonated by a PKK bomber.

The agency says about 260 Kurdish fighters have been killed in strikes in northern Iraq and Turkey since 24 July.

UN says at least 1,332 killed in Iraq this month

At least 1,332 Iraqis have been killed in violence against Islamic State militants, said the UN in figures released on Saturday.

The UN mission in Iraq said at least 844 of the dead were civilians. The UN statistics do not include figures from territory held by Islamic State militants.