US presses UN on Israeli settlement business blacklist
The initial publication -- which listed US companies including Airbnb, Expedia and TripAdvisor -- was denounced by the then administration of Donald Trump, which had reversed longstanding US opposition to settlements in the West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a speech Sunday warned the incoming right-wing government of...
World population at 8 billion humans — and still growing
Given the increase in life expectancy as well as the number of people of childbearing age, the UN projects the population to continue growing to about 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and a peak of about 10.4 billion in the 2080s. Other groups have, however, calculated different...
Israel, Turkish leaders to meet at UN next week
Lapid's office said he would travel to New York on Monday night, ahead of an address to the General Assembly on Thursday. A source said the meeting with Erdogan would take place on Tuesday. It came as Israel's armed forces chief Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi announced his first visit to...
UN envoy cancels Western Sahara trip
The United Nations envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, was on a visit to Morocco on Monday but has cancelled a planned trip to the disputed territory itself, the UN said. Staffan de Mistura was "in Rabat to meet with Moroccan officials", spokesman Stephane Dujarric told journalists in New...
UN says ‘imminent’ Yemen oil spill would cost $20 bn to clean up
The United Nations warned Monday that it would cost $20 billion to clean up an oil spill in the event of the "imminent" break-up of an oil tanker abandoned off Yemen. "Our recent visit to (the FSO Safer) with technical experts indicates that the vessel is imminently going to break...UN seeks $80m to avert ‘imminent’ Yemen oil spill
Yemen's Huthi rebels already agreed a "framework for cooperation" with the United Nations on the issue last month.Yemen war turns nature reserve back into waste dump
The ticket office has been abandoned at the entrance to the 19-hectare (47-acre) site in Yemen's southern city of Aden.
World leaders, dignitaries hail UAE for Dubai Expo 2020
Several world leaders and dignitaries who attended the Dubai Expo 2020 have hailed the mega event as "a beacon for global optimism" and "an incredible accomplishment", local media reports said. According to the reports, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: "At a time when there is a...UN chief says cross-border aid to Syria rebel bastion vital
The cross-border mechanism has been operating since 2020 through Bab al-Hawa, after the Russian-imposed removal in 2019 of three other access points in Syria.
$2.25trn creative sector that employs 30m worldwide needs help: UN
The creative and cultural industry needs more support as it has been of great service during the coronavirus pandemic. The President of the General Assembly noted that culture offers an opportunity to address concerns over the impacts of COVID-19. The creative and cultural industry, which generates $2.25 trillion annually and...
