France ‘abandoned’ Algerian fighters in independence war – Hollande

President Francois Hollande on Sunday said France “abandoned” Algerians who fought alongside French colonial forces in the Algerian war of independence, honouring a 2012 pledge.
Tens of thousands of the fighters, known as “harkis”, were recruited by French forces but only around 60,000 were allowed to settle in France after French forces withdrew in 1962.
The rest — between 55,000 and 75,000 according to historians — were left in Algeria where they were accused of being traitors and many massacred.
Those who were admitted to France were placed in squalid camps.
In a ceremony in the Invalides in Paris, where France honours its war dead, Hollande finally said what the harkis have waited more than half a century to hear.
“I recognise the responsibility of French governments in abandoning the harkis, the massacres of those who remained in Algeria and the inhuman conditions for those transferred to camps in France,” Hollande said.

Jets pound Aleppo as UN discusses Syria escalation

The United States called Russia’s action in Syria “barbarism” while Moscow’s UN envoy said ending the war “is almost an impossible task now” as government forces relentlessly bombed the besieged city of Aleppo.
The United Nations Security Council met on Sunday at the request of the United States, Britain and France to discuss the escalation of fighting in Aleppo following the announcement on Thursday of an offensive by the Syrian army to retake the embattled northern city.
“What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism, it is barbarism,” the US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, told the 15-member council.
“Instead of pursuing peace, Russia and Assad make war. Instead of helping get life-saving aid to civilians, Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals, and first responders who are trying desperately to keep people alive,” said Power.

Trump promises to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘undivided’ capital

Republican candidate Donald Trump pledged Sunday in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital if he is elected president.
Netanyahu met privately with Trump at his residence in Trump Tower a day before the New York billionaire faces off against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for their first presidential debate.
“Trump acknowledged that Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish people for over 3000 years, and that the United States, under a Trump administration, will finally accept the long-standing congressional mandate to recognise Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the state of Israel,” his campaign said in a statement.
Israel captured the Arab eastern half of Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and annexed it in 1980, declaring all of Jerusalem Israel’s unified capital.
The United States – and most other UN member countries – do not recognise the annexation and