• Germany opens investigation into 1944 massacre

    Jan 29

    Germany has reopened an inquiry into a massacre by SS soldiers in a village in France.

    The troops killed 642 civilians in Oradour-sur-Glane, a village in occupied France, in June 1944.

    60 soldiers stood trial in the 1950s, but all of the 20 convicted were later released.

    Stasi files have now shown that around 6 former soldiers, who were aged 18 or 19 at the time, are still alive. Germany has sent investigators to the village to take witness testimonies.

    Most victims of the massacre were women and children, who were herded into a church. Hand grenades were  thrown into the building and it was then set alight. Men were locked into a barn, before their legs were shot with machine guns. They were then doused in petrol was and set on fire.

    A survivor told the BBC that the inquiry should have happened earlier.

    "Lots of the people concerned are now old men like me, who may well have lost their memories. Nonetheless, it is good that Germany is taking responsibility for Oradour and remain concerned by it." said Robert Hebras.

  • Syria confirms air strike by Israel
    The Syrian government has confirmed air strikes by the Israeli air force have attacked targets in Syria, reporting that a "military research centre" was struck.

    Syria however denied reports that a military convoy carrying weapons towards Lebanon was hit, contrary to reports by Syrian rebels, Western diplomats and Lebanese officials reported the BBC.

    Israel has repeatedly expressed fears of weapons being handed over to Lebanon's Hezbollah by the Syrian regime, led by besieged President Bashar al-Assad, stating that any such move would be a "game changer" for the region.

    However, Israel has denied to comment on the recent attack.
  • UK to deploy troops to Mali

    Britain has agreed to deploy around 350 troops to West Africa to support French forces.

    Up to 40 military advisers will train soldiers in Mali and another 200 will be sent to neighbouring countries to assist training there.

    10 Downing Street said the UK was doing all it could to support the French intervention.

    Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said that although it was important the mission in Mali haad British support, it is "not for us to put combat troops on the ground".

    "We have to be very clear about how long we intend to be there [and] what it is we're seeking to achieve, so that the public, who are wary and weary after Iraq and Afghanistan, don't say 'Oh not again'," he said.

  • Burma lifts gathering ban

    Burma has overturned a 1988 ban on public gatherings of more than 5 people in further moves to liberalise the country.

    Buddhist monks held protest rallies in defiance of the law in December, after authorities cracked down on another protest in the previous month.

    The country has seen widespread democratic reforms, with bans on provate newspapers lifted last month after 50 years.

    However the army still stands accused of human rights violations in its war against Kachin rebels and its treatment of ethnic Rohingyas in the west of the country.

  • Over 100 executed bodies discovered in Aleppo

    Rebels from the Free Syria Army have reported a discovery of over 100 executed bodies, in what appears to be one of the largest massacres of the ongoing conflict in the country.

    Video footage from the scene shows rows of bodies, mainly of young men and boys, tied with their hands behind their back and a single bullet wound to the head.

    The bodies are currently being pulled out of a waterway in the south of Aleppo by rebel forces. However,     Mamnoud Hassoun, 26, a rebel fighter, was quoted by the Telegraph as saying,

    “It is hard to get the bodies because they are in the view of government snipers... When the snipers saw there were Free Syrian Army pulling out the bodies they started shooting.”

    The Syrian government meanwhile blamed "terrorist gangs" for the massacre stating that the recovering of bodies by rebels is an attempt to "cover for their crimes". A statement from a regime official said,

    "We will disclose the identities of those killed as soon as we are able to secure the bodies, which is a difficult process since the area is in the hands of terrorist groups".

  • Israel boycotts UNHRC UPR

    In an unprecedented move, Israel has boycotted a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session by the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, citing unfair criticism from the Council.

    Speaking to the Financial Times, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Yigal Palmor, said:

    "After a series of votes and statements and incidents we have decided to suspend our working relations with that body,"

    "I can confirm that there is no change in that policy."

    The meeting was suspended following the lack of the Israeli representatives. The Council's spokesperson stated that this was "new territory" as no other country had boycotted it previously. 

  • Morsi declares state of emergency
    Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has declared a state of emergency in the cities of PortSaid, Suez and Ismalia after days of deadly unrest.

    The unrest has come as an expression of public unhappiness with President Morsi’s rule, with the capital Cairo, facing a fourth consecutive day of anti-government protests.

    The opposition has accused Mr Morsi of being autocratic and fixing a new constitution that does not protect freedom of expression.

    Commenting on the declared state of emergency, Mr Morsi said,
    “if I must I will do much more for the sake of Egypt. This is my duty and I will not hesitate”
    At least 33 people are thought to have died in the weekend unrest.
  • Mali rebels torch ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu

    A library containing thousands of manuscripts dating from as early as the 13th century, has been set fire to by rebels in Mali leaving the city of Timbuktu.

