A year on from the ousting of Assad

Image
  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
Post a Comment

UN rights council orders probe of ‘appalling’ abuses in Sudan’s el-Fasher

 

The United Nations’s top human rights body has ordered a probe into abuses in Sudan’s el-Fasher, where mass killings have been reported since the city fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last month.
 During a special session in Geneva on Friday, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution ordering the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan to urgently investigate violations in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
The resolution also called on the investigative team to “identify, where possible,” suspected perpetrators in an effort to ensure they are “held accountable”.
 The move comes weeks after the RSF, which has been battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of Sudan since April 2023, took full control of el-Fasher on October 26 after an 18-month siege on the city.
 Nearly 100,000 people have fled el-Fasher since the RSF’s takeover, with displaced Sudanese civilians saying they faced indiscriminate attacks and sexual violence, among other abuses.  Numerous individuals claimed to have observed bodies lining the streets. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told the council on Friday that the “atrocities that are unfolding in el-Fasher were foreseen and preventable” and “constitute the gravest of crimes”.
 He said the UN had warned that the fall of el-Fasher “would result in a bloodbath”.
 Turk stated, "So none of us should be surprised by reports that since the RSF took control of el-Fasher, there have been mass killings of civilians, ethnically targeted executions, sexual violence including gang rape, abductions for ransom, widespread arbitrary detentions, attacks on health facilities, medical staff, and humanitarian workers, and other appalling atrocities." These atrocities include abductions for ransom, abductions for ransom, and other atrocities.
“The international community has a clear duty to act.  There has been too much pretence and performance and too little action.  It must stand up against these atrocities, a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population.”


Location: Sudan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japan tells residents to evacuate as powerful earthquake strikes north-east

Image
  Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your article while keeping the original meaning intact and avoiding added facts: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck north-eastern Japan, triggering evacuation orders for roughly 90,000 people and prompting tsunami warnings that were later reduced to lower-level advisories. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned that waves up to 3 metres (10ft) could reach the region’s coastline after the quake hit offshore at 11:15pm (2:15pm GMT) . Tsunami warnings were put in place for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate , and waves measuring 20–70cm (7–27in) were recorded at several ports, according to the JMA. By early Tuesday morning, however, the agency downgraded those warnings to advisories , indicating that expected wave heights had decreased and the risk of coastal flooding had diminished. Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your text, keeping all the original facts but expressing them in new wording and st...
Read more

User Receives MSI RTX 5090 With GPU And VRAM Chips Torn Off PCB

Image
It would appear that the GPU was shipped to one of these Chinese labs, where the GPU and VRAM chips from the RTX 5090s are removed. Redditor Orders MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X From Amazon but Finds No Tamper Seal; Further Investigation Revealed Ripped GPU Chip and VRAM From the PCB  Fake GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs are flooding the market once more. Since we have witnessed and reported fraud of this kind on multiple occasions, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this one resembles something we have recently reported. The GeForce RTX 5090 is highly sought after, particularly in the AI market in China. The GPU can only enter the country through smuggling because the country has an official ban on it. Since his GPU did not include the components, which are typically extracted from the PCB in China, this Redditor appears to have been the victim of such fraud. Reddit user u/Nice-Screen-4193 says that he bought a brand new GPU from Amazon FR, "sold and shipped by Amazon", not just by any...
Read more

How AI Policy 2025 Can Shape a Digital Future for All

Image
 Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it's the backbone of the digital revolution. From healthcare diagnostics to autonomous vehicles and personalized education, AI is transforming industries and reshaping society. But with great power comes great responsibility. That’s where AI Policy 2025 comes in. As we move deeper into this technological era, clear, inclusive, and forward-thinking AI policy is essential. The decisions we make today will influence how equitable, ethical, and sustainable our digital future will be. Why AI Policy Matters Now More Than Ever In 2025, AI will not just be a tool — it will be an active decision-maker in critical infrastructure, economic systems, and daily life. Without guardrails, the risks include biased algorithms, loss of privacy, unchecked surveillance, job displacement, and widening inequality. With the right policies, however, AI can amplify human potential, close socioeconomic gaps, and promote global sustainability. 1. Ethica...
Read more