California: Fire at warehouse kills at least nine at dance party
Dec 04, 2016, at 07:44 pm
Sacramento, Dec 4 (IBNS): At least nine people were killed and dozens other went missing after fire broke out in a warehouse dance party in California's Oakland on Saturday, media reports said.
Oakland club night fire kills 9
Dec 04, 2016, at 02:45 am
San Francisco, Dec 3 (IBNS): Fire during a club night near San Francisco on Friday left at least nine people killed, media reports said.
Indonesian police plane with 13 people on board goes missing
Dec 04, 2016, at 01:41 am
Jakarta, Dec 3 (IBNS): An Indonesian police plane with 13 people on board en route to the island of Batam in south of Singapore went missing on Saturday, media reports said.
China: Mine explosion kills 17
Dec 04, 2016, at 12:03 am
Beijing, Dec 3 (IBNS): An explosion at a coal mine killed at least 17 people in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, media reports said on Saturday.
New Gambian President-elect hails shock win as 'new beginning'
Dec 03, 2016, at 07:59 pm
Banjul, Gambia, Dec 3 (IBNS): Property developer Adama Barrow, the new Gambian President-elect who registered a shock win over his opponents, said it's a new start for his country, media reports said.
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:12 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): The UN Biodiversity Conference on Friday opened in Cancun, Mexico, with a call to governments and businesses to integrate biodiversity into their practices if countries are to halt further environmental degradation and ensure the well-being and prosperity of future generations.
Liberia ‘stable’ but needs continued attention, Security Council told
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:11 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Liberia, the United Nations peacekeeping chief on Friday underlined that the country remained stable and that since the security transition in June this year, there had been no incident serious enough to warrant an armed response from the UN mission in the country, known as UNMIL.
UN refugee agency boosts winter assistance for displaced Iraqis in conflict-affected villages
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:10 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): As the security situation has stabilized in villages near war-torn Mosul, where Iraqi military operations are under way to wrest the city from terrorists, the United Nations refugee agency and its partners are racing against time to distributing winter kits to those who remained or returned home and those newly-displaced as plunging temperatures hit the area.
FEATURE: Visually impaired professor to light way forward on UN disability agenda
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:09 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Of the world’s 7.4 billion people, some 15 per cent – or one billion – are said to have some form of disability.
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:08 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday highlighted the challenges people with disabilities face despite progress made since the adoption of a global treaty to promote their rights a decade ago.
UN agency urges Governments to recognize people fleeing war-plagued countries as refugees
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:07 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Faced with record displacement due to conflict, the United Nations has moved to reinforce the global refugee protection regime by issuing new guidelines on dealing with people fleeing their country because of war, who are not recognized as refugees by some States.
Iraq: ‘Staggering’ number of civilian casualties in November; Baghdad hardest hit, says UN
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:06 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Last month, Iraq suffered thousands of deaths and injuries – including by a significant number of civilians – in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict, according to recently released figures by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis ‘can no longer be ignored,’ UN says, launching $1 billion appeal
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:05 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): With the scale of human suffering in north-eastern Nigeria becoming clearer as the Government has pushed Boko Haram insurgents from more and more areas, the United Nations on Friday launched a $1 billion funding appeal to address the needs of those in crisis, and announced that nearly 75 partner agencies are on standby to respond where areas are accessible.
On International Day, UN spotlights need to combat forced labour, particularly of children
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:04 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Noting that the number of children engaged in the worst forms of child labour has decreased and frameworks to tackle contemporary slavery and trafficking have expanded, senior United Nations officials, including the Secretary-General and the head of the UN labour agency, on Friday called for concerted action to save those who remain trapped in extreme exploitation, abuse and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence.
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:03 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): Concerned by the increasing polarization in the Maldives, which has made dialogue among the Government and political parties increasingly difficult, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has encouraged all concerned to work toward an inclusive dialogue.
UN chief commends peaceful polls in Gambia, congratulates President-elect Adama Barrow
Dec 03, 2016, at 02:02 pm
New York, Dec 3 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday commended the people of Gambia for the peaceful and orderly manner in which yesterday's presidential election was held and congratulated President-elect Adama Barrow.
