UN Declares Israel As The Sole Violator Of Women's Rights In The World. And India Votes Against Israel Is Israel the sole violator of women's rights in the world? United Nations has singled out Israel in a vote on the issue. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen - all these countries with a dodgy reputation on the matter voted against Israel? What's more ironical is the fact that India too voted against Israel. Palki explains.

Gravitas: India votes against Israel on UN vote on women rights

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-more-missiles-third-round-of-tests-in-a-week-240037">North Korea's missile tests</a> may have violated United Nations resolutions but did not break his agreement North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump, in a series of Twitter posts, said he did not believe Kim wanted to disappoint him "with a violation of trust," adding that "there is far too much for North Korea to gain ... Also, there is far too much to lose."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-more-missiles-third-round-of-tests-in-a-week-240037">North Korea fired missiles for the third time</a> in eight days, a series of launches that analysts say have appeared designed both to improve military capabilities and pressure the United States and South Korea as they seek to restart denuclearization talks with Pyongyang.

North Korea has been testing missiles despite a June 30 meeting between Trump and Kim at which the two agreed to revive stalled talks, which have yet to resume.

Trump has played down North Korea missile launches since his failed summit with Kim in Vietnam in February, saying they were of short-range devices, not the intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs Kim has promised not to test.

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-still-hopes-for-talks-after-latest-north-korean-missile-tests-240001">Kim Jong Un and North Korea</a> tested 3 short-range missiles over the last number of days," Trump tweeted. "These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short-range missiles when we shook hands.

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Kim Jong Un and North Korea tested 3 short range missiles over the last number of days. These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short range missiles when we shook hands. There may be a United Nations violation, but..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1157306442422136834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"There may be a United Nations violation, but Chairman Kim does not want to disappoint me with a violation of trust, there is far too much for North Korea to gain - the potential as a Country, under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, is unlimited. Also, there is far too much to lose," he said.

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.....Chairman Kim does not want to disappoint me with a violation of trust, there is far too much for North Korea to gain - the potential as a Country, under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, is unlimited. Also, there is far too much to lose. I may be wrong, but I believe that......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1157306445567803393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump continued to laud the personal rapport he says he has with Kim, whose government has been criticized by the US State Department for subjecting its people to "egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms." The department said in May that about 100,000 people were held in political prison camps.

"I may be wrong, but I believe that Chairman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!"

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....Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1157306452228366336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that North Korea's missile tests may have violated United Nations resolutions but did not break his agreement North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that North Korea's missile tests may have violated United Nations resolutions but did not break his agreement North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump, in a series of Twitter posts, said he did not believe Kim wanted to disappoint him "with a violation of trust," adding that "there is far too much for North Korea to gain ... Also, there is far too much to lose." North Korea fired missiles for the third time in eight days, a series of launches that analysts say have appeared designed both to improve military capabilities and pressure the United States and South Korea as they seek to restart denuclearization talks with Pyongyang. North Korea has been testing missiles despite a June 30 meeting between Trump and Kim at which the two agreed to revive stalled talks, which have yet to resume. Trump has played down North Korea missile launches since his failed summit with Kim in Vietnam in February, saying they were of short-range devices, not the intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs Kim has promised not to test. "Kim Jong Un and North Korea tested 3 short-range missiles over the last number of days," Trump tweeted. "These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short-range missiles when we shook hands. Kim Jong Un and North Korea tested 3 short range missiles over the last number of days. These missiles tests are not a violation of our signed Singapore agreement, nor was there discussion of short range missiles when we shook hands. There may be a United Nations violation, but.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019 × "There may be a United Nations violation, but Chairman Kim does not want to disappoint me with a violation of trust, there is far too much for North Korea to gain - the potential as a Country, under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, is unlimited. Also, there is far too much to lose," he said. .....Chairman Kim does not want to disappoint me with a violation of trust, there is far too much for North Korea to gain - the potential as a Country, under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, is unlimited. Also, there is far too much to lose. I may be wrong, but I believe that...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019 × Trump continued to laud the personal rapport he says he has with Kim, whose government has been criticized by the US State Department for subjecting its people to "egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms." The department said in May that about 100,000 people were held in political prison camps. "I may be wrong, but I believe that Chairman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!" ....Chariman Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true. He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019 ×

Trump says North Korean missile tests may defy United Nations, but not his agreement with Kim Jong Un

The United Nations Ebola Emergency Response Coordinator confirmed on Thursday that the African country's border with Rwanda is now open. Watch this video to know more.

Ebola crisis: Rwanda-Congo border now open

A ceasefire in northwest <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/regime-and-russian-airstrikes-killed-15-civilians-in-northwest-syria-monitor-239097">Syria</a> reduced violence in the rebel stronghold, a monitor said, with no airstrikes on Friday after a three months army offensive killed hundreds while yielding no big territorial gains.

Though the combatants exchanged fire and shelling on Friday, the British based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government and Russian warplanes mounted no air raids.

More than 400 civilians have been killed in the escalation since late April and more than 440,000 uprooted, the United Nations said last week.

The targeted region is part of the last major piece of territory which rebels hold after facing defeat across much of Syria at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad with his allies Russia and Iran.

Syrian state media said the ceasefire would start on Thursday night if militants fulfilled a Russian Turkish deal that had tried last year to create a demilitarized buffer zone.

The Turkey-backed opposition, which is taking part in Syria talks hosted by Kazakhstan, agreed to the ceasefire and said it must "guarantee the safety of civilians". It reserved the right to respond to "violations by Assad's regime and its militias".

Though Turkey-backed&nbsp;rebel factions also operate in Idlib province in the northwest, the dominant force there is the jihadist Tahrir al-Sham alliance, formerly the Nusra Front.

In a statement on Friday, it said the truce declaration from Damascus proved the failure of "the criminal regime's military operation against the liberated north." Tahrir al-Sham did not reject the ceasefire but warned that any attack from the other side would cancel it, vowing to retaliate.

Russia's RIA news agency cited a Kazakh Foreign Ministry official as saying the agreement does not include jihadists who might not observe it.

Turkey is following the situation after the ceasefire reports, the Foreign Ministry said.

"In every talk we hold with Russia, we tell them the (Syrian) regime needs to stop its attacks ... but the situation is apparent," Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said.

Under its deals with Moscow, Ankara has forces stationed on the ground in the Idlib region at a dozen military positions.

A series of truce deals have failed to fully end Idlib fighting and Russian-Turkish attempts have not managed to resolve the eight-year conflict.

Syrian state news agency SANA said militants fired missiles that hit a village in government territory, killing one person and injuring three other civilians on Friday.

In the latest offensive, Assad's side has been unable to gain much ground from the insurgents. The government says it has been responding to militant attacks.

The fighting has also inflicted a heavy toll on both rebel and government fighters: the Observatory war monitoring group says each side has lost around 1,000 fighters.

The United Nations will investigate attacks on U.N.-supported facilities and other humanitarian sites, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, after two-thirds of the Security Council pushed for an inquiry.

Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Peru, Poland, Kuwait, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia had delivered a demarche a formal diplomatic petition over the lack of an inquiry into attacks on some 14 locations in Syria.

 
&nbsp;

A ceasefire in northwest Syria reduced violence in the rebel stronghold, a monitor said, with no airstrikes on Friday after a three months army offensive killed hundreds while yielding no big territorial gains.

A ceasefire in northwest Syria reduced violence in the rebel stronghold, a monitor said, with no airstrikes on Friday after a three months army offensive killed hundreds while yielding no big territorial gains. Though the combatants exchanged fire and shelling on Friday, the British based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government and Russian warplanes mounted no air raids. More than 400 civilians have been killed in the escalation since late April and more than 440,000 uprooted, the United Nations said last week. The targeted region is part of the last major piece of territory which rebels hold after facing defeat across much of Syria at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad with his allies Russia and Iran. Syrian state media said the ceasefire would start on Thursday night if militants fulfilled a Russian Turkish deal that had tried last year to create a demilitarized buffer zone. The Turkey-backed opposition, which is taking part in Syria talks hosted by Kazakhstan, agreed to the ceasefire and said it must "guarantee the safety of civilians". It reserved the right to respond to "violations by Assad's regime and its militias". Though Turkey-backed rebel factions also operate in Idlib province in the northwest, the dominant force there is the jihadist Tahrir al-Sham alliance, formerly the Nusra Front. In a statement on Friday, it said the truce declaration from Damascus proved the failure of "the criminal regime's military operation against the liberated north." Tahrir al-Sham did not reject the ceasefire but warned that any attack from the other side would cancel it, vowing to retaliate. Russia's RIA news agency cited a Kazakh Foreign Ministry official as saying the agreement does not include jihadists who might not observe it. Turkey is following the situation after the ceasefire reports, the Foreign Ministry said. "In every talk we hold with Russia, we tell them the (Syrian) regime needs to stop its attacks ... but the situation is apparent," Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said. Under its deals with Moscow, Ankara has forces stationed on the ground in the Idlib region at a dozen military positions. A series of truce deals have failed to fully end Idlib fighting and Russian-Turkish attempts have not managed to resolve the eight-year conflict. Syrian state news agency SANA said militants fired missiles that hit a village in government territory, killing one person and injuring three other civilians on Friday. In the latest offensive, Assad's side has been unable to gain much ground from the insurgents. The government says it has been responding to militant attacks. The fighting has also inflicted a heavy toll on both rebel and government fighters: the Observatory war monitoring group says each side has lost around 1,000 fighters. The United Nations will investigate attacks on U.N.-supported facilities and other humanitarian sites, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, after two-thirds of the Security Council pushed for an inquiry. Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Peru, Poland, Kuwait, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia had delivered a demarche a formal diplomatic petition over the lack of an inquiry into attacks on some 14 locations in Syria.

No air strikes in northwest Syria after ceasefire declared: Report

From the once pristine rivers of Hindu Kush to the slums of Islamabad, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-proposes-consular-access-to-kulbhushan-jadhav-with-riders-239957">Pakistan</a> is being smothered by plastic due to a lack of public awareness, government inertia, and poor waste management.

Plastic bags are a large part of the problem the nation uses some 55 billion of them each year, according to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/asian-countries-turning-back-wealthy-worlds-waste-239943">Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association</a>.

Beaches deluged with plastic waste and dying marine life entangled in bags have shocked other countries into action around 120 have implemented some form of single-use plastic ban.&nbsp;

Pakistan is among them but struggles with enforcement. There is no cohesive national policy and regional efforts often fail to consider the importance of educational outreach with many in rural areas claiming to be unaware of the damage single-use plastic can wreak.&nbsp;

"Fighting for the environment, we do not know about that," says salesman Mohammad Tahir, who uses plastic bags to wrap vegetables for his customers.&nbsp;

The 42-year-old hails from the mountainous Chitral district, which first banned the use of such bags two years ago but to little effect.&nbsp;

"I like plastic bags," shrugs resident Khairul Azam, while shopping at a local market. &nbsp;

"Once home, I throw them away... I know it is not good, but we don't have waste bins in my neighbourhood," he adds.&nbsp;

Instead such waste litters the roadsides and hillsides. It also clogs the streams that feed into the Indus River, which is now the second most plastic polluted river in the world, behind only the Yangtze River in China, according to a study by the German Environmental Research Center Helmholtz.&nbsp;

'Eating plastic'

Plastics swamp the Arabian Sea coastline, where the sewers of the sprawling port city of Karachi spew its waste.

According to the United Nations, single-use plastic bags kill up to one million birds, hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and turtles, along with "countless" fish each year.&nbsp;

And yet in Pakistan, authorities say the amount of plastic used is increasing by 15 per cent each year.&nbsp;

Recycling options are limited and waste disposal is often woefully mismanaged even in the capital garbage is often simply burned in the street.

"Plastic doesn't degrade. It only becomes smaller and smaller," says Hassaan Sipra, an environmental researcher.

"Animals eat it. You eat them. Then it generates liver dysfunctions, diabetes, diarrhoea. But because it is cheap and convenient, people don't see the health consequences," he adds.&nbsp;

A new report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that an average person ingests up to five grams of plastic a week roughly equal to the weight of a credit card.

Plastic bags have become part of the "culture" in Pakistan, says Nazifa Butt, a researcher with WWF.&nbsp;

"We would never use a cup of tea without a saucer. You will never be sold anything without a plastic bag. It is considered insulting," she adds.

In Chitral, authorities first tried to ban plastic bags in 2017, with an additional measure passed earlier this year stating that only biodegradable bags also criticised for their environmental impact can be used in the area.

Authorities have also backed new environmental awareness campaigns in schools, according to a local official.

But many shops still do not use biodegradable bags and enforcement against single-use plastics remains minimal.&nbsp;

"The local government is not sincere," said Shabir Ahmad, chairman of the Chitral traders union.&nbsp;

He explains: "They never check the market. They don't find the shopkeepers."

'Health menace'

"I can confiscate all the plastic bags in one hour. But then, what is the alternative?" says Khurshid Alam Mehsud, a district administrative officer in Chitral, who insists more "time" is needed to address the issue.

