According to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme, a record 27.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute hunger.

UN Agencies: Scale of acute hunger in DR Congo is now ' staggering'

A record 27.3 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing acute hunger, one-third of the violence-wracked central African country's population, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday.

One in three people critically hungry in DR Congo, says UN

With no COVID-19 vaccines to offer its 11 million people, the Caribbean nation of Haiti is struggling hard to contain the Coronavirus crisis. So far, Haiti was supposed to receive 756,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through a United Nations program aimed at ensuring the neediest countries get COVID-19 shots.

Haiti awaits COVID-19 vaccines amid unrest

The European Union has censured a US decision to label Yemen's Houthis as terrorists. US State Secretary Mike Pompeo had made this announcement on Sunday.

EU & UN slams US over labelling Yemen rebels as terrorists

UK envoy to UN Barbara Woodward on WION: "We need to find a political solution, UK is looking for an end to violence in Myanmar", Ambassador Barbara Woodward said to WION correspondent Susan Tehrani. She added that "path of democracy" was the only way forward.

UK is looking for an end to violence in Myanmar": Ambassador Barbara Woodward said to WION

United Nations (UN) human rights experts have said that a tourism mega-project on Indonesia's Lombok island has uprooted local and indigenous people. The experts said that this project has destroyed homes, fields, rivers and religious sites.

The Mandalika, located in Lombok’s West Nusa Tenggara province, includes a Grand Prix motorcycle circuit, hotels and a golf course, and is part of the “10 New Balis” strategy proposed by President Joko Widodo in 2016 to boost tourism revenues.

In developing the 2-hectare (5-acre) site, “local residents were subjected to threats and intimidations, and forcibly evicted from their land without compensation”, said Olivier De Schutter, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

He said that businesses and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that funded the ongoing project, failed to do due diligence "to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address adverse human rights impacts”, he said in a statement.

The AIIB said its operations adhered to its environmental and social guidelines, and that it had responded “swiftly” to complaints related to the project and commissioned an independent consultant to engage with the Indonesian government, businesses and local residents.

“The final report found no evidence of the alleged coercion, direct use of force, and intimidation relating to land acquisition and resettlement,” it said in a statement late on Thursday.

(With AFP inputs)

United Nations (UN) human rights experts have said that a tourism mega-project on Indonesia's Lombok island has uprooted local and indigenous people. The experts said that this project has destroyed homes, fields, rivers and religious sites.

United Nations (UN) human rights experts have said that a tourism mega-project on Indonesia's Lombok island has uprooted local and indigenous people. The experts said that this project has destroyed homes, fields, rivers and religious sites. The Mandalika, located in Lombok’s West Nusa Tenggara province, includes a Grand Prix motorcycle circuit, hotels and a golf course, and is part of the “10 New Balis” strategy proposed by President Joko Widodo in 2016 to boost tourism revenues. In developing the 2-hectare (5-acre) site, “local residents were subjected to threats and intimidations, and forcibly evicted from their land without compensation”, said Olivier De Schutter, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. He said that businesses and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that funded the ongoing project, failed to do due diligence "to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address adverse human rights impacts”, he said in a statement. The AIIB said its operations adhered to its environmental and social guidelines, and that it had responded “swiftly” to complaints related to the project and commissioned an independent consultant to engage with the Indonesian government, businesses and local residents. “The final report found no evidence of the alleged coercion, direct use of force, and intimidation relating to land acquisition and resettlement,” it said in a statement late on Thursday. (With AFP inputs)

UN displeased with Indonesia tourism project for trampling human rights

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for urgent, bold measures to address an emerging debt crisis caused largely by Covid-19. 
 
"We are on the verge of a debt crisis. Today`s meeting, convened with our partners, the prime ministers of Canada and Jamaica, is a call for urgent action," he told a high-level event on debt and liquidity, Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
Six countries have already defaulted. One-third of emerging market economies are at high risk of fiscal crisis. And the situation is even worse for least-developed and low-income countries. They face a painfully slow recovery that will put the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement completely out of reach, he warned. 
 
Developing countries need access to additional liquidity to respond to the pandemic and to invest in recovery. The international community must urgently provide the necessary support to all developing countries in need, said Guterres. 
 
From the start of the pandemic, the United Nations has advocated for a three-phase approach to debt: a moratorium on debt payments, targeted debt relief, reforms to the international debt architecture, he noted. 
 
He welcomed the steps that have been taken, including fresh financing by international financial institutions, the Debt Service Suspension Initiative of the Group of 20, and the Common Framework for Debt Treatments, but said they are far from enough. 
 
"I am, therefore, calling for much bolder and more ambitious measures. 
 
"We strongly believe that the Debt Service Suspension Initiative must be extended into 2022, and made also available to highly indebted, vulnerable middle-income countries that request it.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for urgent, bold measures to address an emerging debt crisis caused largely by Covid-19. "We are on the verge of a debt crisis.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for urgent, bold measures to address an emerging debt crisis caused largely by Covid-19. "We are on the verge of a debt crisis. Today`s meeting, convened with our partners, the prime ministers of Canada and Jamaica, is a call for urgent action," he told a high-level event on debt and liquidity, Xinhua news agency reported. Six countries have already defaulted. One-third of emerging market economies are at high risk of fiscal crisis. And the situation is even worse for least-developed and low-income countries. They face a painfully slow recovery that will put the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement completely out of reach, he warned. Developing countries need access to additional liquidity to respond to the pandemic and to invest in recovery. The international community must urgently provide the necessary support to all developing countries in need, said Guterres. From the start of the pandemic, the United Nations has advocated for a three-phase approach to debt: a moratorium on debt payments, targeted debt relief, reforms to the international debt architecture, he noted. He welcomed the steps that have been taken, including fresh financing by international financial institutions, the Debt Service Suspension Initiative of the Group of 20, and the Common Framework for Debt Treatments, but said they are far from enough. "I am, therefore, calling for much bolder and more ambitious measures. "We strongly believe that the Debt Service Suspension Initiative must be extended into 2022, and made also available to highly indebted, vulnerable middle-income countries that request it.

UN chief calls for bold measures to tackle debt crisis

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday&nbsp;that the UN was in negotiation with China for a visit "without restrictions" to Xinjiang in order to see how Uyghur Muslims were being treated. He declared this in an interview broadcast.

At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in the northwestern region, according to US and Australian rights groups, which accuse Chinese authorities of forcibly sterilizing women and imposing forced labor.

"A serious negotiation is at the present moment taking place between the Office of the (UN Human Rights) Commissioner and the Chinese authorities," Guterres told Canada's CBC television network.

"I hope that they will reach an agreement soon" to allow a visit "without restrictions or limitations," he added.

Guterres said the Chinese had repeatedly affirmed to him "that they want that mission to take place."

Guterres said he was also following "with concern" the fate of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who are being held prisoner in China on charges of espionage.

(With AFP inputs)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that the UN was in negotiation with China for a visit "without restrictions" to Xinjiang in order to see how Uyghur Muslims were being treated.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that the UN was in negotiation with China for a visit "without restrictions" to Xinjiang in order to see how Uyghur Muslims were being treated. He declared this in an interview broadcast. At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in the northwestern region, according to US and Australian rights groups, which accuse Chinese authorities of forcibly sterilizing women and imposing forced labor. "A serious negotiation is at the present moment taking place between the Office of the (UN Human Rights) Commissioner and the Chinese authorities," Guterres told Canada's CBC television network. "I hope that they will reach an agreement soon" to allow a visit "without restrictions or limitations," he added. Guterres said the Chinese had repeatedly affirmed to him "that they want that mission to take place." Guterres said he was also following "with concern" the fate of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who are being held prisoner in China on charges of espionage. (With AFP inputs)

UN negotiating with China for unrestricted Xinjiang visit: Secretary General

The coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected everyone around the world, but it has majorly hit the poorer sections of society all around the world.

So much so, the United Nations (UN) has warned that over 30 million people are one step away from dying due to acute hunger in more than 20 countries.

