Security Council: Ban and UN envoy outline talk about political solution for Syria

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:10 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): Describing the more than four years of “slaughter” in Syria as a “shameful symbol of the international community’s divisions and failure,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday appealed to the Security Council to endorse his Special Envoy’s recommendations on reaching the political solution that “all parties claim to support.”

Orangutans face extinction on Borneo where deforestation is unsustainable: UN

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:08 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): The massive conversion of Borneo’s forests for the production palm oil together with the impact of climate change is driving to extinction the orangutan on Asia’s largest island, making it “clear that a future without sustainable development will be a future with a different climate and, eventually, without orangutans, one of our closest relatives,” a new United Nations report revealed on Wednesday.

UN projects world population to reach 8.5 billion by 2030

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:06 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): The world’s population is projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and exceed 11 billion in 2100, with India expected to surpass China as the most populous around seven years from now and Nigeria overtaking the United States to become the world’s third largest country around 35 years from now, according to a new United Nations report released on Wednesday.

Economic ‘slowdown’ predicted for Latin America and Caribbean in 2015: UN forum

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:05 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): Panama will lead Latin America and the Caribbean countries in economic growth that will average 0.5 per cent in 2015, according to United Nations projections released on Wednesday, which not that to reverse the region’s economic slowdown, more investments are needed to boost growth and improve productivity.

UN mission in Cyprus renewed for six months by Security Council

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:03 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): The Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for six months, until 31 January 2016, and welcomed resumed negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to reach a comprehensive settlement.

Ban condemns Israel’s approval of new settlement construction in West Bank

Jul 30, 2015, at 02:01 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the announcement on Wednesday that Israel has approved construction of some 300 housing units in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, as well as the planning and construction of nearly 500 housing units in a number of settlements in East Jerusalem.

Security Council fails to adopt proposal to create tribunal on crash of flight MH17

Jul 30, 2015, at 01:59 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council was unable to adopt a new resolution on Wednesday following Russia’s negative vote on a measure that would have established an international tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.

Bahrain: UN chief condemns bomb attack in southern village

Jul 30, 2015, at 01:57 pm

New York, Jul 30 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General has condemned the bomb attack on Monday in the village of Sitra, Bahrain, which reportedly killed two policemen and injured several others.

Premature to say debris belongs to MH370: Malaysia Airlines

Jul 30, 2015, at 01:25 pm

Kuala Lumpur , July 30 (IBNS) Malaysia Airlines on Thursday said it was 'premature to speculate' on the origin of the debris of an air craft that has washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion.

'Prevent hepatitis; Act now,' declares UN targeting hepatitis B and C

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:30 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): Marking World Hepatitis Day 2015, which falls on 28 July in honour of the birthday of the scientist who discovered the hepatitis B virus and its first vaccine, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are urging policy-makers, health workers and the public to act now to prevent infection and death from the infectious disease.

Dominic: UN experts warn against racial profiling of people of Haitian descent

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:28 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): United Nations human rights experts on Tuesday called on the Government of the Dominican Republic to take steps to prevent arbitrary deportations and to adopt measures to address allegations of racial profiling during deportations of people of Haitian descent.

Security Council condemns Boko Haram violence, backs regional efforts

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:26 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): While acknowledging progress made against Boko Haram following joint regional military efforts in recent months, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday encouraged increased regional cooperation to stamp out the terrorist group, which the Council strongly condemned for its ongoing deadly violence, human rights abuses and mass abductions in the Lake Chad Basin.

UN officials seriously concerned by verdicts in trial of former members of Qadhafi regime

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:23 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): The verdicts in the trial of 37 Qadhafi regime officials, including against the former leader’s son, Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, handed down today by the Tripoli Court of Assize, has drawn serous concern from senior United Nations human rights officials in Libya, as well as in Geneva, amid fears the trial did not meet international standards on a number of fronts.

Middle East’s largest camp turns three as Syrian refugees top four million: UN agency

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:20 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): Living conditions for more than half a million refugees living in Jordan is becoming increasingly tough, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday on the eve of the third anniversary of the establishment of Za’atari camp, which has grown into the largest refugee camp in the Middle East.

Durable ceasefire needed as millions suffering in Yemen: UN relief chief

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:17 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): The conflict in Yemen has brought “appalling damage” on an already suffering people, the top United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council on Tuesday, pressing the international community to redouble its efforts to secure a pause in the fighting respected by all parties, thus providing space for relief workers to reach desperate civilians and for the warring sides to agree a durable ceasefire and, ultimately, a political solution.

