United Nations

UN Condemns 'Unacceptable' Syria Violence

The United Nations special envoy for Syria on Wednesday condemned the "unacceptable" violence rocking the country after deadly sectarian clashes and called for an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes. The envoy, Geir Pedersen, was "alarmed" at "the potential for further escalation of an extremely fragile situation" after violent clashes around ...

UN 'Alarmed' by US Strikes in Yemen That Huthis Say Killed 68 Migrants

The United Nations expressed deep alarm on Monday at reports that US strikes on Yemen killed scores of people at a migrant detention center in a stronghold of the Huthi rebels. The US military has hammered the Iran-backed Huthis with near-daily strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider", seeking to end their attacks on vessels in ...

Top UN Court to Open Hearings on Israel’s Aid Obligation to Palestinians

The UN's top court will on Monday open a week of hearings on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians, more than 50 days into its total blockade on aid entering war-ravaged Gaza. United Nations representatives will start the five days of sittings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), followed by ...

India and Pakistan Troops Exchange Fire in Kashmir

Troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir for a third night in a row, officials said Sunday, as relations between the nuclear-armed rivals plunged to their lowest level in years. India has accused Pakistan of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested ...

'The Constitution First', New Political Gathering Calls for Sovereignty, Reform, and Judicial Independence

A new political gathering, led by ex-MP and former Secretariat General Coordinator of the March 14 Alliance, Fares Soueid, was launched on Saturday under the name "The Constitution First." The main highlights of the group’s manifesto included: -The enactment of a new electoral law, including the redrawing of electoral districts ...

UN Voices Concern Over Latest S.Sudan Clashes as Civilians Flee

The United Nations said Friday it was "deeply concerned" by clashes between South Sudan's military and opposition forces in a southern state, where displaced civilians told AFP they had been left without food. The world's youngest nation, which is deeply impoverished, has long been troubled by insecurity and instability. But recent fighting ...

Israel Says UN Worker in Gaza Killed by Tank Fire in March

Israeli tank fire killed a UN worker in Gaza last month, according to initial findings from an investigation released Thursday by Israel's military, which initially denied operating in the area. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) announced on March 19 the death of one of its employees in the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah ...

Lebanon Reclaims Sovereignty: Rajji Vows to Confine Arms to the State

In a firm assertion of Lebanon’s national sovereignty, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji announced, on Wednesday, that the state will move decisively to ensure that all weapons are under its sole authority, reaffirming that decisions of war and peace rest exclusively with the Lebanese government. Speaking at the 163rd session of the Arab League ...

Lebanon to Overhaul Groundwater Drilling Licensing System

Lebanon's Minister of Energy and Water, Joe Saddi, announced on Tuesday a major reform of the country's groundwater drilling licensing system, as part of an effort to improve water resource management. The reform is being developed in collaboration with experts from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and ...

New U.S. Ambassador in Israel Urges Hamas to Accept Hostage Deal

The new US ambassador to Israel on Monday called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept a deal that would secure the release of hostages, in exchange for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. "We call upon Hamas to sign an agreement so that humanitarian aid can flow into Gaza to the people who desperately need it," Mike Huckabee said in ...

Iran’s Nuclear Standoff: Two Decades of Tactical Delay

The arm wrestling between the West and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the nuclear issue is a protracted saga, marked by stalling tactics, deception and a carefully crafted strategy of concealment, patiently executed by the mullah's regime for over two decades. Negotiations, back-channel diplomacy, mounting international pressures and successive ...

Hezbollah: Caught Between Reality and Recklessness

Many in Lebanon and beyond are still grappling with what President Joseph Aoun meant when he spoke of integrating Hezbollah members into the army or security forces. Yet, his message was clear, “We do not want to replicate the Popular Mobilization Forces model in Iraq.” In other words, Lebanon’s leadership is not prepared to absorb ...