Britain, France and the United States have requested for an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on the escalating campaign in Syria&#39;s second city of Aleppo, diplomats have said. 
 
The meeting was likely to be held at 10 am (local time) today, the diplomats said on Saturday. 
 
Intense air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 45 civilians in Aleppo yesterday, two days after the Syrian army announced an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the city. 
 
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier said he was appalled by the &quot;chilling&quot; upsurge in fighting in Aleppo and warned that the use of advanced weaponry in the battleground city could amount to war crimes. 
 
Ban cited reports of air strikes involving the use of incendiary weapons, bunker buster bombs and other powerful munitions in the offencive launched by the Syrian army two days ago to recapture the city. 
 
He warned that &quot;the apparent systematic use of these types of indiscriminate weapons in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes,&quot; a statement from his spokesman said. 
 
A week-long ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the truce failed. 
 
(AFP)

The move comes in the wake of the air strikes that toppled buildings and killed 45 in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Saturday

Britain, France and the United States have requested for an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on the escalating campaign in Syria's second city of Aleppo, diplomats have said. The meeting was likely to be held at 10 am (local time) today, the diplomats said on Saturday. Intense air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 45 civilians in Aleppo yesterday, two days after the Syrian army announced an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the city. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier said he was appalled by the "chilling" upsurge in fighting in Aleppo and warned that the use of advanced weaponry in the battleground city could amount to war crimes. Ban cited reports of air strikes involving the use of incendiary weapons, bunker buster bombs and other powerful munitions in the offencive launched by the Syrian army two days ago to recapture the city. He warned that "the apparent systematic use of these types of indiscriminate weapons in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes," a statement from his spokesman said. A week-long ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the truce failed. (AFP)

Syria conflict: Britain, France, US seek urgent Security Council meet

In a last ditch effort to save the Syrian ceasefire from collapsing, US secretary of state John Kerry demanded on Wednesday that Russia and the Syrian government immediately halt warplanes over Syrian battle zones. 
 
Kerry said it was the last chance to find a way &quot;out of the carnage&quot;. 
 
&quot;I call on every country to cease providing support of any kind to any party that is trying to sabotage this plan,&quot; Kerry said.&nbsp; 
 
Many regions in Syria are in dire need of humanitarian and medical aid. The key areas are where Syrian government forces have been accused of targeting civilians.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;To restore credibility to the process we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded,&quot; Kerry said.&nbsp; 
 
The United States and Russia faced off at the UN Security Council in New York. Kerry blamed Russia for the air raids on the aid convoys in Syria on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
He said the bombing raised &quot;profound doubt whether Russia and the Assad regime can or will live up to&quot; ceasefire obligations. 
 
&quot;I emphasise this to Russia. The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that, although rocky and difficult and uncertain, can provide the most viable path out of the carnage,&quot; Kerry said.&nbsp; 
 
The Russians said a coalition drone was in the area when the aid trucks were hit.&nbsp; 
 
The strikes killed 20 people and destroyed 18 trucks delivering food and other supplies in Syria. 
 
The UN Security Council met for tense crisis talks to try to revive the truce. 
 
&quot;We are at a make or break moment,&quot; UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the council.&nbsp; 
 
He urging world powers to use their influence to help restart political talks so Syrians can &quot;negotiate a way out of the hell in which they are trapped.&quot; 
 
Ban told the council he was looking at &quot;options for vigorously investigating&quot; the attack. The United Nations said the attack on the aid convoy could amount to a war crime. 
 
After halting aid operations in response to the convoy attack, the United Nations said it was ready to resume humanitarian deliveries. 
 
Diplomatic efforts were set to continue in New York with a new meeting of the 23-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to be held on Thursday. 
 
The United States and Russia will chair the meeting bringing together world powers to push for a ceasefire and an eventual political resolution to the bloody five-year-old conflict. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Despite the US and Russia sparring over Tuesday's attack on aid convoy, diplomatic efforts were set to continue at Syrian support group meet

In a last ditch effort to save the Syrian ceasefire from collapsing, US secretary of state John Kerry demanded on Wednesday that Russia and the Syrian government immediately halt warplanes over Syrian battle zones. Kerry said it was the last chance to find a way "out of the carnage". "I call on every country to cease providing support of any kind to any party that is trying to sabotage this plan," Kerry said. Many regions in Syria are in dire need of humanitarian and medical aid. The key areas are where Syrian government forces have been accused of targeting civilians. "To restore credibility to the process we must move forward to try to immediately ground all aircraft flying in those key areas in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded," Kerry said. The United States and Russia faced off at the UN Security Council in New York. Kerry blamed Russia for the air raids on the aid convoys in Syria on Tuesday. He said the bombing raised "profound doubt whether Russia and the Assad regime can or will live up to" ceasefire obligations. "I emphasise this to Russia. The United States continues to believe there is a way forward that, although rocky and difficult and uncertain, can provide the most viable path out of the carnage," Kerry said. The Russians said a coalition drone was in the area when the aid trucks were hit. The strikes killed 20 people and destroyed 18 trucks delivering food and other supplies in Syria. The UN Security Council met for tense crisis talks to try to revive the truce. "We are at a make or break moment," UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the council. He urging world powers to use their influence to help restart political talks so Syrians can "negotiate a way out of the hell in which they are trapped." Ban told the council he was looking at "options for vigorously investigating" the attack. The United Nations said the attack on the aid convoy could amount to a war crime. After halting aid operations in response to the convoy attack, the United Nations said it was ready to resume humanitarian deliveries. Diplomatic efforts were set to continue in New York with a new meeting of the 23-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to be held on Thursday. The United States and Russia will chair the meeting bringing together world powers to push for a ceasefire and an eventual political resolution to the bloody five-year-old conflict. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US demands grounding of Russian, Syrian warplanes to save truce