Provincial governments in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with municipal authorities in Lahore have issued similar bans. But little has changed on the ground due to lack of law enforcement.

However, Prime Minister Imran Khan's government which has long vowed to make environmental issues a priority is hoping to reverse the plastic tsunami says climate change minister Malik Amin Aslam.

As of August 14, plastic bags will be banned in the capital Islamabad, with violators subject to heavy fines.&nbsp;

"This love affair with plastic has to end in Pakistan," says Aslam, who hopes that the ban in Islamabad will serve as a "model" for the rest of the country.

Some shopkeepers who spoke to AFP in Islamabad appeared prepared for the move but others said they were unaware of the new measure.

Plastics manufacturers who say up to 400,000 people work directly or indirectly in the industry have also raised concerns.

But the Khan's government says the action is necessary regardless.

Aslam says: "It's a health menace, it's an economic menace, it is an environmental menace. It is something that we need to get rid of." 
&nbsp;

From the once pristine rivers of Hindu Kush to the slums of Islamabad, Pakistan is being smothered by plastic due to a lack of public awareness, government inertia, and poor waste management.

From the once pristine rivers of Hindu Kush to the slums of Islamabad, Pakistan is being smothered by plastic due to a lack of public awareness, government inertia, and poor waste management. Plastic bags are a large part of the problem the nation uses some 55 billion of them each year, according to the Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association. Beaches deluged with plastic waste and dying marine life entangled in bags have shocked other countries into action around 120 have implemented some form of single-use plastic ban. Pakistan is among them but struggles with enforcement. There is no cohesive national policy and regional efforts often fail to consider the importance of educational outreach with many in rural areas claiming to be unaware of the damage single-use plastic can wreak. "Fighting for the environment, we do not know about that," says salesman Mohammad Tahir, who uses plastic bags to wrap vegetables for his customers. The 42-year-old hails from the mountainous Chitral district, which first banned the use of such bags two years ago but to little effect. "I like plastic bags," shrugs resident Khairul Azam, while shopping at a local market. "Once home, I throw them away... I know it is not good, but we don't have waste bins in my neighbourhood," he adds. Instead such waste litters the roadsides and hillsides. It also clogs the streams that feed into the Indus River, which is now the second most plastic polluted river in the world, behind only the Yangtze River in China, according to a study by the German Environmental Research Center Helmholtz. 'Eating plastic' Plastics swamp the Arabian Sea coastline, where the sewers of the sprawling port city of Karachi spew its waste. According to the United Nations, single-use plastic bags kill up to one million birds, hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and turtles, along with "countless" fish each year. And yet in Pakistan, authorities say the amount of plastic used is increasing by 15 per cent each year. Recycling options are limited and waste disposal is often woefully mismanaged even in the capital garbage is often simply burned in the street. "Plastic doesn't degrade. It only becomes smaller and smaller," says Hassaan Sipra, an environmental researcher. "Animals eat it. You eat them. Then it generates liver dysfunctions, diabetes, diarrhoea. But because it is cheap and convenient, people don't see the health consequences," he adds. A new report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that an average person ingests up to five grams of plastic a week roughly equal to the weight of a credit card. Plastic bags have become part of the "culture" in Pakistan, says Nazifa Butt, a researcher with WWF. "We would never use a cup of tea without a saucer. You will never be sold anything without a plastic bag. It is considered insulting," she adds. In Chitral, authorities first tried to ban plastic bags in 2017, with an additional measure passed earlier this year stating that only biodegradable bags also criticised for their environmental impact can be used in the area. Authorities have also backed new environmental awareness campaigns in schools, according to a local official. But many shops still do not use biodegradable bags and enforcement against single-use plastics remains minimal. "The local government is not sincere," said Shabir Ahmad, chairman of the Chitral traders union. He explains: "They never check the market. They don't find the shopkeepers." 'Health menace' "I can confiscate all the plastic bags in one hour. But then, what is the alternative?" says Khurshid Alam Mehsud, a district administrative officer in Chitral, who insists more "time" is needed to address the issue. Provincial governments in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with municipal authorities in Lahore have issued similar bans. But little has changed on the ground due to lack of law enforcement. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan's government which has long vowed to make environmental issues a priority is hoping to reverse the plastic tsunami says climate change minister Malik Amin Aslam. As of August 14, plastic bags will be banned in the capital Islamabad, with violators subject to heavy fines. "This love affair with plastic has to end in Pakistan," says Aslam, who hopes that the ban in Islamabad will serve as a "model" for the rest of the country. Some shopkeepers who spoke to AFP in Islamabad appeared prepared for the move but others said they were unaware of the new measure. Plastics manufacturers who say up to 400,000 people work directly or indirectly in the industry have also raised concerns. But the Khan's government says the action is necessary regardless. Aslam says: "It's a health menace, it's an economic menace, it is an environmental menace. It is something that we need to get rid of."

'I like plastic': Pakistan's toxic 'love affair' with waste

Raids on jungle drug labs have been met with heavy artillery fire, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-ngo-worker-shot-in-restive-rakhine-state-239511">Myanmar</a> narcotics police said Thursday, in an area riddled with armed groups accused of pumping out much of the world's methamphetamine.

Myanmar is under increasingly intense pressure from its neighbours to close down the meth labs festooning lawless parts of Shan State, the heart of the notorious "Golden Triangle".

A major crackdown kicked off last month in Kutkai Township, northern Shan, the army has said, where an entwined network of drug lords, ethnic rebel groups and security forces are accused of running a shadow drug economy worth billions of dollars.

Huge stockpiles of chemicals as well as millions of dollars of ice the highly addictive crystalised form of meth were seized in one raid on homespun labs buried deep in the jungle.&nbsp;

"The crackdown is ongoing," a senior police officer from the anti-drugs squad told AFP, requesting anonymity.

The army and drug police initially conducted raids in the area on July 21 but were repelled by "heavy artillery" at the site, the officer said.&nbsp;

They returned several days later, busting a massive production site of nearly 100 huts.&nbsp;

Police seized 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) of ice worth an estimated $10.5 million along with 9,000 yaba pills caffeine-laced meth tablets the army said.

They also found thousands of acid barrels and bottles, stoves, fridges, power generators and tea bags, which are often used to disguise drugs for smuggling.&nbsp;

Rare photos of the cook houses showed rudimentary huts made from tree trunks and tarps.

The country's largest-ever drug bust was in the same area last year where police seized 30 million yaba pills, 1,750 kilograms of crystal meth and 500 kilograms of heroin with a domestic value of around $54 million.&nbsp;

The "Golden Triangle" a lawless wedge of land intersecting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tears-into-china-on-twitter-as-trade-talks-resume-239492">China</a>, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos has long served as a base for opium and heroin production.

But methamphetamine production from Myanmar has risen to "alarming levels", according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).&nbsp;

The country is now believed to be the world's biggest producer of meth.

Drugs fan out across Southeast Asia thanks to porous borders, weak law enforcement and sophisticated money laundering networks often run out of casinos.

Made-in-Myanmar meth is being trafficked as far afield as Australia, where its price surges.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Raids on jungle drug labs have been met with heavy artillery fire, Myanmar narcotics police said Thursday, in an area riddled with armed groups accused of pumping out much of the world's methamphetamine.

Raids on jungle drug labs have been met with heavy artillery fire, Myanmar narcotics police said Thursday, in an area riddled with armed groups accused of pumping out much of the world's methamphetamine. Myanmar is under increasingly intense pressure from its neighbours to close down the meth labs festooning lawless parts of Shan State, the heart of the notorious "Golden Triangle". A major crackdown kicked off last month in Kutkai Township, northern Shan, the army has said, where an entwined network of drug lords, ethnic rebel groups and security forces are accused of running a shadow drug economy worth billions of dollars. Huge stockpiles of chemicals as well as millions of dollars of ice the highly addictive crystalised form of meth were seized in one raid on homespun labs buried deep in the jungle. "The crackdown is ongoing," a senior police officer from the anti-drugs squad told AFP, requesting anonymity. The army and drug police initially conducted raids in the area on July 21 but were repelled by "heavy artillery" at the site, the officer said. They returned several days later, busting a massive production site of nearly 100 huts. Police seized 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) of ice worth an estimated $10.5 million along with 9,000 yaba pills caffeine-laced meth tablets the army said. They also found thousands of acid barrels and bottles, stoves, fridges, power generators and tea bags, which are often used to disguise drugs for smuggling. Rare photos of the cook houses showed rudimentary huts made from tree trunks and tarps. The country's largest-ever drug bust was in the same area last year where police seized 30 million yaba pills, 1,750 kilograms of crystal meth and 500 kilograms of heroin with a domestic value of around $54 million. The "Golden Triangle" a lawless wedge of land intersecting China, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos has long served as a base for opium and heroin production. But methamphetamine production from Myanmar has risen to "alarming levels", according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The country is now believed to be the world's biggest producer of meth. Drugs fan out across Southeast Asia thanks to porous borders, weak law enforcement and sophisticated money laundering networks often run out of casinos. Made-in-Myanmar meth is being trafficked as far afield as Australia, where its price surges.

Drug lab raids in Myanmar's meth capital met with artillery fire

Guatemala`s refugee agency meets only sporadically and operates on a bare-bones basis, adding to doubts about how the crime-wracked, impoverished Central American country will cope with a surge in asylum-seekers under a deal signed with Washington.

Under Friday`s accord, Guatemala becomes a so-called "safe third country," turning it into a buffer zone for migrants trying to reach the United States, and potentially lifting applications for asylum in Guatemala from a few hundred a years to tens of thousands.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tears-into-china-on-twitter-as-trade-talks-resume-239492">US President Donald Trump</a> has pushed Mexico and Guatemala to sign such agreements to make asylum-seekers passing through their territory solicit haven in those countries, and not in the United States.

Mexico has so far refused, but under pressure from Trump it has accepted taking in Central American migrants while their applications for asylum in the United States are processed by US courts.&nbsp;

Guatemala only agreed after Trump threatened to impose what <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/guatemalan-presidential-candidates-question-us-migration-deal-238957">President Jimmy Morales</a> described on Facebook as "drastic" economic sanctions against the country, which is heavily dependent on billions of dollars in remittances sent home by Guatemalans in the United States.&nbsp;

Asylum applicants, migration experts and critics of the deal say Guatemala, which itself sends tens of thousands of migrants to the United States each year, has the scant capacity to process asylum-seekers, never mind keep them safe.

"Asylum infrastructure in Guatemala and other parts of the region is still under development," said William Spindler, senior external engagement coordinator for Latin America at the United Nations` refugee agency UNHCR.

"So the number of individual asylum-seekers who can be received and processed with adequate protection guarantees is still limited."

Decisions about whether to grant asylum fall to Guatemala`s National Commission for Refugees (CONARE), an agency represented by officials from the ministries of foreign relations, interior, labour and migration who meet periodically to adjudicate claims.

The CONARE "is not an office as such, and meets only to analyse, grant and deny shelter," said Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala`s General Directorate of Migration.

Compared to the United States and neighbouring Mexico, which has received tens of thousands of asylum applicants, the numbers of applicants in Guatemala has been negligible.

As such, CONARE met only twice between 2013 and 2014, according to a 2018 UNHCR document. Meetings since that year have increased after a jump in applications, it said.

Between 2002 and 2014, the document said, CONARE analysed an average of seven cases per year. From 2015, applications began accelerating, and so far in 2019, CONARE has received 226. But none of those has yet been approved, said Mena.&nbsp;

Critics say that backlog could spell trouble for the deal, which was immediately called into question by the two contenders battling to assume Guatemala`s presidency in 2020.

"If you can`t deal with 60 or 100 requests, what will you do when you receive hundreds?," said Mauro Verzeletti, director of a migrant shelter in Guatemala City.

Safe country

Oscar, 47, a public health technician from Honduras who declined to give his last name out of fear of reprisals, said he had been waiting six months for asylum in Guatemala.

He fled the violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula after officials harassed him for investigating the murders of LGBTQ individuals, including a friend, he said.&nbsp;

In Mexico, he joined a caravan of migrants, but fell ill and could not manage the long daily treks further north toward the US border.&nbsp;

Oscar eventually ended up back in Guatemala, but he told Reuters the risks he faced just across the border with Honduras were almost the same as at home.&nbsp;

"To me, the idea of a `safe country` is a country without corruption, without violence, that gives us work, home and food, but Guatemala has no jobs (even) for Guatemalans," Oscar said.&nbsp;

"It`s not that I`m ungrateful, but Guatemala has the same conditions as Honduras," he added.

People from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador make up the bulk of the migrants caught on the US-Mexican border, and the so-called Northern Triangle countries have some of the highest murder rates in the Americas.

Since January, Oscar has had two interviews at Guatemala`s migration directorate, which granted him a provisional residence permit he must renew every month. Still, migrant shelters only allow three-day stays, and finding work has been tough, he said.

