South Sudan crisis deepens as once-stable areas fall into violence – UN relief chief

Aug 11, 2016, at 12:42 pm

New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): Recently returned from a three-day visit to South Sudan, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien on Wednesday painted a grave picture of the enormous humanitarian crisis facing the world’s newest country and the devastating impact of the ongoing violence on its people.

Child-directed advertising must be better regulated to curb adverse impacts – UN experts

Aug 11, 2016, at 12:39 pm

New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): Just head of International Youth Day, two United Nations human rights experts are drawing attention to the impact of commercial advertising directed at young children that instils, at an early age, over-consumption and indebtedness, and have urged the Governments to redefine those child-directed advertisements.

New law a ‘direct attack’ on free expression in Maldives, UN rights expert warns

Aug 11, 2016, at 12:37 pm

New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): Denouncing a new law in Maldives as a “direct attack” on free speech, a United Nations human rights expert warned on Wednesday that elements of the bill, such as the vague use of religion, social norms and defamation as reasons for punishing expression, contradict not only international norms, but also obligations set out in the country’s own Constitution.

UN study charts extent of unregulated gold mining in Colombia, links to organized crime

Aug 11, 2016, at 12:36 pm

New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): An estimated 60 per cent of Colombia’s alluvial gold exploitation – through mining streams or riverbeds, often dredged with heavy machinery – is not established within existing normative frameworks and in many cases finances and strengthens organized criminal groups, according to a joint United Nations and Colombian Government study.

Measures to control yellow fever still needed despite drop in number of cases – UN health agency

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:40 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): The United Nations health agency and its partners are continuing their programmes against yellow fever outbreaks even though the epidemic, first reported in January 2016, appears to be declining, with no new cases confirmed in the last six weeks.

Sudan: Ban welcomes signing of peace roadmap by opposition groups

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:37 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Welcoming the signing by Sudanese opposition groups of an African Union-brokered roadmap for ending conflicts in the country, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called the parties to “maintain this positive momentum” and work towards agreement on cessation of hostilities.

‘You are leaders of on Tuesday,’ says Ban, urging youth delegates in Argentina to back Global Goals

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:34 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Young people are at the heart of many of on Tuesday’s challenges, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday in Buenos Aires, urging a gathering of youth and civil society delegates to claim the new UN Sustainable Development Agenda as their own and to hold their leaders accountable for its implementation.

UN chief honours Nagasaki victims, urges recommitment to ‘a more secure future for all’

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:33 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Mourning those who perished in the 1945 atomic bombing and suffered through its horrendous after-effects, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday conveyed his solidarity to a peace memorial ceremony in Nagasaki, Japan, and urged all to “recommit to building a safer and more secure future.”

Ban welcomes election timetable in Somalia, says ‘milestone’ process must be fair and transparent

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:31 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Welcoming on Tuesday the announcement by Somalia of a timetable for the 2016 electoral process, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that process for the upcoming polls, which sets October for presidential elections, is an important milestone in the country’s journey towards democracy.

Children paying ‘heaviest price’ of Yemen conflict, UNICEF warns amid reports of escalating violence

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:28 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Four children were reportedly killed and three were injured on 7 August in the Nihm District, east of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Tuesday.

As temperatures soar and taps run dry in war-ravaged Aleppo, UN warns of looming ‘catastrophe’

Aug 10, 2016, at 01:27 pm

New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): As the United Nations relief wing warned on Tuesday that soaring temperatures and dwindling medical supplies are deepening the woes of some two million people trapped by fighting in and around Aleppo, the world body kept up its call for an immediate halt to the hostilities and, at a minimum, a two-day weekly humanitarian pause so the city’s heavily damaged water and electrical systems can be repaired.

INTERVIEW: UN summit to provide blueprint for better response to large movements of refugees and migrants, says senior advisor

Aug 10, 2016, at 04:04 am

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): On 2 August, following five months of negotiations, Member States of the United Nations agreed by consensus upon a political declaration that will serve as the basis for discussions and the outcome of the first-ever UN Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants which will be held, on 19 September, at UN Headquarters in New York.

UN rights chief urges Maldives to retain decades-long death penalty moratorium

Aug 10, 2016, at 04:02 am

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): Voicing concern over a number of worrying developments regarding capital punishment in the Maldives, the United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday called on the Government to refrain from carrying out planned executions and to uphold the de facto moratorium that has been in place in the country for over six decades.

Urgent farming support needed amid rampant food insecurity in parts of north-east Nigeria – UN agency

Aug 10, 2016, at 04:00 am

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): As more areas previously controlled by Boko Haram become accessible to humanitarian assistance, a critical opportunity has arisen to tackle “alarming levels” of food insecurity in north-east Nigeria, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on Tuesday.

On International Day, UN spotlights indigenous peoples' right to education

Aug 10, 2016, at 03:58 am

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): To mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, senior United Nations officials are calling on Governments to improve access to education and ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind as the journey to achieve the new UN Sustainable Development Goals gets under way.

