International

Another Country Will Sign A Peace Deal With Israel ‘in the next day or two’, Reveals Amb. Kelly Craft

Published

3 years ago

September 23, 2020

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said Wednesday on Al Arabiya that the news of the next country to sign a peace accord with Israel could become public “in the next day or two.”

“It could be today,” Craft said. “It could be one in the next day or two. Yes, so we are very excited and I know that others are going to be following.

She added, “And what we don’t want to do is we don’t want to isolate anyone, but to bring everyone on board in hopes that this will allow the Iranian citizens to see that people really want peace in the Middle East and they are part of this peace.”

Thank you to @talalalhaj @alarabiya for inviting me to share thoughts about Iran, the historic steps toward peace in the Middle East under @POTUS Trump, and this 75th @UN General Assembly. #UNGA75 #USUN75 https://t.co/YHPDCDqDrO
— Archive: Ambassador Kelly Craft (@USAmbUN30) September 23, 2020

Last week, President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahraini foreign minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, and Emirati foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed signed a historic peace deal in the White House Rose Garden.

The deal not only opened diplomatic ties but also opened up countries to corresponding tourism and communication. Trump said that similar deals would follow and there’s been suspicion that it could be Oman or Sudan after the two countries sent delegations to the White House ceremony last week.

International

Mental health crisis spikes among Afghan women after Taliban regained control two years ago

Published

2 days ago

September 21, 2023

Sara Carter Staff

The women of Afghanistan are suffering a mental health crisis since the Taliban regained power two years ago. According to a joint report from three U.N. agencies released Tuesday, approximately 70% of women experience feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression.

The numbers continue to rise, as there has already been a significant jump between April and June of this year alone, with an increase from 57% the preceding quarter.

The report, conducted by U.N. Women, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, interviewed women online, in-person and in group consultations as well as individual telesurveys.

592 Afghan women in 22 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces took part in the study. The Associated Press reports:

They have barred women from most areas of public life and work and banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade. They have prohibited Afghan women from working at local and non-governmental organizations. The ban was extended to employees of the United Nations in April.

Opportunities to study continued to shrink as community-based education by international organizations was banned and home-based schooling initiatives were regularly shut down by the de facto authorities — a term use by the U.N. for the Taliban government.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education and the rights of Afghan women and children are on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The report also served as a vessel for Afghan women to send a message to the rest of the world: do not validate the Taliban government. Forty-six percent of women said international recognition of the Taliban government should not happen under any circumstances, while 50% warned that recognition should only occur under specific conditions contingent on improving women’s rights.

The report notes that the women expressed concern that recognition would only encourage the Taliban government to continue becoming stricter in their policies and practices against women and girls.

Afghan women had specific ideas and suggestions: they “urged the international community to continue political and economic sanctions against the Taliban, including by not granting exemptions to a travel ban. They urged an increase in engagement with the Taliban on gender equality and women’s rights, including by engaging community and religious leaders in awareness and advocacy efforts” writes the Associated Press.