• Iran's supreme leader accuses Saudi Arabia of genocide

    The leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Saudi Arabia of committing genocide by carrying out air strikes in Yemen against Houthi militants.
  • Summary killings of Ukrainian soldiers needs investigations – Amnesty International
    New evidence that pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists have executed government soldiers must be investigated and perpetrators prosecuted said Amnesty International.

    The non governmental organisation stated that footage it had reviewed showed captured Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky captive and interrogated. He was later killed in captivity.

    “The new evidence of these summary killings confirms what we have suspected for a long time. The question now is: what are the separatist leaders going to do about it?” said Denis Krivosheev, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

    “Summary killings are a war crime, plain and simple,” continued Mr Krivosheev. “The leaders of the self-styled ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ in eastern Ukraine must send their members a clear message: those who fight with them or on their behalf must respect the laws of war. They must urgently remove from their ranks anyone suspected of responsibility for ordering or committing serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses, and fully cooperate with any independent investigation.”
  • Syrian activist shot dead in London
    A former imam and activist who criticised the Syrian government has been found dead with gunshot wounds in London on Wednesday.
  • Canada launches first air strikes on IS targets in Syria
    Canada has carried out its first set of air strikes in Syria as part of a US-led coalition fighting against Islamic State (IS), becoming the first Nato country other than the US to do so.
  • Iran establishes military presence of coast of Yemen
    Iran established a military presence of the coast of Yemen where  Saudi-led coalition force continues to conduct air-strikes on advancing Houthi militants, reports Reuters.

    Two warships were deployed to the region on Wednesday, reported state media in Yemen.
  • US pledges intelligence and arms to combat Houthi militants in Yemen
    The United States will speed up arms shipments and increase intelligence sharing with the Saudi-led coalition combating Houthi militants’ advances in Yemen reports Reuters.

    The US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, noting that the US had set up a coordination in Saudi Arabia, said,
  • Obama rejects Israeli criticism of Iran Nuclear agreement, Hezbollah welcomes agreement
    US President Barack Obama responding to Israeli demands, said that a nuclear agreement with Iran would not be determined by Iran’s commitment to recognising Israel as state, reports Reuters.
  • Exhumation of mass graves commences in Tikrit
    Iraqi forensic teams started exhuming bodies from suspected mass graves of soldiers massacred by Islamic State militants whilst they controlled the city of Tikrit.

    Tikrit was taken by Islamic State militants in June 2014, who claimed to have executed at least 1,400 Iraqi soldiers at the time.

    Mass graves in the region were uncovered after the Iraqi military recaptured the city from the militants a few days ago.
  • Greece demands €279bn from Germany for Nazi era reparations
    The Greek government called on Germany to pay nearly €279bn for reparations for the Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.

    Marking the first time that Greece has officially quantified the reparation claims, Greek Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas said the full amount owed was €278.7bn, which includes €10.3bn for an occupation loan that the Nazis forced the Bank of Greece to pay.

    Germany has dismissed the claims stating the matter was resolved years ago. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said, "to be honest I think it's dumb. I think that it doesn't move us forward one millimetre on the question of stabilising Greece."
  • France declassifies Rwanda genocide documents
    The French government has released classified documents related to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, according to reports.

    Documents from 1990 to 1994 which include minutes from secret defence meetings and files from advisers to the then French President Francois Mitterrand are part of the documents to be declassified, reports Reuters.

    A source in current French President Francois Hollande's entourage told AFP,
    "The president had announced a year ago that France must provide proof of transparency and facilitate remembrance of this period".
  • Kenya bombs al-Shabab bases in Somalia

    Kenyan air force jets have targeted two al-Shabab camps in Somalia, in response to the killing of 148 people at Garissa University in Kenya last week.

    "Our aerial images show that the camps were completely destroyed," said Kenyan army spokesman David Obonyo. "The bombings are part of the continued process and engagement against al-Shabab, which will go on," he added.

  • Bangladesh’s Supreme Court rejects appeal against death sentence

    Bangladesh's Supreme Court rejected an appeal to scrap the death sentence handed to a senior Islamist leader, who was found guilty of genocide by a domestic war crimes tribunal.

    Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, assistant secretary general of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party has now lost his final appeal against the sentence, which was given last year for crimes committed during the Bangladeshi 1971 war of independence.

    The decision was criticised by Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch who said, “Bangladesh’s war crimes trials have been plagued by persistent and credible allegations of fair trial violations that require impartial judicial review.”

  • Bahraini court delays decision over Twitter activist arrest

    A court in Bahrain has adjourned a case involving one of the country’s most prominent human rights activists, who was arrested after he posted comments on Twitter criticising airstrikes being carried out by the Bahraini government in Yemen.

  • Islamic State militants capture 90% of Damascus refugee camp
    Islamic State militants have taken over 90 percent of a Damascus refugee camp, said the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday.

    The Palestinian refugee camp, Yarmouk, situated on the outskirts of Damascus, were at least 18,000 civilians have lived under siege, has seen Islamic State militant snipers shoot at refugees trying to flee the camp.
  • Myanmar apologises to China for cross-border bombing

    The government of Myanmar officially apologised to China for a cross-border bombing attack which killed 5 Chinese nationals earlier this month.

    Xinhua reported Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin as saying, “on behalf of the Myanmar government and military, I officially apologise to China and express my deep sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured.”

    The bombing raid in Myanmar’s northeast came as the Burmese government battled against ethnic Kokang militants. China had immediately summoned Myanmar's ambassador, Thit Linn Ohn, to complain about the bombing and warned of “decisive action” at the time.

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