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Taliban mark five years in power as aid groups warn of crisis

Taliban mark five years in power as aid groups warn of crisis

By Mohammad Yunus Yawar and Rick Noack KABUL/ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Taliban marked five years in power on Saturday, seeking to portray their government as in control even as aid and rights groups warned of escalating crises.
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In Spain's Ceuta, hundreds of migrants stage protest and demand asylum

In Spain's Ceuta, hundreds of migrants stage protest and demand asylum

By David Latona and Maria Alejandra Cardona MADRID, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants who recently entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta staged a protest on a popular urban beach on Sunday, urging Spanish authorities to grant them asylum instead of sending them back to Morocco.
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Palestinians in Qusra say they have faced militant settler attacks for months

Palestinians in Qusra say they have faced militant settler attacks for months

By Pesha Magid JERUSALEM, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Families on the outskirts of Qusra, the West Bank village where Palestinian homes have been under siege for nearly a week, said they have faced sometimes deadly attacks by militant settlers for months.
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Explainer-Trump wants more economic pressure on Iran. What are his options?

Explainer-Trump wants more economic pressure on Iran. What are his options?

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week.
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Indigenous Communities and NGOs Protest Massive Deforestation for Agribusiness in New Guinea

Indigenous Communities and NGOs Protest Massive Deforestation for Agribusiness in New Guinea

Indigenous communities, supported by numerous non-governmental organizations and the United Nations, are protesting a large-scale deforestation project in the Indonesian part of New Guinea. This project involves the construction of a 135-kilometer road and the clearing of 2.7 million hectares of rainforest and other ecosystems. The cleared land is intended for the establishment of sugar cane, rice, and oil palm plantations, with the goal of producing palm oil and ethanol for Indonesia's ambitious biofuel program, as well as extensive mechanized rice fields. The Indonesian Minister of Defense has justified the road construction as "infrastructure against the global food crisis," citing Indonesia's food production shortages and the need to feed its overpopulated nation. Heavy equipment, including hundreds of excavators and bulldozers, has been accumulating since 2024, with soldiers deployed to secure what is described as the largest state-led deforestation operation in Indonesia's last extensive rainforest. ...
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Myanmar Embassy in Japan Requires Expired Passport Holders to Return Home, Sparking Fears of Arrest

Myanmar Embassy in Japan Requires Expired Passport Holders to Return Home, Sparking Fears of Arrest

The Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo has announced a new policy requiring Myanmar nationals in Japan with passports expired for over five years to return to Myanmar for renewal. Previously, these renewals could be processed at the embassy in Tokyo with a penalty fee. The new directive mandates that affected individuals will receive temporary travel documents for a one-way trip back to Myanmar. This policy shift has raised concerns among human rights activists and diaspora leaders, who fear it may be a tactic to identify and detain anti-junta dissidents. Many Myanmar nationals in Japan have boycotted the military-controlled embassy services since the February 2021 coup, and there is apprehension that returning to Myanmar could lead to arrest by regime authorities.
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Bangladesh Seeks India's Help Amid Severe Power Crisis

Bangladesh Seeks India's Help Amid Severe Power Crisis

Bangladesh is experiencing a severe power crisis, with widespread electricity outages affecting various regions. The crisis is primarily due to a shortage of natural gas, exacerbated by a fire incident at an LNG terminal and rough weather conditions. The power shortages have led to significant disruptions in daily life and economic activities, prompting the government to impose restrictions on business operating hours. In response, Bangladesh has sought additional diesel supplies from India to alleviate the situation. The crisis has also led to public unrest, with attacks on power facilities reported in some areas.
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Myanmar faces rise in diarrhea as monsoon flooding continue to worsen in many parts of the country

Myanmar faces rise in diarrhea as monsoon flooding continue to worsen in many parts of the country

Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, is seeing a concerning rise in acute diarrhea cases, adding to the country's challenges with flooding and civil war
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IFRC Establishes Group of Friends for Humanitarian Personnel Protection

IFRC Establishes Group of Friends for Humanitarian Personnel Protection

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has established a Group of Friends for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. This initiative aims to promote the implementation of the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, providing a platform for developing practical policies and practices to support the declaration's objectives. The group serves as a forum for exchanging good practices and connecting with humanitarian organizations. The Secretariat for this group is hosted by the IFRC in Geneva, Switzerland, and operates under the legal framework of the IFRC. It is managed by a small team and reports to a Steering Committee consisting of the Co-Chairs from the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva of Australia and Jordan, along with the IFRC.
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The Palestinian freshwater springs being seized by Israeli settlers

The Palestinian freshwater springs being seized by Israeli settlers

By Pesha Magid FASAYIL, West Bank, Aug 14 (Reuters) - On a searing summer day, Israeli settlers splashed in a West Bank pool created by siphoning off water that had irrigated Palestinian crops, one of many seizures of water resources across the occupied territory.
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US wants Netanyahu to condemn settler siege in Palestinian village, officials say

US wants Netanyahu to condemn settler siege in Palestinian village, officials say

By Pesha Magid and Rami Ayyub QUSRA, West Bank, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The United States wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn a siege imposed by Jewish settlers in a Palestinian village, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Friday, as settlers pressured residents by pitching
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Bangladesh Develops Agricultural Carbon Credit Framework to Reduce Emissions

Bangladesh Develops Agricultural Carbon Credit Framework to Reduce Emissions

The government of Bangladesh is finalizing an agricultural carbon credit framework aimed at reducing carbon emissions in farming and gaining financial benefits through carbon trading. The framework, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, is awaiting approval from the environment ministry. It focuses on sustainable agricultural practices, such as the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) method, which reduces water usage and methane emissions in rice cultivation. The framework aims to enable farmers to earn carbon credits by adopting climate-smart practices, which can be sold in carbon markets to provide additional income.