Opinio Juris » Weekday News Wrap

Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, April 10, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

South Korea has increased surveillance and asked China to rein in North Korea after Pyongyang moved a long-range missile in preparation for a possible launch.
North Korea has warned foreigners to evacuate South Korea and said the area is headed for “thermo-nuclear war.”
Germany and France express growing concerns that Washington-backed EU sanctions on North Korea could negatively affect aid groups.
Amnesty International published its report (.pdf) on the death penalty in 2012 today, citing global progress with ending the practice.
John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, has ended three days of meetings in the Middle East promising aid to Palestine and hoping for a restart to the peace process.
France has begun withdrawing troops from Mali in an effort to transition the operations to a UN-mandated force.
Jurist has more on Uhuru Kenyatta’s swearing-in as Kenya’s newest president.
Al-Qaeda’s Iraq branch has reportedly merged with a Syrian armed opposition group, a move likely to cause concern with the opposition’s international supporters.
US president Barack Obama has pledged military assistance to Somalia in a move to “strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.”
Copies of a top-secret US intelligence report obtained by McClatchy news service show that US drone strikes in Pakistan have targeted ”alleged Afghan insurgents whose organization wasn’t on the U.S. list of terrorist groups at the time of the 9/11 strikes; of suspected members of a Pakistani extremist group that didn’t exist at the time of 9/11; and of unidentified individuals described as ‘other militants’ and ‘foreign fighters.’”

April 10th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/10/weekday-news-wrap-wednesday-april-10-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, April 9, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

Global leaders have paid their respects to Margaret Thatcher, the UK’s first female prime minister, after her death yesterday.
Thousands of North Korean workers have failed to show up for work at a shared industrial complex with South Korea after the North Korean leadership said it would withdraw workers and suspend work.
With more on the North Korea situation, Foreign Policy asks whether Kim Jong Un can use his nukes and get away with it.
Syria has alleged that the UN is widening its scope of the current chemical weapons probe in the country.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has warned of a spillover from the conflict in Mali to Western Sahara.
Uhuru Kenyatta is set to be sworn in as president in Kenya leaving backers of the International Criminal Court in a sticky situation as Kenyatta faces a warrant of arrest by the ICC.
Human Rights Watch has a Q&A on the recent developments of the ICC regarding Kenya as well as a call to the new Kenyan leadership to uphold rights and obligations.
The Pakistani Supreme Court ordered former president Pervez Musharraf to respond to allegations of treason stemming from his 1999 military overthrow of prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the suspension of the constitution.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Germany and the Netherlands, he was greeted by gay-rights activists and topless protesters meant to put the spotlight on Russia’s human rights record and treatment of sexual minorities.
ECHR Blog points us to the Draft Agreement of the European Union to the European Court of Human Rights, finalized last week.
OUP Blog has three new featured posts, one on The 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, one entitled The Arms Trade Treaty: A major achievement and Lessons from Iraq 10 years on.

April 9th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/09/weekday-news-wrap-tuesday-april-9-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Monday, April 8, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

There are reports stating that North Korea is preparing to carry out a fourth nuclear test based on intelligence coming out of South Korea.
In the face of the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, Foreign Policy offers advice about how to stop a nuclear war.
Without directly naming North Korea, China has been critical of its recent actions to escalate tension on the Korean peninsula. Not everyone in the US is convinced that China has done enough.
Eleven children and one woman were killed in eastern Afghanistan when NATO carried out strike targeting militants.
The UN Mission in South Sudan called on the government of South Sudan to do more to protect communities that are at risk of violence.
The World Health Organization urges calm in the face of the H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China, saying that now is “not a time for over-reaction or panic.”
Wikileaks has created a searchable database of the “Kissinger Cables,” a collection of US diplomatic records from 1973 to 1976.
Serbia has indicated that it wants to continue negotiations with Kosovo over the status of ethnic Serbs in Northern Kosovo, but would prefer the negotiations to be mediated by an international organization it is a member of rather than by the EU, which has conditioned the start of membership negotiations on an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo.
A young US diplomat was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday when trying to deliver books to a local school, in the first deadly attack on US diplomats since Benghazi.

