As Haiti struggles to stamp out cholera, UN urges further international support to combat disease
Jul 14, 2017, at 01:41 pm
New York, July 14(Just Earth News): Noting the challenges that continue to hamper sustained progress in combating cholera in Haiti, the United Nations General Assembly underscored the need to strengthen national health, sanitation and water systems on the island to promote the well-being of the population as well as contributing to Haiti’s sustainable development efforts.
Jul 14, 2017, at 01:40 pm
New York, July 14(Just Earth News): Economic analysis by the United Nations over the past 70 years has proven to be accurate and can help countries navigate through a difficult current world economic situation and implement the new global development goals, an in-depth review of the analysis has found.
Liberation of Mosul a 'milestone' in global fight against ISIL – UN Security Council
Jul 14, 2017, at 01:40 pm
New York, July 14(Just Earth News): The liberation of Mosul has marked an “important milestone†in the global fight against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, welcoming the announcement by Iraqi authorities that the city has been freed of the terrorist group.
Security Council deplores ongoing violence, attacks on civilians in Central African Republic
Jul 14, 2017, at 01:39 pm
New York, July 14(Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed concern at the ongoing clashes between armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) and deplored that civilians from some communities, UN peacekeepers and aid workers continue to be targeted.
Hike in key interest rate will cost of mortgage and loans more: Bank of Canada
Jul 14, 2017, at 06:26 am
Ottawa, July 14 (IBNS): The Bank of Canada said that its overnight move to raise its key interest rate from 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent, its first increase in nearly seven years, would result in increased costs of mortgages, home equity lines of credit and loans linked to the big bank prime rates.
Toronto judge turns down request to freeze Omar Khadr's assets
Jul 14, 2017, at 06:21 am
Toronto, July 13 (IBNS): A Toronto court has turned down a request from the wife of a dead U.S. soldier to freeze Canadian citizen Omar Khadr's assets, terming it as "extraordinary", media reports said.
Leveraging ICTs critical to achieve Global Goals, UN highlights in new report
Jul 14, 2017, at 04:34 am
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): Underscoring the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) in on Thursday's world, the heads of over 20 United Nations agencies and offices have called for leveraging those technologies to “fast forward†implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
World loses 'principled champion,' says UN rights chief on death of China's Liu Xiaobo
Jul 14, 2017, at 04:33 am
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): The top United Nations human rights official on Thursday expressed his deep sorrow at the news that China's “iconic†peace and democracy figure, Liu Xiaobo, has died at the age of 61.
Tourism key to foster trade for least developed countries – UN-backed report
Jul 14, 2017, at 04:32 am
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): A United Nations-backed report released on Thursday stressed the need for greater recognition of tourism as a key service export in order to attract technical assistance to the sector in least developed countries (LDCs).
Brazil convict Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of corruption charges
Jul 13, 2017, at 05:15 pm
Brasilia, Jul 13 (IBNS): Brazilian prosecutors have convicted former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of corruption charges and sentenced him to a nine and a half years jail, reports said.
UN human rights expert calls unofficial visit to Belarus ‘first step’ towards cooperation
Jul 13, 2017, at 01:26 pm
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): An independent United Nations human rights expert back from an unofficial visit to Belarus on Wednesday said he was hopeful for a dialogue to begin with the country’s Government.
UN envoy on sexual violence in conflict urges protection of survivors released from ISIL-held Mosul
Jul 13, 2017, at 01:25 pm
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): The United Nations official advocating against the use of sexual violence in conflict on Wednesday urged all Iraqis to shun stigmatization, and called for women and girls returning from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) captivity to be embraced into their communities and supported, especially if they have children as a result of rape.
Jul 13, 2017, at 01:24 pm
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): As the war in Yemen grinds on, the increasing battles of attrition are extracting a terrible toll on the country’s women, men and children, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council, calling for concrete action to end the fighting.
New sites inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage list
Jul 13, 2017, at 01:23 pm
New York, July 13(Just Earth News): The World Heritage Committee wrapped its 41st session on Wednesday having inscribed 21 new sites on the United Nations cultural wing’s World Heritage List – locations ranging from the site of iconic ancient ruins in south-western Turkey to a district of stunning mountains and mirror lakes in England.
UN in South Sudan concerned about civilians fleeing Government, rebel fighting in Upper Nile
Jul 13, 2017, at 05:01 am
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): Thousands of South Sudanese civilians are fleeing to neighbouring Ethiopia as Government troops advance on a rebel stronghold in the Upper Nile region, a senior United Nations official today said, expressing grave concern about what is already the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis.
