Tag: InternationalNews

{{Militants have killed 20 Iraqi soldiers in an attack on a base near the northern city of Mosul, officials say.

Many of the soldiers had been shot at close range. Some of the dead had their hands tied behind their backs, a medical worker told media.

Insurgents in Sunni-dominated parts of northern and western Iraq have been fighting security forces under the command of the Shia-led government.

Violence has peaked again since the sectarian conflict of the last decade}}

The UN says more than 8,000 people were killed in Iraq last year, the highest figure since 2007.

The government has blamed the rising bloodshed on Sunni militants, linking it to the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

But many analysts and diplomats say the government, led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, has contributed to the unrest by alienating the Sunni minority.

Iraq held a parliamentary election earlier this month. The result has not yet been announced.

agencies

{{Prime Minister David Cameron has promised Britain “will do what we can” to help find more than 200 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls.}}

He made the comments as he held a sign bearing the “#Bring Back Our Girls” slogan on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.

Mr Cameron is the latest high-profile supporter of the social media campaign after US First Lady Michelle Obama was pictured with a similar poster.

The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has claimed the abductions.

During the programme, fellow guest Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent, handed Mr Cameron the sign and asked if he would like to join the campaign.

Taking it from her, he replied: “Happily.”

Mr Cameron later tweeted: “Proud to support #BringBackOurGirls.”

{{President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday he wanted Iran to do a better job of explaining its nuclear program to prevent “evil-minded” people misleading world opinion, two days before Tehran resumes talks with world powers on its disputed atomic activity.}}

Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia will reconvene in Vienna to try to iron out differences over how to end a long standoff over suspicions that Tehran has sought the means to develop nuclear weapons.

Western powers have long demanded greater openness from Iran to address those concerns and head off the risk of a downward spiral towards a new Middle East war, with Israel threatening to attack its arch-foe if diplomacy does not rein it in.

“What we can offer the world is greater transparency,” Rouhani, a relative moderate who replaced a conservative hardliner who antagonized the West – said in a speech at a ceremony celebrating Iran’s scientific achievements.

In his remarks, Rouhani reiterated that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and would never halt its atomic program, which was for peaceful purposes.

He also repeated a denial of Western charges that Iran has carried out any secret nuclear bomb work.

But along with achieving scientific progress, Rouhani added, Iran ought to develop its abilities in the legal, political and information realms to prevent “the enemy” making problems for its nuclear developments.

“If one engages in a technological endeavor but is not doing good legal and political work, then the enemy might come up with a fictional excuse to cause trouble for you,” he said.

The Islamic Republic’s leaders normally use the term “the enemy” to refer to the United States and Israel.

{{reuters}}

{{US First Lady Michelle Obama is to deliver her husband’s weekly presidential address to condemn last month’s abduction of Nigerian girls.

First ladies normally refrain from outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Mrs Obama has been a vocal campaigner for the release of more than 200 girls.

Fifty-three of the schoolgirls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on 14 April but many more remain captive.

Islamist militant group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack.

The United Nations Security Council expressed outrage over the abductions in north-eastern Borno state, and demanded the immediate release of the students.

It said it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram. The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the group.

‘Call to action’

Mrs Obama is due to make the address ahead of Mother’s Day, which the United States marks on Sunday. }}

{{Graphic pictures which appear to show at least one UK serviceman posing with a dead Taliban fighter have been leaked online.}}

The Ministry of Defence said military police have launched an investigation into the photographs, which were taken after an attack by insurgents on Camp Bastion in 2012.

Two RAF Regiment members were withdrawn from frontline duties after the images were posted on website Live Leak in April.

They show some of the damage caused during the attack on the UK’s main base in Afghanistan in September 2012, which left two US marines dead.

In two of the pictures at least one and possibly two members of the RAF Regiment can be seen kneeling next to the body of a dead insurgent and giving the thumbs up.

A number of British personnel were injured in the attack and six US Harrier jets were destroyed.

An RAF spokeswoman said: “Inappropriate actions will not be tolerated in the armed forces – the RAF is treating this incident extremely seriously and has launched a military police investigation.

“As this incident is subject to an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The RAF Regiment is the ground fighting force of the Royal Air Force.

Members of No 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, together with US Marine service personnel and civilian security contractors, defeated the attackers after a four-hour firefight with support from helicopters in what came to be known as the Battle of Bastion.

Last month a report by MPs said British commanders had to “bear a degree of responsibility” for failing to prevent the 2012 raid.

Prince Harry was serving at the base as a member of the Army Air Corps during the time of the attack.

MSN