The Taliban claimed to have killed a US soldier in Afghanistan and are confirmed to have conducted a deadly attack on another checkpoint in the country, as fighting continued this week.

Taliban media outlets published photographs of a US military identity card, after the soldier had died in the Kunduz province. Washington says the soldier was killed as he investigated a weapons cache that exploded. The group also claims to have wounded an “Afghan commando” in the blast.

Meanwhile in the Balkh province, Afghanistan’s defence ministry confirmed that at least 7 Afghan soldiers had died in a Taliban attack on an army checkpoint. The Taliban claimed as many as 20 soldiers had been killed.

Fierce fighting has continued to take place across the country, with 2019 now the deadliest year for US troops in Afghanistan since 2014.

See more from The Times here and Al Jazeera here.
 

A Scottish National Party (SNP) politician has called for a vote on whether an independent Scotland should be allowed to rejoin the European Union, as the British government gears towards Brexit next year.

SNP Member of European Parliament (MEP) Heather Anderson told The National that if an independence referendum was held next year or in 2021, then Scotland could be fully independent within two years of such a vote. Following a vote on European Union membership, the country could “be back in the EU before the end of this European parliamentary term,” she added.

Her comments come after SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would be welcomed with “open arms” by the EU.

An SNP spokesperson added: “With the Tory government dragging Scotland down the road to economic and social harm, it’s clear that only as an independent European country can we best build a progressive and fairer society”.

Read more from The Times here.

The French military confirmed it had launched its first ever armed drone strike this week, claiming to have killed at least 7 militants in Mali.

French president Emmanuel Macron said operations in the Mopti region “neutralised” at least 33 fighters, with the French military later adding that a follow-up drone strike killed a further 7 fighters.

“This is the first operational strike by an armed drone,” confirmed the French in a statement. It went on to claim that French commandos had come under attack by “a group of terrorists on motorbikes” and had opened fire with support from a. Reaper drone.

At least 4,500 French troops are in the country, where they are combatting jihadist groups. Last month, 13 French soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in northern Mali, bringing the total dead to 41 since 2013.

See more from The Guardian here.

As many as 80,000 people are fleeing the Idlib province in Syria, as government forces launched a renewed offensive on the region this week.

Al Jazeera reports that at least 8 people, including 5 children, were killed as missiles hit a school that was sheltering civilians, according to opposition activists. Idlib remains their last stronghold in the country, which has been devastated by years of armed conflict.

The United Nations estimates at last 60,00 people have fled with numbers as high as 80,000 according to The Times. 25,000 people are thought to have left the area in the past two days alone, with Syrian government sources claiming to have recaptured at least 20 villages in the province.

Russian jets are also reported to have participated in the Syrian military offensive.

See more from The Times here and Al Jazeera here.



 

<p>India’s electoral commission has announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost a state election to a coalition of opposition forces in the eastern state of Jharkhand, following the announcement of a new controversial citizenship bill.</p> <p>In the election, the BJP won 25 seats in the state legislature, out of 81, whilst the opposition party, the Congress party, and its allies won a majority of 47 seats. This election is an upset for the BJP ending its five-year rule in the state and was seen as a snub against the party.</p> <p>The controversial citizenship bill provides a pathway to citizenship for non-muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p> <p>Since the announcement of the bill thousands have taken to the streets. 23 people have been killed since the bill was passed in May. The majority of deaths occurred in Uttar Pradesh where 20% of the population is Muslim. The BJP governs Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Guardian reports that since December 2018, the BJP has lost power in 5 state elections; in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The BJP initially gained power in 2014 when it gained a majority.&nbsp;</p> <p>Read the Guardian reporting <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/24/india-jharkhand-election-…">here</a>.</p>

<p>A Belgian court has sentenced a Rwandan official, Fabien Neretse, to 25 years in jail over his role in the 1994 Rwandan massacre.</p> <p>Neretse was initially arrested in 2011 whilst in France and found guilty of genocide and war crimes by the high court in Brussels. The court has specified that&nbsp; he was guilty of 11 war crimes and argued that he was involved in the killing of 11 civilians. He is the first person to have been convicted by Belgium 25 years after the masscres in Rwanda which killed 800,000 people.</p> <p>Neretse has contested the judgement of the court but allowed for a reduced sentence due to his old age. He was among the eight who have been condemned by Belgium but was the first convicted of genocide. Belgium has thus far held four trials and condemned eight.&nbsp;</p> <p>Read Japan Times's reporting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/21/world/belgian-court-jails-…">here</a>.<br> &nbsp;</p>

Sudan has announced that it will open an inquiry into the crimes committed in Darfur by former President Omar al-Bashir as well as 51 members of his regime, who have been accused of committing genocide and war crimes.

