Facing strong condemnation at home and abroad, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Friday denied using the word &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-do-we-want-people-from-these-shithole-countries-trump-over-immigrants-from-africa-haiti-29278" target="_blank">shithole</a>&quot; to describe Haiti and African countries, but kept up criticism of a Senate immigration plan that he said would force the United States to admit people from countries that &quot;are doing badly.&quot;

Trump reportedly made the remarks at a White House meeting on immigration on Thursday. US&nbsp;Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the gathering, told reporters on Friday that Trump used &quot;vile, vulgar&quot; language, including repeatedly using the word &quot;shithole&quot; when speaking about African countries.

The Republican president&#39;s comments were decried as racist by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/54-african-countries-demand-trump-apology-over-shithole-remark-29377" target="_blank">African and Haitian politicians</a>, by the United Nations human rights office and by US&nbsp;lawmakers from both major parties.

Trump, who has been accused of racism over several issues since he took office a year ago, sought to walk back the comments on Friday, saying on Twitter, &quot;The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used.&quot;

Trump also denied saying &quot;anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country.&quot;

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Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said &ldquo;take them out.&rdquo; Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951813216291708928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to two sources, at Thursday&#39;s meeting Trump questioned why the United States would want to accept immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as &quot;shithole countries.&quot;

While many Republican lawmakers stayed quiet on Trump&#39;s remarks, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, called them &quot;unfortunate&quot; and &quot;unhelpful,&quot; noting in an interview on CNN that his family had emigrated to the United States from Ireland to help build the nation&#39;s railroads.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

At an event on Friday at the White House, Trump honoured the memory of Martin Luther King Jr, the civil-rights era activist who was slain in 1968. King&#39;s memory is marked with a national holiday, which falls this year on Monday.

Trump stood beside Isaac Newton Farris, King&#39;s nephew, while a group of about 20 African-American supporters and members of his administration were on hand in the Roosevelt Room, including Ben Carson, his Housing and Urban Development secretary. He ignored reporters who shouted questions about his remarks.

A group of Republican and Democratic senators has been working for months to craft legislation that would protect 700,000 young adults who were brought into the country illegally as children and later shielded from deportation under a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

In a series of tweets on Friday, Trump also suggested that momentum toward a deal on maintaining such protection had stalled. &quot;The so-called bipartisan DACA deal presented yesterday to myself and a group of Republican Senators and Congressmen was a big step backwards,&quot; he said.

The tentative deal also addresses border security, including a border wall, the diversity visa lottery and chain migration, in which US&nbsp;green-card holders can sponsor other family members for permanent residence in the country.

Among other objections, Trump said the plan did not provide proper funding for the proposed wall that he made a centre-piece of his election campaign. He added the country &quot;would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime countries which are doing badly.&quot;

Haiti said it was shocked by Trump&#39;s reported remarks on Thursday and summoned the top US&nbsp;diplomat in the country, asking for an apology if the vulgar term had been used.

El Salvador&#39;s government sent the US&nbsp;a formal letter of protest that said the president had &quot;implicitly&quot; accepted the use of &quot;harsh terms detrimental to the dignity of El Salvador and other countries.&quot;

Botswana also said it had summoned the US&nbsp;ambassador to that country to &quot;express its displeasure&quot; and had asked him whether Botswana &quot;is regarded as a &#39;shithole&#39; country.&quot;

Trump&#39;s comments are extremely offensive to South Africa, said Jessie Duarte, a senior official with the ruling African National Congress. &quot;Ours is not a shithole country. Neither is Haiti or any other country in distress,&quot; she said.

In Geneva, UN&nbsp;human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said &quot;These are shocking and shameful comments from the president of the United States. There is no other word one can use but &#39;racist.&#39;&quot;

The reported language was the latest in a long string of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim comments by Trump that have been condemned as racist. He also blamed &quot;both sides&quot; after a white supremacist rally in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent and a woman protesting against the rally was killed.

Durbin said that despite Trump&#39;s rejection of the bipartisan deal he would introduce it as legislation next week and work on getting Democratic and Republican support for passage.

&ldquo;We have seven days and the clock is ticking. Our bipartisan group continues to build support for the only deal in town,&rdquo; Durbin said in a statement on Friday.

He was referring to January 19, when funds for operating federal agencies expires. Durbin and other lawmakers want the immigration measure to be attached to a must-do bill to fund the government beyond that date.

In recent days, a group of Republican and Democratic leaders from the House and Senate have met with the stated goal of crafting an alternative to the Senate bipartisan deal. But there was no indication that those four leaders were planning to meet over the long Martin Luther King Day federal holiday weekend or when they might produce legislation.

The Republican president's comments were decried as racist by African and Haitian politicians, by the United Nations human rights office and by US lawmakers from both major parties

Facing strong condemnation at home and abroad, US President Donald Trump on Friday denied using the word "shithole" to describe Haiti and African countries, but kept up criticism of a Senate immigration plan that he said would force the United States to admit people from countries that "are doing badly." Trump reportedly made the remarks at a White House meeting on immigration on Thursday. US Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the gathering, told reporters on Friday that Trump used "vile, vulgar" language, including repeatedly using the word "shithole" when speaking about African countries. The Republican president's comments were decried as racist by African and Haitian politicians, by the United Nations human rights office and by US lawmakers from both major parties. Trump, who has been accused of racism over several issues since he took office a year ago, sought to walk back the comments on Friday, saying on Twitter, "The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used." Trump also denied saying "anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country." Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 × According to two sources, at Thursday's meeting Trump questioned why the United States would want to accept immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as "shithole countries." While many Republican lawmakers stayed quiet on Trump's remarks, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, called them "unfortunate" and "unhelpful," noting in an interview on CNN that his family had emigrated to the United States from Ireland to help build the nation's railroads. At an event on Friday at the White House, Trump honoured the memory of Martin Luther King Jr, the civil-rights era activist who was slain in 1968. King's memory is marked with a national holiday, which falls this year on Monday. Trump stood beside Isaac Newton Farris, King's nephew, while a group of about 20 African-American supporters and members of his administration were on hand in the Roosevelt Room, including Ben Carson, his Housing and Urban Development secretary. He ignored reporters who shouted questions about his remarks. A group of Republican and Democratic senators has been working for months to craft legislation that would protect 700,000 young adults who were brought into the country illegally as children and later shielded from deportation under a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. In a series of tweets on Friday, Trump also suggested that momentum toward a deal on maintaining such protection had stalled. "The so-called bipartisan DACA deal presented yesterday to myself and a group of Republican Senators and Congressmen was a big step backwards," he said. The tentative deal also addresses border security, including a border wall, the diversity visa lottery and chain migration, in which US green-card holders can sponsor other family members for permanent residence in the country. Among other objections, Trump said the plan did not provide proper funding for the proposed wall that he made a centre-piece of his election campaign. He added the country "would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime countries which are doing badly." Haiti said it was shocked by Trump's reported remarks on Thursday and summoned the top US diplomat in the country, asking for an apology if the vulgar term had been used. El Salvador's government sent the US a formal letter of protest that said the president had "implicitly" accepted the use of "harsh terms detrimental to the dignity of El Salvador and other countries." Botswana also said it had summoned the US ambassador to that country to "express its displeasure" and had asked him whether Botswana "is regarded as a 'shithole' country." Trump's comments are extremely offensive to South Africa, said Jessie Duarte, a senior official with the ruling African National Congress. "Ours is not a shithole country. Neither is Haiti or any other country in distress," she said. In Geneva, UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said "These are shocking and shameful comments from the president of the United States. There is no other word one can use but 'racist.'" The reported language was the latest in a long string of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim comments by Trump that have been condemned as racist. He also blamed "both sides" after a white supremacist rally in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned violent and a woman protesting against the rally was killed. Durbin said that despite Trump's rejection of the bipartisan deal he would introduce it as legislation next week and work on getting Democratic and Republican support for passage. “We have seven days and the clock is ticking. Our bipartisan group continues to build support for the only deal in town,” Durbin said in a statement on Friday. He was referring to January 19, when funds for operating federal agencies expires. Durbin and other lawmakers want the immigration measure to be attached to a must-do bill to fund the government beyond that date. In recent days, a group of Republican and Democratic leaders from the House and Senate have met with the stated goal of crafting an alternative to the Senate bipartisan deal. But there was no indication that those four leaders were planning to meet over the long Martin Luther King Day federal holiday weekend or when they might produce legislation.

Trump denies vulgar remarks about Haiti, African countries; condemnation mounts

At least 64 African migrants are presumed dead after a traffickers&#39;&nbsp;rubber dinghy from Libya sank in the Mediterranean sea.

Among the migrants was a mother of a three-year-old who clung to her as she drowned, local media said on Monday.

A United Nations migration agency official said that 86 people were rescued from the boat by the Italian Coast Guard after it started sinking on Saturday morning.

Flavio Di Giacomo of the International Organization for Migration on Monday said that 150 plus people were aboard the boat when it set out from a Libyan beach.

He claimed that the dinghy was packed and made of poor quality rubber.

Local media reported saying that some eight hours into the Mediterranean crossing, &quot;water started pouring in, panic ensued, the migrants all moved to one side, and the boat lost its balance and was deflating.&quot;

Among the migrants was a mother of a three-year-old who clung to her as she drowned

At least 64 African migrants are presumed dead after a traffickers' rubber dinghy from Libya sank in the Mediterranean sea. Among the migrants was a mother of a three-year-old who clung to her as she drowned, local media said on Monday. A United Nations migration agency official said that 86 people were rescued from the boat by the Italian Coast Guard after it started sinking on Saturday morning. Flavio Di Giacomo of the International Organization for Migration on Monday said that 150 plus people were aboard the boat when it set out from a Libyan beach. He claimed that the dinghy was packed and made of poor quality rubber. Local media reported saying that some eight hours into the Mediterranean crossing, "water started pouring in, panic ensued, the migrants all moved to one side, and the boat lost its balance and was deflating."

64 feared dead after smuggling boat sinks in Mediterranean

Hindu farmer Surodhon Pal has packed his bags, eager to return to Myanmar after fleeing for Bangladesh during a wave of violence last year, but he is in a tiny minority -- most of the refugees are terrified of going home.

Bangladesh wants the more than 655,000 refugees who have flooded into the country since late August to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month under a controversial agreement between the two nations.

The vast majority are Rohingya Muslims who have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, which sees them as illegal immigrants, even though many have lived there for generations.

They say they would rather stay in the squalid camps in Bangladesh than return to the scene of violence the US and the United Nations have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

But a small community of Hindus who lived alongside the Rohingya in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and were caught up in the turmoil say they do want to return.

&quot;We want security and we want food. If the authorities can give us those assurances we&#39;ll happily go back,&quot; Pal, 55, told AFP.

&quot;The Bangladeshi government and the UN looked after us well, but now we have prepared our bags and are ready to return to our country.&quot;

Last month Dhaka sent a list of 100,000 refugees to Myanmar authorities for repatriation after the two governments signed an agreement in November for the process to begin on January 23.

But rights groups and the United Nations say no one should be repatriated against their will and so far only around 500 Hindu refugees have expressed willingness to go.Modhuram Pal, a 35-year-old community leader, said some 50 Hindus had already returned to Rakhine where they were welcomed by Myanmar security forces.

Hindus who fled the area have told AFP that masked men stormed into their community and hacked victims to death with machetes before dumping them into freshly-dug pits.

Myanmar&#39;s military alleges the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) carried out the massacre on August 25, the same day the rebel group staged deadly raids on police posts that sparked a military backlash.

At least 45 bodies have been found in mass graves.

The ARSA has denied the allegations, saying it does not target civilians.

But Pal and his fellow Hindu refugees say they will only go back if they are rehoused away from their former villages in Rakhine.

Monubala, a Hindu woman who like many of the refugees goes by one name, told AFP masked men dressed in black had attacked her village near Kha Maung Seik, where the massacre occurred.

&quot;I left my home, including my chickens, ducks, goats and all property, and came to Bangladesh to save my life,&quot; she said.

Doctors without Borders estimates that thousands were killed in the violence that hit Rakhine in late August.

Consistent accounts by Rohingya refugees of security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs driving them out of their homes with bullets, rape and arson have shocked the globe.

Although the influx has slowed, hundreds of Rohingya are still crossing into Bangladesh, now home to around a million refugees.

Rights groups say the crackdown was the culmination of years of persecution and discrimination against the Muslim group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are effectively stateless and denigrated as outsiders.

It remains unclear why the Hindus were targeted, but they appear to have been caught in the middle of a conflict between the military and Rohingya militants. Some reports say each side viewed the Hindus as collaborators with the other.

Myanmar state media said last month that the Hindus would be first to be accepted back -- a stance that expert Shahab Enam Khan called a &quot;classic case of communal divide and rule&quot;.

&quot;The issue of religion as a tool for repression is visibly clear now, the global community should be aware,&quot; Khan, professor of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, told AFP.

Tensions between the two communities have persisted in Bangladesh, where the Hindus live away from the main refugee camps.

Pal, the community leader, said two Hindu refugees in Bangladesh had been killed by Rohingya in a dispute over the sale of cattle they had brought over the border.

