Guinea-Bissau: Upcoming elections vital to prevent ‘relapse’ into instability, says UN envoy
Aug 31, 2018, at 08:52 am
New York, Aug 31 (IBNS): Highlighting the importance of the upcoming legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau, the top United Nations official in the country reiterated the importance of “far-reaching” reforms to prevent a relapse into political and institutional instability.
Aug 31, 2018, at 08:37 am
New York, Aug 31 (IBNS): A massive military escalation by the Government of Syria to retake Idlib risks a “worst case scenario”, United Nations negotiator Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday.
London to witness bikini clad giant balloon of Sadiq Khan fly over Parliament Square
Aug 30, 2018, at 11:54 pm
London, Aug 30 (IBNS): A caricature of London Mayor Sadiq Khan in a giant balloon is all set to fly over Parliament Square on Sept 1.
Aug 30, 2018, at 01:12 pm
Naypyidaw, Aug 30 (IBNS): The outgoing head of United Nations Human Rights said that following the Rohingya crisis, Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi should have stepped down.
Aug 30, 2018, at 08:29 am
New York, Aug 30 (IBNS): As war and the mediation of peace have become increasingly complex, innovative thinking is needed to save and improve the lives of millions, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Syria: UN chief warns Idlib offensive may set off ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
Aug 30, 2018, at 08:26 am
New York, Aug 30(IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe should a full-scale military operation take place in Syria’s war-battered Idlib province.
UN rights office calls for action to end ‘repression and retaliation’ in crisis-torn Nicaragua
Aug 30, 2018, at 08:23 am
New York, Aug 30 (IBNS): The United Nations on Wednesday called for urgent action to address the human rights crisis in Nicaragua, where “repression and retaliation against demonstrators continue … as the world looks away.”
Nuclear test ban treaty critical to global collective security – UN chief
Aug 30, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, Aug30 (IBNS): Every effort should be made to bring a global treaty into force that prevents more countries from developing nuclear weapons, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said.
Half the world’s refugee children not in school, UN agency finds
Aug 30, 2018, at 08:16 am
New York, Aug 30 (IBNS): With more and more children forced to leave their homes, over half of the world’s school-aged refugees are now out of education, the United Nations refugee agency said in a new report released on Wednesday.
Aug 29, 2018, at 08:29 am
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): Despite the efforts made by the United Nations over the past year to help create safeguards for all communities in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, it is clear that conditions are still not suitable for the safe, voluntary, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their home, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
UN Security Council urged to act against ‘worst-case scenario’ Syria’s war-battered Idlib
Aug 29, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): A further escalation of violence in Syria’s Idlib governorate could create a humanitarian emergency “at a scale not yet seen through this crisis,” a senior United Nations aid official warned the Security Council on Tuesday.
All sides in Yemen conflict could be guilty of war crimes, UN experts find
Aug 29, 2018, at 08:17 am
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS):Parties on both sides of the conflict in Yemen have perpetrated – and continue to perpetrate – possible war crimes and other violations with a “total disregard” for the suffering of millions of civilians, United Nations-appointed human rights investigators said on Tuesday.
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.