Yearly Archives: 2015

Gunmen kill 17 tourists on Tunisia museum attack

Gunmen stormed Tunisia’s national museum, killing 17 tourists of various nationalities and two Tunisians in an attack that raised fears for the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The brazen daylight assault yesterday sparked panic at the nearby parliament and the National Bardo Museum itself, a magnet for the tourists who …

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India has not taken final decision yet on Rafale deal

Despite several meetings between Indian and French officials to close the 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal worth $20 bn before PM Narendra Modi travels to Paris next month, defence minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that “no final decision” has been taken yet.

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UN, Sudan discuss peacekeeper withdrawal

The United Nations and Sudan began talks in Khartoum on Tuesday to prepare for an eventual orderly withdrawal of UN/African Union peacekeepers from Darfur, a senior UN official said. Herve Ladsous, head of UN peacekeeping, said the team in Khartoum would set up a working group that would “look at …

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Nigerian Security Council reviews North-east operations

The National Security Council of Nigeria presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met at the Presidential Villa, where the operations of Nigerian troops in the North-east were reviewed. Also, Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah said there was now news yet on the abducted Chibok schoolgirls from the …

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Nigeria military makes significant progress in fight against militants

Nigeria has begun the “final onslaught” against Boko Haram, the country’s national security spokesman said on Tuesday, after the militants were ousted from the strategic town of Bama. On a visit to London, Mike Omeri said that “significant strategic military successes and gains” had been made against the Islamists in …

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Two UN peacekeepers die in Mali in helicopter crash

A U.N. helicopter crashed Tuesday in Mali, killing two Dutch peacekeepers. The two members of the United Nations’ Minusma mission were the only two on board the Apache helicopter when it crashed around 1 p.m. local time about 26 miles north of Gao, Mali. “The special representative of the secretary …

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Ukraine parliament to grant special status on occupied eastern regions

Ukraine’s parliament approved Tuesday a draft law to grant special status to the eastern regions of the country, which are controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Submitted by President Petro Poroshenko as part of the cease-fire agreement reached in the Belarus capital of Minsk in February, the bill establishes the boundaries of rebel-held areas that could be given special status …

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Three soldiers killed in Eastern Ukraine

Three soldiers were killed and five injured in eastern Ukraine, an army spokesman said on Tuesday, further undermining a month-old ceasefire between government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Some of the casualties were caused by fire from the rebels, the others occurring when a military vehicle drove over a landmine, spokesman …

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EU appoints new special representative for Middle East

The EU Monday decided to appoint an Italian diplomat, Fernando Gentilini, as new special representative for Middle East, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told a news conference at the end of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Analysts opine that the re-establishment of the post of the special EU envoy …

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