Local police chief Abul Khaer confirmed that a complaint had been lodged, and the body of one of the alleged victims found.

&quot;We were tortured because of the war between Myanmar government and the (Rohingya) rebels,&quot; Shshu Pal Shil, 25, told AFP in his makeshift shelter.

&quot;That&#39;s why we were forced to come to Bangladesh. If the Myanmar government wants to take us back now, we&#39;ll be happy to go back.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh wants more than 655,000 refugees to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month

Hindu farmer Surodhon Pal has packed his bags, eager to return to Myanmar after fleeing for Bangladesh during a wave of violence last year, but he is in a tiny minority -- most of the refugees are terrified of going home. Bangladesh wants the more than 655,000 refugees who have flooded into the country since late August to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month under a controversial agreement between the two nations. The vast majority are Rohingya Muslims who have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, which sees them as illegal immigrants, even though many have lived there for generations. They say they would rather stay in the squalid camps in Bangladesh than return to the scene of violence the US and the United Nations have said amounts to ethnic cleansing. But a small community of Hindus who lived alongside the Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state and were caught up in the turmoil say they do want to return. "We want security and we want food. If the authorities can give us those assurances we'll happily go back," Pal, 55, told AFP. "The Bangladeshi government and the UN looked after us well, but now we have prepared our bags and are ready to return to our country." Last month Dhaka sent a list of 100,000 refugees to Myanmar authorities for repatriation after the two governments signed an agreement in November for the process to begin on January 23. But rights groups and the United Nations say no one should be repatriated against their will and so far only around 500 Hindu refugees have expressed willingness to go.Modhuram Pal, a 35-year-old community leader, said some 50 Hindus had already returned to Rakhine where they were welcomed by Myanmar security forces. Hindus who fled the area have told AFP that masked men stormed into their community and hacked victims to death with machetes before dumping them into freshly-dug pits. Myanmar's military alleges the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) carried out the massacre on August 25, the same day the rebel group staged deadly raids on police posts that sparked a military backlash. At least 45 bodies have been found in mass graves. The ARSA has denied the allegations, saying it does not target civilians. But Pal and his fellow Hindu refugees say they will only go back if they are rehoused away from their former villages in Rakhine. Monubala, a Hindu woman who like many of the refugees goes by one name, told AFP masked men dressed in black had attacked her village near Kha Maung Seik, where the massacre occurred. "I left my home, including my chickens, ducks, goats and all property, and came to Bangladesh to save my life," she said. Doctors without Borders estimates that thousands were killed in the violence that hit Rakhine in late August. Consistent accounts by Rohingya refugees of security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs driving them out of their homes with bullets, rape and arson have shocked the globe. Although the influx has slowed, hundreds of Rohingya are still crossing into Bangladesh, now home to around a million refugees. Rights groups say the crackdown was the culmination of years of persecution and discrimination against the Muslim group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are effectively stateless and denigrated as outsiders. It remains unclear why the Hindus were targeted, but they appear to have been caught in the middle of a conflict between the military and Rohingya militants. Some reports say each side viewed the Hindus as collaborators with the other. Myanmar state media said last month that the Hindus would be first to be accepted back -- a stance that expert Shahab Enam Khan called a "classic case of communal divide and rule". "The issue of religion as a tool for repression is visibly clear now, the global community should be aware," Khan, professor of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, told AFP. Tensions between the two communities have persisted in Bangladesh, where the Hindus live away from the main refugee camps. Pal, the community leader, said two Hindu refugees in Bangladesh had been killed by Rohingya in a dispute over the sale of cattle they had brought over the border. Local police chief Abul Khaer confirmed that a complaint had been lodged, and the body of one of the alleged victims found. "We were tortured because of the war between Myanmar government and the (Rohingya) rebels," Shshu Pal Shil, 25, told AFP in his makeshift shelter. "That's why we were forced to come to Bangladesh. If the Myanmar government wants to take us back now, we'll be happy to go back."

Hindu refugees eagerly await return to Myanmar

The United Nations on Friday set up a special investigation of the attack that killed 15 UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month and wounded 43 others.

The December 7 attack in the Beni territory of North Kivu province was one of the worst to target UN peacekeepers in recent history in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Dmitry Titov, a Russian national who has worked in UN peacekeeping to lead the special investigation that will also look into other attacks against peacekeepers in that area, a UN statement said.

&quot;This special investigation will include a focus on the 7 December attack in Semuliki, in which 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed, 43 wounded and one remains missing,&quot; it said.

The United Nations has said the ambush of the peacekeeping base was carried out by suspected ADF rebels, a shadowy group dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims that is one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region.

UN investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks, evaluate the response of the UN peacekeepers and make recommendations on how to prevent such violence, the UN said.

Two military officers from Tanzania will take part in the investigation that will travel to the DR Congo later this month and to countries in the region.

The attack was the bloodiest against MONUSCO, the UN force deployed in the DR Congo since 1999, and the worst against a UN force since the death of 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia in June 1993.

DR Congo&#39;s huge eastern region has long been wracked by violence, but fighting between government soldiers and militia groups, as well as inter-ethnic clashes, has increased in 2017.

North Kivu province, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, has seen a particular uptick in killings and kidnappings between rival ethnic groups.

Since October 2014, the hardline ADF -- or Allied Democratic Forces -- has been accused by Kinshasa and the UN of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region, where last week&#39;s attack also took place.&nbsp;

Uganda&#39;s defense ministry said in late December that it had launched air and artillery strikes against the ADF in DR Congo, killing over 100 of its fighters in a joint operation with the DR Congo&#39;s army.

The United Nations on Friday set up a special investigation of the attack that killed 15 UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month and wounded 43 others

The United Nations on Friday set up a special investigation of the attack that killed 15 UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month and wounded 43 others. The December 7 attack in the Beni territory of North Kivu province was one of the worst to target UN peacekeepers in recent history in the Democratic Republic of Congo. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Dmitry Titov, a Russian national who has worked in UN peacekeeping to lead the special investigation that will also look into other attacks against peacekeepers in that area, a UN statement said. "This special investigation will include a focus on the 7 December attack in Semuliki, in which 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed, 43 wounded and one remains missing," it said. The United Nations has said the ambush of the peacekeeping base was carried out by suspected ADF rebels, a shadowy group dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims that is one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region. UN investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks, evaluate the response of the UN peacekeepers and make recommendations on how to prevent such violence, the UN said. Two military officers from Tanzania will take part in the investigation that will travel to the DR Congo later this month and to countries in the region. The attack was the bloodiest against MONUSCO, the UN force deployed in the DR Congo since 1999, and the worst against a UN force since the death of 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia in June 1993. DR Congo's huge eastern region has long been wracked by violence, but fighting between government soldiers and militia groups, as well as inter-ethnic clashes, has increased in 2017. North Kivu province, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, has seen a particular uptick in killings and kidnappings between rival ethnic groups. Since October 2014, the hardline ADF -- or Allied Democratic Forces -- has been accused by Kinshasa and the UN of killing more than 700 people in the Beni region, where last week's attack also took place. Uganda's defense ministry said in late December that it had launched air and artillery strikes against the ADF in DR Congo, killing over 100 of its fighters in a joint operation with the DR Congo's army.

UN to investigate DR Congo attack on peacekeepers

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday.

The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests.

The ship, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, the official told Reuters, without elaborating, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The port is on the west coast, south of Incheon.

A marine official also confirmed the seizure, which he said was done &quot;recently&quot;.

The KOTI&#39;s estimated time of arrival at the port was December 19, according to VesselFinder Ltd., a tracking service provider,

The ship can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil and has a crew mostly from China and Myanmar, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that South Korea&#39;s intelligence and customs officials are conducting a joint probe into the vessel.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the probe, declining to provide details.

&quot;The government has been in close consultations with related countries and ministries to thoroughly implement the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council,&quot; the spokesman said.

PROPOSED BLACKLISTING

On Friday, South Korea said that in late November it seized the Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which is suspected of transferring as much as 600 tons of oil to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2.

The U.N. Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list.

On Thursday, China blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said.

China&#39;s Foreign Ministry, responding to a question from Reuters on the blocking, said Beijing always fully and strictly implemented Security Council resolutions.

&quot;At the same time, any measures taken by the Security Council must have a basis in conclusive and actual proof. China will continue to participate in the work of the relevant Security Council sanctions committee on this principle,&quot; it said in a short statement, without elaborating.

China also denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in defiance of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, breaching U.N. sanctions, sources told Reuters.

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday. The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests. The ship, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, the official told Reuters, without elaborating, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The port is on the west coast, south of Incheon. A marine official also confirmed the seizure, which he said was done "recently". The KOTI's estimated time of arrival at the port was December 19, according to VesselFinder Ltd., a tracking service provider, The ship can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil and has a crew mostly from China and Myanmar, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that South Korea's intelligence and customs officials are conducting a joint probe into the vessel. A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the probe, declining to provide details. "The government has been in close consultations with related countries and ministries to thoroughly implement the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council," the spokesman said. PROPOSED BLACKLISTING On Friday, South Korea said that in late November it seized the Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which is suspected of transferring as much as 600 tons of oil to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2. The U.N. Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list. On Thursday, China blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said. China's Foreign Ministry, responding to a question from Reuters on the blocking, said Beijing always fully and strictly implemented Security Council resolutions. "At the same time, any measures taken by the Security Council must have a basis in conclusive and actual proof. China will continue to participate in the work of the relevant Security Council sanctions committee on this principle," it said in a short statement, without elaborating. China also denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in defiance of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation. Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, breaching U.N. sanctions, sources told Reuters.

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea

The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP.

The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN&#39;s total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

But China only agreed to target the four ships flying North Korean flags, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear programs.

&quot;Only four ships have been accepted&quot; for the ban but &quot;the procedure remains open&quot; to include other vessels in the future, one diplomat said.

The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama.

Shortly before the Council decision US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China&#39;s efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- sharply criticised Beijing for failing to cut off Pyongyang&#39;s oil supply.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.&nbsp;

&quot;There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/946416486054285314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North&#39;s main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

Transshipment at sea

In 2017, the Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on North Korea: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries; another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products.

The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas.

Blocking suspected vessels from ports -- except in the case of humanitarian need as determined by the council&#39;s sanctions committee -- is provided for in the August resolution.

On October 5, the UN had already identified four ships &quot;carrying prohibited goods,&quot; resulting in a ban on port access that was a &quot;first in United Nations&quot; history, according to Hugh Griffiths, part of a UN panel of experts monitoring the application of sanctions on Pyongyang.

Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October.

Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.

The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight

The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP. The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity. But China only agreed to target the four ships flying North Korean flags, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. "Only four ships have been accepted" for the ban but "the procedure remains open" to include other vessels in the future, one diplomat said. The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama. Shortly before the Council decision US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China's efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- sharply criticised Beijing for failing to cut off Pyongyang's oil supply. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump said on Twitter. "There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 × It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang. Transshipment at sea In 2017, the Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on North Korea: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries; another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products. The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas. Blocking suspected vessels from ports -- except in the case of humanitarian need as determined by the council's sanctions committee -- is provided for in the August resolution. On October 5, the UN had already identified four ships "carrying prohibited goods," resulting in a ban on port access that was a "first in United Nations" history, according to Hugh Griffiths, part of a UN panel of experts monitoring the application of sanctions on Pyongyang. Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish. South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October. Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.

UN bars four North Korean ships from international ports

The United Nations&#39;&nbsp;independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia to try to get them to oppose human rights abuses in Myanmar.

UN&nbsp;special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was last week barred by the Myanmar government from visiting the country, singled out China and Russia because they had failed to back some moves in the UN&nbsp;aimed at trying to halt the Myanmar military&#39;s crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine province.&nbsp;

&quot;I&rsquo;d like to ask the international community to continue to work with China and Russia to persuade them to stand on the side of human rights,&quot; Lee told Reuters in an interview.

Neither has joined the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the crackdown that has led to the exodus of what aid agencies estimate to be 655,000 refugees into Bangladesh.&nbsp;

In response to Lee, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that &quot;external actors&quot; adding pressure over human rights will not help to resolve the issue, and may make it more complicated.&nbsp;

This would not be in the interests of Myanmar, its neighbours or the international community, she said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. &quot;We hope that countries or individuals external to the issue can create a positive environment that is more conducive to Myanmar resolving the issue for themselves,&quot; Hua added.

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The Russian government has previously warned against interfering in Myanmar&#39;s internal affairs. Russia&rsquo;s ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov has said it is &ldquo;against excessive intervention, because it won&rsquo;t lead to any constructive results.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Barrier to ICC

The Myanmar armed forces are accused by members of the Rohingya community and human rights advocates of carrying out killings, rapes and village burnings, in what top officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

The Russian and Chinese stance is particularly important because either of them can block the UN&nbsp;Security Council from referring allegations of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The ICC cannot act against Myanmar without a referral because Myanmar is not an ICC member.

Myanmar has denied human rights abuses, saying its military is engaged in a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The military exonerated itself of all accusations of atrocities in an internal investigation, which published its findings on November 13.

