UN rights expert condemns ‘systematic’ war-time mass destruction of homes

Independent Commission reports war crimes by both sides in Gaza war

This was among the conclusions listed in the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, released on Wednesday. “Amid months of losses and despair, retribution and atrocities, the only tangible result has been compounding the immense suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis, with civilians,…

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Zero Waste Day: UN calls for a war on garbage

Crimes against nature: UN agency puts environmental legislation under scrutiny

“Stronger legislation can help deter potential and repeat offenders and expand the range of investigative tools and resources for law enforcement to stop crimes that affect the environment,” said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), presenting the report. Launched in Vienna, ‘The Landscape of Criminalization’…

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ICC Prosecutor outlines roadmap to complete Libya war crimes probe

ICC Prosecutor outlines roadmap to complete Libya war crimes probe

That “roadmap”, Prosecutor Karim Khan explained, details a focused set of activities over the next 18 months and beyond “to significantly expand the impact of our action” in Libya. Once the investigative phase is complete, the focus will shift to judicial proceedings, including tracking and arresting fugitives and conducting trials, as well as strengthening engagement…

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Gaza: Israel’s censure of rights expert should not distract from possible war crimes

Gaza: Israel’s censure of rights expert should not distract from possible war crimes

As Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese has a mandate from the Council which includes investigating violations, undertaking regular visits or missions, and reporting on findings. Israel’s Foreign Minister and Interior Minister announced this week that she was prohibited from entering the country following recent comments…

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World News in Brief: Iran-Pakistan airstrikes, Sudan war crimes probe, AI and healthcare, human rights in global finance

World News in Brief: Iran-Pakistan airstrikes, Sudan war crimes probe, AI and healthcare, human rights in global finance

Iran on Wednesday reportedly carried out surprise attacks both inside Pakistan and Iraq which involved using precision missile and drone strikes targeting Sunni terrorist training camps in southwest Balochistan, in order to deter a planned terrorist incursion. The Iranian attacks followed a suicide bombing operation carried out by ISIL militants that killed more than 80…

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Israel-Palestine crisis: Amid war crimes fears, UN rights chief renews calls to stop violence, free hostages 

Israel-Palestine crisis: Amid war crimes fears, UN rights chief renews calls to stop violence, free hostages 

“Water is scarce and fear is pervasive” in Gaza, Mr. Türk told journalists in Amman, recounting a conversation he had minutes earlier with a colleague in Gaza who had to flee Israeli bombardments with his family. “His children, aged nine and seven, are asking him questions he does not know how to answer: ‘Why is…

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At Rafah crossing, Türk says both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes

At Rafah crossing, Türk says both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes

Volker Türk highlighted the dichotomy at the border crossing, describing it as a “lifeline” for the 2.3 million residents of Gaza over the past month, although “unjustly, outrageously thin.” But it is also “the gates to a living nightmare”, he continued, as people in Gaza “have been suffocating, under persistent bombardment, mourning their families, struggling…

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