AFP, Cartagena
Colombia’s leftist FARC rebel force signed a historic peace accord with the government Monday and apologized to the countless victims of the country’s half-century civil war.
In an emotional open-air ceremony, President Juan Manuel Santos welcomed the communist rebels into the political sphere after signing the accord with FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, alias Timoleon “Timochenko” Jimenez.
EU presses ahead with military plans
AP, Brussels
European Union nations pressed ahead Tuesday with plans to boost military cooperation as Britain vowed to oppose the creation of an EU army or headquarters.
With Britain leaving the EU, France and Germany have been spearheading moves to boost Europe’s capacity to run its own security operations.
Britain insists the NATO military alliance is the only forum for European security, and London has routinely blocked deeper EU cooperation in the past.
Turkey dismisses 87 National Intelligence Agency members
Reuters, Istanbul
Turkish authorities have dismissed 87 members of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT), state-run Anadolu agency reported on Tuesday, on suspected links with the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed by Ankara of organizing a failed coup in July.
Criminal complaints have been filed against 52 of the 87 expelled from public service. A total of 141 MIT personnel had been suspended following the abortive putsch of July 15 and investigations on 100 of them have now been completed, Anadolu said.
13 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack
AP, Kabul
An Afghan official says that at least 13 Afghan army soldiers were killed when a group of Taliban militants attacked their checkpoint in northern Kunduz province.
Mahmod Danish, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kunduz, said Tuesday that 15 soldiers were at the checkpoint, two of whom had links to the insurgents and facilitated the attack.
He says the attack took place on the outskirts of Kunduz city after midnight Monday. He says two of the soldiers joined the insurgents in attacking their colleagues.
