France suspends flights from 7 southern African nations amid fears of new COVID variant
Nov 27, 2021, at 02:11 am
Paris/UNI/Xinhua: The French government announced on Friday to immediately suspend flights coming from the southern parts of Africa following the detection of a new Covid-19 variant in South Africa.
Violence against women must stop; five stories of strength and survival
Nov 26, 2021, at 12:00 am
New York: Conflicts, humanitarian crises and increasing climate-related disasters have led to higher levels of violence against women and girls (VAWG), which has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing into sharp focus the urgent need to stem the scourge.
Poverty and violence push 378,000 Central Americans north each year
Nov 24, 2021, at 11:48 pm
New York: For the past five years, poverty, food insecurity, climate shocks and violence have pushed, on average, some 378,000 Central Americans a year into the United States, according to a new report launched on Tuesday by the UN food relief agency.
Importance of sound, inclusive elections in Iraq ‘cannot be overstated’
Nov 24, 2021, at 11:45 pm
New York: Following “hard-earned” parliamentary elections on 10 October, Iraqis of all political stripes must exercise restraint, eschew violence and await the outcome’s final certification by the Federal Supreme Court, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Yemen recovery possible if war stops now: UNDP report
Nov 24, 2021, at 08:58 pm
New York: War-torn Yemen is among the poorest countries in the world, but recovery is possible if the conflict ends now, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report published on Tuesday.
Three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, says UN agriculture agency
Nov 24, 2021, at 08:38 pm
New York: Approximately three billion people, almost 40 per cent of the world’s population, cannot afford a healthy diet and another one billion people would join their ranks should further unpredictable events reduce incomes by one-third, the UN food agency said, launching a new report on Tuesday.
UN will use technology and medical capacity to improve peacekeeping
Nov 24, 2021, at 12:04 am
New York: Beginning on 7 December, ministers from around the world will discuss the technology and medical capacity building of UN Peacekeeping, UN officials said at a press conference on Monday.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex tests positive for coronavirus: Reports
Nov 24, 2021, at 12:01 am
Paris/UNI/Sputnik: French Prime Minister Jean Castex has tested positive for Covid-19, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing the official residence of the Prime Minister, Hotel de Matignon.
General Assembly reaffirms commitment to combat human trafficking
Nov 24, 2021, at 12:00 am
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated factors that fuel human trafficking such as poverty, unemployment and gender-based violence, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Monday, urging countries to boost efforts to prevent and respond to this “vile crime”.
Arms trafficking, a ‘defining factor’ in undermining peace
Nov 23, 2021, at 11:55 pm
New York: Small arms trafficking is a “defining factor in undermining peace and security”, the Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) told the Security Council on Monday during a ministerial debate.
Bulgaria bus mishap leaves 45 people dead
Nov 23, 2021, at 09:36 pm
A bus crashed and caught fire in Western Bulgaria and left 45 people, including 12 children, dead, media reports said on Tuesday.
DR Congo: Five Chinese kidnapped in armed attack on Congo mine
Nov 22, 2021, at 03:50 am
Five Chinese nationals were kidnapped when armed people attacked a gold mine in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday, media reports said on Sunday.
US patrol boats head to Black Sea as Ukraine raises fear of Russian attack
Nov 21, 2021, at 02:08 pm
Kyiv: The US has sent a ship with two Island-class patrol boats for the Ukrainian port of Odessa on November 8 days after it expressed fears of a possible Russian attack, media reports said.
At least 2 injured in clashes with police during Yellow Vests protest in Paris
Nov 21, 2021, at 06:05 am
Paris/UNI/Sputnik: At least two people sustained injuries after the police used tear gas and batons against Yellow Vest protesters in Paris, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene on Saturday.
Lebanon aims to reach deal on maritime border demarcation with Israel: Prez Michel Aoun
Nov 21, 2021, at 05:57 am
Beirut/UNI/Xinhua: Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Saturday that Lebanon aims to reach an agreement on maritime border demarcation with Israel that would guarantee the country's right to invest in its natural resources, according to a statement by Lebanon's Presidency.
