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Russia seeks summit after Iran sanctions push
rejected | UN envoy lauds consensus on Bolivian
election date | OHCHR probes hunger strike by
indigenous people in Chile  |
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The United Nations Development
Programme is working with experts to examine the
environmental effects of the deadly blast in the
port of Beirut, Lebanon, warning that the
ammonium nitrate explosion released a large
amount of toxic waste into the city and possibly
the Mediterranean sea. Families of people killed
in the blast are asking the UN Security Council
to investigate, saying they do not trust
Lebanese authorities -- who they believe to be
responsible -- to investigate the
incident. Full Story: Voice of America
(8/16), Arab News (Saudi Arabia)
(8/15)
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President Vladimir Putin of
Russia has proposed a summit between the United
States and members of the 2015 Iran nuclear
deal, warning against the escalation of tensions
following the defeat of a US draft resolution to
extend sanctions on Iran. Only the US and the
Dominican Republic voted in favor of the
extension, with Russia and China opposing and
the remaining 11 Security Council members
abstaining. Full Story: Reuters
(8/14), The Associated Press
(8/14)
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A team from the United Nations
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
has been dispatched to Chile, where members
visited prisons and a hospital at which
indigenous Mapuche prisoners are engaging in a
hunger strike. Mapuche leader Celestino Cordova
says he is protesting a court decision to keep
him in prison despite the pandemic. Full Story: Reuters
(8/15)
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MercoPress
(Uruguay)
(8/17)
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Macau Business
(Macao)/Agence France-Presse
(8/15)
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The Jamaica
Observer
(8/15)
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Increasingly strict sentencing
for low-level drug crimes is driving up the
number of women incarcerated after being tricked
or coerced into trafficking drugs, the United
Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights warns. A significant number of the
female prisoners in Asia are poor women with low
levels of education, who were drawn into
trafficking by men promising money or
romance. Full Story: CNN
(8/17)
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Thomson Reuters
Foundation
(8/16)
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United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres has warned against politicizing
access to an ailing oil tanker off the Yemen
coast, urging Houthi rebel leaders to allow UN
officials aboard to assess the situation and
arrange for the ship to be moved. "A spill would
have catastrophic environmental and humanitarian
consequences, including destroying livelihoods
and shutting down Hodeida port, a vital lifeline
for millions of Yemenis who depend on commercial
imports and humanitarian aid," says UN
spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Full Story: Voice of America
(8/15), Xinhua News Agency
(China)
(8/14)
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BusinessGreen
(U.K.)
(8/17)
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| Peacekeeping and
Security | |
Thousands of workers in Belarus
continue to march in the streets calling for
President Alexander Lukashenko to step down
after 26 years in office. UNICEF has voiced
alarm over authorities' response to the
protests, noting that police are using excessive
force against protesters and many children have
been detained. Full Story: The Associated Press
(8/17), Macau Business (Macao)/Agence
France-Presse
(8/15)
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The National (Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates)
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Associated Press of
Pakistan
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| Highlights
from the United Nations Department of Global
Communications | | | |
UNDP to support economic recovery
in Beirut Full Story: UN News
(8/14)
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| Commentary
and coverage on the UN and UN-related
issues | | | |
"Polio vaccination campaigns have
resumed in Afghanistan and Pakistan - the last
two countries where the crippling disease has a
foothold - after a reported "surge" in
cases." Full Story: UN Dispatch
(8/14)
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Quote
of the Day
The @UN's @ZainabHawa shares with me the
story of her remarkable life from growing up in
extreme poverty in Sierra Leone to become a
humanitarian devoted to save
others. Listen to the new episode
of Awake At Night. I am sure Zainab will inspire
you too. bit.ly/2Cvs3oq@MelissaFleming | | |
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Nations' efforts to address the most pressing
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Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2020
12:22 AM
Subject: Beirut: Blast spread
toxic waste; families seek probe
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