While the link between smoking and a range of cancers is well known, the World Health Organization warned&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;there was too little awareness of tobacco's impact on the human heart.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day&nbsp;Thursday, the UN health agency hailed that smoking had declined significantly since&nbsp;the year&nbsp;2000, but warned that there were still far too many people indulging in the dangerous habit.

And it cautioned that research showed there was "a serious lack of knowledge" about the different health risks associated with tobacco.

Tobacco use has been linked to more than seven million deaths worldwide each year, including some 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke.

But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and stroke, WHO warned.

"Most people know that using tobacco causes cancer and lung disease, but many people aren't aware that tobacco also causes heart disease and stroke – the world’s leading killers," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

"Tobacco doesn't just cause cancer. It quite literally breaks hearts," he said.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels, and nicotine, which is associated with increases in heart rate and blood pressure.

At the same time, smoking unleashes poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood, thereby reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart muscle, WHO said.

The agency pointed out that tobacco use is responsible for around 17&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the nearly 18 million deaths from cardiovascular disease around the globe each year.

Yet in many countries, there is very low awareness that smoking significantly increases your chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

In China&nbsp;for&nbsp;instance, a large WHO survey showed that more than 60&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the population is unaware that smoking can cause heart attacks, while in India and Indonesia, more than half of adults are unaware that smoking can cause&nbsp;a stroke.

"Governments have the power in their hands to protect their citizens from suffering needlessly from heart disease," said Douglas Bettcher, who heads WHO's non-communicable disease prevention unit.

According to a new WHO report on smoking trends and prevalence, the percentage of people worldwide who indulge in the habit has dropped from 27&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in 2000 to 20&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;in 2016.

But it warned that the pace of reduction was too slow.

Due to population growth, the number of smokers in the world has remained relatively stable at around 1.1 billion, Bettcher told reporters.

UN health agency hailed that smoking had declined significantly since the year 2000

While the link between smoking and a range of cancers is well known, the World Health Organization warned Thursday there was too little awareness of tobacco's impact on the human heart. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day Thursday, the UN health agency hailed that smoking had declined significantly since the year 2000, but warned that there were still far too many people indulging in the dangerous habit. And it cautioned that research showed there was "a serious lack of knowledge" about the different health risks associated with tobacco. Tobacco use has been linked to more than seven million deaths worldwide each year, including some 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke. But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and stroke, WHO warned. "Most people know that using tobacco causes cancer and lung disease, but many people aren't aware that tobacco also causes heart disease and stroke – the world’s leading killers," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "Tobacco doesn't just cause cancer. It quite literally breaks hearts," he said. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels, and nicotine, which is associated with increases in heart rate and blood pressure. At the same time, smoking unleashes poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood, thereby reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart muscle, WHO said. The agency pointed out that tobacco use is responsible for around 17 per cent of the nearly 18 million deaths from cardiovascular disease around the globe each year. Yet in many countries, there is very low awareness that smoking significantly increases your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. In China for instance, a large WHO survey showed that more than 60 per cent of the population is unaware that smoking can cause heart attacks, while in India and Indonesia, more than half of adults are unaware that smoking can cause a stroke. "Governments have the power in their hands to protect their citizens from suffering needlessly from heart disease," said Douglas Bettcher, who heads WHO's non-communicable disease prevention unit. According to a new WHO report on smoking trends and prevalence, the percentage of people worldwide who indulge in the habit has dropped from 27 per cent in 2000 to 20 per cent in 2016. But it warned that the pace of reduction was too slow. Due to population growth, the number of smokers in the world has remained relatively stable at around 1.1 billion, Bettcher told reporters.

World No Tobacco Day 2018: Smoking causes millions of heart attacks, says WHO

The latest escalation of fighting between Israel and Palestinian Hamas has pushed Gaza to the brink of war, the UN envoy for the Middle East warned the Security Council on Wednesday.

Nickolay Mladenov delivered the stark warning as the council remained deadlocked over how to respond to the flare-up between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

"This latest round of attacks is a warning to all of how close to the brink of war we are every day," said Mladenov, who spoke via video link from Jerusalem.

The council met in emergency session at the request of the United States, which had asked the top UN body to condemn rocket firings by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Israel.

But Kuwait, a non-permanent council member that represents Arab countries, blocked the US-drafted statement, arguing that it had presented its own draft resolution that addressed the crisis.

The exchange of fire on Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday began with a barrage of rocket and mortars into Israel from Gaza, prompting Israel to respond with strikes on 65 militant sites in the Gaza Strip.

The violence was the most serious escalation since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas and followed weeks of Palestinian protests in which more than 100 Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli forces.

Calm returned to Gaza on Wednesday but the UN envoy expressed concern that ongoing protests in June will lead to further violence.&nbsp

"No one in Gaza can afford another war," said Mladenov.

Kuwait is pushing for a vote at the council this week on its draft resolution calling for "the consideration of measures" for the protection of Palestinian civilians, according to the text obtained by AFP.

The United States, which has veto power in the council, will oppose the measure, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said "the people of Gaza do not need protection from an external source. The people of Gaza need protection from Hamas."

With the council deadlocked, France warned that the failure to agree on a response to the Gaza crisis was damaging to the United Nations.

"This increasingly heavy silence, which is becoming deafening, is not acceptable," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre.

"It is not acceptable for the Palestinian and Israeli populations, who are affected by this conflict. It is not acceptable for the world that is watching us," he said. 
&nbsp

The latest round of attacks is a warning to all of how close to the brink of war we are every day: UN envoy for the Middle East

The latest escalation of fighting between Israel and Palestinian Hamas has pushed Gaza to the brink of war, the UN envoy for the Middle East warned the Security Council on Wednesday. Nickolay Mladenov delivered the stark warning as the council remained deadlocked over how to respond to the flare-up between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and Israel. "This latest round of attacks is a warning to all of how close to the brink of war we are every day," said Mladenov, who spoke via video link from Jerusalem. The council met in emergency session at the request of the United States, which had asked the top UN body to condemn rocket firings by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Israel. But Kuwait, a non-permanent council member that represents Arab countries, blocked the US-drafted statement, arguing that it had presented its own draft resolution that addressed the crisis. The exchange of fire on Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday began with a barrage of rocket and mortars into Israel from Gaza, prompting Israel to respond with strikes on 65 militant sites in the Gaza Strip. The violence was the most serious escalation since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas and followed weeks of Palestinian protests in which more than 100 Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli forces. Calm returned to Gaza on Wednesday but the UN envoy expressed concern that ongoing protests in June will lead to further violence. "No one in Gaza can afford another war," said Mladenov. Kuwait is pushing for a vote at the council this week on its draft resolution calling for "the consideration of measures" for the protection of Palestinian civilians, according to the text obtained by AFP. The United States, which has veto power in the council, will oppose the measure, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said "the people of Gaza do not need protection from an external source. The people of Gaza need protection from Hamas." With the council deadlocked, France warned that the failure to agree on a response to the Gaza crisis was damaging to the United Nations. "This increasingly heavy silence, which is becoming deafening, is not acceptable," said French Ambassador Francois Delattre. "It is not acceptable for the Palestinian and Israeli populations, who are affected by this conflict. It is not acceptable for the world that is watching us," he said.

UN warns Gaza on the brink of war

South&nbsp;Korean President Moon Jae-in met North&nbsp;Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday to discuss Kim's possible upcoming summit with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, the South&nbsp;said in the second inter-Korean summit in as many months.

Moon and Kim met just north of the heavily militarised border in the afternoon to exchange views to pave way for a summit between North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea's presidential office said.

The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties.

"They exchanged views and discussed ways to implement the Panmunjom Declaration and to ensure a successful US North Korea summit," the Blue House said in a statement, adding further details would be released Sunday morning.

South Korea on Saturday welcomed the renewed prospect of a summit between the United States and North Korea after President Trump cancelled talks with Kim Jong Un only to suggest they might still take place.

"We find it fortunate that the embers of the North Korea-US talks are reignited. We are watching developments carefully," Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-Gyeom said.

Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable".

On Friday, Trump turned on his heels again, saying the meeting with Kim could go ahead after all -- and would "likely" happen on the originally scheduled date of June 12 in Singapore.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties

South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday to discuss Kim's possible upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump, the South said in the second inter-Korean summit in as many months. Moon and Kim met just north of the heavily militarised border in the afternoon to exchange views to pave way for a summit between North Korea and the United States, South Korea's presidential office said. The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties. "They exchanged views and discussed ways to implement the Panmunjom Declaration and to ensure a successful US North Korea summit," the Blue House said in a statement, adding further details would be released Sunday morning. South Korea on Saturday welcomed the renewed prospect of a summit between the United States and North Korea after President Trump cancelled talks with Kim Jong Un only to suggest they might still take place. "We find it fortunate that the embers of the North Korea-US talks are reignited. We are watching developments carefully," Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-Gyeom said. Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang. President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable". On Friday, Trump turned on his heels again, saying the meeting with Kim could go ahead after all -- and would "likely" happen on the originally scheduled date of June 12 in Singapore. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korean president met North Korea's Kim Jong-un Saturday: Seoul

Israel was sharply criticised at a UN&nbsphuman rights body on Friday for its killings of protesters in Gaza and treatment of the Palestinians, but Washington came to its defence.

The special session of the Human Rights Council was convened after the bloodiest day for Palestinians in years last Monday, when 60 were killed by Israeli gunfire during demonstrations that Israel said included attempts to breach its frontier fence.

"Nobody has been made safer by the horrific events of the past week," UN&nbsphuman rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told the Council.

He said Israeli forces had killed 106 Palestinians, including 15 children, since March 30. More than 12,000 were injured, at least 3,500 by live ammunition. Israel was an occupying power under international law, obliged to protect the people of Gaza and ensure their welfare, he said.

"But they are, in essence, caged in a toxic slum from birth to death deprived of dignity dehumanised by the Israeli authorities to such a point it appears officials do not even consider that these men and women have a right, as well as every reason, to protest."

Israel says the deaths took place in protests organised by Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, which intentionally provoked the violence, an accusation Hamas denies.

Israel and the United States complain that the Human Rights Council, made up of 47 states chosen by the General Assembly, has a permanent anti-Israel bias because of the disproportionate number of countries hostile to Israel with UN&nbspseats.

Israel's ambassador Aviva Raz Shechter said the Council had relapsed to its worst form of anti-Israel obsession. The call for an inquiry was "politically motivated and won’t improve the situation on the ground by even one iota," she said.

"The loss of life could have been avoided had Hamas refrained from sending terrorists to attack Israel under the cover of the riots, while exploiting its own civilian population as human shields," she said. "It is Israel, certainly not Hamas, which makes a real effort to minimize casualties among Palestinian civilians."

The United States has stood by Israel during the past week's violence, which coincided with the opening of a new US&nbspembassy in Jerusalem. US&nbspchargé d'affaires Theodore Allegra said the Council was ignoring the real culprit of the violence: Hamas.

"The one sided action proposed by the Council today only further shows that the Human Rights Council is indeed a broken body," he said.

Two million people live in Gaza, most of them stateless descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from homes in what is now Israel at its founding in 1948.

The territory has been run by Hamas since 2007, during which time Israel has fought three wars against the militant group which denies Israel's right to exist. Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade of Gaza for security reasons, which the United Nations says has plunged Gaza's economy into a collapse.

In Gaza, residents told Reuters that Israel deserved its international criticism.

"Israel must be dismantled as a state and its leaders must stand international trial for their massacres against us since 1948," said Ibrahim Abu Galeb, 65, a refugee living in southern Gaza. "Israel occupied our land, displaced our people, killed our children’s dreams to live safely and it is behind our sickness and poverty."

