• Dozens killed as IS blast targets Kurdish security headquarters

    Jul 26
    At least forty-four people have been killed after Islamic State (IS) militants bombed a building in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli on Wednesday.

    A truck bomb exploded in the city, in an attack that was apparently targeted at the Kurdish security headquarters.

    More than 100 people have been wounded in the blast, which was so alrge it caused windows to shatter on buildings across the border in Turkey.
  • US supports resumption of dialogue over South China Sea territorial dispute
    The US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed support to the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea dispute, which saw an international court rule in favour of the Philippines.

    The Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, ruled in favour of the Philippines which has been in a long standing territorial dispute with China over ownership of maritime regions in the South China Sea.
  • Libya summons French ambassador after secret mission deaths

    The Libyan government has summoned the French ambassador after Paris confirmed the deaths of three of its soldiers on a secret mission near Benghazi last week.

    French president François Hollande confirmed the deaths last Wednesday, saying France was “carrying out dangerous intelligence operations there”. “Three of our soldiers who were taking part in those operations have lost their lives,” he said.

  • Islamic State claim attack in France
    The Islamic state has claimed responsiblity over an attack in Rouen, France on Tuesday, which left an elderly priest dead and another individual severely injured.

    Two men attacked the priest with a knife a church in the northern French town, whilst taking another 5 people hostage. Both attackers were later shot dead by French police.
  • Thailand activists charged with ‘defamation’ after releasing torture report

    Thailand has charged three human rights activists with “criminal defamation” after the release of a report documenting torture by the Thai military in the south of the country.

    The three activists Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, Anchana Heemmina and Somchai Homlaor published their report based on 54 survivor accounts of torture whilst in military custody. They now face prison sentences.

  • Polish MPs label massacres by Ukrainian nationalists a genocide

    Poland's parliament passed a resolution on Friday, determining that the massacre of over 100,000 Poles by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II was a genocide.

    “The victims of the crimes committed in the 1940s by Ukrainian nationalists were not duly commemorated, and the mass murder was not defined as genocide in accordance with the historical truth," said the resolution, which was passed by a vote of 432-1.

    The move immediately drew a reaction from Kiev, with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expressing "regret" over the resolution. He went on to invoke Christian teachings, calling for people to “forgive and ask for forgiveness” whilst saying more was needed to be done in order to “determine all the facts of this tragic page of our joint history”.

  • Karadzic appeals genocide conviction
    The former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic appealed his 40 year sentence for genocide and war crimes committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

    Claiming he "was subjected to a political trial that was simply designed to confirm the demonization of him and the Bosnian Serb people" by the UN war crimes court, Mr Karadzic made his appeal on Friday.

    "Having spent eight years in a UN prison and gone through a five-year trial... Karadzic is convinced that international justice is a failed project," his lawyer, Peter Robsinson said on Friday.

  • Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul bombing
    The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a bombing in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which killed at least 61 people and wounded more than 200 on Saturday.

    The attack targeted a protest march by ethnic Hazara Shiites, who were demonstrating against discrimination that they face.

    It was condemned by Afghan President Ashrag Ghani and by the Taliban, who denied any involvement in the bombing.
  • EU slams Turkey's 'unacceptable' mass round up

    The European Union (EU) has criticised the Turkish government's mass arrests in the wake of a failed coup last week, calling the moves “unacceptable”.

    A statement by High Representative Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn said the whilst the EU condemned the attempted coup, it was following developments in the country “very closely and with concern”.

    More than 50,000 Turkish state employees have been arrested or sacked, including members of the judiciary, media and academia, as President Erdogan rounded up those he accused of being complicit with the coup plotters.

    Turkey's parliament also approved a state of emergency bill, which deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş said will lead his government to “derogate the European convention on human rights insofar as it does not conflict with its international obligations”.

  • African Union agrees to deploy forces in South Sudan
    Leaders from the African Union have backed plans to deploy 12,000 troops in South Sudan, after weeks of fighting in the country between rival factions.

    Representatives from the African Union agreed to have troops from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda deployed in the country – a move that South Sudan has opposed.
  • Serbia set benchmarks on war crimes prosecutions to join EU
    The EU told Serbia on Monday that it must meet certain benchmarks around the prosecution of war crimes in order to work towards membership of the European Union.
  • US-led airstrikes kill civilians in Syria claim activists
    Airstrikes by a US-led coalition on territory held by the Islamic State (IS) have resulted in the deaths of at least 56 civilians on Tuesday according to Syrian opposition activists.
  • Bahrain court dissolves main Shi'ite opposition party, seizes funds
    Bahrain’s court dissolved the main Shi’ite opposition group al-Wefaq and liquidated the organisation’s funds reports Reuters.

    Amidst a deepening environment of cracking down on decent, Bahrain’s court found the group’s political activities had deviated towards incitement to violence and the encouragement of mass protests and sit-ins that could lead to sectarian strife.
  • Erdogan returns to Turkey after 'coup'

    A military coup in Turkey appears to have failed as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to the country after attempting to seek asylum in Europe.

    The army faction had announced that it was in control of the country but was met on the streets by protests and supporters of Erdogan.

  • Newspaper offices and television stations shut down by authorities in Kashmir amidst rising protests
    Authorities in Indian controlled Kashmir seized newspapers and shut down cable television in attempts to quash mobilisation which has seen protests over the killing of Kashmiri separatist commander Burhan Wani.

    A Kashmir government minister, who commented remained anonymous, told Reuters that,
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