Myanmar&#39;s foreign affairs ministry has said Lee was not objective or impartial in a report she issued in July, and it wanted a fair investigator.

Lee said there had to be a fair, partial and independent investigation.

&quot;The families of the victims have a right to know what happened, and I think the people of Myanmar need to know what happened, because we&#39;re seeing, in front of our eyes, the worst humanitarian crisis.&quot;

Surveys of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have shown at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State in the month after violence flared in late August, the aid group said last week.

The special rapporteur also criticized recent government crackdowns on media in Myanmar, including the arrest this month of two Reuters journalists who had reported on the crisis in Rakhine.

She said that the authorities were creating &quot;a national gag&quot; that would prevent journalists from reporting what they see. &quot;That will have consequences on the general public too - people will not be able to speak as freely.&quot;

Myanmar has said the reporters &quot;illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media.&quot;

The United Nations'?independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia

The United Nations' independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia to try to get them to oppose human rights abuses in Myanmar. UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was last week barred by the Myanmar government from visiting the country, singled out China and Russia because they had failed to back some moves in the UN aimed at trying to halt the Myanmar military's crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine province. "I’d like to ask the international community to continue to work with China and Russia to persuade them to stand on the side of human rights," Lee told Reuters in an interview. Neither has joined the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the crackdown that has led to the exodus of what aid agencies estimate to be 655,000 refugees into Bangladesh. In response to Lee, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that "external actors" adding pressure over human rights will not help to resolve the issue, and may make it more complicated. This would not be in the interests of Myanmar, its neighbours or the international community, she said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. "We hope that countries or individuals external to the issue can create a positive environment that is more conducive to Myanmar resolving the issue for themselves," Hua added. The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian government has previously warned against interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs. Russia’s ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov has said it is “against excessive intervention, because it won’t lead to any constructive results.” Barrier to ICC The Myanmar armed forces are accused by members of the Rohingya community and human rights advocates of carrying out killings, rapes and village burnings, in what top officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. The Russian and Chinese stance is particularly important because either of them can block the UN Security Council from referring allegations of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The ICC cannot act against Myanmar without a referral because Myanmar is not an ICC member. Myanmar has denied human rights abuses, saying its military is engaged in a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The military exonerated itself of all accusations of atrocities in an internal investigation, which published its findings on November 13. Myanmar's foreign affairs ministry has said Lee was not objective or impartial in a report she issued in July, and it wanted a fair investigator. Lee said there had to be a fair, partial and independent investigation. "The families of the victims have a right to know what happened, and I think the people of Myanmar need to know what happened, because we're seeing, in front of our eyes, the worst humanitarian crisis." Surveys of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have shown at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State in the month after violence flared in late August, the aid group said last week. The special rapporteur also criticized recent government crackdowns on media in Myanmar, including the arrest this month of two Reuters journalists who had reported on the crisis in Rakhine. She said that the authorities were creating "a national gag" that would prevent journalists from reporting what they see. "That will have consequences on the general public too - people will not be able to speak as freely." Myanmar has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media."

UN rights investigator calls for pressure on China, Russia over Myanmar abuses

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN&#39;s budget for 2018.&nbsp;

The budget cut comes a few days after a majority of UN member countries voted against US President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-128-9-to-reject-trump-decision-on-jerusalem-27409" target="_blank">India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem</a>

&quot;We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked,&quot; US ambassador the UN Nikki Haley said in a statement.

Haley added that &quot;inefficiency and overspending&quot; at the world body were &quot;well known&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;This historic reduction in spending -- in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN -- is a big step in the right direction.&quot;

Haley said the budget negotiations had generated several &quot;successes&quot; with financial cutbacks and a reduction of the UN&#39;s &quot;bloated management and support functions.&quot;

The negotiations had taken place on Sunday, with the UN General Assembly adopting a budget of $5.396 billion for 2018-2019, slightly below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought.&nbsp;

The budget cut works out to 5 per cent&nbsp;of the UN&#39;s operating budget.&nbsp;

&quot;While we are pleased with the results of this year&#39;s budget negotiations, you can be sure we&#39;ll continue to look at ways to increase the UN&#39;s efficiency while protecting our interests,&quot; Haley added.

The United States is by far the largest contributor to the UN budget, providing for 22 per cent of the core budget.&nbsp;

The UN&#39;s operating budget is separate from its peacekeeping budget, which was cut by $600 million this year under pressure from the Donald Trump administration.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN's budget for 2018

The US says it has negotiated a $285 million cut to the UN's budget for 2018. The budget cut comes a few days after a majority of UN member countries voted against US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Also read: India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem "We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked," US ambassador the UN Nikki Haley said in a statement. Haley added that "inefficiency and overspending" at the world body were "well known". "This historic reduction in spending -- in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN -- is a big step in the right direction." Haley said the budget negotiations had generated several "successes" with financial cutbacks and a reduction of the UN's "bloated management and support functions." The negotiations had taken place on Sunday, with the UN General Assembly adopting a budget of $5.396 billion for 2018-2019, slightly below the $5.4 billion that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had sought. The budget cut works out to 5 per cent of the UN's operating budget. "While we are pleased with the results of this year's budget negotiations, you can be sure we'll continue to look at ways to increase the UN's efficiency while protecting our interests," Haley added. The United States is by far the largest contributor to the UN budget, providing for 22 per cent of the core budget. The UN's operating budget is separate from its peacekeeping budget, which was cut by $600 million this year under pressure from the Donald Trump administration. (With inputs from AFP)

US slashes UN budget after Jerusalem vote

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-128-9-to-reject-trump-decision-on-jerusalem-27409">As 128 nations defied the Trump</a> administration and approved a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, Israel&#39;s envoy to the United Nations said no&nbsp;General Assembly resolution &quot;will ever drive us from Jerusalem&quot;.

Israel&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-on-jerusalem-after-trump-warns-were-watching-27403">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu </a>blasted the UN move, saying: &quot;Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution. Jerusalem is our capital, always was, always will be.&quot;

&quot;But I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refused to participate in this theatre of the absurd. So I appreciate it,&quot; &nbsp;Netanyahu added.

US ambassador Nikki Haley slammed the UN members asserting &quot;the United States will remember this day&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;This vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN,&quot; Haley told the UN General Assembly.

Majority of 193 members rejected the UN move to recognize Jerusalem despite President Trump&#39;s threat to cut financial ties with member countries against the US move. There were 35 countries which abstained from voting.

Senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) Hanan Ashrawi backing the UN move said: &quot;I am extremely encouraged that the vast majority of member states at the UN General Assembly did not succumb to American threats and blackmail.&quot;

&quot;128 countries told the US and Israel that what they are doing is wrong and unacceptable and they voted for Jerusalem, they did not accept the Israeli insults being hurled at them,&quot; Ashrawi said.

Ashrawi added that&nbsp;her organization will now pursue full UN membership including in other international organizations.

Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo backed the US move, while Australia, Bhutan, Canada, Poland including Romania, Panama and several other countries abstained from voting.

Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo backed the US move

As 128 nations defied the Trump administration and approved a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Israel's envoy to the United Nations said no General Assembly resolution "will ever drive us from Jerusalem". Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN move, saying: "Israel completely rejects this preposterous resolution. Jerusalem is our capital, always was, always will be." "But I do appreciate the fact that a growing number of countries refused to participate in this theatre of the absurd. So I appreciate it," Netanyahu added. US ambassador Nikki Haley slammed the UN members asserting "the United States will remember this day". "This vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN," Haley told the UN General Assembly. Majority of 193 members rejected the UN move to recognize Jerusalem despite President Trump's threat to cut financial ties with member countries against the US move. There were 35 countries which abstained from voting. Senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) Hanan Ashrawi backing the UN move said: "I am extremely encouraged that the vast majority of member states at the UN General Assembly did not succumb to American threats and blackmail." "128 countries told the US and Israel that what they are doing is wrong and unacceptable and they voted for Jerusalem, they did not accept the Israeli insults being hurled at them," Ashrawi said. Ashrawi added that her organization will now pursue full UN membership including in other international organizations. Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo backed the US move, while Australia, Bhutan, Canada, Poland including Romania, Panama and several other countries abstained from voting.

No General Assembly resolution will drive us out of Jerusalem: Israel

Defying President Donald Trump&#39;s threat to cut off funding, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved on Thursday a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the motion by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions, in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a &quot;massive setback&quot; for the United States.

Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo joined the United States in opposing the measure.

India was among the 128 countries which voted for the motion.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-on-jerusalem-after-trump-warns-were-watching-27403" target="_blank">UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns &#39;we&#39;re watching&#39;</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25983" target="_blank">Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital</a>

Among the countries that abstained were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Romania and Rwanda.

Speaking ahead of the emergency session, US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned the General Assembly that the United States &quot;will remember this day.&quot;

&quot;America will put our embassy in Jerusalem,&quot; Haley said in defense of the US move, which broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world.

&quot;No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that,&quot; Haley said. &quot;But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN.&quot;

&quot;When we make generous contributions to the UN we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognized and respected,&quot; she said.

The resolution reaffirms that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework must be rescinded.

Without explicitly referencing the US move, it &quot;affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.&quot;

&#39;Unprecedented test&#39; 
The motion was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor.

While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support carries political weight.

Ahead of the vote, Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a &quot;house of lies,&quot; saying Israel &quot;rejects outright this vote, even before it passes.&quot;

&quot;No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem,&quot; vowed Danny Danon, Israel&#39;s envoy to the United Nations.

Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki called the vote an &quot;unprecedented test&quot; for the UN, and referenced the US warning that it was &quot;taking names.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood,&quot; al-Malki said. &quot;Today we are seekers of rights and peace.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital prompted a flurry of appeals to the United Nations.&nbsp;

The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital.

Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted, suggesting, like Haley, there could be financial reprisals for those that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries.

&quot;They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,&quot; Trump said at the White House.

&quot;Well, we&#39;re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We&#39;ll save a lot. We don&#39;t care.&quot;

&#39;House of lies&#39; 
The resolution mirrored the text that was vetoed at the Security Council on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump&#39;s decision, it expresses &quot;deep regret at recent decisions&quot; concerning the city&#39;s status.&nbsp;

No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.

Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy and Japan and they did so again on Thursday.

Ukraine, which supported the draft resolution in the Security Council, was among 21 countries that did not turn up for Thursday&#39;s vote.

Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its &quot;eternal and undivided capital.&quot;

But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

Trump had recently decided to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

Defying President Donald Trump's threat to cut off funding, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved on Thursday a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the motion by 128 to nine with 35 abstentions, in what Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour called a "massive setback" for the United States. Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo joined the United States in opposing the measure. India was among the 128 countries which voted for the motion. Also read: UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns 'we're watching' Also read: Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital Among the countries that abstained were Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Romania and Rwanda. Speaking ahead of the emergency session, US Ambassador Nikki Haley warned the General Assembly that the United States "will remember this day." "America will put our embassy in Jerusalem," Haley said in defense of the US move, which broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world. "No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that," Haley said. "But this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the UN and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN." "When we make generous contributions to the UN we also have a legitimate expectation that our goodwill is recognized and respected," she said. The resolution reaffirms that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework must be rescinded. Without explicitly referencing the US move, it "affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council." 'Unprecedented test' The motion was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor. While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support carries political weight. Ahead of the vote, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a "house of lies," saying Israel "rejects outright this vote, even before it passes." "No General Assembly resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem," vowed Danny Danon, Israel's envoy to the United Nations. Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki called the vote an "unprecedented test" for the UN, and referenced the US warning that it was "taking names." "History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood," al-Malki said. "Today we are seekers of rights and peace." Trump's decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital prompted a flurry of appeals to the United Nations. The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital. Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted, suggesting, like Haley, there could be financial reprisals for those that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries. "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at the White House. "Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care." 'House of lies' The resolution mirrored the text that was vetoed at the Security Council on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump's decision, it expresses "deep regret at recent decisions" concerning the city's status. No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution. Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy and Japan and they did so again on Thursday. Ukraine, which supported the draft resolution in the Security Council, was among 21 countries that did not turn up for Thursday's vote. Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

India, over 100 countries vote at UN against Trump decision on Jerusalem

UN member-states were poised Thursday to vote on a motion rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, after President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to countries that back the measure.&nbsp;

Gathered in an emergency session, the General Assembly is to decide on a draft resolution reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework has no legal effect and must be rescinded.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, addressing the assembly as the session got underway, appealed for support and referenced America&#39;s warning that it was &quot;taking names&quot; among countries that oppose it at the UN.

&quot;This organization is now undergoing an unprecedented test,&quot; al-Malki said.

&quot;History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood. Today we are seekers of rights and peace.&quot;

Trump&#39;s decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world, prompting a flurry of appeals to the United Nations.&nbsp;

The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital.

A draft resolution rejecting the US move was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor.

Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted on Thursday, suggesting there could be financial reprisals for countries that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries.

&quot;They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,&quot; Trump said at the White House.

