The law would have hit Serb nationals as well as ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, benefiting from their services Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. (Photo by Erkin Keci/Anadolu via Getty Images) By AFP Published March 14, 2026 Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Saturday said that the government is postponing for 12 months the enforcement of new entry regulations for foreigners, avoiding political fallout with ethnic Serbs. The so-called Law on Foreigners stipulated that all foreign nationals entering Kosovo for reasons ranging from employment to family unification will have to obtain a residence permit. It also prohibits vehicles with foreign licence plates from being on the roads for more than three months. The move risked destabilising relations between Kosovo and neighbouring Serbia, which has remained fragile since a 1990s war between the two Balkan nations, as well as in Kosovo’s Serb-majority north. After an early meeting with the EU envoy for Kosovo-Serbia negotiations, Peter Sorensen, Kurti said that his government would offer to Serbs workers and students “a temporary residence permit for 12 months with the possibility of extension.” Stressing that the EU “has had intensive discussions with the Kosovo government over the past few weeks” on this issue, Sorensen said that the decision to postpone the law is made “in order not to hinder the provision of health and educational services” in Serb-majority regions. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X that the move was “an important step forward for the benefit of all people in Kosovo”. The head of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, said that “the solution will enable the smooth and normal work and functioning of Serbian health and educational institutions in Kosovo.” Serbia fully finances a parallel education and health system, and many of its employees who hold Serbian identity documents do not recognise Kosovo’s independence. The law, which was initially due to come into effect on Monday, would have hit Serb nationals as well as ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, benefiting from their services. Kurti also announced another concession for ethnic Serbs, promising that the procedure for obtaining Kosovo’s identity card would be simplified. © 2026 Euractiv. All rights reserved.

UN Fact Finding Mission report on El Fasher: Sudan Core Group foreign ministers’ statement The Foreign & Commonwealth Office's main building in Whitehall source: UK Foreign Office العربيَّة Statement from the foreign ministers of the Sudan Core Group on the UN Fact Finding Mission (FFM) report on El Fasher. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office  and The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP   Published 26 February 2026 Statement by foreign ministers of the Sudan Core Group at the Human Rights’ Council: The Foreign Ministers of the Sudan Core Group at the Human Rights’ Council – Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom  – express our collective outrage and profound sorrow at the findings of the Fact-Finding Mission’s report on El Fasher. The report speaks of the heinous acts committed by the RSF during their 18-month siege of El Fasher with food and humanitarian supply routes systematically obstructed and markets attacked. It describes attacks on medical facilities and critical infrastructure, and the trapping of civilians to prevent escape. The conditions became so challenging, starving inhabitants resorted to eating livestock feed to survive. The report details the final offensive on El Fasher, describing how the RSF executed civilians throughout the city and turned El Fasher University and the El-Saudi Hospital into mass killing sites. Witnesses describe being told “we will exterminate you”, and of pregnant women being shot in their bellies. Civilians were massacred as they tried to escape the city. It provides shocking testimony of women and girls who suffered horrific sexual and gender-based violence, including gang rape. The report sets out horrendous violence which was aimed primarily at the Fur and Zaghawa communities, as part of what the FFM assessed to be the deliberate attempt to bring about the “physical destruction” of these communities, “in whole or in part”. The FFM concludes that RSF led violence in El Fasher constitutes War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity, and bears “the hallmarks of genocide”. The International Criminal Court and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have also communicated that their initial assessments indicate that crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed in El Fasher. The report concludes that in the absence of effective prevention and accountability, “the risk of further genocidal violence remains acute”. We, the international community, must redouble our efforts to prevent a repeat of the atrocities committed in El Fasher, and the Sudan Core Group calls on the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. We implore all states to consider closely the important recommendations the report lays out: Civilians must be protected; the UN arms embargo must be expanded and enforced; and restrictions of humanitarian access and accountability mechanisms must end. The Sudan Core Group commends the FFM for it’s vital work in exposing the horrors that took place in El Fasher, and beyond. The scale and depravity of the horrors described should shock the conscience of us all. The Sudan Core Group expresses its deep and enduring solidarity for the victims of atrocities in Sudan. Furthermore,  the warring parties must urgently agree an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, allow unfettered humanitarian access, cease from violating International Humanitarian Law and ensure the protection of civilians . The Sudan Core Group calls on the warring parties to the conflict to provide full access for further international justice mechanisms, to affected areas and populations. This report is a call to action. In response – the Sudan Core Group announces its intention to establish a coalition of likeminded states and regional institutions committed to working together to prevent further atrocities in Sudan and support the Sudanese people to lay the foundations for eventual justice.  They have waited long enough. Genocide Watch comment: This statement reflects the hypocrisy of the government of the United Kingdom, which: continues to deny the genocide in Sudan until a "court" declares it is genocide; convenes empty UN discussions that invite the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to deny their complicity with and aid to the Rapid Support Forces and Sudan Armed Forces, which are both committing the crimes condemned in the Fact-Finding Mission's Report; as "pen-holder" for Sudan UN Security Council Resolutions, proposes only weak resolutions calling for a cease fire and more humanitarian aid, without any forceful mechanisms to implement the resolutions; opposes UN Security Council and UN General Assembly Resolutions that call for sanctions against violators of the UN arms embargo like the UAE, referral of all crimes against humanity in Sudan to the International Criminal Court, and reestablishment of an armed UN-African Union Mission in Sudan.

