Kurds must be included in Syria peace talks: Russian FM

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• The Russian foreign minister says the exclusion of ethnic Kurds in UN sponsored peace talks would lead to Syria's disintegration. Lavrov accused Turkey of blocking invitations to Syrian Kurds. He added that the Kurds have effectively gained ground against Daesh and Nusra Front.
• Thousands of Iraqis rally in Baghdad calling on the government to implement promised reforms to curb corruption. The demonstrators gathered in Tahrir square to hear a speech by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. He has called for weekly protests to voice support for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's campaign against corruption.
• Israeli forces storm the headquarters of a Palestinian TV channel in the occupied West Bank in the latest crackdown on Palestinians. Several people including the station’s manager were arrested during the operation north of Ramallah overnight. Israel’s intelligence service accuses the channel of inciting violence in the occupied territories.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif says extremism cannot be contained in a single region. He said extremism spreads due to a group of factors, including war and poverty. He noted that fighting terrorism needs a unified approach aimed at stopping the economic and military support given to terrorist groups.
• China accuses the US of using the issue of human rights as an excuse to interfere in Beijing’s internal affairs. China has strongly rejected U-S criticism of the South East Asian country at the UN Human Rights Council. Beijing said Washington is hypocritical and guilty of rape and murder of civilians.
• US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has defended his controversial comments that quote-Islam hates the country. Trump’s insistence on his view comes despite calls from US Muslims to apologize over his previous remarks in an interview on Thursday. He even came under fire from his rivals over his anti-Muslim comments.
• UK-based NGO Campaign Against Arms Trade has launched a legal action against Britain over its arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This, as mounting evidence shows that Riyadh is violating international humanitarian law in its deadly war on Yemen. Several international organizations have condemned the Saudi airstrikes against Yemen as unlawful.
• The UN has released a report on South Sudan, saying it is facing one of the most horrendous human rights situations in the world. The UN notes that South Sudan’s government allowed militias to rape women as a form of payment. The UN report says the government is responsible for the dire situation.

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