North Korea said on Sunday that the United States&rsquo; push for further sanctions against the country was &ldquo;laughable&rdquo;. 
 
With its fifth and biggest nuclear test on Friday, North Korea vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power, having reportedly mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile. 
 
A US special envoy met Japanese officials on Sunday, saying later that the US may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea. 
 
&quot;The group of Obama&#39;s running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their &#39;strategic patience&#39; policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out,&quot; state-run KCNA news agency cited a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Sunday. 
 
The United States, Britain, and France have pushed for new sanctions against North Korea. 
 
Obama said South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed to work with the UN Security Council to enforce existing measures and to take &quot;additional significant steps, including new sanctions&quot;. 
 
South Korea&#39;s top nuclear envoy also spoke to his Chinese counterpart and emphasised the need for fresh measures, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

And it vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power

North Korea said on Sunday that the United States’ push for further sanctions against the country was “laughable”. With its fifth and biggest nuclear test on Friday, North Korea vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear power, having reportedly mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile. A US special envoy met Japanese officials on Sunday, saying later that the US may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea. "The group of Obama's running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their 'strategic patience' policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out," state-run KCNA news agency cited a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Sunday. The United States, Britain, and France have pushed for new sanctions against North Korea. Obama said South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed to work with the UN Security Council to enforce existing measures and to take "additional significant steps, including new sanctions". South Korea's top nuclear envoy also spoke to his Chinese counterpart and emphasised the need for fresh measures, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

North Korea calls push for sanctions 'laughable'

The UN Security Council today said they will impose fresh sanctions against Pyongyang, after North Korea conducted its fifth and biggest nuclear test on its 68th anniversery.&nbsp; 
 
The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude &quot;artificial earthquake&quot; near the Punggye-ri nuclear site, Reuters reported.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our nuclear scientists staged a nuclear explosion test on a newly developed nuclear warhead at the country&#39;s northern nuclear test site,&quot; a North Korean TV presenter said. 
 
Kim Nam-Wook of the South&#39;s meteorological agency said, &quot;The 10-kiloton blast was nearly twice the (power of the) fourth nuclear test and slightly less than the Hiroshima bombing, which was measured about 15 kilotons.&quot; 
 
World leaders condemned the test and demanded for fresh sanctions to be imposed.&nbsp; 
 
AFP quoted&nbsp;New Zealand&#39;s Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council&#39;s rotating presidency, as saying, &quot;The members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures under article 41 in a Security Council resolution.&quot; 
 
Meanwhile, North Koreans celebrated their country&#39;s successful conduct of the nuclear test. 
 
Reuters reported state-run television KRT showing a video of North Korean people watching a performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre and afterwards celebrating. 
 
A North Korean civilan said ,&quot;I can&#39;t put into words how glad I am after hearing the news that the Nuclear Weapons Institute successfully conducted an explosion test of a nuclear warhead.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Pyongyang conducted the nuclear test on its 68th anniversary and claimed mounting nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile

The UN Security Council today said they will impose fresh sanctions against Pyongyang, after North Korea conducted its fifth and biggest nuclear test on its 68th anniversery. The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude "artificial earthquake" near the Punggye-ri nuclear site, Reuters reported. "Our nuclear scientists staged a nuclear explosion test on a newly developed nuclear warhead at the country's northern nuclear test site," a North Korean TV presenter said. Kim Nam-Wook of the South's meteorological agency said, "The 10-kiloton blast was nearly twice the (power of the) fourth nuclear test and slightly less than the Hiroshima bombing, which was measured about 15 kilotons." World leaders condemned the test and demanded for fresh sanctions to be imposed. AFP quoted New Zealand's Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, who holds the council's rotating presidency, as saying, "The members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures under article 41 in a Security Council resolution." Meanwhile, North Koreans celebrated their country's successful conduct of the nuclear test. Reuters reported state-run television KRT showing a video of North Korean people watching a performance at the Ponghwa Art Theatre and afterwards celebrating. A North Korean civilan said ,"I can't put into words how glad I am after hearing the news that the Nuclear Weapons Institute successfully conducted an explosion test of a nuclear warhead." (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN Security Council to impose sanctions against North Korea

Two days after the Colombia&#39;s government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels &nbsp;announced they had reached a final peace deal to end decades of conflict, the United Nations Security Council yesterday warmly welcomed the historic &nbsp;deal and pledged to help ensure the agreement takes hold. 
 
