News / News Bulletin

UNSC to discuss Turkey's shelling of Syria

Tuesday, 16 February 2016 5:32 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 16 February 2016 5:31 AM ]

The file photo shows Turkish F-16 jets

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

Thousands of people have rallied in Nigeria in solidarity with top Muslim leader Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky who is being detained without charge. The demonstrators demanded the immediate release of the cleric, his wife, and hundreds of other Muslims. They condemned the detentions as illegal.
A source with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW, confirms that Daesh terrorists have used mustard gas against Kurdish fighters in Iraq. Last October, the Hague-based organization also concluded that mustard gas was used last year in neighboring Syria.
The Syrian president says fighting terrorism is a priority for Damascus and can bring stability back to the country. Bashar al-Assad also stressed that Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been trying to intervene in his country militarily for two years, adding that those two take orders from other countries.
The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss Turkey’s strikes on northern Syria which has drawn widespread condemnation from Damascus allies. The session, requested by Russia, is expected to be held on Tuesday. Turkey has been shelling northern Syria for three days in a row.
In Bahrain, police have arrested four US journalists, including a woman, covering the anniversary of the 2011 revolution. Police claimed the journalists provided false information and also attacked an officer. International organizations have repeatedly accused Bahrain of rights violations and slammed Manama’s crackdown on dissent.
Palestinian hunger-striking journalist, Mohamad al-Qiq, has rejected an Israeli Supreme Court’s proposal to transfer him to al-Maqased hospital in Jerusalem al-Quds. Qiq has been in an Israeli jail with no charge or trial since November 2015. Israeli officials are defying calls by rights groups for his release.
The United Nations announces a new investigation into alleged sexual abuse and exploitation, including against minors, by its peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. Thousands of peacekeepers, mainly from the UN, have been deployed to help the Central African Republic restore peace.
At least one person is killed as Ugandan police clash with supporters of opposition leader Kizza Besije, briefly arresting him during a rally in the capital, Kampala. A government spokesman said all campaigns were prohibited in Kampala's central business district, where supporters of Besije were heading.