UN recognizes work of 2 million seafarers in ‘extraordinarily challenging times’
Oct 01, 2021, at 09:29 pm
The United Nations celebrates World Maritime Day on Thursday, highlighting the role of the men and women who work at sea. Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future, is the theme for 2021.
Alleged reprisals and intimidation against 240 who cooperated with UN
Oct 01, 2021, at 09:12 pm
Allegations of reprisals and intimidation were documented against some 240 civil society members, activists and journalists, across 45 countries in the year up to 31 April, simply because they had been cooperating with the United Nations.
UN launches initiative to support returnees trapped in Syria camps
Oct 01, 2021, at 08:55 pm
New York: When the extremist militant group ISIL, or Da’esh, collapsed in Iraq and Syria, thousands of foreign nationals were hastily detained in prisons and camps. At least 42,000 foreign women and children, most under the age of 12, currently remain in squalid and overcrowded conditions inside camps in northeast Syria.
Transform food systems to avert $400 billion annually in loss and waste
Oct 01, 2021, at 08:51 pm
New York: That half-eaten apple tossed in the trash bin after lunch is contributing to the staggering mountain of food wasted globally, at a time when more than 800 million people still go to bed hungry, UN agencies said on Wednesday, marking the International Day to increase awareness of this issue.
Families of missing migrants, forced to search alone
Oct 01, 2021, at 08:48 pm
New York: Urgent support is needed for tens of thousands of missing migrant families who are often forced to rely on smugglers and other informal networks, to trace loved ones, the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) said on Wednesday.
Top UN envoy 'encouraged’ by recent engagement of Israeli and Palestinian officials
Oct 01, 2021, at 06:49 pm
New York: The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council on Wednesday that he was “encouraged” by the recent engagement of senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.
New FAO report highlights urgent need to restore Africa’s degraded landscape
Oct 01, 2021, at 06:43 pm
New York:: The first-ever stocktake of Africa’s forests and landscapes, which was released on Wednesday finds slow progress in repairing Africa’s degraded lands and urges ramped up efforts for climate action.
For 55 million displaced, status quo ‘not an option’
Oct 01, 2021, at 05:49 pm
New York: Nationally-owned solutions must be found for more than 55 million people displaced within their own countries, according to a new report presented to the UN Secretary-General by the High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement, released on Wednesday.
DR Congo: Abuse allegations amid Ebola outbreak ‘a sickening betrayal of the people we serve’
Sep 29, 2021, at 07:43 pm
New York: Sexual abuse and exploitation allegedly carried out by World Health Organization (WHO) staff during the UN health agency’s response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “a sickening betrayal of the people we serve,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said on Tuesday.
COVID-19 caused ‘shocking’ inequalities: human rights chief Bachelet
Sep 29, 2021, at 07:19 pm
New York: The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has caused and perpetuated “truly shocking” inequality that has affected the world’s most vulnerable individuals, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday, in a call for greater coronavirus vaccine solidarity and a human rights-led post-pandemic economic recovery.
Now is the time to push for political resolution in Syria: UN envoy
Sep 29, 2021, at 07:11 pm
New York: Following a decade of appalling suffering and losses in Syria, and amid a current period of relative calm, now is the time to push for a political process to end the fighting, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Food waste: A global problem that undermines healthy diets
Sep 29, 2021, at 06:47 pm
New York: A lack of food, hunger and malnutrition affect every country in the world, the UN said on Tuesday, in an urgent appeal for action to reduce the amount of food that’s wasted.
Guterres calls for accelerated action on jobs, poverty eradication
Sep 29, 2021, at 06:32 pm
New York: Almost two years into the COVID-19 crisis, a huge divergence in the recovery is undermining global trust and solidarity, according to a new policy brief on jobs and poverty eradication, outlined by UN chief, António Guterres on Tuesday.
North Korea says it conducted first test-launch of hypersonic missile
Sep 29, 2021, at 02:50 pm
Seoul: North Korea on Wednesday said it conducted the first test-launch of a newly developed hypersonic missile a day earlier, media reports said.
Macron stresses on strategic partnerships to defend Europe better after defence pact with Greece
Sep 29, 2021, at 03:53 am
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron has stressed that Europe must build its own military capacity, after signing a 3 billion euros ($3.51 billion) deal for French frigates with another European country Greece, according to media reports.
