Read the GUARDIAN article here.
Showing posts with label UN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UN. Show all posts
Monday, November 06, 2023
Gaza Is Becoming a 'Graveyard for Children', Says António Guterres
Read the GUARDIAN article here.
Sunday, November 05, 2023
UK ‘in Violation of International Law’ over Poverty Levels, Says UN Envoy
GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Exclusive: Special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter to urge ministers to increase welfare spending on visit to country this week
Poverty levels in the UK are “simply not acceptable” and the government is violating international law, the United Nations’ poverty envoy has said ahead of a visit to the country this week, when he will urge ministers to increase welfare spending.
Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, cited research showing universal credit payments of £85 a week for single adults over 25 were “grossly insufficient” and described the UK’s main welfare system as “a leaking bucket”.
In an interview with the Guardian five years after his predecessor, Philip Alston, angered the Conservative government by accusing it of the “systematic immiseration of a significant part of the British population”, the Belgian lawyer risked a fresh confrontation by saying: “Things have got worse.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Sunday, November 5, 2023
UK's welfare system is cruel and misogynistic, says UN expert after damning report on poverty: Britain’s welfare system is so sexist it may as well have been compiled by “a group of misogynists in a room,” a UN expert has claimed. / Philip Alston, the UN’s rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, warned that poverty in the UK is a “political choice” and that compassion and concern had been “outsourced” in favour of tax cuts for the rich. / In a damning 24-page report he brands levels of child poverty “not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster” and said that limiting benefit payments to two children was as “forced and physical” as China’s one-child policy. »
Poverty levels in the UK are “simply not acceptable” and the government is violating international law, the United Nations’ poverty envoy has said ahead of a visit to the country this week, when he will urge ministers to increase welfare spending.
Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, cited research showing universal credit payments of £85 a week for single adults over 25 were “grossly insufficient” and described the UK’s main welfare system as “a leaking bucket”.
In an interview with the Guardian five years after his predecessor, Philip Alston, angered the Conservative government by accusing it of the “systematic immiseration of a significant part of the British population”, the Belgian lawyer risked a fresh confrontation by saying: “Things have got worse.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Sunday, November 5, 2023
UK's welfare system is cruel and misogynistic, says UN expert after damning report on poverty: Britain’s welfare system is so sexist it may as well have been compiled by “a group of misogynists in a room,” a UN expert has claimed. / Philip Alston, the UN’s rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, warned that poverty in the UK is a “political choice” and that compassion and concern had been “outsourced” in favour of tax cuts for the rich. / In a damning 24-page report he brands levels of child poverty “not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster” and said that limiting benefit payments to two children was as “forced and physical” as China’s one-child policy. »
Gaza’s Children Face Catastrophe as Death Toll Nears 4,000, UN Warns
THE OBSERVER: Israeli bombs hit school being used as a shelter while warning comes that children form 40% of fatalities
The UN has warned of a “catastrophic” situation for children in Gaza, as Israeli bombs hit a school being used as a shelter and landed outside a hospital, and Israel came under mounting pressure over the civilian suffering caused by its campaign.
More than 40% of the dead in Gaza after nearly four weeks of war were children, the UN said, with 3,900 reported child victims, and another 1,250 missing and presumed buried under bombed buildings. With little rescue machinery, and hospitals overcrowded and running out of supplies, the chances of survival for those trapped in rubble are painfully low.
“Women, children and newborns in Gaza are disproportionately bearing the burden” of a month of fighting in the tiny territory, agencies supporting children, women, health services and Palestinian refugees said in a joint statement. » | Emma Graham-Harrison and Jason Burke in Jerusalem | Sunday, November 5, 2023
The UN has warned of a “catastrophic” situation for children in Gaza, as Israeli bombs hit a school being used as a shelter and landed outside a hospital, and Israel came under mounting pressure over the civilian suffering caused by its campaign.
More than 40% of the dead in Gaza after nearly four weeks of war were children, the UN said, with 3,900 reported child victims, and another 1,250 missing and presumed buried under bombed buildings. With little rescue machinery, and hospitals overcrowded and running out of supplies, the chances of survival for those trapped in rubble are painfully low.