Already overstretched, aid agencies in Somalia need more resources to tackle severe drought – UN
Dec 03, 2016, at 05:08 am
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, appealed on Friday for an urgent scale-up in humanitarian assistance, with relief agencies already overstretched as the country faces severe drought conditions, including food and water shortages.
Syria: UN refugee agency spotlights growing shelter needs as thousands flee Aleppo violence
Dec 03, 2016, at 05:05 am
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): While reiterating its extreme concern about the civilian population in Syria’s war-battered Aleppo, the United Nations refugee agency on Friday said it is also focusing on the rapidly growing shelter needs for thousands of people fleeing the city’s eastern neighbourhoods.
UN welcomes ratification of new peace accord in Colombia
Dec 03, 2016, at 05:04 am
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): Welcoming the Colombian parliament's ratification of the new Final Peace Agreement between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council have expressed hope for its swift implementation for the benefit of all Colombians.
Dec 02, 2016, at 10:27 pm
Beijing, Dec 12 (IBNS): At least 18 people were killed as a bus in which they were travelling plunged into roadside lake in China's Hubei Province on Friday, media reports said.
Syria: With winter closing in, UN envoys highlight humanitarian urgency of situation in Aleppo
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:18 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): With the humanitarian crisis in Syria’s devastated city of Aleppo deteriorating by the day, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country appealed for a pause in fighting so that much needed relief can reach the city’s population and those with urgent medical emergencies can be evacuated.
Asia-Pacific saw steady growth in 2016, but risks to financial stability remain – UN report
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:17 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): Issuing a year-end update to its flagship economic and social development report, the United Nations development arm for the Asia-Pacific region said on Thursday that resilient domestic demand and policy support supported the region notch a steady growth rate of five per cent but warned that risks remain to financial stability.
On eve of major UN conference, alarms raised that efforts to halt biodiversity loss are lagging
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:17 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): Time is running out to stop the global decline in biodiversity and protect ecosystems that are essential for the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity warned on Thursday, as more than 190 countries prepare to meet on this issue in Cancun, Mexico.
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:15 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday apologized to the people of Haiti, expressing deep regret for the loss of life and suffering caused by the country’s cholera epidemic, and outlined the way forward including immediate steps to stem the outbreak and long-term support for those affected – while also highlighting the need for adequate funding of the proposal.
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:14 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): With “many of the warning signals of impending genocide†already present in South Sudan and amid a “mindboggling†scale of rape of women and girls, a team of United Nations human rights experts called on the international community to take immediate action to avert mass bloodshed, as they wrapped up a 10-day visit to the crisis-riven country.
Enabling youth to shape their own future key to Arab region’s development progress – UN report
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): The future of development and security in Arab countries depends on investing in their youth populations, which are better educated and more connected than ever before, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in a new report on the region.
One in three people suffers malnutrition at global cost of $3.5 trillion a year – UN
Dec 02, 2016, at 01:12 pm
New York, Dec 2 (Just Earth News): As an United Nations international meeting on ways to improve diets and ensure sustainable food systems kicked off in Rome, Italy on Thursday, participants were told that one in three people on the planet suffers some form of malnutrition, impacting public health and economic development at an estimated cost of $3.5 trillion per year.
Dec 02, 2016, at 05:22 am
New York, Dec 1 (Just Earth News): The Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, has wrapped up a visit in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), where she reiterated the agency’s commitment to working with the Government to help the country achieve middle-income status and to support food and nutrition security for all.
On World AIDS Day, UNICEF warns of sharp rise in new HIV infections among adolescents
Dec 02, 2016, at 05:21 am
New York, Dec 1 (Just Earth News): New HIV infections among adolescents are projected to rise from 250,000 in 2015 to nearly 400,000 a year by 2030 if progress stalls in reaching adolescents, warns a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday, which is observed annually as World AIDS Day.
Colombia: Santa Rosa incident constituted ceasefire protocol violations, finds UN-led mechanism
Dec 02, 2016, at 05:20 am
New York, Dec 1 (Just Earth News): Following its investigation into a 13 November incident in Colombia's Santa Rosa municipality that resulted in the death of two Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) members, a United Nations-coordinated tripartite ceasefire monitoring mechanism has said that the events of that day constituted violations of the ceasefire protocol.