On Tuesday Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki met with Fatou Bensouda, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, at The Hague and called for a formal referral stating Israel had violated international law.

The Palestinian Authority stated it believes the ICC “is the competent authority to investigate the ongoing Israeli crimes associated with the illegal colonial settlement regime and to prosecute those criminals who commit such crimes”.

Mr Al-Malki said that "this referral is Palestine's test to the international mechanism of accountability and respect for international law”.

Portuguese parliament approved a motion in support of Sahrawi independence and self-determination last week, reports the Sahara Press Service.

During a plenary session on 11 May Portuguese Members of parliament supported a motion calling on the government to promote actions to achieve the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, as part of finding a lasting solution to the conflict that ended Morocco’s illegal occupation of Western Sahara and ongoing rights abuses.

Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro ordered the expulsion of a top US diplomat in Venezuela over a new-round of sanction places on Venezuela due to it’s highly criticised elections.

The United States alongside other nations did not recognise the results of Sunday’s vote.

The EU in a statement released today criticised the conduct of the elections, adding that they would take further action in response.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha stated on Tuesday that a general election will take place in “early 2019 and no sooner” despite protests in Bangkok demanding a vote be held in November.

Protests against military rule have taken place intermittently in Bangkok since the start of the year with many growing increasingly frustrated with the governments frequent delaying of the general election. Elections were first tentatively set for 2015 but now have reached the latest date of February 2019. There are fears that this date could be pushed back again.

On Monday the IACHR criticised the Nicaraguan crack-down on protestors finding in a preliminary report that since April 18, at least 76 people have been killed, and 868 injured.

Protests initially began late last month in response to a new law that raised worker and employer social security contribution while cutting benefits. Yet, the latest wave of protests follows claims by the protestors that the government breached a two-day truce agreed during Church-Mediated peace talks. 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announced in a speech that the United States would impose heavy sanctions upon Iran if it failed to meet a 12 point list of demands. The speech follows the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

Mr Pompeo stated that these demands were a “basic requirement”. They are listed below:

•   Declare to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a full account of the prior military dimensions of its nuclear programme and permanently and verifiably abandon such work in perpetuity.

A shutdown protest was declared in Kashmir, during a one-day visit to the region by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was there to inaugurate a hydropower project.

Separatists within Kashmir called for the protest in response to Mr Modi’s visit. Authorities closed schools, colleges and universities for the day in case of student protests. The main venue for his visit to Srinagar, the Dal Lake tourist attraction, was made out of bounds to the public.

The results of a referendum in Burundi this week, which has been criticised by the US, potentially grants current President Pierre Nkurunziza the power to stay in office until 2034.

The country’s election chief reported that 73 percent has voted in favour for extending the presidential term from five years, to seven. Pierre Claver Ndyaicariye, commission chairman has said that 96 percent of the 4.7 million registered to vote, has voted in this referendum.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged deeper security and economic support to Georgia, whilst calling on Russia to withdraw its forces from the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in accordance to a 2008 ceasefire agreement.

“The United States unequivocally condemns Russia’s occupation on Georgian soil. Russia’s forcible invasion of Georgia is a clear violation of international peace and security,” said the Secretary of State.

The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs passed legislation last week to hold Myanmar’s military accountable and target their economic interests with sanctions.

The Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2018 (BURMA Act) imposes targeted sanctions and travel restrictions on senior Myanmar military officials responsible for human rights abuses against the Rohingya people.