United Nations

EU Says Israel Has Agreed to 'Expand' Gaza Aid Access

The EU on Thursday struck a deal with Israel to increase aid access to Gaza that should see more food trucks entering and the opening of additional crossing points, the bloc's top diplomat said. "Today, we reached an agreement with Israel to expand humanitarian access to Gaza," European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X. "This ...

UN Urges US to Reverse Sanctions on Expert Over Gaza Criticism

The UN called on Washington Thursday to reverse its decision to sanction a UN expert who has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and has criticised US policy on the war there. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk also called for a halt to "attacks and threats" against people appointed by the UN and other ...

Benin Bets on Free Vets and Schools to Turn People Away From Jihadism

In jihadist-threatened north Benin, the army is waging a campaign away from the front -- a program of social projects, including free veterinary care, to tempt locals away from extremism. Located just south of Niger and Burkina Faso -- which together with neighboring Mali form an alleged terrorism epicenter -- Benin's north has come under ...

US Sanctions UN Rights Expert for Palestinian Territories

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced Washington was sanctioning the United Nations special expert on the Palestinian territories, following her criticism of Washington policy on Gaza. "Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts ...

Thousands of Syrian Refugees to Return from Lebanon

Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week as part of the first United Nations-backed plan that offers financial incentives for repatriation, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The initiative comes as Syria’s new Islamist-led government, which replaced President Bashar al-Assad in December, says all citizens are welcome ...

UN Chief Condemns Russia’s Largest Drone and Missile Attack on Ukraine

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned, on Saturday, Russia's biggest drone and missile attack yet in the three-year war in Ukraine. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest series of large-scale drone and missile attacks by the Russian Federation," Guterres said in a statement referring to the assault Friday and also calling ...

Syria Ready to Work With US to Return to 1974 Disengagement Deal With Israel

Syria said on Friday it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, which created a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries' forces. In a statement after a phone call with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed Damascus's ...

Nuclear Inspectors Have Left Iran: UN Nuclear Watchdog

UN nuclear watchdog inspectors left Iran on Friday, the agency said, after the Islamic republic officially suspended its cooperation with the agency. "An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict," the International Atomic ...

Iran Says Remains Committed to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Iran on Thursday affirmed its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as it accused Germany of "malice" over its criticism of Tehran's decision to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. "Iran remains committed to the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and its Safeguards Agreement," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post ...

Ailing S.Sudan President Prepares Volatile Succession

With South Sudan's President Salva Kiir undergoing medical tests abroad after years of rumors about his health, analysts say a long-gestating plan has been set in motion to secure his succession. Kiir returned from at least 10 days in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, with state media saying he had been "exploring new avenues for ...

PM Salam: Lebanon Intensifying Efforts to Implement UN Resolution 1701

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Wednesday that the government is stepping up efforts to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. Speaking during a session of the Economic and Social Council, Salam stressed the state’s commitment to asserting sovereignty across all Lebanese territory, curbing the illegal ...

Salam Reaffirms Support for UNIFIL and Calls for Mandate Extension

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed Lebanon’s full commitment to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 during a meeting Tuesday with the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Diodato Abagnara, and a delegation from the peacekeeping mission. Salam emphasized the Lebanese government’s commitment ...