The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on Tuesday (October 30) to begin by November the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape a Myanmar army crackdown.

Necessary safeguards are absent in the region, where access is limited amid continuing restrictions for media and other independent observers, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman, Andrej Mahecic said.

"We basically have advised that the returns should not be rushed or premature. We would advise against setting any timetable or any target number for the repatriation. It is very important to understand that the repatriation needs to be a free and voluntary choice of refugees", he said.

He added that UNHCR has completed the second phase of assessment in northern Rakhine state, but its access remains "limited".

Rohingya and other Muslims in the three townships suffer hardship and economic vulnerability due to restrictions on their movement and the prevailing sentiment is "fear and mistrust", he said.

Rohingya are still crossing the border into Bangladesh, with nearly 14,000 arriving this year, according to UNHCR.

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary.

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on Tuesday (October 30) to begin by November the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape a Myanmar army crackdown. Necessary safeguards are absent in the region, where access is limited amid continuing restrictions for media and other independent observers, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman, Andrej Mahecic said. "We basically have advised that the returns should not be rushed or premature. We would advise against setting any timetable or any target number for the repatriation. It is very important to understand that the repatriation needs to be a free and voluntary choice of refugees", he said. He added that UNHCR has completed the second phase of assessment in northern Rakhine state, but its access remains "limited". Rohingya and other Muslims in the three townships suffer hardship and economic vulnerability due to restrictions on their movement and the prevailing sentiment is "fear and mistrust", he said. Rohingya are still crossing the border into Bangladesh, with nearly 14,000 arriving this year, according to UNHCR.

Conditions for Rohingya to return to Myanmar are not conducive: United Nations

Sexual violence and abductions continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations which disproportionately affect women, India has said as it asked the UN Security Council to sanction individuals and entities involved in gender-based violence.&nbsp;

The remarks by Paulomi Tripathi, First Secretary in the India's Permanent Mission here, came after UN chief Antonio Guterres reported a huge increase in such brutalities.&nbsp;

"Today, there is greater awareness about the centrality of meaningful participation of women in peace processes and incorporation of gender perspectives in UN's peace and security efforts," Tripathi said.

Despite these efforts, women's role and perspectives in peace processes remain largely neglected, she said during the UN Security Council open debate on "promoting the implementation of women, peace and security agenda and sustaining peace through women's political and economic empowerment".&nbsp;

"Sexual violence, abductions and human trafficking continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations. Rapidly expanding trans-boundary criminal networks finance terror, supply arms, recruit and train of foreign fighters and destabilise whole regions which disproportionately affect women," she said.

"Large scale movements of refugees emanating from armed conflicts increase the vulnerability of women to discrimination and exploitation, she said. 
Tripathi said India appreciates Secretary General's emphasis and achievement on gender parity in UN's senior leadership.&nbsp;

"As the General Assembly focuses on gender sensitive and inclusive development to build peaceful and resilient societies, the Council must push for effective cooperation on countering terrorism that threatens peace and security," she said.

"The Council must make all efforts to realize the full potential of integrating women, peace and security considerations in sanctions regimes. The Sanctions Committees of the Security Council need to address the issue of proactively listing terrorist individuals and entities involved in sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflicts," she said.&nbsp;

International cooperation for prosecution of criminals engaged in transboundary crimes is important to bring justice to the victims, large number of whom is women and girls, she added. &nbsp;

In India, she said the discourse on women's empowerment has progressed from viewing women as beneficiaries of welfare schemes to mainstreaming their concerns and harnessing their leadership for inclusive development.&nbsp;

More than 1.3 million directly elected women representatives participate in formulating and implementing gender responsive policies in India. Gender-based budgeting has proved beneficial for mainstreaming of gender perspectives in policy implementation across sectors, she said

"India is committed to a higher representation of women in peacekeeping missions and has fulfilled the pledge to have 15 per cent of military observers as women," she said as she cited the example of the landmark first ever deployment by UN of all Female Formed Police Unit in Liberia by India.

The deployment became a role model to the local women to participate in policing and in relevant rule of law frameworks. India is also committed to provide another all-female formed police unit," she said.

India also fully supports UN Secretary General Guterres' zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse, and strong commitment to achieving gender parity in peace operations, she said.

"India stands ready to engage with our partners to work towards ensuring the meaningful participation of women and mainstreaming of women, peace and security considerations for building inclusive, peaceful and resilient societies," Tripathi said.&nbsp;

Sexual violence and abductions continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations which disproportionately affect women, India has said as it asked the UN Security Council to sanction individuals and entities involved in gender-based violence.

Sexual violence and abductions continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations which disproportionately affect women, India has said as it asked the UN Security Council to sanction individuals and entities involved in gender-based violence. The remarks by Paulomi Tripathi, First Secretary in the India's Permanent Mission here, came after UN chief Antonio Guterres reported a huge increase in such brutalities. "Today, there is greater awareness about the centrality of meaningful participation of women in peace processes and incorporation of gender perspectives in UN's peace and security efforts," Tripathi said. Despite these efforts, women's role and perspectives in peace processes remain largely neglected, she said during the UN Security Council open debate on "promoting the implementation of women, peace and security agenda and sustaining peace through women's political and economic empowerment". "Sexual violence, abductions and human trafficking continue to be used as weapons of war in armed conflict by non-state actors and terrorist organisations. Rapidly expanding trans-boundary criminal networks finance terror, supply arms, recruit and train of foreign fighters and destabilise whole regions which disproportionately affect women," she said. "Large scale movements of refugees emanating from armed conflicts increase the vulnerability of women to discrimination and exploitation, she said. Tripathi said India appreciates Secretary General's emphasis and achievement on gender parity in UN's senior leadership. "As the General Assembly focuses on gender sensitive and inclusive development to build peaceful and resilient societies, the Council must push for effective cooperation on countering terrorism that threatens peace and security," she said. "The Council must make all efforts to realize the full potential of integrating women, peace and security considerations in sanctions regimes. The Sanctions Committees of the Security Council need to address the issue of proactively listing terrorist individuals and entities involved in sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflicts," she said. International cooperation for prosecution of criminals engaged in transboundary crimes is important to bring justice to the victims, large number of whom is women and girls, she added. In India, she said the discourse on women's empowerment has progressed from viewing women as beneficiaries of welfare schemes to mainstreaming their concerns and harnessing their leadership for inclusive development. More than 1.3 million directly elected women representatives participate in formulating and implementing gender responsive policies in India. Gender-based budgeting has proved beneficial for mainstreaming of gender perspectives in policy implementation across sectors, she said "India is committed to a higher representation of women in peacekeeping missions and has fulfilled the pledge to have 15 per cent of military observers as women," she said as she cited the example of the landmark first ever deployment by UN of all Female Formed Police Unit in Liberia by India. The deployment became a role model to the local women to participate in policing and in relevant rule of law frameworks. India is also committed to provide another all-female formed police unit," she said. India also fully supports UN Secretary General Guterres' zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse, and strong commitment to achieving gender parity in peace operations, she said. "India stands ready to engage with our partners to work towards ensuring the meaningful participation of women and mainstreaming of women, peace and security considerations for building inclusive, peaceful and resilient societies," Tripathi said.

India asks UN to impose sanctions against terrorists for sexual violence

The United Nations Wednesday dedicated its iconic campus here to India’s cultural heritage as its office in New Delhi marked the UN Day with a dazzling display of the country’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator in India, hailed India’s cultural diversity and said, “I personally have a love affair with India, its rich taste, colours, sounds, smells and food.”

The UN House has been revived as the site for the safeguarding of the history of the seven-decade long India-UN partnership and of India’s great contributions to the UN, he said. “We are equally proud to dedicate this compound to India’s cultural heritage, and the vibrant plural developmental traditions of the country that will provide the right environment for thinking about the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),” Afanasiev said.

UN House is an iconic building, one of the structures designed by noted American architect Joseph Allen Stein in Lodhi Estate area. The others being India International Centre and India Habitat Centre. A senior official of the UN Office here said, as part of this initiative, exhibits from Crafts Museum would be brought and displayed at the premises on a rotational basis.

“Welcome to the UN House and thank you for joining us to commemorate UN Day – the 73rd anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter. As one of our founding members, it is also the 73rd year of India’s membership of the UN, a country which has been one of the UN’s strongest allies,” Afanasiev said.

The entire campus was beautifully decked up with a theme on India’s cultural heritage, ranging from ‘Chhau’ dance of the eastern region, to Therukoothu folk theater of Tamil Nadu. Earthen lamps, metallic bells hanging from trees created magical experience at the even that was attended by a host of personalities, including Union minister for Housing and Urban Affair Hardeep Singh Puri, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood, and other dignitaries.

“India is today poised at the convergence of massive economic growth and rising aspirations. This country is one of history’s biggest contributors to international peace and security, the incubator of some of the world’s largest and most ambitious development programmes, and a powerful advocate of sustainable development.

“During his visit to India earlier this month, the United Nations Secretary-General said the success of India is a success for us all. I firmly believe the rise of India will be the defining story of the 21st century,” Afanasiev said. Puri said he was “impressed” to see India’s cultural heritage being displayed at the UN Day.

Srishti Kaur, 20, a winner of a national beauty pageant in teen category in 2017 was among the invitees. She said, she runs a clothing line in Noida that promotes Khadi and cotton. “We as youth must take pride in our cultural heritage and promote it,” Kaur said.

The United Nations Wednesday dedicated its iconic campus here to India’s cultural heritage as its office in New Delhi marked the UN Day with a dazzling display of the country’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The United Nations Wednesday dedicated its iconic campus here to India’s cultural heritage as its office in New Delhi marked the UN Day with a dazzling display of the country’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Yuri Afanasiev, UN Resident Coordinator in India, hailed India’s cultural diversity and said, “I personally have a love affair with India, its rich taste, colours, sounds, smells and food.” The UN House has been revived as the site for the safeguarding of the history of the seven-decade long India-UN partnership and of India’s great contributions to the UN, he said. “We are equally proud to dedicate this compound to India’s cultural heritage, and the vibrant plural developmental traditions of the country that will provide the right environment for thinking about the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),” Afanasiev said. UN House is an iconic building, one of the structures designed by noted American architect Joseph Allen Stein in Lodhi Estate area. The others being India International Centre and India Habitat Centre. A senior official of the UN Office here said, as part of this initiative, exhibits from Crafts Museum would be brought and displayed at the premises on a rotational basis. “Welcome to the UN House and thank you for joining us to commemorate UN Day – the 73rd anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter. As one of our founding members, it is also the 73rd year of India’s membership of the UN, a country which has been one of the UN’s strongest allies,” Afanasiev said. The entire campus was beautifully decked up with a theme on India’s cultural heritage, ranging from ‘Chhau’ dance of the eastern region, to Therukoothu folk theater of Tamil Nadu. Earthen lamps, metallic bells hanging from trees created magical experience at the even that was attended by a host of personalities, including Union minister for Housing and Urban Affair Hardeep Singh Puri, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood, and other dignitaries. “India is today poised at the convergence of massive economic growth and rising aspirations. This country is one of history’s biggest contributors to international peace and security, the incubator of some of the world’s largest and most ambitious development programmes, and a powerful advocate of sustainable development. “During his visit to India earlier this month, the United Nations Secretary-General said the success of India is a success for us all. I firmly believe the rise of India will be the defining story of the 21st century,” Afanasiev said. Puri said he was “impressed” to see India’s cultural heritage being displayed at the UN Day. Srishti Kaur, 20, a winner of a national beauty pageant in teen category in 2017 was among the invitees. She said, she runs a clothing line in Noida that promotes Khadi and cotton. “We as youth must take pride in our cultural heritage and promote it,” Kaur said.

UN dedicates its office in Delhi to India’s cultural heritage

The United Nations has wrapped its seventy-three years of existence with more challenges to face in the coming decade.&nbsp;

Since 1991, when the US launched its moment of unilateralism, the UN is facing a serious legitimacy and credibility crisis. In the midst of series of the US-led unilateral actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Russia’s military inaction in Syria, Israeli ’s military incursion in Palestine etc, serious questions have begun to rise in the international quarters on the political relevance of United Nations. 
&nbsp; 
Moreover, as the US is increasingly finding United Nations an obstacle to implant its unilateral vision, it has started casting doubt on the relevance of UN and has even questioned the usefulness of US's monitory contribution to the UN institutions.&nbsp;

To undermine the effectiveness of UN, the US, of late, driven by narrow US first policy, has slashed 285 million dollars to UN &nbsp;budget. Furthermore, it has withdrawn from two crucial UN body: the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission and UNESCO, in addition, to cut all the funds to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) for Palestinian Refugees, which led UNRWA to close down its educational and health institution in Gaza. The US cut down $200 million of economic aid to the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.

Under the UN charter, the US was responsible for 22 per cent of the body’s annual operating budget, or around $1.2 billion in 2017-18, and 28.5 per cent of the cost of peacekeeping operations, estimated at $6.8 billion over the same period. 
 
UN General Secretary&nbsp;António Guterres has admitted that the global institution is facing severe financial crisis and has appealed the member states to contribute their dues. The US is the biggest defaulter in paying its membership due, even though it pays the largest sum.

