UN emergency food agency to feed some 220,000 people in conflict-affected Ukraine

Feb 16, 2017, at 03:00 pm

New York, Feb 13 (Just Earth News): Access to food is becoming harder in eastern Ukraine as prices are outpacing incomes, the United Nations emergency food agency on Wednesday said, warning that without longer-term intervention, more people will need humanitarian aid in the months and years to come.

Julian Assange calls Pamela Anderson ' attractive personality'

Feb 16, 2017, at 02:57 pm

Los Angeles, Feb 16 (IBNS): Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has said actress Pamela Anderson has an attractive personality.

Kim Jong-nam: Post-mortem finished

Feb 16, 2017, at 02:36 pm

Seoul, Feb 16 (IBNS): The post-mortem examination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's brother Kim Jong-nam has been completed, media reports said on Thursday.

Nine countries join UN-supported network to halve maternal, newborn deaths in clinics

Feb 15, 2017, at 07:00 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): A health network is being created, with support of United Nations agencies, in nine countries – Bangladesh, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda – whose Governments have pledged to halve maternal and newborn deaths in health facilities by 2022.

Synthetic drugs are making headway in Afghanistan, UN agency reports

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:43 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): Methamphetamine is increasingly being seized by law enforcement in Afghanistan, and there is also evidence that it is being produced in the country, according to the first of its kind assessment on synthetic drugs released on Tuesday by the United Nations drug and crime agency.

Drought drives food price spike in East Africa, UN warns

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:37 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): East Africa’s ongoing drought has sharply curbed harvests and drive up the prices of cereals and other staple foods to unusually high levels, posing a heavy burden to households and special risks for pastoralists in the region, the United Nations agricultural agency said on Tuesday.

Guinea-Bissau: Sustaining economic growth requires political stability, says UN envoy

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:33 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): In the face of continued political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, a more sustained and well-coordinated approach is required to sustain economic gains, said the United Nations envoy for the country, calling for “faithful” implementation of a regionally-brokered road-map.

UN food relief agency working with Sri Lanka to end hunger and malnutrition

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:11 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): Sri Lanka is making efforts to achieve zero hunger and zero under-nutrition, having launched a national review of food security and nutrition with the United Nations emergency food relief agency.

Guterres announces steps towards reforming Organization’s peace and security architecture

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:06 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday announced the establishment of an internal review team that will take forward the reforms to the UN Secretariat peace and security strategy, functioning and architecture, which he outlined when he was appointed the Secretary-General last year.

Ukraine: UN warns of civilian casualties in ‘face to face’ fighting in country's east

Feb 15, 2017, at 06:03 pm

New York, Feb 15 (Just Earth News): Intensified fighting between Government and non-Government forces near densely populated areas in eastern Ukraine is endangering civilians, the senior United Nations humanitarian representative in the country told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.

North Korea confirms Kim Jong-nam's death

Feb 15, 2017, at 05:51 pm

Pyongyang, Feb 15 (IBNS): North Korea has confirmed the death of its leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Kim Jong-nam, media reports said.

Canada: Brampton house fire kills three

Feb 15, 2017, at 02:42 am

Toronto, Feb. 14 (IBNS): Peel Regional Police received a call shortly after 4 a.m. on Tuesday about a fire on Madison Street, near Dixie Road and Bovaird Drive East, near Toronto, media reports said.

Kim Jong-un's half-brother killed

Feb 15, 2017, at 01:16 am

Seoul, Feb 14 (IBNS): North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother was killed in Malaysia, south Korean media reports said.

IFAD and Indonesia sign historic financial agreement to improve food security for smallholder farmers

Feb 14, 2017, at 11:30 pm

Rome, Feb 14 (Just Earth News) The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Indonesia signed a financial agreement Monday to fund a rural development project that will greatly improve access to water for irrigation and consequently improve food security, incomes and livelihoods for up to 24 million smallholder farmers. This is the largest project that IFAD has ever contributed to in its 40 years of operation.

Civilians in Syria’s ‘Four Towns’ need support as humanitarian catastrophe looms – UN relief official

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:43 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): A senior United Nations relief official has on Monday called on all parties to come to an agreement and allow immediate and unfettered humanitarian access to more than 60,000 civilians trapped in four Syrian towns of Al-Zabadani, Al-Fu’ah, Kafraya and Madaya.

