UN chief calls on General Assembly to 'fulfil moral duty' to assist storm-ravaged Haiti
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:50 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Briefing the United Nations General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Haiti following the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined the urgency of additional resources to help respond to the dire needs on the island.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:48 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News):The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Coalition for Climate and Clean Air (CCAC) and the Government of Norway has launched a global awareness campaign on the dangers of air pollution – especially ‘invisible killers’ such as black carbon, ground-level ozone and methane – for the health of individuals and the planet.
Free expression under worldwide assault, UN human rights expert warns in new report
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:47 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Warning that the freedom of expression is under the widespread assault, a new United Nations human rights report has found that governments worldwide, wielding the tools of censorship, are “treating words as weapons.â€
UN report reveals stark gap between urban and rural employment in Latin America and the Caribbean
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:46 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations labour report has revealed that more than half of the 52 million workers in rural areas of the Latin American and Caribbean region are in a state of vulnerable employment, characterized by lower wages, lower social protections and the prevalence to poverty.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:45 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Following a report that more than half of the population in southern Madagascar – 840,000 people – is experiencing alarming rates of food insecurity, United Nations agencies are responding to the most severe cases of malnutrition and acute hunger to prevent a catastrophe.
Sri Lanka: UN rights expert urges Government to take concrete steps to protect minorities
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:43 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): In her first information-gathering visit to Sri Lanka, Rita Izsák-Ndiaye, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues, stressed the importance of renewed support for minority rights by the Government, including a plan for specific and urgent measures.
UN provides emergency food aid to 8,000 people amid renewed violence in Central African Republic
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:42 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): The United Nations food relief agency is providing emergency aid to 8,000 people affected by an upsurge in violence in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR), in addition to regular food and nutrition support for some 120,000 people.
Put ‘people, not cars’ first in transport systems, says UN Environment chief
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:40 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Lack of investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure not only contributes to the deaths of millions of people in traffic accidents on unsafe roads and poorly designed roadways, but also overlooks a great opportunity to boost the fight against climate change, a new UN Environment report said on Thursday.
Investing in 10-year-old girls will yield huge demographic payoff towards Global Goals – UN
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:39 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): If all of the ten-year-old girls living in developing countries that currently drop out of or do not attend school were to complete their secondary education, it would lead to an additional $21 billion per year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed on Thursday in its annual State of the World Population Report.
Canada's refugee mental health services to be adapted to their culture and ethnicity: Study
Oct 21, 2016, at 04:49 am
Toronto, Oct 20 (IBNS): A study by the Mental Health Commission of Canada has found that immigrants generally arrived in Canada with better mental health than the Canadian-born population, reports said.
Walk to support Leukaemia patients held in Canada
Oct 21, 2016, at 02:45 am
Toronto, Oct 20 (IBNS): Over six thousand people gathered together at the Nathan Phillips Square to take part in the walk organised by The Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.
Pakistan: Tractor trolley overturns, 5 killed
Oct 20, 2016, at 07:35 pm
Islamabad, Oct 20 (IBNS): A tractor trolley overturned in Pakistan's Guddu town which left five people dead, media reports said on Thursday.
Presidential Debate: Trump refuses to say he will respect poll result
Oct 20, 2016, at 03:45 pm
Washington, Oct 20 (IBNS): in the last presidential debate on Wednesday against her opponent Hillary Clinton,Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump refused to say he will accept the poll result.
UN experts concerned about situation of jailed anti-slavery activists in Mauritania
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:39 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Voicing serious concern over recent intensified crackdown by the Mauritanian Government on the imprisoned anti-slavery activists, a group of United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday urged the authorities to ensure a fair hearing and provide needed medical treatment for the detainees.
DR Congo: Ban notes conclusion of national dialogue, urges active engagement with all stakeholders
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:38 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Taking note of the wrap-up of the African-Union mediated national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the Government to remain actively engage with all political stakeholders, and called on political actors not involved in the talks to resolve their difference peacefully.