“Women, children and newborns in Gaza are disproportionately bearing the burden” of a month of fighting in the tiny territory, agencies supporting children, women, health services and Palestinian refugees said in a joint statement. » | Emma Graham-Harrison and Jason Burke in Jerusalem | Sunday, November 5, 2023
Friday, October 27, 2023
'If Genocide in Gaza Continues, US Will Not Be Spared from This Fire': Iran Foreign Minister at UN
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Civilian Casualties in Israel-Hamas War 'Alarming,' Warns UN Secretary-General Guterres
Oct 24, 2023 | The war between Israel and Hamas has created a crisis in the Middle East "growing more dire by the hour," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday.
"The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiraling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies, tensions threaten to boil over."
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas into Israel left over 1,400 Israelis killed in the fighting. Israel has responded with a bombardment of Gaza. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the two weeks since the war began.
Guterres condemned the Hamas attack and called for the release of hostages while also noting the attack "did not happen in a vacuum."
"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," Guterres said.
"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, and those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."
Guterres also called on fuel to be allowed into Gaza, which is currently being blockaded by Israel. He said United Nations efforts to distribute aid would not be possible without fuel for trucks and that Gaza's hospitals would not be able to function without electricity.
WIKIPEDIA: António Guterres »
Related article here.
"The war in Gaza is raging and risks spiraling throughout the region. Divisions are splintering societies, tensions threaten to boil over."
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas into Israel left over 1,400 Israelis killed in the fighting. Israel has responded with a bombardment of Gaza. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 5,700 Palestinians have been killed in the two weeks since the war began.
Guterres condemned the Hamas attack and called for the release of hostages while also noting the attack "did not happen in a vacuum."
"The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing," Guterres said.
"The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, and those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."
Guterres also called on fuel to be allowed into Gaza, which is currently being blockaded by Israel. He said United Nations efforts to distribute aid would not be possible without fuel for trucks and that Gaza's hospitals would not be able to function without electricity.
WIKIPEDIA: António Guterres »
Related article here.
Israel Demands UN Chief Resign after ‘Horrible’ Hamas Attack Comments
THE TELEGRAPH: António Guterres backed calls for a ceasefire, as he suggested the Oct 7 massacre was linked to ‘56 years of suffocating occupation’
Israel demanded the resignation of the UN secretary-general on Tuesday over “shocking” comments in which he suggested that the Oct 7 attack was provoked by the “suffocating occupation” of the Palestinian territories.
Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, cancelled a planned meeting with António Guterres over his comments, asking him: “Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said Mr Guterres should resign immediately, saying he was not fit to lead the organisation. » | Tony Diver, US Editor ; Henry Samuel and Ben Farmer | Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Israel demanded the resignation of the UN secretary-general on Tuesday over “shocking” comments in which he suggested that the Oct 7 attack was provoked by the “suffocating occupation” of the Palestinian territories.
Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, cancelled a planned meeting with António Guterres over his comments, asking him: “Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said Mr Guterres should resign immediately, saying he was not fit to lead the organisation. » | Tony Diver, US Editor ; Henry Samuel and Ben Farmer | Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Thursday, October 12, 2023
UN Says 340,000 Displaced in Gaza I DW News
Oct 12, 2023 | The UN says nearly 340,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Gaza, decrying a humanitarian situation there that is "beyond the imagination" as Israel continues to launch airstrikes against the territory. Israel says it is hitting targets linked to the terrorist group Hamas, as retaliation for its unprecedented attacks over the weekend that killed at least 1,200 people in Israel, according to its military authorities.
Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities in Gaza say more than 1,200 have been killed since Israel's airstrikes and supply siege began. Gaza is also lacking electricity after its only power station ran out of fuel. Food, water and medical supplies are also running low.
The White House has said the US is working with Israel and Egypt in an attempt to set up safe corridors for civilians in Gaza. Egypt's president also says he is intensifying efforts to contain the conflict.
The Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border was seen as a possible route for Gazans trying to flee, but it is now closed.
Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities in Gaza say more than 1,200 have been killed since Israel's airstrikes and supply siege began. Gaza is also lacking electricity after its only power station ran out of fuel. Food, water and medical supplies are also running low.
The White House has said the US is working with Israel and Egypt in an attempt to set up safe corridors for civilians in Gaza. Egypt's president also says he is intensifying efforts to contain the conflict.
The Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border was seen as a possible route for Gazans trying to flee, but it is now closed.
Saturday, December 17, 2022
Twitter’s Suspension of Journalists Sets ‘Dangerous Precedent’, UN Warns
THE GUARDIAN: Pressure grows on Elon Musk as EU says social media platform could face sanctions over suspensions
The United Nations is “very disturbed” by Twitter’s abrupt suspension of a group of US journalists, a spokesperson has said, warning that the move sets a “dangerous precedent” – as the EU said the social media platform could fall foul of forthcoming digital regulations.
Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday the UN was “very disturbed” by the barring of prominent tech reporters at news organisations including CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times who have written about Musk and the tech company he owns.
Dujarric said media voices should not be silenced on a platform that professed to be a haven for freedom of speech. “The move sets a dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even worse,” he told reporters.
Germany’s government said press freedom must not be switched “on and off on a whim” and Downing Street also raised concerns over the suspensions. » | Dan Milmo, Rowena Mason and Alex Hern | Friday, December 16, 2022
LIRE CET ARTICLE SUR ELON MUSK EN FRANÇAIS :
Musk contre Musk : l’obsession du milliardaire pour Twitter fragilise ses succès industriels : L’image de Tesla s’est dégradée sous l’effet des multiples polémiques déclenchées par Elon Musk à la suite de son rachat du réseau social. L’action a perdu 60 % depuis le début de l’année, et les investisseurs défendent un recentrage sur le constructeur automobile. »
The United Nations is “very disturbed” by Twitter’s abrupt suspension of a group of US journalists, a spokesperson has said, warning that the move sets a “dangerous precedent” – as the EU said the social media platform could fall foul of forthcoming digital regulations.
Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday the UN was “very disturbed” by the barring of prominent tech reporters at news organisations including CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times who have written about Musk and the tech company he owns.
Dujarric said media voices should not be silenced on a platform that professed to be a haven for freedom of speech. “The move sets a dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even worse,” he told reporters.
Germany’s government said press freedom must not be switched “on and off on a whim” and Downing Street also raised concerns over the suspensions. » | Dan Milmo, Rowena Mason and Alex Hern | Friday, December 16, 2022
LIRE CET ARTICLE SUR ELON MUSK EN FRANÇAIS :
Musk contre Musk : l’obsession du milliardaire pour Twitter fragilise ses succès industriels : L’image de Tesla s’est dégradée sous l’effet des multiples polémiques déclenchées par Elon Musk à la suite de son rachat du réseau social. L’action a perdu 60 % depuis le début de l’année, et les investisseurs défendent un recentrage sur le constructeur automobile. »
Thursday, December 15, 2022
UN Expels Iran from Women's Rights Panel
Friday, November 25, 2022
Iran’s Crackdown on Protesters to Be Investigated by UN - BBC News
Thursday, November 24, 2022
UN to Investigate Iran Human Rights Violations? | DW News
Wednesday, November 02, 2022
UN Poverty Envoy Tells Britain This Is ‘Worst Time’ for More Austerity
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Olivier de Schutter says cuts could violate human rights laws, calling instead for higher taxes on rich
Demonstrators take part in a protest against the government's austerity measures last month.Photograph: Warrick Page/Getty Images
The United Nations’ poverty envoy has warned Rishi Sunak that unleashing a new wave of austerity in this month’s budget could violate the UK’s international human rights obligations and increase hunger and malnutrition.
Olivier de Schutter, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, said he was “extremely troubled” by likely multibillion-pound spending cuts – including possible real-terms reductions in welfare payments to millions of the nation’s poorest families.
The government is due to unveil a crunch budget on 17 November to fill an estimated £40bn black hole in the public finances using tax rises as well as spending cuts.
Speaking to the Guardian, the UN-appointed official, who has recently been investigating extreme poverty in Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Nepal, said: “This is the worst time to impose such cuts. You do not impose austerity measures when the whole population is facing a cost of living crisis. What you do is you raise taxes on the rich, you raise taxes on corporations.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Wednesday, November 2, 2022
We’ve had years and years of Tory austerity already. Cameron and Osborne introduced the “age of austerity” in 2009. (Of course, we were all in it together!) And a fat lot of good it has done us! A worse outcome would be hard to imagine!
