UN study uncovers horrors of sexual violence against Syrian refugee boys and men

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:55 am

  New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): A study carried out by the United Nations refugee agency has revealed disturbing details a little-known side to the Syrian conflict: sexual violence against boys and men.

China tops patent, trademark and design filings in 2017 – UN agency reports

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:54 am

  New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): Worldwide filings for patents, trademarks and industrial designs reached record heights in 2017 amid soaring demand in China, which received more patent applications than the combined total of applications received by the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the European Patent Office, the United Nations intellectual property agency said on Wednesday.

Issue of Jerusalem must be resolved through direct negotiations between parties, UN chief stresses

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:53 am

New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): In the wake of the announcement by the United States President recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday stressed that there is no alternative to the two-state solution and that Jerusalem is an issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the parties.

Millions of babies, mostly in South Asia, risk brain damage from breathing toxic air, UNICEF warns

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:53 am

  New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): Almost 17 million babies live in areas where air pollution is at least six times higher than international limits, causing them to breathe toxic air and potentially risking their brain development, according to a new paper released on Tuesday by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  

Use fiscal stability to bolster inclusive, sustainable development in Asia-Pacific, UN report urges

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:52 am

  New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): Countries in the Asia-Pacific region should make the most of the prevailing stable economic conditions to orient their economies towards a more socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable path, the United Nations development wing in the region has urged.  

Myanmar: opium cultivation down 25 per cent, but conflict areas remain 'safe haven' for drug traders

Dec 07, 2017, at 09:51 am

  New York, Dec 7(Just Earth News): The total area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar has decreased significantly in 2017 to 41,000 hectares, down 25 per cent from the 55,500 recorded in 2015, a United Nations survey released on Wednesday has found.

Bank of Canada keeps overnight rate target unchanged at 1%

Dec 07, 2017, at 03:47 am

Ottawa, Dec 6 (IBNS): After two consecutive hikes in the present fiscal year, the Bank of Canada has decided to keep the overnight rate target unchanged, media reports said.

Jennifer Maclntyre steps down as Canada's Ambassador for climate change

Dec 07, 2017, at 02:49 am

Ottawa, Dec 6 (IBNS): Canadian Ambassador for climate change, Jennifer Maclntyre, has resigned after her husband's death.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan arrives in Pakistan

Dec 06, 2017, at 09:49 pm

Lahore, Dec 6 (IBNS); London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday reached Pakistan.

New airstrikes leave at least 25 ISIS militants dead in East of Afghanistan

Dec 06, 2017, at 09:19 pm

Kabul, Dec 6 (IBNS) : At least  25 militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group were killed in the latest airstrikes conducted in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital

Dec 06, 2017, at 08:13 pm

Washington DC, Dec 6 (IBNS) : The United States will officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, thus becoming the first country in the world to do so since the foundation of the state in 1948, media reports said.

Pakistan: Teenager killed during robbery in Karachi

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:32 pm

Karachi, Dec 6 (IBNS): Unidentified attackers murdered a girl with a sharp-edged object during an incident of robbery in Karachi’s Saudabad area on Tuesday, media reports said on Wednesday.

Somalia Partnership Forum stresses job creation and poverty reduction to promote stability

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:17 pm

  New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): A gathering of senior representatives of the Somali Government, the United Nations and the international community concluded in Mogadishu on Tuesday with a call for greater investment in the country’s economic development to create more job opportunities, rehabilitate essential infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of the Somali people.

Donors make initial pledges of $857 million to fund UN refugee agency’s work in 2018

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:16 pm

  New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): Donor governments on Tuesday pledged an initial $857 million to fund the United Nations refugee agency’s work to help some 67 million displaced or stateless people worldwide in 2018.

Amid alarming spike in violence, looming famine, Yemen gripped by uncertainty – UN officials

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:15 pm

New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): Yemen remains gripped by uncertainty after the assassination of the former president and a spike in brutal violence in and around its capital, Sana’a, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country said on Tuesday.

Careless disposal of antibiotics could produce ‘ferocious superbugs,’ UN environment experts warn

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:14 pm

  New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): Growing antimicrobial resistance linked to the discharge of drugs and some chemicals into the environment is one of the most worrying health threats on Tuesday, according to new research from the United Nations that highlights emerging challenges and solutions in environment.

