Former Iraqi President Barham Ahmed Salih has been elected by the UN General Assembly as the next High Commissioner for Refugees, beginning a five-year term on 1 January 2026.
Salih becomes the first official from the Middle East to hold the post in nearly 75 years. His appointment was welcomed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who also thanked outgoing commissioner Filippo Grandi for his leadership in supporting refugees, displaced persons, and stateless individuals.
The UN highlighted Salih’s extensive experience in politics and diplomacy. He played a key role in Iraq’s reconstruction following 2003, including negotiating the International Compact with Iraq alongside the United Nations and the World Bank.
Grandi praised Salih’s election, noting that his decades of public service, steady leadership, and diplomatic experience equip him to guide UNHCR amid escalating global displacement and complex humanitarian challenges. “Coming from a country recently marked by conflict and displacement, he has first-hand insight into the difficulties facing many refugees today,” Grandi added.
Salih’s tenure begins at a time when UNHCR continues to respond to crises affecting millions worldwide, with a focus on protecting vulnerable populations and coordinating international humanitarian assistance.
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Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will return a Polish state honour in protest, after Poland’s president stripped Zelenskyy of the country’s highest award over a historical dispute.
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Wildfires in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region have grown significantly, with the affected area increasing by more than 6,000 hectares in just 24 hours to reach over 133,500 hectares, according to regional authorities.
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Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought a deal with Iran "out of deperation," Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said, in a statement on social media. Khamenei added that he himself "held a different view," to Trump, but allowed the agreement after receiving assurances from Iran's President.
Russia's defence ministry says its forces have captured the village of Yurkivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, according to the Interfax news agency. The claim could not be independently verified.
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A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will return a Polish state honour in protest, after Poland’s president stripped Zelenskyy of the country’s highest award over a historical dispute.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, escalating a blockade crisis that has paralysed parts of the country and placed growing pressure on his government.
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has climbed to 933, including 245 deaths, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba has said.
Wildfires in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region have grown significantly, with the affected area increasing by more than 6,000 hectares in just 24 hours to reach over 133,500 hectares, according to regional authorities.
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