Besides the financial woes, the UN is facing the challenges of democratisation of its governing and decision-making structure. The democratisation of UN is on agenda since the disintegration of Soviet Union. A large number of post colonial societies including India is demanding revamping the UN and other global structure of governance. In view of slow progress on this front, the emerging economies of the globe such as India, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Germany etc have started voicing their disappointment over the great power politics.

Though seventy-three years of its existence have indicated significant weaknesses and failures in fulfilling its purposes, the UN with all its specialised agencies and development funds has extended its scope of action and remains the only international organisation with the universal membership. This relative failure of UN, particularly in the political domain, is partly structural: its functioning is subject to the political imperatives of national interest of its member states.

Today, on United Nations Day, we as world citizens should determine to leave no one behind and work towards creating a more equal world as UN General Secretary is urging the men and women of the UN, and those they serve, to "never give up" tackling the world's many challenges. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The United Nations has wrapped its seventy-three years of existence with more challenges to face in the coming decade. Since 1991, when the US launched its moment of unilateralism, the UN is facing a serious legitimacy and credibility crisis.

The United Nations has wrapped its seventy-three years of existence with more challenges to face in the coming decade. Since 1991, when the US launched its moment of unilateralism, the UN is facing a serious legitimacy and credibility crisis. In the midst of series of the US-led unilateral actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Russia’s military inaction in Syria, Israeli ’s military incursion in Palestine etc, serious questions have begun to rise in the international quarters on the political relevance of United Nations. Moreover, as the US is increasingly finding United Nations an obstacle to implant its unilateral vision, it has started casting doubt on the relevance of UN and has even questioned the usefulness of US's monitory contribution to the UN institutions. To undermine the effectiveness of UN, the US, of late, driven by narrow US first policy, has slashed 285 million dollars to UN budget. Furthermore, it has withdrawn from two crucial UN body: the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission and UNESCO, in addition, to cut all the funds to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) for Palestinian Refugees, which led UNRWA to close down its educational and health institution in Gaza. The US cut down $200 million of economic aid to the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip. Under the UN charter, the US was responsible for 22 per cent of the body’s annual operating budget, or around $1.2 billion in 2017-18, and 28.5 per cent of the cost of peacekeeping operations, estimated at $6.8 billion over the same period. UN General Secretary António Guterres has admitted that the global institution is facing severe financial crisis and has appealed the member states to contribute their dues. The US is the biggest defaulter in paying its membership due, even though it pays the largest sum. Besides the financial woes, the UN is facing the challenges of democratisation of its governing and decision-making structure. The democratisation of UN is on agenda since the disintegration of Soviet Union. A large number of post colonial societies including India is demanding revamping the UN and other global structure of governance. In view of slow progress on this front, the emerging economies of the globe such as India, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Germany etc have started voicing their disappointment over the great power politics. Though seventy-three years of its existence have indicated significant weaknesses and failures in fulfilling its purposes, the UN with all its specialised agencies and development funds has extended its scope of action and remains the only international organisation with the universal membership. This relative failure of UN, particularly in the political domain, is partly structural: its functioning is subject to the political imperatives of national interest of its member states. Today, on United Nations Day, we as world citizens should determine to leave no one behind and work towards creating a more equal world as UN General Secretary is urging the men and women of the UN, and those they serve, to "never give up" tackling the world's many challenges. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Bigger challenges lie ahead as UN completes 73 years

A senior UN official warned Tuesday that recent rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, as well as between North Korea and the United States had not been accompanied by an improvement in human rights in the reclusive country.

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the North, urged Pyongyang to show willingness to start addressing the issue following key summits with both South Korea and the United States.

"The human rights situation at the moment has not changed on the ground in North Korea despite this important progress on security, peace and prosperity," the rapporteur told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

In a whirlwind of diplomacy, the leader of the isolated, nuclear-armed North Kim Jong Un held an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, following two meetings with the South's Moon Jae-in.

Ojea Quintana called the rapprochement between North and South "an extraordinary development" and the Kim-Trump summit "very important".

But neither the joint statement issued by Trump and Kim in Singapore, nor an earlier declaration signed by Kim and Moon, mentioned the issue of human rights.

Ojea Quintana said he understood why human rights had been put aside, given the "extremely serious" nuclear problem but said: "North Korea needs to show that they will end isolation in regards to this question."

"We haven't heard anything. We haven't seen anything coming from the summits, from the statements in this respect. I would like to see a signal to start working based on that commitment," he added.

Pyongyang remains accused by many -- including the United Nations -- of a litany of rights abuses against its population.

A UN commission of inquiry found in unequivocal terms in 2014 that "crimes against humanity had been and were being committed" in the North.

Ojea Quintana has no access to the country, so the bulk of his reporting is based on testimony of those who flee.

He raised particular concerns about the plight of those living in the countryside and the existence of political prison camps.

The rapporteur called on Michelle Bachelet, the new UN rights chief, to "initiate a process of engagement" and on Pyongyang to reach out to her office "so we start working on the human rights agenda."

Asked if he was concerned that the United States was no longer prioritizing human rights to the extent it used to, he said the US mission to the United Nations has been "very clear that human rights continues to be a priority."

He also said UN humanitarian agencies have complained about some restrictions in the face of international sanctions, but did not go into detail.

A senior UN official warned Tuesday that recent rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, as well as between North Korea and the United States had not been accompanied by an improvement in human rights in the reclusive country.

A senior UN official warned Tuesday that recent rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, as well as between North Korea and the United States had not been accompanied by an improvement in human rights in the reclusive country. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the North, urged Pyongyang to show willingness to start addressing the issue following key summits with both South Korea and the United States. "The human rights situation at the moment has not changed on the ground in North Korea despite this important progress on security, peace and prosperity," the rapporteur told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. In a whirlwind of diplomacy, the leader of the isolated, nuclear-armed North Kim Jong Un held an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, following two meetings with the South's Moon Jae-in. Ojea Quintana called the rapprochement between North and South "an extraordinary development" and the Kim-Trump summit "very important". But neither the joint statement issued by Trump and Kim in Singapore, nor an earlier declaration signed by Kim and Moon, mentioned the issue of human rights. Ojea Quintana said he understood why human rights had been put aside, given the "extremely serious" nuclear problem but said: "North Korea needs to show that they will end isolation in regards to this question." "We haven't heard anything. We haven't seen anything coming from the summits, from the statements in this respect. I would like to see a signal to start working based on that commitment," he added. Pyongyang remains accused by many -- including the United Nations -- of a litany of rights abuses against its population. A UN commission of inquiry found in unequivocal terms in 2014 that "crimes against humanity had been and were being committed" in the North. Ojea Quintana has no access to the country, so the bulk of his reporting is based on testimony of those who flee. He raised particular concerns about the plight of those living in the countryside and the existence of political prison camps. The rapporteur called on Michelle Bachelet, the new UN rights chief, to "initiate a process of engagement" and on Pyongyang to reach out to her office "so we start working on the human rights agenda." Asked if he was concerned that the United States was no longer prioritizing human rights to the extent it used to, he said the US mission to the United Nations has been "very clear that human rights continues to be a priority." He also said UN humanitarian agencies have complained about some restrictions in the face of international sanctions, but did not go into detail.

North Korea rights 'not changed' despite rapprochement: United Nations

The United Nations warned Tuesday that Yemen was on the verge of widespread famine.&nbsp;

"There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen," UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said.

He urged a humanitarian ceasefire around facilities involved in food aid distribution, and infrastructure, at a meeting of the Security Council convened on the British initiative because of the deterioration in Yemen.

"The parties to the conflict continue to violate international humanitarian law," and while earlier UN estimates put those in danger of famine at 11 million, the real number facing it now is 14 million people.

Since the last UN warning in September, "the situation (on the ground) has gotten worse," Emergency Relief Coordinator Lowcock said.&nbsp;

Yemen's brutal conflict has since 2015 left some 10,000 people dead and has created what the UN has dubbed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations warned Tuesday that Yemen was on the verge of widespread famine. "There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen," UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said.

The United Nations warned Tuesday that Yemen was on the verge of widespread famine. "There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen," UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said. He urged a humanitarian ceasefire around facilities involved in food aid distribution, and infrastructure, at a meeting of the Security Council convened on the British initiative because of the deterioration in Yemen. "The parties to the conflict continue to violate international humanitarian law," and while earlier UN estimates put those in danger of famine at 11 million, the real number facing it now is 14 million people. Since the last UN warning in September, "the situation (on the ground) has gotten worse," Emergency Relief Coordinator Lowcock said. Yemen's brutal conflict has since 2015 left some 10,000 people dead and has created what the UN has dubbed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

UN warns of danger of widespread famine in Yemen

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hear a briefing next week from the head of a UN fact-finding mission that has accused Myanmar's military of atrocities against Muslim Rohingya, diplomats said Thursday.

Nine countries including the United States, Britain and France requested the briefing that is likely to be opposed by China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar's military.

The meeting was scheduled for October 24 despite objections from Myanmar, which has rejected the findings of the UN inquiry.

The fact-finding mission released an explosive report last month that called on the council to refer the Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or to create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, as was done with the former Yugoslavia.

The report said that Myanmar's top generals, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine State.

Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh.

Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan said in a letter to the Security Council this week that his government "strongly objects" to the request to hear the chairman of the mission.

Britain, France, Peru, Sweden, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Poland, Kuwait and the United States requested the meeting that could still be blocked by a procedural vote.&nbsp;

If there is no move to block the meeting, the council will hear from Marzuki Darusman, an Indonesian lawyer who was appointed last year by the UN Human Rights Council to chair the mission.

In its report, the mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities &nbsp;were committed with the intention of destroying the Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide."

Myanmar maintains that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who attacked border posts in August 2017.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hear a briefing next week from the head of a UN fact-finding mission that has accused Myanmar's military of atrocities against Muslim Rohingya, diplomats said Thursday.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hear a briefing next week from the head of a UN fact-finding mission that has accused Myanmar's military of atrocities against Muslim Rohingya, diplomats said Thursday. Nine countries including the United States, Britain and France requested the briefing that is likely to be opposed by China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar's military. The meeting was scheduled for October 24 despite objections from Myanmar, which has rejected the findings of the UN inquiry. The fact-finding mission released an explosive report last month that called on the council to refer the Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or to create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, as was done with the former Yugoslavia. The report said that Myanmar's top generals, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine State. Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan said in a letter to the Security Council this week that his government "strongly objects" to the request to hear the chairman of the mission. Britain, France, Peru, Sweden, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Poland, Kuwait and the United States requested the meeting that could still be blocked by a procedural vote. If there is no move to block the meeting, the council will hear from Marzuki Darusman, an Indonesian lawyer who was appointed last year by the UN Human Rights Council to chair the mission. In its report, the mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide." Myanmar maintains that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who attacked border posts in August 2017.

UN Security Council to meet on Myanmar atrocities report

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A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/denmark-open-pv-sindhu-makes-shocking-first-round-exit-171743">Denmark Open: PV Sindhu makes shock exit in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/denmark-open-pv-sindhu-makes-shocking-first-round-exit-171743">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/denmark-open-pv-sindhu-makes-shocking-first-round-exit-171743"> round</a>

Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open with a stunning opening-round loss to American Beiwen Zhang in the women's singles event, here on Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/allahabad-is-now-prayagraj-yogi-adityanath-cabinet-clears-renaming-proposal-171742">Allahabad is now Prayagraj: Yogi cabinet clears proposal to rename </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/allahabad-is-now-prayagraj-yogi-adityanath-cabinet-clears-renaming-proposal-171742">city</a>

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday approved a proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.

'Perfect storm' of hunger, climate change & conflict coming, warns UN A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

'Perfect storm' of hunger, climate change & conflict coming, warns UN A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day. Saudis agree to 'thorough' probe needed into journalist's disappearance, says US The US on Tuesday said that Saudis have agreed to 'thorough' probe needed into journalist's disappearance. Won't allow anyone to take law into own hands: Kerala CM warns protesters ahead of Sabarimala opening tomorrow Sending a stern message to the people protesting against the Supreme Court's ruling on Sabarimala temple, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that his government would not allow anyone to take the law and order into their hands. Denmark Open: PV Sindhu makes shock exit in first round Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Denmark Open with a stunning opening-round loss to American Beiwen Zhang in the women's singles event, here on Tuesday. Allahabad is now Prayagraj: Yogi cabinet clears proposal to rename city The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday approved a proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.

News brief: Big stories of the day

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

"You've got a nightmare, the perfect storm heading your way," David Beasley, World Food Programme (WFP) chief, said in a speech in Rome, where the United Nations' food agencies are headquartered.

The UN aims to achieve a Zero Hunger world by 2030, but faces three obstacles: conflicts, climate change and an economic slowdown.

Beasley said the battle was an urgent one. "Children are dying at a rate of every five to ten seconds" from hunger or malnutrition, he said.

Food is being wasted both during the production process and in people's kitchens.

"The answer is not in Rome alone, it's in your homes. What are you going to do about it?" he asked.

It is not a problem wealthier countries can simply ignore, for it has a knock-on effect on them in terms of the migration crisis.

"For every one percent increase in hunger, there's a two percent increase in migration," Beasley said.

Some 821 million people, or one of every nine people on the planet, suffered from hunger last year, marking the third consecutive annual increase, according to the UN's latest hunger report.

An estimated 155 million children under five years old are chronically malnourished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while micronutrient deficiencies, dubbed the "hidden hunger", affects over two billion people worldwide.

At the same time, over 600 million people are obese.

