"DISCRIMINATORY" · 총 21건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 81,703건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 3,988건(4.9%)·중립 75,788건(92.8%)·부정 1,927건(2.4%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.6(중도 균형)입니다.
The conservative majority allowed Alabama to use a map for its US House of Representatives elections that a district court had previously barred as racially discriminatory.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Masjid Welfare Committee says action against unauthorised religious institutions should be fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory across all faiths
"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy added. The post Iran slams US ‘discriminatory treatment’ over World Cup visa refusals for staff appeared first on Vanguard News.
Roger Kamba, Minister of Public Health for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), complained on Friday that travel restrictions against his country due to the Ebola outbreak are “discriminatory” and cannot be justified by science or medicine. The post DR Congo Denounces Ebola Travel Restrictions as ‘Discriminatory’ appeared first on Breitbart.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission on Friday announced the end of election campaigning 48 hours before polling day, prohibiting all election-related activities in the region, according to a press release. The general elections for the GB’s legislative assembly are scheduled on June 7, after a four-month delay. “The commission informs the public, political parties, candidates and their supporters that under Section 182 of the Elections Act 2017 and the Code of Conduct, no election-related activities will be allowed during the 48 hours preceding polling,” said the statement by the commission’s public affairs wing. According to the law, no person would be permitted to organise, attend, promote or support any public meeting, rally, procession or gathering within the relevant constituency during this period, the statement added. “In this regard, a complete ban on all election activities will come into effect from 12 midnight on June 5, 2026,” the press release said. It further said that, following the enforcement of the ban, “holding or participating in election rallies, corner meetings, processions, campaign activities, the use of loudspeakers, or any form of canvassing” aimed at influencing voters would be “strictly prohibited”. “The commission has directed all political parties, candidates, election agents and workers to ensure full compliance with election laws and the code of conduct. In case of violations, action will be taken under the Elections Act 2017 and other relevant laws,” it cautioned. The statement further said that the election commission was making all necessary arrangements for the conduct of “peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections” and had appealed to the public to play a positive role in ensuring compliance with the law. ‘All arrangements finalised’ Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan on Friday assured that all arrangements had been finalised for the June 7 elections, with strict security measures in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling. Speaking to PTV News, Khan said the entire region was under strict security arrangements ahead of Sunday’s elections, adding that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure peaceful and smooth polling across constituencies. He added that election campaigning had ended peacefully. “Strict action will be taken against any violation of the election code of conduct,” he warned, urging political parties and candidates to strictly adhere to the code to maintain discipline and ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Meanwhile, returning officer for constituency GBA-12 (Shigar), Faisal Hayat, said voters were actively participating in the electoral process, reflecting strong public engagement across the constituency. “Transport facilities have been arranged for polling day, while sensitive locations have been clearly identified to ensure effective monitoring and response,” Hayat said. He added that the security deployment had been divided across three key points in the constituency, with around 120 personnel assigned to maintain order and safeguard the electoral process in Shigar. “A policy of zero tolerance will be enforced to ensure peaceful elections,” he said, urging all stakeholders to extend their cooperation for the smooth conduct of the polling process. Soon after the announcement of the election schedule, political parties, including the PML-N, PPP and PTI, began their election campaigns, holding public rallies, corner meetings and region-wide engagements. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari led their party’s campaign, vowing to ensure the constitutional rights of the region and to bring wide-ranging development projects based on public-private partnerships. Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif also paid a one-day visit to the region, along with several party leaders, to address a public gathering and meet ticket-holders. Meanwhile, the PTI, the main opposition party at the Centre, alleged unlawful and discriminatory treatment by the administration, claiming that several of its leaders had been expelled from the region, while others were denied entry. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, along with several other leaders, has been leading the campaign while also complaining about an “uneven playing field”.
