On August 10th, 2014, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Justice Party and Development Party (AK) made history by winning Turkey’s first-ever direct election for President[1]. The victory capped off a tumultuous third term as Prime Minister which saw Erdogan feud with the judiciary, accuse top military brass of treason, and preside over the violent suppression of peaceful protests[2].

An independent report on the 1 September 2013 massacre at Camp Ashraf in Iraq, published on the one-year anniversary of the attack, has confirmed the suspected involvement of the government of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The report, which incorporates the testimonies of the 42 surviving eyewitnesses to the massacre, was compiled by the Human Security Centre (HSC), a London-based global foreign policy think tank; and the Ashraf Campaign (ASHCAM), a human rights group set up last year to advocate for Iranian refugees living in Iraq.

Adopted by the Bashir government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLM/A), the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2005 to end the North-South conflict. Resultantly, Sudanese constitutional law was codified in the Interim National Constitution of the Republic of Sudan 2005 (INC). Indeed, the human rights commitments expressed in the CPA went on to form the basis of the Bill of Rights (part two of the INC). It is significant to note that the INC was intended to be a transitional tool at a time of political unrest, not a permanent constitution. Despite this, the INC currently remains in force.

Refugee flows have always represented a sensitive issue in the field of International relations. However, the responses by the international community and the various interpretations which were given to the movement of populations from conflict zones change. This depends on the international, regional and national contexts in which a given crisis is unfolding and how it is being analyzed by key stakeholders.

Delhi, 15th August 2014, Narendra Modi addressed the nation in his first Independence Day speech as Indian Prime Minister. The ramparts of the iconic Red Fort provided a familiar setting. However, the content of Mr Modi’s speech broke from tradition. Notable was his impassioned plea for a shift in attitude on the issue of violence against women – an issue that, by his reckoning, still brings shame to India

Today is the ‘International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition’. This week the international society remembers the slave trade and its abolition. However, with an estimated 20-30 million victims subject to modern-slavery, this crime is still all too present in our societies.

The deadline for a nuclear agreement with Iran has been extended until November 2014, whilst the sides try to bridge gaps that remain between them. At this time, the consequences of an agreement, and those of a failure to reach one, could define regional stability and security in the near future.

On 18th August, 20014, the HSC’s Executive Director, Julie Lenarz, was on BBC Radio Drivetime debating Iraq with Chris Nineham of the Stop the War Coalition.

On 18th August 2014, the HSC’s Executive Director, Julie Lenarz, was on LBC discussing the threat posed by ISIS and strategy in Iraq.

Campaigners have marched through the streets of London to protest against recent attacks on Iraqis and Syrians by ISIS militants. Hundreds of people gathered outside BBC Broadcasting House before marching through Oxford Street towards the US Embassy. Demonstrators, led by ...