Habib Siddiqui

  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released its annual World Report 2026, warning that the global system of human rights is in “peril”, with 72 percent of the world’s population now living under “autocracy”. In the report ( PDF ) published on Wednesday, the rights body warned that the United States, China and Russia are “led by leaders who share open disdain for norms”, and “wield considerable economic, military, and diplomatic power”. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Collision between Greek coastguard vessel, migrant boat kills at least 14 list 2 of 3 Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,441 list 3 of 3 Palestinian women recount ‘journey of horror’ at Gaza’s Rafah crossing end of list “Under relentless pressure from US President Donald Trump, and persistently undermined by China and Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed, threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms and protect f...

  Tehran, Iran –   In Tehran, the question is no longer whether diplomacy is under way, but whether it can move fast enough to stay ahead of escalation. An Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Oman has been confirmed as the venue for the next round of Iran-United States talks, scheduled later this week. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 US-Iran tensions soar: What do both sides want? list 2 of 4 Updates: Iran announces naval drills near US warships amid tension list 3 of 4 US, Iran signal talks to avert military conflict amid tensions in the Gulf list 4 of 4 US-Iran tensions: The diplomatic scramble to prevent a war end of list But the official confirmed that other regional nations would not be involved in talks at the moment, despite proposals to also include them in the negotiations. Iran’s reluctance to involve regional countries in talks for now stems not from a desire to be exclusionary, but a worry that more players in the room could “risk turning the proc...

  Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh –  On a Thursday afternoon, 19-year-old Mahmudul Hasan prepared seating on the floor of his bamboo-and-tarpaulin home in Balukhali Rohingya Refugee camp. Minutes later, 35 young children trooped in. Hasan is still in his teens, but he is their teacher. They greeted him in Rakhine language: “Sayar, Nay Kaung Lar? [Sir, how are you?]” The children are among 80 who study at Hasan’s community-run private school, where he teaches them Burmese, English and maths. Recommended Stories list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Bangladesh election: Is the military still a power behind the scenes? list 2 of 4 Bangladesh election: What’s at stake for India, China, Pakistan? list 3 of 4 ‘New phase’: India eyes Bangladesh thaw with BNP after years of mistrust list 4 of 4 Bangladesh sets February election after year of political upheaval end of list But nearby, a Bangladeshi government official on a motorcycle was trying to educate all those who would listen about something else:...

  CEO says Palantir is supporting some 'unusual operations', but has safeguards to prevent government overreach Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp defended the firm's surveillance technology as it reported a big jump in sales on Monday, saying it has safeguards to prevent government overreach, without mentioning US immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota that have drawn widespread protests. The data analytics company said revenue derived from the US government spiked 66 per cent in the fourth quarter from the year-ago period to US$570 million. Total sales of US$1.41 billion exceeded analysts' estimates and the firm anticipates a big jump in sales, in part due to government contracts ⁠in 2026. Companies working with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are attracting more scrutiny as Americans have turned solidly against ICE's aggressive tactics following the fatal shootings of two US citizens in separate incidents in January. The company won a contract...

  Israeli   fighter jets bombed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least 21  Palestinians , including three children, according to local hospitals. At least 14 people were killed in Gaza City after Israeli forces shelled the eastern neighbourhoods of Zaytoun and Tuffah at dawn.  Al Jazeera reported that at least two baby girls were among those killed in the attacks. In the south, the Nasser Medical Complex said an Israeli strike hit tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing three people, including a child. The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to a Palestinian shooting at soldiers overnight that seriously wounded an officer. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on  Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Middle East Eye could not independently verify the claim. There was no immediate comment from Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza. Since the ...