Pakistan is China's irreplaceable all weather friend: China
Jan 27, 2015, at 03:35 am
Beijing, Jan 26 (IBNS) At a time when US President Barack Obama is visiting India, China on Monday called Pakistan as its 'irreplaceable' all weather friend.
Islamic State executes Japanese hostage?
Jan 25, 2015, at 03:57 am
Tokyo, Jan 24 (IBNS) A new video has emerged which claimed that militant group Islamic State (IS) have killed Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa, media reports said.
Rocket attacks kill 15 in Ukraine's Mariupol
Jan 25, 2015, at 12:25 am
Mariupol, Jan 24 (IBNS): At least 15 people have lost their lives and 46 others were injured in a series of rocket attacks by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine government-held port of Mariupol, media reports said on Saturday.
World leaders pay homage on Saudi king Abdullah's demise
Jan 24, 2015, at 11:41 pm
Riyadh, Jan 24 (IBNS): Leaders across the world are heading towards Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral of the country's king Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud who died on Friday.
AirAsia QZ 8501: Indonesian divers recover 4 bodies
Jan 24, 2015, at 08:23 pm
Jakarta, Jan 24 (IBNS): Indonesian divers recovered four more bodies of the ill-fated AirAsia Flight QZ8501 on Saturday as they continued their operations to lift the fuselage of the aircraft from the seafloor, reports said.
Central Africa: UN agency delivers food to thousands of refugees on Nigeria-Chad border
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:24 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) With a "tense and highly volatile" situation in North-Eastern Nigeria at the Chadian Lac border, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has begun distributing food to thousands of refugees who have recently been displaced by the region's escalating violence and urged that it required some $11 million to continue to meet those needs.
Flood victims in Malawi in urgent need of food, other relief aid, UN warns
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:23 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has begun distributing high-energy biscuits in Malawi following the devastating flooding that displaced more than 100,000 people and reportedly killed at least 50 others in recent weeks.
Syria, other poorly-funded crises to receive $100 million from UN emergency fund
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:19 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) Poorly-funded United Nations aid operations received a boost on Friday when Valerie Amos, the UN's humanitarian chief, announced the allocation of $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost relief work in twelve countries in need.
UN human rights office urges probe into excessive use of force in DR Congo protests
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:17 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday expressed alarm at the apparent excessive use of force by security officers against demonstrators in Democratic Republic of the Congo cities Kinshasa and Goma, and called for "a thorough and independent investigation" into the matter.
Central African Republic: UN launches appeal for refugees amid ongoing conflict
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:16 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has launched its latest appeal for funding as it continues working to help more than 450,000 Central African Republic refugees struggling to survive across the region, an agency spokesperson said today.
Ban welcomes 'reunification' accord signed among opposing South Sudanese factions
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:14 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the signing of a peace deal between opposition factions in South Sudan, calling for the accord's immediate implementation, as well as the commitment of the country's leaders to follow through with ongoing negotiations towards ending the year-long conflict.
Demolitions, displacements in West Bank 'must stop immediately,' urges UN envoy
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:08 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory expressed concern on Friday over the Israeli authorities' recent spate of demolitions of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Delhi gets ready for Obama's visit
Jan 24, 2015, at 05:02 pm
Washington, Jan 24 (IBNS): US President Barack Obama will leave Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday evening on his three-day landmark trip to India on an invitation by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, media reports said.
Death toll in Ukraine conflict exceeds 5,000, may be 'considerably higher' – UN
Jan 24, 2015, at 02:52 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) More than 5,000 people have now been killed since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in mid-April last year, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday as it expressed fear that the real figure may be 'considerably higher.'
Yemen: UN chief voices deep concern at crisis as country's leadership resigns
Jan 24, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced serious concern about developments in Yemen following the resignation of the country's President and Prime Minister amid a takeover of the capital by Houthi militants.
UN pays tribute to late Saudi King's role in advancing development, humanitarian causes
Jan 24, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has "learnt with sadness" of the death of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the late King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 90.
Jan 23, 2015, at 03:14 pm
Riyadh, Jan 23 (IBNS) Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has died on Friday, reports said.