ISLAMABAD: PTI leaders on Thursday arrived at Adiala jail hoping to meet party founder Imran Khan but were once again denied permission to meet the former prime minister. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed the incarcerated ex-premier to have twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, Imran has been restricted from meeting visitors for several months. A day earlier, the PTI sent a list of six leaders to Adiala jail authorities, requesting that they arrange a meeting with the incarcerated former premier. The list included Seemabia Tahir, Usman Jora, Asad Abbas, Malik Yasir Patwali, Malik Azeem and Rohail Anjum. Patwali, while speaking to Dawn, said that all the leaders arrived at the prison well before 2pm. “We informed the prison administration that we had been nominated for the meeting, as per the directions of the IHC, but we were told that a message was being sent for approval,” he said. “Officials also recorded our video footage and asked us to wait. We waited there until 4pm, which was the cutoff time for the meeting, but we were not allowed to meet Khan sahib,” he added. Patwali said he would work with lawyers to file a contempt petition. Since his name was on the list, he said he was unable to file the petition himself. Replying to a question, Patwali said the government should understand that the PTI would form the government in the future, adding: “So the government should be ready to face the brunt.” Seemabia, while speaking to Dawn, said that police did not allow PTI leaders to approach Adiala jail and instead asked them to park their vehicles on the side of the road. “We recorded our protest and then returned. We demand that Imran Khan be admitted to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment,” she said. Pre-Poll Rigging Separately, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned the government for unleashing “fascism” ahead of the elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). “Central PTI leaders are being subjected to name-based profiling, forced movement restrictions, and NOC (no-objection certificate) denials, while the Election Commission, administration and police are colluding to pressure candidates into abandoning the party,” he claimed. He alleged that the “same discriminatory tactics” were being used in AJK to sideline PTI, warning that such provocative actions in sensitive areas risk creating lasting divisions and that the party was poised to win a majority. “The abrupt and indefinite delay in presenting the federal budget is a humiliating confession of economic bankruptcy and the complete surrender of national sovereignty to the IMF, which now micro-manages every tax, revenue target and utility tariff,” Akram said. “The so-called differences between PPP and PML-N over provincial funds and agricultural taxes are a staged drama to fool the people while both parties collude in economic destruction,” he alleged. Imran — imprisoned since Aug 5, 2023, for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts — is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case. Earlier this week, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi went to the prison for a meeting with the PTI founder, but were once again denied a meeting with Imran. Speaking to the media outside the prison, Aleema said it was their constitutional right to meet Imran. She vowed to continue visiting Adiala, saying it was the only way to exert pressure on the “powers that be”.
"If Asher had not been female, she would not have been treated in the same discriminatory manner," the federal complaint said.
Under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students
Court decision that represents win for Republicans comes after lengthy battle over state’s congressional map Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Alabama can use a redrawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts in this year’s midterm elections, the US supreme court ruled in a 6-3 decision on Tuesday, another major blow to Black voters and a win for Republicans. The court’s emergency ruling is the most consequential decision it had issued since its landmark ruling in late April that struck down a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act. In that case, Louisiana v Callais, the court’s majority made it nearly impossible to win Voting Rights Act claims, saying that plaintiffs had to prove intentional discrimination. But on 26 May, a three-judge panel said the map Alabama wants to use for this year’s midterm was enacted with discriminatory intent. Continue reading...
Throughout World War II, discriminatory policies saw thousands of Romani, Sinti, Manush, Yenish and travellers displaced across France, imprisoned in vast internment camps and sent to extermination camps in Eastern Europe. Eighty years ago, the last travellers were freed from French internment camps. Our reporters Antonia Kerrigan and Valentine Erba went to meet with a French survivor of internment.
ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Monday challenged before the Supreme Court its May 12 order that required the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to decide in two weeks the sentence suspension pleas of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha in the controversial social media posts case. Meanwhile, despite the SC’s May 26 deadline having passed already, the IHC today, on the request of the prosecution, adjourned the hearing of Imaan and Hadi’s pleas seeking suspension of their sentences. The husband-wife duo were sentenced in the case on January 24, with subsequent petitions being filed against their conviction in early February. On May 12, more than three months after the pleas were filed, the SC gave the IHC two weeks to decide on the lawyer couple’s petitions. On Monday, the NCCIA requested the SC to recall and withdraw that order to help preserve the “sanctity and independence of the judiciary, maintaining equality among citizens and avoiding discriminatory treatment towards the couple merely on account of being members of the Bar”. The petition claimed that no exceptional or extraordinary circumstances have been pointed out by the couple in their earlier plea that warranted an intervention by the SC in a pending matter before the IHC. In December 2025, Imaan and her husband had moved the SC to set aside IHC’s decision that denied interim relief in the controversial social media post case. They had argued that the high court had “erroneously and illegally refused” to exercise the discretion to grant ad-interim relief to them to stay the criminal trial, as recording of evidence before the trial court in their absence was not only a violation of Section 353 CrPC, but also their due process and fair trial rights under Article 10A of the Constitution. Now, the NCCIA has contended that the couple had invoked the jurisdiction of the SC under Article 185(3) of the Constitution under the pretext of an “order” in which IHC had issued notices to the respondents with an observation that the contentions raised need consideration. “The issuance of ‘notice’ does not fall in the ambit of Article 185(3) as the appeal can only lie to the Supreme Court from a ‘judgment’, ‘decree’, ‘order’ or ‘sentence of a high court. Hence their appeal was not maintainable,” the petition argued. NCCIA underscored SC’s consistent and long-standing practice of not interfering in matters pending before high courts on the initial/interlocutory stage, except in extraordinary or highly exceptional circumstances. But the couple had approached the SC with the grievance that their applications for early hearing were not fixed or heard. Normally, the superior courts avoid intervention in such matters unless there is a situation where grave illegality is committed, or to foster justice or the matter is of an urgent nature, the petition argued. Every court has its own mechanism for dispensation of justice and also has an independent system to entertain and fix the cases according to the “urgency” pointed out by the applicant. But here, the NCCIA contended, the couple seemed not interested in the fixation of their criminal appeals; rather, they were insistent on getting a decision on their application filed under Section 426 of the CrPC. For that purpose, they filed two applications for early hearing, a fact which was evident from their petition filed before the SC. The couple, the petition claimed, had pleaded violation of Section 353 of the CrPC by the trial court and were playing victim and innocent before the SC by allegedly making their own story to politicise the issue and pressurise the courts, when the proceedings of the trial court belie their assertions. The NCCIA argued that the main grievance of the couple before the SC was that they had been denied a fair trial under Article 10-A of the Constitution, as their two applications for early hearing of applications for suspension of sentence were not fixed. But the SC’s binding order to the IHC seemed to give “special treatment” to Imaan and Hadi for being members of the Bar, the petition feared. The same treatment was accorded to them by the trial court when they remained hostile and derogatory, as the trial court showed “restraint” from passing any adverse order against them, the NCCIA asserted. It further said that before passing any direction to the IHC, the SC should have called for a report of pending appeals and applications for the suspension of the sentences before the high court so that principles of fairness, equality and impartiality were maintained and to avoid an impression of extraordinary treatment to the petitioners. The NCCIA highlighted that the lawyers had also filed petitions against the IHC chief justice alleging harassment, and Imaan’s mother, after the SC hearing, had categorically said that by issuing the May 12 order, the SC had “accepted” the IHC’s bias against her daughter. “Her statement is clearly creating doubts on the independence of judiciary,” the petition said. IHC hearing Earlier in the day, IHC’s Justice Muhammad Azam Khan took up Imaan and Hadi’s pleas today, but the hearing was adjourned due to the absence of two of the three special prosecution team members. The prosecutor who attended the hearing informed the court that one of his team members was travelling from Lahore while another was engaged in proceedings before the IHC chief justice. At that, Justice Khan remarked that he was specifically at the court for the hearing of Imaan’s and Hadi’s pleas despite being nominated for mediation training. Addressing the prosecutor, he asked whether the prosecution was aware of the Supreme Court’s directions in the case. Regarding that, one of the counsels for the petitioners, Advocate Riasat Ali Azad, noted that the deadline set by the Supreme Court had already expired. Justice Khan observed that the petitions had been filed in light of the SC’s May 12 order. Another counsel for the petitioners, Faisal Siddiqui, argued that one of the prosecutors should appear before the court after completing his commitments in the IHC CJ’s court. Justice Khan noted that he had already heard cases in the morning and had even missed his mediation training session scheduled for 8:30am to attend the proceedings of Imaan’s and Hadi’s pleas. The prosecutor requested the court to adjourn the hearing till Thursday or next Monday. After consulting the petitioners’ counsels regarding their availability, Justice Khan fixed the hearing for Thursday, June 4. At that, Siddiqui requested that the prosecution be restrained from seeking any further adjournments. In response, Justice Khan remarked that repeated reminders were unnecessary as all parties were bound