Russia’s desperate bid to rejoin the UN’s top human rights body will be tested in the General Assembly vote on Tuesday, more than a year after it was booted out for invading Ukraine. The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the UN’s five regional groups. Russia will be competing against Albania and Bulgaria to win back two seats reserved for the East European regional group and will need majority votes from the assembly. A total of 47 member states are part of the UNHRC based on the geographic distribution. The UN’s five regional groups have sent names to shortlist 15 members to the body. Experts told The Independent that Russia will try to lure African and other ally nations with stolen Ukrainian grain and arms in exchange for votes. World leaders have cautioned against bringing Russian president Vladimir Putin’s membership back on the panel amid the continuing invasion, especially with the latest attack on Ukrainian village of Hroza in Kharkiv. At least 51 people died in the missile attack, wiping out members from almost every family. While Russia says it does not strike civilian targets, A two-day-old baby boy was killed after a Russian missile struck a hospital in the city of Vilniansk, Zaporizhzhia. A child was also among the dozens killed when Russian missiles hit a grocery store and café in the village of Hroza. US’s deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council that Russia’s re-election “while it openly continues to commit war crimes and other atrocities would be an ugly stain that would undermine the credibility of the institution and the United Nations”. Diplomats aware of the voting pitch by Russia to woo other nations using grains said that the US and others have distributed letters to many of the 193 members of the General Assembly, asking nations to vote against Russia. Moscow’s competitor Albania vying for the seat has also ramped up its campaign to join the UNHRC by highlighting Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine. Albanian UN ambassador Ferit Hoxha said those who care about human rights and the “credibility of the Human Rights Council and its work” should oppose the nation which kills innocent people, destroys civilian infrastructure, ports and grain silos and “then takes pride in doing so”. International rights group Human Rights Watch has said Russia and China are unfit to serve on the Human Rights Council. “Every day, Russia and China remind us by committing abuses on a massive scale that they should not be members of the UN Human Rights Council,” Louis Charbonneau, UN director of Human Rights Watch said last week. The rights group said Russian forces in Ukraine continue to commit apparent war crimes, including unlawful attacks and crimes against humanity, torture and summary executions. It pointed out how Mr Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Maria Lvova-Belova are sought by the International Criminal Court for alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Experts have warned against Russia’s pattern of “flagrant disrespect” towards international law as Moscow expected the world to turn a blind-eye to the latest missile attacks inside Ukraine. “Russia’s pattern of flagrant disrespect towards international law remains shockingly consistent. War crimes committed by Russia over the past months are no less cruel or widespread than the ones committed in Bucha in spring 2022, when Russia was suspended from the Human Rights Council,” said Anna Mykytenko, senior lawyer and the Ukraine country manager for Global Rights Compliance headquartered at the Hague. “Although now most of these crimes do not make it to the front pages of the international media, the aggressor state that keeps on committing war crimes and violating human rights cannot benefit from decreasing attention to the war in Ukraine and an opening to slink back into a UN Human Rights Council seat,” she told The Independent. Wayne Jordash KC, president and co-founder of Global Rights Compliance, said any attempts to allow Russia back to the seat of the Human Rights Council are “not only unacceptable and indecent but signify a dangerous global drift into untrammelled violence against the most vulnerable and innocent”. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Putin’s shameless UN charm offensive - with stolen grain from Ukraine Russia tries to rejoin UN Human Rights Council Truss calls on Russia to be suspended from UN human rights council after ‘heinous butchery’ in Bucha Ukraine finds evidence of torture on bodies exhumed from Izyum burial site Russia should be thrown off UN Human Rights Council over its role in Syria, global coalition demands

China suspended imports of Taiwan mangoes, saying mealybug pests were found in the fruit, in a possible example

Max Verstappen completed a clean sweep of all three practice sessions at a rainswept Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday, the defending double world champion outpacing his Red Bull team-mate...

A former soldier has recounted the terrifying shark attack he suffered during a military exercise which caused him to lose an arm and a leg. Paul de Gelder was a paratrooper who feared for his life during the ordeal, which saw him attacked by a 50-tonne bull shark. The animal tore off two of his limbs during the attack in 2009, and de Gelder spoke about his ordeal during an interview with CBS. The 46-year-old from Melbourne, Australia was taking part in a naval exercise in the Sydney Harbour when it took place. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “I was swimming from point A to point B on the surface on my back and a 10-foot bull shark came up from underneath me,” he said. "It grabbed me by the back of my right leg and my right hand, which was by my side, all in one bite." Describing how he tried to fight back by hitting the shark, de Gelder said: "That's when it started to shake me like a rag doll. As its teeth worked through my flesh and bone like saws, I was overcome by the most intense pain imaginable." He then recalled how he managed to escape the shark’s clutches before having to swim back to his boat surrounded by a pool of blood. "It took me under. The pain and the terror. I thought I was going to die. It removed my hamstring and my hand,” de Gelder added. "I had to swim back to my safety boat with one hand and leg through a pool of my own blood. I didn't think I was going to make it. “I'm very, very lucky and blessed to still be here and breathing today." He returned to work with the armed forces and also became a motivational speaker. However, despite his injuries, he believes that sharks should not be demonised. "I see my role as speaking up for an animal that doesn't have a voice,” he said. "I figure if someone like me who has almost lost their life and two limbs to a shark can understand why they are so important and why they need to be saved, then maybe everyone else should be able to as well." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Detroit Lions teased a huge announcement for June 21, and it appears it will be related to a brand-new, alternate helmet.The Detroit Lions are the darlings of the NFL entering the 2023 league year. Last year, the Lions just missed out on a playoff berth, but they eliminated the rival Green B...

Dev Shah is the champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming Bank of England Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent said on Saturday that interest rates in Britain

An $80 billion South African investment plan to begin transitioning the economy away from fossil fuels over five

Mercedes-Benz announced its electric vehicle drivers will be able to use Tesla superchargers starting next year and that it will fully adopt the company's charging standard in 2025.

Polish golfer Adrian Meronk says he received “a big shock” when captain Luke Donald called to let him know that he wouldn’t be picked for Europe’s Ryder Cup team

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards -- television's top honor -- have been postponed as strikes by Hollywood writers and actors continue, Variety reported Thursday.

In-form batsman-wicketkeeper Asaf Sheikh confidently predicted Nepal can "win most of their matches" and secure a maiden place...