A Russian tank drives past destroyed residential buildings in Popasna, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine . Source: Radio Free Europe, credit: Alexander Ermochenko (Reuters) The publication "How the Russian Federation Seeks to Resolve the “Ukrainian Question”. Certain Indicators of Genocide by the Russian Federation in the Context of Its Armed Aggression against Ukraine" is an analytical study produced by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre Alternative (LRHRC Alternative). It is devoted to the analysis of actions undertaken by the Russian Federation in the temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, as well as in the broader context of its armed aggression against Ukraine. Previous publications by LRHRC Alternative have addressed various aspects of life under occupation and documented systematic violations of the rights of the civilian population, recurring across different regions and affecting key areas of everyday life. In particular, they examined access of residents of the temporarily occupied territories to food, water, healthcare, education, and housing, and documented crimes related to filtration practices, unlawful detention and deportation of Ukrainian citizens from the Occupied Territories. These publications also addressed policies of Russification, the eradication of Ukrainian identity, targeted practices of population assimilation, specific features of Russian propaganda, and the creation of a “digital ghetto” in the temporarily occupied territories. The title of this publication deliberately alludes to the policy of the Third Reich towards Jews, known as the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” (German: Endlösung der Judenfrage ). The euphemism “final solution” referred to the “cleansing of Europe of Jews” through the mass extermination of the Jewish population. Accordingly, this publication draws parallels between the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany against Jews and the attempts of the Russian Federation to destroy Ukrainians and the Ukrainian people — albeit through somewhat different methods, yet with the same intended outcome. This publication is intended for a broad audience, including all those who monitor, document, study, and research crimes committed by the Russian Federation in connection with its armed aggression against Ukraine. It may also be of interest to Ukrainian and international experts working on issues related to territories occupied by the Russian Federation and life in Ukraine under conditions of armed aggression. The analytical review will be useful for experts and human rights defenders engaged in monitoring, documenting, and legally analyzing crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine; for officials and representatives of public authorities; for lawyers and legal practitioners defending the rights of Ukrainians before international judicial bodies; for individuals involved in seeking reparations from the Russian Federation for the damage caused; and for representatives of civil society who advocate Ukraine’s position in international forums. The publication consists of two parts: a theoretical and a practical one. The first, theoretical part provides an overview of the international legal definition of genocide and analyses the instruments governing the recognition and punishment of genocide under international law. It also examines the distinction between the political and legal uses of the term “genocide”, as well as the historical evolution of its interpretation. This part further analyses the defining elements of the crime of genocide, including genocidal intent, protected groups, and the forms that the crime of genocide may take. Particular attention is paid to the specific aspects of implementing the provisions of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide into the national legislation of Ukraine and other European states. The second, practical part focuses on specific acts committed by the Russian Federation in the context of its armed aggression against Ukraine that display indicators of genocide against the Ukrainian people (including killing, causing serious bodily harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about destruction, the forcible transfer of children to another group, and others). A separate section of this part is devoted to an assessment of the Holodomor and the destruction of the Ukrainian intelligentsia in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, examined through the lens of genocidal indicators based on the expanded concept of genocide developed by Raphael Lemkin (the author of the term “genocide” and a co-author of the 1948 Genocide Convention). Turning to historical events of the twentieth century that predate the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide makes it possible to demonstrate the continuity of crimes currently committed by the Russian Federation and previously perpetrated by its predecessor, the Soviet Union, against Ukrainians and the Ukrainian people. This approach provides a broader perspective, situating contemporary actions of the Russian Federation not in isolation, but within a wider historical context of practices aimed at destroying the Ukrainian national community. Accordingly, the totality of documented actions by the Russian Federation is analysed in terms of their recurrence, scale, and coherence — factors that are crucial for assessing the presence of elements of a genocidal policy. Report in English: Report in Russian: Copyright 2026 Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre Alternative

Photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images Blog Post by Lauren Mai and Gregory B. Poling Published March 5, 2026 Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a joint statement on March 4 calling for an immediate ceasefire following the U.S.-Israeli surprise strikes on Iran and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ASEAN ministers urged all countries involved to respect international law and the UN Charter, including protecting civilians during armed conflicts. The foreign ministers also confirmed that they would work together if necessary to provide emergency assistance to Southeast Asian nationals in the Middle East.   Most Southeast Asian governments have also issued individual responses to the war. Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto has been the most forward-leaning, offering within hours of the first U.S.