The costs to society of the "global pandemic" of obesity are enormous -- as expensive as armed conflicts and smoking, FAO head Jose Graziano da Silva said.

"International solidarity appears to be cooling," warned Pope Francis in a speech delivered by a Vatican representative.

He warned institutions leading the fight against hunger not to "study the roots of (poor people's) misery" and merely respond with "impressive publications destined only to enlarge library catalogues".

"When it is a question of effectively confronting the causes of hunger, grandiose declarations" are not enough, he said.

"The struggle against hunger urgently demands generous financing, the abolition of trade barriers and, above all, greater resilience in the face of climate change, economic crises and warfare."

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day. "You've got a nightmare, the perfect storm heading your way," David Beasley, World Food Programme (WFP) chief, said in a speech in Rome, where the United Nations' food agencies are headquartered. The UN aims to achieve a Zero Hunger world by 2030, but faces three obstacles: conflicts, climate change and an economic slowdown. Beasley said the battle was an urgent one. "Children are dying at a rate of every five to ten seconds" from hunger or malnutrition, he said. Food is being wasted both during the production process and in people's kitchens. "The answer is not in Rome alone, it's in your homes. What are you going to do about it?" he asked. It is not a problem wealthier countries can simply ignore, for it has a knock-on effect on them in terms of the migration crisis. "For every one percent increase in hunger, there's a two percent increase in migration," Beasley said. Some 821 million people, or one of every nine people on the planet, suffered from hunger last year, marking the third consecutive annual increase, according to the UN's latest hunger report. An estimated 155 million children under five years old are chronically malnourished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while micronutrient deficiencies, dubbed the "hidden hunger", affects over two billion people worldwide. At the same time, over 600 million people are obese. The costs to society of the "global pandemic" of obesity are enormous -- as expensive as armed conflicts and smoking, FAO head Jose Graziano da Silva said. "International solidarity appears to be cooling," warned Pope Francis in a speech delivered by a Vatican representative. He warned institutions leading the fight against hunger not to "study the roots of (poor people's) misery" and merely respond with "impressive publications destined only to enlarge library catalogues". "When it is a question of effectively confronting the causes of hunger, grandiose declarations" are not enough, he said. "The struggle against hunger urgently demands generous financing, the abolition of trade barriers and, above all, greater resilience in the face of climate change, economic crises and warfare."

'Perfect storm' of hunger, climate change & conflict coming, warns UN

Human Rights council speaks on missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi

With the US and the EU proposing significant changes to tally each UN member state's share of peacekeeping financing, India has expressed concern over such efforts to introduce the element of maximum ceiling in paying for peacekeeping budgets.&nbsp;

During a session of the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the representatives of the US and the European Union proposed significant changes to the way in which each Member State's share of peacekeeping financing is tallied up.&nbsp;

Setting out her government's position, the representative of the United States&nbsp;which accounts for 28.47 per cent of the $ 6.7 billion peacekeeping budget for 2018/19, said no other international organisation depends on one country for more than one-quarter of its assessed resources.&nbsp;

India expressed concern at the efforts by delegations to introduce the element of the maximum ceiling in the peacekeeping scale.&nbsp;

"The peacekeeping scale must continue to clearly reflect the special responsibilities of the permanent members of the Security Council for the maintenance of peace and security. The current system of discounts applied to the peacekeeping scale for developing countries based on low per capita income must continue," First Secretary in The Permanent Mission of India to the UN Mahesh Kumar said at the session Wednesday.&nbsp;

The American delegate Cherith Norman-Chalet said that as President Donald Trump noted in his recent address to the General Assembly, the United States is calling for a 25 per cent ceiling on the peacekeeping scale of assessments, adding that such a ceiling would be in the organisation's best interests while reducing its reliance on any single member state. She said her delegation looks forward to working with all Member States to negotiate an equitable share of the burden.&nbsp;

"We recognise this will not be easy, but we believe there is a way if there is a will," she added.&nbsp;

The European Union's representation, emphasising that the bloc's member States are the largest collective financial contributors to the United Nations, said that&nbsp; "like the regular budget" peacekeeping rates of assessment should reflect Member States' capacity to pay while taking into account the special responsibility of the five permanent Security Council members. Specific additional peacekeeping discounts should be based on justifiable, objective and comparable criteria that would provide relief to countries with low per capita income, the EU delegate said.&nbsp;

Kumar further said that India calls for reform in the Security Council, and reiterated its readiness to fully assume financial responsibilities arising out from India's permanent membership of the Security Council.&nbsp;

"Our insistence on efficient utilization of resources and the entire current reform exercise would not mean much if assessments are not paid on time. All the members of the United Nations should honour financial obligations arising out of the membership in full, on time and without any conditions," he said.&nbsp;

Kumar noted that more than $ 3.3 billion assessed amount is outstanding and this is roughly one-third of the annual assessment of the organisation.&nbsp;

"This hampers efficient deployment of resources in the service of mandates given by the member states. This situation put those member states that would have benefitted from the efficient implementation of mandates, and the member states that would have paid their assessments on time to a serious disadvantage,"&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

He also noted that contributions of several developing countries including India are due for a significant increase, based on the current methodology. He voiced India's commitment to fulfilling its financial responsibilities. India has paid in full its regular budget assessment for the year 2019 in advance.&nbsp; 
Kumar said that despite the upcoming appreciable increase in India's assessed contribution, India believes that the current methodology has worked well and must continue.&nbsp;

The principles of "capacity to pay" and the "low per capita income adjustment" are fundamental criteria in the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations.&nbsp;

"They are not negotiable," he said adding that core elements of the current methodology of the scale of assessments, such as base period, Gross National Income, conversion rates, gradient, floor, ceiling for Least Developed Countries, and debt stock adjustment must be kept intact.&nbsp;

As the largest cumulative Troops and Police contributor to the peacekeeping operations, India is "acutely aware" of the role of adequate resources in the implementation of peacekeeping mandates.&nbsp;

"The failure to honour financial obligation in full towards the peacekeeping operations has over the years resulted in the prolonged and unacceptable situation of some closed peacekeeping missions ending in financial deficit," he said.&nbsp;

He expressed concern that Troop and Police contributing countries, who render the greatest service in maintaining international peace and security, are forced to wait endlessly for their payments.&nbsp;

"There are large amounts due to India both from the closed and active peacekeeping missions," he said.

With the US and the EU proposing significant changes to tally each UN member state's share of peacekeeping financing, India has expressed concern over such efforts to introduce the element of maximum ceiling in paying for peacekeeping budgets.

With the US and the EU proposing significant changes to tally each UN member state's share of peacekeeping financing, India has expressed concern over such efforts to introduce the element of maximum ceiling in paying for peacekeeping budgets. During a session of the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the representatives of the US and the European Union proposed significant changes to the way in which each Member State's share of peacekeeping financing is tallied up. Setting out her government's position, the representative of the United States which accounts for 28.47 per cent of the $ 6.7 billion peacekeeping budget for 2018/19, said no other international organisation depends on one country for more than one-quarter of its assessed resources. India expressed concern at the efforts by delegations to introduce the element of the maximum ceiling in the peacekeeping scale. "The peacekeeping scale must continue to clearly reflect the special responsibilities of the permanent members of the Security Council for the maintenance of peace and security. The current system of discounts applied to the peacekeeping scale for developing countries based on low per capita income must continue," First Secretary in The Permanent Mission of India to the UN Mahesh Kumar said at the session Wednesday. The American delegate Cherith Norman-Chalet said that as President Donald Trump noted in his recent address to the General Assembly, the United States is calling for a 25 per cent ceiling on the peacekeeping scale of assessments, adding that such a ceiling would be in the organisation's best interests while reducing its reliance on any single member state. She said her delegation looks forward to working with all Member States to negotiate an equitable share of the burden. "We recognise this will not be easy, but we believe there is a way if there is a will," she added. The European Union's representation, emphasising that the bloc's member States are the largest collective financial contributors to the United Nations, said that "like the regular budget" peacekeeping rates of assessment should reflect Member States' capacity to pay while taking into account the special responsibility of the five permanent Security Council members. Specific additional peacekeeping discounts should be based on justifiable, objective and comparable criteria that would provide relief to countries with low per capita income, the EU delegate said. Kumar further said that India calls for reform in the Security Council, and reiterated its readiness to fully assume financial responsibilities arising out from India's permanent membership of the Security Council. "Our insistence on efficient utilization of resources and the entire current reform exercise would not mean much if assessments are not paid on time. All the members of the United Nations should honour financial obligations arising out of the membership in full, on time and without any conditions," he said. Kumar noted that more than $ 3.3 billion assessed amount is outstanding and this is roughly one-third of the annual assessment of the organisation. "This hampers efficient deployment of resources in the service of mandates given by the member states. This situation put those member states that would have benefitted from the efficient implementation of mandates, and the member states that would have paid their assessments on time to a serious disadvantage," he said. He also noted that contributions of several developing countries including India are due for a significant increase, based on the current methodology. He voiced India's commitment to fulfilling its financial responsibilities. India has paid in full its regular budget assessment for the year 2019 in advance. Kumar said that despite the upcoming appreciable increase in India's assessed contribution, India believes that the current methodology has worked well and must continue. The principles of "capacity to pay" and the "low per capita income adjustment" are fundamental criteria in the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations. "They are not negotiable," he said adding that core elements of the current methodology of the scale of assessments, such as base period, Gross National Income, conversion rates, gradient, floor, ceiling for Least Developed Countries, and debt stock adjustment must be kept intact. As the largest cumulative Troops and Police contributor to the peacekeeping operations, India is "acutely aware" of the role of adequate resources in the implementation of peacekeeping mandates. "The failure to honour financial obligation in full towards the peacekeeping operations has over the years resulted in the prolonged and unacceptable situation of some closed peacekeeping missions ending in financial deficit," he said. He expressed concern that Troop and Police contributing countries, who render the greatest service in maintaining international peace and security, are forced to wait endlessly for their payments. "There are large amounts due to India both from the closed and active peacekeeping missions," he said.

India concerned over proposed changes to formula for dividing UN peacekeeping bill

The economic cost of climate-related disasters hit $2.25 trillion over the last two decades, an increase of more than 150 per cent compared to the previous 20 years, the UN said Wednesday.&nbsp;

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) noted that "climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events" such as floods and storms. &nbsp;

Between 1978-1997, total losses for climate-related disasters was $895 billion (780 billion euros), UNISDR said in a report based on data compiled by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

But between 1998-2017 that figure hit $2.25 trillion, the report said, listing the United States, China, Japan and India as the countries where the financial toll has been highest.&nbsp;

The findings were released as Michael, a Category Four hurricane, rumbled towards the Gulf Coast of Florida, in the latest storm to threaten vast destruction across the eastern US.&nbsp;

"The report's analysis makes it clear that economic losses from extreme weather events are unsustainable and a major brake on eradicating poverty in hazard exposed parts of the world," the UN secretary general's special representative for disaster reduction, Mami Mizutori, said in a statement.&nbsp;

UNISDR counted the number of climate-related disasters between 1998-2017 at more than 6,600, with storms and floods the most common events.&nbsp;

The report notes gaps in data collection but says the findings clearly show investing in disaster risk reduction must become a central part of policy making in response to climate change.

The economic cost of climate-related disasters hit $2.25 trillion over the last two decades, an increase of more than 150 per cent compared to the previous 20 years, the UN said Wednesday.

The economic cost of climate-related disasters hit $2.25 trillion over the last two decades, an increase of more than 150 per cent compared to the previous 20 years, the UN said Wednesday. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) noted that "climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events" such as floods and storms. Between 1978-1997, total losses for climate-related disasters was $895 billion (780 billion euros), UNISDR said in a report based on data compiled by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. But between 1998-2017 that figure hit $2.25 trillion, the report said, listing the United States, China, Japan and India as the countries where the financial toll has been highest. The findings were released as Michael, a Category Four hurricane, rumbled towards the Gulf Coast of Florida, in the latest storm to threaten vast destruction across the eastern US. "The report's analysis makes it clear that economic losses from extreme weather events are unsustainable and a major brake on eradicating poverty in hazard exposed parts of the world," the UN secretary general's special representative for disaster reduction, Mami Mizutori, said in a statement. UNISDR counted the number of climate-related disasters between 1998-2017 at more than 6,600, with storms and floods the most common events. The report notes gaps in data collection but says the findings clearly show investing in disaster risk reduction must become a central part of policy making in response to climate change.

Cost of climate-linked disasters soars: United Nations

India could witness deadly heatwaves if the planet's temperature goes up by two degrees Celsius, according to a report released on Monday by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

Avoiding global climate chaos will require a major transformation of society and the world economy that is "unprecedented in scale", the IPCC said in the landmark report that warns time is running out to avert disaster.

"At +1.5 degrees Celsius, twice as many megacities as present such as Lagos in Nigeria and Shanghai in China are likely to become heat stressed, potentially exposing more than 350 million more people to deadly heat stress by 2050.

"At +2&nbsp;degrees Celsius warming, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect annual conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves (medium confidence)," the report said.

The report said regionally differentiated multi-sector risks are already apparent at 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, being more prevalent (where) vulnerable people live, predominantly in South Asia -- mostly Pakistan, India, and China, but these spread to sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and East Asia as temperature rises, with the world's poorest disproportionately impacted by 2?C.