&quot;Well, we&#39;re watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We&#39;ll save a lot. We don&#39;t care.&quot;

&#39;House of lies&#39; 
The draft resolution mirrors the text that was vetoed on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump&#39;s decision, it expresses &quot;deep regret at recent decisions&quot; concerning the city&#39;s status.&nbsp;

Ahead of the vote, Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a &quot;house of lies,&quot; saying Israel &quot;rejects outright this vote, even before it passes.&quot;

&quot;The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN walls, and will eventually filter into the UN as well -- the house of lies,&quot; he said.

Diplomats expect strong support for the resolution, which is non-binding, despite the US pressure to either abstain, vote against it or simply not turn up for the vote.&nbsp;

America&#39;s neighbors Canada and Mexico were both expected to abstain, according to diplomats.

On Tuesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley sent an email to fellow UN envoys to put them on notice that &quot;the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us.&quot;

&quot;We will take note of each and every vote on this issue,&quot; she wrote in the message seen by AFP.

And on Twitter she said &quot;the US will be taking names&quot; when ambassadors of the 193-nation assembly cast their votes.&nbsp;

&quot;Nikki, that was the right message,&quot; Trump said.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said UN member states should not be swayed by Trump&#39;s threat.

&quot;I am calling on the whole world: never sell your democratic will in return for petty dollars,&quot; he said in a televised speech in Ankara, predicting that &quot;the world will teach a very good lesson to America today.&quot;

Voting with their conscience 
No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.

Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine who were expected to do the same at the assembly.

While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support of the resolution would carry political weight.

Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its &quot;eternal and undivided capital.&quot;

But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

UN member states will vote to reject the US's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital

UN member-states were poised Thursday to vote on a motion rejecting US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, after President Donald Trump threatened to cut funding to countries that back the measure. Gathered in an emergency session, the General Assembly is to decide on a draft resolution reaffirming that the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations, and that any decision reached outside of that framework has no legal effect and must be rescinded. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki, addressing the assembly as the session got underway, appealed for support and referenced America's warning that it was "taking names" among countries that oppose it at the UN. "This organization is now undergoing an unprecedented test," al-Malki said. "History records names, it remembers names -- the names of those who stand by what is right and the names of those who speak falsehood. Today we are seekers of rights and peace." Trump's decision on December 6 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital broke with international consensus and unleashed protests across the Muslim world, prompting a flurry of appeals to the United Nations. The status of the Holy City is one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming it as their capital. A draft resolution rejecting the US move was sent to the General Assembly after it was vetoed by the United States at the Security Council on Monday, although all other 14 council members voted in favor. Trump warned that Washington would closely watch how nations voted on Thursday, suggesting there could be financial reprisals for countries that back the motion put forward by Yemen and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries. "They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us," Trump said at the White House. "Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care." 'House of lies' The draft resolution mirrors the text that was vetoed on Monday, and although it does not mention Trump's decision, it expresses "deep regret at recent decisions" concerning the city's status. Ahead of the vote, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the UN as a "house of lies," saying Israel "rejects outright this vote, even before it passes." "The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN walls, and will eventually filter into the UN as well -- the house of lies," he said. Diplomats expect strong support for the resolution, which is non-binding, despite the US pressure to either abstain, vote against it or simply not turn up for the vote. America's neighbors Canada and Mexico were both expected to abstain, according to diplomats. On Tuesday, US Ambassador Nikki Haley sent an email to fellow UN envoys to put them on notice that "the president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us." "We will take note of each and every vote on this issue," she wrote in the message seen by AFP. And on Twitter she said "the US will be taking names" when ambassadors of the 193-nation assembly cast their votes. "Nikki, that was the right message," Trump said. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said UN member states should not be swayed by Trump's threat. "I am calling on the whole world: never sell your democratic will in return for petty dollars," he said in a televised speech in Ankara, predicting that "the world will teach a very good lesson to America today." Voting with their conscience No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council where the United States, along with Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution. Among the 14 countries voting in favor on Monday were Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Ukraine who were expected to do the same at the assembly. While resolutions by the General Assembly are non-binding, a strong vote in support of the resolution would carry political weight. Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 and the draft resolution contains the same language as past motions adopted by the assembly.

UN votes on Jerusalem after Trump warns 'we're watching'

India and the US on Tuesday concluded their first dialogue on designations of terrorist groups and individuals through domestic and international mechanisms.

The establishment of the &#39;India-US designations dialogue&#39; mechanism reflected shared Indian and American commitments to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats, the ministry of external affairs said here at the end of the two-day meet.

Joint Secretary in-charge of America&#39;s division in the MEA Munu Mahawar and senior officials from other ministries, including the home ministry, participated in the meet. From the US side, officials from the homeland security were present.

The dialogue was held to discuss increasing bilateral cooperation on terrorism-related designations, the ministry said in a statement.

&quot;The Indian and US delegations exchanged information on procedures for pursuing designations against terrorist groups and individuals, through domestic and international mechanisms. They also discussed best practices for effective implementation of the designations,&quot; it said.

The statement was also released by the US.

The dialogue comes amidst China blocking the designation of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) chief and Pathankot attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN.

In June, a joint statement issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had said the two sides were committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, D-Company, and their affiliates.

India had also appreciated the US designation of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist as evidence of the commitment of the US to end terror in all its forms.

The US will host the second round of the dialogue in 2018.&nbsp;

The establishment of the 'India-US designations dialogue' mechanism reflected shared Indian and American commitments to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats, the ministry of external affairs said

India and the US on Tuesday concluded their first dialogue on designations of terrorist groups and individuals through domestic and international mechanisms. The establishment of the 'India-US designations dialogue' mechanism reflected shared Indian and American commitments to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats, the ministry of external affairs said here at the end of the two-day meet. Joint Secretary in-charge of America's division in the MEA Munu Mahawar and senior officials from other ministries, including the home ministry, participated in the meet. From the US side, officials from the homeland security were present. The dialogue was held to discuss increasing bilateral cooperation on terrorism-related designations, the ministry said in a statement. "The Indian and US delegations exchanged information on procedures for pursuing designations against terrorist groups and individuals, through domestic and international mechanisms. They also discussed best practices for effective implementation of the designations," it said. The statement was also released by the US. The dialogue comes amidst China blocking the designation of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) chief and Pathankot attack mastermind Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN. In June, a joint statement issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had said the two sides were committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, D-Company, and their affiliates. India had also appreciated the US designation of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist as evidence of the commitment of the US to end terror in all its forms. The US will host the second round of the dialogue in 2018.

India, US conclude first meeting on designations of terrorists, groups

India can achieve an 8 per cent growth rate for the next two decades if it unleashes the next set of reforms that could help it in realising its full potential, according to a senior UN official.

The UN, in its latest report, projected India&#39;s growth rate to be 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019.

Describing India&#39;s economic condition as largely positive and &quot;favourable to growth&quot;, Sebastian Vergara, an Economic Affairs Officer at the UN, said the country needs to unleash the next set of reforms to achieve its potential.

&quot;It needs to think as to how to maintain and consolidate its growth for a very long period of time. India in our assessment has the potential to grow at eight per cent, not for a few years, but 20 years,&quot; Vergara said.

&quot;For that, India needs to come out with the next series of reforms, for example, promote investment and improve the living condition of its population,&quot; he said.

The annual &#39;World Economic Situation Prospects&#39; report, released last week, said the GDP growth for India in 2017 is projected to be 6.7 per cent.

Despite the positive economic condition, Vergara said, India&#39;s economic growth could be a little lower in comparison to some of the earlier forecasts.

One of this is the growth of private consumption and sound macroeconomic policies. The monetary policy, which has been able to control inflation, also has a role to play, he said.

&quot;Also fiscal policy in India, in our assessment has been prudent. At the same time, it has provided another quite support for the economic activity,&quot; Vergara said.

The UN officer praised the Indian government&#39;s emphasis on public investment and infrastructure projects.

&quot;This has been very important to promote growth in the short term and to encourage economic activity in the medium term,&quot; he said.

The series of regulatory reforms that has happened in the previous year and the current one has also helped India&#39;s cause, said the UN official who keeps a tab on India&#39;s economic health and development.

&quot;Demonetisation clearly had an impact in early 2017. This resulted in a significant liquidity crunch, but was temporary,&quot; he said.

&quot;As the year went on, measures were implemented, financial relief were introduced, steps like credit support for small enterprise to help contain the shock that this demonetisation policy created,&quot; he said, adding that demonetisation has benefited the banking sector and increased the tax base - which will help the fiscal accounts.

&quot;So, in the medium term, we think that this policy will help the Indian economy,&quot; Vergara said.

According to the top UN economic official, 2017 has been a year of major economic reforms in India, particularly in the banking sector.

&quot;There has been deregulation and further liberalisation of the policies regarding foreign direct investment,&quot; he said.

Vergara said these reforms are helping the Indian economy to improve its efficiency and increase the medium-term prospects of its economy.

&quot;In that sense these policy reforms are positive. Of course, we will see how these policies are implemented,&quot; he said.

The UN, in its latest report, projected India's growth rate to be 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019.

India can achieve an 8 per cent growth rate for the next two decades if it unleashes the next set of reforms that could help it in realising its full potential, according to a senior UN official. The UN, in its latest report, projected India's growth rate to be 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019. Describing India's economic condition as largely positive and "favourable to growth", Sebastian Vergara, an Economic Affairs Officer at the UN, said the country needs to unleash the next set of reforms to achieve its potential. "It needs to think as to how to maintain and consolidate its growth for a very long period of time. India in our assessment has the potential to grow at eight per cent, not for a few years, but 20 years," Vergara said. "For that, India needs to come out with the next series of reforms, for example, promote investment and improve the living condition of its population," he said. The annual 'World Economic Situation Prospects' report, released last week, said the GDP growth for India in 2017 is projected to be 6.7 per cent. Despite the positive economic condition, Vergara said, India's economic growth could be a little lower in comparison to some of the earlier forecasts. One of this is the growth of private consumption and sound macroeconomic policies. The monetary policy, which has been able to control inflation, also has a role to play, he said. "Also fiscal policy in India, in our assessment has been prudent. At the same time, it has provided another quite support for the economic activity," Vergara said. The UN officer praised the Indian government's emphasis on public investment and infrastructure projects. "This has been very important to promote growth in the short term and to encourage economic activity in the medium term," he said. The series of regulatory reforms that has happened in the previous year and the current one has also helped India's cause, said the UN official who keeps a tab on India's economic health and development. "Demonetisation clearly had an impact in early 2017. This resulted in a significant liquidity crunch, but was temporary," he said. "As the year went on, measures were implemented, financial relief were introduced, steps like credit support for small enterprise to help contain the shock that this demonetisation policy created," he said, adding that demonetisation has benefited the banking sector and increased the tax base - which will help the fiscal accounts. "So, in the medium term, we think that this policy will help the Indian economy," Vergara said. According to the top UN economic official, 2017 has been a year of major economic reforms in India, particularly in the banking sector. "There has been deregulation and further liberalisation of the policies regarding foreign direct investment," he said. Vergara said these reforms are helping the Indian economy to improve its efficiency and increase the medium-term prospects of its economy. "In that sense these policy reforms are positive. Of course, we will see how these policies are implemented," he said.

India can grow at 8 per cent for next 20 years: UN expert

The United Nations on Saturday said that they have planned to stop the mass executions of prisoners in the country following the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-hangs-38-members-of-is-qaeda-for-terrorism-26762"> execution of 38 members from the Islamic State group</a> or Al-Qaeda for terrorism offences.&nbsp;

The UN also showed their doubts over Iraq&#39;s criminal justice system, reports said.&nbsp;

UN spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell claimed that considering the &#39;flaws&#39; in Iraq&#39;s justice system, it is highly doubtful if a fair and stringent process was carried out in the execution. &nbsp;

She further added that this has lead to a possibility of &#39;irreversible miscarriages of justice and violations of the right to life&#39;.&nbsp;

This has by far been the largest number of executions in Iraq on a single day since September 25 when 42 people were put to death in the same prison.

On December 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced &quot;the end of the war&quot; in the country against the Islamic State (IS) group and further added that their force was in full control of &nbsp;Iraqi-Syrian border.

IS swept across a third of Iraq in 2014 and seized several major cities including Mosul, the country&#39;s second biggest, before a fightback launched in 2015. 
&nbsp;

The UN also showed their doubts over Iraq's criminal justice system

The United Nations on Saturday said that they have planned to stop the mass executions of prisoners in the country following the execution of 38 members from the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda for terrorism offences. The UN also showed their doubts over Iraq's criminal justice system, reports said. UN spokesperson Elizabeth Throssell claimed that considering the 'flaws' in Iraq's justice system, it is highly doubtful if a fair and stringent process was carried out in the execution. She further added that this has lead to a possibility of 'irreversible miscarriages of justice and violations of the right to life'. This has by far been the largest number of executions in Iraq on a single day since September 25 when 42 people were put to death in the same prison. On December 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced "the end of the war" in the country against the Islamic State (IS) group and further added that their force was in full control of Iraqi-Syrian border. IS swept across a third of Iraq in 2014 and seized several major cities including Mosul, the country's second biggest, before a fightback launched in 2015.

