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What threat does the surge in violence in Syria pose?

What threat does the surge in violence in Syria pose?

UN envoy expresses alarm and urges restraint on all sides amid clashes between security forces, Civilians have reportedly been among the hundreds killed in violence in Syria, as government forces surge to the country’s northwest to respond to fighters loyal to the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. The situation represents the greatest challenge yet to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has promised accountability for anyone attacking civilians. The UN has expressed alarm, while appealing for calm from all sides. So what’s the risk of escalation? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Marie Forestier – Senior adviser at the European Institute of Peace Ammar Kahf – Executive director of the Omran Center for Strategic Studies Hind Kabawat – Professor of conflict resolution at George Mason University and former deputy head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission Adblock test (Why?)

‘Alarming regression’ in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns

‘Alarming regression’ in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns

South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s northeast threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned. The statement on Saturday from Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comes amid a spate of violence between security forces overseen by President Salva Kiir and an armed group his government has alleged is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar. The situation has put in peril the pair’s fragile power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 to end five years of civil war. It has also sparked fears of war in the country’s Upper Nile state. “We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress,” Sooka said. “Rather than fuelling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,” Sooka said. Advertisement The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also expressed “deep concern” on Saturday. In a statement, he called for an “immediate end to all hostilities.” Eruption of violence The latest flare-up began when fighting erupted between the Sudanese armed forces and a group identified by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as an “armed youth militia” in Nasir County in the Upper Nile state in February. While it remains unclear what started the fighting, HRW noted rumours of forced disarmament may have fueled the unrest. Several clashes have since taken place, with fighters using “heavy weaponry”, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The agency has also reported fighting in Western Equatoria state in the southwestern part of the country. Earlier this week, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, blamed the violence, in part, on the White Army, a Nuer armed group operating in Upper Nile. He accused the group of working in league with Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO). South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, right, and Vice President Riek Machar, left, attend a Holy Mass led by Pope Francis at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan [File: Ben Curtis/AP] Tensions rose further earlier this week when Kiir ordered the arrests of two officials and several senior military officials allied with Machar. The army also surrounded Machar’s home, effectively putting him under house arrest. Advertisement Then on Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to rescue soldiers in the state was attacked, killing one crew member and wounding two others. An army general was also killed in the failed rescue mission, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Friday. Speaking late Friday, Kiir urged calm following the incident. “The government I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast on the path of peace,” he said. ‘Reckless power struggles’ South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, having gained independence in 2011. However, the independence movement, led by Kiir’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), quickly splintered. By 2013, the country had descended into full-scale civil war. The fighting killed more than 400,000 people and displaced more than a million others. In 2018, the two sides signed the Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The agreement was meant to see the two warring factions unite their armies under a single unit, write a new constitution, prepare for general elections, organise a census and disarm all other armed groups. However, none of the reforms have been instituted. In the statement released on Saturday, Barney Afako, another member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, warned observers are witnessing “a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past”. He said that the South Sudanese had endured “atrocities, rights violations which amount to serious crimes, economic mismanagement, and ever-worsening security”. Advertisement “They deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)

Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality

Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality

Demonstrations from Buenos Aires to Lagos demand justice for victims of femicide and urge reforms to protect women. Demonstrators have taken to the streets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to mark International Women’s Day, with many demanding an end to gender-based violence and inequality. In cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, those warnings were particularly grave, as protesters railed against austerity plans put forth by President Javier Milei that they say will roll back services for women. Milei’s government has shut down the country’s Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and plans to strike “femicide” – the term for the murder of women in the context of gender violence – from the country’s penal code. His justice minister has called the term a “distortion of the concept of equality”, claiming it indicates a higher value for women’s lives. Reporting from Buenos Aires, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said demonstrators say the move is particularly harmful given that one woman is killed every 30 hours in the country. A UN report released last year found that about 60 percent of women and girls killed in 2023 were murdered by their intimate partner or a close relative. Advertisement “Women here say that they’ve been fighting for too long, that they won’t back down, that they won’t be silent,” Bo said. “They say that their fight is too important, and that’s why they say that they will continue with their struggle on the streets.” Women wearing masks hold signs with the names of those who, according to them, are victims of gender-based violence [Susana Vera/Reuters] Hundreds of women in Ecuador marched in the capital Quito holding signs that opposed violence and the “patriarchal system”. “Justice for our daughters!” demonstrators yelled in support of women slain in recent years. In Bolivia, thousands of women began marching late Friday, with some scrawling graffiti on the walls of courts, demanding that their rights be respected and denouncing impunity in femicides, with less than half of those cases reaching sentencing. Placards and a cutout depicting Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa are attached to a monument in Quito, Ecuador [Karen Toro/Reuters] In many European countries, women also protested against violence, for better access to gender-specific healthcare, equal pay and other issues in which there are still disparities with men. In Poland, activists opened a centre across from the parliament building in Warsaw where women can go to have medical abortions, also known as non-surgical abortions, either alone or with other women. Opening the centre on International Women’s Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. People attend a demonstration to call for gender equality and demand an end to violence against women to mark International Women’s Day in Paris, France [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters] Protesters also took to the streets in Madrid, Spain. Advertisement Some protesters held up hand-drawn pictures depicting Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was drugged by her now ex-husband in France over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious. Pelicot has become a symbol for women all over Europe in the fight against sexual violence. A woman holds a poster honouring Gisele Pelicot, the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot [Susana Vera/Reuters] In the Nigerian capital of Lagos, thousands of women gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, dancing and singing and celebrating their womanhood. Many were dressed in purple – the traditional colour of the women’s liberation movement. In Russia, the women’s day celebrations had more official overtones, with honour guard soldiers presenting yellow tulips to girls and women during a celebration in St Petersburg. In Ukraine, a ceremony was held in the city of Kharkiv to commemorate female soldiers who had died fighting Russia’s invasion. Adblock test (Why?)

JD Vance says he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with toddler daughter

JD Vance says he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with toddler daughter

Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter.  “Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.  “I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone,” he continued. “Nearly all of them agreed.”  Vance said it was a “mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s— person.”  VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS WHERE THINGS ‘BROKE APART’ DURING TRUMP-ZELENSKYY BLOWUP AT THE WHITE HOUSE “Slava Ukraini” is a battle cry for the Ukrainian armed forces, meaning “Glory to Ukraine.”  While the vice president didn’t specify what he talked to the protesters about, the Trump administration has cut off funding in the last week for Ukraine and stopped intelligence sharing with the country after a tense Oval Office exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vance.  Fox News Digital has reached out to the vice president’s office for comment. Tensions rose during the Oval Office meeting Feb. 28 over a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements. TRUMP PAUSES AID TO UKRAINE AFTER FIERY MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY Trump and Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table.  “You’re playing cards,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.” After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means “everybody has problems, even you,” adding the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.” “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump responded. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.” Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a scheduled news conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.  The White House has said Zelenskyy must publicly apologize for the Oval Office meeting or the minerals deal won’t be considered.  On Tuesday, Zelenskyy called the meeting “regrettable” and said he is ready to pursue peace with Trump’s help.  Vance was also met by protesters last weekend, when his family went on a ski vacation in Vermont a day after the Feb. 28 exchange.  The protesters called him a “traitor” and told him to “go ski in Russia.”  Liberal commentator Tim Miller criticized Vance over his X post Saturday, writing, “Dozens are dead in Ukraine because you stopped giving them the intelligence that protected the country from bombs so you can probably handle some yelling in a free country boss.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was considering “large-scale” sanctions on Russia “until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached.”  “Get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he wrote of Russia and Ukraine.

Blue state mayor proposes city ordinance to strengthen transgender care protections in the face of Trump EOs

Blue state mayor proposes city ordinance to strengthen transgender care protections in the face of Trump EOs

Seattle’s Democratic mayor this week proposed a city ordinance that would strengthen protections for those seeking transgender care and surgeries, while calling out the Trump administration’s “hateful, dangerous and discriminatory attacks” against the LGBTQ+ community.  Mayor Bruce Harrell campaigned as a moderate before his win in 2021, pushing public safety and helping local businesses, according to The Seattle Times, although he has expressed support for transgender care previously.  Harrell was elected following riots in the city after George Floyd’s death and the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone that, along with the pandemic, devastated parts of the downtown area.  Harrell “symbolized a shift toward the center, away from some of Seattle’s further-left leaders,” The Seattle Times wrote in 2023 of Harrell’s 2021 win.  SEATTLE MAYOR INTERRUPTS SPEECH TO DUPE FANS OVER POTENTIAL NBA EXPANSION TEAM: ‘JUST KIDDING’ On Thursday, conservative Seattle radio host Jason Rantz called Harrell’s proposed city legislation “extreme,” but “mostly toothless” and mainly “virtue signaling” to gain favor with Seattle progressives.  Harrell proposed the legislation after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting federal funding for providers of transgender healthcare for people under 19.  “We are proud of Seattle’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city for the LGBTQ+ community and recognize their immeasurable contributions to the vibrancy and culture of our city,” Harrell said in a statement this week.  “This legislation is a tangible step to strengthen local protections and stand with our LGBTQ+ community in the face of hateful, dangerous and discriminatory attacks from the Trump administration and others, ensuring that everyone has access to essential healthcare services.” HOSPITALS WARNED THEY MUST PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION: HHS AGENCY MEMO Trump’s executive orders have been met with lawsuits and are currently blocked by the courts.  Some hospitals across the country halted transgender care after Trump’s executive orders to avoid losing funding.  A judge in Seattle also blocked the orders in four states in one of the lawsuits filed by a group of Democrat-led states. Harrell added that the ordinance affirms Washington state’s “Shield Law” that protects transgender people needing reproductive services and those who provide them from prosecution.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harrell noted this week in a release by the city that he signed a bill in 2022 that made encroaching on reproductive or transgender care a misdemeanor offense.  He added that, as a member of Seattle’s City Council before his election, he was a “vocal” supporter of access to transgender care for city employees.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Republicans demand Trump cut American legal association out of nominee process

Republicans demand Trump cut American legal association out of nominee process

Several Republican senators have taken issue with the American Bar Association (ABA) and are calling for President Donald Trump to take drastic action against the group. In a letter to ABA President William Bay, lawmakers said the group, which plays a key role in judicial nominations, had become “biased and ideologically captured.” Now, those lawmakers want President Trump to “remove the ABA from the judicial nomination process entirely.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Bernie Moreno and Sen. Mike Lee are also calling on their fellow senators to “disregard the ABA’s recommendations.” BONDI WARNS THREE STATES TO COMPLY WITH LAW KEEPING BOYS OUT OF GIRLS’ SPORTS OR FACE LEGAL ACTION In the explosive letter there are allegations, including that the ABA has taken political stances against the Trump administration and that the group has been quiet about its taking funds from USAID. The federal aid group has been a target of the Trump administration, something the ABA has criticized. “The ABA states, ‘Americans expect better.’ But President Trump won both electoral and popular votes. It seems Americans expect — and want — the Trump administration,” the senators’ letter reads. Sen. Schmitt tweeted out the letter along with several criticisms of the ABA’s recent actions and statements. In particular, Schmitt took issue with statements the ABA published on Feb. 10 and March 3, both of which were critical of the Trump administration. “It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law,” the ABA wrote in its Feb. 10 statement. Additionally, the Feb. 10 statement condemns the “dismantling of USAID.” LAW PROFESSORS SAY NEW FOCUS ON RACE AND GENDER CAUSE THEM TO ‘MASSIVELY’ CENSOR THEMSELVES The senators reference this statement in their letter, saying that the ABA made “inflammatory claims” against the Trump administration “without citing legal reasoning for those arguments.”  One of these claims is that the “dismantling of USAID” is illegal, but the senators note that the ABA does not explain why these actions are not permitted under the law. “It is questionable whether the ABA is committed to defending liberty or its own sources of funding,” the senators wrote, referring to the organization’s defense of USAID. The lawmakers also criticized the ABA’s March 3 statement in which the group slams purported “efforts to undermine the courts.” In their letter, the lawmakers note that the association did not issue any statements against former President Joe Biden when he defied the Supreme Court on student loan forgiveness. In their letter, the senators call out the ABA’s implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which the Trump administration has been working to root out of the government.