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NEWS ABOUT: United Nations

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UN's Hunger RX: Let the World Eat Bugs

Though 'consumer disgust' could get in the way

(Newser) - The UN has a simple way to address world hunger: We should all eat more insects, it says in a new report . "Insects are everywhere and they reproduce quickly, and they have high growth and feed conversion rates and a low environmental footprint," the report says, per the... More »

UN Suspects Syrian Rebels Used Nerve Gas

'Strong suspicions' but no proof yet, top investigator says

(Newser) - Another game-changer? One of the United Nations' chief investigators says evidence is building that sarin gas was used in the Syrian conflict—but by rebels, not Bashar al-Assad's regime. "Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors, and field hospitals" and "there are strong, concrete... More »

Iraq Has Deadliest Month in 5 Years: UN

It records more than 700 deaths in April, most of them civilians

(AP) - The United Nations mission to Iraq says more people were killed in violent attacks across the country in April than in any other month since June 2008. The UN recorded 712 people killed last month, including 117 members of the Iraqi security forces, along with 1,633 people injured. The... More »

UN Adopts Landmark Arms Treaty

Most nations back, but Russia, China abstain

(AP) - The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the first UN treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar international arms trade today, a goal sought for more than a decade to try to keep illicit weapons out of the hands of terrorists, insurgent fighters, and organized crime. The resolution adopting the landmark treaty was approved... More »

Newsflash, US: Iran Isn't Isolated

Claudia Rosett thinks the 'rogue state' has plenty of juice at the UN

(Newser) - President Obama likes to say that Iran is "isolated," but he must not be paying very close attention to the goings on at the United Nations, where the supposed rogue state "has been cultivating its own mini-empire," writes Claudia Rosett in the Wall Street Journal . Iran... More »

UN Authorizes Offensive Force for Congo

Up to 3K peacekeeper troops to get 'intervention' authority to stop rebels

(Newser) - The UN Security Council has voted for the first time to authorize a peacekeeping force to carry out offensive operations, with up to 3,000 troops based in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, reports the AP . The resolution is good for one year, giving the "intervention brigade" the... More »

Iran, N. Korea, Syria Block UN Arms Trade Treaty

Other countries to keep pushing for pact

(AP) - Iran, North Korea, and Syria blocked adoption of a UN treaty that would regulate the multibillion-dollar international arms trade for the first time, saying it fails to ban sales to terrorists, but other countries refused to let the treaty die. The treaty's adoption required agreement by all 193 UN... More »

UN to Finally Probe N. Korea's Secret Gulags

Prison camps could amount to crimes against humanity: official

(Newser) - The UN Human Rights Council has unanimously agreed to launch its first-ever investigation of human rights abuses in North Korea. An investigator urged a focus on prison camps , which "could qualify as crimes against humanity," he said. "These are camps which have the purpose of driving the... More »

Crack a Smile: It's International Happiness Day

But watch out: Someone may be planning to give you a free hug

(Newser) - The UN has been pretty busy of late: Amid all its heavy boozing and business-class flying , it managed to name today the world's first International Day of Happiness. And, warning, some people around the globe are planning to observe it in a pretty in-your-face way, reports the New York ... More »

Story Behind Iconic Gaza-Clash Photo Unravels

Israel likely not responsible for strike that killed reporter's baby: UN

(AP) - An errant Palestinian rocket, not an Israeli airstrike, likely killed the baby of a BBC reporter during fighting in the Hamas-ruled territory last November, a UN report indicated, challenging the widely believed story behind an image that became a symbol of what Palestinians said was Israeli aggression. Omar al-Masharawi, an... More »

US Fed Up With Drunk UN Diplomats

Ambassador spoils the party, calls for 'inebriation-free zone'

(Newser) - Some diplomats consider a few stiff drinks to be essential before United Nations budget negotiations. But the US ambassador for management and reform is sick of dealing with intoxicated counterparts—and he'd like them banned from budget negotiations, Foreign Policy reports. "There has always been a good and... More »

39K Girls Forced to Marry Each Day

UN survey of 42 countries shows more than a third of girls married

(Newser) - How young is too young to get married? In many countries, the answer to that question would disturb you. A new UN Population Fund survey of 42 countries found that more than a third of all girls under the age of 18 in them are married, many presumably against their... More »

UN Approves N. Korea Sanctions

Security Council OKs crackdown unanimously

(Newser) - North Korea's threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike apparently didn't exactly strike fear in the heart of the UN Security Council, which approved harsh new sanctions on Pyongyang shortly after it convened at 10am EST this morning. The joint US-China resolution passed unanimously, reports the AP , and comes... More »

Syrian Opposition Detains 20 UN Peacekeepers

They had been monitoring Israel-Syria ceasefire

(AP) - The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the detention of more than 20 peacekeepers monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Syria by armed members of the Syrian opposition and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. Russia's UN Ambassador, the council president, says talks are underway between UN officials and... More »

UN Team Unveils Asteroid Defense Plan

On the same day massive rock buzzes the Earth

(Newser) - An asteroid about half the size of a football field will whiz past Earth today, closer than any object of its size ever has before (OK, almost any object ), and a much smaller meteor actually hit Russia this morning, injuring hundreds. But fear not, people of Earth: Soon, we... More »

Iran Attempted Shopping Spree, Fueling Nuke Fears

Tehran tries to buy 100K banned magnets

(Newser) - Iran has tried to buy huge quantities of banned nuclear-linked magnets amid announced plans for thousands more centrifuges. The news has experts concerned that the country could be ready to give its nuclear program a major boost, the Washington Post reports. A year ago, Tehran attempted to order some 100,... More »

In First, Israel Bails on UN Human Rights Review

Calls it a tool for 'bashing' Israel

(Newser) - Israel today became the first nation to boycott a UN human rights review, the New York Times reports. Israel had informally notified the Human Rights Council that it would not attend today's session in Geneva, where it was supposed to take part in the Universal Periodic Review process, and... More »

Now North Korea Threatening to Attack South

Warns of 'physical countermeasures' amid sanctions

(Newser) - Yesterday the US was the target of North Korean warnings ; today, Pyongyang is focused on its southern neighbor, threatening to attack if South Korea backs UN sanctions against it. "If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions,' the DPRK will take... More »

UN to Investigate US, UK Drone Attacks

Critics say drone strikes hit civilians, violate int'l laws

(Newser) - In the face of mounting criticism about US and UK drone strikes , the United Nations is going to investigate the use of drones in targeted killings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, reports the Guardian . The investigation will look at drone strikes in Mali and those made by Israel into... More »

Torture Reports Halt US-Afghan Detainee Transfer

Human rights abuses could stop funding for Afghan troops

(Newser) - Amid word of inhumane treatment, including torture, the US has halted the transfer of detainees to some Afghan prisons, the New York Times reports. And with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai seeking internal control of detention, the decision is likely to further strain the countries' relationship. The move also comes with... More »

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