-Israeli strikes to travel to Tehran and “conduct mediation.” The Iranian ambassador in Jakarta responded diplomatically, voicing appreciation for Indonesia’s continued support but questioning the impact of the gesture and urging it to condemn the United States and Israel. The timing of the strikes puts domestic political pressure on Prabowo for his already controversial decision to join the U.S.-led Board of Peace meant to manage the rebuilding of Gaza. Foreign Minister Sugiono said this week that Indonesia is now reconsidering its participation in the Board of Peace.  Malaysia and Brunei have taken a more critical stance “strongly condemning” the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. Both countries urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint” to prevent further escalation and said disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim also highlighted concerns about the welfare and safety of Malaysians in Iran and the Middle East.   Thailand and the Philippines have focused more narrowly on the safety and possible evacuation of their citizens in the region. The Thai Foreign Ministry confirmed that around 110,000 of its nationals reside in the Middle East, most of whom work in Israel. These Thai nationals have been placed on alert, with plans to organize a safe evacuation. Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. affirmed that the well-being of the roughly 2.2 million Filipinos in the Middle East is the government’s top priority. A Filipina caregiver in Israel was killed by an Iranian missile strike on March 1. Cambodia , Singapore , and Vietnam have also issued statements of regret that negotiations failed to avert the conflict and confirmed that their top priority is ensuring the safety of their citizens in the Middle East.  Beyond the immediate safety of Southeast Asian nationals in the conflict zone, the most direct impact for which regional governments are preparing is the impact of surging energy prices. Thailand moved quickly to safeguard its oil reserves by suspending exports of crude oil and petroleum product. Indonesia, which has two state-owned tankers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, has said it will increase oil imports from the United States to make up for the disruption in supplies from the Gulf. An ING report predicts that the Philippines, which imports more than 90 percent of its oil from the Gulf and does not subsidize fuel like many of its neighbors, is among the most vulnerable to sharp price increases.   By shifting focus and forces toward Iran, the U.S. government has also sparked concerns about the credibility of its defense commitments in the Indo-Pacific. The Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative was quick to report that U.S. land-based reconnaissance aircraft sorties over the South China Sea decreased by around 30 percent in February as it shifted assets toward Iran. Senator Tammy Duckworth raised the issue during a March 3 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, telling Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby that the war in Iran detracts from the “focus and preparation” needed to deter Chinese aggression. U.S. allies in the region likely share that anxiety even if they will not risk the administration’s wrath by saying so in public. Lauren Mai is a Program Manager and Research Associate for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Gregory B. Poling is a senior fellow and director for the Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. For more political, economic, and security analysis on the region, check out our blog series,  The Latest on Southeast Asia . To hear the latest news on the region and hear from Southeast Asia experts, listen and subscribe to the  Southeast Asia Radio  podcast on any streaming platform. ©2026 Center for Strategic & International Studies

Belgian authorities opened a probe after an explosion took place in front of a synagogue in the city of Liège early on Monday morning. The mayor described the blast, which caused damage to the synagogue and surrounding buildings, as "targeted" and "anti-Semitic". March 9th 2026 Police stand near barricades as they secure an area after a blast took place near a synagogue in Liege, Belgium on March 9, 2026. © Valentin Bianchi, AP Belgium's prime minister vowed to combat antisemitism on Monday, after a pre-dawn blast damaged a synagogue in eastern Belgium, with prosecutors in charge of organised crime and terrorism heading up the investigation. The explosion took place around 4:00 am (0300 GMT) in front of the synagogue, causing no injuries, police said. "Antisemitism is an attack on our values and our society, and we must fight it unequivocally. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Liege and across the country," Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on social media. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin slammed a "despicable antisemitic act that directly targeted Belgium's Jewish community". "Security measures around similar sites will continue to be expanded," Quintin said in a social media post . Belgium's Interior Minister Bernard Quintin reacts on X to an explosion targeting a synagogue in Liege on Monday, March 9, 2026. © Bernard Quintin via X Willy Demeyer, the mayor of Liege, where the synagogue is located, condemned what he described as "an antisemitic act". "We cannot allow foreign conflicts to be imported into our city," he told public broadcaster RTBF, in a seeming reference to the Middle East war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran . 'Material damage' The pre-dawn explosion blew out the windows of buildings across the road from the synagogue, a police spokesman said, adding there was "only material damage". A security perimeter was quickly erected, with police at the scene. The federal prosecutor's office, which handles organised crime and terrorism cases, will lead the investigation, a spokeswoman told AFP. The office is expected to release further information later on Monday. Built in 1899, the Liege synagogue also serves as a museum for the history of the city's Jewish community, according to the temple's website. Belgium's Jewish community numbers 50,000 people, mainly in Antwerp and Brussels , and Jewish places of worship have been subject to heightened security measures on occasion in recent years. Belgium authorities had stepped up security measures after the Palestinian militant group Hamas 's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel , which sparked the war in Gaza. Officials pointed to a rise in antisemitic acts in Belgium at that time. © 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. Audience ratings certified by ACPM.

