Britain has agreed to deploy around 350 troops to West Africa to support French forces. Up to 40 military advisers will train soldiers in Mali and another 200 will be sent to neighbouring countries to assist training there. 10 Downing Street said the UK was doing all it could to support the French intervention. Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said that although it was important the mission in Mali haad British support, it is "not for us to put combat troops on the ground". "We have to be very clear about how long we intend to be there [and] what it is we're seeking to achieve, so that the...
Burma has overturned a 1988 ban on public gatherings of more than 5 people in further moves to liberalise the country. Buddhist monks held protest rallies in defiance of the law in December, after authorities cracked down on another protest in the previous month. The country has seen widespread democratic reforms, with bans on provate newspapers lifted last month after 50 years. However the army still stands accused of human rights violations in its war against Kachin rebels and its treatment of ethnic Rohingyas in the west of the country.
Rebels from the Free S yria Army have reported a discovery of over 100 executed bodies, in what appears to be one of the largest massacres of the ongoing conflict in the country . Video footage from the scene shows rows of bodies, mainly of young men and boys, tied with their hands behind their back and a single bullet wound to the head. The bodies are currently being pulled out of a waterway in the south of Alepp o by rebel forces. How ever, Mamnoud Hassoun, 26, a rebel fighter, was quoted by the Telegraph as sayin g, “It is hard to get the bodies because they are in the view of government...
In an unprecedented move, Israel has boycotted a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session by the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, citing unfair criticism from the Council. Speaking to the Financial Times , Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Yigal Palmor, said: "After a series of votes and statements and incidents we have decided to suspend our working relations with that body," "I can confirm that there is no change in that policy." The meeting was suspended following the lack of the Israeli representatives. The Council's spokesperson stated that this was "new territory" as no other...
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has declared a state of emergency in the cities of PortSaid, Suez and Ismalia after days of deadly unrest. The unrest has come as an expression of public unhappiness with President Morsi’s rule, with the capital Cairo, facing a fourth consecutive day of anti-government protests. The opposition has accused Mr Morsi of being autocratic and fixing a new constitution that does not protect freedom of expression. Commenting on the declared state of emergency, Mr Morsi said , “if I must I will do much more for the sake of Egypt. This is my duty and I will not...
A library containing thousands of manuscripts dating from as early as the 13th century, has been set fire to by rebels in Mali leaving the city of Timbuktu. Speaking from the capital today, the Mayor Halle Ousmanem, confirmed the incident stating: “The rebels set fire to the newly constructed Ahmed Baba Institute ... this happened four days ago,” The library was believed to have housed over 20,000 manuscripts, including some in underground vaults. The extent of damage is not yet known.
Violence between protesters and riot police continued into a fifth day in Port Said, despite the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces. At least 56 people are believed to have been killed in this latest round of violence. Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition has rejected calls for talks by President Morsi, demanding that he curtails the Islamists control on power as a confidence building measure prior to talks.
Burma has received nearly $1bn worth of credit from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The World Bank granted Burma a $440m credit while the ADB issued £512m, to aid social and economic development in the country. "Myanmar has come a long way in its economic transformation, undertaking unprecedented reforms to improve people's lives, especially the poor and vulnerable," said Annette Dixon, country director for Myanmar at the World Bank. "Much work remains to be done. We are committed to helping the government accelerate poverty reduction and build shared prosperity. "The Bank's...
U.N Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, will recommend the U.N Security Council that a peace 'enforcement' unit will be deployed to combat the M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a senior U.N official announced . T he official, who declined to be named , said, "It is not simply peacekeeping, this is peace enforcement. It's a much more robust stance". The peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force, where as peacekeeping missions are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire. The change in stance on Congo comes after MONUSCO, the UN stabilising...
The British Foreign Office has listed the Israeli regime's human rights record as one "of particular concern" in its quarterly report on human rights. Despite being one of Israel's staunch allies, Britain's change in stance on the Israeli regime suggests that Israel is set to lose its international allies. The listing, which puts Israeli amongst the likes of human rights violators, such as Bahrain, Zimbabwe and Iran, comes after the British government warned that Israel's settlement plans will alienate its international allies. The British Foreign Office report, reiterated an earlier warning...