UNICEF, David Beckham launch new initiative to boost funding for world's children
Feb 10, 2015, at 08:39 pm
New York, Feb 10 (IBNS) International football icon and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham, on Monday announced his latest fundraising initiative, launched in tandem with the UN agency and aimed at boosting assistance for the world's youth, amid the planet's worsening humanitarian crises.
UN rights report points to 'increasing regularity' of attacks on girls seeking education
Feb 10, 2015, at 08:37 pm
New York, Feb 10 (IBNS): A new United Nations human rights report seeking to analyse the problem of attacks against girls trying to access education found that schools in at least 70 different countries were attacked in the five years between 2009 and 2014, with many attacks specifically targeting girls, parents and teachers advocating for gender equality in education.
Pak PM calls for reforms in civil bureaucracy
Feb 10, 2015, at 01:24 am
Islamabad, Feb 9 (IBNS): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed his concern and dissatisfaction over the performance of the country's civil bureaucracy, media reports said.
France: Gunfire rocks Marseille
Feb 09, 2015, at 11:36 pm
Marseille, Feb 9 (IBNS): Amid reports of gunfire, the police have started their operation in French city of Marseille Monday, media reports said.
Afghanistan: Taliban commander killed in drone strike
Feb 09, 2015, at 11:16 pm
Kabul, Feb 9 (IBNS): A Taliban commander has been killed during a US drone strike in Afghanistan, media reports said on Monday.
Prince Charles describes radicalisation of young people 'alarming'
Feb 09, 2015, at 05:18 am
London, Feb 8 (IBNS): Prince Charles of Britain has called the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised as 'alarming'.
Ban meets new Saudi king, looks forward to cooperation on development, climate, regional crises
Feb 09, 2015, at 04:55 am
New York, Feb 8 (IBNS) Paying tribute to the legacy of the late Saudi Arabian king Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the United Nations Secretary-General on Sunday looked forward to continued "fruitful cooperation" with the country's new king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, after a meeting in which the two discussed sustainable development, climate change and regional peace and security.
North Korea test-fires 5 short range missiles
Feb 09, 2015, at 04:37 am
Pyongyang, Feb 8 (IBNS): North Korea test-fired five short range missiles into the East Sea on Sunday, media reports said.
Bangladesh: Dhaka-Kolkata train attacked,no casualty
Feb 09, 2015, at 01:53 am
Dhaka, Feb 8 (IBNS): Amid a BNP-sponsored blockade in the country, several petrol bombs were hurled at the Dhaka-Kolkata ‘Maitree Express’ train in Bangladesh's Pabna district on Sunday, media reports said.
Baghdad celebrates lifting of curfew after 12 years
Feb 08, 2015, at 05:20 pm
Baghdad, Feb 8 (IBNS): People in Baghdad have indulged in a grand celebration after a 12-year-old curfew has been lifted from the Iraqi capital.
Feb 08, 2015, at 03:04 am
Baghdad, Feb 7 (IBNS) Three bomb attacks hit Iraqi capital of Baghdad which killed at least 34 people, media reports said on Saturday.
Reports: TransAsia flight pilots may have shut wrong engine
Feb 07, 2015, at 05:28 pm
Hong Kong, Feb 7 (IBNS): A finding by Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council revealed that twin-propeller plane that crashed in Taiwan's capital killing at least 35 people may have reacted to a stalled-engine alarm by shutting down the wrong engine, media reports said.
Kosovo: UN envoy calls on parties to engage in dialogue, make 'hard choices' for regional stability
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:27 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Citing recent violent protests, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo told the Security Council on Friday that leaders must engage seriously in ongoing dialogue and make the hard choices required for regional stability.
'World must act responsibly,' say UN advisors urging restraint following latest ISIL atrocity
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:26 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS):Members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) need to know that they will be held accountable for their crimes, two senior United Nations right officials declared on Friday, adding that recent murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh was "yet another example of a deliberate grave abuse of human rights and international humanitarian law" perpetrated by the extremist group.