The report said that although warming is projected to be the highest in the Northern Hemisphere under 1.5&nbsp;degrees Celsius or 2&nbsp;degrees Celsius of global warming, regions in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere subtropics that are projected to experience the largest impacts on economic growth.

Despite the uncertainties associated with climate change projections and econometrics, it is more likely than not that there will be large differences in economic growth under 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2&nbsp;degrees Celsius of global warming for developing versus developed countries.

"Statistically significant reductions in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita growth are projected across much of the African continent, southeast Asia, India, Brazil and Mexico," the report said.

Coastal flooding by the sea is likely to cost thousands on billions of USD annually, with damage costs under constant protection 0.3-5.0 per cent of global GDP in 2100, it said.

Risks are projected to be highest in south and south-east Asia, assuming there is no upgrade to present protection levels, for all temperatures of climate warming.

"Countries where at least 50 million people exposed to SLR (sea level rise)...Include China, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, United States and Vietnam," it said.

The report said recent projections of the potential impacts of climate change on malaria globally and for Asia, Africa, and South America confirm that weather and climate are among the drivers of the geographic range, intensity of transmission, and seasonality of malaria, and that the relationships are not necessarily linear, resulting in complex patterns of changes in risk with additional warming.

"Projections suggest the burden of malaria could increase with climate change because of a greater geographic range of the anopheles vector, longer season, and increase in the number of people at risk, with larger burdens with greater amounts of warming, with regionally variable patterns."

Vector populations are projected to shift with climate change, with expansions and reductions depending on the degree of local warming, the ecology of the mosquito vector, and other factors, it said.

"Aedes (mosquito vector for dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika virus) - projections of the geographic distribution of Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus (principal vectors) or of the prevalence of dengue fever generally conclude there will be an increase in the number of mosquitos and a larger geographic range at 2 degrees Celsius than at 1.5 degrees Celsius and beyond than at present, and suggest more individuals at risk of dengue fever, with regional differences," the report stated.

Earth's surface has warmed one degree Celsius -- enough to lift oceans and unleash a crescendo of deadly storms, floods and droughts -- and is on track toward an unliveable 3C or 4C rise, the report said.

The IPCC report, however, shows that global warming impacts have come sooner and hit harder than predicted.

The IPCC report was timed to feed into the December UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland, where world leaders will be under pressure to ramp up national carbon-cutting pledges which -- even if fulfilled -- would yield a 3C world.&nbsp;

India could witness deadly heatwaves if the planet's temperature goes up by two degrees Celsius, according to a report released on Monday by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

India could witness deadly heatwaves if the planet's temperature goes up by two degrees Celsius, according to a report released on Monday by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). Avoiding global climate chaos will require a major transformation of society and the world economy that is "unprecedented in scale", the IPCC said in the landmark report that warns time is running out to avert disaster. "At +1.5 degrees Celsius, twice as many megacities as present such as Lagos in Nigeria and Shanghai in China are likely to become heat stressed, potentially exposing more than 350 million more people to deadly heat stress by 2050. "At +2 degrees Celsius warming, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect annual conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves (medium confidence)," the report said. The report said regionally differentiated multi-sector risks are already apparent at 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, being more prevalent (where) vulnerable people live, predominantly in South Asia -- mostly Pakistan, India, and China, but these spread to sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and East Asia as temperature rises, with the world's poorest disproportionately impacted by 2?C. The report said that although warming is projected to be the highest in the Northern Hemisphere under 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius of global warming, regions in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere subtropics that are projected to experience the largest impacts on economic growth. Despite the uncertainties associated with climate change projections and econometrics, it is more likely than not that there will be large differences in economic growth under 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius of global warming for developing versus developed countries. "Statistically significant reductions in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita growth are projected across much of the African continent, southeast Asia, India, Brazil and Mexico," the report said. Coastal flooding by the sea is likely to cost thousands on billions of USD annually, with damage costs under constant protection 0.3-5.0 per cent of global GDP in 2100, it said. Risks are projected to be highest in south and south-east Asia, assuming there is no upgrade to present protection levels, for all temperatures of climate warming. "Countries where at least 50 million people exposed to SLR (sea level rise)...Include China, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, United States and Vietnam," it said. The report said recent projections of the potential impacts of climate change on malaria globally and for Asia, Africa, and South America confirm that weather and climate are among the drivers of the geographic range, intensity of transmission, and seasonality of malaria, and that the relationships are not necessarily linear, resulting in complex patterns of changes in risk with additional warming. "Projections suggest the burden of malaria could increase with climate change because of a greater geographic range of the anopheles vector, longer season, and increase in the number of people at risk, with larger burdens with greater amounts of warming, with regionally variable patterns." Vector populations are projected to shift with climate change, with expansions and reductions depending on the degree of local warming, the ecology of the mosquito vector, and other factors, it said. "Aedes (mosquito vector for dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika virus) - projections of the geographic distribution of Aedes aegypti and Ae. Albopictus (principal vectors) or of the prevalence of dengue fever generally conclude there will be an increase in the number of mosquitos and a larger geographic range at 2 degrees Celsius than at 1.5 degrees Celsius and beyond than at present, and suggest more individuals at risk of dengue fever, with regional differences," the report stated. Earth's surface has warmed one degree Celsius -- enough to lift oceans and unleash a crescendo of deadly storms, floods and droughts -- and is on track toward an unliveable 3C or 4C rise, the report said. The IPCC report, however, shows that global warming impacts have come sooner and hit harder than predicted. The IPCC report was timed to feed into the December UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland, where world leaders will be under pressure to ramp up national carbon-cutting pledges which -- even if fulfilled -- would yield a 3C world.

At 2 degree Celsius warming, Kolkata could see deadly heatwaves: IPCC report

Eritrea's foreign minister on Saturday called for sanctions against his country to be lifted as a result of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/long-separated-by-war-ethiopians-and-eritreans-reunite-154994">peace deal with Ethiopia</a> and demanded compensation for the economic hardship.

Two months after the peace deal was signed, the UN Security Council has not moved to lift the arms embargo and targeted sanctions imposed on Eritrea in 2009 for its alleged support to armed groups in Somalia, which Asmara denies.

"The sanctions imposed on Eritrea for the last nine years have entailed considerable economic damage to the country and unnecessary hardships on its people," Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh told the UN General Assembly.&nbsp;

Eritreans "are not only calling for the imminent rescinding of sanctions, they are asking and deserve amends for the damage incurred and opportunities forfeited," he added.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki signed a declaration of peace in July that formally ended two decades of hostility.

Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, and war broke out later that decade over a border dispute.&nbsp;

A 2002 UN-backed boundary demarcation was meant to settle the dispute for good, but Ethiopia refused to abide by it.

A turnaround began in June when Abiy announced that Ethiopia would hand back to Eritrea disputed areas including the flashpoint town of Badme where the first shots of the border war were fired.

Addressing the world body, the Eritrean foreign minister said the peace deal would now allow both countries to channel their resources into much-needed economic development.

Slamming the "unwarranted sanctions," Saleh accused countries at the Security Council of resorting to procedural measures to block a lifting a sanctions.

He did not name the countries but diplomats said the United States, backed by Britain and France, wanted Eritrea to show progress on human rights as a condition for ending sanctions.

Human rights groups say Eritrea's record on free speech and press freedom ranks among one of the worst in the world. 
The foreign minister said it was "astounding" that countries wanted to prolong sanctions "in light of the widely acclaimed peace."

In his address to the assembly on Thursday, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu also called on the Security Council to "now seriously" consider lifting sanctions on Eritrea.

The Security Council is due to review sanctions on Eritrea in November.

Eritrea's foreign minister on Saturday called for sanctions against his country to be lifted as a result of the peace deal with Ethiopia and demanded compensation for the economic hardship.

Eritrea's foreign minister on Saturday called for sanctions against his country to be lifted as a result of the peace deal with Ethiopia and demanded compensation for the economic hardship. Two months after the peace deal was signed, the UN Security Council has not moved to lift the arms embargo and targeted sanctions imposed on Eritrea in 2009 for its alleged support to armed groups in Somalia, which Asmara denies. "The sanctions imposed on Eritrea for the last nine years have entailed considerable economic damage to the country and unnecessary hardships on its people," Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh told the UN General Assembly. Eritreans "are not only calling for the imminent rescinding of sanctions, they are asking and deserve amends for the damage incurred and opportunities forfeited," he added. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki signed a declaration of peace in July that formally ended two decades of hostility. Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in the early 1990s, and war broke out later that decade over a border dispute. A 2002 UN-backed boundary demarcation was meant to settle the dispute for good, but Ethiopia refused to abide by it. A turnaround began in June when Abiy announced that Ethiopia would hand back to Eritrea disputed areas including the flashpoint town of Badme where the first shots of the border war were fired. Addressing the world body, the Eritrean foreign minister said the peace deal would now allow both countries to channel their resources into much-needed economic development. Slamming the "unwarranted sanctions," Saleh accused countries at the Security Council of resorting to procedural measures to block a lifting a sanctions. He did not name the countries but diplomats said the United States, backed by Britain and France, wanted Eritrea to show progress on human rights as a condition for ending sanctions. Human rights groups say Eritrea's record on free speech and press freedom ranks among one of the worst in the world. The foreign minister said it was "astounding" that countries wanted to prolong sanctions "in light of the widely acclaimed peace." In his address to the assembly on Thursday, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu also called on the Security Council to "now seriously" consider lifting sanctions on Eritrea. The Security Council is due to review sanctions on Eritrea in November.

Eritrea at UN demands compensation for sanctions

The world's nations will gather at a UN conference in South Korea on Monday to review and approve a 20-page bombshell -- distilled from more than 6,000 scientific studies -- laying out narrowing options for staving off climate catastrophe.

When the 195 countries who signed off on the Paris Agreement in 2015 requested a report from UN-led scientists on the feasibility of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the gesture seemed to many unnecessary.

The treaty, after all, enjoined the world to block the rise in Earth's surface temperature at "well below" 2C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels, adding a safety buffer to the two degree threshold long seen as the guardrail for a climate-safe world.&nbsp;

Since then, however, a crescendo of deadly heatwaves, floods, wildfires and superstorms engorged by rising seas -- with less than 1C warming so far -- has convinced scientists that the danger cursor needed to be reset.

"There is increasing and very robust evidence of truly severe and catastrophic risks even at the lower bounds of these temperature targets," said Peter Frumhoff, director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.

The promise of "pursuing efforts" to limit warming to 1.5C -- added to the Paris treaty at the last minute, in part to assuage poor nations who felt short-changed on other fronts -- caught scientists off-guard.

"There wasn't very much literature on 1.5C warming three years ago," said Jim Skea, a professor of at Imperial College London's Centre for Environmental Policy, and a co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the UN science body charged with writing the "Special Report" on 1.5C. &nbsp;

But is it feasible?

Of hundreds of climate models in 2015 projecting a low-carbon future, only two or three aimed for a 1.5C global warming cap.

The 20-page Summary Policy Makers -- which will be collectively scrutinised, line-by-line, by hundreds of diplomats through Friday -- contains several benchmark findings, according to a draft obtained by AFP.

At current levels of greenhouse gas emissions, for example, the Earth's surface will heat up beyond the 1.5C threshold by 2040, the report concludes with "high confidence".

To have a fighting chance of staying under the 1.5C cap, the global economy must, by 2050, become "carbon neutral", meaning no additional CO2 can be allowed to leach into the atmosphere.

In addition, the report suggests that carbon dioxide emissions from human activity will need to peak in 2020 and curve sharply downward from there.&nbsp;

So far, we are still moving in the wrong direction: after remaining stable for three years -- raising hopes the peak had come -- emissions rose in 2017 to historic levels. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

For many scientists, these targets are technically feasible but politically or socially unrealistic, along with the broader 1.5C goal.

"The feasibility is probably going to remain an open question, even after the report comes out," said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University.

A main focus of the underlying, 400-page report -- written by a team of 86 authors, supported by another 150 scientists -- is the difference a half-degree Celsius can make in terms of impacts.&nbsp;

"When we're talking about 1.5C it's not just to protect a few dozen small island nations," said Henri Waisman, a senior researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, and a coordinating author of the report.

"It's to avoid dramatic impacts that become exponentially more dramatic when we go from 1.5C to 2C."

Tipping points

What used to be once-a-century heatwaves in southern and central Europe, for example, are projected to occur four out of 10 summers in a 1.5C world, and six out of ten in a 2C world.

Many tropical fisheries are likely to collapse somewhere between the 1.5C and 2C benchmark, as fish seek cooler waters; staple food crops will decline in yield and nutrition an extra 10 to 15 per cent; coral reefs that may have a chance of surviving if air temperatures remain below 1.5C will very likely perish with an additional half-degree of warming.

Most worrying of all, perhaps, are temperature "tipping points" that could push methane-laden permafrost and the icesheets of Greenland and West Antarctica -- which hold enough frozen water to lift global oceans by a dozen metres (nearly 40 feet) -- beyond the point of no return. &nbsp;

Some experts, however, worry that focusing on the contrast between a 1.5C and 2C world obscures the fact we are currently on a trajectory that will crash through both these thresholds.

"I don't think 2C is safe, and I would never want to argue it," said Frumhoff. "By many measures, 1.5C is not enough."

"But while we might call 2C an upper bound, let's not pretend that we're on a 2C path -- we are way above that," he told AFP.

