News headlines in 2023, page 46

Spanning from city to savannah, and from mountaintops to mangroves, the world’s 748 biosphere reserves are being celebrated this Friday for their diversity and contribution to a green global future.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) expressed alarm on Friday over reports that in Sudan, women and girls are being abducted, chained and held in “inhuman, degrading slave-like conditions” in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur.

UN agencies on Friday called on Pakistan to continue protecting children and families seeking safety amidst rising concerns over the Government’s new ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’.

Political negotiations to get aid into Gaza have yielded results but much more is needed, including humanitarian ceasefires to ensure safe delivery of food, fuel and other essentials, senior UN officials said on Friday in a briefing to Member States in New York.

More funding is urgently needed for lifesaving aid in Gaza while concern is deepening over high numbers of civilians killed since the beginning of the crisis and human rights violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

SHOPIAN, INDIA, Nov 02 (IPS) - Of Kashmir’s seven million inhabitants, a staggering one million rely directly on apple farming. The region is pivotal in India’s apple and horticulture production, contributing to over 70 percent of the country’s apple supply. This not only provides income to farmers but also sustains a vast network of laborers, traders, and transporters within the fruit economy.

ACAPULCO, Mexico, Nov 02 (IPS) - Acapulco is a paradise. A port of golden sunsets, toasted sand, and deep blue sea. Its dream beaches captivated the hearts of Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor. US President John F. Kennedy chose its shores to spend his honeymoon with Jackie Kennedy. Its luxury hotels and the untamed sea made it the most famous tourist destination in Mexico.

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Nov 02 (IPS) - Many observers found it intriguing that UN Secretary-General António Guterres would want to spend three full days in Nepal even as Israel was carpet-bombing Gaza.

The UN Secretary-General on Thursday stressed that global oversight of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology should be based on the UN Charter’s core principles and ensure full respect for human rights.

Russia on Thursday announced it was revoking its ratification of the UN-backed Comprehensive Nuclear Test Bank Treaty (CTBT), after the Russian Duma passed legislation last month.