<p>The United States Department of Homeland Security has reportedly been gathering intelligence on a caravan of predominantly Central American migrants towards the US-Mexico border through various social media channels, as federal judge ruled that the group could attempt to claim asylum in the US.</p>

<p>The US based rental accommodation firm Airbnb announced its decision to remove Israeli settlements in the West Bank from their website, stating the settlements break international law and impede a peace solution.&nbsp;</p> <p>This move has been hailed by Palestinian groups as a positive first step whilst also being decried by Israeli organisations as an act of capitulation.</p>

<p>The United Nations General Assembly Third Committee has unanimously passed a resolution supporting self-determination as a fundamental human right.</p> <p>The resolution, tabled by Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN Dr Maleeha Lodhi, was passed by the UNGA’s Third Committee which deals with social humanitarian and cultural issues.</p> <p>Tweeting after the vote whish aw a record number of 83 countries cosponsoring it, Dr Lodhi said,</p>

<p>The new government of the Maldives will rejoin the Commonwealth, two years after the country’s former president pulled out in protest of the group raising concerns over the country’s democracy and human rights.</p> <p>In a statement on Monday, President Ibramih Mohamed Solih’s office said the decision to participate in the Commonwealth of Nations again had been taking into account the education and cultural advantages.</p>

<p>A group of bipartisan US Congressional representatives introduced a bill into the Senate and House of Representatives demanding a sterner response from the Trump administration over China’s human rights record.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A sitting Member of Parliament, accused by the UN of carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Central African Republic’s Muslim community, has been detained and extradited to the Hague, reports <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-18/alfred-yekatom-handed-to-interna…">ABC news.</a></p>

<p>Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are facing increasing pressure from the West to agree to a ceasefire in Yemen to prevent the country from plunging into mass famine. This has led to the halt of the Saudi led coalition’s offensive against the Houthis in the port city of Hodeidah.</p> <p>The offensive on this strategic port was relaunched last month in an effort to cut off Houthi ruled areas from their main supply route.</p>

<p>The World Bank rescinded a $300 million loan to Tanzania on Thursday in response to a number of controversial laws passed by the legislature over recent months.</p> <p>Last month Tanzanian legislators passed amendments to Statistics Acts that criminalised public dissemination of statistical information contradicting official government figures. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Two leaders of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia have been found guilty of genocide by a UN backed-tribunal, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).&nbsp;</p> <p>The genocide was conducted against the Cham Muslims and ethnic Vietnamese population, who were subject to a litany of crimes including murder, extermination, enslavement and torture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US treasury imposed fresh sanctions on 17 Saudi officials allegedly implicated with the murder of US resident and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.</p> <p>In a statement released on Thursday, Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said,</p>

<p>Archeologists have begun excavating mass graves in Spain dating back to the dictatorship of General Franco in order to try and identify victimes.&nbsp;</p> <p>Over 2000 victims have been uncovered so far.&nbsp;</p> <p>The majority of the bodies currently being excavated are expected to be leftists who were sentenced to death by military judges between 1939-1956, the first half of General Franco’s military dictatorship.</p>

<p>Hamas and Israel have agreed to an Egyptian mediated ceasefire negotiation following two days of escalated violence.&nbsp;</p> <p>The proposed ceasefire agreement offers to reduce Israel’s blockade of Gaza and open entry points through which people may travel into Israel.&nbsp;</p> <p>The current escalation in the conflict was sparked after Israel attempted a military raid on Gaza on Sunday which resulted in the deaths of seven Hamas fighters and one of their Lieutenant Colonels.&nbsp;In retaliation Hamas launched 400 rockets into Israel, a hundred of which were blocked by Israeli’s Iron Dome missile defense system.&nbsp;</p> <p>Israel in return bombed 100 sites including those used for civilian purposes.&nbsp;These include civilian buildings, the Al-Aqsa TV channel, the Al-Amal hotel, a Hamas-run television building and a building Israel claimed was used for military purposes but Palestinians say housed a kindergarten. Three large residential buildings in Gaza were also destroyed.</p>

<p>A confidential briefing paper circulated within the UNHRC revealed that the United Nations is not willing to provide humanitarian assistance to the returning Rohingya Muslims, if they are interned in camps.&nbsp;</p> <p>Instead, the UN has said it will only support resettlement on the condition that returnees are resettled into the “places of refugees’ origin or choice”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An outbreak of ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been described as the largest spread of the infection in the country, with 329 confirmed cases.&nbsp;</p> <p>Half of the reported cases are in Beni, a north-east city in the DRC.&nbsp;</p>