News Links 26 February 2026

 

Syria  / Australia

A political storm is growing in Australia over whether to allow the return of the children of ISIS fighters detained in many cases since birth.  For one hour last week, 23 Australian children tasted freedom from al-Roj detention camp in northeast Syria — then were turned back. Fourteen-year-old Mohammed, brought to Syria as a toddler, says simply: "I'm a normal person, but just in the wrong country."

Francesca Albanese

UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese denounced "toxic" personal attacks after Germany, France, Italy and other European states called for her resignation over criticism of Israel. Israel's permanent mission stated she "flagrantly violated" UN code of conduct and "repeatedly shared antisemitic tropes"—allegations Albanese denies, saying remarks were taken out of context. 

Moldova's study on the intersection of violence against women and children reveals that although the country has strengthened its normative framework, the institutional response remains largely fragmented — with interventions developed separately for women and children despite violence affecting both simultaneously within the same family. The joint UNICEF-UNFPA "Breaking the Cycle" programme is calling for integrated, intersectoral policies and coordinated public action.

Papua New Guinea

Only two in ten children in Papua New Guinea attend early childhood education, and one in two faces developmental challenges from malnutrition. UNICEF's PNG Representative Dr. Veera Mendonca is leading a systems-level effort across 11 provinces to change that, establishing model centres, training community teachers, and integrating early learning into local government budgets. "Education is the vaccine," she says. 

Japan

Japan recorded only 705,809 births in 2025, a 2.1% drop marking the tenth consecutive record low. The faster-than-projected decline is forcing a rethinking of Japan's social insurance system and underscores the deepening demographic crisis across East Asia.

WFP

World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain steps down in three months, citing a mild stroke suffered in October 2025 that has left her unable to fully meet the demands of leading the world's largest humanitarian organization. Appointed in March 2023 to a five-year term, McCain oversaw WFP assistance to nearly 150 million people facing conflict, disaster, and climate impacts.