According to a report published by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), which focuses on hunger hotspots, several families in areas of Yemen and South Sudan have already been targetted by acute hunger and starvation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-2-million-yemeni-children-may-starve-in-2021-un-says-363204" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/over-2-million-yemeni-children-may-starve-in-2021-un-says-363204&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjH1cbI8cjvAhUzzjgGHQi9AuIQFjAJegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2VD0ALi6P6oek841mAPWZo" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-2-million-yemeni-children-may-starve-in-2021-un-says-363204" target="_blank">Over 2 million Yemeni children may starve in 2021, UN says</a>

As of now, nearly 34 million people are already struggling with high levels of acute hunger known as IPC 4 (Integrated food security Phase Classification), which indicates that people in these groups are just "one step away from starvation".

"The magnitude of suffering is alarming," FAO director-general Qu Dongyu said. "It is incumbent upon all of us to act now and to act fast to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and prevent the worst situation."

Such a situation of acute hunger has been driven by international conflicts, climate changes, and the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives around the world and has forced several international governments and organisations to pull back funding for third-world countries.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-has-increased-social-inequality-in-uk-survey-369696">&nbsp;Coronavirus has increased social inequality in UK: Survey</a>

"In many regions, the planting season has just started or is about to start," Qu said. "We must run against the clock and not let this opportunity to protect, stabilise and even possibly increase local food production slip away."

While the majority of the identified hotspots are in Africa, areas such as Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Haiti, and the Caribbean have also been warned of the unfortunate situation.

"We are seeing a catastrophe unfold before our very eyes," WFP executive director David Beasley said. "Famine – driven by conflict, and fuelled by climate shocks and the Covid-19 pandemic – is knocking on the door for millions of families."

Beasley also added that increase in donations, access to vulnerable communities and an immediate decrease/halt in the violent conflicts are the three ways in which this disaster can be averted.

The coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected everyone around the world, but it has majorly hit the poorer sections of society all around the world. So much so, the United Nations (UN) has warned that over 30 million people are one step away from dying due to acute hunger in more than 20 countries.

The coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected everyone around the world, but it has majorly hit the poorer sections of society all around the world. So much so, the United Nations (UN) has warned that over 30 million people are one step away from dying due to acute hunger in more than 20 countries. According to a report published by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), which focuses on hunger hotspots, several families in areas of Yemen and South Sudan have already been targetted by acute hunger and starvation. Also read | Over 2 million Yemeni children may starve in 2021, UN says As of now, nearly 34 million people are already struggling with high levels of acute hunger known as IPC 4 (Integrated food security Phase Classification), which indicates that people in these groups are just "one step away from starvation". "The magnitude of suffering is alarming," FAO director-general Qu Dongyu said. "It is incumbent upon all of us to act now and to act fast to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and prevent the worst situation." Such a situation of acute hunger has been driven by international conflicts, climate changes, and the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives around the world and has forced several international governments and organisations to pull back funding for third-world countries. Also read | Coronavirus has increased social inequality in UK: Survey "In many regions, the planting season has just started or is about to start," Qu said. "We must run against the clock and not let this opportunity to protect, stabilise and even possibly increase local food production slip away." While the majority of the identified hotspots are in Africa, areas such as Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Haiti, and the Caribbean have also been warned of the unfortunate situation. "We are seeing a catastrophe unfold before our very eyes," WFP executive director David Beasley said. "Famine – driven by conflict, and fuelled by climate shocks and the Covid-19 pandemic – is knocking on the door for millions of families." Beasley also added that increase in donations, access to vulnerable communities and an immediate decrease/halt in the violent conflicts are the three ways in which this disaster can be averted.

'One step away from starvation': UN warns over 30 million could die of hunger

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the "escalation" of armed clashes around the Yemeni city of Marib, warning of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

Since last month, Huthi rebels have been pushing to seize Marib, the government's last northern stronghold and the capital of an oil-rich region.

The Security Council said the fighting "places one million internally-displaced persons at grave risk and threatens efforts to secure a political settlement when the international community is increasingly united to end the conflict."

In a statement, it "stressed the need for de-escalation by all, including an immediate end to the Huthi escalation in Marib (and) condemned the use of child soldiers in Marib."

The Iran-backed Huthis and the government have been locked in a power struggle since 2014, when the rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa.

The rebels says any ceasefire agreement can only begin after the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen is lifted.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015, enforcing a naval and air blockade to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the rebels from Iran -- allegations Tehran denies.&nbsp;

The UN Security Council also condemned cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the "escalation" of armed clashes around the Yemeni city of Marib, warning of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the "escalation" of armed clashes around the Yemeni city of Marib, warning of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Since last month, Huthi rebels have been pushing to seize Marib, the government's last northern stronghold and the capital of an oil-rich region. The Security Council said the fighting "places one million internally-displaced persons at grave risk and threatens efforts to secure a political settlement when the international community is increasingly united to end the conflict." In a statement, it "stressed the need for de-escalation by all, including an immediate end to the Huthi escalation in Marib (and) condemned the use of child soldiers in Marib." The Iran-backed Huthis and the government have been locked in a power struggle since 2014, when the rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa. The rebels says any ceasefire agreement can only begin after the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen is lifted. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in 2015, enforcing a naval and air blockade to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the rebels from Iran -- allegations Tehran denies. The UN Security Council also condemned cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia.

UN Security Council alarmed by fighting in Yemen's Marib

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'.&nbsp;

The United States would work to improve both, Harris said in a video statement to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women.&nbsp;

"Democracy requires constant vigilance, constant improvement. It is a work in progress. And today, we know that democracy is increasingly under great strain," said the first female vice president of the United States.&nbsp;

"The status of democracy also depends fundamentally on the empowerment of women. Not only because the exclusion of women in decision-making is a marker of a flawed democracy, but because the participation of women strengthens democracy," she said.&nbsp;

Harris said that President Joe Biden's administration would&nbsp;revitalise&nbsp;Washington's partnership with UN Women - a UN body dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.&nbsp;

Under former US President Donald Trump's administration, the United States led a push at the United Nations against the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive rights and health because it sees that as code for abortion. It opposed such language in UN resolutions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'.

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'. The United States would work to improve both, Harris said in a video statement to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women. "Democracy requires constant vigilance, constant improvement. It is a work in progress. And today, we know that democracy is increasingly under great strain," said the first female vice president of the United States. "The status of democracy also depends fundamentally on the empowerment of women. Not only because the exclusion of women in decision-making is a marker of a flawed democracy, but because the participation of women strengthens democracy," she said. Harris said that President Joe Biden's administration would revitalise Washington's partnership with UN Women - a UN body dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Under former US President Donald Trump's administration, the United States led a push at the United Nations against the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive rights and health because it sees that as code for abortion. It opposed such language in UN resolutions. (With inputs from agencies)

Kamala Harris makes UN debut, pledges to fight for women, democracy 

United Nations on Tuesday called for an independent probe of Yemen capital fire that killed dozens of migrants in a holding facility. The fire had raged on March 7 in Yemen's capital Sanaa.

"There must be an independent investigation into the cause of the fire," the UN envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, told the Security Council.

Human Rights Watch earlier Tuesday blamed the March 7 fire on "unidentified projectiles" fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels control northern Yemen, including Sanaa.

Griffiths said, "the world was reminded of the plight of the migrant community last week when an extraordinary, horrific fire broke out at a detention facility in Sanaa holding predominantly Ethiopian migrants."

He said that 170 were seriously injured in the fire while dozens were killed.

HRW said detainees had been protesting against overcrowding when camp guards rounded up hundreds of them into a hangar and fired two projectiles into the building.

"The migrants said the first projectile produced a lot of smoke and made their eyes water and sting. The second, which the migrants called a 'bomb,' exploded loudly and started a fire," HRW said.&nbsp;

"Huthi authorities should urgently engage with Ethiopian authorities whose nationals are languishing in Yemeni detention centres under their control," HRW said.

