UN Report Condemns Human Rights Violations Against Afghan Returnees

On July 24, 2025, the United Nations released a damning report detailing widespread human rights abuses committed by Taliban authorities against Afghan nationals who were involuntarily returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries. The findings, compiled by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office, are based on interviews with 49 […]

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WHO EMRO | Launch of the Regional Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention

24 July 2025, Cairo, Egypt – On 17 July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean launched the Regional Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention. A webinar held for the launch brought together civil society organizations (CSOs) working on mental health and substance use from across the Region. […]

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Saudi Arabia Intensifies Crackdown on Journalists Amid Rising Censorship

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to escalate its repression of press freedom, with 14 journalists currently detained under opaque and arbitrary conditions. Among them are Wajdi al-Ghazzawi, Turad al-Amr, Maha al-Rafidi, and Zana al-Shahri, whose cases reflect a broader pattern of silencing dissenting voices. This intensifying crackdown reached a chilling milestone with the execution […]

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Deep-sea must not turn into ‘Wild West’ of rare minerals exploitation, agency head says

Marking its 30th anniversary, ISA is the world’s authority on the deep-sea beyond national jurisdiction. Washington may have passed an order on deep-sea licensing in international waters earlier this year, but the authority’s chief Leticia Carvalho said the United States, which is not an ISA member, “is going at it alone”. “The rest of the […]

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Torture, threats and arbitrary arrests: UN warns of ‘serious abuses’ against Afghans forced to return

These abuses include threats, cases of torture, mistreatment and arbitrary arrest and detention, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report said these violations were committed against Afghans “based on their profile” and targeted women, media workers and civil society […]

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Nigeria: Amid record hunger and surging insecurity, emergency food assistance to stall entirely

While WFP has been able to hold hunger at bay across northern Nigeria in the first half of 2025, funding shortfalls are jeopardising such efforts, with lifesaving programmes set to grind to a halt by the end of July.   Without immediate funding, millions of vulnerable people will be left without food assistance as WFP’s […]

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Russian Passenger Plane Crashes in Amur Region, Killing All 49 On Board

A Russian passenger aircraft operated by Angara Airlines has crashed in the Amur region of the country’s Far East, killing all 49 people on board. The Antonov An-24, a Soviet-era twin-engine turboprop, disappeared from radar on July 24 while attempting a second landing approach near Tynda, a remote town close to the Chinese border. The […]

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Irish Government Allocates €24.33 Billion to Transport Under National Development Plan Review 2025

The Department of Transport has been awarded €24.33 billion under the National Development Plan (NDP) Review 2025, marking a major investment in Ireland’s transport infrastructure over the next five years. The funding was welcomed by Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, Minister of State Seán Canney, and Minister of State Jerry Buttimer, who emphasized its transformative […]

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UK and India Sign Landmark Trade Deal Worth £6 Billion

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have signed a landmark UK–India trade agreement, expected to deliver £6 billion in investment and create 2,200 new jobs across the United Kingdom. The deal, finalized during Modi’s official visit to the UK, is hailed as the largest of its kind in terms of […]

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‘Perfect storm’ of global crises drove years of food price surges: FAO

The report, to be released later this month, reveals how between 2020 and 2024, the world experienced a dramatic increase in food prices driven by a combination of COVID-19 inflation, the war in Ukraine restricting movements on food and commodities and increasing climate shocks.   “The episodes described in this publication bring up what we […]

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