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☆ UN wants India to mobilise G20 to help debt-stressed countries
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - U.N. chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday sought India's support in mobilising G20 nations to help out developing countries saddled with debt, with three of India's neighbours already seeking IMF loans as their economies struggle. India takes over the G20 presidency from Indonesia for a year from Dec 1. "I count on India’s support in mobilising G20 countries around debt relief," Guterres told the students and faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. "Many developing countries are at or near debt distress and require multilateral action, including the expansion and extension of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative." He said G20 countries were responsible for 80% of global emissions and must take the lead in cutting those.

☆ Russia to review working with U.N. chief if he inspects drones in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking after a closed-door U.N. Security Council meeting on Moscow's use of drones, Russia's Deputy U.N. Tehran denies supplying the drones to Moscow and Russia has denied its forces had used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. Guterres reports twice a year to the Security Council - traditionally in June and December - on the implementation of the 2015 resolution. Any assessment of the drones in Ukraine would likely be included in that report. GRAIN DEALIran and Russia both argue that there is no mandate for Guterres to send experts to Ukraine to inspect the drones.

☆ More than 100 Haitian migrants found on island near Puerto Rico
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MIAMI, Oct 18 (Reuters) - More than 100 Haitian migrants have been found on an uninhabited island near Puerto Rico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Tuesday, as a gang blockade of a fuel terminal has caused a humanitarian crisis in Haiti. "What we know preliminarily is that they were transported in just one vessel," Quinones said in a telephone interview. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSmugglers frequently use Mona Island as a drop-off point for vessels leaving the Dominican Republic, and often tell migrants that they've reached Puerto Rico even though Mona island is uninhabited and inhospitable, he said. Haiti has requested international military assistance to confront gangs that are blocking the Varreux fuel terminal, triggering shortages of food, fuel and diesel. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NASSAU, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Bahamas would send troops or police to Haiti as part of a peacekeeping force if asked to do so by the United Nations or the Caribbean Community, a Bahamian government minister said on Tuesday, as Haiti's humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. read more"If Caricom determines to send troops in, Caricom will no doubt determine how that troop make-up will be, which could include Bahamian troops," National Security Minister Wayne Munroe told reporters. Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis assumes the chairmanship of 15-member regional group Caricom in January. Such an intervention would be in the interests of The Bahamas, Munroe said, because the Royal Bahamas Defence Force already does extensive work to patrol its territorial waters for Haitian migrants. Haitians frequently travel through Bahamian waters in hopes of reaching the United States.

☆ Explainer: What's driving Haiti's humanitarian crisis?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A man looks for food through piles of trash on the side of a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo ArduengoOct 18 (Reuters) - Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, fuel and water causing catastrophic hunger, and the government pleading for military assistance from abroad. The trigger for the current crisis is the blockade of a key fuel terminal by armed gangs that began in September. The G9 on Sept. 12 dug trenches outside the main entrance of the Varreux fuel terminal to protest an announcement by Prime Minister Ariel Henry that the government was cutting fuel subsidies. The fuel shortages have halted most economic activities.

☆ Ethiopian army captures city from Tigray forces -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Guterres told reporters the United Nations was ready to support the bloc in every possible way to end the Ethiopian people's "nightmare". The European Union said the joint offensive by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces should stop immediately and the Eritreans should withdraw from Ethiopian territory. It also urged Tigray forces to refrain from any further military operations. Spokespersons for the Ethiopian government and army, for the Eritrean government and for the Tigray forces did not respond to requests for comment on events in Shire. The Tigray authorities said on Sunday their forces would abide by an immediate truce and said a "humanitarian catastrophe" was unfolding.

☆ U.S., Mexico call for Haiti security mission to confront gangs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico said on Monday they will seek support from the United Nations for a security mission to restore order in Haiti amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, but did not identify who would lead the mission. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this month suggested sending in a "rapid-action force," according to a letter seen by Reuters. read moreU.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Monday to investigate and punish any political elites colluding with the gangs. "Will sending such a rapid action force to Haiti receive the understanding, support and cooperation of the parties in Haiti?" A U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MINUSTAH, which operated in Haiti between 2004 and 2017, faced harsh criticism over problems including its role in a 2010 cholera outbreak.

☆ U.S., Canada deliver armored vehicles to Haitian police to fight gangs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. and Canadian military aircraft on Saturday delivered tactical and armored vehicles and other supplies to the Haitian National Police (HNP) to help combat criminal gangs that have worsened a humanitarian crisis in Haiti. The United States and Canada stepped in to transport the Haitian government-purchased equipment when the company faced delivery delays, a State Department spokesperson said, adding that Washington would continue efforts to strengthen the Haitian police. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed that one or several countries send "a rapid action force" to help Haiti's police remove a threat posed by the gangs, according to a letter to the Security Council, seen by Reuters. The 15-member Security Council could vote as early as Monday on the draft resolution, diplomats said. To be adopted a resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France or Britain.

