Human Rights Watch has published a new report entitled Death from the Skies alleging that Syrian forces have killed over 4,300 civilians by targeting places like bakeries and hospitals, and calls these air raids war crimes. Concerns about Syria and North Korea top the agenda of the G8 summit taking place this week in London. The EU has informed North Korea that...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As many of our readers may know, ASIL's 107th Annual Meeting with the theme of International Law in a Multipolar World is taking place in Washington D.C. at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel today through Saturday. Select highlights of the meeting include: The Grotius Lecture, with Emilio Álvarez Icaza, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as the Speaker and W. Michael Reisman, Yale...
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,...
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...
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...
Upcoming Events On April 2, a book launch co-sponsored by the ICRC and hosted by Georgetown Law’s National Security Law Society will take place along with a discussion on the Relevance of International Humanitarian Law in the United States after the end of hostilities at Georgetown Law School. More information can be found here. The Forum for Economists International holds its next conference May 31–June 3,...
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...
