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,…

Philippines government agrees to review MILF self-rule proposal

Aug 20, 2014
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a separatist militant group in the Philippines submitted a final proposal for self-rule which was agreed upon by the government, reports Reuters.

“As agreed upon by the parties, the MILF submitted the final draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to the Office of the Executive Secretary yesterday evening,” said the presidential adviser to the peace talks.

Britain to send fighter jets to combat Boko Haram amidst Nigerian army mutiny

Aug 20, 2014
The British government announced today that it would be sending three RAF warplanes to help locate Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram militants.

The fighter bombers will help Nigerian authorities track the movement of militants, a government source told The Times.

UN shelter camps in South Sudan deemed inhumane, China calls for immediate ceasefire

Aug 20, 2014
The conditions faced by over 40,000 people sheltering in a UN camp in South Sudan are in humane warned Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF).

“People are living in conditions that are barely compatible with life and are incompatible with human dignity. What we have now is a 1.5 sq km camp in the middle of the largest grass swamp in the world, so it’s not a place you would chose. It’s not fit for human habitation – at least not for 40,000 people,” the Guardian quotes an emergency coordinator for MSF as saying.


China presses South Sudan for immediate ceasefire

China’s foreign minister demanded an immediate ceasefire and political dialogue in South Sudan, reports Reuters.

We will not forget what happened' US warns Islamic State as air strikes continue

Aug 20, 2014
The United States has warned that the killers of American journalist James Foley will be brought to justice, as they continued to carry out air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq on Thursday.

US Attorney General Eric Holder, stated that the Department of Justice had opened a “criminal investigation” into the killing, adding,
“Those who would perpetrate such acts need to understand something. This Justice Department, this Department of Defence, this nation – we have long memories and our reach is very wide. We will not forget what happened, and people will be held accountable, one way or the other.”

Clashes at Liberia Ebola protests

Aug 20, 2014

Protests have hit the Liberian capital Monrovia, after a quarantine was imposed to halt the spread of Ebola.

Police opened fire on the protestors, leaving four people injured. Liberia is the worst affected country in the current crisis, with at least 576 deaths.

The protestors said the quarantine, enforced with a heavy police presence and barbed wire, stopped them from obtaining food and working.

A total of 1,350 have died in four countries, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Switzerland sends peacekeepers to UN mission in Western Sahara

Aug 20, 2014
Swiss authorities have announced that six more unarmed military personnel are to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, as Sahrawi President Mohamed Abdelaziz called for greater access to international observers.

Swissinfo.ch reported that the six were part of a UN mission supervising a 1988 ceasefire between the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front group fighting for an independent Western Sahara.

US condemns journalist's killing by ISIL, pledges justice

Aug 19, 2014
The United States condemned the killing of an American journalist, James Foley, by Islamic State militants, after a video was released showing Foley being beheaded.

"The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people. We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done and we act against ISIL, standing alongside others," President Barack Obama said at a press conference on Wedcnesday.

"The people of Iraq, who with our support are taking the fight to ISIL must continue coming together to expel these terrorists from their community," he added.

The video which was sent as "A message to the US", included an audio message by an ISIL militant, speaking in English with a distinctly British accent, which warned the US that more Americans would be killed if air strikes in Northern Iraq did not cease.

Condemning the killing as "barbaric and brutal", the British Prime Minister David Cameron told the BBC it was "deeply shocking" that a British citizen may be responsible.

Germany to arm Kurdish military

Aug 19, 2014
Germany is prepared to arm Kurdish fighters battling Sunni insurgents in northern Iraq, said the German Defence Minister on Wednesday.

“We are prepared, in principle, to provide weapons and ammunition within our means,” said Ursulla von der Leyen, reports the Associated Press.

A spokesperson from the German Defence Ministry said that a decision on the type and quantity of arms would be decided within a week.

UN to deploy full CAR peacekeeping force in September

Aug 19, 2014
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic will reach full deployment in the region by the 15th of September 2014,  the UN Security Council heard today.

The Special Representative of the Secretary General , Barbacar Gaye said that the presence of United Nations military, police and civilian personnel would be essential in bringing about an immediate improvement in people’s lives an create an environment for ‘sustainable peace’ to develop, reports AllAfrica News.

Israel Gaza ceasefire extended for 24 hours as talks continue

Aug 18, 2014
Israel and Palestinian leaders agreed to extend the Gaza truce for another 24 hours minutes before the ceasefire was due to end on Monday night, reports Aljazeera.

Both Palestinian and Israeli officials have welcomed the ceasefire extension as a positive way to bolster the talks in Cairo.

A Palestinian official said that little progress had been made on discussions regarding opening up ports and allowing the free flow of goods into Gaza.
Philippines government agrees to review MILF self-rule proposal
Britain to send fighter jets to combat Boko Haram amidst Nigerian army mutiny
UN shelter camps in South Sudan deemed inhumane, China calls for immediate ceasefire
We will not forget what happened' US warns Islamic State as air strikes continue
Clashes at Liberia Ebola protests
Switzerland sends peacekeepers to UN mission in Western Sahara
US condemns journalist's killing by ISIL, pledges justice
Germany to arm Kurdish military
UN to deploy full CAR peacekeeping force in September
Israel Gaza ceasefire extended for 24 hours as talks continue