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,…

Spanish judge orders extradition of Moroccan officials for genocide

A Spanish judge has ruled 7 Moroccan officials accused of orchestrating killings in Western Sahara from 1975-1991, should be arrested and extradited to Spain to face charges of genocide.

Judge Pablo Ruz ruled this week that some of the victims in Western Sahara had Spanish identity cards, since they had lived in the area when it was a Spanish colony. Some of the accused include members of the current government.

Palestinian killed by Israeli military at ex-militant funeral

A Palestinian was killed and several others wounded by Israeli military after a Palestinian militants funeral turned violent after stones were thrown at Israeli soldiers, reports Reuters.

A spokesperson for the Israeli army said that soldiers opened fire at the funeral in fear of their lives after protesters threw rocks and rolled burning car tyres at them, adding that first non-lethal means were used before resorting to shooting live ammunition.

PLO rules out cooperation with Syria in Yarmouk

The Palestine Liberation Organisation has rejected requesting the Syrian military to launch military action against Islamic State in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.

A statement on Thursday said the PLO refused to be drawn into the “hellish conflict” in Syria.

"We refuse to be drawn into any armed campaign, whatever its nature or cover, and we call for resorting to other means to spare the blood of our people and prevent more destruction and displacement for our people of the camp," it said.

Palestinian militant group Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis has been coordinating with Syrian rebel forces in their fight against IS and the Syrian government.

The United Nations said it is extremely concerned about the safety of Palestinians and Syrians inside the camp.

"In the horror that is Syria, the Yarmouk refugee camp is the deepest circle of hell," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday.

"A refugee camp is beginning to resemble a death camp. The residents of Yarmouk - including 3,500 children - are being turned into human shields."

US and Cuban officials hold highest level meeting in over 50 years

The United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held closed door talks in what were the highest level talks between the two nations in over 50 years.

Closed door discussion were held after the arrival of the two statesmen in Panama, who are there to attend the 2 day Summit of the Americas, reports the BBC.

A senior US official, told press,

Colonial-era statue removed in South Africa after protests

The University of Cape Town has removed a monument to British colonialist Cecil Rhodes, after students campaigned for its removal.

The statue, targeted alongside other monuments to leaders of the colonial-era, was unveiled in 1934.

Protesters said the statue had "great symbolic power" and glorified someone "who exploited black labour and stole land from indigenous people".

"I contend that we [the English] are the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race," Rhodes once said.

Some white South Africans opposed the decision to remove the monument and are rallying to protect statues of 19th Century president Paul Kruger in the capital Pretoria, and 17th Century colonialist Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town.

ICRC calls for immediate access to Yarmouk refugee camp

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) demanded immediate access to the Yarmouk refugee camp in northern Syria, where over 18,000 Palestinian refugees are caught up in a siege of the camp by Islamic State militants.

In a statement released on Thursday, the ICRC said,

No guarantee of final nuclear deal – Ayatollah Khamenei

Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, said today there is no guarantee there will be a final deal after negotiations on its nuclear programme with world powers.

Mr Khamenei said in a statement "it is possible that the untrustworthy side [the P5+1] wants to restrict our country in the details".

"I have never been optimistic about negotiating with America. While I was not optimistic, I agreed with this particular negotiation and supported the negotiators," the statement went on.

The supreme leader and President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would not sign a final deal unless sanctions were lifted "on the first day" of implementation.

The proposed agreement says Iran will cut its stockpile of enriched uranium and the number of centrifuges it runs, in return for a phased lifting of UN, US and EU sanctions once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirms Iranian compliance.

Summary killings of Ukrainian soldiers needs investigations – Amnesty International

New evidence that pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists have executed government soldiers must be investigated and perpetrators prosecuted said Amnesty International.

The non governmental organisation stated that footage it had reviewed showed captured Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky captive and interrogated. He was later killed in captivity.

“The new evidence of these summary killings confirms what we have suspected for a long time. The question now is: what are the separatist leaders going to do about it?” said Denis Krivosheev, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

“Summary killings are a war crime, plain and simple,” continued Mr Krivosheev. “The leaders of the self-styled ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ in eastern Ukraine must send their members a clear message: those who fight with them or on their behalf must respect the laws of war. They must urgently remove from their ranks anyone suspected of responsibility for ordering or committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, and fully cooperate with any independent investigation.”

Iran's supreme leader accuses Saudi Arabia of genocide

The leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Saudi Arabia of committing genocide by carrying out air strikes in Yemen against Houthi militants.

"This is a crime and genocide that can be prosecuted in international courts ... Riyadh will not emerge victorious in its aggression," said Mr Khamenei. "The aggression by Saudi Arabia against Yemen and its innocent people was a mistake... It has set a bad precedent in the region,"

Iran establishes military presence of coast of Yemen

Iran established a military presence of the coast of Yemen where  Saudi-led coalition force continues to conduct air-strikes on advancing Houthi militants, reports Reuters.

Two warships were deployed to the region on Wednesday, reported state media in Yemen.

Speaking to Press TV, Rear Adminral Habibollah Sayyari, said that the ships had been deployed to protect Iranian shipping in the region from piracy.