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Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty."

Haiti Massacre: Gangs Target Voodoo Practitioners

Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty."

Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty."
The killings in the capital Port-au-Prince were overseen by a powerful gang leader convinced that his son's illness was caused by followers of the religion, according to civil organization the Committee for Peace and Development (CPD).
It was the latest act of extreme violence by powerful gangs that control most of the capital city in the impoverished Caribbean country mired for decades in political instability, natural disasters and other woes.
"He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son," a statement from the Haiti-based group said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "horrific" violence, which his spokesman said left at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, dead.
Calling the bloody episode an "act of barbarity, of unbearable cruelty," the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said "this monstrous crime constitutes a direct attack on humanity."
Both the CPD and UN said that the killings took place in the capital's western coastal neighborhood of Cite Soleil.
Reached by telephone by AFP, a resident confirmed the attacks and said that his 76-year-old father was among the victims.
"The bandits set fire to his body. The family cannot even organize a burial for him since we were unable to recover the body," he told AFP on condition of anonymity so as not to compromise the safety of other relatives.
"I also fear for their lives," he said. "I will try to get them out."
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- Taken to be 'executed' - &nbsp; "The gang's soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief's stronghold to be executed," the CPD said.
"Reliable sources within the community report that more than a hundred people were massacred, their bodies mutilated and burned in the street," it said.
One of the organization's leaders, Fritznel Pierre, told Radio Magik 9 in an interview that the number of casualties was not exhaustive, as the area was difficult to access.
He reported that henchmen had hunted down old people and voodoo followers living in the Wharf Jeremie section of Cite Soleil between Friday evening and Saturday.
"Motorcycle taxi drivers who tried to flee with targeted people were also executed," he said.
Voodoo was brought to Haiti by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country's culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the Haitian government in 2003.
While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions.
Haiti has suffered from decades of instability but the situation escalated in February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.
Gangs now control 80 percent of the city. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the United States and UN, violence has continued to soar.
The UN chief called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the weekend massacre and also reiterated calls for more international support to assist Haitian police in their battle against the gangs.
More than 700,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, half of them children; added to this are 5,000 forced from their homes by the weekend massacre, said the International Organization for Migration.
The latest killings bring the death toll this year in Haiti to around 5,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Israel's Foreign Minister has said that they will try to gather support from the US, EU, and other major donors to suspend funding of the UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians 

Israel vows to stop UN aid agency's operations in Gaza amidst links to Oct 7 attacks 

Israel's Foreign Minister has said that they will try to gather support from the US, EU, and other major donors to suspend funding of the UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians&nbsp;

Israel will seek to stop the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Gaza after the war, a minister said Saturday, after Israel accused several UNRWA staff of involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack.
Israel was aiming to ensure "UNRWA will not be a part of the day after", Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X, formerly Twitter, adding that he would try to gather support from the US, EU and other major donors to the agency.
Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday slammed Israeli "threats" against UNRWA, urging the UN and other international organisations not to "cave into the threats and blackmail".
UNRWA said Friday it had sacked several employees accused by Israel of involvement in Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack, prompting the United States to suspend critical funding.
The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, vowed to hold "accountable, including through criminal prosecution" any UNRWA employee found to have taken part in acts of terror.
In response to the firings, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged to conduct an "urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The US State Department said it had "temporarily paused additional funding" to the agency while it reviewed the claims as well as the UN's plan to address concerns.
Twelve employees "may have been involved", it added.
Australia and Canada also said they had suspended their funding to the agency.
Israel's relentless bombardment and siege of Gaza began soon after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attacks that resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Militants also seized about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 of them remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 dead captives.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas and Gaza's health ministry says the Israeli military offensive has killed at least 26,083 people, about 70 percent of them women and children.

The USA on Friday vetoed the United Nations' Security Council's cease-fire resolution in Gaza. The US ambassador said that stopping military action will help Hamas continue its operations and will create the possibility of another war.

Israel-Gaza war: US vetoes immediate humanitarian cease-fire resolution at UNSC

The USA on Friday vetoed the United Nations' Security Council's cease-fire resolution in Gaza. The US ambassador said that stopping military action will help Hamas continue its operations and will create the possibility of another war.

