News headlines in 2023, page 69

The death toll from the major earthquake that pummelled western Afghanistan soared to more than 1,000 overnight as rescue operations continued to fan out over affected villages, UN agencies said on Sunday.

Top UN officials engaged key actors amid the spiraling Israeli-Palestinian conflict while UN peacekeepers detected rocket and artillery fire exchanged across the Israel-Lebanon border ahead of Sunday’s Security Council emergency closed-door meeting on the unfolding crisis.

Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022, and now the authorities in Ukraine with the support of the United Nations are planning ahead for their eventual return.

Top UN officials and agencies alongside many world leaders appealed for a rapid de-escalation of the deadly conflict that erupted early Saturday in Israeli border towns near the Gaza Strip.

A major earthquake struck Herat, Afghanistan early Saturday killing at least 100 people and triggering a spate of rescue and assessment missions by UN agencies, partners, and the de facto authorities.

Following Pakistan’s announcement to repatriate Afghan nationals, the UN’s refugee and migration agencies together appealed to Islamabad on Saturday to continue protecting those who sought safety in the country and could be “at imminent risk if forced to return”.

The UN and its partners launched on Saturday an emergency response plan to help 136,000 refugees, appealing for $97 million to respond to urgent needs of those who fled the Karabakh region and their hosts in Armenia.

UN officials are “in close contact with all concerned to urge maximum restraint” following “horrific scenes of violence” that have left dozens dead and hundreds wounded in Israeli cities near the Gaza Strip amid rocket attacks by armed Palestinian militants early Saturday morning.

Honduras is scrambling to solve ever worsening water shortages in its capital, Tegucigalpa. The answer lies in restoring and conserving the country’s forests.

NEW YORK, Oct 06 (IPS) - It is not a secret that the world is witnessing rising international tensions and erosion of the global order that has been in place since the establishment of the United Nations. Divisive blocs, which have not been seen since the Cold War, are making a swift return. As a result, our planet is facing severe threats, including a new global arms race, the threat of the use of nuclear weapons, and the proliferation of wars in all formats, including hot, hybrid, cyber, and trade.