Ukraine on Tuesday launched a bid at the United Nations to condemn rights abuses in Crimea and press Russia to allow UN monitors to visit the territory.

Backed by 38 countries including the United States, France, and Britain, Ukraine presented a draft resolution that for the first time puts Crimea under scrutiny by the General Assembly&#39;s human rights committee.

&quot;Crimea is not just a Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia,&quot; said Ukrainian ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko.

&quot;Crimea is 2.5 million people suffering from the authoritarian regime, frightened and helpless without any chance to defend their rights.&quot;

The measure condemns abuses and discrimination in Crimea, which was seized by Russia in February 2014 and later annexed in a move that was not recognised by the United Nations.

It urges Russia to reverse its decision to shut down the Crimean Tatars&#39; governing body, the Mejlis, and to allow cultural and religious institutions to reopen.

Rights groups have raised alarm over the plight of Crimea&#39;s Muslim Tatars, who have been subjected to repression for their opposition to Russian rule of the territory.

The text calls on Russia to &quot;take all necessary measures to bring an immediate end to all abuses against residents of Crimea&quot; and to cooperate with the UN rights office seeking to report on the situation in the peninsula.

A UN monitoring mission on human rights set up in Ukraine in 2014 has not been allowed in Crimea.

The draft resolution is expected to come up for a vote on Tuesday.

Taking the floor, Russia&#39;s deputy UN ambassador dismissed the measure as &quot;one-sided&quot;, saying it ignored Ukraine&#39;s decision to cut off trade, electrical power, and banking services to Crimeans.

Russian deputy ambassador Evgeniy Zagaynov accused Ukraine of &quot;stepping up the information campaign against Russia in an attempt to exert pressure on our country&quot;.

Last month, Russia suffered a diplomatic setback at the United Nations when it failed to win re-election to the Human Rights Council during a vote that rights groups said was linked to Moscow&#39;s bombing campaign in Syria.

(AFP)

A draft resolution presented by it condemns rights abuses in Crimea and presses Russia to allow UN monitors into the territory

Ukraine on Tuesday launched a bid at the United Nations to condemn rights abuses in Crimea and press Russia to allow UN monitors to visit the territory. Backed by 38 countries including the United States, France, and Britain, Ukraine presented a draft resolution that for the first time puts Crimea under scrutiny by the General Assembly's human rights committee. "Crimea is not just a Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia," said Ukrainian ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko. "Crimea is 2.5 million people suffering from the authoritarian regime, frightened and helpless without any chance to defend their rights." The measure condemns abuses and discrimination in Crimea, which was seized by Russia in February 2014 and later annexed in a move that was not recognised by the United Nations. It urges Russia to reverse its decision to shut down the Crimean Tatars' governing body, the Mejlis, and to allow cultural and religious institutions to reopen. Rights groups have raised alarm over the plight of Crimea's Muslim Tatars, who have been subjected to repression for their opposition to Russian rule of the territory. The text calls on Russia to "take all necessary measures to bring an immediate end to all abuses against residents of Crimea" and to cooperate with the UN rights office seeking to report on the situation in the peninsula. A UN monitoring mission on human rights set up in Ukraine in 2014 has not been allowed in Crimea. The draft resolution is expected to come up for a vote on Tuesday. Taking the floor, Russia's deputy UN ambassador dismissed the measure as "one-sided", saying it ignored Ukraine's decision to cut off trade, electrical power, and banking services to Crimeans. Russian deputy ambassador Evgeniy Zagaynov accused Ukraine of "stepping up the information campaign against Russia in an attempt to exert pressure on our country". Last month, Russia suffered a diplomatic setback at the United Nations when it failed to win re-election to the Human Rights Council during a vote that rights groups said was linked to Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria. (AFP)

Ukraine pushes UN to step up scrutiny of Crimea

Islamic State militants abducted over 295 former Iraqi security members near their stronghold of Mosul in Iraq last week, the United Nations Human Rights Organisation reported today. They also forced 1,500 families to flee with them &nbsp;from their town of Hammam al Alil to Mosul airport, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;People forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be used as human shields or - depending on their perceived affiliations - killed,&quot; Reuters reported Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as saying.&nbsp;

The abductions take place as the Kurdish forces backed by US-led airstrike are waging a war to recapture Mosul from the IS.&nbsp;

About 100 of Iraqi officers were abducted around midnight of November 3 over 20 km west of Mosul, followed by a further 195 between November 1 and November 4 from villages from northwestern Iraq, 63 kms from Mosul.&nbsp;

About 100 of the former ISF officers were taken at around midnight on Nov. 3 from Mawaly village, which is about 20 km (12 miles) west of Mosul. A further 195 were abducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 from villages in Tal Afar district, 63 kms from Mosul.&nbsp;

The conditions of those abducted, however, is not known, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;The fate of these civilians is unknown for the moment,&quot; Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva.

Reuters reported that the UN also had information about the abduction of at least 30 sheikhs on November 2 and November 3.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

'People forcibly moved or abducted are either used as human shields or killed'

Islamic State militants abducted over 295 former Iraqi security members near their stronghold of Mosul in Iraq last week, the United Nations Human Rights Organisation reported today. They also forced 1,500 families to flee with them from their town of Hammam al Alil to Mosul airport, Reuters reported. "People forcibly moved or abducted, it appears, are either intended to be used as human shields or - depending on their perceived affiliations - killed," Reuters reported Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as saying. The abductions take place as the Kurdish forces backed by US-led airstrike are waging a war to recapture Mosul from the IS. About 100 of Iraqi officers were abducted around midnight of November 3 over 20 km west of Mosul, followed by a further 195 between November 1 and November 4 from villages from northwestern Iraq, 63 kms from Mosul. About 100 of the former ISF officers were taken at around midnight on Nov. 3 from Mawaly village, which is about 20 km (12 miles) west of Mosul. A further 195 were abducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 from villages in Tal Afar district, 63 kms from Mosul. The conditions of those abducted, however, is not known, Reuters reported. "The fate of these civilians is unknown for the moment," Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva. Reuters reported that the UN also had information about the abduction of at least 30 sheikhs on November 2 and November 3. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State abducts over 200 in Mosul, forces families to retreat: UN

An explosion killed a child and injured 32 Indian peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, the UN&nbsp;mission in Congo said, news agency Reuters reported.

The blast hit the peacekeepers while they were out on a morning run in the western Goma neighbourhood of Keyshero.&nbsp;

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

Ismael Salumu, an imam at a nearby mosque, said three peacekeepers were killed, Reuters reported.

&quot;We just heard the explosion and the cries. We then ran over to see,&quot; Reuters quoted him as saying.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The blast hit the peacekeepers while they were out on a morning run

An explosion killed a child and injured 32 Indian peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, the UN mission in Congo said, news agency Reuters reported. The blast hit the peacekeepers while they were out on a morning run in the western Goma neighbourhood of Keyshero. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Ismael Salumu, an imam at a nearby mosque, said three peacekeepers were killed, Reuters reported. "We just heard the explosion and the cries. We then ran over to see," Reuters quoted him as saying. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Blast injures 32 Indian peacekeepers, kills child in east Congo: UN

India abstained from voting as a UN General Assembly committee on Thursday adopted a resolution to launch negotiations next year on a new treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Permanent representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament, DB Venkatesh Varma, was quoted as saying by PTI that India has been &quot;constrained&quot; to abstain on the resolution and it is &quot;not convinced&quot; that the proposed conference in 2017 &quot;can address the longstanding expectation of the international community for a comprehensive instrument on nuclear disarmament&quot;. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;India attaches the highest priority to nuclear disarmament and shares with the co-sponsors the widely felt frustration that the international community has not been able to take forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. We also share the deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons,&quot; Varma said in the explanation of vote.

&nbsp;

The First Committee deals with disarmament and international security.

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Varma said India did not participate in the open-ended working group which met in Geneva in 2016, so it reserves its position on its report and the recommendations.

&nbsp;

&quot;India has supported the commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, which in addition to prohibition and elimination also includes verification. International verification would be essential to the global elimination of nuclear weapons, just as it has been in the case of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Progress on nuclear disarmament in the CD should remain an international priority,&quot; he was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is no question of New Delhi joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon&nbsp;state, India has asserted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The resolution emphasises the importance of addressing issues related to nuclear weapons in a comprehensive, inclusive, interactive and constructive manner, PTI reported. &nbsp;It also decided to convene in 2017 a United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.

&nbsp;

&quot;This treaty won&#39;t eliminate nuclear weapons overnight. But it will establish a powerful, new international legal standard, stigmatizing nuclear weapons and compelling nations to take urgent action on disarmament,&rdquo; Beatriz Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, was quoted as saying by Voice of America,&nbsp;the official external broadcasting institution of the United States.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The resolution was adopted with 123 votes in favour, 38 against and 16 abstentions.

&nbsp;

Nuclear powers the United States, Russia, Israel,&nbsp;<a data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/france">France</a>&nbsp;and the United Kingdom were among those that opposed the measure, British daily, The Guardian reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The resolution was adopted with 123 votes in favour, 38 against and 16 abstentions

India abstained from voting as a UN General Assembly committee on Thursday adopted a resolution to launch negotiations next year on a new treaty outlawing nuclear weapons, Indian news agency PTI reported. Permanent representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament, DB Venkatesh Varma, was quoted as saying by PTI that India has been "constrained" to abstain on the resolution and it is "not convinced" that the proposed conference in 2017 "can address the longstanding expectation of the international community for a comprehensive instrument on nuclear disarmament". "India attaches the highest priority to nuclear disarmament and shares with the co-sponsors the widely felt frustration that the international community has not been able to take forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. We also share the deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons," Varma said in the explanation of vote. The First Committee deals with disarmament and international security. Meanwhile, Varma said India did not participate in the open-ended working group which met in Geneva in 2016, so it reserves its position on its report and the recommendations. "India has supported the commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, which in addition to prohibition and elimination also includes verification. International verification would be essential to the global elimination of nuclear weapons, just as it has been in the case of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Progress on nuclear disarmament in the CD should remain an international priority," he was quoted as saying. There is no question of New Delhi joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state, India has asserted. The resolution emphasises the importance of addressing issues related to nuclear weapons in a comprehensive, inclusive, interactive and constructive manner, PTI reported. It also decided to convene in 2017 a United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. "This treaty won't eliminate nuclear weapons overnight. But it will establish a powerful, new international legal standard, stigmatizing nuclear weapons and compelling nations to take urgent action on disarmament,” Beatriz Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, was quoted as saying by Voice of America, the official external broadcasting institution of the United States. The resolution was adopted with 123 votes in favour, 38 against and 16 abstentions. Nuclear powers the United States, Russia, Israel, France and the United Kingdom were among those that opposed the measure, British daily, The Guardian reported. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India abstains from voting on nuclear weapons ban at UN

Soon after he assumed office earlier this year in May, the chief minister of the southern Indian state of Kerela, Pinarayi Vijayan, &nbsp;kicked off a storm by pledging his support to the Athirappilly hydroelectric project.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Environmentalists were of the view that the controversial project, if implemented, will disturb the ecological balance and destroy the Athirapally waterfalls in the Thrissur district.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The state government was&nbsp;not oblivious to the impact of the project, however, the officials maintained that the government lacks access to other means to address electricity needs of the state.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the wake of prevailing power crisis in the state,a sibling&nbsp;duo from Kerala has come up with an innovation&nbsp;that the two brothers claim will not disturb the ecological balance. It will also generate electricity at a very nominal price, the brothers say.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Arun George and his brother Anoop have a set up a start-up,&nbsp;Avant Garde Innovations,&nbsp;to produce low-cost wind turbines capable of &#39;generating electricity for a household for an entire lifetime&#39;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The turbine that costs US$750 (approximately Rs 50,000)&nbsp;can generate 5KWh/per day. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Talking to WION over the phone, the founder of the company, Arun, said: &quot;Our goal is to eradicate &#39;energy poverty&#39; (lack of access to modern energy services) and create self-sufficient means for all the needy ones through distributed, affordable and localised renewable energy means. We visualise a world &nbsp;with a cleaner environment, economic prosperity and social change.&quot;

&nbsp;

&quot;What we are offering right now is an affordable small wind turbine that is suitable for residential, commercial, agricultural, village electrification and other uses. We are aiming to&nbsp;launch it in the market in the&nbsp;current year. &quot;

&nbsp;

Interestingly, the Kazakhstan government has listed this innovation among the top hundred start-ups of the year across the world. Arun is scheduled to visit the country today to present his innovation model.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, this is not the first global acclamation that the&nbsp;start-up has recieved. The company is among the ten small and medium enterprise to be featured in the new UN billion dollar clean investment opportunity directory.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Ours is the only company in the list of small wind energy manufacturers in India, after being listed in the UN directory. We look forward to better support from investment houses and venture capitalists across the globe,&quot; Arun told WION. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

He was also invited to Cop21 in Paris to attend the UN-caring for Climate Business Forum last year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;It is always a moment of pride for us when UN promotes our company by stating that it is showcasing the best (company) in the off-grid clean energy sector globally,&quot; Arun says.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s pertinent to mention that India is the sixth largest energy consumer in the world accounting for 3.4 per cent of global energy consumption. However, successive governments in India&nbsp;have not been able to electrify the remote villages of the country&nbsp;due to huge infrastructural costs involved.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Talking about the cost reduction in the electricity production, Arun told WION: &quot;A small wind turbine generating 1kW energy costs Rs 3-7 lakh (US$4,000-10,000), The company plans to sell it at less than Rs 50,000 (about US$750). Costs will decrease further through mass production.&quot; The start-up&#39;s&nbsp;pilot project&nbsp;was launched in Kerala&#39;s capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, earlier this year in January. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Commenting on the current power crisis in the country, Richenda Van Leeuwen, executive director, Energy Access Initiative, says, &quot;Access to clean and affordable modern energy revolutionises lives. &nbsp;It improves health, enhances income generation, entrepreneurship and empowers women.&quot; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A sibling duo from southern Kerala state aims to revolutionise India's energy sector with 'low-cost' wind turbines