(With AFP inputs)

United Nations on Tuesday called for an independent probe of Yemen capital fire that killed dozens of migrants in a holding facility. The fire had raged on March 7 in Yemen's capital Sanaa.

United Nations on Tuesday called for an independent probe of Yemen capital fire that killed dozens of migrants in a holding facility. The fire had raged on March 7 in Yemen's capital Sanaa. "There must be an independent investigation into the cause of the fire," the UN envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, told the Security Council. Human Rights Watch earlier Tuesday blamed the March 7 fire on "unidentified projectiles" fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Iran-backed Houthi rebels control northern Yemen, including Sanaa. Griffiths said, "the world was reminded of the plight of the migrant community last week when an extraordinary, horrific fire broke out at a detention facility in Sanaa holding predominantly Ethiopian migrants." He said that 170 were seriously injured in the fire while dozens were killed. HRW said detainees had been protesting against overcrowding when camp guards rounded up hundreds of them into a hangar and fired two projectiles into the building. "The migrants said the first projectile produced a lot of smoke and made their eyes water and sting. The second, which the migrants called a 'bomb,' exploded loudly and started a fire," HRW said. "Huthi authorities should urgently engage with Ethiopian authorities whose nationals are languishing in Yemeni detention centres under their control," HRW said. (With AFP inputs)

Independent investigation needed into Yemen fire: UN

According to reports, US State Secretary Antony Blinken has written to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani proposing a United Nations-facilitated peace conference with representatives of six countries including India.

Report: Antony Blinken proposes UN-led meeting on Afghan peace

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month. &nbsp;

In a crackdown on cross-border fuel trade, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly used live ammunition on a group of people transporting fuel across the Iranian border with Pakistan.&nbsp;

Shooting on February 22 left 10 Baluchi people dead and five injured in the town of Saravan, Al-Monitor reported. The shooting has sparked protests across southeastern Iran, during which security forces reportedly fired on the crowds to disperse them. &nbsp;

According to Baluchi human rights defenders, two people, including a child, were fatally shot during the protests. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville on Friday said, "According to some estimates, which we are unable to confirm, as many as 23 people may have been killed in all."&nbsp;

"In Iran, we condemn use of force violations in recent weeks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state security forces against unarmed fuel couriers and protesters belonging to the Baluch minority, which has reportedly led to the killing of at least 12 individuals, including at least two minors," he said. &nbsp;

"We are deeply concerned by the widespread shutdown of the internet across several cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, with the apparent purpose of preventing access to information about what is happening there. Blanket internet shutdowns violate the principles of necessity and proportionality applicable to restrictions of freedom of expression and constitute a violation of international human rights law," he added.&nbsp;

Colville called on the authorities to immediately restore internet access in areas that remain disconnected. Deploring the systematic intentional use of lethal force by Iranian border officials, especially against border couriers from the Kurdish and Baluch minorities, the UN body called for immediate measures to end the impunity that perpetuates this practice.&nbsp;

"During 2020, a total of 59 Kurdish couriers were reported to have been killed by border officials in provinces in the north-west of Iran. We call for prompt, impartial and full investigations into all such killings, and accountability for those found to be responsible for unlawful use of force leading to death or serious injury. Victims and their families have the right to truth and redress," he said.&nbsp;

Located along Iran's border with Pakistan, Sistan-Baluchestan is among Iran's poorest provinces and is rife with drug traffickers and separatist ethnic Baluch militants. The region is majority Sunni Muslim, whereas Iran's population is majority Shiite. Baluch rights activists organised a demonstration in the Pakistani port city of Karachi this week to protest the violence. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month.

The United Nations has said as many as 23 people were killed in Iran's Sistan Baluchistan province when authorities opened fire on fuel porters and protestors last month. In a crackdown on cross-border fuel trade, Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly used live ammunition on a group of people transporting fuel across the Iranian border with Pakistan. Shooting on February 22 left 10 Baluchi people dead and five injured in the town of Saravan, Al-Monitor reported. The shooting has sparked protests across southeastern Iran, during which security forces reportedly fired on the crowds to disperse them. According to Baluchi human rights defenders, two people, including a child, were fatally shot during the protests. A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville on Friday said, "According to some estimates, which we are unable to confirm, as many as 23 people may have been killed in all." "In Iran, we condemn use of force violations in recent weeks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and state security forces against unarmed fuel couriers and protesters belonging to the Baluch minority, which has reportedly led to the killing of at least 12 individuals, including at least two minors," he said. "We are deeply concerned by the widespread shutdown of the internet across several cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, with the apparent purpose of preventing access to information about what is happening there. Blanket internet shutdowns violate the principles of necessity and proportionality applicable to restrictions of freedom of expression and constitute a violation of international human rights law," he added. Colville called on the authorities to immediately restore internet access in areas that remain disconnected. Deploring the systematic intentional use of lethal force by Iranian border officials, especially against border couriers from the Kurdish and Baluch minorities, the UN body called for immediate measures to end the impunity that perpetuates this practice. "During 2020, a total of 59 Kurdish couriers were reported to have been killed by border officials in provinces in the north-west of Iran. We call for prompt, impartial and full investigations into all such killings, and accountability for those found to be responsible for unlawful use of force leading to death or serious injury. Victims and their families have the right to truth and redress," he said. Located along Iran's border with Pakistan, Sistan-Baluchestan is among Iran's poorest provinces and is rife with drug traffickers and separatist ethnic Baluch militants. The region is majority Sunni Muslim, whereas Iran's population is majority Shiite. Baluch rights activists organised a demonstration in the Pakistani port city of Karachi this week to protest the violence. (With inputs from agencies)

UN condemns killing of 23 people at Iran's border with Pakistan 

Iran has given encouraging signs about opening informal talks with world powers and the United States after European powers scrapped plans to criticise Tehran at the UN nuclear watchdog.

Iran gives positive signals on informal nuclear talks

Pope Francis said on Wednesday the hopes of the people of Myanmar cannot be 'suffocated by violence' and again called for the release of political prisoners.&nbsp;

At least 30 people have been killed since a coup on February 1. The Pope, who visited Myanmar in 2017, made his comments at the end of his general audience at&nbsp;the Vatican.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a former United Nations expert on the country on Wednesday urged foreign firms to suspend all business activity in Myanmar to send a clear message to the military that its coup will hurt its people and ruin its economy.&nbsp;

Chris Sidoti was part of an UN-led fact-finding mission, which in 2019 urged foreign firms to cut business ties with Myanmar's military over human rights abuses and pursue private sector investments there instead.&nbsp;

That position has hardened since a February 1 coup and an ensuing bloody crackdown on protesters, Sidoti said, because the military has retaken control of the country it ruled for almost half a century, making it now risky to do any business there.&nbsp;

"If businesses are responsible, they will put everything on hold at this point," said Sidoti, who has formed an independent advisory group on Myanmar with some other former UN investigators.&nbsp;

"It will send a very clear message to the military that may, hopefully, cause them to rethink their actions. The country cannot revert to military dictatorship without enormous harm to the people of Myanmar," he said.&nbsp;

Amid reports of being fired, Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun on Wednesday sent letters to the world body insisting that he remains the legitimate representative of his country, reported NHK World.&nbsp;

In the letters dated on Monday, Kyaw Moe Tun wrote, "The perpetrators of the unlawful coup against the democratic government of Myanmar have no authority to countermand the legitimate authority of the president of my country.&nbsp;

"He claimed he remains Myanmar's permanent representative to the United Nations and rejected the country's military takeover. US State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the US government commends the bravery shown by Kyaw Moe Tun. He said the government understands that he remains in his position.&nbsp;

Earlier on Friday, Kyaw at a UN General Assembly meeting condemned his country's military for seizing power in a February 1 coup. He called on the international community to 'use any means necessary' to reverse the coup, reported NHK World.&nbsp;

Myanmar's state-run television reported later that the ambassador was fired for betraying the country. A UN spokesperson revealed that Myanmar's foreign ministry had notified the world body that the country had appointed the current deputy ambassador to temporarily fill the role, reported NHK World.&nbsp;

Pope Francis said on Wednesday the hopes of the people of Myanmar cannot be 'suffocated by violence' and again called for the release of political prisoners. At least 30 people have been killed since a coup on February 1.

