Diplomacy

New round of US-China trade tariffs worth $200 billion takes effect

The United States and China levied additional tariffs on thousands of each other's goods on Sunday, with Beijing targeting US crude oil for the first time since the trade war began.…

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Mediterranean migrant arrivals reach 46,521 in 2019; Deaths reach 909

IOM reports that 46,521migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea through 28 August, roughly a 32 per cent decrease from the 68,029 arriving during the same period last year.…

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IOM launches five campaigns to prevent irregular migration in Central America

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is currently launching five campaigns to prevent the risks of irregular migration and encourage informed decision making among potential young Central American migrants. Mexico,…

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With ISIS down but not out, continued vigilance is key, UN Security Council told

Despite ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria, the terrorist group, also known as Da’esh “continues to aspire to global relevance”, the United Nations top counter-terrorism officials warned the Security Council. “It…

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G7 to release funds to fight fires in the Amazon

International leaders at the G7 summit have agreed to provide logistical and financial support to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron said G7 countries would…

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Trump says he does not want regime change in Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he wanted to see a strong Iran and was not seeking a change of leadership in Tehran, adding that the standard of living…

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G7 leaders close to agreeing plan to help the Amazon

International leaders gathering at the G7 summit are reportedly nearing an agreement to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday a deal to…

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Joint Statement following meeting between the British PM and the US President in Biarritz

The Joint Statement following the meeting of US President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the G7 meeting in Biarritz France. Today, President Donald J. Trump…

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Photo Story: The other side of the G7 Summit

A photo showing the spouses of the leaders attending the G7 summit in Biarritz, France. Brigitte Macron (2-R), wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, and Espelette mayor Jean-Marie Iputcha (R)…

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Stolen Macron portraits to reappear at G7 protests

As world leaders gather in Biarritz for the annual G7 summit, a few kilometeres away in Bayonne, French citizens are marching through the streets, proudly carrying photos of their country’s…

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UPDATED: Trump and Johnson in bilateral meeting in Biarritz

US President Donald J. Trump (R) and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) pose as they arrive for a bilateral meeting during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, 25 August…

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Johnson warns Trump to compromise to get UK trade deal, clash with Tusk over Brexit blame

The US must lift restrictions on UK businesses if it wants a trade deal with the UK, Boris Johnson has said. Travelling to the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, the…

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Leading fashion companies to make G7 pledge to help environment

Major fashion companies from around the world said on Friday they had signed a pact which they would present at this week’s G7 summit in Biarritz, France, to help protect…

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World must stamp out persecution of religious groups, Guterres declares on new UN Day

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an end to the persecution of religious groups on Thursday, the first ever International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on…

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Lack of funds forces UN to close life-saving aid programmes in Yemen

The United Nations announced that it is being forced to close down several humanitarian programmes in Yemen because money pledged by Member States to pay for them has “failed to materialize”. “We are desperate for the funds that were promised,” said Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. “When…

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WHO warns microplastics present in drinking water

Microplastic pollution caused by rubbish dumped at sea is also in drinking water, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a new report that calls for more research on the…

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Urgent need for ‘restraint and genuine dialogue’ in Middle East to avoid major confrontation

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Viotti, said that “restraint and genuine dialogue are urgently needed”,…

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UNICEF seeks $70 million to aid 900,000 children in Venezuela

The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has appealed for help to provide life-saving assistance to 900,000 youngsters in Venezuela. As the country continues to face a dire economic crisis, more than three million children need…

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UN renews call to Yemen’s warring parties to down weapons

The UN’s top aid coordinator in Yemen has renewed her appeal for an end to the conflict. In a statement, Lise Grande insisted that every aid worker in Yemen understands…

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U.N. pays tribute to the strengthening role of women humanitarians on World Humanitarian Day

The work of women humanitarians makes a “huge difference” to the lives of millions of women, men and children in urgent need, the United Nations chief said in his message…

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Displaced by DR Congo violence, survivors’ testimonies highlight brutality of armed militia

Two months since hundreds of thousands of people fled violence in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians warned on Friday that armed militia continue to make their…

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Towards environmental protection as a human right through new UN agreement

The UN environment agency and human rights office (OHCHR) signed a landmark new agreement on Friday aimed at better protecting vulnerable human and environmental rights defenders and their families, while…

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Three more humanitarian workers killed in Syria, with civilian death toll ‘rising every day’

An attack in the south of Syria’s restive Idlib province that led to the deaths of a paramedic, an ambulance driver and a rescue worker, were added to the grim…