Soon after he assumed office earlier this year in May, the chief minister of the southern Indian state of Kerela, Pinarayi Vijayan, kicked off a storm by pledging his support to the Athirappilly hydroelectric project. Environmentalists were of the view that the controversial project, if implemented, will disturb the ecological balance and destroy the Athirapally waterfalls in the Thrissur district. The state government was not oblivious to the impact of the project, however, the officials maintained that the government lacks access to other means to address electricity needs of the state. In the wake of prevailing power crisis in the state,a sibling duo from Kerala has come up with an innovation that the two brothers claim will not disturb the ecological balance. It will also generate electricity at a very nominal price, the brothers say. Arun George and his brother Anoop have a set up a start-up, Avant Garde Innovations, to produce low-cost wind turbines capable of 'generating electricity for a household for an entire lifetime'. The turbine that costs US$750 (approximately Rs 50,000) can generate 5KWh/per day. Talking to WION over the phone, the founder of the company, Arun, said: "Our goal is to eradicate 'energy poverty' (lack of access to modern energy services) and create self-sufficient means for all the needy ones through distributed, affordable and localised renewable energy means. We visualise a world with a cleaner environment, economic prosperity and social change." "What we are offering right now is an affordable small wind turbine that is suitable for residential, commercial, agricultural, village electrification and other uses. We are aiming to launch it in the market in the current year. " Interestingly, the Kazakhstan government has listed this innovation among the top hundred start-ups of the year across the world. Arun is scheduled to visit the country today to present his innovation model. However, this is not the first global acclamation that the start-up has recieved. The company is among the ten small and medium enterprise to be featured in the new UN billion dollar clean investment opportunity directory. "Ours is the only company in the list of small wind energy manufacturers in India, after being listed in the UN directory. We look forward to better support from investment houses and venture capitalists across the globe," Arun told WION. He was also invited to Cop21 in Paris to attend the UN-caring for Climate Business Forum last year. "It is always a moment of pride for us when UN promotes our company by stating that it is showcasing the best (company) in the off-grid clean energy sector globally," Arun says. It's pertinent to mention that India is the sixth largest energy consumer in the world accounting for 3.4 per cent of global energy consumption. However, successive governments in India have not been able to electrify the remote villages of the country due to huge infrastructural costs involved. Talking about the cost reduction in the electricity production, Arun told WION: "A small wind turbine generating 1kW energy costs Rs 3-7 lakh (US$4,000-10,000), The company plans to sell it at less than Rs 50,000 (about US$750). Costs will decrease further through mass production." The start-up's pilot project was launched in Kerala's capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, earlier this year in January. Commenting on the current power crisis in the country, Richenda Van Leeuwen, executive director, Energy Access Initiative, says, "Access to clean and affordable modern energy revolutionises lives. It improves health, enhances income generation, entrepreneurship and empowers women." (WION)

Indian start-up lets you power your home for life for the price of a high-end smartphone

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it had preliminary reports about scores of killings by the Islamic State (IS) around Mosul in the past week, international&nbsp;news agency Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

The UN also said it&nbsp;received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle.

&nbsp;

UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN briefing in Geneva that the bodies of 70 civilians with bullet wounds had been discovered by Iraqi security forces in Tuloul Naser village on October 20, according to Reuters.

&nbsp;

Fifty former police officers who were held outside Mosul city were reportedly killed on Sunday, Colville added.

&nbsp;

He said the reports, from a variety of sources used in the past, were hard to verify, so they should be treated as preliminary and not definitive, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

The UN?said it also received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday it had preliminary reports about scores of killings by the Islamic State (IS) around Mosul in the past week, international news agency Reuters reported. The UN also said it received new information reinforcing the belief that fighters were using human shields to fight the battle. UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a regular UN briefing in Geneva that the bodies of 70 civilians with bullet wounds had been discovered by Iraqi security forces in Tuloul Naser village on October 20, according to Reuters. Fifty former police officers who were held outside Mosul city were reportedly killed on Sunday, Colville added. He said the reports, from a variety of sources used in the past, were hard to verify, so they should be treated as preliminary and not definitive, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

UN gets reports of massacres by Islamic State around Mosul

Hundreds of wounded civilians were stranded in rebel-held areas of Syria&#39;s Aleppo on Saturday after the UN said security concerns had prevented evacuation convoys even as Russia extended a ceasefire into a third day.

The unilateral &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; in the Syrian army&#39;s devastating Russian-backed assault on the opposition-controlled east of the city has largely held since it began on Thursday morning.

The army has said it is an opportunity for civilians and rebel fighters who lay down their arms to leave.

But so far there have been no organised evacuation convoys and only a handful of the 250,000 civilians still living in the rebel sector have left under their own steam.

An AFP photographer in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood at one of the crossings over the front line the army has set up for evacuations said it was deserted on Saturday morning.

After three months of siege by the army and nearly four weeks of relentless air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes, trust in government assurances of safe passage is minimal.

On Friday, the UN human rights council called for a special investigation into the violence in Aleppo in a resolution fiercely critical of Damascus.

The United Nations had hoped to use the ceasefire to evacuate seriously wounded people, and possibly deliver aid.

More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded since the army launched its offensive to drive the rebels out of the eastern districts they have held since 2012. Nearly 500 people have been killed.

But on Friday, a UN spokesman said evacuations had been delayed because of security concerns.

&quot;Medical evacuations of sick and injured could unfortunately not begin this morning as planned because the necessary conditions were not in place,&quot; said Jens Laerke of the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA).

Four-day plan

In the face of a mounting international outcry over Aleppo&#39;s plight, Moscow announced that the ceasefire, which was originally scheduled to last just eight hours, would be extended until 1600 GMT on Saturday.

But Laerke said that was not long enough and the United Nations has asked Russia to consider a further extension until Monday evening.

David Swanson, an OCHA spokesman in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said a four-day plan had been drawn up to begin with two days of evacuations to government-held areas of Aleppo, rebel-held Idlib province to the west or over the border to Turkey.

If successful, the plan would then see aid delivered for another two days alongside continuing evacuations.

No aid has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday.

The Syrian opposition has accused the world body of playing into the hands of Damascus and Moscow by focusing on evacuations rather providing relief supplies to allow residents to stay.

Moscow has accused jihadists among the rebels of forcibly preventing civilians from leaving.&nbsp;

It has warned that if fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Shams Front do not leave the city, the offensive will resume.

Fears of worse bloodshed

Senior military official Sergei Rudskoi acknowledged that on the first day of the truce just seven civilians and eight wounded fighters had left.

He said the jihadists were &quot;doing everything to prevent the exit of civilians and members of armed groups from east Aleppo.&quot;

&quot;The terrorists are using the ceasefire in their interests,&quot; he said.

&quot;We are seeing them massing around Aleppo and preparing for another breakthrough into the city&#39;s western neighbourhoods.&quot;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that if the ceasefire broke down, there was the risk of even greater bloodshed.

&quot;The regime and the rebels are both bolstering their forces, which raises fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails,&quot; its director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The UN human rights council called in its resolution on Friday for &quot;a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo&quot;, and for those responsible for the most serious violations to be identified.

The resolution demanded that warring parties &quot;in particular the Syrian authorities and their allies&quot;, allow unrestricted humanitarian access to desperate civilians and &quot;end immediately all bombardments and military flights over Aleppo city&quot;.

(AFP)

The 'humanitarian pause' in the assault has largely held since Thursday morning but there has been no organised evacuation

Hundreds of wounded civilians were stranded in rebel-held areas of Syria's Aleppo on Saturday after the UN said security concerns had prevented evacuation convoys even as Russia extended a ceasefire into a third day. The unilateral "humanitarian pause" in the Syrian army's devastating Russian-backed assault on the opposition-controlled east of the city has largely held since it began on Thursday morning. The army has said it is an opportunity for civilians and rebel fighters who lay down their arms to leave. But so far there have been no organised evacuation convoys and only a handful of the 250,000 civilians still living in the rebel sector have left under their own steam. An AFP photographer in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood at one of the crossings over the front line the army has set up for evacuations said it was deserted on Saturday morning. After three months of siege by the army and nearly four weeks of relentless air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes, trust in government assurances of safe passage is minimal. On Friday, the UN human rights council called for a special investigation into the violence in Aleppo in a resolution fiercely critical of Damascus. The United Nations had hoped to use the ceasefire to evacuate seriously wounded people, and possibly deliver aid. More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded since the army launched its offensive to drive the rebels out of the eastern districts they have held since 2012. Nearly 500 people have been killed. But on Friday, a UN spokesman said evacuations had been delayed because of security concerns. "Medical evacuations of sick and injured could unfortunately not begin this morning as planned because the necessary conditions were not in place," said Jens Laerke of the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA). Four-day plan In the face of a mounting international outcry over Aleppo's plight, Moscow announced that the ceasefire, which was originally scheduled to last just eight hours, would be extended until 1600 GMT on Saturday. But Laerke said that was not long enough and the United Nations has asked Russia to consider a further extension until Monday evening. David Swanson, an OCHA spokesman in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said a four-day plan had been drawn up to begin with two days of evacuations to government-held areas of Aleppo, rebel-held Idlib province to the west or over the border to Turkey. If successful, the plan would then see aid delivered for another two days alongside continuing evacuations. No aid has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday. The Syrian opposition has accused the world body of playing into the hands of Damascus and Moscow by focusing on evacuations rather providing relief supplies to allow residents to stay. Moscow has accused jihadists among the rebels of forcibly preventing civilians from leaving. It has warned that if fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Shams Front do not leave the city, the offensive will resume. Fears of worse bloodshed Senior military official Sergei Rudskoi acknowledged that on the first day of the truce just seven civilians and eight wounded fighters had left. He said the jihadists were "doing everything to prevent the exit of civilians and members of armed groups from east Aleppo." "The terrorists are using the ceasefire in their interests," he said. "We are seeing them massing around Aleppo and preparing for another breakthrough into the city's western neighbourhoods." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that if the ceasefire broke down, there was the risk of even greater bloodshed. "The regime and the rebels are both bolstering their forces, which raises fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails," its director Rami Abdel Rahman said. The UN human rights council called in its resolution on Friday for "a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo", and for those responsible for the most serious violations to be identified. The resolution demanded that warring parties "in particular the Syrian authorities and their allies", allow unrestricted humanitarian access to desperate civilians and "end immediately all bombardments and military flights over Aleppo city". (AFP)

Aleppo truce: Wounded await evacuation on day three

By improving girls&#39; health and sex education, the developing economies of the world can forfeit an extra $21 billion (19 billion euros), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Over the next 15 years alone, developing countries together stand to gain or forfeit at least $21 billion, depending on whether or not they invest in the well-being, education, and independence of their 10-year-old girls today,&quot; the UN agency was quoted as saying by international news agency AFP.

&nbsp;

&#39;16 million girls will never start school&#39;

As it launched its latest study in London, UNFPA highlighted that girls in developing countries are less likely than boys to complete schooling because of various factors including &#39;forced marriage&#39;, &#39;child labour&#39; and &#39;female genital mutilation&#39;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The study points out that &nbsp;girls are currently less likely to be enrolled in secondary education in Arab countries and most of Africa &mdash; home to 70 per cent of the world&#39;s 10-year-olds. It also points out that sixteen million girls aged between six and 11 (twice the number of boys) &quot;will never start school&quot;.&nbsp;

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&quot;For 10-year-old girls, a potential tripling of their lifetime income is at stake. For the societies the girls are a part of, the reduction of poverty is at stake,&quot; said the report.

&nbsp;

Stressing on the fact that a majority of the girls fail to finish their education after getting married in early adolescence,the UNFPA urged countries to impose a minimum age of marriage of 18. According to the agency, an estimated 47,700 girls get married before that age.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;When the right policies and institutions are in place to build young people&#39;s human capital, a developing country can see dramatic economic growth... leading to a demographic dividend, a unique opportunity for economic progress and poverty reduction&quot;.

&nbsp;

&quot;Access to contraceptives for adolescents and women of childbearing age is crucial.&quot; The study gave India and China as examples of the progress possible if developing countries harnessed their youthful populations, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Developing nations need to invest in well-being, education, and independence of their 10-year-old girls, says UN's latest study

By improving girls' health and sex education, the developing economies of the world can forfeit an extra $21 billion (19 billion euros), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said today. "Over the next 15 years alone, developing countries together stand to gain or forfeit at least $21 billion, depending on whether or not they invest in the well-being, education, and independence of their 10-year-old girls today," the UN agency was quoted as saying by international news agency AFP. '16 million girls will never start school' As it launched its latest study in London, UNFPA highlighted that girls in developing countries are less likely than boys to complete schooling because of various factors including 'forced marriage', 'child labour' and 'female genital mutilation'. The study points out that girls are currently less likely to be enrolled in secondary education in Arab countries and most of Africa — home to 70 per cent of the world's 10-year-olds. It also points out that sixteen million girls aged between six and 11 (twice the number of boys) "will never start school". A majority of the girls fail to finish their education after getting married in early adolescence, and UNFPA urged countries to impose a minimum age of marriage of 18. × "For 10-year-old girls, a potential tripling of their lifetime income is at stake. For the societies the girls are a part of, the reduction of poverty is at stake," said the report. Stressing on the fact that a majority of the girls fail to finish their education after getting married in early adolescence,the UNFPA urged countries to impose a minimum age of marriage of 18. According to the agency, an estimated 47,700 girls get married before that age. "When the right policies and institutions are in place to build young people's human capital, a developing country can see dramatic economic growth... leading to a demographic dividend, a unique opportunity for economic progress and poverty reduction". "Access to contraceptives for adolescents and women of childbearing age is crucial." The study gave India and China as examples of the progress possible if developing countries harnessed their youthful populations, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Developing economies can win extra $21 bn in 15 years by investing in girl child: UN

Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte called US&nbsp;President Barack Obama, the European Union and United Nations &quot;fools&quot; on Thursday, and warned they would end up humiliated and outsmarted if they accepted an invitation to investigate his war on drugs.