Shahriar Kabir. Source: Wikipedia 12 March 2026 His Excellency Tarique Rahman  Prime Minister of Bangladesh Office of the Prime Minister Old Sangsad Bhaban Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215 Bangladesh Email: info@pmo.gov.bd pm@pmo.gov.bd ps1topm@pmo.gov.bd Your Excellency, We recognise and appreciate the steps taken by the Government of Bangladesh to restore stability and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law during this important period for the country. Urgent concern regarding the detention and health of Shahriar Kabir We, the undersigned human rights, press freedom and genocide prevention organisations, as well as individual human rights defenders and genocide scholars, write to express our serious concern regarding the continued detention and deteriorating health of Mr. Shahriar Kabir, who is currently imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj. The 75-year-old journalist, writer, filmmaker and human rights defender Mr. Kabir is internationally renowned for his life-long commitment to the protection of religious and ethnic minorities, promotion of secular values and religious pluralism. He has authored numerous books and documentary films addressing issues of human rights, genocide accountability, and peace. Over decades of journalistic work with publications such as Bichitra and Dainik Bangla, he has contributed significantly to public debate in Bangladesh on human rights and freedom of expression. Mr. Kabir was arrested at his home in Dhaka by police under the interim government on September 17, 2024. He faces multiple murder-related charges and charges of crimes against humanity. These charges and surrounding trials have raised great concern among the international human rights community and genocide scholars. In October 2025, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found his detention arbitrary and violative of the International Bill of Human Rights and called for his immediate release, an independent investigation into his detention, and compensation ( Opinion: A/HRC/WGAD/2025/40 ) . The case in the broader context of justice and accountability in Bangladesh was recently discussed in the article  " Can the New Bangladesh Government Achieve Positive Peace? ", published in Foreign Policy in Focus on 6 March 2026. We are particularly troubled by reports regarding his current health and prison conditions. Mr. Kabir suffers from chronic illnesses. He has suffered two mini-strokes while in detention and uses a wheelchair. Reports indicate his health may be deteriorating rapidly and that prison conditions have worsened, including the denial of wheelchair access and proper medical care. We respectfully urge your government to grant Mr. Kabir immediate bail on humanitarian grounds and ensure that he receives full access to necessary medical treatment, including mobility assistance such as a wheelchair, and proper hospital care.  We most respectfully request that you follow Bangladesh’s commitment to the international human rights conventions that Bangladesh ratified after its independence, which include but are not limited to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Social, Cultural and Economic Rights (ICSCER), the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and Nelson Mandela Rules (UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners). We also respectfully encourage your government to ensure that all proceedings related to Mr. Kabir’s cases fully uphold the principles of due process, rule of law, fairness and humanitarian considerations. We would greatly appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and to any steps the government can take to safeguard Mr. Kabir’s health and wellbeing. Yours sincerely, Dr. Gregory H. Stanton Founding President, Genocide Watch Chair, The Alliance Against Genocide 1-703-448-6665 president@genocidewatch.org Organisations - Signatories Genocide Watch (United States) Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (Canada) Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security (United States) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (France) The "NEVER AGAIN" Association (Poland) The South Asia Democratic Forum (Belgium) European Bangladesh Forum (EU & United Kingdom) Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (United States) The Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial Brussels (Belgium) Humanists International Greek Helsinki Monitor (Greece) International Crimes Strategy Forum (United Kingdom) International Foundation Sport for Human Rights (United States) Earth Civilization Network Freedom and Justice Alliance (Global Platform) Working Group Bangladesh in Germany Individual Signatories The following individuals are affiliated with PEN International, signing in their personal capacity: Tarik Günersel, Int'l Advisory Board of PEN Writers for Peace Committee Kim Echlin, Novelist, Member of PEN International Board, Canada Tanja Tuma, Novelist and Publisher, President of Slovenian PEN Centre Zeynep Oral, President, PEN Türkiye Germán Rojas, Poet, Vice-President of Chile PEN Centre, Chile Tienchi Liao-Martin, Honorable President of Independent Chinese PEN Centre and Chair of Sino Euro Voices Maximillia Muninzwa, Author, Kenya PEN Centre, Member of Advisory Board of PEN Writers for Peace Committee Dušan Gojkov, Balkan Literary Herald, PEN Arman, Serbia/Greece Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, Founding President, Genocide Watch; Chair, The Alliance Against Genocide Irene Santiago, Former Chair of the Philippines Government Peace Negotiating Panel; Co-founder, Mindanao Commission on Women, Philippines Paulo Casaca, Founder and Executive Director, South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF) Dr. Rafal Pankowski, Co-founder, "NEVER AGAIN" Association Judith Abitan, Executive Director, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights Heidi Beirich, Co-founder, Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, USA