A town in east Ukraine came under shellfire by pro-Russian rebels today, amid fears that they are launching a counter-offensive on government-held parts of the region. In response to outgoing fire early today, rebel forces lobbed at least 10 shells at the government-held town of Novoazovsk. 

Iraqi warplanes have begun targeting jihadists besieging the Shiite Turkmen town of Amerli amid growing fears for the safety of thousands of residents short of food and water and facing a “massacre”. With some 12,000 Turkmen trapped in the northern town, US President Barack Obama is “nearing a decision” to authorise strikes …

Mass atrocities by Government forces and non-state armed groups continue to take place in Syria, causing immeasurable suffering to civilians, according to a UN report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic released on Wednesday. The report stated that the continuous influx of foreign fighters …