A global operation, supported by Eurojust, has led to the takedown of servers of infostealers, a type of malware used to steal personal data and conduct cybercrimes worldwide. With millions targeted, it was one of the largest malware platforms globally. Learn more.
More than 50 personnel from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions, are being held by the de facto Houthi authorities in the capital, Sana’a.
In addition, four UN staff members have been detained since 2021 and 2023.
“Attacks on humanitarian workers, including detentions and false accusations, violate international law, endanger safety, and severely hinder the support we provide to the Yemeni people and mediation efforts crucial for advancing the peace process in Yemen,” the officials said in a statement marking the solemn milestone.
They stressed that in the meantime, all detained colleagues must be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights, including being allowed to contact their families, legal representatives, and organizations.
“We also call for the protection of humanitarian workers, ensuring safe humanitarian space and access to communities we serve,” they added.
The statement was issued by regional directors for CARE, Oxfam and Save the Children, alongside their counterparts from the UN human rights office, OHCHR; the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN refugee agency, UNHCR; the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
A young Vietnamese man cleans up debris at his home after Typhoon Yagi swept through Quang Ninh province.
Nearly six million children have been affected by floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi in Viet Nam, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said in an update that the emergency had compromised access to clean water, education, healthcare, food and shelter – and pushed already marginalized communities “deeper into crisis”.
June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific, said that the immediate priority was to restore the essential services that children and families rely on.
She highlighted the “surge” in extreme weather events in Southeast Asia that had been made worse by climate change; and she noted that when disasters hit, vulnerable children “often pay the highest price”.
Typhoon Yagi is the most powerful storm to hit Asia so far this year.
It has brought torrential rain on top of existing seasonal rainfall, causing damage to more than 850 schools and at least 550 health centres – the vast majority in Viet Nam.
Humanitarian assessments in the region are still ongoing.
The detention of asylum-seekers around the world is harmful and contrary to their fundamental right to seek protection – which is why the practice should stop – the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Wednesday.
In a new policy brief for border authorities highlighting best practices in some countries, the UN agency noted that in many others, “asylum-seekers and refugees are often arrested and detained, unable to challenge their situation”.
The UNHCR cited the experience of one Iraqi asylum-seeker who spent two years in a Hungarian transit zone, where his movements were “severely restricted” and he and others faced constant surveillance.
His detention was deemed to be arbitrary by top independent human rights experts meeting at the UN in Geneva, the agency said.
UNHCR also cited a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights which found that four Tunisian nationals who were rescued at sea and brought to a reception facility on the Italian island of Lampedusa “did not have the opportunity to apply for asylum” before their “summary removal” from Italy.
Conditions in the centre were “inhuman and degrading”, according to the court, the agency explained.
Some countries have seen limits imposed on how long asylum-seekers can be detained such as the Republic of South Korea, UNHCR said.
It noted that in March 2023, a South Korean court ruled it unconstitutional to detain asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants indefinitely, while also offering guidance on how long people should be held, as well as alternatives to detention.
A man in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has his blood drawn as part of his treatment for mpox.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) is supporting the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with a $9.5 million cash injection to boost its emergency response to the latest deadly mpox outbreak.
The funding will boost the Government’s response across six of the highest transmission provinces: Equateur, Sud-Ubangui, Sankuru, Tshopo, Sud-Kivu, Nord-Kivu, as well as in and around the capital Kinshasa – home to 17 million people.
DRC is currently battling the largest mpox epidemic in the world, with 5,160 confirmed cases and 25 deaths since the beginning of this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the ability to test in DRC remains low due to limited capacity and availability, and the number of suspected cases is around five times the number of laboratory-confirmed cases.
The Global Fund’s contribution will help enhance disease surveillance systems, with special emphasis on strengthening early warning capabilities; strengthen laboratory systems and diagnostics; help community mobilization and communications; strengthen primary care; and implement infection prevention and control measures.
“Our partnership with the Global Fund and other health partners has a proven track record in reducing infectious diseases,” said Dr. Roger Kamba, Minister of Health and Social Welfare for the DRC.
“People living in areas of conflict and crises often face significant barriers to accessing health services due to damaged infrastructure, insecurity and a shortage of trained health personnel and supplies,” said Peter Sands, the Fund’s Executive Director.
“When a disease outbreak occurs in these places, the challenges are compounded. Strong systems of trusted community health workers, health educators and other local responders are essential for stopping disease spread.”
The World Food Programme (WFP) has increased its humanitarian response in Sudan’s conflict-ravaged areas, particularly in Darfur, where the risk of widespread famine looms.