Pope Francis said on Wednesday the hopes of the people of Myanmar cannot be 'suffocated by violence' and again called for the release of political prisoners. At least 30 people have been killed since a coup on February 1. The Pope, who visited Myanmar in 2017, made his comments at the end of his general audience at the Vatican. Meanwhile, a former United Nations expert on the country on Wednesday urged foreign firms to suspend all business activity in Myanmar to send a clear message to the military that its coup will hurt its people and ruin its economy. Chris Sidoti was part of an UN-led fact-finding mission, which in 2019 urged foreign firms to cut business ties with Myanmar's military over human rights abuses and pursue private sector investments there instead. That position has hardened since a February 1 coup and an ensuing bloody crackdown on protesters, Sidoti said, because the military has retaken control of the country it ruled for almost half a century, making it now risky to do any business there. "If businesses are responsible, they will put everything on hold at this point," said Sidoti, who has formed an independent advisory group on Myanmar with some other former UN investigators. "It will send a very clear message to the military that may, hopefully, cause them to rethink their actions. The country cannot revert to military dictatorship without enormous harm to the people of Myanmar," he said. Amid reports of being fired, Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun on Wednesday sent letters to the world body insisting that he remains the legitimate representative of his country, reported NHK World. In the letters dated on Monday, Kyaw Moe Tun wrote, "The perpetrators of the unlawful coup against the democratic government of Myanmar have no authority to countermand the legitimate authority of the president of my country. "He claimed he remains Myanmar's permanent representative to the United Nations and rejected the country's military takeover. US State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the US government commends the bravery shown by Kyaw Moe Tun. He said the government understands that he remains in his position. Earlier on Friday, Kyaw at a UN General Assembly meeting condemned his country's military for seizing power in a February 1 coup. He called on the international community to 'use any means necessary' to reverse the coup, reported NHK World. Myanmar's state-run television reported later that the ambassador was fired for betraying the country. A UN spokesperson revealed that Myanmar's foreign ministry had notified the world body that the country had appointed the current deputy ambassador to temporarily fill the role, reported NHK World.

Now, Pope calls for release of political prisoners in Myanmar 

World Wildlife Day: Alarming figures of species nearing extinction

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change. UN said that the nations were "far away" from their target.

United Nations noted that even if the assessed pledges were fulfiled by the countries, global emissions would reduce just by 1 per cent by 2030 as compared to the levels in 2010. As per scientists, about 45 per cent of reduction is needed.

Countries'&nbsp;pledges to cut CO2 emissions form&nbsp;important component of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Excessive Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere creates problem. CO2 traps heat and prevents it from getting reflected from Earth back to space. Excess CO2 traps heat that is more than necessary and thus contributes to climate change and global warming.&nbsp;

UN's latest assessment of emissions covers pledges of &nbsp;75 of the 197 signatories to the Paris accord. The list does not include countries that have major contribution to global emissions. These countries are yet to submit their pledges to the UN.

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change.

United Nations in its report released last week said that pledges made by nations to cut Carbon dioxide emissions are just a fraction of effort required to effectively tackle the problem of climate change. UN said that the nations were "far away" from their target. United Nations noted that even if the assessed pledges were fulfiled by the countries, global emissions would reduce just by 1 per cent by 2030 as compared to the levels in 2010. As per scientists, about 45 per cent of reduction is needed. Countries' pledges to cut CO2 emissions form important component of the Paris Climate Agreement. Excessive Carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere creates problem. CO2 traps heat and prevents it from getting reflected from Earth back to space. Excess CO2 traps heat that is more than necessary and thus contributes to climate change and global warming. UN's latest assessment of emissions covers pledges of 75 of the 197 signatories to the Paris accord. The list does not include countries that have major contribution to global emissions. These countries are yet to submit their pledges to the UN.

Nations' pledges to cut CO2 emissionsfar away' from target, says UN

International pressure on Myanmar is growing. The United Nations Human Rights office has condemned Myanmar Junta's violent crackdown on the demonstrators.

UN condemns Myanmar junta's violent crackdown on demonstrators

In Pics: Global efforts not enough to tackle climate change, says UN

Myanmar's U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, speaking for the country's elected civilian government ousted in a military coup on Feb. 1, appealed to the United Nations on Friday (February 26) "to use any means necessary to take action against the Myanmar military" to restore democracy to the Southeast Asian country.

Myanmar's UN Ambassador appeals for action to stop coup

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets in order to disperse protesters in capital Yangon on Saturday, reported AFP. This has come just hours after Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations made an emotional plea to the international community for action against the military junta. It was unclear if any live rounds were used. Police chased protesters and journalists from the Myaynigone junction.

There had been an hours-long standoff on Friday at the same spot.

Hundreds of ethnic Mon protesters gathered there on Saturday to commemorate Mon National Day, joined by other ethnic minority groups to protest against the coup.

The police arrived to clear the intersection, chasing protesters and journalists who ran to hide in nearby buildings.

Three journalists were among those detained on Saturday.

"What are the police doing? They are protecting a crazy dictator," the protesters chanted.

They scattered into smaller residential streets and started building makeshift barricades out of barbed wire and tables to stop the police.

Local reporters broadcast the chaotic scenes live on Facebook, including the moments when the shots rang out.

Three domestic media outlets in Myanmar reported that a woman was shot and killed in central town of Monwya

The developments on Saturday assume importance as they took place just hours after Myanmar's envoy at UN <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/take-strongest-action-to-end-coup-myanmar-envoy-makes-emotional-plea-in-un-366580">broke rank to urge the international community</a> to do something about the situation in Myanmar.

"We need... the strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people, and to restore the democracy," Kyaw Moe Tun, the envoy, said.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/take-strongest-action-to-end-coup-myanmar-envoy-makes-emotional-plea-in-un-366580">'Take strongest action to end coup': Myanmar envoy makes emotional plea in UN</a>

His speech was impassioned and his voice trembled as he made his point.

(With agency&nbsp;inputs)

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets in order to disperse protesters in capital Yangon on Saturday, reported AFP. This has come just hours after Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations made an emotional plea to the international community for action against the military junta.

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets in order to disperse protesters in capital Yangon on Saturday, reported AFP. This has come just hours after Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations made an emotional plea to the international community for action against the military junta. It was unclear if any live rounds were used. Police chased protesters and journalists from the Myaynigone junction. There had been an hours-long standoff on Friday at the same spot. Hundreds of ethnic Mon protesters gathered there on Saturday to commemorate Mon National Day, joined by other ethnic minority groups to protest against the coup. The police arrived to clear the intersection, chasing protesters and journalists who ran to hide in nearby buildings. Three journalists were among those detained on Saturday. "What are the police doing? They are protecting a crazy dictator," the protesters chanted. They scattered into smaller residential streets and started building makeshift barricades out of barbed wire and tables to stop the police. Local reporters broadcast the chaotic scenes live on Facebook, including the moments when the shots rang out. Three domestic media outlets in Myanmar reported that a woman was shot and killed in central town of Monwya The developments on Saturday assume importance as they took place just hours after Myanmar's envoy at UN broke rank to urge the international community to do something about the situation in Myanmar. "We need... the strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup, to stop oppressing the innocent people, to return the state power to the people, and to restore the democracy," Kyaw Moe Tun, the envoy, said. Also Read | 'Take strongest action to end coup': Myanmar envoy makes emotional plea in UN His speech was impassioned and his voice trembled as he made his point. (With agency inputs)

Hours after Myanmar envoy's UN speech, police fire rubber bullets at protesters

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience.

And forget that she is less than half as old as the incumbent she wants to replace, Secretary-General António Guterres, 71, the veteran Portuguese statesman and former U.N. High Commissioner for refugees.