to comply with the SC order. The case Imaan and Hadi have been in jail since their arrest in January in a case registered against the two for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) president. While the arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians, and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years in prison in the social media posts case just a day after the development. The controversy at the centre of the case stems from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by the NCCIA Islamabad assistant director (investigating officer) before the Cybercrime Reporting Centre, FIA, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca). The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts. In January, the sessions court sentenced the duo to 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of Peca. Subsequently, they challenged their conviction by filing separate criminal appeals in the IHC on February 7. On April 30, the duo had moved another appeal in the SC, seeking an early hearing of their pleas against their conviction. Moved under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, the application requested the grant of leave to appeal against the Feb 19 IHC order. Through that order, the IHC had admitted the appeal against the trial court’s Jan 24 decision of handing down a 17-year sentence to the couple. And while it had issued notices to the respondents on the application for the suspension of sentence, it had not suspended the sentence. The petition contended that the appeals be accepted and the sentence awarded to the petitioners through the impugned trial court’s judgment be suspended till the disposal of the criminal appeal pending before the IHC. On May 12, the SC asked the IHC to decide within two weeks the pleas seeking the suspension of their sentences. Until the IHC decides upon the petitions, the matter will remain pending before the apex court, a three-judge SC bench, consisting of Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Shafi Siddiqui, observed. Then, on May 20, the IHC issued notices to officials of the NCCIA on applications requesting an expedited hearing of the sentence suspension petitions. It was a day after Justice Khan raised objections over the non-submission of certified copies of the SC order and directed the defence counsel to submit the certified order through the court office in accordance with the prescribed procedure. Following the submission of the certified copy, the case was fixed for June 1. But the hearing again had to be adjourned today due to the prosecutors’ absence.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Thursday said that Disney has a history of allegedly discriminatory behavior, including hiring, promoting, compensating, and practices based on race, gender, and other protected classes. The post FCC Details Disney’s History of Alleged Discrimination Based on Race, Gender, Other Protected Classes appeared first on Breitbart.
The bench rejected a submission made by the state’s additional advocate-general, P V Balasubramaniam, that withdrawing paid VIP darshan would cause revenue loss to the temples.
Plaintiffs say children’s services uses ‘emergency removal’ disproportionately against Black and Latino families Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email On Thursday, two families filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of New York, alleging that the administration for children’s services (ACS) abuses its emergency removal power to take children from their parents without a court order. The families say that Black people and Latinos are disproportionately affected by the practice. The “emergency removal” power is supposed to be used only in extreme and urgent situations in which there is not enough time to obtain a court order. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, the ACS is using a racially discriminatory emergency removal policy that allows the agency to bypass judicial review. The policy, which separates parents from their children, can cause lasting harm to the families that are affected. Continue reading...
Torsten Bell says Labour manifesto ‘did not set out the timeline’ for changes to living wage after scale of youth unemployment crisis revealed in Milburn report Good morning. Last night Alan Milburn suggested that he would like the government to drop its commitment to pay all people over the age of 18 the national living wage. The former Labour health secretary was speaking after he published a major report on the rise in the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) and he implied that when the final report is published in the autumn, with policy recommendations, it will propose changes to the national living wage/minimum wage system to encourage more firms to hire young people. A change to the “discriminatory age bands” policy seems to be quite high up his list of demands. For the record, this is what Labour said in its manifesto. Labour will also make sure the minimum wage is a genuine living wage. We will change the remit of the independent Low Pay Commission so for the first time it accounts for the cost of living. Labour will also remove the discriminatory age bands, so all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage, delivering a pay rise to hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK. The manifesto sets out that the we should move the rates together over time. It doesn’t set a timeline on that because that’s the important role of the Low Pay Commission. No, that’s not what it says in our manifesto, Justin. But it’s an understandable mistake. It’s a long document. The manifesto commits us to equalising the rates. We’re absolutely committed to doing that. I’ve been a big proponent of the minimum wage over the last 25 years … We’re going to do it in a way that relies on the Low Pay Commission to provide independent advice on how that can happen, and in general how increases in the minimum wage happen but in a way that doesn’t affect employment levels. I’ve already said the answer is yes, we’re committed to our manifesto that we stood on and we will deliver it. But that manifesto did not set out the timeline. Continue reading...
Beijing has accused Manila of “selective and discriminatory” law enforcement against Chinese nationals, demanding case-by-case briefings following a string of arrests and detentions by Philippine authorities. In a statement on Wednesday, China’s embassy in the Philippines said it had “immediately lodged solemn representations with Philippine authorities for each incident”, and demanded that Manila inform Chinese consular posts of developments within four days. The statement urged Manila to...
