Brexit poses ‘particular risk’ to British people in poverty: UN independent expert
Nov 17, 2018, at 08:46 am
New York, Nov 17 (IBNS): Brexit – the United Kingdom’s impending exit from the European Union – will drive more UK citizens into poverty unless the Government takes action to shield the most vulnerable, warned Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, in a damning statement released on Friday.
UNICEF welcomes Bangladesh statement that Rohingya will not be forced to leave
Nov 17, 2018, at 08:44 am
New York, Nov 17 (IBNS): UN Children’s Fund UNICEF on Friday welcomed confirmation from the Bangladesh authorities that Rohingya refugees will not be returned to Myanmar against their will, amid reported ongoing rights violations there.
California wildfires: 631 people missing in US state
Nov 16, 2018, at 07:28 pm
California, Nov 16 (IBNS): The number of missing in the wildfires which have hit California area in the USA has touched 631, media reports said on Friday.
Afghanistan: Man's body recovered with Taliban letter attached to his body
Nov 16, 2018, at 03:58 pm
Kabul, Nov 16 (IBNS): Taliban gunmen pulled out a man from a passenger vehicle in Afghanistan's Khashrud district and shot him dead, media reports said.
Nov 16, 2018, at 10:17 am
New York, Nov 16 (IBNS): Following successful delivery of lifesaving aid to tens of thousands of displaced Syrians in the ‘desolate’ area around Rukban camp last week, the United Nations is working urgently to send another convoy of supplies by mid-December, Jan Egeland, Senior Advisor to the UN Special Envoy on Yemen told reporters on Thursday.
UN chief condemns killing of ‘blue helmets’ in DR Congo, as violence erupts prior to elections
Nov 16, 2018, at 10:14 am
New York, Nov 16 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Gutteres condemned the killing of seven peacekeepers on Wednesday serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is also confronting a lethal Ebola outbreak.
Ukraine: Temperatures plunge amid rising humanitarian needs
Nov 16, 2018, at 10:10 am
New York, Nov 16 (IBNS): Amidst an ongoing active conflict that seems to have fallen off the international community’s radar, temperatures in eastern Ukraine dropping well below zero and leaving millions are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, said the United Nations, calling for support.
Sahel States need international support ‘now more than ever’– UN peacekeeping chief
Nov 16, 2018, at 10:07 am
New York, Nov 16 (IBNS): Africa’s crisis-torn Sahel region needs support from the international community “now more than ever,” the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the Security Council on Thursday.
‘Let the children live’: UN prepares to ramp up food aid to Yemen as famine risk grows
Nov 16, 2018, at 10:04 am
New York, Nov 16 (IBNS): As the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) prepares to ramp up aid to Yemen, in the face of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, David Beasley, Executive-Director of the agency, issued a heartfelt plea for all warring parties to end “this horrible war.”
Afghanistan: Kabul University clash kills 1
Nov 16, 2018, at 09:04 am
Kabul, Nov 16 (IBNS): Two groups clashed in Kabul University campus of Afghanistan, leaving at least one person killed on Thursday, media reports said on Friday.
Canada wants answer from Saudi over its role in Khashoggi killing, says Trudeau
Nov 15, 2018, at 07:56 pm
Ottawa, Nov 15 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his country wants an answer from Saudi Arabia over its alleged role in journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing in Turkey, media reports said.
Brexit Secretary Raab resigns, UK PM Theresa May faces backlash
Nov 15, 2018, at 07:47 pm
London, Nov 15 (IBNS): UK Prime Minister Theresa May is facing backlash as Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab on Thursday resigned over the agreement, media reports said.
Afghanistan : Five militants killed in US airstrike
Nov 15, 2018, at 11:50 am
Kabul, Nov 15 (IBNS) : At least five militants were killed in an airstrike carried out by the U.S. forces in southeastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, local Khaama Press quoted the Afghan Military as saying on Wednesday.
Nov 15, 2018, at 10:27 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The Iraqi government’s latest moves toward constructive engagement with Kuwait mark a step towards “the full normalization” of relations between the two countries following decades of strained relations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.
