Paris, France | AFP | Two UN experts who were killed six months ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo were deliberately misled about the safety of the place where they were shot dead, French radio said Wednesday. In an investigative report published on its website, Radio France International (RFI) …
Read More »UN says 270,000 refugees enter Bangladesh
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | AFP | Some 270,000 refugees have fled Myanmar’s violence-wracked Rakhine state and entered Bangladesh in the last fortnight, most from the Muslim Rohingya minority, the United Nations said Friday. “An estimated 270,000 refugees arrived in Bangladesh in the last two weeks,” said Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for …
Read More »World tourism numbers post biggest first-half rise since 2010
Madrid, Spain | AFP | International tourist numbers grew 6.4 percent in the first half of 2017, the strongest half-year figures in seven years, with Mediterranean destinations posting double-digit growth, the UN World Tourism Organisation said Thursday. The number of international tourists surged to around 598 million between January and …
Read More »‘African extremism driven by poverty, bad governance’
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Poverty, marginalisation and bad governance are more important factors in the radicalisation of young Africans than religion, according to a new study published on Thursday. The UN came to the conclusion after interviewing 495 former members of organisations such as Nigeria’s Boko Haram, the …
Read More »UN investigators urge ICC to probe Burundi crimes against humanity
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | UN investigators on Monday accused Burundi’s government of crimes against humanity, including executions and torture, and urged the International Criminal Court to open a case “as soon as possible”. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi said it had “reasonable grounds to believe that crimes …
Read More »Bid for UN vote on Mali sanctions gains momentum
United Nations, United States | AFP | A bid for a UN Security Council vote early next week on a French-sponsored resolution that would set up a sanctions regime for Mali gained momentum Friday despite resistance from some countries, diplomats said. Russia and Ethiopia have voiced reservations over the proposal, raising …
Read More »Russia balks at France’s UN proposal for Mali sanctions
United Nations, United States | AFP | Russia on Friday voiced reservations over a French proposal to set up a UN sanctions regime for Mali to punish those who are obstructing a 2015 peace deal. France last month circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on establishing a …
Read More »UN chief urges restraint by Myanmar forces to avoid ‘catastrophe’
United Nations, United States | AFP | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in western Myanmar and urged the country’s security forces to show restraint after 400 people — most of them Rohingya Muslims — died in communal violence. “The secretary-general is deeply concerned by …
Read More »UN chief seeks ‘dream’ of Israel-Palestinian peace in first visit
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held talks with Israeli leaders Monday on his first visit since taking office, making a forceful argument for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and speaking of his “dream” for peace. Guterres also spoke of what he called obstacles to peace …
Read More »Tillerson keeps distance from Trump’s race row stance
Washington, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended American values on Sunday after a UN panel criticized the official response to racist violence — but conspicuously declined to speak for President Donald Trump. Trump triggered outrage earlier this month when he suggested both sides were at …
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