Niger: Guterres concerned about health and safety of detained President

Niger: Guterres concerned about health and safety of detained President

President Mohamed Bazoum and his family are believed to be living without electricity, water, food or medicine, according to media reports. Release detained leader The democratically elected leader has been detained since soldiers seized power on 26 July. “The Secretary-General reiterates his concern for the health and safety of the President and his family and…

Read More
IAEA chief outlines five principles to avert nuclear ‘catastrophe’ in Ukraine

Ukraine: Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant initiates reactor shutdown following water leak, reports IAEA

The purpose of placing reactor unit 4 in cold shutdown is to investigate the exact cause of the leak and carry out necessary maintenance to repair the affected steam generator, according to a statement by Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA Director General. There was no radiological release to the environment, the statement noted, adding that over…

Read More
Save lives, UN agencies appeal, after yet another tragedy in the Mediterranean

Save lives, UN agencies appeal, after yet another tragedy in the Mediterranean

The International Organization for Migration (IOM); the UN refugee agency, UNCHR; and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also called for coordinated search and rescue mechanisms. The tragedy occurred between Thursday 3 August and Friday 4 August, and to date, only four survivors have been rescued – all by a merchant vessel.   The survivors, brought…

Read More
China: 'Vocational training' programmes for Tibetans carry risk of forced labour

China: UN experts demand information on nine imprisoned human rights defenders

The experts sounded the alarm on the lack of information provided by Chinese authorities – deeming it a deliberate attempt to “make the world forget” about the individuals who are spending year after year in isolation.  Between 2010 and 2019, nine environmental human rights defenders were arrested and imprisoned after they protested against allegedly illegal mining activities and hunting of…

Read More
UN: Deal reached with Syria to reopen main border crossing from Türkiye

UN: Deal reached with Syria to reopen main border crossing from Türkiye

For the next six months, the Bab al-Hawa border crossing will be accessible and allow much-needed assistance to reach millions of people in northwest Syria. Bab al-Hawa has been used since 2014, when the UN Security Council authorized cross-border relief deliveries “across conflict lines”. Around 85 per cent of aid deliveries have passed through Bab…

Read More