The US-Guatemala agreement faces other challenges.&nbsp;

On July 14, Guatemala`s Constitutional Court ruled that Morales could not sign a safe third country agreement without congressional approval, an obstacle that the two presidential candidates pointed to last weekend.

Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart, who signed the deal in Washington, and Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel on Monday denied that Guatemala had reached the agreement under duress.&nbsp;

"We were not coerced, pressured, or forced to sign anything at all," Degenhart said. 
&nbsp;

Guatemala`s refugee agency meets only sporadically and operates on a bare-bones basis, adding to doubts about how the crime-wracked, impoverished Central American country will cope with a surge in asylum-seekers under a deal signed with Washington.

Guatemala`s refugee agency meets only sporadically and operates on a bare-bones basis, adding to doubts about how the crime-wracked, impoverished Central American country will cope with a surge in asylum-seekers under a deal signed with Washington. Under Friday`s accord, Guatemala becomes a so-called "safe third country," turning it into a buffer zone for migrants trying to reach the United States, and potentially lifting applications for asylum in Guatemala from a few hundred a years to tens of thousands. US President Donald Trump has pushed Mexico and Guatemala to sign such agreements to make asylum-seekers passing through their territory solicit haven in those countries, and not in the United States. Mexico has so far refused, but under pressure from Trump it has accepted taking in Central American migrants while their applications for asylum in the United States are processed by US courts. Guatemala only agreed after Trump threatened to impose what President Jimmy Morales described on Facebook as "drastic" economic sanctions against the country, which is heavily dependent on billions of dollars in remittances sent home by Guatemalans in the United States. Asylum applicants, migration experts and critics of the deal say Guatemala, which itself sends tens of thousands of migrants to the United States each year, has the scant capacity to process asylum-seekers, never mind keep them safe. "Asylum infrastructure in Guatemala and other parts of the region is still under development," said William Spindler, senior external engagement coordinator for Latin America at the United Nations` refugee agency UNHCR. "So the number of individual asylum-seekers who can be received and processed with adequate protection guarantees is still limited." Decisions about whether to grant asylum fall to Guatemala`s National Commission for Refugees (CONARE), an agency represented by officials from the ministries of foreign relations, interior, labour and migration who meet periodically to adjudicate claims. The CONARE "is not an office as such, and meets only to analyse, grant and deny shelter," said Alejandra Mena, a spokeswoman for Guatemala`s General Directorate of Migration. Compared to the United States and neighbouring Mexico, which has received tens of thousands of asylum applicants, the numbers of applicants in Guatemala has been negligible. As such, CONARE met only twice between 2013 and 2014, according to a 2018 UNHCR document. Meetings since that year have increased after a jump in applications, it said. Between 2002 and 2014, the document said, CONARE analysed an average of seven cases per year. From 2015, applications began accelerating, and so far in 2019, CONARE has received 226. But none of those has yet been approved, said Mena. Critics say that backlog could spell trouble for the deal, which was immediately called into question by the two contenders battling to assume Guatemala`s presidency in 2020. "If you can`t deal with 60 or 100 requests, what will you do when you receive hundreds?," said Mauro Verzeletti, director of a migrant shelter in Guatemala City. Safe country Oscar, 47, a public health technician from Honduras who declined to give his last name out of fear of reprisals, said he had been waiting six months for asylum in Guatemala. He fled the violent Honduran city of San Pedro Sula after officials harassed him for investigating the murders of LGBTQ individuals, including a friend, he said. In Mexico, he joined a caravan of migrants, but fell ill and could not manage the long daily treks further north toward the US border. Oscar eventually ended up back in Guatemala, but he told Reuters the risks he faced just across the border with Honduras were almost the same as at home. "To me, the idea of a `safe country` is a country without corruption, without violence, that gives us work, home and food, but Guatemala has no jobs (even) for Guatemalans," Oscar said. "It`s not that I`m ungrateful, but Guatemala has the same conditions as Honduras," he added. People from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador make up the bulk of the migrants caught on the US-Mexican border, and the so-called Northern Triangle countries have some of the highest murder rates in the Americas. Since January, Oscar has had two interviews at Guatemala`s migration directorate, which granted him a provisional residence permit he must renew every month. Still, migrant shelters only allow three-day stays, and finding work has been tough, he said. The US-Guatemala agreement faces other challenges. On July 14, Guatemala`s Constitutional Court ruled that Morales could not sign a safe third country agreement without congressional approval, an obstacle that the two presidential candidates pointed to last weekend. Interior Minister Enrique Degenhart, who signed the deal in Washington, and Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel on Monday denied that Guatemala had reached the agreement under duress. "We were not coerced, pressured, or forced to sign anything at all," Degenhart said.

Guatemala's shortcomings raise doubts about US migration deal

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kelly Craft, a Republican donor who is currently ambassador to Canada, as ambassador to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-forces-israel-among-states-rapped-by-un-for-killing-children-239735">United Nations</a>, despite opposition from Democrats who criticized <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-nominee-sparks-worries-of-intelligence-politicization-239554">President Donald Trump`s</a> nominee as too inexperienced for the post.

The Senate backed Craft by a vote of 56 to 34, largely along party lines, moving to end seven months without a permanent&nbsp; 
US envoy to the world body.&nbsp;

UN ambassador is one of several high-level positions in the Trump administration held for months by temporary appointees as the White House struggles to deal with a chronic, high turnover of top administration officials.

The Senate last week confirmed Army Secretary Mark Esper, a former lobbyist, as secretary of defence, ending a record seven-month period in which the Pentagon lacked a permanent top official.

This week, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats announced his resignation.

Trump nominated Craft, 57, for the UN post after a recommendation from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who represents her home state of Kentucky.

She had faced fierce opposition from some Democrats. Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, accused Craft of lacking the "seriousness and professionalism" for the post at the world body.

Craft, the wife of a billionaire coal industry executive, generated controversy shortly after assuming her post in Ottawa by telling Canadian Broadcasting she believed "both sides" of the climate change debate.

However, she acknowledged during her confirmation hearing that climate change is a global threat and pledged to recuse herself from any UN 
&nbsp;talks on the issue involving coal because of her husband`s position.

Menendez on Wednesday released a report that said Craft spent the majority of her time as ambassador to Canada outside of the country. 
Craft`s backers called her a tough negotiator on a trade deal with Canada and Mexico who had established decent working relationships with both Republicans and Democrats.

The craft will have the difficult job of defending Trump`s "America First" foreign policy and navigating his criticism of the United Nations while getting global diplomats to back US policies.

Trump`s first UN ambassador, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, announced her resignation in October and left the position at the end of last year.

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kelly Craft, a Republican donor who is currently ambassador to Canada, as ambassador to the United Nations, despite opposition from Democrats who criticized President Donald Trump`s nominee as too inexperienced for the post.

The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kelly Craft, a Republican donor who is currently ambassador to Canada, as ambassador to the United Nations, despite opposition from Democrats who criticized President Donald Trump`s nominee as too inexperienced for the post. The Senate backed Craft by a vote of 56 to 34, largely along party lines, moving to end seven months without a permanent US envoy to the world body. UN ambassador is one of several high-level positions in the Trump administration held for months by temporary appointees as the White House struggles to deal with a chronic, high turnover of top administration officials. The Senate last week confirmed Army Secretary Mark Esper, a former lobbyist, as secretary of defence, ending a record seven-month period in which the Pentagon lacked a permanent top official. This week, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats announced his resignation. Trump nominated Craft, 57, for the UN post after a recommendation from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who represents her home state of Kentucky. She had faced fierce opposition from some Democrats. Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, accused Craft of lacking the "seriousness and professionalism" for the post at the world body. Craft, the wife of a billionaire coal industry executive, generated controversy shortly after assuming her post in Ottawa by telling Canadian Broadcasting she believed "both sides" of the climate change debate. However, she acknowledged during her confirmation hearing that climate change is a global threat and pledged to recuse herself from any UN talks on the issue involving coal because of her husband`s position. Menendez on Wednesday released a report that said Craft spent the majority of her time as ambassador to Canada outside of the country. Craft`s backers called her a tough negotiator on a trade deal with Canada and Mexico who had established decent working relationships with both Republicans and Democrats. The craft will have the difficult job of defending Trump`s "America First" foreign policy and navigating his criticism of the United Nations while getting global diplomats to back US policies. Trump`s first UN ambassador, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, announced her resignation in October and left the position at the end of last year.

US Senate confirms Kelly Craft as ambassador to United Nations

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-forces-israel-among-states-rapped-by-un-for-killing-children-239735">Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children</a> 
 
The UN report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-takes-up-killing-of-indian-civilian-in-ceasefire-violation-by-pakistan-239696">India takes up killing of Indian civilian in ceasefire violation by Pakistan</a> 
 
Rahme Begum, resident of Dassi Baktoor, died after shelling by Pakistani army in Gurez sector of North Kashmir.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-continue-to-reduce-nuclear-deal-commitments-unless-europe-protects-iran-from-us-sanctions-javad-zarif-239698">Iran to cut nuke deal commitments if Europe doesn't protect from US sanctions</a> 
 
Iran has said it will reduce its commitment to the nuclear accord in stages and may even withdraw from the pact unless the Europeans find ways to shield its economy from the US sanctions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-bid-to-curb-plastic-pollution-pepsi-and-coca-cola-sever-ties-with-plastics-industry-association-239706">Pepsi and Coca Cola sever ties with Plastics Industry Association</a>&nbsp; 
 
According to American media reports, both the companies are trying to ensure that their packaging is recyclable.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/s-jaishankar-likely-to-meet-mike-pompeo-in-bangkok-239751">Foreign minister S Jaishankar likely to meet Mike Pompeo in Bangkok</a> 
 
Jaishankar-Pompeo pull aside will be the first high-level engagement between US and India since President Donald Trump's remarks on Kashmir.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children The UN report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties.

Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children The UN report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties. India takes up killing of Indian civilian in ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rahme Begum, resident of Dassi Baktoor, died after shelling by Pakistani army in Gurez sector of North Kashmir. Iran to cut nuke deal commitments if Europe doesn't protect from US sanctions Iran has said it will reduce its commitment to the nuclear accord in stages and may even withdraw from the pact unless the Europeans find ways to shield its economy from the US sanctions. Pepsi and Coca Cola sever ties with Plastics Industry Association According to American media reports, both the companies are trying to ensure that their packaging is recyclable. Foreign minister S Jaishankar likely to meet Mike Pompeo in Bangkok Jaishankar-Pompeo pull aside will be the first high-level engagement between US and India since President Donald Trump's remarks on Kashmir.

News brief: Big stories of the day

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/old-habits-die-hard-saudi-arabia-struggles-to-end-oil-addiction-238374">Saudi Arabia</a>-led military coalition fighting in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/saudi-led-airstrike-on-market-kill-13-in-northern-yemen-239413">Yemen</a> killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-among-14-civilians-killed-in-syria-strikes-235562">child casualties</a>, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year.

Guterres also reported that the highest number of Palestinian children had been killed or injured last year since 2014, mainly by Israeli forces, though no parties were blacklisted in the annex to the annual Children in Armed Conflict report, seen by Reuters.

The report, which does not subject those listed to action but rather shames parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children, has long been controversial with diplomats saying Saudi Arabia and Israel both exerted pressure in recent years in a bid to stay off the list.

The Israeli UN&nbsp;mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest report. In 2015 the United Nations left Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas off the blacklist, after they had been included in an earlier draft, but criticized Israel over its 2014 military operations. Israel denied lobbying then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue.

Saudi UN&nbsp;Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the report acknowledges steps taken by the coalition to safeguard children, noting that "every child's life is precious." But he also questioned the sourcing and accuracy of the report, describing the numbers as "exaggerated."

The coalition had been briefly added to the blacklist in 2016 and then removed by Ban pending review. At the time, Ban accused Saudi Arabia of exerting "unacceptable" undue pressure after sources told Reuters that Riyadh threatened to cut some UN&nbsp;funding. Saudi Arabia denied threatening Ban.

Highest child <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-highway-blast-kills-at-least-35-on-bus-injures-27-239691">casualties in Afghanistan </a>

In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the blacklist released in 2017 by Guterres was split into two categories. One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children and the other includes parties that have not.

The blacklist submitted to the Security Council on Friday named the Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen government forces on the first list, and the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, pro-Yemen government militia, the Security Belt Forces and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on the second list.

The UN&nbsp;report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties.

"I condemn the increasing number of child casualties, which are often a result of attacks in densely populated areas and against civilian objects, including schools and hospitals," Guterres said in the report, produced by UN&nbsp;Children and Armed Conflict envoy Virginia Gamba and issued in Guterres' name.

"The rise in the number of child casualties attributed to the Government Forces and the Coalition and the persistent killing and maiming of children by the Popular Resistance are increasingly worrying," the report said.

Last year, the report verified that 59 Palestinian children had been killed - 56 by Israeli forces - and another 2,756 injured, while six Israeli children were injured. The report found Israeli forces injured some 2,674 children "in the context of demonstrations, clashes and search and arrest operations.”