The special session of the Human Rights Council was convened after the bloodiest day for Palestinians in years last Monday

Israel was sharply criticised at a UN&nbsphuman rights body on Friday for its killings of protesters in Gaza and treatment of the Palestinians, but Washington came to its defence. The special session of the Human Rights Council was convened after the bloodiest day for Palestinians in years last Monday, when 60 were killed by Israeli gunfire during demonstrations that Israel said included attempts to breach its frontier fence. "Nobody has been made safer by the horrific events of the past week," UN&nbsphuman rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told the Council. He said Israeli forces had killed 106 Palestinians, including 15 children, since March 30. More than 12,000 were injured, at least 3,500 by live ammunition. Israel was an occupying power under international law, obliged to protect the people of Gaza and ensure their welfare, he said. "But they are, in essence, caged in a toxic slum from birth to death deprived of dignity dehumanised by the Israeli authorities to such a point it appears officials do not even consider that these men and women have a right, as well as every reason, to protest." Israel says the deaths took place in protests organised by Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, which intentionally provoked the violence, an accusation Hamas denies. Israel and the United States complain that the Human Rights Council, made up of 47 states chosen by the General Assembly, has a permanent anti-Israel bias because of the disproportionate number of countries hostile to Israel with UN&nbspseats. Israel's ambassador Aviva Raz Shechter said the Council had relapsed to its worst form of anti-Israel obsession. The call for an inquiry was "politically motivated and won’t improve the situation on the ground by even one iota," she said. "The loss of life could have been avoided had Hamas refrained from sending terrorists to attack Israel under the cover of the riots, while exploiting its own civilian population as human shields," she said. "It is Israel, certainly not Hamas, which makes a real effort to minimize casualties among Palestinian civilians." The United States has stood by Israel during the past week's violence, which coincided with the opening of a new US&nbspembassy in Jerusalem. US&nbspchargé d'affaires Theodore Allegra said the Council was ignoring the real culprit of the violence: Hamas. "The one sided action proposed by the Council today only further shows that the Human Rights Council is indeed a broken body," he said. Two million people live in Gaza, most of them stateless descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from homes in what is now Israel at its founding in 1948. The territory has been run by Hamas since 2007, during which time Israel has fought three wars against the militant group which denies Israel's right to exist. Israel and Egypt maintain a blockade of Gaza for security reasons, which the United Nations says has plunged Gaza's economy into a collapse. In Gaza, residents told Reuters that Israel deserved its international criticism. "Israel must be dismantled as a state and its leaders must stand international trial for their massacres against us since 1948," said Ibrahim Abu Galeb, 65, a refugee living in southern Gaza. "Israel occupied our land, displaced our people, killed our children’s dreams to live safely and it is behind our sickness and poverty."

Israel vilified at UN body for Gaza killings, but backed by US

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US&nbspdecision to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. It called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Friday.

Speaking at a dinner on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Erdogan said the majority of the international community had failed to react to the events in Gaza.

The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats on Tuesday.

The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016.

Erdogan, who described Monday's bloodshed as genocide earlier this week, said Turkey had launched initiatives to get the issue onto the UN&nbspGeneral Assembly's agenda. He said Ankara was pressing members of the UN&nbspSecurity Council to be more active.

The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US&nbspdecision to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. It called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Friday. Speaking at a dinner on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Erdogan said the majority of the international community had failed to react to the events in Gaza. The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats on Tuesday. The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016. Erdogan, who described Monday's bloodshed as genocide earlier this week, said Turkey had launched initiatives to get the issue onto the UN&nbspGeneral Assembly's agenda. He said Ankara was pressing members of the UN&nbspSecurity Council to be more active.

Turkey's Erdogan says UN has 'collapsed' in the face of Gaza violence

According to a United Nations report, Delhi will soon become the most populous city in the world in the next decade. The report further added that India is likely to add the largest number of urban dwellers by 2050.&nbsp

"By 2020, Tokyo's population is projected to begin to decline, while Delhi is projected to continue growing and to become the most populous city in the world around 2028," the report stated.

India has the largest rural population in the world (893 million), followed by China at 578 million.

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs' (UN DESA) Population Division released a report titled 'The 2018 Revision of World Urbanisation Prospects'&nbsptoday. According to the report, 68 per cent of world's population is estimated to dwell in urban areas by 2050 as opposed to 55 per cent at present.

The report stated that India, China and Nigeria together will account for 35 per cent of the projected growth of the world's urban population between 2018 and 2050.

By 2050, India is projected to have added 416 million urban dwellers, China 255 million and Nigeria 189 million.

At present Tokyo leads as the largest city with an agglomeration of 37 million inhabitants, New Delhi closely follows with 29 million, followed by Shanghai with 26 million. Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka all have close to 20 million inhabitants.&nbsp

The global urban population has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. Asia, despite its relatively lower level of urbanization, is home to 54 per cent of the world's urban population, followed by Europe and Africa with 13 per cent each.&nbsp

Some of the most urbanized regions in the world include Northern America (with 82 per cent of its population living in urban areas in 2018), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 per cent), Europe (74 per cent) and Oceania (68 per cent).&nbsp

Globally, fewer cities are projected to see a decline in populations until 2030, said the report.

(With inputs from PTI)

India has the largest rural population in the world (893 million), followed by China (578 million)

According to a United Nations report, Delhi will soon become the most populous city in the world in the next decade. The report further added that India is likely to add the largest number of urban dwellers by 2050. "By 2020, Tokyo's population is projected to begin to decline, while Delhi is projected to continue growing and to become the most populous city in the world around 2028," the report stated. India has the largest rural population in the world (893 million), followed by China at 578 million. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs' (UN DESA) Population Division released a report titled 'The 2018 Revision of World Urbanisation Prospects'&nbsptoday. According to the report, 68 per cent of world's population is estimated to dwell in urban areas by 2050 as opposed to 55 per cent at present. The report stated that India, China and Nigeria together will account for 35 per cent of the projected growth of the world's urban population between 2018 and 2050. By 2050, India is projected to have added 416 million urban dwellers, China 255 million and Nigeria 189 million. At present Tokyo leads as the largest city with an agglomeration of 37 million inhabitants, New Delhi closely follows with 29 million, followed by Shanghai with 26 million. Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka all have close to 20 million inhabitants. The global urban population has grown rapidly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. Asia, despite its relatively lower level of urbanization, is home to 54 per cent of the world's urban population, followed by Europe and Africa with 13 per cent each. Some of the most urbanized regions in the world include Northern America (with 82 per cent of its population living in urban areas in 2018), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 per cent), Europe (74 per cent) and Oceania (68 per cent). Globally, fewer cities are projected to see a decline in populations until 2030, said the report. (With inputs from PTI)

Delhi may become world's most populous city by 2028: UN report

The United Nations Security Council warned Tuesday the lack of progress in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan was a grave threat to international security.

The Security Counil issued the warning in a resolution that unanimously extended until mid-November the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, its peacekeeping mission there.

Almost the entire UNISFA contingent of more than 4,800 troops comes from Ethiopia.

"The current situation in Abyei and along the border between the Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security," the resolution stated.

Peace is fragile in Abyei, an area of about 4,000 square miles (10,500 square kilometers) contested since Sudan split into two countries in 2011.

There have been tensions between the Arab Misseriya and Ngok Dinka peoples of the region.

Sudan and South Sudan years ago agreed to take steps for setting up an administrative structure for Abyei but the Security Council expressed disappointment in the resolution that "few steps" have been taken in that direction.

It equally lamented a lack of progress "to achieve a political resolution to the status of Abyei."

Council members urged "the two governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized, including through disarmament programs as necessary," and urged an end to violence.

In November 2015, shelling in Abyei killed a four-year-old girl and a UNISFA peacekeeper.

The Security Council issued the warning in a resolution that unanimously extended until mid-November the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, its peacekeeping mission there.

The United Nations Security Council warned Tuesday the lack of progress in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan was a grave threat to international security. The Security Counil issued the warning in a resolution that unanimously extended until mid-November the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, its peacekeeping mission there. Almost the entire UNISFA contingent of more than 4,800 troops comes from Ethiopia. "The current situation in Abyei and along the border between the Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security," the resolution stated. Peace is fragile in Abyei, an area of about 4,000 square miles (10,500 square kilometers) contested since Sudan split into two countries in 2011. There have been tensions between the Arab Misseriya and Ngok Dinka peoples of the region. Sudan and South Sudan years ago agreed to take steps for setting up an administrative structure for Abyei but the Security Council expressed disappointment in the resolution that "few steps" have been taken in that direction. It equally lamented a lack of progress "to achieve a political resolution to the status of Abyei." Council members urged "the two governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized, including through disarmament programs as necessary," and urged an end to violence. In November 2015, shelling in Abyei killed a four-year-old girl and a UNISFA peacekeeper.

UN sees 'serious threat' in region disputed by Sudans

The UN&nbsphuman rights office condemned Monday's&nbsp"appalling deadly violence" by Israeli security forces in Gaza and said it was extremely worried about what might happen later on Tuesday while calling for an independent investigation.

UN&nbsphuman rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN&nbspbriefing in Geneva that Israel had a right to defend its borders according to international law, but lethal force must only be used a last resort and was not justified by Palestinians approaching the Gaza fence.

Monday's violence on the border, which took place as the United States opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, was the bloodiest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict.

There were fears of further bloodshed on Tuesday as Palestinians planned a further protest to mark the "Nakba", or "Catastrophe".

That is the day Palestinians lament the creation of Israel in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in violence culminating in war between the newly created Jewish state and its Arab neighbours in 1948.

Monday's violence on the border, which took place as the United States opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, was the bloodiest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict

The UN&nbsphuman rights office condemned Monday's "appalling deadly violence" by Israeli security forces in Gaza and said it was extremely worried about what might happen later on Tuesday while calling for an independent investigation. UN&nbsphuman rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN&nbspbriefing in Geneva that Israel had a right to defend its borders according to international law, but lethal force must only be used a last resort and was not justified by Palestinians approaching the Gaza fence. Monday's violence on the border, which took place as the United States opened its new embassy in Jerusalem, was the bloodiest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict. There were fears of further bloodshed on Tuesday as Palestinians planned a further protest to mark the "Nakba", or "Catastrophe". That is the day Palestinians lament the creation of Israel in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in violence culminating in war between the newly created Jewish state and its Arab neighbours in 1948.

UN warns of more Gaza violence, condemns Israel's use of force

The Democratic Republic of&nbspCongo&nbspand UN agencies began deploying emergency teams of specialists over the weekend to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said on Sunday.

The latest suspected case was reported on Friday in the northwestern province of Equateur, which health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga visited on Saturday with officials from the WHO and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“We have to pool our efforts quickly and align ourselves with the government response plan to fight this new epidemic effectively,” Kalenga was quoted as saying in a joint statement following their visit to the state capital.

Congo&nbspfirst reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4. Some deaths occurring as early as January have not yet been linked to the epidemic.

A person in the Democratic Republic of Congo who died of a hemorrhagic fever has tested positive for the Ebola virus,&nbspsignaling the start of a new outbreak, the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

The case was confirmed from tests on nine people who came down with a hemorrhagic fever in Bas-Uele province in the north of the country on or after April 22, a ministry statement said. Three people have died of fever.

Officials are racing to prevent the virus from spreading out of control, as happened in West Africa from 2014-2016, when Ebola killed more than 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The WHO was criticised for bungling its response to that epidemic and has moved quickly.

Congo&nbsphad suffered eight Ebola epidemics previously, but owing to remote geography and poor transport links they have tended to fizzle out rather than spread to become a national crisis.

But this epidemic’s proximity to the&nbspCongo&nbspRiver, a major transport route and lifeline both to&nbspCongo‘s capital Kinshasa and to neighbouring&nbspCongo&nbspRepublic’s capital Brazzaville, makes it more likely that the virus could break out into a wider area.

The disease&nbsp–&nbspmost feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in its victims owing to damage done to blood vessels&nbsp–&nbsphas already spread to three separate locations covering 60 km or more in Equateur province.

The WHO said on Friday it hopes to deploy an experimental Ebola vaccine to tackle an outbreak.

The WHO's Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters: "It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. We always take this very seriously."

The last outbreak of Ebola in Congo was in 2014 and killed 42 people.

Ebola killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 from 2013, as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and caused alarm around the world.

