UN rights experts called on British authorities on Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/path-cleared-for-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-to-leave-ecuador-embassy-president-moreno-182030">Julian Assange</a> to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reiterated its finding published in February 2016 that Assange had been de facto unlawfully held without charge in the embassy, where he has now been holed up for more than six years.

He initially took asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That investigation was dropped.

Assange, whose website published thousands of classified US government documents, denied the Sweden allegations, saying the charge was a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him.

Britain says Assange will be arrested for skipping bail if he leaves the embassy, but that any sentence would not exceed six months if convicted. It had no immediate comment on the experts' call, but in June, foreign office minister Alan Duncan said Assange would be treated humanely and properly.

"The only ground remaining for Mr Assange’s continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offence that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador," the UN experts said in a statement.

"It is time that Mr Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom,” they said.

Lawyers for Assange and others have said his work with WikiLeaks was critical to a free press and was protected speech.

The experts voiced concern that his "deprivation of liberty" was undermining his health and could "endanger his life" given the disproportionate amount of anxiety that has entailed.

Ecuador in October imposed new rules requiring him to receive routine medical exams, following concern he was not getting the medical attention he needed. The rules also ordered him to pay medical and phone bills and clean up after his cat.

Assange has sued Ecuador, arguing the rules violate his rights. An Ecuadorean court on Friday upheld a prior ruling dismissing Assange's suit.

"We have lost again," said Carlos Povedo, Assange's attorney in Ecuador, adding that the legal team would consider bringing a case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

UN rights experts called on British authorities on Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition.

UN rights experts called on British authorities on Friday to allow WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the Ecuador embassy in London without fear of arrest or extradition. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reiterated its finding published in February 2016 that Assange had been de facto unlawfully held without charge in the embassy, where he has now been holed up for more than six years. He initially took asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That investigation was dropped. Assange, whose website published thousands of classified US government documents, denied the Sweden allegations, saying the charge was a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him. Britain says Assange will be arrested for skipping bail if he leaves the embassy, but that any sentence would not exceed six months if convicted. It had no immediate comment on the experts' call, but in June, foreign office minister Alan Duncan said Assange would be treated humanely and properly. "The only ground remaining for Mr Assange’s continued deprivation of liberty is a bail violation in the UK, which is, objectively, a minor offence that cannot post facto justify the more than six years confinement that he has been subjected to since he sought asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador," the UN experts said in a statement. "It is time that Mr Assange, who has already paid a high price for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of opinion, expression and information, and to promote the right to truth in the public interest, recovers his freedom,” they said. Lawyers for Assange and others have said his work with WikiLeaks was critical to a free press and was protected speech. The experts voiced concern that his "deprivation of liberty" was undermining his health and could "endanger his life" given the disproportionate amount of anxiety that has entailed. Ecuador in October imposed new rules requiring him to receive routine medical exams, following concern he was not getting the medical attention he needed. The rules also ordered him to pay medical and phone bills and clean up after his cat. Assange has sued Ecuador, arguing the rules violate his rights. An Ecuadorean court on Friday upheld a prior ruling dismissing Assange's suit. "We have lost again," said Carlos Povedo, Assange's attorney in Ecuador, adding that the legal team would consider bringing a case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

UN calls on UK to allow Julian Assange to leave Ecuador embassy freely

From the countries who share the Democratic Republic of Congo's vast border — some of which stirred its devastating conflicts — to international powers invested in peace efforts, the impact of upcoming elections looks set to reverberate far and wide.

Here are some of the implications of the DR Congo's crucial December 23 vote to replace President Joseph Kabila, for nations in the intertwined region and the international community working in the resource-rich country.

Ashes from a regional fire

It has been over a decade since Kinshasa's neighbours fought Africa's "Great War" on its soil, but from across its borders they still jealously guard their interests in the troubled nation.&nbsp;

The current regime in the DRC is the direct result of its neighbours' interventions in two conflicts between 1996 and 2003 that drew in troops from up to seven African countries and left millions dead.

The regional fire was lit by the 1994 Rwandan genocide, as some two million mostly Hutu refugees including those who led the massacres, flooded into eastern Congo.&nbsp;

Rebels used their camps as a new base from which to stage attacks in Rwanda, prompting Kigali to invade the DRC.&nbsp;

Rwanda also, with the help of Uganda, backed a Congolese rebellion which led to the overthrow of strongman Mobutu Sese Seko and saw Laurent-Desire Kabila become president in 1997.

Barely a year later a second conflict began.

Kabila turned his back on his Rwandan and Ugandan allies who then invaded the country again and fought Congolese troops backed by troops from Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Chad. Burundi also carried out limited operations, while Libya and Sudan offered support to Kinshasa.&nbsp;

Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila became president.

In the years since, the DRC has maintained complex ties with its neighbours, marked by mistrust and the plundering of its considerable natural resources.

"The development of mineral riches, controlled by powerful Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan interests, is growing and thriving" in the restive east of the country, said Andre Guichaoua, a professor at the Paris-Sorbonne University.

'Co-managed destabilisation'

While the resource extraction continues, those involved have increasingly begun to work side by side.

"Over the course of time, in the eastern Congo, the different networks plundering resources who were rivals, realised that they could all get along without fighting to the death," said Thierry Vircoulon, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

He said the disappearance of clearly "Rwanda-backed" rebel groups believed to have been deployed to protect these mineral interests — such as CNDP in the 2000s or M23 in the early 2010s — is evidence of this cohabitation.

Guichaoua described the situation in the east as a "co-managed destabilisation".

Gold, diamonds and oil

In its June 2018 report, the UN Security Council's group of experts on the DRC said that "a large part of the gold sold by Uganda and Rwanda was illegally extracted from neighbouring countries, including the DRC".

In Angola, the government of President Joao Lourenco has pushed for the holding of elections, and for Kabila not to be a candidate.

Luanda is keen to protect its offshore oil interests — which Kinshasa argues are in its waters — and resume control of diamond mining in the north.

Some 400,000 Congolese miners were recently expelled or fled Angola after a massive operation against diamond smuggling.

Firming friendships

Further to the south, Burundi and Tanzania have better relations with Kinshasa, based on similar ideological views and other common interests.

Kinshasa and Bujumbura signed a cooperation deal to fight the Burundian opposition which sought refuge in South-Kivu after a political crisis broke out in the country in 2015.

And in Tanzania, where the Kabila clan lived in exile before taking power and still has financial interests, President John Magufuli's African nationalist views echo those of his counterpart in Kinshasa.

International community snubbed

The United Nations has been present in DRC for 20 years, and its MONUSCO peacekeeping force is one of the biggest in the world.

However in the name of "national sovereignty," Kinshasa has refused any logistical or financial assistance from the international community, as well as the presence of any western observers.

Kinshasa has even refused the assistance of MONUSCO aviation in transporting electoral material across the country of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 square miles), which has only 3,400 kilometres of paved roads.

"We are not a country of beggars," said President Joseph Kabila.

Only 200 African observers are being allowed to observe voting in 80,000 polling stations available to the 40 million registered voters.

From the countries who share the Democratic Republic of Congo's vast border — some of which stirred its devastating conflicts — to international powers invested in peace efforts, the impact of upcoming elections looks set to reverberate far and wide.

From the countries who share the Democratic Republic of Congo's vast border — some of which stirred its devastating conflicts — to international powers invested in peace efforts, the impact of upcoming elections looks set to reverberate far and wide. Here are some of the implications of the DR Congo's crucial December 23 vote to replace President Joseph Kabila, for nations in the intertwined region and the international community working in the resource-rich country. Ashes from a regional fire It has been over a decade since Kinshasa's neighbours fought Africa's "Great War" on its soil, but from across its borders they still jealously guard their interests in the troubled nation. The current regime in the DRC is the direct result of its neighbours' interventions in two conflicts between 1996 and 2003 that drew in troops from up to seven African countries and left millions dead. The regional fire was lit by the 1994 Rwandan genocide, as some two million mostly Hutu refugees including those who led the massacres, flooded into eastern Congo. Rebels used their camps as a new base from which to stage attacks in Rwanda, prompting Kigali to invade the DRC. Rwanda also, with the help of Uganda, backed a Congolese rebellion which led to the overthrow of strongman Mobutu Sese Seko and saw Laurent-Desire Kabila become president in 1997. Barely a year later a second conflict began. Kabila turned his back on his Rwandan and Ugandan allies who then invaded the country again and fought Congolese troops backed by troops from Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Chad. Burundi also carried out limited operations, while Libya and Sudan offered support to Kinshasa. Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila became president. In the years since, the DRC has maintained complex ties with its neighbours, marked by mistrust and the plundering of its considerable natural resources. "The development of mineral riches, controlled by powerful Congolese, Rwandan and Ugandan interests, is growing and thriving" in the restive east of the country, said Andre Guichaoua, a professor at the Paris-Sorbonne University. 'Co-managed destabilisation' While the resource extraction continues, those involved have increasingly begun to work side by side. "Over the course of time, in the eastern Congo, the different networks plundering resources who were rivals, realised that they could all get along without fighting to the death," said Thierry Vircoulon, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). He said the disappearance of clearly "Rwanda-backed" rebel groups believed to have been deployed to protect these mineral interests — such as CNDP in the 2000s or M23 in the early 2010s — is evidence of this cohabitation. Guichaoua described the situation in the east as a "co-managed destabilisation". Gold, diamonds and oil In its June 2018 report, the UN Security Council's group of experts on the DRC said that "a large part of the gold sold by Uganda and Rwanda was illegally extracted from neighbouring countries, including the DRC". In Angola, the government of President Joao Lourenco has pushed for the holding of elections, and for Kabila not to be a candidate. Luanda is keen to protect its offshore oil interests — which Kinshasa argues are in its waters — and resume control of diamond mining in the north. Some 400,000 Congolese miners were recently expelled or fled Angola after a massive operation against diamond smuggling. Firming friendships Further to the south, Burundi and Tanzania have better relations with Kinshasa, based on similar ideological views and other common interests. Kinshasa and Bujumbura signed a cooperation deal to fight the Burundian opposition which sought refuge in South-Kivu after a political crisis broke out in the country in 2015. And in Tanzania, where the Kabila clan lived in exile before taking power and still has financial interests, President John Magufuli's African nationalist views echo those of his counterpart in Kinshasa. International community snubbed The United Nations has been present in DRC for 20 years, and its MONUSCO peacekeeping force is one of the biggest in the world. However in the name of "national sovereignty," Kinshasa has refused any logistical or financial assistance from the international community, as well as the presence of any western observers. Kinshasa has even refused the assistance of MONUSCO aviation in transporting electoral material across the country of 2.3 million square kilometres (890,000 square miles), which has only 3,400 kilometres of paved roads. "We are not a country of beggars," said President Joseph Kabila. Only 200 African observers are being allowed to observe voting in 80,000 polling stations available to the 40 million registered voters.

High stakes for friends and foes as DRC heads to polls

The UN Security Council is considering action to push <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-government-rejects-un-probe-on-rohingya-mass-killings--162208">Myanmar to work with the United Nations</a> to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday.

The draft resolution aims to put a timeline on Myanmar allowing the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and addressing accountability, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since August last year when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.

The draft resolution would warn that the 15-member Security Council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar, diplomats said. It would also ask UN officials to report back regularly to the council.

It was unclear if or when the draft resolution could be put to a vote. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass.

"I think it's inappropriate, untimely and useless," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters on Monday.

China's UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu declined to comment. Myanmar's UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft was circulated to council members late last month and diplomats said that there had been several rounds of discussions. Russia and China attended an initial meeting, but have not taken part in any further talks, diplomats said.

The text would push Myanmar to implement a memorandum of understanding with the UN development and refugee agencies that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government signed in June, as well recommendations made by the Rakhine Advisory Commission that was led by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

The draft resolution does not include referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, diplomats said.