Violent attacks reported against civilians fleeing ISIL-controlled areas of Iraq: UN

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:14 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): An increasing number of people in Iraq, including families with children and the elderly, have encountered deadly ambushes as they try to escape areas controlled the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levan (ISIL) by risking their lives on a treacherous mountain journey to safety, the United Nations human rights office reported on Tuesday.

Syria’s grim statistics speak for themselves: Security Council

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:12 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): A political solution is more urgent than ever to end the “futile, hopeless” cycle of brutality and violence in Syria, the top United Nations humanitarian official said on Tuesday, urging the Security Council to consider its options through “the eyes of the beleaguered, now long-suffering” civilians.

UN agencies and partners warn of ‘acute shortage’ of meningitis vaccines

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:10 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): West Africa is at risk of a large meningitis outbreak unless drug manufacturers increase vaccine production by 5 million doses before the 2016 meningitis season starts in January, the United Nations and leading public health organizations warned on Tuesday.

Security Council authorizes ongoing African Union deployment in Somalia

Jul 29, 2015, at 02:08 pm

New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): The Security Council on Tuesday authorized the Member States of the African Union to maintain the deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for an additional 10 months, until 30 May 2016.

Muammar Gaddafi's son sentenced to death

Jul 29, 2015, at 04:03 am

Tripoli, July 28 (IBNS) Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has been sentenced to death by a Libyan court over war crimes linked to the 2011 revolution.

Children in Nepal still at risk three months after devastating quake: UNICEF

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:38 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): Three months after Nepal's devastating 25 April earthquake and its aftershocks, children continue to face multiple risks as their families have been pushed deeper into poverty and they remain in need of aid, warned the United Nations's Children Fund (UNICEF).

Parties continue progressing towards ‘vision’ of united Cyprus: UN envoy

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:37 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): The positive and results-oriented climate of the talks between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders continues to foster the progress required towards conclusion of a settlement as soon as possible, the United Nations Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, confirmed on Monday.

Ban welcomes UN’s endorsement of action plan on post-2015 development financing

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:35 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): The United Nations General Assembly on Monday endorsed the new global action agenda for financing sustainable development adopted two weeks ago by a major UN conference, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the move as a major step that firmly puts the world “on the path to a more prosperous, just and sustainable world for this and future generations.”

Burundi: UN mission finds environment ‘not conducive’ to credible election process

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:33 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): While the 21 July election in Burundi that won President Pierre Nkurunziza a controversial third term was relatively peaceful and conducted adequately, the overall environment was ‘not conducive’ for an inclusive, free and credible electoral process, the United Nations Electoral Observation Mission in the country (MENUB) announced on Monday.

UN chief condemns deadly Al Shabaab attack against hotel in Mogadishu

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:32 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the attack perpetrated by Al Shabaab on Sunday on the Al-Jazeera Hotel in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

‘Paralyzing’ funding gap forces shutdown of health services in Iraq: UN

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:29 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): The top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq on Monday declared as “devastating” the “inexplicable” closures of life-saving services in Iraq for people in need, citing the most recent shut-downs of basic health care will directly impact more than one million people, including some 500,000 children who now will not be immunized, spreading risk of a measles outbreak and resumption of polio.

UN official in Somalia condemns terrorist attack on hotel in Mogadishu

Jul 27, 2015, at 01:36 pm

New York, Jul 27 (IBNS): The most senior United Nations official in Somalia has strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack on Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu that resulted in several deaths and injuries.

Middle East: Funding crisis may force UN agency to delay start of school year

Jul 27, 2015, at 01:33 pm

New York, Jul 27 (IBNS): Facing its most severe financial crisis ever, the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestine refugees throughout the Middle East has on Sunday convened an emergency session to weigh the growing risk that it may be forced to delay the start of the academic year in some 700 schools for half a million students across the region.

Yemen: Ban welcomes Saudi-led coalition's announcement of humanitarian truce

Jul 27, 2015, at 01:30 pm

New York, Jul 27 (IBNS): Welcoming the announcement by the Saudi-led Coalition of a unilateral five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all parties to the conflict to suspend military operations and facilitate safe, unhindered access of relief workers to desperate populations throughout the crisis-riven country.

US embassy employee shot dead in Pakistan

Jul 26, 2015, at 11:41 pm

Islamabad, July 26 (IBNS): Unknown gunmen have shot dead a Pakistani man who was working with the United States embassy in Islamabad, media reports said on Sunday.