News headlines in June 2023, page 11

The plight of women and girls in Afghanistan featured prominently at the Human Rights Council on Monday where independent UN-appointed rights experts warned of systematic “gender apartheid” and “gender persecution”.

Countering hate speech is a key component of atrocity prevention, UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi said on Monday, calling for more global action towards eradicating it.

A lack of strong cooperation with the international human rights system leaves States “adrift”, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Monday, as he addressed rights emergencies in dozens of countries including Iran, Mali and Russia.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jun 19 (IPS) - Drinking water is running out in Uruguay — this headline got the small South American country onto international news. Prolonged drought has brought the reservoir and river that supply the capital Montevideo down to 10 per cent of their normal water level. Unless the rain comes, there is sufficient water only until mid-June, at best.

A senior United Nations relief official said on Sunday that Russia has so far declined requests to help residents of Russian-controlled areas of southern Ukraine impacted by the breach of the Kakhkova dam.

With hate spreading lightning fast on social media and “mega spreaders” using divisive rhetoric to inspire thousands, the United Nations is calling for concerted global efforts to combat hate speech.

From institutionalized racism to genocide, the roots are the same, according to people on the frontlines of change who shared their stories with UN News ahead of the International Day for Countering Hate Speechobserved on Sunday.

Call a friend with a connection, get a passport in 24 hours, and hand over some cash. That is what it takes to flee the fragile Sahel region of Africa, where smuggling networks exploit the desperation of people, leading in some cases to such deadly disasters as the recent shipwreck off the coast of Greece.

Just before noon in Satara, a remote village in Niger’s southwestern Tillaberi region, the thermometer is already hovering near 40°C.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jun 16 (IPS) - If you’ve never heard of the Cybercrime Convention, you’re not alone. And if you’re wondering whether an international treaty to tackle cybercrime is a good idea, you’re in good company too.