UN condemns execution of prisoners in Iraq, calls for immediate halt

India&#39;s economy is projected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019, despite a slowdown observed this year and the lingering effects from the demonetisation, the UN has said.

The outlook for India remains largely positive, underpinned by robust private consumption and public investment as well as ongoing structural reforms, despite the slowdown observed in early 2017 and the lingering effects from the demonetisation policy, the United Nations said.

&quot;GDP growth for India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019,&quot; the UN said in its report &#39;World Economic Situation Prospects&#39; (WESP 2018), released at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday.

At the same time, the report said, the performance of private investment remains a key macroeconomic concern.

&quot;Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP has declined from about 40 per cent in 2010 to less than 30 per cent in 2017, amid subdued credit growth, low capacity utilisation in some industrial sectors and balance sheet problems in the banking and corporate sectors.

&quot;In this environment, vigorous public investment in infrastructure has been critical in propping up overall investment growth,&quot; it said. 
According to the report, there exists some degree of uncertainty over the monetary policy stance in India.

&quot;Subdued inflation, coupled with a good monsoon season, offers scope for additional monetary easing,&quot; it said.

Fiscal deficit in India has declined visibly, and it is expected to narrow further to 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2018, it added. 
An upturn in the global economy - now growing by about three per cent - paves the way to reorient policy towards longer-term issues such as addressing climate change, tackling existing inequalities and removing institutional obstacles to development, according to the WESP report.

&quot;The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 demonstrates that current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that continue to hamper progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,&quot; said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the foreword of the report.&nbsp;

The UN added that India would grow at 7.4% in 2019

India's economy is projected to grow at 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019, despite a slowdown observed this year and the lingering effects from the demonetisation, the UN has said. The outlook for India remains largely positive, underpinned by robust private consumption and public investment as well as ongoing structural reforms, despite the slowdown observed in early 2017 and the lingering effects from the demonetisation policy, the United Nations said. "GDP growth for India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019," the UN said in its report 'World Economic Situation Prospects' (WESP 2018), released at the UN headquarters in New York yesterday. At the same time, the report said, the performance of private investment remains a key macroeconomic concern. "Gross fixed capital formation as a share of GDP has declined from about 40 per cent in 2010 to less than 30 per cent in 2017, amid subdued credit growth, low capacity utilisation in some industrial sectors and balance sheet problems in the banking and corporate sectors. "In this environment, vigorous public investment in infrastructure has been critical in propping up overall investment growth," it said. According to the report, there exists some degree of uncertainty over the monetary policy stance in India. "Subdued inflation, coupled with a good monsoon season, offers scope for additional monetary easing," it said. Fiscal deficit in India has declined visibly, and it is expected to narrow further to 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2018, it added. An upturn in the global economy - now growing by about three per cent - paves the way to reorient policy towards longer-term issues such as addressing climate change, tackling existing inequalities and removing institutional obstacles to development, according to the WESP report. "The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018 demonstrates that current macroeconomic conditions offer policy-makers greater scope to address some of the deep-rooted issues that continue to hamper progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the foreword of the report.

India's economy to grow at 7.2% in 2018: UN

The UN rights chief told the Security Council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide &quot;literally a lifeline&quot; for 13 million of them, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein.

&quot;But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help,&quot; he told a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea.

Sanctions that have tightened controls over international bank transfers &quot;have caused a slowdown in UN ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid,&quot; he said.

The rights chief asked the council to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and urged them to take action to minimize consequences.

Over the past year, the council has adopted three rounds of sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang&#39;s military programs after Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches.

The council&#39;s sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures.

China fails to block rights meeting&nbsp;

The Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council&#39;s discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was &quot;counterproductive&quot; at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said human rights should be discussed more often by the top UN body as a way to bolster conflict prevention.

&quot;Any country that does not take care of its people ends up in conflict,&quot; said Haley.

The United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay had requested the meeting, the fourth to be held since 2014.

China has sought every year to block the special meeting, arguing that the Human Rights Council in Geneva was the forum to address concerns about North Korea&#39;s rights record, and not the Security Council.

Pyongyang is accused by a UN commission of inquiry of running a vast network of prison camps, resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions among other widespread abuses.&nbsp;

The rights chief told the council that &quot;the context of military tensions seems to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations&quot; endured by the country&#39;s 25 million citizens.

The UN&#39;s political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, returned at the weekend from a visit to Pyongyang, the first by a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010.

Feltman will report to the council during a closed-door session on his visit on Tuesday ahead of a ministerial-level meeting on North Korea on Friday.

The council's sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures

The UN rights chief told the Security Council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide "literally a lifeline" for 13 million of them, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. "But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help," he told a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea. Sanctions that have tightened controls over international bank transfers "have caused a slowdown in UN ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid," he said. The rights chief asked the council to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and urged them to take action to minimize consequences. Over the past year, the council has adopted three rounds of sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim Jong-Un's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches. The council's sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures. China fails to block rights meeting The Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council's discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was "counterproductive" at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said human rights should be discussed more often by the top UN body as a way to bolster conflict prevention. "Any country that does not take care of its people ends up in conflict," said Haley. The United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay had requested the meeting, the fourth to be held since 2014. China has sought every year to block the special meeting, arguing that the Human Rights Council in Geneva was the forum to address concerns about North Korea's rights record, and not the Security Council. Pyongyang is accused by a UN commission of inquiry of running a vast network of prison camps, resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions among other widespread abuses. The rights chief told the council that "the context of military tensions seems to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations" endured by the country's 25 million citizens. The UN's political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, returned at the weekend from a visit to Pyongyang, the first by a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010. Feltman will report to the council during a closed-door session on his visit on Tuesday ahead of a ministerial-level meeting on North Korea on Friday.

UN sanctions affecting aid in North Korea: Rights chief

United Nations officials have found that missiles fired at Saudi Arabia by Yemen&#39;s Houthi rebels appear to have a &quot;common origin,&quot; but they are still investigating US and Saudi claims that Iran supplied them, according to a confidential report.

The officials traveled to Saudi Arabia to examine the debris of missiles fired on July 22 and November 4, wrote UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the fourth biannual report on the implementation of UN sanctions and restrictions on Iran.

They found &quot;that the missiles had similar structural and manufacturing features which suggest a common origin,&quot; said Guterres in the Friday report to the UN Security Council, seen by Reuters on Saturday.

The report comes amid calls by the United States for Iran to be held accountable for violating UN Security Council resolutions on Yemen and Iran by supplying weapons to the Houthis.

Saudi-led forces, which back the Yemeni government, have fought the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen&#39;s more than two-year-long civil war. Saudi Arabia&#39;s crown prince has described Iran&#39;s supply of rockets to the Houthis as &quot;direct military aggression&quot; that could be an act of war.

Iran has denied supplying the Houthis with weapons, saying the U.S. and Saudi allegations are &quot;baseless and unfounded.&quot;

Guterre&#39;s report said the UN officials saw three components, which Saudi authorities said came from the missile fired on Nov. 4. The components &quot;bore the castings of a logo similar to that of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group&quot; - a UN-blacklisted company.

The officials are &quot;still analyzing the information collected and will report back to the Security Council,&quot; wrote Guterres.

Nuclear deal

The Saudi-led coalition used the Nov. 4 missile attack to justify a blockade of Yemen for several weeks, saying it was needed to stem the flow of arms to the Houthis from Iran.

Although the blockade later eased, Yemen&rsquo;s situation has remained dire. About 8 million people are on the brink of famine, with outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria.

A separate report to the Security Council last month by a panel of independent experts monitoring sanctions imposed in Yemen found that four missiles fired this year into Saudi Arabia appear to have been designed and manufactured by Iran.

However, the panel said it &quot;as yet has no evidence as to the identity of the broker or supplier&quot; of the missiles, which were likely shipped to the Houthis in violation of a targeted U.N. arms embargo imposed on Houthi leaders in April 2015.

Most U.N. sanctions on Iran were lifted in January last year when the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed that Tehran fulfilled commitments under a nuclear deal with Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the United States. But Iran is still subject to a UN&nbsp;arms embargo and other restrictions.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump dealt a blow to the nuclear deal in October by refusing to certify that Tehran was complying with the accord and warning that he might ultimately terminate it. International inspectors have said Iran is in compliance.

&quot;I encourage the United States to maintain its commitments to the plan and to consider the broader implications for the region and beyond before taking any further steps,&quot; Guterres wrote.

&quot;Similarly, I encourage the Islamic Republic of Iran to carefully consider the concerns raised by other participants in the plan,&quot; he said.

The report comes amid calls by the United States for Iran to be held accountable for violating UN Security Council resolutions on Yemen and Iran by supplying weapons to the Houthis.

United Nations officials have found that missiles fired at Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels appear to have a "common origin," but they are still investigating US and Saudi claims that Iran supplied them, according to a confidential report. The officials traveled to Saudi Arabia to examine the debris of missiles fired on July 22 and November 4, wrote UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the fourth biannual report on the implementation of UN sanctions and restrictions on Iran. They found "that the missiles had similar structural and manufacturing features which suggest a common origin," said Guterres in the Friday report to the UN Security Council, seen by Reuters on Saturday. The report comes amid calls by the United States for Iran to be held accountable for violating UN Security Council resolutions on Yemen and Iran by supplying weapons to the Houthis. Saudi-led forces, which back the Yemeni government, have fought the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen's more than two-year-long civil war. Saudi Arabia's crown prince has described Iran's supply of rockets to the Houthis as "direct military aggression" that could be an act of war. Iran has denied supplying the Houthis with weapons, saying the U.S. and Saudi allegations are "baseless and unfounded." Guterre's report said the UN officials saw three components, which Saudi authorities said came from the missile fired on Nov. 4. The components "bore the castings of a logo similar to that of the Shahid Bagheri Industrial Group" - a UN-blacklisted company. The officials are "still analyzing the information collected and will report back to the Security Council," wrote Guterres. Nuclear deal The Saudi-led coalition used the Nov. 4 missile attack to justify a blockade of Yemen for several weeks, saying it was needed to stem the flow of arms to the Houthis from Iran. Although the blockade later eased, Yemen’s situation has remained dire. About 8 million people are on the brink of famine, with outbreaks of cholera and diphtheria. A separate report to the Security Council last month by a panel of independent experts monitoring sanctions imposed in Yemen found that four missiles fired this year into Saudi Arabia appear to have been designed and manufactured by Iran. However, the panel said it "as yet has no evidence as to the identity of the broker or supplier" of the missiles, which were likely shipped to the Houthis in violation of a targeted U.N. arms embargo imposed on Houthi leaders in April 2015. Most U.N. sanctions on Iran were lifted in January last year when the U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed that Tehran fulfilled commitments under a nuclear deal with Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the United States. But Iran is still subject to a UN arms embargo and other restrictions. US President Donald Trump dealt a blow to the nuclear deal in October by refusing to certify that Tehran was complying with the accord and warning that he might ultimately terminate it. International inspectors have said Iran is in compliance. "I encourage the United States to maintain its commitments to the plan and to consider the broader implications for the region and beyond before taking any further steps," Guterres wrote. "Similarly, I encourage the Islamic Republic of Iran to carefully consider the concerns raised by other participants in the plan," he said.

UN says missiles fired at Saudi Arabia have 'common origin'

North Korea blamed US &quot;nuclear blackmail&quot; for soaring tensions over its weapons programme following rare meetings with a senior UN official, but agreed to regular communication with the organisation, state media said Saturday.

Jeffrey Feltman flew to Beijing Saturday after wrapping up a five-day visit to Pyongyang aimed at defusing the crisis, just a week after North Korea said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.

His trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- saw him meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk, and visit medical facilities supported by the UN, the North&#39;s state news agency KCNA said.

&quot;At these meetings, our side said the US policy of hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its nuclear blackmail are to blame for the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula,&quot; the report said.

It added that the North had agreed with the UN &quot;to regularize communications through visits at various levels&quot;.

The report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation&#39;s missile and nuclear programme in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang&#39;s stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland.

Feltman, the UN&#39;s under-secretary-general for political affairs, visited the country just after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest-ever joint air exercise.

Pyongyang reiterated its view that these maneuvers were a provocation on Saturday, accusing the drills of &quot;revealing its intention to mount a surprise nuclear pre-emptive strike against the DPRK&quot;, using the initials of the country&#39;s official name.

The UN Security Council has hit the isolated and impoverished North with a package of sanctions over its increasingly powerful missile and nuclear tests, which have rattled Washington and its regional allies South Korea and Japan.

Feltman arrived in Beijing, a key transit point with the North, and left the airport without speaking to reporters.

China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and military ally, has called on the United States to freeze military drills and on North Korea to halt weapons tests.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday published a speech from four days ago by foreign minister Wang Yi in which he warned that the Korean Peninsula &quot;remains deeply entrenched in a vicious cycle of demonstrations of strength and confrontation.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The outlook is not optimistic,&quot; Beijing&#39;s top diplomat added.

&#39;Emotion-charged days&#39;

Pyongyang ramped up already high tensions on the Korean Peninsula at the end of November when it announced it had successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it says brings the whole of the continental United States within range.

