United Nation

Activists said the Syrian regime was responsible for the killings of at least 70 people -- 10 children among the dead -- leading the United Nations to replace a scheduled Security Council session for Wednesday morning with an emergency meeting.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's military denied using chemical weapons and blamed rebels for the carnage. Russia, Syria's strong ally, said it had no warplanes in the vicinity.

Mr Sogavare was welcoming Taiwan's new ambassador to the Solomons, Roger Luo.

The prime minister described Taiwan as a true friend to Solomon Islands for standing by it in its time of need including during the ethnic tensions.

He said the relationship could only grow stronger.

Mr Sogavare said Solomon Islands was not afraid to speak for Taiwan at the UN.

Taipei has agreed to fund a new stadium for the 2023 Pacific Games to be held in Solomon Islands and Mr Luo said a construction firm had been identified.

The Security Council approved the resolution with 14 votes, with the US abstaining.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN high commissioner for human rights, directed a brutal verbal assault on controversial Dutch lawmaker and leader of the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), Geert Wilders, criticizing him and others for spreading hatred and prejudice for the sake of political points.

"I wish to address this short statement to Mr. Geert Wilders, his acolytes, indeed to all those like him -- the populists, demagogues and political fantasists," said Hussein, addressing a security conference Monday at the Hague.

Recognizable rhetoric?

They looked at responses to annual surveys that the WHO had sent to 127 countries between 2012 and 2014 asking about capacity and usage of blood tests that check HIV status and health.

They found worrying gaps in provision.

They warn that United Nation targets for HIV could be missed as a result.

“Climatologists are now unanimous in predicting that we are heading for a strong to severe El Niño event in the coming months. Some modelling is now suggesting this El Niño could be as severe as the event in 1997/98 which is the worst on record and brought severe drought to PNG and Fiji,” United Nations Resident Coordinator, Osnat Lubrani said.