UN Security Council envoys travelled to Bangladesh and Myanmar in late April.

In October, China, backed by Russia, failed to stop a Security Council briefing by the chair of a U.N. inquiry that accused Myanmar's military of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar has rejected the findings of the UN report.

The UN Security Council is considering action to push Myanmar to work with the United Nations to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday.

The UN Security Council is considering action to push Myanmar to work with the United Nations to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday. The draft resolution aims to put a timeline on Myanmar allowing the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and addressing accountability, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since August last year when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing. The draft resolution would warn that the 15-member Security Council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar, diplomats said. It would also ask UN officials to report back regularly to the council. It was unclear if or when the draft resolution could be put to a vote. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass. "I think it's inappropriate, untimely and useless," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters on Monday. China's UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu declined to comment. Myanmar's UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The draft was circulated to council members late last month and diplomats said that there had been several rounds of discussions. Russia and China attended an initial meeting, but have not taken part in any further talks, diplomats said. The text would push Myanmar to implement a memorandum of understanding with the UN development and refugee agencies that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government signed in June, as well recommendations made by the Rakhine Advisory Commission that was led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. The draft resolution does not include referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, diplomats said. UN Security Council envoys travelled to Bangladesh and Myanmar in late April. In October, China, backed by Russia, failed to stop a Security Council briefing by the chair of a U.N. inquiry that accused Myanmar's military of genocide against Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar has rejected the findings of the UN report.

UN Security Council mulls Myanmar action; Russia, China boycott talks

WION Your Story: Thousands march in Brussels against UN migration pact

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video.

The leaked video showed Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi talking to the Milli Muslim League (MML) leaders and when his attention was drawn towards non-registration of Saeed's party by the Election Commission (ECP) as a political party due to the US pressure and the ECP's plan to declare it a terrorist organisation, the minister said: "We will not let this happen."

"As long as we (the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf) are in the government all those including Hafiz Saeed who are raising voice for Pakistan and righteousness, we are with them," Afridi said, adding "this is our belief." 
"I request you to come to the National Assembly and see whether we are supporting those who on the right path or not," he told them.&nbsp;

Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the 2008 Mumbai attack and was put under house arrest in November 2008 but freed by a court some months later. He carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

In the leaked video, an MML leader said the high court ordered the ECP to register the MML as a political party but the top election body said that it had come to know that the US had declared MML a terrorist organisation. 
On this, the minister assured that "this will not happen in the Imran Khan's government."

Saeed launched the MML in August 2017 with a so-called mission to implement the ideology of Pakistan in accordance with the 1973 Constitution.

In April, the US placed the MML on its list of foreign terror organisations for its links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The interior ministry had written to the ECP recommending not to register the MML as it is an off-shoot of Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah, which has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people.

The MML contested general elections on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered with the ECP.

The Supreme Court in September last permitted the JuD and its arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) to continue their relief and charity work in the country.

JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. The JuD and FIF alone have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers, according to two counter-terrorism officials

Earlier, the government banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF, and other organisations on the UN Security Council sanctions list.&nbsp;

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video.

Exposing Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's seriousness on combating terrorism, his junior interior minister has vowed to "protect" Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his party in a leaked video. The leaked video showed Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi talking to the Milli Muslim League (MML) leaders and when his attention was drawn towards non-registration of Saeed's party by the Election Commission (ECP) as a political party due to the US pressure and the ECP's plan to declare it a terrorist organisation, the minister said: "We will not let this happen." "As long as we (the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf) are in the government all those including Hafiz Saeed who are raising voice for Pakistan and righteousness, we are with them," Afridi said, adding "this is our belief." "I request you to come to the National Assembly and see whether we are supporting those who on the right path or not," he told them. Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the 2008 Mumbai attack and was put under house arrest in November 2008 but freed by a court some months later. He carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities. In the leaked video, an MML leader said the high court ordered the ECP to register the MML as a political party but the top election body said that it had come to know that the US had declared MML a terrorist organisation. On this, the minister assured that "this will not happen in the Imran Khan's government." Saeed launched the MML in August 2017 with a so-called mission to implement the ideology of Pakistan in accordance with the 1973 Constitution. In April, the US placed the MML on its list of foreign terror organisations for its links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The interior ministry had written to the ECP recommending not to register the MML as it is an off-shoot of Saeed's Jamat-ud Dawah, which has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. The MML contested general elections on the platform of the "dormant" political entity Allaha-u-Akbar Tehreek (AAT), which was registered with the ECP. The Supreme Court in September last permitted the JuD and its arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) to continue their relief and charity work in the country. JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. The JuD and FIF alone have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers, according to two counter-terrorism officials Earlier, the government banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF, and other organisations on the UN Security Council sanctions list.

Leaked video shows Pak minister vowing to 'protect' Hafiz Saeed

Thousands march in Brussels against UN migration pact

UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on Sunday urged Yemen's warring parties to respect a ceasefire accord struck at peace talks in Sweden after deadly clashes in the port city of Hodeida.

"The special envoy expects the two parties to respect their obligations as per the text and spirit of the Stockholm Agreement and to engage in the immediate implementation of its provisions," Griffiths tweeted.

He said the UN was working with Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels to ensure the accord on Hodeida reached in Sweden on Thursday were "implemented timely and properly".

Air strikes and fierce clashes shook the outskirts of Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida on Saturday night, pro-government sources and residents said, despite the UN-brokered ceasefire.

At least 29 fighters, including 22 Huthi rebels, were killed in Hodeida province, a pro-government military source told AFP.

He said seven rebels were captured during an attack on Al-Durayhimi, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Hodeida city.

The truce in Hodeida was due to be followed by the withdrawal within days of fighters on both sides.

The ceasefire accord has been seen as the most significant step towards ending the devastating conflict that has raged in Yemen since 2015. 
&nbsp;

UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on Sunday urged Yemen's warring parties to respect a ceasefire accord struck at peace talks in Sweden after deadly clashes in the port city of Hodeida.

UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on Sunday urged Yemen's warring parties to respect a ceasefire accord struck at peace talks in Sweden after deadly clashes in the port city of Hodeida. "The special envoy expects the two parties to respect their obligations as per the text and spirit of the Stockholm Agreement and to engage in the immediate implementation of its provisions," Griffiths tweeted. He said the UN was working with Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels to ensure the accord on Hodeida reached in Sweden on Thursday were "implemented timely and properly". Air strikes and fierce clashes shook the outskirts of Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida on Saturday night, pro-government sources and residents said, despite the UN-brokered ceasefire. At least 29 fighters, including 22 Huthi rebels, were killed in Hodeida province, a pro-government military source told AFP. He said seven rebels were captured during an attack on Al-Durayhimi, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Hodeida city. The truce in Hodeida was due to be followed by the withdrawal within days of fighters on both sides. The ceasefire accord has been seen as the most significant step towards ending the devastating conflict that has raged in Yemen since 2015.

UN urges Yemen rivals to respect truce deal after clashes

Thousands of people marched in Brussels on Sunday against a UN&nbsp;pact aimed at fostering cooperation on migration, eclipsing a smaller demonstration in support of the deal, the signing of which brought down Belgium's government last week.

Police said some 5,500 people marched in the bigger protest, organised by Flemish right wing parties in the part of the capital where main European Union institutions are located.

A separate counter-demonstration of around 1,000 people, organised by left-wing groups and non-governmental organisations, took place in the city centre.

Belgian right-wing N-VA, which is the biggest party in parliament, pulled its ministers from the ruling coalition last week after Prime Minister Charles Michel refused its demand that he not sign the UN&nbsp;migration compact in Marrakesh.

Michel had secured a large parliamentary majority in favour of maintaining Belgium’s support of the UN&nbsp;text, with support from the opposition socialists and greens. Critics said the N-VA's move was the opening shot in a campaign before federal elections in May.

The UN&nbsp;pact was agreed in July by all 193 UN&nbsp;members except the United States, but only 164 formally signed it at the meeting last Monday.

It has run into criticism from European politicians who say it could increase immigration to Europe as the bloc has turned increasingly restrictive on accepting refugees and migrants alike since a 2015 spike in arrivals.

Ten countries, mostly in formerly Communist Eastern Europe, have pulled out of the non-binding pact.

With a record 21.3 million refugees globally, the United Nations began work on the pact after more than one million people arrived in Europe in 2015, many fleeing civil war in Syria and poverty in Africa. 
&nbsp;

Thousands of people marched in Brussels on Sunday against a UN pact aimed at fostering cooperation on migration, eclipsing a smaller demonstration in support of the deal, the signing of which brought down Belgium's government last week.

Thousands of people marched in Brussels on Sunday against a UN pact aimed at fostering cooperation on migration, eclipsing a smaller demonstration in support of the deal, the signing of which brought down Belgium's government last week. Police said some 5,500 people marched in the bigger protest, organised by Flemish right wing parties in the part of the capital where main European Union institutions are located. A separate counter-demonstration of around 1,000 people, organised by left-wing groups and non-governmental organisations, took place in the city centre. Belgian right-wing N-VA, which is the biggest party in parliament, pulled its ministers from the ruling coalition last week after Prime Minister Charles Michel refused its demand that he not sign the UN migration compact in Marrakesh. Michel had secured a large parliamentary majority in favour of maintaining Belgium’s support of the UN text, with support from the opposition socialists and greens. Critics said the N-VA's move was the opening shot in a campaign before federal elections in May. The UN pact was agreed in July by all 193 UN members except the United States, but only 164 formally signed it at the meeting last Monday. It has run into criticism from European politicians who say it could increase immigration to Europe as the bloc has turned increasingly restrictive on accepting refugees and migrants alike since a 2015 spike in arrivals. Ten countries, mostly in formerly Communist Eastern Europe, have pulled out of the non-binding pact. With a record 21.3 million refugees globally, the United Nations began work on the pact after more than one million people arrived in Europe in 2015, many fleeing civil war in Syria and poverty in Africa.

&nbsp;The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming.

Countries are on a self-imposed deadline to produce a "rulebook" to flesh out details of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius and which comes into force in 2020.

Talks in Katowice, Poland, underway since December 2, have been clouded by political divisions.&nbsp;

Before the talks started, many expected that the deal would fall short of the detailed plan scientists have said is needed to limit global warming to well below a 2 degree-Celsius rise this century.

Many exhausted ministers were seen going to their hotels around 2200 GMT to catch a few hours' sleep before resuming plenary talks scheduled for early Saturday morning, which could be subject to delays.

European climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, on leaving the Spodek conference venue told Reuters that talks had been held up all day due to the issue of emissions counting cited in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement regarding market-based mechanisms to combat climate change.

Under the article, countries should agree to rules to ensure they do not double count emissions reductions. This is when one country is allowed to pay another to lower emissions but count those lower emissions towards their own emissions cut targets.

A way to avoid this is to create an accounting rule which would ensure that emissions reductions generated in one place cannot be counted both by the party generating the cuts and the country using those reductions towards its own target under the Paris Agreement.

A senior negotiator told Reuters Brazil was still obstructive on this issue and did not want clear rules to prevent double counting, which is unacceptable to many nations.

"This threatens the success of the negotiations and could undermine the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement," said Nathaniel Keohane, senior vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, a US-based non-profit climate advocacy.

Fear of Failure

UN&nbsp;secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Friday that work needed to be finished "with the highest possible level of ambition."

"It's essential for me that Katowice is not a failure. The worst thing that could happen to us is that. There would be the idea of chaos, the idea that to a certain extent we would be reproducing in Katowice what happened in Copenhagen."

Climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009 were widely regarded as a failure as they ended with a bare-minimum agreement. It took six more years to clinch a deal in Paris.