Even taking into account voluntary national pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, submitted in annex to the Paris treaty, the Earth is on track to heat up by an unliveable 3.5C or more by century's end.

"If we want to save ourselves from the disasters that are looming, we only have unrealistic options left," said Kaisa Kosonen, Greenpeace IPPC campaign lead.

"We have to try to make the impossible possible."

The world's nations will gather at a UN conference in South Korea on Monday to review and approve a 20-page bombshell -- distilled from more than 6,000 scientific studies -- laying out narrowing options for staving off climate catastrophe.

The world's nations will gather at a UN conference in South Korea on Monday to review and approve a 20-page bombshell -- distilled from more than 6,000 scientific studies -- laying out narrowing options for staving off climate catastrophe. When the 195 countries who signed off on the Paris Agreement in 2015 requested a report from UN-led scientists on the feasibility of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius, the gesture seemed to many unnecessary. The treaty, after all, enjoined the world to block the rise in Earth's surface temperature at "well below" 2C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels, adding a safety buffer to the two degree threshold long seen as the guardrail for a climate-safe world. Since then, however, a crescendo of deadly heatwaves, floods, wildfires and superstorms engorged by rising seas -- with less than 1C warming so far -- has convinced scientists that the danger cursor needed to be reset. "There is increasing and very robust evidence of truly severe and catastrophic risks even at the lower bounds of these temperature targets," said Peter Frumhoff, director of science and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based research and advocacy group. The promise of "pursuing efforts" to limit warming to 1.5C -- added to the Paris treaty at the last minute, in part to assuage poor nations who felt short-changed on other fronts -- caught scientists off-guard. "There wasn't very much literature on 1.5C warming three years ago," said Jim Skea, a professor of at Imperial College London's Centre for Environmental Policy, and a co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the UN science body charged with writing the "Special Report" on 1.5C. But is it feasible? Of hundreds of climate models in 2015 projecting a low-carbon future, only two or three aimed for a 1.5C global warming cap. The 20-page Summary Policy Makers -- which will be collectively scrutinised, line-by-line, by hundreds of diplomats through Friday -- contains several benchmark findings, according to a draft obtained by AFP. At current levels of greenhouse gas emissions, for example, the Earth's surface will heat up beyond the 1.5C threshold by 2040, the report concludes with "high confidence". To have a fighting chance of staying under the 1.5C cap, the global economy must, by 2050, become "carbon neutral", meaning no additional CO2 can be allowed to leach into the atmosphere. In addition, the report suggests that carbon dioxide emissions from human activity will need to peak in 2020 and curve sharply downward from there. So far, we are still moving in the wrong direction: after remaining stable for three years -- raising hopes the peak had come -- emissions rose in 2017 to historic levels. For many scientists, these targets are technically feasible but politically or socially unrealistic, along with the broader 1.5C goal. "The feasibility is probably going to remain an open question, even after the report comes out," said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. A main focus of the underlying, 400-page report -- written by a team of 86 authors, supported by another 150 scientists -- is the difference a half-degree Celsius can make in terms of impacts. "When we're talking about 1.5C it's not just to protect a few dozen small island nations," said Henri Waisman, a senior researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, and a coordinating author of the report. "It's to avoid dramatic impacts that become exponentially more dramatic when we go from 1.5C to 2C." Tipping points What used to be once-a-century heatwaves in southern and central Europe, for example, are projected to occur four out of 10 summers in a 1.5C world, and six out of ten in a 2C world. Many tropical fisheries are likely to collapse somewhere between the 1.5C and 2C benchmark, as fish seek cooler waters; staple food crops will decline in yield and nutrition an extra 10 to 15 per cent; coral reefs that may have a chance of surviving if air temperatures remain below 1.5C will very likely perish with an additional half-degree of warming. Most worrying of all, perhaps, are temperature "tipping points" that could push methane-laden permafrost and the icesheets of Greenland and West Antarctica -- which hold enough frozen water to lift global oceans by a dozen metres (nearly 40 feet) -- beyond the point of no return. Some experts, however, worry that focusing on the contrast between a 1.5C and 2C world obscures the fact we are currently on a trajectory that will crash through both these thresholds. "I don't think 2C is safe, and I would never want to argue it," said Frumhoff. "By many measures, 1.5C is not enough." "But while we might call 2C an upper bound, let's not pretend that we're on a 2C path -- we are way above that," he told AFP. Even taking into account voluntary national pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, submitted in annex to the Paris treaty, the Earth is on track to heat up by an unliveable 3.5C or more by century's end. "If we want to save ourselves from the disasters that are looming, we only have unrealistic options left," said Kaisa Kosonen, Greenpeace IPPC campaign lead. "We have to try to make the impossible possible."

UN report confronts nations with tough choices on climate

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has defended Beijing's repeated blockage of India's bids at the United Nations to list Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as a global terrorist.

China, while defending the terrorist, argued that the issue lacks "consensus" among the members of the UN Security Council as well as the "directly concerned" parties - India and Pakistan.

Masood Azhar is accused of several deadly terrorist attacks in India, including one on the Uri military base in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, in which 17 security personnel were killed.

China, being a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has repeatedly blocked India's move. The US, Britain and France all back India to designate Masood Azhar a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by Masood Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits.

China, in its statement, said that since Pakistan didn't agree with India on this issue, there is no "consensus" between the two directly affected parties. Beijing made it clear that China will support the issue only if Pakistan agrees with India.

"If all parties come to a consensus, we will support it. But it is the parties that are rightly concerned who are not coming around to the same conclusion, like India and Pakistan don't have the same conclusions," Mr Wang said on Friday in response to a question.

He said if the parties "directly concerned" are able to come to a consensus, then "together we will be able to push the process forward".

"We think that is a better way to go, and we will stay in close touch with India on this issue because we also have very good ties with the Indian side. We hope to see an early consensus, and together we can contribute to the fight against terror," the foreign minister said.

China and Pakistan are considered all-weather allies.

Wang, who is currently in New York to attend the 73rd annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, argued that listing of terrorists should be based on proof and claimed that there is not enough evidence against Masood Azhar.

"Whether these people are terrorists or not, there should be solid facts and proof. If there is irrefutable evidence, no one can turn its back on it. I don't think Pakistan will do that," he asserted.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has defended Beijing's repeated blockage of India's bids at the United Nations to list Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as a global terrorist.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has defended Beijing's repeated blockage of India's bids at the United Nations to list Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as a global terrorist. China, while defending the terrorist, argued that the issue lacks "consensus" among the members of the UN Security Council as well as the "directly concerned" parties - India and Pakistan. Masood Azhar is accused of several deadly terrorist attacks in India, including one on the Uri military base in Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, in which 17 security personnel were killed. China, being a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has repeatedly blocked India's move. The US, Britain and France all back India to designate Masood Azhar a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. The Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by Masood Azhar, has already been in the UN's list of banned terror outfits. China, in its statement, said that since Pakistan didn't agree with India on this issue, there is no "consensus" between the two directly affected parties. Beijing made it clear that China will support the issue only if Pakistan agrees with India. "If all parties come to a consensus, we will support it. But it is the parties that are rightly concerned who are not coming around to the same conclusion, like India and Pakistan don't have the same conclusions," Mr Wang said on Friday in response to a question. He said if the parties "directly concerned" are able to come to a consensus, then "together we will be able to push the process forward". "We think that is a better way to go, and we will stay in close touch with India on this issue because we also have very good ties with the Indian side. We hope to see an early consensus, and together we can contribute to the fight against terror," the foreign minister said. China and Pakistan are considered all-weather allies. Wang, who is currently in New York to attend the 73rd annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, argued that listing of terrorists should be based on proof and claimed that there is not enough evidence against Masood Azhar. "Whether these people are terrorists or not, there should be solid facts and proof. If there is irrefutable evidence, no one can turn its back on it. I don't think Pakistan will do that," he asserted.

China defends terrorist Masood Azhar, justifies UN veto of India's move

Congolese President Joseph Kabila pledged at the United Nations on Tuesday that elections planned for December will go ahead, promising to take steps to ensure the vote is peaceful and credible.

In power for two decades, Kabila this year bowed to international pressure and agreed to step aside, allowing a new candidate to stand in the December 23 vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Addressing the General Assembly, Kabila said that despite the challenges of holding elections in his vast country, "I now reaffirm the irreversible nature of our decision to hold the elections as planned at the end of this year."

"Everything will be done in order to ensure that these elections are peaceful and credible," said Kabila.

Britain, France and the United States had urged Kabila to state clearly that he would not seek another term amid fears that his failure to step aside could trigger violence.

The DR Congo has not known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila vowed to "oppose any interference in the electoral process under way" and said the DR Congo state would cover the full cost of the elections which has involved a complicated voter registration.

The Security Council is planning to visit the DR Congo before the elections, possibly in October, as concerns run high over a risk of election violence.

In his address, Kabila renewed his call for the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO -- the UN's biggest peace operation with some 17,500 troops and police -- &nbsp;from his country.&nbsp;

The vast mineral-rich country is wracked by conflict in the east and Kabila's security forces have been accused of resorting to excessive force against the opposition.&nbsp;

Congolese President Joseph Kabila pledged at the United Nations on Tuesday that elections planned for December will go ahead, promising to take steps to ensure the vote is peaceful and credible.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila pledged at the United Nations on Tuesday that elections planned for December will go ahead, promising to take steps to ensure the vote is peaceful and credible. In power for two decades, Kabila this year bowed to international pressure and agreed to step aside, allowing a new candidate to stand in the December 23 vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Addressing the General Assembly, Kabila said that despite the challenges of holding elections in his vast country, "I now reaffirm the irreversible nature of our decision to hold the elections as planned at the end of this year." "Everything will be done in order to ensure that these elections are peaceful and credible," said Kabila. Britain, France and the United States had urged Kabila to state clearly that he would not seek another term amid fears that his failure to step aside could trigger violence. The DR Congo has not known a peaceful transition of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. Kabila vowed to "oppose any interference in the electoral process under way" and said the DR Congo state would cover the full cost of the elections which has involved a complicated voter registration. The Security Council is planning to visit the DR Congo before the elections, possibly in October, as concerns run high over a risk of election violence. In his address, Kabila renewed his call for the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO -- the UN's biggest peace operation with some 17,500 troops and police -- from his country. The vast mineral-rich country is wracked by conflict in the east and Kabila's security forces have been accused of resorting to excessive force against the opposition.

At UN, Congolese President Joseph Kabila vows 'peaceful, credible' DR Congo vote

An air strike appears to have killed 12 members of an Afghan family, most of them children, the United Nations said, citing preliminary findings, as US and Afghan forces ramp up aerial bombardments against militants.

The latest incident brings to at least 21 -- including 14 children -- the number of civilians killed in air strikes in recent days, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). &nbsp;

Sunday night's air strike destroyed a house in Wardak province near Kabul, killing 12 members of a family, UNAMA said in a statement late Tuesday.

The victims included 10 children aged six to 15 and two women.&nbsp;

The findings support earlier comments from provincial council member Ahmad Jahfari, who told AFP that 12 members of a family had been killed in an air strike targeting Taliban fighters.&nbsp;

A villager called Abdullah told AFP that two of his sisters died in the attack that he said claimed the lives of more than 12 civilians.&nbsp;

"Three other houses were also destroyed," Abdullah said.

"They wanted to bomb a Taliban prison about 100 metres (330 feet) from our house."

UNAMA is also reviewing reports of civilian casualties from "a number of alleged air strikes in other parts of the country", its statement said.

That includes "credible reports" that nine members of a family, including four children, were killed in an air strike on Saturday in the eastern province of Kapisa.&nbsp;

US Forces confirmed it had carried out an air strike in support of Afghan ground troops in Kapisa, but killed "only militants", spokesman David Butler said earlier.&nbsp;

It is not clear if the air strike in Wardak was carried out by US or Afghan forces.&nbsp;

Afghanistan's defence ministry is investigating both incidents, spokesman Ghafor Ahmad Jawed told AFP.

US Forces said it was reviewing "relevant and credible information" relating to its operations in Wardak.

"It isn't uncommon for insurgents to use these accusations to drive a wedge between the military and the population," US Forces spokesman Commander Grant Neeley added.&nbsp;

UNAMA expressed its "strong concern" at the rising number of civilian casualties from air strikes this year.

Air strikes killed or wounded 353 civilians in the first half, up 52 per cent from the same period in 2017.&nbsp;

The figure accounted for roughly seven per cent of total civilian casualties for the six-month period.&nbsp;

One of the worst incidents was in the northern province of Kunduz in April, when an Afghan air strike on an outdoor religious gathering in Dashte Archi killed or wounded 107 people, mostly children, a previous UNAMA report found.

The government and military said the strike had targeted a Taliban base where senior members of the group were planning attacks.

US and Afghan forces have dramatically increased air offensives against Taliban and Islamic State insurgents in the past year as they try to get the upper hand in the 17-year war. &nbsp;

US forces employed 746 weapons in July, which was the highest monthly total since November 2010, the most recent US Air Forces Central Command data shows.&nbsp;

That is more than double the 350 munitions used in July 2017, a month before US President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan that gave American forces greater leeway to go after militants.&nbsp;

Afghanistan's fledgling air force has also accelerated bombardments as the United States beefs up the country's aerial capability with more aircraft and better weapons.&nbsp;

An air strike appears to have killed 12 members of an Afghan family, most of them children, the United Nations said, citing preliminary findings, as US and Afghan forces ramp up aerial bombardments against militants.