Since the reopening of the Adre border in August, the agency has successfully delivered food assistance to 360,000 people in Darfur.
“Distributions have been completed for over 200,000 people in Kerenik and Sirba- areas at risk of famine at West Darfur”, stated Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq during the noon daily briefing in New York.
He added that “WFP is scaling up its efforts to reach 180,000 people in Zamzam, near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, with monthly food packages.”
The humanitarian situation remains critical, with nearly 70,000 people in Zamzam having received assistance so far.
While WFP has managed to assist over 6 million people this year – including more than half a million vulnerable individuals in the greater area of Khartoum – challenges remain.
“Early indications show little improvement in food security as historic flooding across Sudan destroyed crops and ongoing conflict made it difficult for farmers to plant, cultivate and now harvest”, Mr. Haq explained.
A group of independent UN human rights experts have raised the alarm over the impending expiration of the statute of limitations on the 2004 Tak Bai killings in Thailand, in just a few hours’ time.
This statute could end efforts to hold Thai security officials accountable for their role in the deaths of 85 people during a violent crackdown on a protest in Narathiwat province 20 years ago.
Seven people were killed initially when security forces opened fire, 78 more died during transport to a military camp under inhumane conditions, and seven people were forcibly disappeared during the incident, the experts said.
The victims were predominantly from the Malay Muslim minority.
“We welcome the fact that two criminal cases are finally proceeding into this incident with arrest warrants issued against relevant current and former officials,” said the experts – who are not UN staff, and are independent from any government or organization.
However, they warned that the statute’s imminent expiration on Friday would cut them short.
They emphasised that international law prohibits statutes of limitations for crimes like torture and enforced disappearances. In cases of forced disappearance, the statute can only apply once the fate and whereabouts of the victims are definitively established. “A failure to investigate and bring perpetrators to justice is itself a violation of Thailand’s human rights obligations,” one expert asserted.
Families of the victims have waited nearly two decades for justice. The experts urged the Thai government to take immediate action to prevent further delays in accountability and to uphold the rights of the victims’ families to truth, justice, and reparations.
Thursday marked United Nations Day which saw the Secretary-General delivering a strong message about the organisations enduring mission since its foundation amid the ashes of World War Two.
In a world facing multiple crises, he emphasised that the UN remains the world’s central platform for solutions, to global problems.
“Solutions that ease tensions, build bridges and forge peace. Solutions to eradicate poverty, spur sustainable development and stand up for the most vulnerable.”
The message comes at a crucial moment following September’s landmark agreements by the General Assembly.
In September the Assembly adopted the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
The Secretary-General delivered a powerful reflection on hope in our troubled world.
“Hope is not enough. Hope requires determined action and multilateral solutions for peace, shared prosperity, and a thriving planet,” he said.
“Hope requires all countries working as one. Hope requires the United Nations. On United Nations Day, I call on all countries to keep this beacon for the world, and its ideals, shining.”
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed on 27 October to raise awareness about the significance and preservation risks of audiovisual materials.
Audiovisual archives serve as powerful storytellers, capturing the lives, cultures and histories of people from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge, reflecting the cultural, social, and linguistic diversity of our communities. These archives not only deepen our understanding of the past but also help us appreciate the world we share today.
Conserving this rich heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is thus vital. Historically, information was preserved through photographs, sheet music and books. Modern technology has revolutionised this process, allowing us to now record and share important moments through sound and video using different apps. Platforms like music streaming services, video-sharing sites and social media act as modern-day archives, storing a wide variety of audiovisuals.
The EU utilises different platforms and depositories for storing and sharing audiovisual content. Among them, the Audiovisual Library of the European Commission functions as central deposit for audiovisual materials intended for external communication, produced or purchased by Commission services. The library is responsible for the management, preservation, and accessibility of the collective audiovisual memory of the European integration process, available in both English and French. Since 1948, the library has catalogued over 250 000 videos, 500 000 photos and 8 500 audio recordings, covering all major steps of EU history. The collection continues to grow and is accessible to the public via the Audiovisual Portal.
In addition, Europeana is a web portal that aggregates audiovisual materials from over 2000 different institutions across Europe. This includes libraries, museums, archives, galleries and others, offering its users a unique opportunity to access a diverse range of content online.
The EU is committed to safeguarding and enhancing Europe’s cultural heritage through numerous policies and programmes. By preserving audiovisual heritage such as films, recordings, and photographs, we ensure that future generations can experience the richness of our shared past. Protecting audiovisual heritage is not just about safeguarding memories, but about keeping cultural diversity alive and accessible for all.
