American social media influencer Annabelle Ham dies at 22 after experiencing 'epileptic event'
Jul 19, 2023, at 10:03 pm
New York: 22-year-old American social media influencer Annabelle Ham died last week after experiencing an 'epileptic event', her family said.
Guterres calls for AI ‘that bridges divides’, rather than pushing us apart
Jul 19, 2023, at 10:00 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General addressed the Security Council on Tuesday, emphasizing the potential of artificial intelligence to accelerate human development while also cautioning against the malicious use of what is revolutionary new technology.
UK Bill ‘significantly erodes’ human rights and refugee protections, UN agencies warn
Jul 19, 2023, at 09:09 pm
New York: The United Kingdom parliament has passed a bill inconsistent with the country’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law that could have profound consequences for people seeking international protection, warned the UN rights chief and the head of refugee agency UNHCR on Tuesday.
Pakistan: Peshawar blast leaves 10 people, including seven security personnel, injured
Jul 19, 2023, at 09:02 pm
At least 10 people, including seven security forces members, were injured as a suicide blast occurred close to a military vehicle in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Tuesday.
Majority of women live in countries with large gender gaps, UN report reveals
Jul 19, 2023, at 08:08 pm
New York: Low women’s empowerment and large gender gaps are commonplace in many parts of the world, the UN’s lead agencies on gender equality and international development said in a new report published on Tuesday.
‘Senseless, unjustified war’ in Ukraine must stop: UN political affairs chief
Jul 18, 2023, at 11:10 pm
New York: The UN Political Affairs chief appealed on Monday for an end to the “unjustified” war in Ukraine, which this month passed the 500-day mark.
WFP forced to slash food aid as half of all Haitians go hungry
Jul 18, 2023, at 11:07 pm
New York: The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been compelled to reduce the number of people receiving emergency food assistance in Haiti due to a lack of funding, affecting around 100,000 people, the agency reported on Monday.
Devastating rights violations against Indigenous people must end
Jul 18, 2023, at 10:59 pm
New York: Indigenous Peoples have the ancestral wisdom to guide humanity towards a more sustainable use of the Earth’s resources, yet they are systematically discriminated against and excluded, UN rights chief Volker Türk warned on Monday.
Russia: UN rights experts call for release of journalist Evan Gershkovich
Jul 18, 2023, at 10:07 pm
New York: The journalist Evan Gershkovich should be immediately released following his arrest by Russian authorities on espionage charges in March, UN-appointed independent human rights experts said on Monday.
Halfway to 2030, world ‘nowhere near’ reaching Global Goals, UN warns
Jul 18, 2023, at 09:01 pm
The world is “woefully off track” to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline, top United Nations officials said on Monday, as ministers and policy makers gathered in New York to examine how countries can get back on track and make the transformative development agenda a reality.
Australia: Mysterious object washes ashore western coast, locals speculate it is space junk
Jul 18, 2023, at 08:59 pm
A mysterious object has washed ashore on Australia’s western coast, causing local residents to speculate about its origin.
UN chief regrets Russia’s decision to withdraw from grain deal
Jul 18, 2023, at 08:52 pm
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday that he deeply regrets Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative, in effect ending a “lifeline” for hundreds of millions worldwide facing hunger and spiralling food costs.
Iranian Police resume patrols to enforce strict dress code, prompting controversy and backlash
Jul 17, 2023, at 08:18 am
The Iranian police have resumed patrols to crack down on women who defy the strict dress code by leaving their hair uncovered in public. This move comes precisely 10 months after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurd whose tragic demise while in custody sparked widespread nationwide protests.
Japan on alert: Scorching heat and torrential rain pose threat
Jul 17, 2023, at 06:14 am
Tokyo/IBNS: Japan faced a dual weather crisis on Sunday as scorching temperatures and torrential rain wreaked havoc across the nation, prompting the government to issue heatstroke alerts to tens of millions of people.
