• Chávez wins yet again

    Oct 07

    Hugo Chávez won the presidential vote on Sunday, securing another six year term in office.

    Chávez's socialist part, polled 54.66% compared to 44.73% for the opposition leader Henrique Capriles of the Movement for Democratic Unity (MUD).

  • Maldivian ex-president arrested

    The former president of the Maldives, Mohamad Nasheed, has been arrested for failing to turn up at his trial for illegally arresting a judge.

    A spokesman for Mr Nasheed's party, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, tweeted that Nasheed was "grabbed from protesting supporters" before being arrested and "taken away" from the southern atoll of Fares Mathoda.

  • U.N rights chief urges Nepal to investigate war abuses
    The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged Nepal to proceed with plans to investigate its 10-year-civil war which saw abuses committed by both sides.
  • Egypt pardons political prisoners
    Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi has decreed that all political prisoners detained from last year’s uprising be pardoned on Monday.

    According to the President’s Facebook page, an amnesty was declared for all acts
  • Breakthrough in Philippines-MILF negotiations

    The Philippine government has agreed a peace deal with the largest rebel group in the country, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

  • Drone infiltration into Israeli airspace
    On Saturday a drone was spotted over Israeli territory of Yatir forest, with it's origin and full purpose in crossing into Israeli airspace uncertain. According to Israeli military, the drone was not carrying explosives and within twenty minutes of crossing into Israeli territory, it was shot down by Israeli air force.
  • Libyan Prime Minister-elect dismissed

    Libya’s first elected prime minister since the fall of Gaddafi, Mustafa Abu Shagur has been dismissed after failing to win a parliamentary vote on a new cabinet.

    The prime minister wanted to establish an “emergency government” with just 10 ministries.

  • HRW, AI and ICJ slam Nepali colonel promotion
    The Nepali government's decision to promote an army colonel accused of war crimes has come under criticism by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists earlier this week.
  • Russia’s Tajik base to stay another 30 years

    Russia has signed an agreement with Tajikistan that allows it to keep its military base in the Central Asian country for another 30 years.

    Around 7,000 Russian soldiers are based on the border to Afghanistan.

  • Catalonians to use match to assert call for independence

    Catalonians are preparing to use a football match - Barcelona v. Real Madrid - to assert the call for independence reports The Times.

    As an estimated 400 million viewers watch the match worldwide, Barcelona football fans are planning to recreate an enormous Catalan flag, holding up red or yellow cards to form the stripes of the flag.

  • US and Peru to renew defence agreement

    The US and Peru decided to discuss and renew a 60-year-old defence cooperation agreement, on Saturday.

    The US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the updated agreement would "improve our ability to conduct joint activities, to do training and other exchanges."

  • World leaders urge restraint in Syria-Turkey crisis

    The UN Security Council has condemned the Syrian attack of a Turkish village on Thursday, which killed five civilians, all of whom were women and children.

  • Outcry following Philippines Internet freedom law

    Outcry has erupted in the Philippines over a recently passed internet freedom law that exposes users to prosecution related to libel.

    The new law deems that even posts on social networking sites that have been deemed libellous can be taken to court, curbing freedom of expression.

  • Mau Mau victims win right to claim against UK govt
    The high court in London has ruled that three Kenyans can proceed in their legal claims against the UK government for alleged torture during the Mau Mau uprising in 1950s. 

    In his ruling, the judge Justice McCoombe said: "A fair trial for the Kenyans on this part of the case does remain possible and the evidence on both sides does remain significantly cogent for the court to complete its task satisfactorily."
  • Colombia-Farc peace talks start Oct 17

    Peace talks between the Colombian government and Farc will commence in Oslo on 15th October, with a joint news conference on 17th October.

    Last week, the Colombian President Juan Manueal Santos, said he was "cautiously optimistic" that a peace deal could be reached.

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