For more information
European Commission’s Audiovisual Service
The Audiovisual Library: Europe’s living audiovisual memory (video)
Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar outlined how the UN agency has been supporting Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, including following the wave of electronic device explosions this week.
Hundreds of pagers across the country simultaneously detonated on Tuesday, while walkie-talkies and even some solar panels blew up the following day. The attacks reportedly targeted the Hezbollah militant group, killing civilians, including children.
Speaking at the regular briefing for correspondents in New York, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called for “maximum restraint” by all parties to the conflict.
“We are very concerned at the heightened escalation across the Blue Line including the deadly strike we saw in Beirut today”, he added.
“We also urge the parties to immediately return to the cessation of hostilities…The region is on the brink of a catastrophe.”
Dr. Abukakar told UN News that as of Thursday evening, the Ministry of Health had recorded 37 deaths and more than 3,000 wounded.
WHO has been assisting Lebanon’s hospitals to prepare for mass casualty events given the unrest in the region.
He described the past few days as “unprecedented”, both for the country and the health system, “because in one time on September 17, from almost 3:30 up to 4 o’clock, almost 3,000 injured patients were rushed to hospitals, and the hospitals were not prepared enough, actually, to handle simultaneously that number of cases.”
Following the explosions, WHO supported the Ministry of Health “to properly coordinate with the hospitals so at least there is a proper referral system,” he said.
“We work with the emergency operation rooms to ensure that there’s a proper coordination within the hospitals where patients can be referred from one hospital to another hospital.”
Teams also dispensed and distributed supplies hospitals would need to manage cases, in addition to supporting the Lebanese Red Cross with proper supplies and testing kits for blood transfusions.
WHO also provided other support, including for mental healthcare services for health workers, patients and families, and to allow essential health services to continue.
The crisis is the latest challenge for Lebanon, where the health system has been severely impacted in recent years.
Dr. Abubkar said first there was the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the devastating August 2020 explosion at the port in the capital, Beirut. The blast killed more than 200 people and caused millions in damage.
Lebanon is also in the midst of financial turmoil, he added, and experiencing spillover from the war in Gaza which erupted last October after Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Many hospitals have been managing trauma-related cases due to cross-border violence.
“Before the recent event that happened on 17 September there were almost 2,700 wounded patients and also about 550 deaths due to the conflict,” he noted.
WHO is also scaling up operations in southern Lebanon, where mobile clinics operated by partners offer immunization services, primary healthcare and nutritional support to people displaced by the fighting.
Dr. Abubakar said WHO and Lebanon’s Ministry of Health have invested heavily in preparedness of hospitals and health facilities, including advance training on trauma management, which proved valuable following the wave of explosions earlier this week.
“We propositioned supplies. We did a number of simulation exercises for this kind of a mass casualty event. I think some of those hospitals, actually, were prepared in a sense where at least they should expect this kind of a mass casualty event,” he said.
He praised the health authorities for their “tremendous effort” on coordination, whereby hospitals that were overwhelmed or “saturated” could transfer patients to other locations.
“In total, over 100 hospitals have received wounded patients,” he said. “And you can imagine now, in a country as small as Lebanon, which has five million people, when there’s so much injured people to be received within a very short period, how the health system will feel.”
Asked if he had any message, Dr. Abubakar underlined the need to respect international humanitarian law and to protect healthcare workers and civilians, as well as health facilities.
He also urged greater support for Lebanon, stressing the need for more resources to respond to the ongoing crisis “but also the worst-case scenario”.
“I’m appealing to the international community that we need more resources to help to support those who have been injured, those who have been affected, the displaced people, in the current conflict,” he said.
Brussels, Europe — In a decisive step towards environmental sustainability, the European Commission has announced a significant investment of more than €380 million for133 new projects under the LIFE Programme for environment and climate action. This ambitious funding initiative represents more than half of the total investment requirements of €574 million for these projects, with the remainder sourced from a coalition of national, regional, and local governments, along with contributions from public-private partnerships, businesses, and civil society organizations.
These LIFE projects aim to contribute significantly to achieving the targets set out in the European Green Deal. Notably, these targets include the EU‘s overarching goal to become climate-neutral by2050 and to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by2030. The Commission emphasized that this investment will positively impact the environment, the economy, and the well-being of all Europeans.
The allocated funding encompasses various critical areas of focus within the LIFE programme, including:
One of the standout projects is LIFE GRAPhiREC, which aims to recycle graphite from battery waste in Italy, projected to generate €23.4 million in revenue while saving €25 million in production costs. Another notable initiative, LIFE POLITEX, will invest €5 million in Spain to lessen the environmental footprint of the fashion industry by converting textile waste back into new materials. From the Canary Islands, the DESALIFE project is set to enhance water resilience by producing fresh water from the Atlantic Ocean, with wave-powered buoys expected to pump an impressive1.7 billion liters of desalinated water ashore.
Additionally, LIFE4AquaticWarbler and LIFE AWOM are collaborative projects involving multiple countries—Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, alongside international partners from Ukraine and Senegal—collectively focused on saving the rare aquatic warbler bird. The projects boast a combined budget of nearly €24 million in alignment with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for2030.
In the realm of climate resilience, the IMAGE LIFE and LIFE VINOSHIELD projects, with a budget of €6.8 million, aim to fortify iconic vineyards and cheese production in Spain, France, and Italy against extreme weather changes. These projects serve as crucial examples of how the agricultural sector can adapt to the looming threats of climate change.
Two projects distinctly aimed at fostering a clean energy transition include LIFE DiVirtue, which employs virtual and augmented reality technologies in Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, Croatia, and Romania to train construction professionals in delivering zero-emission building practices, and the ENERCOM FACILITY project, which will disburse almost €10 million to support emerging energy communities across Europe.
The LIFE Programme, which has been operational for32 years, has co-financed more than6,000 environmental and climate action projects across the EU and associated countries. The current allocation follows an increase in funding for the programme by almost60% for the period from2021 to2027, which now totals over €5.43 billion. The funds are managed by CINEA, the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.
As the EU forges ahead in its commitment to environmental sustainability, these new LIFE projects signify a critical investment in the future well-being of both the planet and its inhabitants.
Russian pop icon Alla Pugacheva was caught with $20 million worth of antiques. Among the ancient objects are works by Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci. The singer tried to transport them abroad. According to experts, Pugacheva’s collection includes museum exhibits from the XVI-XVII centuries, which can be put up for auction, where the price of just one of the paintings – Domenico Puligo’s “Madonna and Child with Two Angels” – starts at one million dollars, reported on 10 October “Komsomolskaya Pravda”.
Last year, when the star came to Russia, her representatives compiled an inventory of antique items. Documents include a 19th century French chandelier, a 19th century fruit stand, 16th-19th century sculptures and paintings. It was planned that all of them would be transported from Sheremetyevo airport, but the representatives of the star did not provide all the documents to the customs and they were refused transport.
In March of this year, the Russian Prosecutor’s Office asked the country’s Ministry of Justice to declare Alla Pugacheva a “foreign agent” after she criticized the war in Ukraine. At the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, Pugacheva and her husband Maxim Galkin flew to Israel, where the family owns an expensive estate. After Galkin publicly condemned the Russian special operation, he was declared a “foreign agent”, and Russian services began to investigate the singer on charges of discrediting the Russian army.
As a producer familiar with the situation told the KP.RU website: “Foreign agent Galkin came up with a hobby for himself – he built a castle, so he decided to stuff it with antiques, imagining himself a collector. He and his wife bought paintings, jewelry, doors, lamps, chests of drawers, etc. at auctions. Often at inflated prices. Often those that do not actually represent artistic value. Now experts who have studied the list of their collection say that there are no outstanding, museum works of art there. There are expensive old paintings, figurines, etc. There are a lot of them. For birthdays and anniversaries, friends gave them something for the collection. Pugacheva and Galkin* have a lot of things, chaotically bought at auctions at inflated prices for amateurs. Last year, they decided to export part of the collection. According to the law, it is forbidden to export from the country without special permits: firstly, antiques created more than a hundred years ago, secondly, items that are of significant value, classified as cultural heritage sites, and included in special registers. To export, it is necessary to order an examination and carry out customs declaration. All this was done in 2023, but customs rejected the collection – some of the ancient exhibits did not have the necessary export permits.” What did they want to export? Many works of painting, slightly fewer – works of decorative and applied art.
– Books in the amount of 118 pieces of modern editions by different authors.
– Seven sculptures. Among them – four sculptures from 1889, France, by Jean Baptiste Gustave Deloy. And three modern ones – “Seated Minotaur” (2022, Russia, E. Pylnikova), “Bull Hunt”, “Lion Hunt” (2018, Russia, A. Krasov and A. Kryukov).
– Two tables from Artem Stepanyan’s workshop, 2019. Materials – wood, gilding.
– A set of two fruit vases – bronchus, crystal, ornamental stones, gilding, silvering, blackening, casting, embossing, inlay, painting. 1840 – 1842, France.
– Two chandeliers. 19th century. France.
– A mirror in the Neo-Renaissance style (bronze, casting, embossing, engraving, gilding). Ferdinand Barbedienne factory, sculptors Albert Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Louis-Constant Seven.
– Two consoles – “Triton” and “Pan” (wood, stone, carpentry, wood carving, stone carving, tinting, varnish). Mid-18th century, Italy, Venice.
– Pair of mahogany consoles with a Medici ring. Mid-19th century, Western Europe.
– Two table decorations. Pair of candelabra. 19th century. France.
– Picture frames. 8 pieces. 19th century, 20th century. Italy, Western Europe.
– Paintings. 21 pieces. The oldest canvas in this collection is dated in the inventory as follows – 1520s, Italy. Domenico Puligo “Madonna and Child with Two Angels”, wood, oil, 72.5 x 51.7 cm, in a frame 101.5 x 80.1 x 8 cm. At auctions, paintings by this Italian Renaissance artist were sold at an average price of 3 million rubles. The cost of this painting may be higher.
Illustration: Domenico Puligo, “Madonna and Child with Two Angels”
Parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UPC-MP) have taken over the largest Orthodox church in Cherkasy – the Mikhailovsky Cathedral, the greater part of which was transferred to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, reported UNIAN on 17th of October.
According to information, 18 thousand supporters of the Moscow church broke the entrance gate and entered the territory of the temple using tear gas. Around 09:00 the parishioners of the UOC took over the cathedral.
Also, from the video circulating on social networks, it can be seen that inside the temple, some people started using armatures from the pews against the camouflaged ones and pushed them out of the cathedral.
Subsequently, it became known that the police had arrived at the temple. Law enforcement officers reported that they are ensuring public order and documenting violations and identifying all participants in the incident.
The storming of the cathedral in Cherkasy
The Cherkasy priest Vladimir Ridney wrote on Facebook that the Cathedral of St. Michael in Cherkasy, which for a long time was under the control of the Moscow Patriarchate, is being transferred to the OCU.
He added that from now on the temple will always be open to military personnel because it has already become a garrison temple.
“Also, on the territory of the temple, a center for national-patriotic education, a Sunday school and the training of priests will be created… All parishioners who were and remain in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) are invited to pray in Garrison church in Ukrainian,” Ridney noted.
Illustrative Photo by Maria Charizani: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hand-holding-a-small-colorful-building-model-figurine-5994786/
European Union countries cannot generally ban the use of terms such as “schnitzel” or “sausage” for plant-based alternatives, the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) ruled, DPA reported in early October.
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France has issued a ban on the use of meat terms for vegetarian products, which has been challenged by several associations and food manufacturer Beyond Meat.
The Court of Justice of the EU indicated that member states can restrict the use of terms traditionally associated with meat products only if they define legal names for vegetable protein products.
The European Vegetarian Union (EVU), one of the claimants, said it was “very pleased” with the decision.
“By ensuring clarity in food labelling, we can promote plant-based alternatives and work towards environmental goals, as well as boost competitiveness and innovation in the EU,” said Rafael Pinto from the Vegetarian Union.
Organizers of the London Film Festival have pulled out of screening a documentary about far-right activity and funding in Britain and beyond due to “risks to safety and well-being”.
The documentary – “Undercover: Exposing the Far Right” – investigates far-right figures in the UK and Europe, as well as funding from the United States, using an undercover reporter and hidden cameras. The film was due to be screened at the festival in the British capital at the weekend and broadcast on Britain’s Channel 4 on Monday night.
The production comes just months after anti-immigrant riots erupted in parts of Britain, which officials blame on far-right agitators for inciting and igniting. The documentary follows the campaigns of the anti-extremism charity Hope not Hate, which investigates the far right in Britain and the money behind how “prejudice” is spread online.
Comments after the screening has stopped
“After exploring all possible options for screening this film at a public film festival, we have made the decision not to present UNDERCOVER: Exposing the Far Right at LFF,” said festival director Christy Matheson, who called the film “exceptional and one of the – the best documentaries I’ve seen this year”.
“However, festival workers have a right to feel safe and have their mental health and wellbeing respected in the workplace. I have taken into account the expert opinion of colleagues about the safety and welfare risks that the screening could have created for the audience and crew, and it served as the basis for our decision, which we did not take lightly,” she added.
Director Havana Marking expressed his disappointment at the London Film Festival’s decision. “I understand the fear that people feel, but I am very disappointed that an alternative method of screening was not found. It is becoming increasingly difficult to make films like this and the loss of this audience is upsetting,” she noted.
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