Duterte said he was open to an outside probe by Obama, his secretary of state John Kerry, the EU and the UN&nbsp;Commission on Human Rights into alleged extrajudicial killings, but on the condition that after he was questioned, he had the right to be heard.

&quot;I&#39;ll play with you. I&#39;m very sure they cannot be brighter than me. I will ask five questions that will humiliate you,&quot; Duterte said. &quot;Watch out for that, it will be a spectacle.&quot;

Duterte&#39;s remarks came during a televised speech to hundreds of the country&#39;s business elite, during which he said it was necessary to cleanse the streets of drug pushers and rescue the next generation of Filipinos from the scourge of narcotics.

Duterte, 71, won the hearts of millions of Filipinos with his outrageous, at times comical speeches and man-of-the-people style in the run-up to a May election. He won by a huge margin after campaigning almost entirely on promises to wipe out drugs and crime.

Nearly 2,300 people have died in the war on drugs since the campaign started on June 30, according to police, of which 1,566 were drug suspects killed in police operations.

Police had previously said there had been more than 3,600 deaths, but have since concluded that many of that number were homicides and murders unrelated to illegal narcotics.

Opinion polls for Duterte&#39;s first 90 days in office suggest he remains popular, with a Pulse Asia survey on Wednesday showing he had the trust of 86 per cent of 1,200 Filipinos surveyed.

Duterte said on Wednesday he had officially invited a United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions to investigate the drug killings.

Thursday speech was the latest among Duterte&#39;s frequent and furious rebukes of international critics of his drugs war&nbsp;after they expressed concern about the unusually high death toll and circumstances of the drugs killings.

&quot;These fools think (they can do anything) because the Philippines is a small nation,&quot; he said. &quot;Maybe God gave you the money but we have the brains.&quot;

(Reuters)

He called Obama, the European Union, and the United Nations fools and said they would end up humiliated if they investigated his war on drug

Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte called US President Barack Obama, the European Union and United Nations "fools" on Thursday, and warned they would end up humiliated and outsmarted if they accepted an invitation to investigate his war on drugs. Duterte said he was open to an outside probe by Obama, his secretary of state John Kerry, the EU and the UN Commission on Human Rights into alleged extrajudicial killings, but on the condition that after he was questioned, he had the right to be heard. "I'll play with you. I'm very sure they cannot be brighter than me. I will ask five questions that will humiliate you," Duterte said. "Watch out for that, it will be a spectacle." Duterte's remarks came during a televised speech to hundreds of the country's business elite, during which he said it was necessary to cleanse the streets of drug pushers and rescue the next generation of Filipinos from the scourge of narcotics. Duterte, 71, won the hearts of millions of Filipinos with his outrageous, at times comical speeches and man-of-the-people style in the run-up to a May election. He won by a huge margin after campaigning almost entirely on promises to wipe out drugs and crime. Nearly 2,300 people have died in the war on drugs since the campaign started on June 30, according to police, of which 1,566 were drug suspects killed in police operations. Police had previously said there had been more than 3,600 deaths, but have since concluded that many of that number were homicides and murders unrelated to illegal narcotics. Opinion polls for Duterte's first 90 days in office suggest he remains popular, with a Pulse Asia survey on Wednesday showing he had the trust of 86 per cent of 1,200 Filipinos surveyed. Duterte said on Wednesday he had officially invited a United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions to investigate the drug killings. Thursday speech was the latest among Duterte's frequent and furious rebukes of international critics of his drugs war after they expressed concern about the unusually high death toll and circumstances of the drugs killings. "These fools think (they can do anything) because the Philippines is a small nation," he said. "Maybe God gave you the money but we have the brains." (Reuters)

Philippines: President Duterte challenges West to probe drugs war

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on &#39;Advancement of Women&#39;, on Monday urged that it should be ensured&nbsp;that women are not&nbsp;treated as &#39;followers&#39; or merely &#39;beneficiaries&#39;, but as &#39;leaders&#39;, &#39;contributors&#39; and &#39;agents of change&#39;.

&nbsp;

The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where&nbsp;she highlighted the country&rsquo;s &quot;efforts towards achieving gender equality&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

The statement also noted that the country&#39;s inclusive education policy guarantees that &quot;all girls have equal access to education&quot;, while the Employment Act guarantees that &quot;men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the&nbsp;board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting.&quot;

&nbsp;

Despite the the country&#39;s achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to &quot;achieve a&nbsp;world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights&quot;. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, &ldquo;which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country&#39;s history&rdquo;, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives&rsquo; Constitution.

&nbsp;

&quot;Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind,&quot; the statement by the delegation reads.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

A Maldives delegation at UN General Assembly highlighted that women should be looked upon as 'agents of change'

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on 'Advancement of Women', on Monday urged that it should be ensured that women are not treated as 'followers' or merely 'beneficiaries', but as 'leaders', 'contributors' and 'agents of change'. The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where she highlighted the country’s "efforts towards achieving gender equality". “Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.” The statement also noted that the country's inclusive education policy guarantees that "all girls have equal access to education", while the Employment Act guarantees that "men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work". "The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting." Despite the the country's achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to "achieve a world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights". The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, “which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country's history”, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives’ Constitution. "Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind," the statement by the delegation reads. (WION)

Maldives highlights efforts to achieve gender equality at UN

Global warming is on track to breach a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold by 2050 unless governments double their efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, seven of the world&#39;s top scientists warned&nbsp;on Thursday.

&nbsp;

&quot;Climate change is happening now, and much faster than anticipated,&quot; Sir Robert Watson, former head of the UN&#39;s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the body charged with distilling climate science for policy makers, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Due to climate change, devastating weather-related events&nbsp;including floods, drought, more intense storms, heat waves and wildfires, have doubled in number since 1990, a report put together by the seven scientists states says, the international news agency reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Without additional efforts by all major emitters (of greenhouse gases), the 2C target could be reached even sooner,&quot; Watson said during a teleconference.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The INDC&rsquo;s (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is a term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions) are totally inadequate to meet the 2-degree Celsius goal,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying in the media reports.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Governments must double and redouble their pledges,&rdquo; he said, adding that it&rsquo;s almost certain that the average global temperature will surpass the aspirational 1.5 degree goal as soon as 2030.

&nbsp;

The report, prepared on behalf the Universal Ecological Fund, an Argentine-based NGO and was co-authored by scientists from Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom and the US, also says that pledges made under the Paris climate agreement are inadequate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Inked by 195 nations in December, the Paris Agreement set an even more ambitious target, vowing to cap warming at &quot;well under&quot; 2C, and even 1.5C if possible. &nbsp;The deal may enter into force by the end of year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I think the 1.5 degree pathway is clearly not achievable. We&#39;ll pass it probably in the early 2030s,&quot; Watson observed&nbsp;adding there is a dire need to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The co-authors of the report include Carlo Carraro, scientific director of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Italy, and vice-chair of one of three IPCC working groups, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, deputy director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna and lead author the IPCC working group III.

&nbsp;

2015 was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is shaping up to be even warmer, US and European government scientists have forecast, according to AFP.

&nbsp;

Global warming is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels, Reuters observes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Average world temperatures this year are set for record highs, about 1C above pre-industrial times.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Global?warming?is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels

Global warming is on track to breach a 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) threshold by 2050 unless governments double their efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, seven of the world's top scientists warned on Thursday. "Climate change is happening now, and much faster than anticipated," Sir Robert Watson, former head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the body charged with distilling climate science for policy makers, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. Due to climate change, devastating weather-related events including floods, drought, more intense storms, heat waves and wildfires, have doubled in number since 1990, a report put together by the seven scientists states says, the international news agency reports. "Without additional efforts by all major emitters (of greenhouse gases), the 2C target could be reached even sooner," Watson said during a teleconference. “The INDC’s (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is a term used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions) are totally inadequate to meet the 2-degree Celsius goal,” he was quoted as saying in the media reports. “Governments must double and redouble their pledges,” he said, adding that it’s almost certain that the average global temperature will surpass the aspirational 1.5 degree goal as soon as 2030. The report, prepared on behalf the Universal Ecological Fund, an Argentine-based NGO and was co-authored by scientists from Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom and the US, also says that pledges made under the Paris climate agreement are inadequate. Inked by 195 nations in December, the Paris Agreement set an even more ambitious target, vowing to cap warming at "well under" 2C, and even 1.5C if possible. The deal may enter into force by the end of year. "I think the 1.5 degree pathway is clearly not achievable. We'll pass it probably in the early 2030s," Watson observed adding there is a dire need to cut down the greenhouse gas emissions. The co-authors of the report include Carlo Carraro, scientific director of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Italy, and vice-chair of one of three IPCC working groups, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, deputy director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna and lead author the IPCC working group III. 2015 was the hottest year on record, and 2016 is shaping up to be even warmer, US and European government scientists have forecast, according to AFP. Global warming is projected to cause more heatwaves, droughts, downpours and rising sea levels, Reuters observes. Average world temperatures this year are set for record highs, about 1C above pre-industrial times. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters) (Reuters)

Global warming set to breach 2C limit by 2050, scientists warn

American multinational tech company, Google, has approached United &nbsp;Nation&#39;s (UN) aviation agency to ask for airspace access for its new initiative &#39;Project Loon&#39;, that aims to provide internet access in remote areas with balloons, AFP reported today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the Earth&#39;s surface in the stratosphere and use predictive models of the winds and decision-making algorithms to extend internet connectivity in rural and remote areas.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The project that was launched in 2013, saw its first baloon take off from South America in February, reports AFP. However, it crashed at a tea plantation in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Google&#39;s parent company, Alphabet, has partnered with Sri Lanka to improve the internet access in targetted areas. &nbsp;The company&#39;s X-Lab says it hopes to set up &nbsp;a network on helium baloons to emit powerful 4G signals.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The project has &quot;significantly improved the balloon design, manufacture and launch procedure,&quot; X Lab told the UN`s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Wednesday, according to a document accessed by AFP.

&nbsp;

&quot;The balloons are now robust, remaining aloft well beyond the targeted 100 days, and are launched through a custom developed auto-launcher, allowing rapid multiple launches,&quot; X Lab told the organisation`s executive committee.

&nbsp;

Google&#39;s parent company has requested the assistance of ICAO member states as they met for its 39th triennial assembly. Alphabet appealed to the member states to &quot;establish bilateral or multilateral letters of agreement with adjacent states and Project Loon to allow Loon balloons to safely transit flight information region boundaries.&quot;

&nbsp;

&quot;Safety and coordination with the international civil aviation community is very important to Project Loon,&quot; a X Lab spokeswoman told AFP.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Google's Project Loon aims to improve internet access in remote areas worldwide with 'internet balloons' that would emit 4G signals

American multinational tech company, Google, has approached United Nation's (UN) aviation agency to ask for airspace access for its new initiative 'Project Loon', that aims to provide internet access in remote areas with balloons, AFP reported today. Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the Earth's surface in the stratosphere and use predictive models of the winds and decision-making algorithms to extend internet connectivity in rural and remote areas. The project that was launched in 2013, saw its first baloon take off from South America in February, reports AFP. However, it crashed at a tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Google's parent company, Alphabet, has partnered with Sri Lanka to improve the internet access in targetted areas. The company's X-Lab says it hopes to set up a network on helium baloons to emit powerful 4G signals. The project has "significantly improved the balloon design, manufacture and launch procedure," X Lab told the UN`s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Wednesday, according to a document accessed by AFP. "The balloons are now robust, remaining aloft well beyond the targeted 100 days, and are launched through a custom developed auto-launcher, allowing rapid multiple launches," X Lab told the organisation`s executive committee. Google's parent company has requested the assistance of ICAO member states as they met for its 39th triennial assembly. Alphabet appealed to the member states to "establish bilateral or multilateral letters of agreement with adjacent states and Project Loon to allow Loon balloons to safely transit flight information region boundaries." "Safety and coordination with the international civil aviation community is very important to Project Loon," a X Lab spokeswoman told AFP. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Internet balloons: Google approaches UN, asks for airspace access for Project Loon?

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
During a visit to France&#39;s one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp &ldquo;are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being &quot;dignified, humane and responsible&rdquo; when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The &ldquo;Jungle&rdquo;, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported.&nbsp; 
 
Pressure from the Right wing 
&nbsp; 
Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The international news agency observes that &quot;Illegal migration&quot; has &quot;plagued France under Hollande&#39;s four-year-long tenure&quot;, prompting the authorities to step up measures.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship &ldquo;they should live like the French&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who &ldquo;do not qualify for asylum&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear &ldquo;graver consequences&rdquo; of keeping refugees in their country.&nbsp; 
 
According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The President said that the conditions inside the camp are 'unacceptable, especially for people who have fled the war to live there'

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed the plans to dismantle the migrant camp in Calais in northern France and relocating thousands refugees living there to reception centres across the country, international news agency AFP reported today. During a visit to France's one of the 164 reception centres, Hollande said that the conditions inside the camp “are not acceptable, especially for the people who fled war to live there”. Stressing that France should show that it is capable of being "dignified, humane and responsible” when it comes to treating refugees, he said they could not have such camps in their country. He will pay the camp a visit on Monday. The “Jungle”, as the camp is notoriously known, is home to as many as 9,000 refugees. The southern half of the camp was brought down in February and March this year but its population has since then doubled, according to media reports. Several media reports also point out that reception and orientation centres across the country will accommodate asylum-seekers for over five months while their cases are studied by the authorities. Those not seeking asylum will be deported. Pressure from the Right wing Pressure from conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy and a far-right leader Marine Le Pen is pushing Hollande to take an adamant stand on the issue of migrants, AFP reported today. The international news agency observes that "Illegal migration" has "plagued France under Hollande's four-year-long tenure", prompting the authorities to step up measures. Meanwhile, Sarkozy, who is bracing up for a comeback as the president, said that once immigrants are granted citizenship “they should live like the French”. German chancellor Angela Merkel has also said that Europe should work out a deal with the third-world countries to send back the migrants who “do not qualify for asylum”. The decision to dispatch refugees to orientation centres has sparked protests among the far-right conservative leaders who fear “graver consequences” of keeping refugees in their country. According to a UN report, more than 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year with thousands drowning in the attempt. (WION with inputs from agencies)

French President Francois Hollande vows to dismantle Calais migrant camp, relocate refugees

About 75,000 Syrian refugees have not been getting humanitarian aid for two months in the area at the&nbsp;border with Jordan, international human rights organisation Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday. 
 
