United Nations

15 WFP Trucks Pillaged Amid Mounting Hunger Crisis in Gaza

The United Nations chief said Friday that Palestinians were enduring "the cruelest phase" of the war in Gaza, where more than a dozen food trucks were looted following the partial easing of a lengthy Israeli blockade. Aid was just beginning to trickle back into the war-torn territory after Israel announced it would allow limited shipments to ...

France and Saudi Arabia to Co-Chair June Conference on Israeli-Palestinian Two-State Solution

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is hosting on Friday afternoon his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt to prepare the conference on a so-called "two-state" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, diplomatic sources said. “It is a working meeting at 3:30 PM with his Egyptian, Jordanian, and Saudi counterparts,” ...

South Sudan Clashes Kill at Least 75 Since February

Clashes between South Sudan's army and fighters backing the rival to President Salva Kiir have killed at least 75 civilians since February, the UN human rights chief said on Friday. Dozens more have been injured and thousands forced to flee their homes in the world's newest state, said United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights Volker ...

Iran Says Will Hold US Responsible For Any Israeli Attack On its Nuclear Sites

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would hold the United States responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities, after US media reported that Israel was preparing for a strike. The report came even as Iran and the United States were set to meet in Rome on Friday for a fifth round of Omani-mediated nuclear talks. "We ...

UN Says Around 90 Aid Trucks 'Dispatched' Into Gaza

The UN said Wednesday it had "dispatched" around 90 trucks carrying aid into Gaza, as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and blockade of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The first aid distribution in Gaza since early March came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a "temporary ...

'Red Alert': Fires Drive Tropical Forest Loss to Record High

Eighteen football pitches every minute of every hour of every day: that is the record extent of tropical rainforest destroyed last year due in large measure to fires fuelled by climate change, researchers reported Wednesday. Tally it all up and the world lost 67,000 square kilometres (25,900 square miles) of precious primary tropical forest, an ...

World Bee Day: A Vital Call to Safeguard Our Pollinators

Every year on May 20, World Bee Day is celebrated to honor Anton Jansa, the Slovenian beekeeper who pioneered modern apiculture. Since 2018, this day has been officially designated by the United Nations to raise global awareness about the vital role bees play in our ecosystems, and to promote their protection, along with the preservation of their ...

Arak, Wine, and Resilience: Syria’s Toast to the World

Syria, long recognized as the birthplace of distillation and fermentation, is a land where arak and wine embody the essence of the terroir, the resilience of its people, and the vibrancy of its local communities. The Alawite and Christian populations play a vital role in sustaining this heritage, actively shaping the production of both arak and ...

Explained: The WHO’s New Global Pandemic Treaty

After more than three years of fierce negotiations, an international agreement on the prevention and control of pandemics was adopted on Tuesday at the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are the main points of the agreement, which has 35 articles. Objective  The objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is "strengthening pandemic prevention, ...

Libya Government says Pursuing Permanent Truce After Clashes

Libya's UN-recognized government said Monday it was pressing efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire after days of deadly clashes in the capital and protests demanding the prime minister's resignation. The fighting last week pitted an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government against factions it has sought to dismantle, resulting in at ...

UN Rights Chief: Israel’s Gaza Offensive "Tantamount to Ethnic Cleansing"

The UN's rights chief on Friday denounced Israel's sharp escalation of attacks in Gaza – and an apparent push to permanently displace the population – as amounting to "ethnic cleansing." "This latest barrage of bombs... and the denial of humanitarian assistance underline that there appears to be a push for a permanent demographic shift in ...