United Nations (UN)
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 70
The red herring of 'Islamic human rights'
Muslims who grant themselves the right to adopt a human rights declaration based on their own religion need to allow followers of other religions to do the same, argues Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi in her essay
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War reporting
Facts must be respected – even in Syria!
Amid the increasing complexity of the Syrian conflict, a growing number of "critical citizens" are assigning greater credibility to conspiracy theories on the Internet than to UN investigations that are required to meet scientific standards. Essay by Kristin Helberg
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India and Pakistan
Modiʹs foreign policy – by whim, not design
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Indiaʹs approach to relations with Pakistan has been inconsistent and episodic, typified in the tensions at the recent UN General Assembly. Modiʹs government has no cohesive policy framework for dealing with Pakistan, much less a compelling vision for lasting peace. By Shashi Tharoor
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Internecine struggles
Libyaʹs free for all
Libya is today the scene of political chaos that is difficult to fathom from the outside. Two governments, one in the west and one in the east, are fighting for supremacy. And even within the power blocs there are military conflicts between the different militias. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Interview with think tank veterans Yossi Alpher and Ghassan Khatib
"The Oslo peace process approach is over"
On 13 September 1993, an agreement of mutual understanding known as the Oslo Accords kicked off the Middle East peace process. 25 years on, Middle East expert Christian Hanelt interviews Israeli Yossi Alpher and Palestinian Ghassan Khatib on their experiences and their thoughts regarding the way ahead
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USA cancels aid to Palestinian aid agency UNRWA
Washington's penchant for moving the goalposts
At the beginning of September the USA announced it would pull its entire aid to the Palestinian refugees owing to UNRWAʹs inefficiency. But Washington's attack on the UNRWA serves a much broader plan, says Peter Philipp in his commentary
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Israeli-Palestinian conflict
U.S. aid cuts bite in Gaza
UNRWA, the relief agency for Palestinian refugees, is feeling the crunch since the United States, its main donor, slashed its contributions. The crisis comes amid a military escalation between Hamas and Israel. Tania Kraemer reports from Gaza
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Interview with Wafa′a Alsaidy, co-ordinator of Medecins du Monde in Yemen
At the expense of the Yemeni people
After more than three years of violent conflict, Yemen′s public and health sector is on the brink of collapse. While the warring factions are comfortable with the state of affairs, much of the population faces starvation and disease. Wafa′a Alsaidy, co-ordinator of the Yemen mission of Medecins du Monde (MdM) talks to Kai Schnier
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Clashes along the Israeli-Gazan border
What hope for the Palestinians?
For months people in Gaza have been taking to the streets in protest at their intractable predicament. But the Palestinians have lost all their advocates, says Bettina Marx from the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Ramallah
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Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
"I've never forgotten Palestine"
In May 1948, Israel declared its independence. Palestinians such as Hafida Khatib refer to this moment as the "Nakba" (catastrophe). Hafida and her family fled to Lebanon, a country that has never felt like home. Diana Hodali reports from Burj el-Barajneh south of Beirut
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Gaza protests
Inescapable vortex of violence
For several days, major rioting at the ongoing campaign of protests by Palestinians overshadowed celebratory events in Israel marking the 70th anniversary of the state's foundation. As a result of the deadly clashes, there have been increasingly vociferous calls around the world for an independent inquiry. By Inge Günther
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Radical Islamism
Negotiating with jihadists?
In Asia and Africa, Muslim terrorists are regarded as combatants with concerns that should be taken seriously. Experts advise dialogue in lieu of extermination. By Charlotte Wiedemann