Congo first reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4

The Democratic Republic of&nbspCongo&nbspand UN agencies began deploying emergency teams of specialists over the weekend to try to prevent the spread of an Ebola epidemic suspected to have infected more than 30 people, they said on Sunday. The latest suspected case was reported on Friday in the northwestern province of Equateur, which health minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga visited on Saturday with officials from the WHO and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “We have to pool our efforts quickly and align ourselves with the government response plan to fight this new epidemic effectively,” Kalenga was quoted as saying in a joint statement following their visit to the state capital. Congo&nbspfirst reported the outbreak, centred around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro, on Tuesday, with 32 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of the disease, including 18 deaths since April 4. Some deaths occurring as early as January have not yet been linked to the epidemic. A person in the Democratic Republic of Congo who died of a hemorrhagic fever has tested positive for the Ebola virus,&nbspsignaling the start of a new outbreak, the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The case was confirmed from tests on nine people who came down with a hemorrhagic fever in Bas-Uele province in the north of the country on or after April 22, a ministry statement said. Three people have died of fever. Officials are racing to prevent the virus from spreading out of control, as happened in West Africa from 2014-2016, when Ebola killed more than 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The WHO was criticised for bungling its response to that epidemic and has moved quickly. Congo&nbsphad suffered eight Ebola epidemics previously, but owing to remote geography and poor transport links they have tended to fizzle out rather than spread to become a national crisis. But this epidemic’s proximity to the&nbspCongo&nbspRiver, a major transport route and lifeline both to&nbspCongo‘s capital Kinshasa and to neighbouring&nbspCongo&nbspRepublic’s capital Brazzaville, makes it more likely that the virus could break out into a wider area. The disease –&nbspmost feared for the internal and external bleeding it can cause in its victims owing to damage done to blood vessels –&nbsphas already spread to three separate locations covering 60 km or more in Equateur province. The WHO said on Friday it hopes to deploy an experimental Ebola vaccine to tackle an outbreak. The WHO's Congo spokesman Eugene Kabambi told Reuters: "It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. We always take this very seriously." The last outbreak of Ebola in Congo was in 2014 and killed 42 people. Ebola killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 from 2013, as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and caused alarm around the world.

Congo, UN deploy specialists to tackle Ebola epidemic

The head of the UN's World Food Programme said today it appeared North Korea was "turning a new page in history", following a four-day visit to the country.

David Beasley said he had enjoyed unprecedented access to the secretive state, spending two days in the capital Pyongyang and two in the countryside, accompanied by government minders.

He said there was undoubtedly a hunger problem in North Korea but it was not on the scale of the 1990s famine.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/very-smart-and-gracious-gesture-trump-thanks-north-korea-for-promising-to-destroy-nuclear-test-site-136434">Trump thanks North Korea for promising to destroy nuclear test site</a>

North Korea's economy has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. However, its relations with the rest of the world are rapidly changing, with leader Kim Jong Un on a charm offensive.

Beasley told BBC radio that North Korea's leaders had a "sense of optimism".

Dialogue brokered by Seoul has seen US-North Korea relations go from trading personal insults and threats of war last year to a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump due in Singapore on June 12.

"There is a sense of turning a new page in history," said Bealsey, 61, the former governor of South Carolina.

He described the farming he witnessed outside the capital, in a country where only around a fifth of the land is arable.

"One of the most powerful things that I saw was out in the countryside -- it's spring, they're planting -- there's not mechanisation. You've got oxen pulling ploughs, men and women in the fields," said Beasley.

"It's very structured, very organised, every foot and inch of dirt is being toiled with rakes and hoes and shovels, and they're literally planting crops up to the edge of the road, down embankments, using every available space because it is a land that's mostly mountainous." North Korea has periodically been hit by famine, and hundreds of thousands of people died -- estimates range into the millions -- in the mid-1990s.

Beasley said: "I didn't see starvation like you had in the famine back in the 1990s, that's the good news. But is there a hunger issue, is there under-nutrition? There's no question about it." A United Nations-led report in March said chronic food shortages and malnutrition were widespread.

Around 41 percent -- 10.5 million people -- were undernourished, it said Around 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population including 1.3 million children aged under five, depend on the government-run Public Distribution System for rations of cereal and potatoes.

But most people do not consume a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy development, the report said. (AFP)&nbsp

The comment came from the chief of the UN's World Food Programme after a four-day visit to the country

The head of the UN's World Food Programme said today it appeared North Korea was "turning a new page in history", following a four-day visit to the country. David Beasley said he had enjoyed unprecedented access to the secretive state, spending two days in the capital Pyongyang and two in the countryside, accompanied by government minders. He said there was undoubtedly a hunger problem in North Korea but it was not on the scale of the 1990s famine. Also read: Trump thanks North Korea for promising to destroy nuclear test site North Korea's economy has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. However, its relations with the rest of the world are rapidly changing, with leader Kim Jong Un on a charm offensive. Beasley told BBC radio that North Korea's leaders had a "sense of optimism". Dialogue brokered by Seoul has seen US-North Korea relations go from trading personal insults and threats of war last year to a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump due in Singapore on June 12. "There is a sense of turning a new page in history," said Bealsey, 61, the former governor of South Carolina. He described the farming he witnessed outside the capital, in a country where only around a fifth of the land is arable. "One of the most powerful things that I saw was out in the countryside -- it's spring, they're planting -- there's not mechanisation. You've got oxen pulling ploughs, men and women in the fields," said Beasley. "It's very structured, very organised, every foot and inch of dirt is being toiled with rakes and hoes and shovels, and they're literally planting crops up to the edge of the road, down embankments, using every available space because it is a land that's mostly mountainous." North Korea has periodically been hit by famine, and hundreds of thousands of people died -- estimates range into the millions -- in the mid-1990s. Beasley said: "I didn't see starvation like you had in the famine back in the 1990s, that's the good news. But is there a hunger issue, is there under-nutrition? There's no question about it." A United Nations-led report in March said chronic food shortages and malnutrition were widespread. Around 41 percent -- 10.5 million people -- were undernourished, it said Around 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population including 1.3 million children aged under five, depend on the government-run Public Distribution System for rations of cereal and potatoes. But most people do not consume a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy development, the report said. (AFP)

North Korea 'turning a new page'

With her 16-day old son lying asleep in her lap, tears streamed down the face of a 20-year-old Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh as she accused Myanmar troops of covering her eyes and mouth and raping her, before making her watch as they killed her husband.

“I don’t know if this baby is from my husband or the rape,” said the woman, speaking through a translator, during a visit by United Nations Security Council envoys to camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh sheltering nearly a million refugees.

Ahead of the council visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar last week, senior U.N. officials warned the envoys about the prospect of a flood of babies being born in the coming weeks and months in the refugee camps that could be the result of rape.

In a joint statement, U.N. envoy for sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, and U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights Andrew Gilmour wrote “reports suggest Rohingya women and girls were raped on a systematic and possibly massive scale.”

“Many of the women and girls raped in 2017 are due to give birth in the next few weeks, during the monsoon season, and we are concerned that many will not be able to access medical care to give birth safely,” they wrote.

Nearly 700,000 mainly Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh in the past eight months following a Myanmar military crackdown that the United Nations, United States and Britain have denounced as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing.

In March the United Nations launched an appeal for $951 million to help the Rohingya refugees for the rest of the year, but the world body said at the end of April it was only 9.0 percent funded.

The United Nations and aid groups working in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, said that it was difficult to know exactly how many women and girls were pregnant. It was even more difficult to know how many of the pregnancies were the result of rape.

“With the help of the U.N. bodies and other international and national (aid groups), we are trying to identify the pregnant women so that they get proper treatment,” said a senior Bangladesh health ministry official, who declined to be named due to sensitivity of the matter.

He said that so far 18,300 pregnant women had been identified and the rough total estimate was around 25,000.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August sparked a military operation that Myanmar described as a legitimate response. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale.

“Based on U.N. reports and testimonies from Rohingya women who told our staff of rape and sexual violence in Myanmar, we do sadly expect the number of babies born as a result of unwarranted pregnancies to increase in the coming months,” said Daphnee Cook, Save the Children’s spokeswoman in Cox’s Bazar.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently blacklisted the Myanmar armed forces in his annual report on conflict-related sexual violence. The military must now decide whether to work with Patten on a plan that would lead to their removal from the blacklist.

During a two hour meeting with Security Council envoys in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw last week, military chief Min Aung Hlaing vowed “harsh action” over sexual violence. According to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, he said: “Sexual violence (is) considered as despicable acts.”

Last November, Myanmar’s military release a report denying all accusations of rape by security forces.

Melissa How, Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Medical Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar, said the had seen “a number of women and girls” who had become pregnant from sexual violence in Myanmar or Bangladesh.

“Some have miscarried some have turned to traditional medicine and other methods to end their pregnancies, using unsafe methods. A number of women and girls have chosen to access MSF facilities for medical care, as well as menstrual regulation, in Bangladesh,” she said.

Abortion is illegal in Bangladesh but menstrual regulation to terminate a pregnancy is permissible. How also added that the majority of women in the camps who give birth do so outside health facilities.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but the deal poses a challenge for women who give birth to children born from cases of rape.

U.N. envoy Patten, who will visit Cox’s Bazar this month, said a complying with a requirement in the deal for women to go the Bangladesh Supreme Court to obtain a document noting that a child had been “born out of unwarranted incidence,” a reference to cases of rape resulting in pregnancy, may be too difficult for poor, illiterate women.

Ahead of the council visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar last week, senior U.N. officials warned the envoys about the prospect of a flood of babies being born in the coming weeks and months in the refugee camps that could be the result of rape

With her 16-day old son lying asleep in her lap, tears streamed down the face of a 20-year-old Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh as she accused Myanmar troops of covering her eyes and mouth and raping her, before making her watch as they killed her husband. “I don’t know if this baby is from my husband or the rape,” said the woman, speaking through a translator, during a visit by United Nations Security Council envoys to camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh sheltering nearly a million refugees. Ahead of the council visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar last week, senior U.N. officials warned the envoys about the prospect of a flood of babies being born in the coming weeks and months in the refugee camps that could be the result of rape. In a joint statement, U.N. envoy for sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, and U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights Andrew Gilmour wrote “reports suggest Rohingya women and girls were raped on a systematic and possibly massive scale.” “Many of the women and girls raped in 2017 are due to give birth in the next few weeks, during the monsoon season, and we are concerned that many will not be able to access medical care to give birth safely,” they wrote. Nearly 700,000 mainly Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh in the past eight months following a Myanmar military crackdown that the United Nations, United States and Britain have denounced as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing. In March the United Nations launched an appeal for $951 million to help the Rohingya refugees for the rest of the year, but the world body said at the end of April it was only 9.0 percent funded. The United Nations and aid groups working in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, said that it was difficult to know exactly how many women and girls were pregnant. It was even more difficult to know how many of the pregnancies were the result of rape. “With the help of the U.N. bodies and other international and national (aid groups), we are trying to identify the pregnant women so that they get proper treatment,” said a senior Bangladesh health ministry official, who declined to be named due to sensitivity of the matter. He said that so far 18,300 pregnant women had been identified and the rough total estimate was around 25,000. Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August sparked a military operation that Myanmar described as a legitimate response. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. “Based on U.N. reports and testimonies from Rohingya women who told our staff of rape and sexual violence in Myanmar, we do sadly expect the number of babies born as a result of unwarranted pregnancies to increase in the coming months,” said Daphnee Cook, Save the Children’s spokeswoman in Cox’s Bazar. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently blacklisted the Myanmar armed forces in his annual report on conflict-related sexual violence. The military must now decide whether to work with Patten on a plan that would lead to their removal from the blacklist. During a two hour meeting with Security Council envoys in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw last week, military chief Min Aung Hlaing vowed “harsh action” over sexual violence. According to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, he said: “Sexual violence (is) considered as despicable acts.” Last November, Myanmar’s military release a report denying all accusations of rape by security forces. Melissa How, Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Medical Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar, said the had seen “a number of women and girls” who had become pregnant from sexual violence in Myanmar or Bangladesh. “Some have miscarried some have turned to traditional medicine and other methods to end their pregnancies, using unsafe methods. A number of women and girls have chosen to access MSF facilities for medical care, as well as menstrual regulation, in Bangladesh,” she said. Abortion is illegal in Bangladesh but menstrual regulation to terminate a pregnancy is permissible. How also added that the majority of women in the camps who give birth do so outside health facilities. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but the deal poses a challenge for women who give birth to children born from cases of rape. U.N. envoy Patten, who will visit Cox’s Bazar this month, said a complying with a requirement in the deal for women to go the Bangladesh Supreme Court to obtain a document noting that a child had been “born out of unwarranted incidence,” a reference to cases of rape resulting in pregnancy, may be too difficult for poor, illiterate women.