The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday backed by the vast majority of Security Council members and many other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.
The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1 with the United Kingdom abstaining.
US deputy ambassador Robert Wood criticized the council after the vote for its failure to condemn Hamas' attacks in Israel and to acknowledge Israel's right to defend itself. He declared that halting military action would allow Hamas to continue to rule and "only plant the seeds for the next war."
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UNRWA appealed for USD 1.6 billion for its programs, operations and emergency response

UN chief's warnings goes deaf ear: budget curtailed for UN agency for Palestinian refugees

UNRWA appealed for USD 1.6 billion for its programs, operations and emergency response  by the donors at a pledging conference 

UNRWA appealed for USD 1.6 billion for its programs, operations and emergency response

&nbsp;Despite a dire warning from the UN chief that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees &ldquo;is on the verge of financial collapse,&rdquo; donors at a pledging conference on Friday provided just USD 107 million in new funds &mdash; significantly less than the USD 300 million it needs to keep helping millions of people.
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the agency known as UNRWA, said he was grateful for the new pledges but they are below the funds needed to keep over 700 schools and 140 clinics open from September through December.
&ldquo;We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners, including host countries &mdash; the refugees' top supporters &mdash; to raise the funds needed,&rdquo; he said in a statement.
At the beginning of the year, UNRWA appealed for USD 1.6 billion for its programs, operations and emergency response across Syria, Lebanon, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and Jordan.
That includes nearly $850 million for its core budget, which includes running schools and health clinics.
According to UNRWA, donors on Friday announced USD 812.3 million in pledges, but just USD 107.2 million were new contributions. The countries pledging new funds were not announced.
Lazzarini told a press conference on Thursday that UNRWA needs USD 150 million to keep all services running until the end of the year, and an additional USD 50 million to start 2024 without liabilities.
In addition, he said, the agency needs USD 75 million to keep the food pipeline in Gaza operating and about USD 30 million for its cash distribution program in Syria and Lebanon.
UNRWA was founded in the wake of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 to provide hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes with education, health care, social services and in some cases jobs.
Today, their numbers &mdash; with descendants &mdash; have grown to some 5.9 million people, most in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as well as neighbouring countries in the Middle East.
UNRWA has faced a financial crisis for 10 years, but Lazzarini said the current crisis is &ldquo;massive,&rdquo; calling it &ldquo;our main existential threat.&rdquo; &ldquo;It is deepening, and our ability to muddle through is slowly but surely coming to an end,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;The situation is even more critical now that some of our committed donors have indicated that the will substantially decrease their contribution to the agency.&rdquo; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech read by his chief of staff at the start of the pledging conference that &ldquo;when UNRWA's future hangs in the balance so do the lives of millions of Palestine refugees relying on essential services.&rdquo; Those services include education for over half a million girls and boys, health care for around 2 million people, job opportunities for young people in Gaza and elsewhere, psycho-social support for hundreds of thousands of children, and a social safety net for nearly half a million of the poorest Palestinians, he said.
More than 1.2 million Palestinians also receive humanitarian assistance.&nbsp;

In a virtual meeting with senior UN officials, Ruto said it was imperative to find ways to provide humanitarian relief "with or without a ceasefire".

UN agencies warn of 'catastrophe' as 100,000 flee war-torn Sudan

In a virtual meeting with senior UN officials, Ruto said it was imperative to find ways to provide humanitarian relief "with or without a ceasefire".

Fierce fighting between rival generals raged on in Sudan Tuesday despite the latest truce, as warnings multiplied of the potential for a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of refugees.
The bloodshed has gripped Sudan since April 15 when tensions erupted into armed exchanges between regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded as air strikes and artillery exchanges have gripped swathes of greater Khartoum, sparking the exodus of thousands of Sudanese to neighbouring countries.
Many more cannot afford the arduous journey to Sudan's borders, and have been forced to hole up inside the city of five million people with dwindling supplies of food, water and electricity.
"We are hearing some sporadic gunfire, the roaring of a warplane and the anti-aircraft fire at it," said one resident of south Khartoum.
Other witnesses reported air strikes in north and east Khartoum.
In a Monday briefing, the top UN aid official in Sudan, Abdou Dieng, warned that the situation was turning into "a full-blown catastrophe".
Kenyan President William Ruto said the conflict had reached "catastrophic levels" with the warring generals declining "to heed the calls by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union and the international community to cease fire".
In a virtual meeting with senior UN officials, Ruto said it was imperative to find ways to provide humanitarian relief "with or without a ceasefire".
Burhan and Daglo, who fell out after carrying out a 2021 military coup which derailed Sudan's transition to elective civilian rule, have flouted multiple ceasefires, the latest a 72-hour extension agreed upon late on Sunday.
UN head of mission Volker Perthes said discussions involving Saudi and US mediators were underway with the rival generals to firm up a ceasefire.
The two sides "told us that they are ready to start talks on a technical level over a ceasefire," Perthes told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television in an interview released on Tuesday.

