“Lama” means teacher or master, and a lama is essentially a monk who has achieved some renown and taken on a leadership role within a community. There are thought to be hundreds of lamas within Tibetan Buddhism, which incorporates tenets of both traditional Buddhism and shamanistic practices that preceded its creation. Worshippers consider the

Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to the terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed during a devastating military campaign launched by Israeli authorities in response to the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which 1,200 people were killed and dozens taken hostage. Khat

While Iran did retaliate against the US by attacking Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar on June 23, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire two days later, and Iran has refrained from attacking other US targets in the region. When the war started, Gulf countries condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran and called for deescalation. There has been a shift in

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) has found that the Human Rights Ombudsperson does not comply with the Paris Principles for national human rights institutions, as among other problems it is not independent of the regime. Telephones at the regime’s State Committee for Religious Affairs and Regulation of Traditions

Ismaili Muslim prisoner of conscience Muzaffar Davlatmirov died of ill health in General Regime Prison YaS 3/6 in Yavan on 26 June, exiled news outlet Pamir Inside and Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service noted the following day. The 61-year-old had been suffering from diabetes and other conditions for some time. Both he and relatives had requested his