Greece, Albania taking dispute to court
TIRANA, Albania -- Balkan neighbors Albania and Greece said Tuesday that they have agreed to refer a dispute over their maritime borders in the Ionian Sea to the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice.
The joint decision was announced during a visit to Tirana by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
"We have agreed to pass on this case to international justice," Dendias said after a meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Rama said that taking the disagreement to the court in The Hague would "[join] the dots based on the [court's] expertise and international maritime law."
Greece has recently opened a push to delimitate its sea borders with neighboring countries, after rising high tensions that threatened to trigger a military confrontation, with eastern neighbor Turkey over offshore energy exploitation rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. Athens has so far signed deals with Italy and Egypt.
Nigerian escapees numbered near 2,000
LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigerian authorities said Tuesday that nearly 2,000 inmates had broken out of jail after crowds attacked two prisons, while officials announced a 24-hour curfew in the megacity of Lagos in an attempt to quell the unrest stemming from two weeks of protests against police brutality.
The inspector-general of police deployed anti-riot police across Africa's most populous nation and ordered forces to strengthen security around Nigerian correctional facilities.
Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu warned on Twitter that the protests against police brutality in Nigeria have "degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society."
Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Manga said large, armed crowds had attacked two correctional facilities, subduing the guards on duty. At last count, 1,993 inmates were missing, he said Tuesday.
The protests began two weeks ago after a video circulated showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers of the special anti-robbery squad, known as SARS.
Young protesters marched in cities across Nigeria, under the banner #EndSARS. In response, the government announced it would ban the anti-robbery squad.
The demonstrators have not been satisfied with the disbandment of the unit and are demanding an end to abuses and respect for human rights in all parts of the police force. Protests continued Tuesday.
NATO taking over Belgian satellite center
KESTER, Belgium -- This week, the Kester Satellite Ground Station at Kester, Belgium, is set to fall under a new orbit when NATO announces that it is creating a space center to help manage satellite communications and key parts of its military operations around the world.
Around 2,000 satellites orbit the earth, over half operated by NATO countries, ensuring everything from mobile phone and banking services to weather forecasts. NATO commanders in places such as Afghanistan or Kosovo rely on some of them to navigate, communicate, share intelligence and detect missile launches.
In December, NATO leaders declared space to be the alliance's "fifth domain" of operations, after land, sea, air and cyberspace. Over two days of talks starting Thursday, NATO defense ministers will green-light a new space center at the alliance's Air Command in Ramstein, Germany.
"This will be a focal point for ensuring space support to NATO operations, sharing information and coordinating our activities," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said before the meeting.
Will return lost soldier, India tells China
BEIJING -- China's military said it hopes India will make good on its pledge to swiftly return a Chinese soldier found lost along their mountainous border where the sides have been locked in a tense standoff.
The Defense Ministry issued a statement late Monday saying the soldier had been helping herders round up yaks when he lost his way on Sunday evening.
The Chinese side informed their Indian counterparts of the missing man and were informed shortly afterward that he had been found and would be returned after undergoing a medical checkup, a spokesperson for the Western Theater Command, Zhang Shuili, was quoted as saying.
A statement from the Indian side Monday said the soldier, Cpl. Wang Ya Long, was apprehended inside Indian-controlled Ladakh's Demchok area and was to be released soon.
It said the soldier "had strayed" across the de facto border along the eastern section of what's known as the Line of Actual Control, a loose demarcation separating Indian- and Chinese-controlled areas.
The high-altitude standoff began in early May with a fierce brawl, and exploded into hand-to-hand combat with clubs, stones and fists on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China is believed to also have had casualties, but has not given any details.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
