Spain's Supreme Court has summoned Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to testify remotely in June over his links to a group accused of breaching terrorism law over protests following the region's failed 2017 bid for independence.

The investigating magistrate set tentative dates for the remote hearing between June 17 and 21 and issued a European Investigation Order to ascertain Puigdemont's whereabouts and legal address, the court said in a statement on April 8. Puigdemont lives in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

Myanmar’s escalating conflict and worst violence since the military takeover in 2021 are having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the basic needs of millions of people—as well as “alarming spillover effects” in the region, UN officials said on April 4.

Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the UN Security Council that “the civilian toll keeps rising” amid reports of indiscriminate bombing by Myanmar’s armed forces and artillery shelling by various parties.

The case at the International Court of Justice is against Germany, which is the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel after the US, but it also indirectly takes aim at Israel’s six-month-old military campaign, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and devastated Gaza.

Latin American governments, including regional heavyweight Brazil, rallied around Mexico on April 6 after its embassy in Ecuador was raided to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexican authorities.

Rwandans are marking 30 years since a genocide orchestrated by armed Hutu tore apart their country, as neighbors turned on each other in one of the bloodiest massacres of the 20th century.

President Paul Kagame led the commemoration on April 7 by placing wreaths on the mass graves in the capital, Kigali, flanked by foreign dignitaries, including the leaders of South Africa and Ethiopia as well as former US President Bill Clinton, who had called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration.

On February 13, 2024, the interactive cultural exhibit “If There Is Truth, There Is Future” opened to the public at Bogotá’s Center for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation. As part of the Colombian Truth Commission’s post-closure cultural and educational outreach activities, the exhibit aims to inform Colombians of all generations about the commission’s findings and inspire them to take action to prevent a recurrence of conflict. 

More than 600 British jurists, including three retired judges from the UK Supreme Court, are calling on the government to suspend arms sales to Israel, piling pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after the deaths of three UK aid workers in an Israeli strike.

Britain is just one of a number of Israel’s longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the six-month-old war in Gaza.

An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria on April 1 killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Iranian officials. The strike appeared to signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon.

Since the war in Gaza began nearly six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on October 7, is also backed by Iran.

The United States wants a swift Israeli investigation into an attack that killed seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen charity in Gaza, the State Department said on April 3.

Israel needs to put in place better deconfliction and coordination measures to protect humanitarian workers and protect all civilians on the ground, spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular news briefing.

Ukrainians can begin filing claims for damages they have suffered in Russia's invasion at a newly established register based in The Hague, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 2.

Within hours of opening the register, more than 100 claims were filed, Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said at the close of the conference. Ukrainian officials said they expect more than 8 million individual claims to be filed.