April 8th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/08/weekday-news-wrap-monday-april-8-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Friday, April 5, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

Today marks 1000 days in the countdown towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon suggests four steps that the international community needs to take to achieve these goals.
South Korea has reported its neighbor to the north has moved a missile to the east coast; the US has vowed to take “all necessary precautions” in response.
World powers await Iran’s reaction to the offer on the table that will ease some economic sanctions if Iran stops its most sensitive nuclear work.
Diane Marie Amann offered this speech on International Law and the Future of Peace upon receiving the Prominent Women in International Law award during yesterday’s ASIL Women in International Law Interest Group Luncheon.
Foreign Policy outlines the dangers of low-tech warfare in Why Sticks and Stones Will Beat Our Drones.
The Christian Science Monitor has an article discussing the options available to the EU in response to Hungary’s latest instalment of controversial constitutional amendments.
EU authorities have also expressed concern over legislative proposals in Egypt to curtain civil society.
Syria has stepped up propaganda efforts against Jordan and Turkey.

April 5th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/05/weekday-news-wrap-friday-april-5-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, April 4, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

The US has added Joseph Kony to its war crimes rewards programme and offered a US$5 million reward for his capture, after the recent coup in the Central African Republic forced the suspension of the manhunt for him.
The US has moved missile defenses to Guam to respond to North Korea’s nuclear threat, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel labeled a “real and clear danger” to the US and its South-Korean and Japanese allies.
Amnesty International has condemned as torture a sentence of paralysis reportedly to be imposed in Saudi Arabia on a man convicted of paralyzing a friend in an attack 10 years ago.
In a significant step forward, the 49-strong group of Least Developed Countries has announced that they are willing to take on binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
A human rights group report alleges that Sudan officials have been committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of torture in the border area near South Sudan since 2011.
An exchange of fire between Israel and Palestine threatens the Gaza ceasefire from last November.
Israeli troops have shot two Palestinian youths dead in the West Bank in response to a barrage of firebombs in a third day of escalated tensions since the death of a Palestinian prisoner under Israeli control.
A Syrian helicopter has flown 20km into Lebanon and launched two rockets on the outskirts of a Lebanese town; no casualties were reported.
Foreign Policy offers some speculation into what a war between North and South Korea might look like.

April 4th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/04/weekday-news-wrap-thursday-april-4-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, April 3, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

As Julian already noted, the UN General Assembly passed the first-ever Arms Trade Treaty with a total of 154 states in favor, 23 abstaining and 3 (Iran, North Korea and Syria) opposing.
North Korea has blocked access for South Korean workers to the joint-Korean Kaesong complex because of increasing tensions on the peninsula.
Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip today, the first Israeli strikes since November.
Six European countries have launched joint action into investigating Google’s monitoring conduct, which may violate European privacy protection laws. Jurist has more here.
The NYTimes has an article about the US’ increasing support for the ICC.
EU-brokered talks between Serbia and Kosovo to resolve the status of Northern Kosovo, an area dominated by ethnic Serbs, have broken down without a deal. The collapse of the talks is seen as a setback for Serbian hopes of starting EU membership negotiations.
Afghanistan has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, making it the 192nd party, but as a developing state it will not have to reduce its GHG emissions.
At Lieber Code, a new post discusses the rumors about the CIA relinquishing all of its drone operation to the Department of Defense in the context of combatant privilege.
The OUP Blog has a post on Disappearing States, tied into the Jessup Moot Court.