Humanitarian assistance to the Berm, the Moroccan wall of Western Sahara, halted completely when Jordan sealed the Rukban and Hadalat border crossings with Syria after seven border guards were killed in an attack in June, said the Amnesty International.&nbsp; 
 
Only one food delivery was made in August for 75,000 refugees living in an informal camp.&nbsp;Video footage and satellite images have shown refugees makeshift grave sites&nbsp;inside a desert no man&rsquo;s land between Jordan and Syria. 
 
&quot;The humanitarian situation is very bad. The situation of children, in particular, is very bad. We have drinking water but hardly any food or milk &hellip; [it] is awful,&quot; Abu Mohamed, a refugee, told Amnesty. Abu has been living in &nbsp;the camp in Rukban for five months. 
 
&ldquo;Many people have died&hellip; They distributed just rice and lentils and a kilo of dried dates, but that was all for a whole month, they gave us nothing but that. The mood among the people in Rukban is below zero,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Poor hygiene and sanitary conditions have added to the misery by leading to an outbreak of hepatitis which has claimed 19 lives so far.&nbsp; 
 
Aid workers have also reported that at least nine childbirth-related deaths took place since 21 June.&nbsp; 
 
Security concerns&nbsp; 
 
Jordan&rsquo;s minister of state for media affairs Mohammed al-Momani told the rights group that the border was closed due to &#39;security concerns&#39;, which also halted humanitarian operations at the berm.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;The area around the Berm is becoming a Daesh enclave,&rdquo; he told the UK-based group.&nbsp; 
 
Al-Momani said Jordan is lending help and has also called on the United Nations to do their bit for the refugees. 
&nbsp; 
According to the human rights group, the UN is negotiating plans with the Jordan to allow humanitarian operations to resume by shifting the distribution points some 2 km into the no man&#39;s land area, 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;There is no question that security is an important consideration, but protecting people in Jordan should not come at the expense of providing humanitarian assistance and protection to those desperately in need,&rdquo; said Tirana Hassan, crisis response director at Amnesty International.&nbsp; 
 
Jordan carries out rigorous screening and registration processes prior to allowing refugees in their country. &nbsp;The authorities can use these processes again to open their doors to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria, while keeping security measures in check.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;Whether aid is distributed at the berm&rsquo;s edge or 2km away does not change the fact that there are tens of thousands of people seeking international protection on Jordan&rsquo;s doorstep, nor does it absolve the authorities&rsquo; obligation to offer a safe haven to those fleeing conflict and persecution,&rdquo; said Tirana Hassan. 
 
&ldquo;Directly or indirectly forcing refugees to return to Syria by refusing access and imposing intolerable living conditions on them is a flagrant violation of Jordan&rsquo;s international obligations. The authorities must allow unfettered humanitarian access to refugees who are trapped,&rdquo; she said. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
At the Rukban refugee camp, the overall number of shelters rose from&nbsp;368 a year ago to 6,563 in late July 2016, and most recently increased to 8,295 in September 2016, according to the report.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

Only one food delivery was made for refugees in August. An outbreak of hepatitis has claimed 19 lives so far

About 75,000 Syrian refugees have not been getting humanitarian aid for two months in the area at the border with Jordan, international human rights organisation Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday. Humanitarian assistance to the Berm, the Moroccan wall of Western Sahara, halted completely when Jordan sealed the Rukban and Hadalat border crossings with Syria after seven border guards were killed in an attack in June, said the Amnesty International. Only one food delivery was made in August for 75,000 refugees living in an informal camp. Video footage and satellite images have shown refugees makeshift grave sites inside a desert no man’s land between Jordan and Syria. "The humanitarian situation is very bad. The situation of children, in particular, is very bad. We have drinking water but hardly any food or milk … [it] is awful," Abu Mohamed, a refugee, told Amnesty. Abu has been living in the camp in Rukban for five months. “Many people have died… They distributed just rice and lentils and a kilo of dried dates, but that was all for a whole month, they gave us nothing but that. The mood among the people in Rukban is below zero," he added. Poor hygiene and sanitary conditions have added to the misery by leading to an outbreak of hepatitis which has claimed 19 lives so far. Aid workers have also reported that at least nine childbirth-related deaths took place since 21 June. Security concerns Jordan’s minister of state for media affairs Mohammed al-Momani told the rights group that the border was closed due to 'security concerns', which also halted humanitarian operations at the berm. “The area around the Berm is becoming a Daesh enclave,” he told the UK-based group. Al-Momani said Jordan is lending help and has also called on the United Nations to do their bit for the refugees. According to the human rights group, the UN is negotiating plans with the Jordan to allow humanitarian operations to resume by shifting the distribution points some 2 km into the no man's land area, “There is no question that security is an important consideration, but protecting people in Jordan should not come at the expense of providing humanitarian assistance and protection to those desperately in need,” said Tirana Hassan, crisis response director at Amnesty International. Jordan carries out rigorous screening and registration processes prior to allowing refugees in their country. The authorities can use these processes again to open their doors to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria, while keeping security measures in check. “Whether aid is distributed at the berm’s edge or 2km away does not change the fact that there are tens of thousands of people seeking international protection on Jordan’s doorstep, nor does it absolve the authorities’ obligation to offer a safe haven to those fleeing conflict and persecution,” said Tirana Hassan. “Directly or indirectly forcing refugees to return to Syria by refusing access and imposing intolerable living conditions on them is a flagrant violation of Jordan’s international obligations. The authorities must allow unfettered humanitarian access to refugees who are trapped,” she said. At the Rukban refugee camp, the overall number of shelters rose from 368 a year ago to 6,563 in late July 2016, and most recently increased to 8,295 in September 2016, according to the report. (WION)

75,000 refugees trapped on Jordan-Syria border with no humanitarian aid: Amnesty

Amid reports of Pakistani women in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir offering their bangles to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for &#39;not doing enough&#39; on the Kashmir issue, the UN said that it fully supports people&#39;s rights to express their opinions peacefully on issues that concern them. 
 
On Tuesday (August 23), hundreds of women in Muzzafarbad, the main city in PoK, held up their bangles -- as an insult hurled at the UN&#39;s head over perceived inaction over violence in Kashmir. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Violence has escalated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani. Clashes between protestors and security forces that began on July 9 have killed 66 and injured thousands more in the worst violence to hit the restive region since 2010.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;I think we are... We are fully supportive of everyone&#39;s right to demonstrate their opinions peacefully about issues that they care about,&quot; Ban&#39;s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Ban added he is closely following the clashes in Kashmir and has called on all political parties to &quot;exercise restraint&quot; to avoid further violence. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Hundreds of women in Muzzafarabad offered their bangles to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon over perceived inaction over Kashmir violence

Amid reports of Pakistani women in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir offering their bangles to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for 'not doing enough' on the Kashmir issue, the UN said that it fully supports people's rights to express their opinions peacefully on issues that concern them. On Tuesday (August 23), hundreds of women in Muzzafarbad, the main city in PoK, held up their bangles -- as an insult hurled at the UN's head over perceived inaction over violence in Kashmir. Violence has escalated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani. Clashes between protestors and security forces that began on July 9 have killed 66 and injured thousands more in the worst violence to hit the restive region since 2010. "I think we are... We are fully supportive of everyone's right to demonstrate their opinions peacefully about issues that they care about," Ban's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. Ban added he is closely following the clashes in Kashmir and has called on all political parties to "exercise restraint" to avoid further violence. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Support people's right to protest: UN Secretary General on reports of PoK protest

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has declared a submarine-launched missile test the &quot;greatest success&quot;, state media reported today, even as the UN weighed a condemnation of the launch which appears to be an advancement in Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear strike capability. 
 
The US mainland and the Pacific are now &quot;within the striking range&quot; of the North Korean army, the official news agency reported Kim as saying. 
 
The missile was test-fired from a submarine submerged off the northeastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday, according to South Korea&#39;s military. It flew round 300 miles towards Japan, exceeding any previous sub-launched tests. 
 
The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss this latest provocative move and agreed to consider a statement condemning the launch. 
 
&quot;There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council and therefore we will have to see how we would then be phrasing the press statement,&quot; said Ramlan bin Ibrahim from Malaysia, which currently holds the council&#39;s presidency. 
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<h5>Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January.</h5>
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However, according to media reports, diplomats expected further haggling with China, Pyongyang&#39;s main ally, over the wording. 
 
Earlier this month, North Korea fired a land-launched ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time, that followed an outraged response from Tokyo. 
 
But the Security Council failed to condemn the move after China sought to include language in a statement opposing the THAAD missile defence system that the United States plans to deploy in South Korea. 
 
Kim said the latest launch proved the North had joined the &quot;front rank of the military powers fully equipped with nuclear attack capability&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
According to reports, Pyongyang&#39;s top newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried 24 photos of him observing the launch, including one with his hands on his waist laughing at an observation post, and other watching through a pair of binoculars.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I do not guess what ridiculous remarks the US and its followers will make about this test-fire, but I can say their rash acts will only precipitate their self-destruction,&quot; he was quoted as saying.&nbsp; 
 
South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a military source as saying Wednesday&#39;s launch had been made at an acute angle to limit the missile&#39;s range. 
 
The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its website, 38 North, that Pyongyang still faces significant technological challenges including building a new class of submarine to carry the missile. 
 
But the North is &quot;on track to the capability to strike targets in the region, including Japan, by 2020&quot;, it said. 
 
Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

Kim was reported as saying after the test that the US mainland and the pacific are now 'within the striking range' of his army

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has declared a submarine-launched missile test the "greatest success", state media reported today, even as the UN weighed a condemnation of the launch which appears to be an advancement in Pyongyang's nuclear strike capability. The US mainland and the Pacific are now "within the striking range" of the North Korean army, the official news agency reported Kim as saying. The missile was test-fired from a submarine submerged off the northeastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday, according to South Korea's military. It flew round 300 miles towards Japan, exceeding any previous sub-launched tests. The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss this latest provocative move and agreed to consider a statement condemning the launch. "There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council and therefore we will have to see how we would then be phrasing the press statement," said Ramlan bin Ibrahim from Malaysia, which currently holds the council's presidency. Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January. However, according to media reports, diplomats expected further haggling with China, Pyongyang's main ally, over the wording. Earlier this month, North Korea fired a land-launched ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time, that followed an outraged response from Tokyo. But the Security Council failed to condemn the move after China sought to include language in a statement opposing the THAAD missile defence system that the United States plans to deploy in South Korea. Kim said the latest launch proved the North had joined the "front rank of the military powers fully equipped with nuclear attack capability". According to reports, Pyongyang's top newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried 24 photos of him observing the launch, including one with his hands on his waist laughing at an observation post, and other watching through a pair of binoculars. "I do not guess what ridiculous remarks the US and its followers will make about this test-fire, but I can say their rash acts will only precipitate their self-destruction," he was quoted as saying. South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited a military source as saying Wednesday's launch had been made at an acute angle to limit the missile's range. The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its website, 38 North, that Pyongyang still faces significant technological challenges including building a new class of submarine to carry the missile. But the North is "on track to the capability to strike targets in the region, including Japan, by 2020", it said. Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January. (With inputs from AFP)

Kim Jong-Un declares submarine-launched missile test  'greatest success'; UN condemns launch

The United Nations&#39; top aid official voiced anger today at world powers&#39; inability to agree on a truce to allow aid into Aleppo, warning of an &quot;unparalleled&quot; humanitarian catastrophe in the battleground Syrian city. 
 
Stephen O&#39;Brien told the Security Council that plans were in place to quickly send 70 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo if all sides agreed on a truce. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not going to pretend. I&#39;m angry, very angry,&quot; O&#39;Brien told council members holding their third meeting on the crisis in Aleppo this month. 
 
&quot;As the UN&#39;s humanitarian chief, this callous carnage that is Syria has long since moved from the cynical to the sinful.&quot; 
 
O&#39;Brien renewed his call for a 48-hour pause in fighting in Aleppo, where the violence escalated sharply in July when regime forces surrounded the rebel-held east. 
 
Up to 275,000 people in eastern Aleppo have been almost entirely cut off from food, water, medicine and electricity for over a month, while 1.5 million people living in the west of the city also face severe shortages. 
 
&quot;In Aleppo, we risk seeing a humanitarian catastrophe unparalleled in the over five years of bloodshed and carnage in the Syrian conflict,&quot; said O&#39;Brien. 
 
The war-torn nation&#39;s second city &quot;has become the apex of horror&quot; for suffering Syrians, he said. 
 
O&#39;Brien welcomed the announcement from Russia, Syria&#39;s key ally, that it supports the call for the 48-hour ceasefire, but said all sides must sign on. 
 
Once the needed security assurances are received, UN aid workers are ready to move 50 trucks of aid from western Aleppo to the east, and an additional 20 trucks from Turkey into eastern Aleppo, he said. 
 
O&#39;Brien urged all countries with influence, in particular the United States and Russia, which co-chair the international group backing the peace process in Syria, to rapidly reach agreement on a ceasefire deal. 
 
Not a single aid convoy has reached Syria&#39;s besieged areas in August while air strikes have hit hospitals and schools. 
 
In July alone, there were 44 attacks on medical and health facilities throughout Syria, including attacks against five out of the nine hospitals in eastern Aleppo, according to the UN. 
 
More than 290,000 people have been killed in the Syrian war that erupted in March 2011 and international efforts to end the conflict have faltered. 
 
