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UN chief Guterres appointed for second term
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed for a second-five year-term on Friday by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly.
“I will give it my all to ensure the blossoming of trust between and among nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage relentlessly in confidence building,” Guterres told the General Assembly after taking the oath of office.
The 15-member Security Council earlier this month recommended the General Assembly re-appoint Guterres. His second term starts on beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.
Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just weeks before Donald Trump became U.S. president. Much of Guterres‘ first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism.
The United States is the largest U.N. financial contributor, responsible for 22% of the regular budget and around a quarter of the peacekeeping budget. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, has started restoring funding cuts made by Trump to U.N. agencies and re-engaged with the world body.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United Nations faced historic challenges, but she hoped that with Guterres at the helm “the next five years will see more peace, more security, and more prosperity than the last.”
“It will require hard work, political will, and accountability from all U.N. member states,” she said in a statement, adding every member states should have “an impassioned commitment” to human rights.
Guterres, 72, was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and head of the U.N. refugee agency from 2005 to 2015. As secretary-general, he has been a cheerleader for climate action, COVID-19 vaccines for all and digital cooperation.
When he took the reins as U.N. chief, the world body was struggling to end wars and deal with humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen. Those conflicts are still unresolved, and Guterres is also now faced with emergencies in Myanmar and the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
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Blast at Kabul school injures at least 52
An explosion at a school in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Monday injured at least 52 people, according to sources.
The blast, caused by a hand grenade, occurred at around 4:55 p.m. at Sham-e Hedayat Private School in Mahdiya Township, located in Kabul’s 18th security district.
According to sources, the grenade was in the hands of a student when it exploded.
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Juma Khan Fateh surrenders to IEA forces in Badakhshan
According to the sources, Fateh’s remaining associates are expected to be disarmed, while IEA forces are set to establish full control over the area.
Juma Khan Fateh and his forces have surrendered to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in Nusay district of Badakhshan province following several days of pressure and encirclement, security sources told Ariana News.
Sources said increasing pressure on Fateh’s group left them with no option but to surrender. Fateh and his fighters reportedly laid down their weapons at positions held by IEA forces in Nusay.
Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, the IEA’s Army Chief of Staff, had travelled to Nusay to oversee the situation and the operation against Fateh’s group.
According to the sources, Fateh’s remaining associates are expected to be disarmed, while IEA forces are set to establish full control over the area.
The reported surrender marks the latest development in the security situation in Nusay, although further details about the terms of the surrender and the number of fighters involved were not immediately available.
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Afghanistan Supreme Court says rights of almost 119,000 women addressed over five years
The courts also handled 8,904 cases related to women’s maintenance and other associated rights, according to Hamza.
Afghanistan’s Supreme Court says the country’s courts have addressed the legal and Sharia-based rights of 118,869 women over the past five years.
Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, deputy spokesman for the Supreme Court, said the cases covered a range of issues, including inheritance, property, maintenance, documentation and other legal matters.
Hamza said courts handled 12,976 cases involving women’s inheritance and property rights during the five-year period. Another 9,021 inheritance-related cases were registered for information gathering and review.
He added that 18,750 cases involving the registration, verification and certification of women’s property and related documents were addressed, while 22,703 cases concerned the processing of inheritance and property documents.
The courts also handled 8,904 cases related to women’s maintenance and other associated rights, according to Hamza.
He said inheritance, property, dowry, maintenance and other rights granted to women under Islamic Sharia are recognized as established rights, and that courts are required to examine such cases carefully and impartially in accordance with Sharia and applicable laws.
Hamza added that judicial proceedings involving women’s rights will continue, with the aim of ensuring that eligible individuals receive their legal and religious rights and preventing those rights from being denied or lost.
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