UN stresses ‘full commitment’ to Ukraine grain deal as Russia offers 60-day extension
Mar 14, 2023, at 09:59 pm
New York: The UN chief on Monday confirmed the UN would “do everything possible to preserve the integrity” of the Black Sea Grain Initiative – the deal agreed between Ukraine and Russia last July that is due to expire in just a few days.
Japan govt approves bill to raise age of consent, amend range of sexual offense charges
Mar 14, 2023, at 09:43 pm
Tokyo: Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill to amend the country's Penal Code regarding the age of sexual consent and a range of sexual offense charges.
Digital technology new source of discrimination against women: Guterres
Mar 14, 2023, at 09:12 pm
New York: During a dialogue with women civil society leaders in the UN General Assembly Hall on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres heard about the critical need to make the internet safer for women and girls – and to ensure that they are equal participants in global conservations, both online and in-person.
UN experts call on South Africa to create torture prevention body
Mar 14, 2023, at 09:00 pm
New York: South Africa must swiftly set up a watchdog mechanism to examine prisons, detention centres, and other facilities, UN independent experts on torture prevention said on Monday, citing “entrenched” ill treatment.
Step up support to Syria-Türkiye earthquake survivors: UN refugee chief
Mar 14, 2023, at 07:22 pm
New York: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Monday underlined the need for greater and urgent international support for survivors of the recent deadly earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye following a five-day visit to the two countries.
UN expert calls for ‘new philosophy’ to better serve persons with disabilities
Mar 14, 2023, at 07:19 pm
New York: A “new philosophy” and broader approaches can transform services for persons with disabilities, a UN-appointed independent expert told the Human Rights Council on Monday.
Tibetans mark 64th anniversary of National Uprising in Rome
Mar 14, 2023, at 04:17 am
Rome: A large section of Tibetans marked the 64th anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising in Rome recently.
Twenty-two killed after migrant boat capsizes off Madagascar
Mar 13, 2023, at 03:19 pm
Antananarivo: At least 22 people have been killed after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Madagascar in Southern Africa, Madagascar's port authority said on Sunday evening.
Tibetans protest in Vienna to mark National Uprising Day
Mar 13, 2023, at 02:23 am
Vienna: Tibetans marked the National Uprising Day in Vienna city of Austria on Friday by protesting in front of Chinese Embassy against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), media reports said on Saturday.
School girls poisoned in Iran: Over 100 suspects arrested
Mar 13, 2023, at 12:15 am
Iranian authorities have arrested more than 100 people in connection with the recent suspected poisoning of girl students across the country, local media reports said.
Türkey-Syria quakes: Migration chief hails ‘proud and brave’ citizens of Antakya
Mar 12, 2023, at 11:37 pm
The head of the UN migration agency IOM, stood in the middle of the ancient Turkish city of Antakya on Saturday, and called on the international community to “strengthen its efforts” to ensure aid reaches the millions impacted by last month’s deadly earthquakes.
French Senate ratifies pension reform bill despite countrywide protest
Mar 12, 2023, at 09:11 pm
Paris: The French Senate on Saturday approved the country's pension reform plan, despite the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets to protest a significant policy change that could define President Emmanuel Macron's second five-year term.
UK, France seek to develop new cruise missile by 2030: Joint Declaration
Mar 12, 2023, at 01:24 am
London: London and Paris have flagged their intention to build a new jointly-developed cruise anti-ship missile by 2030, according to a statement released following a France-UK summit on Friday.
Turkey neutralizes interpol red notice terrorist of PKK, says Interior Minister
Mar 11, 2023, at 11:34 pm
Ankara: Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Saturday that a top terrorist of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a subject of an Interpol red notice for internationally wanted persons, Hamiyet Yalcinkaya, was neutralized.
Over 4,000 illegal migrants arrived in Italy by sea in last 4 days: Reports
Mar 11, 2023, at 11:27 pm
Rome: More than 4,000 undocumented migrants have arrived in Italy via the Mediterranean Sea in the past four days, Italian broadcaster RaiNews24 reported on Saturday.
Syria: Guterres demands ‘renewed energy’ for peace as war enters 12th year
Mar 11, 2023, at 11:09 pm
New York: Support provided to Syria following the recent deadly earthquakes must be directed towards finding a political solution to the civil war, now entering its 12th year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.
