According to President Trump’s latest Directive from the White House on Tuesday on international cooperation, the United States will no longer participate in or financial support Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is set to meet on Friday to discuss the crisis of the Democratic Republic in the Congo .
The executive order also requires a review of the US membership of UNESCO, the UN Agency for Education, Science and Culture.
Leading notification will be US State Secretary Marco Rubio, who has 90 days to evaluate “how and if” UNESCO supports Washington’s interests.
The third UN agency, immediately affected by the order, is the UNWRA, the UN Agency for Palestine refugees, which the white house order maintained “has allegedly been infiltrated” by terrorism.
The presidential order draws us funding from UNRWA and notes the UN Agency’s alleged involvement in the 7th October attack on Israel, something that UNRWA heavily condemned and responded to by opening up an independent as well as an internal investigation, which ultimately fires nine staff for their possible involvement.
Israel did not give independent investigators to fully confirm his claims.
On August 4, 2025 – in just six months – the US executive order also calls for a review of US membership of “all international intermediate organizations” and all conventions and treaties.
Praise for life -saving American support
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in response to questions regarding the latest executive order that “from day one”, it has been clear that US support for the UN has “saved countless life and advanced global security”.
“As I have mentioned, the Secretary General looks forward to talking to President Trump. He is looking forward to continuing what was a very honest and productive relationship in the first period“He said.
Mr. Dujarric remembered President Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office on Tuesday, where he said the UN has “gained great potential” with a critical role to play in taking many major challenges facing the world.
At least 40 children killed in three days when violence escalates in Sudan
An increase in violence throughout Sudan has reportedly killed at least 40 children in just three days, with shelling targeting several areas in the country, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.
On Monday, heavy shooting in Kadugli, South Kordofan State, killed 21 children and wounded 29 others.
Over the weekend, attacks on markets in El Fasher in Darfur State and Sabreen in Khartoum State claimed the life of at least 19 children, with several others injured.
“Unfortunately, it is rare that more than a few short days pass by without new reports that children are being killed and injured,” said Annmarie Swai, the UNICEF representative in the country.
Daily killing
Since June 2024, when the conflict has spread in new regions, an average of four events have been documented per year. Day with an overwhelming 80 percent of these cases involving killings and mutilations.
The violence has also hit vital civilian infrastructure. At the end of January, Shelling allegedly hit the only acting hospital in El Fasher, killing and wounding seven children, while another attack on a UNICEF-child-friendly space in Khartoum State left three children dead or wounded.
“Kids in Sudan pay the ultimate price for the merciless matches“Said Ms. Swai and urged all parties to maintain international humanitarian law.
135,000 women in Africa could die of breast cancer by 2040, warn who
Estimated 135,000 women could die from preventable breast cancer by 2040 in Africa south of the Sahara without urgent action, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
According to an WHO study in 42 of the region’s 47 countries, there are significant gaps and differences in breast cancer control.
The most important findings included a critical lack of health workers that are important for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Tackling breast cancer is also limited by a lack of access to specialized cancer centers that said.
Lack of screening
The UN Health Agency found that Only five out of 47 countries in Africa south of the Sahara have regular screening programs for breast cancer. LAB screening facilities are also missing, where only two countries meet the standard of a laboratory per year. 100,000 people.
Breast cancer -related deaths in the region continue to be driven by late diagnosis and inadequate prevention and care. Much more health investments are needed, who insisted.
By 2022 alone, the UN agency said that 38 out of every 100,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 19 per day. 100,000 died of the disease.
Tunisia: The Rights Panel requires immediate release of activist in hunger strike
Top independent rights experts repeated their call to the Tunisian authorities on Wednesday to release an imprisoned activist who is intensive care after going into hunger strike.
Sihem Bensedrine, 75, was the former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission in Tunisia until she was detained last August.
In a common appeal, the independent rights experts insisted that Mrs. Bensedrine should be released and unconditionally and any charges against her dropped immediately.
The rights experts – special rapporteur Bernard Duhaime, Mary Lawlor and Margaret Satterthwaite – said her arrest seemed to be in retaliation for her activism.
Truth to power
In particular, they quoted her contribution to the truth and the Dignity Commission’s report, as they said “should lead to the prosecution of alleged perpetrators of serious violations of previous regimes”.
The Tunisian Commission was established in 2014 in collaboration with the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR and the UN Development Program (UNDP). It was tasked with investigating alleged assaults that went back six decades and served as a judge in the event of corruption and gross violations of human rights.
Ms. Bensedrine is accused of forgery of the Commission’s report on corruption in the banking system and has been subject to judicial investigations since 2021, before her detention of the trial last year.
Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts also claimed that Commission members and staff cannot be held responsible for content, conclusions or recommendations in the report as their work was performed in accordance with their mandate.
TCHAD and NIGERIA sign the agreement on voluntary refugee performance
The governments of Tchad and Nigeria, in collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, have signed a tripartite agreement to enable the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees who are currently residing in Chad.
It marks a significant milestone in regional efforts to provide durable solutions for refugees, ensuring that any future return is voluntary, safe and worthy.
A tripartite commission will be established to develop standard operating procedures to implement the agreement. This includes facilitating the ongoing dialogue, joint assessments and coordination between tchad, nigeria and UNHCR. The Commission will ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and that refugees of refugees remain central to the process.
“This tripartite agreement is a crucial step towards ensuring that any voluntary repatriation of refugees is performed in a way that maintains their fundamental rights and dignity,“Said UNHCR Regional Bureau Director Abdouraouf Gnon-Condé.
The signing of this agreement is part of a broader commitment from the governments of Tchad and Nigeria to strengthen the protection and solutions to forced people. This includes continuous cooperation with neighboring countries to improve regional coordination on voluntary repatriation and reintegration efforts.
UNHCR praises the governments of Chad and Nigeria for their leadership to promote durable solutions while protecting refugee rights. The Agency is ready to implement its obligations under this tripartite agreement.
