Following a meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken reaffirmed American support for the "territorial integrity of Ukraine" and warned Russia that it would be held responsible for any aggressive actions it takes towards Ukraine. Blinken has further threatened this week that the US respond to “Russian aggression against Ukraine” with “high-impact economic measures that we’ve refrained from taking in the past”. The announcement comes as US intelligence has revealed potential Russian invasion plans for early next year. The unclassified...
On Tuesday US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, revoked the designation of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) rebel group as a "foreign terrorist organisation" but proscribed two splinter organisations of FARC, "FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia". The decision follows a resurgence of violence in the rural regions of Colombia where FARC had previously held control. The International Crisis Group has pointed towards the dire economic conditions that are pervasive in Columbia to explain this uptake in arms however Columbia's army has accused the Venezuelan regime of...
The United States has sanctioned the Eritrean army and the country's ruling party for their role in the Ethiopian conflict. In a press release , the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on four entities and two individuals "that have contributed to the crisis and conflict" in Ethiopia. "The presence of Eritrean forces is an impediment to ending the ongoing fighting and increasing humanitarian access," the press release said. The individuals and entities that have been sanctioned are Eritrean Defense Force, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, Abraha Kassa Nemariam, Hidri...
International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, said on Wednesday he will open an investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Venezuela. Speaking in a conference alongside Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, Khan said he is "determined that he will proceed to open an investigation to establish the truth" of events that occurred in Venezuela. A memorandum of understanding was signed by both the President and Karim Khan. A preliminary investigation was conducted in 2018 and Khan noted during the press conference that "The preliminary examination that opened in 2018 is nothing...
A coup is currently underway in Sudan, where the military has dissolved civilian rule, arrested political leaders and declared a state of emergency. The coup leader, General Abel Fattah Burhan blamed political infighting. In response to the dissolution of civilian rule, protests have erupted in several cities including the capital Khartoum. Three people are said to have been killed after being shot by armed forces, BBC reports.
The Israeli government has effectively outlawed six prominent Palestinian human rights organisations by declaring them terrorist organisations, in what is considered a major escalation of its crackdown on political activism within the occupied territories. The declaration has allowed Israel to raid offices, seize assets, arrest staff and criminalise any public expressions of support for the groups. A majority of the targeted organisations document human rights violations by Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority, "both of which routinely detain Palestinian activists", The Star reports...
Welsh Labour ministers have set up a new body to examine Wales' future relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom, with Welsh independence being one of the options considered. Prof Laura Mcallister and ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will co-chair the new body with all major parties agreeing to participate in it. The full membership of the commission is expected to be released next month, currently, they plan to produce an interim report by 2022, with a full report following in 2023. Leading parties have commented on the new commission, a spokesperson for Plaid Cymru told BBC...
Deporting asylum seekers back to Afghanistan presents "no real risk of harm", according to new Home Office guidance that could pave the way for asylum seekers to be sent back to the Taliban controlled country. Updated guidance, states that in order to be granted protection in the UK, Afghan asylum seekers must be able to show that there are " specific reasons over and above simply being a civilian for being affected by the indiscriminate violence" . The Independent reports that campaigners commented on the "perverse and immoral" stance that the government had taken, leaving scope for people...
Canada has commemorated its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation federally, recognising the painful history caused by residential schools and the ongoing impact it has had on indigenous families and communities. In a statement the Canadian government recognized that the public commemorations of the country's dark history is a vital component of the reconciliation process. The formal recognition of the commemoration was introduced into law last year but yesterday marked the first commemoration.
Democratic Republic of Congo authorities have made "no apparent progress" in their investigations into the September 2020 prison riot at Kasapa Central Prison in Lubumbashi, Human Rights Watch said.