Philippines church blasts kill at least 27 people
Jan 27, 2019, at 03:38 pm
Manila, Jan 27 (IBNS): Twin blasts rocked a Roman Catholic cathedral in southern Philippines and left at least 27 people dead, media reports said on Sunday.
Jan 26, 2019, at 10:00 am
Mew York, Jan 26 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the announcement by the Emir of Qatar to allocate $50 million to support Syrian refugees and displaced persons affected by the recent severe weather in the Middle East.
Two peacekeepers killed in an attack against UN convoy in Mali
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:58 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): Two peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed on Friday following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack against a convoy near Douentza, in the Mopti region, central Mali.
Myanmar Government side-lining democratic reform, resorting to military era repression: UN expert
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:55 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): The human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, as the civilian government fails to bring about democratic reforms and instead resorts to the kind of repression carried out under previous military regimes, said the UN human rights expert Yanghee Lee, speaking at the end of an 11-day mission to neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh.
Alarm over violent attacks on lawmakers, opposition in Malawi, ahead of elections
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:24 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): In Malawi, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, voiced alarm on Friday over increasing, horrific violence there, linked to upcoming elections.
UN welcomes Angola’s repeal of anti-gay law, and ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:21 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): In a move to embrace equality, Angola has decriminalized homosexuality and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, in a sweeping review of its colonial era penal code, which had stood since independence from Portugal in 1975.
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:18 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the Greek Parliament over its ratification of a name change for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Friday, and commended the leaders of both countries for signalling the end to a naming dispute that has roiled the region for some 28 years.
Jan 26, 2019, at 09:15 am
New York, Jan 26 (IBNS): UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned on Friday that the situation in Venezuela could “rapidly spiral out of control”, amid ongoing deadly violence and uncertainty linked to Wednesday’s declaration by Juan Guaidó that he had become the country’s interim president.
‘Stigma plays a big role’ in failure to tackle world opioid crisis, advocate tells UN
Jan 25, 2019, at 10:15 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS):The recognition of drug addiction as a disease was the focus of a panel discussion at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday. “Leaving No One Behind: the Opioid Epidemic as a Global Challenge”, was organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to highlight the growing problem of addiction worldwide.
Jan 25, 2019, at 10:08 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS): Around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, are now in need of lifesaving assistance, the UN announced on Thursday, presenting it’s 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the West African country, in coordination with the Government and aid partners.
‘Education transforms lives’ says UN chief on first-ever International Day
Jan 25, 2019, at 10:02 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS): Education is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development because it gives people across the world the skills needed to realize all 17 Global Goals (SDGs), said the UN chief on Thursday, marking the first-ever International Day of Education.
Jan 25, 2019, at 09:57 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS): The world’s problems are “more and more integrated” but the response to them is increasingly “fragmented” and “dysfunctional”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, in an appeal for governments and other partners to respond to people’s grievances and recommit to international cooperation.
Extreme weather hit 60 million people in 2018, no part of the world spared
Jan 25, 2019, at 09:48 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS): With some 60 million people affected by extreme weather in 2018, according to a new study, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) called for better management of the issue worldwide, in a statement published on Thursday.
UN chief calls on Venezuela’s politicians to ‘avoid escalation’, end suffering of the people
Jan 25, 2019, at 09:44 am
New York, Jan 25 (IBNS): Reports of violence and casualties linked to unrest in Venezuela should be investigated transparently and independently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, before calling for calm.
Angola decriminalizes same-sex conduct
Jan 25, 2019, at 09:40 am
Luanda, Jan 25 (IBNS): Angola has finally shed the divisive “vices against nature” provision in its law, widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct, Human Rights Watch said.
‘No country, no region’ can tackle global challenges alone says UN’s Mohammed
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:58 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): Against the backdrop of seemingly endless challenges across the world, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference of development-minded partners in Nigeria that “no country, no region” could tackle them alone
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:55 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): Children are likely among the dead during a month of nationwide protests in Sudan with “scores” of others injured and detained, according to a top UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official, who spelled out that “children should never be targeted nor used or exploited”.
Central African Republic militia leader and football executive, transferred to ICC
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:52 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, the coordinator of a mainly Christian militia faction in the Central African Republic and a senior African football executive, has been transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:50 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): Two years after the signing of the historic peace agreement in Colombia and following a recent escalation of violence, the newly-appointed representative of the United Nations in the country, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that its people have established a “broad consensus” against further conflict, before highlighting key steps to stabilize the nation.
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:45 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): Key discussions among global decision-makers and influencers have taken place at the UN in Geneva this week, aiming to limit the growing risk of international cyber-attacks while promoting the advantages of digital technology, amid a call by the UN chief for “bold, innovative ideas”
Crucial medical supplies airlifted to north-east Syria to meet ‘desperate need’
Jan 24, 2019, at 08:41 am
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS): In response to the growing health needs of people in north-east Syria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has airlifted urgent medical supplies to the region, for the second time this month.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev- Merkel meeting: Agreements reached on projects worth over 8 billion euros
Jan 23, 2019, at 10:19 am
Tashkent, Jan 23 (IBNS): Before the negotiations between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, a briefing was held for mass media representatives.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev held negotiations with Angela Merkel
Jan 23, 2019, at 10:13 am
Tashkent, Jan 23 (IBNS): President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held negotiations with the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
Mediterranean migrant drownings should spur greater action by European countries, urge UN agencies
Jan 23, 2019, at 10:05 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): A spate of migrant shipwrecks and rescues in the Mediterranean Sea in recent days is evidence that urgent action is required from European States to address the issue, the UN said on Tuesday
‘Countless opportunities’ for new people-centred workplace, but ‘decisive action’ critical
Jan 23, 2019, at 10:00 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): Unprecedented innovations in the world of work provide “countless opportunities” but unless they are embraced through action, inequality and uncertainty will only widen in the workplace, according to a landmark new International Labour Organization (ILO) report released on Tuesday.
Amending Guatemala ‘reconciliation law’ would lead to unjust amnesty, warns Bachelet
Jan 23, 2019, at 09:58 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): A bid to give amnesty to all those found guilty of grave human rights crimes during Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, by amending the National Reconciliation Law, could represent a “drastic set-back” to the whole legal system and overall accountability, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said.
Hopes for Palestinian State hit by ‘facts on the ground’ : senior UN official
Jan 23, 2019, at 09:55 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): The possibility of establishing a “viable, contiguous Palestinian state” has been “systematically eroded by facts on the ground,” Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday, ahead of the quarterly open debate on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine).
New UN bullying report calls for ‘safe, inclusive’ schools for all children
Jan 23, 2019, at 09:52 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): The emotional and physical pain brought on by bullying can be excruciating, yet this behavior continues to abound in schools globally, according to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that is calling for all children to have access to a "safe, inclusive” learning environment.
Nigeria: Armed conflict continues to uproot thousands, driving up humanitarian need
Jan 23, 2019, at 09:48 am
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS): Since November, more than 80,000 Nigerians have been forcibly displaced due to ongoing violence in the north-east, adding to two million people already displaced by violence, or forced across the country’s borders as refugees, the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
Russian bomber crashes during training flight, 3 die
Jan 23, 2019, at 09:35 am
Moscow, Jan 23 (IBNS): Three Russian bomber crew members died after their plane crash-landed in northwestern Russia’s Murmansk Region, media reports said on Wednesday.