Analysts say it is unclear whether the missile survived re-entry into the earth&#39;s atmosphere or could successfully deliver a warhead to its target -- key technological hurdles for Pyongyang.

US President Donald Trump has engaged in months of tit-for-tat rhetoric with Kim, pejoratively dubbing him &quot;Little Rocket Man&quot; and a &quot;sick puppy&quot;.

Kim has called the 71-year-old president a &quot;dotard&quot;, meaning a weak or senile old man -- an insult that was renewed Saturday as the North condemned Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, KCNA quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act.&quot;

The North on Saturday released photographs of Kim on the summit of the country&#39;s highest peak, the fabled 2,750-metre (9,020-foot) Mount Paektu, which he climbed to ponder recent successes in his drive for nuclear statehood.

KCNA said the young leader, who was pictured strolling across the snow-covered peak sporting a heavy black coat, fur hat, and buffed leather shoes, had climbed the &quot;sublime mountain of the revolution&quot;, which is on the border with China.

Kim, described in the fulsome language of Pyongyang&#39;s mouthpiece as &quot;the peerlessly illustrious commander who controls the nature&quot;, used the opportunity to dwell on the &quot;emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment&quot;.

Mount Paektu is considered a sacred place in Korean folklore and plays a central role in the propaganda glorifying the Kim family.

Officially, Kim&#39;s father Kim Jong-Il was born on its slopes in 1942, though independent historians say he was actually born a year earlier and in the Soviet Union, where his own father was in exile.

North Korea blamed US 'nuclear blackmail' for the soaring tensions over its weapons programme

North Korea blamed US "nuclear blackmail" for soaring tensions over its weapons programme following rare meetings with a senior UN official, but agreed to regular communication with the organisation, state media said Saturday. Jeffrey Feltman flew to Beijing Saturday after wrapping up a five-day visit to Pyongyang aimed at defusing the crisis, just a week after North Korea said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. His trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- saw him meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk, and visit medical facilities supported by the UN, the North's state news agency KCNA said. "At these meetings, our side said the US policy of hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its nuclear blackmail are to blame for the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula," the report said. It added that the North had agreed with the UN "to regularize communications through visits at various levels". The report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation's missile and nuclear programme in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang's stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland. Feltman, the UN's under-secretary-general for political affairs, visited the country just after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest-ever joint air exercise. Pyongyang reiterated its view that these maneuvers were a provocation on Saturday, accusing the drills of "revealing its intention to mount a surprise nuclear pre-emptive strike against the DPRK", using the initials of the country's official name. The UN Security Council has hit the isolated and impoverished North with a package of sanctions over its increasingly powerful missile and nuclear tests, which have rattled Washington and its regional allies South Korea and Japan. Feltman arrived in Beijing, a key transit point with the North, and left the airport without speaking to reporters. China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and military ally, has called on the United States to freeze military drills and on North Korea to halt weapons tests. The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday published a speech from four days ago by foreign minister Wang Yi in which he warned that the Korean Peninsula "remains deeply entrenched in a vicious cycle of demonstrations of strength and confrontation." "The outlook is not optimistic," Beijing's top diplomat added. 'Emotion-charged days' Pyongyang ramped up already high tensions on the Korean Peninsula at the end of November when it announced it had successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it says brings the whole of the continental United States within range. Analysts say it is unclear whether the missile survived re-entry into the earth's atmosphere or could successfully deliver a warhead to its target -- key technological hurdles for Pyongyang. US President Donald Trump has engaged in months of tit-for-tat rhetoric with Kim, pejoratively dubbing him "Little Rocket Man" and a "sick puppy". Kim has called the 71-year-old president a "dotard", meaning a weak or senile old man -- an insult that was renewed Saturday as the North condemned Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", KCNA quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act." The North on Saturday released photographs of Kim on the summit of the country's highest peak, the fabled 2,750-metre (9,020-foot) Mount Paektu, which he climbed to ponder recent successes in his drive for nuclear statehood. KCNA said the young leader, who was pictured strolling across the snow-covered peak sporting a heavy black coat, fur hat, and buffed leather shoes, had climbed the "sublime mountain of the revolution", which is on the border with China. Kim, described in the fulsome language of Pyongyang's mouthpiece as "the peerlessly illustrious commander who controls the nature", used the opportunity to dwell on the "emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment". Mount Paektu is considered a sacred place in Korean folklore and plays a central role in the propaganda glorifying the Kim family. Officially, Kim's father Kim Jong-Il was born on its slopes in 1942, though independent historians say he was actually born a year earlier and in the Soviet Union, where his own father was in exile.

North Korea talks to UN, blames US for tensions

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at &quot;at least 12&quot; Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence.&nbsp;

A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed.

The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources.&nbsp;

In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history.

&quot;I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else.&quot;

Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack.

The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.&nbsp;

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at "at least 12" Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence. A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources. In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history. "I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime," Guterres said in a statement. "I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else." Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack. The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.

WION Morning News Brief, 9 December, 2017

The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene

14 UN peacekeepers killed, 40 injured in Congo

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US&nbsp;recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator.

The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to move the US&nbsp;Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

Major US&nbsp;allies came out against Trump&#39;s reversal of decades of US&nbsp;and broad international policy on Jerusalem.

France rejected the &quot;unilateral&quot; decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem&#39;s status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution.

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump&#39;s move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was &quot;an important step towards peace&quot; and it was &quot;our goal from Israel&#39;s first day&quot;.

He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump&#39;s example.

Trump upended decades of US&nbsp;policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East.

The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek.

Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the &quot;eternal capital of the State of Palestine&quot; and that Trump&#39;s move was &quot;tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator.&quot;

The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a &quot;flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people&quot;. Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to &quot;undermine US&nbsp;interests in the region&quot; and to &quot;shun Israel&quot;.

Protests broke out in parts of Jordan&#39;s capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman&#39;s outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. &quot;Down with America...America is the mother of terror,&quot; they chanted.

Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus&#39; traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem&#39;s Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness.

All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday.

Legally null decision

The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed &quot;with deep sorrow&quot; Trump&#39;s decision and warned of &quot;dangerous consequences of moving the US&nbsp;Embassy to Jerusalem&quot;.

The statement described the move as &quot;a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process&quot;, and urged the US&nbsp;administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will.

Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump&#39;s decision and said it did not change Jerusalem&#39;s disputed legal status.

Jordan said Trump&#39;s action was &quot;legally null&quot; because it consolidated Israel&#39;s occupation of East Jerusalem.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump&#39;s Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability.

Qatar&#39;s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump&#39;s undertaking was a &quot;death sentence for all who seek peace&quot; and called it &quot;a dangerous escalation&quot;.

Turkey said Trump&#39;s move was &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

&quot;We call upon the US&nbsp;Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem,&quot; the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US&nbsp;consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate.

Iran &quot;seriously condemns&quot; Trump&#39;s move as it violates UN&nbsp;resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel&#39;s security.

In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump&#39;s action.

&quot;This can rock global security and stability,&quot; Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision.

British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump&#39;s embrace of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said.

However, May&#39;s spokesman welcomed Trump&#39;s stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump&#39;s &quot;unilateral&quot; move.

&quot;The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,&quot; Macron told reporters in Algiers.

&quot;France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states,&quot; he said.

&quot;For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue,&quot; he said.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks.

&quot;I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians,&quot; Guterres said. &quot;I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations.&quot;

Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was 'an important step towards peace' and it was 'our goal from Israel's first day'.

Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East on Wednesday condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as an incendiary move in a volatile region and Palestinians said Washington was abandoning its leading role as a peace mediator. The European Union and United Nations also voiced alarm at US President Donald Trump's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and its repercussions for any chances of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Major US allies came out against Trump's reversal of decades of US and broad international policy on Jerusalem. France rejected the "unilateral" decision while appealing for calm in the region. Britain said the move would not help peace efforts and Jerusalem should ultimately be shared by Israel and a future Palestinian state. Germany said Jerusalem's status could only be resolved on the basis of a two-state solution. Israel, by contrast, applauded Trump's move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video message that it was "an important step towards peace" and it was "our goal from Israel's first day". He added that any peace accord with the Palestinians would have to include Jerusalem as Israel's capital and he urged other countries to follow Trump's example. Trump upended decades of US policy in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks aggravating conflict in the tinderbox Middle East. The status of Jerusalem is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths. Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek. Israel deems Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital dating to antiquity, and its status is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a pre-recorded speech, said Jerusalem was the "eternal capital of the State of Palestine" and that Trump's move was "tantamount to the United States abdicating its role as a peace mediator." The last round of US-brokered talks foundered in 2014 over issues including Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and Israeli accusations of Palestinian incitement to violence and refusal to recognise it as a Jewish state. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since soon after Israel ended a 38-year occupation in 2005, said Trump had committed a "flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people". Hamas urged Arabs and Muslims to "undermine US interests in the region" and to "shun Israel". Protests broke out in parts of Jordan's capital Amman inhabited by Palestinian refugees, with youths chanting anti-American slogans. In the Baqaa refugee camp on Amman's outskirts, hundreds roamed the streets denouncing Trump and urging Jordan to scrap its 1994 peace treaty with Israel. "Down with America...America is the mother of terror," they chanted. Angry Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus' traditional birthplace in the West Bank town of Bethlehem and in Ramallah. A tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness. All Palestinian factions called for a general strike and protest rallies at midday on Thursday. Legally null decision The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement saying that the kingdom followed "with deep sorrow" Trump's decision and warned of "dangerous consequences of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem". The statement described the move as "a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process", and urged the US administration to reverse its decision and adhere to international will. Egypt, which forged the first Arab peace deal with Israel in 1979, brushed off Trump's decision and said it did not change Jerusalem's disputed legal status. Jordan said Trump's action was "legally null" because it consolidated Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Trump's Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of Middle East peace. He said the move would put back the peace process by decades and threatened regional stability and perhaps global stability. Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said Trump's undertaking was a "death sentence for all who seek peace" and called it "a dangerous escalation". Turkey said Trump's move was "irresponsible". "We call upon the US Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the US consulate in Istanbul, a Reuters cameraman at the scene said. The protest was largely peaceful, though some of the demonstrators threw coins and other objects at the consulate. Iran "seriously condemns" Trump's move as it violates UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, state media reported. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier in the day that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel's security. In Southeast Asia, the leaders of Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia denounced Trump's action. "This can rock global security and stability," Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, told a news conference in which he called for the United States to reconsider its decision. British Prime Minister Theresa May disagreed with Trump's embrace of Jerusalem as Israel's capital before a final-status agreement as this was unlikely to help nurture peace in the region, her spokesman said. However, May's spokesman welcomed Trump's stated wish to end the conflict and his acknowledgment that the final status of Jerusalem, including boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not support Trump's "unilateral" move. "The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations," Macron told reporters in Algiers. "France and Europe are attached to a two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and security within recognised international borders with Jerusalem the capital of both states," he said. "For now, I urge for calm and for everyone to be responsible. We must avoid at all costs avoid violence and foster dialogue," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there was no alternative to a two-state solution and Jerusalem was a final-status matter only to be settled through direct talks. "I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians," Guterres said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations."

Arabs, Europe, UN?reject Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that United State&#39;s president Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital would throw the region into a &quot;ring of fire&quot;.&nbsp;

The decision completely disregarded a 1980 United Nations resolution regarding the status of the city.

He was speaking to supporters at the airport in Ankara before departing to Greece for an official visit.

Erdogan also said the decision would throw the region into a "ring of fire".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that United State's president Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital would throw the region into a "ring of fire". The decision completely disregarded a 1980 United Nations resolution regarding the status of the city. He was speaking to supporters at the airport in Ankara before departing to Greece for an official visit.

Turkish President says US decision on Jerusalem disregards United Nations

Global patent filings hit record highs last year, with China leading the charge, receiving more patent applications than the United States, Japan, South Korea and the EU combined, the UN said on Wednesday.

Some 3.1 million patent applications were filed worldwide last year, rising for the seventh straight year and marking an 8.3-percent hike from 2015, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said. &quot;These numbers are really quite extraordinary&quot;, WIPO chief Francis Gurry told reporters in Geneva.

China received about 236,600 of the nearly 240,600 additional patent filings, accounting for a full 98 percent of the growth, the UN agency said.&nbsp;&quot;The latest figures charting a rise in demand for intellectual property rights confirms a decade-long trend, where developments in China increasingly leave their mark on the worldwide totals,&quot; Gurry said.

She further added, &quot;China is increasingly amongst the leaders in global innovation and branding&quot;.&nbsp;Overall, China&#39;s State Intellectual Property Office received a record total of 1.3 million patent applications last year. In the second place, the US Patent and Trademark Office trailed far behind at 605,571, followed by Japan with 318,381.&nbsp;

When it comes to patent filings abroad meanwhile, US residents clearly topped the list, filing 215,918 applications in other countries, followed by Japan, Germany, and South Korea.&nbsp;US foreign filings were more than four times as many as the 51,522 filed by Chinese citizens abroad, WIPO said.