Over 100 people briefly stranded in Agatha Christie's residence, later released
Jul 16, 2023, at 09:27 pm
More than 100 people were trapped in the house of former popular British mystery writer Agatha Christie in the English countryside on Friday, media reports said.
US, Japan, S Korea hold missile defense exercise in Sea of Japan
Jul 16, 2023, at 07:45 pm
Tokyo: The United States, South Korea and Japan have held trilateral missile defense drills in international waters of the Sea of Japan, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday citing Seoul's Navy.
Death toll from torrential rains, landslides in South Korea rises to 32
Jul 16, 2023, at 06:34 pm
Seoul/IBNS/UNI: The death toll from heavy rains and landslides in South Korea has surpassed 30, while more than ten people remain missing, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday.
Air raid sirens sounded in parts of Ukraine
Jul 16, 2023, at 02:25 pm
Kyiv/IBNS/UNI: Air raid warnings were issued in several regions of Ukraine on Saturday evening, according to air raid data from the country’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.
Israeli FM condemns Swedish activists' plans to burn copy of Torah
Jul 15, 2023, at 11:35 pm
Tel Aviv: Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen strongly condemned on Friday Swedish activists' plans to burn a copy of the Torah in front of the Israel's embassy in Stockholm and called on the Swedish authorities to thwart the action.
Kenya: OHCHR ‘very concerned’ over disproportionate use of force against protesters
Jul 15, 2023, at 11:31 pm
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday said it was very concerned over reports of police in Kenya using excessive force to quell protests this week which have left dozens dead and injured.
Security Council urged to address ‘most silenced and least condemned crime’
Jul 15, 2023, at 11:27 pm
New York: The international community must act now to protect future generations from the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence, the UN’s advocate on the issue, Pramila Patten, told the Security Council on Friday.
Military drills involving China, Russia expected in near future: DM
Jul 15, 2023, at 11:23 pm
Beijing: The Russian Armed Forces will participate in the "North. Interaction-2023" military exercises organized by China in the Sea of Japan in the near future, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.
World ‘wilfully ignoring’ child deaths during dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings
Jul 15, 2023, at 07:44 pm
New York: During the first half of the year, 289 boys and girls died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, or double the number compared to the same period in 2022, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday.
Uzbekistan: Re-elected President Shavkat Mirziyoyev takes charge
Jul 15, 2023, at 02:14 pm
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who was re-elected for yet another term recently, took charge of his office on Friday.
Scourge of racism haunts Black women and girls seeking healthcare
Jul 12, 2023, at 11:05 pm
New York: Women and girls of African descent face a “systemic and historical pattern” of racial abuse in the health sector in countries across the world, leaving them at increased risk of death during childbirth, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency said on Wednesday.
UN chief condemns deadly attack on peacekeepers in Central African Republic
Jul 12, 2023, at 10:55 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned an attack on a UN peacekeeping patrol in the northeast Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday which left one Rwandan ‘blue helmet’ dead.
Major boost needed to reach 2030 water, sanitation and hygiene goals
Jul 12, 2023, at 10:52 pm
New York: Despite some progress, billions worldwide still lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; a situation exacerbated by water scarcity caused by conflicts and climate change. On Tuesday, the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) discussed the key role of water in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Rapid poverty reduction in some countries, data missing in many others
Jul 12, 2023, at 10:35 pm
New York: Twenty five countries, including some of the world’s biggest economies, have halved their poverty indices, but lack of post-COVID-19 pandemic data obscures the situation facing almost a billion people globally, a new United Nations-University of Oxford study has found.
Türk calls for respect as rights council urgently debates Quran burnings
Jul 12, 2023, at 10:22 pm
New York: The UN’s top human rights official urged respect for religious tolerance on Tuesday as Member States gathered in Geneva in response to the recent burning of the holy Quran in the Swedish capital.
Security Council fails to reach consensus on Syria aid lifeline
Jul 12, 2023, at 10:20 pm
New York: Life-saving assistance to millions in northwest Syria is at risk after the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt either of two competing resolutions to extend cross-border aid delivery from Türkiye.