The winners of the 2025 European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award are from the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Poland. Utrecht (Netherlands), Mariehamn (Finland), and Braga (Portugal) won Gold Awards for fostering diversity and inclusion.
Imran Riza made the appeal following a visit to Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts on Tuesday.
“What I saw in South Lebanon was both depressing and inspiring. The scale of destruction – to villages, health facilities, and water systems – is disturbing,” he said in a statement.
The crisis stems from fighting that erupted between Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Israeli forces following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people.
Israel launched an incursion into southern Lebanon in late September 2024 and carried out airstrikes across the country that killed thousands and displaced nearly a million people.
Last November, Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting.
It called for Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants to withdraw from the south, while the Lebanese military would redeploy to the region to guarantee the peace alongside troops from UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, who monitor the Blue Line of separation between the two countries.
Since then, ceasefire violations have occurred and violence has escalated, including recent Israeli strikes on areas of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, reportedly targeting Hezbollah.
Mr. Riza described the people he met in the south as truly inspiring.
“It’s clear they want to return home, rebuild, and restart their productive lives,” he said.
“Everyone continues to feel a palpable sense of insecurity. Many still lack basics like water and electricity. Too many are still displaced, their homes flattened.”
He said people spoke of their need for peace, safe movement, basic services, and support to rebuild.
“They also shared the trauma they and their children have endured, and the importance of addressing mental health in the wake of what they have lived through,” he added.
The Humanitarian Coordinator stressed the critical need for sustained funding to restore water, electricity, healthcare, and education, and to assist people eager to get on with their lives.
“There is no time to lose – recovery must move ahead,” he said.
Meanwhile, diplomats from dozens of countries showed their solidarity with UNIFIL’s work in south Lebanon in a visit to the mission’s headquarters in Naqoura on Tuesday.
The diplomatic visit included representatives of 38 countries, including all five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Peacekeepers from 47 countries currently serve with UNIFIL, which was established in March 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon.
Its mandate was most recently defined in Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following their 34-day war on Lebanese territory that year.
UNIFIL Head and Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, welcomed the delegation and noted it would have been impossible to host the diplomats just a few months ago.
“Your presence here is an encouraging indication of the increased stability in the south and the progress made since the understanding on a cessation of hostilities came into effect on 27 November 2024,” he said.
“The support of UNIFIL’s troop-contributing countries – and the countries who contribute in other ways – is essential to restoring stability to south Lebanon and along the Blue Line. I thank them and their peacekeepers serving on the ground for their continued contributions.”
The delegation also visited two UNIFIL positions along the Blue Line, near Marwahin and in Labbouneh.
Ambassadors expressed their appreciation for the mission’s important work.
The lifting of Chinese sanctions against Members of the European Parliament marks a step in restoring parliamentary dialogue with China. Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
The lifting of Chinese sanctions against Members of the European Parliament marks a step in restoring parliamentary dialogue with China. Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP Source link
“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” Volker Türk said in a statement calling for an end to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and former ally the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now in its third year.
He noted that three days ago, the RSF launched coordinated attacks from multiple directions on the North Darfur capital El Fasher and nearby Abu Shouk camp, killing at least 40 civilians.
This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in the region to at least 542 in just the last three weeks, he said, although the actual death toll is likely much higher.
“My fears are all the greater given the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements,” Mr. Türk said.
“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El Fasher.”
Furthermore, reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state are also extremely disturbing, he added.
The High Commissioner said he has personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of the war.
“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, was in Cairo this week where he met with senior Egyptian officials, including Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the Sudan crisis.
“They shared the view that an inclusive Sudanese-led political path is needed to restore peace in the country, preserving the unity of Sudan, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking on Thursday in New York.
Mr. Lamamra also exchanged views with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, on coordinating efforts between the UN, the Arab League and concerned multilateral organizations to advance a lasting peace in Sudan.
Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analyst in the Yangon Office of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) saw the devastating consequences of the quake during a week-long visit to the Mandalay region, one of the regions most severely affected by the disaster.
Thein Zaw Win, Communications and Advocacy Analyst at UNFPA’s Yangon Office, speaks with a woman impacted by the recent earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar.
“I was in Yangon when the earthquake struck. In the aftermath, news reports gradually began indicating that many cities had suffered significant casualties. Buildings, roads, homes, schools, and hospitals were reduced to rubble and people were trapped beneath the debris.
Communication systems were down, so I decided to travel to the affected areas and support the relief efforts.
Women and girls needed lifesaving support, including sexual and reproductive health services and maternal care, dignity kits, hygiene items, and other essential supplies as soon as possible.
Within 72 hours, the UNFPA country office had deployed a Rapid Response Team to deliver essential services to the affected population, working with partners on the ground.
The journey from Yangon to Mandalay usually takes about eight hours, but we struggled to get through, due to damaged roads and collapsed bridges. We had to find alternate routes and, at times, even navigate through the rugged fields beside the main road.
