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,…

UN security council passes resolution in civilian aid to Syria

The United Nations Security Council, for the first time, unanimously approved a resolution on access to humanitarian aid in Syria today.

The resolution called on the Syrian government and opposition forces to allow aid convoys to reach civilians across the country.

Welcoming the resolution the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, said,

“If this resolution is implemented quickly and in good faith, at least some of the suffering can be eased.”

North Korea rejects UN report as ‘lies and fabrications’

North Korea has rejected the findings on a UN HRC Commission of Inquiry, which found that crimes against humanity had been committed and called for criminal investigations to be initiated.

The North Korean foreign ministry stated that the report was,
“peppered with sheer lies and fabrications deliberately cooked up by hostile forces and riff-raffs such as some ‘elements with ambiguous identities who defected from the north’, criminals who escaped from it after committing crimes against the country to earn money”.

President flees as opposition control palace in Ukraine

The Ukrainian opposition has taken control of the Presidential Palace in Kiev, forcing besieged President Yanukovych to flee the capital, according to the latest reports.

The BBC reported that Yanukovych has refused to resign, describing the events as "vandalism, banditry and a coup".

Meanwhile the chiefs of four Ukrainian security bodies, including the Berkut anti-riot police and military intelligence, have reportedly appeared in parliament stating they will not take part in any conflict with the people.

Key intersections across the city have come under the control of the protestors.

Ukrainian parliament impeaches President

A historic day in Ukrainian parliament, saw a parliamentary vote impeach President Viktor Yanukovych of his powers and order the release of the imprisoned former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko.

Speaking to the protestors after being released from prison this evening, the former Prime Minister, Tymoshenko, said,

Ukraine opposition signs peace deal with government

Ukraine’s opposition leaders, today, signed an EU-mediated peace deal with president Viktor Yanukovich, in an attempt to resolve the political conflict that had resulted in the loss of dozens of lives.

The deal calls for the following,

-The 2004 constitution will be restored within 48 hours, and a national unity government will be formed within 10 days.

‘The west must act firmly on Ukraine’ - Financial Times editorial

The Financial Times has called on the European Union to put in place a “tough sanctions package” on leading members of the Ukranian government, as EU ministers and foreign policy envoy Catherine Ashton are set to meet later today.

EU looks towards sanctioning Ukraine

A draft ministerial European Union (EU) statement prepared for a meeting on the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, called for ‘targeted measures against individuals, including an arms embargo and a ban on equipment for internal repression.

The draft statement, prepared for a meeting later today, read,

“In light of the deteriorating situation, the EU has decided as a matter of urgency on targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force.”

South Sudan truce broken

The ceasefire in South Sudan has been broken after clashes erupted between rebels and government forces in the city of Malakal.

At least 10 people were killed in the fighting outside a UN compound which is currently sheltering civilians from different ethnic group.

Ukrainian president announces truce with the opposition

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych, announced that he had reached a truce with opposition leaders in attempts to stop violence that led to the loss of 26 lives this week.

Yanukovych outlined that negotiations would form the first point of action to end the escalating bloodshed of the last two days

The head of the armed forces, Volodymyr Zamana, was also unexpectedly dismissed by the president earlier today.

Spate of attacks leave over 100 dead in Nigeria

Over 150 people have been reportedly killed in Nigeria this week, after attacks a spate of attacks in the country’s North-East attributed to Islamist organisation Boko Haram.