UN committee to examine inscription requests for lists on intangible cultural heritage
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:54 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) A United Nations committee tasked with protecting the world’s oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, craftsmanship and knowledge of nature will begin examining requests on Monday for inscription on the two lists of intangible cultural heritage, as part of its current session meeting in Paris this week.
Ban urges dialogue as Burkina Faso interim Government holds first cabinet meeting
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:53 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all appointed transitional leaders in Burkina Faso to work in a “collaborative and harmonious manner,†as the inaugural Cabinet meeting of the transitional Government was held on Monday.
Trafficking in children on the rise, says new UN report
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:51 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) One in three known victims of human trafficking is a child, and girls and women are particularly targeted and forced into "modern slavery," according to the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, released on Monday by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna.
Amid 'anaemic' job creation, Greece risks prolonged social crisis – UN report
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:49 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) Faced with an “anaemic†pace of job creation and nearly 1.3 million unemployed citizens, Greece risks a prolonged social crisis unless urgent measures are taken, warns a new report out on Monday from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Afghanistan: UN strongly condemns suicide bombing at volleyball match
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:20 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) A brutal terrorist attack which killed at least 50 civilians in Afghanistan over the weekend is an "atrocity" and may amount to a war crime, the top United Nations envoy to the country declared on Monday as he condemned the indiscriminate suicide bombing in “the strongest terâ€
DR Congo: UN special envoy condemns 'trend of massacres' in eastern province
Nov 25, 2014, at 05:06 pm
New York, Nov 25 (IBNS) The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “worsening,†a senior United Nations official has warned, citing an escalating trend of massacres in the town of Beni – the site of continuing flare-ups of deadly violence between armed groups, including Ugandan-based rebels operating in the area.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel to step down
Nov 25, 2014, at 02:27 am
Washington, Nov 24 (IBNS): US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel is all set to step down from his position, media reports said on Monday.
Afghanistan suicide attack kills 50
Nov 24, 2014, at 05:09 am
Kabul, Nov 23 (IBNS): At least 50 people were killed in a suicide attack during a volleyball match in Afghanistan's Paktika province on Sunday, media reports said.
Japan earthquake leaves 40 injured
Nov 24, 2014, at 03:00 am
Tokyo, Nov 23 (IBNS): At least 40 people were injured in Prefecture after an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale hit central Japan on Saturday, media reports said on Sunday.
Afghanistan: Suicide attack during volleyball match leaves 30 killed
Nov 24, 2014, at 01:59 am
Kabul, Nov 23 (IBNS): At least 30 people were killed as a suicide bomber blew himself up during a volleyball match in Afghanistan's southeastern Paktika province on Sunday, media reports said.
Explosion in London hotel, several injured
Nov 23, 2014, at 02:13 am
London, Nov 22 (IBNS): The London Fire Brigade on Saturday said firefighters attended an explosion at a hotel in Berkeley Mews at the junction of Seymour Street in central London on Friday night.
Nov 23, 2014, at 01:26 am
Tokyo, Nov 22 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit central Japan on Saturday, officials said.
Al-Shabab militants shot dead 28 in Kenya
Nov 22, 2014, at 10:23 pm
Nairobi, Nov 22 (IBNS): In a horrific incident, Al-Shabab militants from Somalia have reportedly hijacked a bus in northern Kenya and killed 28 non-Muslims on Saturday.
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:31 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) On a tour of the United Nations Accessibility Centre for the audio, visual, and physically impaired on Friday, United States Senator Tom Harkin said that "when you make a system better for a person with a disability its makes it better for people without disabilities."
UN agency unveils push to make cooking safe for 10 million people by 2020
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:28 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) Every year, household air pollution from cooking kills over four million people and sickens millions more, the United Nations spotlighted at a New York conference on cookstoves, as it urged Governments to take action to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking solutions.
Slovenia: UN expert urges focus on 'vulnerable' ostracized older persons
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:25 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) Following her first official visit to Slovenia, the United Nations independent expert on the human rights of older persons hailed efforts by the country's Government in ensuring the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, but urged authorities to focus on those being ostracized, as they are "the vulnerable of the vulnerable."