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Breakthrough in new drug treatments to fight Ebola in DR Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced what could be a major breakthrough in the battle against Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), revealing that two out…

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Measles cases triple globally

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that measles cases nearly tripled globally during the first seven months of 2019, compared with the same period last year. So far this year…

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UN warns of spike in grave violations against children in Mali as ‘the new normal

Voicing great concern over a sharp increase in the killing and maiming of children in Mali due to ongoing fighting and instability, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners called…

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Reports that Haftar under investigation by ICC

The Libya Observer reports that the International Criminal Court's Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has started investigating crimes committed by forces under Khalifa Haftar's command in Libya, The declaration was made by…

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UK government confirms Glasgow nominated to host its largest ever summit

Glasgow has been chosen to host a major UN climate change summit next year, if the country’s bid is successful. Glasgow has been chosen as the UK city to host…

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Steps taken to end Saudi ‘guardianship’ system for women, ‘encouraging’ start

Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians’ permission is “an encouraging move” towards the “complete abolition of the ‘guardianship’ system,” independent United Nations rights experts…

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Fighting climate change through food

The UN's scientific body on climate change highlights in a new report the strong connection between land use and climate change. A radical change in the food system is key…

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UN warns that a third of population in Zimbabwe faces food crisis

More than five million people in Zimbabwe - about a third of the population - need food aid, with many coming close to starving, the UN says. The World Food…

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NATO, New Zealand Leaders Consult on Cooperation

Terrorism is a global threat and requires a global answer, and New Zealand — working with NATO — will continue to do its part, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said during a joint…

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UN warns new wave of terrorist attacks possible before end of year

The United Nations has warned that a recent pause in international terrorist violence may soon end, with a new wave of attacks possible before the end of the year. Specialist…

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Global Forum to tackle youth employment crisis

More than 200 young people from around the world will be attending the Global Youth Employment Forum in Abuja , Nigeria to discuss how to ensure more and better quality jobs…

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Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo

The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation…

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UN chief warns “these extreme weather events are just the tip of the iceberg. And that iceberg is also rapidly melting.”

Global warming and rising political tensions are dangerous and avoidable, Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters on Thursday, previewing the UN’s upcoming Climate Action Summit, and spotlighting geopolitical hotspots. Briefing the press…

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UN working ‘intensively’ to stop Ebola in eastern DR Congo, following second case in major border town

Senior UN officials tasked with controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have responded to Tuesday’s confirmation of a second case of Ebola in Goma, a…

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UN report shows 2018 was the worst year on record for children caught up in armed conflict

A new UN report has found that 2018 was the worst year on record for children caught up in armed conflict; the year saw the highest numbers killed or maimed…

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Second Ebola case confirmed on border with Rwanda

A second case of Ebola has been detected on Democratic Republic of Congo's border with Rwanda, raising fears the deadly illness could spread. The case was confirmed in the city…

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Senior UN officials call for return to sea rescues, after ‘the worst Mediterranean tragedy of this year

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with the heads of a number of UN agencies, expressed horror at Thursday’s reports that as many as 150 people may be dead after a boat…

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WHO says e-cigarettes ‘undoubtedly harmful’

Electronic cigarettes are "undoubtedly harmful" and should be regulated, the WHO said as it warned against the use of vaping products by smokers trying to quit their deadly habit. The…

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U.N. laments “international indifference” to rising death toll in Syria

Air strikes by the Syrian government and its allies on schools, hospitals, markets and bakeries have killed at least 103 civilians in the past 10 days, including 26 children, U.N.…

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Growing risk of locust swarms in Yemen and Horn of Africa

Yemen and several countries in the Horn of Africa region, are facing an increased risk of desert locust swarms, threatening agricultural production during the next three months, the UN Food and…

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WHO urges countries to invest in eliminating hepatitis

Ahead of World Hepatitis Day on the 28 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on countries to take advantage of recent reductions in the costs of diagnosing and treating…

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Switzerland ranked as most innovative country in new UN report

The World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO, named Switzerland as the world’s most innovative country on Wednesday, during the launch of its latest Global Innovation Index, (GII) in the Indian capital…

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Renewed commitment to Mediterranean rescues encouraging, but ‘overriding priority’ must be ‘lasting peace’, say UN officials

The heads of the two key UN agencies championing refugees and migrants have called for an end to their “arbitrary detention” across Libya, following an agreement on Tuesday by European…

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