After Rohingya rape accusations, UN warns of imminent births

Syria's war rages unabated despite a fall in the number of besieged civilians, a senior UN&nbspofficial said on Thursday, warning of a potential worsening of the conflict in the rebel-controlled governorate of Idlib.

UN&nbsphumanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said millions of civilians were still caught up in the seven-year-old conflict and many who escaped battle zones had to seek shelter in overcrowded camps for the displaced in Idlib in the northwest.

Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran, something humanitarian agencies say could produce civilian suffering on a greater scale than during the siege of Aleppo last year.

"We cannot have a war in Idlib. I keep saying that now to Russia, to Iran, to Turkey, to the United States, to anyone that can have an influence," Egeland told reporters.

He called for negotiations to protect the civilians, and said recent air raids in Idlib were a bad omen.

The war has been going President Bashar al-Assad's way since Russia intervened on his side in 2015. From holding less than a fifth of Syria in 2015, Assad has recovered to control the largest chunk of the country with Russian and Iranian help.

The Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. Syrians have poured into Idlib at an accelerating rate over the last two years from areas recaptured by the army.

Egeland said about 11,000 Syrians are still under siege and two million are hard to reach with humanitarian aid, compared to 625,000 under siege and 4.6 million who were hard to reach a year ago.

"Full to the brim"

"The notion that it is ebbing, this war, is completely wrong. This war is on and it's still in the midst of the civilian population," Egeland told reporters.

Egeland added there were reports of deals to evacuate people from some of the remaining sieges including from the former Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk south of Damascus.

Those evacuees were likely to go to Idlib, Egeland said, under what he said were deals done without UN&nbspor other humanitarian involvement. Under such agreements between rebels and the government, insurgents facing military defeat are permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas.

It would have been better to protect them where they were, since Idlib was already "full to the brim" with displaced civilians living in the open and in congested camps, or crammed into collective centres, he said.

"They arrive at 2 a.m. every night now, just to find they can hardly get a bed," he said.

Not all siege survivors go to Idlib. In eastern Ghouta, 40,000 were still in camps, with reports that men aged 16-65 were barred from leaving, Egeland said, adding UN&nbspaid access was severely restricted.

A rare positive development was a system of "deconfliction" - providing the warring parties with information about the locations of hospitals and other humanitarian sites. This year 500 sites had been added to 160 already in the system.

But there had been four air raids on deconflicted sites this year. Russia had given the UN&nbspreports on air strikes on two hospitals in March, Egeland said, adding that he also wanted reports on strikes on hospitals in northern Homs last week.

"If there is no accountability, the system doesn’t work. I’m refusing to give up," he said.

Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran

Syria's war rages unabated despite a fall in the number of besieged civilians, a senior UN&nbspofficial said on Thursday, warning of a potential worsening of the conflict in the rebel-controlled governorate of Idlib. UN&nbsphumanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said millions of civilians were still caught up in the seven-year-old conflict and many who escaped battle zones had to seek shelter in overcrowded camps for the displaced in Idlib in the northwest. Insurgent officials say they fear an offensive against Idlib by Syria's military and its allies Russia and Iran, something humanitarian agencies say could produce civilian suffering on a greater scale than during the siege of Aleppo last year. "We cannot have a war in Idlib. I keep saying that now to Russia, to Iran, to Turkey, to the United States, to anyone that can have an influence," Egeland told reporters. He called for negotiations to protect the civilians, and said recent air raids in Idlib were a bad omen. The war has been going President Bashar al-Assad's way since Russia intervened on his side in 2015. From holding less than a fifth of Syria in 2015, Assad has recovered to control the largest chunk of the country with Russian and Iranian help. The Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. Syrians have poured into Idlib at an accelerating rate over the last two years from areas recaptured by the army. Egeland said about 11,000 Syrians are still under siege and two million are hard to reach with humanitarian aid, compared to 625,000 under siege and 4.6 million who were hard to reach a year ago. "Full to the brim" "The notion that it is ebbing, this war, is completely wrong. This war is on and it's still in the midst of the civilian population," Egeland told reporters. Egeland added there were reports of deals to evacuate people from some of the remaining sieges including from the former Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk south of Damascus. Those evacuees were likely to go to Idlib, Egeland said, under what he said were deals done without UN&nbspor other humanitarian involvement. Under such agreements between rebels and the government, insurgents facing military defeat are permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas. It would have been better to protect them where they were, since Idlib was already "full to the brim" with displaced civilians living in the open and in congested camps, or crammed into collective centres, he said. "They arrive at 2 a.m. every night now, just to find they can hardly get a bed," he said. Not all siege survivors go to Idlib. In eastern Ghouta, 40,000 were still in camps, with reports that men aged 16-65 were barred from leaving, Egeland said, adding UN&nbspaid access was severely restricted. A rare positive development was a system of "deconfliction" - providing the warring parties with information about the locations of hospitals and other humanitarian sites. This year 500 sites had been added to 160 already in the system. But there had been four air raids on deconflicted sites this year. Russia had given the UN&nbspreports on air strikes on two hospitals in March, Egeland said, adding that he also wanted reports on strikes on hospitals in northern Homs last week. "If there is no accountability, the system doesn’t work. I’m refusing to give up," he said.

Syria's war grinds on, no respite for civilians, UN says

Zohra Begum, 12, was one of several Rohingya refugees who met United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members over the weekend during their visit to the camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

She and hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims had fled a military crackdown in Rakhine state which was launched after Rohingya insurgents attacked security posts last August.

In her meeting with the UNSC envoys whose main object was to see the aftermath of the military operation in Rakhine, she and the other refugees told them of their experiences.

Zohra described how the Myanmar military fired continuously as they entered and seized the village.

"After surrounding the villagers, they separated the men and killed them. Then they selected some beautiful women, raped them and burned their houses," she said.

"They snatched away children from the laps of women, killed and threw them into a canal. Later, when I was running away, they shot me on my upper thigh and I jumped into the canal. I was injured by a bullet, and I was floating in the water when a man rescued me," she added.

Zohra, along with her brother Khairul Amin, are the only survivors of a 16-member family. They now live with their aunt and uncle in Balukhali camp.

United Nations and rights groups say nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh so far.

Britain's U.N. envoy on Tuesday (May 1) suggested the U.N. Security Council could consider helping Myanmar collect evidence of crimes committed during the military crackdown, denounced by the world body as ethnic cleansing after most recent bout of persecution of the Muslim minority last year.

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi pledged investigations if credible evidence was provided and military chief Min Aung Hlaing vowed "harsh action" over sexual violence during separate meetings with Security Council envoys in the country's capital Naypyitaw on Monday (April 30), diplomats said.

But Suu Kyi's civilian government has little control over the Myanmar military.

Zohra Begum, 12, described how the Myanmar military fired continuously as they entered and seized the village

Zohra Begum, 12, was one of several Rohingya refugees who met United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members over the weekend during their visit to the camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. She and hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims had fled a military crackdown in Rakhine state which was launched after Rohingya insurgents attacked security posts last August. In her meeting with the UNSC envoys whose main object was to see the aftermath of the military operation in Rakhine, she and the other refugees told them of their experiences. Zohra described how the Myanmar military fired continuously as they entered and seized the village. "After surrounding the villagers, they separated the men and killed them. Then they selected some beautiful women, raped them and burned their houses," she said. "They snatched away children from the laps of women, killed and threw them into a canal. Later, when I was running away, they shot me on my upper thigh and I jumped into the canal. I was injured by a bullet, and I was floating in the water when a man rescued me," she added. Zohra, along with her brother Khairul Amin, are the only survivors of a 16-member family. They now live with their aunt and uncle in Balukhali camp. United Nations and rights groups say nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh so far. Britain's U.N. envoy on Tuesday (May 1) suggested the U.N. Security Council could consider helping Myanmar collect evidence of crimes committed during the military crackdown, denounced by the world body as ethnic cleansing after most recent bout of persecution of the Muslim minority last year. Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi pledged investigations if credible evidence was provided and military chief Min Aung Hlaing vowed "harsh action" over sexual violence during separate meetings with Security Council envoys in the country's capital Naypyitaw on Monday (April 30), diplomats said. But Suu Kyi's civilian government has little control over the Myanmar military.

Video: 12-year-old Rohingya girl recounts horror of escape to UN Security Council envoys

Myanmar's military has assured the United Nations of "harsh" action against perpetrators of sexual violence, state media reported on Tuesday, as UN&nbspenvoys travelled to Rakhine State where the military conducted a widely criticised crackdown.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Rakhine State to Bangladesh to flee a military crackdown launched in August that the United Nations and others denounced as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

Many of the refugees arriving in Bangladesh recounted incidents of killings and rape but Myanmar largely rejected those reports as well as the accusation of ethnic cleansing.

It said its forces were engaged in a legitimate security campaign in response to a string of Rohingya insurgents attacks on the security forces.

The Security Council envoys arrived in Myanmar on Monday after visiting refugee camps on the Bangladesh side of the border, and government leaders in Dhaka.

In Myanmar, they met separately with Myanmar government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing.

"Sexual violence (is) considered as despicable acts," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper cited Min Aung Hlaing as telling the envoys.

The military was "taking harsh and stronger actions against such offenders", he said.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi, in her meeting with the envoys, pledged to investigate any credible accusations of abuse, said diplomats who attended.

During the nearly hour-long meeting, Suu Kyi, noted Myanmar's difficulties in transitioning to rule of law after decades of military dictatorship, said the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Suu Kyi's civilian government has no control over the military.

Myanmar civilian government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment.

'Cooperation needed'

Tuesday is the final day of a four-day visit to the region by the UN&nbspSecurity Council team.

The Security Council asked Myanmar in November to ensure no "further excessive use of military force" and to allow "freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all".

Earlier on Monday, the council envoys met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who asked them to press Myanmar to take back "their citizens".

Hasina said the refugees should return "under UN&nbspsupervision where security and safety should be ensured".

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow.

Suu Kyi's office also said in a statement that cooperation was needed from Bangladesh on the repatriation of refugees.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to basic services such as healthcare. Many in Myanmar regard Rohingya as illegal immigrants from mostly Muslim Bangladesh.

The Security Council envoys arrived in Myanmar on Monday after visiting refugee camps on the Bangladesh side of the border

Myanmar's military has assured the United Nations of "harsh" action against perpetrators of sexual violence, state media reported on Tuesday, as UN&nbspenvoys travelled to Rakhine State where the military conducted a widely criticised crackdown. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Rakhine State to Bangladesh to flee a military crackdown launched in August that the United Nations and others denounced as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing". Many of the refugees arriving in Bangladesh recounted incidents of killings and rape but Myanmar largely rejected those reports as well as the accusation of ethnic cleansing. It said its forces were engaged in a legitimate security campaign in response to a string of Rohingya insurgents attacks on the security forces. The Security Council envoys arrived in Myanmar on Monday after visiting refugee camps on the Bangladesh side of the border, and government leaders in Dhaka. In Myanmar, they met separately with Myanmar government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. "Sexual violence (is) considered as despicable acts," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper cited Min Aung Hlaing as telling the envoys. The military was "taking harsh and stronger actions against such offenders", he said. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi, in her meeting with the envoys, pledged to investigate any credible accusations of abuse, said diplomats who attended. During the nearly hour-long meeting, Suu Kyi, noted Myanmar's difficulties in transitioning to rule of law after decades of military dictatorship, said the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. Suu Kyi's civilian government has no control over the military. Myanmar civilian government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. 'Cooperation needed' Tuesday is the final day of a four-day visit to the region by the UN&nbspSecurity Council team. The Security Council asked Myanmar in November to ensure no "further excessive use of military force" and to allow "freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all". Earlier on Monday, the council envoys met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who asked them to press Myanmar to take back "their citizens". Hasina said the refugees should return "under UN&nbspsupervision where security and safety should be ensured". Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow. Suu Kyi's office also said in a statement that cooperation was needed from Bangladesh on the repatriation of refugees. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to basic services such as healthcare. Many in Myanmar regard Rohingya as illegal immigrants from mostly Muslim Bangladesh.

Myanmar military assures UN of 'harsh' action on sexual assault

The United Nations Security Council, after visiting the Rohingya camp here on Sunday, said that there was no magic solution.

UN Security Council envoys began a four-day visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar on Saturday to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

The UNSC team comprising of delegates from five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US, and 10 other non-permanent members visited the Kutupalong refugee camp at Tombru border in Bandarban's Naikhyangchhari to assess the plight of the refugees there.

