The Biden administration has disclosed a set of rules secretly issued by President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> in 2017 for counterterrorism "direct action" operations — like drone strikes and commando raids outside conventional war zones — which the White House has suspended as it weighs whether and how to tighten the guidelines.

While the Biden administration censored some passages, the visible portions show that in the Trump era, commanders in the field were given latitude to make decisions about attacks so long as they fit within broad sets of "operating principles," including that there should be "near certainty"&nbsp;that civilians "will not be injured or killed in the course of operations."

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At the same time, however, the Trump-era rules were flexible about permitting exceptions to that and other standards, saying that "variations"&nbsp;could be made "where necessary" so long as certain bureaucratic procedures were followed in approving them.

In October, Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York had ordered the government turn over the 11-page document in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits filed by The New York Times and by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Biden administration inherited that case and sought a delay but has now complied, providing a copy to both plaintiffs late Friday.

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The Biden administration suspended the Trump-era rules on its first day in office and imposed an interim policy of requiring White House approval for proposed strikes outside of the war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. At the same time, the Biden team began a review of how both Obama- and Trump-era policies had worked — both on paper and in practice — with an eye toward developing its own policy.

The review, officials said, discovered that Trump-era principles to govern strikes in certain countries often made an exception to the requirement of "near certainty" that there would be no civilian casualties. While it kept that rule for women and children, it permitted a lower standard of merely "reasonable certainty"&nbsp;when it came to civilian adult men.

Thomas P. Bossert, who helped oversee interagency development of the Trump-era rules in 2017 when he was a top counterterrorism adviser to Trump, said he was proud of them and argued that the policy "should not be dismissed or replaced without careful consideration and an examination of the results it produced."

The Biden administration has disclosed a set of rules secretly issued by President Donald Trump in 2017 for counterterrorism "direct action" operations — like drone strikes and commando raids outside conventional war zones — which the White House has suspended as it weighs whether and how to tighten the guidelines.

The Biden administration has disclosed a set of rules secretly issued by President Donald Trump in 2017 for counterterrorism "direct action" operations — like drone strikes and commando raids outside conventional war zones — which the White House has suspended as it weighs whether and how to tighten the guidelines. While the Biden administration censored some passages, the visible portions show that in the Trump era, commanders in the field were given latitude to make decisions about attacks so long as they fit within broad sets of "operating principles," including that there should be "near certainty" that civilians "will not be injured or killed in the course of operations." Also read | 'Father of vaccine', immigration and 2024 presidential run: Donald Trump attacks Biden At the same time, however, the Trump-era rules were flexible about permitting exceptions to that and other standards, saying that "variations" could be made "where necessary" so long as certain bureaucratic procedures were followed in approving them. In October, Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York had ordered the government turn over the 11-page document in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits filed by The New York Times and by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Biden administration inherited that case and sought a delay but has now complied, providing a copy to both plaintiffs late Friday. Also read | Oversight Board delays decision on Donald Trump's Facebook ban The Biden administration suspended the Trump-era rules on its first day in office and imposed an interim policy of requiring White House approval for proposed strikes outside of the war zones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. At the same time, the Biden team began a review of how both Obama- and Trump-era policies had worked — both on paper and in practice — with an eye toward developing its own policy. The review, officials said, discovered that Trump-era principles to govern strikes in certain countries often made an exception to the requirement of "near certainty" that there would be no civilian casualties. While it kept that rule for women and children, it permitted a lower standard of merely "reasonable certainty" when it came to civilian adult men. Thomas P. Bossert, who helped oversee interagency development of the Trump-era rules in 2017 when he was a top counterterrorism adviser to Trump, said he was proud of them and argued that the policy "should not be dismissed or replaced without careful consideration and an examination of the results it produced."

Trump’s secret rules for drone strikes outside war zones are disclosed

One in five people in war zones has <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/blog-social-media-helps-people-open-up-about-depression-171044">depression, anxiety</a>, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday, with many suffering severe forms of these mental illnesses.

The findings highlight the long-term impact of war-induced crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, the UN's health agency said, and the numbers are significantly higher than in peacetime populations, where around one in 14 people have a mental illness.

"Given the large numbers of people in need and the humanitarian imperative to reduce suffering, there is an urgent need to implement scalable mental health interventions to address this burden," the research team said.

Mark van Ommeren, a mental health specialist at the WHO who worked on the team, said the findings "add yet more weight to the argument for immediate and sustained investment so that mental and psychosocial support is made available to all people in need living through conflict and its aftermath".

In 2016, the number of ongoing armed conflicts reached an all-time high of 53 in 37 countries and 12% of the world's people are living in an active war zone, according to United Nations figures. Since World War Two, almost 69 million people globally have been forced to flee war and violence.

The WHO's conflict mental health study, published in The Lancet medical journal, was carried out by a team of researchers from the WHO, Australia's Queensland University, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and Harvard University in the United States.

It analysed research from 129 studies and data from 39 countries published between 1980 and August 2017.

Regions that have seen conflict in the last 10 years were included and mental illnesses were categorised as either mild, moderate or severe. Natural disasters and public health emergencies, such as Ebola, were not included.

