World News

World hunger, malnutrition soared last year mostly due to COVID-19 – U.N. agencies

World hunger and malnutrition levels worsened dramatically last year, with most of the increase likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a multi-agency United Nations (U.N.) report published on…

Read More Here

U.S. hints at further sanctions on Belarus

Washington hinted at the possibility of further economic sanctions against Belarus in a strongly worded speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday. The United States announced targeted sanctions…

Read More Here

U.N. agency says 41 million on verge of famine

Some 41 million people worldwide are at at imminent risk of famine, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday, saying soaring prices for basic foods were compounding…

Read More Here

More than 8,500 children used as soldiers in 2020: U.N.

More than 8,500 children were used as soldiers last year in various conflicts across the world and nearly 2,700 others were killed, the United Nations said on Monday. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres' annual report to…

Read More Here

UPDATED: U.N. chief Guterres appointed for second term

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Friday appointed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second five-year term, beginning on Jan. 1, 2022. Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just…

Read More Here

“We need more”: UN joins criticism of G7 vaccine pledge

A Group of Seven plan to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries lacks ambition, is far too slow and shows Western leaders are not yet on top…

Read More Here

U.N. staffer investigated in Italy over death of ambassador

A United Nations employee has been placed under investigation by Italian prosecutors looking into the murder of Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and two other people,…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council backs Guterres for second term

The United Nations Security Council backed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday for a second term, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for another five years from Jan. 1,…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Email bomb threat sent after blogger’s plane was diverted over Belarus -Swiss email provider

Privacy-focused email provider Proton Technologies AG said on Thursday that a bomb threat cited by Belarusian authorities as the reason for diverting a Ryanair jet carrying a journalist and blogger…

Read More Here

EU partly to blame for Mediterranean migrant deaths -UN

The European Union is partly to blame for deaths of migrants taking boats across the Mediterranean due to unanswered distress calls, obstruction of humanitarian rescue efforts, and so-called “pushbacks” to…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council urges ‘full adherence’ to Israeli Hamas ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday called for “the full adherence” to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and stressed the immediate need…

Read More Here

U.N. chief says Israel, Gaza fighting ‘utterly appalling’

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Security Council on Sunday that hostilities in Israel and Gaza were "utterly appalling" and called for an immediate end to fighting. Opening the…

Read More Here

Pandemic plateauing with deaths and cases declining – WHO

The World Health Organization said on Monday the world was seeing a plateauing in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with declines in most regions including the Americas and Europe, the…

Read More Here

China foreign ministry says planned U.N. event on Xinjiang an insult

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday that an event planned by Germany, the United States and Britain on the repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in…

Read More Here

Online share of retail sales jumps to 19% amid lockdowns – UN

Online sales accounted for nearly a fifth of total retail turnover last year as lockdowns to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic fuelled a boom in e-commerce, a United…

Read More Here

UN chief appeals to address inequalities to end AIDS by 2030

Inequalities in addressing AIDS threaten global efforts to stamp out the disease as a public health threat by 2030, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a report published on the…

Read More Here

UN warns of climate ‘abyss’ as 2020 confirmed as one of 3 hottest years on record

2020 was one of the three hottest years on record, marked by wildfires, droughts, floods and melting glaciers, a United Nations report said on Monday, prompting the U.N. Secretary-General to say the world stands "on the verge of…

Read More Here

U.S. must halve emissions to galvanize global climate action – UN chief

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants the United States to commit this week to at least halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 -- a move he said could…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council approves ceasefire monitors for Libya

NEW YORK, April 16 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council gave the green light on Friday for the deployment of 60 U.N. ceasefire monitors to Libya and called on the country's…

Read More Here

Malta’s deputy Perm Rep to UN to serve as vice-chair of UN’s CPC

Malta’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations has been elected to serve as vice-chair of one of the organisation’s key committees. The Times of Malta reports that Giovanni Buttigieg…

Read More Here

World leaders back idea of treaty on future pandemics

Leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization on Tuesday backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help deal with future health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic by…

Read More Here

Myanmar mourns bloodiest day since coup, U.N. investigator condemns “mass murder”

Across Myanmar, opponents of the ruling junta on Sunday mourned the killings of at least 114 people by security forces in the bloodiest day since the military coup on Feb.…

Read More Here

U.N. staffer who complained of sexual assault loses dismissal case – documents

A policy adviser who filed a sexual assault complaint and was later fired by the U.N. agency fighting AIDS has lost an appeal against her dismissal for misconduct and been refused a…

Read More Here

WHO approves AstraZenecaCOVID-1 9 vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world. "We now have all the pieces…

Read More Here

UN warns at least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year

At least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year without urgent intervention amid soaring rates of severe malnutrition driven by war and the coronavirus pandemic, four…

Read More Here

U.N.-led forum selects new Libya’s interim government

GENEVA / VALLETTA / LONDON, Feb 5 (CDE / Reuters) - A U.N.-led Libya forum on Friday selected an interim government via a vote, choosing Mohammed al-Menfi as presidency council head and…

Read More Here

Libyan rivals vie for roles in new interim government

Potential leaders of a new Libyan interim government joined in competing blocs on Thursday to seek backing from participants in U.N.-backed talks after publicly auditioning for top roles. The process…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council calls for release of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi

The United Nations Security Council called for the release of Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained by the military and voiced concern over the state of emergency, but…

Read More Here

U.N. lists candidates to run Libya’s transitional government until this year’s vote

TUNIS (Reuters) - Participants at Libya’s U.N.-sponsored peace talks have approved a list of candidates seeking to lead a transitional government that will prepare the North African state for a…