They are due to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and travel to Rakhine state, where the violence erupted eight months ago. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.

The Rohingya refugees arrived at the location, holding several posters and demanding safe repatriation back to Myanmar.

As per the Daily Star, at least 700,000 Rohingya people have fled to Myanmar since violence escalated following a military crackdown in Rakhine state back in August 2017.

The visit puts a global spotlight back on the crisis amid warnings by the United Nations, aid groups and Myanmar’s panel of international advisers on Rohingya issues that the coming monsoon season would likely worsen the humanitarian situation.

“We have to push to see how we can speed up the process of the implementation of the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar,” said Kuwait’s U.N. Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi.

Bangladesh has earlier assured assistance to the UN Security Council to help in the repatriation process.

Earlier on April 16, the Myanmar government said in a Facebook post that a family of five had returned to the country from the border area between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

This claim was rejected by a Europe-based website named Rohingya Blogger which called it to be a deception. 
&nbsp;

The UNSC team comprising of delegates from five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US, and 10 other non-permanent members visited the Kutupalong refugee camp at Tombru border in Bandarban's Naikhyangchhari to assess the plight of the refugees there

The United Nations Security Council, after visiting the Rohingya camp here on Sunday, said that there was no magic solution. UN Security Council envoys began a four-day visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar on Saturday to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. The UNSC team comprising of delegates from five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US, and 10 other non-permanent members visited the Kutupalong refugee camp at Tombru border in Bandarban's Naikhyangchhari to assess the plight of the refugees there. They are due to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and travel to Rakhine state, where the violence erupted eight months ago. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing. The Rohingya refugees arrived at the location, holding several posters and demanding safe repatriation back to Myanmar. As per the Daily Star, at least 700,000 Rohingya people have fled to Myanmar since violence escalated following a military crackdown in Rakhine state back in August 2017. The visit puts a global spotlight back on the crisis amid warnings by the United Nations, aid groups and Myanmar’s panel of international advisers on Rohingya issues that the coming monsoon season would likely worsen the humanitarian situation. “We have to push to see how we can speed up the process of the implementation of the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar,” said Kuwait’s U.N. Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi. Bangladesh has earlier assured assistance to the UN Security Council to help in the repatriation process. Earlier on April 16, the Myanmar government said in a Facebook post that a family of five had returned to the country from the border area between Bangladesh and Myanmar. This claim was rejected by a Europe-based website named Rohingya Blogger which called it to be a deception.

UN Security Council puts spotlight on Rohingya refugee crisis, says no magic solution

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides.

Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said.

"We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar.

"We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said.

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides.

Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services.

"Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said.

He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms.

He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases.

Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million.

Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said.

The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement.

"If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said.

The Security Council members are making their way to the region.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million.

New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said.

The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said.

To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded.

It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018.

The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

 
&nbsp

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes 25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh. According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides. Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said. "We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar. "We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said. Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides. Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services. "Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said. He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms. He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases. Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million. Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said. The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement. "If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said. The Security Council members are making their way to the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million. New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said. The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said. To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded. It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018. The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide. Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

Monsoon threatens tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees: UN

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy to Myanmar.

Until her appointment, Burgener was the Ambassador of Switzerland to Germany since 2015. Burgener has over 25 years of experience in diplomacy having served in various high-level government positions in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.&nbsp;

From 2009 to 2015, she served as Ambassador to Thailand and led efforts to mediate between the two sides in the violence that erupted in Thailand in 2010.&nbsp;

Burgener has also served as Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Law, with the rank of Ambassador, and Head of the International Law, Human Rights, and International Humanitarian Law Division in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2009.

Previously, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar had served as the special adviser to the secretary-general on Myanmar, under Ban Ki-moon's tenure.&nbsp;

The announcement of Burgener's appointment comes as the Security Council sends a mission to Iraq, Bangladesh, and Myanmar from April 26 to May 2.&nbsp;

Peru, President of the Security Council for the month of April, Kuwait, and the United States of America will co-lead the visit to Iraq.&nbsp;

Peru, Kuwait and the United Kingdom will co-lead the visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar.&nbsp;

Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric had told reporters that the UN hopes the visits will help "refocus the attention of the international community on the plight of the Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh and the continuous need to fund the humanitarian operations.?

Since August 2017, nearly 700,000 minority Muslim Rohingyas have fled violence in Myanmar across the border into Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, joining several hundred thousand more that were already settled there in overcrowded camps.&nbsp;

Guterres has said about 150,000 Rohingya refugees, who fled from Myanmar into crowded camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are living in flood-prone areas and must be relocated ahead of the coming rainy season.&nbsp;

Previously, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar had served as the special adviser to the secretary-general on Myanmar, under Ban Ki-moon's tenure

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy to Myanmar. Until her appointment, Burgener was the Ambassador of Switzerland to Germany since 2015. Burgener has over 25 years of experience in diplomacy having served in various high-level government positions in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. From 2009 to 2015, she served as Ambassador to Thailand and led efforts to mediate between the two sides in the violence that erupted in Thailand in 2010. Burgener has also served as Deputy Director of the Directorate of International Law, with the rank of Ambassador, and Head of the International Law, Human Rights, and International Humanitarian Law Division in the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2009. Previously, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar had served as the special adviser to the secretary-general on Myanmar, under Ban Ki-moon's tenure. The announcement of Burgener's appointment comes as the Security Council sends a mission to Iraq, Bangladesh, and Myanmar from April 26 to May 2. Peru, President of the Security Council for the month of April, Kuwait, and the United States of America will co-lead the visit to Iraq. Peru, Kuwait and the United Kingdom will co-lead the visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar. Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric had told reporters that the UN hopes the visits will help "refocus the attention of the international community on the plight of the Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh and the continuous need to fund the humanitarian operations.? Since August 2017, nearly 700,000 minority Muslim Rohingyas have fled violence in Myanmar across the border into Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, joining several hundred thousand more that were already settled there in overcrowded camps. Guterres has said about 150,000 Rohingya refugees, who fled from Myanmar into crowded camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are living in flood-prone areas and must be relocated ahead of the coming rainy season.

UN chief appoints Christine Burgener of Switzerland as special envoy to Myanmar

India has informed the UN that the Goods and Services Tax reform implemented by it, coupled with the demonetisation of high-value currency notes, has brought 1.8 million more people into the income-tax net.

Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs A Gitesh Sarma, addressing the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow Up, said India is currently implementing a wave of reforms.&nbsp

Apart from encouraging digital over cash transactions, India introduced the Goods and Service Tax regime which provides for uniform taxes. He said this has led to a 50 per cent increase in the number of indirect taxpayers.&nbsp

"Coupled with demonetisation of high-value currency notes, the GST brought 1.8 million more people into the income-tax net, he said at the forum in United Nations on Thursday.

He added that India stands firm on its stand on the fundamental principles of the World Trade, including multilateralism, rule-based consensual decision-making, an independent and credible dispute resolution and appellate process, the centrality of development, which underlies the Doha Development Agenda, and special and differential treatment for all developing countries.

He said the global economic recovery is progressing gradually, with improved resilience and emergence of new sources of growth.&nbsp

"However, there are concerns that a durable recovery may remain constrained by factors such as the persistence of low productivity and debt overhang problems in advanced economies as well as in some emerging market economies, rising populism and protectionism, and the slow pace of structural reforms,"&nbsphe said.

India has also committed to remaining mindful of new gaps in the domestic resource mobilisation that may result from financial innovations, including digital finance, and the implications of fin-tech and the weightless economy on financial inclusion and access to finance, Sarma said.

Further, stepping up its cooperation with the southern countries in the spirit of solidarity, last year India established the India-UN Development Partnership Fund that supports Southern-owned and led, demand-driven, and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, with a focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

"I would like to reiterate that the international community must step up its efforts to fulfill the commitments already undertaken not as a charity but with full realisation that it will be in our collective interest,? he said. 
&nbsp

'However, there are concerns that a durable recovery may remain constrained by factors such as the persistence of low productivity and debt overhang problems in advanced economies as well as in some emerging market economies, rising populism and protectionism, and the slow pace of structural reforms,' Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs said

India has informed the UN that the Goods and Services Tax reform implemented by it, coupled with the demonetisation of high-value currency notes, has brought 1.8 million more people into the income-tax net. Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs A Gitesh Sarma, addressing the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow Up, said India is currently implementing a wave of reforms. Apart from encouraging digital over cash transactions, India introduced the Goods and Service Tax regime which provides for uniform taxes. He said this has led to a 50 per cent increase in the number of indirect taxpayers. "Coupled with demonetisation of high-value currency notes, the GST brought 1.8 million more people into the income-tax net, he said at the forum in United Nations on Thursday. He added that India stands firm on its stand on the fundamental principles of the World Trade, including multilateralism, rule-based consensual decision-making, an independent and credible dispute resolution and appellate process, the centrality of development, which underlies the Doha Development Agenda, and special and differential treatment for all developing countries. He said the global economic recovery is progressing gradually, with improved resilience and emergence of new sources of growth. "However, there are concerns that a durable recovery may remain constrained by factors such as the persistence of low productivity and debt overhang problems in advanced economies as well as in some emerging market economies, rising populism and protectionism, and the slow pace of structural reforms,"&nbsphe said. India has also committed to remaining mindful of new gaps in the domestic resource mobilisation that may result from financial innovations, including digital finance, and the implications of fin-tech and the weightless economy on financial inclusion and access to finance, Sarma said. Further, stepping up its cooperation with the southern countries in the spirit of solidarity, last year India established the India-UN Development Partnership Fund that supports Southern-owned and led, demand-driven, and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world, with a focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). "I would like to reiterate that the international community must step up its efforts to fulfill the commitments already undertaken not as a charity but with full realisation that it will be in our collective interest,? he said.

GST, demonetisation brought 1.8 million more people into Income-Tax net: India

The European signatories of Iran's nuclear deal with major powers should convince US President Donald Trump not to exit the accord as there is no "plan B" for the agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday (April 23).

"It is either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more important to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account.

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President Macron is correct in saying there's no "Plan B" on JCPOA. It's either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith.
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Under Iran's settlement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, Teheran agreed to curb its nuclear programme to satisfy the powers that it could not be used to develop atomic bombs.

In exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions, most of which were lifted in January 2016.

Trump has given the European signatories a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear deal, or he will refuse to extend US sanctions relief on Iran.

US&nbsp;allies and rivals spoke out in support of the Iran nuclear deal on Monday, bolstering French President Emmanuel Macron's pitch to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump that there was no "Plan B" for keeping a lid on Tehran's atomic ambitions.

A nuclear non-proliferation conference in Geneva heard repeated calls for parties to the deal -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- to ensure its implementation and preservation.

"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continues to be the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme and to realise the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people," UN&nbsp;High representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said.

But US&nbsp;non-proliferation envoy Robert Ford said Iran presented a very real long-term challenge to the non-proliferation regime.

"Iran (is) a country that for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponization work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavours," he said.

"For several more years (it) continued its efforts to enrich uranium in violation of legally-binding UN&nbsp;Security Council requirements, and retains the ability to position itself, several years hence, dangerously close to rapid weaponization."

On a visit to Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had agreed with his Chinese counterpart to block any US&nbsp;attempt to sabotage the deal.

"We are against revising these agreements, we consider it very counter productive to try to reduce to zero years of international work carried out via talks between the six major powers and Iran," Lavrov said after talks with the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi.

"We will obstruct attempts to sabotage these agreements which were enshrined in a U.N. Security Council resolution," Lavrov said.

EU disarmament envoy Jacek Bylica said the deal strengthened the international non-proliferation regime, contributed to regional and international security and ensured the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

Cornel Seruta, a senior official at the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the deal had significantly improved access to Iran.

"In short, Iran is now subject to the most robust nuclear verification regime and Iran is implementing its nuclear related commitments under the JCPOA," he said. "It is essential that Iran continues to fully implement those commitments."