April 3rd, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | 1 Comment » http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/03/weekday-news-wrap-wednesday-april-3-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, April 2, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

In response to an escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the US has deployed a warship to the region to shield against any ballistic missile attacks against South Korea. South Korea’s President has ordered the military to respond strongly and immediately to any attack. North Korea has meanwhile pledged to restart the reactors at its biggest nuclear plant. EJIL: Talk! asks the pertinent question: Are the two Koreas now at war?
The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported that it is “deplorable” that people are getting accustomed to the daily number of civilian casualties in Syria.
Al Jazeera has an exclusive about the UN’s plans should the Syrian regime fall–a plan that includes deploying peacekeeping forces, a move beyond its normal role as no others in the international community are interested in getting involved.
The mood in the Malian city of Timbuktu is tense in the wake of deadly clashes between rebel and Malian forces over the weekend.
Relatives of approximately 90 Yeminis held at the US Guantanamo Bay prison are protesting their “very poor” conditions at Gitmo and demanding their release.
Arms Control Blog points to a new report about the effectiveness of sanctions against Iran.
The UNGA is set to vote today on the Arms Trade Treaty, a week after Iran, Syria and North Korea blocked the adoption by consensus.
Following the return of the two Italian marines to India, India’s Supreme Court has removed the order barring the Italian envoy from leaving the country.

April 2nd, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/02/weekday-news-wrap-tuesday-april-2-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Monday, April 1, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

Kenya’s Supreme Court has upheld Uhuru Kenyatta’s election as president. Although there were some riots over the weekend and five were killed, the situation in Kenya is described as calm but tense.
North Korea has described its nuclear weapons program as the nation’s life, and has vowed to continue it despite the international sanctions.
South Korea, meanwhile, has vowed a swift response to any provocation by the North and the US has deployed more radar-evading fighter jets.
French-supported Malian forces are fighting Tuareg rebels in the north of Mali after an assault on Timbuktu city.
An unintended consequence of the Iran sanctions is a boom in diesel smuggling from Pakistan, some of it carried in Pepsi bottles by child smugglers and other diesel coming over in barrels strapped to the backs of mules.
Major depositors in Cyprus’s biggest bank will lose around 60 percent of savings over €100,000, a plan made clear by the central bank over the weekend.
Over at Arms Control Blog, there is a post on former UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw’s recent declaration and international legal analysis that war is not an option with regard to Iran.
For those looking for another online legal research tool, today Google unveiled Google Nose, allowing you to search by scent (editor’s note: Happy April Fool’s Day!)

April 1st, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/04/01/weekday-news-wrap-monday-april-1-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Friday, March 29, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

North Korea has put its rocket units on standby aimed at the US air force bases in South Korea and the Pacific after the US flew two nuclear stealth bombers over the Korean Peninsula yesterday.
Iran, North Korea and Syria have blocked the adoption of the UN Arms Trade Treaty, though the expectation is that with the text of the treaty in a General Assembly resolution, it would pass overwhelmingly.
The UN Security Council has passed the first-ever “offensive” UN peacekeeping brigade to be dispatched in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, operating under orders to “neutralize” and “disarm” rebel groups they encounter.
Thirty-one men being held at Guantanamo Bay prison have told the ICRC that they are being denied access to drinking water by their jailers.
Human Rights Watch has called on Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of war crimes beginning with the investigation of the country’s own Minister of Resettlement, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alleged to be a former leader of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE).
Human Rights Watch has also published Hostages of the Gatekeepers, a report on abuses against internally displaced persons in Mogadishu, Somalia.
EJIL: Talk! has an analysis of the recent news that Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, acquitted in December 2012 by the ICC, has applied for political asylum in the Netherlands citing that he fears persecution were he to be returned to his native Congo.

March 29th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/03/29/weekday-news-wrap-friday-march-29-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, March 28, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

