UN rights expert exposes $1 billion ‘death trade’ in arms for Myanmar military

UN rights expert exposes $1 billion ‘death trade’ in arms for Myanmar military

The report states that some “UN Member States are enabling this trade” through a combination of outright complicity, lax enforcement of existing bans, and easily circumvented sanctions, according to a news release from the UN rights office OHCHR. Access to advanced weaponry  “Despite overwhelming evidence of the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes against the people of…

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ILO calls for fresh support as job losses grip post-quake Türkiye and Syria

Millions of children still facing dire conditions 100 days after Türkiye-Syria quakes: UNICEF

In total, 2.5 million children in Türkiye, and another 3.7 million in neighbouring Syria, need continued humanitarian assistance, the UN agency said, appealing for greater support for affected families.  The earthquakes which struck on 6 February, followed by thousands of aftershocks, have pushed families to the brink and left children homeless and without access to…

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New UN ‘roadmap’ shows how to drastically slash plastic pollution

New UN ‘roadmap’ shows how to drastically slash plastic pollution

“The way we produce, use, and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. ‘Roadmap’ to slash plastic pollution “This UNEP report lays out a roadmap to dramatically reduce these risks through adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of ecosystems,…

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Security situation in Sahel remains very worrying, Security Council warned

Security situation in Sahel remains very worrying, Security Council warned

“Non-State armed groups continue to carry out large-scale attacks against civilian and military targets and engage in clashes over access to resources, territorial control and influence,” said Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, part of the political and peacebuilding affairs department, and UN Peace Operations. The Council was meeting to assess the…

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Untested AI-based tools could harm patients, WHO warns

Untested AI-based tools could harm patients, WHO warns

Cautionary measures normally applied to any new technology are not being exercised consistently with regard to large language model (LLM) tools, which use AI for crunching data, creating content, and answering questions, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned. “Precipitous adoption of untested systems could lead to errors by healthcare workers, cause harm to patients, erode…

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UN marks International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

UN marks International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

Mentioning this year’s theme in a statement to mark the day, Together Always: United in Diversity, the UN chief called on leaders ‘to speak with one voice” to eliminate stigma and discrimination, that result in sometimes deadly attacks targeting LGBTQI+ communities. The Secretary-General showed his deep concern over the levels of violence directed towards LGBTQI+…

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Post-pandemic world economy still feeling COVID-19’s sting

Post-pandemic world economy still feeling COVID-19’s sting

Risks of a prolonged period of low growth stand, amid stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and heightened uncertainties, in addition to the ever-worsening impact of climate change, the report found. Challenging development The current global economic outlook also presents an immediate challenge to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for…

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