UN calls for protecting civilians as fighting, though reduced, continues in north-west Myanmar
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:37 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Even though fighting between security forces and a group, identified by the Government as the Aqa mul moujahideen, in some villages on the outskirts of Maungdaw township in Myanmar’s Northern Rakhine province appear to have reduced in severity, an atmosphere of fear and tension continues to grip the local population, a spokesperson for the United Nations said on Wednesday.
India: UN experts urge release of prominent human rights defender after month-long detention
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:35 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): A group of United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday called on the Government of India to immediately release a prominent human rights defender who was arrested last month while on his way UN human rights meetings in Geneva, and has since remained under preventive detention.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:34 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): With violent extremism on the rise and waves of intolerance and hate targeting minorities, migrants and the most vulnerable, the international community must renew efforts to uphold its human rights treaties, the United Nations General Assembly heard this morning.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:33 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): On 13 October 2016, the UN General Assembly appointed, by acclamation António Guterres, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, to succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on 31 December.
UN, African Union partnership to foster job opportunities for African rural youth
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:32 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to generate job and business opportunities for young people in rural Benin, Cameroon, Malawi, and Niger, thanks to a $4 million grant from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.
Emotional family reunions highlight need for psychosocial care for all girls abducted by Boko Haram
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:31 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): After more than two years of being held hostage by Boko Haram insurgents in north-east Nigeria, the 21 recently-released Chibok girls have finally been reunited with their families, however, their return emphasizes the necessity of urgent and intensive psychosocial care, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In turbulent Middle East, UN envoy warns against ‘sleep-walking into another violent conflict’
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:30 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): As the absence of progress towards a two-state solution has led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis, the top United Nations Middle East envoy warned on Wednesday: “We must all avoid the risk of sleep-walking into another violent conflict at a time when the region as a whole needs moderate forces†to stand up to rising radicalization.
In Bhutan, UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador Aamir Khan spotlights battle against malnutrition
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:28 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): After a visit to Bhutan yesterday, actor and director Aamir Khan, a UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador, praised the country’s progress to end malnutrition and recognized young mothers’ efforts to safeguard their children’s health despite high levels of stunting.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:26 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): On 13 June 2016, the United Nations General Assembly elected Peter Thomson of Fiji to serve as President of its seventy-first session, which runs from September 2016 to September 2017. Thomson, who had had been serving as the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations until his appointment, announced that the theme of the 71st session will be ‘The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World.’
UN relief wing and partners ready to rush in aid once pause in Yemen fighting begins
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:14 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): Following a month that saw civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict in Yemen, a 72-hour halt to fighting set to take effect later on Wednesday is welcome, but not nearly enough time, according to a senior United Nations relief official, who appealed for more predictable access to be able deliver aid to hard-to-reach communities caught up in the crisis.
Reforesting Kilimanjaro could ease East Africa's severe water shortages – UN
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:13 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): There is a need to reforest Africa’s highest mountain to help protect vital water supplies that are under threat across large parts of East Africa, a UN Environment report urged on Wednesday.
Millions more children will have access to ‘5-in-1’ vaccine through UNICEF supply agreement
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:11 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): With a price drop to below $1 a dose, UNICEF has successfully secured a five-in-one vaccine for children at half the price the agency currently pays, which will allow it to buy 450 million doses for 80 countries over the next three years.
UN mission in Afghanistan reports 'worrying' rise in child casualties
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:10 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): Even though overall conflict-related civilian casualty numbers in Afghanistan fell by one per cent in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, child casualties saw a marked increase of 15 per cent, the United Nations mission in the country said on Wednesday.
1 dead, other severely injured after car riddled with bullets in Etobicoke
Oct 20, 2016, at 03:11 am
Toronto, Oct 19 (IBNS): On Tuesday evening after gunmen in a car opened fire on another vehicle in North Etobicoke, one man has succumbed to his injuries and the other is still fighting for his life.
Canadian Tire pulls down the clown décor after clown killer incidents
Oct 20, 2016, at 02:58 am
Toronto, Oct 19 (IBNS): Following a recent creepy clown stories, where killers dressed in clown outfits have been attacking schools and students, the Canadian Tire has decided to pull down its Halloween clown decorations from all of its stores in Canada.