Trump has given the European signatories a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear deal, or he will refuse to extend US sanctions relief on Iran

The European signatories of Iran's nuclear deal with major powers should convince US President Donald Trump not to exit the accord as there is no "plan B" for the agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Monday (April 23). "It is either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more important to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account. President Macron is correct in saying there's no "Plan B" on JCPOA. It's either all or nothing. European leaders should encourage President Trump not just to stay in the nuclear deal, but more importantly to begin implementing his part of the bargain in good faith. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 23, 2018 × Under Iran's settlement with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China, Teheran agreed to curb its nuclear programme to satisfy the powers that it could not be used to develop atomic bombs. In exchange, Iran received relief from sanctions, most of which were lifted in January 2016. Trump has given the European signatories a May 12 deadline to "fix the terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear deal, or he will refuse to extend US sanctions relief on Iran. US allies and rivals spoke out in support of the Iran nuclear deal on Monday, bolstering French President Emmanuel Macron's pitch to US President Donald Trump that there was no "Plan B" for keeping a lid on Tehran's atomic ambitions. A nuclear non-proliferation conference in Geneva heard repeated calls for parties to the deal -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- to ensure its implementation and preservation. "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continues to be the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme and to realise the promised tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people," UN High representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said. But US non-proliferation envoy Robert Ford said Iran presented a very real long-term challenge to the non-proliferation regime. "Iran (is) a country that for years illegally and secretly sought to develop nuclear weapons, suspended its weaponization work only when confronted by the potentially direst of consequences without ever coming clean about its illicit endeavours," he said. "For several more years (it) continued its efforts to enrich uranium in violation of legally-binding UN Security Council requirements, and retains the ability to position itself, several years hence, dangerously close to rapid weaponization." On a visit to Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had agreed with his Chinese counterpart to block any US attempt to sabotage the deal. "We are against revising these agreements, we consider it very counter productive to try to reduce to zero years of international work carried out via talks between the six major powers and Iran," Lavrov said after talks with the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi. "We will obstruct attempts to sabotage these agreements which were enshrined in a U.N. Security Council resolution," Lavrov said. EU disarmament envoy Jacek Bylica said the deal strengthened the international non-proliferation regime, contributed to regional and international security and ensured the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. Cornel Seruta, a senior official at the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the deal had significantly improved access to Iran. "In short, Iran is now subject to the most robust nuclear verification regime and Iran is implementing its nuclear related commitments under the JCPOA," he said. "It is essential that Iran continues to fully implement those commitments."

It is either all or nothing, says Iran foreign minister over nuclear deal

Russia will screen a Syrian child's interview before the UN in defence of its claim that the chemical attack carried out in Douma, Syria was a hoax.

Russia claims that the child was made to pose as a victim of chemical weapons in Syria. A subtitled version of the report has already been submitted to the UN, Russian ambassador to UN&nbsp;Vasilly Nebenza shared.&nbsp;

A state-owned Russian television telecast the 11-year-old child's interview on Wednesday. Russian officials claim that the atrocity was staged by a civil defence organisation called the 'white helmets'.&nbsp;

US-led air strikes jolted Syria over Assad's chemical weapons installation last week. A Western attack on Syria hit a scientific research facility in Damascus and Syrian army depots in the Homs area, state media said, and a witness said the Syrian capital was rocked by explosions as smoke rose into the sky.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a second research facility was also struck in Damascus, in addition to a third in the Homs area, and five military bases and depots used by elite army divisions in the Mezzeh area of Damascus. 
&nbsp;

Russia claims that the child was made to pose as a victim of chemical weapons in Syria

Russia will screen a Syrian child's interview before the UN in defence of its claim that the chemical attack carried out in Douma, Syria was a hoax. Russia claims that the child was made to pose as a victim of chemical weapons in Syria. A subtitled version of the report has already been submitted to the UN, Russian ambassador to UN Vasilly Nebenza shared. A state-owned Russian television telecast the 11-year-old child's interview on Wednesday. Russian officials claim that the atrocity was staged by a civil defence organisation called the 'white helmets'. US-led air strikes jolted Syria over Assad's chemical weapons installation last week. A Western attack on Syria hit a scientific research facility in Damascus and Syrian army depots in the Homs area, state media said, and a witness said the Syrian capital was rocked by explosions as smoke rose into the sky. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a second research facility was also struck in Damascus, in addition to a third in the Homs area, and five military bases and depots used by elite army divisions in the Mezzeh area of Damascus.

Child's interview before UN will prove Douma chemical attack was 'staged': Russia

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PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India. PM Modi, British PM Theresa May meet for breakfast, talk trade and climate change PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said. CIA chief Pompeo's meeting with Kim went smoothly, tweets Trump After reports emerged of CIA chief Mike Pompeo meeting top North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un, President Trump today confirmed the meeting. In a tweet, the US president said: "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed." After breakfast with Theresa May, PM Modi meets Prince Charles Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology. UN security team was shot at in Douma: Head of chemical weapons watchdog Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the overnight U.S.-led missile attack on Syria and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Putin said the US&nbsp;actions in Syria made the humanitarian catastrophe worse and caused pain for civilians, as well as damaging international relations.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/action-will-not-be-without-consequences-russia-on-syria-strikes-130335">Action will not be without consequences, says Russia</a>

Putin said the US action in Syria made the humanitarian catastrophe worse and caused pain for civilians, as well as damaging international relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the overnight U.S.-led missile attack on Syria and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Putin said the US actions in Syria made the humanitarian catastrophe worse and caused pain for civilians, as well as damaging international relations. Also read: Action will not be without consequences, says Russia

Putin condemns strike on Syria, calls for emergency UN meeting

United Nations war crimes investigators on Friday condemned the suspected use of chemical weapons in the Syrian town of Douma in eastern Ghouta last weekend and called for evidence to be preserved with a view to future prosecutions.

"Perpetrators of such attacks must be identified and held accountable," the UN's International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a statement issued in Geneva.

"We stress the imperative need to preserve evidence, and call upon all relevant authorities to ensure no party tampers with suspected sites, objects, witnesses, or victims before independent monitors and investigators are able to access the area," it said, noting that inspectors from the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons were due to visit shortly.

United Nations war crimes investigators on Friday condemned the suspected use of chemical weapons in the Syrian town of Douma in eastern Ghouta last weekend and called for evidence to be preserved with a view to future prosecutions

United Nations war crimes investigators on Friday condemned the suspected use of chemical weapons in the Syrian town of Douma in eastern Ghouta last weekend and called for evidence to be preserved with a view to future prosecutions. "Perpetrators of such attacks must be identified and held accountable," the UN's International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a statement issued in Geneva. "We stress the imperative need to preserve evidence, and call upon all relevant authorities to ensure no party tampers with suspected sites, objects, witnesses, or victims before independent monitors and investigators are able to access the area," it said, noting that inspectors from the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons were due to visit shortly.

Syria chemical attack evidence must be preserved: UN

Myanmar&nbspis not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the seniormost United Nations official to visit the country this year, after&nbspMyanmar&nbspwas accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 700,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.

Ursula Mueller, UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, made a six-day visit to&nbspMyanmar&nbspand was allowed a visit to Rakhine State, indicating a tentative shift in&nbspMyanmar's thus-far tough stance towards the UN. She also met army-controlled ministers of defence and border affairs, as well as de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, where Mueller urged 'them to end the violence'.

Mueller also expressed concerns whether returnees would be allowed to return to 'their places of origin.'&nbspMyanmar&nbsphas bulldozed at least 55 villages that were emptied during the violence, Human Rights Watch has said. A total of 362 villages had been partially or completely destroyed since August, according to the New York-based human rights watchdog.

The exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed the Aug. 25 crackdown by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state.&nbspMyanmar&nbspand Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years.&nbspMyanmar&nbspset up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals.

Ursula Mueller, UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, made a six-day visit to Myanmar and was allowed a visit to Rakhine State, indicating a tentative shift in Myanmar's thus-far tough stance towards the UN

Myanmar&nbspis not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the seniormost United Nations official to visit the country this year, after&nbspMyanmar&nbspwas accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 700,000 Muslims to Bangladesh. Ursula Mueller, UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, made a six-day visit to&nbspMyanmar&nbspand was allowed a visit to Rakhine State, indicating a tentative shift in&nbspMyanmar's thus-far tough stance towards the UN. She also met army-controlled ministers of defence and border affairs, as well as de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, where Mueller urged 'them to end the violence'. Mueller also expressed concerns whether returnees would be allowed to return to 'their places of origin.'&nbspMyanmar&nbsphas bulldozed at least 55 villages that were emptied during the violence, Human Rights Watch has said. A total of 362 villages had been partially or completely destroyed since August, according to the New York-based human rights watchdog. The exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed the Aug. 25 crackdown by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state.&nbspMyanmar&nbspand Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years.&nbspMyanmar&nbspset up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals.

Myanmar not ready for return of Rohingya refugees: UN official

India has voiced opposition to the "weaponisation" of outer space, saying it should not become an area of conflict while calling for collective efforts to strengthen safety and security of the space-based assets.

Counsellor (Disarmament) in the Permanent Mission of India to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Rachita Bhandari, told a session of the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) yesterday that deliberations will begin on the new agenda of outer space - the first in the last 18 years.

"India believes that outer space should be an ever-expanding frontier of cooperative endeavour rather than an area of conflict," Bhandari said.

She said India, as a space-faring nation with wide-ranging interests in outer space activities, remained opposed to the "weaponisation of outer space and support collective efforts to strengthen the safety and security of space-based assets".

The group of governmental experts on outer space, which will meet in Geneva in August later this year, has been mandated to make recommendations on the substantive elements of an international legally-binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

Bhandari pointed out that it was important that as the UNDC begins work on outer space, the work already being done on the issue in other fora is not duplicated.

"It is equally important to address the broad spectrum of space security in a comprehensive and coherent manner.

"While transparency and confidence-building measures are important in themselves, we believe that they cannot be a substitute for concluding substantive legal measures to ensure the prevention of an arms race in outer space, which should continue to be a priority for the international community," she said.

Bhandari said it was important that member states be given the incentive to protect their interests by investing in legally-binding multilateral instruments rather than by resorting to national measures or interim partial steps that do not fully address the concerns of all space actors.

India attaches much importance to the UNDC as the specialised deliberative leg of the disarmament machinery, she said.

"At a time of growing mistrust and rising international tensions as well as numerous challenges to both the disarmament agenda and the disarmament machinery, the role of the UNDC as a platform for dialogue and cooperation assumes even greater significance," she said.

She said the rift between those who believe that nuclear weapons can be made to vanish by fiat and those who believe that nuclear weapons must be asserted even more vigorously today has only grown wider.

"We need to bridge this divide through dialogue and a renewed commitment to multilateralism," she said.

Bhandari emphasised that India remained committed to global, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.

India has supported the proposal put forward by NAM for the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to commence negotiations on a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention.

"Without prejudice to the priority we attach to nuclear disarmament, India has also supported the commencement of negotiations of an FMCT (Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty) in the CD on the basis of the agreed mandate.

"We have called for a meaningful dialogue amongst all States possessing nuclear weapons to build trust and confidence and for reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in security doctrines," she said.

"India believes that outer space should be an ever-expanding frontier of cooperative endeavour rather than an area of conflict," said Rachita Bhandari

India has voiced opposition to the "weaponisation" of outer space, saying it should not become an area of conflict while calling for collective efforts to strengthen safety and security of the space-based assets. Counsellor (Disarmament) in the Permanent Mission of India to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Rachita Bhandari, told a session of the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) yesterday that deliberations will begin on the new agenda of outer space - the first in the last 18 years. "India believes that outer space should be an ever-expanding frontier of cooperative endeavour rather than an area of conflict," Bhandari said. She said India, as a space-faring nation with wide-ranging interests in outer space activities, remained opposed to the "weaponisation of outer space and support collective efforts to strengthen the safety and security of space-based assets". The group of governmental experts on outer space, which will meet in Geneva in August later this year, has been mandated to make recommendations on the substantive elements of an international legally-binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space. Bhandari pointed out that it was important that as the UNDC begins work on outer space, the work already being done on the issue in other fora is not duplicated. "It is equally important to address the broad spectrum of space security in a comprehensive and coherent manner. "While transparency and confidence-building measures are important in themselves, we believe that they cannot be a substitute for concluding substantive legal measures to ensure the prevention of an arms race in outer space, which should continue to be a priority for the international community," she said. Bhandari said it was important that member states be given the incentive to protect their interests by investing in legally-binding multilateral instruments rather than by resorting to national measures or interim partial steps that do not fully address the concerns of all space actors. India attaches much importance to the UNDC as the specialised deliberative leg of the disarmament machinery, she said. "At a time of growing mistrust and rising international tensions as well as numerous challenges to both the disarmament agenda and the disarmament machinery, the role of the UNDC as a platform for dialogue and cooperation assumes even greater significance," she said. She said the rift between those who believe that nuclear weapons can be made to vanish by fiat and those who believe that nuclear weapons must be asserted even more vigorously today has only grown wider. "We need to bridge this divide through dialogue and a renewed commitment to multilateralism," she said. Bhandari emphasised that India remained committed to global, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. India has supported the proposal put forward by NAM for the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to commence negotiations on a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention. "Without prejudice to the priority we attach to nuclear disarmament, India has also supported the commencement of negotiations of an FMCT (Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty) in the CD on the basis of the agreed mandate. "We have called for a meaningful dialogue amongst all States possessing nuclear weapons to build trust and confidence and for reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in security doctrines," she said.

