Ukraine's first significant military action in the east of the country has been beaten back, as pro-Russian armed separatists seized five Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers and a tank in the city of Kramatorsk. The developments come as Russia's president Vladimir Putin reportedly told German chancellor Angela Merkel that Ukraine is "on the verge of a civil war". Nato has announced it will increase its presence around states bordering Russia, adding extra pressure the day before high-level talks between Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU are set to begin.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the only regional security organization with Russia, Ukraine, European countries, and the US as members and so has a key role to play in defusing the Ukraine crisis. Its task is growing more challenging by the hour as eastern Ukraine slides toward armed conflict, but the need could not be more pressing.
Problems for Syria’s refugees continue to grow – but are wealthy countries pulling their weight when it comes to feeding and sheltering these people?
Young Somali refugees living in Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp in eastern Kenya, have sent letters of encouragement to Syrian refugee children who have also had to flee their homeland. A controversial New York Police Department surveillance unit that spied on the city's Muslim communities has been shut down. The NYPD's 'Demographics Unit', developed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, has been the target of huge controversy as well as civil lawsuits. Its staff have now been "reassigned to other duties".Francois Hollande’s administration promised a fairer approach for Roma than the previous ruling party’s. But a leaked internal order instructing police officers in Paris’ wealthy sixth arrondissement(district) to locate and “systematically evict” Roma living on the streets of the area suggests that, in practice, little has changed.
The UN special rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo, ended a two-week visit to the United Kingdom today, and she was not impressed with what she found concerning women’s rights.