(AFP)

The war-torn nation's second city 'has become the apex of horror', O'Brien said, adding that all sides must sign on the call for ceasefire

The United Nations' top aid official voiced anger today at world powers' inability to agree on a truce to allow aid into Aleppo, warning of an "unparalleled" humanitarian catastrophe in the battleground Syrian city. Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council that plans were in place to quickly send 70 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo if all sides agreed on a truce. "I'm not going to pretend. I'm angry, very angry," O'Brien told council members holding their third meeting on the crisis in Aleppo this month. "As the UN's humanitarian chief, this callous carnage that is Syria has long since moved from the cynical to the sinful." O'Brien renewed his call for a 48-hour pause in fighting in Aleppo, where the violence escalated sharply in July when regime forces surrounded the rebel-held east. Up to 275,000 people in eastern Aleppo have been almost entirely cut off from food, water, medicine and electricity for over a month, while 1.5 million people living in the west of the city also face severe shortages. "In Aleppo, we risk seeing a humanitarian catastrophe unparalleled in the over five years of bloodshed and carnage in the Syrian conflict," said O'Brien. The war-torn nation's second city "has become the apex of horror" for suffering Syrians, he said. O'Brien welcomed the announcement from Russia, Syria's key ally, that it supports the call for the 48-hour ceasefire, but said all sides must sign on. Once the needed security assurances are received, UN aid workers are ready to move 50 trucks of aid from western Aleppo to the east, and an additional 20 trucks from Turkey into eastern Aleppo, he said. O'Brien urged all countries with influence, in particular the United States and Russia, which co-chair the international group backing the peace process in Syria, to rapidly reach agreement on a ceasefire deal. Not a single aid convoy has reached Syria's besieged areas in August while air strikes have hit hospitals and schools. In July alone, there were 44 attacks on medical and health facilities throughout Syria, including attacks against five out of the nine hospitals in eastern Aleppo, according to the UN. More than 290,000 people have been killed in the Syrian war that erupted in March 2011 and international efforts to end the conflict have faltered. (AFP)

UN aid chief warns of 'unparalleled' catastrophe in Aleppo

Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of Yemen have killed 10 children, aid agencies said today, prompting fresh concerns over civilian casualties in the 17-month war. 
 
Another 28 children were wounded in the raids which occurred yesterday in the town of Haydan, in Saada province, said the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The United Nations confirmed the attacks. 
 
A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been battling the Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 when the insurgents seized the capital Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country. 
 
Only 10 days ago, it acknowledged &quot;shortcomings&quot; in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that have been condemned by the United Nations. 
 
Doctors Without Borders &quot;received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan,&quot; said spokeswoman Malak Shaher. 
 
They were admitted to a field hospital near the school before being transferred to a public hospital, she told AFP. 
 
&quot;We demand from all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians,&quot; Shaher said. 
 
The United Nation&#39;s children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack. 
 
It warned that &quot;with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply.&quot; 
 
The Shiite rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets.&nbsp;Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes &quot;targeted&quot; children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a &quot;heinous crime&quot;. 
 
The Saudi Press Agency said coalition warplanes struck a Huthi &quot;training centre&quot; yesterday in Saada, killing several insurgents, including a leader it identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua. 
 
The Arab coalition launched its air war against the Huthis on March 26, 2015. After a three-month pause, it resumed the air strikes on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks in Kuwait. 
 
Raids struck a food factory in Yemen`s rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, according to medics. The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition. 
 
The United Nations had also voiced concern over the increased fighting in Yemen during the past week, warning of its humanitarian consequences with more than 80 per cent of the population needing aid. 
 
&quot;UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law,&quot; the agency said in its latest statement. &quot;This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.&quot; 
 
Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year. 
 
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to United Nations aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh. 
 
Coalition members - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as well as Yemen have formed a 14-member investigative team which has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks. It found the coalition guilty of &quot;mistakenly&quot; hitting a residential compound after receiving &quot;imprecise&quot; intelligence information and offered compensation to families of the victims. 
 
The team also held the coalition responsible for air strikes on an MSF-run hospital, also in Haydan, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout.&nbsp; 
 
The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. The coalition meanwhile announced that Saudi air defences yesterday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen towards the kingdom.&nbsp; 
 
Coalition jets struck the source of fire in an area between Saada and Amran province, near the capital. 
 
Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom`s borders since the coalition campaign began. 
 
(AFP)

Another 28 children were wounded in the raids. All children were under the age of 15, said a Doctors Without Borders spokeswoman

Saudi-led air strikes on a school in a rebel-held province of Yemen have killed 10 children, aid agencies said today, prompting fresh concerns over civilian casualties in the 17-month war. Another 28 children were wounded in the raids which occurred yesterday in the town of Haydan, in Saada province, said the Paris-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The United Nations confirmed the attacks. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been battling the Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 when the insurgents seized the capital Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country. Only 10 days ago, it acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of strikes on civilian targets in Yemen that have been condemned by the United Nations. Doctors Without Borders "received 10 dead children and 28 wounded, all under the age of 15, who are victims of air strikes on a Koranic school in Haydan," said spokeswoman Malak Shaher. They were admitted to a field hospital near the school before being transferred to a public hospital, she told AFP. "We demand from all parties to take the measures necessary to protect civilians," Shaher said. The United Nation's children agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack. It warned that "with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by air strikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply." The Shiite rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead and bloodied children wrapped in blankets. Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said warplanes "targeted" children at the Jomaa bin Fadhel school, in what he described as a "heinous crime". The Saudi Press Agency said coalition warplanes struck a Huthi "training centre" yesterday in Saada, killing several insurgents, including a leader it identified as Yehya Munassar Abu Rabua. The Arab coalition launched its air war against the Huthis on March 26, 2015. After a three-month pause, it resumed the air strikes on Tuesday, less than 72 hours after UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the collapse of peace talks in Kuwait. Raids struck a food factory in Yemen`s rebel-controlled capital, killing 14 people, according to medics. The factory is near a military equipment maintenance centre targeted by the coalition. The United Nations had also voiced concern over the increased fighting in Yemen during the past week, warning of its humanitarian consequences with more than 80 per cent of the population needing aid. "UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law," the agency said in its latest statement. "This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure." Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a UN report found the Arab alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had accused Saudi Arabia of threatening to cut off funding to United Nations aid programmes over the blacklist, a charge denied by Riyadh. Coalition members - Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - as well as Yemen have formed a 14-member investigative team which has probed claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme aid trucks. It found the coalition guilty of "mistakenly" hitting a residential compound after receiving "imprecise" intelligence information and offered compensation to families of the victims. The team also held the coalition responsible for air strikes on an MSF-run hospital, also in Haydan, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout. The UN says more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. The coalition meanwhile announced that Saudi air defences yesterday intercepted a Scud missile fired from Yemen towards the kingdom. Coalition jets struck the source of fire in an area between Saada and Amran province, near the capital. Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom`s borders since the coalition campaign began. (AFP)

10 children dead in Saudi-led Arab coalition raid on Yemen school: MSF

Iran-backed rebels convened Yemen&#39;s parliament today in defiance of the internationally recognised government, prompting condemnation from President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. 
 
The session in rebel-held Sanaa was the first time parliament has convened in almost two years and comes after the Huthis rejected a UN peace plan and appointed a council to run the country. 
 
Parliamentary sources said that 91 lawmakers in the 301-member national assembly attended the session. All voted in favour of the council which was created last week. 
 
The Huthi rebels overran Sanaa in September 2014 and then fought their way into other parts of Yemen, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. 
 
A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Huthis and their allies - supporters of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh - since March last year to shore up the Hadi government. 
 
After Sanaa&#39;s capture, many parliamentarians also sought refuge in other towns or overseas. 
 
Political and security sources in Sanaa told AFP that some lawmakers were forced to attend today&#39;s session after rebel threats, but without elaborating. 
 
Parliament chief Yehya al-Raie, a leading figure in Saleh&#39;s General People&#39;s Congress party, urged all MPs &quot;outside the country to review their positions&quot; and invited them to retake their seats. 
 
Hadi labels session &#39;a violation of constitution&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Hadi denounced the session as a &quot;violation&quot; of the constitution and a &quot;crime punishable by law&quot;, in remarks carried by the official sabanew.net website. 
 
&quot;Whatever takes place at this meeting has no legal effects and cannot be implemented,&quot; he said. 
 
According to the constitution, more than 150 lawmakers must be present for a vote to be held. 
 
Armed rebels were inside parliament for today&#39;s session, which was held as coalition warplanes pounded military targets around Sanaa, parliamentary sources said. 
 
UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has described the rebel governing council as a violation of commitments to the peace process. 
 
Last week, he suspended UN-brokered talks between rebels and the government. 
 
The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. 
 
Arab coalition air strikes have hit rebel positions across northern Yemen as well in as the southwestern province of Taez as ground fighting raged on. 
 
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement yesterday he was &quot;deeply alarmed by the intensification of violence across the country&quot;. 
 
&quot;The people of Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the suffering as a result of the inability of the parties to find a political solution&quot; to the conflict, he said. 
 
&quot;The return to full-scale hostilities only drives humanitarian needs further,&quot; he said. 
 
The fighting in Yemen has driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid, the UN says. 
 
(Agencies)

The session in rebel-held Sanaa was the first time parliament has convened in almost two years. It was attended by 91 lawmakers

Iran-backed rebels convened Yemen's parliament today in defiance of the internationally recognised government, prompting condemnation from President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The session in rebel-held Sanaa was the first time parliament has convened in almost two years and comes after the Huthis rejected a UN peace plan and appointed a council to run the country. Parliamentary sources said that 91 lawmakers in the 301-member national assembly attended the session. All voted in favour of the council which was created last week. The Huthi rebels overran Sanaa in September 2014 and then fought their way into other parts of Yemen, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Huthis and their allies - supporters of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh - since March last year to shore up the Hadi government. After Sanaa's capture, many parliamentarians also sought refuge in other towns or overseas. Political and security sources in Sanaa told AFP that some lawmakers were forced to attend today's session after rebel threats, but without elaborating. Parliament chief Yehya al-Raie, a leading figure in Saleh's General People's Congress party, urged all MPs "outside the country to review their positions" and invited them to retake their seats. Hadi labels session 'a violation of constitution' Hadi denounced the session as a "violation" of the constitution and a "crime punishable by law", in remarks carried by the official sabanew.net website. "Whatever takes place at this meeting has no legal effects and cannot be implemented," he said. According to the constitution, more than 150 lawmakers must be present for a vote to be held. Armed rebels were inside parliament for today's session, which was held as coalition warplanes pounded military targets around Sanaa, parliamentary sources said. UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has described the rebel governing council as a violation of commitments to the peace process. Last week, he suspended UN-brokered talks between rebels and the government. The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year. Arab coalition air strikes have hit rebel positions across northern Yemen as well in as the southwestern province of Taez as ground fighting raged on. The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement yesterday he was "deeply alarmed by the intensification of violence across the country". "The people of Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the suffering as a result of the inability of the parties to find a political solution" to the conflict, he said. "The return to full-scale hostilities only drives humanitarian needs further," he said. The fighting in Yemen has driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid, the UN says. (Agencies)

Yemen rebels convene parliament to defy Saudi-backed exiled government, Hadi denounces session

Russia&#39;s accusation of Ukraine plotting terror attacks in Crimea was &quot;absolutely ridiculous&quot;, said permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Today President Putin has made a statement in which he accused Ukraine of making provocations along the border with Crimea and turning to terror instead of seeking the peaceful solutions to the conflict, which sounds absolutely ridiculous,&quot; said Yelchenko. 
 
Ukraine condemns any form of terrorism, and will not resort to military means on the issue of Crimea, Yelchenko stressed. 
 
&quot;As you will know, first to the act was the minister of defense of Ukraine, which very clearly stated that there was absolutely no military activity along the border with Crimea&nbsp;and that Ukraine never sought to solve any issues with Russia by military means. Instead, this was called as a fake provocation by the Russian Federation,&quot; he said. 
 
Ukraine may submit the issue of east Ukraine for discussion at the United Nations Security Council based on the development of the situation, Yelchenko added. 
 
&quot;We still hope that it will not bring the conflict to another level. But it seems that it is quite possible, unfortunately,&quot; he said. 
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would take additional measures to ensure safety in Crimea after it has succeeded in preventing a series of terrorist attacks on the peninsula. He accused the Kiev authorities of turning to &quot;terror&quot; instead of solving problems through negotiations while calling for attention from Western countries. 
 
Earlier in the day, the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB) said that Russia has prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea planned by the Ukraine military intelligence service. 
 
An Ukrainian military intelligence officer and a group of Russian and Ukrainian citizens who were suspected to be Ukrainian military intelligence agents and assisted in preparing for terrorist acts were detained and interrogated, the FSB said in a statement. 
 
The claims made by the FSB were immediately rejected by the Ukrainian side. 
 
The autonomous republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol were absorbed into Russia in March 2014 following a referendum, which was recognized by Moscow but rejected by Kiev. 
 
(Reuters)

Will not use military means on Crimea issue, says Yelchenko, permanent representative of Ukraine to UN

Russia's accusation of Ukraine plotting terror attacks in Crimea was "absolutely ridiculous", said permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday. "Today President Putin has made a statement in which he accused Ukraine of making provocations along the border with Crimea and turning to terror instead of seeking the peaceful solutions to the conflict, which sounds absolutely ridiculous," said Yelchenko. Ukraine condemns any form of terrorism, and will not resort to military means on the issue of Crimea, Yelchenko stressed. "As you will know, first to the act was the minister of defense of Ukraine, which very clearly stated that there was absolutely no military activity along the border with Crimea and that Ukraine never sought to solve any issues with Russia by military means. Instead, this was called as a fake provocation by the Russian Federation," he said. Ukraine may submit the issue of east Ukraine for discussion at the United Nations Security Council based on the development of the situation, Yelchenko added. "We still hope that it will not bring the conflict to another level. But it seems that it is quite possible, unfortunately," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would take additional measures to ensure safety in Crimea after it has succeeded in preventing a series of terrorist attacks on the peninsula. He accused the Kiev authorities of turning to "terror" instead of solving problems through negotiations while calling for attention from Western countries. Earlier in the day, the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB) said that Russia has prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea planned by the Ukraine military intelligence service. An Ukrainian military intelligence officer and a group of Russian and Ukrainian citizens who were suspected to be Ukrainian military intelligence agents and assisted in preparing for terrorist acts were detained and interrogated, the FSB said in a statement. The claims made by the FSB were immediately rejected by the Ukrainian side. The autonomous republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol were absorbed into Russia in March 2014 following a referendum, which was recognized by Moscow but rejected by Kiev. (Reuters)

Ukraine rubbishes Russian accusations of resorting to terror

<div>Russia said on Wednesday there would be daily three-hour&nbsp;ceasefires in Syria&#39;s Aleppo starting Thursday to allow humanitarian&nbsp;convoys to enter the city safely, a proposal which the United Nations&nbsp;said it would consider. 
 