Overall in war zones, the average prevalence was highest for mild mental health conditions, at 13%. Around 4% of people living amid armed conflict had moderate mental health illness, and for severe conditions, the prevalence was 5%.

The study also found that rates of depression and anxiety in conflict settings appeared to increase with age, and depression was more common among women than men.

The study was funded by the WHO, the Queensland Department of Health and the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.

One in five people in war zones has depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday, with many suffering severe forms of these mental illnesses.

One in five people in war zones has depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday, with many suffering severe forms of these mental illnesses. The findings highlight the long-term impact of war-induced crises in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, the UN's health agency said, and the numbers are significantly higher than in peacetime populations, where around one in 14 people have a mental illness. "Given the large numbers of people in need and the humanitarian imperative to reduce suffering, there is an urgent need to implement scalable mental health interventions to address this burden," the research team said. Mark van Ommeren, a mental health specialist at the WHO who worked on the team, said the findings "add yet more weight to the argument for immediate and sustained investment so that mental and psychosocial support is made available to all people in need living through conflict and its aftermath". In 2016, the number of ongoing armed conflicts reached an all-time high of 53 in 37 countries and 12% of the world's people are living in an active war zone, according to United Nations figures. Since World War Two, almost 69 million people globally have been forced to flee war and violence. The WHO's conflict mental health study, published in The Lancet medical journal, was carried out by a team of researchers from the WHO, Australia's Queensland University, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and Harvard University in the United States. It analysed research from 129 studies and data from 39 countries published between 1980 and August 2017. Regions that have seen conflict in the last 10 years were included and mental illnesses were categorised as either mild, moderate or severe. Natural disasters and public health emergencies, such as Ebola, were not included. Overall in war zones, the average prevalence was highest for mild mental health conditions, at 13%. Around 4% of people living amid armed conflict had moderate mental health illness, and for severe conditions, the prevalence was 5%. The study also found that rates of depression and anxiety in conflict settings appeared to increase with age, and depression was more common among women than men. The study was funded by the WHO, the Queensland Department of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mental illness affects a fifth of people living in war zones

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies.

Addressing supporters in South Kordofan state, Bashir said his "top priority" was ending fighting which erupted there in 2011.

"We are ready to go to any length to bring peace to this area," Bashir, dressed in military uniform, told a crowd of cheering supporters at a televised rally in the state capital Kadugli.

Since June 2016, Bashir has declared several unilateral ceasefires in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bringing relative calm to the three war-torn states.

The president later on Monday extended the ceasefires for the latter two states, the official SUNA news agency reported, while no announcement was made for Darfur.

Bashir has been charged by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, accusations he denies.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the three conflicts and millions displaced over the years after ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Khartoum, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation.

Bashir's visit to Kadugli came a day after a protest movement called for demonstrations in the three states, following weeks of anti-government rallies in other parts of Sudan.

The Sudanese Professionals Association pushed for protests in various states and camps for internally displaced people, "to show our people's rejection of the dictator", the group said in a statement on Sunday.

There were no reports of rallies Monday in the three conflict-hit states, which have been devoid of demonstrations apart from a day of rallies in Darfur earlier this month.

Protests in Sudan began on December 19 after the government tripled the price of bread.

They have since spiralled into nationwide rallies against the government of Bashir, who has refused to resign nearly three decades since sweeping to power in a coup.

For years, anger has been mounting across Sudan over growing economic hardships and deteriorating living conditions.

That ire has now spilled onto the streets, with protesters chanting their main slogan: "freedom, peace, justice!" Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began, while rights groups say more than 40 people have been killed.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies. Addressing supporters in South Kordofan state, Bashir said his "top priority" was ending fighting which erupted there in 2011. "We are ready to go to any length to bring peace to this area," Bashir, dressed in military uniform, told a crowd of cheering supporters at a televised rally in the state capital Kadugli. Since June 2016, Bashir has declared several unilateral ceasefires in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bringing relative calm to the three war-torn states. The president later on Monday extended the ceasefires for the latter two states, the official SUNA news agency reported, while no announcement was made for Darfur. Bashir has been charged by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, accusations he denies. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the three conflicts and millions displaced over the years after ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Khartoum, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation. Bashir's visit to Kadugli came a day after a protest movement called for demonstrations in the three states, following weeks of anti-government rallies in other parts of Sudan. The Sudanese Professionals Association pushed for protests in various states and camps for internally displaced people, "to show our people's rejection of the dictator", the group said in a statement on Sunday. There were no reports of rallies Monday in the three conflict-hit states, which have been devoid of demonstrations apart from a day of rallies in Darfur earlier this month. Protests in Sudan began on December 19 after the government tripled the price of bread. They have since spiralled into nationwide rallies against the government of Bashir, who has refused to resign nearly three decades since sweeping to power in a coup. For years, anger has been mounting across Sudan over growing economic hardships and deteriorating living conditions. That ire has now spilled onto the streets, with protesters chanting their main slogan: "freedom, peace, justice!" Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began, while rights groups say more than 40 people have been killed.

Sudan president Bashir extends ceasefire in two war zones

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