Feed aggregator

Richard Curtis is known around the world as the film-maker behind international hits such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mr. Bean, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones’s Diary, as well as for his involvement with the charity Comic Relief.

However, over the past year, the British filmmaker and founder of Project Everyone has been working closely with the United Nations to help give prominence to something completely different – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 targets aimed at achieving three main objectives in the next 15 years: end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.

Estonian parents get two years of paid leave, U.S. prisoners make $.12 an hour, and other statistics to consider this Labor Day.

The United Nations envoy facilitating efforts to restore peace in Libya said today that real progress was being made as the participants wrapped-up the latest round of the political dialogue process, which has been taking place in Geneva.

The United Nations envoy facilitating efforts to restore peace in Libya said today that real progress was being made as the participants wrapped-up the latest round of the political dialogue process, which has been taking place in Geneva.

Wrapping up a four-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, called strongly today for creative ways to reignite donor engagement and ensure that one of the world’s most protracted crises does not “fall off the humanitarian radar.”

Wrapping up a four-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, called strongly today for creative ways to reignite donor engagement and ensure that one of the world’s most protracted crises does not “fall off the humanitarian radar.”

The best stories from around the world.

Vlagyimir Putyin szerint az európai menekültválság előrelátható volt, és elsősorban Washington elhibázott közel-keleti politikája tehető érte felelőssé. Az orosz elnök pénteken Vlagyivosztokban, a Távol-Kelet fejlesztésének szentelt nemzetközi gazdasági fórumon beszélt erről. A Ria Novosztyi orosz hírügynökség szerint Putyin felhívta a figyelmet arra, hogy az európai migránsválság "teljesen előrelátható" volt.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Major General Muhammad Tayyab Azam of Pakistan as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Two Raptors have visited Amari, Estonia, with two A-10s and one KC-135 tanker.

On Sept. 4, two of the four F-22s currently stationed at Spangdahlem, Germany, visited Amari airbase, in Estonia, for a brief forward deployment to the airbase supporting the NATO Baltic Air Patrol mission.

A KC-135 Stratotanker along with two F-22 Raptors and two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs fly overhead before landing at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Sept. 4, 2015, as part of a brief forward deployment. The F-22s have previously deployed to both the Pacific and Southwest Asia for Airmen to train in a realistic environment while testing partner nations’ ability to host advanced aircraft like the F-22. The F-22s are deployed from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The U.S. Air Force routinely deploys aircraft and Airmen to Europe for training and exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane)

As done during the previous deployment to Poland, the two Raptors, escorted by a KC-135 and two A-10 Warthogs (of the 8 already based there), returned to Spangdahlem later the same day: just a symbolic visit, that marked the closest deployment of the F-22 stealthy jets to Russia.

An F-22 Raptor takes off from Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Sept. 4, 2015, following a brief forward deployment. The F-22s have previously deployed to both the Pacific and Southwest Asia for Airmen to train in a realistic environment while testing partner nations’ ability to host advanced aircraft like the F-22. The F-22s are deployed from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The U.S. Air Force routinely deploys aircraft and Airmen to Europe for training and exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane)

The F-22s, belonging to the 95th Fighter Squadron, from Tyndall Air Force Base, are expected to operate in Europe (and visit some more eastern bases) until mid-September.

An F-22 Raptor takes off from Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Sept. 4, 2015, following a brief forward deployment. The F-22s have previously deployed to both the Pacific and Southwest Asia for Airmen to train in a realistic environment while testing partner nations’ ability to host advanced aircraft like the F-22. The F-22s are deployed from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The U.S. Air Force routinely deploys aircraft and Airmen to Europe for training and exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane)

 

An F-22 Raptor and an A-10 Thunderbolt II fly overhead before landing at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Sept. 4, 2015, as part of a brief forward deployment. The F-22s have previously deployed to both the Pacific and Southwest Asia for Airmen to train in a realistic environment while testing partner nations’ ability to host advanced aircraft like the F-22. The F-22s are deployed from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The U.S. Air Force routinely deploys aircraft and Airmen to Europe for training and exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane)

H/T Kait Kasak and Aavo Harju for the heads-up

 

Related articles

• Stunning photos of the F-22s departing at night from Tyndall AFB for their first deployment in Europe
• U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth jets currently in Germany to move to Poland on Monday
• In pictures, F-22A stealth fighters arrive in Germany for Raptor’s inaugural deployment to Europe
• Here are the first pictures of the U.S. F-22s deploying to Poland for the very first time
• This Infographic provides some interesting details about the F-22 Raptor Mission in Europe
• F-22 deployment to Europe underway: 4 Raptors currently heading to Germany
• The U.S. Air Force is deploying 12 F-15 jets to Europe as first Air National Guard theater security package

After running on an anti-corruption campaign, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari made his assets public this week.