Ukraine: UN aid trucks reach frontline town of Chasiv Yar
Mar 11, 2023, at 10:53 pm
New York: A three-truck convoy of aid from UN agencies reached the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar on Friday, close to the most intense battle of the war on the eastern front, for the shattered city of Bakhmut.
UN observes first International Day against Islamophobia
Mar 11, 2023, at 10:42 pm
New York: The United Nations on Friday commemorated the first-ever International Day to Combat Islamophobia with a special event in the General Assembly Hall, where speakers upheld the need for concrete action in the face of rising hatred, discrimination and violence against Muslims.
300,000 flee ongoing violence in DR Congo in February alone: UNHCR
Mar 11, 2023, at 09:06 pm
New York: Humanitarians issued an alert on Friday for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where heavy fighting continues to uproot hundreds of thousands of people in east of the country.
Rights experts ‘deeply disturbed’ by Russian Wagner Group recruitment of prisoners
Mar 11, 2023, at 09:02 pm
New York: UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Friday said they were “deeply disturbed” by reports of the systematic recruitment of prisoners across Russia by the private military contractor known as the Wagner Group, which is playing a major role in the fighting in Ukraine.
Horn of Africa hunger emergency: ‘129,000 looking death in the eyes’
Mar 11, 2023, at 08:50 pm
New York: Life-threatening hunger caused by climate shocks, violent insecurity and disease in the Horn of Africa, have left nearly 130,000 people “looking death in the eyes” and nearly 50 million facing crisis levels of food insecurity, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
The oldest learner of Isle of Wight: 101-year-old Madge Brown receives honorary teaching degree
Mar 11, 2023, at 03:23 pm
London: 101-year-old Madge Brown and 94-year-old Sheila Gordon, who are both residents of the Isle of Wight, received their honorary degrees, decades after they qualified as teachers.
Germany: Berlin to soon allow women to swim topless in public pools
Mar 11, 2023, at 02:58 pm
Berlin: The German city of Berlin will soon allow women to swim topless in public pools, media reports said.
Vessel to remove oil from stricken Yemen tanker could arrive by May
Mar 10, 2023, at 10:41 pm
New York: UN-led efforts to prevent a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea took a major step forward on Thursday with the announcement of a deal to purchase a vessel that will remove more than a million barrels of oil from a decaying supertanker that has threatened the region for years.
Ukraine: IAEA chief slams ‘complacency’ over stricken Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
Mar 10, 2023, at 10:33 pm
New York: Amid the biggest reported missile attack on Ukraine in weeks, the UN’s atomic energy agency, IAEA, said on Thursday that Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant had to switch to backup generators once again, after losing all power.
LDC5: World leaders back ‘blueprint for recovery, renewal, resilience’ in least developed countries
Mar 10, 2023, at 08:44 pm
New York: The Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) concluded on Thursday with countries adopting concrete measures to implement the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) – which aims to renew and strengthen commitments between LDCs and their development partners – marking a transformative turning point for the world’s most vulnerable countries.
UNICEF warns of deepening inequalities in Europe and Central Asia
Mar 10, 2023, at 07:48 pm
The COVID-19 pandemic, climate disasters and ongoing conflict have deepened inequalities among children in Europe and Central Asia, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report published on Thursday, calling for more robust support for boys and girls at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Envoy ‘deeply disturbed’ by mounting violence between Israelis and Palestinians
Mar 10, 2023, at 06:22 pm
In response to the latest violent unrest in the West Bank, the UN Middle East envoy has underlined the need for Israelis and Palestinians to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation.
International Women’s Day puts the spotlight on digital gender equality
Mar 10, 2023, at 06:09 pm
New York: The UN General Assembly was awash in a sea of blue on Wednesday as some 1,800 people gathered to mark International Women’s Day, which this year focused on the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education.
Compromise is crucial in search for peace for sake of all Syrians, urges UN negotiator
Mar 10, 2023, at 06:03 pm
New York: The Syrian conflict will only be resolved if all parties involved in it are prepared to make the kind of compromises on humanitarian grounds that followed last month’s earthquake disaster, UN negotiator Geir Pedersen said on Wednesday.