Brexit Secretary Raab resigns, UK PM Theresa May faces backlash
Nov 15, 2018, at 07:47 pm
London, Nov 15 (IBNS): UK Prime Minister Theresa May is facing backlash as Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday resigned over the agreement, media reports said.
Nov 15, 2018, at 10:27 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The Iraqi government’s latest moves toward constructive engagement with Kuwait mark a step towards “the full normalization” of relations between the two countries following decades of strained relations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.
Everyone’s ‘buy-in’ needed to restore peace in Kosovo, UN envoy tells Security Council
Nov 15, 2018, at 10:24 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have confirmed their “mutual intention” to continue working towards a negotiated settlement but the situation on the ground remains marred by “frequent adversarial actions,” with real consequences for people on the ground, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Eritrea sanctions lifted amid growing rapprochement with Ethiopia: Security Council
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:14 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): A range of international sanctions imposed against Eritrea nearly a decade ago, were unanimously lifted by the Security Council on Wednesday, four months after the signing of an historic peace agreement with Ethiopia in July.
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:08 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): Sounding the alarm about the urgent need to protect coral reefs from extinction within decades, a new coalition of organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), was launched on Wednesday in Egypt during the UN Biodiversity Conference, to galvanize global leadership before it is too late.
UN and Tokyo 2020, leverage power of Olympic Games in global sustainable development race
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:04 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The United Nations and the organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have signed an agreement to highlight the important contribution that sport makes in the race to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by the ambitious deadline of 2030.
Congo Prospers from Environmental Protection
Nov 14, 2018, at 10:09 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): Families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being supported by their government and the United Nations to protect the environment and build what the UN Development Programme calls “climate-resilient lives.”
Help build vulnerable island states’ resilience to extreme weather, urges senior UN official
Nov 14, 2018, at 10:02 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): With Small Island Developing States (SIDS) bearing the brunt of economic losses from climate change, making them more resilient to extreme weather events must be a priority, said Inga Rhonda King, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), speaking at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
Building climate resilience and peace, go hand in hand for Africa’s Sahel – UN forum
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:55 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): To build a sustainable peace in Africa’s Sahel region, “urgent attention” is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure that communities have access to sufficient opportunities, a joint meeting between the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Peacebuilding Commission highlighted on Tuesday.
‘Terror and panic’ among Rohingya who may be forced to return to Myanmar – UN rights chief
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:52 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): There is “terror and panic” among Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh, who are at imminent risk of being returned to Myanmar against their will, the United Nations top human rights official has said, warning that the returns would seriously endanger the lives of those sent back.
Outgoing UN official praises Iraq’s ‘exemplary peaceful transfer of power’ at the top
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:47 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): In his last briefing as the top United Nations official in Iraq, Ján Kubiš updated the Security Council on the country’s post-election political settlement, commending the “exemplary peaceful transfer of power” between Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his successor, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who was sworn in at the end of October.
UN receives ‘Humanium’ wristwatch gift, symbolizing peaceful transformation
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:43 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): On Friday, the United Nations disarmament chief was presented with a watch that does more than just tell the time. Made from “Humanium” – a metal processed from confiscated firearms in El Salvador – it symbolizes how peaceful transformation can be wrought from bloody conflict.
United States: UN chief ‘deeply saddened’ by deadly California wildfires
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:40 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep sadness” over the loss of lives and damages caused by devastating wildfires in the state of California in the United States.
Gaza: deadly violence continues to escalate, top UN officials work to restore calm
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:38 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): As violence in the Gaza Strip is once again flaring up reportedly following a raid and bombings by Israeli forces and multiple rocket launches from inside the Palestinian enclave, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, said on Tuesday that he was following developments closely, while his Special Coordinator for the region, Nickolay Mladenov, works with all sides to try and restore calm.
UN food agency appeals for access to key storage facility amid fight for Hudaydah
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:32 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): UN humanitarian agency the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for access to a key storage facility in the port of Hudaydah, which is now under the control of a Saudi-led military coalition that supports the internationally recognized Government.
Several pilots report UFOs sightings off Irish coast, authorities start investigation
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:28 am
London, Nov 14 (IBNS): In a strange development, the Irish Aviation Authority has started investigating after receiving reports of sightings of unidentified flying objects and bright lights off the coast of Ireland, media reports said on Wednesday.
