Africa’s Lake Chad Basin: Over $2.1 billion pledged, to provide comprehensive crisis response
Sep 05, 2018, at 09:15 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): A United Nations-backed humanitarian conference to raise much needed resources for relief, development and peacebuilding programmes in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin concluded on Tuesday, raising some $2.17 billion in support and about $467 million in concessional loans for the crisis-ridden region.
Major increase in Europe’s refugee and migrant death rate: UNHCR
Sep 05, 2018, at 09:12 am
New York, Sept 5(IBNS): The number of refugees and migrants reaching the European continent is going down, but the rate of fatalities has gone up dramatically, according to a new report from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR
It’s time to apply maximum ‘moral pressure’ to save lives in Syria’s Idlib: UN negotiator
Sep 05, 2018, at 09:09 am
New York,Sept 5 (IBNS): All countries with influence over the grinding conflict in Syria should use all the “moral pressure” they can to avoid a full-scale military attack on Idlib, particularly Russia and Turkey, the United Nations top negotiator Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday.
New home for scores of South Sudan's displaced
Sep 05, 2018, at 09:07 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): Nearly 3,500 people displaced by violence in South Sudan have been relocated from a UN-run camp in the capital, Juba, to temporary housing, the organization’s mission in the country, UNMISS, reported on Tuesday.
Tobacco control, a ‘major component’ of environmental protection efforts – UN health official
Sep 05, 2018, at 09:01 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): From deforestation to soil degradation and pollution, tobacco production and its use by consumers, is “tremendously destructive” for the environment, although control measures can help curb its negative environmental effects, including the damaging impact of climate change, the head of the UN tobacco control treaty watchdog – formally known as the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC - has told UN News.
Ceasefire agreement reached in Libyan capital, announces UN mission
Sep 05, 2018, at 08:58 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): An agreement on a ceasefire in Tripoli has been reached under the auspices of Ghassan Salame, the top United Nations official in Libya, the Organization’s Support Mission in the country, UNSMIL, has announced.
With AI, jobs are changing but no mass unemployment expected – UN labour experts
Sep 05, 2018, at 08:56 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): The rise of frontier technologies like Artificial Intelligence has caused fears of robots taking over blue-collar jobs, but a United Nations expert says humans still have the upper hand given their creativity and ability to form relationships.
Iraq milestone: Some four million people return home, displacement drops to four-year low
Sep 05, 2018, at 08:53 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): For the first time in nearly four years, the number of displaced Iraqis has fallen below two million, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the United Nations migration agency.
UNHCR calls for action against xenophobic attacks in South Africa
Sep 05, 2018, at 08:48 am
New York, Sept 5 (IBNS): Authorities in South Africa are being urged by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, to act in the wake of recent violence against foreigners in the country, some of which has been deadly.
Funding cuts blamed behind Brazil National Museum fire
Sep 04, 2018, at 09:46 am
Rio De Janeiro, Sept 4 (IBNS): Brazilian officials have blamed lack of funding as the cause behind the major fire which damaged National Museum on Sunday.
China: 5.5 earthquake hits Xinjiang, no casualty
Sep 04, 2018, at 09:08 am
Beijing, Sept 4 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale hit northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday.
Sep 04, 2018, at 08:51 am
New York, Sept 4 (IBNS): Despite improvements in the humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad region, millions continue to remain dependent on lifesaving assistance, the top United Nations relief official said on Monday, urging greater international support for the region to safeguard the progress achieved.
In Beijing, UN chief urges China, Africa for a win-win collaboration for ‘the future we want’
Sep 04, 2018, at 08:48 am
New York, Sept 4 (IBNS): Highlighting the economic and development progress made in China and Africa, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged them to unite their combined potential for peaceful, sustainable and equitable progress to the benefit of all humankind.