The Katowice draft text is still subject to change but requires developed countries to deliver an increase on a promise of $100 billion a year of climate finance to help poorer countries adapt to climate change by 2020 and rules on how to report and monitor each nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

There has been compromising in some areas, such as tweaking the language to recognise the importance of a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on limiting global warming to 1.5C, which caused rifts last week.

But greater clarity has been sought on what countries will do after leaving Poland and how they will strengthen their commitments and targets under the pact.

"We do not want to see the Paris Agreement watered down," said former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming.

The United Nations' climate talks went into overtime early Saturday morning as negotiators from nearly 200 nations grappled with disagreements over parts of a package of rules to implement a landmark agreement to combat global warming. Countries are on a self-imposed deadline to produce a "rulebook" to flesh out details of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius and which comes into force in 2020. Talks in Katowice, Poland, underway since December 2, have been clouded by political divisions. Before the talks started, many expected that the deal would fall short of the detailed plan scientists have said is needed to limit global warming to well below a 2 degree-Celsius rise this century. Many exhausted ministers were seen going to their hotels around 2200 GMT to catch a few hours' sleep before resuming plenary talks scheduled for early Saturday morning, which could be subject to delays. European climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, on leaving the Spodek conference venue told Reuters that talks had been held up all day due to the issue of emissions counting cited in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement regarding market-based mechanisms to combat climate change. Under the article, countries should agree to rules to ensure they do not double count emissions reductions. This is when one country is allowed to pay another to lower emissions but count those lower emissions towards their own emissions cut targets. A way to avoid this is to create an accounting rule which would ensure that emissions reductions generated in one place cannot be counted both by the party generating the cuts and the country using those reductions towards its own target under the Paris Agreement. A senior negotiator told Reuters Brazil was still obstructive on this issue and did not want clear rules to prevent double counting, which is unacceptable to many nations. "This threatens the success of the negotiations and could undermine the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement," said Nathaniel Keohane, senior vice president at the Environmental Defense Fund, a US-based non-profit climate advocacy. Fear of Failure UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Friday that work needed to be finished "with the highest possible level of ambition." "It's essential for me that Katowice is not a failure. The worst thing that could happen to us is that. There would be the idea of chaos, the idea that to a certain extent we would be reproducing in Katowice what happened in Copenhagen." Climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009 were widely regarded as a failure as they ended with a bare-minimum agreement. It took six more years to clinch a deal in Paris. The Katowice draft text is still subject to change but requires developed countries to deliver an increase on a promise of $100 billion a year of climate finance to help poorer countries adapt to climate change by 2020 and rules on how to report and monitor each nation's greenhouse gas emissions. There has been compromising in some areas, such as tweaking the language to recognise the importance of a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on limiting global warming to 1.5C, which caused rifts last week. But greater clarity has been sought on what countries will do after leaving Poland and how they will strengthen their commitments and targets under the pact. "We do not want to see the Paris Agreement watered down," said former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

UN climate talks go into overtime as negotiators grapple with text

The Maldives will do all in its power to keep "our heads above water", the head of its delegation at UN climate talks said on Thursday in an impassioned appeal for nations to overcome their divisions over how to tackle global warming.

The low-lying Maldives is among countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels and coral reef deterioration.

"We are not prepared to die. We are not going to become the first victims of the climate crisis. Instead, we are going to do everything in our power to keep our heads above water," Mohamed Nasheed told delegates at the talks in Katowice, Poland.

"Climate change is a national security issue for us. It is an existential threat," he said, adding that a rise in global temperatures could still be avoided but countries had to unite.

Nasheed was the Maldives'&nbsp;first democratically elected leader but was ousted in 2012 in a coup, imprisoned then granted asylum in Britain.

The Maldives' current president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, invited Nasheed to head the country's negotiating delegation at the Katowice talks, which are aimed at agreeing rules for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

With less than two days until the conference is formally scheduled to end, delegates are still grappling with many issues - not just how the accord will be implemeted - including finance, strengthening emissions cuts and monitoring action.

A draft, more concise text of the deal should be available later on Thursday but it is expected to still be laden with brackets for wording to be decided on and gaps.

Since last addressing a UN climate conference in 2009, Nasheed said he had been deposed in a coup, imprisoned and then forced into exile.

"But almost 10 years since I was last at these climate negotiations, I must say, nothing much seems to have changed. We are still using the same old, dinosaur language," he said.

"Carbon emissions are rising, rising and rising and all we seem to be doing is talking, talking and talking."&nbsp;

The Maldives will do all in its power to keep "our heads above water", the head of its delegation at UN climate talks said on Thursday in an impassioned appeal for nations to overcome their divisions over how to tackle global warming.

The Maldives will do all in its power to keep "our heads above water", the head of its delegation at UN climate talks said on Thursday in an impassioned appeal for nations to overcome their divisions over how to tackle global warming. The low-lying Maldives is among countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels and coral reef deterioration. "We are not prepared to die. We are not going to become the first victims of the climate crisis. Instead, we are going to do everything in our power to keep our heads above water," Mohamed Nasheed told delegates at the talks in Katowice, Poland. "Climate change is a national security issue for us. It is an existential threat," he said, adding that a rise in global temperatures could still be avoided but countries had to unite. Nasheed was the Maldives' first democratically elected leader but was ousted in 2012 in a coup, imprisoned then granted asylum in Britain. The Maldives' current president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, invited Nasheed to head the country's negotiating delegation at the Katowice talks, which are aimed at agreeing rules for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. With less than two days until the conference is formally scheduled to end, delegates are still grappling with many issues - not just how the accord will be implemeted - including finance, strengthening emissions cuts and monitoring action. A draft, more concise text of the deal should be available later on Thursday but it is expected to still be laden with brackets for wording to be decided on and gaps. Since last addressing a UN climate conference in 2009, Nasheed said he had been deposed in a coup, imprisoned and then forced into exile. "But almost 10 years since I was last at these climate negotiations, I must say, nothing much seems to have changed. We are still using the same old, dinosaur language," he said. "Carbon emissions are rising, rising and rising and all we seem to be doing is talking, talking and talking."

Maldives tells UN climate talks: 'We are not prepared to die'

Messages of solidarity poured in Wednesday from around the world on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rally-to-mark-one-year-since-arrest-of-myanmar-reuters-journalists-183375">one-year anniversary of the arrest of two Myanmar Reuters journalists</a> who exposed a massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/timeline-reuters-journalists-detained-in-myanmar-161794">arrested in Yangon on December 12</a> and handed seven-year jail sentences under a state secrets law as they probed the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men during the military's brutal crackdown on the stateless minority last year.

The guilty verdict sparked global condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence, and Reuters hired prominent rights attorney Amal Clooney to assist with the case.

The reporters were also honoured alongside other persecuted or slain journalists in Time magazine's Person of the Year issue this week as concerns grow for deteriorating press freedoms in Myanmar and elsewhere in the world.

Despite a tenacious advocacy campaign the two men remain behind bars, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jailed-myanmar-reuters-reporters-to-file-appeal-174223">with an appeal set for later this month</a>.

"The fact that they remain in prison for a crime they did not commit calls into question Myanmar's commitment to democracy, freedom of expression and rule of law," Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement on the anniversary of the arrest.

Social media platforms have filled with images of supporters making the "thumbs up" gesture that became a hallmark of the pair's court appearances.

A rally with journalists and activists is due to take place in downtown Yangon on Wednesday afternoon.

"We will face it (the verdict) with stability and courage," Wa Lone said after the sentence was handed down in September.

"The government can detain us in the prison but... Don't close the ears and eyes of the people," Kyaw Soe Oo said.

Their personal ordeal has also moved many who have followed the case. Both men are fathers and Wa Lone's wife Pan Ei Mon gave birth to their first child shortly before he was convicted.

One of the Time covers shared widely online features Pan Ei Mon and Kyaw Soe Oo's wife Chit Su Win holding photos of their imprisoned husbands.

The magazine jointly honoured a number of journalists -- including the slain columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa and the workforce of the US newspaper Capital Gazette, five of whose staff were killed in a June shooting -- "for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths".

The reporters' trial was widely regarded as a sham -- and punishment for reporting on the September 2017 massacre in Inn Din village led by Myanmar security forces.

One whistleblowing police officer told the court his superior ordered a sting to entrap the reporters -- testimony the judge chose to ignore.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remained defiant when pressed on the case, insisting that due process was followed.

Her reaction further tarnished her image as a democracy icon overseas after she refused to speak up for the Rohingya during the crackdown.

More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled over the border into refugee camps in Bangladesh, bringing with them horrific reports of widespread murder, torture, rape and arson.

UN investigators have called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide and accused Suu Kyi and her government of complicity. 
Myanmar rejects almost all allegations, saying it was defending itself against Rohingya militants.

But a court did convict soldiers accused of carrying out the Inn Din massacre to 10 years each.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Messages of solidarity poured in Wednesday from around the world on the one-year anniversary of the arrest of two Myanmar Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

Messages of solidarity poured in Wednesday from around the world on the one-year anniversary of the arrest of two Myanmar Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were arrested in Yangon on December 12 and handed seven-year jail sentences under a state secrets law as they probed the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men during the military's brutal crackdown on the stateless minority last year. The guilty verdict sparked global condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence, and Reuters hired prominent rights attorney Amal Clooney to assist with the case. The reporters were also honoured alongside other persecuted or slain journalists in Time magazine's Person of the Year issue this week as concerns grow for deteriorating press freedoms in Myanmar and elsewhere in the world. Despite a tenacious advocacy campaign the two men remain behind bars, with an appeal set for later this month. "The fact that they remain in prison for a crime they did not commit calls into question Myanmar's commitment to democracy, freedom of expression and rule of law," Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement on the anniversary of the arrest. Social media platforms have filled with images of supporters making the "thumbs up" gesture that became a hallmark of the pair's court appearances. A rally with journalists and activists is due to take place in downtown Yangon on Wednesday afternoon. "We will face it (the verdict) with stability and courage," Wa Lone said after the sentence was handed down in September. "The government can detain us in the prison but... Don't close the ears and eyes of the people," Kyaw Soe Oo said. Their personal ordeal has also moved many who have followed the case. Both men are fathers and Wa Lone's wife Pan Ei Mon gave birth to their first child shortly before he was convicted. One of the Time covers shared widely online features Pan Ei Mon and Kyaw Soe Oo's wife Chit Su Win holding photos of their imprisoned husbands. The magazine jointly honoured a number of journalists -- including the slain columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa and the workforce of the US newspaper Capital Gazette, five of whose staff were killed in a June shooting -- "for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths". The reporters' trial was widely regarded as a sham -- and punishment for reporting on the September 2017 massacre in Inn Din village led by Myanmar security forces. One whistleblowing police officer told the court his superior ordered a sting to entrap the reporters -- testimony the judge chose to ignore. Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remained defiant when pressed on the case, insisting that due process was followed. Her reaction further tarnished her image as a democracy icon overseas after she refused to speak up for the Rohingya during the crackdown. More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled over the border into refugee camps in Bangladesh, bringing with them horrific reports of widespread murder, torture, rape and arson. UN investigators have called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide and accused Suu Kyi and her government of complicity. Myanmar rejects almost all allegations, saying it was defending itself against Rohingya militants. But a court did convict soldiers accused of carrying out the Inn Din massacre to 10 years each.

'Thumbs up' pics for Myanmar Reuters reporters as they mark year in jail

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels.

"As many as 20 million Yemenis are food insecure in the world's worst humanitarian crisis," a joint statement by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the children's fund UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) said.

"Already 15.9 million people wake up hungry" in Yemen, it said, citing an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a food security survey.

According to the IPC -- whose analysis is necessary to decide whether to declare famine in countries -- the 20 million people facing "severe acute food insecurity" represent 67 percent of Yemen's population.

"What the IPC tells us is alarming," said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

WFP head David Beasley said the analysis "is an alarm bell that shows hunger is rising".