Opposed to 'weaponisation' of outer space: India to UN

Sachin Tendulkar waded Wednesday into the slugfest over Shahid Afridi's comments on Kashmir.&nbsp;

"We have got capable people to manage and run our country. No outsider needs to know or tell us what we need to do," said Sachin.&nbsp;

"Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?" Afridi had tweeted earlier.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> & other int bodies & why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/981084208369192961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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A massive posse of India's cricketing world has since taken on Afridi:&nbsp;

"As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure," said Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli.&nbsp;

"But having said that, it's a very personal choice for someone to comment about certain issues. Unless I have total knowledge of the issues & the intricacies of it I don't engage in it but definitely your priority stays with your nation," Kohli added.&nbsp;

Suresh Raina took the "Kashmir is an integral part of India" route.&nbsp;

"Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence," he said.&nbsp;

Kapil Dev seemed to say Afridi should not be paid attention to:&nbsp;

"Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people," &nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

The bluntest salvo though, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gautam-gambhir-to-bear-educational-expenses-of-children-of-crpf-personnel-killed-in-sukma-15019">perhaps expectedly</a>, came from Gautam Gambhir:&nbsp;

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Media called me for reaction on <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAfridiOfficial</a> tweet on OUR Kashmir & <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a>. What’s there to say? Afridi is only looking for <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> which in his retarded dictionary means “UNDER NINTEEN” his age bracket. Media can relax, <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAfridiOfficial</a> is celebrating a dismissal off a no- ball!!!
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) <a href="https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir/status/981136834913763333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

'We have got capable people to manage and run our country. No outsider needs to know or tell us what we need to do,' said Sachin.

Sachin Tendulkar waded Wednesday into the slugfest over Shahid Afridi's comments on Kashmir. "We have got capable people to manage and run our country. No outsider needs to know or tell us what we need to do," said Sachin. "Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?" Afridi had tweeted earlier. Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed? — Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) April 3, 2018 × A massive posse of India's cricketing world has since taken on Afridi: "As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure," said Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli. "But having said that, it's a very personal choice for someone to comment about certain issues. Unless I have total knowledge of the issues & the intricacies of it I don't engage in it but definitely your priority stays with your nation," Kohli added. Suresh Raina took the "Kashmir is an integral part of India" route. "Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence," he said. Kapil Dev seemed to say Afridi should not be paid attention to: "Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people," he said. The bluntest salvo though, perhaps expectedly, came from Gautam Gambhir: Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir & @UN. What’s there to say? Afridi is only looking for @UN which in his retarded dictionary means “UNDER NINTEEN” his age bracket. Media can relax, @SAfridiOfficial is celebrating a dismissal off a no- ball!!! — Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) April 3, 2018 ×

No outsider needs to tell us what we need to do: Sachin on Afridi's Kashmir comments

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he was cancelling an agreement with the UN refugee agency on resettling thousands of African migrants after facing mounting pressure from his right-wing base.

Netanyahu had himself announced the agreement in a televised address yesterday afternoon, drawing immediate anger from right-wing politicians, including allies, and many of his traditional supporters.

He said in a late-night Facebook post yesterday he was suspending the agreement that would have allowed thousands of the migrants to remain in Israel at least temporarily.

Today, he said the deal was being cancelled after having held discussions on it.

He said in a late-night Facebook post yesterday he was suspending the agreement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he was cancelling an agreement with the UN refugee agency on resettling thousands of African migrants after facing mounting pressure from his right-wing base. Netanyahu had himself announced the agreement in a televised address yesterday afternoon, drawing immediate anger from right-wing politicians, including allies, and many of his traditional supporters. He said in a late-night Facebook post yesterday he was suspending the agreement that would have allowed thousands of the migrants to remain in Israel at least temporarily. Today, he said the deal was being cancelled after having held discussions on it.

Israel cancelling deal with UN on African migrants: Netanyahu

Villagers in the Afghan province of Kunduz said on Tuesday they had buried dozens of victims of a government air strike in a Taliban-controlled district, in an incident, the United Nations described as "disturbing".

The office of the governor of the northern province said Monday's attack by the government air force on a Taliban meeting had inflicted an unknown number of civilian casualties.

The casualties underlined the risk of greater use of air power under a new US strategy announced last year to try to force the militant group to the negotiating table.&nbsp

Sayed Jaan, a resident of the district of Dasht-i Archi, said he attended two mass funerals of almost 40 people, adding that other burials had taken place.

He said the helicopter attack happened during a religious ceremony, called Dastaar Bandi, to mark young men completing the memorization of the Koran, the Muslim holy book.&nbsp

"There were two mass graves to bury the victims of the bombing and I took part in both burials. In one grave, 16, and in another, 21. Many were young children," Sayed Jaan said.

"There were other burials and people were digging graves."

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet its investigators were in the area looking into "disturbing reports of serious harm" to civilians.&nbsp

A senior Afghan defence ministry official said the air attack happened during a meeting of militants, and killed at least 35 Taliban and wounded many more. He denied reports that civilians were harmed and said two senior Taliban commanders were among those killed.

But provincial government leaders including the governor and police had determined that the strike was against a Taliban meeting but it had also inflicted an undetermined number of civilian casualties, the governor's office said.

The Taliban briefly seized Kunduz city in 2015 and they overran it for the second time the following year. US air strikes destroyed a Kunduz hospital in 2015 killing 42 people, most of the patients and medical staff.

The city has been considered relatively secure over the past year or two but the Taliban control much of the surrounding area.

A video posted online by the Taliban showed at least four bodies of children, wrapped in white shrouds. Other images circulated of children and adults being treated in hospital for injuries, but they could not be verified.

Building up the fledgeling government air force has been a major priority for the NATO-led Resolute Support training and advisory mission.

On Monday, the Taliban said the strike killed 150 religious scholars and civilians and denied that any of their forces had been there.

Last year, more than 10,000 civilians died or were wounded in the war between Afghanistan's Western-backed government and the militants, down 9 per cent from the previous year, UNAMA said in a report in February.

Villagers in the Afghan province of Kunduz said on Tuesday they had buried dozens of victims of a government air strike in a Taliban-controlled district

Villagers in the Afghan province of Kunduz said on Tuesday they had buried dozens of victims of a government air strike in a Taliban-controlled district, in an incident, the United Nations described as "disturbing". The office of the governor of the northern province said Monday's attack by the government air force on a Taliban meeting had inflicted an unknown number of civilian casualties. The casualties underlined the risk of greater use of air power under a new US strategy announced last year to try to force the militant group to the negotiating table. Sayed Jaan, a resident of the district of Dasht-i Archi, said he attended two mass funerals of almost 40 people, adding that other burials had taken place. He said the helicopter attack happened during a religious ceremony, called Dastaar Bandi, to mark young men completing the memorization of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. "There were two mass graves to bury the victims of the bombing and I took part in both burials. In one grave, 16, and in another, 21. Many were young children," Sayed Jaan said. "There were other burials and people were digging graves." The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet its investigators were in the area looking into "disturbing reports of serious harm" to civilians. A senior Afghan defence ministry official said the air attack happened during a meeting of militants, and killed at least 35 Taliban and wounded many more. He denied reports that civilians were harmed and said two senior Taliban commanders were among those killed. But provincial government leaders including the governor and police had determined that the strike was against a Taliban meeting but it had also inflicted an undetermined number of civilian casualties, the governor's office said. The Taliban briefly seized Kunduz city in 2015 and they overran it for the second time the following year. US air strikes destroyed a Kunduz hospital in 2015 killing 42 people, most of the patients and medical staff. The city has been considered relatively secure over the past year or two but the Taliban control much of the surrounding area. A video posted online by the Taliban showed at least four bodies of children, wrapped in white shrouds. Other images circulated of children and adults being treated in hospital for injuries, but they could not be verified. Building up the fledgeling government air force has been a major priority for the NATO-led Resolute Support training and advisory mission. On Monday, the Taliban said the strike killed 150 religious scholars and civilians and denied that any of their forces had been there. Last year, more than 10,000 civilians died or were wounded in the war between Afghanistan's Western-backed government and the militants, down 9 per cent from the previous year, UNAMA said in a report in February.

Afghans bury civilians as UN investigates air strike

The United Nations asked donors on Tuesday for nearly $3 billion to help an estimated 13 million people who urgently need aid in war-ravaged Yemen.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the funding drive at a conference in Geneva aiming to raise $2.96 billion (2.4 billion euros) for this year.&nbsp;

Last year's Yemen appeal was for $2.5 billion, which was 73 per cent funded, but the needs have intensified in a country battered since 2015 by a Saudi-led military offensive aimed at repelling Iran-backed Huthi rebels who control the capital.&nbsp;

"Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis," Guterres said, calling the situation "catastrophic."&nbsp;

"But with international support, we can and must prevent this country from becoming a long-term tragedy," he said.&nbsp;

According to the UN, 8.4 million people are on the verge of famine in Yemen, where food imports are essential to sustain the population.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia and its allies shut down the country's land, sea and air borders last year in response to a missile attack by the Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh.

While the coalition has eased the blockade, restriction on deliveries persist.&nbsp;

"Humanitarians must be able to reach the people who need help the most, without conditions," Guterres said.&nbsp;

"All ports must remain open to humanitarian and commercial cargo, the medicines, food and the fuel needed to deliver them," he added.&nbsp;

About 10,000 Yemenis have been killed and 53,000 wounded since the start of the coalition intervention in Yemen.

The funding appeal came a day after several children were among those killed in a strike on the rebel-held port of Hodeida.

The UN called the incident "one of the deadliest attacks on children since the conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015".&nbsp;

The coalition is the only force known to carry out air strikes on Huthi rebel-held territory and has previously admitted to "erroneous" strikes that caused civilian casualties.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the funding drive at a conference in Geneva aiming to raise $2.96 billion

The United Nations asked donors on Tuesday for nearly $3 billion to help an estimated 13 million people who urgently need aid in war-ravaged Yemen. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the funding drive at a conference in Geneva aiming to raise $2.96 billion (2.4 billion euros) for this year. Last year's Yemen appeal was for $2.5 billion, which was 73 per cent funded, but the needs have intensified in a country battered since 2015 by a Saudi-led military offensive aimed at repelling Iran-backed Huthi rebels who control the capital. "Yemen is the world's worst humanitarian crisis," Guterres said, calling the situation "catastrophic." "But with international support, we can and must prevent this country from becoming a long-term tragedy," he said. According to the UN, 8.4 million people are on the verge of famine in Yemen, where food imports are essential to sustain the population. Saudi Arabia and its allies shut down the country's land, sea and air borders last year in response to a missile attack by the Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh. While the coalition has eased the blockade, restriction on deliveries persist. "Humanitarians must be able to reach the people who need help the most, without conditions," Guterres said. "All ports must remain open to humanitarian and commercial cargo, the medicines, food and the fuel needed to deliver them," he added. About 10,000 Yemenis have been killed and 53,000 wounded since the start of the coalition intervention in Yemen. The funding appeal came a day after several children were among those killed in a strike on the rebel-held port of Hodeida. The UN called the incident "one of the deadliest attacks on children since the conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015". The coalition is the only force known to carry out air strikes on Huthi rebel-held territory and has previously admitted to "erroneous" strikes that caused civilian casualties.

