The United States government has cautioned Kenyan voters against electing a president who has been summoned by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Without naming the electoral candidate in question, U.S diplomat Johnnie Carson, spoke on the importance of correct choice, stating , “Choices matter and they have consequences. Individuals have reputations, individuals have images, and individuals have histories. Individuals are known for who they are and what they do, what they have said, and how they act.” Uhuru Kenyatta, one of the main candidates for presidential...
Former CIA director nominee John Brennan today faced questioning at a Senate confirmation hearing about US drone strikes. Mr Brennan said that drone attacks were only ever a last resort and refuted claims that strikes were used as punishments for past offences. "Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. "We only take such actions as a last resort to save lives when there's no other alternative to taking an action that's going to mitigate that threat." He was also questioned about the use of water-boarding and said he found the practise "reprehensible and should never be done again" "...
The Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, has told the BBC's HardTalk programme , that the organisation is in talks with the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas regarding a national unity government, and presidential and parliamentary elections. Meshaal said: "We are forging ahead with the reconciliation," "We are consulting about forming a government of national accord. Preparations for presidential, parliamentary and executive council elections are under way. We are reinvigorating the PLO and organising its meetings until new national council and executive committee are elected." "We are keen on...
The Tunisian prime minister, Hamadi Jebali, announced on Wednesday that the country would form a new government of non-partisan technocrats until elections could be held. The sudden announcement came after killing of a leading opposition figure and anti-Islamist politican, Chokri Belaid. Belaid was shot in the head and neck in Tunis. The incident sparked widespread protests, with people pouring out onto the streets as his coffin was carried through the streets. Gathering around the interior ministry, protesters had demanded that the government stand down and their be a second Arab Spring...
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated that the people of the Falkland Islands must “decide their own future”, after meeting with the island’s representatives. Speaking after meeting members of the islands’ legislative assembly, Hague said , “Through nine generations the people of the Falklands have worked tirelessly to establish their position in the world and their voice deserves to be heard. With this in mind, I welcome their forthcoming referendum in March." "This will be a chance for the people of the Falkland Islands to express their views about how they wish to be governed...
Syria’s besieged President Bashar Al-Assad has slammed Israeli airstrikes on an alleged arms convoy in the country, accusing Israel of attempting to destabilise the country. Stating that Israel was now co-operating with foreign forces aligned to Syrian rebels, Assad said, “(This action) unmasked the true role Israel is playing, in collaboration with foreign enemy forces and their agents on Syrian soil, to destabilise and weaken Syria” Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's foreign minister seemingly mocked the Syrian President, stating, "Why didn't Assad even throw a pebble when Israeli jets were flying...
A North Kor ean video about the country's space and rocket program has been r eleased, showing i mages of a man flying a space shuttle and an un named American city in f lames , as specu lation mounts over a North Korean nuclear test. The video, released on North Korea' s YouTube account, shows c omputer generated images o f a space shuttle lau nched into orbit by a North Korean rocke t a nd an unidentified city draped in the US flag ablaze . A p iano cover of Michael Jackson's "We are the World" plays in the background throughout. The captions on the video reads , "Despite attempts by...
The genocide convictions of two Rwandans sentenced to 30 years in prison each, have been overturned by a UN-backed appeals court. The two men, Justin Mugenzi, who was trade minister during the 1994 genocide, and Prosper Mugiraneza, former minister in charge of civil servants, were sentenced in 2011 for complicity, and incitement, to commit genocide. However, they have now been ordered for immediate release, with Roland Amoussouga, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda spokesperson, stating , "The convictions were reversed because the ICTR Appeals Chamber believes strongly that there were...
The leader of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party has been convicted of crimes against humanity by a war crimes tribunal in Dhaka. Abdul Kader Mullah was found guilty of five charges, including murder, committed while collaborating with Pakistani forces during Bangladesh’s war of independence. He was accused of being responsible for several large massacres in the Mirpur district of the capital, earning him the nickname “koshai” or butcher of Mirpur. Mullah denied all charges and party leaders said the charges are politically motivated. "We are but forced to accept the verdict. However, we will...
The US urged members of the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo on the Somalian government, citing stability within the state. The embargo was imposed 21 years ago. Last week the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon asserted that the embargo should be lifted in order to aid Somalian security forces in their fight against al Shabaab militants. The deputy UN ambassador for Somalia, Idd Beddel Mohamed, told Reuters: "There are no Somali warlords that threaten peace and stability in Somalia," "They are normal citizens now, members of parliament. The embargo must be lifted."