The council met behind closed doors &nbsp;and signaled its approval for the accord to end a 52-year-old guerrilla war.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Council warmly welcomes the conclusion of negotiations in Havana this week between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC-EP, and congratulates the people of Colombia in achieving a final peace agreement, bringing an end to over 50 years of conflict,&quot; said Siti Hajjar Adnin, deputy permanent representative of Malaysia to the UN.&nbsp; 
 
The deal, opposed by two former Colombian presidents, still needs to be voted on in a plebiscite. Colombia&#39;s president Juan Manuel Santos said that Colombians would decide to approve or reject the peace accord in a plebiscite vote on October 2. 
 
&quot;The Council reiterated its commitment to supporting implementation of the ceasefire agreement, cessation of hostilities and the laying down of arms through the UN political mission in Colombia,&quot; &nbsp;Adnin told reporters following the Security Council&#39;s closed-door consultations on Colombia. 
 
UN to set up special mission to monitor ceasefire&nbsp; 
 
Under the peace deal, the FARC will begin moving its estimated 7,000 fighters from their jungle and mountain hideouts into disarmament camps set up by the United Nations. 
 
The FARC will then become a political party and its weapons will be melted down to build three peace monuments. 
 
Special courts will be created to judge serious crimes committed during the conflict. 
 
The United Nations intends to set up a special mission in the South American country to monitor the ceasefire, help disarm the rebels and verify compliance with the peace deal. 
 
British deputy ambassador Peter Wilson said the council is considering the &quot;next steps&quot; to support the peace process.&nbsp; 
 
The new UN mission for Colombia will be led by French national Jean Arnault and made up of 450 observers deployed in some 40 sites across the country. 
 
A first group of observers, mostly from Latin America, has already arrived in Colombia to verify the disarmament and monitor the ceasefire. 
 
Government will not cease persecuting crime: Defence minister&nbsp; 
 
The historic ceasefire between Colombia&#39;s government and the FARC rebel group will not end the government&#39;s commitment to fighting crime, the country&#39;s defense minister said Friday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are in a ceasefire (with the FARC), but will not cease persecuting crime,&quot; Luis Carlos Villegas said. 
 
Soldiers and police would continue to combat kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal mining and human trafficking even after the ceasefire officially begins Monday, he added. 
 
&quot;We hope that this component of the ceasefire with the FARC, concerning criminal activity, will be fully implemented,&quot; he said. 
 
More than a quarter of Colombia&#39;s 47 million people have suffered in some way as a result of the war involving rebels, right-wing paramilitary groups and government troops. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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The United Nations intends to set up a special mission in the country to monitor the ceasefire help and disarm the rebels

Two days after the Colombia's government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels announced they had reached a final peace deal to end decades of conflict, the United Nations Security Council yesterday warmly welcomed the historic deal and pledged to help ensure the agreement takes hold. The council met behind closed doors and signaled its approval for the accord to end a 52-year-old guerrilla war. "The Council warmly welcomes the conclusion of negotiations in Havana this week between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC-EP, and congratulates the people of Colombia in achieving a final peace agreement, bringing an end to over 50 years of conflict," said Siti Hajjar Adnin, deputy permanent representative of Malaysia to the UN. The deal, opposed by two former Colombian presidents, still needs to be voted on in a plebiscite. Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos said that Colombians would decide to approve or reject the peace accord in a plebiscite vote on October 2. "The Council reiterated its commitment to supporting implementation of the ceasefire agreement, cessation of hostilities and the laying down of arms through the UN political mission in Colombia," Adnin told reporters following the Security Council's closed-door consultations on Colombia. UN to set up special mission to monitor ceasefire Under the peace deal, the FARC will begin moving its estimated 7,000 fighters from their jungle and mountain hideouts into disarmament camps set up by the United Nations. The FARC will then become a political party and its weapons will be melted down to build three peace monuments. Special courts will be created to judge serious crimes committed during the conflict. The United Nations intends to set up a special mission in the South American country to monitor the ceasefire, help disarm the rebels and verify compliance with the peace deal. British deputy ambassador Peter Wilson said the council is considering the "next steps" to support the peace process. The new UN mission for Colombia will be led by French national Jean Arnault and made up of 450 observers deployed in some 40 sites across the country. A first group of observers, mostly from Latin America, has already arrived in Colombia to verify the disarmament and monitor the ceasefire. Government will not cease persecuting crime: Defence minister The historic ceasefire between Colombia's government and the FARC rebel group will not end the government's commitment to fighting crime, the country's defense minister said Friday. "We are in a ceasefire (with the FARC), but will not cease persecuting crime," Luis Carlos Villegas said. Soldiers and police would continue to combat kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal mining and human trafficking even after the ceasefire officially begins Monday, he added. "We hope that this component of the ceasefire with the FARC, concerning criminal activity, will be fully implemented," he said. More than a quarter of Colombia's 47 million people have suffered in some way as a result of the war involving rebels, right-wing paramilitary groups and government troops. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN welcomes Colombia's 'historic' peace deal

The United Nations Security Council on Friday strongly condemned four North Korean ballistic missile launches in July and August, dubbing them &quot;grave violations&quot; of a ban on all ballistic missile activity. 
 