"We need a massive increase in aid and sustained access to all areas in Yemen in order to rescue millions of Yemenis. If we don't, we will lose an entire generation of children to hunger," he warned.

The world's worst humanitarian crisis spiralled in Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive to support the government against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in March 2015.&nbsp;

It has killed at least 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

The latest report comes as Yemeni government representatives and a rebel delegation were holding UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden.

The armed conflict was at the top of a list of the "key drivers of food insecurity", which has been further exacerbated by a protracted economic crisis in the impoverished Arab Peninsula country.

Yemen's finances have been devastated by the conflict, with the World Bank reporting the economy has contracted by around 50 percent since 2015.

Unemployment is running at over 30 percent and inflation is projected at around 42 percent, while the majority of state employees are not paid.

A slide in the value of the riyal also has caused food prices in the famine-threatened country to soar.

"A large proportion of the population, even in more stable areas, cannot access basic food commodities because food prices have jumped by 150 percent compared to pre-crisis levels," the statement said.

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels.

Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies said on Saturday, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels. "As many as 20 million Yemenis are food insecure in the world's worst humanitarian crisis," a joint statement by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the children's fund UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) said. "Already 15.9 million people wake up hungry" in Yemen, it said, citing an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a food security survey. According to the IPC -- whose analysis is necessary to decide whether to declare famine in countries -- the 20 million people facing "severe acute food insecurity" represent 67 percent of Yemen's population. "What the IPC tells us is alarming," said Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen. WFP head David Beasley said the analysis "is an alarm bell that shows hunger is rising". "We need a massive increase in aid and sustained access to all areas in Yemen in order to rescue millions of Yemenis. If we don't, we will lose an entire generation of children to hunger," he warned. The world's worst humanitarian crisis spiralled in Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive to support the government against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in March 2015. It has killed at least 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The latest report comes as Yemeni government representatives and a rebel delegation were holding UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. The armed conflict was at the top of a list of the "key drivers of food insecurity", which has been further exacerbated by a protracted economic crisis in the impoverished Arab Peninsula country. Yemen's finances have been devastated by the conflict, with the World Bank reporting the economy has contracted by around 50 percent since 2015. Unemployment is running at over 30 percent and inflation is projected at around 42 percent, while the majority of state employees are not paid. A slide in the value of the riyal also has caused food prices in the famine-threatened country to soar. "A large proportion of the population, even in more stable areas, cannot access basic food commodities because food prices have jumped by 150 percent compared to pre-crisis levels," the statement said.

Around 20 million Yemenis food insecure due to ongoing conflict: UN

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UN-backed peace talks set to begin in Sweden today

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster.

The nearly four-year-old conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and left millions facing starvation, pits the Iranian-aligned Houthi group against Yemeni forces backed by an Arab coalition loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Houthi team was escorted from the capital Sanaa, which was seized by the group in 2014, to Sweden by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths. Before boarding a Kuwaiti plane, one delegate praised him for delivering on confidence-building measures like the evacuation of wounded fighters and a prisoner swap deal.

"Griffiths was true to his word ... We are certain he has put in place a general framework for negotiations in order to proceed with the political process," Abdelmeguid Hanash told reporters.&nbsp;

Hadi`s government is expected to follow the Houthis, whose attendance was secured after the evacuation of 50 wounded Houthis for treatment in Oman on Monday. A previous round in September collapsed when the Houthis failed to appear.

The talks will be held in a renovated castle outside Stockholm to discuss further confidence-building steps and a transitional governing body, as the U.S. Senate is set to consider a resolution to end support for the coalition in the war.

Outrage over the October 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has intensified international scrutiny of Saudi activities in the region, potentially giving Western powers, which provide arms and intelligence to the coalition, more leverage to demand action.

Germany, Denmark and Sweden have suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi`s killing and the Yemen war. The United States halted refuelling support for coalition warplanes, whose air strikes have been blamed for many civilian deaths.

The Arab alliance intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi`s government, but has bogged down in military stalemate.

Residents in the port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war, were fearful of renewed fighting if the talks failed as each side fortified their positions in the Houthi-held Red Sea city after a period of reduced hostilities.

"The situation here does not make us optimistic that we will avoid war," said 51-year-old government employee Mohammed Taher.

SEVERE HUNGER

The conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, has left over 8 million Yemenis facing famine although the United Nations has warned this could rise to 14 million. Three-quarters of the population, or 22 million, rely on aid.

World Food Programme chief David Beasley said in Geneva that an upcoming food security report would show an increase in severe hunger rates in Yemen - where a child dies every 11 minutes - but not necessarily meet the criteria of famine.&nbsp;

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Yemen`s government will need billions of dollars in external support to fund core state functions, its 2019 budget and to avoid another currency collapse, in addition to $4 billion in aid.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that the Sweden talks are a "critical opportunity".

"A sustainable Yemeni-led political solution offers the best chance to ending the current crisis. A stable state, important for the region, cannot coexist with unlawful militias."

The talks, which will focus on reopening Sanaa airport, implementing a prisoner swap and securing a truce in Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen`s commercial goods and aid.

This would serve as a foundation for a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities.

The last available UN figure for the civilian death toll was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which tracks violence in Yemen, puts it at around 57,000 people.

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster.

A Houthi delegation arrived in Sweden on Tuesday for UN-sponsored Yemen peace talks, the first since 2016, as Western nations press for an end to the war and the United Nations warned of a looming economic disaster. The nearly four-year-old conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and left millions facing starvation, pits the Iranian-aligned Houthi group against Yemeni forces backed by an Arab coalition loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Houthi team was escorted from the capital Sanaa, which was seized by the group in 2014, to Sweden by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths. Before boarding a Kuwaiti plane, one delegate praised him for delivering on confidence-building measures like the evacuation of wounded fighters and a prisoner swap deal. "Griffiths was true to his word ... We are certain he has put in place a general framework for negotiations in order to proceed with the political process," Abdelmeguid Hanash told reporters. Hadi`s government is expected to follow the Houthis, whose attendance was secured after the evacuation of 50 wounded Houthis for treatment in Oman on Monday. A previous round in September collapsed when the Houthis failed to appear. The talks will be held in a renovated castle outside Stockholm to discuss further confidence-building steps and a transitional governing body, as the U.S. Senate is set to consider a resolution to end support for the coalition in the war. Outrage over the October 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has intensified international scrutiny of Saudi activities in the region, potentially giving Western powers, which provide arms and intelligence to the coalition, more leverage to demand action. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have suspended arms exports to Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi`s killing and the Yemen war. The United States halted refuelling support for coalition warplanes, whose air strikes have been blamed for many civilian deaths. The Arab alliance intervened in the war in 2015 to restore Hadi`s government, but has bogged down in military stalemate. Residents in the port of Hodeidah, now a focus of the war, were fearful of renewed fighting if the talks failed as each side fortified their positions in the Houthi-held Red Sea city after a period of reduced hostilities. "The situation here does not make us optimistic that we will avoid war," said 51-year-old government employee Mohammed Taher. SEVERE HUNGER The conflict, seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, has left over 8 million Yemenis facing famine although the United Nations has warned this could rise to 14 million. Three-quarters of the population, or 22 million, rely on aid. World Food Programme chief David Beasley said in Geneva that an upcoming food security report would show an increase in severe hunger rates in Yemen - where a child dies every 11 minutes - but not necessarily meet the criteria of famine. UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Yemen`s government will need billions of dollars in external support to fund core state functions, its 2019 budget and to avoid another currency collapse, in addition to $4 billion in aid. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that the Sweden talks are a "critical opportunity". "A sustainable Yemeni-led political solution offers the best chance to ending the current crisis. A stable state, important for the region, cannot coexist with unlawful militias." The talks, which will focus on reopening Sanaa airport, implementing a prisoner swap and securing a truce in Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemen`s commercial goods and aid. This would serve as a foundation for a wider ceasefire that would halt coalition air strikes and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities. The last available UN figure for the civilian death toll was in 2016 and stood at more than 10,000. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which tracks violence in Yemen, puts it at around 57,000 people.

Yemen's Houthis in Sweden for peace talks; UN warns of economic breakdown

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/act-now-or-risk-disaster-world-told-at-un-climate-summit-181034">Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit</a>

After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.&nbsp;

The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet.&nbsp;

UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">History </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">mein</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> zero </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">hain</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">aap</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath</a>

AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country.&nbsp;

Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-will-grant-kim-jong-uns-wishes-after-denuclearisation-south-korea-president-181032">Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president</a>

US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-link-to-rajiv-gandhis-assassination-claims-ltte-181030">'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE</a>

In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-doctors-hammer-australia-over-refugee-camps-181042">UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps</a>

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming. The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet. UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate. History mein zero hain aap: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country. Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana. Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit. As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader. 'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam. UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps. In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

Australia holds unauthorised migrants who try to reach the island continent by boat in "off-shore detention" -- part of a harsh policy designed to deter would-be asylum-seekers.

UNHCR's Catherine Stubberfield decried the policy as "sold too simplistically" and said changing it was now a matter of "basic human treatment and decency."

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) on Monday also threw its voice behind those calling for the government to change course.

Around 160 people remain on the island of Nauru -- including women and children -- and it is believed as many as 600 men are still in transition centres on Manus after the Australian-run camp there was closed late last year.

The minority government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has quietly agreed to transfer children off Nauru, but is under fierce pressure to close it completely.

Doctor and independent member of parliament Kerryn Phelps on Monday put forward legislation requiring the temporary transfer from Nauru or Manus of anyone assessed as needing medical treatment as well as the temporary transfer of all children and their families from Nauru.

Eyewitnesses -- including AFP journalists -- have reported a dire situation on Nauru, with families living under constant fear of loved ones committing suicide.

On Monday, Medecins Sans Frontieres also reported that almost a third of the people they had treated on Nauru before being expelled by the government in October had reported attempted suicide.

A dozen patients, the organisation said, had been diagnosed with "resignation syndrome" -- a condition that causes people to withdraw into themselves in an almost comatose state.

David Isaacs of the RACP, a paediatrician who treated children on Nauru in 2015, said access to medical care "must be determined by a doctor – not a politician".

"There is a medical crisis in offshore detention," said Isaacs. "It is a crisis that is entirely preventable. The government can act to end it."

Polls show that a large number of Australians would like to bring the remaining children off Nauru, but are split on whether the broader population should be brought to Australia.

The tough offshore detention policy is popular with Morrison's right-wing base, which he needs to shore up dwindling support in parliament ahead of national elections due to be held by May.

Morrison has argued the policy deters people smugglers and saves lives.

"There are more medical professionals on Nauru, than there are children," he claimed last month.&nbsp;

But the latest volley from the UNHCR will only add to the pressure.

"Australia retains responsibility for those it has relocated under so-called 'offshore processing'," warned Stubberfield.

She suggested the government policy was partly responsible for the death of 24-year-old Hamid Khazaei, who died of sepsis contracted on Manus Island.

"Had he been evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, Khazaei would have survived."

