Thousands of Kurds flee Diyarbakir after curfew expanded

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Human Rights Watch says a UN report about the Saudi violations of humanitarian law in Yemen contradicts the UK officials’ justification for selling weapons to Riyadh. It says the report shows London has made a false claim that there is no evidence of violation of laws of war by Saudi Arabia.
• Turkey’s decision to expand a 24-hour curfew in Kurdish populated district of Diyarbakir has forced the people to flee their homes. A round-the-clock curfew was imposed on a large part of the district in December. Authorities have announced including five more neighborhoods amid deadly clashes between the army and Kurdish militants.
• Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is in France on the second leg of his European tour. Upon his arrival, he attended a meeting with French Economy Minister and business executives. Rouhani who is heading a high-level delegation is scheduled to meet his French counterpart, Francois Hollande and ink major business deals.
• Iran’s top navy commander says a US warship has left the area where the Iranian navy’s drill code named Velayat 94 is underway. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the American vessel left right after receiving the warning. Iran says the exercises are aimed at displaying its capability to establish security at high seas.
• China has warned that the issues of Taiwan and South China Sea are affecting Beijing-Washington relations. Foreign Minister Wang Yi also rejected allegations of China's engagement in the militarization of the disputed waters. US secretary of State John Kerry has called on China to stop building airstrips in South China Sea.
• Anti US government groups ask their followers to stand by after clashes between authorities and an armed group in Oregon led to the death of one person and the arrest of eight. The FBI arrested the leader of the armed group that has occupied a federal wildlife refuge since earlier this month.
• The French justice minister has resigned in protest at the government’s plan to revoke citizenship from people convicted of terrorism. Christiane Taubira resigned before a Parliament commission takes up the citizenship bill. The government is pushing to strip convicted French-born terrorists of their citizenship if they have a second nationality.

A strike by taxi drivers in the French capital enters its second day. They are protesting against their working conditions and unfair competition by US transportation network company, Uber. On Tuesday, cab drivers tried to block roads, the airport and railway stations leading to clashes with police and arrests.

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