Pakistan demands climate finance at COP31 as floods and melting glaciers threaten millions
Pakistan is pushing for urgent global action and greater climate funding as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends COP31 in Türkiye, warning th...
More than 400 people were reportedly killed after a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul on Monday evening, prompting concern from the United Nations, the European Union and international aid organisations.
The strike hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a facility treating people with substance use disorders, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Pakistan, however, rejected claims it struck a hospital, saying it had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure.”
UNAMA said the strike struck a medical facility treating drug-dependent patients, adding that “civilians continue to pay the price for the ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan”.
It expressed condolences to the victims’ families and stressed that “under international law, all parties to a conflict must respect and protect the sick and wounded, medical personnel, hospitals and ambulances”.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for accountability, saying the incident “must be investigated promptly, independently and transparently,” and that “victims and their families are entitled to reparations.”
A spokesperson added that “the laws of war clearly set out that any attack must comply with the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.”
Aid organisations echoed these concerns. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said: “Hundreds of people were killed… This is unacceptable. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be a target.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the strike forms part of a wider pattern, with at least six health facilities affected since late February. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Peace is the best medicine”, urging both sides to de-escalate.
European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib described the attack as “a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law”, adding: “Health facilities must be protected, not targeted.”
The strike comes amid escalating hostilities. UNAMA said at least 76 civilians have been killed and 213 injured since late February, while displacement has affected tens of thousands across border regions.
International actors, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, are now calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue.
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for their first formal talks in nine months. They did so with no agreement on what a ceasefire would be tied to or who gets to keep the land currently under Russian control.
At least 17 people have been reported killed in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye, after a crane collapsed during maintenance work. The disaster has prompted a criminal investigation into what went wrong at the industrial facility.
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Washington believes the Russian President is prepared to reach a peace agreement under the right conditions, as U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations began trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 10 November.
Armenia could lose its voting rights within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on 11 November after failing to pay membership fees for more than two years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Pakistan is pushing for urgent global action and greater climate funding as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attends COP31 in Türkiye, warning that melting glaciers, devastating floods and extreme heat are putting millions of lives and livelihoods at risk.
Armenia has lost its voting rights and the ability to nominate officials for certain posts within the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The decision was taken at a summit in Moscow on 11 November, amid years of strained relations between Yerevan and the alliance.
Heavy rain and strong winds have flooded around 70,000 tents across Gaza, leaving displaced Palestinian families exposed to cold, hunger and worsening living conditions as winter approaches, according to local authorities.
Trade along the Middle Corridor is accelerating, opening new opportunities for Central Asia and the South Caucasus as countries strengthen transport links between China and Europe. Cargo volumes reached around 4.7 million tonnes in 2025, up from less than one million tonnes in 2021.
Kazakhstan says the North Aral Sea’s water volume has risen by 24 per cent since 2022, reaching 23.4 billion cubic metres. The figures were unveiled at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, as the country outlined ambitious plans to accelerate restoration.
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