UN experts concerned over racial bias in Dutch child welfare system
Nov 13, 2018, at 09:12 am
New York, Nov 13 (IBNS): The Dutch authorities have been accused by UN experts of racism in the country’s welfare system, after seven children of African descent were forcibly removed from their parents.
Marginalized voices must be ‘included and amplified’ in digital technology space: UN Chief
Nov 13, 2018, at 09:07 am
New York, Nov 13 (IBNS): New thinking is needed to better address deep gender gaps in access to digital technologies, seek out networks of the increasingly active elderly population, and support young people facing a rapidly transforming labour market, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told delegates on Monday, at the 2018 Internet Governance Forum (IGF), hosted in Paris by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Rohingya returns only ‘at their freely expressed wish’ – UN refugee chief
Nov 13, 2018, at 09:00 am
New York, Nov 13 (IBNS): Returns of Rohingya refugees, forced to flee their homes due to widespread and systematic violence in northern Myanmar, “should only take place at their freely expressed wish” the United Nations top refugee official has stressed, amid concerns that conditions at places of origin are not yet conducive to safe, dignified and sustainable returns.
Nov 12, 2018, at 09:45 am
New York, Nov 12 (IBNS): From conflict and economic downturn to disease and climate change, global problems require “more than ever” a strengthening of international cooperation, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told world leaders at the Paris Peace Forum on Sunday, commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War.
Somalia: UN Security Council condemns terrorist attack in which dozens were killed or injured
Nov 12, 2018, at 09:28 am
New York, Nov 12 (IBNS): The members of the United Nations Security Council, on Saturday, condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Friday’s car bomb attack in Somalia, in which dozens of innocent women, children and men were killed or injured, and reiterated that any acts of terrorism are "criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed".
Australia strawberry needle scare: 50-year-old woman arrested
Nov 11, 2018, at 05:58 pm
Sydney, Nov 11 (IBNS): The Queensland Police Service has said it has charged a 50-year-old woman following a complex investigation into the alleged contamination of strawberries in Queensland.
Nov 11, 2018, at 04:20 pm
New York, Nov 11 (IBNS): “Outraged” by the “unconscionable toll” caused by the escalation of hostilities in Yemen, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, on Saturday, urged the warring parties and those supplying them with weapons, to take immediate steps to end the suffering of civilians.
UN nuclear watchdog will help verify DPRK nuclear programme, if agreement forthcoming
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:47 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): North Korea’s continuing nuclear programme is clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions and “deeply regrettable,” the United Nations top nuclear official has said.
Somalis ‘will not be deterred’ by Friday’s terror attacks – UN chief
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:44 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): Following Friday’s bomb attacks and gunfire in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, UN Chief António Guterres on Friday expressed his faith that Somalis “will not be deterred” in their pursuit of lasting peace and political stability.
On Kristallnacht anniversary, UN chief urges renewed fight against 'crime' of anti-Semitism
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:41 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): Political leaders have not yet taken up their responsibility to speak out loudly against neo-Nazism, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday, warning that anti-Semitism is on the rise.
Fleeing violence, Cameroonian refugee arrivals in Nigeria pass 30,000, reports UN refugee agency
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:38 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): The number of Cameroonians fleeing violence and seeking refuge in neighbouring Nigeria has crossed the 30,000-mark, the United Nations refugee agency has said, highlighting that the needs on the ground are outpacing assistance efforts.
Humanitarian aid convoy to Syria’s Rukban camp: Mission Accomplished
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:35 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): The United Nations and partners concluded a six-day humanitarian aid operation, providing lifesaving aid to around 50,000 mostly women and children living in southeast Syria’s Rukban camp – the first supplies they had received since January.
Multilateralism more vital than ever, as World War centenary looms: Security Council
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:32 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): With the centenary of the end of the First World War just days away, the Security Council reaffirmed the crucial importance of multilateralism – or international cooperation and collective problem-solving – and highlighted the key role played by the United Nations since its creation 73 years ago.
Nov 10, 2018, at 08:29 am
New York, Nov 10 (IBNS): Efforts are being made to step up life-saving aid from eight million, to 14 million stricken Yemenis a month, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday, before urging warring parties to spare the key Red Sea port of Hudaydah, which is a lifeline for the whole country.