Ebola crisis highlights need for strong resourceful states, Kenyan leader tells UN assembly

Sep 25, 2014, at 06:01 pm

New York, Sept 25 (IBNS) The Ebola epidemic now sweeping several West African countries underlines the imperative to build strong States that can withstand crises and respond to emergencies," Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday on the opening day of its annual high-level segment.

Modern India must continue to lead the world: Modi

Sep 24, 2014, at 10:48 pm

Bangalore, Sept 24 (IBNS) Sharing the joy of India's Mars Mission with ISRO scientists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said modern India must continue to lead the world.

Ban hails 'bold' announcements on tackling climate change as historic UN summit closes

Sep 24, 2014, at 07:20 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Bold new actions to immediately tackle climate change were announced on Tuesday by Government, business, finance and civil society leaders attending a historic Climate Summit convened by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has long urged workable solutions based on "clear vision anchored in domestic and multinational actions."

President congratulates ISRO for the successful Orbit Insertion of 'Mangalyaan'

Sep 24, 2014, at 07:18 pm

New Delhi: Sept 24 (IBNS) President Pranab Mukherjee has congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the successful Orbit Insertion Maneuver of the Mars Orbiter Mission 'Mangalyaan'.

First-ever indigenous peoples' world conference concludes with focus on climate

Sep 24, 2014, at 07:07 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) With climate change taking centre stage at the United Nations, the first ever World Conference on Indigenous Peoples wrapped up on Tuesday with a focus on Mother Earth and the future of the planet.

At summit, UN agencies pledge action to curb climate change

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:57 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Joining the chorus of Government, businesses, civil society and indigenous leaders at on Tuesday ’s landmark Climate Summit at Headquarters, United Nations agencies pledged action to help curb the effects of climate change and transition towards a sustainable world economy.

Governments, corporations pledge at UN summit to eliminate deforestation by 2030

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:48 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Dozens of Governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples participating in the United Nations Climate Summit in New York on Tuesday pledged to halve deforestation by 2020 and to end within the following decade.

Mayors at UN climate summit announce pledges towards major carbon cuts in cities

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:45 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) A compact of Mayors from cities around the world announced on Tuesday that they will expand their commitments to scale up climate resilience efforts, energy efficiency programs and resilient financing mechanisms including through an initiative that aims to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 454 megatons by 2020.

Ban to convene meeting of world leaders on tackling Ebola outbreak

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:33 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced he will convene a meeting of world leaders this week on a response to the Ebola outbreak as new studies warn of an exponential climb in the coming weeks unless swift action is taken to control the spread of the virus.

India's Mars Orbiter successfully enters Red Planet orbit, PM congratulates

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:30 pm

Bangalore, Sept 24 (IBNS): India entered a big league in space science and created history on Wednesday with its much touted Mars Mission achieving a milestone as its Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, successfully entered the Red Planet's orbit.

Commitment to sustainable transport mobilized at UN Climate Summit

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:16 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Four global transport initiatives announced at the United Nations Climate Summit on Tuesday aim to put the transport sector on a new track towards a low-carbon future and save trillions of dollars in fuel costs in the process.

Australia lets world know India's Mars Orbiter Mission has arrived

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:06 pm

New Delhi, Sept 24 (IBNS) Australian engineers and technicians working at the CSIRO-managed Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in regional Australia Tuesday played a critical role in confirming the successful first phase of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission.

Oil, gas industry launches 'immediate-impact' plan to slash global warming emissions

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:04 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Multinational oil and gas companies, major producing States and over two dozen cities on Tuesday joined forces to slash methane emissions in a partnership that can have an immediate impact in reducing global warming as part of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s strategy to tackle climate change.

At UN summit, plans announced to boost low-carbon, renewable energy in Africa, small islands

Sep 24, 2014, at 06:01 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) A new initiative announced on Tuesday at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York is expected to reduce dependency on fossil fuels in eastern and southern Africa at a time when regional demand for electricity is estimated to at least double over the next quarter century.

Climate Summit: 'All hands on deck' declares Ban, calling for leadership, concrete action

Sep 24, 2014, at 04:56 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) We are not here to talk, we are here to make history, United NationsSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday told world leaders at an "unprecedented and important gathering" that aims to raise ambition, mobilize resources, and generate action towards a universal climate deal.

Ebola: As global response lags, UN warns 20,000 may be infected by November

Sep 24, 2014, at 04:53 pm

New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Unless efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in West Africa are ramped up, more than 20,000 people could be infected by early November, according to a joint United Nations study published on Tuesday that predicts number of cases will climb exponentially.

