SYRIA: Around 200,000 refugees have gone back to their homeland following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government, with many more considering returning after years of displacement during the 14-year conflict, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said today.

But he warned that sustainable resettlement requires improved living conditions, reconstruction efforts and the lifting of Western sanctions — which he called “an important obstacle.”

HAITI: President Leslie Voltaire has warned that US policies freezing aid, deporting migrants and blocking refugees will worsen the dire situation in the country, where gang violence, hunger and displacement have already reached critical levels.

Mr Voltaire called for international support, including boosting the size of Haiti’s multinational police force and organising elections by November, while rejecting gang involvement in the political process.

NIGERIA: At least 18 people were killed and 10 injured in the country’s south when a petrol tanker collided with 17 vehicles and exploded on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway after the driver lost control.

The tragedy highlights recurring problems with tanker accidents in Nigeria, where rising petrol prices and the absence of effective transport infrastructure often lead to dangerous practices such as scooping fuel from fallen tankers.

YEMEN: The ruling Houthis released 153 war detainees today as part of efforts to ease tensions and revive peace talks during the ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza.

The release, one of several in recent days, comes amid growing tensions, including the detention of seven UN workers by the group, which has drawn condemnation from the world body.