United Nations

For the first time the next United Nations Secretary General should be a representative of the group of eastern European countries in the world organization, Russia's envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin has said.

There are already "several decent potential candidates from eastern Europe", Churkin said in an interview with TASS.

The number of international tourists rose by 4 percent worldwide during the first half of 2015 although security and health concerns hit hard some African destinations, the UN World Tourism Organization said on Sept. 10.

Turkey has welcomed the United Nations' approval for the raising of the Palestinian flag at the U.N. headquarters, maintaining that such a step will help realize the Palestinian people's dream of living freely in their sovereign state.

The United Nations on Sept. 10 said peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Yemen are set to resume next week in the region and urged all parties to participate "in good faith." 

Germany on Sept.11 will seek to mend bitter divisions over how to handle Europe's spiralling migrant crisis, pushing eastern states to accept a quota system it says is still only a "drop in the ocean".

Turkish authorities intercepted on Wednesday 712 refugees headed for the EU in the northwestern province of Edirne near the border with Bulgaria.

The usual number of refugees intercepted in Edirne on a daily basis is 100-150, but the recent surge in their number was due to the announced plans of EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to relocate 160 000 people.

The price of international food commodities registered their largest monthly drop in seven years in August, the U.N. food agency said on Sept. 10, a slide likely to further hurt the struggling farming sector.

Ireland has agreed to take part in a refugee quota system proposed by the European Commission and will take in 2,900 additional refugees, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald confirmed on Sept.10.

The UN Security Council is considering allowing European naval forces to board and search ships on the high seas in an effort combat the smuggling of migrants, diplomats said on Sept.9.

The United Nations is expected on Sept.10 to allow the Palestinians to raise their flag at its headquarters in New York in a symbolic move highlighting Palestinian aspirations for statehood.