Despite objections by Syria’s government, the United Nations Security Council voted 15 to 0 on Monday to authorize cross-border convoys of emergency aid for millions of deprived Syrian civilians in rebel-held areas, without prior approval by the Syrian authorities. This strengthens provisions adopted five months ago and signified a rare unanimity among the Security Council members over how to deal with the 4-year civil war in Syria. 10.8 million people need assistance because of the war, and roughly half of them live in rebel-held areas.Up to now the government of President Bashar al-Assad has insisted that all international aid be channelled through Damascus and very little, if any, had been getting to civilians in areas not controlled by the government. His political opponents believe the injustice and unfairness of aid distribution was part of an effort to use the assistance, including medicine, as a weapon of war to sicken and starve rebel-held areas into submission.

Unaccompanied children migrants jump onto trains in Mexico to cross the border - as many as 90,000 may have entered the US from Central America this year alone. This week Aljazeera reported that 458 children, including infants, were found living in a rat- and flea-infested refuge in Mexico when police and army troops raided a home known as ‘The Big Family’. Attorney general Jesus Murillo said, ‘There were around 500 children in truly terrible conditions.’ Fox news reported on Wednesday that Dozens of Central Americans who paid $1.50 a head were seen crossing the Suchiate River on inner tubes and wooden boards, in full view of Mexican police and immigration agents. See:  and  

Pope Francis called for urgent action to protect and care for the tens of thousands of unaccompanied children migrating from Central America and Mexico to the United States. In a letter read by the Vatican envoy to Mexico and heard by foreign ministers of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the pope said a humanitarian emergency demands urgent measures for minors to be protected and duly taken in. Migrants cross into the United States under extreme conditions in pursuit of a hope that in most cases turns out to be vain. US authorities have detained 57,000 unaccompanied minors since October. Mexican authorities have picked up 8,000 child migrants in the first five months of this year - over half of whom were travelling alone. The pontiff called for policies to inform the public of the dangers of the trip north and to promote development of the migrants' countries of origin. (See also item 4 below)

Two years after a revolt that ousted and killed Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libya’s weak government is struggling to control its borders, stop the smuggling of weapons and manage regional militias that have refused to disarm. The turmoil temperature rose higher this week as:- the Libya UN Support Mission evacuated all staff citing security concerns; the Ministry of Interior asked residents to stay away from clashes taking place around Tripoli International Airport and on the roads; the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tunis, which processes Libyan applications for Umrah and other visas will close at the end of this week. (the embassy in Tripoli is closed); the Aman Bank in Tripoli closed on Monday because of clashes. Also it is becoming increasingly clear that Christianity is no more welcome in Libya after the Arab Spring than under the rule of Gaddafi . Many Christians have left in the face of violent attacks and the growing strength of both political and militant Islamism. 

A Middle East analyst suggests that Hamas’s military wing calculates that world opinion and mounting Israeli frustration will ultimately work to their advantage. Even though Hamas underestimated the resilience of the Israel home front, military capabilities and intelligence they are determined to see their mission through. Hamas forces are still standing and they are still standing by demands they issued on the second day of conflict, with no signs of flexibility. Historically Hamas is a socio-political organization with an associated paramilitary force, its roots are in the Muslim Brotherhood which has been active in the Gaza strip since 1950’s.The name Hamas is an acronym of Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya meaning ‘Islamic Resistance Movement’

After the Associated Press published an article, based on a China Aid press release, reporting the harsh 12-year prison term given to Pastor Zhang Shaojie of China’s central Henan, authorities in Nanle County released two other Nanle County Christian Church members, Zhao Guoli and Wu Guishan, on Saturday, 5 July.  Both men had been held in an undisclosed location since their arrest on 15 November, 2013.  Their release came days after the Nanle County People’s Court handed down a ten-year prison term for the church’s pastor for a fabricated fraud charge and a two-year sentence for 'gathering a crowd to disrupt public order.' The pastor was also given a fine of 100,000 yuan (US $16,100) (see http://www.chinaaid.org/2014/07/court-sentences-three-self-pastor-to-12.html).   Zhao, 38, and Wu, 43 had been detained as they travelled to Beijing to petition authorities there for a better outcome to a land dispute between the church and local authorities.

The United Nations put a damper on ‘gay pride’ festivities last Thursday when it re-affirmed that the natural family is the fundamental unit of society.  The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on 'Protection of the Family' with a traditional definition of the family last Thursday, even as revellers readied themselves to celebrate gay pride weekend. It recognises the importance of the family for society and individuals, and that countries must strengthen and protect the family.  The resolution not only echoes language from the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights about the family as the 'natural and fundamental unit of society,' it also states that the family is the 'natural environment' for the education and development of children.  The resolution passed by a comfortable margin, with 26 votes for, 14 against, and 6 abstentions. It was greeted by thunderous applause.

Typhoon Neoguri headed for the Japanese mainland on Wednesday after crossing to the southern Okinawa island chain, killing two people and leaving a trail of damage.  With gusts of up to 110 miles an hour (180km/h) the typhoon was forecast to hit the southern main island of Kyushu as early as Thursday before moving east along the Japanese archipelago, the national weather agency said.  Officials said Neoguri would bring heavy rainfall and warned of the risk of flooding and landslides after the storm which has weakened from a super typhoon forced half a million people to seek shelter in Okinawa on Tuesday.  Kyushu (which is next to the biggest island of Honshu, where major cities including Tokyo and Osaka are located) experienced heavy rain and strong winds. Authorities were considering an emergency alert for residents to seek shelter ahead of Neoguri's landfall.  By Thursday lunchtime, heavy rain brought in by the Typhoon had caused three fatalities, extensive damage and forced thousands to leave their homes.  A 12-year-old boy was killed in the central farming town of Nagiso after rocks and boulders swept away his home.  Neoguri, which first threatened Japan as a super typhoon, had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it came ashore but was still gusting at up to 126 kph (78 mph).

Afghan presidential contender Abdullah Abdullah has claimed victory in last month's election, despite results giving a lead to his rival, Ashraf Ghani.  Addressing supporters in the capital, Kabul, Mr Abdullah repeated claims that the election was marred by fraud. US Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier warned against a power grab, amid reports that Mr Abdullah was planning a ‘parallel government’.  The Abdullah camp has decided to take things into their own hands and he appears to have some support.  Several influential figures - governors, district leaders, mayors, and warlords - have come out in his favour. But Afghanistan is a divided country: Mr Ghani and Mr Abdullah both command a lot of support. Preliminary results announced on Monday gave Mr Ghani 56.44% of votes in the 14 June run-off. Mr Abdullah, who fell just short of an outright majority in the first round, had 43.56%.  Both men have alleged fraud in the election. Votes are being re-checked at more than 7,000 polling stations - nearly a third of the total number.  Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Kerry said Afghanistan risked losing security and aid support if anyone tried to ‘take power by extra-legal means’.

Terror group, Hamas has vowed to continue firing rockets at Israel after an Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed seven people in a house in the Gaza Strip.  Hamas intends to step up its attacks in retaliation.  Its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused Israel of perpetrating ‘massacres’ against women and children in Khan Yunis.  Referring to an Israel Air Force bombing of a house belonging to a Hamas operative, Abu Zuhri said: ‘This massacre against women and children is an ugly war crime. All Israelis have now become legitimate targets.’   Ismail al-Ashqar, a Hamas legislator, said that his movement would continue the rocket attacks until Israel succumbs to its demand and lifts the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip