UN rights chief slams 'strangulation of civil society'

29 Sept 19:11 Key points summarised by AI

UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the 'strangulation of civil society' and attacks on human rights defenders, especially those cooperating with the UN, noting that several Human Rights Council members are among the accused.
Turk revealed that UN Secretary-General reports have documented over 700 cases of intimidation and reprisals across 77 countries, with 12 current council members implicated in last year's report.
He stressed the urgent need to dramatically expand UN rights monitoring worldwide, calling for a doubled budget and establishing a presence in countries like China and India, which represent over a third of the global population.
Turk advocated for increased UN staff presence in humanitarian situations and scaled-up engagement in various regions, including Brazil, Central Asia, Ecuador, Kenya, Mozambique, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Macron condemns those who 'sought to bring down the Republic' after rioting mars nationwide protests

Yesterday 12:56 Key points summarised by AI

President Macron condemned widespread rioting and looting during nationwide protests, blaming far-left activists and criminals for the "unrestrained violence" and vowing accountability for those who "sought to bring down the Republic."
Over 2,400 arrests were made as protests against rising living costs and poor school conditions escalated, causing extensive damage to public buildings and businesses in cities like Paris, Limoges (where City Hall burned), Marseille, and Lyon.
The unrest, which organizers hoped would revive the "yellow vest" movement, saw political leaders trade blame, with Macron instructing prefects to protect public buildings and potentially ban future protests to prevent further disorder.