WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

UN experts demand investigation following Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalists
  Three United Nations (UN) experts called for a full and independent investigation into the killing of three Lebanese journalists by Israel last week, which they described as ‘another attack on press freedom by Israeli forces.’ On March 28, Israeli forces killed Al Mayadeen reporter Fatima Ftouni, her brother and cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, and Al Manar TV reporter Ali Shoeib as they were…

Rohingya identity will not be accepted in Myanmar's national census

Mar 29, 2014
Burmese officials began the first national census in three decades today, causing tensions over the government’s decision to omit the Rohingya identity from the census.

Despite calls from the United Nations to allow all the people in Burma to choose their identity, Burmese officials said that the Muslim Rohingya must identify themselves as Bengali to be registered on the national census.

A government spokesperson,  Ye Htut, outlined the official stance on the Rohingya identity, stating,

Russia demands devolution of autonomous powers to Eastern and Southern Ukraine

Mar 29, 2014
The Russian foreign minister, Serfei Lavrob, in his meeting with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, today, as part of a set criteria to reach a diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine, called for greater autonomous powers to be given to the regions of southern and eastern Ukraine.

The US has called on Russia to disarm irregular forces in Crimea, admit international observers and pull his troops back from the eastern border. Satellite imagery suggests that 40,000 Russian troops have been placed on Ukraine’s eastern border.
 

EU set to intervene in CAR

Mar 29, 2014
The European Union declared, this weekend, that it was ready to launch the delayed peace-keeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR). 

A spokeswoman for the EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton, said,

“On the basis of this significant progress.. the commander of the operation (French Major-General Philippe Ponties) has recommended the launch of the operation.”

US and India to hold sixth East Asia consultations

Mar 28, 2014

US and Indian officials met for the sixth session of consultations on East Asia on Friday, said the State Department in a press release earlier this week.

The two countries will “share views on regional priorities and identify areas for cooperation in ... regional and multilateral institutions.”

The announcement comes a day after India sought unsuccessfully to sabotage a key US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council.

UNHRC resolution calls for an international judicial action and sanctions against North Korea

Mar 28, 2014
The United Nations Human Rights Council, yesterday, adopted a resolution urging the international community to back an international criminal investigation against individuals accountable for atrocities in North Korea, whilst considering targeted sanctions.

The resolution urged steps to be taken to refer North Korea to an international judicial process, “in order that those responsible for human rights violations including those that may amount to crimes against humanity, are held to account.”

UNHRC demands immediate halt to expansion of Israeli settlements, calls for reversal

Mar 28, 2014
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) yesterday, in its second resolution regarding Palestine, demanded that all settlement activities in Occupied Palestinian Territory be ‘immediately’ stopped and reversed.

Whilst condemning Israel’s expansion of settlements and expropriation of Palestinian land, the resolution called on Israel,

Russia will not encroach eastern Ukraine - Foreign Minister

Mar 28, 2014
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, today, outlined that Moscow would not order its armed forces to cross over the Ukrainian border into the eastern Ukraine.

Speaking on Russian state television, he said,

“We have absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukranian border. We (Russia and the West) are getting closer in our positions.”

Dutch police arrest alleged Serbian war criminal

Mar 27, 2014
Dutch police, today, arrested a man wanted for his alleged involvement in war crimes during the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Miltuin Graic, who was residing in the Netherlands, is alleged to have been a member of an ethnic Serbian paramilitary group that drove Croats out of the Krajina region in an attempt to break away from Croatia.

Persecutors said that Croatian courts had issued an European arrest warrant for the man.

UNHRC votes to support Palestinian right to self-determination

Mar 27, 2014
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), today, overwhelmingly voted in favour of a resolution on the ‘Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.’

The resolution, which was supported for by 46 out of the 47 voting states, called for,
 “Member States and relevant bodies of the United Nations system to support and assist the Palestinian people in early realisation of their right to self-determination.’

See full resolution here.

Putin discusses US proposals with Obama

Mar 27, 2014
The Russian president Vladmir Putin called Barack Obama today, to discuss proposals that appeased all parties involved in the situation in Ukraine.

Commenting on today’s events, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, outlined that Putin had called to discuss a US proposal for a diplomatic resolution that was presented to the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov earlier this week.

An official from the White House described the call as ‘frank and direct’, outlining that the next step was for the Lavrov and Kerry to continue discussions to prove Russia’s commitment to negotiation.
Rohingya identity will not be accepted in Myanmar's national census
Russia demands devolution of autonomous powers to Eastern and Southern Ukraine
EU set to intervene in CAR
US and India to hold sixth East Asia consultations
UNHRC resolution calls for an international judicial action and sanctions against North Korea
UNHRC demands immediate halt to expansion of Israeli settlements, calls for reversal
Russia will not encroach eastern Ukraine - Foreign Minister
Dutch police arrest alleged Serbian war criminal
UNHRC votes to support Palestinian right to self-determination
Putin discusses US proposals with Obama