• Catastrophic deterioration' in Aleppo says UN

    Apr 27
    The United Nations on Thursday warned of what it called the "catastrophic deterioration" in the Syrian rebel held city of Aleppo after air strikes by the government destroyed another hospital, killing several doctors.

    "I could not in any way express how high the stakes are for the next hours and days," the chair of the UN humanitarian task force, Jan Egeland said.
  • Detention centre illegal says Papua New Guinea's supreme court
    Australia's off shore detention centre on Manus Island is illegal, ruled Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court on Tuesday, stating the detention on the island was "contrary to their constitutional right of personal liberty".

    Responding to the court's ruling, the Papua New Guinea prime minister ordered the camp to close.

    "Respecting this ruling, Papua New Guinea will immediately ask the Australian government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum-seekers currently held at the Regional Processing Centre," the prime minister, Peter O'Neill was quoted by AFP as saying on Wednesday.

  • North Korean FM subjected to travel restrictions while in New York

    The US placed travel restrictions on North Korea's foreign minister while he was in New York for the meetings at the UN, according to the Department of State.

    Ri Su-Yong was only able to travel between his hotel, the UN, the North Korean mission and the airport, according to spokesperson John Kirby.

  • Bangladeshi LGBTI editor killed

    A US embassy worker, who was also the editor of Bangladesh's only LGBTI magazine was hacked to death on Monday in Dhaka.

  • Obama announces increased special forces in Syria
    The US president Barack Obama on Monday announced there would be upto 250 more special forces deployed in Syria.

    The increase is intended to help militia fighters gain territory from Islamic State.

    "A small number of special operation forces are already on the ground in Syria and their expertise have been critical as local forces have driven ISIL out of key areas,"  Mr Obama said whilst speaking in Germany.
  • ICC to investigate Burundi violence
    The International Criminal Court (ICC) will investigate the violence that has taken place in Burundi over the past year, killing over 400 people.

    Announcing the investigation, the ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda said the preliminary examination had found reports of rape, torture, disappearances and killings.

    "All these acts appear to fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC," Ms Bensouda was quoted by Reuters as saying.

    "At least 3,400 people have been arrested and over 230,000 Burundians forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries."

  • UK MPs declare Islamic State is committing genocide
    British MPs on Wednesday unanimously declared that Islamic State is committing a genocide against the Yazidi and Christian people in Syria and Iraq, during a vote at the House of Commons.

    The motion, which was passed by 278 votes to zero, also called on the British government to urge the UN Security Council to place the issue before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • US president intervenes in UK EU referendum debate
    US President warned that Britain could be placed to the back of the trade queue, if it votes to leave the European Union in it’s in out referendum.

    Speaking at the start of a three day visit to the UK, he said,

    “Let me be clear: ultimately this is something the British voters have to decide for themselves.”
  • South Sudan peace deal threatened say monitors
    Monitors of South Sudan's peace deal said it was at risk of collapse this week after Riek Machar failed to return to the capital.

    Mr Machar was due to take up post of vice-president within a unity government as part of the deal. His team have said he was delayed by logistical issues.

    "The agreement is at risk. Having come so close to the formation of the transitional government of national unity, all parties must ensure that the spirit of reconciliation, compromise and dialogue embodied by the agreement should be protected," said Festus Mogae, chairman of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC).

    The US expressed disappointment at what it described as his "wilful decision" not to follow through on the agreed delay.

  • ICC officially opens permanent HQ in The Hague
    The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday opened its official headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.

    The event was attended by politicians, diplomats and lawyers from around the world, as well as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

    Writing in Ahram Online, the ICC's president, Judge Silvia Fernandez, said "the message of today’s ceremony is clear: the International Criminal Court is here to stay."

    "The ICC’s mandate is relevant everywhere. Where massive atrocities have occurred, international justice helps ensure that such crimes are addressed, that the perpetrators are held responsible and that victims receive justice."

  • US sends troops to Iraq, pledges $415 million aid to Kurdish Peshmerga
    The United States will send more troops to Iraq and will position them closer to the frontlines of battle against Islamic State militants, reports Reuters.

    US defence officials said on Monday that they will deploy a further 200 troops as advisers for Iraqi troops as they advance towards Mosul, and provide up to $415 million to Kurdish Peshmerga military units.

  • UK defence firm hired former child soldiers as mercenaries in Iraq

    A former senior director at a British firm said that it employed mercenaries from Sierra Leanne to work in Iraq due as they were cheaper than Europeans, reports the Guardian.

  • Former Rwandan politician jailed for life for hate speech

    Former Rwandan politician Leon Mugesera, who was extradited from Canada in 2012, has been jailed for life over his role in the 2004 genocide.

    The former official with the then-ruling Hutu party described Tutsis as "cockroaches" and called for their extermination, during a speech in 1992.

  • Egyptians protest over handing over of islands to Saudi Arabia
    Egyptian security forces began to fire tear gas at protesters on Friday in what was the biggest demonstrations since the uprising to oust Mubarak from his presidency.

    The protests were triggered by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s decision to transfer two Egyptian islands to Saudi Arabia.

    The US government, in a statement released Friday, said it will continue to watch the situation in Egypt.
  • OIC calls on India to support Kashmiri right to self-determination

     The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation reaffirmed its support to the peoples of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir for the realisation of their right to self-determination.

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