Unasur tries to ease diplomatic crisis

VENEZUELA: Regional bloc Unasur invited Colombia and Venezuela’s presidents to discuss the diplomatic crisis between the two nations on Wednesday.

“I send a cordial invitation to the presidents Juan Manuel Santos and Nicolas Maduro to meet to end the differences,” said Unasur secretary-general Ernesto Samper, a former Colombian president.

Colombia had failed to win support for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of American States.

Ethnic violence rocks Manipur

INDIA: Ethnic Naga protesters block a main road yesterday as authorities shut down wireless internet services in Manipur state in a bid to quell ongoing unrest.

The violence began on Monday after state assembly members backed a new law defining who can claim to be from Manipur.

Rioters set fire to the homes of nine AMs during a rampage. Seven people have died so far.

No deal to protect bluefin tuna stocks

JAPAN: An international fisheries body ended a meeting yesterday without agreement on new action to protect dwindling stocks of bluefin tuna.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission was unable to reach consensus on moves to restore the bluefin population, estimated to have fallen by 96 per cent from unfished levels.

The lack of a quorum prevented a deal, after China, the Cook Islands, Vanuatu and the Philippines did not attend.

14 migrants die in boat capsizing

MALAYSIA: At least 14 migrant workers returning to Indonesia drowned yesterday when their wooden boat capsized off the western coast.

The boat, which sank in rough seas off the coast of Malaysia’s Selangor state, was believed to be carrying 70 people.

First Admiral Mohamad Aliyas Hamdan of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said 13 women and one man had died and 19 people had been rescued.

Nato opens military centre in Vilnius

LITHUANIA: Nato opened a new military centre in the capital Vilnius yesterday, in a new sabre-rattling move against Russia.

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, who joined Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite at the opening ceremony, called the unit a “big step forward toward greater solidarity, greater strength and greater readiness.”

Ms Grybauskaite said the small HQ would “help send a very clear message — no Nato ally stands alone.”

Tamil MP makes breakthrough

SRI LANKA: Parliament recognised a Tamil MP as the opposition leader yesterday for the first time in decades, in a possible step toward postwar reconciliation with the minority community.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced that Tamil National Alliance head Rajavarothayam Sampanthan was the official opposition leader.

Appapillai Amirthalingam became opposition leader in 1977, but he resigned five years later after refusing to swear that he would not promote a separate Tamil state.

New allegation of French sex abuse

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The UN said yesterday another case of sexual abuse by a French solider had come to light.

UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said the alleged victim was in her teens during the abuse about a year ago.

She gave birth to a child in April and has filed a paternity claim with local authorities.