"[Xi has failed to] reflect upon or show remorse in the slightest for the sins committed during the three decades of Maoist communism".

"What we see, precisely, are giant steps backwards towards Maoist orthodoxy,"

"Everyone knows that a just resolution to the June 4 issue, a re-evaluation of June 4, will not happen by itself. It needs to be tied to progress in China's political reform and democratization."

In a letter to The Guardian, Desmond Tutu and a group of politicians, actors, playwrights and sports personalities, urged UEFA not to hold the Under-21 European Championship in Israel.

Citing a London Congress last week, where UEFA decided that heavier punishments should be in place to tackle racism amongst footballers, the signatories argued that the same principle should be applied for Israel.

The letter stated,

‘On Friday, delegates from European football associations gathered in a London hotel for UEFA's annual congress. They agreed new, strict guidelines to deal with racism, suggesting a commendable determination to combat discrimination in the sport.’

‘We find it shocking that this same organisation shows total insensitivity to the blatant and entrenched discrimination inflicted on Palestinian sportsmen and women by Israel.’

‘We call on UEFA, even at this late stage, to reverse the choice of Israel as a venue.’

However UEFA general secretary, Gianni Infantino, stated in a news conference that,

"UEFA and the Israeli FA is responsible for football, it cannot be held responsible for the politics of a national government... And we have no plans to move the tournament, which is being held legitimately in a UEFA member association."

See our earlier editorial : Politics and cricket: stepping up to the crease on Sri Lanka (05 April 2013)
 

The head of the Eritrean consulate in Toronto has been ordered to leave Canada after breaching UN sanctions.

Semere Ghebremariam Micael is alleged to have demanded a 2% “diaspora tax” and “national defence fees” from Eritreans in the country, in violation of Canadian law and the sanctions imposed on Eritrea by the UN.

"Canada has taken steps to expel (declare persona non grata) Mr Semere Ghebremariam O Micael, consul and head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, effective immediately," Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement.

Eritrean community groups in Canada slammed the decision by the government, saying it is an optional fee and not illegal.

“I think over the past year, people have created this conception that they are supporting terrorism or something illegal by giving two percent and/or that we are living in fear of our consulate. None of these [allegations] are truthful and they’re without merit,” Yonas Tesfay, executive director of Canadian Eritrean Communities and Organizations (CECCO) said to the Global News.

"In 22 years, there has never been any issues that we know of, up until of course the last year when people started coming forward with allegations,” Tesfay said.

The Pakistan Taliban, have withdrawn their offer of peace talks, following the death of the group’s deputy leader in an United States Drone strike.

The leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, made on offer of talks with the government under the condition that his men would not lay down his arms.

Speaking to the Associated Press following the US drone strikes, Taliban spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, outlined suspicion that the Pakistani government were complicit in the drone strikes, stating,

“We had made the offer for peace talks with the government with good intention but we think that these drone attacks are carried out with the approval of the government so we announce the end of the talks process.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in eastern Afghanistan, was attacked  in the second major assault on humanitarian organisations in less than a week.

Seven staff members, all of whom were foreign workers at the ICRC, were rescued by the Afghan police during the attack.

This is attack is the first of its kind on the strictly neutral ICRC in Afghanistan, since the start of the organisation's mission in 1987.

There have been no claims of responsibility for the attack, though the attack comes a week after Taliban insurgents attacked the office of the International Organisation for Migration, resulting in the death of four foreign aid workers.

A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians last year in a night-time attack on a village, will not face the death penalty after his lawyers confirmed he would plead guilty.

US Staff Sgt. Robert Bales’s lawyer, John Browne, announced,

"Today we announced that we reached an agreement with the military to take the death penalty off the table if he will plead... And then he'll have a sentencing trial in September to determine whether he can get life with parole or whether he will get life without parole".

The news angered relatives of the victims, with one family member, Baraan Noorzia, stating,

“This is a shameful act by the Americans. They promised us the death penalty, and now they are going back on their word”.

Another man, Mohammed Wazir, who lost 11 family members killed that night, including his mother and 2-year-old daughter, heatedly stated,

“For this one thing, we would kill 100 American soldiers”.

Yet another relative, Said Jan, added,

“A prison sentence doesn’t mean anything... I know we have no power now. But I will become stronger, and if he does not hang, I will have my revenge.”

No US service member has been executed in more than 50 years.

In November last year Wazir spoke to the Spiegel, where he stated,

"We want to see this man hang,... I won't speak his name, I don't want to dirty my mouth. I would like to hang him myself. I'll go to America to the Mahkama [court], to the great court, to see him hang. Then my heart will be calm."

See his comments here.

The US military attempted to pay compensation to the victims’ families in March 2012. Agha Lalai, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, commented at the time,

“We are grateful to the United States government for its help with the grieved families. But this cannot be counted as compensation for the death.

Another relative of the dead said,

“I want no compensation, from no one.

I don't want Hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca], I don't want money, I don't want a villa inAino Mina [a posh neighbourhood in Kandahar city],

I just want the punishment of the Americans. I want it, I want it, I want it. And I have laid down my own head in god's will. And if that is not possible, god be with you, I am leaving right now.”

The Burmese regime has agreed a peace deal with Kachin rebels, who have been fighting for autonomy in the east of the country.

An agreement was signed by officials in Mitkyina, which included a seven-point plan for peace, including the redeployment of armed forces on both sides and a commitment to political talks in the future.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser on Burma, Vijay Nambiar, was present as an observer during the talks.

Read more on the BBC.

The Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond has confirmed that the UK is holding up to 90 Afghans in Camp Bastion.

British lawyers, representing some of the men, said the detainees had been held for up to 14 months without charge.

"The UK could have trained the Afghan authorities to detain people lawfully with proper standards and making sure that they are treated humanely," Phil Shiner, of Public Interest Lawyers, told the BBC.

"They could have then monitored that, including with ad hoc inspections, to make sure that the Afghans were obeying the law. They have chosen not to do so."

Afghan officials have called for the immediate transfer of the men.

"The prisoners must be handed over to the Afghan authorities," General Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defence, said.

"After their handover to us, they will be dealt with according to our judicial laws, and the agreements reached with the international community."

Nations Without States is a new organisation aimed to help vindicate a nation’s right to self-determination, whilst also calling for the concept to be accepted as a basic human right. The organisation also looks to provide a platform that upholds the voice of nations seeking statehood, and encourage co-operation between other self-determinist groups.

On its launch date , 10^th December 2012, which coincides with the United Nations declaration of Human Rights, the organisation handed over a declaration to the European Union, United Nations and British Parliament, that called for the categorisation of the right to self-determination as an universal human right.

Sponsored by the National Liberal Party and run by committee members, Jagdeesh Singh, Graham Williamson and Sockalingam Yogalingam, the Nations Without States organisation told Tamil Guardian that 2013 would be a busy year entailing meetings, talks, publications and demonstrations.

The Nations Without States organisation already has over 800 followers on Facebook.