    Speaking from the capital today, the Mayor Halle Ousmanem, confirmed the incident stating:

    “The rebels set fire to the newly constructed Ahmed Baba Institute ... this happened four days ago,”

    The library was believed to have housed over 20,000 manuscripts, including some in underground vaults. The extent of damage is not yet known.

  • Violence continues in Egypt despire curfew

    Violence between protesters and riot police continued into a fifth day in Port Said, despite the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces. At least 56 people are believed to have been killed in this latest round of violence.

    Meanwhile, the main opposition coalition has rejected calls for talks by President Morsi, demanding that he curtails the Islamists control on power as a confidence building measure prior to talks.

  • Fresh loans for Burma

    Burma has received nearly $1bn worth of credit from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

    The World Bank granted Burma a $440m credit while the ADB issued £512m, to aid social and economic development in the country.

    "Myanmar has come a long way in its economic transformation, undertaking unprecedented reforms to improve people's lives, especially the poor and vulnerable," said Annette Dixon, country director for Myanmar at the World Bank.

    "Much work remains to be done. We are committed to helping the government accelerate poverty reduction and build shared prosperity.

    "The Bank's engagement, together with the ADB, the Government of Japan and other partners, will help attract investment, spur growth and create jobs," Ms Dixon said.

    In more good news for Burma, the Paris Club, an informal group of creditor nations, has cancelled nearly half of the debt it was owed by the country.

    A press release on a state-run website said that Norway has granted “an exceptional full outright cancellation on all of its claims amounting to $534m” and Japan agreed to cancel debt worth over $3bn.

    The Burmese military is currently locked in combat with ethnic rebels and is accused of committing human rights violations.

  • International military intervention in DRC to be recommended
    U.N Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, will recommend the U.N Security Council that a peace 'enforcement' unit will be deployed to combat the M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a senior U.N official announced.

    The official, who declined to be named, said,
    "It is not simply peacekeeping, this is peace enforcement. It's a much more robust stance".
    The peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force, where as peacekeeping missions are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire.

    The change in stance on Congo comes after MONUSCO, the UN stabilising mission in Congo, failed to intervene as the M23 rebels gained control of the eastern city of Goma.

    The unnamed official conveyed that the peace enforcement missions would act as "a deterrent against armed groups."

    South Africa and Tanzania have been suggested as possible nations that would provide the troops for the peace enforcing wing of MONUSCO.
  • British Foreign Office lists Israel as human rights abuser
    The British Foreign Office has listed the Israeli regime's human rights record as one "of particular concern" in its quarterly report on human rights.

    Despite being one of Israel's staunch allies, Britain's change in stance on the Israeli regime suggests that Israel is set to lose its international allies.

    The listing, which puts Israeli amongst the likes of human rights violators, such as  Bahrain, Zimbabwe and Iran, comes after the British government warned that Israel's settlement plans will alienate its international allies.

    The British Foreign Office report, reiterated an earlier warning by British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, that described the building of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as a move that "constitutes a serious provocation and an obstacle to peace".
  • Assad's power growing 'smaller and smaller' - Russia

    Russia's Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that President Bashar al-Assad's chances of staying in power were growing "smaller and smaller".

    Speaking to CNN, Medvedev said:

    "I think that with every day, every week and every month, the chances of his preservation are getting smaller and smaller,"

    "But I repeat again, this must be decided by the Syrian people. Not Russia, not the United States, nor any other country,"

    "The task for the United States, the Europeans and regional powers ... is to sit the parties down for negotiations, and not just demand that Assad go and then be executed like Gaddafi or be carried to court sessions on a stretcher like Hosni Mubarak."

  • French-led Malian forces march on

    Malian troops are continuing their advance, with the support of the French army, against rebels in the north of the country.

    Northern Mali's most populous city, Gao, was captured by Malian and French soldiers on Saturday.

    French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Malian and French troops would arrive "near Timbuktu soon".

    There has not been string resistance by the rebels, with locals in Timbuktu reporting that militants had already fled in anticipation of the French advance.

    Chad and Niger have also sent forces to assist the Malian army.

    The US has pledged it would provide mid-air refuelling facilities for the French air force.

  • Israel threatens strike if Syrian rebels obtain chemical weapons
    Israel's Vice Premier has threatened of military action in Syria, if chemical weapons fall into the hands of Syrian rebels, warning of a "red line" leading to Israeli strikes.

    Confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting of security chiefs last week, Silvan Shalom warned that chemical weapons falling into rebel hands, or into Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas would warrant Israeli force.

    Speaking to Army Radio, Shalom said,
    “If there will be a need, we will take action to prevent chemical weapons from being transferred to Islamic terror organizations”

    “We are obligated to keep our eye on it at all times, in the event chemical weapons fall into Hezbollah’s hands”.
    See the report from Reuters here.
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