Arora — she uses her family name first and prefers to be called Arora — said that as a grandchild of people who were once refugees, she was acutely aware of difficult odds.

But with a $30,000 campaign budget drawn largely from her savings, a website and a social media promotion that begins with, “People in my profession aren’t supposed to stand up to the ones in charge,” Arora has declared herself a candidate to be the next leader of the United Nations.

On Feb. 17, Arora, a native of India and citizen of Canada, submitted a formal letter of application for the 2022-27 term. “We are not living up to our purpose or our promise,” the letter stated. “We are failing those we are here to serve.”

No country has yet formally endorsed her unlikely candidacy. But if nothing else, Arora’s boldness has touched a nerve at the 193-member organization and thrown attention on the historically opaque way that its leader is picked. While the process has been made more transparent compared with the backroom bargaining that prevailed years ago, it is nonetheless widely expected that Guterres will win a second term when the selection is made in October.

Arora’s message, she said, is that the United Nations is sclerotic, wasteful, adrift, paternalistic and patronizing toward many of the younger members of its staff of 44,000 people around the world.

According to one of her campaign videos on YouTube, only about 29 cents of every dollar, from the U.N.’s total annual revenue of roughly $56 billion, goes to actual causes.

“We spend our resources on holding conferences, writing reports,” Arora, an audit coordinator for the U.N. Development Program, said in an interview. “All these frivolous activities that are advertising. We have lost course on why we exist, what we’re supposed to do.”

If the United Nations were a private company, she said, “it would have been, like, out of business.”

Far from dismissing her ambition as foolish or quixotic, friends and supporters admire her nerve and penchant for speaking her mind.

“She’s fearless,” said Pauline Pamela Pratt, a colleague at the U.N. Population Fund who worked with Arora in 2019. “She’s not afraid to be who she is, even among people who have authority over her.”

When Pratt learned of Arora’s plans to seek the secretary-general job, she recalled having expressed surprise “but then thought, ‘Why not go for it?’”

Some see Arora as naive about the geopolitical forces that have shaped the United Nations over more than 75 years. Others have wondered how, precisely, she would reduce expenses for travel and other costs of running its far-flung operations.

While the secretary-general may have a bully pulpit, the position holds little real power, and its occupant is basically beholden to the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — which play a decisive role in who is ultimately chosen.

“I’m sure she has no chance and equally sure that she knows that,” said Edward Mortimer, a former U.N. official who was the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, the secretary-general from 1997 to 2006. “It’s a brave way of demonstrating unhappiness, which I’ve no doubt is quite widely shared by her colleagues.”

Asked recently about Arora, Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters, “Let me put it this way. I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring.”

Arora, who has taken a leave of absence from work for her campaign, said she had received many positive messages from co-workers and more than 2,600 votes on her website, and she is hoping to make her case to U.N. ambassadors in the next few months.

“This is not even a place that challenges, because they go through countries politically and negotiate,” Arora said. “So yeah, this is a straight-on challenge, and I don’t want to play games or anything; I just want to run an honest campaign.”

Not widely known outside her workplace, Arora has committed a number of head-turning firsts.

She is the first person known to officially challenge an incumbent seeking a second term and the first millennial-generation candidate. And if she prevailed, Arora would be the first woman to lead the United Nations — a precedent nearly achieved in 2016 when seven prominent women were in the running with Guterres.

Arora talked about her life and ambition recently in an interview at the U.N. headquarters, a few blocks from her studio apartment on Manhattan’s East Side.

She lives frugally; speaks daily with her parents, who are “very supportive,” Arora said; and reads Harry Potter books to relax. Her wardrobe of brightly colored dresses, including six acquired from Uganda and Kenya in 2017 while on a field assignment, stands out among the suits in her workplace.

As for why she aspired to lead the United Nations, Arora traced the reasons partly to her own refugee family background, to a Manhattan taxi accident that sent her to the hospital, and to her memory of a malnourished child in Uganda.

Like many Hindus, her grandparents fled from Pakistan to India after the 1947 partition, a fact that colors her outlook on the world. Asked about the possibility of losing to Guterres, she said, “Refugees have no plan B, hence I have no plan B.”

Arora was born in Haryana, a northern Indian state, and spent her youngest years in Saudi Arabia, where her parents, both doctors, had relocated. From age 9 to 18 she was back in India attending boarding school, she said, and then decided to move to Canada, where she graduated from York University with honors and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada as an auditing manager.

Hired in December 2016 by the United Nations to help improve its internal financial controls, Arora said her admiration for the organization soon turned to shock.

“The system is so amazing on the outside, but there’s no coherence for getting things done,” she said.

Just weeks into the job, she was struck by a taxi after work, and as she lay on a hospital bed with a fractured left knee, she thought, “If I died, what would my legacy be?”

That, she said, was “my big awakening moment.”

That summer while working in Uganda, Arora said, she encountered a child eating mud. “That image stuck in my head,” she said, recalling how she told a senior U.N. official back in New York about it. His seemingly callous response stunned her.

“He said, ‘Mud has iron,’” she said. “That was the first time I was speechless in my life.”

The exchange, she said, “was one of the big triggers for me.”

She plunged into learning more about U.N. history and went back to school while she kept working. She attended Columbia University’s graduate program in public administration, where she befriended a fellow student, Anne-Carine Frederique, a Haitian American who had once interned at the United Nations and whose extended family in Haiti had suffered from a cholera epidemic that medical experts traced to U.N. peacekeepers — an enduring stain on the organization’s legacy.

With their shared criticisms of the United Nations, one thing led to another, Arora said, and Frederique, who works at Columbia’s business school, now helps manage her secretary-general campaign.

While Arora has not received explicit endorsements from powerful U.N. figures, neither has she been discouraged. Mary Robinson, a former High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland who was once considered a contender for secretary-general, said, in an emailed statement, that she welcomed Arora’s candidacy as “entirely healthy.”

“I share many of the concerns raised by Arora Akanksha about the need to promote more women and younger staff members into management and leadership roles,” her statement said.

Lyric Thompson, senior director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women — a group that has been grading Guterres’ record on gender issues and last year gave him a B — said Arora’s candidacy should not be underestimated.

“There has been increasing demand for feminist leadership for some time,” Thompson said. “From A.O.C. to Jacinda Ardern, we know better than to count out young female voices.”

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience.