Even though I disliked the man at the time, he has been proven right. I speak of Denis Healey, the one-time Labour chancellor of the exchequer. He once said, “I want to squeeze the rich until the pips squeak.”. That is exactly what we need to do right now! Forget about inflicting even more pain on the poor! Tax the rich instead – until their pips squeak, as he said! (Source of quotation: The Guardian).
Moreover, if you don’t wish to tax the superrich, then we might need to talk about whether we can afford the luxury of royalty.
I am not anti-royal; I am no republican. But it seems ludicrous to me that we lavish limitless amounts of money on royalty to keep them in the lap of luxury, when so many ordinary people cannot put food on the table for their children. That is not only wrong, it is also unconscionable. – © Mark Alexander
More austerity, more division, more decline: Sunak is merely a sequel in a tired Tory franchise: The new prime minister’s main redeeming quality is that he is not his predecessors. What a sorry waste of 12 years in power »
The United Nations’ poverty envoy has warned Rishi Sunak that unleashing a new wave of austerity in this month’s budget could violate the UK’s international human rights obligations and increase hunger and malnutrition.
Olivier de Schutter, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, said he was “extremely troubled” by likely multibillion-pound spending cuts – including possible real-terms reductions in welfare payments to millions of the nation’s poorest families.
The government is due to unveil a crunch budget on 17 November to fill an estimated £40bn black hole in the public finances using tax rises as well as spending cuts.
Speaking to the Guardian, the UN-appointed official, who has recently been investigating extreme poverty in Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Nepal, said: “This is the worst time to impose such cuts. You do not impose austerity measures when the whole population is facing a cost of living crisis. What you do is you raise taxes on the rich, you raise taxes on corporations.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Wednesday, November 2, 2022
We’ve had years and years of Tory austerity already. Cameron and Osborne introduced the “age of austerity” in 2009. (Of course, we were all in it together!) And a fat lot of good it has done us! A worse outcome would be hard to imagine!
Even though I disliked the man at the time, he has been proven right. I speak of Denis Healey, the one-time Labour chancellor of the exchequer. He once said, “I want to squeeze the rich until the pips squeak.”. That is exactly what we need to do right now! Forget about inflicting even more pain on the poor! Tax the rich instead – until their pips squeak, as he said! (Source of quotation: The Guardian).
Moreover, if you don’t wish to tax the superrich, then we might need to talk about whether we can afford the luxury of royalty.
I am not anti-royal; I am no republican. But it seems ludicrous to me that we lavish limitless amounts of money on royalty to keep them in the lap of luxury, when so many ordinary people cannot put food on the table for their children. That is not only wrong, it is also unconscionable. – © Mark Alexander
More austerity, more division, more decline: Sunak is merely a sequel in a tired Tory franchise: The new prime minister’s main redeeming quality is that he is not his predecessors. What a sorry waste of 12 years in power »
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Biden: We Must Defend Rights of LGBTQ+ Individuals to Love Openly
ADVOCATE: Almost 70 U.N. member states still have laws criminalizing same-sex activity.
President Joe Biden addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, where he spoke about the need to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people around the world.
“We all must defend the rights of LGBTQI individuals so they can live and love openly without fear,” Biden said.
“As we pursue diplomacy across the board, the United States will champion the democratic values that go to the very heart of who we are as a nation and a people — freedom, equality, opportunity and a belief in the universal rights of all people,” he added.
In his speech, Biden specifically spoke about LGBTQ+ rights violations in Chechnya and Cameroon.
For years, Chechen authorities have organized — at times lethal — crackdowns against LGBTQ+ people in the Russian republic. Earlier this year the Russian LGBT Network reported that Chechen men forcibly returned a man to the republic from Moscow and interrogated him about LGBTQ+ people in the area. » | Alex Cooper | Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Be Warned: Gay Marriage and Gay Sex Are in SCOTUS Crosshairs »
Friday, February 22, 2019
UN Concludes Journalist Khashoggi Murder Was Premeditated by Saudi Arabia Leadership
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Monday, September 18, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
UN Accuses Saudi, UAE of Funding Armed Groups in Yemen
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Is the UN Able to Achieve Peace in Libya? – Inside Story
Thursday, June 29, 2017
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