Speaker Nabih Berri warned on Tuesday offenders in the Bekaa valley that they will eventually have no choice but to hand themselves over to security forces, flee the country or face death ahead of the implementation of a security plan in the area.
The speaker stressed that the implementation of the security plan this time will not be like its predecessors, stressing that the security forces will remain deployed in the area until all violators are apprehended.
Full StoryThe U.N. Security Council urged central African countries on Monday to step up plans for a multinational force to fight Boko Haram, in its first overall response to the threat posed by the Nigerian jihadists.
The council issued a 13-point statement strongly condemning attacks by Boko Haram, in particular those involving children used as suicide bombers, and demanded an end to the violence.
Full StoryU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm Sunday over fierce fighting around the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the violence.
Heavy shelling rocked the city as Ukraine rushed tanks to the frontlines and declared it had pushed back pro-Russian rebels from most of the airport.
Full StoryThe United Nations Security Council has “strongly condemned” the suicide bombing in the northern city of Tripoli and expressed its determination to combat terrorism on all fronts.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, Council members reaffirmed that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation.”
Full StorySyria has complained to the United Nations after U.S. Senator John McCain, former French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and other prominent figures entered the country without visas.
Syria's U.N. ambassador Bashar Jaafari said in a letter to the Security Council that countries must take "immediate measures" against nationals who travel to his country illegally.
Full StoryPresident Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday signed a Palestinian request to join the International Criminal Court, seeking a new avenue for action against Israel after a failed U.N. resolution on ending the occupation.
The Palestinians hope ICC membership will pave the way for war crimes prosecutions against Israeli officials for their actions in the occupied territories.
Full StoryA Palestinian bid to secure a U.N. resolution setting an end date for the occupation failed to pass a Security Council vote in a move Israel hailed Wednesday as a victory.
China, France and Russia were among the eight countries that voted in favor of the text, but the resolution fell short of winning the nine "yes" votes necessary for adoption within the 15-member council.
Full StoryThe United States on Monday slammed North Korea as a "living nightmare" for its citizens at the first-ever U.N. Security Council meeting on Pyongyang's dismal rights record, held despite opposition from China.
The unprecedented talks at the 15-member council opened after China, Pyongyang's ally, failed to block the meeting, which convened even as North Korea faces US accusations of staging a cyber attack on a Hollywood Studio.
Full StoryA U.N. panel is calling for targeted sanctions against former Central African Republic president Michel Djotodia, accused of trying to derail the political transition in Bangui, diplomats said Tuesday.
Djotodia rose to power in March 2013 after his Seleka rebel movement overthrew longtime leader Francois Bozize, but he stepped down in January amid chaos in his country.
Full StoryThe United Nations on Tuesday adopted a landmark resolution condemning North Korean rights abuses and laying the groundwork for putting the Pyongyang regime in the dock for crimes against humanity.
A resolution asking the Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court passed by a resounding vote of 111 to 19 with 55 abstentions in a General Assembly human rights committee.
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