World News in Brief: Executions surge in Iran, nuclear test threat, Burkina Faso declares top official unwelcome

World News in Brief: Executions surge in Iran, nuclear test threat, Burkina Faso declares top official unwelcome

At least 841 people have been put to death by the Government of Iran since the beginning of the year, with ethnic minorities and migrants “disproportionately targeted”, said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. Some executions have been carried out publicly, she added, with seven reported this year based on available information: “The real situation might be […]

Unprecedented Afghan returns are ‘a test of our collective humanity’

Unprecedented Afghan returns are ‘a test of our collective humanity’

Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, made the appeal during a visit to the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran on Tuesday where she witnessed the daily influx of tens of thousands of returnees. She also met returnee families, aid partners and regional de facto officials. Alarm bells should be ringing “What should be a […]

INTERVIEW: Sevilla ‘a critical test’ of multilateralism

INTERVIEW: Sevilla ‘a critical test’ of multilateralism

The promises were made at the opening of the Financing for Development Conference (FFD4), currently underway in the Spanish city of Sevilla, when delegates agreed on the Sevilla Commitment.  During the conference UN News spoke to Li Junhua, the UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the international summit. Li Junhua: The […]

Aftermath of Tripoli clashes puts Libya’s fragile stability to the test

Aftermath of Tripoli clashes puts Libya’s fragile stability to the test

Nearly 15 years after Gaddafi’s fall, Libya remains split between the internationally recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli, and the rival Government of National Stability in Benghazi. Although a truce was reached on 14 May, the outbreak of fighting last month in the capital “temporarily disrupted UN development and humanitarian operations,” said top UN […]

Pentagon Tests Micro-Drone Swarm Technology

Pentagon Tests Micro-Drone Swarm Technology

U.S. military has successfully tested more than 103 micro-drones released from 3 F/A-18 Super Hornets, in what it said the largest-ever test for the cutting-edge “swarm” technology. The swarm of 103 Perdix micro drones, too small and of battery-powered were launched from three separate Super Hornets at China Lake in California, by the Pentagon’s Strategic […]