INTERVIEW: UN marks 20 years of work to improve protection of children affected by conflict
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:40 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): The senior United Nations advocate for children caught up in conflict is reaching out to parents, elders, and the entire international community to keep children away from armies and militias – a UN role that over the past two decades has helped more than 115,000 child soldiers regain their youth.
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:39 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): The setting up of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was a “reckoning†for those who had long disregarded the lives and dignity of their people, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has said and warned that withdrawing from the tribunal could have grave implications for victims seeking redress for serious human rights violations.
Russia, Turkey, Iran and UN hash out details of monitoring regime for Syria ceasefire
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:38 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): The delegations of Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as United Nations representatives held their first meeting yesterday to discuss the establishment of a ceasefire implementation regime in Syria that was decided at the 23-24 January talks held in the Kazakh capital of Astana, a UN spokesperson in Geneva said on Tuesday.
Adapting to increased military pressure, ISIL shifts to ‘dark web,’ UN Security Council told
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:37 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): The terrorist group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), is on the defensive militarily in several regions, but is also adapting to military pressure by resorting to covert communications such as the ‘dark web,’ the top United Nations political affairs official warned on Tuesday.
Israeli legislation on settlements violates international law, says UN chief Guterres
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:36 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday deeply regretted the adoption by Israel’s legislative body, the Knesset, of the so called “Regularisation bill,†saying the measure contravenes international law and will have “far-reaching legal consequences†for the country.
Senior UN official urges Libya to protect migrants from conflict-related sexual violence
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:35 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): The highest United Nations official tasked with advocating against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war urged on Tuesday Libyan authorities to protect migrants from rape and other human rights violations.
FEATURE: Diplomacy of the conscience – The Holy See at the United Nations
Feb 08, 2017, at 02:33 pm
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): Ever since 1964, when it was informally accepted to the United Nations General Assembly, the Holy See has had a permanent seat at international discussions and used its observer status to go on record about matters of peace and human dignity.
Feb 08, 2017, at 05:51 am
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): Stalled peace talks in Burundi are forcing hundreds to flee every day seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday, appealing for more support, particularly land to shelter for new arrivals and to ensure protection of children and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.
Thousands of children out of school as classrooms shelled in eastern Ukraine – UNICEF
Feb 08, 2017, at 05:50 am
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): With thousands of children forced out of school in eastern Ukraine due to last week's surge in fighting, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have strongly condemned the indiscriminate shelling of schools, and called for all sides to immediately recommit to the ceasefire signed in Minsk in August 2015.
UN rights expert urges Thailand to loosen restrictions around monarchy defamation law
Feb 08, 2017, at 05:48 am
New York, Feb 8 (Just Earth News): As a student activist awaits trial in detention for posting a news article about the new monarchy on social media, an independent United Nations expert on Tuesday called on Thai authorities to stop using royal defamation laws to stifle free speech
Man tries to commit suicide next to Kaaba in Mecca
Feb 08, 2017, at 01:47 am
Manama, Feb 7 (IBNS): A man attempted to set himself on fire close to Kaaba in Mecca on Monday, media reports said.
Secret campaign of mass hangings and extermination in Syrian prison, says Amnesty International
Feb 07, 2017, at 11:33 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS): A chilling new report by Amnesty International exposes the Syrian government’s calculated campaign of extrajudicial executions by mass hangings at Saydnaya Prison.
Syria: UN provides emergency water around Aleppo, as 1.8 million cut off from water supply
Feb 07, 2017, at 01:49 pm
New York, Feb 7 (Just Earth News): The United Nations on Monday voiced grave concern about nearly two million Syrians in the area of Aleppo who have been without water for almost a month, as UN agencies are helping to provide emergency access to some of the people in need.
Violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state could amount to crimes against humanity – UN special adviser
Feb 07, 2017, at 01:48 pm
New York, Feb 7 (Just Earth News): The scale of violence against the Rohingya community in Myanmar's Rakhine state documented in a recent United Nations human rights report is a level of dehumanization and cruelty that is “revolting and unacceptable,†the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide said on Monday, underlining the Government's responsibility to ensure that populations are protected.
