• UN aid agencies expelled from Luhansk

    Sep 24
    The United Nations humanitarian aid chief Stephen O’Brien expressed serious concern after authorities in the eastern city of Luhansk called on UN agencies to immediately vacate the city.
  • Colombian govt and Farc pledge end to conflict in 6 months
    The Colombian government and Farc pledged on Wednesday to bring an end to the conflict, which has run for 50 years, within six months, reports Reuters.

    Meeting in Havana for ongoing peace talks, the Colombian president and the Farc leader, Rodrigo Londono (alias Timochenko) shook hands to seal their agreement.

    "We will not fail," Mr Santos said. "The time for peace has arrived."

    An official deadline has been set for 23 March 2016. Farc was pledged to lay down arms within 60 days of signing the deal.

  • Independence will come 'sooner or later' says Catalan leader
    Catalan's leader, Artur Mas, said that independence would come "sooner or later", promised to push for a referendum on secession if the coalition of pro-independence parties win elections this month.

    "Clearly, if we get a majority of the votes on September 27, then that's the referendum done," Mr Mas told AFP in an interview on Wednesday.

    "If we won a majority of seats but not a majority of votes and the Spanish government offered us a binding referendum on independence – though I am very skeptical about whether it would do so – then we would listen," he added.

  • Nazi radio operator charged with war crimes
    German prosecutors have charged a 91 year old woman with 260,000 counts of accessory to murder over allegations she was a member of the Nazi SS who served in Auschwitz death camps, reports the Independent.
  • China's president lands in US to boost trade ties

    China’s president Xi Jinping landed in the US on Tuesday to commence a week-long US visit that will include meetings with SU business leaders, reports Reuters.

  • UK to guarantee £2bn nuclear plant deal for China

    The UK will guarantee a £2bn deal with China, which will see investment in the Hinkley nuclear power plant and the possible construction of further reactors.

    Chancellor George Osborne made the announcement during his visit to China and said the deal would pave the way for a final investment decision on the delayed project by French energy company EDF.

  • Glasgow rally pledges to continue journey towards Scottish independence
    Crowds gathered in Glasgow on Saturday, one year on from the Scottish independence referendum, pledging to continue the journey towards independence.

    Gathering at the city's George Square, pro-independence campaigners held the Saltire and 'Still Yes' banners, stating that they wished "to make a clear statement that our journey to full independence for our nation continues".

    Speaking on Friday, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said that it would be wrong to rule out another referendum, however, commenting on the 2014 referendum result, she said, "We respect last year's result."

    "It would be wrong to propose another referendum without a fundamental change of circumstances or a strong indication that a significant number of those who voted No last year had changed their minds."

  • US receives first Cuban ambassador in 54 years
    The United States received its first ambassador, Jose Cabanas, from Cuba in 54 years on Thursday, reports Reuters.

    "The ceremony took place at the White House Oval Office, the venue of the presidential office, in the midst of a day when the U.S. leader received 16 new ambassadors," the Cuban embassy said in a statement.

    "The Cuban ambassador's accreditation to the United States is a further step within the process to normalize relations between both countries," the statement added.

  • China's president to visit US on Sept 25
    China's president, Xi Jingping is to visit the United States later this month on an official state trip where he will be hosted by the US president, Barack Obama.

    The visit will take place on September 25 the White House said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.

    "President Xi's visit will present an opportunity to expand U.S.-China cooperation on a range of global, regional, and bilateral issues of mutual interest, while also enabling President Obama and President Xi to address areas of disagreement constructively," the White House added in a statement.

  • South Africa invites Bashir to enter again
    South Africa welcomed the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who faces a warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, to enter the country again, despite widespread criticism of Mr Bashir's visit to South Africa in June.

    The South African president, Jacob Zuma, told diplomats that Sudan was likely to participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is due to take place in Johannesburg in December.

    "It is expected that the Sudanese government will participate in FOCAC," Mr Zuma was quoted by AFP as saying.

    In June, despite numerous calls for Mr Bashir to be arrested and handed over to the ICC on arrival in South Africa, the South African government said that he was granted immunity as he was attending an African Union summit.

  • French court stops extradition of Rwandan genocide suspect
    A court in France on Tuesday stopped the extradition of a Rwandan genocide suspect, Joseph Habyarimana, who is accused of inciting the murder of monks in a monastery in 1994, reports Le Monde.

    A judge in a Toulouse court, where Mr Habyarimana now resides did not grant the extradition request stating that the crimes were not deemed a criminal offence at the time and therefore the law could not be enacted retrospectively.

    The ruling was met with anger by a group representing the victims, the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR).

  • Northern Ireland's disappeared buried 43 years on
    One of Northern Ireland's 'disappeared', Kevin McKee was buried today in Belfast, 43 years after he went missing just before his 17th birthday.

    Speaking at the funeral, the priest Father Michael Murtagh was quoted by the Belfast Telegraph as saying:

    "We acknowledge 43 years of pain, of wondering, of uncertainty and not knowing what had happened."

  • US urges calm on both sides in Jerusalem
    The United States urged both sides to restrain from escalating violence, following clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces by the Al-Asqa mosque or Temple Mount.

    "The United States is deeply concerned by the increase in violence and escalating tensions surrounding the (al-)Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount," the US State Department spokesperson, John Kirby, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

    "We strongly condemn all acts of violence. It is absolutely critical that all sides exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric and preserve unchanged the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount."

  • December 9th welcomed as International Day to honour genocide victims
    The marking of December 9th as 'International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime' by the UN General Assembly last Friday was welcomed on Monday by the UN's Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng.

    “Remembering the events of the past and paying tribute to those who perished should strengthen our resolve to prevent such events from ever happening again,” Mr Dieng said statement today.

    “We have a collective responsibility to prevent genocide – and by commemorating the victims of the crime of genocide, we can dignify them and show that we are not indifferent, that we care about what happened to them and will never forget them.”

  • Yemeni govt drops out of UN peace talks
    The Yemeni government pulled out of UN mediated peace talks on Sunday, stating that they would not take part until the armed groups accepted and implemented resolution 2216.

    "[Yemen's government] confirmed it would not take part in any meeting until the coup militia recognize international resolution 2216 and accepts to implement it unconditionally," the official state news agency Saba was quoted by Reuters as saying.

    The government is currently in exile in Saudi Arabia following escalating violence between government forces and Houthi fighters.

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