Country: World Source: UN Women Crises are not gender-neutral. Women and girls are disproportionately affected due to pre-existing gender inequalities and discriminatory social norms, which limit their access to humanitarian aid, services, resources, and decision-making power. It is not surprising that the 30-year review of progress on the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action found that progress for women and girls is slowest in conflict and crisis-affected countries. The review raised the alarm about how ongoing trends may further thwart progress. The data is stark: Women and girls in extremely fragile contexts are 7.7 times more likely to live in households below the poverty line of USD 2.15 per day than those in non-fragile contexts. Under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158.3 million additional women and girls could be pushed into poverty by 2050 as a direct result of climate change, surpassing the number of men and boys by 16 million. The number of food-insecure women and girls could rise by as much as 236 million, compared with an additional 131 million men and boys. The average incidence of child marriage in conflict-affected countries is 14.4 percentage points higher than in non-conflict settings. More than a third of maternal deaths occurred in 48 fragile and conflict-affected countries. Sexual violence in conflict zones has risen sharply in recent years, while impunity for these violations has remained the norm. Girls’ educational attainment continues to lag in conflict-affected countries. Behind these numbers are women and girls who have lost their lives, had their safety and health shattered, their rights eroded, their dignity compromised, and their potential squandered. From Gaza and Sudan to Haiti, Lebanon, and elsewhere, the gendered impacts are both immediate and long term, affecting individuals and societies. They are also not contained within borders. For example, according to a UN Women gender alert on the military escalation in the Middle East, rising food and fuel prices and supply disruptions risk deepening food insecurity and livelihood erosion and increasing unpaid care burdens for women and girls across the Arab region, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and beyond. A humanitarian system under pressure The unfolding tragedy of escalating and protracted conflicts and crises and growing humanitarian needs is taking place against a backdrop of several important global trends. First, recent years have seen a rising backlash against gender equality taking place within the wider context of democratic erosion and shrinking civic space in various countries and regions. This is influencing government policies as well as mainstream opinions and attitudes – and threatening hard-won gains for women and girls. Second, the world is experiencing a severe contraction of international aid precisely when it is needed the most. Recent data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows that international aid fell in 2025 by 23.1 per cent in real terms compared with 2024, representing the largest annual drop in the history of official development assistance. This brings aid back to 2015 levels – the year the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development began. As the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 lays bare, the massive cuts to aid have forced the humanitarian system to do the “cruel math of doing less with less” and “hyper-prioritize” assistance toward those assessed to be in the direst need. The Humanitarian Reset, launched through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in March 2025, aims to make the system faster, lighter, more accountable, and more impactful. Against this backdrop, the international community needs to take bold and urgent action based on ample evidence of what works and rooted in existing commitments to gender equality and women’s rights. Put gender equality at the center of the reset First, gender equality needs to be a cornerstone of the ongoing Humanitarian Reset and not seen as a peripheral issue. In the drive for efficiency, simplification, and focus on strictly defined and hyper-prioritized life-saving assistance, there is a risk that implementation of the IASC’s commitments to gender equality may fall short. As funding contracts and established universal norms are under attack, now is the time to double down and prioritize interventions led by women and in support of their lives, dignity, and rights. Under the reset, there is a commitment that the humanitarian system will “defend” norms and principles, including on gender equality. The reset’s outcomes will depend on how consistently and concretely this is done at different levels – globally and in countries. A critical pillar is to recognize women’s vital and rich contributions in crisis-affected settings and enable their full and equal participation and leadership in decision-making processes. Women and girls are not passive victims or mere recipients of aid – they are responders on the front lines and are shaping the outcomes of crises, as community leaders and organizers, primary caregivers, educators, economic contributors, and peacebuilders. There is plenty of evidence that their leadership is a precondition for effective humanitarian responses, as well as for addressing the root causes of conflicts and for building sustainable recovery and peace. And yet we are far from achieving longstanding commitments to women’s participation and leadership as per the Sustainable Development Goals and the Women, Peace and Security agenda. All too often, participation remains tokenistic and women may have seats but no real influence over decisions made. Whether in internationally led mediation processes, in country-level humanitarian teams and cluster coordination groups, in funding allocation advisory boards, or in other decision-making forums – women need to be equally present and heard, and their perspectives recognized and heeded. They need to be able to exercise this fundamental right safely and without