UN Middle East envoy 'concerned' over scheduled vote on Israel's settlement regularisation bill
Feb 07, 2017, at 06:19 am
New York, Feb 7 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations Middle East envoy on Monday expressed concern about the scheduled vote by the Knesset, Israel's legislative body, on a bill that would “legalize†Israeli settlements on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
Burundi: Measures being used to ‘criminalize’ work of human rights defenders, warn UN experts
Feb 07, 2017, at 06:18 am
New York, Feb 7 (Just Earth News): Speaking out against a ban and provisional suspension of a number of civil society organizations in Burundi, United Nations rights experts warned on Monday of growing repression of human rights defenders and groups amid the already difficult environment in which they.
UN urges renewed fight to end female genital mutilation as populations grow where practice occurs
Feb 07, 2017, at 06:16 am
New York, Feb 7 (Just Earth News): Female genital mutilation denies women and girls their dignity and causes needless pain and suffering, with consequences that endure for a lifetime and can even be fatal, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said, stressing that the UN Sustainable Development Agenda promises an end to this practice by 2030.
'Horrific' 2.4 million assaults on officers a year, says report
Feb 06, 2017, at 11:23 pm
London, Feb 6 (IBNS): New figures released on Monday revealed the 'horrific' extent and frequency of assaults* on police officers.
Ontario to provide life-saving treatment to sick kids affected by US travel ban
Feb 06, 2017, at 10:08 pm
Toronto, Feb 6 (IBNS): Ontario has been arranging to provide critical health care to children who were denied life-saving surgeries in America due to the U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban last week.
Turkey: Earthquake strikes near western coast
Feb 06, 2017, at 07:38 pm
Ankara Feb 6 (IBNS): An earthquake of 5.2-magnitude struck near the western coast of Turkey on Monday morning, according to media reports.
Feb 05, 2017, at 01:09 am
Paris, Feb 4 (IBNS): The Louvre in French capital Paris city reopened on Saturday, a day after soldier shot and injured a machete-wielding attacker close to the museum on Friday.
Louvre museum attacker was Egyptian national?
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:57 pm
Paris, Feb 4 (IBNS): The man, who attempted to attack the Louvre museum in Paris on Friday, was an Egyptian nation, French officials were quoted saying by the media.
Civilians face ‘dire’ situation amid ongoing hostilities in eastern Ukraine, UN warns
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:27 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): An immediate pause in fighting is needed in Ukraine to prevent more people dying and repair essential services, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday following another night of shelling in the east of the country.
Fresh violence in Central African Republic western town displaces thousands, UN office says
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:26 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): Condemning attacks on civilians and non-governmental organizations in a town in Central African Republic (CAR)’s Ouham-Pendé province, a senior United Nations humanitarian official has called for protecting civilians as well as for unhindered relief access to the affected areas.
Refugees fleeing danger are ‘not dangerous themselves’ – UN agency chief
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:26 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations refugee agency on Friday warned developed countries against politicizing the issue of refugees, stressing that the move risked undermining the principle of international solidarity with those fleeing war and persecution.
Adhere to safeguards, avoid pushing back refugees, UNICEF, UN rights experts urge Europe
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:25 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): As Europe Union leaders gather on Friday in Malta to discuss new measures on migration, including increased cooperation with Libya, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN rights experts underlined the need to ensure that children are protected and that migrants should not be pushed back to places where their safety is at risk.
Rights expert urges UN Member States to halt Israel’s illegal settlements in West Bank
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:24 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): A United Nations human rights expert has called on the Security Council and the General Assembly to explore effective diplomatic and political measures to ensure Israeli compliance with Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), which affirms that all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory constitute a flagrant violation of international law.
Early cancer diagnosis, better trained medics can save lives and money – UN
Feb 04, 2017, at 01:23 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News): Early cancer diagnosis saves lives and cuts treatment costs, the United Nations health agency on Friday said, particularly in developing countries where the majority of cancer cases are diagnosed too late.
Iraq: UN fears new wave of displacement as fighting escalates in Mosul and Hawiga
Feb 04, 2017, at 05:31 am
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are coordinating plans to respond to a potential mass displacement of Iraqis from western Mosul, the latest battleground the Iraqi forces are seeking to retake from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) terrorists.
International collaboration on wheat rust can curb threat to global supplies – UN agen
Feb 04, 2017, at 05:27 am
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News): As new data shows that wheat in Africa, Asia and Europe is increasingly threatened by fresh groups of wheat rust, the United Nations agricultural agency is highlighting the need for early detection and rapid action to keep the fungus under control.