☆ The UN has said nuclear war is 'back within the realm of possibility.' Here are the places in the US most likely to be hit in a nuclear attack.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Alex Lockie | Abbie Shull | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said earlier in the year that nuclear war is "back within the realm of possibility." A Russian nuclear attack would likely focus on high-value targets in North Dakota or Montana. Even if every single US intercontinental ballistic missile silo, stockpiled nuclear weapon, and nuclear-capable bomber were flattened, US nuclear submarines could — and would — retaliate. Brooke Buddemeier/Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryThe US has strategically positioned the bulk of its nuclear forces, which double as nuclear targets, far from population centers. Update: This article was originally published in 2017 but has since been updated and re-published amid concerns that the war in Ukraine could escalate to nuclear war.

☆ Haiti gang blockade is causing catastrophic hunger, U.N. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have for the first time a famine present in Haiti," Ulrika Richardson, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the U.N. system in Haiti, said in a telephone interview. A U.N. spokesperson later clarified that Richardson should have described the situation as catastrophic hunger rather than famine. Richardson said other countries need to do more to support Haiti, as the Caribbean country's humanitarian response plan for this year has received less then 30% of the required funding. The situation was "close to breaking point", Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Program country director in Haiti, told reporters earlier. U.S. development agency USAID on Friday sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Haiti, the agency's chief, Samantha Power, wrote on Twitter.

☆ Putin's nuclear threats are stirring fears of a nightmare scenario. Here's what's in his arsenal and what could happen if he orders the unthinkable.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

The use of a nuclear weapon is "directly tied to Russia's fate on the battlefield," one expert recently told Insider. Putin, who claimed to have placed Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert just days later, has continued to remind the world of Russia's nuclear might in the months since. There are tactical nuclear weapons that are more than four times as powerful. At best, a single tactical nuclear weapon could destroy about a dozen tanks, Podvig said. Kristensen said during the ACA webinar on Tuesday that he believes it's unlikely that Russia employs nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

☆ Exclusive: Russia is prepared to quit Black Sea grains deal, writes to UN with demands
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed, Russia's Geneva U.N. ambassador told Reuters on Thursday. The agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded. The agreement helped stave off a global food crisis: Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's biggest grain exporters and Russia is the number one fertiliser exporter. He said Guterres was committed to those efforts and to having an extended and expanded Black Sea Grain Initiative. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Emma Farge Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Russia is prepared to quit Black Sea grains deal, writes to UN with demands
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ U.N. Security Council considers Haiti sanctions, targeting gang leader 'Barbecue'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Cherizier and his G9 gang confederation are actively blocking the free movement of fuel from the Varreux fuel terminal," the text says. Health experts say the gang blockade is making it more difficult to control the outbreak, which was announced this month. The 15-member Security Council could vote as early as Monday on the draft sanctions resolution, diplomats said. China has been pushing for the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on criminal gangs in Haiti. U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Haitian gangs have for a month prevented the distribution of diesel and gasoline, crippling businesses and hospitals and creating shortages of basic goods including water just as the country is struggling with a new outbreak of cholera. The State Department has created a new visa restriction policy targeting those who support the gangs and has sent a Coast Guard vessel to patrol Haitian waters. Sporadic looting and gun battles between gangs and police have become increasingly common in recent weeks as the shortages have led to mounting desperation. Another Biden administration official during the phone briefing said the travel bans were meant to hold accountable those who are linked to the gangs. "Our intent in doing so is to demonstrate that there are consequences for those who fund and foment violence in Haiti," the official said.

☆ Haiti activists rally at White House seeking end of U.S. support for Henry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A woman holds a sign at a rally outside the White House asking the Biden administration to stop supporting Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Washington, U.S. October 9, 2022 in this picture obtained by Reuters. Gordon Whitman/via REUTERSOct 9 (Reuters) - Activists on Sunday rallied at the White House to call on the Biden administration to end support for the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as the Caribbean nation faces a humanitarian crisis due to gangs blocking the distribution of fuel. A broadcast of the rally showed several hundred people gathered outside the White House, holding signs bearing Haiti's flag or with messages including "Let Haitians decide their own future." The Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to change its stance with respect to Henry. U.S. Representative Val Demings last week introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, which calls for a new federal investigation into those who support Haitian gangs.

