Gaza power cut impacts safe water access for hundreds of thousands
The development follows Israel’s decision on Sunday to cut power to the Strip – in a bid to increase pressure on Hamas over hostage releases – disrupting vital desalination operations. Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF official in Gaza, reported that 600,000…
Syria: Children among the dead amid reports of mass killings and looting
According to Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East, a six-month-old baby was among at least 13 children reported to have been killed. Clashes erupted on Friday between Syrian Caretaker Authority forces and soldiers loyal to the former…
Afghanistan: Top UN envoy calls for ‘a moment of realism’, as Taliban’s isolation grows
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, warned that political engagement with the Taliban has yielded little progress, while frustration among international stakeholders is growing. “The space for engagement is narrowing,” she said,…
Women, girls bear brunt of cyberbullying against persons with disabilities
Recalling the mantra “nothing about us, without us”, which was coined by the disability rights movement, UN rights chief Volker Türk insisted that the international community was failing to uphold a fundamental tenet of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with…
Russia, Ukraine report clashes in Sumy
Russian and Ukrainian officials reported fighting in Ukraine’s Sumy region, with Russian advances in the area creating the potential for cutting off supply lines to Ukraine’s military. The officials said clashes were taking place in the Novenke area. Sumy is…
After Poland spat, Musk vows Ukraine can keep Starlink
Billionaire industrialist and senior White House adviser Elon Musk vowed Sunday to maintain Ukraine’s access to his Starlink satellite network, after a fierce online clash with Poland’s outspoken foreign minister. The United States has suspended military aid and intelligence sharing…
‘Porcelain War’ documentary spotlights Ukrainian artists’ fight for country
The documentary film Porcelain War highlights the struggle of Ukrainian artists and ordinary citizens fighting to save their country and culture in the face of Russian aggression. The movie won the 2024 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize for documentaries and…
Trump to keep tariffs to pressure Mexico, Canada, China on fentanyl, aides say
U.S. President Donald Trump is keeping new tariffs in place on Mexico, Canada and China to pressure them to block the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the United States, top White House economic officials said Sunday. “If fentanyl…
Rubio heads to Saudi Arabia for US-Ukraine talks, then Canada for G7
State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday for U.S.-Ukraine talks as President Donald Trump pushes to broker a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine war. While in Jeddah, Rubio will also…
UN rights chief raises alarm over escalating violence in Syria
“We are receiving extremely disturbing reports of entire families, including women, children and hors de combat fighters, being killed,” said Volker Türk in a statement. “There are reports of summary executions on a sectarian basis by unidentified perpetrators, by members…