Turkey says Israeli strikes on Damascus meant to sabotage peace
The ministry said Syria had a historic opportunity to live in peace and integrate into the world after the toppling Bashar al-Assad, the former president, in December.
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Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
HRC celebrates first graduating class of 'Human Rights Expert' program
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Human Rights Commission (HRC) held a graduation ceremony at its headquarters in Riyadh on Sunday to honor the first cohort of participants in the 'Human Rights Expert' program. The event was attended by senior officials, program partners, and the graduating students. In her address, HRC President Dr. Hala Al-Tuwaijri described the program as a milestone in developing professional and national capacities across the human rights field. She emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Commission's mandate and international standards, which underscore education and training as key tools for advancing human rights. 'Through the Human Rights Expert program, the Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education, justice, and strong institutions,' Al-Tuwaijri said. She expressed gratitude to the Kingdom's leadership for its unwavering support of efforts to protect and promote human rights. Al-Tuwaijri also congratulated the graduates, praising their dedication throughout the program and describing them as future leaders poised to contribute meaningfully at both local and international levels. The program was implemented in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Majmaah University, and a specialized training center. Al-Tuwaijri also commended the program teams and committees for their efforts in making this first edition a success. Dr. Amal Al-Habdan, head of the program's technical committee and a member of the HRC board, said the initiative went beyond standard training to offer a transformative experience. 'It was a journey of learning, deep understanding, and perseverance, shaped by the contributions of leading local and international experts in human rights development and training,' she said. Alex Mejia, Director of Human and Social Development at UNITAR, noted that the program bridged theory with practice, law with lived experience, and knowledge with leadership. He said this first edition represented an innovative educational model grounded in both global and local human rights priorities, while celebrating cultural identity and contextual specificity. Launched in November 2024, the 'Human Rights Expert' program is a specialized initiative by the Human Rights Commission aimed at preparing a diverse pool of national consultants and experts in various human rights fields. It brings together local expertise and international best practices to deliver a comprehensive training experience.


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Russia insists on achieving Ukraine goals despite Trump's ultimatum
Russia is open to peace with Ukraine, but achieving its goals remains a priority, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday, days after US President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face tougher and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its Western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, launching more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to President Vladimir Putin 'has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov told state television in an interview.'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals,' he said. 'Our goals are clear.'The Kremlin has insisted that any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022, but never fully captured. It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces — demands Kyiv and its Western allies have his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his officials have proposed a new round of peace talks this week. Russian state media on Sunday reported that no date has yet been set for the negotiations, but said that Istanbul would likely remain the host or sanctionsTrump threatened Russia on July 14 with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration following unsuccessful negotiations aimed at ending the war. The direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul resulted in several rounds of prisoner exchanges but little US president said that he would implement 'severe tariffs' unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but suggested they would target Russia's trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global addition, Trump said that European allies would buy 'billions and billions' of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country's supplies of weapons. Included in the plan are Patriot air defense systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and were recently raised about Trump's commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that US stockpiles were running strikesElsewhere, Ukraine's air force said that it shot down 18 of 57 Shahed-type and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight into Sunday, with seven more disappearing from women were wounded in Zaporizhzhia, a southern Ukrainian region partly occupied by Russia, when a drone struck their house, according to the regional military administration. Two more civilians were wounded in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv province, after a drone slammed into a residential building, local Ukrainian officials Sunday, drones struck a leafy square in the center of Sumy, wounding a woman and her 7-year-old son, officials said. The strike also damaged a power line, leaving around 100 households without electricity, according to Serhii Krivosheienko, of the municipal military Russia's Defense Ministry said that its forces shot down 93 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory overnight, including at least 15 that appeared to head for Moscow. At least 13 more drones were downed on the approach to the capital on Sunday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. One drone struck a residential building in Zelenograd, on the outskirts of Moscow, damaging an apartment, but caused no casualties, he said.


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Turkiye's Erdogan insists on Cyprus two-state solution
NORTH NICOSIA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reaffirmed his country's support for a two-state solution in Cyprus, urging the international community to accept the Mediterranean island's existing division. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Turkish invasion followed a coup in Nicosia backed by Greece's then-military junta. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983, is recognized only by Ankara. 'We fully support the vision based on a two-state solution,' Erdogan said during a visit to northern Cyprus marking 51 years since Turkish troops invaded the island. 'It is time for the international community to make peace with the realities on the ground,' Erdogan said. The Turkish leader's visit comes few days after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that meetings between Cyprus's rival leaders at the organization's New York headquarters were 'constructive,' even as questions remained about crossing points on the island. Erdogan on Sunday called for an end to the isolation of the TRNC. 'Diplomatic, political, and economic relations should be established with the TRNC, and the injustice endured by Turkish Cypriots for decades must finally come to an end,' he said. The last major round of peace talks collapsed in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July 2017.