United Nations

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 ...

UN says Iran Post-War Aid Budget Needs to be Doubled

The most senior UN official in Iran said Tuesday the organisation's humanitarian and development aid budget to the country would need to be doubled following the war with Israel. Stefan Priesner, the UN resident coordinator in Iran, said he hoped the international community would step up with more funding. "We are now doing the budgeting" for ...

Rwanda, DR Congo Sign Peace Deal in US After Rebel Sweep

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement Friday in Washington to end fighting that has killed thousands, with the two countries pledging to pull back support for guerrillas -- and President Donald Trump boasting of securing mineral wealth. "Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region ...

UN Working for Ceasefire in Besieged Sudan City

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday he has been in contact with the warring sides in Sudan to try to reach a ceasefire in the besieged and starving city of El-Fasher. Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has agreed in principle to such a humanitarian pause, his ruling Transitional Council said. But the opposing paramilitary ...

CNRS 2025 Report: 24 out of 38 Lebanese Beaches Deemed Safe for Swimming

Each year, as crowds head to the Mediterranean for relief from the heat, a dedicated team of researchers begins its work. This is the annual mission of the National Center for Marine Sciences, part of the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), which for years has surveyed the health of 38 public beaches from Tripoli to Tyre. Private ...

Lebanon Requests One-Year Renewal for UNIFIL

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally requested a one-year extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)’s mandate, set to begin on August 31, 2025. In a statement issued Friday, the ministry said the request follows a decision approved by the Cabinet during its May 14 session. The ministry confirmed that a letter was ...

Grand Serail Hosts High-Level Meeting on Lebanon Recovery Fund

The Grand Serail hosted a strategic meeting on the Lebanon Recovery Fund (LRF), a UN-managed financing mechanism designed to coordinate international grant-based support for Lebanon’s post-crisis reconstruction and recovery. Representatives from relevant ministries and United Nations agencies attended the session, headed by Prime Minister Nawaf ...

Gaza Rescuers say Israeli Forces Kill 20 Including Six Aid Seekers

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, including six who were waiting to collect food aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The latest in a string of deadly incidents near aid distribution sites came after the United Nations had condemned the "weaponization of food" in the Gaza Strip, where a ...

New UNIFIL Chief Pledges Mission Commitment Despite Persisting Challenges

Italian General Diodato Abagnara has officially taken command of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), expressing deep honor and commitment to the mission's goals. Speaking during the handover ceremony, the new commander paid tribute to the peacekeepers who lost their lives in service, describing their sacrifices as a stark ...

UN Condemns 'Weaponisation of Food' in Gaza

The United Nations on Tuesday condemned Israel's apparent "weaponisation of food" in Gaza, a war crime, and urged Israel's military to "stop shooting at people trying to get food". "Israel's militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution," the UN human rights office said in ...

UAE, KSA, Egypt Top Arab FDI in 2024 as Lebanon Ranks 6th

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Egypt topped the list of Arab countries attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, according to the latest data released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Lebanon made notable progress, climbing to 6th place in the regional ...