Guterres urged "Israel to immediately put in place preventive and protective measures to end the excessive use of force" and "all Palestinian actors to refrain from encouraging children's participation in violence."

The annual children and armed conflict report is produced at the request of the UN&nbsp;Security Council.

"In Afghanistan, the number of child casualties remained the highest such number in the present report (3,062) and children accounted for 28 per cent of all civilian casualties. In the Syrian Arab Republic, airstrikes, barrel bombs and cluster munitions resulted in 1,854 child casualties," the report said.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total child casualties, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total child casualties, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year. Guterres also reported that the highest number of Palestinian children had been killed or injured last year since 2014, mainly by Israeli forces, though no parties were blacklisted in the annex to the annual Children in Armed Conflict report, seen by Reuters. The report, which does not subject those listed to action but rather shames parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children, has long been controversial with diplomats saying Saudi Arabia and Israel both exerted pressure in recent years in a bid to stay off the list. The Israeli UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest report. In 2015 the United Nations left Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas off the blacklist, after they had been included in an earlier draft, but criticized Israel over its 2014 military operations. Israel denied lobbying then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue. Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the report acknowledges steps taken by the coalition to safeguard children, noting that "every child's life is precious." But he also questioned the sourcing and accuracy of the report, describing the numbers as "exaggerated." The coalition had been briefly added to the blacklist in 2016 and then removed by Ban pending review. At the time, Ban accused Saudi Arabia of exerting "unacceptable" undue pressure after sources told Reuters that Riyadh threatened to cut some UN funding. Saudi Arabia denied threatening Ban. Highest child casualties in Afghanistan In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the blacklist released in 2017 by Guterres was split into two categories. One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children and the other includes parties that have not. The blacklist submitted to the Security Council on Friday named the Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen government forces on the first list, and the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, pro-Yemen government militia, the Security Belt Forces and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on the second list. The UN report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties. "I condemn the increasing number of child casualties, which are often a result of attacks in densely populated areas and against civilian objects, including schools and hospitals," Guterres said in the report, produced by UN Children and Armed Conflict envoy Virginia Gamba and issued in Guterres' name. "The rise in the number of child casualties attributed to the Government Forces and the Coalition and the persistent killing and maiming of children by the Popular Resistance are increasingly worrying," the report said. Last year, the report verified that 59 Palestinian children had been killed - 56 by Israeli forces - and another 2,756 injured, while six Israeli children were injured. The report found Israeli forces injured some 2,674 children "in the context of demonstrations, clashes and search and arrest operations.” Guterres urged "Israel to immediately put in place preventive and protective measures to end the excessive use of force" and "all Palestinian actors to refrain from encouraging children's participation in violence." The annual children and armed conflict report is produced at the request of the UN Security Council. "In Afghanistan, the number of child casualties remained the highest such number in the present report (3,062) and children accounted for 28 per cent of all civilian casualties. In the Syrian Arab Republic, airstrikes, barrel bombs and cluster munitions resulted in 1,854 child casualties," the report said.

Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children

A Plan International aid worker was shot by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-25-dead-after-myanmar-land-dispute-238718">Myanmar</a> security forces in Rakhine state, the army said Tuesday, the first time an NGO employee has been swept up in violence plaguing the area.

Rakhine state is one of Myanmar's poorest regions and NGOs provide aid to tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims still languishing in displacement camps as well as other local communities.

But Myanmar's army has deployed thousands of troops there in recent months to try and crush rebels from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-myanmars-conflict-torn-rakhine-fresh-allegations-of-war-crimes-235359">Arakan Army (AA)</a>, who are fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.&nbsp;

Myanmar national Ye Lin Naing, 25, was driving a motorcycle in Mrauk U township Sunday when "a security forces member opened fire... as a warning shot" when he did not stop, according to a statement from the commander-in-chief's office.&nbsp;

He was wounded and taken to the hospital, but the army says he was carrying a grenade and charged him under a counterterrorism law.&nbsp;

Plan International, a prominent aid agency that provides aid to displaced households and children affected by the conflict in Rakhine, said it was "extremely concerned" about their employee who remains in the custody of security forces.&nbsp;

Fighting between the Arakan Army and the military prompted a weeks-long internet shutdown that rights groups say is being used to provide cover for abuses including extrajudicial killings and torture.

The military says it fighting insurgents and dealing with a sophisticated group that uses modern technology and is heavily armed.

The clashes follow an army crackdown in 2017 against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/satellite-images-show-myanmars-minimal-preparations-for-rohingya-return-report-238127">Rohingya Muslim</a> minority in northern Rakhine, when more than 740,000 were driven into Bangladesh.

A UN probe has called for genocide prosecutions against Myanmar's top brass for overseeing the expulsions.

A Plan International aid worker was shot by Myanmar security forces in Rakhine state, the army said Tuesday, the first time an NGO employee has been swept up in violence plaguing the area.

A Plan International aid worker was shot by Myanmar security forces in Rakhine state, the army said Tuesday, the first time an NGO employee has been swept up in violence plaguing the area. Rakhine state is one of Myanmar's poorest regions and NGOs provide aid to tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims still languishing in displacement camps as well as other local communities. But Myanmar's army has deployed thousands of troops there in recent months to try and crush rebels from the Arakan Army (AA), who are fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Myanmar national Ye Lin Naing, 25, was driving a motorcycle in Mrauk U township Sunday when "a security forces member opened fire... as a warning shot" when he did not stop, according to a statement from the commander-in-chief's office. He was wounded and taken to the hospital, but the army says he was carrying a grenade and charged him under a counterterrorism law. Plan International, a prominent aid agency that provides aid to displaced households and children affected by the conflict in Rakhine, said it was "extremely concerned" about their employee who remains in the custody of security forces. Fighting between the Arakan Army and the military prompted a weeks-long internet shutdown that rights groups say is being used to provide cover for abuses including extrajudicial killings and torture. The military says it fighting insurgents and dealing with a sophisticated group that uses modern technology and is heavily armed. The clashes follow an army crackdown in 2017 against the Rohingya Muslim minority in northern Rakhine, when more than 740,000 were driven into Bangladesh. A UN probe has called for genocide prosecutions against Myanmar's top brass for overseeing the expulsions.

Myanmar NGO worker shot in restive Rakhine state

Still reeling from his sudden deportation from Turkey with just the clothes on his back, Mohammad Hassan stood in the arrivals hall at a border crossing in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/regime-and-russian-airstrikes-killed-15-civilians-in-northwest-syria-monitor-239097">northern Syria</a> unsure what to do next.

"I left Syria seven years ago," said the 22-year-old. "I don't know anything about this country."

He was among dozens to queue up one morning last week to register with officials at the Bab al-Hawa crossing many in complete disbelief.

During Hassan's years of exile, Syria's landscape changed dramatically.

With no say in the matter, he has just been bussed into the country's last opposition bastion of Idlib, administered since the start of the year by jihadists.

His home city of Aleppo to the east has been under regime control since 2016, making it near impossible for him to return to the former rebel stronghold.

"My family is in Aleppo but I can't go there," he said, looking dejected in a black jacket and baseball cap.

Regime forces have detained young men in areas they have retaken with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-russia-signs-rs-1500-crore-deal-for-air-to-air-missiles-for-su-30-fighters-239257">Russian backing</a> since 2015 and forced others to join President Bashar al-Assad's army.

'They lied'

Syria's eight-year conflict has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, as well as displacing millions at home and abroad.

Some 3.5 million Syrian refugees live in Turkey alone, the United Nations says.&nbsp;

Hassan used to live in Istanbul, where authorities are leading a crackdown on unregistered migrants.

They have arrested 6,000 including Syrians over the past two weeks, the interior ministry said last Wednesday.

Critics have raised concern over reports that hundreds of Syrian refugees have been deported, after being forced to sign consent forms in Turkish they do not understand.

Hassan said he tried several times to get a temporary residency permit but was refused.&nbsp;

"In Istanbul, they've stopped issuing them to Syrians," he said.

Without the right "temporary protection" permit, he was stopped and arrested.

After more than a week in jail, Hassan was presented with a wad of papers to ink with a finger, which he was told would allow him to stay in Turkey legally.

"They lied to us," he said.

Instead, "we were shocked when the next morning they loaded us on buses and sent us back to Syria."&nbsp;

The crackdown has alarmed human rights campaigners.

"Turkey claims it helps Syrians voluntarily return to their country, but threatening to lock them up until they agree to return, forcing them to sign forms, and dumping them in a war zone is neither voluntary nor legal," said Gerry Simpson, an associate director at Human Rights Watch.

Bab al-Hawa crossing spokesman Mazen Alloush said Syrians were being deported daily.

Most had tried to illegally cross the border, but others were residents sent home for not having the right papers, he said.&nbsp;

More than 4,400 Syrians have been sent back via Bab al-Hawa this month, he said. &nbsp;

At a press conference in Istanbul on Thursday, Syria's exiled opposition said it had received assurances from Turkish authorities that Syrian "families would not be deported to Syria".

But Anas Abdah, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, called on all Syrians in Turkey to settle their status with the authorities.

'No family'&nbsp;

Inside the arrivals hall in Bab al-Hawa, Luay Mohammed, 23, said he was still in shock after being bussed back in the middle of the night.

"I have no idea how I will start over" in Syria, said the young man, back in his home country for the first time in four years.

After waiting in line, he finally reached his turn at the counter, leaning in to hear the official registering his details on a computer behind the perforated glass.

Muhammed had been detained in Turkey's southern city of Antalya, where he worked in a restaurant, he told AFP.

Around a week ago, he had rushed a friend injured in a fight with locals to the hospital on his motorbike, only to find the police waiting.

"They took us to the police station," he said before they were transferred to a jail containing around 350 foreigners.

"They took us back to Syria in the middle of the night," he said.

Hassan said he would try to travel east to his home city of Manbij. But that too is complicated.&nbsp;

The northern city is now under the control of a military council allied to Syria's Kurds, who are seen by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies as "terrorists".

And even if he did find a job, he would be without his family. "My family isn't in Syria, two of my brothers are still in Turkey," he said.

Still reeling from his sudden deportation from Turkey with just the clothes on his back, Mohammad Hassan stood in the arrivals hall at a border crossing in northern Syria unsure what to do next.

Still reeling from his sudden deportation from Turkey with just the clothes on his back, Mohammad Hassan stood in the arrivals hall at a border crossing in northern Syria unsure what to do next. "I left Syria seven years ago," said the 22-year-old. "I don't know anything about this country." He was among dozens to queue up one morning last week to register with officials at the Bab al-Hawa crossing many in complete disbelief. During Hassan's years of exile, Syria's landscape changed dramatically. With no say in the matter, he has just been bussed into the country's last opposition bastion of Idlib, administered since the start of the year by jihadists. His home city of Aleppo to the east has been under regime control since 2016, making it near impossible for him to return to the former rebel stronghold. "My family is in Aleppo but I can't go there," he said, looking dejected in a black jacket and baseball cap. Regime forces have detained young men in areas they have retaken with Russian backing since 2015 and forced others to join President Bashar al-Assad's army. 'They lied' Syria's eight-year conflict has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, as well as displacing millions at home and abroad. Some 3.5 million Syrian refugees live in Turkey alone, the United Nations says. Hassan used to live in Istanbul, where authorities are leading a crackdown on unregistered migrants. They have arrested 6,000 including Syrians over the past two weeks, the interior ministry said last Wednesday. Critics have raised concern over reports that hundreds of Syrian refugees have been deported, after being forced to sign consent forms in Turkish they do not understand. Hassan said he tried several times to get a temporary residency permit but was refused. "In Istanbul, they've stopped issuing them to Syrians," he said. Without the right "temporary protection" permit, he was stopped and arrested. After more than a week in jail, Hassan was presented with a wad of papers to ink with a finger, which he was told would allow him to stay in Turkey legally. "They lied to us," he said. Instead, "we were shocked when the next morning they loaded us on buses and sent us back to Syria." The crackdown has alarmed human rights campaigners. "Turkey claims it helps Syrians voluntarily return to their country, but threatening to lock them up until they agree to return, forcing them to sign forms, and dumping them in a war zone is neither voluntary nor legal," said Gerry Simpson, an associate director at Human Rights Watch. Bab al-Hawa crossing spokesman Mazen Alloush said Syrians were being deported daily. Most had tried to illegally cross the border, but others were residents sent home for not having the right papers, he said. More than 4,400 Syrians have been sent back via Bab al-Hawa this month, he said. At a press conference in Istanbul on Thursday, Syria's exiled opposition said it had received assurances from Turkish authorities that Syrian "families would not be deported to Syria". But Anas Abdah, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, called on all Syrians in Turkey to settle their status with the authorities. 'No family' Inside the arrivals hall in Bab al-Hawa, Luay Mohammed, 23, said he was still in shock after being bussed back in the middle of the night. "I have no idea how I will start over" in Syria, said the young man, back in his home country for the first time in four years. After waiting in line, he finally reached his turn at the counter, leaning in to hear the official registering his details on a computer behind the perforated glass. Muhammed had been detained in Turkey's southern city of Antalya, where he worked in a restaurant, he told AFP. Around a week ago, he had rushed a friend injured in a fight with locals to the hospital on his motorbike, only to find the police waiting. "They took us to the police station," he said before they were transferred to a jail containing around 350 foreigners. "They took us back to Syria in the middle of the night," he said. Hassan said he would try to travel east to his home city of Manbij. But that too is complicated. The northern city is now under the control of a military council allied to Syria's Kurds, who are seen by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies as "terrorists". And even if he did find a job, he would be without his family. "My family isn't in Syria, two of my brothers are still in Turkey," he said.

