united nations

Parliament Debates Security, Sovereignty and State Reforms

Parliament reconvened on Tuesday afternoon to resume discussions on the government’s general policy agenda, following a break announced by Speaker Nabih Berri earlier in the day. The morning session had opened at 11 AM in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, cabinet ministers and MPs. Although the session was largely calm and orderly, a ...

Aid Cuts, Misinformation Threaten Child Vaccination Progress: UN

Global infant vaccination levels have stabilised after shrinking during the Covid crisis, the UN said Tuesday, but it warned that misinformation and drastic aid cuts were deepening dangerous coverage gaps and putting millions at risk. In 2024, 85 percent of infants globally, or 109 million, had received three doses of the vaccine against ...

EU Foreign Ministers Weigh Options on Gaza as Humanitarian Deal with Israel Takes Shape

EU foreign ministers on Tuesday will discuss a raft of options for action against Israel over the war in Gaza -- but likely will not agree on any. The bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has put forward 10 potential steps after Israel was found to have breached a cooperation deal between the two sides on human rights grounds. The measures ...

President Aoun: Lebanon’s Territorial Unity and Sovereignty Are Sacred and Irrevocable

President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Monday that the unity and sovereignty of Lebanese territory are constitutional and non-negotiable principles, protected by the Lebanese Army and the will of the people. His remarks, made during economic and diplomatic meetings at Baabda Palace, came in direct response to recent statements by US envoy Tom ...

New Gaza-Bound Aid Boat Leaves Italy

A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily on Sunday, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 pm (1000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about fifteen ...

Syria says Wildfires Contained After 10 Days

Syria's civil defence agency on Sunday said wildfires in the country's west, which have burned vast tracts of forest and farmland and forced evacuations, had been brought under control after 10 days. In a statement on Facebook, the agency said that "with the spread of the fires halted and the fire hotspots brought under control on all fronts" on ...

Two-State Solution Conference Rescheduled for Late July at UN

An international conference meant to revive work on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been rescheduled for July 28-29, diplomatic sources told AFP. Originally set for mid-June, the conference at UN headquarters in New York was postponed at the last minute due to Israel's surprise military campaign against Iran. It has ...

UN: Nearly 800 Killed Seeking Aid in Gaza, Most Near GHF Sites

Nearly 800 people have died trying to access aid in Gaza since late May, with most killed near the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's sites, the UN said Friday. An officially private effort, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than ...

Bosnia Commemorates Srebrenica Genocide 30 Years On

Thousands of people were gathering in Srebrenica on Friday to commemorate the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. On the eve of the commemorations, thousands of Srebrenica peace marchers who have walked more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) in memory of the victims and ...

Russia and US Hold 'Frank' Talks on Ukraine War

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US top diplomat Marco Rubio held "frank" talks on the Ukraine war during a meeting Thursday, both sides said, as Washington hit out at Moscow's lack of "flexibility". The US secretary of state said Lavrov shared new and "different" ideas on resolving the conflict and promised to present them to US ...

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 ...