Europe fails to save refugees in Mediterranean sea: charity NGO

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• The UN Security Council has asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to submit a broad plan within a month on peace efforts in Yemen. The 15-member council also urged the warring sides in Yemen to develop a roadmap for the implementation of interim security measures in the war-torn country.
• The families of 43 missing Mexican students accuse the government of lying about the results of an investigation into the victims' fate. They say authorities are obstructing justice and fabricating evidence. A group of international experts have issued a report criticizing the investigation.
• An international medical charity says European governments have failed to act to save the lives of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. Doctors Without Borders says it has relaunched its maritime rescue operations which were halted in January. Hundreds of refugees have died so far this year, trying to reach Europe by sea.
• The US administration tries to deflect media criticism of President Obama’s decision to send 250 more troops to Syria. US State Department spokesperson John Kirby says the US troops would help drive out Daesh terrorists. Over the past years, however, Obama repeatedly ruled out deploying ground forces to Syria.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister has criticized a US court ruling that allows Washington to take money from frozen Iranian assets to grant to the families of victims of a 1983 bombing in Beirut. Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran will seek reparations if the U-S administration tries to plunder Iranian funds.
• The U-N Security Council has asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to submit a broad plan within a month on peace efforts in Yemen. The 15-member council also urged the warring sides in Yemen to develop a roadmap for the implementation of interim security measures in the war-torn country.
• At least 2 person has been killed and several others have been wounded in a blast on a passenger bus in the Armenian capital Yerevan. Police and firefighters have been deployed to the scene to help the injured. Armenia’s Emergencies Ministry is investigating the cause of the incident.
• The head of the Syrian government delegation in the Geneva talks has accused the Saudi-backed opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee, of behind recent terrorist attacks in Syria. Bashar al-Ja'afari also said that Saudi Arabia and Turkey instruct terrorist groups to plan attacks in Syria.

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