WORLD NEWS

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Latest news from and about the homeland

  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…

Strong support for independence at Catalan rally

Photograph Catalans with #the45

Hundreds of thousands came out to march in Barcelona on Friday, in support of independence for Catalan.

Endorsing the pro-indepedence's campaign, "Let's start building a new country", Catalans poured out onto the streets waving the national flag.

UN probe into Syria chemical weapon attacks goes ahead after Russia drops objection

The UN Security Council approved an international investigation into chemical weapon attacks on Thursday, after Russia dropped its objection to the probe, reports Reuters.

Russia withdrew its objection via a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, by the country's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin on Thursday.

Confirming the letter, the Mr Moon's press office said that he had welcomed it and would "without delay, undertake all steps, measures and arrangements necessary for the speedy establishment and full functioning."

Northern Ireland first minister resigns

Northern Irish First Minister Peter Robinson has stepped down from his position after a bid by his party, the DUP, to adjourn the assembly, failed.

The DUP failed to get enough support to adjourn the assembly, after Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) voted against the adjournment motion.

The crisis started with the murder of a former IRA man and a police assessment that IRA members may have been involved.

UN agency warns almost 100,000 children are starving in Yemen

The United Nations children’s agency warned that almost 100,000 children are starving in Yemen and face death, as fighting in the country continued.

Al Jazeera reported the agency as saying 96,000 children were starving in the city of al-Hodeidah and nearly 8,000 children will face malnutrition in Aden in the coming year.



Speaking to Voice of America about the Al-Sabeen Hospital in Sana, Save The Children spokesperson Mark Kaye said:

“Before the crisis it had a catchment population of about 300,000; but since the crisis that number has risen to almost three million, with the entire (population) reliant on it for specialist care.”

Ban Ki Moon reiterates principle of R2P ten years on

The UN Security General Ban Ki Moon on Wednesday reiterated the importance of the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), stating that it was not only a question of law but also "a matter of common humanity".

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, marking ten years since the R2P principle was launched, Mr Moon stressed that the principle needed to be translated into action.

"Ten years ago, world leaders transformed expectations about the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity," he said.

ICC rejects Gbagbo's release request

The International Criminal Court in the Hague rejected a request by the former Ivory Coast president, Laurent Gbagbo for temporary release on health grounds, reports Reuters.

“The appeals chamber found that it was not unreasonable for the trial chamber to find the existence of Mr. Gbagbo’s support network posed a risk to abscond or obstruct investigation," a panel of appear judges said.

In June this year the ICC confirmed four charges of crimes against humanity against Mr Gbagbo, including murder and rape after some 3,000 people were killed in violence following the Ivory Coast's 2010 Presidential elections.

Ukraine gives ICC more powers

The Ukrainian government has given the International Criminal Court wider jurisdiction to investigate war crimes that may have been committed during the current civil conflict in the country.

The country previously accepted the court's jurisdiction for a limited period from November 2013 to February 2014, when pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich attempted to crush opposition protests, with many people dying.

The ICC said Ukraine had now expanded its scope to include the period up to the present, with ongoing violence between the government and separatist rebels in the east of the country.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said on Tuesday at least 7,962 people have been killed and 17,811 wounded in eastern Ukraine since mid-April 2014, Reuters reported.

Genocide trial underway in Cambodia

A UN backed tribunal began in Cambodia on Monday trying the two surviving leaders of Khmer Rouge regime of the crime of genocide.

Last year both Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but Monday’s trial will see them face charges of genocide. The trial will examine crimes carried out against ethnic Cham Muslims and ethnic Vietnamese during the Khmer Rouge’s 1975-79 rule.

The prosecution stated that 90 percent of the 200,000 ethnic Vietnamese population in the country were forcibly deported by the regime, and the remaining 20,000 were killed in a process that "involved mass killings of Vietnamese civilians who were sought out solely on the basis of their ethnicity."

The prosecution also alleged the Khmer Rouge "succeeded in physically destroying a significant portion of the Cham population, solely because of their ethnic and religious background."

This effort included removing Cham women and children from the group and placing them in Khmer communities, forcing Cham to marry outside their ethnic group, and banning all cultural aspects traditionally identified with that group," it said, adding the campaign "culminated in 1977 and 1978 with organized mass executions of entire Cham communities conducted by [Khmer Rouge] cadres in multiple [areas of Cambodia]".

Turkey sends groundtroops into Iraq to fight Kurds

Turkey has sent groundtroops into Iraqi Kurdistan to fight PKK rebels, who have bases in the region.

"Turkish security forces crossed the Iraqi border as part of the hot pursuit of PKK terrorists who were involved in the most recent attacks," a government source told AFP news agency.

"This is a short-term measure intended to prevent the terrorists' escape."

Air strikes on PKK bases were also launched on Tuesday, in further escalation of the violence.

RAF drone attack kills Brits in Syria

Two British men were killed after being targeted in a drone strike, carried out by the Royal Air Force.

Reyaad Khan, 21, from Cardiff and Ruhul Amin from Aberdeen were both members of the Islamic State militant group and were hit on August 21 in an “act of self-defence” according to British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Cameron accused Mr Khan of plotting “barbaric” attacks and said the drone strike was lawful and necessary.

The prime minister added the targeting of the men was approved by the attorney general.

In his statement to the Commons, Mr Cameron said: "My first duty as prime minister is to keep the British people safe.

"There was a terrorist directing murder on our streets and no other means to stop him.

"This government does not for one moment take these decisions lightly.

"But I am not prepared to stand here in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on our streets and have to explain to the House why I did not take the chance to prevent it when I could have done."

However Labour leader Harriet Harman questioned the legality of the attack and called for “independent scrutiny”.