The inquiry will examine the crimes committed in Darfur since 2003. In 2009 and 2010, the international criminal court (ICC) issued an arrest for al-Bashir on grounds of genocide, and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The UN claims that the conflict killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced a further 2.5 million.

The war in Darfur began in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took to arms against a government which they maintained had oppressed them.  

In April al-Bashir was overthrown by the army after 30-years of his rule. This is the first investigation to be launched since his ousting. Al-Bashir is currently imprisoned on grounds of corruption and the ICC is demanding he stand trial for his role in the Darfur conflict. Despite these calls from the ICC the former President has not been sent to the Hague.

The governor of southern Sudan, Ahmed Haroun has also been charged 

Haroun, who was governor of South Kordofan, is also wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges. 

The government is accused of committed of targeting employing a scorched earth policy and of raping, killing civilians as well as looting and burning villages.

The International Federation for Human Rights has called upon the Sudanese transitional government to end the “reign of impunity” which has plagued Darfur.

Read more here.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of anti-semitism following the announcement of the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, that she would launch a full investigation into war crimes committed in Palestinian controlled land. 

The investigation would examine war crimes committed in the West Bank and will include the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Speaking on the announcement, Netanyahu described the move as “pure anti-semitism”. He further stated; 

“New edicts are being cast against the Jewish people - anti-Semitic edicts by the International Criminal Court telling us that we, the Jews standing here next to this wall ... in this city, in this country, have no right to live here and that by doing so, we are committing a war crime”.

He further maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction to investigate Palestinian territories as they may only examine matters submitted by a sovereign state. However, Palestinian authorities have contested this decision and have signed up to the ICC despite Israel not having done so.

Read more from Reuters here.

 

Nine more people died in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday as Indian police clashed with thousands of protestors opposing the disputed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The latest deaths, which included an eight-year-old boy, have taken the nationwide death toll to 23, with dozens injured, as unrest over the CAA continue for a second week. The eight-year-old boy had died as a result of a stampede when police forces attempted to quell protestors.

The law, which will grant citizenship to persecuted immigrants of six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, has been criticised for excluding Eelam Tamils and Muslims.

Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, questioned the need for the legislation on Friday. "People are dying because of this law. Why is there a necessity to do this when all the while, for 70 years, they have lived together as citizens without any problem?" he asked.  

Internet blackouts and anti-terror squads have been deployed across the country; there have also been widespread reports of intrusions in universities and houses of demonstrators to thwart planning of any fresh protests. Police have implemented Section 144 across the country, which bans the assembly of more than four people state-wide, in an attempt to combat the expanding protest movements.

Students continue to organise protests and show solidarity to the minorities omitted from the bill, across the country despite imposed curfews and bans on public gatherings. There were demonstrations earlier this week at St. Joseph’s and Jamal Mohamed College demanding the state for a response on why Tamils refugees from Sri Lanka will not be granted citizenship. “We also condemn the police brutality and an attempt at quelling students' voices at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University,” said a student representative.

Peaceful protests were reported across Assam, Delhi, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Maharashtra after initially witnessing sporadic moments of violent clashes between police forces and protestors. On Saturday, around 500 Jamia Millia Islamia students in New Delhi staged a demonstration outside the varsity campus against the CAA. This comes days after there were fierce altercations between police officials and protestors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on Sunday where he called for unity on diversity. He insisted that government works on implementing reforms that do not hold religious bias. "The law does not impact 1.3 billion Indians, and I must assure Muslim citizens of India that this law will not change anything for them," said Modi.

Read more here, here and here. Live updates can be found here.

