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Latest news from and about the homeland

Photograph: Screenshot/ BLA video A fresh wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances has been documented across Balochistan this month, as Baloch rights groups recorded the recovery of several bodies of men who had earlier been forcibly taken, and appealed once more to international institutions that have largely ignored the province. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)…

French court stops extradition of Rwandan genocide suspect

A court in France on Tuesday stopped the extradition of a Rwandan genocide suspect, Joseph Habyarimana, who is accused of inciting the murder of monks in a monastery in 1994, reports Le Monde.

A judge in a Toulouse court, where Mr Habyarimana now resides did not grant the extradition request stating that the crimes were not deemed a criminal offence at the time and therefore the law could not be enacted retrospectively.

The ruling was met with anger by a group representing the victims, the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR).

December 9th welcomed as International Day to honour genocide victims

The marking of December 9th as 'International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime' by the UN General Assembly last Friday was welcomed on Monday by the UN's Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng.

“Remembering the events of the past and paying tribute to those who perished should strengthen our resolve to prevent such events from ever happening again,” Mr Dieng said statement today.

“We have a collective responsibility to prevent genocide – and by commemorating the victims of the crime of genocide, we can dignify them and show that we are not indifferent, that we care about what happened to them and will never forget them.”

US urges calm on both sides in Jerusalem

The United States urged both sides to restrain from escalating violence, following clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces by the Al-Asqa mosque or Temple Mount.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the increase in violence and escalating tensions surrounding the (al-)Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount," the US State Department spokesperson, John Kirby, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"We strongly condemn all acts of violence. It is absolutely critical that all sides exercise restraint, refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric and preserve unchanged the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount."

Northern Ireland's disappeared buried 43 years on

One of Northern Ireland's 'disappeared', Kevin McKee was buried today in Belfast, 43 years after he went missing just before his 17th birthday.

Speaking at the funeral, the priest Father Michael Murtagh was quoted by the Belfast Telegraph as saying:

"We acknowledge 43 years of pain, of wondering, of uncertainty and not knowing what had happened."

Russia to continue military support to Syrian government

Russia’s will continue to provide military supplies to the Syrian government, reports Reuters.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying that Russian aid would be offered with supervision.

Speaking to a Russian news agency on Sunday, Mr Lavrov said,

Corbyn elected as UK's opposition leader

Updated 1300 GMT

Corbyn addresses Mullivaikkal memorial event on May 18th, 2011

Jeremy Corbyn, the veteran anti-Apartheid campaigner won the UK opposition party's leadership contest on Saturday with a sweeping victory.

Winning 59.5% of the vote, Mr Corbyn's victory exceeded the poll predictions and came despite a number of key Labour figures expressing concern about the party's chances at the next election if he was elected as leader.

Yemeni govt drops out of UN peace talks

The Yemeni government pulled out of UN mediated peace talks on Sunday, stating that they would not take part until the armed groups accepted and implemented resolution 2216.

"[Yemen's government] confirmed it would not take part in any meeting until the coup militia recognize international resolution 2216 and accepts to implement it unconditionally," the official state news agency Saba was quoted by Reuters as saying.

The government is currently in exile in Saudi Arabia following escalating violence between government forces and Houthi fighters.

Germany re-imposes border controls on refugees

Germany announced today that it was temporarily re-imposing border controls to slow the flow of refugees into the country. Trains travelling to Germany from Austria were suspended for 12 hours ending Monday morning.

This comes just over a week after Germany and Austria effectively opened their borders to refugees by choosing to stop enforcing the EU’s “Dublin” rules where asylum seekers are required to register in the first member state they arrive in.

Memorial for Mau Mau uprising victims revealed

A memorial for the victims of the Kenyan Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule has been unveiled in in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The UK-funded memorial is part of a out-of-court settlement by the Britain when it agreed to pay £20m ($30m) in compensation to Mau Mau veterans.

The statue shows a woman handing food to a Mau Mau fighter, their faces turned away so they could not reveal the other's identity if caught by the British authorities, the BBC reported,

Tens of thousands at pro-refugee rallies across Europe

Rallies in support of refugees have attracted tens of thousands of people in London and across several cities in Europe.

The London protest was attended by newly elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, just a few hours after his victory was announced.