Wendy Via, Co-founder, Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, USA Panayote Dimitras, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Greece Elisa von Joeden-Forgey, Founder and Executive Director, Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, USA Stephania Kulaeva, Executive Director, Anti-Discrimination Center Memorial Brussels Harry Edwards, International Foundation Sport for Human Rights, USA Ken McCue, Director, European Department, International Foundation Sport for Human Rights, Ireland Gary McLelland, Executive Director, Humanists International Alexander Verkhovskiy, Director, SOVA Research Center, Russian Federation Helen Jarvis, Life Member, International Association of Genocide Scholars, Cambodia John Feffer, Director, Foreign Policy in Focus, USA Daniel Feierstein, Director, Centre of Genocide Studies, National University of Tres de Febrero, and Director, Observatory of State Crimes, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina Mona Haghgou Strindberg, Attorney at Law, Sweden Rayhan Rashid, Trustee, International Crimes Strategy Forum (ICSF), United Kingdom Chris Blackburn, Activist, United Kingdom René Liebenthal, Economist, Argentina Tapas Das, Assistant Professor, India Banafsheh Zand, Journalist, Iran Nicholas Kawinga, Poet, Lusaka, Zambia Matthew Johnsen, PhD, Human Rights Activist, USA Vladimir Bogdanić, Secretary General, ‘Nikola Tesla Astral Genius’, Zagreb, Republic of Croatia Sanjib Bharatia, Human Rights Defender, India Sirajum Munira, PhD Fellow, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland Dipak Chakraborty, Humanist and Human Rights Activist, India Jamil Maqsood, President, Committee on Foreign Affairs – UKPNP Professor Gill H. Boehringer, Australia Bidit Dey, Associate Professor, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom Sabbir Khan, Computer Engineer, Sweden Tommaso Virgili, Computer Engineer, Sweden; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany Afsana Kishwar, Writer and Activist, Canada Taslima Nasrin, Bangladeshi Secular, Feminist, Activist and Writer in Exile, India Ahmed Ziauddin, International Law Expert, Belgium Nowrin Tamanna, University of Reading, United Kingdom Daniela Grabovac, Head, Anti-Discrimination Office Styria, Austria Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi, President, Institut de Recherche et d’Études Stratégiques de Khyber (IRESK); Principal Representative at the United Nations, TUMUKU Development & Cultural Union (ECOSOC), France David Hirsh, Professor of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London Rukmini Iyer, Founder, Exu!t Solutions, India Natalia Sineaeva, NEVER AGAIN Association, Minorities for Peace, Poland Geert Ates, UNITED for Intercultural Action, Netherlands Jose Maria Sarri, Journalist, Spain Dr. Lakhu Luhana, Chairman, World Sindhi Congress Daniel Semeniworima, Journalist and Peacebuilder, Nigeria Sabo Kosimova, Journalist and Activist, Istanbul, Türkiye Sheema Karmani, Founder, Tehrik-e-Niswan, Pakistan Sam Tahmassebi, Lawyer; Adjunct Professor, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA Elena Sirbu, Roma Women Network ROMNI Dr Mazharul Islam, UK Prof ABM Nasir, USA Kathleen Doherty, LCSW, CDVP, Advocate for Human Rights Theresa de Langis, PhD, Independent Scholar, USA Jami Aslam, Lawyer, Switzerland

Ambassador summoned in Bangkok as efforts continue to rescue three trapped sailors. Three Thai crew members were still trapped in the engine room of the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree on Thursday morning after it was struck by Iranian missiles while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz on March 11. (Photo: AFP) Writer: Bloomberg and AFP Published: March 12, 2026 Thailand on Thursday denounced the attack on a Thai-flagged cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and summoned Iran’s ambassador, as authorities race to rescue three crew members feared trapped aboard the damaged ship. The bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was struck on Wednesday by Iranian projectiles while transiting the strategic waterway without cargo. Of the 23 crew members on board, 20 were rescued by the Omani navy after abandoning the vessel in a lifeboat. The three missing sailors were trapped in the engine room at the stern, where the ship was hit and a fire broke out, according to its owner, SET-listed Precious Shipping Plc. Thai diplomats in Muscat are working with Omani authorities on rescue efforts, said Panidone Pachimsawat, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All Thai vessels have left the Strait of Hormuz and Bangkok had “protested against the violence done to the commercial ships”, Mr Panidone told reporters. 'Gravely concerned' Thailand was “gravely concerned about the dire situation in the Middle East, precipitated by Israeli and US attacks and followed by retaliation by Iran”, the ministry said in a statement. It warned that the ongoing violence risks further escalating tensions in the region and beyond. “The situation poses serious threats to the lives and safety of innocent civilians,” the ministry said, urging all parties to respect international law, “exercise utmost restraint and immediately de-escalate tensions”. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that they had struck the Mayuree Naree, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the Hormuz strait because the ships had ignored “warnings”. “Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room,” Precious Shipping said in a statement on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, that remains the case,” managing director Khalid Hashim told AFP on Thursday. “We still have not been able to get anyone to board our ship, even though the fire has been extinguished,” he said. “We are trying different avenues to get onboard.” © Bangkok Post PCL https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/3215375/thailand-denounces-iranian-attack-on-ship .