&quot;This is just a reflection I think of the stage of growth of the Chinese economy and its orientation,&quot; Gurry said, telling AFP he expected the numbers of Chinese foreign filings to explode going forward and continue to push up global patent applications.

China was also behind ballooning numbers of global trademark and industrial design applications last year, WIPO found.&nbsp;Trademark filings swelled 16.4 percent from the year before to around seven million, and have increased three-fold since 2001, &quot;reflecting the importance of protecting branding assets in today&rsquo;s business environment,&quot; Gurry said.

With 3.7 million registrations, China accounted for more than half of last year&#39;s trademark filings.

Industrial design applications meanwhile grew by 10.4 per cent last year to nearly one million applications, containing 1.2 million designs- more than half of which were listed in China.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to UN, China hits record high last year in global patent filings with receiving more patent application than the US, Japan, South Korea, and the EU combined

Global patent filings hit record highs last year, with China leading the charge, receiving more patent applications than the United States, Japan, South Korea and the EU combined, the UN said on Wednesday. Some 3.1 million patent applications were filed worldwide last year, rising for the seventh straight year and marking an 8.3-percent hike from 2015, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said. "These numbers are really quite extraordinary", WIPO chief Francis Gurry told reporters in Geneva. China received about 236,600 of the nearly 240,600 additional patent filings, accounting for a full 98 percent of the growth, the UN agency said. "The latest figures charting a rise in demand for intellectual property rights confirms a decade-long trend, where developments in China increasingly leave their mark on the worldwide totals," Gurry said. She further added, "China is increasingly amongst the leaders in global innovation and branding". Overall, China's State Intellectual Property Office received a record total of 1.3 million patent applications last year. In the second place, the US Patent and Trademark Office trailed far behind at 605,571, followed by Japan with 318,381. When it comes to patent filings abroad meanwhile, US residents clearly topped the list, filing 215,918 applications in other countries, followed by Japan, Germany, and South Korea. US foreign filings were more than four times as many as the 51,522 filed by Chinese citizens abroad, WIPO said. "This is just a reflection I think of the stage of growth of the Chinese economy and its orientation," Gurry said, telling AFP he expected the numbers of Chinese foreign filings to explode going forward and continue to push up global patent applications. China was also behind ballooning numbers of global trademark and industrial design applications last year, WIPO found. Trademark filings swelled 16.4 percent from the year before to around seven million, and have increased three-fold since 2001, "reflecting the importance of protecting branding assets in today’s business environment," Gurry said. With 3.7 million registrations, China accounted for more than half of last year's trademark filings. Industrial design applications meanwhile grew by 10.4 per cent last year to nearly one million applications, containing 1.2 million designs- more than half of which were listed in China.

China pushed global patent filings to record high in 2016: UN

On the occasion of International Volunteer Day, mandated by the UN General Assembly,&nbsp;held on December 5 every year, hundreds of people gathered for the National Conference&nbsp;which included speeches by Suresh Raina, Asit Singh, Kamal Kishore Ritesh Mehta, Head of Programmes, India, South and Central Asia, Facebook, and Ankit Kwatra, Founder, Feeding India.&nbsp;

&ldquo;India&rsquo;s true power lies in the hands of its youth. Believe in yourself. You have the power to change the entire country,&rdquo; said Suresh Raina, member of the Indian Cricket team, while addressing a gathering of over 500 young boys and girls at the National Conference on International Volunteer Day, 2017.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/volunteers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#volunteers</a>, because of your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dedication?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dedication</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hardwork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hardwork</a>, the world enjoys <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peace?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#peace</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/prosperity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#prosperity</a>.. You all are incredible! 
I bow to your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/commitment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#commitment</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/time?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#time</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/energy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#energy</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreBecauseYouAre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreBecauseYouAre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SustainableDevelopmentGoals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SustainableDevelopmentGoals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SDG17?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SDG17</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaHabitatCenter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaHabitatCenter</a><a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UNinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNinIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/IBN4U67kmm">pic.twitter.com/IBN4U67kmm</a>
&mdash; Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina/status/937918048505344000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRaina</a> addresses 500 young girls and boys at the National Conference on International Volunteers Day 2017!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IVD2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IVD2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VolunteersActFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VolunteersActFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pe9ZIAikJn">pic.twitter.com/Pe9ZIAikJn</a>
&mdash; UNDP India (@UNDP_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP_India/status/937913413942042624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism - the theme this year was &quot;Volunteers Act First&quot;.

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Volunteers Act First. here. Everywhere. 
 
We&rsquo;re at the International Volunteer Day 2017 national conference. 
 
Stay tuned for more! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IVD2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IVD2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VolunteersActFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VolunteersActFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/H4lLP8Wa3i">pic.twitter.com/H4lLP8Wa3i</a>
&mdash; UNDP India (@UNDP_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP_India/status/937895215397978112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The theme was adopted to highlight the important part played by volunteers during times of crisis and forgetting about their health and security risks. Over a billion people around the world participate each year - almost 100 just from India, however, their efforts are not widely acknowledged.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Volunteering is a part of Indian culture. The Government of India has always relied on these volunteers, and they have been important partners in all kinds of nation-building activities&rdquo; said Asit Singh, Joint Secretary (Youth Affairs), Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of India. &quot;We are committed to extending all possible support to the volunteers in their quest,&quot; he promised.

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For the GoI, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/volunteerism?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#volunteerism</a> is not just a policy, but a way of life in India. The Govt. is committed to promoting the volunteerism in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> especially through their NAtional Service Scheme: Asit Singh, Joint Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiaSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IVD2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IVD2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VolunteersActFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VolunteersActFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/kVydZ6EJYq">pic.twitter.com/kVydZ6EJYq</a>
&mdash; UNDP India (@UNDP_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP_India/status/937907077858541568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Prime Ministers &ldquo;Skill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>&rdquo; initiative is in tune with today&rsquo;s youth: Asit Singh, Joint Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiaSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IVD2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IVD2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VolunteersActFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VolunteersActFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/HzzCMtDCFW">pic.twitter.com/HzzCMtDCFW</a>
&mdash; UNDP India (@UNDP_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP_India/status/937905510602252288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kamal Kishore, member of the National Disaster Management Authority of India congratulated students and volunteers on IVD 2017. &quot;In India and across the world, disasters have been successfully managed not because of the work of government bodies and scientific institutions, but because of the dedication and commitment of volunteers,&quot; he said.

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We need to be able to tap into the skill set of the volunteers, the youth of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> for the country&rsquo;s development: Kamal Kishore <a href="https://twitter.com/ndmaindia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndmaindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IVD2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IVD2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VolunteersActFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VolunteersActFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/TzKcR9xwwb">pic.twitter.com/TzKcR9xwwb</a>
&mdash; UNDP India (@UNDP_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP_India/status/937901790430822406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The cricketer was speaking on the occasion of International Volunteer Day, mandated by the UN General Assembly.

On the occasion of International Volunteer Day, mandated by the UN General Assembly, held on December 5 every year, hundreds of people gathered for the National Conference which included speeches by Suresh Raina, Asit Singh, Kamal Kishore Ritesh Mehta, Head of Programmes, India, South and Central Asia, Facebook, and Ankit Kwatra, Founder, Feeding India. “India’s true power lies in the hands of its youth. Believe in yourself. You have the power to change the entire country,” said Suresh Raina, member of the Indian Cricket team, while addressing a gathering of over 500 young boys and girls at the National Conference on International Volunteer Day, 2017. Dear #volunteers, because of your #dedication and #hardwork, the world enjoys #peace and #prosperity.. You all are incredible! I bow to your #commitment of #time and #energy!#WeAreBecauseYouAre #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #SDG17 #IndiaHabitatCenter@UN @UNinIndia pic.twitter.com/IBN4U67kmm — Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) December 5, 2017 × .@ImRaina addresses 500 young girls and boys at the National Conference on International Volunteers Day 2017!#IVD2017 #VolunteersActFirst pic.twitter.com/Pe9ZIAikJn — UNDP India (@UNDP_India) December 5, 2017 × The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism - the theme this year was "Volunteers Act First". Volunteers Act First. here. Everywhere. We’re at the International Volunteer Day 2017 national conference. Stay tuned for more! #IVD2017 #VolunteersActFirst pic.twitter.com/H4lLP8Wa3i — UNDP India (@UNDP_India) December 5, 2017 × The theme was adopted to highlight the important part played by volunteers during times of crisis and forgetting about their health and security risks. Over a billion people around the world participate each year - almost 100 just from India, however, their efforts are not widely acknowledged. “Volunteering is a part of Indian culture. The Government of India has always relied on these volunteers, and they have been important partners in all kinds of nation-building activities” said Asit Singh, Joint Secretary (Youth Affairs), Ministry of Youth and Sports, Government of India. "We are committed to extending all possible support to the volunteers in their quest," he promised. For the GoI, #volunteerism is not just a policy, but a way of life in India. The Govt. is committed to promoting the volunteerism in #India especially through their NAtional Service Scheme: Asit Singh, Joint Secretary @IndiaSports #IVD2017 #VolunteersActFirst pic.twitter.com/kVydZ6EJYq — UNDP India (@UNDP_India) December 5, 2017 × The Prime Ministers “Skill #India” initiative is in tune with today’s youth: Asit Singh, Joint Secretary @IndiaSports #IVD2017 #VolunteersActFirst pic.twitter.com/HzzCMtDCFW — UNDP India (@UNDP_India) December 5, 2017 × Kamal Kishore, member of the National Disaster Management Authority of India congratulated students and volunteers on IVD 2017. "In India and across the world, disasters have been successfully managed not because of the work of government bodies and scientific institutions, but because of the dedication and commitment of volunteers," he said. We need to be able to tap into the skill set of the volunteers, the youth of #India for the country’s development: Kamal Kishore @ndmaindia #IVD2017 #VolunteersActFirst pic.twitter.com/TzKcR9xwwb — UNDP India (@UNDP_India) December 5, 2017 ×

India's true power lies in the hands of its youth: Suresh Raina at UN event

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on Dec. 15 to discuss North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years.

Japan&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the Dec. 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on Dec. 11.

China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes.

This year&#39;s meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses.

A landmark 2014 UN&nbsp;report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.

Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN&nbsp;Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. &quot;Some of them are strikingly similar,&quot; he told Reuters.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN&nbsp;sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs.

&quot;Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US&nbsp;and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people&#39;s livelihood and providing them with a better future,&quot; the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Nov. 14.

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on Dec. 15 to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on Dec. 15 to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years. Japan's UN Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the Dec. 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on Dec. 11. China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes. This year's meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay. Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. A landmark 2014 UN report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities. Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. "Some of them are strikingly similar," he told Reuters. North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs. "Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people's livelihood and providing them with a better future," the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Nov. 14.

UN council to meet in December on North Korea rights abuses, nuclear programme

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on December 15 to discuss North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years.

Japan&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the December 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on December 11.

China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes.

This year&#39;s meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses.

A landmark 2014 UN&nbsp;report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.

Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN&nbsp;Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. &quot;Some of them are strikingly similar,&quot; he said.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN&nbsp;sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs.

&quot;Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US&nbsp;and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people&#39;s livelihood and providing them with a better future,&quot; the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on November 14.

The body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on December 15 to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years. Japan's UN Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the December 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on December 11. China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes. This year's meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay. Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. A landmark 2014 UN report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities. Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. "Some of them are strikingly similar," he said. North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs. "Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people's livelihood and providing them with a better future," the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on November 14.

UN council to meet on North Korea rights abuses, nuclear programme in December

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday.&nbsp;

Saeed was put on the UN terror list on&nbsp;December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives.&nbsp;

Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the attacks.&nbsp;

India has been urging that he be brought to justice ever since.&nbsp;

The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.&nbsp;

Hafiz Saeed&nbsp;was under house arrest in Pakistan since January 2017 but&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988">was released last week</a>.

Soon after his release, Saeed promised to continue his fight to liberate Kashmir.

The petition was filed with the UN while Saeed was still under house arrest by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move, the news reports said.&nbsp;

According to the reports, the petition included &quot;Hafiz Muhammad Saeed&#39;s de-listing request for removal of his name from the ISIL and Al-Qaida list handled by the United Nations Security Council&rsquo;s ISIL (Da&rsquo;esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.&quot;&nbsp;

According to the UNSC website, Saeed&nbsp;was outlawed for having links with &quot;Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (QDe.118) and Al Qaida (QDe.004) for being a part of its financial activities, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of both entities.&quot;

Lashkar-e-Taiba was proscribed by the UN in May 2005.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136"> condemns release of Hafiz Saeed, calls for immediate re-arrest</a>

&nbsp;

The petition was filed while Saeed was still under house arrest in Pakistan by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the attacks. India has been urging that he be brought to justice ever since. The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head. Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest in Pakistan since January 2017 but was released last week. Soon after his release, Saeed promised to continue his fight to liberate Kashmir. The petition was filed with the UN while Saeed was still under house arrest by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move, the news reports said. According to the reports, the petition included "Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's de-listing request for removal of his name from the ISIL and Al-Qaida list handled by the United Nations Security Council’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee." According to the UNSC website, Saeed was outlawed for having links with "Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (QDe.118) and Al Qaida (QDe.004) for being a part of its financial activities, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of both entities." Lashkar-e-Taiba was proscribed by the UN in May 2005. Also read: US condemns release of Hafiz Saeed, calls for immediate re-arrest

Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar.