Read More Here

U.N. chief worried by power of social media companies

NEW YORK, Jan 28 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday he is "particularly worried" about the power of social media companies and that a regulatory framework should…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council approves new U.N. Libya mediator

The United Nations Security Council approved on Friday the appointment of veteran diplomat Jan Kubis as the U.N. Libya envoy, diplomats said, nearly a year after the last mediator stepped…

Read More Here

U.N. chief Guterres seeks to stay on for second term – Bloomberg News

(Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the five permanent members of the Security Council that he would like to stay on for a second term, Bloomberg News reported…

Read More Here

U.N. says Mladenov will not take up role as U.N. Libya envoy

Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres he will be unable to take up the role as United Nations Libya envoy next year due to "personal and…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council approves new U.N. envoy to mediate in Libya

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday approved a proposal by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint Bulgarian Nickolay Mladenov as the U.N. Libya special envoy and Norwegian Tor Wennesland as the…

Read More Here

Declare states of ‘climate emergency,’ U.N. chief tells world leaders

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - World leaders should declare states of "climate emergency" in their countries to spur action to avoid catastrophic global warming, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said…

Read More Here

U.N. warns 2021 shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe

Next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “stampede for vaccines” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, top U.N.…

Read More Here

2020 likely world’s second hottest year, U.N. says

This year is on track to be the second hottest on record, behind 2016, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed. Five data sets currently place 2020, a year characterised by…

Read More Here

U.N. urges designation of seafarers as key workers

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly urged all countries to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers on Tuesday after travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19 have…

Read More Here

Russia stops U.N. blacklisting of Libya militia, leader

Russia on Friday stopped a U.N. Security Council committee from blacklisting a Libyan militia group and its leader for human rights abuses because it said it wanted to see more evidence…

Read More Here

Malta: country joins the United Nations Core Group for LGBTI Issues

Malta has joined the United Nations Core Group on LGBTI Issues, an informal cross-regional group of member states established in 2008. Based in New York, the overarching goal of the…

Read More Here

Pete Buttigieg touted as US Ambassador to the United Nations – Reuters

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden has promised to build an administration that reflects the diversity of the country, and is expected to announce his choices for some key White House posts…

Read More Here

Renewed optimism as warring Libya sides agree to open main road, implement truce

Libya's warring sides will immediately reopen the main coastal road connecting the vast country's east and west across front lines, the United Nations said on Thursday, as part of a…

Read More Here

UN warns of humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia

The United Nations agency for refugees said it was worried about a refugee emergency if more civilians are forced to flee fighting between federal troops and local forces in the…

Read More Here

WHO chief says welcomes efforts to strengthen the organization

The World Health Organization chief opened a key meeting addressing the pandemic on Monday by welcoming efforts to strengthen the Geneva-based body through reform. "We welcome any and all efforts…

Read More Here

U.N. opens Libya peace talks in Tunis with eye on elections

The United Nations opened talks on Libya's future in Tunisia on Monday aimed at ending nearly a decade of chaos and bloodshed by arranging elections, but obstacles remain despite progress…

Read More Here

U.N. in New York cancels in-person meetings over coronavirus infections

The United Nations cancelled all in-person meetings at its New York headquarters for the rest of the week after five people in Niger’s U.N. mission were infected with the novel…

Read More Here

UN launches forum to facilitate intra-Libyan talks and elections after truce

The United Nations said on Sunday that Libya's rival factions would hold political talks, days after the two main parties in the country's conflict agreed to a cease-fire. Head of…

Read More Here

UN Treaty to ban nuclear weapons can come into force in 90 days

An international treaty banning nuclear weapons will come into force at the end of January after a 50th country ratified the agreement. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons…

Read More Here

Libya’s warring parties sign ceasefire agreement

The two main warring parties in Libya have signed a ceasefire agreement in Geneva, UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams announced. "I wish to congratulate you on what you have accomplished here.…

Read More Here

UN warns less than half of women globally have jobs

The 'World's Women 2020 report' has found a severe lack of progress in women's rights and job market participation. The dire situation has only been made worse by the pandemic…

Read More Here

World trade rebounding slowly, outlook uncertain – UN report

The value of global trade is set to fall by 7% to 9% in 2020 from the previous year, despite signs of a fragile rebound led by China in the…

Read More Here

U.N. acting Libya envoy ‘optimistic’ on talks

The United Nations' acting Libya envoy said on Wednesday she was "quite optimistic" that ongoing talks between the warring sides would lead to a lasting ceasefire after they agreed in…

Read More Here

Divided world is failing COVID-19 challenge, says frustrated U.N. chief

A divided world has failed to rise to the challenge of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said and warned concerted action was needed to prevent millions of…

Read More Here

UN report offers rare glimpse into finances of Somali Islamists

Somalia’s Islamist insurgents are moving millions of dollars through the formal bank system and appear to be investing in businesses and real estate, according to a United Nations report offering…

Read More Here

China and Russia elected to U.N. rights council

China and Russia were elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, but support for Beijing dropped by more than 20 percent compared with a 2016 vote and…

Read More Here

UN registers Turkey-Libya maritime deal

Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Friday that a maritime demarcation agreement between Ankara and Libya's internationally recognised government was registered by the United Nations. Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of…

Read More Here

25 years after UN women’s meeting, equality remains distant

Twenty-five years ago, the world’s nations came together to make sure that half of Earth’s population gained the rights, power and status of the other half. It hasn’t happened yet.…

Read More Here