The long-awaited first trial of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic opened on Monday but was immediately postponed to May 16. The court, known by its French acronym CPS, was set up in the capital Bangui seven years ago to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and other crimes against humanity committed in the country since 2003. Unique for being in a country that is still in civil war, the trial could have been a key moment in fostering accountability in a country scarred by decades of violence. 

A series of explosions across Afghanistan on Thursday killed at least 16 people and wounded scores more, according to police and health officials. The Islamic State (IS) group's local affiliate claimed an attack on a Shiite mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, which killed at least 11 people. 

Nicaragua’s parliament, controlled by allies of President Daniel Ortega, has shut down 25 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in a move slammed by the opposition as the latest example in a months-long crackdown on civil society. The groups, many of which have publicly criticized the government, were closed by Congress on Wednesday with 74 votes in favor and 15 abstentions. Lawmakers argued the NGOs had violated Nicaraguan laws and failed to disclose financial accounts. Most of the groups work on human rights issues and carry out social and cultural work. 

For journalist Amer Matar, a decade-long search for his younger brother has defined him and changed the course of his life, now dedicated to researching and documenting crimes committed by the Islamic State group in Syria. His brother, Mohammed Nour Matar, vanished in Syria’s northern city of Raqqa in 2013 while reporting on an explosion that hit the headquarters of an insurgent group. His burnt camera was found at the scene of the blast, and his family soon after got word he was in an IS prison. But there has been no other sign of him since.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have rippling effects in populations far outside the two countries in conflict, especially in the global food supply, experts are warning. The war in Ukraine could plunge millions into malnutrition if governments, donors, and funders do not act now to prevent a shortage of the nutritional staples typically exported out of the region. Women and children in low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable, according to the op-ed, which was authored by 10 nutrition and food supply experts from all over the world.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South Africa’s third-largest political party, has organized peaceful protests along the country’s borders in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces with the neighboring Eswatini.

At a time when truth-seeking and reparations initiatives are taking hold across the United States, this report offers reflections from various civil society-led truth-seeking processes. Drawing on case studies from the United States, Colombia, Scotland, and West Papua, the report identifies lessons learned and best practices from these experiences and presents practical options for activists considering similar initiatives.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have agreed to rid their ranks of child soldiers, who have fought by the thousands during the country’s seven years of civil war, the United Nations said Monday. The Houthis signed what the U.N. described as an “action plan” to end and prevent recruiting or using children in armed conflict, killing or maiming children and attacking schools and hospitals. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rebels committed to identifying children in their ranks and releasing them within six months. 

Colombian presidential front-runner Gustavo Petro pledged on Monday that he will not expropriate private property if he wins the nation’s presidency this year as critics in the South American country accuse the leftist candidate of wanting to make radical changes to the country’s economy. Petro made the electoral promise in a public notary in Bogota, where he signed a document that said that “nothing or nobody will be expropriated” if he becomes president.

Humanitarian ceasefires between Ukrainian and Russian forces in Ukraine are not on the horizon, but may be possible in a couple of weeks, the UN aid chief has said. Martin Griffiths made the comments Monday in a briefing to reporters at UN headquarters in New York on his attempts to arrange local ceasefires in Ukraine so that desperate civilians could be evacuated from embattled areas and to provide badly needed assistance.