United Nations

Goran Hadzic, the last war crimes fugitive from the Yugoslav wars, has been arrested, according to Serb officials, leading to the country fulfilling its main remaining obligation to the United Nations tribunal and clearing its most important political obstacle to European Union membership.

The United Nations declared today that famine exists in two regions of southern Somalia: southern Bakool, and Lower Shabelle," a statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said.

Millions of South Africans are celebrating the 93rd birthday of the former president Nelson Mandela.Mandela Day, was inaugurated in 2009 on Nelson Mandela's birthday, 18 July, and declared an international day by the United Nations in November 2009. Mandela Day was inspired by a call made by this world icon for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world's social injustices. Mandela turns 93 years of age on 18 July.

More than 30 nations, including the United States, on Friday declared that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime is no longer legitimate and formally recognized Libya's main opposition group as the legitimate government until a new interim authority is created.

Despite claiming that Gaddafi is preparing to leave for now several weeks, NATO and other leaders meeting in Istanbul are considering proposals that allow for a peaceful resolution to the conflict without the Libyan leader's unconditional surrender or flight.

An Arab League decision to ask the UN to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines would not serve the peace process, the US said on Thursday.

Afghan government officials on Thursday accused NATO of killing six civilians, including an 11-year-old girl, during a military operation targeting the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network.

The Arab League will submit to the United Nations a request for recognition of a Palestinian state, Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said on Thursday in Doha.The Arab peace initiative committee "has decided to submit a call to the member states of the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state," Arabi told a news conference after a meeting of the committee in the Qatari capital, the AFP reported.It would "move to present a request for full membership of a Palestinian state ...

Dozens of containers of gunpowder seized from an Iranian cargo ship in 2009 exploded on Cyprus' main naval base Monday in a massive blast that killed 12 people, wounded 62 and wrecked a major power station, causing extensive blackouts.

South Sudan's capital, Juba, was today overflowing with people dancing and marching in the streets, enveloped by the country's flag, or wearing traditional clothes.

Somalia is close to famine, causing over a 1,000 people a day to travel over the border into Kenya and Ethiopia, according to the United Nations.

North Sudan has gathered and prepared what looked like a large convoy of troops in its Southern Kordofan oil state, the site of clashes that have threatened the peaceful secession of the south, a satellite monitoring group said on Wednesday.

Amnesty International has declared that the Syrian security forces may have committed crimes against humanity during a deadly operation last month in a town near the Lebanese border.

After allegations first emerged in the French newspaper Le Figaro, France has today confirmed it dropped arms to Berber tribal fighters in the mountains south-west of the capital, Tripoli. "During the operation, the situation for the civilians on the ground worsened. We dropped arms and means of self-defence, mainly ammunition," he told ...

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Colonel Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi for crimes against humanity. The court says there is evidences he ordered attacks on civilians during the recent uprising, in which more than 20,000 Libyans are thought to have died so far.

The recent unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has enabled China to take a stand on international issues and reaffirm its own vision regarding conflict resolution.

A spokesman says the opposition insists that the strongman cannot be involved in any future government, but it may allow him to live out his last years in Libya at an isolated location.

As Nato insisted there would be no let-up in its air war despite Italian calls for a cessation, Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, said he did not fear death and defiantly vowed to fight "to the beyond,""We will resist and the battle will continue to the beyond, until you're wiped out. But we will not be finished," Gaddafi said in an audio message broadcast on Libyan television late on Wednesday.

Palestinian officials say a high-profile meeting between the leaders of the rival Fatah and Hamas movements has been called off and postponed indefinitely.

The United Nation's nuclear agency's decision to hold talks over the Fukushima nuclear meltdown behind closed doors has prompted anger and frustration over both the United Nations and the Japanese Governments reaction to the worst nuclear disaster in twenty five years

Britain has renewed calls for Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of war crimes after video footage apparently showing the summary execution of naked and bound prisoners was broadcast on UK television, in the documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Field.

Lebanon's new Prime Minister Najib Mikati, finally announced on Monday the makeup of the long-delayed government, which include various members and allies of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

fter months of hesitations, Germany has yesterday recognised Libya's rebels as "the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people", becoming the 13th country to do so after after Australia, Britain, France, Gambia, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Could the situation in Libya become any more complicated? The conflict which opposes Col Gaddafi to the rebel fighters and Nato is now threatening to turn into a real legal quagmire as all parties are accused to trespassing the law in a way or another

As the fight to force Gaddafi out of power continues, Western and Arab governments have pledged more than £800m to support Libya's rebel administration as they seek to keep the pressure on Muammar Gaddafi's regime and insist they want to start preparing for a transitional phase.

After last Sunday's protests in the Golan Heights, tensions are mounting between Syria and Israel. As the Israeli authorities, backed by the U.S., accused the demonstration of being an enterprise backed by the al-Assad regime, according to the Associated Press, a Syrian government newspaper warned on Tuesday that more Syrians and Palestinians plan to march to the Israeli border. In what seems like a propaganda attempt, the newspaper reportedly warned: "Israel the day will come when hundred...

South Korea's Ban Ki-moon said he will run for a second five-year term as secretary-general of the United Nations."It has been an enormous privilege to lead this great organization," Ban, 66, said yesterday at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York. "If supported by the member states, I would be deeply honoured to serve once more."Ban said he expressed his intention in a letter to the governments of the 192 UN member nations and would meet with their envoys with...

Following the failure of the African Union Road Map proposal presented by South African leader Jacob Zuma to broker a ceasefire between Gaddafi and the rebels, NATO powers are upping their intervention in Libya in a bid to break the deadlock, which has seen the Libyan leader hold on to power defiantly despite weeks of air strikes and a rebel uprising.

British lawyer Peter Benson began the movement that led to the establishment of Amnesty International in May 1961 by issuing an "appeal for amnesty" on behalf of two Portuguese students who had been imprisoned for raising their glasses in a "toast to freedom".

Colonel Gaddafi has, since he took over power in Libya more than 40 years ago, been known for being a bit of an eccentric character. Between insisting on having female bodyguards, to trying to set up his tent in Central Park while he visited the United Nations headquarters, he has throughout the years never ceased to amaze us.However is former friend and ItalianPrime Minister Berlusconi is as outrageous as ever and sometines even outshines the Libyan leader as he is a reknown eccentric, ofte...