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United Nations human rights teams in Nepal, banned yesterday by the Government from monitoring pro-democracy demonstration because of a curfew, were today granted a few curfew passes and reported that security forces, which they have frequently criticized for excessive force, were more restrained than in recent days.

After many years of civil strife, Israeli occupation and Syrian domination, Lebanon had made important strides on the road towards self-governance, stability, democracy and prosperity, the country’s Prime Minister told the United Nations Security Council today.

Oscar-winning film star Michael Douglas, visiting United Nations Headquarters in New York today to meet with officials and shoot a public service message on disarmament in his role as Messenger of Peace, said that celebrities can serve an important purpose by highlighting issues critical to the organization.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on international civil society, in its all its varied forms, to help achieve goals in peacemaking, development, human rights and renewal of the United Nations agreed to by world leaders at the 2005 Summit in New York.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) today re-launched a campaign to attract qualified candidates, particularly women, for the Liberia National Police (LNP), which must be strengthened and reformed before the mission completes its work building stability in the country as it emerges from the effects of a bloody, decade-long civil war.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed a proclamation issued by King Gyanendra of Nepal affirming that executive power will be returned to the people of the strife-torn country.

United Nations human rights officials in Nepal today called the use of deadly police force against unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators “inexcusable” and said the Government had violated agreements by banning the deployment of UN monitoring teams during the curfew it had imposed.

A United Nation expert on the right to education today voiced outrage at the seemingly systematic targeting of schools in Afghanistan, especially girls’ schools, by terrorist groups apparently seeking to shut down the school system.

Spent nuclear fuel containing enough uranium to produce two and a half nuclear bombs has been returned to Russia from Uzbekistan in a secret mission completed yesterday under monitoring by the United Nations atomic watchdog agency as part of its efforts to stop the diversion of such material to terrorist or other ends.

While commemorating the victims and vast damage caused by the Chernobyl, Ukraine nuclear disaster 20 years ago, a top United Nations development official has said that the region is embracing the right strategy for economic and social recovery.