Deported from Turkey, Syrians return to unfamiliar country

UN special envoy for the Climate Summit, Luis de Alba was in India to address climate change and push for the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The envoy appreciated India's turn to electric vehicles and ensured that the country will join the ambitious climate action in September.&nbsp;

Global emissions are reaching record levels and show&nbsp;no sign of peaking.&nbsp;The last four years have been the hottest on record and India is no different.

While taking a short ride in an Indian e-rickshaw Ambassador De Alba valued the country's approach towards electronic-vehicles to beat air pollution.

“There is a lot to be done by India and other countries to lower greenhouse gas emission. India is still using non- renewable resources for energy production, but its turn towards electric vehicles is a good approach to cut down air pollution. E-rickshaws, electric cars and two-wheelers give some relief from North India’s toxic air,” says Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, special envoy for Climate Summit, United Nations.

To combat the toxic air pollution across India, the government is making a big push for electric vehicles, signalling a turning point in its clean energy policy. The government initially wanted to move to hundred per cent electric cars, however, it has been diluted to thirty per cent by 2030.

While bad air is not new to India, Delhi has reached the crisis point.&nbsp;According to the World Health Organisation latest report, 9 out of the 10 most polluted cities across the world are from India.&nbsp;The cities included have an average annual particulate matter (pm) 2.5 concentration of 122.&nbsp;

The Indian&nbsp;cities on the WHO's&nbsp;top 10 list&nbsp;are Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna, Raipur, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Firozabad, Lucknow and the Indian capital Delhi.

India has taken good initiatives in the past and has adhered to Paris Agreement on climate change. The country's turn towards e-vehicles will help reduce carbon emission.&nbsp;

The UN special envoy believes that countries such as India need to find solutions and align themselves completely to climate change and air pollution policies by 2030.&nbsp;

The Indian government has now decided to focus on two-wheelers, where sales are much higher. The new proposal is to have only electric three-wheelers operating in the country by 2023, and only electric two-wheelers by 2025.

It is estimated that each year air pollution causes more than 7 million death, and this is one of the reasons that the United Nations has urgently called on every nation for the Climate Change Summit to take urgent action.&nbsp;

UN special envoy for the Climate Summit, Luis de Alba was in India to address climate change and push for the goals of the Paris Agreement. The envoy appreciated India's turn to electric vehicles and ensured that the country will join the ambitious climate action in September.

UN special envoy for the Climate Summit, Luis de Alba was in India to address climate change and push for the goals of the Paris Agreement. The envoy appreciated India's turn to electric vehicles and ensured that the country will join the ambitious climate action in September. Global emissions are reaching record levels and show no sign of peaking. The last four years have been the hottest on record and India is no different. While taking a short ride in an Indian e-rickshaw Ambassador De Alba valued the country's approach towards electronic-vehicles to beat air pollution. “There is a lot to be done by India and other countries to lower greenhouse gas emission. India is still using non- renewable resources for energy production, but its turn towards electric vehicles is a good approach to cut down air pollution. E-rickshaws, electric cars and two-wheelers give some relief from North India’s toxic air,” says Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, special envoy for Climate Summit, United Nations. To combat the toxic air pollution across India, the government is making a big push for electric vehicles, signalling a turning point in its clean energy policy. The government initially wanted to move to hundred per cent electric cars, however, it has been diluted to thirty per cent by 2030. While bad air is not new to India, Delhi has reached the crisis point. According to the World Health Organisation latest report, 9 out of the 10 most polluted cities across the world are from India. The cities included have an average annual particulate matter (pm) 2.5 concentration of 122. The Indian cities on the WHO's top 10 list are Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna, Raipur, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Firozabad, Lucknow and the Indian capital Delhi. India has taken good initiatives in the past and has adhered to Paris Agreement on climate change. The country's turn towards e-vehicles will help reduce carbon emission. The UN special envoy believes that countries such as India need to find solutions and align themselves completely to climate change and air pollution policies by 2030. The Indian government has now decided to focus on two-wheelers, where sales are much higher. The new proposal is to have only electric three-wheelers operating in the country by 2023, and only electric two-wheelers by 2025. It is estimated that each year air pollution causes more than 7 million death, and this is one of the reasons that the United Nations has urgently called on every nation for the Climate Change Summit to take urgent action.

India to join UN Climate Change Summit in New York this September 

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate".

The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nissan-to-cut-10000-jobs-worldwide-report-238084">slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide</a>.

"While the financial results are still being reviewed, the operating profit reported in the Nikkei Shimbun article was broadly accurate," Nissan said in a press release.

The Nikkei reported that the plunge was due to declines in US sales, and costs for developing electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies weighed on profits.

But Nissan added no official confirmation can be made before the announcement of results on Thursday.

In May, it reported net profit fell to a near-decade low and warned of "a difficult business environment" for the next 12 months.

The company has struggled in the US and Europe as it works to turn its fortunes around after former chief Carlos Ghosn was arrested for alleged financial misconduct.&nbsp;

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate". The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide.

Nissan said Wednesday that a reported 90 per cent plunge in its first-quarter operating profit was "broadly accurate". The auto giant confirmed the Nikkei business daily story amid separate reports that it was also planning to slash more than 10,000 jobs worldwide. "While the financial results are still being reviewed, the operating profit reported in the Nikkei Shimbun article was broadly accurate," Nissan said in a press release. The Nikkei reported that the plunge was due to declines in US sales, and costs for developing electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies weighed on profits. But Nissan added no official confirmation can be made before the announcement of results on Thursday. In May, it reported net profit fell to a near-decade low and warned of "a difficult business environment" for the next 12 months. The company has struggled in the US and Europe as it works to turn its fortunes around after former chief Carlos Ghosn was arrested for alleged financial misconduct.

Nissan confirms Q1 operating profit plunge

Sri Lanka's parliament has blocked a visiting UN human rights expert from meeting with judges hearing war crimes cases, citing fears of foreign interference in the judicial system.

Clement Voule, an envoy of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-rights-recommendations-to-be-taken-seriously-maduro-229391">United Nations</a> Human Rights Council, travelled to the South Asian nation to discuss civil rights protections in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-need-patriotism-like-india-and-a-leader-who-is-trusted-by-all-sri-lankan-buddhist-monk-galagoda-aththe-gnanasara-thero-to-wion-236978">Sri Lanka</a>.

But opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse told parliament on Tuesday that Voule's plans to meet with senior judges overseeing cases concerning military excesses during the former strongman's tenure amounted to foreign interference.

On Wednesday parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya said he had "intervened and stopped the meeting".

"I thank the opposition for bringing this to my notice, I have taken timely action," Jayasuriya added.

Sri Lanka faced international censure for its human rights record under Rajapakse, who was toppled in January 2015 elections.

Forces under his command were accused of killing up to 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final months of the island's 37-year war against Tamil separatists that ended in May 2009.

Rajapakse's administration resisted global pressure to examine allegations of major human rights violations during his tenure. His successor President Maithripala Sirisena came to power on a pledge to investigate wartime atrocities but has refused calls for an international probe.

UN expert Voule has so far met Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya in the presence of foreign ministry officials. He is due to leave Sri Lanka on Friday.

Sri Lanka's parliament has blocked a visiting UN human rights expert from meeting with judges hearing war crimes cases, citing fears of foreign interference in the judicial system.

Sri Lanka's parliament has blocked a visiting UN human rights expert from meeting with judges hearing war crimes cases, citing fears of foreign interference in the judicial system. Clement Voule, an envoy of the United Nations Human Rights Council, travelled to the South Asian nation to discuss civil rights protections in Sri Lanka. But opposition leader Mahinda Rajapakse told parliament on Tuesday that Voule's plans to meet with senior judges overseeing cases concerning military excesses during the former strongman's tenure amounted to foreign interference. On Wednesday parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya said he had "intervened and stopped the meeting". "I thank the opposition for bringing this to my notice, I have taken timely action," Jayasuriya added. Sri Lanka faced international censure for its human rights record under Rajapakse, who was toppled in January 2015 elections. Forces under his command were accused of killing up to 40,000 Tamil civilians in the final months of the island's 37-year war against Tamil separatists that ended in May 2009. Rajapakse's administration resisted global pressure to examine allegations of major human rights violations during his tenure. His successor President Maithripala Sirisena came to power on a pledge to investigate wartime atrocities but has refused calls for an international probe. UN expert Voule has so far met Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya in the presence of foreign ministry officials. He is due to leave Sri Lanka on Friday.

Sri Lanka blocks United Nations meeting with judges hearing war crimes cases

India has said the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to re-examine and revise its methodology and the grouping needs to undertake a new journey.

India was represented by Indian envoy to United Nations Syed Akbaruddin at the NAM Ministerial Meeting in Caracas, Venezuela.

Speaking at the meet, Akbaruddin said, "Our inertia is considerable... Our methodology of discussion and decision-making needs to be re-examined and revised. Our agenda needs to be progressive and forward-looking."

Explaining, "World is awash with new challenges. However, to effectively make a difference, we, the NAM, need to undertake a new journey."

NAM was established in Belgrade in 1961 and was a joint initiative of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.

Climate change, digital technologies and terrorism are three issues raised by India at NAM Meet in Venezuela.&nbsp;

On terror, Akbaruddin said, "All our talk about combating the scourge of terrorism has not been matched by actions" and "our collective response at countering terrorism must transcend from ad hoc and crisis-orientated reaction towards" building "standing structures intended to be durable and insulated from rhetoric."

Reiterating India's stand on Palestine, Akbaruddin said New Delhi's "Support for the cause of Palestine shall continue". This is an important statement given the growing closeness of New Delhi with Israel.&nbsp;

He also slammed Islamabad saying "NAM never was and never can be a platform for pursuits aimed at undermining the territorial integrity of a State by another State."

India has said the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to re-examine and revise its methodology and the grouping needs to undertake a new journey. India was represented by Indian envoy to United Nations Syed Akbaruddin at the NAM Ministerial Meeting in Caracas, Venezuela.

India has said the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to re-examine and revise its methodology and the grouping needs to undertake a new journey. India was represented by Indian envoy to United Nations Syed Akbaruddin at the NAM Ministerial Meeting in Caracas, Venezuela. Speaking at the meet, Akbaruddin said, "Our inertia is considerable... Our methodology of discussion and decision-making needs to be re-examined and revised. Our agenda needs to be progressive and forward-looking." Explaining, "World is awash with new challenges. However, to effectively make a difference, we, the NAM, need to undertake a new journey." NAM was established in Belgrade in 1961 and was a joint initiative of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. Climate change, digital technologies and terrorism are three issues raised by India at NAM Meet in Venezuela. On terror, Akbaruddin said, "All our talk about combating the scourge of terrorism has not been matched by actions" and "our collective response at countering terrorism must transcend from ad hoc and crisis-orientated reaction towards" building "standing structures intended to be durable and insulated from rhetoric." Reiterating India's stand on Palestine, Akbaruddin said New Delhi's "Support for the cause of Palestine shall continue". This is an important statement given the growing closeness of New Delhi with Israel. He also slammed Islamabad saying "NAM never was and never can be a platform for pursuits aimed at undermining the territorial integrity of a State by another State."

Non-Aligned Movement needs to undertake a new journey: India

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks.

Government forces, have been facing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-taliban-us-violence-for-upper-hand-in-afghan-deal-237189">Taliban</a> attacks across much of the country, and have responded with airstrikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as US and Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in Qatar.

The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib Stanekzai, a member of Logar's provincial council. Six people were wounded, he said.

Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties.

"According to our initial information a number of militants were killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing civilian casualties," said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar police.

Kuchi is nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent settlements.

Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said foreign force was involved in the attack on the militants. Officials with Afghanistan's NATO force were not immediately available to confirm or deny their involvement in the operation.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-has-no-military-solution-says-pakistan-prime-minister-imran-khan-in-us-diaspora-address-237567&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjKiM2hvsjjAhUIPo8KHbTxBNIQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw13XcLzzXPbUvinqsOphqlU">Afghan forces</a>, backed by US advisers, have in recent months stepped up their airstrikes and raids to the highest levels since 2014.

The latest phase of Afghanistan's war - which began when US-backed forces overthrew the Taliban following September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States - has intensified despite the most sustained peace talks of the war.

