Plan to 'freeze' conflict in Aleppo 'concrete, realistic,' says UN Syria envoy
Nov 12, 2014, at 03:13 pm
New York, Nov 12 (IBNS): The proposal to “freeze†the Syrian conflict in the besieged city of Aleppo is gaining traction, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria confirmed today, as he explained that the new plan, if successful, could form the basis of a wide-ranging peace proposal.
As funds dry up, UN agency warns of 'very tough' winter for displaced in Syria, Iraq
Nov 12, 2014, at 03:03 pm
New York, Nov 12(IBNS):An ongoing funding shortage coupled with a sharp growth in recent internal displacements is placing increasing pressure on United Nations efforts to assist millions of refugees across Iraq and Syria as they prepare for the onset of a long and cold winter, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned.
UN envoy lauds collective progress in Somalia, urges unity, stability from leaders
Nov 12, 2014, at 03:02 pm
New York, Nov 12( IBNS) Hailing the political and economic gains made in Somalia through the partnerships and collective efforts of Somalis and the international community, the United Nations envoy for the country urged political leaders there to resolve their differences or risk undermining the progress thus achieved.
South Korea: Ferry captain gets 36-year jail term
Nov 12, 2014, at 02:36 am
Seoul, Nov 11 (IBNS): A South Korean court on Tuesday sentenced the captain of the sunken ferry Sewol to 36 years in prison for abandoning the passengers which were traveling in it when it was sinking in April this year.
27 dead in terrorist attacks in Pakistan
Nov 11, 2014, at 11:15 pm
Islamabad, Nov 11 (IBNS): At least 27 including 2 soldiers died in a series of militant attacks across Pakistan on Tuesday, media reported.
Bus-truck collision leaves 58 dead in Pakistan
Nov 11, 2014, at 11:03 pm
Karachi, Nov 11 (IBNS): At least 58 people including 18 children were killed on Tuesday when a passenger bus collided head-on with a goods truck in southern Pakistan, media reported.
UN envoy holds high-level talks with Syrian officials on plan to 'freeze' Aleppo conflict
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:36 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) In his effort to resolve the ongoing civil war in Syria and initiate peace talks between rebel forces and the Syrian Government, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Monday reported "constructive discussions" with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regarding his recent proposal on incremental "freezes" to be applied to specific zones of conflict.
Libya: UN mission chief condemns Shahat attack, pledges support to end crisis
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:33 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) The top United Nations official in Libya has strongly condemned the “cowardly†attack that occurred yesterday close to where he was meeting with the country’s Prime Minister, Abdullah al-Thinni, in the eastern city of Shahat to discuss how to put the political transition back on track.
Ban appoints envoy for UN Burundi office ahead of country's elections
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:31 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Cassam Uteem as his Special Envoy and Head of the United Nations Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB), the UN Spokesperson’s office announced on Monday.
Central African Republic: UN urges support to meet basic needs in hard-hit province
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:29 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS): Continued violence and instability in the Central African Republic (CAR) are taking a vast toll on efforts to meet basic humanitarian needs, a United Nations humanitarian official said on Monday, following a visit to a province in the country’s north-east that has been particularly hard-hit.
First food convoy through Sudan humanitarian corridor arrives in South Sudan-UN
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:25 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS)Eighteen trucks transporting 700 metric tons of food – enough to feed 45,000 people for one month – have arrived in South Sudan via Sudan on Monday marking the opening of a humanitarian corridor that is hoped to enable delivery of much needed assistance to the embattled nation, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported.
Ban, UNICEF condemn deadly suicide bombing at Nigerian school
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:22 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the suicide bombing on Monday at a government boarding school in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Potiskum, reportedly killing dozens of students and wounding countless others.
Gaza: Ban forms independent panel to investigate recent conflict
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:20 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday announced the formation of an internal inquiry aimed at reviewing “certain incidents†reported at United Nations facilities in the Gaza Strip during the recent summer conflict there between Palestinian factions and the State of Israel.
At UN conference, education takes centre-stage in planning for a sustainable future
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:18 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) The role education can play in preparing the world's youth for a sustainable future is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly as the planet is set to face growing economic, social and environmental challenges, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared on Monday as she opened a conference on the subject in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
UN mission finds no evidence confirming alleged mass rapes in north Darfur town
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:10 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) After being granted access yesterday to investigate allegations of the mass rape of 200 women and girls in a town in North Darfur, Sudan, the African Union-United Nations hybrid mission has said that its team found no evidence confirming the claims and received no information regarding the purported acts.