<p>The United States announced yesterday that it will restrict visas for Iranian officials who were responsible for repressing peaceful protests.</p> <p>“We’re restricting visas for current or former Iranian officials and individuals responsible for, or complicit in, the abuse, detention or killing of peaceful protesters or for inhibiting their rights to freedom of expression or assembly,” US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said.</p> <p>Protests in Iran sparked on November 15 when the government raised fuel prices. Protesters have been demanding that clerical leaders step down. 304 people have been killed since the protests began.</p> <p>The US also announced that they will be sanctioning two Iranian judges who have been accused of punishing Iranian citizens and dual nationals for exercising their freedoms of speech and assembly.</p> <p>Read more from Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran/u-s-to-restrict-visas-of-ir…">here</a>.</p>

Donald Trump’s administration has rejected a US Senate resolution formally recognising the mass killings of Armenians between 1915-1923 as genocide, despite a unanimous vote by US lawmakers acknowledging it as such.  

Before the resolution was passed, the Trump administration requested Republican senators to block the passage several times on the basis that it would jeopardise negotiations and relationships with Turkey.

However, in a statement given on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus insisted that the US position on the matter did not change. "The position of the administration has not changed. Our views are reflected in the president's definitive statement on this issue from last April," she said. The Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, applauded the passage of resolution as "a bold step towards serving truth and historical justice".

Earlier this year in April, Mr Trump paid tribute to the victims on the anniversary of the killings with a statement. He described the killings as of "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century" but did not label it as a genocide. Instead he urged for Armenians and Turks to "acknowledge and reckon with their painful history."

The Senate resolution, which was passed last week on Thursday, prompted a response from Turkey officials who denied the events of 1915 – that led to the mass killing of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire – would be classed as a genocide. Turkey also argued that the number of Armenians killed was closer to 300,000.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement in response to the resolution, describing it "devoid of historical awareness and any legal base" while also warning of the implications it may have in any future US-Turkey relations.  

Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan retaliated to the passage of the resolution with a bold statement. He branded that the resolution as “simple”, “worthless” and the "biggest insult" to Turkish people, adding that it is binding to the president hence should be ignored by him. Mr Erdogan threatened to close "if necessary," two US military installations in Turkey - the Incirlik Air Base, where US troops are deployed, and the Kurecik Radar Station, which is used by NATO, if the United States decides to enforce sanctions. He also contended in response to the genocide claims that the US should recognise the killings of Native Americans, "Can we speak about America without mentioning [Native Americans]? It is a shameful moment in US history," he said.

Despite Mr Erdogan’s controversial human rights reputation, Mr Trump has maintained that he was a “big fan” of Mr Erdogan, most recently visiting him in Washington DC overlooking calls to condemn Mr Erdogan for his involvement in the invasion of North-east Syria. While previous US president Barack Obama vowed to recognise the Armenian killings as a genocide, he failed to follow through with that promise after being elected.

Read more here, here and here. 

Baloch activists on Monday took to Twitter to campaign for the return of two disappeared students, abducted over sixth months earlier allegedly by Pakistani intelligence forces.

The two students Feroz Baloch and Jamil Baloch were reportedly made to disembark from a passenger bus by plain-clothes intelligence officers in May 2019.

A Twitter campaign initiated by the sister of Feroz Baloch saw thousands of users posting under the hashtag #RecoverFerozAndJamil, causing the campaign to trend in Pakistan.

Activists say Baloch students are regular targets for abduction and enforced disappearances by Pakistan forces.

Earlier this week Pakistani police said it had arrested six ‘militants’ from a banned Baloch separatist group.

Airstrikes in Idlib, in northwest Syria, conducted by the Russian government have resulted in the deaths of at least 22 civilians including many children.

The airstrikes have caused a mass exodus as civilians are fleeing towards internally displaced people (IDP) camps set up near the Turkish border. 

"The sound of barrel bombs has not stopped all day," said a White Helmets volunteer. "Bombardment was targeting civilians fleeing from towns and villages near the main highway... This is a vicious and systematic bombing camping to force people out of the northern region."

The Syrian war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and has displaced millions since its inception in 2011.

Read Al Jazeera's reporting here.

<p>The former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf was sentenced to death by Pakistani courts today, accused of committing treason.&nbsp;</p> <p>He came to international prominence when he seized power in a 1999 coup and was head of state from 2001 to 2008. The sentence is in relation to his 2007 suspension of the constitution, as he stated that the country was in a state of emergency. This is a first for Pakistan.&nbsp;</p> <p>The former president&nbsp;is currently residing in Dubai and the penalty is therefore unlikely to be carried out.</p> <p>See more from BBC News <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21861989">here</a></p>