Due to plentiful supplies, low import demand, and the removal of Russian grain export restrictions, global food prices have decreased by 20.5% YoY, according to FAO

World food prices down by a fifth on 2022: UN

Due to plentiful supplies, low import demand, and the removal of Russian grain export restrictions, global food prices have decreased by 20.5% YoY, according to FAO
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World food prices are still high but have fallen by a fifth compared to a year ago when prices soared to a monthly record high after Russia invaded agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, UN data showed on Friday.
Prices have fallen 20% since March last year after a 12th straight monthly drop, the Food and Agriculture Organization said.
But in releasing its latest data tracking monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, the FAO said food remained expensive notably for developing countries highly dependent on imports.
The FAO said the fall in benchmark prices was 'driven by declines in world quotations for cereals and vegetable oils.
The UN agency added: 'A mix of ample supplies, subdued import demand and the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative contributed to the drop.'
A deal negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations allows Ukraine - one of the world's top grain producers - to export grain through a safe corridor in the Black Sea.
It was agreed after the Russian invasion in February 2022 blocked 20 million tonnes of its grain in port.
The FAO index averaged 126.9 points, down 2% from the end of February and down by 20% since March 2022.
The fall was aided by international wheat prices sliding 7.1%, notably on strong Australian output and improved crop conditions in EU states but also high Russian supplies and "ongoing exports from Ukraine from its Black Sea ports".
A record Brazilian harvest also saw world maize prices drop by 4.6%, the FAO said.
FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said, however, prices remained "very high and continue to increase in domestic markets, posing additional challenges to food security... particularly so in net food importing developing countries," struggling additionally with weak currencies.

In a report released recently, experts said that greenhouse gas emissions should be decreased by now and needs to be cut down by almost half by 2030. 

UN report states greenhouse gas emission must be slashed immediately

In a report released recently, experts said that greenhouse gas emissions should be decreasing by now and need to be cut down by almost half by 2030.&nbsp;

As the world is reeling under the cascading impact of global warming, the United Nations released a report in which they warned that the earth is nearing a point of no return. They also said that global greenhouse gas must be cut down quickly and drastically.&nbsp;
Experts said that the emissions should be decreasing by now and need to be cut down by almost half by 2030.&nbsp;
Experts blamed it on the surge of fossil fuel burning, oil drilling, deforestation and intensive agriculture, among the extensive list of activities that produce greenhouse gases.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/lifestyle-news/environment/now-enjoy-more-rainbows-on-earth-all-thanks-to-climate-change-1667721163736">Now enjoy more rainbows on earth; all thanks to climate change</a>

UN declares Finland as world's happiest country, India fails to make it even top 100

Finland declared as world's happiest country, India fails to reach top 100

Releasing its World Happiness Report on March 20 which is International Happiness Day, the world body rated Finland as the happiest country on the basis of various happiness parameters

The United Nations has declared Finland as the happiest country in the world.
Releasing its World Happiness Report on March 20 which is International Happiness Day, the UN rated Finland as the happiest country on the basis of factors like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and low corruption
Finland is followed by Denmark and Iceland at number 2 and number 3 spots respectively as the happiest countries.
Meanwhile, India stands at the 125th spot out of 150 countries, which were surveyed by UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Also <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/watch-naatu-naatu-light-show-by-us-car-maker-tesla-will-surely-make-you-groove-1679304401056">Watch: 'Naatu Naatu' light show by US car maker Tesla will surely make you groove</a>

UN: Afghanistan is world's most repressive country for women

The UN mission to Afghanistan also said it has recorded an almost constant stream of discriminatory edicts and measures against women since the Taliban takeover

Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the country has become the most repressive in the world for women and girls, deprived of many of their basic rights, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
In a statement released on the International Women's Day, the UN mission said that Afghanistan's new rulers have shown an almost &ldquo;singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes.&rdquo;
Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing power in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were in the final weeks of their pullout from Afghanistan after two decades of war.
They have banned girls' education beyond sixth grade and women from public spaces such as parks and gyms.
Women are also barred from working at national and international nongovernmental organisations and ordered to cover themselves from head to toe.
&ldquo;Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women's rights," said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the mission to Afghanistan.
&ldquo;It has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere,&rdquo; she added.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/isis-threatening-attacks-on-indian-diplomatic-mission-in-afghanistan-un-on-khorasan-terror-offshoot-1675925141383">ISIS threatening attacks on Indian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan: UN on Khorasan terror offshoot</a>
The restrictions, especially the bans on education and NGO work, have drawn fierce international condemnation.
But the Taliban have shown no signs of backing down, claiming the bans are temporary suspensions in place allegedly because women were not wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, correctly and because gender segregation rules were not being followed.
As for the ban on university education, the Taliban government has said that some of the subjects being taught were not in line with Afghan and Islamic values.
&ldquo;Confining half of the country's population to their homes in one of the world's largest humanitarian and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-harm," Otunbayeva also said.
&ldquo;It will condemn not only women and girls, but all Afghans, to poverty and aid-dependency for generations to come," she said. "It will further isolate Afghanistan from its own citizens and from the rest of the world."
The UN mission to Afghanistan also said it has recorded an almost constant stream of discriminatory edicts and measures against women since the Taliban takeover &mdash; women's right to travel or work outside the confines of their home and access to spaces is largely restricted, and they have also been excluded from all levels of public decision-making.
&ldquo;The implications of the harm the Taliban are inflicting on their own citizens goes beyond women and girls,&rdquo; said Alison Davidian, the special representative for UN Women in Afghanistan.
No officials from the Taliban-led government was immediately available for comment.
The UN Security Council was to meet later on Wednesday with Otunbayeva and women representatives from Afghan civil society groups.
According to the statement, 11.6 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance. However, the Taliban are further undermining the international aid effort through their ban on women working for NGOs.&nbsp;

India tears into Pakistan foreign minister at UN: here's why

Responding to Bilawal's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, India&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj termed his statement as &ldquo;baseless and politically motivated&rdquo;.

India tore into Pakistan after its foreign minister raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a Security Council debate on women, peace and security, saying it is &ldquo;unworthy&rdquo; to even respond to such &ldquo;malicious and false propaganda&rdquo;.
Responding to Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari&rsquo;s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, India&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj on Tuesday termed his statement as &ldquo;baseless and politically motivated&rdquo;.
&ldquo;Before I conclude, let me dismiss the frivolous, baseless and politically motivated remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan regarding the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,&rdquo; she said.
Speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on &lsquo;Women, Peace and Security&rsquo;, Kamboj said: &ldquo;my delegation considers it unworthy to even respond to such malicious and false propaganda.&rdquo;
 Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/32-including-india-china-abstain-from-vote-on-ukraine-resolution-at-unga-1677208201258">32 including India, China abstain from vote on Ukraine resolution at UNGA</a> "Rather, our focus is where it shall always be &ndash; positive and forward-looking. Today&rsquo;s discussion is critically important to strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We respect the topic of the debate and recognise the importance of time. As such, our focus shall remain on the topic,&rdquo; she said.
Kamboj&rsquo;s sharp retort came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Zardari referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks to the Council debate held under Mozambique&rsquo;s Presidency for this month, on the eve of International Women&rsquo;s Day.
India has previously told Pakistan that the entire territories of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and shall always be part of India.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
The relations further deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir's special powers and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories.

World body snubs fugitive 'godman' Nithyananda: UN reacts after 'Kailasa' members attend event

The UN human rights office said that the submissions made by the representatives were &ldquo;irrelevant&rdquo; and will not be considered in the outcome drafts.

Fugitive &lsquo;godman&rsquo; Nithyananda has received a snub from the United Nations. The development comes days after &nbsp; two representatives of Nithyananda's self-proclaimed country, the United States of Kailasa, attended a discussion conducted by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva.
The UN human rights office said that the submissions made by the representatives were &ldquo;irrelevant&rdquo; and will not be considered in the outcome drafts.
According to PTI, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the two representatives &ldquo;were prevented from distributing promotional material and their &lsquo;tangential&rsquo; speech was not taken into consideration&rdquo;.

Places across the world that have legalised cannabis appear to have increased its regular use, according to a  UN report. 

