The EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the 10 billion dollars pledged at a London conference to help victims of the Syrian conflict is no real answer to Syria's troubles. Without a political solution, she said the donors would have to come back to make more pledges. Money alone would not make it, you know that better than me. If you have the money, you have the monetary aid, you do not have access, and you do not have political horizon, we will meet here again next year with more money and no solution. But other leaders have welcomed the promised funds. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said never before have the international community raised so much money on a single day for a single crisis.
A Saudi Arabian military spokesman has said his country is ready to provide troops to fight against Islamic State group in Syria if the US led coalition decides on a ground offensive. Saudi Arabia has taken part in air strikes against IS since September 2014. But Brigadier General Ahmed Alasiri said it was necessary to put soldiers on the ground to defeat the militants.
Mexican prosecutors have issued an order for the actress Kate del Castillo to testify as a witness over her links with the imprisoned drug barren Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The Mexican actress set up a meeting in October between the Hollywood star Sean Penn and Guzman who was on the run at the time. Kitty Watson reports. After failing to voluntarily attend an interview to consulate over her dealings with El Chapo, Mexico's Attorney General's office has now said it issued orders to find out where Kate del Castillo is, and make sure the Mexican actress answers questions once and for all. It's not an arrest warrant, only judges can issue those, but is concerted efforts to find out more about her relationship with Mexico's most notorious criminal.
A 24-hour general strike has been taking place in Greece in protest of proposed pension reforms. Thousands of people join marches in the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki. Riot police fired tear gas in response to petrol bombs from the crowds. It's the third general strike as in many months involving professions such as farmers,taxi drivers, and doctors.
The UN says it has identified seven new cases of alleged sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. The incidents were reported in the town of Bambari, at least five of them involve children. The UN spokesman Farhan Haq says 120 peace keepers who had served in the town would be sent home once investigation was over. Due to the grand of these allegations, and given the information collected through initial fact finding, the United Nations has decided to take immediate measures including the repatriation of the 120 soldiers from the Republic of Congo who are deployed to Bambari from September 17 to December 14, 2015. BBC news.
President Obama has announced the creation of a new plan to support a peace agreement in Colombia which the government and FARC rebels are expected to sign next month. Mr. Obama said he had asked Congress to approve 450 million dollars in foreign aid and humanitarian assistance for Colombia.
The US presidential hopeful Marco Rubio has seen a surge in high profile endorsements after a surprisingly strong finish in the Iowa caucuses earlier this week. The Florida Senator came third in the Republican vote behind Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. He called for Republicans to vote for him in next Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire. When I'm a nominee, I will unite this party faster and faster than anybody running for president can. We cannot win we are divided, we cannot win we are attacking each other well on to November. We must be able to bring this Party together. We must be able to bring the Conservative movement together. I can do that better than anyone who is running for president right now.
The president of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara says he will not send any more Ivorians to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. Speaking in Paris, Mr.Ouattara said Ivory Coast now had, what he described as, an operational justice system. Mr. Ouattara’s longtime rival Laurent Gbagbo is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity by the ICC over deadly violence sparked by the disputed 2010 election.
The founder of the influential US Soul Band Earth, Wind and Fire, Maurice White has died. He was 74. His brother said the star died at home in Los Angeles after a long battle with Parkinson disease. The group sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won 6 Grammies for a string of hits including Boogie Wonderland. BBC news.