Crane collapses in Mosque in Mecca, 65 killed
Mecca, Sept 11 (IBNS): At least 65 people died after a crane collapsed at a mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, media reports said.
9/11: America observes 2001 tragedy
Washington, Sept 11 (IBNS) Fourteen years have passed since the September 11, 2001, tragedy which claimed almost 3000 lives in what is considered to be the worst man-made disaster to hit the country in the 21st Century.
UN and partners report 'extremely alarming' food insecurity figures in Afghanistan
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): The number of people in Afghanistan resorting to selling land or turning to friends or family for help because of food insecurity has doubled in the last year, according to a joint report released on Wednesday by the United Nations and partner agencies.
World food prices hit lowest level in almost seven years: FAO
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): The price of major food commodities continued to drop through August due to abundant supplies, a decline in energy prices and concerns over the economic slowdown in China, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Wednesday.
Liberia making progress on numerous fronts, UN official tells Security Council
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): Liberia is working hard to build institutions, pass legislation and put in place mechanisms that will enable it to maintain stability without the presence of a peacekeeping force, the head of United Nations peacekeeping told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Darfur: UN humanitarian officials deplore fatal attack on health workers
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): United Nations humanitarian officials in Sudan have strongly condemned an attack carried out against health workers who were returning from a routine mission in West Darfur.
Global nuclear-test ban urgently needed for safer, more secure world: UN officials
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): Top United Nations officials on Wednesday highlighted the existential threat posed by nuclear testing, and called for all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the international treaty that seeks to achieve a ban on such testing.
UN envoy unveils plan to get 1 million Syrian children in school in 21 days
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): With more than 4 million children having left Syria – half of them for Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey – in a "crisis of biblical proportions," the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education on Wednesday said $250 million could get 1 million refugee children in school by the time the UN General Assembly meets later this month.
Rise in global tourism continues, despite concerns over safety and security: UN
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): International tourism figures grew by four per cent in the first half of 2015, an increase of 21 million when compared to the same period last year, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Flags of non-member observer States to fly at UN offices
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday decided that the flags of non-member observer States shall be raised at the world body’s headquarters and offices following the flags of its 193 Member States.
Syria: Ban promises establishment of chemical weapons accountability probe
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the United Nations Security Council’s authorization to set up an investigative mechanism to identify who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, promising its "speedy establishment" and urging full cooperation by all parties in Syria.
Libya: Security Council urges parties to finalize political accord
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): The Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 15 March 2016, while underscoring that there can be no military solution to the ongoing political crisis.
UN envoy on Yemen welcomes commitment of parties to upcoming peace talks
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen on Wednesday welcomed the commitment of the Government, the Houthis and the General People's Congress to participate in peace talks that he will convene in the region next week.
Five cops killed in Afghanistan blast
Kabul, Sept 10 (IBNS) At least five policemen were killed when the vehicle in which they were traveling struck a roadside bomb in southern Ghazni province on Thursday, reports said.
Child mortality rates plunge by more than half since 1990: UN report
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): Child mortality rates have plummeted to less than half of what they were in 1990, but it is not enough to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of a two-thirds reduction over the past 15 years, according to a new report released on Wednesday by a number of United Nations agencies.