Everyone’s ‘buy-in’ needed to restore peace in Kosovo, UN envoy tells Security Council
Nov 15, 2018, at 10:24 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have confirmed their “mutual intention” to continue working towards a negotiated settlement but the situation on the ground remains marred by “frequent adversarial actions,” with real consequences for people on the ground, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Eritrea sanctions lifted amid growing rapprochement with Ethiopia: Security Council
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:14 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): A range of international sanctions imposed against Eritrea nearly a decade ago, were unanimously lifted by the Security Council on Wednesday, four months after the signing of an historic peace agreement with Ethiopia in July.
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:08 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): Sounding the alarm about the urgent need to protect coral reefs from extinction within decades, a new coalition of organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), was launched on Wednesday in Egypt during the UN Biodiversity Conference, to galvanize global leadership before it is too late.
UN and Tokyo 2020, leverage power of Olympic Games in global sustainable development race
Nov 15, 2018, at 09:04 am
New York, Nov 15 (IBNS): The United Nations and the organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have signed an agreement to highlight the important contribution that sport makes in the race to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by the ambitious deadline of 2030.
Canada: Medical cannabis users complain of shortages
Nov 14, 2018, at 07:19 pm
Ottawa, Nov 14 (IBNS): Medical cannabis users are complaining of shortages of marijuana and delays in production, media reports said.
Canada wants free trade agreement with Asian nations: PM Trudeau
Nov 14, 2018, at 07:19 pm
Singapore, Nov 14 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his country wants free trade deal with a bloc of 10 Asian nations, media reports said.
Political Crisis in island nation: Sri Lankan Parliament votes to reject new prime minister
Nov 14, 2018, at 04:51 pm
Colombo, Nov 14 (IBNS): In a new twist to the political crisis in Sri Lanka, the country's parliament on Wednesday passed a vote of no-confidence against the newly-appointed prime minister chosen by President Sirisena.
Donald Trump celebrates Diwali at White House, calls Modi a friend
Nov 14, 2018, at 11:04 am
Washington, Nov 14 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump has referred to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "friend" while celebrating Hindu festival Diwali at the White House on Tuesday.
Congo Prospers from Environmental Protection
Nov 14, 2018, at 10:09 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): Families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being supported by their government and the United Nations to protect the environment and build what the UN Development Programme calls “climate-resilient lives.”
Help build vulnerable island states’ resilience to extreme weather, urges senior UN official
Nov 14, 2018, at 10:02 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): With Small Island Developing States (SIDS) bearing the brunt of economic losses from climate change, making them more resilient to extreme weather events must be a priority, said Inga Rhonda King, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), speaking at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
Building climate resilience and peace, go hand in hand for Africa’s Sahel – UN forum
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:55 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): To build a sustainable peace in Africa’s Sahel region, “urgent attention” is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change, and ensure that communities have access to sufficient opportunities, a joint meeting between the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN Peacebuilding Commission highlighted on Tuesday.
‘Terror and panic’ among Rohingya who may be forced to return to Myanmar – UN rights chief
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:52 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): There is “terror and panic” among Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh, who are at imminent risk of being returned to Myanmar against their will, the United Nations top human rights official has said, warning that the returns would seriously endanger the lives of those sent back.
Outgoing UN official praises Iraq’s ‘exemplary peaceful transfer of power’ at the top
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:47 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): In his last briefing as the top United Nations official in Iraq, Ján Kubiš updated the Security Council on the country’s post-election political settlement, commending the “exemplary peaceful transfer of power” between Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his successor, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who was sworn in at the end of October.
UN receives ‘Humanium’ wristwatch gift, symbolizing peaceful transformation
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:43 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): On Friday, the United Nations disarmament chief was presented with a watch that does more than just tell the time. Made from “Humanium” – a metal processed from confiscated firearms in El Salvador – it symbolizes how peaceful transformation can be wrought from bloody conflict.
United States: UN chief ‘deeply saddened’ by deadly California wildfires
Nov 14, 2018, at 09:40 am
New York, Nov 14 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep sadness” over the loss of lives and damages caused by devastating wildfires in the state of California in the United States.