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Qatar participated Sunday in the 11th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), held in the Saudi capital, under the theme *UNAOC: Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity – Advancing a New Era of Mutual Respect and Understanding in a Multipolar World.His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Qatari Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi led Qatar's delegation to the forum.In Qatar's address at the forum, HE Dr al-Hammadi affirmed Qatar's steadfast commitment to supporting the objectives for which the UNAOC was established, namely promoting dialogue among cultures and civilisations, spreading a culture of peace and mutual respect, and combating extremism and hate speech.He stated that Qatar believes that true peace can only be achieved through mutual respect and recognising cultural and religious diversity, which constitutes the basis for building more inclusive and equitable societies.HE Dr al-Hammadi noted that the challenges facing today's world, including the rise of extremist and violent discourse and the occurrence of multiple humanitarian crises, make the UNAOC's role ever more important and urgent.The official said that the 11th UNAOC Global Forum represents a renewed opportunity to strengthen partnerships and to reaffirm collective commitment to building a world governed by justice, understanding, and peace.He said that Qatar reaffirms its continued support for the UNAOC and calls for greater international co-ordination and co-operation to confront shared challenges.The 11th UNAOC Global Forum commemorates the 20th anniversary of the UNAOC, which will convene members of the UNAOC Group of Friends, political leaders, international and regional organisations, religious leaders and faith actors, as well as representatives of the private sector, civil society, academia, youth, and the media. 

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, has announced its lineup of speakers for the WISE 12 Summit, taking place on November 24–25 at the Qatar National Convention Centre under the theme ‘Humanity.io: Human Values at the Heart of Education.’This year’s edition will convene over 200 local and international speakers representing academia, technology, policy, and social impact, united by a shared commitment to reimagine education through empathy, equity, and human purpose. Building on the momentum of the previous summit, WISE 12 will explore how human values can remain at the core of learning systems in an era rapidly transformed by Artificial Intelligence and technological acceleration.The summit’s diverse roster of speakers includes Laila Lalami, award-winning author and novelist celebrated for her powerful explorations of identity and belonging; Mo Gawdat, bestselling author and former chief business officer of Google X recognised for his influential work on AI, happiness and innovation; and Nobel Laureate and MIT Professor Dr Abhijit Banerjee, whose research has transformed global understanding of education and poverty reduction.Continuing this renowned line-up, WISE 12 will also welcome Anousheh Ansari, space explorer and CEO of XPRIZE Foundation, who advocates for inclusive innovation and STEM access; Dr Michael Fung, executive director of Singapore Institute of technology; Fahad Hamad Hassan al-Sulaiti, director general of the Qatar Fund for Development; Omar al-Shogre, director for Detainee Affairs at the Syrian Emergency Task Force and advocate for education access in conflict zones; and Lady Mariéme Jamme, founder of iamtheCODE and a global champion for digital literacy for girls across Africa, among others.With over 60 core sessions including plenaries, research dialogues, and interactive masterclasses, WISE 12 will provide a platform to address how education can evolve without losing its humanity. The summit will explore key questions around ethics in AI, equitable access to quality learning, redefining success and well-being in education, and the role of collaboration across sectors.These questions will be examined across five interconnected thematic tracks: ‘Putting Human Needs at the Heart of Education,’ ‘Realizing the Promise of Progressive Education,’ ‘Navigating the Skills Revolution in Higher Education and Lifelong Learning,’ ‘Catalyzing Multi-Sectoral Systems Change to Transform Education,’ and ‘Centering Education towards Economic Opportunities and Community Resilience.’“WISE 12 is a space where the global conversation on education, technology, and humanity truly converges,” said Stavros N Yiannouka, CEO of WISE. “We are at a defining moment for education systems worldwide. As artificial intelligence and emerging technologies accelerate, it becomes vital to ensure that innovation amplifies human potential rather than replaces it. This summit will gather voices who are not only transforming education but re-centering it on the very values that make us human.”

The prosecutor's office at the International Criminal Court warned Monday that atrocities committed in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.The ICC prosecutor's office (OTP) voiced "profound alarm and deepest concern" over reports from El-Fasher about mass killings, rapes, and other crimes allegedly committed.After 18 months of siege, bombardment and starvation, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El-Fasher on October 26, dislodging the army's last stronghold in Sudan's western Darfur region."These atrocities are part of a broader pattern of violence that has afflicted the entire Darfur region since April 2023," said the OTP in a statement."Such acts, if substantiated, may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute," the founding text of the ICC.The UN said more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher, including around 5,000 to nearby Tawila, but tens of thousands remain trapped.Before the final assault, roughly 260,000 people lived in the city.Since the RSF takeover, reports have emerged of executions, sexual violence, looting, attacks on aid workers and abductions in and around El-Fasher, where communications remain largely cut off.The RSF traces its origins to the Janjaweed, a predominantly Arab militia accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago.Reports since El-Fasher's fall have raised fears of a return to similar atrocities.

International Criminal Court prosecutors have charged former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his "war on drugs."A heavily redacted charge sheet dated July 4 but only made public on Monday lays out the accusations against the 80-year-old former leader, currently sitting in ICC detention in The Hague.The first count concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while Duterte was mayor of Davao City.The second count relates to 14 murders of so-called "High Value Targets" in 2016 and 2017 when Duterte was president.And the third charge is about 43 murders committed during "clearance" operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers.These took place across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018, the prosecution alleged."The actual scale of victimisation during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack," said the ICC prosecutors."The attack included thousands of killings, which were perpetrated consistently throughout the charged period," they alleged.The charges against Duterte stem from his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups said killed thousands.The arrest warrant issued for Duterte on March 7 contained one charge of crimes against humanity relating to 43 alleged murders.The prosecutors' charges came on the eve of what was scheduled to be Duterte's appearance at the ICC to hear the accusations against him.However that sitting was postponed as the court weighs whether Duterte is fit to hear the charges.His lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has said his client is not able to stand trial "as a result of cognitive impairment in multiple domains".Kaufman has urged the ICC to postpone proceedings against Duterte indefinitely.Duterte was arrested in Manila on March 11, flown to the Netherlands that same night and has been held at the ICC's detention unit at Scheveningen Prison since.At his initial hearing, he followed by video link, appearing dazed and frail, barely speaking.