Security Council unity ‘crucial’ to support democracy in Myanmar
Feb 03, 2021, at 06:43 pm
New York: The UN Special Envoy on Myanmar appealed on Tuesday for the Security Council to unite in support of democracy in the country in the wake of the recent power grab by the military and the declaration of a one-year state of emergency.
Human rights: Widespread attacks in DR Congo may amount to crimes against humanity
Feb 03, 2021, at 06:17 pm
New York: The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has warned against potential crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following a spike in attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group, in two provinces in the east of the country.
COVID-19 impact exposes millions to the risk of trafficking, UN agency says
Feb 03, 2021, at 06:03 pm
New York: Although almost 50,000 victims of human trafficking were detected and reported in 2018 by 148 countries, the “hidden nature” of the crime means that the actual number of victims could be “far higher”, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Tuesday.
Poland President signs agreement on legal cooperation on criminal matters with Taiwan
Feb 03, 2021, at 04:49 pm
Warsaw: Poland and Taiwan have signed an agreement on legal cooperation on criminal matters.
German Foreign Minister calls for Navalny's release after court rules 3.5 years in prison
Feb 03, 2021, at 06:55 am
Moscow/Sputnik: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has called for the immediate release of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, whom a court in Moscow sentenced to 3.5 years behind bars in a financial misdemeanor case on Tuesday.
Senate minority leader expects Biden administration to quickly sanction Myanmar's military
Feb 03, 2021, at 06:44 am
Washington/Sputnik: US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said he talked to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the need for a response to the Myanmar coup, adding that he expects the United States to immediately impose sanctions against Myanmar's military leaders.
Myanmar military releases most of detained regional officials: Reports
Feb 02, 2021, at 10:35 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Myanmar military released on Tuesday the majority of regional chief ministers and ruling party lawmakers detained in a recent coup, a senior military official told Xinhua news agency.
Feb 02, 2021, at 07:29 pm
New York: An independent UN human rights expert condemned on Monday the murder of an indigenous environmental defender in Nicaragua, calling for those responsible to be “duly investigated and brought to justice”.
South Sudan: UN rights commission welcomes ‘first steps’ towards transitional justice institutions
Feb 02, 2021, at 06:41 pm
New York: A UN human rights commission on South Sudan has welcomed developments towards the establishment of long-awaited transitional justice mechanisms to address violations committed during conflict, as required under the 2018 peace agreement.
Libya vote offers renewal and reconciliation chance, says veteran UN negotiator
Feb 02, 2021, at 03:51 pm
New York: All Libyans have a chance at national reconciliation and renewal once the country’s representatives, who have begun meeting in Switzerland, vote on a new executive, UN negotiator Stephanie Williams said on Monday.
UN envoy condemns terrorist attack on hotel in Somalia
Feb 02, 2021, at 03:42 pm
New York: The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned Sunday’s terrorist attack on a hotel near the international airport in capital Mogadishu that left at least five people dead and dozens more wounded.
Arrests, military control ‘a serious blow’ to democratic reforms in Myanmar: UN chief
Feb 02, 2021, at 03:29 pm
New York: The United Nations Secretary-General has strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar’s top political leaders and government officials, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, by the country’s military.
Children among dead following bomb attacks in northern Syria
Feb 02, 2021, at 03:01 pm
New York: Several people, including four children, are reported dead, with many more injured, following a weekend of deadly bomb attacks in towns in northern rural Aleppo, Syria, that were roundly condemned by senior UN officials.
Navalny’s spokeswoman placed under house arrest: Court Spokesperson
Feb 02, 2021, at 02:38 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: A Moscow court has placed Kira Yarmysh, the spokeswoman of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, under house arrest for violating sanitary regulations at the unauthorized demonstrations, a court spokesperson told Sputnik.
Doctors without borders suspend activity in El Salvador after attack on ambulance team
Feb 01, 2021, at 10:53 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The international organization, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), announced a temporary suspension of its activity in El Salvador following an attack on an ambulance team.
