President Felix Tshisekedi has pardoned around 700 political prisoners who were jailed under his predecessor, fulfilling a promise he made in his first 100 days in office.

<p>The UN has verified the deaths of 530 Banunu civilians who were slain by Batende villagers in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December, in an&nbsp;attack that was carried out over three days in four villages in the west of the country, stating that it may amount to crimes against humanity.</p> <p>The initial UN report states that several villagers were beheaded and many were killed as they attempted to flee across a river. The death toll is likely to be higher than indicated, however, as investigators only reached three out of four villages attacked and bodies were believed to have been thrown into the Congo river.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A militant organisation based in West Belfast has claimed responsibility for recent letter bombs sent to buildings in London and the University of Glasgow. British police have reported the group claimed to be operating on behalf of the IRA.&nbsp;</p> <p>The incident comes as the Brexit debate on the Irish backstop has fuelled calls for Irish reunification.&nbsp;</p> <p>Last month Sinn Féin said a no-deal Brexit would inevitably lead to a vote on the independence of Northern Ireland from the UK and the reunification of Ireland.&nbsp;</p>

There has been some progression is charging perpetrators of war crimes in Syria, Catherine Marchi-Uhel, head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) told reporters this week. 

Calls for the current Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, to resign have continued today following her remarks this week stating that killings by British soldiers during the Troubles were not a real crime, but were the actions of people “fulfilling their duties in a dignified and appropriate way”.

The US State Department has imposed sanctions on six security officials within Nichola Maduro’s government who were associated with obstructing “the entry of international aid” and threatening “violence against those who attempted to deliver this assistance”.

The State Department further maintained its support for Juan Guaido, the partially recognised interim president of Venezuela.

Maduro's supporters have condemned US offer of humanitarian aid however, as a cover for regime change.

<p>The US State Department this month issued a statement maintaining the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK’s) designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).</p> <p>"Today’s actions notify the U.S. public and the international community that the PKK remains a terrorist organization. In addition to its continued status as an FTO, the PKK has also been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 since 2001," the State Department said in its statement.&nbsp;</p> <p>The PKK is a Kurdish separatist organisation based in Turkey where it has conducted attacks. Turkey's president has vowed to finish off the PKK.</p>

The United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded Israeli troops may have committed war crimes during the Gaza protests dubbed as the “Great March of Return”. 

<p>A delegation of Namibian lawmakers are currently in Berlin pushing the German government to reconcile with a genocide it committed against the Nama and Herero people (also known as Ovaherero) people of Namibia over a 100 years ago.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lawmakers hope to reach a resolution with the German government based on the 1989 parliament resolution which stated it would accept historical and political responsibility for Namibia.&nbsp;</p>

Tens of thousands took to the streets of France last week to protest recent anti-Semitic attacks, denouncing hate crimes with placards “fraternity” and “exit hatred”. 

France which is home to the biggest Jewish population in Europe has recently seen a rise in anti-Jewish attacks. The French government said that anti-Semitism is “spreading like poison” in France.

The most recent attack occurred on Monday when a Jewish cemetery in Quatzenheim in Alsace was targeted overnight. Around 80 Jewish tombstones were vandalised with swastikas, a symbol of Nazi Germany.