Ban seeks 'vision, concrete action' from world leaders at UN climate summit

Sep 23, 2014, at 06:14 pm

New York, Sept 3 (IBNS) True to his belief that tackling climate change requires “all hands on deck”, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is gathering a new and unique mix of partners at United Nations Headquarters Tuesday – from Government, business, finance and civil society – for a summit aiming to raise ambition, mobilize resources, and generate action towards a universal climate deal.

UN Women, Mary Robinson, to host special climate change event for women leaders

Sep 23, 2014, at 05:50 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) On the eve of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Climate Summit, UN climate envoy Mary Robinson and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the head of UN Women, are gathering with some 130 other women leaders to show their commitment to climate action.

Advance team of UN mission for Ebola response arrives in West Africa

Sep 23, 2014, at 05:25 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Laying the groundwork for the effective and coherent action necessary to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has sickened more than 5,800 people and killed some 2,800, an advance team of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response arrived on Monday in Accra, Ghana to set up the operation's headquarters.

Newly-detected bird flu in Southeast Asia poses threat to animal health, people's livelihoods

Sep 23, 2014, at 05:03 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday warned that a recently-emerged strain of avian influenza virus detected in poultry in Southeast Asia presents a new threat to animal health and livelihoods and must be closely monitored.

Extreme weather hits Asia, Europe as world leaders gear up for UN climate summit

Sep 23, 2014, at 04:58 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Heavy rains and flooding devastated parts of the Philippines, France and Italy over the weekend and may be further indications of the ‘new normal’ that the world will have to deal with if no accelerated action is taken to curb global warming, the head of United Nations Disaster Reduction Office said on Monday on the eve of the UN Climate Summit in New York.

Extreme weather hits Asia, Europe as world leaders gear up for UN climate summit

Sep 23, 2014, at 02:53 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Heavy rains and flooding devastated parts of the Philippines, France and Italy over the weekend and may be further indications of the ‘new normal’ that the world will have to deal with if no accelerated action is taken to curb global warming, the head of United Nations Disaster Reduction Office said on Monday on the eve of the UN Climate Summit in New York.

Extreme weather hits Asia, Europe as world leaders gear up for UN climate summit

Sep 23, 2014, at 02:53 pm

New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Heavy rains and flooding devastated parts of the Philippines, France and Italy over the weekend and may be further indications of the ‘new normal’ that the world will have to deal with if no accelerated action is taken to curb global warming, the head of United Nations Disaster Reduction Office said on Monday on the eve of the UN Climate Summit in New York.

2014 Arctic sea ice minimum sixth lowest on record

Sep 23, 2014, at 06:12 am

California, Sept 22 (IBNS): Arctic sea ice coverage continued its below-average trend this year as the ice declined to its annual minimum on Sept. 17, according to the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

ISRO successfully test fires Mars Orbiter Spacecraft's main liquid engine

Sep 23, 2014, at 01:50 am

Sriharikota, Sept 22 (IBNS): In a significant achievement, India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) satellite "Mangalyaan" on Monday cleared a crucial four-second motor fire test just 48 hours ahead of its insertion into the martian orbit.

"Mangalyaan" clears rehearsal test, readies for D-day

Sep 22, 2014, at 09:41 pm

Sriharikota, Sept 22 (IBNS): India,s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) satellite "Mangalyaan" on Monday cleared a crucial four-second motor fire test just 48 hours ahead of its insertion into the martian orbit, when history will be created, media reported.

NASA's newest Mars mission spacecraft enters orbit around Red Planet

Sep 22, 2014, at 05:30 pm

California, Sept 22 (IBNS) NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars' orbit at 10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.

Feature: No 'Plan B' for climate action as there is no 'Planet B, says UN chief

Sep 22, 2014, at 05:28 pm

New York, Sept 22 (IBNS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday told what is thought to be the largest ever march in the United States demanding measures to halt the advance of global climate change, that there is no "Plan B" for action as there is no "Planet B."

NASA Cargo launches to space station aboard SpaceX resupply mission

Sep 22, 2014, at 07:51 am

California, Sept 21 (IBNS) About 5,000 pounds of NASA science investigations and cargo are on their way to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

Ban launches UN Ebola response mission; advance teams to arrive in West Africa on Monday

Sep 21, 2014, at 03:28 am

New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has officially established the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response and has instructed the advance teams for the first-of-its-kind operation to head to its base in Accra, Ghana, by Monday.