Search: kony 2012

24 May Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Taliban has reportedly circulated poison in girls’ classrooms in northern Afghanistan poisoning girls with toxic powder sent through the air shafts, leaving more than 120 students and teachers unconscious. Amnesty International launched a stinging accusation in its annual report (available here) at the UN Security Council, accusing the body of “failed leadership” and saying the Council is “tired, out of step, and increasingly unfit for purpose.” Nuclear talks between Iran and other nations entered their second day today. As we reported yesterday, the Obama administration is...

25 Jun Weekday News Wrap: June 25, 2012

Mohamed Morsi, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, is declared the winner in the Egyptian Presidential Election. Turkey has invoked article 4 of the NATO Charter to arrange consultations on its response after Syria shot down a Turkish fighter plane. Turkish warplanes have been busy this weekend, carrying out nine air strikes on PKK targets in Northern Iraq. Additionally, 33 members of the Syrian army are said to have defected to Turkey. The Paraguayan President was impeached on Friday. In response to this “parliamentary coup“, various neighbouring...

12 Nov Weekday News Wrap: Monday, November 12, 2012

The EU has welcomed progress made late last week by the International Civil Aviation Organization on a the regulation of global aviation greenhouse gas emissions. Syrian opposition groups have agreed to unite and have chosen Moaz al-Khatib as their leader. Spillovers of the conflict have meanwhile affected Israeli presence in the Golan Heights. At an emergency ECOWAS summit, West African leaders have agreed to send a military force to Mali to combat Islamist militants. Russia will join an international investigation to determine the cause of death of...

31 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Friday, August 31, 2012

France and the United Kingdom reported at the Security Council that all options are on the table regarding Syria. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that he will speak on Iran at the UN General Assembly in a speech next month. An IAEA report has indicated that Iran has increased its stockpiles of enriched uranium and has doubled its centrifuges. Approximately 80% of the internally displaced persons from a camp in North Darfur have returned to the camp after recent violence in the area. Foreign Policy...

07 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab has defected from what he terms the “terrorist regime” of President Bashar al-Assad, while violence rages on in Aleppo. IPS offers an insight into what these high-level defections mean for Syria’s future. Syria is also losing support of its ally Iran, whose Foreign Minister will visit Turkey today to discuss the situation in Syria and the capture of Iranian nationals. Hilary Clinton is visiting South Africa, where Syria will also be on the agenda. Also in South Africa, former Irish President and...

24 Jul Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Syria has rejected the bid from the Arab League offering an exit for President Al-Assad. Syria has warned of a chemical attack on invaders, according to Al Jazeera. Reuters reports that the West has warned Syria about their use. Foreign Policy analyzes the origin of the confusion surrounding whether and how Syria has threatened to use these weapons. Foreign Policy also offers a context piece entitled The Fog of Civil War, giving more insight into the complicated ongoing conflict. World markets have plummeted amid Eurozone fears, though...

25 Aug Weekend Roundup: August 11-24, 2012

With the start of the US academic year just around the corner, activity picked up here at Opinio Juris this week. There certainly wasn’t a shortage of international law items to discuss… First, there is of course the diplomatic spat between the UK and Ecuador over Julian Assange’s extradition to Sweden. Once Kevin was done banging his head on the table after yet another news article confusing the ICJ and the ICC, he reposted Mark Klamberg’s discussion on the likelihood of Assange’s extradition from Sweden to the US....

19 Apr Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, April 19, 2012

UN is examining claims that China broke sanctions against North Korea. South Sudan has become the International Monetary Fund’s 188th member. Sudan has threatened war against South Sudan. Spain wants the EU to file a World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint against Argentina for nationalizing 51% of Spain’s Repsol’s stake in oil company YPF. The US has condemned the nationalization. Colombia has sent a letter to the WTO complaining about Argentina’s import restrictions. The ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is in Libya to investigate war crimes. The UK is...

02 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, August 2, 2012

Syria’s president Al-Assad has praised the government forces, but is keeping a low profile. US president Obama has signed a secret order to provide support to rebel forces in Syria. A video has emerged of men, allegedly loyal to the Syrian regime, being lined up in Aleppo being shot point-blank by rebel forces. In a recent report, Amnesty International has accused members of Syria’s government of committing crimes against humanity in the current conflict. Reuters offers an analysis proffering that there is no good outcome to the...

27 Aug Weekday News Wrap: Monday, August 27, 2012

In an effort not to stoke tensions any further, Japan’s central government has declined authorization to the Tokyo Metropolitan Authorities to survey the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. Japan’s territorial tensions with South Korea hinder their bilateral free trade negotiations. The EU has called on Gambia to halt executions of death row inmates after Amnesty International reported that 9 were executed last Thursday, and all remaining inmates are scheduled to be executed by mid-September. The Taliban has been accused of beheading 17 men and women for having organized a mixed-sex...

20 Nov Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The ICJ has ruled against Nicaragua in the territorial and maritime dispute it had filed against Colombia, and rejected claims that Colombia violated international law. International pressure to reach a ceasefire after six days of conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip is building and there are signs that Israel is open to a diplomatic solution in which Egypt is bound to play a central role. President Obama has met his Chinese counterpart arguing for co-operation on to establish rules governing trade and investment. The...

30 May Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Special Court for Sierra Leone sentenced Charles Taylor to 50 years today following his conviction for 11 counts of war crimes. He will get six-years’ credit for the time he has served since being in custody in The Hague. The ICC Appeals Chamber has unanimously rejected the Prosecution’s appeal on the Pre-Trial Chamber I’s decision declining to confirm the charges in the Mbarushimana case. In follow-up news about the Pakistani doctor recently sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason who aided the CIA in finding...