Monthly Archives: April 2015

India affirms its support for a democratic evolution in Afghanistan

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said India was proud of its close relations with Afghanistan and shared Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s goal of building a strong, prosperous and independent Afghanistan. He was speaking at the Rastrapati Bhawan during a banquet hosted for the Afghan president who was on a …

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Clashes intesify in east Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier was killed and 14 others injured as shelling intensified in eastern parts of the country where government forces are fighting pro-Russian rebels, the army said Tuesday. “One Ukrainian soldier was killed and 14 injured due to military activity” over the past 24 hours, military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk …

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Egypt, DRC discuss bilateral relations

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has phoned on Tuesday Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s President Joseph Kabila on bilateral relations. Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said the President posted his African counterpart on the Egyptian side’s interest in increasing investments in the DRC.

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UNSC extends Western Sahara mandate for one year

The Security Council today extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Western Sahara, known by the acronym MINURSO. In today’s resolution, the 15-member Council extended MINURSO until 30 April 2016. The Mission has been in effect since 1991.

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Niger: Dozens of civilians, soldiers killed by Boko Haram attack

The Niger government said on Tuesday it had lost 46 soldiers and 28 civilians in a Boko Haram attack on a Lake Chad island at the weekend, the country’s heaviest losses yet since it joined a regional offensive against the militants. Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou said “156 terrorists” were also …

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UN peacekeepers attacked by Tuareg rebels near Timbuktu

Northern Tuareg rebels shot at United Nations peacekeepers in Mali outside the town of Timbuktu on Tuesday amid growing tensions that threaten a fragile peace process, the country’s UN mission said. “They fired at us and they then called us to tell us that they thought we were [Malian government …

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Ban stresses urgent need for Mali political settlement

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday recent attacks on the UN mission in Mali highlighted the urgent need for a political settlement with rebels in the country’s north. Seven UN peacekeepers were wounded Thursday in the most recent attack about 100km southwest of the northern city of Kidal.

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Greece to start talks with Egypt, Cyprus on maritime boundaries

Greece will launch consultations with Egypt and Greek Cyprus to establish maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on April 29. Tsipras, who was visiting Greek Cyprus, said those boundaries – which are normally a precursor to a state licensing for offshore oil and gas exploration …

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Hollande calls on Lebanon to elect a new president

France opposes foreign intervention in Lebanon but will do its best to encourage the election of a new president as soon as possible, French President François Hollande said Tuesday. “France is ready to take initiative in international gatherings to speed up the presidential election process,” Hollande told Maronite Patriarch Beshara …

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