UN affirms ‘historic’ global compact to support world’s refugees
Dec 18, 2018, at 09:39 am
New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The United Nations General Assembly affirmed a non-legally binding Global Compact on Refugees on Monday, marking the latest move by Member States to support the rights of 258 million people on the move worldwide.
First full satellite survey of devastated ancient Aleppo raises recovery hopes
Dec 18, 2018, at 09:34 am
New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The first comprehensive survey of the devastation inflicted on the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo by years of urban warfare, has been published thanks to ground-breaking satellite imaging tools, developed by UN agencies – an essential first step towards its eventual reconstruction.
Dec 18, 2018, at 09:17 am
New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on Monday announced that they had received the Government go-ahead to develop community projects in Myanmar’s Rakhine province, and called on authorities to provide “more effective access” to the area.
UN calls for funds to ease ‘deteriorating’ humanitarian situation in Gaza and West Bank
Dec 18, 2018, at 09:09 am
New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The need for aid in the occupied Palestinian territory has increased, following a year that has seen a “serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation,” said Jamie McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the region, in a statement on Monday.
Global Compact on Refugees: How is this different from the migrants’ pact and how will it help?
Dec 18, 2018, at 09:04 am
New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ have been used interchangeably to describe the millions of people worldwide that are either fleeing conflict or seeking better living conditions. As the United Nations sets out to secure global compacts to better protect them, it’s critical to understand the differences between the two.
Turkey gives citizenship to 72,000 Syrian refugees
Dec 17, 2018, at 07:21 pm
Ankara, Dec 17 (IBNS): The Turkish government has granted citizenship to as many as 72,000 Syrians refugees, media reports said on Monday
Explosion rocks Greece TV station, no casualty
Dec 17, 2018, at 06:41 pm
Athens, Dec 17 (IBNS): An explosion outside Skai TV premise in Greece has left the building extensively damaged, media reports said on Monday.
Japan restaurant explosion leaves 42 hurt
Dec 17, 2018, at 10:16 am
Tokyo, Dec 17 (IBNS): At least 42 people were hurt when a suspected gas explosion in Sapporo city left wooden buildings housing a Japanese-style pub, a real estate agency and a clinic, collapse on Sunday, media reports said.
100 Christians detained in China
Dec 17, 2018, at 10:07 am
Beijing, Dec 17 (IBNS): Hundred Christian pastors have been detained by authorities in China, media reports said on Monday.
Dec 17, 2018, at 09:10 am
New Delhi, Dec 17 (IBNS): Following a productive two weeks of global dialogue for the United Nations and its Member States, alongside governments and advocates, Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking in the Qatar capital, Doha, underscored the importance of international cooperation in the “enormous challenges” of our time, drawing the curtain on a job finished at Sunday’s Doha Forum.
41 injured in Japan restaurant explosion
Dec 16, 2018, at 09:38 pm
Tokyo, Dec 16 (IBNS): At least 41 people have been injured in an explosion that took place at a restaurant in northern Japan's Sapporo city on Sunday, reports said.
France: Security beefed up as Paris gears up for another weekend of protest
Dec 15, 2018, at 07:35 pm
Paris, Dec 15 (IBNS): Security officials have arrested several people as Paris is gearing up for a fifth straight week of protest on Saturday.
Australia recognises West Jerusalem as capital of Israel
Dec 15, 2018, at 06:58 pm
Sydney, Dec 15 (IBNS): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday confirmed that his government is going to recognize West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
UN countries unanimously support initiative of the Uzbekistan President on tolerance and harmony
Dec 15, 2018, at 05:18 pm
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): On December 12, 2018, the UN General Assembly has adopted a special resolution “Enlightenment and religious tolerance” at its plenary session. The document, the draft of which was developed by Uzbekistan, was unanimously supported by all UN member states.
Peacekeeping chief honours Tanzanian troops in Zanzibar, a year on from deadly DR Congo attacks
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:28 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): A year on from the brutal killings of 15 United Nations peacekeepers from Tanzania in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the head of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) paid a visit to some of the victims’ families on Friday, to honour the memory of the soldiers who died in what was the biggest single loss of ‘blue helmets’ in recent history.
Preparing Africa for ravages of climate change ‘cannot be an afterthought’ – COP24
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:26 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): Africa is at a “tipping point” as global warming increases, and urgent action needs to be taken across the continent now, to mitigate risks and safeguard a decade of social and economic gains, according to a new report launched on Thursday by the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) at the COP24 climate conference, in Katowice, Poland.
