عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Western Leaders Gather to Celebrate D-Day in Normandy

Western leaders commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in northern France on Thursday (EPA)
Western leaders commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in northern France on Thursday (EPA)
TT
TT

Western Leaders Gather to Celebrate D-Day in Normandy

Western leaders commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in northern France on Thursday (EPA)
Western leaders commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in northern France on Thursday (EPA)

Western leaders gathered Thursday in southwestern France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, which led to victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
In a gesture of Western unity and alignment, French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden, King Charles III and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to the immense sacrifices made by the tens of thousands of troops on the sandy beaches and cliffs of Normandy, where American paratroopers arrived in the early hours of June 6, 1944.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was the main leader absent from the event. He was not invited by the Elysee Palace due to the Kremlin's war against Ukraine.
In return, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a warm welcome from Western leaders who support his country in its war with Russia.
Speaking at the commemoration service of the D-Day landings, Biden said the United States and NATO and a coalition of more than 50 countries are standing strong with Ukraine.
“We will not walk away. Because if we do, Ukraine will be subjugated, and it will not end there. Ukraine’s neighbors will be threatened. All of Europe will be threatened,” he said.
The US President then strongly lashed out at Putin, describing him as “a tyrant bent on domination.”

 

Most Viewed

 
 
World

UN: Record 281 Aid Workers Killed in 2024

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
TT
TT

UN: Record 281 Aid Workers Killed in 2024

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has seen more than 200 staff killed since the Gaza war began. Eyad BABA / AFP/File

A staggering 281 aid workers have been killed around the world so far this year, making 2024 the deadliest year for humanitarians, the UN aid chief said Friday.
"Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs," said Tom Fletcher, the United Nations' new under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.
With more than a month left to go of 2024, the "grim milestone was reached", he said, after 280 humanitarians were killed across 33 countries during all of 2023.
"This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations," Fletcher said.
Israel's devastating war in Gaza was driving up the numbers, his office said, with 333 aid workers killed there -- most from the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA -- since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks, which sparked the war, AFP reported.
"States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity," Fletcher said.
Aid workers were subject to kidnappings, injuries, harassment and arbitrary detention in a range of countries, his office said, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine.
The majority of deaths involve local staff working with non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, Fletcher's office said.
"Violence against humanitarian personnel is part of a broader trend of harm to civilians in conflict zones," it warned.
"Last year, more than 33,000 civilian deaths were recorded in 14 armed conflicts -- a staggering 72 per cent increase from 2022."
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution last May in response to the surging violence and threats against aid workers.
The text called for recommendations from the UN chief -- set to be presented at a council meeting next week -- on measures to prevent and respond to such incidents and to increase protection for humanitarian staff and accountability for abuses.