News Clips- January 20, 2017

Posted on January 20, 2017 by IJRC

The UN Security Council passes resolution to recognize Adama Barrow as Gambia’s president
Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

In Jordan this week, a military court arrested and charged eight activists with “insulting the King,” and “incitement to spread chaos,” through social media posts. [Al Jazeera]
On Wednesday, Turkish authorities denied entry to New York Times correspondent Rob Nordland allegedly based on Nordland’s prior coverage of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. [Al Jazeera]
In Mexico, environmental and land activist Isidro Baldenegro Lopez was shot dead. [Guardian]

On Saturday, a ship transporting over 180 people from East Africa to Italy capsized in the Mediterranean near Libya. [Al Jazeera]
This week the United Nations migration agency has requested additional support for the estimated 12,000 migrants arriving to the Gulf of Aden every month en route to Saudi Arabia. [UN News Centre]

On Tuesday, the UN World Food Programme announced that airdrops in the city of Deir ez-Zor would be suspended due to volunteer safety concerns arising from the intense conflict between the Syrian government and ISIL in the area. [UN News Centre]
On Wednesday, the United States initiated airstrikes against ISIL near Sirte, Libya, killing 80 people. [Guardian]

On Wednesday, global warming data found that 2016 was the hottest year on record, making it the third year in a row to increase in temperature. [New York Times]
China’s president, Xi Jinping, announced at the United Nations this week that parties to the Paris climate deal must continue to implement the agreement. [Guardian]

This week, Russia extended the residence permit of whistleblower Edward Snowden until 2020; his permit was originally granted in August 2014 for three years. [Guardian]
On Thursday Gambia’s new president Adama Barrow took his oath of office at an embassy outside of the country due to former president Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to give up his position; Senegal has sent troops into Gambia in an attempt to force him to leave. [Washington Post]

On Tuesday, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court rejected banning the far-right political party, National Democratic Party (NPD), finding that although the party’s pursuits are unconstitutional, it does not pose a threat to democracy because it is not very politically popular. [Al Jazeera]
On Tuesday, Britain’s Supreme Court overturned a High Court ruling to allow Libyan dissident, Abdel Hakim Belhaj, to sue the British government and a former foreign secretary for his abduction and torture and subsequent detention in solitary confinement. [New York Times]
Last week, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held that Colombia violated five women human rights defenders’ rights to life; personal integrity; rights of the family; judicial guarantees; property; freedom of association; freedom of movement; and the prevention, punishment, and eradication of violence against women. [ISHR]