Sep 04, 2018, at 08:39 am
New York, Sept 4 (IBNS): Stressing that the legal process that led to the conviction of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar “clearly breached” international standards, the United Nations top human rights official called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Sep 03, 2018, at 12:24 pm
Naypyidaw, Sep 3 (IBNS): Two Reuters journalists, who covered the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, were found guilty of defying state secrets act and handed a seven-year-jail-term, by a country court.
UN chief urges calm as violence erupts in Libyan capital
Sep 03, 2018, at 09:21 am
New York, Sept 3 (IBNS): Condemning the escalation of violence in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and grant humanitarian relief to those in need.
Brazil: Massive fire destroys National Museum
Sep 03, 2018, at 09:10 am
Rio de Janeiro, Sept 3 (IBNS): A fire broke out at the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro which left the 200-year-old structure destroyed, media reports said on Monday.
Mauritania: UN chief urges peaceful, credible elections
Sep 02, 2018, at 04:28 pm
New York, Sept 2 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all parties in Mauritania to ensure peaceful and credible elections as the country holds legislative, regional and municipal polls on Saturday.
UN urges countries to step up assistance for Palestine refugees
Sep 02, 2018, at 04:23 pm
New York, Sept 2 (IBNS): The United Nations said it regrets the decision of the United States to stop funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and called on other countries to help fill the remaining financial gap.
Somalia: Blast in Mogadishu kills 3
Sep 02, 2018, at 04:19 pm
Mogadishu, Sept 2 (IBNS): At least three people were killed and 14 others were injured when a suicide bomber attacked a government office here on Sunday, media reports said.
Nicaragua banishes UN human rights team for critical report
Sep 01, 2018, at 01:22 pm
Managua, Sept 1 (IBNS): The Nicaraguan government has ordered a team of United nations human rights to leave the country, after the latter submitted a report critical of President Daniel Ortega's administration.
Brazil's top electoral court bars ex-President Lula from running as a presidential candidate
Sep 01, 2018, at 11:18 am
Brasilia, Sept 1 (IBNS): A top electoral court in Brazil has disallowed tainted former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from contesting in the upcoming election.
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:34 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): Though 2017 saw a sharp decline in casualties as a result of the use of cluster munitions compared to the previous year, two conflicts – in Syria and Yemen – accounted for the vast majority of the victims, a new United Nations-backed civil society report has found.
Development gains unsustainable without cyber-diplomacy, UN official says
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:27 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): Hacking, child sexual exploitation and other cybercrimes could keep countries from reaching their development goals, warns a United Nations official who is urging Governments and private sectors to rethink how they work together.
Food, security and peace desperately needed in Mali – UN relief chief
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:24 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): A senior United Nations relief official has called for greater international attention to the plight of millions in Africa’s Mali, where worsening intercommunal violence and armed group attacks are complicating an already complex humanitarian emergency.
Act now to save children from rise in climate-driven extreme weather – UNICEF
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): Governments are being pressed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to act now to safeguard younger generations from the immediate and long-term impacts of so-called “extreme weather events.”
Living a life in the ruins of Syria
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:17 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): Many people in Syria are trying to lead “a normal life amidst the ruins” of their country devastated by years of conflict; that’s according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who visited the Syrian city of Douma this week.
Refugees overcrowded to ‘boiling point’ on Greek island, warns UN agency
Sep 01, 2018, at 08:10 am
New York, Sept 1 (IBNS): The Government of Greece has been urged by the United Nations to do more to help thousands of asylum-seekers and migrants who have been “crammed” into island reception centres, amid reports that children have tried to take their own lives there.
Amsterdam: Suspect shot after double stabbing in central station
Aug 31, 2018, at 06:10 pm
Amsterdam, Aug 31 (IBNS): At least two people were wounded in a stabbing incident in Netherland's Amsterdam city on Friday, media reports said.
5.1 earthquake hits Greece, no casualty
Aug 31, 2018, at 05:03 pm
Athens, Aug 31 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale hit central Greece on Friday, as per US Geological Survey (USGS).