French Environment Minister resigns during live radio interview
Aug 28, 2018, at 06:20 pm
Paris, Aug 28 (IBNS): Citing his disapproval of government policies and efforts to tackle climate change, French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot on Tuesday quit his position during a live radio interview.
Yemen: United Nations experts point to possible war crimes by parties to the conflict
Aug 28, 2018, at 04:33 pm
Geneva, Aug 28 (IBNS): Information documented by the Group of Regional and International Eminent Experts on Yemen strongly suggests that parties to the armed conflict have perpetrated, and continue to perpetrate, violations and crimes under international law.
International tourism arrivals hit record high in 2017, UN agency reports
Aug 28, 2018, at 11:48 am
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): The number of people travelling abroad has hit its highest level since 2010, according to data from the Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Respect for fundamental rights and freedoms key for peaceful polls in DRC – UN mission chief
Aug 28, 2018, at 11:45 am
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Confidence and consensus around key issues are still required ahead of this year’s presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Security Council heard on Monday.
Myanmar military leaders must face genocide charges – UN report
Aug 28, 2018, at 11:36 am
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Top military commanders in Myanmar should be investigated and prosecuted for the “gravest” crimes against civilians under international law, including genocide, United Nations-appointed investigatorssaid on Monday.
Pope maintains silence after senior Archbishop calls for his resignation
Aug 27, 2018, at 02:56 pm
Dublin/Vatican City, Aug 27 (IBNS): Ending his two day Ireland visit, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic world, chose silence as journalists questioned him about his role in suppressing sexual abuse committed by a former US priest, as alleged by a senior Archbishop.
North Korea to release detained Japanese tourist on humanitarian grounds
Aug 27, 2018, at 12:33 pm
Pyongyang, Aug 27 (IBNS): After detaining a Japanese tourist for nearly a month, North Korea has agreed to release him on humanitarian grounds, reports said on Monday.
UN condemns attack that leaves one ‘blue helmet’ dead in Central African Republic
Aug 26, 2018, at 04:19 pm
New York, Aug 26 (IBNS): Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the attack on 23 August by presumed anti-Balaka elements on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in which one peacekeeper from Burundi was killed.
China hotel fire leaves 19 dead
Aug 25, 2018, at 07:48 pm
Harbin, Aug 25 (IBNS): A fire, which broke out at a hotel in China's Harbin city on Saturday left at least 19 people dead, media reports said.
Fire breaks out in China hotel, 18 die
Aug 25, 2018, at 03:38 pm
Harbin, Aug 25 (IBNS): A fire, which broke out at a hotel in Harbin city of China, claimed 18 lives on Saturday, media reports said.
UN Security Council welcomes results of Mali's presidential elections
Aug 25, 2018, at 08:00 am
New York, Aug 25 (IBNS): The members of the Security Council on Friday welcomed the publication of the final results of the presidential polls in Mali, which saw the re-election of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and insisted on the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the peace agreement.
UN agency chiefs condemn Saudi-coalition led air strike that killed dozens in western Yemen
Aug 25, 2018, at 07:48 am
New York, Aug 25 (IBNS): The UN humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, and the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore, have condemned the deadly air strike in Hudaydah governorate, in western Yemen, that killed at least 26 children and four women on Thursday.
Rohingya emergency one year on: UN says thousands of lives saved, but challenges remain
Aug 25, 2018, at 07:45 am
New York, Aug 25 (IBNS): Significant progress has been made in protecting hundreds of thousands Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in the 12 months since they fled violence in Myanmar, but lives “will once again be at risk” if funding is not urgently secured, UN officials said on Friday.
Aug 25, 2018, at 07:42 am
New York, Aug 25 (IBNS): Recent drought has led to the loss of some 280,000 hectares of beans and maize in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, potentially affecting the food and nutrition situation of more than two million people, two United Nations agencies warned on Friday.
Malcolm Turnbull removed internally, Scott Morrison to take charge as Australia's new Prime Minister
Aug 24, 2018, at 11:41 am
Canberra, Aug 24 (IBNS): Ending a week-long political drama, Malcolm Turnbull faced the axe as his colleagues chose treasurer Scott Morrison as the new Prime Minister and their new leader, following a closely fought internal vote.
