Two Indian peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously on International Peacekeepers Day for sacrifice in line of duty
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New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
UN condemns Israeli minister for taunting Palestinian prisoner
GENEVA: The UN's human rights office on Tuesday condemned a far-right Israeli minister for taunting a Palestinian prisoner in his cell and sharing the footage online. National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir published a video on Friday last week showing him confronting Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody. UN Human Rights Office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said the footage was unacceptable, adding: "The minister's behaviour and the publication of the footage constitute an attack on Barghouti's dignity." Barghouti, now in his sixties, was sentenced in 2004 to life in prison on murder charges. Regarded as a terrorist by Israel, he often tops opinion polls of popular Palestinian leaders and is sometimes described by his supporters as the "Palestinian Mandela". "International law requires that all those in detention be treated humanely, with dignity, and their human rights respected and protected," said Kheetan. He warned that the minister's actions "may encourage violence against Palestinian detainees" and enable rights violations in Israeli prisons.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
World Humanitarian Day 2025: Date, theme, history, significance and more details
World Humanitarian Day Date and Theme: This year, an estimated 305.1 million people in 72 countries need humanitarian assistance and $47.4 billion in funding, according to the OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2025. World Humanitarian Day is annually observed on 19 August and recognises and pays tribute to aid workers who risk and sometimes lose their lives as an act of humanitarian service in crises. The General Assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day to commemorate the 2003 attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. This claimed the lives of 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. In 2025, the day is observed on Tuesday, 19 August, under the theme of 'ActForHumanity', highlighting the urgency in demanding protection, accountability, and action. It also lays emphasis on protecting humanitarian workers and the civilians they serve, upholding international humanitarian law, and funding the lifelines we claim to support. World Humanitarian Day is a campaign launched by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Each year, WHD focuses on a specific theme, bringing together partners from throughout the humanitarian system to campaign for the survival, well-being, and dignity of those affected by crises, as well as the safety and security of aid workers. Civilians bear the heaviest cost of every crisis. They deserve safety, dignity, and a future. On #WorldHumanitarianDay, we honour the courage of those who rebuild hope. No one should die helping others live.#ActForHumanity — UN Development (@UNDP) August 19, 2025
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
UN debates future withdrawal of Lebanon peacekeeping force
AP photo UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council began to debate Monday a resolution drafted by France to extend the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it. Israel and the United States have reportedly opposed the renewal of the force's mandate, and it was unclear if the draft text has backing from Washington, which wields a veto on the Council. A US State Department spokesman said "we don't comment on ongoing UN Security Council negotiations," as talks continued on the fate of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel. The text, first reported by Reuters, would "extend the mandate of UNIFIL until August 31, 2026" but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL." That would be on the condition that Lebanon's government was the "sole provider of security in southern Lebanon... and that the parties agree on a comprehensive political arrangement." Under a truce that ended a recent war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, Beirut's army has been deploying in south Lebanon and dismantling the militant group's infrastructure there. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like +80 Free Trading Bots for MT4/MT5 Titan FX Register Undo Lebanon has been grappling with the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet this month tasking the army with developing a plan to do so by the end of the year. The Iran-backed group has pushed back. Under the truce, Israel was meant to completely withdraw from Lebanon, though it has kept forces in several areas it deems strategic and continues to administer strikes across Lebanon. Israel's forces have also had tense encounters with the UN blue helmets. The draft resolution under discussion also "calls for enhanced diplomatic efforts to resolve any dispute or reservation pertaining to the international border between Lebanon and Israel." Council members were debating the draft resolution seen by AFP Monday ahead of a vote of the 15-member council on August 25 before the expiration of the force's mandate at the end of the month.