Security Council welcomes Yemen breakthrough, but lasting peace remains a ‘daunting task’
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:24 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): Senior UN officials briefed the Security Council on the details of a UN-brokered ceasefire in Yemen on Friday in and around the key port city of Hudaydah, which is expected to restore a humanitarian lifeline to millions across the country, and kickstart imports of commercial goods.
UN investigates systematic sexual violence across South Sudan
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:20 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): Widespread and systematic sexual violence across South Sudan, just a few months after the country’s top two politicians signed a renewed commitment to peace, was at the top of the UN Commission on Human Rights in the country’s agenda on Friday, as members ended their first fact-finding mission.
DR Congo elections: ‘Excessive use of force’ in campaign must be avoided, says Bachelet
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:17 am
New York,Dec 15 (IBNS): Deadly pre-election violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sparked by police reportedly firing live ammunition at opposition supporters, has been condemned by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
Yemen ceasefire deal: ‘Potential’ now to restore humanitarian lifeline to millions
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:15 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): The freshly agreed Yemen ceasefire deal covering the key Red Sea governorates of Hudaydah and Taiz has been welcomed by the World Food Programme (WFP), which on Friday expressed hope that it would improve access for humanitarians and, just as crucially, commercial shipping.
UN agencies launch emergency plan for millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants
Dec 15, 2018, at 09:13 am
New York, Dec 15 (IBNS): A new plan to cover the urgent needs of millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, coordinated by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was launchedin Geneva on Friday.
French security officials kill Strasbourg's Christmas market suspect
Dec 14, 2018, at 09:41 am
Paris, Dec 14 (IBNS): The key suspect in Strasbourg's Christmas market on Tuesday has been shot dead by the French police, media reports said on Friday.
Civilian death toll continues to mount in Syria, UN relief chief tells Security Council
Dec 14, 2018, at 09:03 am
New York, Dec 14 (IBNS): Although the overall intensity of violence in Syria has decreased, civilians continue to be killed by air and ground-based strikes, Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs told the Security Council on Thursday, during a briefing on the current situation in Syria.
Rising insecurity in Central Africa Republic threatens wider region, Security Council told
Dec 14, 2018, at 09:00 am
New York, Dec 14 (IBNS): Rising violence in the Central African Republic threatens to spill across the border into neighbouring countries, creating further instability, a senior United Nations official warned on Thursday, urging continued and coordinated regional efforts to bolster peace and security.
Four million Syrian children have only known war since birth: UNICEF
Dec 14, 2018, at 08:56 am
New York, Dec 14 (IBNS): Half of Syria’s children, that’s four million, have grown up only knowing a life of violence, as the war-battered country enters its eighth year of conflict, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
Yemen talks: Truce agreed over key port city of Hudaydah
Dec 14, 2018, at 08:48 am
New York, Dec 14 (IBNS): The announcement of a ceasefire between Yemen’s warring parties in and around the key port of Hudaydah, was hailed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday as a deal which would improve the lives of millions of people.
Haiti: ‘Laden with challenges’ but also hope, Mission chief tells Security Council
Dec 13, 2018, at 09:22 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS): Haiti is “laden with challenges, but also hope”, the head of the UN Mission in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday, against the backdrop of on-going political unrest in the Caribbean country.
‘Fire-fighting approach’ to humanitarian aid ‘not sustainable’: Deputy UN chief
Dec 13, 2018, at 09:19 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS): With around one in every 60 people across the world caught up in a crisis that requires urgent humanitarian assistance, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a top panel on the issue on Wednesday that maintaining a “fire-fighting approach is not sustainable” in the long term.
‘Staunch support’ for Iran nuclear deal tempered by concern over missile testing
Dec 13, 2018, at 09:13 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS): While there is “staunch support” among Member States for the 2016 Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, that is tempered by concerns over some of its other activities, which Iran “should carefully consider and address” according to the latest report on the deal from the UN Secretary-General.
Prisoner executions in Belarus ‘simply unacceptable’, says UN rights body
Dec 13, 2018, at 09:09 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS): The continued use of the death penalty in Belarus has been condemned by an authoritative UN rights body after three men were reportedly executed there, despite its requests for clemency.