Talks to reunify Cyprus are to resume after the resolution of an impasse at a meeting of the island’s Greek and Turkish leaders. Emerging from a four-hour meeting with Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akıncı in New York on Sunday night, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said negotiations would recommence later this month. The breakthrough was met with relief on the island, where many had feared the collapse of talks widely seen as a once-in-a generation chance of reconciliation.Flanked by island’s two leaders, Guterres said all three had “agreed on the need to reconvene the conference on Cyprus”. A special UN adviser, Espen Barth Eide, who terminated mediation efforts last month in exasperation after two years of shuttle diplomacy, would be tasked with the “preparation of common documents to guide discussions on security”, he said.“The chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance,” Guterres continued, emphasising that both were essential to building trust between the two communities in an envisaged federation. “The leaders agreed [that] … all other outstanding issues, starting with territory, property and governance and power sharing … will be negotiated interdependently and that nothing is agreed till everything is agreed.”(guardian)…[+]

A possible terror incident has left two men dead and three police officers and a woman hostage injured in a Melbourne apartment building. Police shot the gunman dead after discovering the body of another man in the foyer in the serviced apartment in Brighton, 11km south-east of Melbourne’s central business district.

The Seven Network is reporting the gunman called the organisation saying “This is for I.S [Islamic State]. This is for al-Qaida.” Victoria police said it was investigating whether the incident was “terrorism related”. Channel Seven reporter Paul Dowsley reported that his newsroom was called by a man claiming to be linked to the incident. “My colleague could hear a woman screaming in the background,” he said.(guardian)…[+]

In the aftermath of the London terror attack, Donald Trump on Monday returned the offensive over security and his attempted travel ban against people from six Muslim-majority countries.People,” the president tweeted, “the lawyers and the courts can call it whatever they want, but I am calling it what we need and what it is, a TRAVEL BAN!” Trump’s executive order restricting entry to the US from Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Syria – a first version included Iraq – has been blocked by federal courts in Maryland and Hawaii. The White House has appealed to the supreme court.

Rulings against the order have concerned Trump and associates’ references to the order as a “ban”, and references to Muslims being its target. A ban on entry to the US based on religion – as a ban on the countries concerned would be on a de facto basis – would be unconstitutional on grounds of religious discrimination.

On the campaign trail last year, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the US. In January, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: “It’s not a Muslim ban. It’s not a travel ban. It’s a vetting system to keep America safe.” Trump tweeted about his travel ban on Saturday night, as events in London were unfolding. Seven people died and 48 were injured, 18 critically, when three attackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and then attacked people with knives in Borough Market. All three attackers were shot dead by police.(guardian)…[+]