An air strike appears to have killed 12 members of an Afghan family, most of them children, the United Nations said, citing preliminary findings, as US and Afghan forces ramp up aerial bombardments against militants. The latest incident brings to at least 21 -- including 14 children -- the number of civilians killed in air strikes in recent days, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Sunday night's air strike destroyed a house in Wardak province near Kabul, killing 12 members of a family, UNAMA said in a statement late Tuesday. The victims included 10 children aged six to 15 and two women. The findings support earlier comments from provincial council member Ahmad Jahfari, who told AFP that 12 members of a family had been killed in an air strike targeting Taliban fighters. A villager called Abdullah told AFP that two of his sisters died in the attack that he said claimed the lives of more than 12 civilians. "Three other houses were also destroyed," Abdullah said. "They wanted to bomb a Taliban prison about 100 metres (330 feet) from our house." UNAMA is also reviewing reports of civilian casualties from "a number of alleged air strikes in other parts of the country", its statement said. That includes "credible reports" that nine members of a family, including four children, were killed in an air strike on Saturday in the eastern province of Kapisa. US Forces confirmed it had carried out an air strike in support of Afghan ground troops in Kapisa, but killed "only militants", spokesman David Butler said earlier. It is not clear if the air strike in Wardak was carried out by US or Afghan forces. Afghanistan's defence ministry is investigating both incidents, spokesman Ghafor Ahmad Jawed told AFP. US Forces said it was reviewing "relevant and credible information" relating to its operations in Wardak. "It isn't uncommon for insurgents to use these accusations to drive a wedge between the military and the population," US Forces spokesman Commander Grant Neeley added. UNAMA expressed its "strong concern" at the rising number of civilian casualties from air strikes this year. Air strikes killed or wounded 353 civilians in the first half, up 52 per cent from the same period in 2017. The figure accounted for roughly seven per cent of total civilian casualties for the six-month period. One of the worst incidents was in the northern province of Kunduz in April, when an Afghan air strike on an outdoor religious gathering in Dashte Archi killed or wounded 107 people, mostly children, a previous UNAMA report found. The government and military said the strike had targeted a Taliban base where senior members of the group were planning attacks. US and Afghan forces have dramatically increased air offensives against Taliban and Islamic State insurgents in the past year as they try to get the upper hand in the 17-year war. US forces employed 746 weapons in July, which was the highest monthly total since November 2010, the most recent US Air Forces Central Command data shows. That is more than double the 350 munitions used in July 2017, a month before US President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for Afghanistan that gave American forces greater leeway to go after militants. Afghanistan's fledgling air force has also accelerated bombardments as the United States beefs up the country's aerial capability with more aircraft and better weapons.

10 Afghan children, 2 women dead in air strike: UN initial report

It’s easy to dismiss Iranian denunciations of the United States and its Middle Eastern allies as part of the Islamic republic's long-standing rhetoric. The rhetoric makes it equally easy to understand American distrust.

But as President &nbsp;Trump and Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart, gear up for two days of diplomatic sabre rattling at the United Nations in advance of next month's imposition of a second round of harsh US sanctions, both men risk fuelling a conflict that could escalate out of hand.

Both are scheduled to address the UN general assembly on Tuesday and Trump is slated to chair a meeting on Wednesday of the Security Council expected to focus on Iran.

Adding to the likely drama at the UN, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, speaking alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, snubbed Trump, by announcing the creation of a payment system that would allow oil companies and businesses to continue trading with Iran despite US sanctions.

The risk of escalation is enhanced by the fact that Trump and Rouhani are sending mixed messages.

Trump's administration insists that its confrontational approach is designed to alter Iranian behaviour and curb its policies, not topple its regime.

Yet, the administration stepped up its engagement with exile groups associated with the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a controversial Saudi-backed organisation that calls for the violent overthrow of the government in Tehran and enjoys support among current and former Western officials, as Messrs. Trump and Rouhani battle it out at the UN.

John Bolton, who has repeatedly advocated regime change before becoming Trump’s national security advisor, is scheduled to give a keynote address at the United Against Nuclear Iran’s (UANI) annual summit during the UN assembly. So is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, another hardliner on Iran.

Pompeo and Bolton, who has spoken in the past at events related to the Mujahedeen, had so far since coming to office refrained from addressing gatherings associated with opposition groups.

The administration left that to Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, who last weekend told the Iran Uprising Summit organised by the Organisation of Iranian-American Communities, a Washington-based group associated with the Mujahedeen and attended by the exile’s leader, Maryam Rajavi, that US. sanctions were causing economic pain and could lead to a “successful revolution” in Iran.

“I don’t know when we’re going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it’s going to happen,” Giuliani, said speaking on the day of an attack on a military march in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz that killed 25 people and wounded at least 70 others.

Bolton, Pompeo and Giuliani’s hardline stems from US suspicions rooted in anti-American and anti-Western attitudes that are grafted in the Islamic republic's DNA and produced the 444-day occupation in 1979 of the US Embassy in Tehran. They are reinforced by the humiliation of a failed US military operation to rescue 66 Americans held hostages during the occupation.

Iranian rhetoric; bombastic threats against Israel; denial of the Holocaust, support for anti-American insurgents in Iraq, the brutal regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas in the Gaza Strip; propagation of religiously inspired republican government as an alternative to conservative monarchy in the Gulf; and degrees of duplicity regarding its nuclear program, reaffirm America's suspicion.

Iran's seemingly mirror image of the United States traces its roots further back to the 1953 US-supported overthrow of the nationalist government of prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh and his replacement by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi whom Washington staunchly supported till his fall in 1979.

Iranian concerns were reinforced by American backing of Iraq in the 1980s Gulf war, US support for Kurdish and Baloch insurgents, the broad spectrum of support of former and serving US officials for the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, unequivocal Saudi signals of support for ethnic strife as a strategy to destabilize Iran, and Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program despite confirmation of its adherence to the accord.

Responses by the US and its Gulf allies as well as a series of statements by militant Iranian Arab groups, including the Ahvaz Resistance Movement, suspected of being responsible for this weekend's attack, have only deepened Iranian distrust.

Those statements included one by the Arab Liberation Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz effusively praising Saudi Arabia on its national day that the kingdom celebrated a day after the attack.

Yadollah Javani, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the target of the attack, vowed revenge for what he termed years of conspiracies against the Iranian revolution by its enemies.

Javani was referring to past US attempts to destabilise Iran and a four-decade long global Saudi campaign that included backing of Iraq in the Gulf war during the 1980s and an estimated $100 billion investment in support of anti-Iranian, anti-Shiite ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim groups.

All of this means that mounting hostility between the United States and Iran is muddied as much by fact as by perception – a combustible mix that is easily exploitable by parties on both sides of the divide seeking to raise the ante. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It’s easy to dismiss Iranian denunciations of the United States and its Middle Eastern allies as part of the Islamic republic's long-standing rhetoric. The rhetoric makes it equally easy to understand American distrust.

It’s easy to dismiss Iranian denunciations of the United States and its Middle Eastern allies as part of the Islamic republic's long-standing rhetoric. The rhetoric makes it equally easy to understand American distrust. But as President Trump and Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart, gear up for two days of diplomatic sabre rattling at the United Nations in advance of next month's imposition of a second round of harsh US sanctions, both men risk fuelling a conflict that could escalate out of hand. Both are scheduled to address the UN general assembly on Tuesday and Trump is slated to chair a meeting on Wednesday of the Security Council expected to focus on Iran. Adding to the likely drama at the UN, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, speaking alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, snubbed Trump, by announcing the creation of a payment system that would allow oil companies and businesses to continue trading with Iran despite US sanctions. The risk of escalation is enhanced by the fact that Trump and Rouhani are sending mixed messages. Trump's administration insists that its confrontational approach is designed to alter Iranian behaviour and curb its policies, not topple its regime. Yet, the administration stepped up its engagement with exile groups associated with the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a controversial Saudi-backed organisation that calls for the violent overthrow of the government in Tehran and enjoys support among current and former Western officials, as Messrs. Trump and Rouhani battle it out at the UN. John Bolton, who has repeatedly advocated regime change before becoming Trump’s national security advisor, is scheduled to give a keynote address at the United Against Nuclear Iran’s (UANI) annual summit during the UN assembly. So is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, another hardliner on Iran. Pompeo and Bolton, who has spoken in the past at events related to the Mujahedeen, had so far since coming to office refrained from addressing gatherings associated with opposition groups. The administration left that to Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, who last weekend told the Iran Uprising Summit organised by the Organisation of Iranian-American Communities, a Washington-based group associated with the Mujahedeen and attended by the exile’s leader, Maryam Rajavi, that US. sanctions were causing economic pain and could lead to a “successful revolution” in Iran. “I don’t know when we’re going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it’s going to happen,” Giuliani, said speaking on the day of an attack on a military march in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz that killed 25 people and wounded at least 70 others. Bolton, Pompeo and Giuliani’s hardline stems from US suspicions rooted in anti-American and anti-Western attitudes that are grafted in the Islamic republic's DNA and produced the 444-day occupation in 1979 of the US Embassy in Tehran. They are reinforced by the humiliation of a failed US military operation to rescue 66 Americans held hostages during the occupation. Iranian rhetoric; bombastic threats against Israel; denial of the Holocaust, support for anti-American insurgents in Iraq, the brutal regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas in the Gaza Strip; propagation of religiously inspired republican government as an alternative to conservative monarchy in the Gulf; and degrees of duplicity regarding its nuclear program, reaffirm America's suspicion. Iran's seemingly mirror image of the United States traces its roots further back to the 1953 US-supported overthrow of the nationalist government of prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh and his replacement by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi whom Washington staunchly supported till his fall in 1979. Iranian concerns were reinforced by American backing of Iraq in the 1980s Gulf war, US support for Kurdish and Baloch insurgents, the broad spectrum of support of former and serving US officials for the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, unequivocal Saudi signals of support for ethnic strife as a strategy to destabilize Iran, and Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program despite confirmation of its adherence to the accord. Responses by the US and its Gulf allies as well as a series of statements by militant Iranian Arab groups, including the Ahvaz Resistance Movement, suspected of being responsible for this weekend's attack, have only deepened Iranian distrust. Those statements included one by the Arab Liberation Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz effusively praising Saudi Arabia on its national day that the kingdom celebrated a day after the attack. Yadollah Javani, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the target of the attack, vowed revenge for what he termed years of conspiracies against the Iranian revolution by its enemies. Javani was referring to past US attempts to destabilise Iran and a four-decade long global Saudi campaign that included backing of Iraq in the Gulf war during the 1980s and an estimated $100 billion investment in support of anti-Iranian, anti-Shiite ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim groups. All of this means that mounting hostility between the United States and Iran is muddied as much by fact as by perception – a combustible mix that is easily exploitable by parties on both sides of the divide seeking to raise the ante. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Potholes overshadow US-Iran confrontation at UN

The United Nations said Tuesday it was investigating "credible reports" that nine members of a family had been killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, but US Forces denied the victims were civilians. &nbsp;

Women and children were among those reportedly killed on Saturday after an "aerial ordnance" hit the home of a teacher in Tagab district in the eastern province of Kapisa, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.

Six other family members were wounded in the attack on Badrab village, UNAMA added, citing "multiple, credible allegations".

"All the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between two and 12," it said.&nbsp;

Latif, whose home was one of three damaged in the strike, told AFP on Monday that 15&nbsp;members of a family including three children were killed when a "bomb" hit their house on Saturday night.&nbsp;

But local officials told AFP they had not received any reports of civilian casualties.&nbsp;

US Forces spokesman David Butler said Afghan ground troops involved in a gunbattle had been forced to call in US air support.

The United Nations said Tuesday it was investigating "credible reports" that nine members of a family had been killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, but US Forces denied the victims were civilians.

The United Nations said Tuesday it was investigating "credible reports" that nine members of a family had been killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, but US Forces denied the victims were civilians. Women and children were among those reportedly killed on Saturday after an "aerial ordnance" hit the home of a teacher in Tagab district in the eastern province of Kapisa, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement. Six other family members were wounded in the attack on Badrab village, UNAMA added, citing "multiple, credible allegations". "All the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between two and 12," it said. Latif, whose home was one of three damaged in the strike, told AFP on Monday that 15 members of a family including three children were killed when a "bomb" hit their house on Saturday night. But local officials told AFP they had not received any reports of civilian casualties. US Forces spokesman David Butler said Afghan ground troops involved in a gunbattle had been forced to call in US air support.

UN probes 'credible' reports of nine Afghan civilians killed in air strike

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution Friday aimed at toughening the UN response to peacekeeper misconduct following a string of failures by the blue helmets to protect civilians.

UN peacekeeping missions are facing a damaging wave of allegations of sex abuse and of failing to come to the aid of civilians caught up in violence, notably in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

The United States presented the measure to improve peacekeeping performance but faced major resistance from Russia, which found it harsh toward troop-contributing countries.&nbsp;

The resolution is intended to reinforce measures such as repatriating peacekeepers, replacing units and withholding UN payments for soldiers involved in misconduct -- penalties that have irked troop contributors.&nbsp;

The measure "welcomes" special investigations set up by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to look into significant peacekeeping failures and stresses that the findings of these probes should be transparent.&nbsp;

At a council meeting last week, Pakistan, one of the top three troops contributors to peacekeeping, spoke out against a public "name-and-shame" approach to call out countries whose troops failed in their mission.

