A powerful explosion outside a historic synagogue in Liege, Belgium caused significant damage on Monday. In separate incidents last week, three synagogues across Canada were attacked in shootings, and an attacker in the United States was shot dead after crashing a truck into a synagogue and its preschool in Michigan on Thursday. The attacker reportedly lost family members in an Israeli strike on his former homeland in Lebanon.
Additionally, authorities in the Netherlands announced an investigation into an arson attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam on Friday.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric strongly condemned the antisemitic attacks, emphasizing the need for houses of worship to be safe havens for all. The Secretary-General called on authorities to protect religious sites, bring perpetrators to justice, and combat antisemitism and all forms of hatred.
In Syria, independent human rights investigators reported ongoing serious violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and abductions, more than a year after the Assad regime was overthrown. Last March, over 1,400 people, mostly Alawite civilians, were killed in multiple regions, followed by over 1,500 deaths of Druze and Bedouin civilians in Sweida in mid‑July.
Members of the rights panel stressed the need for justice, compensation, and guarantees of non‑recurrence for Syrian survivors and affected communities. The Commission welcomed Syrian authorities' efforts towards inclusive governance and accountability, highlighting the importance of disarmament and demobilization of non-State armed forces.
A new study in Eastern Europe and Central Asia revealed that two in three women experienced mistreatment during childbirth, including non-consensual medical procedures, verbal and physical abuse, and privacy breaches. The report by UNFPA found that nearly half of women surveyed underwent obstetric procedures without informed consent. Despite high mistreatment rates, only two percent of those affected officially reported their experiences.
UNFPA Regional Director Florence Bauer emphasized that obstetric violence is a human rights violation with long-term impacts on women's health and well-being. The report called for comprehensive strategies to eliminate obstetric violence and transform maternity care into a woman-centred, respectful experience.