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience. And forget that she is less than half as old as the incumbent she wants to replace, Secretary-General António Guterres, 71, the veteran Portuguese statesman and former U.N. High Commissioner for refugees. Arora — she uses her family name first and prefers to be called Arora — said that as a grandchild of people who were once refugees, she was acutely aware of difficult odds. But with a $30,000 campaign budget drawn largely from her savings, a website and a social media promotion that begins with, “People in my profession aren’t supposed to stand up to the ones in charge,” Arora has declared herself a candidate to be the next leader of the United Nations. On Feb. 17, Arora, a native of India and citizen of Canada, submitted a formal letter of application for the 2022-27 term. “We are not living up to our purpose or our promise,” the letter stated. “We are failing those we are here to serve.” No country has yet formally endorsed her unlikely candidacy. But if nothing else, Arora’s boldness has touched a nerve at the 193-member organization and thrown attention on the historically opaque way that its leader is picked. While the process has been made more transparent compared with the backroom bargaining that prevailed years ago, it is nonetheless widely expected that Guterres will win a second term when the selection is made in October. Arora’s message, she said, is that the United Nations is sclerotic, wasteful, adrift, paternalistic and patronizing toward many of the younger members of its staff of 44,000 people around the world. According to one of her campaign videos on YouTube, only about 29 cents of every dollar, from the U.N.’s total annual revenue of roughly $56 billion, goes to actual causes. “We spend our resources on holding conferences, writing reports,” Arora, an audit coordinator for the U.N. Development Program, said in an interview. “All these frivolous activities that are advertising. We have lost course on why we exist, what we’re supposed to do.” If the United Nations were a private company, she said, “it would have been, like, out of business.” Far from dismissing her ambition as foolish or quixotic, friends and supporters admire her nerve and penchant for speaking her mind. “She’s fearless,” said Pauline Pamela Pratt, a colleague at the U.N. Population Fund who worked with Arora in 2019. “She’s not afraid to be who she is, even among people who have authority over her.” When Pratt learned of Arora’s plans to seek the secretary-general job, she recalled having expressed surprise “but then thought, ‘Why not go for it?’” Some see Arora as naive about the geopolitical forces that have shaped the United Nations over more than 75 years. Others have wondered how, precisely, she would reduce expenses for travel and other costs of running its far-flung operations. While the secretary-general may have a bully pulpit, the position holds little real power, and its occupant is basically beholden to the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — which play a decisive role in who is ultimately chosen. “I’m sure she has no chance and equally sure that she knows that,” said Edward Mortimer, a former U.N. official who was the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, the secretary-general from 1997 to 2006. “It’s a brave way of demonstrating unhappiness, which I’ve no doubt is quite widely shared by her colleagues.” Asked recently about Arora, Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters, “Let me put it this way. I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring.” Arora, who has taken a leave of absence from work for her campaign, said she had received many positive messages from co-workers and more than 2,600 votes on her website, and she is hoping to make her case to U.N. ambassadors in the next few months. “This is not even a place that challenges, because they go through countries politically and negotiate,” Arora said. “So yeah, this is a straight-on challenge, and I don’t want to play games or anything; I just want to run an honest campaign.” Not widely known outside her workplace, Arora has committed a number of head-turning firsts. She is the first person known to officially challenge an incumbent seeking a second term and the first millennial-generation candidate. And if she prevailed, Arora would be the first woman to lead the United Nations — a precedent nearly achieved in 2016 when seven prominent women were in the running with Guterres. Arora talked about her life and ambition recently in an interview at the U.N. headquarters, a few blocks from her studio apartment on Manhattan’s East Side. She lives frugally; speaks daily with her parents, who are “very supportive,” Arora said; and reads Harry Potter books to relax. Her wardrobe of brightly colored dresses, including six acquired from Uganda and Kenya in 2017 while on a field assignment, stands out among the suits in her workplace. As for why she aspired to lead the United Nations, Arora traced the reasons partly to her own refugee family background, to a Manhattan taxi accident that sent her to the hospital, and to her memory of a malnourished child in Uganda. Like many Hindus, her grandparents fled from Pakistan to India after the 1947 partition, a fact that colors her outlook on the world. Asked about the possibility of losing to Guterres, she said, “Refugees have no plan B, hence I have no plan B.” Arora was born in Haryana, a northern Indian state, and spent her youngest years in Saudi Arabia, where her parents, both doctors, had relocated. From age 9 to 18 she was back in India attending boarding school, she said, and then decided to move to Canada, where she graduated from York University with honors and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada as an auditing manager. Hired in December 2016 by the United Nations to help improve its internal financial controls, Arora said her admiration for the organization soon turned to shock. “The system is so amazing on the outside, but there’s no coherence for getting things done,” she said. Just weeks into the job, she was struck by a taxi after work, and as she lay on a hospital bed with a fractured left knee, she thought, “If I died, what would my legacy be?” That, she said, was “my big awakening moment.” That summer while working in Uganda, Arora said, she encountered a child eating mud. “That image stuck in my head,” she said, recalling how she told a senior U.N. official back in New York about it. His seemingly callous response stunned her. “He said, ‘Mud has iron,’” she said. “That was the first time I was speechless in my life.” The exchange, she said, “was one of the big triggers for me.” She plunged into learning more about U.N. history and went back to school while she kept working. She attended Columbia University’s graduate program in public administration, where she befriended a fellow student, Anne-Carine Frederique, a Haitian American who had once interned at the United Nations and whose extended family in Haiti had suffered from a cholera epidemic that medical experts traced to U.N. peacekeepers — an enduring stain on the organization’s legacy. With their shared criticisms of the United Nations, one thing led to another, Arora said, and Frederique, who works at Columbia’s business school, now helps manage her secretary-general campaign. While Arora has not received explicit endorsements from powerful U.N. figures, neither has she been discouraged. Mary Robinson, a former High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland who was once considered a contender for secretary-general, said, in an emailed statement, that she welcomed Arora’s candidacy as “entirely healthy.” “I share many of the concerns raised by Arora Akanksha about the need to promote more women and younger staff members into management and leadership roles,” her statement said. Lyric Thompson, senior director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women — a group that has been grading Guterres’ record on gender issues and last year gave him a B — said Arora’s candidacy should not be underestimated. “There has been increasing demand for feminist leadership for some time,” Thompson said. “From A.O.C. to Jacinda Ardern, we know better than to count out young female voices.”

Who is Arora Akanksha, the 34-year-old running for UN Secretary-General?

India's External Affairs Minister Dr&nbsp;S Jaishankar has pointed out how terrorism is a "crime against humanity" at the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for a "clear realization" in the body that "terrorism can never be justified".&nbsp;

Speaking at the high-level segment of the body, EAM said, "terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind. It is a crime against humanity and violates the most fundamental human right - namely ‘the Right to Life’".&nbsp;

He explained, "As a long-standing victim, India has been at the forefront of the global action against terrorism. This is possible only when there is a clear realization, including in bodies dealing with human rights, that terrorism can never be justified, nor its perpetrators ever equated with its victims."

India had presented an 8-point agenda at the United Nations security council last month that calls for dealing with&nbsp;terrorism. The plan including proposals like preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources by strengthening FATF, objectively listing terrorists etc.

The comments come even as in the past there have been numerous&nbsp;run-ins between the Indian Govt and UNHRC even as the latter has been seen silent on the issue of cross-border terror.&nbsp;The Chief of Geneva-based body has been critical of New Delhi on Citizenship Amendment law, Kashmir but has skirted around the issue of terror from Pakistan.

EAM during his statement also highlighted India's covid vaccine outreach by sending vaccines to many countries in form of gifts and commercial deals.&nbsp;

He said,"&nbsp;From Bangladesh to Brazil and from Morocco to Fiji, the pharmacy of the world is today supplying millions of vaccine doses to more than 70 countries."

Last year, amid the pandemic, India sent&nbsp;essential medicines and equipment to more than 150 countries. He pointed out that,&nbsp;&nbsp;India’s "abiding commitment to promotion and protection" of "basic human rights has been manifest in our strategy" to deal with COVID 19 pandemic, by giving direct food support to 800 million Indians and financial support to 400 million.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has pointed out how terrorism is a "crime against humanity" at the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for a "clear realization" in the body that "terrorism can never be justified".

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has pointed out how terrorism is a "crime against humanity" at the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for a "clear realization" in the body that "terrorism can never be justified". Speaking at the high-level segment of the body, EAM said, "terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind. It is a crime against humanity and violates the most fundamental human right - namely ‘the Right to Life’". He explained, "As a long-standing victim, India has been at the forefront of the global action against terrorism. This is possible only when there is a clear realization, including in bodies dealing with human rights, that terrorism can never be justified, nor its perpetrators ever equated with its victims." India had presented an 8-point agenda at the United Nations security council last month that calls for dealing with terrorism. The plan including proposals like preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources by strengthening FATF, objectively listing terrorists etc. The comments come even as in the past there have been numerous run-ins between the Indian Govt and UNHRC even as the latter has been seen silent on the issue of cross-border terror. The Chief of Geneva-based body has been critical of New Delhi on Citizenship Amendment law, Kashmir but has skirted around the issue of terror from Pakistan. EAM during his statement also highlighted India's covid vaccine outreach by sending vaccines to many countries in form of gifts and commercial deals. He said," From Bangladesh to Brazil and from Morocco to Fiji, the pharmacy of the world is today supplying millions of vaccine doses to more than 70 countries." Last year, amid the pandemic, India sent essential medicines and equipment to more than 150 countries. He pointed out that, India’s "abiding commitment to promotion and protection" of "basic human rights has been manifest in our strategy" to deal with COVID 19 pandemic, by giving direct food support to 800 million Indians and financial support to 400 million.