Cannabis use has risen with legalisation and Covid-19 lockdowns: UN report

Places across the world that have legalised cannabis appear to have increased its regular use, according to a &nbsp;UN report.&nbsp;

According to a recent UN report, Cannabis use has widely increased in countries that have legalised the drug. The regular intake of the drug also rose during the Covid-19 lockdowns, raising the risk of depression and suicide, the report added.&nbsp;
Various U.S states have legalised non-medical the use of cannabis including Washington and Colorado. Other countries including Canada have taken similar steps.&nbsp;
While cannabis has been the world&rsquo;s most widely used drug, the content of the drug is also getting stronger. As per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) annual World Drug Report, roughly 284 million people or 5.6 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population consumed drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in 2020. Of those, 209 million used cannabis.&nbsp;
The consumption of cannabis among teenagers has not changed much but the drug use has majorly increased among young adults, the report concluded.&nbsp;
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/lifestyle-news/indian-ayurveda-and-the-traditional-use-of-cannabis-1635146932652">Indian Ayurveda and the traditional use of Cannabis&nbsp;</a>

 A million Tibetan children separated from families in China, forced to assimilate through oppressive actions: UN experts

A million Tibetan kids forced to assimilate through oppressive act: UN

Around a million children of the Tibetan minority were being affected by Chinese government policies aimed at assimilating Tibetan people culturally, religiously, and linguistically through a residential school system, the experts added

About a million Tibetan children in China have been separated from their families and placed into government-run boarding schools, with UN human rights experts voicing alarm over this policy of &ldquo;forced assimilation&rdquo; of the Tibetan identity into the dominant majority through a series of oppressive actions.
&ldquo;We are alarmed by what appears to be a policy of forced assimilation of the Tibetan identity into the dominant Han-Chinese majority, through a series of oppressive actions against Tibetan educational, religious, and linguistic institutions,&rdquo; the UN experts said.
Around a million children of the Tibetan minority were being affected by Chinese government policies aimed at assimilating Tibetan people culturally, religiously, and linguistically through a residential school system, the experts added.
&ldquo;We are very disturbed that in recent years the residential school system for Tibetan children appears to act as a mandatory large-scale programme intended to assimilate Tibetans into majority Han culture, contrary to international human rights standards,&rdquo; the UN experts said in a statement on Monday.
The experts are UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on the right to education Farida Shaheed and Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights Alexandra Xanthaki.
In residential schools, the educational content and environment is built around majority Han culture, with textbook content reflecting almost solely the lived experience of Han students, the statement said.
Children of the Tibetan minority are forced to complete a &ldquo;compulsory education&rdquo; curriculum in Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) without access to traditional or culturally relevant learning.
The Putonghua language governmental schools do not provide a substantive study of the Tibetan minority&rsquo;s language, history and culture.
&ldquo;As a result, Tibetan children are losing their facility with their native language and the ability to communicate easily with their parents and grandparents in the Tibetan language, which contributes to their assimilation and erosion of their identity,&rdquo; the experts said.
They raised concerns about a reported substantial increase in the number of residential schools operating in and outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the number of Tibetan children living in them.
While residential schools exist in other parts of China, their share in areas populated by the Tibetan minority is much higher, and this percentage has been increasing in recent years.
While on the national level the percentage of boarding students is more than 20 per cent, information received points to the vast majority of Tibetan children in residential schools, almost one million children in total, the statement said.
&ldquo;This increase in the number of boarding Tibetan students is achieved by the closure of rural schools in areas which tend to be populated by Tibetans, and their replacement by township or county-level schools which almost exclusively use Putonghua in teaching and communications, and usually requiring children to board,&rdquo; the experts said in the statement.
&ldquo;Many of those residential schools are situated far from the family homes of students boarding in them.&rdquo; The UN experts said the policies run contrary to the prohibition of discrimination and the rights to education, linguistic and cultural rights, freedom of religion or belief and other minority rights of the Tibetan people.
&ldquo;This is a reversal of policies which were more inclusive or accommodating in some respects,&rdquo; the experts said.
In August 2021, the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs called on all ethnic groups to be guided to always place the interests of the Chinese nation above all else.
&ldquo;This call re-affirmed the idea of building a modern and strong socialist state based on a single Chinese national identity. In this context, initiatives to promote Tibetan language and culture are reportedly being suppressed, and individuals advocating for Tibetan language and education are persecuted,&rdquo; the UN experts said.
The experts sent a communication to the Government of China in November 2022 and remain in contact with the authorities regarding the issue, the statement said.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/balloon-belongs-to-china-beijing-on-if-it-wants-the-debris-returned-1675771252826">Balloon belongs to China: Beijing on if it wants the debris returned</a>&nbsp;

UN members whose arrears equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights.