There will be a special session on December 5,&nbsp;reported by Reuters&nbsp;

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid&nbsp; Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army&#39;s crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement.

So far&nbsp;more than&nbsp;600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

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UN Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on December 5, on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar. There will be a special session on December 5, reported by Reuters UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army's crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement. So far more than 600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

United Nation rights council to hold special session on Rohingya: Reports

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar&#39;s top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China&#39;s support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general.

China has offered diplomatic backing to its southern neighbour throughout the crisis, despite growing pressure from Western countries for the Myanmar military to be accountable for alleged atrocities.

More than 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim group have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State to Bangladesh in three months since insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a brutal counter-insurgency campaign.

China helped to block a resolution on the crisis at the UN&nbsp;Security Council, while the United States this week called the response by the military and local vigilantes &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, echoing earlier statements by senior United Nations officials.

According to a statement on the Facebook page of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he and the Chinese leader on Friday discussed the &quot;promotion of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, the situation of China standing on Myanmar&#39;s side at the forefront of the international community regarding the Rakhine issue,&quot; and other issues.

Min Aung Hlaing arrived in China on Tuesday and has largely met Chinese military officers during his visit.

The statement also said they discussed ongoing talks between Myanmar&#39;s government and myriad ethnic insurgent groups, some of whom are based along Myanmar&#39;s shared border with China.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi said China was closely watching the peace process and was &quot;willing to play a constructive role... for security and stability in their border areas.&quot;

The Xinhua account did not mention Rakhine, but cited Xi saying that China &quot;always respects Myanmar&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity&quot;.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China's support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Myanmar's top military general in Beijing on Friday and discussed China's support amid international criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya minority, according to a statement from the general. China has offered diplomatic backing to its southern neighbour throughout the crisis, despite growing pressure from Western countries for the Myanmar military to be accountable for alleged atrocities. More than 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim group have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar’s Rakhine State to Bangladesh in three months since insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a brutal counter-insurgency campaign. China helped to block a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council, while the United States this week called the response by the military and local vigilantes "ethnic cleansing", echoing earlier statements by senior United Nations officials. According to a statement on the Facebook page of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he and the Chinese leader on Friday discussed the "promotion of cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries, the situation of China standing on Myanmar's side at the forefront of the international community regarding the Rakhine issue," and other issues. Min Aung Hlaing arrived in China on Tuesday and has largely met Chinese military officers during his visit. The statement also said they discussed ongoing talks between Myanmar's government and myriad ethnic insurgent groups, some of whom are based along Myanmar's shared border with China. According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi said China was closely watching the peace process and was "willing to play a constructive role... for security and stability in their border areas." The Xinhua account did not mention Rakhine, but cited Xi saying that China "always respects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

China's Xi discusses Rohingya crisis with Myanmar army chief

Papua New Guinea police sealed off an officially shuttered Australia-run detention camp on Thursday and ordered&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers occupying it to leave as they confiscated food and water the men had stockpiled,&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers told Reuters.

About 380&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks, defying attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to close it in a standoff the United Nations described as a &quot;looming humanitarian crisis&quot;.

&quot;They destroyed our food and damaged our accommodation too, they destroyed our water tank,&quot; one&nbsp;asylum-seeker said in a mobile telephone message from the camp.

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<h5>The asylum&nbsp;seekers said police confiscated the food and water they had stockpiled</h5>
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Many of the men climbed onto rooftops and hid in toilets, he said. Three other&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers gave similar accounts of the police action.

A video shot by Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz and posted on Facebook showed police using a megaphone to tell the&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers to leave because their stay at the camp, located on land used by the PNG navy, was illegal.

The footage he later posted on Twitter showed men boarding minibusses and buses. Tim Costello, chief advocate at the World Vision Australia aid group, told Reuters by phone from outside the camp that he had seen buses leaving.

Calls to PNG immigration and police were not returned.

The Manus island camp in PNG, and another on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, have been the cornerstones of Australia&rsquo;s controversial immigration policy, which has been strongly criticized by the United Nations and rights groups.

Australia opened the camps in a bid to stem a flow of&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers making dangerous voyages by boat to its shores.

Under its &quot;sovereign borders&quot; immigration policy, Australia refuses to land&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers arriving by sea, instead of sending them to the offshore camps.

&#39;We won&#39;t be pressurised&#39;

Witnesses in the camp said officials in army fatigues led away Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, who has been at the camp for four years and regularly posts social media messages on conditions.

Boochani earlier told Reuters by text message that police and immigration officials removed water supplies and the men&#39;s belongings.

Pictures sent via a messaging service showed upturned boxes of food and torn parcels of rice and instant noodles and smashed furniture including broken beds.

PNG&rsquo;s Supreme Court ruled last year that the center, first opened in 2001, breached its laws and fundamental human rights, leading to the decision to close it.

But the&nbsp;asylum&nbsp;seekers say they fear for their safety if moved to a transit center also on the island, and risk being resettled in PNG or another developing nation permanently.

&quot;We don&#39;t want another prison. We want to leave this place, but they need to give a good solution for us,&quot; the first&nbsp;asylum-seeker said.

&quot;We don&#39;t want another prison. We want a third country.&quot;

Most of those in the camp are from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that the transit center facilities had food, water, security and medical services.

&quot;They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. Well, we will not be pressured,&quot; Turnbull said.

The United Nations has urged Australia to accept an offer by New Zealand to take some of the men.

About 380?asylum?seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks

Papua New Guinea police sealed off an officially shuttered Australia-run detention camp on Thursday and ordered asylum seekers occupying it to leave as they confiscated food and water the men had stockpiled, asylum seekers told Reuters. About 380 asylum seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks, defying attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to close it in a standoff the United Nations described as a "looming humanitarian crisis". "They destroyed our food and damaged our accommodation too, they destroyed our water tank," one asylum-seeker said in a mobile telephone message from the camp. The asylum seekers said police confiscated the food and water they had stockpiled × Many of the men climbed onto rooftops and hid in toilets, he said. Three other asylum seekers gave similar accounts of the police action. A video shot by Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz and posted on Facebook showed police using a megaphone to tell the asylum seekers to leave because their stay at the camp, located on land used by the PNG navy, was illegal. The footage he later posted on Twitter showed men boarding minibusses and buses. Tim Costello, chief advocate at the World Vision Australia aid group, told Reuters by phone from outside the camp that he had seen buses leaving. Calls to PNG immigration and police were not returned. The Manus island camp in PNG, and another on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, have been the cornerstones of Australia’s controversial immigration policy, which has been strongly criticized by the United Nations and rights groups. Australia opened the camps in a bid to stem a flow of asylum seekers making dangerous voyages by boat to its shores. Under its "sovereign borders" immigration policy, Australia refuses to land asylum seekers arriving by sea, instead of sending them to the offshore camps. 'We won't be pressurised' Witnesses in the camp said officials in army fatigues led away Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, who has been at the camp for four years and regularly posts social media messages on conditions. Boochani earlier told Reuters by text message that police and immigration officials removed water supplies and the men's belongings. Pictures sent via a messaging service showed upturned boxes of food and torn parcels of rice and instant noodles and smashed furniture including broken beds. PNG’s Supreme Court ruled last year that the center, first opened in 2001, breached its laws and fundamental human rights, leading to the decision to close it. But the asylum seekers say they fear for their safety if moved to a transit center also on the island, and risk being resettled in PNG or another developing nation permanently. "We don't want another prison. We want to leave this place, but they need to give a good solution for us," the first asylum-seeker said. "We don't want another prison. We want a third country." Most of those in the camp are from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra on Thursday that the transit center facilities had food, water, security and medical services. "They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. Well, we will not be pressured," Turnbull said. The United Nations has urged Australia to accept an offer by New Zealand to take some of the men.

Papua New Guinea police enter shut Australia-run detention camp, order protesting asylum seekers out

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh from violence in Myanmar have been &ldquo;drained&rdquo; by the trauma they suffered during the crisis and a struggle to overcome desperate want, the United Nations refugee chief said on Wednesday.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar since late August this year for neighboring Bangladesh, driven out by a military clearance operation in Rakhine State.

The refugees&rsquo; suffering has caused an international outcry, spurring appeals by aid agencies for millions of dollars in funds to tackle the crisis.

&ldquo;I found this was a population that had almost no response. Very passive,&rdquo; said Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, describing his visit late in September to camps where the refugees were staying.

&ldquo;You almost felt there was nothing left and that everything had been drained by this,&rdquo; he told Reuters in an interview in his first visit to the South Korean capital.

He saw the lassitude as a symptom of trauma, he added.

&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t seen this kind of trauma for a very long, long time,&rdquo; the Italian diplomat said. &ldquo;Maybe I saw it in the &lsquo;90s in central Africa.&rdquo;

Grandi coordinated UN humanitarian activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo during its 1996-97 civil war.

The success of aid efforts by the United Nations and non-government bodies depends on the Myanmar government to defuse the hostility facing humanitarian workers in Rakhine, Grandi said.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not political work, it&rsquo;s not to favor one community over the other,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;On the contrary, it&rsquo;s directed to all those who are in need. And when members of the Buddhist community are in need, they certainly qualify for that. I think it&rsquo;s important that they stress that, they do that more,&rdquo; said Grandi.

Tension had been rising between the government and aid agencies even before the spasm of violence that began in late August.

Officials had accused the World Food Programme of aiding insurgents after high-energy biscuits were discovered in July at a forest encampment the authorities said belonged to a militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

Longstanding antipathy among ethnic Rakhine Buddhists - who say the UN and nongovernment bodies favor the Rohingya with aid deliveries &ndash; spiked in August, with protesters demanding that aid agencies leave and the U.N. warning staff against rising hostility.

Since the Aug. 25 militant attacks in Rakhine, the government has barred most aid agencies, except for the Red Cross organizations, from working in the state&rsquo;s north, and curtailed their activities elsewhere in the state.

In several cases, aid deliveries have been forcibly blocked by Rakhine Buddhists.

The U.N.&rsquo;s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said the World Food Programme resumed some food distribution in northern Rakhine this month, but limited access meant agencies still do not know how many people were internally displaced over the last three months.

&ldquo;Access remains restricted for most humanitarian actors in northern Rakhine, preventing them from reaching many people in need,&rdquo; the agency said. &ldquo;In central Rakhine, humanitarian organizations also continue to face access constraints.&rdquo;

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar since late August this year for neighboring Myanmar, driven out by a military clearance operation in Rakhine State

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh from violence in Myanmar have been “drained” by the trauma they suffered during the crisis and a struggle to overcome desperate want, the United Nations refugee chief said on Wednesday. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar since late August this year for neighboring Bangladesh, driven out by a military clearance operation in Rakhine State. The refugees’ suffering has caused an international outcry, spurring appeals by aid agencies for millions of dollars in funds to tackle the crisis. “I found this was a population that had almost no response. Very passive,” said Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, describing his visit late in September to camps where the refugees were staying. “You almost felt there was nothing left and that everything had been drained by this,” he told Reuters in an interview in his first visit to the South Korean capital. He saw the lassitude as a symptom of trauma, he added. “We haven’t seen this kind of trauma for a very long, long time,” the Italian diplomat said. “Maybe I saw it in the ‘90s in central Africa.” Grandi coordinated UN humanitarian activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo during its 1996-97 civil war. The success of aid efforts by the United Nations and non-government bodies depends on the Myanmar government to defuse the hostility facing humanitarian workers in Rakhine, Grandi said. “It’s not political work, it’s not to favor one community over the other,” he said. “On the contrary, it’s directed to all those who are in need. And when members of the Buddhist community are in need, they certainly qualify for that. I think it’s important that they stress that, they do that more,” said Grandi. Tension had been rising between the government and aid agencies even before the spasm of violence that began in late August. Officials had accused the World Food Programme of aiding insurgents after high-energy biscuits were discovered in July at a forest encampment the authorities said belonged to a militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Longstanding antipathy among ethnic Rakhine Buddhists - who say the UN and nongovernment bodies favor the Rohingya with aid deliveries – spiked in August, with protesters demanding that aid agencies leave and the U.N. warning staff against rising hostility. Since the Aug. 25 militant attacks in Rakhine, the government has barred most aid agencies, except for the Red Cross organizations, from working in the state’s north, and curtailed their activities elsewhere in the state. In several cases, aid deliveries have been forcibly blocked by Rakhine Buddhists. The U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said the World Food Programme resumed some food distribution in northern Rakhine this month, but limited access meant agencies still do not know how many people were internally displaced over the last three months. “Access remains restricted for most humanitarian actors in northern Rakhine, preventing them from reaching many people in need,” the agency said. “In central Rakhine, humanitarian organizations also continue to face access constraints.”

Rohingya refugees 'drained' by trauma, says UN refugee chief

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