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UN Observes Minute’s Silence for 101 Staff Killed in Gaza 

Protesters take part in a rally in support of Palestinians, in front of the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 11 November 2023. (EPA)
Protesters take part in a rally in support of Palestinians, in front of the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 11 November 2023. (EPA)
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UN Observes Minute’s Silence for 101 Staff Killed in Gaza 

Protesters take part in a rally in support of Palestinians, in front of the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 11 November 2023. (EPA)
Protesters take part in a rally in support of Palestinians, in front of the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 11 November 2023. (EPA)

United Nations workers observed a minute's silence on Monday to honor the more than 100 employees killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began last month as UN flags flew at half-mast.

Staff at UN offices in Geneva bowed their heads as a candle was lit in memory of the 101 employees of UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza.

"This is the highest number of aid workers killed in the history of our organization in such a short time," said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations in Geneva.

"We are gathered here today, united in this very symbolic location, to pay respect to our brave colleagues who sacrificed their lives while serving under the United Nations flag."

UNRWA has said that some staff members were killed while queuing for bread while others were killed along with their families in their homes in Israel's aerial and ground war against Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the group.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths in the densely populated enclave, saying the group uses the population as human shields. Hamas denies the charge.

"I would like to say that we are really facing very challenging times for multilateralism, for the world," Valovaya said. "But the United Nations is more relevant than ever."

Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides public services including schools, healthcare and aid. Many of UNRWA's 5,000 staff working in Gaza are Palestinian refugees themselves.

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World

UN: 100 Mln Children Out of School from Conflict, Climate

A school class visit the zoo of Kronberg near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
A school class visit the zoo of Kronberg near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
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UN: 100 Mln Children Out of School from Conflict, Climate

A school class visit the zoo of Kronberg near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
A school class visit the zoo of Kronberg near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)

The number of children and adolescents whose education is disrupted by conflict and climate-related shocks has soared past 250 million, including nearly 100 million out of school altogether, according to a UN report released Tuesday.

"The number of children affected by crises has increased by 21 million in just 18 months, reaching an estimated 258 million worldwide," according to the study by Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations fund for education in crisis zones.

The report focused on school-age children and adolescents whose education had been disrupted by conflict, displacement, climate shocks and protracted socio-economic crises.

It found that 93 million children were completely out of school, and that nearly 60 percent of the 258 million affected overall lived in just nine countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen.

Conflict and violence are the leading drivers of children dropping out of school, the report found.

"The evidence is clear: conflict and climate change are rolling back hard-won gains in education," said Maysa Jalbout, director of Education Cannot Wait.

"These findings show us where needs are greatest and where investments can have the greatest impact," she added. "Now is the time to invest in the futures of crisis-affected children."

World

Lavrov Says Russia Ready to Resume Talks with Ukraine from Point Where They Left Off

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Madagascar's Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on June 19, 2026. (Sergei Ilnitsky / Pool / AFP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Madagascar's Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on June 19, 2026. (Sergei Ilnitsky / Pool / AFP)
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Lavrov Says Russia Ready to Resume Talks with Ukraine from Point Where They Left Off

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Madagascar's Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on June 19, 2026. (Sergei Ilnitsky / Pool / AFP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Madagascar's Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on June 19, 2026. (Sergei Ilnitsky / Pool / AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia was ready to resume peace negotiations with Ukraine from the point where they left off.

"We are ready ‌to talk ‌with Kyiv, ‌as ⁠we have always ⁠been," Lavrov told reporters, referring to talks that took place in Istanbul soon after the start ⁠of the war in ‌2022 ‌and were resumed in 2025.

However, ‌he did not ‌signal any shift in Moscow's demand, rejected by Kyiv, for Ukraine to ‌surrender the remaining part of the Donbas region ⁠that ⁠it has successfully defended from Russian forces.

The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.

World

Armed Group in Nigeria Kills at Least 20 People and Exchanges Gunfire with Police

Security personnel stand guard near Eagle Square during a Democracy Day protest in Abuja, Nigeria, June 12, 2026. REUTERS/ Marvellous Durowaiye
Security personnel stand guard near Eagle Square during a Democracy Day protest in Abuja, Nigeria, June 12, 2026. REUTERS/ Marvellous Durowaiye
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Armed Group in Nigeria Kills at Least 20 People and Exchanges Gunfire with Police

Security personnel stand guard near Eagle Square during a Democracy Day protest in Abuja, Nigeria, June 12, 2026. REUTERS/ Marvellous Durowaiye
Security personnel stand guard near Eagle Square during a Democracy Day protest in Abuja, Nigeria, June 12, 2026. REUTERS/ Marvellous Durowaiye

An armed group killed at least 20 people in a community located in the north-central region of Nigeria, police said Monday.

The attack occurred Sunday in the Kawel community located in the Bokkos area of Plateau State, The Associated Press quoted police spokesman Alfred Alabo as saying in a statement.

Police officers quickly arrived at the scene and exchanged gunfire with the assailants, forcing them to retreat, Alabo said. No arrests were reported.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in a region that has experienced a recurring pattern of violence.

“The remains of the victims have since been released to their families for burial, as the families declined autopsy,” Alabo said.

Plateau State Gov. Caleb Mutfwang instructed the government's emergency management and humanitarian agencies to provide immediate relief and support to victims and families, spokesperson Joyce Ramnap said in a statement.

An insurgency in northeastern Nigeria has killed thousands of people and displaced millions over the years, according to the United Nations. Armed gangs are also active in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.

A nighttime attack in March, killed 20 people in Gari Ya Waye community in Plateau.