United Nations: 6 countries lose voting rights in General Assembly. Watch why

UN members whose arrears equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights.

At least 6 countries have lost their voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly. Out of the six, at least three countries defaulted on paying dues to the UN's operating budget.
These are Venezuela, Lebanon, and South Sudan. The others who lost voting rights are Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.
UN members whose arrears equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights. But the UN Charter also gives the 193-member General Assembly the authority to decide "that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member," and in that case a country can continue to vote.
The General Assembly decided that three African countries on the list of nations in arrears - Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, and Somalia - would be able to keep their voting rights. It granted the three countries the same exemption last year.
According to the secretary-general's letter, the minimum payments needed to restore voting rights are USD 76,244,991 for Venezuela, USD 1,835,303 for Lebanon, USD 6,19,103 for Equatorial Guinea, USD 1,96,130 for South Sudan, USD 61,686 for Gabon, and USD 20,580 for Dominica.
(With agency inputs)
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UN to provide aid to Afghanistan despite ban on women in NGOs

Speaking after the G7 issued a statement calling the hardline Islamists' action "reckless and dangerous," Alakbarov said Afghanistan's humanitarian needs are "absolutely enormous."

The United Nations said Thursday it would not stop providing help to Afghanistan despite the Taliban ban on women working in the country's aid sector.
"Let me make it very clear that the United Nations and humanitarian partners are very committed to the delivery of life-saving services to the people of Afghanistan," the UN Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, told reporters.
Speaking after the G7 issued a statement calling the hardline Islamists' action "reckless and dangerous," Alakbarov said Afghanistan's humanitarian needs are "absolutely enormous."
"We do not believe that it is possible to deliver comprehensive humanitarian action without the participation of women," he said.
However, he added, "It's important that we continue to stay and deliver."
"Aid is never conditional. You cannot condition providing food or health assistance to a starving person, or a dying person."
He said the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and other UN officials will visit Afghanistan in the coming weeks to discuss the situation with the country's Taliban rulers, which also recently forbade women from university.
"I believe from my interaction with the Taliban, the best way of coming to the solution is not a pressure. It is a dialogue. This movement has not responded well to the pressure in the past."
UN officials have already had several "constructive" discussions with Taliban authorities on the situation, he said, citing talks with the health minister.
"Obviously delivery of health services to women and girls will not be possible without medical personnel," he said.
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He said the minister agreed that there should not be a barrier, and that the women service providers may return to work.
"We are working under one thing only, and that is resolution of the bottleneck and getting negotiations going so the women can go back to work and girls can go back to school, based on an understanding that this is an absolutely essential right of other people," said Alakbarov.

According to a recent UN report, the number of undernourished people in India has declined to 224.3 million in 2019–21 from 247.8 million in 2004-06.

Number of undernourished people declines in India; obesity in adults on the rise: UN report

UN Report claims number of undernourished people falls to 224.3 Million in India. 

India sees decline in undernourishment rate & increase in obesity: UN Report

According to a recent UN report, the number of undernourished people in India has declined to 224.3 million in 2019&ndash;21 from 247.8 million in 2004-06.

According to a recent UN report, the number of undernourished people in India declined by 60 million in over a decade. It reduced from 249.4 million (21.7 per cent) in 2004-06 to 189.2 million (14 per cent) in 2017-19.&nbsp;
However, there was a rise in the obesity level as more Indian adults have grown obese between 2012-19 (from 3.1 per cent to 3.9 per cent).&nbsp;
Globally, the number of people affected by hunger rose to 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since the outbreak of the pandemic, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report suggested.&nbsp;
The report also added that people who were unable to afford a healthy diet touched 973.3 million in 2020 up from 948.6 million in 2019. &nbsp;Almost 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, reflecting the effects of inflation in consumer food prices and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;
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UN, EU slam Elon Musk's Twitter over suspension of accounts

UN, EU warm Elon Musk's Twitter over suspension of accounts

"Media voices should not be silenced on a platform that professes to be a space for freedom of speech," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Following suspension of more than half-dozen accounts of journalists covering Twitter and Elon Musk, UN chief Antonio Guterres declared himself "very disturbed" by Musk's suspension of journalists from Twitter, calling it a "dangerous precedent."
"Media voices should not be silenced on a platform that professes to be a space for freedom of speech," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
He warned the "arbitrary" move "sets a dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even even worse."
Meanwhile, the EU on Friday warned Elon Musk that Twitter could be subject to sanctions under a future media law after the "worrying" suspension of several journalists from the messaging platform.
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"News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU's Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our Media Freedom Act," EU commissioner Vera Jourova posted on Twitter.
"Elon Musk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon."
Jourova's warning came backed by two pieces of EU legislation, one of them not yet adopted.