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps. In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus. Australia holds unauthorised migrants who try to reach the island continent by boat in "off-shore detention" -- part of a harsh policy designed to deter would-be asylum-seekers. UNHCR's Catherine Stubberfield decried the policy as "sold too simplistically" and said changing it was now a matter of "basic human treatment and decency." The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) on Monday also threw its voice behind those calling for the government to change course. Around 160 people remain on the island of Nauru -- including women and children -- and it is believed as many as 600 men are still in transition centres on Manus after the Australian-run camp there was closed late last year. The minority government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has quietly agreed to transfer children off Nauru, but is under fierce pressure to close it completely. Doctor and independent member of parliament Kerryn Phelps on Monday put forward legislation requiring the temporary transfer from Nauru or Manus of anyone assessed as needing medical treatment as well as the temporary transfer of all children and their families from Nauru. Eyewitnesses -- including AFP journalists -- have reported a dire situation on Nauru, with families living under constant fear of loved ones committing suicide. On Monday, Medecins Sans Frontieres also reported that almost a third of the people they had treated on Nauru before being expelled by the government in October had reported attempted suicide. A dozen patients, the organisation said, had been diagnosed with "resignation syndrome" -- a condition that causes people to withdraw into themselves in an almost comatose state. David Isaacs of the RACP, a paediatrician who treated children on Nauru in 2015, said access to medical care "must be determined by a doctor – not a politician". "There is a medical crisis in offshore detention," said Isaacs. "It is a crisis that is entirely preventable. The government can act to end it." Polls show that a large number of Australians would like to bring the remaining children off Nauru, but are split on whether the broader population should be brought to Australia. The tough offshore detention policy is popular with Morrison's right-wing base, which he needs to shore up dwindling support in parliament ahead of national elections due to be held by May. Morrison has argued the policy deters people smugglers and saves lives. "There are more medical professionals on Nauru, than there are children," he claimed last month. But the latest volley from the UNHCR will only add to the pressure. "Australia retains responsibility for those it has relocated under so-called 'offshore processing'," warned Stubberfield. She suggested the government policy was partly responsible for the death of 24-year-old Hamid Khazaei, who died of sepsis contracted on Manus Island. "Had he been evacuated to Australia within 24 hours of developing severe sepsis, Khazaei would have survived."

UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps

Afghanistan has a better chance of finding peace than it has for many years, with more coordination in international peace efforts and willingness to include all parties, the top UN humanitarian official in the country said on Friday.

Taliban leaders met US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad at their political headquarters in Qatar last week for the second time in the past month, and President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was in "very strong" peace negotiations.

The Taliban, who are waging a war to oust the Western-backed Afghan government and expel foreign forces from Afghanistan, have launched a series of high-profile attacks against Afghan security forces in recent weeks.

"There are new-found opportunities in Afghanistan and there are very well founded hopes for peace," UN resident coordinator Toby Lanzer told reporters in Geneva.&nbsp;

"It sounds like a paradox but there are better opportunities today than there have been in many, many, many years for Afghanistan to be at peace with itself and with its key neighbours."

He declined to go into detail, but said discussions would go on in the coming days, weeks and months.

"What I can tell you is there is more coordination amongst the international community than we’ve witnessed in recent times. And there is more openness in certain sectors of the international community to make sure that everyone is part of the conversation. And those are two very important changes."

The turning point came in February when the Afghan government said it was ready for talks without preconditions, and since then there had been as low but steady outreach to parties with a stake in what was going on in Afghanistan, as well as to the Taliban, he said.

But after 40 years of instability, tremendous progress would not come within months.

"And I think that while this happens there will be spoilers, and there will people who want to derail things," he said, adding that the Islamic State armed group had exerted itself more in 2018 than in 2017 and would have to be dealt with.

&nbsp;

Afghanistan has a better chance of finding peace than it has for many years, with more coordination in international peace efforts and willingness to include all parties, the top UN humanitarian official in the country said on Friday.

Afghanistan has a better chance of finding peace than it has for many years, with more coordination in international peace efforts and willingness to include all parties, the top UN humanitarian official in the country said on Friday. Taliban leaders met US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad at their political headquarters in Qatar last week for the second time in the past month, and President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States was in "very strong" peace negotiations. The Taliban, who are waging a war to oust the Western-backed Afghan government and expel foreign forces from Afghanistan, have launched a series of high-profile attacks against Afghan security forces in recent weeks. "There are new-found opportunities in Afghanistan and there are very well founded hopes for peace," UN resident coordinator Toby Lanzer told reporters in Geneva. "It sounds like a paradox but there are better opportunities today than there have been in many, many, many years for Afghanistan to be at peace with itself and with its key neighbours." He declined to go into detail, but said discussions would go on in the coming days, weeks and months. "What I can tell you is there is more coordination amongst the international community than we’ve witnessed in recent times. And there is more openness in certain sectors of the international community to make sure that everyone is part of the conversation. And those are two very important changes." The turning point came in February when the Afghan government said it was ready for talks without preconditions, and since then there had been as low but steady outreach to parties with a stake in what was going on in Afghanistan, as well as to the Taliban, he said. But after 40 years of instability, tremendous progress would not come within months. "And I think that while this happens there will be spoilers, and there will people who want to derail things," he said, adding that the Islamic State armed group had exerted itself more in 2018 than in 2017 and would have to be dealt with.

UN says hopes for peace in Afghanistan are well founded

At least 631 African migrants have died trying to reach Spain so far this year, nearly three times more than in all of 2017, and the situation has become "alarming", the UN migration agency said on Friday.

More than 120 migrants, from North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Spain each day during November, following a record month in October with over 350 per day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

"This is usually a time of slowing down on these routes, that is not happening in Spain," IOM spokesman Joel Millman told a news briefing.&nbsp;

Migrants are using smaller and less seaworthy boats, he said.

About two dozen migrants drowned off the coast of Cadiz in November, he said. The sole survivor of another shipwreck, a teenage boy from Guinea now in hospital with severe hypothermia, told rescuers that he was travelling with nine others including his brother in an inflatable row boat from Tangiers, Morocco.

The arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants into Europe has fuelled the rise of far-right parties across the continent in recent years, although numbers have fallen over the past three years. Many thousands of people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, have drowned at sea.

So far this year 104,506 migrants have arrived by sea in Europe and 2,075 have perished, according to the IOM`s latest figures. Both figures are about two-thirds of last year`s totals and around a quarter of the totals from 2016.

But while traffic on the main sea route from Libya to Italy has fallen sharply over the past year, in part due to agreements with Libyan armed groups to fight smuggling, travel has increased across the western Mediterranean to Spain.&nbsp;

The route from Turkey to Greece, used by more than a million asylum seekers in 2015, was largely shut by an EU agreement with Turkey the following year.&nbsp;

In addition to migrants arriving by sea in mainland Spain, Millman said 36 migrants had died trying to reach the Canary Islands this year, compared to just one last year, Millman said.&nbsp;

"So that is becoming also a dangerous channel for migrants seeking to access Europe through the Canary Islands," he said of the islands, which are a part of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean off the Moroccan coast.

At least 631 African migrants have died trying to reach Spain so far this year, nearly three times more than in all of 2017, and the situation has become "alarming", the UN migration agency said on Friday.

At least 631 African migrants have died trying to reach Spain so far this year, nearly three times more than in all of 2017, and the situation has become "alarming", the UN migration agency said on Friday. More than 120 migrants, from North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Spain each day during November, following a record month in October with over 350 per day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. "This is usually a time of slowing down on these routes, that is not happening in Spain," IOM spokesman Joel Millman told a news briefing. Migrants are using smaller and less seaworthy boats, he said. About two dozen migrants drowned off the coast of Cadiz in November, he said. The sole survivor of another shipwreck, a teenage boy from Guinea now in hospital with severe hypothermia, told rescuers that he was travelling with nine others including his brother in an inflatable row boat from Tangiers, Morocco. The arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants into Europe has fuelled the rise of far-right parties across the continent in recent years, although numbers have fallen over the past three years. Many thousands of people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, have drowned at sea. So far this year 104,506 migrants have arrived by sea in Europe and 2,075 have perished, according to the IOM`s latest figures. Both figures are about two-thirds of last year`s totals and around a quarter of the totals from 2016. But while traffic on the main sea route from Libya to Italy has fallen sharply over the past year, in part due to agreements with Libyan armed groups to fight smuggling, travel has increased across the western Mediterranean to Spain. The route from Turkey to Greece, used by more than a million asylum seekers in 2015, was largely shut by an EU agreement with Turkey the following year. In addition to migrants arriving by sea in mainland Spain, Millman said 36 migrants had died trying to reach the Canary Islands this year, compared to just one last year, Millman said. "So that is becoming also a dangerous channel for migrants seeking to access Europe through the Canary Islands," he said of the islands, which are a part of Spain located in the Atlantic Ocean off the Moroccan coast.

Migrants dying at sea off Spain triple toll of last year: UN

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks.

Martin Griffiths, who arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday, was in the Arabian Peninsula country to lay the groundwork for next month's negotiations in Sweden.

The British diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday was aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to stay calm ahead of the talks in Stockholm, the UN source said.

The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis would be at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, through which nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid pass.

Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy and his mission to hold discussions, but military officials have said that intermittent clashes continued to erupt in the Red Sea city of Hodeida.

Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, said the rebels were ready for peace.

"We support peace. We are ready for peace if that is what they (the Saudi-led coalition) want," he told reporters after meeting Griffiths on Thursday.

"I do not think anyone can doubt our desire for peace," he said, adding the envoy would hold talks with rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi before heading to Hodeida.

'Fully on board'

United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed on Wednesday peace discussions between the Huthis and the internationally-recognised government would take place early December.

He said Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates -- which is also a key member of the military coalition supporting the loyalists -- were "fully on board".

"It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognised government, President (Abedrabbo Mansour) Hadi's government, will be up there."

Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days.

The UN has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer.

The United States has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refuelling support for Saudi warplanes.

On Monday, Britain presented to the UN Security Council a draft resolution urging an immediate truce in Hodeida.

The draft, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, and seen by AFP, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid.

The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Huthis to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation.

It also calls for a large injection of foreign cash to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month.

UN peace efforts

Griffiths -- whose efforts at kickstarting peace talks in September collapsed -- is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war.

In September, a previous round of UN-led peace talks faltered when the Huthis refused to travel to Geneva, accusing the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman.

Previous talks broke down in 2016, when 108 days of negotiations in Kuwait failed to yield a deal and left rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months.

A UN panel of experts has accused both the Huthis and the Saudi-led coalition of acts that could amount to war crimes.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher.

The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation, and 18-19 million are "food insecure".

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks.

The United Nations envoy to Yemen will visit the rebel-held battleground port city of Hodeida this week, a UN source said Thursday, as he presses warring parties to uphold pledges to join peace talks. Martin Griffiths, who arrived in the rebel-held capital Sanaa on Wednesday, was in the Arabian Peninsula country to lay the groundwork for next month's negotiations in Sweden. The British diplomat's visit to Hodeida on Friday was aimed at encouraging Iran-aligned Huthi rebels and government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition to stay calm ahead of the talks in Stockholm, the UN source said. The conflict in Yemen, which escalated when the Saudi-led alliance intervened in 2015, has killed thousands and sparked what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. UN agencies say up to 14 million Yemenis would be at risk of starvation if fighting closes the port of Hodeida, through which nearly all of the country's imports and humanitarian aid pass. Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy and his mission to hold discussions, but military officials have said that intermittent clashes continued to erupt in the Red Sea city of Hodeida. Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, head of the rebels' Higher Revolutionary Committee and an influential political figure, said the rebels were ready for peace. "We support peace. We are ready for peace if that is what they (the Saudi-led coalition) want," he told reporters after meeting Griffiths on Thursday. "I do not think anyone can doubt our desire for peace," he said, adding the envoy would hold talks with rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi before heading to Hodeida. 'Fully on board' United States Defence Secretary Jim Mattis confirmed on Wednesday peace discussions between the Huthis and the internationally-recognised government would take place early December. He said Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates -- which is also a key member of the military coalition supporting the loyalists -- were "fully on board". "It looks like that very, very early in December, up in Sweden, we'll see both the Huthi rebel side and the UN-recognised government, President (Abedrabbo Mansour) Hadi's government, will be up there." Mattis last month made a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and urged warring parties to enter negotiations within the next 30 days. The UN has now pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. Mattis' latest comments came as the US State Department said talks must not be delayed any longer. The United States has been providing bombs and other weapons, as well as intelligence support, to the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi, but recently ended its refuelling support for Saudi warplanes. On Monday, Britain presented to the UN Security Council a draft resolution urging an immediate truce in Hodeida. The draft, circulated by Britain to the 14 other council members, and seen by AFP, sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Huthis to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. It also calls for a large injection of foreign cash to support Yemen's collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers, and health workers to be paid within a month. UN peace efforts Griffiths -- whose efforts at kickstarting peace talks in September collapsed -- is spearheading the biggest push in two years to end the war. In September, a previous round of UN-led peace talks faltered when the Huthis refused to travel to Geneva, accusing the world body of failing to guarantee their delegation's return to Sanaa or secure the evacuation of wounded rebels to Oman. Previous talks broke down in 2016, when 108 days of negotiations in Kuwait failed to yield a deal and left rebel delegates stranded in Oman for three months. A UN panel of experts has accused both the Huthis and the Saudi-led coalition of acts that could amount to war crimes. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though some rights groups estimate the toll could be five times higher. The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation, and 18-19 million are "food insecure".