negative repercussions. Fund women-led and women’s rights organizations Second, women-led and women’s rights organizations working in conflict and crisis-affected countries need urgent funding. They were already underfunded and overstretched prior to recent funding cuts. UN Women’s report, At a breaking point, warns that these cuts have placed enormous additional strain on their vital work and even their very existence. Both the quantity and the quality of funding matter. Funding needs to be flexible, multi-year, and reflective of the holistic and transformative nature of their work, which is not only life-saving and life-sustaining but also often encompasses longer-term development, peace, democracy building, human rights, and gender-equality objectives. Both funding and broader political support need to take into account the significant, often overlooked, risks faced in crisis settings by women, girls, gender-diverse leaders, and human rights defenders. Work across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus Finally, it is critical that humanitarian, development, and peace actors work more closely and effectively together to address the complex challenges of today’s protracted and multifaceted crises. Meeting immediate needs should go hand in hand with building community resilience to disasters, strengthening governance systems, and addressing the root causes of conflict. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls need to be embedded throughout this nexus and its various components – from defining collective gender outcomes, to conducting joint gender analysis and assessments, to harmonizing funding streams with gender markers and ambitious targets for funding projects and interventions that address women’s specific needs, advance gender equality, or empower women. The stakes could not be higher. As the international community navigates an era of shrinking resources, eroding norms, and multiplying crises, the choices made now will determine whether women and girls are left further behind or emerge as the architects of more just and resilient societies. Delivering on commitments to gender equality in crisis settings is not a matter of idealism – it is a prerequisite for effective, sustainable, and principled responses. The evidence is clear and the commitments exist. The world cannot afford the cost of inaction. This article is reprinted with permission from SDG Action. About the author Asya Varbanova has 20 years of experience advancing sustainable development and gender equality in complex political, post-conflict and crisis contexts, across Europe, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. Currently serving as Head of Humanitarian Section/Deputy Chief. She has led Country Offices of UN Women in Turkiye, Moldova, Serbia and North Macedonia. She has managed development programmes and humanitarian responses in diverse settings, translating normative commitments on women’s rights and empowerment into operational results and spearheading multi-stakeholder partnerships across the UN, government institutions, civil society and private sector to advance impact at scale and institutional and systemic change.
Walking through Seoul, it is not hard to spot large election banners calling for "homosexuality education" to be expelled from schools, part of conservative Seoul education superintendent candidate Cho Jun-hyuk's campaign. The banners have become a political flashpoint in the June 3 Seoul superintendent race, with rival candidates and civic groups calling them discriminatory. Some groups have also argued that the banners may violate government guidelines on outdoor advertisements. “Expressions t
THE harrowing details of the widespread torture and sexual violence inflicted on Palestinian prisoners — men, women and children — by Israeli forces, as chronicled by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, are a damning indictment of the so-called civilised world that looks the other way when war crimes are committed by the Zionist state. Kristof’s account, published last week, is based on interviews with a number of Palestinians who have experienced sexual violence at the hands of “soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards”. Among the victims interviewed was freelance journalist Sami al-Sai, 46, who was detained by Israeli authorities in 2024. The description of his experience in prison is as horrific as that of countless other Palestinian men and women who have endured brutal acts of sexual violence. The journalist linked his abuse to pressure from the Israeli authorities to turn informer. Pride in his profession kept him from yielding to their demand. Many others in his place would have succumbed to the pressure. A number of these stories are so harrowing that they cannot be repeated here. Thousands of Palestinian men, women and children are languishing in Israeli prisons in subhuman conditions, with many routinely subjected to sexual abuse. Often, upon being released, the prisoners are warned by the Israeli authorities to stay quiet or face the consequences. The other reason they prefer silence is because “Arab society discourages discussing the topic for fear of hurting the morale of prisoners’ families and undermining the Palestinian narrative of defiant and heroic detainees”. Conservative norms also inhibit discussion on the subject. Survivors worry that speaking openly will ruin the matrimonial prospects of their sisters and daughters. Western leaders have turned a blind eye to Israel’s crimes against humanity. This is not the first time reports have surfaced regarding Israel’s consistent use of sexual violence against the Palestinian population. And yet, nothing seems to shake Western leaders who continue to lecture the world on human rights while turning a blind eye to Israel’s atrocities. There has been a marked increase in such crimes with Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in Gaza aided and abetted by the US and others in the Western sphere. In a report issued in March 2025, the UN detailed how sexual and gender-based