As Germany faces a racist backlash to the influx of migrants and refugees, is the country forgetting its past?

The strange love affair between Indonesia’s speaker of the house, a volcano-fracking tycoon, and Donald Trump.

The reaction to images of Aylan Kurdi says much about the deep tie many see between democracy and chaos.

180036

The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) supported the  visit of 16 representatives of environmental authorities and environmental experts from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine to Switzerland, to learn about good practices in restoring ecosystems in flood-prone areas. The visit, which took place from 31 August to 4 September 2015, is part of a joint OSCE – UNEP project initiated during the 2014 Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE and funded by Switzerland within the framework of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC).  The project aims to increase the potential for ecosystem restoration, in order to mitigate flood risks in the transboundary river basins in Eastern Europe. It also envisions a pilot ecosystem restoration activity in one of these transboundary river basins, building on the experience acquired in Switzerland.

During the visit and in order to better explore and learn from from the Swiss experience in, and  approach to flood management, participants met with representatives of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, as well as flood protection and ecosystem experts of the Canton of Geneva and Canton of Valais. A number of field visits to both cantons were organized to showcase and assess concrete examples of ecosystem restoration in Switzerland. The  combination of discussions, targeted presentations and field visits facilitated a continued exchange of experience among the three countries, which share transboundary rivers and work to strengthen transboundary co-operation in their basins with the support of ENVSEC partner organizations, including the OSCE.

As part of the broader efforts undertaken by the OSCE to address various aspects of water governance, this project will also contribute to the implementation of the Ministerial Council (MC) Decision on “Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction”, adopted at the 2014 Ministerial Council in Basel.

 

Related Stories

• OSCE supports Belarus and Ukraine in assessing environmental risks to facilitate safe border demarcation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
• Sustainable water management key to security, OSCE Secretary General says on World Water Day

A lack of funding in Sudan could have serious repercussions on the ground, the World Food Programme (WFP) said today, warning that the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, which serves as a vital aid link in the country, needs nearly $10 million to remain operational.

Nyílt levelében szólítja fel Hajnal Jenőt a VMDK elnöksége az MNT rendkívüli ülésének összehívására.

The human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is far better than it was at the height of the conflict in late 2013 and early 2014, but is still a cause of anxiety for both the country’s own inhabitants and the United Nations, the world body’s human rights chief said today.

Radicalization of youth and countering violent extremism in focus of OSCE Chairmanship conference of Youth Ambassadors in Belgrade

BELGRADE, 4 September 2015 – Best ways to tackle the radicalization of youth were the focus of a two-day conference hosted by Serbia’s OSCE Chairmanship, which concluded in Belgrade today and gathered representatives of Youth Ambassadors, OSCE structures and NGO sector.

“We must continue to foster discussions on combating radicalization using the potentials of the OSCE, including its cross-dimensional approach to security threats,” Roksanda Ninčić, Serbia’s State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, adding that she was encouraged by the engagement of young people and the OSCE Youth Ambassadors Network. “I am convinced that we have chosen the right path when we decided to include youth engagement in the OSCE priorities,” said Ninčić.

Ninčić stressed that security threats do not only manifest themselves in violence and barbaric acts of terror: “Threats have different root causes that need to be discussed and understood if we are to take any effective measures to protect our youth and our societies at large.”

Snezana Klasnja, Serbia’s Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport, noted: “In order to create a more peaceful, more secure and tolerant society, as a follow-up to our intensive joint work and efforts to empower young people and to encourage them to take an active part in all important processes of society, we must act now. We must intensify communication with young people at the grassroots level and engage youth in addressing challenges facing them on a daily basis in security sector.”

Milena Stosic, Chairperson-in-Office Special Representative on Youth and Security, stated: “Young people are especially vulnerable in this context, therefore inclusion of youth is a must when it comes to creating counter-narratives and successful measures to combat radicalization.” Anna-Katharina Deininger, Chairperson-in-Office Special Representative on Youth and Security, concluded that credible alternatives to violent extremism are much needed.

The OSCE’s United in Countering Violent Extremism, #UnitedCVE campaign was presented at the conference. It was stated that terrorism is a crime that has no justification, and it should not be associated with any race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.

Related Stories

• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dačić calls for furthering political process to resolve the crisis in and around Ukraine at meeting with high OSCE officials in Belgrade
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Dačić condemns spate of recent terrorist attacks, urges redoubling of efforts to address factors conducive to terrorism
• OSCE Chairperson Dačić and Secretary General Zannier condemn terrorist attack in Turkey

Du 26 août au 1erseptembre 2015, une opération inédite franco-danoise a été menée au Groenland. Pour y participer, un équipage de Falcon 50 Marine de la Flottille 24F, basée à Lann Bihoué, s'est déployé à Kangerlussuaq, accompagné d’un équipage de Challengeri danois.i  Avion de fabrication canadienne destiné aux missions de surveillance maritime.