The council expressed &quot;serious concern&quot; that North Korea carried out the launches after six ballistic missile firings between April and June &quot;in flagrant disregard&quot; of its repeated statements to halt such launches as well as nuclear tests which violate council resolutions. 
 
UN vows significant measures&nbsp; 
 
In a press statement approved by all 15 members, the council deplored the fact that the North&#39;s ballistic missile activities are contributing to its development of nuclear weapon delivery systems and increasing tensions. 
 
Council members agreed to &quot;continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures,&quot; said the statement, without elaborating. 
 
It urged all UN member states &quot;to redouble their efforts&quot; to implement sanctions against Pyongyang, including the toughest measures in two decades imposed by the council in March. 
 
N.Korea hit by 5 sets of UN sanctions&nbsp; 
 
North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006.&nbsp; 
 
It has repeatedly flouted Security Council resolutions demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities and has continued to launch missiles, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region. 
 
In March, the council adopted the toughest sanctions resolution to date, targeting North Korea&#39;s trade in minerals and tightening banking restrictions. 
 
The council met behind closed doors on Wednesday after North Korea launched a missile from a submarine towards Japan, the latest provocation from Pyongyang.&nbsp; 
 
This came days after the US and South Korea began military exercises, prompting North Korean threats of retaliation for the military drills, which it views as a rehearsal for invasion by the US and other adversaries. 
 
The Security Council statement condemned the August 23 launch as well as the North&#39;s ballistic missile launches on August 2 and July 18 and the firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile on July 9. 
 
 
N Korea submarine missiles not ready until 2018: experts 
 
North Korea is making progress on a submarine-launched ballistic missile system but any deployment of the technology is years away, a US think tank said, as the UN Security Council promised action over Pyongyang&#39;s latest test. 
 
The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said yesterday on its closely-watched website, 38 North, that the success of North Korea&#39;s SLBM test this week suggests the program may be progressing faster than originally expected. 
 
&quot;However, this does not mean it will be ready next week, next month, or even next year&quot;, it said. 
 
&quot;Rather, the pace and method of the North&#39;s SLBM testing would suggest possible deployment in an initial operational capability by the second half of 2018 at the earliest.&quot; 
 
The missile, launched from a submerged prototype &quot;Gorae-class&quot; submarine near the northeastern port of Sinpo, flew 500 kilometres towards Japan, marking what weapons analysts called a clear step forward for its nuclear strike ambitions. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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United Nations Security Council has expressed 'serious concern' after Pyongyang test-fired 6 missiles between April and June

The United Nations Security Council on Friday strongly condemned four North Korean ballistic missile launches in July and August, dubbing them "grave violations" of a ban on all ballistic missile activity. The council expressed "serious concern" that North Korea carried out the launches after six ballistic missile firings between April and June "in flagrant disregard" of its repeated statements to halt such launches as well as nuclear tests which violate council resolutions. UN vows significant measures In a press statement approved by all 15 members, the council deplored the fact that the North's ballistic missile activities are contributing to its development of nuclear weapon delivery systems and increasing tensions. Council members agreed to "continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures," said the statement, without elaborating. It urged all UN member states "to redouble their efforts" to implement sanctions against Pyongyang, including the toughest measures in two decades imposed by the council in March. N.Korea hit by 5 sets of UN sanctions North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006. It has repeatedly flouted Security Council resolutions demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities and has continued to launch missiles, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region. In March, the council adopted the toughest sanctions resolution to date, targeting North Korea's trade in minerals and tightening banking restrictions. The council met behind closed doors on Wednesday after North Korea launched a missile from a submarine towards Japan, the latest provocation from Pyongyang. This came days after the US and South Korea began military exercises, prompting North Korean threats of retaliation for the military drills, which it views as a rehearsal for invasion by the US and other adversaries. The Security Council statement condemned the August 23 launch as well as the North's ballistic missile launches on August 2 and July 18 and the firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile on July 9. N Korea submarine missiles not ready until 2018: experts North Korea is making progress on a submarine-launched ballistic missile system but any deployment of the technology is years away, a US think tank said, as the UN Security Council promised action over Pyongyang's latest test. The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said yesterday on its closely-watched website, 38 North, that the success of North Korea's SLBM test this week suggests the program may be progressing faster than originally expected. "However, this does not mean it will be ready next week, next month, or even next year", it said. "Rather, the pace and method of the North's SLBM testing would suggest possible deployment in an initial operational capability by the second half of 2018 at the earliest." The missile, launched from a submerged prototype "Gorae-class" submarine near the northeastern port of Sinpo, flew 500 kilometres towards Japan, marking what weapons analysts called a clear step forward for its nuclear strike ambitions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

North Korea likely to face tough sanctions after missile launches

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea&#39;s military said today, the latest in a string of missile launches by the isolated country in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. 
 
North Korea test-fired the missile at around 5.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) near the coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite imagery shows a submarine base to be located, an official at South Korea&#39;s joint chiefs of staff said. 
 
