• EU reiterates stance of labelling Israeli products made in occupied territories

    Jan 17
    The European Union reinforced its position that products made on Israeli settlements in Palestinian land must be clearly labelled in Europe.

    EU foreign ministers on Monday said,
  • Kosovo war crimes court to be based at The Hague to help protect witnesses
    A special court is being set up in The Hague to prosecute those accused of committing war crimes during Kosovo’s war of independence, said the Dutch government.

    A statement released by the Dutch said the court will "try serious crimes allegedly committed in 1999-2000 by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army against ethnic minorities and political opponents."

    “This is a sensitive issue in Kosovo,” acknowledged the statement. “Possible suspects may be seen by sections of Kosovan society as freedom fighters, and witnesses may feel threatened in Kosovo. This is why the option of trying cases outside Kosovo was explored.”

    “It is important for justice to be done,” said Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders. “So we are pleased to be able to offer the court a home.”
  • Attackers storm Burkina Faso hotel and cafe, 20 dead
    At least 20 people are believed to have been been killed after armed attackers stormed a hotel in the capital of Burkina Faso and attacked a nearby cafe late on Friday evening.

    Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The hostages at the besieged Splendid Hotel included the country's labour minister and many foreign citizens.

    In a statement released on Saturday morning, the interior minister said 126 people were freed from the hotel, and three gunmen were killed after state forces ended the siege.

  • Use of starvation in Syria is a war crime says Ban Ki Moon
    The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said on Thursday the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Syria was a "war crime" as aid reached the besieged town of Madaya this week.

    "UN teams have witnessed scenes that haunt the soul," said Mr Ban.

    "The elderly and children, men and women, who were little more than skin and bones: gaunt, severely malnourished, so weak they could barely walk, and utterly desperate for the slightest morsel."

    "Let me be clear: The use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime," he said. "All sides, including the Syrian government, which has the primary responsibility to protect Syrians, are committing this and other atrocious acts prohibited under international humanitarian law."

  • Suicide bombs and gun attacks in Jakarta

    A suicide bomb attack with armed gunmen in Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Thursday morning, left at least 6 people dead.

    The death toll is believed to include 5 attackers who were shot dead by police.

    Locals reported hearing several explosions and an exchange of fire between gunmen around a popular shopping area also home to foreign embassies.

  • UK defence minister confident on solution from Cyprus peace-talks
    British defence minister Philip Hammond said he was confident about peace talks in Cyprus that seek to resolve the dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots., reports Reuters.

    Speaking to reporters in Athens, Mr Hammond said,
  • Syrian opposition say peace-talks unrealistic without end to siege and humanitarian aid

    A prominent Syrian opposition politician said peace talks to begin on Jan 25 were unrealistic unless Assad’s sieges are lifted and humanitarian aid is allowed in for civilians, reports Reuters.

  • Form Serb paramilitary hiding in Australia indicted for war crimes

    A former Serb paramilitary commander who is living in Australia has been indicted for war crimes by a Croatian court.

    Dragan Vasiljkovic, also known as Daniel Snedden, lost a court battle blocking his extradition to Croatia in July, where he is due to face charges of war crimes and possibly genocide.

    Mr Vasiljkovic, who has been working as a golf instructor in Australia is accused of being behind an attack on the town of Glina in July 1991, where civilians were killed, property destroyed and captive Croatian soldiers tortured and killed.

  • UN war crimes investigators gather evidence from besieged Syrian town

    UN investigators have been gathering evidence from the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, confirmed the head of a Commission of Inquiry to Reuters on Tuesday.

    The commission's chairman Paulo Pinheiro stated his team had been in contact with residents of Madaya, where a convoy arrived on Monday, delivering much needed aid to the town’s 40,000 trapped civilians.

    The residents "have provided detailed information on shortages of food, water, qualified physicians, and medicine,” said Mr Pinheiro. “This has led to acute malnutrition and deaths among vulnerable groups in the town."

     "Siege tactics, by their nature, target the civilian population by subjecting them to starvation, denial of basic essential services and medicines," he added.

    "Such methods of warfare are prohibited under international humanitarian law and violate core human rights obligations with regard to the rights to adequate food, health and the right to life, not to mention the special duty of care owed to the well-being of children."

  • Iran releases US sailors ahead of UN nuclear watchdog announcement
    Iran freed ten US sailors a day after detaining them aboard two US Navy patrol boats on Tuesday.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had released the sailors after determining they had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake, reports Reuters.
  • UN envoy confirms Syrian peace talks in January
     The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura confirmed that the Syria peace talks were planned to start in Geneva on January 25, reports Reuters.

    Speaking to reporters after a meeting with her representatives of the United States, Russia and other major world powers, Mr Mistura said,
  • UN warns it will not be able to prevent genocide in Burundi
    A confidential United Nations memo to the Security Council warned that forces sent to Burundi would be unable to stop large-scale violence, reports the Telegraph.

    A memo sent by the UN peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous said,
  • Suspected IS bomb attack in Istanbul leaves 10 dead

    Ten people were killed in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday from a suicide bomb attack by a man believed to be Syrian.

    Turkish officials believe he was a member of Islamic State.

    The majority of the victims are believed to be German citizens who were visiting the country as tourists.

    The president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack which took place in Sultanahmet Square.

  • Guatemala’s genocide trial restarts behind closed doors
    The retrial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt for charges of genocide and crimes against humanity restarted behind closed doors on Monday, after years of legal battles over the sentencing.

    An initial conviction in 2013, where Mr Montt was found guilty of genocide, was overturned just days later by the country’s constitutional court. Years of legal wrangling took place after the original trial, which faced delays after Mr Montt was diagnosed with dementia.

    Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said the trial would be a major test of Guatemala’s justice system. “Tens of thousands of Guatemalans who fell victim to the heinous crimes committed under Ríos Montt’s rule have been waiting three decades to see justice done – they must not be forced to wait one second longer,” he said.
  • Catalan parties elect new regional head to take movement forward
    Catalan’s pro-independence parties agreed on a new leader that would create a regional government  following the step-down of previous leader Artur Mas, who faced a political deadlock with Madrid over Catalan autonomy.

    Carlos Puigdemot was selected to lead the Catalan region after months of disagreements between pro-dindpendence parties over whether Artur Mas should serve another term.
Subscribe to International Affairs

Most-Read Articles

Senior Buddhist monk from Anuradhapura remanded over sexual abuse of minor
A senior Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and chief prelate of the Anuradhapura Atamasthana,…
Velupillay makes history as first Tamil at a FIFA World Cup
Photograph: @Socceroos Nishan Velupillay has been selected in Australia's squad…
17 years today - A massacre in Mullivaikkal
To mark 17 years since the Sri Lankan military onslaught that massacred tens…
In Pictures - Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day commemorated in Mullivaikkal
All photographs by Uthayarasa Shalin Thousands of Tamils gathered at Mullivaikkal…
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay marks Mullivaikkal remembrance with pledge to support Eelam Tamils
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay issued a message on Monday evening marking…