SYRIA PEACE TALKS RESUME AS VIOLENCE SURGES
GENEVA: A new round of peace talks to end Syria’s five-year civil war is set to begin in Geneva on Wednesday, as a surge in violence in northern Aleppo province threatened a fragile truce. The United Nations-brokered talks are aimed at forming a transitional government followed by general elections to end a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced half of the country’s population. The fate of President Bashar al-Assad remains a stumbling block, and UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has held meetings with Assad’s key allies Tehran and Moscow ahead of a sit-down with the main opposition High Negotiations Committee Wednesday and regime representatives later in the week.
ITALIAN PM IN IRAN TO WIN BACK CLOUT
TEHRAN: Italy’s Prime Minister looked to restore his country’s economic clout in Iran Tuesday as he became the highest-ranking European leader to visit Tehran since its nuclear deal with world powers. Accompanied by a 250-member delegation, Matteo Renzi began a two-day trip aimed at rebuilding ties that before sanctions had seen Italy ranked as the Islamic republic’s top European trading partner. A deal to build two high-speed rail lines was among the projects announced.
ITALY RESCUES 4,000 MIGRANTS IN 2 DAYS
ROME: Italy’s coastguard said Tuesday it had rescued some 4,000 migrants in the past two days, adding to fears of a fresh push to reach Europe via that route as the number of migrants landing in Greece sharply recedes. On Tuesday, 2,154 migrants were brought to safety in the Strait of Sicily between Italy and North Africa, on top of the 1,850 rescued in the area on Monday, the coastguard said.
ABBAS WANTS UN RESOLUTION ON SETTLEMENTS
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has said there is an “urgent” need for a UN resolution on Israeli settlements as he embarks on a multi-country tour that may be among his last chances to renew peace efforts. Speaking in an interview with Agence France-Presse, Abbas criticized what he said was insufficient action from US President Barack Obama’s administration while also firmly backing a French initiative to hold an international peace conference this summer.
ALARMING RISE IN CHILD SUICIDE BOMBERS USED BY BOKO HARAM: UN
LIBREVILLE: The number of children used by Nigeria’s Boko Haram to stage suicide bombings has risen more than 10- fold in one of the most “horrific” aspects of the Islamist insurgency, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Experts said the group, which has been weakened by a multinational military offensive, is now trying to spread terror by using children for attacks in crowded markets, mosques and even camps for people fleeing Boko Haram violence. This has had disastrous consequences for children, especially girls, who had survived captivity and sexual violence by Boko Haram, said a report by UN children’s agency UNICEF.