5 March 2017 – The Security Council &#8211 which is in the Lake Chad Basin to draw attention to the humanitarian and development needs of a region grappling with Boko Haram’s terror &#8211 visited for the first time Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Addressing media in Niamey, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom, who is leading the Council visit as president of the Security Council for the month of March, pledged solidarity with the people who the Council had met.

&#8220We have demonstrated our commitment to further support Niger in its remarkable efforts to restore the security stability of the localities in the Lake Chad basin but also to provide the necessary protection and assistance to the populations affected by the crisis,&#8221 Mr. Rycroft told journalists.

Earlier, the Council members had met with President Mahamadou Issoufou.

They also heard from UN agencies and partners about the &#8220dire situation&#8221 in the region of Diffa along Niger’s border with Nigeria. Last summer, tens of thousands of people fled Diffa as Boko Haram flooded the desert town from Nigeria.

In addition to insecurity, Niger is plagued by drought, desertification and a lack of jobs and schools for its young people, who make up two-thirds of the population. The country ranks 188th out of 188 countries on the 2015 UN Development Programme’s Human Development Index.

Speaking to the Council during its visit, the UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator, Fodé Ndiaye, said survivors of Boko Haram violence are being hosted by other poor and vulnerable communities.

&#8220But they are showing humanity,&#8221 Mr. Ndiaye stressed.

One of the main observations from the visit, according to Mr. Rycroft, was the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 16. That Goal aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

&#8220You can’t come to a place like the Lake Chad Basin without seeing the value of Goal 16,&#8221 Mr. Rycroft said.

The Security Council next heads to Maiduguri, Borno, in north-eastern Nigeria, known since 2009 as the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency. The Council members are meeting with local officials and civil society organisations before they are scheduled to visit a camp for internally displaced persons.

The Council members will also visit Abuja, where they will meet with acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

5 March 2017 – The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) is warning a rebel movement against impeding humanitarian access, saying any threats to peacekeepers, aid workers or civilians are &#8220unacceptable&#8221 and could be tried as warm crimes.

In a press release issued on Saturday, the UN Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in CAR, known by its French acronym MINUSCA, warned leaders of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (FPRC) that they will be held individually responsible if such acts are carried out.

&#8220Any attack targeting the civilian population, UN and humanitarian personnel is a war crime that can be prosecuted in accordance with Central African law and international law,&#8221 MINUSCA underscored.

The Mission called on the FPRC and all armed groups &#8220to refrain from any interference with the work of humanitarian workers, as well as threats against international humanitarian organizations and civilian populations.&#8221

&#8220No armed group has the right to prohibit or impede the free access of humanitarian actors to vulnerable populations, even in areas where these groups continue to have a negative influence,&#8221 MINUSCA continued.

In the same statement, the UN Mission rejected attempts to justify the travel to Bambari of 40 or so heavily armed members of the coalition as peaceful.

&#8220These men and the rest of the elements of the coalition violated the demarcation line established by MINUSCA, approaching Bambari with Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers, posing a risk of the city burning to disastrous consequences for the civilian populations,&#8221 the Mission said.

According to MINUSCA, &#8220the threats contained in the communiqué of the FPRC prove once again its warlike character and the rejection by its leaders of any peaceful solution to the current crisis, as advocated by the Central African Government and by the international community.&#8221

MINUSCA said it would pursue its mission impartially and &#8220reserves the right to use all means at its disposal by the Security Council to achieve this, in support of the Central African Government.&#8221

The notion of “Hong Kong independence” will lead nowhere, a government work report to be delivered by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday said.

The report, available just before the opening of the annual session of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), also pledged to fully implement the “one country, two systems” principle in the special administrative region.

It said the central government will continue to implement, both to the letter and in spirit, the principle of “one country, two systems,” under which the people of Hong Kong govern Hong Kong, the people of Macao govern Macao, and both regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

“We will continue to act in strict compliance with China’s Constitution and the basic laws of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and we will ensure that the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ is steadfastly applied in Hong Kong and Macao without being bent or distorted,” the report said.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’ s return to China.

The report pledged full support for chief executives and governments of the two regions in exercising law-based governance, growing their economies, improving people’s well-being, advancing democracy, and promoting social harmony.

It added that efforts will be made to push forward cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

In particular, the report said the central government will draw up a plan for the development of a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, give full play to the distinctive strengths of Hong Kong and Macao, and elevate their positions and roles in China’ s economic development and opening up.

“We have always had full confidence about ensuring lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao,” it said.

Police in central China’s Hunan Province have busted a ring involved in hunting, killing and trafficking endangered birds, the provincial forestry public security department announced on Saturday.

Ten people from the ring have been caught, and the other six remain at large, forestry police in Xiangyin county in Yueyang city said.

At the end of last year, local police discovered some people had been hunting, killing and selling endangered wild birds, especially cygnets, in the county’s Hengling Lake area , a natural wetland at the south end of Dongting Lake.

An investigation showed that the ring has hunted red-crowned cranes, cygnets, and wild ducks, police said.

According to Wu Xiaogang with the provincial forestry public security department, the ring hunted more than 10 cygnets and sold them for 500 yuan (72.5 U.S. dollars) to 600 yuan each, or 1,000 yuan to 1,200 yuan for live ones.

Police are tracking down the six suspects at large, and the case is under investigation.

An artificial intelligence robot made its debut in central China’s Hubei Province Saturday, capable of providing legal assistance.

The robot, FaGouGou, is backed with 30 million cases and massive legal knowledge data, covering the criminal, labor, marriage and traffic fields, said Liu Qian, a co-developer.

It provides consulting service for lawyers as well as customer data mining service. A new version will be developed specifically to offer legal service to the public, according to the developers.

The robot is excellent in AI storage, computing power and judicial assistance, said Xiong Minghui, professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong Province.