United Nations

Taoiseach Micheál Martin denies Irish neutrality is being undermined by attending EU-Nato leaders’ summit in Madrid

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has denied that his presence in Madrid at an EU-Nato meeting last night is a deliberate move to chip away at Ireland’s military neutrality.

Cambodia intervenes to prevent Myanmar executions

Cambodia’s prime minister urged military-ruled Myanmar to reconsider the death sentences against four political opponents, suggesting that executing them will draw strong international condemnation and complicate efforts to restore peace to the strife-torn nation.

Obituary: Shireen Abu Akleh, pioneering female war correspondent known as ‘the voice of Palestine’

Shireen Abu Akleh, who has died aged 51, was a trailblazing Al Jazeera reporter and one of the first female Arab war correspondents, who became a household name across the Middle East as “the voice of Palestine”.

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John Downing Opinion Turkey’s objection to Sweden and Finland threatens Nato credibility

Sweden and Finland – each led by a female prime minister – are grappling with Turkish threats to veto their Nato membership applications.

Violence must never supplant resolve for peace

The global trauma of World War I sowed the seeds for the League of Nations. It was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace, and it was founded on January 10, 1920, at the Paris Peace Conference. However, the deluded hope that ‘the war to end all wars’ had put such horrors behind us was vaporised by World War II.

Ethnic Uyghurs rearrested as UN chief begins visit to China

China is arbitrarily detaining Uyghur Muslims again, it has been learned, amid a highly controversial visit by the human rights chief from the United Nations.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Coalition of autocracy dressed up as democracy

The suspension of Green TDs Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello is indicative of the autocratic process of policy and law-making in our ‘democratic’ government.

Oceans now at hottest and most acidic on record, climate agency report warns

The world’s oceans grew to their warmest and most acidic levels on record last year, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said yesterday as United Nations officials warned that war in Ukraine threatened global climate commitments.

Editorial Opinion Planet sounds alarm over inaction on climate crisis

“A dismal litany of human failures,” was the crushing indictment of UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres to the dismal global response to climate change. He was reacting to more bleak findings from the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) State of the Global Climate 2021 report.

Letters to the Editor Opinion National Maternity Hospital progress is not irretrievable

The Cabinet’s decision on the ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital is a setback, but it is far from an irretrievable position.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Food security should be front and centre in UN messaging

The devastating damage caused by explosive weapons, especially when used in places where many people live, is evident each night on our television screens.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Making peace would be far cheaper than making war

The recent request by Joe Biden to the US Congress, asking for $33bn to support Ukraine against Russia, makes it blatantly obvious that talking would be cheaper than warring. And it’s also less hurtful to the most vulnerable members on each side of the conflict – whether they be Ukrainian or Russian .

Mass grave of tortured men found in Bucha, Ukraine says

Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass murders of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyiv’s regional police force said yesterday.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Widespread censorship is blocking important debate

People of all political persuasions must put their differences aside and unite to end the censorship prevalent in society. It seems you can’t say diddly-squat without being banned, censored, deplatformed or cancelled. Avoiding all of that, you can still be accused of misinformation, false news or any of the other rubbish.

Intense diplomacy needed to end Ukrainian suffering

Two months into the Ukraine invasion and there is no sign of a way out. By times the situation almost seems surreal. Russia has appealed to the US to stop supplying weapons to Ukrainians because it will only prolong the killing.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Time for UN power-of-veto to be called out for what it is

One thing the Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted is the fact the UN is unfit for purpose .

Obituary: Michael Tighe, siege of Jadotville veteran who fought for recognition of fellow soldiers’ courage

Army veteran Michael Tighe, who has died at the age of 83 , was one of the last of the Irish soldiers involved in the September 1961 Siege at Jadotville in the Congo, which was the subject of a widely praised Netflix film in 2016 starring Jamie Dornan as company commander, the late Pat Quinlan.

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Martina Devlin Opinion Our leaders must use their voice to press for a total economic blockade of Russia

How many more Mariupols before we decide saving lives is more important than saving energy supplies? How many more Buchas before our reliance on creature comforts begins to matter less than the Ukrainian people’s right to peace?

Editorial Opinion We must speak truth to power the way Zelensky has

There can be no doubt Ireland can not do all that Ukraine needs; but there is no doubt whatsoever that we must do all we can.

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Antonio Guterres Opinion Major cities will be submerged if we don’t act now

This week’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a litany of broken climate promises. Together with the IPCC’s previous two reports on physical science and adaptation in the past year, it reveals the yawning gap between climate pledges and reality.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Putin knows he won’t face justice for his war crimes

Reports of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine are shocking and probably accurate. Nothing justifies such atrocious acts.

Russian ambassador to Ireland to snub Zelensky’s address to Dáil as further atrocities uncovered in Ukrainian town of Bucha

The Russian embassy in Ireland will snub the historic address of Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky to the Dáil on Wednesday, it was confirmed tonight.

Citizens told Micheál Martin about their anger at civil servants celebrating with champagne during pandemic

A grieving citizen wrote to Micheál Martin about the distress of finding out how a champagne party had taken place at the Department of Foreign Affairs six weeks after their mother had died without them by her side.

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Colin Murphy Opinion West’s moral dilemma: how doing the right thing is wrong

Russia is waging a “war against liberty, equality and fraternity”, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the French parliament on Wednesday. This is a “battle between democracy and autocracy”, US president Joe Biden has said. “Ireland’s humanitarian response will not be found wanting,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin declared. Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was necessary to stop “genocide” and “denazify” Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said.

UN reports mass graves as Russia hints at scaling back invasion to target on Donbas region

There is mounting evidence of mass graves in the besieged city of Mariupol, UN officials said last night, as Russia hinted it was scaling back its invasion to focus on eastern Ukraine.

Letters to the Editor Opinion Inactivity of EU, UN and Nato a failure of good against evil

As Russian bombs rain down upon Ukrainian cities and their terrified citizens, President Volodymr Zelensky has described the attacks as “a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come”.

Ukraine War: Poor nations move to lock down vital food supplies amid global crisis fears

Nations around the world are waking up to the threat of a global food crisis and taking steps to secure their own supplies.

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Joy-Tendai Kangere Opinion War in Ukraine should draw attention to conflict in less privileged parts of the world

Looking back to March 2020, none of us could have imagined what lay ahead. The challenges brought about by Covid-19 have changed life as we know it.

Iran increasing its enriched uranium stockpile, warns UN atomic watchdog

The United Nations’ atomic watchdog says it believes Iran has further increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in breach of a 2015 accord with world powers.

Letters to the Editor Opinion China’s support of Russia is bought and paid for

China abstained in the recent United Nations resolution vote regarding Ukraine. China exported €146bn worth of goods to Russia in 2021.