Monday 24 November 2014

Global gather

​Georgia's Tbilisi, most major cities loose power 

Most of Georgia is suffering from power outage, Telasi an electricity distribution company of Tbilisi, told Ria. Much of the capital and most major cities and towns now have no electricity as the company is dealing with the emergency situation. Even the main TV tower has been cut off from the supply.


​Holland completes MH17 wreckage recovery

The last remains of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 wreckage downed in Ukraine in July, have been delivered to the city of Kharkov, after a week-long operation to recover wreckage from the crash site. "A few parts of wreckage were too big for transport by train and arrived in Kharkov by truck," the Dutch government announced. The wreckage will now be transported to the Netherlands for reconstruction as part of the probe into the cause of the accident that killed all 298 passengers and crew.


​Burkina Faso announces interim government

The Burkina Faso authorities have announced an interim government by decree on Sunday. According to it, the president Michel Kafando and prime-minister Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida will combine their posts with the posts of foreign affairs and defense ministers. A total of six ministries out of 26 will be under control of the military. They include mines, communications and the interior ministry. Former president Blaise Compaore was forced out of power by mass protests in October after 27 years in office.


​Extension of talks for Iran nuclear deal a possibility

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have been discussing the possibility of extending negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear program, a US official said, according to Reuters. The meeting in Vienna comes as the deadline for Tehran and the world powers to reach a deal is due to expire on Monday. "Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it is only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline we are discussing a range of options both internally and with our P5+1 partners (six powers)," a senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity, which was reported by media


Netanyahu warns France that recognizing Palestine would be ‘grave mistake’

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cautioned French parliamentarians against recognizing the Palestinian state in a vote scheduled for December 2. "The State of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people, the only state that we have, and the Palestinians demanding a state do not want to recognise the right to have a state for the Jewish people," said the Likud politician in Jerusalem. The December vote is symbolic, but follows an official recognition of a Palestinian state from Sweden.


Tunisians head to polls in first democratic presidential elections

In a historic first since the 2011 revolution that ended the one-party rule of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisians will have a democratic choice among a number of presidential contenders. Out of a field of some 30 candidates, Beji Caid Essebsi of the Nidaa Tounes secular party, and the current president, Moncef Marzouki, are leading in the polls. However, observers predict a tight race that could lead to a runoff election in December. Final results of the polling will be released in 48 hours.


​FM Lavrov travels to Vienna for Iran nuclear talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is arriving to Vienna on Sunday for talks concerning the future of Iran’s nuclear program, according to a government source speaking to Itar-Tass. The tense negotiations involving US and Iranian delegates will go on until a consensus is reached.


​Iran: final nuclear deal “impossible” by Nov 24

Iran says the deal on its nuclear program with six world powers “will be impossible” to reach by the previously agreed deadline, November 24, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported, citing an unnamed member of Iran's negotiating team in Vienna. "The issue of extension of the talks is an option on the table and we will start discussing it if no deal is reached by Sunday night," the person added. The talks, which have lasted for more than a year between Iran and the US, Russia, the UK, France, Germany and China, focus on Iran’s nuclear ambitions - the country’s uranium enrichment capacity and the lifting of the sanctions pressed against Tehran over its nuclear program.


Former DC Mayor Marion Barry dies aged 78

Former four term District of Colombia Mayor Marion Barry has died at the age of 78 due to complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. First elected to the mayoral post in 1978, Barry had roots in the civil rights movement. His career, however, was overshadowed by a 1990 arrest after he was caught on camera smoking crack cocaine. Although he decided to drop out of the mayoral race that year, he made a comeback in 1994, being elected to the post one more time and serving out a final four-year term. He was also successfully elected to the DC Council representing Ward 8 in 2004, although he continued to battle drug and tax charges through the remainder of his career.


​Train with MH17 wreckage heads to Kharkov

The train carrying the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines plane (MH17) has left eastern Ukrainian town of Torez, where it crashed in the Donetsk region on July 17, for the city of Kharkov. From there it will be heading to the Netherlands, RIA Novosti reports. The wreckage is being carried in 11 open carriages and one closed wagon (for smaller fragments).The staff from the Netherlands Security Council, Dutch police officers, OSCE experts and six members of the self-defense forces are escorting the train.


US to arm Sunni rebels in Iraq with AKs, RPGs, mortars

The US has decided to arm Sunni tribesmen in Iraq for the purpose of fighting Islamic State militants stationed in the Anbar province, Reuters reports. AK-47s, grenade launchers and mortar rounds have received Congressional approval for delivery. A total of $24.1 million will be spent as part of a much larger $1.6 billion effort proposed for the training and arming of the country’s armed forces, as well as elements of the Kurdish resistance. The Pentagon has underscored the importance of the strategy to Congress, as an essential step to stopping the onslaught of IS extremists.

​ISIS massacre 25 Sunnis in Anbar province

Islamic State militants have killed 25 members of a Sunni tribe during their assault on a village near Ramadi, capital of Iraq's Anbar province. Local officials told Reuters that corpses of the men from the Albu Fahd tribe were found after the army launched a counter-offensive on Saturday against ISIS. Local tribal leaders fears more dead will be found as the bodies were scattered around with no signs of weapons next to them, suggesting they were not killed during fighting.

'Big gaps' remain in Iran nuclear negotiations – Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that there are still large areas of disagreement in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear capabilities take place as the deadline of November 24 approaches. “We're working hard,” Kerry said ahead of a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Reuters reported. “We hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps, we still have some serious gaps, which we're working to close.” Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China began the final round of negotiations on a nuclear deal on Tuesday.

​550 Germans have joined ISIS – Berlin

At least 550 German citizens have joined Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told German television channel Phoenix. "We estimate 550. Just a few days ago we had 450," he said,"These young people... were radicalized in Germany, within this society. That's why prevention must be accompanied by suppression.” He added that most of them are men, but several women have also travelled to conflict zones.
 Media agencies 

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