Now that the rainy season has started, the roads are even worse, and travelling has become increasingly difficult. It took us more than 10 hours to reach Mandalay.
A woman affected by earthquake receives relief items including UNFPA’s dignity kits during UN joint distribution in Sagaing, Myanmar.
In some areas of the city, debris blocked the roads. Tower blocks had collapsed and many areas had been reduced to complete rubble. Desperate families sought refuge in temporary shelters, on the streets, or in front of their damaged homes.
Tremors continued for several days. Frequent power outages during the night mean that some affected areas were plunged into darkness, making it unsafe to go anywhere. Reaching those affected and delivering aid under these conditions remains a considerable challenge.
My responsibility is to engage with communities affected by the disaster, and share their stories to a broader audience. It is also vital to raise awareness of the realities and needs on the ground so that we can secure support for emergency assistance. This is my mission.
I met a woman in Mandalay who visited our mobile clinic. She had lived in the city all her life but had never seen such devastation. Everything collapsed in a matter of seconds. She was deeply worried about the damage to healthcare facilities, as well as her ability to access medical care.
A woman in Mandalay, Myanmar, looks on at the devastation caused by the earthquake.
Amidst this crisis, the UNFPA team has provided services ranging from hygiene supplies, protection from gender-based violence, and mental health support for women and girls. They also support maternal and newborn care services. I saw for myself the unwavering resilience of humanitarian workers, and the way that UN agencies, civil society organizations, and NGOs work together.
Myanmar was already suffering from political instability and now it has been further devastated by this destructive earthquake. It is extremely difficult to deliver aid to communities in Sagaing and Mandalay, where armed conflict is ongoing.
In the present context, with monsoon conditions imminent, people are terrified of what this season may bring.
The country is also experiencing the impact of the decline in global aid funding.
UNFPA, like other UN agencies and humanitarian organizations, is dealing with constraints on resources, and we have issued an appeal for emergency assistance to support populations in critical need.
The suffering of women and children affected by the earthquake is profoundly distressing, and we need all of our strength and resilience to help them.
It is a heartbreaking experience to witness the despair in people’s eyes and to listen to their stories of loss, but we are trying to give them the dignity and hope they rightfully deserve in these difficult times.”
As indicated in ESMA’s public statement of 27 March 2024, the quarterly liquidity assessment of bonds as well as the data for the quarterly systematic internalisers will continue to be published by ESMA. Further details are provided in the relevant webpages of the calculations.
The results of the annual transparency calculations for non-equity instruments will apply from 2 June 2025. The calculations include the liquidity assessment and the determination of the pre- and post-trade size specific to the instruments and large in scale thresholds.
The results for the liquid and illiquid sub-classes will be published in XML format from 30 April 2025 (here) and related instructions on their download can be found in the Transparency System downloading instructions. The results at ISIN level will be available through the Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) in the XML files also from 30 April 2025 (see here) and through the Register web interface (see here).
The transparency requirements based on the results of the annual transparency calculations for non-equity instruments apply from 2 June 2025 until 31 May 2026.
ESMA has published the latest quarterly liquidity assessment for bonds available for trading on EU trading venues. For this period, there are currently 1,371 liquid bonds subject to MiFID II transparency requirements. The transparency requirements for bonds deemed liquid will apply from 19 May 2025 to 17 August 2025.
The results at ISIN level are available through the Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) in the XML files from 30 April 2025 (see here) and through the Register web interface (see here).
ESMA is also publishing two completeness indicators related to bond liquidity data.
ESMA updates the bond market liquidity assessments quarterly. However, additional data and corrections submitted to ESMA may result in further updates within each quarter, published in the FITRS, which shall be applicable the day following publication.
Further information:
Senior Communications Officer
press@esma.europa.eu
The mission continued to receive reports that Afghan women are being denied the opportunity to join the workforce, are unable to access services without a male relative while girls are still deprived of their right to education.
Since the Taliban took over the country from the democratically-elected Government in August 2021, women and girls have been systemically excluded from equal participation in society, the report confirms.
UNAMA, whose mandate includes monitoring human rights, also reported public floggings, shrinking civic space, and brutal attacks on former government officials.
Officials have reportedly shut down beauty salons run by women in their homes and women’s radio stations in various provinces, UNAMA said.
In the province of Kandahar, de facto inspectors asked shopkeepers in a market to report women unaccompanied by a guardian (mahram) and deny them entry into their shops.
At one hospital, authorities ordered staff not to provide care to unaccompanied female patients.
Taliban authorities have also increased enforcement of repressive restrictions on media outlets, ramped up corporal punishment, and the clampdown on religious freedom and re-education.
Between 17 January and 3 February, in Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan, at least 50 Ismaili men were taken from their homes at night and forced to convert to Sunni Islam under the threat of violence, the report details.
