Friday, 25 August, marks the sixth anniversary of the start of a massive offensive by Myanmar’s military against the mainly Muslim minority in Rakhine state. Some 10,000 Rohingya men, women, children and newborns were killed, more than 300 villages burnt to the ground, and over 700,000 forced to flee to Bangladesh in search of safety,…
Experts from the UN nuclear watchdog were present to monitor and assess that all relevant international safety standards were applied, as part of a multiyear review of a process that could last for decades. The decision to release the water into the sea has sparked criticism in Japan and the region. Long-term commitment The IAEA…
“Given the tensions and divisions arising from the constitutional referendum, the Central African authorities urgently need to engage all actors in a genuine political dialogue aimed at de-escalating the situation”, said Yao Agbetse, the UN Independent Expert on the Central African Republic, at the end of a 10-day visit to the country. Inclusive talks “Only an…
That’s the message from the group of eight experts, including Ashwini K.P., the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, who urged Greece on Wednesday to investigate alleged violations against asylum-seekers. They said that they were “particularly concerned” by the failure of the country’s security personnel and coast guard to provide “prompt and effective” assistance…
In its new report, Wastewater: Turning problem to solution, UNEP warned that only 11 per cent of treated wastewater is reused while around half of the world’s untreated wastewater still enters rivers, lakes and seas. Furthermore, CO2 emissions from wastewater are substantial, hovering slightly below those from the global aviation industry. With the right…
Denise Brown issued a statement deploring this “new wave of massive Russian attacks”, and appealed for the violence to end. “Grain storage facilities, vital for the Ukrainian farmers and global food security, have been hit in the Danube area,” she said. “A school in the Sumy region was damaged, and teachers were killed and injured.” International media…
“It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all, and to recognize the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO. “Today, let us remember the victims and freedom fighters of the past so that they may inspire future generations to build just societies.” The…
“It is deeply troubling that, for over a year, the intra-Syrian political process has been in deep freeze,” he said, speaking via videoconference. “A political process is the right of the Syrian people they are entitled to chart their own destiny.” Mr. Pedersen said Syrians both inside and outside the country continue to suffer severely…
Addressing the BRICS Summit, taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, Secretary-General António Guterres commended the Rainbow Nation’s “extraordinary path to unity through action and justice.” “That’s what our world needs: unity for action and unity for justice; we are confronting existential challenges,” he said, drawing attention to worsening impacts of climate change and rising poverty,…
Speaking in Geneva, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said that a new altitude record for the freezing point had been set a day earlier, climbing to 5,298 metres (17,381 feet) – well above Europe’s very highest peaks including Mont Blanc, at 4,811 metres (15,784 feet). WMO figures show that this is 115 metres above the previous record…