The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern about civilian casualties, which reached their highest level last year since detailed accounting began nearly a decade ago.

The war claimed 3,804 civilian lives in 2018, that included 927 children, both figures all-time highs, representing an 11% increase in civilian deaths compared with 2017, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in February.

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks.

Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks. Government forces, have been facing Taliban attacks across much of the country, and have responded with airstrikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as US and Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in Qatar. The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib Stanekzai, a member of Logar's provincial council. Six people were wounded, he said. Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties. "According to our initial information a number of militants were killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing civilian casualties," said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar police. Kuchi is nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent settlements. Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said foreign force was involved in the attack on the militants. Officials with Afghanistan's NATO force were not immediately available to confirm or deny their involvement in the operation. Afghan forces, backed by US advisers, have in recent months stepped up their airstrikes and raids to the highest levels since 2014. The latest phase of Afghanistan's war - which began when US-backed forces overthrew the Taliban following September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States - has intensified despite the most sustained peace talks of the war. The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern about civilian casualties, which reached their highest level last year since detailed accounting began nearly a decade ago. The war claimed 3,804 civilian lives in 2018, that included 927 children, both figures all-time highs, representing an 11% increase in civilian deaths compared with 2017, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in February.

Afghan forces kill seven civilians in attack on militants

The United Nations has called on the international community to take urgent action to help children living in a camp in north east Syria, warning they remain the most vulnerable to violence and extremism.

UN seeks support for children in Syria's camps

The United States has granted a visa to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-genocidal-taunts-will-not-end-iran-foreign-minister-javad-zarif-hits-back-220126">Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif </a>to attend a UN meeting in New York this week, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday, saying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had approved the decision.

Had Pompeo not approved giving a visa to Zarif, Iran's top diplomat, and nuclear negotiator, it could have been a signal that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-shares-muted-as-prospect-of-sharp-united-states-rate-cut-fades-234064">United States</a> was trying to further isolate the Islamic Republic and perhaps closing the door to diplomacy.

US-Iranian tensions have worsened since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stop-bombing-killing-in-syrias-idlib-us-president-donald-trump-223729">US President Donald Trump</a> decided last year to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal under which Iran agreed to curtail its atomic program in return for relief from economic sanctions crippling its FU economy.

They have taken several turns for the worse in the last two and a half months after Trump acted to try to eliminate Iran's oil exports because of US concerns about its nuclear and missile programs and regional activities.

Since that decision, there have been two sets of attacks on tankers in the Gulf that Washington blamed on Tehran despite its denials, and Iran has downed a US drone that prompted plans for a US retaliatory air strike that was abruptly called off.

On June 24, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had said Zarif would be hit with US sanctions that week, an unusual stance because the United States typically does not preview such decisions to keep its targets from moving assets out of US jurisdiction. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Washington had decided to hold off on blacklisting him for now.

Imposing sanctions on Iran's chief negotiator would have been unusual because it could impede any US effort to use diplomacy to resolve its disagreements with Tehran.

Iran's mission to the United Nations said Zarif had arrived in New York, where he is to attend a ministerial meeting at the United Nations on sustainable development goals, which aim to tackle issues including conflict, hunger, gender equality and climate change by 2030.

The United States has granted a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to attend a UN meeting in New York this week, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday, saying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had approved the decision.

The United States has granted a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to attend a UN meeting in New York this week, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday, saying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had approved the decision. Had Pompeo not approved giving a visa to Zarif, Iran's top diplomat, and nuclear negotiator, it could have been a signal that the United States was trying to further isolate the Islamic Republic and perhaps closing the door to diplomacy. US-Iranian tensions have worsened since US President Donald Trump decided last year to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal under which Iran agreed to curtail its atomic program in return for relief from economic sanctions crippling its FU economy. They have taken several turns for the worse in the last two and a half months after Trump acted to try to eliminate Iran's oil exports because of US concerns about its nuclear and missile programs and regional activities. Since that decision, there have been two sets of attacks on tankers in the Gulf that Washington blamed on Tehran despite its denials, and Iran has downed a US drone that prompted plans for a US retaliatory air strike that was abruptly called off. On June 24, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had said Zarif would be hit with US sanctions that week, an unusual stance because the United States typically does not preview such decisions to keep its targets from moving assets out of US jurisdiction. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Washington had decided to hold off on blacklisting him for now. Imposing sanctions on Iran's chief negotiator would have been unusual because it could impede any US effort to use diplomacy to resolve its disagreements with Tehran. Iran's mission to the United Nations said Zarif had arrived in New York, where he is to attend a ministerial meeting at the United Nations on sustainable development goals, which aim to tackle issues including conflict, hunger, gender equality and climate change by 2030.

US grants visa to Iran's Javad Zarif  for United Nation meeting this week: Report

Gilgit Baltistan in an open letter has stressed that the territory, which has been administered by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-not-invited-at-eastern-economic-forum-clarifies-russia-234102">Pakistan</a>, is a "compelling part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir" and Pakistan`s status is only that of an "assumed supervisor" that has no right to change its borders.

In an open letter addressed to the freedom seeking organisations of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan said, "Be it the United Nations resolutions, the Karachi Agreement (28/04/1949), the constitution of Pakistan, the judgements of Pakistan`s apex courts or the freedom seeking organisations of Jammu and Kashmir and even according to the viewpoint of those political parties (in AJK) committed to accession with Pakistan; the current (territory) of Gilgit Baltistan is a compelling part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir."

"Pakistan`s status here is that of an (assumed) supervisor and it has no right to change the borders (of this territory)," the letter stated.

The open letter stated that this matter is not confined to (the territory of) Gilgit-Baltistan but is directly connected to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its (assumed) disputed status.

"On account of the natural routes of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir being deliberately restricted, it is difficult to transmit news of events occurring in one part of the (erstwhile state) to other parts (of the State)," it said.

"In 1947, when the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-over-5000-candidates-register-for-army-recruitment-drive-in-baramulla-234637">State of Jammu and Kashmir</a> was divided into three (parts), whereupon after the ceasefire and UN (United Nations) involvement, the third Northern province of Gilgit Ladakh was split in two, of which an area of c.28,000 square miles was separated from Muzaffarabad and Srinagar upon coming under the control of Pakistan," the letter added.

"In contrast to Pakistani and Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir, (the territory of) Gilgit Baltistan has endured various changes (in its geographic structure). C. 2,000 square miles of the territory was given - in the interim - to China (as part of the Sino-Pakistan Agreement in 1963). The State Subject Rule of Jammu and Kashmir (20/04/1927) has been (practically) been laid dormant," it noted.

Emphasizing another important issue addressed as a "dangerous game", the letter further said, "This game involves the adjacent borders (of Gilgit-Baltistan) with KPK (Khyber Pakhtoon khwa - a province in Pakistan) which meet the State (of Jammu and Kashmir)`s borders at various geographic points. For the past 71 years, KPK has been subtly encroaching into our State."

"At the first instance, interference took place in the district of Diamer (as an occupation of the land) beyond Basha (in KPK) reached Basri. From where (effectively the Pakistani State) successfully encroached up to 30 kilometres into (GB) territory. If this area had remained with us (GB), then KPK would not even have a claim on Diamer Basha dam at all," the letter added.

"In the second stage, the area of Chitral in KPK which is adjacent to district Ghizer (in GB) encroached into the latter area where the historic polo ground of Shandur is situated. Here, the Chitral scouts with the help of FC (Frontier Constabulary of Pakistan) occupied this ground. Shandur boasts the world`s highest polo ground and tourist resort. This area is the State of Jammu and Kashmir`s third Northern province`s historic part, whose (geographic) boundaries were (mutually) agreed upon (and settled) by Mahar," it stressed.

The letter was addressed to the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP), Jammu Kashmir People`s National Party (JKPNP), Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jammu Kashmir National Student`s Federation (JKNSF), Kashmir National Party (KNP), United Kashmir People`s National Party (UKPNP), Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) among others.

Gilgit Baltistan in an open letter has stressed that the territory, which has been administered by Pakistan, is a "compelling part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir" and Pakistan`s status is only that of an "assumed supervisor" that has no right to change its borders.

Gilgit Baltistan in an open letter has stressed that the territory, which has been administered by Pakistan, is a "compelling part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir" and Pakistan`s status is only that of an "assumed supervisor" that has no right to change its borders. In an open letter addressed to the freedom seeking organisations of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan said, "Be it the United Nations resolutions, the Karachi Agreement (28/04/1949), the constitution of Pakistan, the judgements of Pakistan`s apex courts or the freedom seeking organisations of Jammu and Kashmir and even according to the viewpoint of those political parties (in AJK) committed to accession with Pakistan; the current (territory) of Gilgit Baltistan is a compelling part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir." "Pakistan`s status here is that of an (assumed) supervisor and it has no right to change the borders (of this territory)," the letter stated. The open letter stated that this matter is not confined to (the territory of) Gilgit-Baltistan but is directly connected to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its (assumed) disputed status. "On account of the natural routes of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir being deliberately restricted, it is difficult to transmit news of events occurring in one part of the (erstwhile state) to other parts (of the State)," it said. "In 1947, when the State of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into three (parts), whereupon after the ceasefire and UN (United Nations) involvement, the third Northern province of Gilgit Ladakh was split in two, of which an area of c.28,000 square miles was separated from Muzaffarabad and Srinagar upon coming under the control of Pakistan," the letter added. "In contrast to Pakistani and Indian controlled Jammu and Kashmir, (the territory of) Gilgit Baltistan has endured various changes (in its geographic structure). C. 2,000 square miles of the territory was given - in the interim - to China (as part of the Sino-Pakistan Agreement in 1963). The State Subject Rule of Jammu and Kashmir (20/04/1927) has been (practically) been laid dormant," it noted. Emphasizing another important issue addressed as a "dangerous game", the letter further said, "This game involves the adjacent borders (of Gilgit-Baltistan) with KPK (Khyber Pakhtoon khwa - a province in Pakistan) which meet the State (of Jammu and Kashmir)`s borders at various geographic points. For the past 71 years, KPK has been subtly encroaching into our State." "At the first instance, interference took place in the district of Diamer (as an occupation of the land) beyond Basha (in KPK) reached Basri. From where (effectively the Pakistani State) successfully encroached up to 30 kilometres into (GB) territory. If this area had remained with us (GB), then KPK would not even have a claim on Diamer Basha dam at all," the letter added. "In the second stage, the area of Chitral in KPK which is adjacent to district Ghizer (in GB) encroached into the latter area where the historic polo ground of Shandur is situated. Here, the Chitral scouts with the help of FC (Frontier Constabulary of Pakistan) occupied this ground. Shandur boasts the world`s highest polo ground and tourist resort. This area is the State of Jammu and Kashmir`s third Northern province`s historic part, whose (geographic) boundaries were (mutually) agreed upon (and settled) by Mahar," it stressed. The letter was addressed to the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP), Jammu Kashmir People`s National Party (JKPNP), Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jammu Kashmir National Student`s Federation (JKNSF), Kashmir National Party (KNP), United Kashmir People`s National Party (UKPNP), Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) among others.

Gilgit Baltistan in open letter says Pakistan only an 'assumed supervisor'

India, in the last decade, has lifted 271 million people out of poverty, a United Nations report said on Thursday. The report was based on the multidimensional poverty index, which saw India recording the fastest reduction, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said.

More than 21 per cent of India's 1.3 billion people lived on less than $1.90 a day in 2011, when the last census was taken, according to the World Bank.

But this time, the UN studied 101 countries and said 1.3 billion people are "multidimensionally poor", which means that poverty is defined not simply by income, but by a number of indicators, including poor health, poor quality of work and the threat of violence.

Of these 101 countries, the reduction of poverty was fastest in 10, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam, the report said.

"In India, there were 271 million fewer people in poverty in 2016 than in 2006, while in Bangladesh the number dropped by 19 million between 2004 and 2014," it said.

India reduced deprivation in nutrition from 44.3 per cent in 2005-06 to 21.2 per cent in 2015-16, child mortality dropped from 4.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent, people deprived of cooking fuel reduced from 52.9 per cent to 26.2 per cent, deprivation in sanitation from 50.4 per cent to 24.6 per cent, those deprived of drinking water reduced from 16.6 per cent to 6.2 per cent.

Further, more people gained access to electricity as deprivation was reduced from 29.1 per cent to 8.6 per cent, housing from 44.9 per cent to 23.6 per cent and assets deprivation from 37.6 per cent to 9.5 per cent. The trends in these 10 countries also shine a light on where poverty reduction has been uneven, despite the good progress overall, it said.

The Indian government had said in April this year that fast economic growth and rapid urbanisation would slash the number of people in extreme poverty by 2021 and end it completely in the decade after that.

Economic growth in recent years had generated enough revenue for states to work more on poverty alleviation, job creation and improving healthcare and education, the then finance minister Arun Jaitley had said.

