Charles Taylor once again boycotted his trial at The Hague today. He is claiming that he is not given fair representation for his trial after sacking his legal consul, claiming he was ‘outgunned’ by the prosecution. He is charged with 11 counts of war crimes for atrocities committed during the civil conflict in Sierra Leone sparked from a struggle over the countries diamond trade.
Alan Johnston, BBC's Gaza correspondent, appears in a new video wearing a 'suicide vest.’ In the new video, Mr. Johnston claims his captors will detonate the vest if attempts are made to liberate him by force. After capturing the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials have issued statements for the release of Mr. Johnston, stating “We will not allow the continuation of the abduction of the British journalist.”
BBC
I am on deadline for the next week or so and will return to my in depth analysis soon.