Aleppo is split into rebel and government controlled areas. The&nbsp;rebel-held east, where about 250,000 people are thought to be&nbsp;living, came under siege in early July after government forces cut the,&nbsp;Castello Road, the main supply route into the district. 
 
Last Friday rebels staged a major assault southwest of Aleppo to&nbsp;break this siege. Rebel fighters did manage to pierce the ring of&nbsp;government-controlled territory, but a safe corridor for civilians and&nbsp;aid has not yet been established as fierce fighting continues.&nbsp;Speaking at a televised briefing, Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi,&nbsp;a senior Russian Defence Ministry official, said that the pause in&nbsp;fighting would run from 10 am to 1 pm local time. 
 
Rudskoi said the question of joint control over delivery of&nbsp;humanitarian aid via Castello Road was being discussed with the 
United Nations and the United States. 
 
He said &quot;all military action, air and artillery strikes&quot; would be halted&nbsp;for the three-hour periods. 
 
&quot;This is to ensure that all interested organisations have the&nbsp;opportunity to deliver their humanitarian assistance to the&nbsp;residents of Aleppo,&quot; Rudskoi said. 
 
He added that Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&nbsp;against rebels in Syria&#39;s five-year-old civil war, would work with 
Damascus to ensure safe delivery of the aid.&nbsp;A spokesman for a major rebel group fighting inside Aleppo told&nbsp;Reuters it was sceptical of the Russian plan. 
 
&quot;Is this publicity that Russia is a neutral party? What is three hours?&nbsp;In those three hours they will just be bombing (rebel-held) Idlib!&quot;, 
said Abd al-Salaam Abd al-Razzaq, military spokesman for the Nour&nbsp;al Din al-Zinki insurgent group. 
 
Air strikes killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens in rebel-held Idlib province, southwest of Aleppo, on Wednesday. One Idlib 
town, Saraqeb, has received daily heavy air strikes since a Russian&nbsp;helicopter was shot down nearby 10 days ago. 
 
QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE TRAPPED 
 
At least four people died and many suffered breathing difficulties&nbsp;when a gas, believed to be chlorine, was dropped alongside barrel&nbsp;bombs on a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo on&nbsp;Wednesday, a hospital and a civil defence group told Reuters.&nbsp;Food supplies, infrastructure and medical services are immensely&nbsp;strained for the roughly 250,000 people believed to be trapped&nbsp;inside eastern Aleppo. 
 
United Nations aid chief Stephen O&#39;Brien said on Wednesday he was&nbsp;willing to consider the Russian plan, but that a 48-hour pause in&nbsp;fighting was needed to meet all the humanitarian needs in the Syrian&nbsp;city, Syria&#39;s most populous before the war.&nbsp;&quot;At all times I will look at any kind of suggestion which enables&nbsp;humanitarian aid to be delivered,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;When we&#39;re offered three hours then you have to ask what could be&nbsp;achieved in that three hours - is it to meet the need, or would it only&nbsp;just meet a very small part of the need?&nbsp;&quot;Clearly, from our point of view, we&rsquo;re simply there to meet the need,&nbsp;all the need...,&quot; O&#39;Brien said. &quot;To meet that capacity of need you need&nbsp;two (road) lanes and you need to have about 48 hours to get&nbsp;sufficient trucks in.&quot; 
 
He said last month that any Aleppo humanitarian pause needed to&nbsp;be 48 hours because the Castello Road was so damaged that only&nbsp;smaller trucks could be used, taking longer to deliver the assistance&nbsp;needed. 
 
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau&nbsp;said the United States would welcome any pause in fighting in Syria&nbsp;to facilitate delivery of vital humanitarian aid, but a truce must be&nbsp;observed by all parties. 
 
Rudskoi said that a point for collecting the aid and forming convoys&nbsp;has been established near Handarat, on the northern outskirts of&nbsp;Aleppo. 
 
Two weeks ago Russia and the Syrian government declared a joint&nbsp;humanitarian operation for the besieged area, showering it with&nbsp;leaflets telling fighters to surrender and civilians to leave through a&nbsp;number of &quot;humanitarian corridors&quot; it had set up. 
 
Russian and Syrian warplanes have bombarded eastern Aleppo and&nbsp;other rebel-held areas of Syria daily for months and the United&nbsp;States suggested the humanitarian corridors plan may have been an&nbsp;attempt to depopulate the city so that the Syrian army could seize it. 
 
&quot;All seven humanitarian corridors, established for the exit of&nbsp;peaceful residents and militants who wanted to lay down their arms,&nbsp;are open and work around the clock,&quot; Rudskoi said. &quot;An additional&nbsp;humanitarian corridor for militants with weapons continues to&nbsp;operate near the Castello Road.&quot; 
 
He said that a &quot;number&quot; of armed groups, with weapons, had already&nbsp;left the eastern part of Aleppo through that corridor.&nbsp;Rudskoi said&nbsp;the situation in the southwest of Aleppo remains&nbsp;difficult, with about 7,000 Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants massing&nbsp;there for the last week and still being joined by new combatants. He&nbsp;said the militants had tanks, artillery and combat vehicles with&nbsp;weapons mounted on them. 
 
(Reuters)</div>

Officials said that the pause in fighting would run from 10 am to 1 pm local time

Russia said on Wednesday there would be daily three-hour ceasefires in Syria's Aleppo starting Thursday to allow humanitarian convoys to enter the city safely, a proposal which the United Nations said it would consider. Aleppo is split into rebel and government controlled areas. The rebel-held east, where about 250,000 people are thought to be living, came under siege in early July after government forces cut the, Castello Road, the main supply route into the district. Last Friday rebels staged a major assault southwest of Aleppo to break this siege. Rebel fighters did manage to pierce the ring of government-controlled territory, but a safe corridor for civilians and aid has not yet been established as fierce fighting continues. Speaking at a televised briefing, Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, a senior Russian Defence Ministry official, said that the pause in fighting would run from 10 am to 1 pm local time. Rudskoi said the question of joint control over delivery of humanitarian aid via Castello Road was being discussed with the United Nations and the United States. He said "all military action, air and artillery strikes" would be halted for the three-hour periods. "This is to ensure that all interested organisations have the opportunity to deliver their humanitarian assistance to the residents of Aleppo," Rudskoi said. He added that Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels in Syria's five-year-old civil war, would work with Damascus to ensure safe delivery of the aid. A spokesman for a major rebel group fighting inside Aleppo told Reuters it was sceptical of the Russian plan. "Is this publicity that Russia is a neutral party? What is three hours? In those three hours they will just be bombing (rebel-held) Idlib!", said Abd al-Salaam Abd al-Razzaq, military spokesman for the Nour al Din al-Zinki insurgent group. Air strikes killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens in rebel-held Idlib province, southwest of Aleppo, on Wednesday. One Idlib town, Saraqeb, has received daily heavy air strikes since a Russian helicopter was shot down nearby 10 days ago. QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE TRAPPED At least four people died and many suffered breathing difficulties when a gas, believed to be chlorine, was dropped alongside barrel bombs on a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Wednesday, a hospital and a civil defence group told Reuters. Food supplies, infrastructure and medical services are immensely strained for the roughly 250,000 people believed to be trapped inside eastern Aleppo. United Nations aid chief Stephen O'Brien said on Wednesday he was willing to consider the Russian plan, but that a 48-hour pause in fighting was needed to meet all the humanitarian needs in the Syrian city, Syria's most populous before the war. "At all times I will look at any kind of suggestion which enables humanitarian aid to be delivered," he told reporters. "When we're offered three hours then you have to ask what could be achieved in that three hours - is it to meet the need, or would it only just meet a very small part of the need? "Clearly, from our point of view, we’re simply there to meet the need, all the need...," O'Brien said. "To meet that capacity of need you need two (road) lanes and you need to have about 48 hours to get sufficient trucks in." He said last month that any Aleppo humanitarian pause needed to be 48 hours because the Castello Road was so damaged that only smaller trucks could be used, taking longer to deliver the assistance needed. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States would welcome any pause in fighting in Syria to facilitate delivery of vital humanitarian aid, but a truce must be observed by all parties. Rudskoi said that a point for collecting the aid and forming convoys has been established near Handarat, on the northern outskirts of Aleppo. Two weeks ago Russia and the Syrian government declared a joint humanitarian operation for the besieged area, showering it with leaflets telling fighters to surrender and civilians to leave through a number of "humanitarian corridors" it had set up. Russian and Syrian warplanes have bombarded eastern Aleppo and other rebel-held areas of Syria daily for months and the United States suggested the humanitarian corridors plan may have been an attempt to depopulate the city so that the Syrian army could seize it. "All seven humanitarian corridors, established for the exit of peaceful residents and militants who wanted to lay down their arms, are open and work around the clock," Rudskoi said. "An additional humanitarian corridor for militants with weapons continues to operate near the Castello Road." He said that a "number" of armed groups, with weapons, had already left the eastern part of Aleppo through that corridor. Rudskoi said the situation in the southwest of Aleppo remains difficult, with about 7,000 Jabhat Fatah al-Sham militants massing there for the last week and still being joined by new combatants. He said the militants had tanks, artillery and combat vehicles with weapons mounted on them. (Reuters)

Russia announces daily ceasefire in Syria?s Aleppo to facilitate aid

Up to two million people in Syria&#39;s Aleppo have gone without running water for the past four days, the United Nations warned on Tuesday, describing the situation as &quot;catastrophic&quot;. 
 
The UN children&#39;s agency said that the fierce fighting that has rocked Aleppo in recent weeks had damaged the electricity networks needed to pump water supplies throughout the divided city. 
 
&quot;Children and families in Aleppo are facing a catastrophic situation,&quot; Hanaa Singer, UNICEF&#39;s representative in Syria, said in a statement. 
 
&quot;These cuts are coming amid a heatwave, putting children at a grave risk of waterborne diseases,&quot; she said, stressing that &quot;getting clean water running again cannot wait for the fighting to stop. Children&#39;s lives are in serious danger.&quot; 
 
Temperatures in Aleppo were pushing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to BBC Weather. 
 
UNICEF pointed out that attacks on July 31 had struck the electricity transmission station which powered water pumping to the eastern and western parts of the city. 
 
Authorities had urgently restored an alternative power line on August 4, only to see it damaged less than 24 hours later, with intense fighting hampering repair efforts. 
 
&quot;As a result, the whole city has been without running water for four days,&quot; the UNICEF statement said. 
 
The UN, which has called for an urgent &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; in the fighting in Aleppo to help trapped civilians, estimates that some two million people are in danger of coming under total siege. 
 
That number includes up to 275,000 people believed to be trapped in rebel-controlled east Aleppo, and well over one million who are in the government-controlled western part of the city, as well as those in the suburbs. 
 
Experts with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile put the embattled city&#39;s population at no more than 1.5 million. 
 
UNICEF said it and its partners were scaling up their emergency response to bring safe drinking water to civilians in Damascus. 
 
But it warned that civilians would soon be forced to resort to unsafe water sources if the pumping systems were not quickly repaired. 
 
&quot;We urge parties to the conflict to immediately allow safe access for technicians to conduct critical repairs to the electricity and water systems,&quot; Singer said. 
 
More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in March 2011. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The UNICEF said the fighting has damaged the electricity networks needed to pump water supplies through the city

Up to two million people in Syria's Aleppo have gone without running water for the past four days, the United Nations warned on Tuesday, describing the situation as "catastrophic". The UN children's agency said that the fierce fighting that has rocked Aleppo in recent weeks had damaged the electricity networks needed to pump water supplies throughout the divided city. "Children and families in Aleppo are facing a catastrophic situation," Hanaa Singer, UNICEF's representative in Syria, said in a statement. "These cuts are coming amid a heatwave, putting children at a grave risk of waterborne diseases," she said, stressing that "getting clean water running again cannot wait for the fighting to stop. Children's lives are in serious danger." Temperatures in Aleppo were pushing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to BBC Weather. UNICEF pointed out that attacks on July 31 had struck the electricity transmission station which powered water pumping to the eastern and western parts of the city. Authorities had urgently restored an alternative power line on August 4, only to see it damaged less than 24 hours later, with intense fighting hampering repair efforts. "As a result, the whole city has been without running water for four days," the UNICEF statement said. The UN, which has called for an urgent "humanitarian pause" in the fighting in Aleppo to help trapped civilians, estimates that some two million people are in danger of coming under total siege. That number includes up to 275,000 people believed to be trapped in rebel-controlled east Aleppo, and well over one million who are in the government-controlled western part of the city, as well as those in the suburbs. Experts with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile put the embattled city's population at no more than 1.5 million. UNICEF said it and its partners were scaling up their emergency response to bring safe drinking water to civilians in Damascus. But it warned that civilians would soon be forced to resort to unsafe water sources if the pumping systems were not quickly repaired. "We urge parties to the conflict to immediately allow safe access for technicians to conduct critical repairs to the electricity and water systems," Singer said. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011. (AFP)

Up to 2 million people have gone without running water for 4 days in Aleppo: UN

Portugal&#39;s former prime minister Antonio Guterres held the lead in the race to be the next UN secretary-general after a second secret straw poll on Friday, diplomats said. 
 