The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns as a preparation for an&nbsp;invasion, and has threatened retaliation. 
 
North Korea has become further isolated after a January nuclear test, its fourth, and the launch of a long-range rocket in February brought tightened UN sanctions. 
 
It has launched numerous missiles of various types this year, including one this month that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters. 
 
Tensions on the Korean peninsula were exacerbated by the recent defection of North Korea&#39;s deputy ambassador in London to South Korea, an embarrassing setback to the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 
 
(Reuters)

The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the US began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea's military said today, the latest in a string of missile launches by the isolated country in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea test-fired the missile at around 5.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) near the coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite imagery shows a submarine base to be located, an official at South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said. The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns as a preparation for an invasion, and has threatened retaliation. North Korea has become further isolated after a January nuclear test, its fourth, and the launch of a long-range rocket in February brought tightened UN sanctions. It has launched numerous missiles of various types this year, including one this month that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters. Tensions on the Korean peninsula were exacerbated by the recent defection of North Korea's deputy ambassador in London to South Korea, an embarrassing setback to the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Reuters)

North Korea test-fires submarine-launched ballistic missile: South Korea

The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN&#39;s top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. 
 
Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O&#39;Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a &quot;medieval&quot; siege from taking hold. 
 
&quot;The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area,&quot; O&#39;Brien told the council. 
 
&quot;This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen.&quot; 
 
O&#39;Brien, the UN&#39;s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. 
 
Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan&#39;s ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was &quot;overwhelming support for the idea&quot; among the 15 council members. 
 
French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo&#39;s plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said &quot;the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again.&quot; 
 
Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. 
 
Syria and its allies are &quot;determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about,&quot; Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. 
 
Enough is enough 
 
Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. 
 
On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
&quot;Enough is enough now,&quot; British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. 
 
Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. 
 
Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria&#39;s ally, would back such a measure. 
 
Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. 
 
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, &quot;there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster.&quot; 
 
The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. 
 
&quot;Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies,&quot; said US ambassador Samantha Power. 
 
The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. 
 
(AFP)

Warning that food will soon run out, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly pauses for deliveries of essential supplies

The UN Security Council yesterday backed a call by the UN's top aid official for a humanitarian truce in Aleppo after four hospitals were bombed and civilians were killed by air strikes in the Syrian city. Warning that food will soon run out in Aleppo, UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien called for 48-hour weekly humanitarian truces to prevent a "medieval" siege from taking hold. "The international community simply cannot let eastern Aleppo city become yet another - and by far the largest - besieged area," O'Brien told the council. "This is medieval and shameful. We must not allow this to happen." O'Brien, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said food supplies in rebel-held eastern Aleppo were expected to run out by the middle of August. Britain, France and the United States quickly endorsed the plan, and Japan's ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said there was "overwhelming support for the idea" among the 15 council members. French ambassador Francois Delattre compared Aleppo's plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war and said "the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes - yes, war crimes - to repeat again." Syrian regime forces seized the last remaining supply route to Aleppo this month and all humanitarian and commercial movements came to a halt on July 7. Syria and its allies are "determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal: eradicating the opposition. This is what the siege is all about," Delattre told reporters ahead of the meeting. Enough is enough Over the weekend, four hospitals were bombed in Aleppo, jeopardising medical care for more than 200,000 desperate civilians. On Monday, air strikes and barrel bombs killed 16 civilians in Aleppo, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Enough is enough now," British ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. Rycroft said the council was looking at possible action to address the crisis in Aleppo, but did not provide details. Council support for the proposed truces could lead to a draft resolution to enforce the UN plan, but it remained unlikely that Russia, Syria's ally, would back such a measure. Russia said the so-called Castello road that was seized by regime forces was a supply route for weapons to jihadists, including the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front. Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin nevertheless told the council that in Aleppo, "there is a need there to prevent humanitarian disaster." The United States put the onus on Russia to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt attacks and re-open the Castello road. "Russia, the Assad regime and other groups fighting around Aleppo should heed the UN call for a weekly 48-hour pause to allow for deliveries of essential supplies," said US ambassador Samantha Power. The council raised alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo on the eve of a meeting in Geneva between top US and Russian officials to try to lay the groundwork for a resumption of peace talks. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria in the war, which is now in its sixth year, and more than half the country has been displaced. (AFP)

UN Security Council backs call for Aleppo truce

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the &quot;deteriorating situation&quot; in the violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue. 
 
&quot;The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the over all situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani,&quot; the Prime Minister&#39;s Office said in a statement. 
 
The meeting at the Governor House in Lahore will discuss the &quot;rapidly deteriorating situation&quot; in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out &quot;future course of action&quot; on the issue, it said. 
 
The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed &quot;strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces.&quot; 
 
It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN &quot;regarding atrocities of the security forces.&quot; 
 
India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing &quot;shock&quot; at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. 
 
Sharif today said the &quot;voice and struggle&quot; of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of &quot;brutal force and human rights abuses&quot;. 
 
He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. 
 
During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the &quot;human rights violations&quot; by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
Rehman said the &quot;Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times&quot;, according to an official statement. 
 