UN Yemen envoy to visit battleground port ahead of peace talks

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP.

Britain circulated the draft to the 14 other council members after hearing a report on Friday from a UN envoy working to arrange peace talks in Sweden to end the nearly four-year war.

A vote on the measure has yet to be scheduled.

The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up the pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation.

The United Nations considers Yemen the world's biggest humanitarian crisis and has warned that without a stop to the fighting, the country will face one of the worst famines in decades.&nbsp;

The draft text calls "on the parties to introduce a cessation of hostilities in Hodeida governorate, to end all attacks on densely populated civilian areas across Yemen and to cease all missile and UAV attacks against regional countries and maritime areas."

The Red Sea port of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Huthis and is a key point of entry for aid and imports to Yemen, has seen heavy fighting over the past weeks.

The text calls on warring sides to "facilitate the unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential imports across the country, including by removing within two weeks of the adoption of this resolution, any bureaucratic impediments that could restrict such flows."&nbsp;

The truce would go into effect on the day of the adoption of the resolution.

Under the proposed measures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would report to the council within two weeks on the cessation of hostilities.&nbsp;

The council said it was ready to "consider further measures" to support a political solution the war, the draft said.

Salaries to be paid within a month

The measure calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central back to support the collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers to be paid within one month.

It supports a series of confidence-building measures aimed at paving the way to peace talks including the release of prisoners, the re-opening of the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa to commercial flights and strengthening the central bank.

The warring sides are urged to engage with UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who is due to travel to Sanaa this week to finalize arrangements for the peace talks that he hopes to convene soon.

Yemen's internationally recognised government said Monday it will take part in the talks, hours after the head of the Huthi rebel revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said he was ready to freeze military operations.

The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war in Yemen since March 2015 to push back the Huthis and restore to power Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognized by the United Nations.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran for the first time to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

&nbsp;

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP.

A UN draft resolution on Yemen presented to the Security Council on Monday calls for an immediate truce in the port city of Hodeida and sets a two-week deadline for the warring sides to remove all barriers to humanitarian aid, according to the draft seen by AFP. Britain circulated the draft to the 14 other council members after hearing a report on Friday from a UN envoy working to arrange peace talks in Sweden to end the nearly four-year war. A vote on the measure has yet to be scheduled. The proposed resolution would significantly ratchet up the pressure on the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Huthi rebels to seek a negotiated settlement in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation. The United Nations considers Yemen the world's biggest humanitarian crisis and has warned that without a stop to the fighting, the country will face one of the worst famines in decades. The draft text calls "on the parties to introduce a cessation of hostilities in Hodeida governorate, to end all attacks on densely populated civilian areas across Yemen and to cease all missile and UAV attacks against regional countries and maritime areas." The Red Sea port of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Huthis and is a key point of entry for aid and imports to Yemen, has seen heavy fighting over the past weeks. The text calls on warring sides to "facilitate the unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential imports across the country, including by removing within two weeks of the adoption of this resolution, any bureaucratic impediments that could restrict such flows." The truce would go into effect on the day of the adoption of the resolution. Under the proposed measures, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would report to the council within two weeks on the cessation of hostilities. The council said it was ready to "consider further measures" to support a political solution the war, the draft said. Salaries to be paid within a month The measure calls for a large injection of foreign currency into the economy through the central back to support the collapsing currency and for salaries of civil servants, teachers and health workers to be paid within one month. It supports a series of confidence-building measures aimed at paving the way to peace talks including the release of prisoners, the re-opening of the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa to commercial flights and strengthening the central bank. The warring sides are urged to engage with UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who is due to travel to Sanaa this week to finalize arrangements for the peace talks that he hopes to convene soon. Yemen's internationally recognised government said Monday it will take part in the talks, hours after the head of the Huthi rebel revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said he was ready to freeze military operations. The Saudi-led coalition has been waging a war in Yemen since March 2015 to push back the Huthis and restore to power Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognized by the United Nations. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt arrived Monday in Iran for the first time to discuss Tehran's role in Yemen, meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

UN draft resolution calls for Yemen truce, two weeks to unblock aid

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements.

Some 120,000 Rohingya have languished in displacement camps near Rakhine's capital, Sittwe, since riots in 2012.&nbsp;

Their movement, access to healthcare, work and education is severely restricted in conditions decried as amounting to apartheid by Amnesty International.

Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown to Bangladesh refuse to return to Rakhine without equal rights, citizenship and safety - fearing similiar long-term confinement if they do.

Villagers told AFP that four Rohingya were shot and wounded as Myanmar police entered the Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state's Pauktaw township Sunday morning.

In an emailed statement Knut Ostby, head of the UN office in Myanmar, called for "calm, non-violence and restraint" in an area which can be accessed only with official permission -- but is believed to suffer from some of the worst conditions in the displacement camps.

One witness said that officers were trying to arrest two Rohingya suspected of links with a boat carrying 106 Rohingya that was found last week off the coast of Myanmar's biggest city Yangon.

The discovery fuelled speculation of a fresh exodus of Rohingya by boat.

The group, who told reporters they were trying to reach Malaysia, were taken back to Rakhine on Sunday by Myanmar's navy.

Noor Hakim, an Ah Nauk Ye resident, told AFP that the trouble started on Sunday soon after 20 police arrived and crowds gathered.&nbsp;

"I am not sure where the police shot but four people got injured and among them, one seriously," he said.

He added that one of the wounded was sent to Sittwe hospital.

Another man told AFP his son was hit on the left thigh.

Police in Sittwe declined to comment.

More than 4,000 people live in Ah Nauk Ye.&nbsp;

The NGO Solidarites International described it last year as a "natural environment unsuitable to human settlement", citing water shortages, hostile host communities, lack of proper shelter and toilets.

For years Rohingya have fled persecution in Myanmar by boat, usually starting around this time of year when the monsoon season ends.&nbsp;

But a crackdown on sea trafficking in 2015 closed the route.

The 720,000 Rohingya living in crowded camps in Bangladesh were last week supposed to begin the complex and controversial process of returning to Myanmar.

But they did not leave Bangladesh after an outcry that conditions in northern Rakhine were still dangerous.

The UN says Myanmar's generals should be prosecuted for genocide in connection with the army campaign that expelled the Rohingya.

Myanmar has denied almost all claims of abuse and says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements.

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements. Some 120,000 Rohingya have languished in displacement camps near Rakhine's capital, Sittwe, since riots in 2012. Their movement, access to healthcare, work and education is severely restricted in conditions decried as amounting to apartheid by Amnesty International. Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown to Bangladesh refuse to return to Rakhine without equal rights, citizenship and safety - fearing similiar long-term confinement if they do. Villagers told AFP that four Rohingya were shot and wounded as Myanmar police entered the Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state's Pauktaw township Sunday morning. In an emailed statement Knut Ostby, head of the UN office in Myanmar, called for "calm, non-violence and restraint" in an area which can be accessed only with official permission -- but is believed to suffer from some of the worst conditions in the displacement camps. One witness said that officers were trying to arrest two Rohingya suspected of links with a boat carrying 106 Rohingya that was found last week off the coast of Myanmar's biggest city Yangon. The discovery fuelled speculation of a fresh exodus of Rohingya by boat. The group, who told reporters they were trying to reach Malaysia, were taken back to Rakhine on Sunday by Myanmar's navy. Noor Hakim, an Ah Nauk Ye resident, told AFP that the trouble started on Sunday soon after 20 police arrived and crowds gathered. "I am not sure where the police shot but four people got injured and among them, one seriously," he said. He added that one of the wounded was sent to Sittwe hospital. Another man told AFP his son was hit on the left thigh. Police in Sittwe declined to comment. More than 4,000 people live in Ah Nauk Ye. The NGO Solidarites International described it last year as a "natural environment unsuitable to human settlement", citing water shortages, hostile host communities, lack of proper shelter and toilets. For years Rohingya have fled persecution in Myanmar by boat, usually starting around this time of year when the monsoon season ends. But a crackdown on sea trafficking in 2015 closed the route. The 720,000 Rohingya living in crowded camps in Bangladesh were last week supposed to begin the complex and controversial process of returning to Myanmar. But they did not leave Bangladesh after an outcry that conditions in northern Rakhine were still dangerous. The UN says Myanmar's generals should be prosecuted for genocide in connection with the army campaign that expelled the Rohingya. Myanmar has denied almost all claims of abuse and says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

UN calls for calm after shots fired in Rohingya camp in Myanmar

A peacekeeper died after an attack on a UN base in the volatile Central African Republic (CAR) and a priest was burnt to death, the UN and Catholic Church said Saturday after sectarian clashes claimed nearly 40 lives.

The soldier died in hospital late Friday of injuries sustained in the raid on a military base in Gbambia in the country's west, the UN mission MINUSCA said.&nbsp;

The attack, which started at about 2000 GMT, lasted for some 45 minutes and sent residents fleeing into the bush, the UN said.

An armed group called Siriri, created this year by Fulani cattle herders, operates in the area. Led by a man named Ardo Abba, its purported aim is to thwart attacks by cattle rustlers.

The UN said the group had attacked Gbambia in mid-June. A Tanzanian UN peacekeeper died the same month after Siriri staged an ambush in the region. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the charred body of a priest has been recovered in the central town of Alindao, where sectarian clashes have claimed at least 37 lives this week, the Catholic Church said Saturday.

"We found his charred body," Father Mathieu Bondobo, the vicar-general of the main cathedral in the capital Bangui told AFP.

The UN on Friday said 37 deaths were confirmed in Alindao -- including another priest -- while some 20,000 people were affected by the violence. "Thousands" were forced to flee.

The bloodbath began on Thursday when Christian militiamen killed Muslims, prompting revenge attacks.&nbsp;

A church was burnt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alindao is&nbsp;a stronghold of the Union for Peace in CAR (UPC) Muslim&nbsp;militia. It has witnessed chronic fighting in recent months that has also killed two UN soldiers and a humanitarian aid worker.

"This vicious cycle of repeated attacks against civilians is unacceptable. Civilians want security, peace and a future," said Najat Rochdi, UN humanitarian coordinator in the CAR.

One of the world's poorest nations despite a rich supply of diamonds and uranium, the CAR has struggled to recover from a 2013 civil war that erupted when President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels.

In response, Christians, who account for about 80 percent of the population, organised vigilante units dubbed "anti-balaka".

Alindao lies on a critical route traversing the south and east of the country and is in the heart of a region with numerous gold and diamond mines that have helped fuel the conflict.&nbsp;

In September, the UN warned of a "disastrous" humanitarian situation in the region, which it said was under the control of armed groups.&nbsp;

The government controls only a small part of CAR's national territory. Armed groups clash in the provinces for control of resources, including diamonds, gold and livestock.

The UN has about 12,500 personnel deployed in Central Africa as part of its MINUSCA mission, one of the world body's largest peacekeeping forces.