United Nations launches $3 billion Yemen appeal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to China, countering what had been growing estrangement between the Cold War allies, is likely to bolster Pyongyang's leverage going into a planned summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

For Chinese President Xi Jinping, the meeting with a long-troublesome neighbour ensures Beijing will not be left out of any deal struck between the United States and North and South Korea, experts said.

Months of frosty relations between Beijing and Pyongyang appeared suddenly to thaw with Kim's secretive trip, which saw the Chinese capital go into security lockdown as the mysterious North Korean delegation toured the city.

China said Kim had pledged to denuclearise the Korean peninsula while North Korean state media said Xi had accepted "with pleasure" an invitation to visit the North.

Kim's meeting with Xi strengthens North Korea's negotiating position by aligning the two nations ahead of Trump and Kim's planned meeting, said Wang Peng, a North Korea expert at the Charhar Institute in Beijing.

"North Korea is seeking assurances," he said. "They want to quickly mend ties with China so that they have more leeway with the United States and they have more confidence in a good outcome."

Analysts say North Korea has been hurt by tightening UN sanctions and would need Beijing's support for any softening of trade restrictions.

China wanted to show its importance as a partner to North Korea and ease worries about being sidelined in negotiations between the Koreas the United States.

“At the end of the day, China’s got huge interests and it was not comfortable not being at the table,” said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center in Beijing and a White House representative to the Six Party Talks from 2007-2009.

“Kim Jong Un's first meeting with a head of state was with the Chinese president, which frankly from the Chinese perspective is exactly the right thing,” he added.

Trump's decision to hire hardliners such as incoming National Security Adviser John Bolton may have put added pressure on North Korea before the summit, said Han Suk-hee, professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University.

"It seems that North Korea is not ready to deal with the United States without support and help from its longtime ally China," he said.&nbsp

China, as well as being North Korea's biggest trade partner, also has key strategic interest in assuring its isolated neighbour remains a buffer between it and South Korea, home to 28,500 US troops.&nbsp

The two nations also have long-standing emotional and historic ties. China sometimes says they are "blood brothers", having fought side-by-side in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The two remained close allies in the decades immediately after the Korean War, but have drifted apart since Kim succeeded his late father. 
North Korea`s rapid escalation of nuclear tests and missile launches, combined with the assassination of Kim`s half-brother last year in a Kuala Lumpur airport, brought diplomatic ties between Beijing and Pyongyang to historic lows.

With China signing on to ever-stricter United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, North Korean state media took to openly criticizing and even threatening China.

"China is ... the only state willing and able to immediately ease North Korea`s economic burden," said Christopher Green, senior adviser at International Crisis Group. North Korea was not prepared to give up its close relationship with China, much as it may chafe at its economic and political reliance on its much bigger neighbour, he added.

With North and South Korean relations improving during the Winter Olympics and plans for summits involving Trump, Moon and Kim, Beijing had reasons to resume contact with North Korea that had all but disappeared in the past year.

Xi stressed to Kim that past Chinese and North Korean leaders had always visited each other "as often as relatives", proposing the two leaders set up new channels of communication, China`s official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.&nbsp

Chinese state media has cast Beijing as crucial to forcing talks between Trump and Kim with its "freeze for freeze" pitch for North Korea to suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South Korea and the United States to suspend military drills.

"It's extremely difficult for the US to map out a feasible denuclearisation process that meets the North Korean preconditions without China's support and involvement," said Cheng Xiaohe, a North Korea expert at Renmin University in Beijing. "China wants to show it cannot be left out."&nbsp

Speaking at a banquet hosted by Xi, Kim Jong Un expressed gratitude to China for readily accepting his proposal to visit and all the efforts Chinese leaders made to pave the way for a successful visit in a short period of time, according to the North`s official KCNA news agency.

China remains an advocate for a dual track of pressure and greater dialogue with North Korea, a position at odds with the Trump administration`s maximal pressure approach.

That disagreement had left Beijing sidelined amid the escalating crisis, shunning a meeting of foreign ministers in Canada where leaders discussed how to pressure the North into backing down.

North Korea may also be taking advantage of tensions in US-China relations over trade and the disputed South China Sea to draw in Beijing, Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at China`s Peking University&nbsp

"China wants North Korea to denuclearise but does not want to alienate North Korea at a time when China-US relations are deteriorating very fast," said Jia, who has advised the government on foreign policy.

"We want a denuclearized North Korea, but at the same time we want North Korea to be a friend."

Analysts say North Korea has been hurt by tightening UN sanctions and would need Beijing's support for any softening of trade restrictions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to China, countering what had been growing estrangement between the Cold War allies, is likely to bolster Pyongyang's leverage going into a planned summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. For Chinese President Xi Jinping, the meeting with a long-troublesome neighbour ensures Beijing will not be left out of any deal struck between the United States and North and South Korea, experts said. Months of frosty relations between Beijing and Pyongyang appeared suddenly to thaw with Kim's secretive trip, which saw the Chinese capital go into security lockdown as the mysterious North Korean delegation toured the city. China said Kim had pledged to denuclearise the Korean peninsula while North Korean state media said Xi had accepted "with pleasure" an invitation to visit the North. Kim's meeting with Xi strengthens North Korea's negotiating position by aligning the two nations ahead of Trump and Kim's planned meeting, said Wang Peng, a North Korea expert at the Charhar Institute in Beijing. "North Korea is seeking assurances," he said. "They want to quickly mend ties with China so that they have more leeway with the United States and they have more confidence in a good outcome." Analysts say North Korea has been hurt by tightening UN sanctions and would need Beijing's support for any softening of trade restrictions. China wanted to show its importance as a partner to North Korea and ease worries about being sidelined in negotiations between the Koreas the United States. “At the end of the day, China’s got huge interests and it was not comfortable not being at the table,” said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center in Beijing and a White House representative to the Six Party Talks from 2007-2009. “Kim Jong Un's first meeting with a head of state was with the Chinese president, which frankly from the Chinese perspective is exactly the right thing,” he added. Trump's decision to hire hardliners such as incoming National Security Adviser John Bolton may have put added pressure on North Korea before the summit, said Han Suk-hee, professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University. "It seems that North Korea is not ready to deal with the United States without support and help from its longtime ally China," he said. China, as well as being North Korea's biggest trade partner, also has key strategic interest in assuring its isolated neighbour remains a buffer between it and South Korea, home to 28,500 US troops. The two nations also have long-standing emotional and historic ties. China sometimes says they are "blood brothers", having fought side-by-side in the 1950-53 Korean War. The two remained close allies in the decades immediately after the Korean War, but have drifted apart since Kim succeeded his late father. North Korea`s rapid escalation of nuclear tests and missile launches, combined with the assassination of Kim`s half-brother last year in a Kuala Lumpur airport, brought diplomatic ties between Beijing and Pyongyang to historic lows. With China signing on to ever-stricter United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, North Korean state media took to openly criticizing and even threatening China. "China is ... the only state willing and able to immediately ease North Korea`s economic burden," said Christopher Green, senior adviser at International Crisis Group. North Korea was not prepared to give up its close relationship with China, much as it may chafe at its economic and political reliance on its much bigger neighbour, he added. With North and South Korean relations improving during the Winter Olympics and plans for summits involving Trump, Moon and Kim, Beijing had reasons to resume contact with North Korea that had all but disappeared in the past year. Xi stressed to Kim that past Chinese and North Korean leaders had always visited each other "as often as relatives", proposing the two leaders set up new channels of communication, China`s official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. Chinese state media has cast Beijing as crucial to forcing talks between Trump and Kim with its "freeze for freeze" pitch for North Korea to suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South Korea and the United States to suspend military drills. "It's extremely difficult for the US to map out a feasible denuclearisation process that meets the North Korean preconditions without China's support and involvement," said Cheng Xiaohe, a North Korea expert at Renmin University in Beijing. "China wants to show it cannot be left out." Speaking at a banquet hosted by Xi, Kim Jong Un expressed gratitude to China for readily accepting his proposal to visit and all the efforts Chinese leaders made to pave the way for a successful visit in a short period of time, according to the North`s official KCNA news agency. China remains an advocate for a dual track of pressure and greater dialogue with North Korea, a position at odds with the Trump administration`s maximal pressure approach. That disagreement had left Beijing sidelined amid the escalating crisis, shunning a meeting of foreign ministers in Canada where leaders discussed how to pressure the North into backing down. North Korea may also be taking advantage of tensions in US-China relations over trade and the disputed South China Sea to draw in Beijing, Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at China`s Peking University "China wants North Korea to denuclearise but does not want to alienate North Korea at a time when China-US relations are deteriorating very fast," said Jia, who has advised the government on foreign policy. "We want a denuclearized North Korea, but at the same time we want North Korea to be a friend."

With secretive China trip, North Korea's Kim builds bargaining power

According to Britain's Financial Times, volunteers in the UK will be infected with coronavirus in order to test a possible vaccine to combat the virus.

Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://www.wionews.com/videos/us-health-body-contradicts-trumps-claim-on-vaccine-arrival-328283/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Boris Johnson government has reportedly been discussing the possibility of "human challenge studies" to develop the vaccine. The "challenge" if it is approved will be the first of its kind in the world as the world grapples with the virus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-offers-to-give-free-coronavirus-vaccine-for-un-staff-across-globe-329566">Also Read:&nbsp;Russia offers to give free coronavirus vaccine for UN staff across globe</a>

The UK government had recently announced fresh guidelines to combat the virus which has begun spreading rapidly once again as the country reopened with harsh social distancing measures being put in place across the country with pubs, bars and other venues ordered to close by 10pm.&nbsp;

The race for the vaccine has been going around the world with Johnson &amp; Johnson announcing on Wednesday that it was entered the final Phase-3 stage of vaccine trials.

Johnson &amp; Johnson will seek to enrol up to 60,000 volunteers across over 200 sites in the United States and around the world to conduct the trials. J&amp;J would become the tenth vaccine maker globally to conduct the Phase 3 trial against coronavirus, and the fourth in the US.

"As COVID-19 continues to impact the daily lives of people around the world, our goal remains the same -- leveraging the global reach and scientific innovation of our company to help bring an end to this pandemic," &nbsp;Alex Gorsky, chairman and CEO of the company said.

Meanwhile, French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi and UK's GSK have promised up to 72 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine candidate to the Canadian government as countries race to get their hands on potential vaccine early to combat the virus.

Canada had earlier announced an agreement with Gilead Sciences and McKesson Canada for up to 150,000 vials of remdesivir.

Amid the race for the vaccine, the World Health Organization(WHO) said that over 60 wealthy nations have joined its programme to facilitate poor countries' to access the vaccine but the US and China haven't joined the list.

A Seoul defence ministry spokesman Tuesday confirmed the main exercise, expected to resume on April 1, would be truncated

According to Britain's Financial Times, volunteers in the UK will be infected with coronavirus in order to test a possible vaccine to combat the virus. Watch: The Boris Johnson government has reportedly been discussing the possibility of "human challenge studies" to develop the vaccine. The "challenge" if it is approved will be the first of its kind in the world as the world grapples with the virus. Also Read: Russia offers to give free coronavirus vaccine for UN staff across globe The UK government had recently announced fresh guidelines to combat the virus which has begun spreading rapidly once again as the country reopened with harsh social distancing measures being put in place across the country with pubs, bars and other venues ordered to close by 10pm. The race for the vaccine has been going around the world with Johnson & Johnson announcing on Wednesday that it was entered the final Phase-3 stage of vaccine trials. Johnson & Johnson will seek to enrol up to 60,000 volunteers across over 200 sites in the United States and around the world to conduct the trials. J&J would become the tenth vaccine maker globally to conduct the Phase 3 trial against coronavirus, and the fourth in the US. "As COVID-19 continues to impact the daily lives of people around the world, our goal remains the same -- leveraging the global reach and scientific innovation of our company to help bring an end to this pandemic," Alex Gorsky, chairman and CEO of the company said. Meanwhile, French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi and UK's GSK have promised up to 72 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine candidate to the Canadian government as countries race to get their hands on potential vaccine early to combat the virus. Canada had earlier announced an agreement with Gilead Sciences and McKesson Canada for up to 150,000 vials of remdesivir. Amid the race for the vaccine, the World Health Organization(WHO) said that over 60 wealthy nations have joined its programme to facilitate poor countries' to access the vaccine but the US and China haven't joined the list.

US, South Korea military drills to resume

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