(With inputs from agencies)

India, in the last decade, has lifted 271 million people out of poverty, a United Nations report said on Thursday. The report was based on the multidimensional poverty index, which saw India recording the fastest reduction, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said.

India, in the last decade, has lifted 271 million people out of poverty, a United Nations report said on Thursday. The report was based on the multidimensional poverty index, which saw India recording the fastest reduction, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said. More than 21 per cent of India's 1.3 billion people lived on less than $1.90 a day in 2011, when the last census was taken, according to the World Bank. But this time, the UN studied 101 countries and said 1.3 billion people are "multidimensionally poor", which means that poverty is defined not simply by income, but by a number of indicators, including poor health, poor quality of work and the threat of violence. Of these 101 countries, the reduction of poverty was fastest in 10, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam, the report said. "In India, there were 271 million fewer people in poverty in 2016 than in 2006, while in Bangladesh the number dropped by 19 million between 2004 and 2014," it said. India reduced deprivation in nutrition from 44.3 per cent in 2005-06 to 21.2 per cent in 2015-16, child mortality dropped from 4.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent, people deprived of cooking fuel reduced from 52.9 per cent to 26.2 per cent, deprivation in sanitation from 50.4 per cent to 24.6 per cent, those deprived of drinking water reduced from 16.6 per cent to 6.2 per cent. Further, more people gained access to electricity as deprivation was reduced from 29.1 per cent to 8.6 per cent, housing from 44.9 per cent to 23.6 per cent and assets deprivation from 37.6 per cent to 9.5 per cent. The trends in these 10 countries also shine a light on where poverty reduction has been uneven, despite the good progress overall, it said. The Indian government had said in April this year that fast economic growth and rapid urbanisation would slash the number of people in extreme poverty by 2021 and end it completely in the decade after that. Economic growth in recent years had generated enough revenue for states to work more on poverty alleviation, job creation and improving healthcare and education, the then finance minister Arun Jaitley had said. (With inputs from agencies)

India lifted 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016, says United Nations report

How serious are Iran's breaches of the 2015 deal and what does higher enrichment mean?

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP.&nbsp;

"Vincent died at 8:24 am (0624 GMT) this morning," his nephew Francois Lambert told AFP.&nbsp;

Lambert, 42, was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that left him a quadriplegic with severe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-six-year-battle-over-a-mans-life-support-220150">brain damage which doctors had long said was irreversible</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Left in a vegetative state, the question of whether to continue keeping him alive artificially divided his family and the nation.

Doctors at a hospital in the northern city of Reims began removing the tubes on July 2 while keeping him heavily sedated following a years-long legal battle that has raged in the highest courts in France and Europe.

The case rekindled a charged debate over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/parents-appeal-to-french-president-in-right-to-die-case-219660">France's right-to-die laws</a>, which allow so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients who are being kept alive artificially with no chance of recovery.&nbsp;

In May, even Pope Francis got involved, tweeting that it was necessary to "always safeguard life, God's gift, from its beginning until its natural end".

Lambert's wife Rachel, who is his legal guardian under French law, had said her husband made clear even before his accident that he would not want to be kept alive artificially, though this was never put in writing.

Multiple medical assessments ordered by the courts over the years found that the former psychiatric nurse, who was poised to become a father shortly before his accident, had no chance of recovering.

'Not a vegetable'&nbsp;

But his parents, devout Catholics who between them have nine children, had over the years successfully challenged five different attempts by doctors to halt his life-support.

The last time they tried to do so was in May, but it was quickly overturned by a Paris appeals court.

That ruling was then taken to France's top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, which on June 28 said doctors could legally end his life support in what was hailed as a definitive final judgment by lawyers for his wife.&nbsp;

With their efforts spurned by the highest courts in France as well as by the European Court of Human Rights, Lambert's parents have threatened to file charges of "murder" when their son dies.&nbsp;

On July 1, his mother Viviane turned to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in a last-ditch plea for help.&nbsp;

"Without your intervention, my son, Vincent Lambert, will be euthanised because of his mental handicap," she said.&nbsp;

"He is in a state of minimal consciousness but he is not a vegetable."

But by Monday, the couple had accepted that the death of their son was now "unavoidable".

"We have nowhere else to turn and now it's too late. Vincent is dying," they said in a statement through their lawyers sent to AFP, saying that his condition was now "medically irreversible".&nbsp;

In early May, the UN committee on disabled rights also asked France to keep Lambert alive while it conducted its investigation into his fate, but the government said it was not legally bound to abide by its request.&nbsp;

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP.

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP. "Vincent died at 8:24 am (0624 GMT) this morning," his nephew Francois Lambert told AFP. Lambert, 42, was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that left him a quadriplegic with severe brain damage which doctors had long said was irreversible. Left in a vegetative state, the question of whether to continue keeping him alive artificially divided his family and the nation. Doctors at a hospital in the northern city of Reims began removing the tubes on July 2 while keeping him heavily sedated following a years-long legal battle that has raged in the highest courts in France and Europe. The case rekindled a charged debate over France's right-to-die laws, which allow so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients who are being kept alive artificially with no chance of recovery. In May, even Pope Francis got involved, tweeting that it was necessary to "always safeguard life, God's gift, from its beginning until its natural end". Lambert's wife Rachel, who is his legal guardian under French law, had said her husband made clear even before his accident that he would not want to be kept alive artificially, though this was never put in writing. Multiple medical assessments ordered by the courts over the years found that the former psychiatric nurse, who was poised to become a father shortly before his accident, had no chance of recovering. 'Not a vegetable' But his parents, devout Catholics who between them have nine children, had over the years successfully challenged five different attempts by doctors to halt his life-support. The last time they tried to do so was in May, but it was quickly overturned by a Paris appeals court. That ruling was then taken to France's top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, which on June 28 said doctors could legally end his life support in what was hailed as a definitive final judgment by lawyers for his wife. With their efforts spurned by the highest courts in France as well as by the European Court of Human Rights, Lambert's parents have threatened to file charges of "murder" when their son dies. On July 1, his mother Viviane turned to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in a last-ditch plea for help. "Without your intervention, my son, Vincent Lambert, will be euthanised because of his mental handicap," she said. "He is in a state of minimal consciousness but he is not a vegetable." But by Monday, the couple had accepted that the death of their son was now "unavoidable". "We have nowhere else to turn and now it's too late. Vincent is dying," they said in a statement through their lawyers sent to AFP, saying that his condition was now "medically irreversible". In early May, the UN committee on disabled rights also asked France to keep Lambert alive while it conducted its investigation into his fate, but the government said it was not legally bound to abide by its request.

Brain-damaged French patient dies after doctors remove life support: Family

India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in UN Security Council, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-supports-afghan-led-inclusive-peace-process-syed-akbaruddin-228915">Syed Akbaruddin</a>, on Tuesday stated that a there has been a "mutation of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal syndicate into a terrorist network known as the D-Company".

Akbaruddin further added that the illegitimate economic activities of this entity from a "safe haven" are known to the outside world, however, "for us, such activities as gold smuggling, counterfeit currency, arms and drug trafficking from a safe haven that declines to acknowledge even his existence, are a real and present danger," he noted.&nbsp;

He said that the success achieved in denuding ISIL shows that the Council's focussed attention does yield results and that the same approach when applied to address threats posed by the D company, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/un-designated-terrorist-dawood-ibrahim-hiding-in-pakistan-report-233552">Dawood Ibrahim</a> and other proscribed entities such as JeM and LeT &nbsp;"will serve us well".&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Syed Akbaruddin in UN Security Council: .....as well as proscribed entities, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, listed as affiliates of Al-Qaeda, under the 1267 sanctions regime, will serve all of us well. <a href="https://t.co/JzIm6t0dAT">https://t.co/JzIm6t0dAT</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1148747942221746177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Success of collective action to denude ISIL is a pointer that the Council’s focused attention can and does yield results. A similar degree of interest in addressing threats posed by proscribed individuals, such as Dawood Ibrahim &amp; his D-Company as well as proscribed entities, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, listed as affiliates of Al-Qaeda, under the 1267 sanctions regime, will serve all of us well," Akbaruddin was quoted by news agency ANI.&nbsp;

Watch: India slams Pakistan government's denial on Dawood

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-slams-pak-govts-denial-on-dawood-233130/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/un-designated-terrorist-dawood-ibrahim-hiding-in-pakistan-report-233552">An ANI report</a> that came out earlier this month reported that Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan.

A photograph of Dawood Ibrahim with Motiwala went viral indicating that the underworld don is in good health. The US is trying to extradite Motiwala, Dawood's close aide, over charges of money laundering, ANI reported.&nbsp;

While reacting on the recent developments, Lawrence Sellin, a US Army veteran and security expert tweeted, "Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is believed to be a key facilitator in Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence's narco-terrorist-jihadi operations and linked to the Dehiwala Sri Lankan drug distribution centre and possible funder of the Easter bombings."

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Syed Akbaruddin: D-Company’s illegitimate economic activities may be little known outside, but for us, such activities as gold smuggling, counterfeit currency, arms &amp; drug trafficking from a safe haven that declines to acknowledge even his existence, are a real &amp; present danger. <a href="https://t.co/i3jo81Ev6D">https://t.co/i3jo81Ev6D</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1148745707265908739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Underworld criminal and terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is accused of the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

India has asked Pakistan several times to hand over Ibrahim.

Last month at the UN, India reiterated its support for an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled" inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.

Akbaruddin, while speaking at an open debate on the situation in Afghanistan at United Nations Security Council, said that India stands committed to support the peace process, which promotes and protects unity, sovereignty, democracy, inclusiveness and prosperity of the country.&nbsp;

Akbaruddin said that while the country may be perceived as a "threat of transnational terrorism," it is the people of Afghanistan who have long been its victims.

In his address, Akbaruddin had stressed that the "sanctuaries and safe havens provided to" these terror networks need to be addressed for genuine and sustainable peace in the region.

"As the way forward is chalked out, we cannot ignore those groups enjoying the support and safe havens carry out violent and terrorist activities from across borders.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in UN Security Council, Syed Akbaruddin, on Tuesday stated that a there has been a "mutation of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal syndicate into a terrorist network known as the D-Company".

India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in UN Security Council, Syed Akbaruddin, on Tuesday stated that a there has been a "mutation of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal syndicate into a terrorist network known as the D-Company". Akbaruddin further added that the illegitimate economic activities of this entity from a "safe haven" are known to the outside world, however, "for us, such activities as gold smuggling, counterfeit currency, arms and drug trafficking from a safe haven that declines to acknowledge even his existence, are a real and present danger," he noted. He said that the success achieved in denuding ISIL shows that the Council's focussed attention does yield results and that the same approach when applied to address threats posed by the D company, Dawood Ibrahim and other proscribed entities such as JeM and LeT "will serve us well". Syed Akbaruddin in UN Security Council: .....as well as proscribed entities, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, listed as affiliates of Al-Qaeda, under the 1267 sanctions regime, will serve all of us well. https://t.co/JzIm6t0dAT — ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2019 × "Success of collective action to denude ISIL is a pointer that the Council’s focused attention can and does yield results. A similar degree of interest in addressing threats posed by proscribed individuals, such as Dawood Ibrahim & his D-Company as well as proscribed entities, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, listed as affiliates of Al-Qaeda, under the 1267 sanctions regime, will serve all of us well," Akbaruddin was quoted by news agency ANI. Watch: India slams Pakistan government's denial on Dawood An ANI report that came out earlier this month reported that Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan. A photograph of Dawood Ibrahim with Motiwala went viral indicating that the underworld don is in good health. The US is trying to extradite Motiwala, Dawood's close aide, over charges of money laundering, ANI reported. While reacting on the recent developments, Lawrence Sellin, a US Army veteran and security expert tweeted, "Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is believed to be a key facilitator in Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence's narco-terrorist-jihadi operations and linked to the Dehiwala Sri Lankan drug distribution centre and possible funder of the Easter bombings." Syed Akbaruddin: D-Company’s illegitimate economic activities may be little known outside, but for us, such activities as gold smuggling, counterfeit currency, arms & drug trafficking from a safe haven that declines to acknowledge even his existence, are a real & present danger. https://t.co/i3jo81Ev6D — ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2019 × Underworld criminal and terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is accused of the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and hundreds were injured. India has asked Pakistan several times to hand over Ibrahim. Last month at the UN, India reiterated its support for an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled" inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country. Akbaruddin, while speaking at an open debate on the situation in Afghanistan at United Nations Security Council, said that India stands committed to support the peace process, which promotes and protects unity, sovereignty, democracy, inclusiveness and prosperity of the country. Akbaruddin said that while the country may be perceived as a "threat of transnational terrorism," it is the people of Afghanistan who have long been its victims. In his address, Akbaruddin had stressed that the "sanctuaries and safe havens provided to" these terror networks need to be addressed for genuine and sustainable peace in the region. "As the way forward is chalked out, we cannot ignore those groups enjoying the support and safe havens carry out violent and terrorist activities from across borders. (With inputs from ANI)

Dawood's 'safe haven' declines to even acknowledge his existence which is a real and present danger to us: India at UN

A <a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-court-announces-16-yrs-jail-term-1-million-penalty-for-ex-un-worker-234210">court in Nepal</a> has sentenced a former UN aid worker from Canada to nine years in jail on charges of sexually abusing two boys, a court official said on Tuesday.