Medical Aid for Palestinians accuses Israel of ‘deliberately terrorising civilian populations’ across Lebanon. First responders evacuate a body from the site of an Israeli attack in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on March 6, 2026 [AFP] Israel is exporting its “Gaza playbook” to Lebanon, a nonprofit group has warned, as the Israeli military continues to attack the country after ordering the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said on Friday that Israel’s bombings and forced displacement orders for all of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, “are instilling widespread fear among civilians”. “What we are witnessing in Lebanon is the unmistakable extension of the Israeli military playbook used in Gaza,” said Steve Cutts, CEO of the UK-based charity. That includes “collective punishment, forced displacement, and the deliberate terrorising of civilian populations, including already traumatised Palestinian communities,” Cutts said in a statement. The Israeli military issued a forced displacement order on Wednesday for all of southern Lebanon, prompting tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes and communities under threat of attack. A day later, it issued a similar order for the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as Israel expanded its intensified air and ground offensive in the country. Intensified fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed on Monday after the Lebanese group launched rockets towards Israeli territory following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. At least 217 people have been killed and 798 others wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since Monday, according to the latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Human rights groups have raised the alarm over the Israeli forced displacement orders, stressing that many families have nowhere to go as Lebanon’s shelters are full. “We’ve seen people sleeping on the street, sleeping on the Corniche [in Beirut], sleeping in schools that have been converted into reception centres,” Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith reported from the Lebanese capital on Friday. “People want to know how long they’re going to have to do this, [how long they’ll have] to be away from home, and the authorities have not been able to tell them.” The Israeli military has routinely issued similar orders in its genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to move multiple times throughout Israel’s more than two-year bombardment of the enclave. In September last year, the Israeli army issued a forced displacement order for the entirety of Gaza City, prompting international condemnation. “The order … is cruel, unlawful, and further compounds the genocidal conditions of life that Israel is inflicting on Palestinians,” Human Rights Watch said at the time . Israeli leaders have also compared the country’s escalating offensive in Lebanon this week with its war on Gaza. On Thursday, after the forced evacuation order was issued for the southern suburbs of Beirut, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel planned to make the Dahiyeh area “like Khan Younis”. A city in southern Gaza, Khan Younis – like most of the Strip – has been decimated in Israel’s war. © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network

By Michał Jagielski Senior Iran and Central Asia Team Leader Genocide Watch On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel fired a salvo of missiles, hitting several targets across Iran and starting the ongoing war . As of March 5, the conflict has killed over 1,000 Iranians, including 168 schoolgirls and staff in the attack on an elementary school in Minab, 77 Lebanese, 11 Israelis, 11 people in other affected countries,and six U.S.soldiers. US and Israeli bombing has caused severe damage to Iran’s civilian infrastructure. In the first days, American nationals were stranded  in the Middle East with embassies  unable to evacuate them. Contacting them was uncoordinated. Iranian missiles  penetrated defense systems set up to protect U.S. bases in the Gulf states. Israel allegedly assassinated several potential Iranian leaders  chosen by the U.S. Several justifications have been given for the US and Israeli attack: destruction of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities; forcing Iranian regime change; and protection of Israel and other U.S. allies and interests in the region.      Mourners hold a portrait of a students during a funeral ceremony for children, who lost their lives after a primary school in Iran’s Hormozgan province was targeted in US and Israeli attacks, on March 3, 2026 in Minab, Iran. [Anadolu/ Agency] The American government's justifications for its attack on Iran have varied. On March 2 , War Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that the U.S. attacked Iran because of the danger posed by its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. On the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a news conference that the U.S. began its bombing campaign because Israel was about to strike Iran, which subsequently would cause Tehran to take retaliatory actions against American bases. On March 3, President Trump , claimed that Iranians “were getting ready to attack Israel. They were going to attack others.” This was an assertion of preemptive self defense. The Pentagon informed Congress that Iran had no plans to attack the U.S. But Iran's constant missile attacks on Israel, a key US ally, were immanent threats that justified the attack on Iran. Many Democratic US Congressional leaders question whether the decision to go to war was made by the U.S. or motivated by Israeli leaders. They assert that the US Constitution requires authorization for war by Congress. They also consider the American attack a violation of international law because there was no imminent threat from Iran to the USA. What consequences will the war have for Iran after the war ends? The U.S.-Israel coalition has not publicly revealed plans for the aftermath of the war. The conduct of the U.S. and Israel suggests that the goal may be the total destabilization of Iran, which could eventually lead to regime change. While that strategy would limit American casualties and might allow President Trump to stave off some domestic criticism ,  it could also endanger the lives of Iranians.    Regime change might not be positive. It could mean that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) may increase its dominance. Iran could be plunged into a dark time of increased oppression. If the U.S.-Israel campaign fails to achieve popularly supported regime change, there exists a real possibility of nationwide witch hunts and state-sponsored terror. After the 12-day war in June 2025, the regime targeted ethnic minorities and activists with arrests and death sentences on an unprecedented scale. Tehran claimed that the sentenced individuals belonged to terrorist groups, or were associated with Kurdish or Baloch separatists, or were foreign spies working for Israel. If a Revolutionary Guard regime survives, it is likely to engage in similar lies as justifications for murder.   