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,…

US confirms successful airstrikes against Islamic State militants

Nov 23, 2014
The US military in a statement, said that it had, with its allies, conducted several successful airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.

According to the statement 9 strikes in Syria took out at least three Islamic State militant fighting positions, whilst 15 strikes in Iraq destroyed militant checkpoints and military vehicles, reports Reuters.

US air-drops arms to Kurdish forces fighting IS (20 October 2014)

Almost 50 killed in attack in northern Nigerian state

Nov 22, 2014
Boko Haram militants are alleged to have killed 48 people in an attack in the northern Nigerian Borno state, on the border with Chad.

The victims, mostly fishermen reportedly had their hands tied and throats slit by insurgents from the Islamic militant group.

The head of the fish traders association Abubakar Gamandi told AFP "the attackers killed their victims silently without the use of the gun to avoid attracting attention from the multi-national troops."

Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes a war crime – HRW

Nov 22, 2014
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Israel should immediately stop destroying the family homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis, stating the practise amounts to a war crime.

Last week, Israeli authorities demolished the family homes of a Palestinian man who rammed his car into a baby and woman at Jerusalem station, killing them both. HRW noted that in 2014, there have been 5 times that Israeli forces have destroyed Palestinian family homes, leaving dozens homeless.

“When carried out in occupied territory, including East Jerusalem, it amounts to collective punishment, a war crime,” said HRW.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director, added, “punitive home demolitions are blatantly unlawful... Israel should prosecute, convict, and punish criminals, not carry out vengeful destruction that harms entire families.”

The demolitions took place despite the German, French, British, Italian and Spanish ambassadors calling on Israel to halt the practise.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon confirmed that the European Union diplomats had met with Israel regarding the practise, but said "this is not meant to be punitive, but rather to dissuade others from carrying out terrorist attacks."

Farc calls for reduced government military presence and international mediators for release of captives

Nov 22, 2014
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) militants warned the Colombian government, increased government military activity would jeopardise the release of the recently captured Colombian general, reports Agence France Presse.

Condemning Colombian troop deployments and movement restricting security measures imposed into their areas, the Farc said,

“These communities have been practically besieged by the army.”

Chilean generals jailed for torture of president's father

Nov 21, 2014
Two former Chilean generals have been sentenced to jail for the torture of incumbent President Michelle Bachelet's father in 1973.

Edgar Cevallos Jones and Ramon Caceres Jorquera were sentenced to two and three years in prison respectively, for the torture of General Alberto Bachelet, who opposed a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Alberto Bachelet died in 1974, with investigators linking his death to the torture he received.

Dozens killed in Kenya bus attack

Nov 21, 2014
At least 28 people have been killed in a bus attack in northern Kenya, which police officials have blamed on Somali militant group al-Shabab.

The bus was travelling to Nairobi from the northern Mandera county, near the Somali border, when it was ambushed by gunmen. Non-Muslims     were reportedly separated out from other passengers and killed.

US to return to combat with Taliban

Nov 21, 2014

The US has decided to expand their military role in Afghanistan, enabling them to target Taliban fighters from 2015.

Under previous withdrawal plans, the 9,800 US soldiers remaining in the country, would only be training Afghan soldiers and fight remnants of Al Qaeda.

The troops will not go after the Taliban unless they "directly threaten" the US, an unnamed official told US media.

Western sanctions are aimed at 'regime change' in Russia says Lavrov

Nov 21, 2014
Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Western countries of using sanctions to try and bring about regime change in Russia.

Speaking at a meeting of the advisory Foreign and Defense Policy Council in Moscow, Lavrov said,
“The EU is our largest partner... Nobody is going to shoot himself in the foot and reject cooperation with Europe, but everyone understands that it won’t be business as usual anymore.
“But we don’t need the kind of business we had. [That] was like ‘Russia must do this and must do that,' and we want to cooperate as equals,” he added.
The foreign minister went on to add,
"As for the concept behind to the use of coercive measures, the West is making clear it does not want to force Russia to change policy but wants to secure regime change."

"Now public figures in Western countries say there is a need to impose sanctions that will destroy the economy and cause public protests."

ICC considers war crimes charges against Islamic State militants

Nov 20, 2014
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said that the ICC was contemplating tabling war crimes charges against Islamic State militants, noting that several fighters were from countries party to the ICC statute.

Speaking in an interview to the German news outlet, Sueddeutsche, Fatou Bensouda noted that several European and Arab nations had supplied the ICC with background fields of citizens that were recruited b the Islamic State.

Martial law to remain ‘indefinitely’ in Thailand

Nov 20, 2014

The Thai Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said martial law will remain “indefinitely” as protests against the military’s rule increase.

General Paiboon told Reuters that martial law will remain "because the government and junta need it as the army's tool".

"We are not saying that martial law will stay in place for 50 years, no, this is not it. We just ask that it remain in place for now, indefinitely," he said, adding that the army "does not violate anyone's rights".

US confirms successful airstrikes against Islamic State militants
Almost 50 killed in attack in northern Nigerian state
Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes a war crime – HRW
Farc calls for reduced government military presence and international mediators for release of captives
Chilean generals jailed for torture of president's father
Dozens killed in Kenya bus attack
US to return to combat with Taliban
Western sanctions are aimed at 'regime change' in Russia says Lavrov
ICC considers war crimes charges against Islamic State militants
Martial law to remain ‘indefinitely’ in Thailand