Derna (Libya) (AFP) – Hundreds of Libyans gather outside the grand mosque in the devastated city of Derna, protesting against the response by the authorities to the destruction that ensued after flash floods hit the city. On 10 September, two dams burst and unleashed a torrent that submerged parts of the city. More than 3,000 people were killed and thousands are missing.
Moscow (AFP) – The spokersperson for the Russian Foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, urges Azerbaijan and Armenia to “end bloodshed” and pursue peace talks, after Baku launched “anti-terror operations” in the disputed Armenian-majority region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls a flood that killed thousands in Derna, Libya a symbol of the world’s ills as he openS the annual General Assembly. “Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres says, adding, “Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world — the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.”
United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the first day of the General Assembly.
Tal Maarouf (Syria) (AFP) – Purebred Arabian horses and their riders take part in the first racing event organised by the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria. Prized for their beauty, endurance and speed, Arabians are one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. Both participants and organisers are hoping the race will encourage the preservation of local bloodlines.
Lviv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Firefighters are tackling a blaze in the western city of Lviv, Ukraine, following an overnight drone attack. Officials say the strike killed one person and destroyed three warehouses.
New York (AFP) – The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog urges Iran to reconsider its decision to deny access to top UN inspectors. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Saturday that Iran had withdrawn accreditation from several inspectors, a move Tehran described as retaliation for “political abuses” by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.
Vitória (Brazil) (AFP) – In the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, researchers are listening to whale songs to find out how the creatures communicate, and observing their movements to measure how they are affected by maritime traffic.
Lviv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Firefighters tackle a blaze in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv following an overnight drone attack. Officials say the strike killed one person and destroyed three warehouses.
Si Thep (Thailand) (AFP) – The ancient city of Si Thep, dating back to between 1,500 to 1,700 years ago, has been inscribed in UNESCO’s cultural world heritage list — Thailand’s first addition since 1992. But the looting of the city’s artefacts has hindered the efforts of archaeologists to unravel the full historical site.
Geneva (AFP) – War crimes and crimes against humanity are still being committed in Ethiopia despite the signing of an agreement to cease hostilities 10 months ago, the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia warns. “This was as bad as it gets, it was extreme. It included gang rape, it included cruelty of the worst kind, but I must admit that the worst of this was perpetrated by Eritrean forces in Tigray. Though, of course, the Ethiopian forces were also responsible,” says Radhika Coomaraswamy, a member of International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.
Geneva (AFP) – War crimes and crimes against humanity are still being committed in Ethiopia despite the signing of an agreement to cease hostilities 10 months ago, the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia warns. “This was as bad as it gets, it was extreme. It included gang rape, it included cruelty of the worst kind, but I must admit that the worst of this was perpetrated by Eritrean forces in Tigray. Though, of course, the Ethiopian forces were also responsible,” says Radhika Coomaraswamy, a member of International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia.