Caring for the planet starts with ‘the ground we walk on;’ UN says on World Soil Day

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:14 pm

  New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): Soil is a major carbon storage system, essential for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, the United Nations agriculture agency said on Tuesday, launching on World Soil Day a comprehensive global map showing the amount of carbon stocks contained in soil.

Young students getting better at reading, finds international study

Dec 06, 2017, at 03:12 pm

New York, Dec 6(Just Earth News): Reading literacy levels are on the rise across the globe, giving young students a set of strong skills to serve them in their futures as well as contributing to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular those related to inclusive and quality education.  

Terror plot to assassinate British PM Theresa May foiled: Report

Dec 06, 2017, at 02:25 pm

London, Dec 6 (IBNS): British security forces have foiled terror plot to assassinate UK Prime Minister Theresa May, media reports said on Wednesday.

Calling for probe into crimes against Rohingya, UN rights chief says genocide ‘cannot be ruled out’

Dec 06, 2017, at 04:50 am

New York, Dec 5(Just Earth News):  The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday called for an international criminal probe into the perpetrators of the widespread and brutal attacks that have driven more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar since August, noting that “elements of genocide” against the minority could not be ruled out.

West and Central Africa lagging far behind world in HIV response, warns UNICEF

Dec 06, 2017, at 04:43 am

New York, Dec 5 (Just Earth News): Four in five children living with HIV in West and Central Africa are still not receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy and AIDS-related deaths among adolescents aged 15-19 are on the rise, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned.

Canada: Federal government to launch ad campaign over drug-impaired driving

Dec 06, 2017, at 04:16 am

Ottawa, Dec 5 (IBNS): The federal government in Canada is set to launch an ad-campaign to create awareness over drug-impaired driving, with few months to go for the legalisation of recreational marijuana in the country, media reports said.

Pakistan: Six killed in suicide blast

Dec 06, 2017, at 12:51 am

Lahore, Dec 5 (IBNS): At least six people were killed in a bomb blast  that rocked Mir Ali area of Pakistan on Tuesday, media reports said.

Syria: Eight killed in suicide blast

Dec 06, 2017, at 12:12 am

Homs, Dec 5 (IBNS): At least eight people were killed in a blast that hit Ekrema neighborhood in Homs city of Syria on Tuesday, media reports said.

Al-Qaeda’s top leader among at least 80 killed in Afghan-US operations

Dec 05, 2017, at 07:00 pm

Kabul, Dec 5 (IBNS) : A top leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network has been killed along with at least 80 other militants during the operations of the Afghan and US forces.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani visits Uzbekistan to deepen ties between two nations

Dec 05, 2017, at 06:54 pm

Tashkent, Dec 5 (IBNS): Bilateral ties between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are deepening with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani arriving in capital Tashkent on an official visit between Dec 4 and Dec 6.

Central African Republic: UN chief condemns killing of ‘blue helmet’ in country’s east

Dec 05, 2017, at 05:53 pm

New York, Dec 5(Just Earth News): Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the killing on Monday  of a Mauritanian peacekeeper and the wounding of three others of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) by anti-Balaka militia in Bria in the country’ s east.

Iraq: Ambiguity over legal age of marriage could devastate childhoods, warn UN officials

Dec 05, 2017, at 05:42 pm

New York, Dec 5(Just Earth News): Voicing concern over proposed amendments to laws governing marriage in Iraq – in particular the ambiguity over the legal age of marriage – senior United Nations officials called on the country to ensure adequate protection for children across Iraq.

UN chief proposes ‘sweeping’ management reform to budget committee

Dec 05, 2017, at 05:40 pm

New York, Dec 5(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday proposed sweeping management reform to Member States in the General Assembly’s main administrative and budgetary body, including the adoption of an annual budget cycle, the granting of the power for him to redeploy resources within the approved budget, and the elimination of duplicate functions currently undertaken by different departments.

UN chief urges universal ratification of International Criminal Court’s founding treaty

Dec 05, 2017, at 05:38 pm

New York, Dec 5(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday stressed the importance of all States ratifying the treaty that established the International Criminal Court as the central institution of the global criminal justice system, known as the Rome Statute.