☆ Zelenskyy will address an emergency G-7 meeting after deadly Russian missile strikes rock Ukrainian cities
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dozens of missiles, Iranian 'Shahids'," Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram official account, referencing the Iranian-made Shahid drones increasingly used by Russian forces. Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes, as Russia's attack continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. So far, the U.N. estimates that Russia's war in Ukraine has claimed more than 6,200 civilian lives and led to more than 9,300 injuries. Monday's strikes were an apparent tit-for-tat retaliation for an explosion over the weekend on the Kerch bridge, which links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. Destroy our people who are sleeping at home in Zaporizhzhia, kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv," Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app as the missile strikes across Ukraine became apparent.

☆ Egypt working to prioritize 'loss and damage' at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aboulmagd said as the incoming COP president, Egypt needs to "navigate" the disparate positions and that it has appointed two ministers to come up with a plan for how to include "loss and damage" on COP27's formal agenda. The two ministers are Germany's special envoy for international climate action, Jennifer Morgan, and Chile's environment minister, Maisa Rojas. But as different countries grapple with extreme weather this year, pressure is growing for "loss and damage" to be prioritized at COP27. After visiting Pakistan in the wake of devastating floods, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged governments to address loss and damage at COP27 "with the seriousness it deserves." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The climate crisis and the energy transition are exacerbating inequality, putting those least responsible in the worst position
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week focused on inequality. The climate crisis and the energy transition are widening disparities, leaders said. Rich countries must meet pledges to help those least responsible for the crisis, advocates say. These regions combined have contributed less than 1% of historical carbon-dioxide emissions yet are bearing the brunt of climate impacts. Meanwhile, Europe is in the midst of an energy crisis because Russian President Vladimir Putin has scaled back natural-gas supplies to retaliate against Western sanctions.

☆ Flood-hit Pakistan should suspend debt repayments, says UN paper - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSept 23 (Reuters) - Pakistan should suspend international debt repayments and restructure loans with creditors after recent floods added to the country's financial crisis, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a UN policy memo. Pakistan has earlier estimated the damage at $30 billion, and both the government and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have blamed the flooding on climate change. The memo further proposed debt restructuring or swaps, where creditors would let go of repayments in exchange for Pakistan agreeing to invest in climate change-resilient infrastructure, FT said. Floods have affected 33 million Pakistanis, inflicted billions of dollars in damage, and killed over 1,500 people - creating concern that Pakistan will not meet debts. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico foreign minister meets Russia's Lavrov to discuss Ukraine peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoMEXICO CITY, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Friday he met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss a Mexican peace plan for the Ukraine conflict that he presented to the U.N. General Assembly this week. Mexico has proposed a deal to halt the fighting but Ukraine opposes the plan which it says would be advantageous to Russia. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the committee would immediately start talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to achieve "a truce of at least five years." Mexico's proposal has drawn criticism from Ukraine, with an adviser to Zelenskiy, Mykhailo Podolyak, last week calling it a "Russian plan" that would "give Russia time to renew reserves before the next offensive." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mexico City Newsroom, Edited by Isabel Woodford and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroUNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Countries on the front lines of the climate crisis are fed up. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked world leaders why his people were paying the price of global warming. "We renew our call to the world to declare total war on this century's greatest challenge: the climate change monster. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the least responsible for climate change are suffering the most. And yet, we are the fourth most vulnerable country to climate change," he told the U.N. gathering.

☆ U.N. showdown looms between Lavrov, West over atrocities in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will face off on Thursday with his Ukrainian and Western counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when the United Nations Security Council meets over atrocities committed in Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 as the Security Council met in New York to discuss Western concerns that Moscow was planning such a move. Ukraine, the United States and others have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. The meeting on Thursday will be at least the 20th time the Security Council has met on Ukraine this year. Ukraine’s chief war crimes prosecutor told Reuters last month his office is investigating almost 26,000 suspected war crimes cases committed since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion and has charged 135 people.

☆ Ukrainian Steel plant defenders, Putin ally exchanged in prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV — Ukraine announced a high-profile prisoner swap early Thursday that culminated months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in Mariupol during a long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Volodymr Zelenskky said his government had won freedom from Russian custody for 215 Ukrainian and foreign citizens. Of the total, 200 Ukrainians were exchanged for just one man — pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, who is Ukrainian. According to Zelenskyy, many of those freed belonged to Ukraine’s Azov regiment, whom he called heroes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a ceremony of receiving letters of credence from newly-appointed foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 20, 2022. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 as the Security Council met in New York to discuss Western concerns that Moscow was planning such a move. read moreUkraine, the United States and others have accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. The meeting on Thursday will be at least the 20th time the Security Council has met on Ukraine this year. While it was unlikely Russia's seat at the U.N. Security Council would be left empty during the meeting, it was unclear how long Lavrov might stay in the chamber.

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