Islamist militants have continued their driving offensive deeper into Iraq, taking former leader Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, as well as two other cities. Yesterday, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an offshoot of al Qaeda, siezed Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, where it pillaged military bases and raided banks. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are fleeing the region, as are members of Iraq’s army, fearing the worst.
A Cairo court sentenced the prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and 24 others to 15 years in prison and LE100,000 fines (US$14,000) on a range of charges stemming from their involvement in a peaceful protest in November 2013. In the meantime, new Egypt President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi visited in the hospital one of several woman who were victims of mass sexual assault during his inauguration. He pledged to combat Egypt's sexual violence epidemic, but these words need to be followed by concrete action. The International Labour Organization today adopted a landmark new treaty that will advance the fight to prevent forced labor, and to protect and compensate the estimated 21 million victims worldwide.An investigation by The Guardian has revealed the extent of slavery in Thailand’s fishing industry.