Navalny's wife released from detention: Lawyer
Feb 01, 2021, at 03:28 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny, has been released after being detained at an unauthorized rally in Moscow, lawyer Svetlana Davydova told Sputnik on Sunday.
Iran ready to help Taliban foster dialogue with Afghan Gov't: Zarif
Feb 01, 2021, at 01:57 am
Tehran/Sputnik: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has expressed Tehran's readiness to assist the Taliban in facilitating its dialogue with Kabul, during a meeting with a delegation of the movement, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
Moscow Police starts pushing away protesters near Matrosskaya Tishina Detention Center
Feb 01, 2021, at 01:36 am
Moscow/Sputnik: The Moscow police have started pushing away participants of the unauthorized protest at the streets surrounding the Matrosskaya Tishina detention facility in the city's eastern district of Sokolniki, a Sputnik correspondent reported Sunday.
Russian Foreign Ministry demands that US cease meddling amid pro-Navalny protests
Feb 01, 2021, at 01:16 am
Moscow/Sputnik: The Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday responded to the statements by US State Secretary Antony Blinken, calling them evidence of Washington's deterrence strategy, and demanded the United States stop interfering in other countries' domestic affairs.
US Embassy urges Moscow to respect Int'l Law, stop detaining Pro-Navalny protesters
Feb 01, 2021, at 01:05 am
Moscow/Sputnik: The US Embassy in Russia on Sunday called on Moscow to comply with its international human rights commitments as the authorities continue to detain participants in unauthorized protests in support of opposition activist Alexey Navalny.
US and EU decide to continue 'strong cooperation' on Chinese issue
Jan 31, 2021, at 09:29 pm
Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell interacted recently when they decided to continue strong U.S.-EU cooperation on issues related to China.
At least 70 children injured during days of protests in Lebanon’s Tripoli: UNICEF
Jan 31, 2021, at 02:18 pm
Beirut/Sputnik: Protests in Lebanon’s second-largest city, Tripoli, have led to the injury of at least 70 children over the course of one week, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Bolivia to get 1 million Covid-19 vaccine shots in Feb under COVAX: President
Jan 31, 2021, at 02:07 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Bolivia expects to get nearly one million doses of coronavirus vaccines next month, Bolivian President Luis Arce has announced.
EU must place social justice ‘at its core’ to lift people out of poverty
Jan 30, 2021, at 04:30 pm
New York: The European Union’s failure to lift 20 million people out of poverty by 2020, is “a defeat for social rights”, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday, urging the bloc to boldly rethink its whole socio-economic approach.
Central African Republic: 200,000 displaced in less than two months
Jan 30, 2021, at 04:10 pm
New York: Violence and insecurity related to the recent elections in the Central African Republic (CAR) has forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes in less than two months, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday, warning tens of thousands are facing dire living conditions.
‘Imminent’ Iran execution must be halted, urges UN human rights office
Jan 30, 2021, at 03:42 pm
New York: The imminent execution in Iran of a man who was allegedly tortured into confessing that he belonged to a jihadist group must be stopped, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
Guterres welcomes US decision to restore funding to UNFPA
Jan 30, 2021, at 03:10 pm
New York: The United Nations Secretary-General, on Thursday, welcomed the United States administration’s announcement to restore funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), calling it a “powerful message” for women and girls globally.
Myanmar: UN chief following developments ‘with great concern’
Jan 30, 2021, at 03:04 pm
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for restrain in Myanmar, amid reports of rising tensions over the outcome of last year’s general elections.
COVID-19: Prioritize school meals in plans to reopen classrooms, UN report says
Jan 29, 2021, at 03:27 pm
New York: Although school feeding programmes are a lifeline for millions of boys and girls, nearly 40 billion in-school meals have been missed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report published on Thursday by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Office of Research: Inocenti, and the World Food Programme (WFP).
‘End the scourge of neglected tropical diseases’: UN health chief
Jan 29, 2021, at 03:22 pm
New York: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) vowed on Wednesday to “end the scourge of neglected tropical diseases”, which affect more than a billion mainly poor people, and thrive where there is little access to quality health services, clean water, and sanitation.