Peter Dalglish, 62, was arrested at his home near Kathmandu last year and was convicted in June of sexually abusing two boys aged 12 and 14.

"He was sentenced to nine years in jail in one case and seven years in the other," said Thakur Nath Trital, information officer at the court in Kavre district, 30 km (20 miles) east of <a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-flood-alert-issued-heavy-rains-expected-for-next-2-days-in-kathmandu-234115">Kathmandu</a>.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Dalglish, who was present in court for the sentencing on Monday, pleaded not guilty and would appeal, his lawyer said.

"Due process has not been fulfilled during the investigation in the case. So we’ll appeal,” the lawyer, Rahul Chapagain, said.

Dalglish was also been ordered to pay about $9,100 in compensation to the boys, Trital said.

Dalglish had been helping children from poor families in Nepal by providing financial support. He had earlier worked with humanitarian agencies like UN-Habitat in Afghanistan and a UN mission in Liberia, Chapagain said.

Activists said the sentence would help deter other possible offenders in a country with a poor record for crimes involving children.

"It will help break the belief that Nepal is not serious about child abuse," said Tarak Dhital, an independent activist campaigning for child rights.

A court in Nepal has sentenced a former UN aid worker from Canada to nine years in jail on charges of sexually abusing two boys, a court official said on Tuesday.

A court in Nepal has sentenced a former UN aid worker from Canada to nine years in jail on charges of sexually abusing two boys, a court official said on Tuesday. Peter Dalglish, 62, was arrested at his home near Kathmandu last year and was convicted in June of sexually abusing two boys aged 12 and 14. "He was sentenced to nine years in jail in one case and seven years in the other," said Thakur Nath Trital, information officer at the court in Kavre district, 30 km (20 miles) east of Kathmandu. The sentences will run concurrently. Dalglish, who was present in court for the sentencing on Monday, pleaded not guilty and would appeal, his lawyer said. "Due process has not been fulfilled during the investigation in the case. So we’ll appeal,” the lawyer, Rahul Chapagain, said. Dalglish was also been ordered to pay about $9,100 in compensation to the boys, Trital said. Dalglish had been helping children from poor families in Nepal by providing financial support. He had earlier worked with humanitarian agencies like UN-Habitat in Afghanistan and a UN mission in Liberia, Chapagain said. Activists said the sentence would help deter other possible offenders in a country with a poor record for crimes involving children. "It will help break the belief that Nepal is not serious about child abuse," said Tarak Dhital, an independent activist campaigning for child rights.

Former United Nation aid worker jailed in Nepal for sexually abusing boys

A court here on Monday announced 16 years of a prison sentence and penalty worth one million (in Nepali Rupees) for a former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jail-term-sought-for-ex-united-nations-official-convicted-of-child-abuse-in-nepal-226347">United Nations official</a> from Canada found guilty of child abuse.

The Kavre District court in its final hearing awarded Peter John Dalglish, 62, with an order to pay compensation of one million to the victims and jail term of 16 years combined.

The single bench, headed by Judge Arjun Adhikari, made the final announcement over the case placing an order to pay five lakhs rupees each victim under cases 295 and 296 (Code to hide the identity of the victims).

The court also awarded Dalgish with jail terms of nine years for case 295 and seven years for case 296.

The Nepal Police have rescued two boys, aged 12 and 14, from his villa in Kavre District in April last year.

The investigation found him guilty of sexually abusing children and charged with being a paedophile.&nbsp;

Dalgish, however, has denied the allegations. Dalgish also helped found the charity named 'Street Kids International' to help the impoverished children.&nbsp;

Dalgish was a former UN humanitarian agency worker for the UN-Habitat in Afghanistan, UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Liberia and also in Darfur of Sudan.&nbsp;

Officials concluded that Dalgish used to lure children from a weak economic background with promises of education, jobs and trips, and later sexually abusing them.&nbsp;

A court here on Monday announced 16 years of a prison sentence and penalty worth one million (in Nepali Rupees) for a former United Nations official from Canada found guilty of child abuse.

A court here on Monday announced 16 years of a prison sentence and penalty worth one million (in Nepali Rupees) for a former United Nations official from Canada found guilty of child abuse. The Kavre District court in its final hearing awarded Peter John Dalglish, 62, with an order to pay compensation of one million to the victims and jail term of 16 years combined. The single bench, headed by Judge Arjun Adhikari, made the final announcement over the case placing an order to pay five lakhs rupees each victim under cases 295 and 296 (Code to hide the identity of the victims). The court also awarded Dalgish with jail terms of nine years for case 295 and seven years for case 296. The Nepal Police have rescued two boys, aged 12 and 14, from his villa in Kavre District in April last year. The investigation found him guilty of sexually abusing children and charged with being a paedophile. Dalgish, however, has denied the allegations. Dalgish also helped found the charity named 'Street Kids International' to help the impoverished children. Dalgish was a former UN humanitarian agency worker for the UN-Habitat in Afghanistan, UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Liberia and also in Darfur of Sudan. Officials concluded that Dalgish used to lure children from a weak economic background with promises of education, jobs and trips, and later sexually abusing them.

Nepal court announces 16 years jail term, one million penalty for ex-UN worker

UNESCO inscribed Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan as a World Heritage Site on Saturday, nearly a quarter of a century after the complex of Buddhist temples was first nominated for listing.

The decision recognises the importance of the central Myanmar site – which includes more than 3,500 stupas, temples, monasteries and other structures built between the 11th and 13th centuries – and will likely be a boon to Myanmar’s tourist industry.

The Myanmar proposal to list the site was approved at a meeting of the UN's cultural body in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites recommended the listing, noting that Myanmar had adopted a new heritage law and had formed plans to reduce the impact of hotels and tourism developments around the temple.

Myanmar had reversed some “inappropriate conservation interventions,” the body said, noting that Bagan was important for its historical significance and as a place of continuing Buddhist worship.&nbsp;

Bagan was first nominated as a World Heritage Site in 1995, but the military junta that ruled the country at the time was accused of ignoring experts’ advice on restoration efforts and the nomination was rejected.

Earthquakes have also damaged the ancient structures, most recently in 2016 when nearly 200 temples were damaged by a 6.8 magnitude quake.

Myanmar has renewed efforts to list the site since a transition from military rule began in 2011.

"Bagan is living heritage, having endured all forms of challenges for more than a thousand years,"&nbsp;said Myanmar diplomat Kyaw Zeya, speaking on behalf of the Myanmar delegation at the Baku meeting.&nbsp;

"Today we are celebrating the joyous moment of the successful inscription of Bagan in the World Heritage List. Afterwards, we will continue our efforts on the conservation and management of Bagan so that this treasured heritage will remain for another thousand years."

UNESCO inscribed Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan as a World Heritage Site on Saturday, nearly a quarter of a century after the complex of Buddhist temples was first nominated for listing.

UNESCO inscribed Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan as a World Heritage Site on Saturday, nearly a quarter of a century after the complex of Buddhist temples was first nominated for listing. The decision recognises the importance of the central Myanmar site – which includes more than 3,500 stupas, temples, monasteries and other structures built between the 11th and 13th centuries – and will likely be a boon to Myanmar’s tourist industry. The Myanmar proposal to list the site was approved at a meeting of the UN's cultural body in Baku, Azerbaijan. The International Council on Monuments and Sites recommended the listing, noting that Myanmar had adopted a new heritage law and had formed plans to reduce the impact of hotels and tourism developments around the temple. Myanmar had reversed some “inappropriate conservation interventions,” the body said, noting that Bagan was important for its historical significance and as a place of continuing Buddhist worship. Bagan was first nominated as a World Heritage Site in 1995, but the military junta that ruled the country at the time was accused of ignoring experts’ advice on restoration efforts and the nomination was rejected. Earthquakes have also damaged the ancient structures, most recently in 2016 when nearly 200 temples were damaged by a 6.8 magnitude quake. Myanmar has renewed efforts to list the site since a transition from military rule began in 2011. "Bagan is living heritage, having endured all forms of challenges for more than a thousand years," said Myanmar diplomat Kyaw Zeya, speaking on behalf of the Myanmar delegation at the Baku meeting. "Today we are celebrating the joyous moment of the successful inscription of Bagan in the World Heritage List. Afterwards, we will continue our efforts on the conservation and management of Bagan so that this treasured heritage will remain for another thousand years."

Myanmar’s temple city Bagan awarded UNESCO World Heritage status

As Pakistan is making all-out efforts to prevent the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a high-ranking member of the D-Company from the United Kingdom, it has been revealed that Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan.

A photograph of Dawood Ibrahim with Motiwala is going viral which clearly indicates that the underworld don is in good health. The US is trying to extradite Motiwala, Dawood's close aide, over charges of money laundering.

While reacting on the recent developments, Lawrence Sellin, a US Army veteran and security expert tweeted, "Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is believed to be a key facilitator in Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence's narco-terrorist-jihadi operations and linked to the Dehiwala Sri Lankan drug distribution centre and possible funder of the Easter bombings."

An underworld criminal and terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is accused of the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

India has asked Pakistan several times to hand over Dawood Ibrahim.

Recently, the official spokesperson of the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar said that the presence of Dawood in Pakistan is not a secret.

"The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. Time and again, for the last several years, we have presented to Pakistan a list of people who are there in their country. We have asked repeatedly that he should be handed over," Kumar said while addressing the media.

"He is a UN-proscribed terrorist. His imprint on the Mumbai blast is clean for all of us and frankly many people from the media fraternity have managed to speak to him and I think it is very clean that linkages are in Pakistan," he added.

The United States also confirms that Dawood is hiding in Pakistan.

On the extradition trial of Jabir Motiwala at Westminster magistrates'&nbsp;court in London, John Hardy QC, representing the US government said, "The FBI in New York is investigating the D-Company which is based in Pakistan, India and the UAE."

"The head is Dawood Ibrahim, an Indian&nbsp;living in exile in Pakistan. He and his brother have been fugitives from India since 1993 and in the past 10 years, D-Company operatives have conducted operations in the US, especially money laundering and extortion. The FBI investigation has revealed Motiwala reports directly to Dawood and extortion, debt collection and money laundering are his main jobs," Hardy said.

As Pakistan is making all-out efforts to prevent the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a high-ranking member of the D-Company from the United Kingdom, it has been revealed that Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan.

As Pakistan is making all-out efforts to prevent the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a high-ranking member of the D-Company from the United Kingdom, it has been revealed that Dawood Ibrahim is hiding in Pakistan. A photograph of Dawood Ibrahim with Motiwala is going viral which clearly indicates that the underworld don is in good health. The US is trying to extradite Motiwala, Dawood's close aide, over charges of money laundering. While reacting on the recent developments, Lawrence Sellin, a US Army veteran and security expert tweeted, "Fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is believed to be a key facilitator in Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence's narco-terrorist-jihadi operations and linked to the Dehiwala Sri Lankan drug distribution centre and possible funder of the Easter bombings." An underworld criminal and terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is accused of the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and hundreds were injured. India has asked Pakistan several times to hand over Dawood Ibrahim. Recently, the official spokesperson of the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar said that the presence of Dawood in Pakistan is not a secret. "The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. Time and again, for the last several years, we have presented to Pakistan a list of people who are there in their country. We have asked repeatedly that he should be handed over," Kumar said while addressing the media. "He is a UN-proscribed terrorist. His imprint on the Mumbai blast is clean for all of us and frankly many people from the media fraternity have managed to speak to him and I think it is very clean that linkages are in Pakistan," he added. The United States also confirms that Dawood is hiding in Pakistan. On the extradition trial of Jabir Motiwala at Westminster magistrates' court in London, John Hardy QC, representing the US government said, "The FBI in New York is investigating the D-Company which is based in Pakistan, India and the UAE." "The head is Dawood Ibrahim, an Indian living in exile in Pakistan. He and his brother have been fugitives from India since 1993 and in the past 10 years, D-Company operatives have conducted operations in the US, especially money laundering and extortion. The FBI investigation has revealed Motiwala reports directly to Dawood and extortion, debt collection and money laundering are his main jobs," Hardy said.

UN-designated terrorist Dawood Ibrahim hiding in Pakistan: Report

Japan's ambassador to Colombia said on Thursday (July 04) that his country would provide approximately 4,500,000 dollars to two United Nations agencies to help deal with the influx of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia. Ambassador Keiichiro Morishita signed an agreement in Bogota on Thursday that would provide the funding to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Japan To Help Migrant Crisis In Colombia

An air strike hit a detention center for mainly African migrants in the Libyan capital Tripoli on July 2, killing over 44 people and wounding more than 130, the United Nations said. Watch this video to know more.

Libya detention centre attack: over 44 killed, 130 injured

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