One of the most likely alternatives to the current regime is a military takeover by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) with the support of a weaker supreme religious leader like the Ali Khamenei ' s son, Mojtaba Khamenei . It does not seem likely that the IRGC will turn against the religious theocracy. Armies and security forces in authoritarian environments do so only when their cost-benefit calculation clearly shows a possible improvement or retention of their domestic support. If the IRGC takes control of Iran and comes to an agreement with the U.S. and Israel, the new regime will not adhere to democratic principles. International sanctions and draconian morality laws might be lifted, improving the day-to-day lives of Iranians. But Iranians would still live in an authoritarian state. Military leaders who become national rulers do not seek democratic reforms. Instead they seek to retain their power. This would be true of the IRGC, whose standing is dependent on direct support from the theocracy. The IRGC actively led the horrific crackdown in 2026, including the murder of at least 6800 protesters. According to some reports , the actual number of murders was over 30,000 Iranians. A democratic Iranian government would prosecute those responsible for the killings, putting many of the IRGC’s leaders and possibly the entire theocratic organization in danger. Fear of prosecution means an IRGC government would resemble other countries led by juntas, where political dissent is persecuted, government funds are distributed among loyalists, and civilians are denied their basic human rights. The U.S. may be aiming to deploy Iranian ethnic minority groups such as the Kurds, based on recent reports  of the CIA’s arming Kurdish peshmerga  militias in Iraq. A reported phone call  between President Trump and Kurdish leaders, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani asked for support for the US bombing, including the bombardment  of the Kurdish border region between Iran and Iraq. There are several risks in this strategy: First, ethnic armed groups like the peshmerga are difficult to control. There are numerous militia forces under different commanders in or near Iran, including the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan ( KDPI ), Kurdistan Free Life Party ( PJAK ), Jaish al-Adl  (Army of Justice), the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz ( ASMLA ), and the Islamic State-Khurasan Province ( ISKP ).  Also, the Shiite majority government in Iraq may not be a reliable ally in the U.S. and Israeli war against Shiite Iran.  Second, even if the U.S. and Israeli offensive is successful and leads to regime change, it might throw Iran into ethnic civil war. Without domestic political alternatives to the current leadership, which has consistently and brutally sidelined opposition figures , a political vacuum could emerge. Such political openings tend to erupt into violence between ethnic groups, especially when the groups contributed to the overthrow of the regime that oppressed them. Third, if Kurdish forces are involved in regime change, Kurds could be considered by Iranian leaders to be separatists. Separatist movements are often triggers for genocide against ethnic groups that advocate autonomy.  Fourth, in addition to religious and ethnic differences , Iranians hold different opinions about the theocratic regime and the future of the country. For many supporters of the theocratic regime, having their government overthrown and its religious leader assassinated by hostile foreign powers could make future rulers illegitimate. Regime loyalists will retain access to weapons to oppose future authorities. During the post-war period, Iranians could be endangered by inter-ethnic conflicts, access to weapons, and governmental instability. Fifth, some form of international intervention could be necessary to protect the transition, a responsibility that the Trump administration does not want to assume since US intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. No matter how the war ends, civilians will suffer high costs. Over a thousand Iranians have already been killed as American and Israeli bombs fall on civilian infrastructure. Disregard for civilian safety in the name of military and political objectives can become a source of support for future revenge. This sentiment can be exploited by nationalist and religious leaders to overthrow successor governments, as occurred in Afghanistan. The U.S., Israel, Iran, and all U.N. member states have the responsibility to protect Iranian civilians and do everything possible to end this war. Without careful planning and support for Iranian democratic forces, Iran could suffer years of instability that would devastate its people and prevent Iran's swift recovery.

Separately, MSF says 26 humanitarian workers are missing following recent violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state. By AFP, Anadolu and Reuters United Nations peacekeepers stand near an airstrip in Akobo, South Sudan, in February [File: Florence Miettaux/AP Photos] At least 169 people have been killed after dozens of armed men attacked a town in South Sudan’s Ruweng Administrative Area, local officials said. A group of unidentified youths from Mayom County in neighbouring Unity ‌state stormed Abiemnhom County on Sunday, the area’s information minister, James Monyluak Mijok, said on Monday. Ninety of those killed were civilians – including children, women, and the elderly – he told the Reuters news agency. The remaining 79 were government soldiers. Fifty other people sustained “major and minor injuries” in the attack, he added. “I would like to sadly inform you that among those killed included the county commissioner and the executive director,” Mijok said. Elizabeth Achol, the minister of health in northern Ruweng, told AFP news agency by telephone that all 169 bodies were laid to rest in a mass grave on Monday. Mijok told AFP “the figure [death toll] may increase further if more bodies are discovered”. The official earlier told Anadolu Agency that the fighting lasted for three to four hours, before the army was able to drive the attackers out of the area. Abiemnhom authorities were now in complete control, he said. “The Government of the Ruweng Administrative Area (GRAA) condemns this barbaric action and policy of extermination in the strongest terms. This human slaughter is equivalent to genocide and cannot be tolerated,” Mijok told Anadolu. He called on the government of Unity state to bring the culprits to justice. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Sunday expressed alarm over the surging violence in Abiemnhom over the past 48 hours, saying 23 people were injured in an attack there. “In response to the deteriorating security situation, peacekeepers are temporarily sheltering over 1,000 civilians within the UNMISS base in the area and providing emergency medical care to the injured,” UNMISS added in a statement. Humanitarians ‘unaccounted for’ after Jonglei violence The violence highlights concerns, including ⁠from the UN, of deepening instability since the arrest of ⁠former First Vice President Riek Machar ⁠a year ago. President Salva Kiir signed a peace agreement with Machar in 2018 to end five years of civil war ‌that killed an estimated 400,000 people. But implementation of the deal has been slow, and the opposing forces ‌have ‌clashed frequently over disagreements about how to share power. On Monday, Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French initials MSF, said 26 of its staff members were missing after a surge in violence in Jonglei state in recent weeks. “Twenty-six of the 291 MSF colleagues working in Lankien and Pieri remain unaccounted for following the recent violence, and we have lost contact with them amid ongoing insecurity,” it said in a statement. MSF has suspended medical services in Lankien and Pieri, both in Jonglei, which has seen major clashes between government and opposition forces since December. An MSF facility in Lankien was hit by a government air strike on February 3, the NGO said. “Many of our staff were forced to flee the violence alongside their families. Several are now displaced, sheltering in remote areas with little access to food, water or basic services,” the statement added. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has been beset by civil war, poverty and massive corruption since it was formed in 2011. © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network