More than 180 people, including women and girls, have been flogged for the offences of adultery and practicing homosexuality during the reporting period, in public venues attended by Taliban officials.
Despite documented evidence from the report that de facto authorities are continuing to violate international norms and rights protections, Taliban officials disagree.
“Ensuring the dignity, honor, and Sharia-based entitlements of women remains a paramount priority for the Islamic Emirate,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post on March 8, International Women’s Day.
“All fundamental rights afforded to Afghan women have been safeguarded in strict accordance with Islamic Sharia law, as well as the cultural and traditional frameworks of Afghan society,” he added.
UNAMA has called for action to restore women’s and girls’ rights at the international level.
In January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Taliban Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqan over persecution on gender grounds, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.
The Taliban rejected the ruling, citing national sovereignty and religious traditions.
As indicated in ESMA’s public statement of 27 March 2024, the quarterly liquidity assessment of bonds as well as the data for the quarterly systematic internalisers will continue to be published by ESMA. Further details are provided in the relevant webpages of the calculations.
The results of the annual transparency calculations for non-equity instruments will apply from 2 June 2025. The calculations include the liquidity assessment and the determination of the pre- and post-trade size specific to the instruments and large in scale thresholds.
The results for the liquid and illiquid sub-classes will be published in XML format from 30 April 2025 (here) and related instructions on their download can be found in the Transparency System downloading instructions. The results at ISIN level will be available through the Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) in the XML files also from 30 April 2025 (see here) and through the Register web interface (see here).
The transparency requirements based on the results of the annual transparency calculations for non-equity instruments apply from 2 June 2025 until 31 May 2026.
ESMA has published the latest quarterly liquidity assessment for bonds available for trading on EU trading venues. For this period, there are currently 1,371 liquid bonds subject to MiFID II transparency requirements. The transparency requirements for bonds deemed liquid will apply from 19 May 2025 to 17 August 2025.
The results at ISIN level are available through the Financial Instruments Transparency System (FITRS) in the XML files from 30 April 2025 (see here) and through the Register web interface (see here).
ESMA is also publishing two completeness indicators related to bond liquidity data.
ESMA updates the bond market liquidity assessments quarterly. However, additional data and corrections submitted to ESMA may result in further updates within each quarter, published in the FITRS, which shall be applicable the day following publication.
Further information:
Senior Communications Officer
press@esma.europa.eu
In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “appalled” by the deteriorating situation in North Darfur, where the regional capital, El Fasher, is under intense and sustained attack.
The onslaught comes just two weeks after deadly assaults on the nearby Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps, where hundreds of civilians, including humanitarian workers, were reportedly killed.
More than 400,000 people have fled Zamzam camp alone, with the majority now seeking safety in Tawila, west of El Fasher.
There are also increasing reports of harassment, intimidation and arbitrary detention of displaced people at checkpoints, adding to the already dire humanitarian emergency.
“With the conflict now in its third year and increasingly destabilizing the broader region, the Secretary-General reiterates his call for the facilitation of safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all areas of need by all necessary routes,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.
He also called for the protection of civilians, in line with the warring parties’ clear obligations under international humanitarian law.
Refugee movements from Sudan.
“Perpetrators of serious violations must be held accountable,” Mr. Dujarric stressed.
The civil war between rival militaries – the national Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias – has claimed tens of thousands of lives and driven more than 12.7 million people from their homes, including nearly four million as refugees in neighbouring countries.
Violence and insecurity has also sparked a catastrophic hunger crisis, with over half the population suffering acute food insecurity and famine conditions confirmed in various regions, leaving millions at risk of starvation.
Despite the escalating violence and dwindling funds, humanitarian agencies continue their efforts to deliver lifesaving aid.
The UN relief coordination office, OCHA, reported on Wednesday that an inter-agency convoy led by UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator Antoine Gérard crossed into Darfur from Chad earlier this week via the Adré border, en route to Tawila.
The convoy is transporting critical supplies including nutrition and medical items, dignity kits, and other essential goods.
Food and nutrition assistance for approximately 220,000 people has already reached Tawila, with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) confirming that distributions began this week and are already 20 per cent complete.
Additional convoys are in motion, including one expected to depart Chad on Wednesday with 19 trucks of nutrition supplies.
WFP has begun the first food distributions in the centre of the capital Khartoum since the conflict erupted two years ago.
Deliveries of 70 metric tonnes of food to the Burri neighbourhood are set to begin on Thursday, attempting to reach nearly 8,000 people.
Aid distributions have also started in Alazhari, one of the areas at high risk of famine, where 20,000 people are receiving assistance.
Despite these efforts, WFP warned that the impending rainy season and severe funding shortfalls could undermine recent progress.
The agency, which assists about four million people monthly, aims to expand coverage to seven million – but that still represents only a fraction of those in need.
