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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, today warned that the audit of the justice sector and the dismissal of all international judicial personnel from Timor-Leste puts at risk the independence of the judiciary in the country.

Expressing grave alarm about the further deteriorating political, security and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, the Security Council today extended the United Nations Mission the country (UNMISS) for an additional six months, maintaining the operations mandate to focus on civilian protection, facilitation of relief assistance, and human rights monitoring.

Amid rising tensions Port-au-Prince and other key Haitian cities in the wake of last month’s delayed elections, the top United Nations official in the country deplored the violence that recently caused injuries among demonstrators and called on all sides to respect the right to free expression while also avoiding any recourse to violence.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea-Bissau, known as UNIOGBIS, so that it can continue to assist in tackling a range of political, security and development challenges in the country.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom has deplored the murder of Abdirisak Ali Abdi, a journalist killed in the town of Galkayo, Somalia, and called for a thorough investigation into the crime.

The Israeli Government’s use of house demolition as a punitive measure in response to alleged acts of violence by Palestinians must end immediately, two United Nations experts urged today, adding that the practice – which targets Palestinian homes in both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory – is a violation of human rights law.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders expressed regret today that defenders in Burundi are deemed to be political opponents, saying that in reality they are activists working to promote and protect human rights and civil liberties.

The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned Saturday’s attack in Mandera, Kenya for which Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility and which has caused the deaths of numerous innocent people.

The practice of kidnapping for ransom and hostage-taking continues to provide the world’s terrorists with a reliable source of income to fund their operations, United Nations Member States were told today at a meeting jointly held by the UN’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in New York.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a “rapid” spread of the plague in the capital of Madagascar, where health authorities have reported 119 cases of the bacterial disease, including at least 40 deaths in the island nation.