DR Congo: UN rights office urges release of illegally detained protestors
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:24 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights office on Friday raised serious due process concerns over the detention of at least 300 people – some for as long as three weeks and with no access to a lawyer – following recent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Jailing of Burundian journalist raises concerns ahead of elections – UN rights office
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:24 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) The imprisonment of Burundian journalist Bob Rugurika raises serious concerns about the exercise of the freedom of expression in Burundi, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday.
Security Council demands end to Mali violence, urges parties to reach peace deal
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:17 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Demanding an immediate end to all hostilities in Mali, the United Nations Security Council on Friday urged Malian parties to “engage with sustained political will and a spirit of compromise†and make the necessary concessions to engage in talks towards a comprehensive, inclusive peace deal that addresses the root causes of the years-long crisis in the country.
Ban joins Arab League Secretary-General in urging donors to honour Gaza pledges
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:14 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Expressing deep concern about the situation in Gaza, the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States made an urgent appeal on Friday, asking donors to honour and disburse as soon as possible the financial commitments they made at an October 2014 conference convened to kick-start reconstruction in the war-torn enclave.
South Sudan: As top officials spotlight crisis, UN warns of 'dramatic' decline in food security
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:12 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) South Sudan is on the brink of a major food insecurity crisis as millions of people remain trapped by the country's ongoing internecine fighting, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned.
UN refugee agency says 'over a million' may already be displaced by eastern Ukraine violence
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:11 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Nearly 1 million people may have now been displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with the recent upsurge in violence causing massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure, the collapse of basic services and a spike in the numbers fleeing fighting, the United Nations refugee agency reported on Friday.
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:07 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS): On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, marked every year on 6 February, and this year focused on ending the 'medicalization' of the procedure, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on health workers around the world to eliminate what he called a 'deeply harmful' practice.
UN chief appoints new Special Coordinator for Middle East peace
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:32 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday appointed Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria as his new Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, the UN Spokesperson's office announced today.
Security Council condemns Boko Haram attacks along Chad-Cameroon border
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:31 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned "in the strongest terms" the escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists along the border between Cameroon and Nigeria, including back-to-back attacks this week that killed Chadian and Cameroonian troops, as well as "a sizeable number of civilians."
Sealing borders 'will continue to fail on massive scale,' UN rights expert tells European countries
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:29 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Migrants will continue to arrive and stay in Europe "no matter what," so the overall goal should be to ensure they use official channels to enter and stay, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants said today.
UN chief says 'challenging period' in Yemen's political transition must be overcome
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:24 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged parties to the Peace and National Partnership Agreement in Yemen overcome the current impasse so the peaceful democratic transition that was launched in 2011 can be fulfilled.
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:23 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Despite the efforts of Guinea-Bissau authorities, the situation remains fragile and the country still needs the support of the international community, the top United Nations envoy there told the Security Council today.
In South Sudan, senior UN official says 'no doubt' rights violations are ongoing
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:20 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Warring parties in the South Sudan conflict say they are close to signing a peace deal, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Å imonovic, told reporters in Juba on Thursday as he confirmed that while fighting has decreased, rights violations continue in the world's youngest country.
'Last mile in fight against Ebola will be the hardest,' says senior UN relief official
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:19 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) The international community's mobilization in the global Ebola response has been "very impressive and effective" but efforts to reach zero cases must continue unabated, a top United Nations humanitarian official has confirmed.
In Washington, UN rights chief says atrocities can be prevented through better global leadership
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:17 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) World leaders too often choose to violate international law and set aside moral principles, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said today, as he warned against "sinking into a state of paralysis" and called for a deeper form of education that equips people with moral courage to act toward one another with responsibility and care.
Development must be built on inclusive policy aligned with people's needs, aspirations - Ban
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:14 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Senior United Nations officials on Thursday addressed the Commission for Social Development as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration the outcome of a summit which emphasized, for the first time, the need to put people at the centre of development with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that the world's current generation is the first able to wipe out extreme poverty and the last that could address the worst impacts of climate change.