Notably, Russia opposed the resolution and said before the vote that it wants an opinion from U.N. legal experts on whether the Economic and Social Council was legally able to oust Iran.

Iran removed from UN women's body over suppression of rights 

Notably, Russia opposed the resolution and said before the vote that it wants an opinion from U.N. legal experts on whether the Economic and Social Council was legally able to oust Iran.

The U.N. Economic and Social Council voted Wednesday to immediately oust Iran from the U.N.'s premiere global body fighting for gender equality because of its systematic violation of the rights of women and girls.
The U.S.-sponsored resolution was sparked by Iran's ongoing brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters who took to the streets in September after the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality police.
The vote to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term was 29-8 with 16 abstentions in the 54-member council.
Russia opposed the resolution and said before the vote that it wants an opinion from U.N. legal experts on whether the Economic and Social Council was legally able to oust Iran.
The resolution expresses "serious concern" over Iran's actions since September "to continuously undermine and increasingly suppress the human rights of women and girls, including the right to freedom of expression and opinion, often with the use of excessive force, by administering policies flagrantly contrary to the human rights of women and girls and to the mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as through the use of lethal force resulting in the deaths of peaceful protesters, including women and girls."
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Established in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women plays a leading role in promoting women's rights, documenting the reality of women's lives around the world and shaping global standards to empower women and achieve gender equality.
Its 45 members, from all regions of the world, are elected for four-year terms by the UN Economic and Social Council. Iran was elected from the Asian region.

The Gandhi bust which is a gift from India to the United Nations, is made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the 'Statue of Unity’.

Watch: bust of Mahatma Gandhi unveiled by EAM S Jaishankar at UN headquarters

The Gandhi bust which is a gift from India to the United Nations, is made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the 'Statue of Unity&rsquo;.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres inaugurated the bust of Gandhi at the North Lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York.
This marks the arrival of the Mahatma at the world body's headquarters during India's Presidency of the powerful 15-nation Security Council for the month of December.
The Gandhi bust, a gift from India to the United Nations, is made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the 'Statue of Unity&rsquo;.
The bust is the first Gandhi sculpture installed in the UN headquarters, which proudly displays gifts and artifacts from around the world.
The only other gift from India on display at the UN Headquarters is an 11th century black-stone statue of &lsquo;Surya&rsquo;, the Sun God, donated on July 26, 1982.
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Indians free to speak as they wish: Permanent envoy to UN in response to question

Kamboj, India's first woman Permanent Representative to the UN, will sit in the President&rsquo;s seat at the horse-shoe table. On the first day of India's presidency, she addressed reporters in the UN headquarters on the monthly programme of work.

India does not need to be told what to do on democracy, the country's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, who assumed Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of December, said on Thursday.
India on Thursday assumed Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council for the month of December, during which it will host signature events on countering terrorism and reformed multilateralism. The Presidency will bring the curtains down on India's two-year tenure as elected non-permanent member of the powerful UN organ.
Kamboj, India's first woman Permanent Representative to the UN, will sit in the President&rsquo;s seat at the horse-shoe table. On the first day of India's presidency, she addressed reporters in the UN headquarters on the monthly programme of work.
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Responding to a question on democracy and freedom of press in India, she said "to that I would like to say that, we don't need to be told what to do on democracy.
"India is perhaps the most ancient civilization in the world as all of you know. In India, democracy had roots going back to 2500 years, we were always a democracy. Coming down to very recent times, we have all the pillars of democracy that are intact - legislature, executive, judiciary and the fourth estate, the press. And a very vibrant social media. So the country is the world's largest democracy.
"Every five years we conduct the world's largest democratic exercise. Everyone is free to say as they wish and please and that is how our country functions. It's rapidly reforming, transforming and changing. And the trajectory has been very impressive. And I don't have to say this, you don't have to listen to me. Others are saying this," Kamboj said.

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