The United States, which is the number one financial contributor to the UN's $6.9 billion peacekeeping budget, has moved to cut funding and raised concern about the performance of missions.

A council diplomat described negotiations on the text as "very tough" and said there had been changes to the original draft that strongly pressured troop-contributing countries.

The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide.

Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to sexual abuse committed by the blue helmets and has appointed a victims' advocate to oversee the handling of cases.

His predecessor Ban Ki-moon took the unprecedented step of firing the commander of the mission in the Central African Republic over his handling of dozens of cases of sex abuse and misconduct by the peacekeepers.

Ban also sacked the head of the mission in South Sudan following a report that showed peacekeepers failed to respond to appeals for help from aid workers who came under attack at a nearby hotel compound. 
&nbsp;

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution Friday aimed at toughening the UN response to peacekeeper misconduct following a string of failures by the blue helmets to protect civilians.

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution Friday aimed at toughening the UN response to peacekeeper misconduct following a string of failures by the blue helmets to protect civilians. UN peacekeeping missions are facing a damaging wave of allegations of sex abuse and of failing to come to the aid of civilians caught up in violence, notably in the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The United States presented the measure to improve peacekeeping performance but faced major resistance from Russia, which found it harsh toward troop-contributing countries. The resolution is intended to reinforce measures such as repatriating peacekeepers, replacing units and withholding UN payments for soldiers involved in misconduct -- penalties that have irked troop contributors. The measure "welcomes" special investigations set up by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to look into significant peacekeeping failures and stresses that the findings of these probes should be transparent. At a council meeting last week, Pakistan, one of the top three troops contributors to peacekeeping, spoke out against a public "name-and-shame" approach to call out countries whose troops failed in their mission. The United States, which is the number one financial contributor to the UN's $6.9 billion peacekeeping budget, has moved to cut funding and raised concern about the performance of missions. A council diplomat described negotiations on the text as "very tough" and said there had been changes to the original draft that strongly pressured troop-contributing countries. The United Nations has 96,000 peacekeepers serving in 14 missions worldwide. Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to sexual abuse committed by the blue helmets and has appointed a victims' advocate to oversee the handling of cases. His predecessor Ban Ki-moon took the unprecedented step of firing the commander of the mission in the Central African Republic over his handling of dozens of cases of sex abuse and misconduct by the peacekeepers. Ban also sacked the head of the mission in South Sudan following a report that showed peacekeepers failed to respond to appeals for help from aid workers who came under attack at a nearby hotel compound.

UN moves to toughen response to peacekeeper misconduct

India today rejected the <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/jk-terrorists-abduct-indian-army-soldier-from-pulwama-144334">United Nations report which called </a>for an inquiry into abuses in "Indian-administered Kashmir" as well as "Pakistan-administered Kashmir".&nbsp

India said the UN report on human rights violation in Kashmir was "fallacious, tendentious and motivated". UN report on Kashmir violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ministry of external affairs said.

In a first of its kind report, the UN said there was an urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, "any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations."

Specifically named "Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of J-K from June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad J-K and Gilgit-Baltistan", it noted there were a variety of "armed groups operating" in the&nbspIndian state of J&K.

"Despite the Government of Pakistan's assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan's military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir," the report said. &nbsp

It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians.

The report said, "the people on both sides of the Line of Control have been detrimentally impacted and suffer from limitations or denial of a range of human rights."

The report asked for urgent repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990 and to "immediately remove the requirement for prior central government permission to prosecute security forces personnel accused of human rights violations in civilian courts."

It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians.

India today rejected the United Nations report which called for an inquiry into abuses in "Indian-administered Kashmir" as well as "Pakistan-administered Kashmir". India said the UN report on human rights violation in Kashmir was "fallacious, tendentious and motivated". UN report on Kashmir violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ministry of external affairs said. In a first of its kind report, the UN said there was an urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, "any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations." Specifically named "Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of J-K from June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad J-K and Gilgit-Baltistan", it noted there were a variety of "armed groups operating" in the&nbspIndian state of J&K. "Despite the Government of Pakistan's assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan's military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir," the report said. It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians. The report said, "the people on both sides of the Line of Control have been detrimentally impacted and suffer from limitations or denial of a range of human rights." The report asked for urgent repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990 and to "immediately remove the requirement for prior central government permission to prosecute security forces personnel accused of human rights violations in civilian courts."

UN report on J&K is fallacious, tendentious and motivated: India

The UN Security Council will meet&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;for urgent talks following the launch of an offensive on the Yemeni port of Hodeida, a lifeline for aid, by government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition, diplomats said.

Britain requested the meeting to be held behind closed doors at&nbsp;noon&nbsp;(1600 GMT) -- the second time this week that the council will have met on the crisis in Yemen.

The United Nations has raised alarm over the military operation, which could cripple deliveries of commercial goods and humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen, which is on the brink of famine.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned in a statement that the military operation around Hodeida must not disrupt the flow of goods through the port.

"The coalition have assured us that they are incorporating humanitarian concerns into their operational plans. It is vital to maintaining the flow of food, fuel and medical supplies into Yemen," said Johnson.

The Red Sea port, controlled by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, serves as the entry point for 70 per&nbsp;cent of the impoverished country's imports, but the coalition maintains that the rebels use it to smuggle weapons.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said he was continuing to hold negotiations on keeping Hodeida open and urged all sides to exercise restraint.&nbsp;

On Monday, the UN Security Council said it supported Griffiths' diplomatic efforts but did not specifically call on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose troops are backing Yemeni forces, to refrain from attacking Hodeida.

The UN envoy had been pressing the Huthis to turn over the port to a UN-supervised committee that would allow shipments of vital supplies to continue to flow through it.

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis "strongly supports the efforts of the new UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, to bring all sides of the conflict to the negotiating table," Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said&nbsp;Wednesday.

"We maintain that the port of Hodeida is critical to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to relieve the suffering of the Yemeni people," Rankine-Galloway said.

The British foreign secretary urged the Huthis to "not compromise port facilities or hinder the humanitarian response."

More than 22 million people in Yemen are in need of aid, including 8.4 million who are at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations, which considers Yemen to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a military campaign to push back the Huthis after they seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead and tens of thousands wounded in what was already the Arab world's poorest country.

Britain requested the meeting to be held behind closed doors at noon the second time this week that the council will have met on the crisis in Yemen

The UN Security Council will meet Thursday for urgent talks following the launch of an offensive on the Yemeni port of Hodeida, a lifeline for aid, by government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition, diplomats said. Britain requested the meeting to be held behind closed doors at noon (1600 GMT) -- the second time this week that the council will have met on the crisis in Yemen. The United Nations has raised alarm over the military operation, which could cripple deliveries of commercial goods and humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen, which is on the brink of famine. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned in a statement that the military operation around Hodeida must not disrupt the flow of goods through the port. "The coalition have assured us that they are incorporating humanitarian concerns into their operational plans. It is vital to maintaining the flow of food, fuel and medical supplies into Yemen," said Johnson. The Red Sea port, controlled by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, serves as the entry point for 70 per cent of the impoverished country's imports, but the coalition maintains that the rebels use it to smuggle weapons. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said he was continuing to hold negotiations on keeping Hodeida open and urged all sides to exercise restraint. On Monday, the UN Security Council said it supported Griffiths' diplomatic efforts but did not specifically call on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose troops are backing Yemeni forces, to refrain from attacking Hodeida. The UN envoy had been pressing the Huthis to turn over the port to a UN-supervised committee that would allow shipments of vital supplies to continue to flow through it. US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis "strongly supports the efforts of the new UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, to bring all sides of the conflict to the negotiating table," Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said Wednesday. "We maintain that the port of Hodeida is critical to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to relieve the suffering of the Yemeni people," Rankine-Galloway said. The British foreign secretary urged the Huthis to "not compromise port facilities or hinder the humanitarian response." More than 22 million people in Yemen are in need of aid, including 8.4 million who are at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations, which considers Yemen to be the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading a military campaign to push back the Huthis after they seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and restore the internationally recognized government to power. The conflict has left nearly 10,000 people dead and tens of thousands wounded in what was already the Arab world's poorest country.

UN Security Council to meet Thursday for urgent talks on Yemen port offensive

The United Nations General Assembly will vote Wednesday on condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza in a resolution fiercely opposed by the United States, which wants Hamas to face condemnation.&nbsp

US Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed the Arab-backed measure as "fundamentally imbalanced" for its failure to mention Hamas and has proposed an amendment that condemns the Palestinian militant group.

"Any resolution focused on the protection of civilians in Gaza must recognize the destabilizing and reckless actions of Hamas, which endanger the lives and livelihoods of innocent civilians," Haley wrote in a letter sent to fellow ambassadors on the eve of the vote.

At least 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border with Gaza that began at the end of March.

The Arab-drafted text condemns Israel's use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinian civilians and calls for protection measures for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The 193-nation assembly will vote first on the US-drafted amendment condemning Hamas for "inciting violence" along the border with Gaza before the vote on the resolution.&nbsp

Diplomats expect the US amendment to fail and the Arab-backed resolution to be adopted, but it remains unclear how many votes it will garner in the face of strong US opposition.

Arab countries backing the measure turned to the General Assembly after the United States used its veto in the Security Council to block the resolution on June 1.

The text was put forward by Algeria and Turkey on behalf of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed the Arab-backed measure as 'fundamentally imbalanced' for its failure to mention Hamas and has proposed an amendment that condemns the Palestinian militant group

The United Nations General Assembly will vote Wednesday on condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza in a resolution fiercely opposed by the United States, which wants Hamas to face condemnation. US Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed the Arab-backed measure as "fundamentally imbalanced" for its failure to mention Hamas and has proposed an amendment that condemns the Palestinian militant group. "Any resolution focused on the protection of civilians in Gaza must recognize the destabilizing and reckless actions of Hamas, which endanger the lives and livelihoods of innocent civilians," Haley wrote in a letter sent to fellow ambassadors on the eve of the vote. At least 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border with Gaza that began at the end of March. The Arab-drafted text condemns Israel's use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinian civilians and calls for protection measures for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The 193-nation assembly will vote first on the US-drafted amendment condemning Hamas for "inciting violence" along the border with Gaza before the vote on the resolution. Diplomats expect the US amendment to fail and the Arab-backed resolution to be adopted, but it remains unclear how many votes it will garner in the face of strong US opposition. Arab countries backing the measure turned to the General Assembly after the United States used its veto in the Security Council to block the resolution on June 1. The text was put forward by Algeria and Turkey on behalf of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

UN votes on condemning Israel over Gaza violence

United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday, noted that the escalating violence in Yemen could lead to a refugee exodus. He further added that the war has taken a huge toll on the civilians and will not come to an end this way.&nbsp

A Saudi-led coalition launched the largest assault of the war.

"It’s actually surprising that an exodus has not happened yet," he told Reuters. "The message is to go back to the negotiating table as soon as possible."

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp

He further added that the war has taken a huge toll on the civilians

United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi, on Wednesday, noted that the escalating violence in Yemen could lead to a refugee exodus. He further added that the war has taken a huge toll on the civilians and will not come to an end this way. A Saudi-led coalition launched the largest assault of the war. "It’s actually surprising that an exodus has not happened yet," he told Reuters. "The message is to go back to the negotiating table as soon as possible." (With inputs from Reuters)

UN's Grandi calls for Yemen talks, fears refugee exodus

The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency meeting on Gaza next Wednesday at 12:30 am IST following a request by a number of Arab countries, the body's president Miroslav Lajcak announced today in a letter to the 193 member states.

The session will seek a vote on a resolution to condemn Israel, similar to one vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week, according to diplomats.

The meeting comes as casualties continue to mount at Gaza

The UN General Assembly will hold an emergency meeting on Gaza next Wednesday at 12:30 am IST following a request by a number of Arab countries, the body's president Miroslav Lajcak announced today in a letter to the 193 member states. The session will seek a vote on a resolution to condemn Israel, similar to one vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week, according to diplomats.

UN to hold emergency meeting on Gaza next week

Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead around 130 people and arrested 13,000 in the past three weeks since the government introduced a "zero tolerance" policy against illegal drugs, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the anti-narcotics campaign in early May to tackle the spread of ya ba, as methamphetamine is widely known in Asia, and worth an estimated $3 billion annually, government officials say.

UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said nobody should forfeit their rights for using or selling drugs, and he urged the government to investigate the deaths.

UN&nbsp;spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Bangladesh's minister of law had assured Zeid there would be an investigation.

The government has previously dismissed any suggestion of extrajudicial killings and said the crackdown had popular support.

The drug is sourced from northeast&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;and smuggled into neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh has said an influx last year of Rohingya fleeing&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;is partly to blame for soaring methamphetamine use. But many Rohingya say their young people are being pushed into crime because they cannot legally work or, in many cases, get access to aid.

Human rights activists are worried the Bangladesh campaign is taking a page from the Philippine drugs war, in which thousands of people have been killed in the past two years.

UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Bangladesh's minister of law had assured Zeid there would be an investigation

Bangladeshi security forces have shot dead around 130 people and arrested 13,000 in the past three weeks since the government introduced a "zero tolerance" policy against illegal drugs, the United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the anti-narcotics campaign in early May to tackle the spread of ya ba, as methamphetamine is widely known in Asia, and worth an estimated $3 billion annually, government officials say. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said nobody should forfeit their rights for using or selling drugs, and he urged the government to investigate the deaths. UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Bangladesh's minister of law had assured Zeid there would be an investigation. The government has previously dismissed any suggestion of extrajudicial killings and said the crackdown had popular support. The drug is sourced from northeast Myanmar and smuggled into neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh has said an influx last year of Rohingya fleeing Myanmar is partly to blame for soaring methamphetamine use. But many Rohingya say their young people are being pushed into crime because they cannot legally work or, in many cases, get access to aid. Human rights activists are worried the Bangladesh campaign is taking a page from the Philippine drugs war, in which thousands of people have been killed in the past two years.

UN urges Bangladesh to halt killings of suspected drug offenders

A top UN rights expert called&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;for North Korea to begin freeing prisoners under a "general amnesty" ahead of next week's historic nuclear summit.

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, called on Pyongyang to "issue a general amnesty to release hundreds of prisoners".

He hailed North Korea's recent release of three American prisoners and urged the country to broaden its "amnesty" to anyone being arbitrarily detained there, which he said was basically all prisoners.

"There is no rule of law in the country... no due process of law," he said.

He said he understood prisoner releases would be part of a possibly drawn-out process and that Pyongyang would not throw open the doors to all of its prisons immediately.

But he said he thought "a good signal of the government would be to start releasing prisoners".&nbsp;

His comments came less than a week before unprecedented talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to take place in Singapore.

The summit is due to be held following a rapid detente between Pyongyang and Washington -- as well as South Korea -- in a turn-around from a dramatic escalation of tensions last year when the North ratcheted up its nuclear weapons programme.

Ojea Quintana insisted that human rights needed to be addressed as part of the security negotiations.

Earlier this year, Ojea Quintana said that any "denuclearisation deal will remain fragile if it sidelines the rights and needs of the DPRK population", using the official acronym for the country.

The isolated North has been accused of a litany of state-sanctioned rights abuses including extrajudicial killing, torture, brutal crackdowns on dissent and even kidnapping foreign citizens.

North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system.

A UN commission published a searing report in 2014 which concluded North Korea was committing human rights violations "without parallel in the contemporary world".

In Ojea Quintana's latest report, he highlighted the use of torture in detention, chronic food insecurity and "severe restrictions on all forms of free expression, movement and access to information".

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, called on Pyongyang to "issue a general amnesty to release hundreds of prisoners"

A top UN rights expert called Thursday for North Korea to begin freeing prisoners under a "general amnesty" ahead of next week's historic nuclear summit. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, called on Pyongyang to "issue a general amnesty to release hundreds of prisoners". He hailed North Korea's recent release of three American prisoners and urged the country to broaden its "amnesty" to anyone being arbitrarily detained there, which he said was basically all prisoners. "There is no rule of law in the country... no due process of law," he said. He said he understood prisoner releases would be part of a possibly drawn-out process and that Pyongyang would not throw open the doors to all of its prisons immediately. But he said he thought "a good signal of the government would be to start releasing prisoners". His comments came less than a week before unprecedented talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to take place in Singapore. The summit is due to be held following a rapid detente between Pyongyang and Washington -- as well as South Korea -- in a turn-around from a dramatic escalation of tensions last year when the North ratcheted up its nuclear weapons programme. Ojea Quintana insisted that human rights needed to be addressed as part of the security negotiations. Earlier this year, Ojea Quintana said that any "denuclearisation deal will remain fragile if it sidelines the rights and needs of the DPRK population", using the official acronym for the country. The isolated North has been accused of a litany of state-sanctioned rights abuses including extrajudicial killing, torture, brutal crackdowns on dissent and even kidnapping foreign citizens. North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system. A UN commission published a searing report in 2014 which concluded North Korea was committing human rights violations "without parallel in the contemporary world". In Ojea Quintana's latest report, he highlighted the use of torture in detention, chronic food insecurity and "severe restrictions on all forms of free expression, movement and access to information".

UN expert urges North Korea prisoner amnesty to begin freeing prisoners ahead of nuclear summit

Iran, on Tuesday, told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it has started a plan to increase its uranium enrichment capacity.&nbsp;

Nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi notified the agency in a letter submitted on Monday.&nbsp;

"A letter was submitted to the agency yesterday regarding the start of certain activities," said Salehi, a vice president and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation.

"If conditions allow, maybe tomorrow night at Natanz, we can announce the opening of the centre for the production of new centrifuges" for uranium enrichment, he said, quoted by conservative news agency Fars.&nbsp;

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said he had ordered preparations for enrichment, should the 2015 nuclear deal fail completely. He said the country had the capacity to accelerate production of centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.

President Donald Trump pulled America out of the deal last month.

He said he would initiate new sanctions on Iran, ripping up the touchstone agreement negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Since then, Khamenei and other Iranian officials have been on the attack, threatening to increase uranium enrichment.

European countries and China have said they will stand by the existing nuclear accord. But fears are growing in Tehran that European leaders will be unable to prevent Washington from reimposing sanctions on European companies, which would badly damage Iran's oil economy.

The bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini last month&nbsp;said, the European Union (EU) wants to preserve the landmark Iran nuclear deal for security interests.

Since the day the United States (US) pulled out of the deal, Mogherini, on different occasions, assured Iran saying, as long as Iran abides by all its nuclear-related commitments, the EU will stick to the deal.

Nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi made notified the agency in a letter submitted on Monday

Iran, on Tuesday, told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it has started a plan to increase its uranium enrichment capacity. Nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi notified the agency in a letter submitted on Monday. "A letter was submitted to the agency yesterday regarding the start of certain activities," said Salehi, a vice president and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation. "If conditions allow, maybe tomorrow night at Natanz, we can announce the opening of the centre for the production of new centrifuges" for uranium enrichment, he said, quoted by conservative news agency Fars. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said he had ordered preparations for enrichment, should the 2015 nuclear deal fail completely. He said the country had the capacity to accelerate production of centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium. President Donald Trump pulled America out of the deal last month. He said he would initiate new sanctions on Iran, ripping up the touchstone agreement negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Since then, Khamenei and other Iranian officials have been on the attack, threatening to increase uranium enrichment. European countries and China have said they will stand by the existing nuclear accord. But fears are growing in Tehran that European leaders will be unable to prevent Washington from reimposing sanctions on European companies, which would badly damage Iran's oil economy. The bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini last month said, the European Union (EU) wants to preserve the landmark Iran nuclear deal for security interests. Since the day the United States (US) pulled out of the deal, Mogherini, on different occasions, assured Iran saying, as long as Iran abides by all its nuclear-related commitments, the EU will stick to the deal.

Iran tells UN it will hike uranium-enrichment capacity

The United Nations called on the United States on Tuesday to stop detaining irregular migrant families and separating children on its frontier with Mexico, saying this broke the law.

Several hundred children crossing the southern U.S. border have been held in custody since October 2017 following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump when he took office in January 2016, it said.

"The U.S. should immediately halt this practice of separating families and stop criminalising what should at most be an administrative offence – that of irregular entry or stay in the U.S.," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a briefing in Geneva.

"Entering a country without the relevant papers should not be a criminal offence...so these people should not be detained," she said, adding that some children were very young, including a one-year-old infant.

Poverty, as well as deepening violence from criminal gangs and drug traffickers has driven hundreds of thousands of Central Americans to try to cross the U.S. border illegally or seek asylum in the country.

The Trump administration will soon begin fingerprinting parents claiming custody of children who entered the United States illegally without an adult relative, officials said a week ago, prompting criticism that children may be abandoned by those who fear being identified and deported. [nL2N1T01BY]

Shamdasani, asked about comments by senior U.S. officials that it was normal to remove children from parents in custody, said: "There is nothing normal about detaining children.

"Detention is never in the best interests of the child and always constitutes a child rights violation," she said.

The United States - the only country in the world not to have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child - still has obligations as a signatory to that treaty and as a party that has ratified other rights treaties, Shamdasani said

"Our position is that preserving family unity is a fundamental tenet of refugee protection," U.N. refugee agency spokesman William Spindler said.

Most crossing the U.S. southern border are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador where there is rampant violence and persecution targetting children and youth, he said.

"The fact that you have people coming from countries experiencing violence and might be subject to persecution by gangs and other criminal violence, would certainly ... give them the right to receive international protection," Spindler said.

Several hundred children crossing the southern U.S. border have been held in custody since October 2017 following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump when he took office in January 2016, it said

The United Nations called on the United States on Tuesday to stop detaining irregular migrant families and separating children on its frontier with Mexico, saying this broke the law. Several hundred children crossing the southern U.S. border have been held in custody since October 2017 following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump when he took office in January 2016, it said. "The U.S. should immediately halt this practice of separating families and stop criminalising what should at most be an administrative offence – that of irregular entry or stay in the U.S.," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a briefing in Geneva. "Entering a country without the relevant papers should not be a criminal offence...so these people should not be detained," she said, adding that some children were very young, including a one-year-old infant. Poverty, as well as deepening violence from criminal gangs and drug traffickers has driven hundreds of thousands of Central Americans to try to cross the U.S. border illegally or seek asylum in the country. The Trump administration will soon begin fingerprinting parents claiming custody of children who entered the United States illegally without an adult relative, officials said a week ago, prompting criticism that children may be abandoned by those who fear being identified and deported. [nL2N1T01BY] Shamdasani, asked about comments by senior U.S. officials that it was normal to remove children from parents in custody, said: "There is nothing normal about detaining children. "Detention is never in the best interests of the child and always constitutes a child rights violation," she said. The United States - the only country in the world not to have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child - still has obligations as a signatory to that treaty and as a party that has ratified other rights treaties, Shamdasani said "Our position is that preserving family unity is a fundamental tenet of refugee protection," U.N. refugee agency spokesman William Spindler said. Most crossing the U.S. southern border are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador where there is rampant violence and persecution targetting children and youth, he said. "The fact that you have people coming from countries experiencing violence and might be subject to persecution by gangs and other criminal violence, would certainly ... give them the right to receive international protection," Spindler said.

US should stop detaining migrants, separating children: UN

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/day-after-countrys-farmers-go-on-strike-fruit--vegetable-prices-shoot-up-141779">Day</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/day-after-countrys-farmers-go-on-strike-fruit--vegetable-prices-shoot-up-141779"> after country's farmers go on strike, fruit & vegetable prices shoot up</a>

A day after farmers in the country went on&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/farmers-begin-10-day-nationwide-strike-say-will-not-sell-produce-in-cities-141609">strike</a>, the prices of fruits and vegetables have reportedly shot up.&nbspANI reported vendors at Delhi's Okhla mandi as saying prices had risen.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-address-farmers-protest-on-june-6-in-mandsaur-mp-141801">Rahul Gandhi to address farmers' protest on June 6 in Mandsaur, MP</a>

A day after farmers across the country initiated a 10-day nationwide protest,&nbspCongress president Rahul Gandhi has decided to join the protest on June 6.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/trump-says-summit-back-on-but-who-will-pay-for-kims-hotel-room-141802">Trump says summit back on but who will pay for Kim's hotel room?&nbsp</a>

Trump announced early Saturday morning that his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was back on.&nbsp He made his announcement after meeting at the White House with Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong Chol.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/palestinian-tries-to-hit-israeli-soldiers-with-car-shot-dead-army-141790">Palestinian tries to hit Israeli soldiers with </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/palestinian-tries-to-hit-israeli-soldiers-with-car-shot-dead-army-141790">car</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/palestinian-tries-to-hit-israeli-soldiers-with-car-shot-dead-army-141790">,</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/palestinian-tries-to-hit-israeli-soldiers-with-car-shot-dead-army-141790"> shot dead: Army</a>

A Palestinian man who tried today to hit Israeli soldiers with his car in the southern occupied West Bank city Hebron was shot dead, the army said.

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/un-and-myanmar-agree-outline-of-rohingya-return-deal-no-details-141556">UN and Myanmar agree outline of Rohingya return deal, no details</a>

The United Nations said&nbspon Thursday&nbspit had struck an outline deal with Myanmar aimed at eventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims sheltering in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice.

&nbsp

Day after country's farmers go on strike, fruit & vegetable prices shoot up A day after farmers in the country went on strike, the prices of fruits and vegetables have reportedly shot up.&nbspANI reported vendors at Delhi's Okhla mandi as saying prices had risen. Rahul Gandhi to address farmers' protest on June 6 in Mandsaur, MP A day after farmers across the country initiated a 10-day nationwide protest,&nbspCongress president Rahul Gandhi has decided to join the protest on June 6. Trump says summit back on but who will pay for Kim's hotel room? Trump announced early Saturday morning that his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was back on. He made his announcement after meeting at the White House with Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong Chol. Palestinian tries to hit Israeli soldiers with car, shot dead: Army A Palestinian man who tried today to hit Israeli soldiers with his car in the southern occupied West Bank city Hebron was shot dead, the army said. UN and Myanmar agree outline of Rohingya return deal, no details The United Nations said&nbspon Thursday&nbspit had struck an outline deal with Myanmar aimed at eventually allowing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims sheltering in Bangladesh to return safely and by choice.

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