World News in Brief: WFP boosts aid in Chad amid Sudan crisis, Ukraine education boost, counter-terrorism, the right to privacy

World News in Brief: WFP boosts aid in Chad amid Sudan crisis, Ukraine education boost, counter-terrorism, the right to privacy

The World Food Programme announced the operation on Tuesday and warned that lifesaving programmes in Chad will stop because of a funding crunch “in a matter of weeks”. Thousands of Sudan refugees continue to stream over the border into Chad to escape heavy fighting between warring generals that began last April.   Around one million…

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‘Force alone is not the answer’ says UN counter-terrorism chief

‘Force alone is not the answer’ says UN counter-terrorism chief

“Force alone is not the answer,” Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, told ambassadors in the Security Council. “Comprehensive responses, firmly grounded in political strategies, anchored in international law, and based on all-of-government and all-of-society approaches, are indispensable.” Progress against Da’esh Referring to the Secretary-General’s report on the ongoing threat posed by Da’esh…

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Da’esh and affiliates still a threat in conflict zones, UN counter-terrorism officials report

Da’esh and affiliates still a threat in conflict zones, UN counter-terrorism officials report

Ambassadors were briefed by two senior UN counter-terrorism officials who presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on the group, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which showed that the threat in non-conflict areas remains low.  “This analytical distinction can obscure what is the complex, context- specific and dynamic nature of how these groups operate and evolve and their impact on international…

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China, Pakistan and Iran hold first counter-terrorism meeting in Beijing

China, Pakistan and Iran hold first counter-terrorism meeting in Beijing

Beijing: China, Pakistan and Iran have held their first trilateral meeting on counter-terrorism in Beijing. According to the foreign news agency “Reuters”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the three countries discussed the regional counter-terrorism situation “in depth” and decided to hold the meeting on a regular basis. (function(d, s, id){ var…

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Counter-terrorism 'rhetoric' used to justify rise of surveillance technology: human rights expert

Counter-terrorism ‘rhetoric’ used to justify rise of surveillance technology: human rights expert

In a report to the latest session of the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, warned of an alarming increase in the use of “intrusive and high-risk technologies”, according to a press release issued by the UN human rights office (OHCHR). This…

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