UPDATING LIVE: UN General Assembly debates US embargo against Cuba

UPDATING LIVE: UN General Assembly debates US embargo against Cuba

10:14 AM Chile Paula Narváez Ojeda, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile, reaffirmed her country’s conviction that the implementation of unliteral coercive measures runs counter to international law “Chile does not agree with the imposition of unilateral sanctions of any kind, the only legitimate sanctions are those adopted by the Security Council in the exercise…

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Day highlighting journalists under fire focuses on protection during elections

Day highlighting journalists under fire focuses on protection during elections

Between January 2019 and June 2022, the agency documented 759 individual attacks against journalists, including five killings, during 89 elections in 70 countries. Most of these attacks – which included beating and arbitrary arrest – were committed by police and security forces. Attacked from all around  The findings come in a report published in tandem with the International Day to End…

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Countries urged to take more action against chemical pollution

Climate action: ‘Take steps to close the adaptation gap, now’

The Adaptation Gap Report 2023 issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), says the world is underprepared, under invested and lacking the necessary planning, leaving us all exposed. It warns that instead of speeding up, progress on adapting to climate change is stalling. The slowdown extends to finance, planning and implementation, says UNEP, with massive…

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Israel-Palestine crisis: UN welcomes first medical evacuations from Gaza

Israel-Palestine crisis: UN welcomes first medical evacuations from Gaza

“We have been working with Egypt’s Health Ministry on planning for medical evacuations and will continue to support,” said the World Health Organization (WHO) head. His comments came amid reports that the Rafah passenger terminal between Egypt and Gaza had been allowed to opened on an exceptional basis Wednesday morning for the first time since…

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Rise in intimidation, settler violence in the West Bank, warns OCHA

Rise in intimidation, settler violence in the West Bank, warns OCHA

Israeli settler violence has increased significantly, from an already high average of three incidents per day in 2023 to seven a day now, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OHCA). During this period, OCHA recorded 171 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in 26 different casualty incidents, damage to 115 Palestinian…

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World News in Brief: Mali mission latest, starvation alert for ‘hotspots’, inclusive sport for all

World News in Brief: Mali mission latest, starvation alert for ‘hotspots’, inclusive sport for all

In line with the accelerated withdrawal process of the UN’s stabilization mission, MINUSMA, the convoy initially left by road on Tuesday for Gao, and suffered two attacks from improvised explosives on the way that caused vehicle damage and minor injuries to two peacekeepers which were treated on site. Thursday’s incident involved another explosive device leading…

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Toll of Israel-Palestine crisis on children ‘beyond devastating’

Toll of Israel-Palestine crisis on children ‘beyond devastating’

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths, who has been visiting Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, spoke to families in Gaza over the phone from east Jerusalem on Tuesday and said that what they have endured since the start of Israel’s retaliation for Hamas’ deadly 7 October attacks is “beyond devastating”. “When an eight-year-old tells you…

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Amid Middle East crisis, ‘brutal and far-reaching’ war continues in Ukraine

Amid Middle East crisis, ‘brutal and far-reaching’ war continues in Ukraine

Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the Coordination Division at the UN relief wing OCHA, addressed ambassadors, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian support with the winter freeze approaching, and access to essential services an increasing challenge. He outlined efforts by relief workers to provide support to communities on the frontline and in hard-to-reach areas, including ensuring…

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World Habitat Day focuses on cities as drivers of growth

UN calls for global action to turn cities into engines of sustainable development

“World Cities Day is a time to consider the pivotal role cities play in sustainable development,” said António Guterres, setting the stage for a global call to action. Cities, he noted, are not only engines of economic growth but are also at the forefront of the world’s most pressing challenges. From the climate crisis to widening…

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World News in Brief: Russia likely attacked Ukraine cafe, disease alert for Sudan, Taliban must release rights defenders

World News in Brief: Russia likely attacked Ukraine cafe, disease alert for Sudan, Taliban must release rights defenders

The report published on Tuesday and based on site inspections and witness interviews says that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the missile was launched by Russian armed forces”. It details the devastating impact of what has been one of the deadliest single incidents for Ukrainian civilians since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. …

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