Terror is a crime against humanity, India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar tells UNHRC

United Nations in a report on Tuesday claimed that civilian casualties in Afghanistan jumped after the commencement of peace talks last year.&nbsp; Currently, negotiators are meeting for the first time after weeks of inaction, Reuters reported.

Peace talks facilitated by the US began in September, but since then progress has remained very slow, with violence continuing to rise with uncertainty. International troops are expected to pull out their troops by May, as planned originally. In 2020, civilian casualties were 8,820 as per data from the United Nations' mission to Afghanistan's annual report.

This number is 15 per cent less than the previous year. Even then, the authors of the report noted a sharp increase in civilian casualties in the last 3 months of 2020 when peace talks had begun.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/nato-puts-holds-on-afghanistan-decision-expands-in-iraq-364640" hreflang="en">NATO puts holds on Afghanistan decision, expands in Iraq</a>

"[Last year] could have been the year of peace in Afghanistan. Instead, thousands of Afghan civilians perished," said Deborah Lyons, head of UNAMA. Lyons also called for a ceasefire which the Taliban has rejected multiple times.

"Parties refusing to consider a ceasefire must recognise the devastating consequences", Lyons added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/nato-will-not-withdraw-troops-from-afghanistan-before-time-is-right-says-stoltenberg-363879" hreflang="en">NATO will not withdraw troops from Afghanistan before 'time is right', says Stoltenberg</a>

On Tuesday, the Taliban put forward a response, claiming that "the concerns, precise information and accurate details that were shared by us have not been taken into account."

The report added how for the first time since records began, deaths and injuries had increased in the last three months of 2020, which is much higher than the last three months. For the fourth quarter, casualties were up by 45 per cent as compared to the same period in 2019.

(With inputs from Reuters)

United Nations in a report on Tuesday claimed that civilian casualties in Afghanistan jumped after the commencement of peace talks last year. Currently, negotiators are meeting for the first time after weeks of inaction, Reuters reported.

United Nations in a report on Tuesday claimed that civilian casualties in Afghanistan jumped after the commencement of peace talks last year. Currently, negotiators are meeting for the first time after weeks of inaction, Reuters reported. Peace talks facilitated by the US began in September, but since then progress has remained very slow, with violence continuing to rise with uncertainty. International troops are expected to pull out their troops by May, as planned originally. In 2020, civilian casualties were 8,820 as per data from the United Nations' mission to Afghanistan's annual report. This number is 15 per cent less than the previous year. Even then, the authors of the report noted a sharp increase in civilian casualties in the last 3 months of 2020 when peace talks had begun. Also read: NATO puts holds on Afghanistan decision, expands in Iraq "[Last year] could have been the year of peace in Afghanistan. Instead, thousands of Afghan civilians perished," said Deborah Lyons, head of UNAMA. Lyons also called for a ceasefire which the Taliban has rejected multiple times. "Parties refusing to consider a ceasefire must recognise the devastating consequences", Lyons added. Also read: NATO will not withdraw troops from Afghanistan before 'time is right', says Stoltenberg On Tuesday, the Taliban put forward a response, claiming that "the concerns, precise information and accurate details that were shared by us have not been taken into account." The report added how for the first time since records began, deaths and injuries had increased in the last three months of 2020, which is much higher than the last three months. For the fourth quarter, casualties were up by 45 per cent as compared to the same period in 2019. (With inputs from Reuters)

Violence against civilians in Afghanistan rose after commencement of peace talks: UN

The United Nations refugee agency called on Monday for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water, many of them ill and suffering from extreme dehydration.&nbsp;

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it did not know the exact location of the vessel and understood that some passengers had died. The boat had left southern Bangladesh about 10 days ago and experienced engine failure, it said.&nbsp;

"Immediate action is needed to save lives and prevent further tragedy," UNHCR said in a statement, offering to support governments by providing humanitarian help to those rescued.&nbsp;

A senior Indian coast guard official confirmed to Reuters that the boat has been tracked to an area off the Andaman and Nicobar islands.&nbsp;

At least eight people had died on the boat, according to Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a group that monitors the Rohingya crisis.&nbsp;

Lewa said Indian navy vessels that were close by had provided food and water to those on the boat. "But we still don't know what they will do afterwards," he added.&nbsp;

A spokesman for India's navy did not provide details of the situation but said a statement would be issued later.&nbsp;

According to UNHCR, the boat set out from the Bangladesh coastal district of Cox's Bazar, where about a million Rohingya live in dire conditions in sprawling refugee camps.&nbsp;

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after a deadly crackdown by security forces in Myanmar in 2017.&nbsp;

Authorities in Bangladesh said on Monday, they were unaware of any boats leaving the camps. "If we had such information, we would have stopped them," said Rafiqul Islam, an additional police superintendent in Cox's Bazar.&nbsp;

The United Nations refugee agency called on Monday for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water, many of them ill and suffering from extreme dehydration.

The United Nations refugee agency called on Monday for the immediate rescue of a group of Rohingya refugees adrift in their boat in the Andaman Sea without food or water, many of them ill and suffering from extreme dehydration. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it did not know the exact location of the vessel and understood that some passengers had died. The boat had left southern Bangladesh about 10 days ago and experienced engine failure, it said. "Immediate action is needed to save lives and prevent further tragedy," UNHCR said in a statement, offering to support governments by providing humanitarian help to those rescued. A senior Indian coast guard official confirmed to Reuters that the boat has been tracked to an area off the Andaman and Nicobar islands. At least eight people had died on the boat, according to Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a group that monitors the Rohingya crisis. Lewa said Indian navy vessels that were close by had provided food and water to those on the boat. "But we still don't know what they will do afterwards," he added. A spokesman for India's navy did not provide details of the situation but said a statement would be issued later. According to UNHCR, the boat set out from the Bangladesh coastal district of Cox's Bazar, where about a million Rohingya live in dire conditions in sprawling refugee camps. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after a deadly crackdown by security forces in Myanmar in 2017. Authorities in Bangladesh said on Monday, they were unaware of any boats leaving the camps. "If we had such information, we would have stopped them," said Rafiqul Islam, an additional police superintendent in Cox's Bazar.

UN refugee agency calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded at sea

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup.&nbsp;

Guterres, speaking to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said, "We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on."&nbsp;

"Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections."&nbsp;

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Meanwhile, Myanmar police began to disperse pro-democracy protesters on Monday as businesses around the country shut in a general strike called to oppose the military coup despite a threat from authorities that confrontation could cost lives.&nbsp;

Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the February 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-protesters-defy-militarys-lethal-warning-to-take-to-streets-again-365417">Myanmar: Protesters defy military's lethal warning to take to streets again</a>

There were protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday, from the northern hills on the border with China to the central plains, the Irrawaddy river delta and the southern tip of the panhandle, images on social media showed.&nbsp;

In the capital, Naypyitaw, where the military is headquartered, a police water cannon truck and numerous other vehicles closed in to break up a procession of chanting protesters who scattered when police on foot chased them, wrestling several to the ground.&nbsp;

"They're chasing and arresting us. We’re just protesting peacefully," one woman said in video clip posted on Facebook.&nbsp;

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Myanmar's military, which seized power three weeks ago, to halt repression and release hundreds detained since the coup. Guterres, speaking to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said, "We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Serious violations against minorities with no accountability, including what has rightly been called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. The list goes on." "Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections." × Meanwhile, Myanmar police began to disperse pro-democracy protesters on Monday as businesses around the country shut in a general strike called to oppose the military coup despite a threat from authorities that confrontation could cost lives. Three weeks after seizing power, the junta has failed to stop daily protests and a civil disobedience movement calling for the reversal of the February 1 coup and release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Also Read | Myanmar: Protesters defy military's lethal warning to take to streets again There were protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday, from the northern hills on the border with China to the central plains, the Irrawaddy river delta and the southern tip of the panhandle, images on social media showed. In the capital, Naypyitaw, where the military is headquartered, a police water cannon truck and numerous other vehicles closed in to break up a procession of chanting protesters who scattered when police on foot chased them, wrestling several to the ground. "They're chasing and arresting us. We’re just protesting peacefully," one woman said in video clip posted on Facebook.

