Swiss police detain several people in connection with ‘suicide capsule’
GENEVA — Police in northern Switzerland said Tuesday that several people have been detained and a criminal case opened in connection with the suspected death of a person in a “suicide capsule.” The “Sarco” capsule is presumably designed to allow…
Indian Kashmiri speaks of ordeal while in Russian military
A man from India-administered Kashmir says he was deceived into working for the Russian military and recounts the ordeal he went through with several others from his homeland. Muheet Ul Islam has more for VOA from Srinagar in India-administered Kashmir….
Ancient coastal city in Egypt feels impact of changing climate
Egypt’s second-largest city, Alexandria, lies in the Eastern Mediterranean, a top climate change hotspot that has dealt with record global air and ocean temperatures this year. Egypt-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam presents scenes of everyday life that have been impacted by…
Gaza crisis reveals ‘true nature’ of Israeli regime, Iranian President says
Addressing the general debate at the Assembly’s 79th session, Masoud Pezeshkian, who assumed office in July, also expressed readiness to engage with the partners of the stalled Iranian nuclear deal. On the situation in Gaza, he emphasized that the world…
Qatar will continue to mediate for peace in Gaza, Amir Al Thani tells world leaders
Speaking at the Assembly’s high-level debate, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani described the “blatant aggression” against Palestinians in Gaza as the “most barbaric, heinous, and extensive” breach of human values, international charters, and norms. “This is not a war…
SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Russia ‘can only be forced into peace’ says Zelenskyy
The UN Security Council is meeting for a high level briefing on the Ukraine war. The UN Secretary-General told foreign ministers and ambassadors that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2014, when Moscow took Crimea, was a clear violation of the…
Sudan crisis must not be forgotten by world leaders, says UN food agency
In an appeal for greater global solidarity with the people of Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that around 800,000 people have fled to Ondo in neighbouring Chad after enduring “unimaginable violence”. WFP Communications Officer Leni Kinzli told journalists…
Lebanon escalation: Have we learned nothing from Gaza, UN humanitarians ask
Speaking from Beirut in the aftermath of Lebanon’s “worst day in 18 years”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) deputy representative in the country, Ettie Higgins, said that unless the violence stopped, the consequences could be “unconscionable”. The wide-ranging Israeli strikes…
Trust in UN’s cornerstone ideals ‘crumbling’: King Abdullah II of Jordan
He noted that while the world has seen many conflicts over the years, “there has never been a time of greater peril than this.” Even the UN is under attack, both literally and figuratively, with its sky-blue flag “powerless”…
Sri Lanka’s new president calls parliamentary elections to consolidate his mandate
Colombo, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolved Parliament late Tuesday and called for parliamentary elections in less than three weeks in an effort to consolidate power after his weekend election victory. A government notification said…