Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Talks between representatives of rival authorities in strife-torn Libya have hit a new snag after a parliamentary delegation suspended its participation in the UN-backed discussions hosted by Tunisia. Years of political turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi have left Libya divided between …
Read More »South Sudan’s government lukewarm about new peace push: UN
United Nations, United States | AFP | South Sudan’s government has shown little interest in a new regional peace initiative that the United States has described as a final chance to end the war, the UN peacekeeping chief said Tuesday. The UN Security Council has thrown its weight behind the drive …
Read More »DRC wins seat on UN rights council despite US opposition
United Nations, United States | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo was elected to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday despite opposition from the United States and a leading rights group. DR Congo was among the 15 countries who won seats during a vote at the UN General …
Read More »A simple question for men on contraceptives
Why does the burden of preventing pregnancy fall mostly on women? Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | At the National Conference on Family Planning held in Kampala on Sept.27, it emerged that there is a simple question about contraceptives that many men cannot answer. It all started when one of …
Read More »UN chief hopes Iran nuclear deal will survive
United Nations, United States | AFP | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “very much hopes” the nuclear deal with Iran can be salvaged, a spokesman said Friday, as President Donald Trump was set to de-certify the 2015 agreement. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres considers the deal to be a “very important …
Read More »UN fears 2017 will be record year for attacks on schools
United Nations, United States | AFP | With 500 attacks on schools documented in just six months, 2017 is shaping up as a record year for the number of schools bombed and destroyed in war zones like Yemen, South Sudan and Syria, a UN official said Friday. Last year, the …
Read More »US, Israel pull out of UN cultural body over ‘anti-Israel’ bias
Paris, France | AFP | The United States and its ally Israel said Thursday they were pulling out of the UN’s culture and education body, in a move that underlined Washington’s drift away from international institutions. The US decision, announced in Washington, follows years of tension at the organisation which it …
Read More »Malawi leader vows probe as vampire scare forces UN out
Blantyre, Malawi | AFP | Malawi President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday vowed a thorough investigation after seven people were murdered by vigilantes in a vampire scare that has driven UN staffers out of the affected region. Since mid-September, vigilantes have slaughtered seven people suspected of trying to obtain and drink human …
Read More »Rising world hunger requires rural rethink: UN
Rome, Italy | AFP | A sudden rise in hunger across the globe will require a new emphasis on developing rural economies, the United Nations said on Monday. After steadily declining for a decade, 2016 saw an increase in hunger, with 815 million people, or 11 percent of the world’s population, …
Read More »UN says peacekeeper killed in attack on DR Congo base
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Rebels from a Ugandan-dominated group on Monday attacked a UN military base in DR Congo’s unstable east, killing one peacekeeper and injuring 12 others, the UN mission said. The attack took place in Beni where UN soldiers have been battling the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), …
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