Peacekeepers and civilians killed during clashes in disputed Abyei region

Peacekeepers and civilians killed during clashes in disputed Abyei region

Armed youth from rival factions of the Dinka ethnic group have been battling over the location of an administrative boundary in the oil-rich region, claimed by both countries, according to media reports. The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) reported that clashes erupted on Saturday in the Nyinkuac, Majbong and Khadian areas, leading to…

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World News in Brief: Progress on transfats, Ukraine war update, General Assembly President in China

World News in Brief: Progress on transfats, Ukraine war update, General Assembly President in China

Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand have received the first-ever WHO certificates for demonstrating that they have a best practice policy for industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) elimination in effect, supported by adequate monitoring and enforcement systems. Trans fats are industrially produced or naturally occurring, and both are linked to an increased risk of…

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Lifesaving programmes in peril, UNRWA chief urges countries to reconsider funding suspension

Lifesaving programmes in peril, UNRWA chief urges countries to reconsider funding suspension

It was “shocking” to see the suspension of funds in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General, said in a statement. “It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an Agency and an entire community it serves because of allegations of criminal acts against some individuals, especially at a time…

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Remembering Holocaust victims, Guterres urges a stand against division

Remembering Holocaust victims, Guterres urges a stand against division

Observing Saturday’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, he highlighted the millions of Jewish children, women and men, along with countless others, who suffered persecution and death during that dark period. “We honour their memory. We stand with the survivors, their families and descendants. We pledge never to forget…

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Gaza: UN rights office condemns ‘chaotic’ Israeli mass evacuation orders

Gaza: UN rights office condemns ‘chaotic’ Israeli mass evacuation orders

The OHCHR warning came nearly four months into the war which has seen widespread Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities beginning 7 October in which some 1,200 people were massacred and more than 250 taken hostage. “Attacks on hospitals, schools, and other places of refuge have repeatedly…

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Guterres ‘horrified’ by strike on ambulance convoy in Gaza

UNRWA to investigate allegations ‘several’ staffers played role in 7 October attacks

Mr. Guterres has also asked UNRWA head, Philippe Lazzarini, to refer any employees found to have taken part in or “abetted what transpired” in the brutal attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian militants that day, “for potential criminal prosecution.” “The Secretary-General is horrified by this news,” Mr. Guterres’ Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement…

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