Rotterdam violence: Anti-COVID lockdown protesters clash with police, 2 hurt
Nov 20, 2021, at 07:07 pm
Rotterdam: At least two people were wounded as Dutch police clashed with protesters who were demonstrating in Rotterdam city over new Covid-19 measures.
Worsening drought affects 2.3 million people in Somalia
Nov 20, 2021, at 05:27 pm
New York: With about 2.3 million people already suffering with serious water, food and pasture shortages in Somalia, a rapidly worsening drought could lead to an “extreme situation” by April next year.
Safe sanitation for all benefits people and the planet: UN chief
Nov 20, 2021, at 04:21 pm
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged countries to keep their promise to leave no one behind and deliver health and sanitation to all.
UK Prime Minister considering diplomatic boycott of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: Reports
Nov 20, 2021, at 02:35 pm
London/UNI/Sputnik: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing over the alleged human rights violations in China, media reported.
Greece: 7 refugees, migrants die in car crash
Nov 19, 2021, at 10:58 pm
Athens/UNI/Xinhua: Seven refugees, migrants lost their lives and another seven were injured in a car accident in northern Greece on Friday, Greek national news agency AMNA reported, citing local police.
Madagascar: ‘World cannot look away’ as 1.3 million face severe hunger
Nov 19, 2021, at 05:04 pm
New York: The international community must step up support to Madagascar, where more than one million people in the south are facing severe hunger, the top UN aid official there said on Thursday in a renewed appeal for solidarity and funding.
Bachelet condemns killings of peaceful protesters in Sudan
Nov 19, 2021, at 04:52 pm
New York: At least 39 people have been killed by security forces in Sudan since the 25 October military coup, 15 of whom were reportedly shot dead on Wednesday, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Completion of Somalia elections more important than ever: UN envoy
Nov 19, 2021, at 04:43 pm
New York: Although progress has been made in Somalia’s electoral process, it has been slow and uneven, the UN Special Representative for the country said in a briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday.
Kazakhstan mulling banning air travel to Belarus for some states: Authorities
Nov 19, 2021, at 12:03 am
Nur-Sultan/UNI/Sputnik: Kazakhstan authorities are considering a temporary ban on air travel of some nationals to Belarus due to the migration crisis at the Belarusian-Polish border, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee, Talgat Lastayev, told Sputnik Thursday.
Conflict prevention means tackling economic, social, institutional drivers of strife
Nov 18, 2021, at 01:14 am
New York: Preventing conflicts requires closing development gaps, shrinking inequality and bringing hope to people around the globe, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Investing in UNRWA is ‘an investment in peace and hope’
Nov 18, 2021, at 01:09 am
New York: At a “critical conference” supporting the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Secretary-General António Guterres outlined on Tuesday, the “essential role” it continues to play in generations of lives.
Iran death penalty threat for abortion unlawful: UN rights experts
Nov 18, 2021, at 01:04 am
New York: A new Iranian law that raises the prospect of the death penalty for abortion has been condemned by independent human rights experts, who have declared that is in “clear contravention of international law”.
‘We cannot lose hope’, UN chief tells media seminar on peace in the Middle East
Nov 18, 2021, at 12:37 am
New York: Sensitizing public opinion to the question of Palestine, and promoting a peaceful settlement to the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, are among the goals of the 2021 UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, which began on Tuesday.
Ethiopia: Mass arbitrary arrests target Tigrayans, says UN rights office
Nov 18, 2021, at 12:29 am
New York: Over the past week, mass arrests of people reportedly of Tigrayan origin have continued in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and elsewhere, the UN rights office said on Tuesday.
UK inflation rises to reach highest level in decade: ONS
Nov 17, 2021, at 09:14 pm
London/UNI/Sputnik: UK inflation jumped to 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to October 2021, its highest level in nearly a decade, pushed by increasing fuel and energy prices, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Wednesday.