Burkina Faso: UN chief urges continued dialogue as transitional Government takes power
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:21 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday reiterated his call for all Burkinabé stakeholders to ensure Burkina Faso’s seamless transition to democracy amid an ongoing constitutional crisis in the West African country, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed.
UN conference generates renewed global momentum to eradicate malnutrition
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:17 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) In a move hailed as renewed global momentum to end hunger, leaders from over 170 countries attending a United Nations nutrition conference which concluded on Friday, pledged to establish national policies aimed at eradicating malnutrition in all its forms from, hunger to obesity and transform food systems to make nutritious diets available to all.
Sectarian clashes displace thousands in south-eastern Central African Republic, UN warns
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:04 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) An upsurge in violent attacks this week between communities in a town near the Central African Republic’s border with South Sudan has left at least 10 people injured and thousands more displaced, marking the first major inter-community incident in the region since the country’s crisis began in 2012, the United Nations humanitarian relief office said on Friday.
Middle East: UN-backed reconstruction efforts set to kick-off in Gaza next week
Nov 22, 2014, at 06:01 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) The next phase in reconstruction efforts for war-ravaged Gaza is slated to begin as early as next week following an updated "understanding" between Israeli and Palestinian stakeholders, the United Nations special envoy in the region has announced.
As challenges mount for displaced in eastern Ukraine, UN agency ramps up food voucher plan
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:55 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) Key steps have been taken recently to deliver food vouchers to some 10,000 internally displaced people in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday, while underscoring that ensuring access to food in the country's crisis-gripped eastern region remains a "priority concern."
South Sudan: UN relief official urges respect for ceasefire, scaling up of aid operations
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:51 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) Concluding a three-day mission to South Sudan, a senior United Nations relief official has called on all parties to the conflict there to respect their ceasefire commitments, while urging the international community to continue providing support to enable humanitarians to scale up and expand critical aid operations.
UN agency's innovative standards to boost TV viewing experience for millions
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:49 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) The technological advancement of the television medium a critical tool for "informing, channelling, and affecting" public opinion is necessary for the improvement of communication and globalization, the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) declared on Friday, as it announced new measures aimed at heightening television viewing for millions of people around the world.
'Time is growing short,' UN warns as it boosts delivery of winter kits to displaced in Iraq
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:39 pm
New York, Nov 22 (IBNS) The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is stepping up its efforts in Iraq to deliver winter aid to people displaced by this year’s conflict including Thursday with the landing in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region the first in a series of flights carrying supplies aimed at mitigating the impact of the harsh months ahead.
Pakistan: 22 militants killed in aerial strikes
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:50 am
Rawalpindi , Nov 21 (IBNS): At least 22 people were killed in 'precise' aerial strikes in Pakistan's Khyber Agency on Friday, officials said.
Pakistan: PAF training jet crashes
Nov 22, 2014, at 05:38 am
Karachi, Nov 21 (IBNS): A Mirage training jet of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed on the outskirts of Pakistan's Karachi city, media reports said.
Venkaiah Naidu shares his encounter with thief in Barcelona
Nov 21, 2014, at 05:17 pm
New Delhi, Nov 21 (IBNS): Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu on Friday shared his experience in Barcelona where a thief stole his bag but later threw it back in panic, media reports said.
UN humanitarian news service to be spun off
Nov 21, 2014, at 04:31 pm
New York, Nov 21 (IBNS): The humanitarian news service IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), after nearly 20 years as part of the United Nations, announced on Thursday that it will spin off to become an independent, non-profit media venture, with the support of a major private donor.
Ban urges Israeli, Palestinian leaders to stand up to extremists on both sides, end surging violence
Nov 21, 2014, at 04:29 pm
New York, Nov 21 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he was shocked by the recent deadly attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem and “at this delicate and dangerous juncture†both leaders must show the courage to do everything necessary to end the surging violence.
Iraq: UN envoy sees inclusive political process as critical to resolving crisis
Nov 21, 2014, at 04:27 pm
New York, Nov 21 (IBNS) As Iraq struggles to deal with the increasing security threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as well as with dire financial and humanitarian conditions, the United Nations envoy to the country has cited an inclusive political process as vital to finding comprehensive solutions.