united nations

UN Revives Two-State Solution by Excluding Hamas, “Which Must be Disarmed”

The UN General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly adopted the “New York Declaration,” aimed at reviving the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, but explicitly excluding Hamas, which “must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.”   The resolution, presented by France and Saudi Arabia, was ...

UNIFIL Supports Education and Health Projects in Southern Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continued its humanitarian and development initiatives south of the Litani River, complementing its core mission under UN Resolution 1701. On Friday, Eastern Sector Commander Major General Ricardo Esteban Cabrejos inaugurated a rapid-impact education project in Ghandouriyeh, Marjayoun. The ...

Tensions on the Nile: Ethiopia’s Grand Dam Reignites Rivalries

After 14 years of work, Ethiopia has inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the largest hydroelectric project on the continent, located on the Blue Nile near the Sudanese border. The dam is 1.8 kilometers long and 170 meters high, with a reservoir capable of storing 74 billion cubic meters of water. Its generating capacity ...

MP Alameh: Up to 400,000 Syrian Refugees Would Return Home Soon

Lebanon may see up to 400,000 Syrian refugees return home in the near future, MP Fadi Alameh said on Wednesday, noting that between 200,000 and 250,000 have already gone back. Speaking after chairing a session of the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee, Alameh said the meeting focused on the refugee return file and was attended by Deputy ...

Iran's Khamenei bemoans low oil production

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday bemoaned his country's oil production levels and called for the diversification of its export markets as Tehran faces renewed pressure from the West. "Oil production in the country -- with the importance it has in the economy, which is obvious -- is low," Khamenei said in a ...

Cocaine Market: Low Prices, High Health Risks

Cocaine prices are falling, but the risks are rising. In Lebanon, as elsewhere, a gram has never been cheaper. It may seem like a “good deal,” but behind the low price lies a harsh reality: regulated use, a growing number of addicts and mounting health risks. Cocaine, or “coke” to regular users, is circulating more freely than ever. ...

Sudan's RSF Commits 'Myriad Crimes Against Humanity': UN Probe

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan has committed numerous crimes against humanity in Sudan's civil war, in particular in its siege of El-Fasher in western Darfur, UN investigators said Friday. The United Nations' fact-finding mission for Sudan also found evidence of war crimes by both sides in the conflict between the regular ...

Days After Quake, Afghan Survivors Still Await Aid

Rescue teams struggled Wednesday to reach survivors days after a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan left more than 1,400 people dead, as access to remote areas remained obstructed. A magnitude-6.0 shallow earthquake hit the mountainous region bordering Pakistan late Sunday, collapsing mud-brick homes on families as they slept. Fearful of ...

FAO Builds Partnerships to Shape Lebanon’s Agricultural Future

During a short visit to Beirut, a high-level delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) met with Lebanese leaders and international partners to strengthen cooperation and support projects aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural sector. Talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Minister of ...