Thailand has started peace negotiations with the Muslim separatists in its southern provinces.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has argued that Mali needs an 11,000-strong peacekeeping force and a parallel force for combat and counter-terrorism operations.
Bush v. Gore in Africa? Kenya’s Supreme Court has started hearing evidence to resolve the disputed presidential elections earlier this month.
Theresa May, the UK’s Home Secretary, has lost the appeal against a decision that prevented the deportation of Abu Qatada to Jordan.
The ICTY has sentenced Mićo Stanišić and Stojan Župljanin, two high level officials in Bosnian Serb structures, to 22 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity and war crimes (ICTY press release here).
North Korea has cut off a military hotline with South Korea, breaking the last communication line between the two countries amid heightened tensions; in response, the US has deployed two nuclear-capable stealth bombers above South Korea as part of a “deterrence” mission.
The biggest cyber attack in history of the internet has been taking place since mid-March against the British-Swiss anti-spam watchdog group Spamhaus.
Though the BRICS nations have agreed in principle on a joint infrastructure fund, there need to be more discussions to hammer out the finalities of the plan for the new bank.
The Syrian opposition has opened its first embassy in Qatar, but still voices frustration at the lack of international cooperation.

March 28th, 2013 - 6:56 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/03/28/weekday-news-wrap-thursday-march-28-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, March 27, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

At the Arab League summit yesterday, a member of the opposition to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad took his vacant seat, a move that was met with applause from Arab heads of state.
The BRICS have reached a deal approving a development bank that would rival Western-backed financial institutions.
In his first appearance before the ICC yesterday, Congolese suspect Bosco Ntaganda has denied the charges against him of 10 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, pillage, using child soldiers and other crimes, though he will not need to enter his plea until his confirmation of charges hearing begins in September (ICC press release). A video of the proceedings from yesterday can be found here.
Vietnam alleges that China fired flares at a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea last week; China disputes any reports of damage to the ship and considers its actions appropriate and reasonable.
Italy’s Foreign Minister has resigned to protest his government’s decision to send two Italian marines back to India to stand trial over the killing Indian fishermen they mistook for pirates while protecting the Enrica Lexie.
Croatia will become the 28th member of the EU on July 1, the second former Yugoslav republic to join after Slovenia in 2004.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has recommended to the Security Council that the forces currently in Mali be converted into a UN peacekeeping operation and a separate force should be trained to confront Islamist threats in the area.
Secretary Ban also urged members to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty.
Over at Geographical Imaginations is a post about the Out of Sight, Out of Mind graphic on drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004 we mentioned yesterday.
In other drone news, Quartz reports that they’re not just for the Taliban anymore: drones are now going to be used to protect endagered species of rhinoceros in India, a move becoming more common tool to help reserve administrators keep their eyes on their animals.

March 27th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/03/27/weekday-news-wrap-wednesday-march-27-2013/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, March 26, 2013

by Jessica Dorsey

Following last week’s apology, Israel and Turkey have started negotiations on compensation to the families of the victims of Israel’s botched raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010.
During their annual summit, starting in Durban today, the leaders of the BRICS are set to approve the establishment of a new development bank and currency fund to compete with the World Bank and the IMF.
Russian officials have raided Amnesty International’s Russian headquarters in Moscow under new regulations that impose tighter controls on NGOs.
Following international criticism of the coup, the leader of the rebels in the Central African Republic has vowed to announce a power-sharing government as soon as possible. This comes after he suspended the constitution and pledged to dissolve parliament.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has urged restoration of constitutional order in the CAR as swiftly as possible.
An Egyptian prosecutor has ordered the arrest of five activists accused of inciting violence against the Muslim Brotherhood.
Jordan has closed its main border crossing with Syria after two days of fighting between rebel forces and Syrian troops.
North Korea has threatened to strike the US and has put rocket units prepared to launch at Hawaii, Guam and the mainland on “combat-ready” status.
Bosco Ntaganda will make his first appearance today before the ICC (ICC press release here).
The Kenyan Supreme Court has ordered a recount of the votes in 22 out of 291 precincts amid claims of fraud during the March 4th presidential election; Uhuru Kenyatta–also sought by the ICC–won the election with 50.7% of the vote.
Over at the Arms Control Blog, there is a post analyzing the Stuxnet virus as an “act of force” against Iran.
An interactive graph of every known US drone strike since 2004, pulled from data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, can be found here.

March 26th, 2013 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2013/03/26/weekday-news-wrap-tuesday-march-26-2013/ |

Archive of posts for categoryWeekday News Wrap

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Weekday News Wrap