ETIDIOH - NEW

  16 September 2025  Senior independent rights investigators appointed by the Human Rights Council alleged on Tuesday that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, a charge flatly rejected by Tel Aviv . In a new report published against the backdrop of intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza City , the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory , including East Jerusalem, and Israel, urged Israel and all countries to fulfil their obligations under international law “to end the genocide ” and punish those responsible. “The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza ,” insisted Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission . “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.” At a press conference in Geneva, the panel’s members - who are not UN staff but instead appointed by the Human Rights Cou...

  09/09/2025 -  Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil  In an unprecedented response to the rapid global spread of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), stakeholders and experts from across the poultry sector, public health, science, and policy spheres have convened in Brazil in a landmark meeting .  This first-ever global multisectoral dialogue aims to forge coordinated defense against the escalating threat to animal and human health and agricultural livelihoods. Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu , is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily infects birds. The virus belongs to the Type A influenza family, which is known for its ability to mutate and change rapidly. Since 2020, HPAI has expanded rapidly across continents , devastating poultry flocks , impacting biodiversity , trade and food security , and raising concerns over its potential to spark a human pandemic . The currently circulating avian influenza panzootic is now widespread, and represents one of t...

In an update on the mutating virus - known as H5N1 – Dr. Madhur Dhingra from the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, said that it had “spilled over into wildlife”.  More than 500 bird species have been infected along with at least 70 mammalian species , including the endangered California condor and polar bears .  In regions that are heavily reliant on poultry as a primary source of protein, the FAO medic insisted that avian influenza “poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security”. Economic damage Dr Dhingra warned that hundreds of millions of people’s livelihoods have been affected by the virus – an economic burden on farmers that could prevent them from investing in adequate biosafety measures. Following the emergence of H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cattle , the WHO has joined calls for strengthened surveillance and biosecurity on farms, to keep animals and people safe. The UN health agency said that in 2024, 76 people have been infected with the H5 avian influ...