Weekly News Wrap: Monday, September 29, 2014

Your weekly selection of international law and international relations headlines from around the world:

Africa

• The IMF has extended its zero-interest loans to Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia to provide support in the fight against Ebola. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called upon the world to do more.
• The ICC has opened a formal examination into the situation in the Central African Republic.

Middle East and Northern Africa

• At least 15 people were killed in Yemen after an al-Qaeda affiliated suicide bomber drove a car with explosives into a hospital that is being used as the base for the Shiite Houthi movement.
• The IAEA has rejected a non-binding resolution sponsored by Arab States urging Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Asia

•  Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will be sworn in as the new President of Afghanistan later today.
• Protestors in Hong Kong refuse to withdraw and the use of tear gas by the authorities has created new protests to spring up against Beijing’s new rules imposing strict controls on candidate selection for the next elections.

Europe

• Russia’s Foreign Minister called for an improvement of Russia’s relations with the West while blaming the West for inciting the current conflict over Ukraine.
• Hearings in the Karadzic trial are starting at the ICTY today, with Karadzic expected to address the Court on Wednesday.
• In France, the far-right Front National has for the first time ever won two seats in the Senate.
• British PM David Cameron has indicated he is willing to recommend a no vote in Britain’s EU membership referendum if he cannot secure an opt-out from the EU’s founding declaration to create an “ever closer union”.

Americas

• Banking representatives are arguing that last week’s US Court verdict finding that the Arab Bank provided material support to Hamas will make it more difficult to monitor the financing of terrorist groups as banks withdraw from any areas that could expose them to regulatory questioning.
• In a TV interview, President Obama admitted that the US underestimated the threat posed by the IS insurgency in Syria.

World

• The WTO has lowered its forecasts on trade growth in 2104 and 2015.
• Refugee requests are on track to hit a 20 year high, the UNHCR has announced.
• A Climate Summit took place the UN last week, you can find the IISD’s summary here.
• At the UN, members also started talks on the new Sustainable Development Goals that are meant to replace the Millennium Development Goals that expire in 2015.
• The UN Security Council passed a Chapter 7 resolution demanding states to criminalize travel overseas to join militant groups or to recruit others.