Guterres received 11 &quot;encourage&quot; votes, two &quot;discourage&quot; votes and two &quot;no opinion&quot; during the informal vote by the 15-member Security Council, a slightly weaker showing than in the first round last month. 
 
But the 67-year-old Guterres managed to increase his lead over the other candidates in the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down after 10 years as UN chief at the end of this year. 
 
Serbia&#39;s former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic made a surprisingly strong showing, taking the second spot with eight &quot;encourage&quot; votes, four &quot;discourage&quot; votes and three &quot;no opinion&quot;. 
 
Argentina&#39;s Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra climbed up the rankings, taking third place and becoming the leading woman in the race. 
 
Malcorra, a UN insider who was Ban&#39;s chief of staff, picked up eight encouragements, six discouragements and one no opinion, moving up from eighth place in the first round. 
 
Slovenia&#39;s ex-president Danilo Turk, who was the runner-up in the first round, dropped to fourth place, with seven encouragements, five discouragements and three &quot;no opinion&quot;. 
 
UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria also fell from her third-place ranking to fifth place, with seven encouragements, seven discouragements and one &quot;no opinion&quot;. 
 
Guterres, who served as the UN&#39;s refugee chief for 10 years and as Portugal&#39;s socialist prime minister from 1995 to 2002, came out on top during the first round with 12 &quot;encourage&quot; votes and three &quot;no opinion&quot;. 
 
Diplomats speculated that one of the two negative votes cast in this round may have come from veto power Russia in a bid to block or slow down his advance. 
 
&quot;Guterres is almost there,&quot; commented a diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
 
Clark drops in ranking 
 
Lower down the rankings, New Zealand&#39;s ex-prime minister and head of the UN development program, Helen Clark, lost some ground as well, taking the number seven spot after Macedonia&#39;s ex-foreign minister Srgjan Kerim. 
 
Clark picked up six encouragements and eight &quot;discourage&quot; votes along with one &quot;no opinion.&quot; In the first-round rankings, she was sixth. 
 
The last four spots went to former UN climate negotiator Christiana Figueres, ex-foreign minister Natalia Gherman of Moldova, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak and Igor Luksic, a former acting prime minister of Montenegro. 
 
The shakeup in this round meant that the council will still be holding several straw polls to try to reach a consensus on who should take the helm of the United Nations. 
 
Security Council members are facing calls to pick the first woman after eight men in the job, and to give preference to a candidate from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the post. 
 
Of the 11 candidates, seven are from eastern Europe. Five are women. 
 
The secret vote caps a new, more open process that for the first time in the UN&#39;s history allowed candidates to appear at hearings to make their pitch for the top job before the General Assembly. 
 
The results of the straw poll were not publicly announced, but the council president communicated them to the candidates to give them an indication of the level of support in the council. 
 
Some candidates privately said ahead of the vote that they would closely look at the results to decide whether to stay in the race. 
 
Croatia&#39;s ex-foreign minister Vesna Pusic pulled out on Thursday after she picked up the lowest score in the first round. 
 
Council diplomats are expecting a nominee to emerge in October, who will then be endorsed by the General Assembly. 
 
The new UN secretary-general will begin his or her five-year term on January 1. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Guterres is in a better position to replace Ban Ki-moon after the Security Council's second round of secret votes

Portugal's former prime minister Antonio Guterres held the lead in the race to be the next UN secretary-general after a second secret straw poll on Friday, diplomats said. Guterres received 11 "encourage" votes, two "discourage" votes and two "no opinion" during the informal vote by the 15-member Security Council, a slightly weaker showing than in the first round last month. But the 67-year-old Guterres managed to increase his lead over the other candidates in the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down after 10 years as UN chief at the end of this year. Serbia's former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic made a surprisingly strong showing, taking the second spot with eight "encourage" votes, four "discourage" votes and three "no opinion". Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra climbed up the rankings, taking third place and becoming the leading woman in the race. Malcorra, a UN insider who was Ban's chief of staff, picked up eight encouragements, six discouragements and one no opinion, moving up from eighth place in the first round. Slovenia's ex-president Danilo Turk, who was the runner-up in the first round, dropped to fourth place, with seven encouragements, five discouragements and three "no opinion". UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria also fell from her third-place ranking to fifth place, with seven encouragements, seven discouragements and one "no opinion". Guterres, who served as the UN's refugee chief for 10 years and as Portugal's socialist prime minister from 1995 to 2002, came out on top during the first round with 12 "encourage" votes and three "no opinion". Diplomats speculated that one of the two negative votes cast in this round may have come from veto power Russia in a bid to block or slow down his advance. "Guterres is almost there," commented a diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Clark drops in ranking Lower down the rankings, New Zealand's ex-prime minister and head of the UN development program, Helen Clark, lost some ground as well, taking the number seven spot after Macedonia's ex-foreign minister Srgjan Kerim. Clark picked up six encouragements and eight "discourage" votes along with one "no opinion." In the first-round rankings, she was sixth. The last four spots went to former UN climate negotiator Christiana Figueres, ex-foreign minister Natalia Gherman of Moldova, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak and Igor Luksic, a former acting prime minister of Montenegro. The shakeup in this round meant that the council will still be holding several straw polls to try to reach a consensus on who should take the helm of the United Nations. Security Council members are facing calls to pick the first woman after eight men in the job, and to give preference to a candidate from eastern Europe, the only region that has yet to be represented in the post. Of the 11 candidates, seven are from eastern Europe. Five are women. The secret vote caps a new, more open process that for the first time in the UN's history allowed candidates to appear at hearings to make their pitch for the top job before the General Assembly. The results of the straw poll were not publicly announced, but the council president communicated them to the candidates to give them an indication of the level of support in the council. Some candidates privately said ahead of the vote that they would closely look at the results to decide whether to stay in the race. Croatia's ex-foreign minister Vesna Pusic pulled out on Thursday after she picked up the lowest score in the first round. Council diplomats are expecting a nominee to emerge in October, who will then be endorsed by the General Assembly. The new UN secretary-general will begin his or her five-year term on January 1. (AFP)

Portugal's former Prime Minister Guterres leads race to be next UN secretary general

The hanging of up to 20 people in Iran this week follows serious doubts about the fairness of their trials and respect for due process, leading to a &quot;grave injustice&quot;, the United Nations&#39; top human rights official said today. 
 
Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said the men had been executed for &quot;purported terrorism-related offences&quot; and that reports suggested most if not all were from a minority group &ndash; Sunnis from the Kurdish community. 
 
&quot;The application of overly broad and vague criminal charges, coupled with a disdain for the rights of the accused to due process and a fair trial have in these cases led to a grave injustice,&quot; Zeid said in a statement. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein questions 'disdain for the rights of the accused to due process and a fair trial have in these cases'

The hanging of up to 20 people in Iran this week follows serious doubts about the fairness of their trials and respect for due process, leading to a "grave injustice", the United Nations' top human rights official said today. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said the men had been executed for "purported terrorism-related offences" and that reports suggested most if not all were from a minority group – Sunnis from the Kurdish community. "The application of overly broad and vague criminal charges, coupled with a disdain for the rights of the accused to due process and a fair trial have in these cases led to a grave injustice," Zeid said in a statement. (Reuters)

UN top boss expresses 'serious doubts' over 'mass executions' in Iran

Tens of thousands of people have fled a fresh outbreak of violence in South Sudan, reporting mass killings, looting and forced recruitment of child soldiers, UN agencies said today. 
 
Many of the refugees pouring into neighbouring Uganda, Kenya and Sudan have been carrying malnourished children, the refugee agency the UNHCR added, the victims of a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by food shortages and a cholera outbreak. 
 
The world&#39;s newest nation has been caught up in more than two years of ethnically charged fighting between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival Riek Machar that has raised fears of wider instability across east Africa. 
 
Machar&#39;s supporters said at least nine people had died in the latest clashes on a road in Central Equatoria state, the region that includes the capital, Juba, over the weekend. 
 
Government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth played down those reports, insisting that a frequently broken peace deal signed last year was still on track. 
 
&ldquo;People must understand that the peace agreement doesn&rsquo;t belong to Riek Machar,&quot; he told reporters in the capital on Tuesday. The personal rivalry between Kiir, from the Dinka group, and Machar, a Nuer, has worsened ethnic splits in a country awash with weapons since the long civil war that led to its separation from Sudan in 2011. 
 
Machar, who returned to the capital in April under the terms of the troubled peace deal, left again last month as new clashes broke out between his men and Kiir&#39;s. &nbsp; 
 
Government military helicopters flew over the capital over the weekend, but the streets were quiet on Tuesday. Residents reported sharp rises in the prices of fuel, vegetables, flour and other basic foodstuffs, with traders blaming shortages on blockages on the main trade route to Uganda. Banks closed their branches and many families stayed in shelters outside UN compounds across the city. 
 
Further afield, local militias, who often fight over control of land, grazing, and oil-producing areas, have been taking advantage of the chaos to step up their operations. UN agencies said refugees had reported gunmen trying to block their flight and harassing them on the way. 
 
&quot;Armed groups operating across different parts of South Sudan are looting villages, murdering civilians and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks,&quot; UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told a briefing in Geneva. 
 
Around 60,000 people have fled as violence mounted over the past three weeks, she said, the bulk of them to Uganda, doubling the flow over that border over the past 10 days. &quot;We are very concerned about quickly having the capacity to treat the increasing numbers of malnourished children who are coming across,&quot; Fleming said. 
 
A further 1.6 million South Sudanese are displaced people within their country, said Jens Laerke of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). &quot;These are really very vast numbers, it&#39;s a massive crisis,&quot; Laerke added, noting that in all 900,000 refugees have fled South Sudan since December 2013. 
 
A cholera outbreak is spreading in South Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, with 35 new admissions being recorded in Juba county daily, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said. 
 
There have been signs of a split within Machar&#39;s movement since he left the capital, and analysts have questioned whether both men have full authority over their followers. 
 
(AFP)

World's newest nation has been caught up in more than two years of ethnically charged fighting

Tens of thousands of people have fled a fresh outbreak of violence in South Sudan, reporting mass killings, looting and forced recruitment of child soldiers, UN agencies said today. Many of the refugees pouring into neighbouring Uganda, Kenya and Sudan have been carrying malnourished children, the refugee agency the UNHCR added, the victims of a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by food shortages and a cholera outbreak. The world's newest nation has been caught up in more than two years of ethnically charged fighting between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival Riek Machar that has raised fears of wider instability across east Africa. Machar's supporters said at least nine people had died in the latest clashes on a road in Central Equatoria state, the region that includes the capital, Juba, over the weekend. Government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth played down those reports, insisting that a frequently broken peace deal signed last year was still on track. “People must understand that the peace agreement doesn’t belong to Riek Machar," he told reporters in the capital on Tuesday. The personal rivalry between Kiir, from the Dinka group, and Machar, a Nuer, has worsened ethnic splits in a country awash with weapons since the long civil war that led to its separation from Sudan in 2011. Machar, who returned to the capital in April under the terms of the troubled peace deal, left again last month as new clashes broke out between his men and Kiir's. Government military helicopters flew over the capital over the weekend, but the streets were quiet on Tuesday. Residents reported sharp rises in the prices of fuel, vegetables, flour and other basic foodstuffs, with traders blaming shortages on blockages on the main trade route to Uganda. Banks closed their branches and many families stayed in shelters outside UN compounds across the city. Further afield, local militias, who often fight over control of land, grazing, and oil-producing areas, have been taking advantage of the chaos to step up their operations. UN agencies said refugees had reported gunmen trying to block their flight and harassing them on the way. "Armed groups operating across different parts of South Sudan are looting villages, murdering civilians and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told a briefing in Geneva. Around 60,000 people have fled as violence mounted over the past three weeks, she said, the bulk of them to Uganda, doubling the flow over that border over the past 10 days. "We are very concerned about quickly having the capacity to treat the increasing numbers of malnourished children who are coming across," Fleming said. A further 1.6 million South Sudanese are displaced people within their country, said Jens Laerke of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "These are really very vast numbers, it's a massive crisis," Laerke added, noting that in all 900,000 refugees have fled South Sudan since December 2013. A cholera outbreak is spreading in South Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, with 35 new admissions being recorded in Juba county daily, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said. There have been signs of a split within Machar's movement since he left the capital, and analysts have questioned whether both men have full authority over their followers. (AFP)

Tens of thousands of people flee South Sudan as fresh violence erupts: UN

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country&#39;s war. 
 
Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we&#39;re not leaving the talks,&quot; Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented.&quot; 
 
UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government&#39;s foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. 
 
The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. &quot;The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks,&quot; Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. 
 
&quot;We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings&quot; with the government&#39;s foes as well as international diplomats, he said. 
 
The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. 
 
They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. 
 
The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crises. 
 
(Reuters)

The United Nations proposed that government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including capital Sanaa

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country's war. Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. "We've agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we're not leaving the talks," Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. "We'll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented." UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. "The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. "We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings" with the government's foes as well as international diplomats, he said. The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. (Reuters)

Yemen government leaves Kuwait talks after Houthis reject UN plan

The United Nations Security Council authorised on Friday the deployment of up to 228 UN police to Burundi to monitor the security and human rights situation in the East African country, though four of the 15 members abstained from the vote. 
 
More than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term last year, a move his opponents say violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended a civil war in 2005. 
 
Government officials and members of the opposition have been among those killed in tit-for-tat violence by rival sides. About a quarter of a million people have fled the violence. 
 
&quot;Given an increase in violence and tension the Security Council must have eyes and ears on the ground to predict and ensure that the worst does not occur in Burundi,&quot; said French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre. 
 
The violence has caused alarm in a region where memories of Rwanda&#39;s 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority. 
 
So far the violence has largely followed political rather than ethnic lines. But the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said last month he feared increased violence and incitement could turn ethnic in nature. 
 
&quot;This time, we are not waiting for the worst to occur before taking action,&quot; Malaysia&#39;s Deputy Ambassador Siti Hajjar Adnin told the council. 
 