Iraq: UN agency warns of deteriorating agricultural sector, calls for increased funding
Nov 11, 2014, at 08:05 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) An additional $38.5 million in support is urgently needed to prevent Iraq’s agricultural sector from collapsing and the country’s food security situation from further degenerating, the United Nations agriculture agency warned on Monday.
In Afghanistan, UN crime chief pledges support to combat 'disastrous' drug trade, corruption
Nov 11, 2014, at 07:34 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS) Visiting Kabul over the weekend, the head of the United Nations agency combating all forms of criminal activity, met with newly-elected President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and pledged support to counter the harmful effects of illicit drugs, organized crime and corruption on Afghanistan and its people.
10 policemen killed in triple blasts in Afghanistan
Nov 10, 2014, at 08:00 pm
Kabul, Nov 10 (IBNS): At least 10 policemen died and several others injured after triple blasts rocked East Afghanistan's three cities, including capital Kabul on Monday, media reported.
DR Congo: UN official applauds sentencing of militia leader for war crimes
Nov 10, 2014, at 04:39 pm
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS) The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – also known by its French acronym MONUSCO – has welcomed the sentencing of a former commander of a militia group accused of war crimes as a step towards reinforcing the rule of law in the war-torn African nation.
Pakistan: 17 terrorists killed
Nov 09, 2014, at 04:33 am
Islamabad, Nov 8 (IBNS): At least 17 militants were killed during clashes with security forces in Pakistan's Khyber Agency area on Saturday, media reports said.
UN rights office voices concern over Dominican Republic's ruling on regional court
Nov 08, 2014, at 03:13 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights office on Fridayvoiced deep concern about a recent Dominican Constitutional Court's ruling that the country's recognition of the competence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights is unconstitutional.
Gambia: UN experts prevented from completing probe into torture, killings
Nov 08, 2014, at 03:12 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS): Two United Nations human rights experts were forced to suspend an integral part of their visit to The Gambia this week when they were denied access to parts of a prison and prevented from completing a torture and killing investigation during the first trip ever to the country by such an independent fact-finding team, according to a press release from the UN rights office.
Darfur: UN envoy on sexual violence urges immediate access for probe into alleged mass rapes
Nov 08, 2014, at 03:11 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS) The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict expressed concern on Friday about allegations circulating in Darfur local media over the mass rape of 200 women and girls in a town in region’s North, calling on the Government of Sudan to allow "immediate and unhindered" access for an investigation.
One year after devastating storm, UN says Philippines 'well on road to recovery'
Nov 08, 2014, at 03:01 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS) One year after super Typhoon Haiyan swept across the central Philippines, destroying large swaths of the archipelago, the United Nations has declared the country to be well on the road to recovery as efforts to rebuild the livelihoods of local communities particularly farmers and fishers begin to yield results.
Attacks on children 'horrific reminder' of terrible price they pay in conflict – UNICEF
Nov 08, 2014, at 02:59 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS) Two deadly attacks on children in Ukraine and Syria on the same day this week serve as a "horrific reminder" of the terrible price youngsters are paying in these brutal wars, the United Nations children's agency said on Fridayas it urged all conflict parties to keep children out of harm's way.
Asia-Pacific: UN official urges deeper regional connectivity for landlocked developing countries
Nov 08, 2014, at 02:58 pm
New York, Nov 8 (IBNS): Greater regional connectivity through integrated and terrestrial networks is vital to effectively linking Asia’s 12 landlocked development countries (LLDCs) to the region’s infrastructure networks, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said on Friday.
Fire in Dhaka factory, no casualty
Nov 08, 2014, at 02:29 am
Dhaka, Nov 7 (IBNS): A fire broke out in a blanket factory at Dhaka city in Bangladesh on Friday, media reports said.
Keep dogs, face lashes, says Iran's new draft bill
Nov 07, 2014, at 10:23 pm
Tehran, Nov 7 (IBNS): Dog lovers in Iran could face up to 74 lashes or face hefty fine if the country's parliament passes a bill that would ban keeping the pets at home or walking them in public, media reported.
'Ageing well must be global priority', warns UN health agency in new study
Nov 07, 2014, at 08:36 pm
New York, Nov 7 (IBNS) The United Nations health agency warned on Thursday that as the world population aged 60 or older will jump from some 800 million to 2 billion in the next four decades, soaring levels of chronic illness and diminished wellbeing are poised to become a major global public health challenge.
Urging political resolution, UN agency chief laments 'sheer unsustainability' of Gaza crisis
Nov 07, 2014, at 08:33 pm
New York, Nov 7 (IBNS) The underlying tensions which have brought Israelis and Palestinians into regular conflict and subjected Gaza to repeated warfare must be addressed once and for all, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees has urged.