Top News of the Day | Thursday: Middle East, Human Rights, Football

June 11, 2026 ООН

Situation in the Middle East

The UN Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the rapidEscalation of tensions in the Middle Eastafter the US strikes on Iranian territory and Iran’s retaliatory attack on neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf and other states not involved in the conflict. Against the backdrop of sharply increased hostile rhetoric, the UN head warned: the situation may get out of control.António Guterrescalled on the USA and Iran to “double efforts” to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable agreement, capable of strengthening security in the region and beyond.

Death of sailors

The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, strongly condemned the attack carried out off the coast of Oman. The tanker Settebello, sailing under the flag of Palau, was attacked. The incident occurred in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. According to available reports, the vessel was hit by a projectile, after which a fire broke out on board. As a resultthree sailors died. The head of the IMO expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased. He recalled the outcome of the extraordinary session of the IMO Council, whose participants emphasized the necessity of ensuring the protection of sailors, civil vessels, and freedom of navigation under any circumstances.

Human rights

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, officially gave the start to the work of the Global Alliance for Human Rights – a new initiative aimed at uniting representatives of different generations, regions, and fields of activity to strengthen cooperation, mobilize collective efforts, and promote human rights worldwide. The Alliance is based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was launched as part of the preparations for its 80th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2028.

FIFA World Cup

Today one of the main sports festivals begins –Football World Cup. The opening match will take place in Mexico. The teams of Russia and South Africa will meet on the field. On Friday, the games will move to the USA and Canada: this year the championship will be held simultaneously in three countries. The director of the European regional office of WHO Hans Kluge made a special statement, noting that many fans from Europe are traveling to North America. Kluge also assured that the risk of Ebola infection at the championship is low. An outbreak of this disease has been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.