France and Beijing capable of resolving differences, Chinese president

France and Beijing capable of resolving differences, Chinese president

Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised the relationship with France. In a meeting with the French President in Beijing, he said that China-France relations are maintaining a positive and stable momentum. He added that China and France have the ability and responsibility to resolve differences. French President Macron told the Chinese president that he could…

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Japan's Blackhawk helicopter missing in Okinawa Islands, search underway

Japan’s Blackhawk helicopter missing in Okinawa Islands, search underway

Iconic photo Japan’s Blackhawk military helicopter has gone missing. According to Japanese media from Tokyo, the helicopter went missing in Japan’s Okinawa Islands region. The Japanese media further says that there are 10 people on board the helicopter including the crew. The Japanese Coast Guard is searching for the helicopter. According to Japanese media, Prime…

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Serbia urged to uphold freedom of expression while also countering hate speech

Serbia urged to uphold freedom of expression while also countering hate speech

The Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression said she was encouraged by the Government’s plans to reform media laws in line with international standards.  However, she was also alarmed by “the toxic public discourse, from politicians or public officials and amplified by tabloids, scapegoating the media, human rights defenders, ethnic minorities, LGBTI…

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Tensions mount in Middle East as UN reiterates need for ‘maximum restraint’

Tensions mount in Middle East as UN reiterates need for ‘maximum restraint’

According to news reports, as yet unidentified militants fired a barrage of rockets across the border, forcing Israeli civilians to seek shelter, and wounding at least two people. Avoid unilateral action “Concerning the situation between Lebanon and Israel, I can tell you that we condemn the multiple rockets being fired from Lebanon into northern Israel today”,…

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Rights expert welcomes Vatican’s rejection of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’

Rights expert welcomes Vatican’s rejection of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’

José Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, expressed hope that governments will follow the Holy See’s lead, noting that its impact is still being felt today.  ‘Open wound’  “The doctrine of discovery is still an open wound for many Indigenous Peoples around the world,” he said. “It must be…

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Reflecting on genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Guterres urges all nations to stand firm against rising hate, intolerance

Reflecting on genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Guterres urges all nations to stand firm against rising hate, intolerance

“We mourn the more than one million children, women, and men who perished in one hundred days of horror 29 years ago,” António Guterres said in his annual commemorative message on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He went on to say that: “We honour the memory…

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Türkiye quake aftermath: Funding needed to stave off risks to millions of children

Türkiye quake aftermath: Funding needed to stave off risks to millions of children

UNICEF Representative in Türkiye, Regina De Dominicis, said that while the humanitarian response to the disaster was swift, “immediate futures of millions of children remain uncertain”.   Urgent health and protection needs To cover the most pressing needs, UNICEF has reached more than 390,000 people with hygiene kits, winter clothes, electrical heaters and blankets. The…

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