Sharif said, &quot;The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may.&quot; 
 
&quot;The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,&quot; Sharif said. 
 
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. 
 
In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against &quot;the blatant human rights violations&quot; of Kashmiri Muslims. 
 
The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

The meeting at the Governor House in Lahore will discuss the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a special Cabinet meeting in Lahore on Friday to discuss the "deteriorating situation" in the violence-hit Kashmir and chalk out "future course of action" on the issue. "The Cabinet will discuss the oppressive actions of Indian security forces against innocent civilians and the over all situation in Kashmir after the brutal assassination of Burhan Wani," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The meeting at the Governor House in Lahore will discuss the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Kashmir and the Prime Minister will chalk out "future course of action" on the issue, it said. The statement also noted that on the directions of the Prime Minister, the foreign office summoned Indian high commissioner to the foreign office and conveyed "strong concerns of the Pakistani government and people on rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir and increasing oppression by Indian security forces." It said that a detailed briefing was also given to ambassadors of all permanent members of UN security council of UN "regarding atrocities of the security forces." India had asked Pakistan to refrain from interfering in its internal affairs after Sharif issued a statement expressing "shock" at the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Sharif today said the "voice and struggle" of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed through use of "brutal force and human rights abuses". He said this during a meeting with PoK Parliament Special Committee Chairman and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Lahore. During the meeting, Rehman apprised the Prime Minister on his recent talks with separatist leaders over the "human rights violations" by Indian military and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Rehman said the "Kashmiri leadership looks towards Pakistan in difficult times", according to an official statement. Sharif said, "The government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and will continue to support the Kashmir cause at each and every forum internationally come what may." "The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible by the realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as per the UNSC resolutions, through a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices," Sharif said. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary also briefed the Islamabad-based Ambassadors of the member countries of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Niger) over the situation in the Valley. In the meeting, Pakistan called on the OIC member states to raise their voice against "the blatant human rights violations" of Kashmiri Muslims. The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Ambassadors of the European Union over the situation and emphasised the need for a fair and transparent inquiry against individuals responsible for these killings. (PTI)

Pak PM calls Cabinet meeting to discuss Kashmir situation

All countries should not accept illegal rulings, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday at a press conference. 
 
Lu made the remark when asked about China not accepting the Hague ruling on the South China Sea, and why China&rsquo;s attitude towards the ruling differs from the international community. 
 
He said the minority cannot represent international community. 
 
&quot;International community should be at least the majority of countires in terms of numbers. I said few months ago that seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,&rdquo; said Lu. 
 
The Foreign Minister said some countries used to claim themselves as international community, but they stopped to do so after China gave them a heads-up. 
 
&quot;I can tell you that not only just permanent members of the UN Security Council, but any other country should not accept the illegal ruling,&rdquo; said Lu. 
 
(Reuters)

'Seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,' said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang

All countries should not accept illegal rulings, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday at a press conference. Lu made the remark when asked about China not accepting the Hague ruling on the South China Sea, and why China’s attitude towards the ruling differs from the international community. He said the minority cannot represent international community. "International community should be at least the majority of countires in terms of numbers. I said few months ago that seven or eight countries cannot represent the entire international community,” said Lu. The Foreign Minister said some countries used to claim themselves as international community, but they stopped to do so after China gave them a heads-up. "I can tell you that not only just permanent members of the UN Security Council, but any other country should not accept the illegal ruling,” said Lu. (Reuters)

All countries should not accept illegal rulings: Chinese foreign ministry

The&nbsp;United Nations Security Council will meet on Sunday at the request of the&nbsp;United States to discuss new fighting in South Sudan&#39;s capital Juba, diplomats said.

Violence erupted in Juba on Sunday and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar said his residence had been attacked by President Salva Kiir&#39;s troops, raising fears of a slide back into civil war in the five-year-old nation. 
 
(Reuters)

The Council is meeting on Sunday at the request of the United States to discuss the fighting in the capital Juba

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Sunday at the request of the United States to discuss new fighting in South Sudan's capital Juba, diplomats said. Violence erupted in Juba on Sunday and forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar said his residence had been attacked by President Salva Kiir's troops, raising fears of a slide back into civil war in the five-year-old nation. (Reuters)

UN Security Council to meet to discuss South Sudan fighting

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called on the United Nations (UN) Security Council today to reject a key report by the diplomatic Quartet that condemned both Israeli settlement building and Palestinian incitement to violence. 
 
The report published last Friday by the European Union (EU), Russia, the United Nations and the United States (US) was criticised by both Israel and the Palestinians as being unfair. 
 
The report is due to be presented for discussion at the UN Security Council in the coming weeks, though a date has not yet been set. 
 
In a statement, however, Abbas said that the report &quot;does not further the cause for peace.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We hope that the Security Council does not support this report,&quot; he added. 
 
Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Saeb Erekat has condemned what he called an &quot;attempt to equalise the responsibilities between people under occupation and the foreign military occupier.&quot; 
 
Quartet report aims to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace process 
&nbsp; 
The report findings and recommendations are supposed to serve as the basis for reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that has been comatose since a US initiative collapsed in April 2014. 
 
