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UN News/Matt Wells

‘Language death’ a ‘symptom’ of struggle to save indigenous identity

16 January 2019
The Lid is On

As the UN’s International Year of Indigenous Languages begins, ancient mother-tongues under threat of extinction across the world, need to be seen as a “symptom” of a much wider struggle.  That’s the view of one leading linguistics professor in New York, Daniel Kaufman, founder of the non-profit Endangered Language Alliance.  In this edition of the Lid Is On podcast Mr. Kaufman speaks with UN News's Matt Wells.

Audio -
19'40"
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

News in Brief 16 January 2019

16 January 2019
News in Brief
  • UN chief calls for deeper efforts to stop widening inequality
  • Countries failing to protect the interests of all their people: UN Human Rights chief
  • 890 people killed western DRC violence: UN Human Rights chief calls for justice
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3'30"
UN Photo/Violaine Martin

First Yemen aid delivery in more than six months reaches Hudaydah communities

15 January 2019
Interviews

Thousands of families in Yemen’s war-torn Hudaydah Governorate have received their first aid deliveries in more than six months, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. In an interview with Daniel Johnson from UN News, the agency’s Hervé Verhoosel explains who the aid will help and why ongoing access is urgently needed.

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4'45"
UN Photo/ICC/AP/Peter Dejong

News in Brief 15 January 2019

15 January 2019
News in Brief
  • International Criminal Court acquits Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire allegations
  • Aid reaches war-hit Hudaydah communities for first time in months – WFP
  • ‘Life and death’ conditions in Syria’s desert camp, warns WFP
Audio -
3'32"
© UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

Saudi teen set to be ‘fully integrated’ in Canadian society: UNHCR

14 January 2019
Interviews

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, who arrived in Canada on Friday, “wants to go back to school as soon as possible” said Jean-Nicolas Beuze, the UN Refugee Agency’s representative (UNHCR) in Canada. The social media-savvy teenager was granted asylum after fleeing her own family in Kuwait fearing she would be killed.  Speaking by phone from Canada, Mr. Beuze explained to UN News's Hafiz Kheir how her case had been resolved so quickly.

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5'57"
UN Photo/John Isaac

How blockchain technology could help developing countries’ creative sector

14 January 2019
Interviews

With growth of 14 per cent per year in China alone, so-called creative industries could be a “gamechanger” for emerging economies, a new report by  UNCTAD suggests. In an interview with UN News, the agency’s Pamela Coke-Hamilton, explains that these countries need to put sufficient digital safeguards in place to reap the full benefits.

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4'21"
© UNICEF/UN0149422/Sokhin

News in Brief 14 January 2019

14 January 2019
News in Brief
  • Challenges still abound, 30th years on from landmark child rights treaty
  • The disaster that rocked Haiti nine years ago
  • UN experts plead for life of mentally-ill former police officer
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3'48"
MINUSTAH

Surviving the Haiti earthquake: a UN staffer’s story

12 January 2019
Interviews

In 2010 a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, reportedly killing up to  220’000 people, including 102 UN personnel. One of those who survived was Sophie Boutaud de la Combe: head of Communications for the UN Mission for Justice in Haiti.

Conor Lennon from UN News  started by asking what happened when the quake struck.

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8'38"
UNHCR/Hisham Arafat

News in Brief 11 January 2019

11 January 2019
News in Brief
  • Suffering of North Korea’s citizens is unchanged, warns UN rights expert
  • Thousands risk lives to flee fighting in last Syria’s last ISIL enclave
  • Cautious welcome for DRC Ebola decline in cases in epicentre
Audio -
3'40"
UNHCR video screen shot

Eight years into Syria’s brutal war, storm in Lebanon compounds refugee ‘misery’

10 January 2019
Interviews

In Lebanon, the plight of Syria’s 900,000  registered refugees just got a little worse, with the arrival of Storm Norma, which brought heavy winds and snow across the country last weekend.  In an interview with UN News’s Daniel Johnson, Philippe Lazzarini, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, explained what the organization is doing to help.

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2'10"