United Nations

U.N. chief names U.S. diplomat to run Libya mediation

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appointed U.S. diplomat Stephanie Williams to lead mediation efforts in Libya after his special envoy quit just weeks ahead of planned elections in the war-torn country. U.N. special…

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U.N. chief slams COVID-19 ‘travel apartheid’ as unacceptable

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that travel restrictions imposed over COVID-19 that isolate any one country or region as "not only deeply unfair and punitive - they are ineffective."…

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U.N. Libya mediator quits weeks before planned election

The United Nations Libya mediator Jan Kubis is stepping down, a U.N. spokesman said, less than a year after he took up the role and a month before planned elections…

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Bosnia’s peace deal at risk of unravelling – envoy warns the U.N

The U.S.-sponsored peace deal that ended war in Bosnia in the 1990s is at risk of unravelling unless the international community takes measures to stop Serb separatists, a peace envoy warned in…

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U.N. warns world set for 2.7C rise on today’s emissions pledges

Current commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions put the planet on track for an average 2.7 degrees Celsius temperature rise this century, a United Nations report said, in another stark…

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UN fears ‘mass atrocities’ in Myanmar

The UN warned of a possible new human rights catastrophe in Myanmar as thousands of soldiers moved into the north of the country during a crackdown on dissent. The military junta…

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Big fossil fuel producers’ plans far exceed climate targets, U.N. says

Major economies will produce more than double the amount of coal, oil and gas in 2030 than is consistent with meeting climate goals set in the 2015 Paris accord to…

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Syrian government, opposition agree on drafting new constitution -envoy

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria said on Sunday the government and opposition co-chairs of the Syrian Constitutional Committee had agreed to start the process of…

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Matt Hancock loses UN job just four days after his appointment

Matt Hancock has lost his new job at the United Nations just four days after being appointed, following outrage from figures who condemned the “jaw dropping” decision to appoint him…

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Libya’s warring sides, including Russian mercenaries, may be guilty of crimes – UN

Russian mercenaries in Libya killed detainees, among the possible war crimes committed by multiple sides in the conflict, U.N. human rights investigators said on Monday, adding that they had drawn…

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UN climate talks a ‘catalyst’ for action to curb warming -report

United Nations climate talks in November are a crucial catalyst for urgent action to keep a lid on global warming, a global coalition of 40 energy producers, industrial companies and…

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U.N. rights chief urges Belarus neighbours to protect asylum-seekers

The United Nations human rights chief called on Belarus’ neighbours to protect asylum seekers after four people died near the Polish border earlier this week amid a surge in illegal…

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UN chief warns China, US to avoid new Cold War

Warning of a potential new Cold War, the head of the United Nations implored China and the United States to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship before problems between the two…

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World leaders return to U.N. with focus on pandemic, climate

World leaders are returning to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which last…

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Photo Story: Landart painting World in Progress II by Saype at UN in New York

Swiss-French artist Saype (Guillaume Legros) poses in his giant ephemeral landart painting entitled 'World in Progress II' representing two children drawing and building with origami their ideal world, at the…

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Glasgow climate summit at risk of failure, U.N. chief warns

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said a critical meeting on climate change later this year in Scotland is at risk of failure due to mistrust between developed and developing countries…

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U.N. says world likely to miss climate targets despite COVID pause in emissions

ZURICH, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The pace of climate change has not been slowed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the world remains behind in its battle to cut carbon…

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Afghans face ‘their most perilous hour’, warns U.N. boss

GENEVA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for donors to pledge hundreds of millions of dollars for Afghanistan, saying that poverty was spiralling and many…

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Foreign fighters and mercenaries must leave Libya, says UN chief

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is again urging countries to withdraw all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, saying they continue to operate throughout the conflict-stricken North African country in violation…

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U.N. Security Council condemns Kabul attack as “especially abhorrent”

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned a deadly attack at Kabul's airport in Afghanistan as "especially abhorrent" for targeting civilians trying to…

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U.N. rights boss says has credible reports of Taliban executions

Top U.N. human rights official Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday that she had received credible reports of serious violations committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including summary executions of civilians and restrictions on women…

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Afghanistan on brink of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’, UN agencies say

U.N. agencies on Friday warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan as Taliban advances drive tens of thousands of people from their homes amid spreading hunger. Insurgents have taken control…

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France’s Macron to boycott UN racism conference on anti-Semitism concerns

French President Emmanuel Macron will stay away from a United Nations conference on racism next month because of concerns about anti-Semitism, his office said on Friday. "Concerned by a history…

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U.N. sounds clarion call over ‘irreversible’ climate impacts by humans

The U.N. climate panel sounded a dire warning Monday, saying the world is dangerously close to runaway warming – and that humans are "unequivocally" to blame. Already, greenhouse gas levels…

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U.N. climate report likely to deliver stark warnings on global warming

Eight years after its last update on climate science, the United Nations is set to publish a report Monday that will likely deliver even starker warnings about how quickly the…

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U.N. condemns Zimbabwe child marriages as girl dies after giving birth

The United Nations has condemned the practise of child marriage in Zimbabwe following the death of a 14-year-old girl after she gave birth at a church shrine, an incident that…

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U.N. warns Libya’s banking system at risk of collapse

Libya's banking system "will likely collapse" if the country's two parallel central bank branches do not unify and stalled political talks could unravel a ceasefire, the U.N. special envoy to…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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“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…

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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,…

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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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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