Embrace ‘people-centered multilateralism,’ UN-civil society forum urges
Aug 24, 2018, at 09:10 am
New York, Aug 24 (IBNS):Thursday afternoon, the 67th United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Conference concluded, pledging to “uplift those whose human rights are most under threat and to protect our planet by living in harmony with nature.”
ISIL continues to pose a ‘serious challenge’ worldwide – UN counter-terror chief
Aug 24, 2018, at 09:06 am
New York, Aug 24 (IBNS): Despite serious military setbacks, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) may still have around 20,000 fighters and is continuing its dangerous transformation into a covert global network, while focusing on the activities of its regional offshoots, the United Nations Security Council was told.
Aug 24, 2018, at 09:02 am
New York, Aug 24 (IBNS): Amid external uncertainty and volatility, the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean will grow by an average of 1.5 per cent this year, thanks to a rebound in private consumption and a slight increase in investment, according to a United Nations flagship report issued on Thursday.
Aug 24, 2018, at 08:57 am
New York, Aug 24 (IBNS): Remembering slave trade offers chance to raise awareness, ‘oppose all forms of modern slavery’ – UNESCO
Greater support needed for refugees and migrants from Venezuela – UN
Aug 24, 2018, at 08:47 am
New York, Aug 24 (IBNS): As hundreds of Venezuelans continue to pour into neighbouring countries due to social and political upheaval at home, the heads of the United Nations refugee and migration agencies called for greater international support to meet the most basic needs of the displaced.
Amid ruckus, government suspends Australian parliament; Turnbull resignation on cards
Aug 23, 2018, at 12:33 pm
Canberra, Aug 23 (IBNS): The political battle over leadership in Australia has forced its government to suspend the country's parliament, reports said.
UNICEF warns of ‘lost generation’ of Rohingya youth, one year after Myanmar exodus
Aug 23, 2018, at 08:45 am
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS): The refugee crisis in Bangladesh sparked by the mass exodus of people from Myanmar almost a year ago risks creating a “lost generation” of Rohingya children who lack the life skills they will need in future, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.
‘Finding global solutions for global problems’ focus of UN-civil society forum
Aug 23, 2018, at 08:36 am
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS): The 67th United Nations Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization (DPI/NGO) Conference kicked off today at UN Headquarters in New York, with speeches affirming the importance of multilateralism, closer partnerships between the UN and civil society, and the role that young people have to play.
Humanitarian aid in Middle East should not be held hostage to politics – UN political chief
Aug 23, 2018, at 08:32 am
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS): Recurring cycles of violence in the Middle East highlight the need for international efforts to prevent hostilities, provide humanitarian aid and support Palestinian reconciliation, the UN’s political chief told the Security Council on Wednesday.
UN remembers Kofi Annan: A leader who put people at the centre of the Organization’s work
Aug 23, 2018, at 08:27 am
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS): Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan was remembered on Wednesday as the embodiment of the global Organization that works to improve the lives of men and women worldwide.
Facebook and Instagram take down 652 pages, groups and accounts linked to Iran and Russia campaigns
Aug 22, 2018, at 02:45 pm
Menlo Park, Aug 22 (IBNS): Social media giant Facebook has notified that it has taken down several pages, groups and accounts from its website and Instagram's for 'coordinated inauthentic behavior' on the sites.
Rain prayer underscores Eid gathering in Australia
Aug 22, 2018, at 01:07 pm
Canberra, Aug 22 (IBNS): Muslims in Australia gathered and prayed for rain during an event on the occasion of Eid on Tuesday, reports said.
Australian cabinet, PM Turnbull plagued by mass resignation
Aug 22, 2018, at 11:41 am
Canberra, Aug 22 (IBNS): A day after surviving a leadership challenge by a narrow margin, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's discomforts have have grown many folds by a series of mass resignation from his colleagues.
Stop and listen’ to victims of terrorism, UN chief urges in message marking international day
Aug 22, 2018, at 08:56 am
New York, Aug 22 (IBNS): Recognizing the impact of terrorism on the lives of ordinary people worldwide is the focus of the first observance of an international day that honours victims and survivors.
UN chief welcomes event reuniting families on the Korean Peninsula
Aug 22, 2018, at 08:52 am
New York, Aug 22 (IBNS): The decision to allow scores of people from South Korea to reunite with their relatives north of the border has been welcomed by the UN Secretary-General.