Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for the informal EU summit at the Bratislava Castle in the Slovak capital on September 16, 2016. (Photo by AFP)
Here is a round-up of global news developments:
- EU leaders are in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, to discuss their post-Brexit future. They will hold their summit to launch a road map on the 60th anniversary of the bloc’s founding treaty. The summit comes as Europe is still reeling from a refugee crisis as well as terror attacks.
- Saudi warplanes have targeted a mosque in the northwestern Yemeni province of Amran. The warplanes also targeted residential areas, razing to the ground several buildings in the area. The Saudi war on its southern neighbor, which was initiated in March 2015, has claimed the lives of over 96-hundred Yemenis.
- Delegations from 120 countries are in Venezuela for the 17th Non-Aligned Movement Summit. With the slogan "United on the Path for Peace,” the participants have expressed support for the rule of international law worldwide. Iran will hand over the presidency of the body to Venezuela for a three-year period.
- In Bahrain, clashes erupt between regime forces and protesters during rallies against the trial of top Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim. Manama has postponed the trial of Sheikh Qassim until September 26. He is accused of illegal fund collections and money laundering. The cleric vehemently denies the charges.
- Iran’s foreign minister says intervention, invasion and occupation as in the cases of Iraq, Syria and Palestine, result in extremism. During the Non-Aligned Summit in Venezuela, Mohammad Javad Zarif warned that such moves are threatening global peace as well as solidarity among members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
- Mexicans have rallied to demand the resignation of President Enrique Penia Nieto over his handling of drug violence and corruption and his meeting with US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Penia Nieto, who took office in December 2012, has recently seen his approval rating sink to 23 percent.
- US Congressmen have passed a bill to bar any transfer of detainees from Guantanamo prison until President Barack Obama is in power. The White House has promised to veto the bill if it passes the Senate and reaches Obama’s desk. Obama had pledged to close the center during his presidential campaign.
- A number of British lawmakers have urged London to end selling arms to Saudi Arabia until an inquiry into Riyadh’s human rights violations in Yemen is complete. The Committees on Arms Export Control have raised serious concern about the UK’s commitment to international law regarding the sale of arms.
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