General News

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong warned Tuesday that the state has the capacity to conduct a pre-emptive nuclear strike if necessary, before describing the Korean peninsula as a “touch-and-go nuclear powder keg”.

At disarmament talks hosted at the UN in Geneva this week, the North Korea representative criticised the United States for what he described as decades of intimidation, before saying that the US would be to blame if hostilities broke out.

Daniel Johnson has more.

Duration: 1'52"

The trafficking and abuse of drugs continue to be a serious problem around the world, according to a new report by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

It says all regions of the world are affected, from cocaine trafficking in Latin America, the introduction of amphetamine to Africa, poppy cultivation in Asia and prescription drugs in the United States.

The report is calling for a “balanced approach” in tackling the drug problem.

The situation in the Golan Heights is very challenging but there’s hope for an amicable solution, according to the new head of the UN observer force in the area.

The demilitarized buffer zone between Israel and Syria was established in 1973 after the Arab-Israeli war.

The 10,000 strong UN Disengagement Observer Force or UNDOF, is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern countries.

Russia’s Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State stepped up the diplomatic pace at the UN in Geneva on Monday.

Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry made a series of public appearances at a high-level segment of the Human Rights Council opened for business.

The two dignitaries spoke at length about the situation in Ukraine.

Daniel Johnson has the story.

Duration: 4'08"

Over a thousand Iraqis have died from acts of violence and terrorism, and more than 2,000 were wounded in February, according to the UN Mission in the country.

The monthly casualty figures report was released ahead of a major military offensive to retake the city of Tikrit from ISIL militants.

The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) is urging the country’s armed forces to do their utmost to spare civilians.

Eliana Nabaa, the Mission’s Spokesperson shared the details of the report with Jocelyne Sambira.

The concept of “blue economy” is driving discussions about how oceans and seas can be explored in a sustainable way to promote domestic resources.

That’s accordingly to Mr Antonio Pedro, Director of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), who says Africa needs to maximize the opportunities it has to develop using its oceanic spaces.

Preventing transnational organized crime is recognized as an important part of promoting sustainable development.

Representatives of governments, civil society, academia as well as experts are preparing for the 13^th UN Crime Congress scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar in April.

For 60 years, participants in the congresses have shared their experiences and discussed how to strengthen criminal justice policies and cooperation in tackling transnational organized crime.

People around the world are uniting to celebrate diversity and reject discrimination in all its forms.

Zero Discrimination Day is being observed on 1 March under the theme “Open Up, Reach Out” as part of a global movement of solidarity to end discrimination which affect millions of people.

The UN says discrimination at work, school and other settings reduces people’s ability to participate fully and meaningfully in societies.