United Nations

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Syria Blows Past Chemical Weapons Deadline

Meanwhile, UN decries treatment of children in war

(Newser) - Today was supposed to be the deadline for Syria to turn over all of its chemical weapons—and it's not even close. So far Syria has handed the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons just 4% of the promised 1,433 tons of chemicals, Reuters reports, and an...

UN: Cancer Cases to Jump 50% by 2030

Officials slam tobacco companies

(Newser) - Disturbing news on World Cancer Day: Cases are poised to surge in the coming years, jumping 50% by 2030, according to a UN report. That means 21.6 million cases per year, compared to a rate that was 14 million in 2012, AFP reports. By 2035, we're likely to...

World Paid Terrorists $105M in Ransoms in 3.5 Years

And UN wants the payments to stop

(Newser) - In the past three and a half years, terror groups tied to al-Qaeda have raked in an estimated $105 million via ransom, Britain's ambassador to the UN says—and the UN Security Council wants those payments to end. Though countries are already legally banned from making such payments, it'...

UN: We've Stopped Updating Syria Death Toll

Says it can no longer verify 'source material'

(Newser) - The UN's human rights office has stopped updating the death toll from Syria's civil war, confirming today that it can no longer verify the sources of information that led to its last count of at least 100,000 in late July. A spokesman for the UN Office of...

Syria Set to Blow Chemical Weapons Deadline: UN

Movement of materials has yet to begin

(Newser) - Syria's deadline for expelling key chemical weapons is tomorrow, but insiders say the country hasn't even started transporting the arms—and watchdogs expect a missed deadline, the New York Times reports. "At this stage, transportation of the most critical chemical material before 31 December is unlikely,"...

UN Votes to Increase Troops in South Sudan to 12.5K

80% increase as Security Council calls for 'immediate cessation of hostilities'

(Newser) - The UN Security Council has voted to temporarily increase the UN peacekeeping force in conflict-torn South Sudan to 12,500 troops from 7,000, a nearly 80% increase. The resolution adopted unanimously today by the UN's most powerful body will also increase the UN's international police contingent from...

Obama Eyes 'Further Action' in South Sudan

Almost 700 evacuated, including 380 Americans: State Department

(Newser) - With South Sudan facing the threat of a civil war, the US evacuated its citizens from the country over the weekend, and Washington is prepared to intervene further on Americans' behalf, President Obama told Congress in a letter. "I may take further action to support the security of US...

UN Base Attacked in South Sudan

Meanwhile, US sends in 45 troops

(Newser) - The UN sent four rescue helicopters to its base in Akobo today, after the outpost came under fire yesterday. At least two Indian peacekeepers at the South Sudanese base were killed before all communications were lost, the New York Times reports. The UN later announced that some refugees sheltering there...

UN OKs Force in Central African Republic

France, African Union will step up military action in unraveling nation

(Newser) - The UN Security Council has authorized increased military action by France and African troops to try to end near-anarchy in the Central African Republic. The council unanimously approved a French-sponsored resolution today aimed at restoring security and protecting civilians in the impoverished country. The authorization is expected to lead to...

Truck Carrying Radioactive Material Stolen in Mexico

Theft of cobalt-60 prompts fears of a dirty bomb

(Newser) - A truck laden with "dangerous" radioactive material used to fight cancer was stolen on Monday near Mexico City, says the International Atomic Energy Agency, per the BBC . "At the time the truck was stolen, the source was properly shielded. However, the source could be extremely dangerous to a...

UN Cultural Agency Halts US Voting Rights

Israel's voting rights also suspended over failure to pay dues

(Newser) - The US failure to pay its dues has cost Washington its voting rights with the UN's Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The US and Israel stopped paying in 2011, after Palestine was allowed to join the agency; any country that stops paying for two years loses its right to...

UN Wants to Save Us From Asteroids

Former astronauts propose plan to deal with dangerous rocks

(Newser) - The next time an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, the UN wants to make sure someone calls Bruce Willis. The General Assembly last week gave the green light to an asteroid defense plan drawn up by the former astronauts at the Association of Space Explorers, Scientific American...

Germany Wants the UN to Hamper NSA Spying

Merkel's government goes into overdrive to counter US efforts

(Newser) - Germany is not reacting kindly to revelations that the NSA may have tapped Angela Merkel's phone . Along with fellow outraged NSA target Brazil, it intends to introduce a new UN resolution that would explicitly extend the privacy protections in the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights to communications...

Angry Over Syria, Saudis Back Away From US

Intelligence chief wants more aggressive approach against Assad

(Newser) - Following his country's decision to reject a UN Security Council seat , Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief is edging away from the US specifically: Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud told European officials that his country will reduce its secret work with the CIA on training Syrian rebels, reports the Wall ...

Saudis on UN Council Seat: Thanks, but No Thanks

Cites poor response to Syria in turning down its newly won spot

(Newser) - Fresh off winning a rotating seat on the 15-member UN Security Council, Saudi Arabia has made the unexpected move of refusing it, citing the body's poor response to unrest in the Middle East, specifically in Syria. In a statement reported by the New York Times , the Saudi Foreign Ministry...

UN Elects 5 New Security Council Members

But human rights groups aren't happy with some choices

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia and Chad easily won coveted seats on the UN Security Council today, despite criticism from human rights groups that their rights records are abysmal. Nigeria, Lithuania, and Chile also won seats. The five candidates endorsed by regional groups faced no opposition because there were no contested races for...

UN Sued Over Haiti Cholera Outbreak

Victims claim peacekeepers spread disease through bad sewerage system

(Newser) - It's cholera in the time of litigation: Haitian victims of the disease are filing a lawsuit against the UN, claiming peacekeepers are responsible for the outbreak that has killed more than 8,300 and sickened some 650,000 there since 2010. The Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in...

Destruction of Syria's Chemical Weapons Begins

Inspectors have 9 months to destroy 1K tons

(Newser) - And it's on: Disarmament experts have begun the massive undertaking that is dismantling and destroying Syria's estimated 1,000-ton stockpile of chemical weapons. The UN-endorsed inspectors have only nine months to get rid of the entire arsenal—the tightest deadlines the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons...

Netanyahu: Iran's Rouhani a 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing'

Israeli leader blasts Iran, says it has nuclear weapons program

(Newser) - Benjamin Netanyahu took his turn at the UN General Assembly podium today, and used it to blast Iranian President Hasan Rouhani and his much-celebrated outreach efforts . "Now I know, Rouhani doesn't sound like Ahmadinejad," he said, according to CNN . But "the only difference between them is...

Syria's Assad: I'll Comply With UN Resolution

Says he's open to talks with opposition if they give up their arms

(Newser) - Bashar al-Assad is vowing to stand by the terms of the United Nations' resolution last week to destroy Syria's chemical weapons, reports the AP . "Of course we have to comply," he told Italian television in an interview today. "This is our history to comply with every...

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