But&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also rejected the report, calling it a &quot;myth&quot; that settlement building in the occupied West Bank is an obstacle to peace. There was no formal response from the Quartet but a source involved with the report said Wednesday there were positives to be drawn from the responses. 
 
&quot;If both president Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu find the report disturbing, then the report must contain some truths that both are uncomfortable with,&quot; he said. 
 
A Palestinian official said they would no longer deal with the Quartet as a body, but would continue to work with its four members individually. &quot;It is not only about the report, it is more than that -- but the report confirms how useless (the Quartet) is,&quot; the official said. 
 
There has been a growing alarm that ongoing violence and the construction of Jewish settlements on land earmarked to be part of a future Palestinian state are killing off prospects for a deal. 
 
There are currently at least 570,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make the capital of their future state. The United Nations has said settlements are illegal. 
 
In the recent wave of violence since October, there have been more than 250 attacks and attempted attacks by Palestinians that have killed at least 30 Israelis, the report said. 
 
(AFP)

The report is due to be presented for discussion at the UN Security Council in the coming weeks, though a date has not yet been set

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called on the United Nations (UN) Security Council today to reject a key report by the diplomatic Quartet that condemned both Israeli settlement building and Palestinian incitement to violence. The report published last Friday by the European Union (EU), Russia, the United Nations and the United States (US) was criticised by both Israel and the Palestinians as being unfair. The report is due to be presented for discussion at the UN Security Council in the coming weeks, though a date has not yet been set. In a statement, however, Abbas said that the report "does not further the cause for peace." "We hope that the Security Council does not support this report," he added. Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Saeb Erekat has condemned what he called an "attempt to equalise the responsibilities between people under occupation and the foreign military occupier." Quartet report aims to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace process The report findings and recommendations are supposed to serve as the basis for reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that has been comatose since a US initiative collapsed in April 2014. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also rejected the report, calling it a "myth" that settlement building in the occupied West Bank is an obstacle to peace. There was no formal response from the Quartet but a source involved with the report said Wednesday there were positives to be drawn from the responses. "If both president Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu find the report disturbing, then the report must contain some truths that both are uncomfortable with," he said. A Palestinian official said they would no longer deal with the Quartet as a body, but would continue to work with its four members individually. "It is not only about the report, it is more than that -- but the report confirms how useless (the Quartet) is," the official said. There has been a growing alarm that ongoing violence and the construction of Jewish settlements on land earmarked to be part of a future Palestinian state are killing off prospects for a deal. There are currently at least 570,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make the capital of their future state. The United Nations has said settlements are illegal. In the recent wave of violence since October, there have been more than 250 attacks and attempted attacks by Palestinians that have killed at least 30 Israelis, the report said. (AFP)

Palestinian President calls on UN Security Council to reject Quartet report

Italy and The Netherlands proposed on Tuesday splitting a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council after the UN General Assembly was deadlocked on which to choose following five rounds of voting for the final 2017-18 seat. 
 
The 193-member General Assembly elected Sweden, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Bolivia on Tuesday to replace Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela on the council from January 1, 2017. The Netherlands and Italy were tied with 95 votes each. 
 
Countries need more than two-thirds of the vote to win a seat. Italy and The Netherlands are competing for a seat belonging to the &quot;Western European and Others&quot; regional group, which is due to meet on Wednesday to approve splitting the term. 
 
The General Assembly would then need to vote in favour of the action. 
 
Just days after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy and The Netherlands believed their Security Council deal could &quot;send a message of unity between two European countries.&quot; 
 
&quot;It will be an honour for Italy to serve in the Security Council in 2017 and to cooperate with The Netherlands serving in 2018,&quot; Gentiloni told the General Assembly. 
 
Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said it was important to show unity during a complex time for Europe. 
 
According to Security Council Report, a New York-based research group, it was common in the 1950s and 1960s for countries to split terms on the Security Council. 
 
The General Assembly elected Sweden with 134 votes in favour, Ethiopia with 185 and Bolivia with 183 in the first round of voting. Kazakhstan beat Thailand with 138 votes in favour in the second round of voting. 
 
The council is made up of 10 elected members - five voted on each year and five permanent veto-powers that include the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. The council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions. 
 
(Reuters)

The countries, competing for a seat in the 'Western European and Others' regional group, were tied with 95 votes each

Italy and The Netherlands proposed on Tuesday splitting a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council after the UN General Assembly was deadlocked on which to choose following five rounds of voting for the final 2017-18 seat. The 193-member General Assembly elected Sweden, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Bolivia on Tuesday to replace Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela on the council from January 1, 2017. The Netherlands and Italy were tied with 95 votes each. Countries need more than two-thirds of the vote to win a seat. Italy and The Netherlands are competing for a seat belonging to the "Western European and Others" regional group, which is due to meet on Wednesday to approve splitting the term. The General Assembly would then need to vote in favour of the action. Just days after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy and The Netherlands believed their Security Council deal could "send a message of unity between two European countries." "It will be an honour for Italy to serve in the Security Council in 2017 and to cooperate with The Netherlands serving in 2018," Gentiloni told the General Assembly. Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said it was important to show unity during a complex time for Europe. According to Security Council Report, a New York-based research group, it was common in the 1950s and 1960s for countries to split terms on the Security Council. The General Assembly elected Sweden with 134 votes in favour, Ethiopia with 185 and Bolivia with 183 in the first round of voting. Kazakhstan beat Thailand with 138 votes in favour in the second round of voting. The council is made up of 10 elected members - five voted on each year and five permanent veto-powers that include the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. The council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions. (Reuters)

Italy, Netherlands propose to split UN Security Council seat

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi&nbsp;woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. 
 