?However, US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said the resolution was not strong enough and that the UN&nbsp;police would simply be observers to Burundi&#39;s problems, warning the situation is &quot;all but certain to deteriorate&quot;.

<div> 
&quot;It is not at all clear to me that a council that says repeatedly that it has learnt the lesson of Rwanda has in fact done so,&quot; Power said. 
 
&quot;Police are not being deployed to protect civilians, even though civilians are in dire need of protection. That should embarrass us.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Burundi has said it would only accept up to 50 unarmed UN&nbsp;police and that its sovereignty must be fully respected. The United Nations needs approval from the Burundi government to send the police. 
 
Council veto power China, along with Angola, Egypt and Venezuela abstained from the vote. 
 
&quot;On the question of sending United Nations police to Burundi, it is necessary to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Burundi,&quot; Chinese UN&nbsp;Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council. He said the resolution did not reference these principles which is why China abstained. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;</div>

Burundi has said it would only accept up to 50 unarmed UN?police and that its sovereignty must be fully respected

The United Nations Security Council authorised on Friday the deployment of up to 228 UN police to Burundi to monitor the security and human rights situation in the East African country, though four of the 15 members abstained from the vote. More than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza pursued and won a third term last year, a move his opponents say violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended a civil war in 2005. Government officials and members of the opposition have been among those killed in tit-for-tat violence by rival sides. About a quarter of a million people have fled the violence. "Given an increase in violence and tension the Security Council must have eyes and ears on the ground to predict and ensure that the worst does not occur in Burundi," said French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre. The violence has caused alarm in a region where memories of Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority. So far the violence has largely followed political rather than ethnic lines. But the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said last month he feared increased violence and incitement could turn ethnic in nature. "This time, we are not waiting for the worst to occur before taking action," Malaysia's Deputy Ambassador Siti Hajjar Adnin told the council. ?However, US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said the resolution was not strong enough and that the UN police would simply be observers to Burundi's problems, warning the situation is "all but certain to deteriorate". "It is not at all clear to me that a council that says repeatedly that it has learnt the lesson of Rwanda has in fact done so," Power said. "Police are not being deployed to protect civilians, even though civilians are in dire need of protection. That should embarrass us." Burundi has said it would only accept up to 50 unarmed UN police and that its sovereignty must be fully respected. The United Nations needs approval from the Burundi government to send the police. Council veto power China, along with Angola, Egypt and Venezuela abstained from the vote. "On the question of sending United Nations police to Burundi, it is necessary to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Burundi," Chinese UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council. He said the resolution did not reference these principles which is why China abstained. (Reuters)

UN council authorises police to Burundi, 15 states abstain from vote

The UN yesterday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called &quot;death corridors&quot;. 
 
A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. 
 
The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed yesterday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. 
 
Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo&#39;s eastern districts. 
 
Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage yesterday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. 
 
An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. 
 
Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. 
 
&quot;Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about &#39;death corridors&#39;,&quot; he said. 
 
The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. 
 
It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a &quot;new massacre&quot;. 
 
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. 
 
&quot;Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?&quot; 
 
Russia&#39;s deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared &quot;for the closest and most constructive cooperation&quot; with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. 
 
But he warned that rebels would not be allowed &quot;to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition&quot;. 
 
The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo&#39;s eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. 
 
&#39;Existential dilemma&#39; 
 
Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition&#39;s main supply route into the northern city. 
 
Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. 
 
&quot;Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs,&quot; said the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
 
The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. 
 
Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: &quot;Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing.&quot; 
 
Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict &quot;as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests.&quot; 
 
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened &quot;to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms&quot;. 
 
&#39;Military objectives&#39; 
 
Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria&#39;s five-year-old conflict. 
 
&quot;In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives,&quot; said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. 
 
&quot;The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups,&quot; he added. 
 
More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria&#39;s war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. 
 
Save the Children voiced &quot;outrage&quot; over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. 
 
&quot;Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed,&quot; it said. 
 
The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. 
 
It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Russia had announced opening of humanitarian passages for civilians to exit Aleppo. Some residents have termed the passage 'death corridors'

The UN yesterday urged Russia to give it control of humanitarian passages out of Aleppo in northern Syria where besieged residents cowered indoors afraid to use what some called "death corridors". A monitoring group, meanwhile, reported that at least 18 civilians were killed in air strikes in the city of Aleppo and in the provincial town of Atareb. The Britain-based charity Save the Children said a maternity hospital it supports in northwestern Idlib province was bombed yesterday, killing two people and injuring babies in incubators. Syrian regime ally Russia has said three humanitarian passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo's eastern districts. Only a dozen of Aleppo residents trickled out through one passage yesterday, while others wanting to flee were turned back by rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An AFP correspondent in east Aleppo said streets were empty with residents holed up indoors and shops shuttered. Ahmad Ramadan from the opposition Syrian National Coalition accused Russia and the regime of forcing civilians to flee through continued bombing raids. "Aleppo residents are calling the corridors that Russia is talking about 'death corridors'," he said. The Britain-based Observatory said at least eight civilians were killed in regime air strikes that hit two eastern areas of Aleppo, warning the death toll could rise as more were trapped under the rubble. It later reported unidentified air strikes on the rebel-held town of Atareb in Aleppo province that killed 10 people and wounded many other seriously, calling the raids a "new massacre". UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Russia, which has been carrying out air strikes alongside Syrian regime planes, should let the United Nations take charge of the corridors. "Our suggestion is to Russia to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us," he said. "How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing, fighting?" Russia's deputy defence minister, Anatoly Antonov, said Moscow was prepared "for the closest and most constructive cooperation" with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations. But he warned that rebels would not be allowed "to enter the city and fuel the terrorists with weapons and ammunition". The UN says around 250,000 people have been trapped in Aleppo's eastern districts since July 17 when pro-regime forces surrounded the area. 'Existential dilemma' Residents have reported food shortages and spiralling prices in rebel districts since regime forces cut off the opposition's main supply route into the northern city. Aid agencies and analysts said the humanitarian corridors must be used to send desperately needed supplies to those areas which have not received any medical aid since July 7. "Those who decide, for whatever reason, to stay in eastern Aleppo must be protected, and all sides must allow humanitarian agencies to reach and assess their well-being and needs," said the International Committee of the Red Cross. The US-based International Rescue Committee warned that those left behind in east Aleppo risked starvation and called for a pause in the fighting. Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS said: "Aleppo residents are facing a terrible existential dilemma, they often have to chose between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing." Humanitarian effort have often been used during the conflict "as cynical ploy to advance geopolitical interests." Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Thursday that three humanitarian corridors were being opened "to aid civilians held hostage by terrorists and for fighters wishing to lay down their arms". 'Military objectives' Analysts said losing Aleppo would be a major blow for the rebels and a possible turning point in Syria's five-year-old conflict. "In Aleppo, getting civilians to leave would both serve its propaganda and its military objectives," said Emile Hokayem, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The regime uses massive, indiscriminate force to brutalise civilians to force them to kneel or reject the rebel groups," he added. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria's war which erupted in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests before becoming a complex conflict involving many groups, including jihadists. Save the Children voiced "outrage" over the attack of the maternity hospital it supports in Idlib. "Several babies were injured when their incubators crashed to the floor, and a woman who was six months pregnant had her leg severed," it said. The Observatory said a jihadist from Al-Nusra Front, which has changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, was killed in the raid in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim. It also reported that IS had executed 24 civilians after seizing a village in northern Syria. (AFP)

UN seeks control of Russia escape routes from Syria's Aleppo

The United Nations has temporarily suspended aid deliveries in Nigeria&#39;s northeastern state of Borno, the former stronghold of jihadists Boko Haram, after a humanitarian convoy was attacked, the UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF said yesterday. 
 
UNICEF said in a statement that unknown assailants attacked the convoy yesterday as it returned to Maiduguri from delivering aid in Bama, injuring a UNICEF employee and an International Organization for Migration contractor. 
 
&quot;The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation,&quot; it said. 
 
Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said troops were escorting the humanitarian convoy when it was attacked by &quot;suspected remnants of Boko Haram&quot; and that two soldiers and three civilians were wounded. 
 
Nearly a quarter of a million children in Borno suffer from life-threatening malnourishment and around one in five will die if they do not receive treatment, UNICEF said earlier this month. 
 
Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Wednesday that severely malnourished children were dying in large numbers in northeast Nigeria, where food supplies are close to running out. 
 
By 2014, Boko Haram controlled territory nearly the size of Belgium in northeast Nigeria until most of it was recaptured last year by the Nigerian army and troops from neighbouring countries. 
 
More than 15,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million displaced by Boko Haram&#39;s insurgency in Nigeria. The group has carried out suicide bombings in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad. 
 
(Reuters)

Nigerian army spokesman said two soldiers and three civilians were injured in an attack by 'suspected remnants of Boko Haram'

The United Nations has temporarily suspended aid deliveries in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the former stronghold of jihadists Boko Haram, after a humanitarian convoy was attacked, the UN children's agency UNICEF said yesterday. UNICEF said in a statement that unknown assailants attacked the convoy yesterday as it returned to Maiduguri from delivering aid in Bama, injuring a UNICEF employee and an International Organization for Migration contractor. "The United Nations has temporarily suspended humanitarian assistance missions pending review of the security situation," it said. Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said troops were escorting the humanitarian convoy when it was attacked by "suspected remnants of Boko Haram" and that two soldiers and three civilians were wounded. Nearly a quarter of a million children in Borno suffer from life-threatening malnourishment and around one in five will die if they do not receive treatment, UNICEF said earlier this month. Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Wednesday that severely malnourished children were dying in large numbers in northeast Nigeria, where food supplies are close to running out. By 2014, Boko Haram controlled territory nearly the size of Belgium in northeast Nigeria until most of it was recaptured last year by the Nigerian army and troops from neighbouring countries. More than 15,000 people have been killed and at least 2 million displaced by Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria. The group has carried out suicide bombings in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and Chad. (Reuters)

UN suspends aid after convoy attack in Nigeria's Borno state

Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, three of them Nigerians, in the early hours of Friday, leaving the fate of 10 others uncertain. 
 
The Africans and an Indonesian man were shot by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in&nbsp;Central Java, as the government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with what it considers a war on drugs. 
 
The attorney general said on Wednesday that 14 prisoners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend. 
 
An official said on Friday the planned executions would go ahead &quot;in stages&quot; but declined to give a timeframe. 
 
Security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as protesters gathered to urge Indonesia to halt the executions. Indian and Pakistani officials said they were making last-minute efforts to save their citizens. 
 
&quot;We considered several factors and decided that for now four death row inmates would be executed,&quot; Noor Rachmad, an official at the attorney general&#39;s office, told reporters shortly after Friday&#39;s executions. 
 
Just over a year ago, Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, causing diplomatic outrage. 
 
Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. 
 
The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police on Thursday had to break up a protest outside the prison by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for an Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed. 
 
Around 152 people remain on death row in the country, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain. 
 
Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The fate of remaining 10 drug convicts expected to face the firing squad still uncertain

Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, three of them Nigerians, in the early hours of Friday, leaving the fate of 10 others uncertain. The Africans and an Indonesian man were shot by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java, as the government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with what it considers a war on drugs. The attorney general said on Wednesday that 14 prisoners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend. An official said on Friday the planned executions would go ahead "in stages" but declined to give a timeframe. Security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as protesters gathered to urge Indonesia to halt the executions. Indian and Pakistani officials said they were making last-minute efforts to save their citizens. "We considered several factors and decided that for now four death row inmates would be executed," Noor Rachmad, an official at the attorney general's office, told reporters shortly after Friday's executions. Just over a year ago, Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, causing diplomatic outrage. Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police on Thursday had to break up a protest outside the prison by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for an Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed. Around 152 people remain on death row in the country, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain. Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017. (Reuters)

Indonesia executes one local, 3 Nigerian drug convicts

Indonesia urged the international community to respect its law, as another round of executions of drug convicts loomed. 
 
The response came after the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday (July 27) called for an immediate reinstatement of a moratorium on the death penalty. 
 
&quot;The capital punishment is not against regime in international law. For Indonesia, death penalty is a &#39;positive&#39; law that is still effective here, and its not against the human rights under the context of constitution 1945,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir told a news briefing in Jakarta. 
 
&quot;The action that Indonesia takes now is just about law implementation and enforcement. Just like how Indonesia respects the law of other nations, we hope all countries will respect the Indonesian law,&quot; he added. 
 
The United Nations and European Union had urged the executions be halted.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia&rsquo;s international human rights obligations,&quot; the UN said in a statement on Thursday. 
 
Amnesty International called the executions &quot;a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law&quot; and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out. 
 
&quot;The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won&#39;t be compounded,&quot; the rights group&#39;s regional director, Rafendi Djamin, said. 
 
Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India, will be executed in the next round, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has said. 
 
The execution is part of President Joko Widodo&#39;s pledge to combat against drugs in the country. Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next. 
 
Security has been tightened around the port leading to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Indonesia's foreign ministry asked the international community to respect its law, saying the death penalty is "positive" for the country

Indonesia urged the international community to respect its law, as another round of executions of drug convicts loomed. The response came after the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday (July 27) called for an immediate reinstatement of a moratorium on the death penalty. "The capital punishment is not against regime in international law. For Indonesia, death penalty is a 'positive' law that is still effective here, and its not against the human rights under the context of constitution 1945," Foreign Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir told a news briefing in Jakarta. "The action that Indonesia takes now is just about law implementation and enforcement. Just like how Indonesia respects the law of other nations, we hope all countries will respect the Indonesian law," he added. The United Nations and European Union had urged the executions be halted. "Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia’s international human rights obligations," the UN said in a statement on Thursday. Amnesty International called the executions "a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law" and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out. "The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won't be compounded," the rights group's regional director, Rafendi Djamin, said. Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India, will be executed in the next round, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has said. The execution is part of President Joko Widodo's pledge to combat against drugs in the country. Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next. Security has been tightened around the port leading to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan. (Reuters)

Indonesia urges international community to respect its law

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