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David Miliband, IRC President and CEO, reported U. S. David Miliband, the IRC’s President and CEO, said it was still vital to recognise the impact of aid cuts, led by the U. S., that have halved the IRC’s budget in the country to a current estimate of $20 million in 2027 from $40 million last year.
Delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan gathered on June Delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan began gathering on June 21 at the Lake Lucerne Summit, launching what could become the most consequential diplomatic effort yet to stabilize the Middle East after weeks of war. Delegations Gather For US-Iran Summit Amid Fragile Regional Truce. High-level talks have begun between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, launching what could become the most consequential diplomatic effort yet to stabilize the Middle East after near four months of war.
Twenty thousand runners competed in the Comrades race in South Africa. For one day every June, South Africa’s searing racial inequality seems to melt away at Comrades raceIn the early morning dark, thousands of runners waited, jostling with anticipation. South Africa’s national anthem rang out. Then the haunting swell of Shosholoza, first sung by Zimbabwean migrant workers in South Africa’s goldmines.
Marjane Satrapi was laid to rest in Paris on June 19. The Iranian-born author wrote the graphic novel Persepolis, which was later adapted into a Cannes-winning animated film. Satrapi's work was honored with tributes in Paris. She was a renowned artist, activist, and filmmaker. Iranian-born author Marjane Satrapi, who wrote the hit graphic novel Persepolis, was laid to rest on June 19 in Paris amid tributes honoring her work.
Russia is experiencing gas shortages at fuel stations. Pulling up at a gas station with no fuel for sale, a Russian woman is aghast: “What’s going on in this country?” What’s going on is that in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is fighting back with strikes on oil refineries, part of a bid to bring the war to citizens across Russia.
US and Iranian delegations delayed travel to Switzerland for peace talks after Israeli military bombardment in southern Lebanon US and Iranian delegations delayed plans to travel to Switzerland on Friday for the opening round of talks to cement the details of a peace agreement as the Israeli military bombarded southern Lebanon, killing at least 18 people and threatening once again to derail momentum toward a diplomatic resolution.
Artists at the United Nations used cultural artifacts and performances to illustrate how art can counter hate. Examples included an enslaved African's gold collar and Holocaust-era music. A staged hate radio broadcast and participatory porcelain cup displays were also presented. From a gold collar worn by an enslaved African to music preserved for nearly a century after the Holocaust, a staged reconstruction of a hate radio broadcast or porcelain coffee cups laid out in participatory remembrance, artists in a United Nations discussion on Friday used powerful images to underscore how culture can shape the fight against hatred.
The term "Wasian" is gaining visibility in popular culture. “Wasians” are having a moment right now. Think of Winter Olympians Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, actors Lola Tang (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Hudson Williams (Heated Rivalry), or singer/dancer Megan Skiendiel from Katseye. In fact, Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey featured many of these same “Wasians” in her recent Madwoman music video.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced a Caribbean manifesto for slavery reparations. The document asserts the moral, ethical, and legal case for reparations. It emphasizes harm done to African women. Other Caribbean nations are considering the manifesto. Updated document, which emphasises harm done to African women, is being considered by other Caribbean countriesBarbados’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, has announced a new manifesto from Caribbean leaders asserting the “moral, ethical and legal case” for reparations over damage caused by hundreds of years of enslavement. Mottley was speaking at a “historic” conference in Ghana to advance the push fo.
A South African court sentenced Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus ‘Mastermind’ Dawie Groenewald given fine of 2m rand or four-year jail term almost 16 years after arrestTwo traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police said was the world’s largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga. Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus had faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and de.
Manori Sallay, wife of Sri Lanka's detained former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay I've been informed by my children that upon leaving the hospital premises, a CID officer has entered the lift with them and appeared to follow them, says Manori Sallay, ex- Sri Lanka's State Intelligence Service head Suresh Sallay's wife.
The Taliban has started restricting smartphone use among government employees in Afghanistan. Enforcement is uneven across the country. The Taliban has begun restricting the use of smartphones by government employees, although the order appears to be unevenly enforced across the country. In some areas, civilians' mobile devices have reportedly been targeted as well, sparking concern that the ban may eventually extend nationwide.
Tajikistan officials rejected a couple's chosen name for their newborn. A Tajik couple was forced to abandon the name they chose for their newborn child after officials said it was not on an approved registry. The case highlights Tajikistan's controversial effort to promote Persian-rooted names and curb visible Islamic influences.
Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa secured Chinese backing for Indonesia When Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa landed in Beijing last week, the official agenda appeared straightforward: secure support for Indonesia’s first sovereign Panda Bond, deepen financial cooperation with China and strengthen investor confidence. By those measures, the visit was productive. Purbaya returned with Chinese backing for the Panda Bond initiative, discussions on expanding yuan-rup.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority chairman Ashik Chowdhury stated defense issues would be discussed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip When Ashik Chowdhury, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, was recently asked about Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming trip to China, his response caught the room off guard. “Many issues will come up,” Chowdhury remarked, “starting with defense.” For a diplomatic trip strictly billed around trade, investment, and business, it was an The post Everythi.
Zardaly, a Kyrgyz village in the Batken region, is seeing its only access road expanded and reinforced. Previously, the precarious mountain pass was dangerous for people and horses, with some falling to their deaths. The infrastructure improvements are bringing new life to the area. New housing is being built. A power station is also planned for Zardaly. In Kyrgyzstan's remote Batken region, locals say people and horses have fallen to their deaths while traversing the only road to the village of Zardaly.
The Pentagon restored the designation US Pacific Command, replacing the Indo-Pacific Command name The Pentagon’s decision to restore the designation US Pacific Command (USPACOM), replacing the Indo-Pacific Command name adopted in 2018, has officially been presented as a historical adjustment rather than a strategic shift., the command’s area of responsibility remains unchanged, stretching from America’s Pacific coastline to India’s western border,.
Advocates state Canada's Safe Third Country Agreement compels asylum seekers to enter the Advocates say the Safe Third Country Agreement forces immigrants to head to an unsafe country: the United StatesIt was the threat of gang violence in Honduras that pushed Carlos and Antonia to flee their home. In 2021, with their toddler, Alejandro, and a handful of belongings, the married couple ventured north hoping to reach safety in the US. The journey, through Guatemala and Mexico, was filled.
Colombia holds a presidential runoff vote on Sunday. Colombians will choose on Sunday between two men whose lives have been very differently shaped by the militias, and whose visions for the country are poles apartWhoever wins Sunday’s presidential runoff vote in Colombia, the country’s next leader will have a personal history intertwined with one of the criminal forces at the heart of a decades-long armed conflict that claimed nearly half a million.
A 21-year-old New Zealander, known by his call A soldier who goes by the call sign Kiwi was still a teenager in Wellington, New Zealand, when he saw Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the news in February 2022. As the war dragged on, he learned that he could enlist and receive training to fight alongside the forces defending Ukraine.
Severe thunderstorms caused destruction in the Balkans last week. The storms formed over the Adriatic Sea due to lingering hot air and a southward cold front. Slovenia experienced strong winds and heavy rain. Strong winds and heavy rain batter Slovenia, while France experiences atypical heatwaveSevere thunderstorms swept across the Balkans last week, bringing widespread destruction to parts of the region.
Emergency repairs have begun on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery's Transfiguration Cathedral. The UNESCO World Heritage site sustained damage during an overnight attack on June 15. Priceless artifacts were moved to safety. Experts are concerned that soot and moisture still threaten other historic items within the cathedral. Ukrainian workers are conducting emergency repairs to a historic cathedral, part of a UNESCO-protected monastery, which was damaged in an overnight attack on June 15.
Max Mara celebrated its 75th anniversary with a catwalk show in Shanghai. The event paid tribute to Chinese style, reflecting the city's dynamic energy. Designer Ian Griffiths noted Shanghai's constant motion as a key reason for choosing it. The brand aims to connect with China's luxury consumers. Fashion house pays tribute to Chinese style with its 75th anniversary catwalk show in Shanghai“New York may be the city that never sleeps, but Shanghai doesn’t even sit down.” For the British designer Ian Griffiths, who encountered this line in the New Yorker, it summed up why China’s biggest city was the right place to celebrate Max Mara’s 75th anniversary.“Max Mara is a product for metropolitan.
Commercialisation of cannabis, not decriminalisation, drives up usage and psychosis rates. A review of countries where cannabis is sold commercially found an increase in users and mental health problems. Strict regulation or decriminalisation of possession did not show similar effects. The study analysed changes in cannabis markets and their public health impacts. Review reveals rise in users and rates of psychosis in countries where cannabis is sold commercially Decriminalising the possession of cannabis or strictly regulating access to the drug do not appear to drive up usage, but when the drug is sold commercially the number of users increases and more mental health problems are seen, a review has found.
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