International Headlines
Jul 18: Plane Crash
A Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 295 people has crashed in east Ukraine, there are no survivors. The crash occured in rebel-held territory close to the border with Russia, and both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shooting down the plane. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Other airlines are avoiding eastern Ukraine.
Jul 17: Chinese Incursions
China’s People’s Liberation Army has made yet another intrusion into Indian territory. Indian media reports two incursion attempts in the Demchok and Chumar areas of Ladakh in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese were pushed back into their territory by the Indian army. This despite the reported amicable and positive meeting between the countries' two leaders at the BRICS summit in Brazil this week.
Jul 16: Fruitful Meeting
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in Brazil, where Xi invited Modi to attend a summit of Asia and Pacific (APEC) leaders. The two leaders discussed various issues including the need to resolve their boundary question. Modi described the meeting as “very fruitful”.
Jul 15: Assisted Dying
Desmond Tutu would support assisted dying for the terminally ill, saying he reveres "the sanctity of life but not at any cost", and that prolonging the life of Nelson Mandela had been an "affront" to his dignity. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has dropped his opposition saying, "the old...certainties have collapsed in the face of the reality of needless suffering". The Church of England has called for an inquiry into the issue.
Jul 14: Malala in Nigeria
Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai, the girl who was shot in the head by Pakistani Taliban militants for campaigning for girls' education, is meeting Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan to press for more action to free the girls held by militant Islamists Boko Haram. Boko Haram sparked a global outcry when it abducted more than 200 girls three months ago. The government has faced strong criticism for failing to curb Boko Haram's violence.
Jul 12: Abandoned Baby
A newborn baby girl has been found in a bin for recycling bottles in Northern France in the town of Rouvroy. She was discovered by a passerby who heard her cries and mistook them for a trapped cat. The baby is being treated in hospital for cuts and hypothermia but her life is not in danger. Police are trying to identify the mother.
Jul 11: Taliban Escape
Pakistan is carrying out an offensive to rid the tribal region of North Waziristan of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The military claim that about 400 suspected militants have been killed in the first three weeks - mostly by air strikes. However, some senior Taliban militants managed to flee the area. The military denies allegations that militants were given warning by army contacts.
Jul 10: Snowden in Russia
The American whistleblower Edward Snowden has asked to extend his stay in Russia. His temporary asylum visa will expire on July 31. Last year Snowden fed US secret intelligence to news outlets and leaked details of the National Security Agency's international surveillance and telephone-tapping operation. If he returns to the US he would face spying charges that could result in a substantial jail sentence.
Jul 9: Visa Cancelled
American professor Eliot Harris Sperling has been denied entry to China. On arrival in Beijing he was questioned by Chinese immigration. He assumes the reason is his support for jailed Uighur Professor Ilham Toti. Mr Sperling said he sees it as an “attempt to pressure those who speak in support of Ilham to retreat into silence, or at least to isolate them".
Jul 8: Afghan Elections
Ashraf Ghani, the former Afghan Finance Minister, is looking likely to replace Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan, according to preliminary election results. Final results are due on July 22. The Chief Election Commissioner said "The announcement of preliminary results does not mean that the leading candidate is the winner". There is concern for future stability if the final election outcome is not accepted.
Jul 7: Upsurge in Violence
Violence between Palestine and Israel is escalating with retaliation attacks on both sides following the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair. Three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank were murdered in retaliation, their bodies were found a week ago. Since then there have been clashes and inflamatory statements initiated by both sides amid an upsurge in violence across the Israel-Gaza border.
Jul 5: US Spy
The German authorities have arrested an American man on suspicion of spying. He is an employee of the federal intelligence service, the BND or Bundesnachrichtendienstand. It is alleged he sold secret documents to the US. US-German relations have been strained since last year when the US National Security Agency is alleged to have bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone during a huge surveillance programme.
Jul 4: Execution Threat
The Isis rebels who have taken control of Mosul, Tikrit and other cities in the north-west of Iraq have been methodically hunting down non-Sunnis and those opposed to the militants. Isis is demanding that officials and soldiers pledge allegiance to the caliphate they have recently declared, or face execution. Last month at least 2,461 people were killed and more than one million Iraqis fled their homes.
Jul 3: Hope for Ukraine
Steps aimed at ending hostilities in eastern Ukraine have been agreed by the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. They met in Berlin and agreed a "package of measures" to pave the way for a bilateral ceasefire. Hundreds have been killed since a pro-Russian rebellion began in east Ukraine.
Jul 2: HRW Lobbies China
Human Rights Watch, the New York based human rights group, has asked China to release the activists arrested across China prior to last month's 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. These detentions were part of a wider crackdown this year, with authorities targeting activists involved in the New Citizens Movement, an informal group advocating civic rights and citizen participation.