Billions around the world lack safe water, proper sanitation facilities, reveals UN report
Jul 13, 2017, at 05:00 am
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): Some three in ten people around the world lack access to safe and readily available water at home, and almost six in ten to safely managed sanitation, a new United Nations report has warned, calling on countries to do more to fulfil these basic human needs.
IAEA Mission says Nigerian nuclear regulator committed to safety, sees areas for improvement
Jul 13, 2017, at 04:58 am
Abuja, Nigeria, July 12(Just Earth News): An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said that Nigeria has a committed regulatory body that works for the continuous improvement of nuclear and radiation safety, but noted challenges related to its independence in implementing regulatory decisions and activities.
Green method developed for making artificial spider silk
Jul 13, 2017, at 01:23 am
London, July 12 (IBNS): Researchers have designed a super stretchy, strong and sustainable material that mimics the qualities of spider silk, and is ‘spun’ from a material that is 98% water.
Stanford researchers find intriguing clues about obesity by counting steps via smartphones
Jul 13, 2017, at 12:31 am
London, July 12 (IBNS): Stanford researchers using smartphones to track the activity levels of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe made an intriguing discovery: In countries with little obesity, people mostly walked a similar amount per day.
Generous people live happier lives, says study
Jul 12, 2017, at 08:59 pm
London, July 12 (IBNS): Generosity makes people happier, even if they are only a little generous. People who act solely out of self-interest are less happy. Merely promising to be more generous is enough to trigger a change in our brains that makes us happier. This is what UZH neuroeconomists found in a recent study.
Turkey : Five killed in police operation against ISIS sleeper cell operatives
Jul 12, 2017, at 07:53 pm
Ankara, Jul 12 (IBNS) : Five ISIS fighters were killed in an anti-terror operation in central Turkey's Konya province on Wednesday, media reports said.
Aid agenices in Yemen forced to shift resources from fighting hunger to cholera – UN
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:40 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): Unless the international community contributes $200 million to address the cholera outbreak in Yemen, the United Nations humanitarian arm will be forced to “reprogram†more resources tagged for malnutrition in the country already facing famine, a senior official on Tuesday said.
Eleven global banks partner with UN to make financial markets more climate transparent
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:38 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): Representing over $7 trillion, eleven major financial institutions around the globe have joined forces with the United Nations to promote climate transparency in financial markets, the Organization’s environment wing said on Tuesday.
Asia-Pacific moving in ‘wrong direction’ on some development targets, notes UN regional report
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:37 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): Despite an impressive track record, the Asia-Pacific region will need to scale up development efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the target envisioned, the United Nations development arm for the region has said.
UN agency helps nearly 100,000 migrants return home in 2016
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:36 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): The United Nations migration agency reported on Tuesday that it helped nearly 100,000 migrants return home voluntarily last year, a 41 per cent increase over 2015. This assistance was provided through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR ) programmes and highlighted in its 2016 Key Highlights report. In a corresponding news release, IOM notes that the people assisted in 2016 from 110 countries were returned to 161 countries and territories of origin.
Security Council warned DR Congo’s violence on rise amid little political progress
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:35 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): The security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to be a major source of concern, with violence in the Kasai provinces, in the western part of the vast country, reaching “disturbing†levels, the United Nations Security Council was told on Tuesday.
Living conditions in Gaza 'more and more wretched' over past decade, UN finds
Jul 12, 2017, at 01:35 pm
New York, July 12(Just Earth News): A decade after Hamas seized the Gaza Strip, the living conditions for two million people in the Palestinian enclave are deteriorating “further and faster†than the prediction made in 2012 that the enclave would become “unlivable†by 2020, a new United Nations report has found.
Safe, effective family planning is key to 'empowering people, developing nations' – UN
Jul 12, 2017, at 04:35 am
New York, July 11(Just Earth News): If the demand of women in developing countries who wanted access to safe and effective family planning was met, it would reduce an estimated 100,000 maternal death and avert 67 million unintended pregnancies, the United Nations population agency on Tuesday said.
With Mosul reclaimed, accountability key to heal Iraq's 'ISIL wounds' – UN rights chief
Jul 12, 2017, at 04:34 am
New York, July 11(Just Earth News): Although the retaking of Mosul city from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters by Iraqi Government forces marks a significant turning point in the conflict, Iraq must ensure that those who committed crimes be held accountable, the United Nations human rights chief has said.
Jul 12, 2017, at 04:33 am
New York, July 11(Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that the opening of the road to Syria's north-eastern Hassakeh governorate is already making a difference for humanitarian aid delivery on the ground.