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page 22 South Sudan President declares unilateral ceasefire South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has declared a “unilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities”, and ordered government troops to “disengage” from fighting rival forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar, following days of violence that left hundreds dead. The order was announced on Monday by presidential spokesman […]

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South Sudan

President declares unilateral ceasefire

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has declared a “unilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities”, and ordered government troops to “disengage” from fighting rival forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar, following days of violence that left hundreds dead.

The order was announced on Monday by presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny.

“The president talked to Machar…they have talked about controlling their forces in an attempt to salvage what has remained of the peace agreement,” Ateny said, calling on Machar and his forces to follow the president’s order.

The announcement was made as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the international body to impose an “immediate arms embargo” on the world’s youngest independent state.

Earlier on Monday, renewed clashes broke out in the capital, forcing thousands of civilians to flee and raising fears of a slide back into all-out conflict in the five-year-old country.

At least 272 people have been killed in the recent violence, a health ministry source said.

VENEZUELA

35,000 Venezuelans pour into Colombia to buy food

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have poured across into neighbouring Colombia to buy basic goods amid shortages at home, during a brief opening of the border that has been closed for almost a year.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro closed the border in August 2015, citing smuggling and penetration by Colombian fighters. He authorised a 12-hour opening of the pedestrian bridge that connects Tachira, in Venezuela, and Cucuta, in Colombia, for the first time in 11 months.

Victor Bautista, the director of the Colombian border authority, said that an estimated 35,000 Venezuelans had arrived in Cucuta.

Some 25,000 people surged in within the first seven hours, William Villamizar, governor of the Norte de Santander department that includes Cucuta, said on Twitter.

ETHIOPIA

Govt blocks social media during national school exam

Ethiopian officials have blocked social media sites across the country until the national school examination is concluded on Wednesday.

Facebook and other mobile apps have been disabled since Saturday, and citizens are complaining.

The government communications office said that the blocking of sites is meant to ensure an “orderly exam process” that begins on yesterday.

An online leak of national exam sheets in May forced the tests to be postponed. Some opposition media claimed responsibility for the leaks. Many have called it an embarrassment for the government.

Blogger Daniel Berhane says the government has no legal basis to deny the freedom of expression to millions of citizens. He says that “this is not China.”

Ethiopia’s Education Ministry says 254,000 students are expected to sit for the national exams.

UK

Theresa May to become UK prime minister on Wednesday

Theresa May will on Wednesday become the prime minister tasked with leading Britain’s into Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly.

May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be premier because she had children.

“I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the conservative party to become its leader,” said Theresa May in London after she was formally confirmed as the winner of the conservative leadership contest on Monday afternoon.

“During this campaign, my case has been based on three things. First, the need for strong, proven leadership to steer us through what will be difficult and uncertain economic and political times; the need to negotiate the best deal for Britain in leaving the EU; and to forge a new role for ourselves in the world.”

David Cameron said he would resign as prime minister on Wednesday, paving the way for May to take over the job the same day

TURKEY

Erdogan defends plan offering Syrians Turkish citizenship

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended his plan to give Syrian refugees Turkish citizenship, arguing there was ample space in the country after a backlash against the suggestion, in comments published Monday.

Erdogan said on July 2 that Syrians could eventually be granted Turkish citizenship “if they want it”, in remarks which were met with anger from opposition politicians and social media users.

More than 2.7 million Syrian refugees now live in Turkey, where they have guest status, according to the Turkish government.

In his first comments on the issue since announcing the plan, the president said if Syrians had dual citizenship it did not mean they had to return to Syria once the conflict was over.

“Is it a must for dual citizens, for people with citizenship, to return to their countries of birth?” he told Turkish reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Warsaw, quoted by the Hurriyet daily.

“When Turks went to Germany in 1963, no one asked whether they would or would not return to Turkey,” he said, referring to the Turkish so-called Gastarbeiter who helped Germany’s economic recovery after World War II.

ISRAEL

Facebook sued by Israeli group over Palestinian attacks

An Israeli rights group is suing Facebook for $1bn on behalf of families of victims of Palestinian attacks.

The Shurat Hadin group says Facebook violates the US Anti-Terrorism Act by allowing militant groups such as Hamas a platform for spreading violence.

Hamas called the lawsuit an Israeli attempt to blackmail Facebook.

The victims cited in the case are all American, including Taylor Force, 28, who was stabbed to death while visiting Israel in March.

The others are dual Israeli-US nationals who died in attacks in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank between 2014 and 2016.

The suit, filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues the platform “knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas… facilitat(ing) this terrorist group’s ability to communicate, recruit members, plan and carry out attacks, and strike fear in its enemies”.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, accused Israel of trying to turn it into a spy tool against Palestinians.

IRAQ

US to send 560 more troops to Iraq

The US is to send 560 more military personnel to Iraq to help in the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS), Defence Secretary Ash Carter has said.

It will bring to about 4,650 the number of US personnel in Iraq, most of them serving in training and advisory roles.

The extra troops, including engineers and logistics experts, would help local forces planning to retake the IS stronghold of Mosul, Mr Carter said.

He made the announcement on a surprise visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Troops from the new deployment will be stationed at Qayara airbase, which was recaptured from IS militants by Iraqi government forces on Saturday. The facility is about 65km (40 miles) south of Mosul, IS’s last urban bastion in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul from IS before the end of the year, though it is unclear when a concerted campaign will begin.

SOUTH AFRICA

Twins charged with terrorism

A South African court has charged identical twin brothers with terrorism for allegedly plotting to attack Jewish targets and a US diplomatic mission.

Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie and two others were arrested in Johannesburg following police raids over the weekend.

They are said to have been planning to join so-called Islamic State in Syria.

In June, the US embassy in South Africa warned that US citizens in the country could be attacked by terrorist groups.

The 23-year-old brothers appeared briefly in court, initially covering their heads with hooded jackets, local reports say.

BANGLADESH

Govt to ban Islamic TV channel after Dhaka attack

Bangladesh has said it intends to ban the Islamic television channel, Peace TV, in the wake of the deadly attack on a cafe in the capital, Dhaka.

The government’s decision comes amid fears that hardline views on the channel could radicalise youth.

A preacher on the channel, Zakir Naik, denied allegations his words could have inspired the attackers.

Gunmen killed 22 people when they stormed the Holey Artisan bakery in Dhaka earlier this month.

Bangladesh’s Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said that “administrative steps” would be taken towards the banning of the channel.

N/KOREA

N/Korea cuts diplomatic communication with US

North Korea says it is closing one of the last lines of communication with the United States in retaliation for Washington placing sanctions on leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses.

Pyongyang said Monday it has told the U.S. the North is effectively ending all diplomatic communications with Washington that have been conducted through the U.N. offices in New York.

Last week, the U.S. placed personal sanctions on Kim and several other North Korean officials, in addition to sanctions already in place on the country for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

Earlier Monday, North Korea threatened to take “physical action” after the U.S. and Seoul announced plans for deployment of a sophisticated missile defense system in South Korea.