By Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
The Trump administration’s miscalculation of Iran is the latest entry in an old and lethal tradition in international politics: the catastrophic gap between what leaders believe and what war delivers.
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By Amnesty International
Reacting to the release of 250 individuals imprisoned in Belarus on politically motivated grounds, including human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova and Nasta Loika, as a part of a deal with the United States, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said: “While the release of hundreds of individuals unjustly detained on politically […] The post Belarus: Welcome release of 250 political prisoners must not be mistaken for justice appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
The current fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began as a side front in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. But it is fast becoming more central to Israel’s overall combat efforts and strategic objectives.
Since March 2, 2026 — when Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel in solidarity with Iran — Israel has bombarded Hezbollah’s strongholds across the country,…
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By Rabia Akhtar, Associate of Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School; University of Lahore
A weekslong war between Pakistan and Afghanistan was paused on March 18, 2026, to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. But that does not mean the conflict is over.
Neither side showed any indication that the planned five-day cessation of operations would be anything other than temporary, and they warned that any violation would be met with…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, left, is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, July 19, 2018. © 2018 Debbie Hill/AP Photo (Brussels) – Hungarian authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory, Human Rights Watch said today. Netanyahu is expected to travel to Hungary on March 21, 2026, to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference Hungary, an official source reported. The visit comes shortly before Hungary’s national elections, scheduled for April 12.On November 21,…
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By Steven Leib, Associate Professor in Aviation, CQUniversity Australia
We are now three weeks into the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, which has grown to engulf much of the Middle East. There are few signs the conflict will slow down or stop anytime soon.
The situation has upended air travel. Missile and drone strikes have affected major airports, key routes through the Middle East have been shut…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Tommy Olsen. © 2021 Daniel Berg Fosseng/TV 2 (Athens) – The arrest of a human rights activist, Tommy Olsen, by Norwegian authorities on March 16, 2026, is based on a groundless extradition request by Greece, Human Rights Watch said today.Olsen, a Norwegian national and the founder of the nongovernmental organization Aegean Boat Report, was arrested at his home in Tromsø under a European Arrest Warrant from Greece. He is being prosecuted by Greek authorities alongside a Greek human rights defender, Panayote Dimitras, of Greek Helsinki Monitor on unfounded…
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By Amnesty International
Responding to the killings and injuries of dozens of healthcare workers and first responders in Lebanon since 2 March 2026, amid escalating attacks by the Israeli military and its allegations – without providing evidence – that ambulances and healthcare sites are being used for military activities and may be targeted, Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said: “Israel is deploying the same deadly playbook it used in 2024 in Lebanon to kill dozens […] The post Lebanon: Israel must halt attacks on healthcare workers, medical…
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By Amnesty International
Responding to statements from Pakistani officials claiming that an airstrike that hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul on 16 March was targeting an ammunition depot, Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, Research, said: “While the total death toll from this attack has yet to be independently verified, it’s clear that it resulted in a significant number of deaths and injuries to civilians, at least in the hundreds. “It’s well-documented that a large part of Camp Phoenix, a former NATO camp, had been operating as a drug rehabilitation facility since 2016. Pakistan’s…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image South Koreans in Seoul watch a news broadcast showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter visiting the undisclosed manufacturing site for a nuclear-powered submarine, December 24, 2025. © 2025 Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images via AP Photo While breaking news stories capture our attention—North Korea’s recent launching of 10 ballistic missiles grabbed headlines—there’s a tendency to ignore long running but dire issues such as North Korea’s ongoing human rights crisis. On March 13, the United Nations special rapporteur on North Korea, Elizabeth Salmón, reminded…
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