violence — including rape and brutal assaults by prison guards and soldiers — is systematically employed by Israel as a tool of war and a way to humiliate and intimidate Palestinians. These abuses are not isolated incidents but rather “standard operating procedures” and a significant aspect of the mistreatment of Palestinians. The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has extensively reported on how Israel employs “systematic sexual violence” as part of organised state policy. The report titled Another Genocide Behind Walls: Sexual Violence in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centres and Engineered Impunity (October 2023-October 2025) details the horrible conditions that prevail inside Israeli prisons. Post-Oct 7, 2023, “Israeli forces have conducted sweeping and arbitrary arrests of thousands of Palestinians, including healthcare workers, journalists, women and children,” the Monitor notes. With Israel attempting to conceal conditions in its prisons by blocking visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross and lawyers, the report is based on released detainees’ direct testimonies. The findings “are supported by rare testimonies from Israeli whistleblowers, including doctors and soldiers, who have admitted to serious medical violations”. Medical reports indicate severe injuries and bodies returned to Gaza have shown signs of torture. Many former detainees don’t want to testify “due to fears of security reprisals” that include the targeting of their families. According to the Monitor, prisoners and detainees are trapped in “physical and legal black holes”. In the detention and interrogation centres, they encounter conditions described as resembling “state-run torture camps, where they face severe violations that include systematic sexual violence as a means of subjugation and destruction”. Cases are mentioned “where victims experienced severe psychological breakdowns while trying to speak out, with some breaking down into crying fits” as they relived their trauma. “Deliberate and medical neglect” often accompany the abuse. The report categorises them “as war crimes and crimes against humanity” which are “central to ongoing genocide”. These atrocities are ‘legitimised’ through “a complex system of laws, military directives and emergency regulations, including activating the ‘Unlawful Combatants Law’ and broadening detention powers without judicial oversight”. This year, Israel’s parliament celebrated after passing a draconian bill that mandates military courts in occupied West Bank to sentence Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in so-called ‘terror’ acts to death. The move is not only discriminatory against Palestinians but also contravenes international law, as Israel can’t legislate for territories that are not a part of it. Such actions can be viewed as war crimes. In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza post Oct 7, 2023. Despite this, no significant action has been taken. This inaction reflects the complicity of Western nations and Arab countries, whose silence gives Israel a sense of impunity. It is particularly ironic that many Arab nations, as well as Pakistan, are engaging with a war criminal responsible for the ongoing genocidal conflict in Gaza through the Board of Peace, led by US President Donald Trump, which claims to be focused on the ‘rehabilitation’ of Gaza. Reports from the NYT, the UN and international human rights organisations detail only a fraction of Israel’s crimes against humanity. But they should be enough to galvanise the international community. The writer is an author and journalist. zhussain100@yahoo.com X: @hidhussain Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026
CM Maryam Nawaz visits Punjab Pavilion at World Urban Forum in Baku.—X/pmln_org LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated the Punjab Pavilion at the World Urban Forum being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. During her visit to the Punjab Pavilion and various stalls set up at the Urban Expo, Director General of Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (Phata) Zeeshan Sikandar briefed the chief minister on the progress and achievements of the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar programme, says a handout issued here on Tuesday. The CM claimed that Punjab’s flagship housing initiative, Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar, had secured a place among the top innovative projects of the world. She expressed pleasure over the international recognition of the initiative and reviewed affordable housing models and projects being implemented in other developing countries. Claims province’s flagship housing initiative has secured a place among world’s top innovative projects The chief minister took a live virtual tour of the housing scheme through interactive digital gadgets and watched a documentary portraying the construction journey and impact of the project on beneficiaries. She also interacted with staff at the Punjab Pavilion and appreciated their efforts in presenting Punjab’s development initiatives at the global forum. Speaking to foreign delegates and media representatives, Ms Nawaz highlighted the success of Punjab’s affordable urban housing programme, saying the initiative was very close to her heart and aimed at enabling deserving families to build homes through transparent and non-discriminatory loan distribution. She said that 600 to 700 houses were being constructed daily under the programme and more than 100,000 houses had been completed within one year. International delegates, foreign media representatives and guests attending the pavilion praised the chief minister’s vision and welfare-oriented policies after viewing the documentary featuring beneficiaries of the scheme. The Punjab Pavilion emerged as a major attraction at the World Urban Forum, while international media described the Punjab government’s swift implementation of the housing initiative as a model for other countries. Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026