Uncategorized Archives - Page 7 of 227

Syria: Relative of Assad regime’s disappeared speaks of anguish in search for truth and justice

·March 17, 2025·3 min read

Obeida Dabbagh’s brother Mazen, and nephew Patrick – both Syrian-French nationals – were arrested by Air Force Intelligence officials in November 2013. Held for years and tortured, there were falsely declared dead in 2018 “years after they disappeared,” Mr. Dabbagh told the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which meets at the UN...

‘Brighter future hangs in the balance’ in Syria after 14 years of war

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·March 17, 2025·1 min read

The announcement comes as Syria marks 14 years since peaceful protests were met with brutal repression, igniting a conflict that has displaced millions and left the country in ruins. While the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 initially raised hopes for stability, fresh violence is threatening these fragile...

UN chief hails Kyrgyz-Tajik border treaty breakthrough

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·March 16, 2025·1 min read

The presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Sadyr Japarov and Emomali Rahmon, signed the agreement at a meeting in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, earlier today, according to media reports. Closed since 2021, two checkpoints on the nearly 1,000-km-long Tajik-Kyrgyz border have now resumed operation, and flights from Bishkek to Dushanbe and...

‘Without us, there is no future’: Youth take over UN Women’s Commission

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·March 16, 2025·4 min read

“Support us and include us in intergovernmental processes,” said Ema Meçaj, a medical student and member of Albania’s youth steering committee, who was among young men and women panellists from around the world at an interactive dialogue at the 69th session of world’s largest annual conference on women (CSW69), which...

World News in Brief: Fresh fighting in eastern DR Congo, global trade update, elections in CAR, Pakistan train hijack

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·March 16, 2025·4 min read

Over 850,000 civilians have been displaced in South Kivu province, nearly half of them children, according to the agency. Many are living in precarious conditions, sheltering in schools, churches or in the open, lacking clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. Grave violations against children have also sharply risen, including...

Reject bigotry and discrimination, UN chief says, urging everyone to combat Islamophobia

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·March 16, 2025·1 min read

In a message marking Saturday’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Secretary-General António Guterres warned of racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship. “This is part of a wider scourge of intolerance, extremist ideologies, and attacks against religious...

UN chief affirms solidarity with Bangladesh amid political transition

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·March 15, 2025·4 min read

Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Secretary-General praised Bangladesh’s progress and highlighted the role of the international community in supporting the country’s future. “I am particularly pleased to be in Bangladesh at this important moment in your national journey,” Mr. Guterres said, acknowledging the leadership of Chief Adviser Muhammad...

‘Time for bold moves’: UN urges inclusive transition as Syria marks 14 years of conflict

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·March 15, 2025·3 min read

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law. “What began as a plea for reform was met with staggering brutality, leading to one of the most harrowing conflicts of our time,” he...

‘Is this just a long, beautiful dream?’: Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab on her country’s future

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·March 15, 2025·7 min read

After 14 years of war, Syria has entered a new and uncertain chapter. The country is devastated – 90 per cent of Syrians live in poverty. Despite the challenges up to one million people living in camps and displacement sites across the country’s northwest intend to return home within the...

No food deliveries to Gaza as border closures continue

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·March 15, 2025·1 min read

There is also a shortage of fuel, which is affecting the movement of vehicles across Gaza and slowing down first responders, Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York. “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that oxygen supplies and electricity generators are...

In Bangladesh, UN chief vows to prevent Rohingya suffering as aid cuts loom

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·March 14, 2025·3 min read

UN aid efforts are in jeopardy following funding reductions announced by major donors, including the United States and several European nations. Mr. Guterres described Cox’s Bazar as “ground zero” for the impact of these cuts, warning of a looming humanitarian disaster if immediate action is not taken. “We are at...

Iran protests: Human Rights Council probe condemns online, app-based repression

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·March 14, 2025·2 min read

In their latest and final report, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran alleged ongoing serious rights violations by the Iranian authorities stemming from massive protests after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022. Ms. Amini, from the Iranian Kurdish community, had been arrested by the country’s...