International News
Syria, Lebanon discuss plan to repatriate 15,000 refugees per month
Syrian and Lebanese officials have discussed ways to facilitate the monthly return of 15,000 Syrian refugees to their home country.
Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf held a meeting in Damascus on Monday with visiting Lebanese Minister of the Displaced Issam Charafeddine, during which they touched upon measures taken by Syria to secure a safe and quick home return for the refugees based on a timeline set by both countries, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media reports.
“Lebanon and Syria agree on the necessity to facilitate the return of all refugees to their homeland, not just 15,000 monthly, as stated in the plan presented by the Lebanese side,” Makhlouf told a joint press conference with the Lebanese Minister.
The Syrian government has pledged to secure basic services including transportation, accommodation, medical care, and education for all the Syrian refugees who want to come back, said Makhlouf.
He said the Syrian army has restored security and stability to large swathes of territories over the past few years, and the government has so far enabled the home return of 4 million internally displaced people and 1 million refugees overseas.
He also called on UN organisations to be “an active partner in the return of the displaced, especially when Syria is open to cooperation with Lebanon and others to facilitate the return of all the displaced, allowing them to have an active role in the reconstruction process”.
On his part, Charafeddine said “we discussed our plan in detail with Syrian authorities who expressed readiness to receive all refugees, pledging to provide them with needed facilities”, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The Lebanese officials intended to visit Syria soon to further coordinate their return with Syrian authorities, he added.
Charafeddine also held a separate meeting with Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun, during which the latter said the Damascus government allows holders of expired passports to return home and the registration of children who were born overseas.
Al-Rahmoun added that immigration centres at Syrian borders were all connected with the central database for civil affairs in order to provide the returnees with needed documents upon arriving in the country.
Earlier this month, Charafeddine had said that Lebanon would implement its plan regardless of the UN position as his country suffers from an unprecedented financial crisis and the influx of refugees has weighed heavily on the economy and infrastructure.
Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, with an estimated 1.5 million Syrians and some 13,715 of other nationalities.
The UNHCR representative in Lebanon has rejected the country’s plan, citing Syria is not safe for returning refugees.
International News
Iran says Strait of Hormuz can be reopened in two days if US meets its demands

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that if the United States meets Iran’s “legitimate” demands, it will be possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days.
At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said the basis for any indirect interaction between Iran and the United States through mediators remains the seven-day plan proposed by Tehran in September, adding Iran has reduced the period for implementing the plan to two days based on its good faith.
He noted, “We have announced that if Iran’s demands are met, the possibility will exist to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and start the negotiation process in a short period of time,” stressing that all these depend on the American side’s decision on how to proceed regarding the future of the process, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Baghaei said Iran has articulated its demands “clearly, reasonably, and logically,” underlining that unless the United States ends its anti-Iran naval blockade and addresses Tehran’s “legitimate” demands, no agreement will be reached and the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened or secured.
Iran conveyed the seven-day plan containing its conditions for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to the United States through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, following which Tehran and Washington have reportedly continued exchanging messages on the proposal.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports from major Gulf producers to international markets.
International News
274 minor boys subjected to sexual abuse in Bangladesh; madrasas account for majority cases

At least 274 minor boys were subjected to sexual violence in 199 incidents across Bangladesh, with the majority of victims being madrasa students, said a leading international human rights organisation, highlighting the alarming scale of abuse against children in the country.
In its ten-month monitoring report, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stated that the incidents recorded between January 1 and October 31, 2026, took place in classrooms, residential institutions, homes and neighbourhoods, with children often subjected to abuse by people they knew or were expected to trust.
It noted that many children’s experiences never become public, and the actual scale may be substantially greater.
As per the findings, 183 incidents involved allegations of rape affecting 257 children, while 16 cases involved attempted rape against 17 children across 61 districts in all eight divisions of Bangladesh.
Five incidents reportedly resulted in the deaths of children following alleged sexual violence. The report further noted that 136 children experienced repeated abuse in 67 incidents, accounting for nearly half of all recorded victims.
According to the report, madrasa students accounted for 180 victims in 121 incidents, constituting 65.7 per cent of all recorded victims. Madrasas were identified as the locations of abuse in 100 incidents involving 158 victims.
The report further stated that madrasa teachers were named as accused in 93 incidents involving 131 victims. It recorded 115 accused entries involving madrasa teachers, accounting for 49.4 per cent of all accused persons.
Furthermore, madrasa teachers, students, and religious leaders were collectively identified as alleged perpetrators in 107 incidents involving 150 victims.
“Every one of these children deserved to be safe. A child who finds the courage to speak about abuse must be heard and protected — not threatened, silenced, or sent back into danger. It is deeply disturbing that some of the people accused were entrusted with children’s education and care,” said JMBF Founder President Shahanur Islam
“No institution’s reputation is worth more than a child’s safety. Anyone who abuses a child, conceals an offence or pressures a family to remain silent must face investigation and, where responsibility is established, lawful accountability. Arrests cannot be the end of the response. Children need treatment, someone they can trust, support to continue their education and a justice process that does not cause them further harm,” he added.
The JMBF urged the Bangladeshi authorities to take immediate measures to protect children, ensure thorough investigations and accountability for those responsible for the abuse or its concealment.
International News
Iran defines vast arena to inflict damage on enemy: IRGC spokesman

Iranian forces have determined a vast battlefield to inflict damage on the “enemy” and achieve complete deterrence, spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Mohebbi has said.
Speaking at a conference in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province on Sunday (local time), Mohebbi said Iranian forces are more prepared than ever “to respond decisively to the enemy,” reports Xinhua, quoting the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He pointed to recent orders from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to senior military commanders, saying the leader’s guidelines “opened a new chapter of war.”
Mohebbi highlighted Khamenei’s emphasis that “there is no geographical limitation in the war with the United States,” saying the IRGC has placed on its agenda identifying new enemy targets and planning operations in new geographical regions.
On Saturday, a statement announced that Iran’s supreme leader had ordered senior commanders of the armed forces to ensure that any level and kind of threat from the “enemies” must be met with an “immediate and effective” response without geographical limitations.
The warnings come amid heightened US threats of military action against Iran.
According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), US President Donald Trump was briefed on Thursday by top US military officials on options regarding Iran.
The United States has also informed several Gulf countries to prepare for a possible brief but intense military campaign against Iran after the US midterm elections, according to the WSJ.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
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