3 Very Big Things That Happened Yesterday…All Kind of Positive. It was rather event-filled day on the global stage yesterday. These three stories may not all make big international headlines, but DAWNSers will no doubt want the skinny on each:
1) Ceasefire Announced in South Sudan. The South Sudan government and the opposition have agreed to a month-long ceasefire and have pledged to allow humanitarian access to besieged communities. President Kiir and Riek Machar are still supposed to meet for face-to-face negotiations on Friday. Deeper Dive: Bernama http://bit.ly/1iYqYDJ
2) A negotiated settlement in Homs, Syria. Rebels and the government agreed to a complex ceasefire deal in for the old city of Homs, the site of heavy fighting for two years. If this holds, it would be the most significant locally negotiated ceasefire of civil war and provide a possible blueprint for other flashpoints. Deeper Dive: NYT http://nyti.ms/1iYrgdS
3) Ukraine Crisis Got Less Scary. Vladimir Putin is pulling his troops from the border. He also reportedly wants a delay in the referendum on independence for Eastern Ukraine. Deeper Dive: Guardian http://bit.ly/1iYrz8t