Steps taken to end Saudi ‘guardianship’ system for women, ‘encouraging’ start
Aug 09, 2019, at 10:10 am
New York, Aug 9 (IBNS): Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians’ permission is “an encouraging move” towards the “complete abolition of the ‘guardianship’ system,” independent United Nations rights experts said on Thursday, but more action is needed to fully dismantle these restrictions.
Aug 09, 2019, at 10:06 am
New York, Aug 9 (IBNS): More than 500 million people today live in areas affected by erosion linked to climate change, the UN warned on Thursday, before urging all countries to commit to sustainable land use to help limit greenhouse gas emissions before it is too late.
Bigotry makes politicians ‘complicit in the violence that follows’ : UN independent experts
Aug 08, 2019, at 10:02 am
New York, Aug 8 (IBNS): Responding to the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio on Saturday, a group of independent UN experts has called out the “increased use of divisive language”, as well as attempts to marginalise racial, ethnic and religious minorities”, by some politicians and leaders.
Aug 08, 2019, at 09:54 am
New York, Aug 8 (IBNS): The Security Council has “utterly failed Syrian detainees and their families”, Amina Khoulani, Co-founder of Families for Freedom, told the Security Council on Wednesday, during a meeting focussed on those who have been jailed or gone missing across Syria, during years of brutal conflict.
Four in 10 indigenous languages at risk of disappearing, warn UN human rights experts
Aug 08, 2019, at 09:28 am
New York, Aug 8 (IBNS): Of 7,000 indigenous languages spoken today, four in 10 are in danger of disappearing, rights experts said on Wednesday, in a call for a decade of action to reverse the “historic destruction” of age-old dialects.
UN boosts humanitarian appeal to help tackle Zimbabwe’s ‘worst-ever’ hunger crisis
Aug 08, 2019, at 09:17 am
New York, Aug 8 (IBNS): With Zimbabwe now experiencing its “worst-ever hunger crisis”, the UN food relief agency has revised its humanitarian appeal to step up food assistance to people most affected by drought, flooding, and economic stagnation.
Myanmar jails Australian publisher on drug charges – Reports
Aug 07, 2019, at 08:41 pm
Yangon, Aug 7 (Sputnik) The Australian publisher who founded The Myanmar Times newspaper was sentenced to 13 years in jail by a Myanmar court over illegal drug possession on Wednesday, local media reported.
Intensified Al Qaeda and ISIL activity in Yemen ‘deeply worrying’, says UN Human Rights Office
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:22 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): Armed groups affiliated with the Al Qaeda and ISIL terror groups, appear to have intensified their activities in Yemen, Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) declared on Tuesday, describing the situation as an example of “deeply worrying developments” that have seriously impacted civilians over the past ten days.
All States have ‘primary responsibility’ to protect against hate attacks
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:22 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): The UN’s top rights official has added her voice to condemnation of the weekend mass-shootings in the cities of El Paso and Dayton, insisting on Tuesday that “not just the US, but all States” should do more to stop discrimination.
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:16 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): Paying homage to those who perished as the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, as well as the many others whose lives were devastated in the years that followed, UN chief António Guterres on Tuesday underscored their “courage and moral leadership” in reminding the world of “the human cost of nuclear war”.
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:11 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): The UN migration agency, IOM, has welcomed Colombia’s decision on Monday to grant nationality status to more than 24,000 Venezuelan babies born inside the country after their parents fled across the border.
Help African farmers cope with climate change threats, UN food agency urges
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:08 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): African farmers need help to cope with the threats of climate change, with national policies that protect them and make them resilient, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, has declared, following a major conference on food security in the continent.
‘€1 million’ fines for rescue boats prompts UN concern for future sea operations
Aug 07, 2019, at 10:07 am
New York, Aug 7 (IBNS): A move by Italian lawmakers to impose fines of up to €1 million on vessels and organizations carrying out search and rescue operations off the country’s coastline, sparked a new warning on Tuesday from the UN that the measure risks deterring future lifesaving efforts in the Mediterranean.
Over 50 climate change protesters arrested in Australia's Brisbane - Police
Aug 06, 2019, at 05:03 pm
Moscow, Aug 6 (Sputnik/UNI) Australian police said on Tuesday that they had arrested and charged 56 protesters against climate change during an ongoing demonstration in the city of Brisbane.
