Temperatures across lower South America have plummeted – falling as low as -15° Celsius or 5° Fahrenheit in some places – as a rare polar cold wave grips the region, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Thursday.
Language is one of the distinctive features that makes us human, and a new book supported by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to encourage children to reflect on its importance.
Venezuelans desperate to leave the economic crisis in their country are risking their lives in the hope of a better future, braving extreme weather, border crossing, and bandits along the way.
The head of the UN agency leading the fight against HIV/AIDS, welcomed on Friday a public apology from Chile on a landmark case of involuntary sterilization of women living with HIV.
In response to the critical needs of a growing number of Venezuelans arriving by foot to Chile’s northern border, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said on Thursday that it is stepping up its presence and assistance in the South American country.
Migrants must be allowed to stay in Chile while their cases are being individually assessed or risk “irreparable harm”, a group of UN-appointed independent human rights experts said in a statement on Wednesday.
Our top stories for Friday include an exclusive UN News interview with Yemen Envoy Martin Griffiths; India’s new “discriminatory” citizenship law; a milestone smallpox eradication anniversary; helicopters deployed in DR Congo Ebola fight; Mediterranean migrant latest, and Chile’s deadly protests: UN report finds clear pattern of repression.
During the recent mass protests which led Chile to declare a state of emergency, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report published on Friday that international human rights norms had been violated by both police and army personnel, which should be prosecuted.
A recap of Friday’s stories in brief: Ongoing upheaval threatens civilians in Syria; ‘Brutal’ prison conditions may have prompted Morsi’s death; Rights experts condemn use of force in Chile protests; ICJ will hear claims by Ukraine; 60,000 youth refugees who travelled alone, in need across Italy.
United Nations human rights experts on Friday condemned the excessive use of force during Chile’s ongoing street protests, and in a statement underscored that violence “can never be the answer to people's social and political demands”.
