UN urges global action to disrupt illegal wildlife trade
New York, May 14 (IBNS): Urging the international community to "come together at the highest political level" to halt the escalation of wildlife and forest crime, the United Nations crime chief said on Tuesday that the USD 8-USD 10 billion reaped annually from this "ruthless trade" ranks it alongside the trafficking of human beings, arms and drugs in terms of illicit profits.
UN official urges vigorous response to wildlife crime
New York, May 13 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday stressed the need for a vigorous response to wildlife and forest crime, noting the growing threat the scourge poses to development worldwide.
Turkey to become Associate Member State of CERN
Geneva, May 12 (IBNS): CERN Director General Rolf Heuer and Taner Yildiz, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey on Monday signed an agreement admitting Turkey to CERN Associate Membership, subject to ratification by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Meclis.
UN taps tourists to help protect original long-distance travellers
New York, May 10 (IBNS): On this year's World Migratory Bird Day, the United Nations is spotlighting the role sustainable tourism can play in conserving one of the world's true natural wonders: the spectacular movements of migratory birds along their flyways.
Team India heads for ISEF contention
New Delhi, May 10 (IBNS): Former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam recently wished luck to the 18 young innovators with their exceptional inventions, set to prove their mantle at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the only global science competition for students from grades 8-12.
CSE calls for urgent action over WHO report on India pollution
New Delhi, May 8 (IBNS): The latest urban air quality database released by the World Health Organization (WHO) reconfirms that most Indian cities are becoming death traps because of very high air pollution levels, said India's leading non-government green pressure group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), urging for action.
Most cities fail to meet new pollution guidelines: UN
New York, May 8 (IBNS): Many of the world's cities are "enveloped in dirty air" that is dangerous breathe, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, warning that urban dwellers are being exposed to excessive air pollution and are at a risk of respiratory diseases and other long-term health problems.
Abu Dhabi: Ban urges bold leadership on climate change
New York, May 6 (IBNS): With the ominous and costly impacts of climate change profoundly evident, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Monday that too many stakeholders are still "sitting on the fence", and he challenged participants at a climate conference in Abu Dhabi to help him build persuasive political arguments to convince policymakers that the time for bold action is now.
Abu Dhabi: Ban urges concrete actions to tackle climate change
New York, May 5 (IBNS): From the tropics to the poles, from small islands to large continents, and from the poorest countries to the richest, climate change impacts are already widespread, costly and consequential, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday, urging stakeholders gathered in Abu Dhabi to consider concrete actions to tackle the phenomenon now - before it is too late.
Workshop for women street vendors
Kolkata, May 1 (IBNS) A workshop promoting environmentally conscious business among women street food vendors in Kolkata was conducted by Fulbright scholars at the American Centre in the city on Thursday.
UN urges support for climate action in developing countries
New York, May 1 (IBNS): Highlighting local climate action happening on the ground in developing countries, the top United Nations climate official on Wednesday called for greater international support to help these communities harness local knowledge and ingenuity.
World Malaria Day: UN seeks near zero preventable deaths
New York, Apr 26 (IBNS): The tide has turned on malaria, with mortality rates for children in Africa down by half, but a stronger surveillance system is urgently needed to prevent new outbreaks and resurgences, United Nations officials on Friday warned, marking the sixth annual World Malaria Day.
UN summit commits to improve ocean health
New York, Apr 26 (IBNS): A United Nations-backed summit wrapped up in the Netherlands on Friday with a set of concrete actions to turn around the health of the world's oceans and food security for millions by tackling key threats such as climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and pollution.
Forensics uncover planetary disks in NASA archive
Washington, Apr 26 (IBNS) Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have applied a new image processing technique to obtain near-infrared scattered light photos of five disks observed around young stars in the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes database.
NASA telescopes find close, cold neighbor of Sun
Washington, Apr 26 (IBNS) NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered what appears to be the coldest "brown dwarf" known -- a dim, star-like body that, surprisingly, is as frosty as Earth's North Pole.