The UN Security Council voted Thursday to temporarily renew the mandate of the mission until December, amid heated debates about its ability to stem the unrest.&nbsp;

A peacekeeper died after an attack on a UN base in the volatile Central African Republic (CAR) and a priest was burnt to death, the UN and Catholic Church said Saturday after sectarian clashes claimed nearly 40 lives.

A peacekeeper died after an attack on a UN base in the volatile Central African Republic (CAR) and a priest was burnt to death, the UN and Catholic Church said Saturday after sectarian clashes claimed nearly 40 lives. The soldier died in hospital late Friday of injuries sustained in the raid on a military base in Gbambia in the country's west, the UN mission MINUSCA said. The attack, which started at about 2000 GMT, lasted for some 45 minutes and sent residents fleeing into the bush, the UN said. An armed group called Siriri, created this year by Fulani cattle herders, operates in the area. Led by a man named Ardo Abba, its purported aim is to thwart attacks by cattle rustlers. The UN said the group had attacked Gbambia in mid-June. A Tanzanian UN peacekeeper died the same month after Siriri staged an ambush in the region. Meanwhile, the charred body of a priest has been recovered in the central town of Alindao, where sectarian clashes have claimed at least 37 lives this week, the Catholic Church said Saturday. "We found his charred body," Father Mathieu Bondobo, the vicar-general of the main cathedral in the capital Bangui told AFP. The UN on Friday said 37 deaths were confirmed in Alindao -- including another priest -- while some 20,000 people were affected by the violence. "Thousands" were forced to flee. The bloodbath began on Thursday when Christian militiamen killed Muslims, prompting revenge attacks. A church was burnt. Alindao is a stronghold of the Union for Peace in CAR (UPC) Muslim militia. It has witnessed chronic fighting in recent months that has also killed two UN soldiers and a humanitarian aid worker. "This vicious cycle of repeated attacks against civilians is unacceptable. Civilians want security, peace and a future," said Najat Rochdi, UN humanitarian coordinator in the CAR. One of the world's poorest nations despite a rich supply of diamonds and uranium, the CAR has struggled to recover from a 2013 civil war that erupted when President Francois Bozize, a Christian, was overthrown by mainly Muslim Seleka rebels. In response, Christians, who account for about 80 percent of the population, organised vigilante units dubbed "anti-balaka". Alindao lies on a critical route traversing the south and east of the country and is in the heart of a region with numerous gold and diamond mines that have helped fuel the conflict. In September, the UN warned of a "disastrous" humanitarian situation in the region, which it said was under the control of armed groups. The government controls only a small part of CAR's national territory. Armed groups clash in the provinces for control of resources, including diamonds, gold and livestock. The UN has about 12,500 personnel deployed in Central Africa as part of its MINUSCA mission, one of the world body's largest peacekeeping forces. The UN Security Council voted Thursday to temporarily renew the mandate of the mission until December, amid heated debates about its ability to stem the unrest.

Peacekeeper killed in restive Central Africa's west: UN

The United States said it would oppose on Friday for the first time an annual resolution at the United Nations calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials.

The Golan Heights form a buffer between Israel and Syria of about 1,200 square km (460 square miles). Israel captured most of it from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the territory in 1981, a move not recognised internationally.&nbsp;

The United States has abstained in previous years on the annual "Occupied Syrian Golan" resolution, which declares Israel`s decision to impose its jurisdiction in the area "null and void", but Washington's UN envoy Nikki Haley said it would vote against the resolution in Friday`s vote.

"The United States will no longer abstain when the United Nations engages in its useless annual vote on the Golan Heights," she said in a statement on Thursday.

"The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone."

Her comments came after the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said in September that he expected Israel to keep the Golan Heights in perpetuity, in an apparent nod towards its claim of sovereignty over the territory.

Since early in Donald Trump's presidency, Israel has lobbied for formal US endorsement of its control of the Golan. Trump has recognised Jerusalem as Israel`s capital, breaking with other world powers, though his national security adviser John Bolton told Reuters in August a similar Golan move was not under discussion.

In the past two years, Trump has twice ordered US-led air strikes against targets in Syria in response to what Washington called the use of chemical weapons against civilians by President Bashar al-Assad`s forces.

Israeli officials praised the US move.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called it "extremely important", saying on Twitter that "no sane person can believe that it (the Golan) should be given to Assad &amp; Iran".

Tehran has supported Assad during the civil war and Israel has been warning against Iranian military entrenchment in Syria.

Israel has closely monitored the fighting in Syria, where just across the Golan frontier battles have raged in clear view.

The United States said it would oppose on Friday for the first time an annual resolution at the United Nations calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials.

The United States said it would oppose on Friday for the first time an annual resolution at the United Nations calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials. The Golan Heights form a buffer between Israel and Syria of about 1,200 square km (460 square miles). Israel captured most of it from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the territory in 1981, a move not recognised internationally. The United States has abstained in previous years on the annual "Occupied Syrian Golan" resolution, which declares Israel`s decision to impose its jurisdiction in the area "null and void", but Washington's UN envoy Nikki Haley said it would vote against the resolution in Friday`s vote. "The United States will no longer abstain when the United Nations engages in its useless annual vote on the Golan Heights," she said in a statement on Thursday. "The resolution is plainly biased against Israel. Further, the atrocities the Syrian regime continues to commit prove its lack of fitness to govern anyone." Her comments came after the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said in September that he expected Israel to keep the Golan Heights in perpetuity, in an apparent nod towards its claim of sovereignty over the territory. Since early in Donald Trump's presidency, Israel has lobbied for formal US endorsement of its control of the Golan. Trump has recognised Jerusalem as Israel`s capital, breaking with other world powers, though his national security adviser John Bolton told Reuters in August a similar Golan move was not under discussion. In the past two years, Trump has twice ordered US-led air strikes against targets in Syria in response to what Washington called the use of chemical weapons against civilians by President Bashar al-Assad`s forces. Israeli officials praised the US move. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan called it "extremely important", saying on Twitter that "no sane person can believe that it (the Golan) should be given to Assad & Iran". Tehran has supported Assad during the civil war and Israel has been warning against Iranian military entrenchment in Syria. Israel has closely monitored the fighting in Syria, where just across the Golan frontier battles have raged in clear view.

US to oppose UN Golan resolution, wins Israeli praise

Khashoggi's murder: UN calls for impartial probe

The Taliban's campaign of violence and intimidation during last month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan was the deadliest for civilians in years, a report by the United Nations mission in the country has said.

The report titled 2018 "Elections Violence', issued Tuesday, shows that on October 20 and over the following days when delayed polling took place, the UN recorded 435 civilian casualties&nbsp;56 killed and 379 injured.

Almost nine in 10 casualties happened on October 20 itself, making it the election day with the highest number of civilians killed and injured since the UN began its systematic documentation of civilian casualties in 2009.&nbsp;

Shortly before the polling centres opened on that day, the Taliban stated on Twitter that all election sites in the country would be under attack, cautioning citizens not to get involved in the elections process.&nbsp;

Following the opening of the polling centres, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) began receiving reports of attacks targeting polling centres, with the intensity of the attacks increasing throughout the day.

The report notes that, according to the Independent Election Commission, of the approximately 8.8 million Afghans registered to vote, only 4.2 million cast a ballot, showing that large numbers were unwilling or unable to do so.

"Those who made efforts to vote," the report said, "did so in defiance of an orchestrated campaign of abductions, threats, intimidation and harassment of voters and election workers carried out by the Taliban in the weeks and months leading up to the elections".

"These incidents, taken together with a series of public statements made by the Taliban on the elections, reveal a deliberate campaign intended to disrupt and undermine the electoral process, and deprive Afghan citizens of their right to freely participate in the political process without fear."

The report documents the numerous attacks by non-State armed groups, mainly the Taliban, in populated civilian areas, including attacks against schools, clinics and mosques used as polling centres.&nbsp;

These attacks were mainly carried out using rockets, grenades and mortars, as well as improvised explosive devices. Shooting during ground fighting also occurred.

More than 100 children and over 50 women were killed or injured in the violence.&nbsp;

Overall, this is the highest level of election-related civilian harm compared to the four previous elections held in the country, especially when factoring in the casualties counted in the earlier months, since voter registration in April and throughout the campaigning period.

"The Taliban's actions forced many ordinary Afghans to choose between exercising their right to participate in the political process and risking their own safety," UNAMA said, noting that unreasonably restricting someone's right to take part in public affairs is a human rights violation.

The Taliban's campaign of violence and intimidation during last month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan was the deadliest for civilians in years, a report by the United Nations mission in the country has said.

The Taliban's campaign of violence and intimidation during last month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan was the deadliest for civilians in years, a report by the United Nations mission in the country has said. The report titled 2018 "Elections Violence', issued Tuesday, shows that on October 20 and over the following days when delayed polling took place, the UN recorded 435 civilian casualties 56 killed and 379 injured. Almost nine in 10 casualties happened on October 20 itself, making it the election day with the highest number of civilians killed and injured since the UN began its systematic documentation of civilian casualties in 2009. Shortly before the polling centres opened on that day, the Taliban stated on Twitter that all election sites in the country would be under attack, cautioning citizens not to get involved in the elections process. Following the opening of the polling centres, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) began receiving reports of attacks targeting polling centres, with the intensity of the attacks increasing throughout the day. The report notes that, according to the Independent Election Commission, of the approximately 8.8 million Afghans registered to vote, only 4.2 million cast a ballot, showing that large numbers were unwilling or unable to do so. "Those who made efforts to vote," the report said, "did so in defiance of an orchestrated campaign of abductions, threats, intimidation and harassment of voters and election workers carried out by the Taliban in the weeks and months leading up to the elections". "These incidents, taken together with a series of public statements made by the Taliban on the elections, reveal a deliberate campaign intended to disrupt and undermine the electoral process, and deprive Afghan citizens of their right to freely participate in the political process without fear." The report documents the numerous attacks by non-State armed groups, mainly the Taliban, in populated civilian areas, including attacks against schools, clinics and mosques used as polling centres. These attacks were mainly carried out using rockets, grenades and mortars, as well as improvised explosive devices. Shooting during ground fighting also occurred. More than 100 children and over 50 women were killed or injured in the violence. Overall, this is the highest level of election-related civilian harm compared to the four previous elections held in the country, especially when factoring in the casualties counted in the earlier months, since voter registration in April and throughout the campaigning period. "The Taliban's actions forced many ordinary Afghans to choose between exercising their right to participate in the political process and risking their own safety," UNAMA said, noting that unreasonably restricting someone's right to take part in public affairs is a human rights violation.

Taliban-led violence during recent Afghan polls leaves record high numbers of civilians dead: UN

The United Nations on Tuesday denied that it had forced the Pakistani lawyer of a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy to leave the country.

Saif-ul-Malook fled to the Netherlands from Pakistan after violence erupted over the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of Asia Bibi who was on death row.

"The UN in Pakistan extended its assistance to Mr. Malook at his request and did not force him to leave the country against his wishes, nor can the UN force someone to leave Pakistan against his or her will," said UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko.

At a news conference in The Hague on Monday, the lawyer said he was "put on a plane against my wishes" even though he had refused to leave the country without ensuring that his client was out of prison.

Malook said he contacted a UN official in Islamabad after the outbreak of clashes.

"And then they (the UN) and the European nation ambassadors in Islamabad, they kept me for three days and then put me on a plane against my wishes," he said.

Asia Bibi spent nearly a decade on death row after being accused of blasphemy following a dispute with fellow villagers over drinking from the same bowl of water. The charge is an inflammatory one in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

But she remains in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan struck a deal with the Islamist hardliners behind the protests to bar her from leaving until a final court appeal is heard.

