UK to withdraw embassy staff from Tehran as Iran launches new strikes on Israel
Summary
The UK Foreign Office says it is taking the "precautionary measure" of withdrawing staff from its embassy in Iran
It comes as the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran has continued, with Israel hit by a new round of Iranian strikes this afternoon
Earlier the Israeli military said it attacked dozens of targets, including what it called missile manufacturing sites in Tehran
Meanwhile UK, French and German foreign ministers are holding talks with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva today as part of efforts to ease the Israel-Iran conflict
It comes after the White House says Donald Trump will decide in the next fortnight whether to take direct US action - read more on the timeline here
'Trust gap' in talks over Iran's nuclear programme, UN secretary-general says
Delivering his opening remarks at a meeting of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that with the continuation of the conflict between Israel and Iran the world is "racing towards" a crisis.
"The expansion of this conflict could light a fire that no one can control," he says.
Children suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, UN report shows
Surge in violations to more than 40,000 – the highest since records began in 1996 – must serve as a ‘wake-up call’
Fri 20 Jun 2025 14.07 BST
A record number of children were subjected to acts of violence in conflict zones in 2024, with the number of incidents recorded rising by 25%, according to a UN report.
The UN security council’s annual report on children and armed conflict found 22,495 children in 2024 were killed, wounded, denied humanitarian support or recruited for conflict.
It highlighted a 44% rise in attacks on schools and 35% rise in sexual violence against children.
UNHCR reports record displacement in West and Central Africa
Nearly 13 million people have been uprooted from their homes in West and Central Africa. The UN Refugee Agency blames migration trends and conflict for creating a "perfect storm" of mass displacement.
There are about 12.7 million forcibly displaced and stateless people in West and Central Africa, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This figure reflects a 48% increase since 2020, when the number stood at 8.6 million, underscoring a worsening forced displacement crisis.
"From conflict to climate shocks, protection risks are rising — particularly for women and children, who represent 80% of the the forcibly displaced," said Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, the UNHCR's regional bureau director for West and Central Africa. Gnon-Konde said the UN's data also showed that displaced people are "returning home in increasing numbers where conditions allow."
Bukele’s El Salvador: Popularity, power, and the price of security
Nayib Bukele came to power in El Salvador in 2019, winning outright in the first round of presidential elections. Since then, he has steadily consolidated his control. Bukele’s party has dominated the National Assembly since 2021. In 2022, he declared a state of emergency, which remains in effect to this day.
Survey shows Japanese have harsh views toward refugees
By GAKUSHI FUJIWARA/ Correspondent
June 20, 2025 at 17:46 JST
Japanese have a much harsher view of refugees than citizens in other countries and have done the least individually to help people who have fled their homelands, an international survey showed.
Ipsos, a market research company headquartered in Paris, released the results of its survey of 23,000 people from 29 countries on June 20, which is World Refugee Day.
In one question in the survey, respondents were asked if they agree or disagree with the statement, “Most refugees who come to my country will successfully integrate into their new society.”
At least 35 killed in new Israeli attack on Gaza aid seekers
At least 35 Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded by Israeli fire while waiting for humanitarian aid near the Netzarim Corridor, in the central Gaza Strip, sources at al-Awda Hospital told Al Jazeera.
Israeli jets also bombed a house west of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, killing at least eight people and injuring more.
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