Author: Solomon Alaka

Ireland’s Forensic Science Agency Marks Record Year as DNA Database Expands and Drug Seizures Surge

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Ireland’s forensic system entered a new era in 2024, with Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) delivering unprecedented levels of analysis and completing its long-planned move to a state-of-the-art laboratory in Backweston, Co Kildare. The year’s findings were detailed today as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan published FSI’s Annual Report 2024, spotlighting a […]

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Global campaign reveals how human rights ‘are the basis of our existence’

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UN News asked Astrid Van Genderen Stort, OHCHR chief of external engagement and partnerships, about hers.   “My everyday essentials are my family, a sense of belonging, knowledge, safety and the freedom to speak, do and live the way I deem best,” she responded. With the help of artificial intelligence, UN News has analysed the […]

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Afghanistan’s crisis deepens as human rights recede and aid funding falls

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Afghanistan’s crisis deepens as human rights recede and aid funding falls

Briefing the Security Council, Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said nearly half the population will need protection and humanitarian assistance in 2026. Women and girls remain “systematically excluded” from almost all aspects of public life, Ms. Gagnon said, as the ban on […]

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Nansen Award winners show compassion for refugees is far from fading

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Nansen Award winners show compassion for refugees is far from fading

This year’s honourees include five remarkable laureates from Cameroon, Mexico, Ukraine, Iraq and Tajikistan, each recognised for their courage, empathy and determination to protect people forced to flee. Established in 1954, the award celebrates those who go far beyond the call of duty to support refugees, internally displaced people and the stateless. Announcing the winners, […]

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‘We won’t stop’: Afghan women keep businesses alive despite sweeping rights abuses

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on ‘We won’t stop’: Afghan women keep businesses alive despite sweeping rights abuses

For many, running a small business has become the only viable path to earning an income – and a way to support other women who have lost their jobs.  With help from the UN, these entrepreneurs are keeping their livelihoods going, often in the face of intense social pressure and strict rules governing women’s movement. […]

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Peace proves relative in Gaza with no let-up in deadly airstrikes

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Peace proves relative in Gaza with no let-up in deadly airstrikes

“The Security Council resolution is very clear about not calling anything a border or anything else, it is about a territory that needs to be respected in its entirety,” he said, referencing a resolution adopted by the Council on 17 November in support of a comprehensive plan to end the conflict. “We call on all parties […]

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‘All we want for Sudan is peace’ say children fleeing violence

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Only 16 at the time, she saw armed men attacking her village and killing people – her grandfather and uncle among them. Girls were raped or taken. “Nahed managed to escape but said it was terrifying,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell who described Nahed’s story on Tuesday. “The chilling memories remain.” Sudan is in the […]

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EU plans to upgrade energy infrastructure to lower bills and boost independence

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on EU plans to upgrade energy infrastructure to lower bills and boost independence

  The European Commission has proposed new initiatives to address long-standing issues in the planning and implementation of the EU’s energy infrastructure. They aim to ensure that affordable and clean energy flows more efficiently across the EU. Grid infrastructure is the backbone of the European energy system. The new package proposes to modernise and expand it to unlock its […]

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EU releases €2.4 million flood response aid in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on EU releases €2.4 million flood response aid in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand

In response to the devastating floods that have hit Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand, the European Union has released €2.4 million in emergency assistance for the most affected areas. This funding will serve to provide essential relief to the most vulnerable communities. Up to €1.8 million will support relief efforts in Sri Lanka, including €500,000 […]

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Enoch Burke and the Limits of Contempt: A Case Where Rights, Livelihood and Law Collide

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Enoch Burke and the Limits of Contempt: A Case Where Rights, Livelihood and Law Collide

When Rights Collide in the Classroom: Gender Identity, Minors, and the Complex Intersection of Law, Belief and Duty A quiet request within a school — that staff address a student by a different name or pronouns — can appear straightforward on the surface. But when the student is a minor, when staff hold deeply rooted […]

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