The lawyer had previously told AFP before his departure on Saturday that he was leaving because "in the current scenario, it's not possible for me to live in Pakistan".&nbsp;

The United Nations on Tuesday denied that it had forced the Pakistani lawyer of a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy to leave the country. Saif-ul-Malook fled to the Netherlands from Pakistan after violence erupted over the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of Asia Bibi who was on death row.

The United Nations on Tuesday denied that it had forced the Pakistani lawyer of a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy to leave the country. Saif-ul-Malook fled to the Netherlands from Pakistan after violence erupted over the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of Asia Bibi who was on death row. "The UN in Pakistan extended its assistance to Mr. Malook at his request and did not force him to leave the country against his wishes, nor can the UN force someone to leave Pakistan against his or her will," said UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko. At a news conference in The Hague on Monday, the lawyer said he was "put on a plane against my wishes" even though he had refused to leave the country without ensuring that his client was out of prison. Malook said he contacted a UN official in Islamabad after the outbreak of clashes. "And then they (the UN) and the European nation ambassadors in Islamabad, they kept me for three days and then put me on a plane against my wishes," he said. Asia Bibi spent nearly a decade on death row after being accused of blasphemy following a dispute with fellow villagers over drinking from the same bowl of water. The charge is an inflammatory one in Muslim-majority Pakistan. But she remains in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan struck a deal with the Islamist hardliners behind the protests to bar her from leaving until a final court appeal is heard. The lawyer had previously told AFP before his departure on Saturday that he was leaving because "in the current scenario, it's not possible for me to live in Pakistan".

UN denies forcing Asia Bibi's lawyer to leave for Netherlands

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday.

"Intense fighting in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida is now dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital -- putting the lives of 59 children, including 25 in the intensive care unit, at imminent risk of death," UNICEF said in a statement.

Government troops and rebels have been clashing for five days near the Red Sea port city, which is crucial for humanitarian aid and where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in.

The fighting between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, has killed more than 150 combatants.

UNICEF reported that medical staff and patients in the hospital in southern Hodeida city, just 500 metres from the port, heard heavy bombing and gunfire. "Access to and from the hospital, the only functioning one in the area, is now imperilled," it said.

Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

The Saudi-led alliance, which includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 on the side of the government and has since retaken most of the country's ports.

But Hodeida is particularly sensitive as it is the conduit for the vast majority of imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN.

"The toll in lives could be catastrophic if the port is damaged, destroyed or blocked," UNICEF said Tuesday.&nbsp;

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday.

The battle for a crucial Yemeni port has placed the lives of dozens of children in danger at a hospital perilously close to the fighting, the United Nations' children's agency said Tuesday. "Intense fighting in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida is now dangerously close to Al-Thawra hospital -- putting the lives of 59 children, including 25 in the intensive care unit, at imminent risk of death," UNICEF said in a statement. Government troops and rebels have been clashing for five days near the Red Sea port city, which is crucial for humanitarian aid and where hundreds of thousands of civilians could be trapped as war closes in. The fighting between Iran-linked Huthi rebels and the army, allied with a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, has killed more than 150 combatants. UNICEF reported that medical staff and patients in the hospital in southern Hodeida city, just 500 metres from the port, heard heavy bombing and gunfire. "Access to and from the hospital, the only functioning one in the area, is now imperilled," it said. Hodeida is one of the last Huthi strongholds on Yemen's western coastline. The rebels seized the port, along with the capital Sanaa, in 2014. The Saudi-led alliance, which includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened in 2015 on the side of the government and has since retaken most of the country's ports. But Hodeida is particularly sensitive as it is the conduit for the vast majority of imports to Yemen, where famine looms over 14 million people and a child dies every 10 minutes, according to the UN. "The toll in lives could be catastrophic if the port is damaged, destroyed or blocked," UNICEF said Tuesday.

Yemen port battle threatens 59 children in hospital: UN

The Pakistani lawyer who saved a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy from death row said Monday that the UN and EU made him leave the country "against my wishes" because his life was at risk.

Saif-ul-Malook, who has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/pakistan/asia-bibis-lawyer-flees-to-the-netherlands-facing-threat-to-life-in-pakistan-175708">fled to the Netherlands</a>, said he contacted a United Nations official in Islamabad after Islamist violence erupted following the Pakistani Supreme Court's acquittal of Asia Bibi on Wednesday.

"And then they (the UN) and the European nation ambassadors in Islamabad, they kept me for three days and then put me on a plane against my wishes," the lawyer told a press conference in The Hague.

"I pressed them that I would not leave the country unless I get Asia out of the prison... I am not happy to be here without her but, but everybody said that you are the prime target at the moment and the whole world is taking care of Asia Bibi.

"They were of the view that I was the prime target to be killed, and that my life was in imminent danger. For three days they did not let me open the door, one day I called the French ambassador and said I do not want to be here."&nbsp;

The lawyer had previously told AFP before his departure on Saturday that he was leaving because "in the current scenario, it's not possible for me to live in Pakistan".

Saif-ul-Malook arrived in The Hague at the weekend after a short stopover in Rome, with the help of the HVC Foundation, a Dutch group that focuses on the human rights of Christian minorities.

Asia Bibi spent nearly a decade on death row after being accused of blasphemy after a dispute with fellow villagers. The charge is an inflammatory one in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

But she remains in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan struck a deal with with the Islamist hardliners behind the protests.

Saif-ul-Malook dismissed the deal as a "face-saving" exercise for the hardliners from the Tehreek-e-Labaik party and insisted that Asia Bibi would "100 per cent" be freed soon.

"This compromise is nothing but a piece of paper that can be thrown in the dustbin," he said.

It was not clear whether Bibi had had any firm offers of asylum if she does leave Pakistan, added the lawyer, who said he was "legally authorised" to choose a country for her.

The lawyer said a UN official in Pakistan told him "we are taking care of her" but that "when I said which country, they said we can't say.

"I asked the French ambassador 'would your country be willing to offer asylum to Asia Bibi. He said if you request us legally, I said 'OK I request her'."&nbsp;

The Pakistani lawyer who saved a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy from death row said Monday that the UN and EU made him leave the country "against my wishes" because his life was at risk.

The Pakistani lawyer who saved a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy from death row said Monday that the UN and EU made him leave the country "against my wishes" because his life was at risk. Saif-ul-Malook, who has fled to the Netherlands, said he contacted a United Nations official in Islamabad after Islamist violence erupted following the Pakistani Supreme Court's acquittal of Asia Bibi on Wednesday. "And then they (the UN) and the European nation ambassadors in Islamabad, they kept me for three days and then put me on a plane against my wishes," the lawyer told a press conference in The Hague. "I pressed them that I would not leave the country unless I get Asia out of the prison... I am not happy to be here without her but, but everybody said that you are the prime target at the moment and the whole world is taking care of Asia Bibi. "They were of the view that I was the prime target to be killed, and that my life was in imminent danger. For three days they did not let me open the door, one day I called the French ambassador and said I do not want to be here." The lawyer had previously told AFP before his departure on Saturday that he was leaving because "in the current scenario, it's not possible for me to live in Pakistan". Saif-ul-Malook arrived in The Hague at the weekend after a short stopover in Rome, with the help of the HVC Foundation, a Dutch group that focuses on the human rights of Christian minorities. Asia Bibi spent nearly a decade on death row after being accused of blasphemy after a dispute with fellow villagers. The charge is an inflammatory one in Muslim-majority Pakistan. But she remains in Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan struck a deal with with the Islamist hardliners behind the protests. Saif-ul-Malook dismissed the deal as a "face-saving" exercise for the hardliners from the Tehreek-e-Labaik party and insisted that Asia Bibi would "100 per cent" be freed soon. "This compromise is nothing but a piece of paper that can be thrown in the dustbin," he said. It was not clear whether Bibi had had any firm offers of asylum if she does leave Pakistan, added the lawyer, who said he was "legally authorised" to choose a country for her. The lawyer said a UN official in Pakistan told him "we are taking care of her" but that "when I said which country, they said we can't say. "I asked the French ambassador 'would your country be willing to offer asylum to Asia Bibi. He said if you request us legally, I said 'OK I request her'."

Not happy to be here without Asia Bibi, her lawyer says in the Netherlands

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern over the ongoing political crisis in Sri Lanka, urging President Maithripala Sirisena to revert to parliamentary procedures and allow Parliament to vote "as soon as possible".

The political turmoil began after Sirisena sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and installed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place in a dramatic turn of events last week.

The UN chief spoke to Sirisena over phone on November 1 and informed him that he was following the latest developments in the island country with concern, his office here said on Friday.

Guterres "offered assistance in facilitating a dialogue with all the parties to resolve the situation," it said.

He highlighted the Sri Lankan government's responsibility to ensure peace, security and respect for the rule of law.

"The Secretary-General urged the President to revert to parliamentary procedures and allow Parliament to vote as soon as possible.

"He encouraged the government to uphold its earlier commitments to human rights, justice and reconciliation, in line with Human Rights Council resolutions," the readout said.

Amid the ongoing political tension, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer has met Sirisena and Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, delivering Guterres' message for the need to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions.

On Friday, Jayasuriya said Sirisena has agreed to summon Parliament on November 7.

There was confusion since Thursday on the date when the parliamentary deadlock would end as Sirisena had suspended the sittings until November 16.

Sirisena, after replacing Wickremesinghe with Rajapaksa, had suspended Parliament after the sacked premier sought an emergency session to prove his majority.

Wickremesinghe has refused to accept his dismissal, claiming to be the country's legitimate premier. He argues that he cannot legally be removed until he loses the support of Parliament.

Prior to the crisis, Wickramasinghe's UNP had the backing of 106 parliamentarians while Rajapaksa and Sirisena combine had 95 seats.

A lawmaker from the main Tamil party defected to the Rajapaksa side and was made a minister on Friday.

Rajapaksa claims he now has enough numbers to prove his majority and at least five of Wickremasinghe's men have defected to his side.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern over the ongoing political crisis in Sri Lanka, urging President Maithripala Sirisena to revert to parliamentary procedures and allow Parliament to vote "as soon as possible".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern over the ongoing political crisis in Sri Lanka, urging President Maithripala Sirisena to revert to parliamentary procedures and allow Parliament to vote "as soon as possible". The political turmoil began after Sirisena sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and installed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place in a dramatic turn of events last week. The UN chief spoke to Sirisena over phone on November 1 and informed him that he was following the latest developments in the island country with concern, his office here said on Friday. Guterres "offered assistance in facilitating a dialogue with all the parties to resolve the situation," it said. He highlighted the Sri Lankan government's responsibility to ensure peace, security and respect for the rule of law. "The Secretary-General urged the President to revert to parliamentary procedures and allow Parliament to vote as soon as possible. "He encouraged the government to uphold its earlier commitments to human rights, justice and reconciliation, in line with Human Rights Council resolutions," the readout said. Amid the ongoing political tension, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer has met Sirisena and Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, delivering Guterres' message for the need to respect democratic values and constitutional provisions. On Friday, Jayasuriya said Sirisena has agreed to summon Parliament on November 7. There was confusion since Thursday on the date when the parliamentary deadlock would end as Sirisena had suspended the sittings until November 16. Sirisena, after replacing Wickremesinghe with Rajapaksa, had suspended Parliament after the sacked premier sought an emergency session to prove his majority. Wickremesinghe has refused to accept his dismissal, claiming to be the country's legitimate premier. He argues that he cannot legally be removed until he loses the support of Parliament. Prior to the crisis, Wickramasinghe's UNP had the backing of 106 parliamentarians while Rajapaksa and Sirisena combine had 95 seats. A lawmaker from the main Tamil party defected to the Rajapaksa side and was made a minister on Friday. Rajapaksa claims he now has enough numbers to prove his majority and at least five of Wickremasinghe's men have defected to his side.

UN chief urges Lankan president to allow vote in Parliament 'as soon as possible'

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