Security Council strongly condemns terrorist attack in eastern Ukraine
Jan 23, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) The United Nations Security Council has condemned 'in the strongest terms' Thursday's shelling which resulted in the deaths of more than 10 civilians in eastern Ukraine amid intensifying clashes between Government and opposition forces.
Ban nominates experts to review peacebuilding architecture
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday nominated an Advisory Group of Experts to conduct a policy and institutional review of the peacebuilding architecture and then to develop recommendations based on this work.
UN Messenger of Peace honoured for anti-hunger efforts
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:56 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) UN Messenger of Peace recognized for work to United Nations Messenger of Peace Princess Haya Al Hussein, of Jordan, was on Thursday awarded the 2015 Hunger Hero Award by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) during a ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Somalia: UN, international partners call for resolution of country's political crisis
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:54 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) The United Nations and its international partners on Thursday voiced concern over delays in the resolution of Somalia's long-standing political crisis and in the implementation of a stability-building mechanism as they called on the Horn of Africa nation's President, Prime Minister and Federal Parliament 'to unite for the greater good of the country.'
UN Libya Mission condemns attack against Central Bank in Benghazi
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday condemned the reported armed attack against the country’s Central Bank branch in the eastern city of Benghazi.
UN lauds Mali for stemming Ebola epidemic, flags need to boost cross-border surveillance
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS)The United Nations on Thursday commended Mali for stemming the Ebola outbreak and urged the West African nation to remain vigilant as neighbouring countries continue to report new cases as part of the epidemic that has recorded nearly 22,000 cases and more than 8,600 deaths to date.
DR Congo: Ban urges calm in Kinshasa; peacekeeping chief backs gradual drawdown of UN mission
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:46 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) Amid the deteriorating situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the capital, Kinshasa, is gripped by clashes between demonstrators and security forces, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged maximum restraint on all sides, while the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations briefed the Security Council on broader efforts to help stabilize the vast country.
UN has 'duty to speak out' against anti-Semitism, Ban tells General Assembly
Jan 23, 2015, at 02:43 pm
New York, Jan 23 (IBNS) During an informal meeting of the General Assembly this morning to address concerns of a rise in anti-Semitic violence worldwide, top United Nations officials echoed the view of keynote speaker Bernard-Henri Levy who lamented the ‘renewed advance of this radical inhumanity.’
Ukraine ceasefire exists 'in name only,' UN political chief tells Security Council
Jan 22, 2015, at 03:46 pm
New York, Jan 22 (IBNS) After weeks of relative calm, the United Nations political chief said the Security Council was meeting on Wednesday amid the ‘worst hostilities’ in eastern Ukraine since the Minsk Protocol was agreed on 5 September, with the urgently needed sustainable ceasefire presently existing in name only.
Darfur: UN humanitarian office reports mass displacement amid ongoing hostilities
Jan 22, 2015, at 03:43 pm
New York, Jan 22 (IBNS) The United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting that thousands of people in North Darfur are now confirmed as displaced following ongoing fighting in the region, a UN spokesperson announced on Wednesday.
Mali: UN mission wards off rebel attack; urges armed groups to respect ceasefire
Jan 22, 2015, at 03:42 pm
New York, Jan 22 (IBNS) The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has confirmed it used force in response to machine gun fire directed at its troops and towards the town inhabited by civilians, on Tuesday in Tabankort, in the restive north of the country.
Genocide occurs when 'warning signs' ignored, action not taken – UN deputy chief
Jan 22, 2015, at 03:35 pm
New York, Jan 22 (IBNS) During a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp today, United Nations Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson called for reflection on how better to prevent horrific crimes witnessed during the Holocaust and other genocides.
UN political chief says Burundi making strides towards 'peaceful, credible' elections
Jan 22, 2015, at 03:31 pm
New York, Jan 22 (IBNS) Amid a flare-up in fighting and ongoing political tensions between the Government and opposition members, the organization of legitimate elections in Burundi remains ‘one of the most pressing challenges’ facing the African country in 2015, the top United Nations political official declared on Wednesday.