Geneva/Kabul, 4 March 2026 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is deeply concerned about the escalating cross-border hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan and their growing humanitarian impact on civilians and people on the move. Recent hostilities along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border have forced families to flee their homes. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi The ongoing military confrontation along the Durand Line has reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, damage to critical infrastructure, and the displacement of nearly 66,000 people in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. These developments risk further displacement, accelerating returns, and exacerbating vulnerabilities in communities that are already overstretched and under-resourced.  Afghanistan is facing one of the largest returnee-related displacement crises globally, with more than five million returnees recorded over the past two years, including 2.6 million in 2025 alone. Any additional conflict-driven displacement or sudden large-scale returns would place severe strain on local services, border infrastructure, and host communities, further eroding the already limited response capacity. IOM also confirms that at least one of its transit centres in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan has sustained significant collateral damage amid the recent hostilities. Border operations at Torkham and Bahramcha have been suspended due to security concerns, restricting humanitarian access and the delivery of assistance at a time when needs are rapidly increasing. Even in non-crisis contexts, returnees arriving at border points are often in need of basic services, shelter support, protection, and access to community support networks. During periods of active conflict, these vulnerabilities increase sharply. Heightened tensions also raise the risk of increased displacement, deportations and spontaneous returns from neighbouring countries, placing further pressure on border provinces and humanitarian systems.  The escalation has also severely affected internally displaced families in Kunar province, many of whom were uprooted by the recent earthquake and were living in temporary settlements. Cross-border shelling, evacuation directives, and restricted humanitarian access have further increased the threat of secondary displacement, as many families have no safe relocation options or viable areas of return. These restrictions have also delayed the delivery of essential assistance, further exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, particularly for women and girls. IOM stresses that the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and facilities must be upheld at all times. Safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access is essential to ensure the continuation of lifesaving assistance. IOM’s priority remains the safety, dignity, and protection of affected populations on both sides of the border. The Organization remains committed to supporting those impacted by displacement and return in close coordination with partners and authorities, as security conditions permit. Copyright © 2026 International Organization for Migration

Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon after Iran-allied group launches missiles over the border - Conflict spreads to Lebanon as Hezbollah targets Israel over killing of Khamenei and IDF responds with strikes on Beirut William Christou, The Guardian, 2 March 2026 Israel fires on Lebanese capital Beirut Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, after the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei . Residents of Beirut were awoken by the sounds of about a dozen blasts at 3am on Monday, as Israel struck three different locations in the southern suburbs of the capital. The explosions rocked windows around the capital city and were heard from miles away. People in southern Lebanon heard warplanes and bombs being dropped as airstrikes were carried out over wide swathes of the south of the country, collapsing buildings in the villages near Tyre, southern Lebanon. At least 31 people were killed in the strikes, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Hezbollah said in a statement that it had launched a barrage of missiles and drones at the Mishmar al-Karmel missile defence facility near Haifa, around midnight, in “retaliation” for the killing of Khameinei” and “in defence of Lebanon and its people” Israel responded just a few hours later, hitting what it described as Hezbollah targets across south Lebanon, the Bekaa valley and the Beirut suburb of Dahieh. The Israeli military claimed the strikes on Dahieh had killed several senior Hezbollah officers. “Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight and is fully responsible for any escalation. Any enemy that threatens our security will pay a heavy price,” the chief of the Israeli military Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said in a statement. An Israeli military spokesperson issued evacuation orders for 55 different villages and towns across Lebanon, warning people to get at least 1,000 metres away from them as they are near “Hezbollah operatives and facilities.” Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military announced the deployment of 100,000 reservists, many of them along the border with Lebanon. Streams of people began to flee Dahieh by car and by foot, and lines of cars began to form outside petrol stations in the southern city of Tyre as residents began to head northwards. The highways from Dahieh to the capital city were gridlocked with scooters and cars driving over rubble and debris from the earlier strikes. In the south, people drove northwards on both sides of the highway to escape the traffic. Videos showed the tops of buildings in Dahieh engulfed in flames, while burnt out husks of cars lay at the feet of the crumpled buildings. As they scrambled to flee, witnesses reported seeing rocket barrages flying from south Lebanon towards Israel, in what seemed to be Hezbollah artillery volleys.The memory of the 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah that ended in 2024 loomed large in the minds of Lebanese. Fears spread quickly that Dahieh, the Bekaa valley and large parts of the south could be rendered uninhabitable as it was then. Israeli bombed those areas daily during the war and nearly 4,000 people were killed and a million displaced. In the early hours of Monday, families and friends quickly devised plans for what they should do and tried to understand what exactly was happening, as the number of displaced people from affected areas in Lebanon grew. Lebanon’s government quickly condemned Hezbollah’s decision to bomb Israel without consulting the state. Without naming the militant group by name, Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said he will “not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures.” “The rocket fire from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardises Lebanon’s security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its aggression,” Salam said in a post on X. For weeks, Lebanese officials had scrambled to prevent Hezbollah from joining any potential war in Iran, as Israel passed messages to its Lebanese counterparts that any attack would engender a wide-ranging response against the entire country. © 2026 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. (dcr)