WORLD NEWS

World News

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…

Congolese protesters dispersed with tear gas

Congolese demonstrators protesting the potential extension of the current president’s tenure were violently dispersed by security forces yielding tear gas, on Monday, reports Reuters.

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila, is allegedly planning a census which, if undertaken, will delay the elections by an extra year.

Opposition leaders called for protests in Kinshasa ahead of a parliamentary debate on the proposed census.

International community ignores Boko Haram crisis says archbishop

The international community is ignoring the threat of Boko Haram militants, said a Catholic Archbishop in central Nigeria on Monday.

Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama said the international community had to show the same spirit and resolve it had done after the attacks in France. 

Archbishop Kaigama told that BBC that the most recent attacks that have left over 2,000 civilians dead, show that the Nigerian government is unable to deal with the Boko Haram militants.

Suicide bombers attack north-east Nigeria

Two suicide bombers attacked a market in north-east Nigeria, in the country’s second consecutive day of attacks on civilians.

A security official told the Agence France Presse, that the bombs appeared to have been remote controlled, as the second bomber appeared to try and run out of the market after the first explosion.

“The second bomber was terrified by the explosion and she tried to dash across the road but she also exploded,” the witness said.

The no group has claimed responsibility, the attacks come amidst an offensive by Boko Haram militants in the region.

Bomb blast kills 16 in Nigeria

A bomb blast in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri killed at least 16 people and injured 20 on Saturday, reports Reuters.

Maiduguri, the capital of the Borno state has seen several attacks from boko Haram militants, who operate within the north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

The latest attack comes as reports suggest at least 2,000 people were killed in a Boko Haram massacre in the town of Baga last week.

UN report finds ethnic cleansing but no genocidal intent in CAR

A UN report, released on Thursday, concluded that atrocities committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, but said it did not find "the existence of the necessary element of genocidal intent".

"Thousands of people died as a result of the conflict. Human rights violations and abuses were committed by all parties. The Seleka coalition and the anti-balaka are also responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity," the commission of inquiry, set up by the UN Security Council in December 2013 said.

Conflicting Libya factions agree to UN facilitated talks

Libya’s conflicting factions agreed to a new round UN facilitated talks to work towards stability in the region reports Reuters.

The announcement came after the UN envoy, Bernardino Leon met factions to agree a meeting in Geneva next week.

“In order to create a conducive environment for the dialogue, Special Representative Leon has proposed to the parties to the conflict a freeze in military operations for a few days,” the UN mission said in a statement on Saturday.

A member of parliament in Tripoli said that the talks would initially be indirect as the two sides did not recognise each other.

"If there will be chance to hold direct talks, that will depend on the first round,” added Abdulqader Hwaili.

The European Union also backed the UN facilitated talks.

Bahrain security forces clash with Shi'ite protesters

Several protesters in Bahrain clashed with security forces during an anti-government demonstration over the detention of the opposition leaders, reports Reuters.

Discontent from the Shi’ite community has grown after a Shi’ite Muslim cleric, who leads the al-Wefaq Islamic Society, was arrested in December.

Witnesses said that hundreds of men and women from the mainly Shi’ite village of Sitra, clashed with security forces after men threw petrol bombs.

Egypt doubles size of security zone, demolishing 1,220 homes

Hundreds of families are being evicted from the Egyptian border with Gaza after the army announced it was doubling the size of the security buffer zone on Thursday.

The existing 500m buffer zone created last November will now expand in size, with authorities announcing they will destroy 1,220 homes.

As many as 2,000 reportedly dead in Boko Haram 'massacre'

Amnesty International estimated that up to 2,000 people have been killed in the Nigerian town of Baga, in what it reported as the “deadliest massacre” by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Though reports are still unconfirmed Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International said if true, "this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram's ongoing onslaught."

A government spokesperson said,

French security forces storm hostage sites

Two brothers responsible for the attack at the offices of French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo were killed by anti-terrorist police on Friday when their hideout was stormed, as a second siege ended with the death of four hostages.

Simultaneous sieges occurred at a Jewish supermarket in Paris and at a warehouse North of Paris.

In the incident in Paris, French security forces stormed the supermarket to free several hostages. The gunman and four hostages died.

Though the hostages are not believe to have been killed during the assault investigations are underway to confirm how they died, reports the BBC.