UN Security Council urges joint measures to protect ‘critical infrastructure’ from terrorist attacks

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:40 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): Given the importance of critical infrastructure for a country’s prosperity and security and against the backdrop of increasingly diverse physical and cyber threats from terrorist groups, the United Nations Security Council on Monday underlined the need for international collaboration – both domestically and across borders – to ensure their protection.

In Dubai, UN chief addresses deficit of trust between governments, citizens and institutions

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:38 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): The world faces a “terrible lack of trust,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday addressing the World Government Summit in the Emirati city of Dubai, and called for reconciliation between people, their governments and global multilateral institutions.

Make food systems climate resilient now or future production will be compromised – UN warns

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:34 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): Failure to act now to make food systems more resilient to climate change will seriously compromise food production in many regions, which in turn could fail international efforts to end hunger and extreme poverty by 2030, the United Nations agricultural agency warned on Monday.

UN strongly condemns DPR Korea's ballistic missile launch

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:31 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): Secretary-General António Guterres and the United Nations Security Council on Monday voiced strong opposition to the latest ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, calling on Pyongyang to fully comply with its international obligations to denuclearize.

'Radio provides accessible, real-time medium to bridge divides,' UNESCO says on World Day

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:26 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): Radio has never been so dynamic, engaging and important in the midst of deep change in ways to share and access information, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Monday, World Radio Day.

UN and partners launch muliti-year appeal for DR Congo

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:21 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): The United Nations and humanitarian partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have appealed for nearly $750 million to aid 6.7 million people this year.

Amid unprecedented needs, UN and partners launch $1.6 billion aid appeal for South Sudan

Feb 14, 2017, at 03:19 pm

New York, Feb 14 (Just Earth News): Against the backdrop of dramatic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan due to a combination of conflict, economic decline and climatic shocks, the United Nations together with relief partners have appealed for $1.6 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection to 5.8 million people across the country.

Scientists use smartphones to measure train ride comfort,says research

Feb 14, 2017, at 02:01 am

London, Feb 13 (IBNS): Passengers could soon be using their mobile phones to help rail companies around the globe improve the ride quality on their trains, thanks to new research.

UN chief Guterres engages in 'constructive' discussions on Yemen, Libya with Saudi Foreign Minister

Feb 13, 2017, at 12:47 pm

New York, Feb 13 (Just Earth News): Visiting Saudi Arabia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that he and the Arab country's foreign minister had “very important and very constructive discussions” on the possible future political solutions for Yemen and Libya.

North Korea fires off ballistic missile towards East Sea, claims South Korea

Feb 12, 2017, at 09:54 pm

Pyongyang, Feb 12 (IBNS): North Korea has fired off a ballistic missile in the direction of the East Sea on Sunday, South Korean media reports said.

In Turkey, UN chief Guterres discusses Syria, Iraq, Cyprus with President

Feb 12, 2017, at 12:32 pm

New York, Feb 12 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday met with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul to discuss the situations in Syria, Iraq and Cyprus.

Security Council strongly condemns continued fighting in South Sudan

Feb 12, 2017, at 12:31 pm

New York, Feb 12 (Just Earth News): The Security Council has strongly condemned continued fighting across South Sudan, particularly incidents in the country's Equatoria and Upper Nile regions, and called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately.

DR Congo: UN mission strongly condemns persistent violence in Kasai Provinces

Feb 12, 2017, at 12:30 pm

New York, Feb 12 (Just Earth News): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday expressed its concern about the persistent conflict in the Kasai provinces where violent atrocities are being committed by the Kamuina Nsapu militia.

'The world needs science and science needs women,' UN says on International Day

Feb 12, 2017, at 12:29 pm

New York, Feb 12 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday urged greater investments in teaching science, technology, engineering and math to all women and girls as well as equal access to these opportunities.

INTERVIEW: ‘It’s time to work with young people, not just for young people,’ – outgoing UN Youth Envoy

Feb 11, 2017, at 02:17 pm

New York, Feb 11 (Just Earth News): In his second term in office, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon established the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, subsequently appointing Ahmad Alhendawi of Jordan as his first-ever Envoy on Youth – the youngest senior official in the history of the Organization.