WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

UN experts demand investigation following Israel’s killing of Lebanese journalists
  Three United Nations (UN) experts called for a full and independent investigation into the killing of three Lebanese journalists by Israel last week, which they described as ‘another attack on press freedom by Israeli forces.’ On March 28, Israeli forces killed Al Mayadeen reporter Fatima Ftouni, her brother and cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, and Al Manar TV reporter Ali Shoeib as they were…

UN calls for investigation into trafficking of Rohingya refugees

Dec 5, 2013
The United Nations and the US on Friday called for investigations into reports of human trafficking of Burmese refugees by Thai immigration officials.

Reuters published a report on Thursday after a two-month investigation revealing a clandestine policy to remove Rohingya refugees from Thai detention centres and deliver them to human traffickers waiting at sea. According to the report, the refugees are held hostage near the Malaysian border until relatives pay a ransom to release them. Some are beaten and some are killed, the report alleges.

UN authorises French military intervention in CAR

Dec 4, 2013

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to authorise military intervention in the Central African Republic by France and troops from the African Union.

The move comes as fighting spread across the country, between Christian militias and Seleka rebels, who are mostly Muslim.

There are fears of increased attacks on Muslims, who make up 15% of the country’s population. France has warned of an impending genocide, while lobbying for decisive international action, along with other western nations.

Kenyatta fails to delay ICC trial

Dec 4, 2013
The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s bids to halt his trail on crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court were rejected by judges today.

Kenyatta’s accusations that witnesses had colluded to mislead the court, were dismissed as ‘not serious enough to prejudice proceedings’ by the court. Deeming a halt in proceedings unnecessary, judges further outlined that Kenyatta’s defence team could challenge the witness evidence in court.

Nelson Mandela dies, aged 95

Dec 4, 2013

1918 - 2013


South Africa’s first black president who led the struggle against Apartheid, Nelson Mandela, died on Thursday aged 95.

Mass grave found in Mali

Dec 3, 2013

Investigators have found a mass grave containing 21 bodies, while looking for missing soldiers who were loyal to former president Amadou Toumani Toure, known as red berets.

At least 23 soldiers went missing after President Toure was toppled in a coup in March 2012.

A Malian justice ministry official told AFP: "We have found 21 bodies, probably of red beret soldiers, in a mass grave in Diago. The bodies were exhumed."

Thousands attend funeral of assassinated Hezbollah commander

Dec 3, 2013
Thousands attended the funeral today of the assassinated Hezbollah commander, Hassan al-Laqqis, who was shot dead outside his home in Lebanon on Wednesday. The funeral took place in Baalbek, in Eastern Lebanon.


Accusing Israel of the crime, Hezbollah sources have reported that al-Laqqis was shot at close range by a silenced gun.

Ukrainian opposition motion defeated

Dec 2, 2013

A no-confidence motion brought by the main Ukrainian opposition has been defeated by parliament. The motion would have put more pressure on the government to resign, over the direction the country is taking in its foreign relations.

Ukraine has seen over 100,000 people protest against a government decision not to sign an association deal with the European Union. Clashes between police and protestors occurred over the weekend, with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov apologising for the violence meted out by security forces.

International protocol for investigating sexual violence in conflict in the making

Dec 2, 2013
Following on from the UK government's push for international action to address the problem of sexual violence in conflict, the FCO's International Protocol Project Coordinator, outlined the challenges that need to be addressed in documenting and investigating such crimes.

See here for full piece, extract reproduced below:
'Our objective is to create a consistent set of guidelines that are used by first responders to ensure that survivors of these attacks receive consistent and sympathetic responses but also that information that is collected from them (physical and testimony) is taken and stored in a way that assists future prosecutions or other justice mechanisms.

Palestinians to seek membership of UN agencies if talks fail

Dec 2, 2013
The Palestinian Authority has said it will seek membership of individual UN agencies if peace talks fail, reports The Times.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said that it was preparing for the possibility of joining 16 agencies in April next year if talks failed with Israel.

A senior member of the PLO, Hanan Ashrawi, said,
“We are ready.. Everything is in place and will be set in motion.”

UN launches conflict surveillance drones in eastern Congo

Dec 2, 2013

The United Nations forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for the first time, launched unmanned aircraft drones to monitor the unsettled border of Rwanda and Uganda.

The drones will be used to identify threats from armed groups in the highly charged conflict regions in eastern Congo.

UN calls for investigation into trafficking of Rohingya refugees
UN authorises French military intervention in CAR
Kenyatta fails to delay ICC trial
Nelson Mandela dies, aged 95
Mass grave found in Mali
Thousands attend funeral of assassinated Hezbollah commander
Ukrainian opposition motion defeated
International protocol for investigating sexual violence in conflict in the making
Palestinians to seek membership of UN agencies if talks fail
UN launches conflict surveillance drones in eastern Congo