&quot;Genocide must be recognised,&quot; Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. 
 
As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists&#39; victims. 
 
The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. 
 
The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not &quot;people of the book&quot;, meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. 
 
In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. 
 
The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. 
 
With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. 
 
Forced Islam conversion 
 
She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. 
 
&quot;The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam,&quot; she said. &quot;After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do.&quot; 
 
During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called &#39;marriage&#39; to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. 
 
&quot;I was not able to take any more rape and torture,&quot; she told. She decided to flee. 
 
On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. 
 
&quot;They made me a fake Islamic ID,&quot; she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. 
 
She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi&nbsp;welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 
 
&#39;Roadmap for prosecutions&#39; 
 
The United Nations and several other Western institutions&nbsp;suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. 
 
The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. 
 
COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission&#39;s report as &quot;a roadmap for prosecutions&quot;. 
 
Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS &quot;sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment&quot;. 
 
Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. 
 
But COI members expressed hope that the&nbsp;Yazidi&nbsp;case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. 
 
Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. 
 
Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. 
 
&quot;For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nadia Murad was held captive as a sex slave. She survived rapes and tortures, and now urges the world to trial IS for genocide

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. "Genocide must be recognised," Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists' victims. The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not "people of the book", meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. Forced Islam conversion She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. "The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam," she said. "After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do." During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called 'marriage' to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. "I was not able to take any more rape and torture," she told. She decided to flee. On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. "They made me a fake Islamic ID," she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 'Roadmap for prosecutions' The United Nations and several other Western institutions suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission's report as "a roadmap for prosecutions". Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS "sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment". Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. But COI members expressed hope that the Yazidi case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. "For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work," she said. (AFP)

Islamic State must stand trial for genocide: Yazidi woman survivor

Pyongyang on Saturday rejected the UN Security Council&#39;s sharp criticism of its latest missile tests and blamed the United States for driving the divided peninsula toward an &quot;uncontrollable extreme phase&quot;. 
 
North Korea this week conducted its most successful tests to date of a powerful home-grown missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching nuclear attacks on the US mainland. 
 
They drew a strong rebuke from the UN Security Council, which described the launches as &quot;grave violations&quot; of resolutions banning the North from developing ballistic missiles. 
 
The 15-member council called for sanctions to be redoubled after holding an emergency meeting over the tests. 
 
Pyongyang rejected the criticism, calling it &quot;a product of high-handedness wantonly violating the sovereignty of an independent state&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is an unreasonable deed of turning black into white,&quot; a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. 
 
North Korea has conducted a string of failed missile launches this year which have escalated international tensions. 
 
At a rare congress of the ruling party in May, leader Kim Jong-Un vowed Pyongyang would push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme despite UN sanctions and near universal condemnation. 
 
North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, and Seoul has rejected recent overtures for peace talks with Pyongyang as an &quot;insincere&quot; propaganda ploy. 
 
Saturday&#39;s KCNA statement blamed the US for ratcheting up tensions between the neighbours by sending weapons to South Korea. 
 
&quot;Its (the US&#39;s) sustained strategic mistake and rash deed are now driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the uncontrollable extreme phase,&quot; it warned. 
 
(AFP)

North Korea conducted its most successful tests this week of a missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching attacks on America

Pyongyang on Saturday rejected the UN Security Council's sharp criticism of its latest missile tests and blamed the United States for driving the divided peninsula toward an "uncontrollable extreme phase". North Korea this week conducted its most successful tests to date of a powerful home-grown missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching nuclear attacks on the US mainland. They drew a strong rebuke from the UN Security Council, which described the launches as "grave violations" of resolutions banning the North from developing ballistic missiles. The 15-member council called for sanctions to be redoubled after holding an emergency meeting over the tests. Pyongyang rejected the criticism, calling it "a product of high-handedness wantonly violating the sovereignty of an independent state". "This is an unreasonable deed of turning black into white," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. North Korea has conducted a string of failed missile launches this year which have escalated international tensions. At a rare congress of the ruling party in May, leader Kim Jong-Un vowed Pyongyang would push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme despite UN sanctions and near universal condemnation. North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, and Seoul has rejected recent overtures for peace talks with Pyongyang as an "insincere" propaganda ploy. Saturday's KCNA statement blamed the US for ratcheting up tensions between the neighbours by sending weapons to South Korea. "Its (the US's) sustained strategic mistake and rash deed are now driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the uncontrollable extreme phase," it warned. (AFP)

Pyongyang blames US for driving peninsula towards 'uncontrollable extreme phase', rejects UN criticism

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