Japan PM Suga confirms coronavirus state of emergency will be lifted on October 1
Sep 28, 2021, at 11:18 pm
Tokyo/UNI/Sputnik: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga confirmed the plans to completely lift the coronavirus-related state of emergency, which is still in force in 19 out of 47 prefectures, from October 1.
DPRK says it will ‘respond willingly’ if US abandons ‘hostile policy’
Sep 28, 2021, at 11:08 pm
New York: The Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the United Nations, Kim Song, said that if the United States “shows its bold decision to give up its hostile policy”, his country is “prepared to respond willingly at any time.”
France focuses on responsibility and solidarity in the face of global challenges
Sep 28, 2021, at 11:05 pm
New York: In his address to the UN General Assembly on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian upheld multilateralism as the key to overcoming global challenges including conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
Syria committed to ‘combating and eradicating terrorism’, General Assembly hears
Sep 28, 2021, at 11:02 pm
New York: In his speech to the high-level debate at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Fayssal Mekdad, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to combat terrorism and aim to ‘restore security and stability’.
Yemen: Endless suffering of children continues due to war, aid crisis
Sep 28, 2021, at 10:56 pm
New York: The Yemen conflict killed or maimed 2,600 children as hostilities intensified in 2019 and 2020; that’s according to a new report of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Armed conflict in the country.
Sep 28, 2021, at 10:49 pm
The war in Yemen has caused a human catastrophe, torn society apart, and triggered “waves of mass displacement, repression and enforced disappearance”, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, the final day of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate.
Security Council marks 25th anniversary of Test Ban Treaty with call for nuclear weapons-free world
Sep 28, 2021, at 10:41 pm
New York: The Security Council on Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, with calls for its entry into force and the elimination of nuclear weapons everywhere.
Boosting production, crucial for least developed countries, post pandemic
Sep 28, 2021, at 10:32 pm
The world’s poorest countries will remain on the margins of the global economy if States are unable to boost economic production, and the international community fails to provide more support, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned.
Iran nuclear programme at ‘critical point’, Israeli Prime Minister warns
Sep 28, 2021, at 10:27 pm
New York: With Iran’s nuclear programme at a “watershed moment”, the country must be stopped from acquiring a nuclear weapon, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday in his inaugural speech to the UN General Assembly.
North Korea fires missile: South Korea
Sep 28, 2021, at 02:36 pm
Seoul/Pyongyang: South Korean military on Tuesday said North Korea has fired a short-range missile towards the sea off its east coast early on Tuesday, media reports said.
German federal election: Social Democrats’ Scholz declares victory
Sep 27, 2021, at 03:25 pm
Berlin/UNI/Sputnik: Olaf Scholz, the leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, called the outcome of this Sunday’s federal election a success that proved voters wanted to see him as their next chancellor.
Switzerland referendum: Voters seem to back same-sex marriage
Sep 26, 2021, at 11:55 pm
Bern: People in Switzerland have backed same-sex marriage in a referendum, media reports said on Sunday.
Russia calls for ‘concerted efforts’ to follow purposes and principles of UN Charter
Sep 26, 2021, at 04:30 pm
New York: The Russian Foreign Minister addressed the UN General Assembly on Saturday, calling for a new consensus to uphold the “purposes and principles” of the UN’s founding document, the UN Charter, and a rejection of the Western-backed “Rules Based Order” concept.
Sudan striving for ‘common goal’ of peace, prosperity, freedom and justice
Sep 26, 2021, at 04:22 pm
New York: Sudan continues the path to democracy, two years after the revolution that “carried the aspirations of our people for freedom, peace and justice”, Prime Minister Abdalla Adam Hamdok told the UN General Assembly on Saturday.
St. Vincent’s Prime Minister urges world to ‘rise collectively’ and combat today’s challenges
Sep 26, 2021, at 04:11 pm
New York: In addition to the global challenges surrounding climate, security and the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday drew the attention of the 76th UN General Assembly to devastating volcanic eruptions and the on-rushing Atlantic Hurricane season confronting his small-island developing State (SID).