United Nations

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 ...

UN Deputy Chief Reaffirms Strong Support for Lebanese State and Reforms

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, concluded an official visit to Lebanon on Friday, during which she expressed clear support for the country’s reform agenda and state sovereignty. Her visit follows in the footsteps of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ trip to Lebanon last ...

WHO Countries Reach Landmark Agreement on Tackling Future Pandemics

Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis. After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters ...

UN Says Israel Killed 71 Civilians in Lebanon Since Ceasefire

Israeli forces have killed dozens of civilians in Lebanon since a ceasefire took effect late last year, including a number of women and children, the United Nations said Tuesday. The UN rights office reported that Israeli military operations had killed and injured civilians in Lebanon in the four months since the fragile truce between Israel and ...

London Hosts Talks to Find 'Pathway' to End Sudan War

Senior officials gather in London on Tuesday aiming to chart a pathway to peace for Sudan on the second anniversary of its brutal civil conflict, but without the presence of the warring parties. Dubbed the "forgotten war", the conflict which erupted on April 15, 2023 between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in ...

Aoun Highlights LAF Role and Reform Progress

President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Monday that the Lebanese Army (LAF) is “fully carrying out its responsibilities” in the areas vacated by Israeli forces, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, emphasizing the army’s capability to ensure the safety and protection of Lebanese citizens. Speaking during a meeting at Baabda ...

Iran Says Giving Diplomacy 'Genuine Chance' in Oman Talks with US

Iran said Friday it was giving diplomacy a "genuine" chance in surprise nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, despite mounting pressure from Washington. Longtime adversaries Iran and the United States are set to hold talks on Saturday in Muscat, aimed at reaching a potential nuclear deal. President Donald Trump on Monday made a shock ...

WHO Donation Secures Life-Saving Dialysis Supplies

In a much-needed boost to Lebanon’s strained healthcare system, the Ministry of Public Health received on Thursday a significant donation of dialysis supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO), funded by Ireland and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The shipment will support 24,000 dialysis sessions, helping around 500 ...

US Backtracks on Some Food Aid Cuts: UN

The United States has backtracked on emergency food aid cuts it announced for 14 countries, restoring assistance to six of them, the UN's World Food Program said Wednesday. The UN agency, already struggling with financing woes, said Monday that the United States advised it Washington was eliminating emergency food aid to those 14 poor and ...