UN

US refuses to recognize UN court jurisdiction on Argentina’s debt
Washington has refused to allow the UN International Court of Justice (IJC) to hear Argentina's claims that US court decisions on the country's debt have violated Argentina's sovereignty. “We do not view the ICJ as an appropriate venue for addressing Argentina’s debt issues, and we continue to urge Argentina to engage with its creditors to resolve remaining issues with bondholders,” the U [...]
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West blocks Moscow’s UN plea to reinstate ceasefire at MH17 crash site
The UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on reinstating the ceasefire at the site of the Malaysian Airlines plane crash in eastern Ukraine after Russia's draft was blocked by Western states. “Unfortunately, some UNSC members have reacted in their usual way as they oppose any criticism of the Ukrainian leadership,” Churkin said, adding that Lithuania, the US, and Australia began [...]
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US considers ‘military options’ in Iraq to save Yazidis, Christians
US President Barack Obama is considering military action to help stranded Yazidi Kurds in Iraq who fled territories captured by Islamic State militants. On Thursday, President Obama assembled members of his national security team to discuss the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in regions of Iraq captured by the Islamic State (IS). [...]
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“Kiev will have to answer many questions” as UN urges intl MH17 crash probe – Moscow envoy
The UN Security Council has condemned the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, called for an international probe into the incident in a unanimously adopted resolution. All 15-member states voted to pass the Australia-proposed resolution, condemning “in the strongest terms” the crash of Malaysian plane on July 17 in Donetsk region of Ukraine, which resulted in 298 people dead. [...]
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Mass executions, torture and child soldiers: UN reports terrible war crimes in Iraq
More than 5,000 Iraqis have died in the violence in the country so far this year, a large proportion of them women and children suffering gruesome deaths at the hands of ISIS extremists and over-zealous security forces, says a detailed new UN report. [...]
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Moscow calls for intl probe into Malaysia MH17 flight crash – Russia’s UN envoy
Russia urges an impartial and open investigation into the Malaysian Boeing 777 crash in Ukraine and an international commission to be set up. Addressing the UN, Russia's envoy Churkin said a probe into Ukraine's aviation authorities is also necessary. [...]
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“Snowden should be praised, not prosecuted” – UN rights watchdog
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights believes the world owes a "great dea" to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, saying he should not face trial for his revelations of sweeping state surveillance as they have served the public interest. “Those who disclose human rights violations should be protected: we need them,” Commissioner Navi Pillay told reporters on Wednesday. [...]
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UN envoy slams Israel’€™s “€˜unacceptable”€™ police handling of “€˜Holy Fire”€™ ritual in Jerusalem
Israeli police reportedly blocked a top UN diplomat, alongside other diplomats and Palestinians, entrance to a pre-Easter Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which Israeli authorities called a "€˜micro-incident."€™ Robert Serry, the UN special envoy for Middle East peace, said he and Palestinian Christians were making their way to attend the ‘Holy Fire’ cer [...]
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UN Hammers US Human Rights Record on Spying, Torture, Drones and Death Penalty
A UN report hammers the United States'€™ human rights record, denouncing vast surveillance, ongoing unaccountability for torture, deadly drone strikes, one of the world's highest death penalty counts, and mass incarceration, among other black marks. [...]
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15 years ago: Looking back at NATO’s “€˜Humanitarian”€™ bombing of Yugoslavia
Exactly 15 years ago, on March 24, NATO began its 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia. The alliance bypassed the UN under a “humanitarian” pretext, launching aggression that claimed hundreds of civilian lives and caused a much larger catastrophe than it averted. [...]
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Israel closes embassies all over the world as diplomats go on indefinite strike
Employees of Israel's Foreign Ministry went on an all-out strike Sunday for the first time in the country'€™s history over a dispute surrounding workers' salaries and conditions. The dispute has been going on for nearly two years. [...]
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Obama rules out US military involvement in Ukraine
The US will not get involved in a "€œmilitary excursion"€ in Ukraine, President Barack Obama said, stressing that Washington will pursue diplomatic means in the standoff with Russia over Crimea. "We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine," Obama told San Diego’s KNSD TV. [...]
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Yanukovich sent letter to Putin asking for Russian military presence in Ukraine – Russia’s UN envoy
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin says ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has sent a letter to Putin asking him to use military force in Ukraine to restore law and order. [...]
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Russian forces in Ukraine could be a stabilizing factor in a country with no legitimate govt€™
As President Putin weighs using military forces in a Ukraine plunging deeper into political turmoil, Alexander Mercouris, international law expert, tells RT that the presence Russia’s forces could be a restraining factor for all the parties involved. [...]
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Germany warns of “€˜diplomatic damage”€™ if Israel ignores UN rights panel – report
Germany told Israel to expect "€œsevere diplomatic damage"€ should it fail to attend a periodic human rights review Tuesday, Haaretz reports. Israel severed ties with the UNHRC in March 2012 after it expressed concern over Israeli settlements. “On Friday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle sent a personal letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that Israel's failure t [...]
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Chomsky to RT: All superpowers feel exceptional, inflate security myth for “€˜frightened population”
The United States is not the first superpower to act as if it'€™s exceptional and will likely not be the last, although US leaders could be squandering a fruitful opportunity for improved international relations, Noam Chomsky said in an interview with RT. [...]
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UN Security Council unanimously adopts Syria resolution
The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution outlining the details of taking under international control and ultimately destroying Syria’s chemical arsenal. "Today's historic resolution is the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council immediately after the vote. [...]
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American exceptionalism an “€˜outdated”€™ concept
The longstanding notion of US exceptionalism has deep roots in the American psyche, but as the world experiences a “tectonic shift in global geopolitics” the very idea of Washington’s superiority is being challenged, analyst Eric Draitser told RT. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama reaffirmed Washington's desire to engage in the affairs of other states, particularly in the Mi [...]
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UN nuclear meeting rejects Arab push for Israel to join weapons pact
Member states of the UN nuclear agency voted down an Arab-backed resolution targeting the Jewish state for criticism over its clandestine nuclear weapons arsenal. Fifty-one countries voted against the so-called ‘Israeli Nuclear Capabilities’ measure and 43 states voted for it in what was viewed as a victory for the United States, which opposed the initiative. [...]
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