President of India’s message on the eve of National Day of Ecuador

Aug 09, 2016, at 10:33 pm

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IBNS): President of India Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Ecuador on the eve of their National Day (August 10, 2016).

Nagasaki Day in Japan : Mayor urges world leaders to follow examples of Obama

Aug 09, 2016, at 07:07 pm

Nagasaki, Aug 9 (IBNS) : The Nagasaki mayor on Tuesday urged leaders of nuclear powers to follow the example of U.S. President Barack Obama and learn for themselves the horrific effects of nuclear weapons, Asahi Shimbun reported.

Nagasaki Day in Japan : Mayor urges world leaders to follow examples Obama

Aug 09, 2016, at 06:48 pm

Nagasaki, Aug 9 (IBNS) : The Nagasaki mayor on Tuesday urged leaders of nuclear powers to follow the example of U.S. President Barack Obama and learn for themselves the horrific effects of nuclear weapons, Asahi Shimbun reported.

Glitz and glamour marked Toronto’s India Day celebration

Aug 09, 2016, at 06:00 pm

Toronto, Aug 9 (IBNS): People of Indian origin in Canada, observed India’s 70th Independence Day, a week in advance, at the India Day festival organised by Panaroma India in association with the Indian Consulate Toronto and CIBC Bank, on Monday, at the Yonge Dundas Square of Toronto.

China to run world's fastest train at 380 kmph from next month

Aug 09, 2016, at 05:23 pm

Beijing, Aug 9 (IBNS) : China will run the world's fastest high-speed train with the maximum operating speed of 380 km per hour from next month.

Go Goa in Toronto

Aug 09, 2016, at 05:04 pm

Toronto, Aug 9 (IBNS): The Goan Overseas Association (GOA), a non-profit organisation, recently organised a two-day Viva Goa festival at Toronto's Father Kamber Croatian Recreational Park on Mississauga Road to highlight the unique culture of the Indian state.

As water and basic supplies run out in Aleppo, UN urges truce to provide humanitarian assistance

Aug 09, 2016, at 01:28 pm

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): With more than two million people impacted by the fighting in and around war-ravaged Aleppo, where wide swaths of the area are now without power and water supplies are dwindling, the United Nations on Monday urgently called for a humanitarian pause in the hostilities to enable immediate access to repair the electricity and water networks, and provide assistance to people in need.

Ban hails Argentina’s commitment to UN values as illustrated by its actions

Aug 09, 2016, at 01:26 pm

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): On a visit to Argentina, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon applauded the South American on Monday country for its strong partnership with the UN and its cooperation with and support to other countries.

Perpetrators of sexual violence in South Sudan 'will be held accountable' – UN envoy

Aug 09, 2016, at 01:25 pm

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): Vowing to “fight” to the end to see that all perpetrators of rape and violence against women and girls in crisis-torn South Sudan are held to account, the United Nations envoy on sexual violence in conflict on Monday said it is extremely important for the Government to take all necessary action to put an end to such crimes.

FEATURE SERIES: Mali and the UN Peacebuilding Fund

Aug 09, 2016, at 01:23 pm

New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): “In the talk about peacebuilding and reconciliation, we sometimes forget that it’s about how local communities come back together,” said the United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, discussing the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund – which supports millions of people in 27 countries.

Pakistan: Ban condemns ‘appalling’ terrorist attack at hospital in Quetta

Aug 09, 2016, at 04:32 am

New York, Aug 8 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned on Monday’s terrorist bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, underscoring that the targeting of mourners at a civilian hospital made the attack “particularly appalling.”

UN rights experts ‘gravely concerned’ by reports of reprisals against Burundian lawyers

Aug 09, 2016, at 04:17 am

New York, Aug 8 (Just Earth News): Gravely concerned by reports that four Burundian lawyers who provided information to the United Nations Committee on Torture (CAT) are being subjected to reprisals, the body said on Monday that it has sent a letter to the Ambassador of Burundi to the United Nations in Geneva seeking assurances that no member of Burundian civils society would be subjected to such treatment for cooperating with the CAT.

Mali: Ban condemns attack that kills UN peacekeeper in Kidal

Aug 09, 2016, at 04:14 am

New York, Aug 8 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned an attack in Mali on a convoy of the UN mission in the country that resulted in the death of a peacekeeper.

UN chief welcomes South Sudan's acceptance of African-led regional protection force

Aug 08, 2016, at 01:17 pm

New York, Aug 8 (Just Earth News): Welcoming the Government of South Sudan's acceptance of a regional protection force to help quell the ongoing violence in the country, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on all South Sudanese parties to uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and to demonstrate their commitment to a peace agreement, “the only viable path” out of the crisis.

Treason: Iranian scientist executed?

Aug 08, 2016, at 05:11 am

Tehran, Aug 7 (IBNS): An Iranian scientist has been hanged on charges of treason, media reports said.