Turkey arrests 9 people over alleged links to Gulen movement - Reports
Aug 06, 2019, at 04:57 pm
Moscow, Aug 6 (Sputnik/UNI) Turkish security forces have arrested nine suspected members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), local media reported on Tuesday.
Aug 06, 2019, at 10:03 am
New York, Aug 6 (IBNS): Money earned by the Myanmar military from international and domestic business deals, “substantially enhances its ability to carry out gross violations of human rights with impunity” according to a report released on Monday by an independent United Nations group looking into military-business ties in the South East Asian country.
Iran says US responsible for tension in region
Aug 05, 2019, at 05:27 pm
Tehran, Aug 5 (Xinhua/UNI) Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the United States is responsible for tension in the Gulf region.
Hong Kong police use tear gas to disperse protesters in city's Northwest
Aug 05, 2019, at 05:23 pm
Beijing, Aug 5 (Sputnik/UNI) Hong Kong police said on Monday it had resorted to using tear gas to disperse violent protesters, who were hurling stones at law enforcement officers in the Tin Shui Wai district.
Egypt: 19 people die as explosion hits Cairo city
Aug 05, 2019, at 04:45 pm
Cairo, Aug 5 (IBNS): At least 19 people died in an explosion after several cars collided in Egypt's Cairo city on Sunday, media reports said.
Central government strongly condemns flag-insulting acts by radicals in Hong Kong
Aug 04, 2019, at 06:55 pm
Beijing/Hong Kong, Aug 4 (Xinhua/UNI) A central government spokesperson on Sunday strongly condemned the egregious acts of flinging the Chinese national flag into the sea committed by some radical protesters in Hong Kong.
Kenya police seize three kg cocaine in coastal city
Aug 04, 2019, at 06:18 pm
Mombasa, Kenya, Aug 4 (Xinhua/UNI) Kenyan anti-narcotics police seized 3 kilograms of cocaine worth 11.9 million Kenyan shillings (110,000 US dollars) in the coastal city of Mombasa on Saturday evening.
Three civilians injured by motorbike explosion in Syria's Al Hasakah - Reports
Aug 04, 2019, at 05:20 pm
Beirut, Aug 4 (Sputnik/UNI) An explosives-laden motorbike detonated in Alnashwa district of the Syrian northeastern city of Al Hasakah, leaving at least three civilians injured, local media reported on Sunday.
Several killed in munition explosion in Syrian air base
Aug 03, 2019, at 06:24 pm
Damascus, Aug 3 (Xinhua/UNI) Several Syrian soldiers were killed on Saturday by an explosion that rocked a Syrian air base in the central region, according to the state news agency SANA.
UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty
Aug 03, 2019, at 06:45 am
New York, Aug 3 (IBNS): Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep regret” on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty betweein the United States and Russia came to an end.
Aug 03, 2019, at 06:40 am
New York, Aug 3 (IBNS): It is “vitally important” that the Security Council “come together” on the current plight of children affected by armed conflict across the globe”, Virginia Gamba, the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said on Friday.
Aug 03, 2019, at 06:22 am
New York, Aug 3 (IBNS): The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as “the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability.”
7.4-magnitude earthquake jolts Indonesia's Banten province, tsunami warning issued
Aug 02, 2019, at 11:31 pm
Jakarta, Aug 2 (Xinhua) An earthquake measuring 7.4-magnitude struck off Indonesia's Banten province on Friday, and authorities issued a tsunami warning, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said.
UK holds Russia responsible for demise of INF Treaty: Foreign Secretary
Aug 02, 2019, at 08:09 pm
London, Aug 2 (Sputnik): The United Kingdom thinks that Russia is responsible for violating and terminating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and continues secretly developing and deploying missile systems, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Friday.
Death toll rises to seven in SW China coal mine blast
Aug 02, 2019, at 06:05 pm
Guiyang, Aug 2 (Xinhua/UNI) Seven people were killed in a coal mine blast in southwest China's Guizhou Province, local authorities said Friday.
Indian-origin Bengali doctor Bhasha Mukherjee wins Miss England title
Aug 02, 2019, at 05:52 pm
London, Aug 1 (IBNS): An Indian-origin Bengali girl Bhasha Mukherjee has won the Miss England title, media reports said.