UN chief Antonio Guterres tells Myanmar military to stop the repression

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people. The secretary-general said that that "use of lethal force" against peaceful demonstrators was "unacceptable". The shooting took place on Saturday in Mandalay, second largest city of Myanmar.

"I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation &amp; harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule," Guterres tweeted.

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I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. 
 
The use of lethal force, intimidation &amp; harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. 
 
Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1363280311233167361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-people-killed-in-myanmar-anti-coup-protest-shooting-365074">Two people were shot and killed</a> and 20 were wounded, said Ko Aung, a leader of the Parahita Darhi volunteer emergency service.

The more than two weeks of protests had been largely peaceful, unlike previous episodes of opposition during nearly half a century of direct military rule, which ended in 2011.

A woman protester, Mya&nbsp;Thwate Thwate Khaing, succumbed to her injuries on Friday after being shot in head last week. The rounds were fired as police tried to disperse crowd in capital&nbsp;Naypyitaw. This was the first death among anti-coup demonstrators.

The army says one policeman has died of injuries sustained in a protest.

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&nbsp;

US&nbsp;State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was "deeply concerned" by reports that security forces had fired on protesters and continued to detain and harass demonstrators and others.

"We stand with the people of Burma," Price wrote on Twitter. Myanmar is also known as Burma.

Britain has warned of further action against those who committed acts of violence against the protesters. French foreign ministry has called the violence "unacceptable"

"The shooting of peaceful protesters in Myanmar is beyond the pale," British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Twitter. "We will consider further action, with our international partners, against those crushing democracy &amp; choking dissent."

The United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand have announced limited sanctions since the coup, with a focus on military leaders.

(With agency inputs)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people. The secretary-general said that that "use of lethal force" against peaceful demonstrators was "unacceptable". The shooting took place on Saturday in Mandalay, second largest city of Myanmar. "I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation & harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule," Guterres tweeted. I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation & harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 21, 2021 × Two people were shot and killed and 20 were wounded, said Ko Aung, a leader of the Parahita Darhi volunteer emergency service. The more than two weeks of protests had been largely peaceful, unlike previous episodes of opposition during nearly half a century of direct military rule, which ended in 2011. A woman protester, Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, succumbed to her injuries on Friday after being shot in head last week. The rounds were fired as police tried to disperse crowd in capital Naypyitaw. This was the first death among anti-coup demonstrators. The army says one policeman has died of injuries sustained in a protest. × US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was "deeply concerned" by reports that security forces had fired on protesters and continued to detain and harass demonstrators and others. "We stand with the people of Burma," Price wrote on Twitter. Myanmar is also known as Burma. Britain has warned of further action against those who committed acts of violence against the protesters. French foreign ministry has called the violence "unacceptable" "The shooting of peaceful protesters in Myanmar is beyond the pale," British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Twitter. "We will consider further action, with our international partners, against those crushing democracy & choking dissent." The United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand have announced limited sanctions since the coup, with a focus on military leaders. (With agency inputs)

UN condemns use of 'lethal force' in Myanmar

A few hours before the US sanctions are to be lifted in Iran, the UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi landed in the country.

As US President Joe Biden urged 'careful diplomacy', Grossi arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Kazem Gharibabadi and Iran Atomic Energy Organisation official Behrouz Kamalvandi.

"DG Grossi just arrived in Tehran and was received by the IAEO deputy, Kamalvandi and Ambassador Gharibabadi," Gharibabadi tweeted.

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DG Grossi just arrived in Tehran and was received by the IAEO deputy, Kamalvandi and Ambassador Gharibabadi. <a href="https://t.co/D4fY4lOISZ">pic.twitter.com/D4fY4lOISZ</a>
— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gharibabadi/status/1363179060852121601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The deadline, which has been set by Iranian lawmakers has a potential threat of suspension of some nuclear inspections, stoking international concern about a possible expulsion of UN inspectors.

However, Iran is adamant that it will not cease its operations with IAEA or expel its inspectors.

Grossi took to Twitter to announce his intentions from the visit and said he hopes these meetings with senior Iranian officials leads to "a mutually agreeable solution, compatible with Iranian law, so that the @IAEAorg can continue essential verification activities in Iran. Looking forward to success – this is in everybody’s interest."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uns-nuclear-watchdog-chief-arrives-in-tehran-iran-365126">WATCH|</a>

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Iran has told IAEA that it will be suspending "voluntary transparency measures", notably inspection visits to non-nuclear sites, including military sites suspected of nuclear-related activity if the United States has not lifted the sweeping sanctions from former president Donald Trump reimposed in 2018.

Meanwhile, the head of Iran's atomic body, Ali Akbar Salehi, confirmed on Sunday that the new measures, which were laid out in a law passed in December by the conservative-majority parliament, will go into effect on Tuesday.

He also added that as Iran is implementing the law and "the other side has not yet fulfilled its obligations to lift the sanctions, inspections beyond safeguard measures will be suspended."

"During tomorrow's (Sunday) meeting with Mr. Grossi, the IAEA's considerations in the framework of the safeguards agreement and bilateral cooperation will be reviewed and discussed," he added.

A few hours before the US sanctions are to be lifted in Iran, the UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi landed in the country. As US President Joe Biden urged 'careful diplomacy', Grossi arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Kazem Gharibabadi and Iran Atomic Energy Organisation official Behrouz Kamalvandi.

A few hours before the US sanctions are to be lifted in Iran, the UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi landed in the country. As US President Joe Biden urged 'careful diplomacy', Grossi arrived in Tehran and was welcomed by Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Kazem Gharibabadi and Iran Atomic Energy Organisation official Behrouz Kamalvandi. "DG Grossi just arrived in Tehran and was received by the IAEO deputy, Kamalvandi and Ambassador Gharibabadi," Gharibabadi tweeted. DG Grossi just arrived in Tehran and was received by the IAEO deputy, Kamalvandi and Ambassador Gharibabadi. pic.twitter.com/D4fY4lOISZ — Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) February 20, 2021 × The deadline, which has been set by Iranian lawmakers has a potential threat of suspension of some nuclear inspections, stoking international concern about a possible expulsion of UN inspectors. However, Iran is adamant that it will not cease its operations with IAEA or expel its inspectors. Grossi took to Twitter to announce his intentions from the visit and said he hopes these meetings with senior Iranian officials leads to "a mutually agreeable solution, compatible with Iranian law, so that the @IAEAorg can continue essential verification activities in Iran. Looking forward to success – this is in everybody’s interest." WATCH| Iran has told IAEA that it will be suspending "voluntary transparency measures", notably inspection visits to non-nuclear sites, including military sites suspected of nuclear-related activity if the United States has not lifted the sweeping sanctions from former president Donald Trump reimposed in 2018. Meanwhile, the head of Iran's atomic body, Ali Akbar Salehi, confirmed on Sunday that the new measures, which were laid out in a law passed in December by the conservative-majority parliament, will go into effect on Tuesday. He also added that as Iran is implementing the law and "the other side has not yet fulfilled its obligations to lift the sanctions, inspections beyond safeguard measures will be suspended." "During tomorrow's (Sunday) meeting with Mr. Grossi, the IAEA's considerations in the framework of the safeguards agreement and bilateral cooperation will be reviewed and discussed," he added.

UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, arrives in Iran ahead of US sanctions deadline

New scientific blueprint for tackling climate change, pollution and accelerating loss of plant and animal species shows how to end the world's 'suicidal' war on nature. According to the UN environment program report, the world can tackle the climate biodiversity and pollution crisis together but the UN Chief said that this requires urgent action from the whole society.

UN offers scientific blueprint to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss

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