UN agencies 'shocked and saddened' by vaccination deaths in Syria
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:51 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) Some 15 children died and 50 others were reportedly affected by a contaminated measles vaccination in Idlib, Syria, according to the United Nations.
UN General Assembly underlines 'strong commitment' to bolster response to Ebola outbreak
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:19 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) As an Ebola outbreak of “unprecedented nature and scope†continues its spread through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the United Nations General Assembly on Friday underlined it strong commitment to responding to the emergency in a timely, effective and coordinated manner and to support the affected countries in tackling the virus.
Ahead of Alzheimer's Day, UN expert urges greater protections for people with dementia
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:52 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) A United Nations independent expert on Friday called on Member States to do more to protect older people affected by dementia from stigmatization, discrimination, victimization and neglect.
Ebola: Joint UN assessment response team heads to Liberia
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:48 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) Hours after the United Nations decided to establish an emergency health mission to tackle the West African Ebola outbreak, a joint disaster team is heading to Liberia to assess the response to the virus, while a senior UN health official said that a vaccine could be ready by the end of this year.
Gates Foundation announced USD 7 lakh for J&K relief operations
Sep 19, 2014, at 09:49 pm
New Delhi, Sept 19 (IBNS): Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Friday announced emergency relief of USD 7 lakh for the flood victims of Jammu & Kashmir, in response to a request for his home state from Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space & Atomic Energy.
Ahead of UN climate summit, leading investors urge transition to low-carbon economy
Sep 19, 2014, at 09:23 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) Just days before United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convenes his much-anticipated climate summit, more than 340 global institutional investors representing over $24 trillion in assets are calling on Governments to take action that supports, rather than limits, investments in clean energy and climate solutions.
UN announces mission to combat Ebola, declares outbreak 'threat to peace and security'
Sep 19, 2014, at 09:18 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) The Security Council, in its first emergency meeting on a public health crisis, on Thursday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat to peace and security, asSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the United Nations will deploy a new emergency health mission to combat one of most horrific diseases on the planet that has shattered the lives of millions.
Bhopal Gas victims chain themselves to CM's house demanding compensation
Sep 19, 2014, at 03:34 am
Bhopal, Sept 18 (IBNS): Survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster, neighbourhood residents of the abandoned Union Carbide factory and their supporters on Thursday locked themselves to the Chief Minister's residence with a chain seeking adequate compensation and clean up of the contaminated factory site.
CERN, APS announce partnership for Open Access
Sep 19, 2014, at 12:22 am
Geneva, Sept 18 (IBNS): The American Physical Society (APS) and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) on Thursday jointly announced a partnership to make all CERN-authored articles published in the APS journal collection to be Open Access.
Ban welcomes US support in Ebola response ahead of Security Council emergency session on outbreak
Sep 18, 2014, at 03:18 pm
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, together with the head of the United Nations health agency, will outline the international action plan to contain Ebola on Thursday when the Security Council convenes an emergency meeting on the outbreak.
UN: nearly $1 billion needed to combat Ebola outbreak
Sep 17, 2014, at 02:59 pm
New York, Sept 17 (IBNS) The United Nations announced on Tuesday that it would need nearly $1 billion for an exceptional, international response to Ebola outbreak in West Africa, withSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon declaring: "Every day we delay, the cost and the suffering will grow exponentially."
Marking International Day, UN officials hail progress in reducing damage to ozone layer
Sep 17, 2014, at 02:57 pm
New York, Sept 17 (IBNS) United Nations officials on Tuesday hailed the progress made in reducing damage to the ozone layer and the vital role played by one of the most successful environmental treaties in history in phasing out ozone-depleting substances.
Kashmir susceptible to the outbreak of diseases: Omar
Sep 16, 2014, at 06:30 pm
Srinagar, Sep 16 (IBNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that certain areas in Kashmir Valley could be susceptible to the outbreak of diseases as those regions had been under water for past 10-12 days, reports said.
UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Ebola crisis
Sep 16, 2014, at 02:14 pm
New York, Sept 16 (IBNS) The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the Ebola outbreak that has gripped West Africa, the president of the 15-member body announced on Monday.
Aircel offers free 'Aircel Locate' service in Jammu and Kashmir
Sep 15, 2014, at 08:45 pm
Kolkata, Sept 15 (IBNS): Aircel offers free location based tracking service 'Aircel Locate' to help people locate their family and friends stranded in severe flood affected areas in Jammu & Kashmir, the company said on Monday.
New UN-backed protections for sharks, manta rays enter into effect
Sep 13, 2014, at 03:14 pm
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS) Beginning Sunday 14 September, international trade in specimens of five shark species and all manta ray species, including their meat, gills and fins, will need to be accompanied by permits and certificates confirming that they have been harvested sustainably and legally, as new United Nations-backed trade protections go into effect.
Welcoming boost in Ebola response, Ban urges greater global support to fight epidemic
Sep 13, 2014, at 03:12 pm
New York, Sept 12 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed signs of solidarity in the fight against the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and called on all countries and organizations to move swiftly to support the Governments of the countries affected.
NASA's Orion Spacecraft nears completion, ready for fueling
Sep 12, 2014, at 05:00 pm
California, Sept 12 (IBNS) NASA is making steady progress on its Orion spacecraft, completing several milestones this week at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the capsule's first trip to space in December.
Ebola: UN will 'stay the course' in Liberia, peacekeeping chief says
Sep 12, 2014, at 03:54 pm
New York, Sept 12 (IBNS) The United Nations will continue to stand by Liberia and its neighbours currently battling an "unprecedented" Ebola outbreak, the Organization's peacekeeping chief pledged on Thursday in Monrovia, spotlighting his mission to assess how the UN can further support the country.
Greenpeace urges TGBL to commit to a holistic approach that helps eliminate pesticides from tea
Sep 12, 2014, at 03:13 am
New Delhi, Sept 11 (IBNS): Weeks after Greenpeace released its report "Trouble Brewing" highlighting the presence of toxic pesticide residues in tea, the tea industry remains divided on the issue.
Railways come in aid of J&K flood victims
Sep 11, 2014, at 09:34 pm
New Delhi, Sept 11 (IBNS): Coming to the aid of flood ravaged victims of Jammu & Kashmir, Indian Railways has geared up his machinery to provide all possible help to the travelling public in the wake of unprecedented calamity that has gripped the state.
Ebola: UN relief chief allocates $4 million to bolster aid deliveries in West Africa
Sep 11, 2014, at 02:49 pm
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS) To help offset disruptions in aid delivery caused by travel restrictions on Ebola-affected countries, the top United Nations relief official on Wednesday approved an emergency allocation of nearly $4 million for the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to support operations in West Africa.
Ozone layer recovering but remains threatened – UN reports
Sep 11, 2014, at 02:40 pm
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS) The Earth's protective ozone layer is on track to recover by the middle of the century, the United Nations on Wednesday reported, urging unified action to tackle climate change and curb continued fluctuations to the composition of the atmosphere.
AMRI Hospitals organizes 2-day free health check-up camp for Bengal entertainment industry
Sep 11, 2014, at 05:36 am
Kolkata, Sept 10 (IBNS): AMRI Hospitals Ltd is organizing a 2-day free health check-up progamme at Purple Movie Town in Sonarpur for the entertainment industry of Bengal to sensitize the society at large on the merits of preventive healthcare which reinforces the hospital’s motto "Get Well Sooner".
Columbia Asia announces $150M expansion in Southeast Asia, India
Sep 11, 2014, at 04:43 am
Kolkata, Sept 10 (IBNS) Hospital systems in Southeast Asia and India, Columbia Asia, on Wednesday announced plans to invest another $150 million to expand its network to 34 hospitals and one clinic by 2018.
J&K floods a grim reminder of increasing climate change impact in India: CSE
Sep 11, 2014, at 03:40 am
New Delhi, Sept 10 (IBNS): As Jammu and Kashmir struggles to fight the onslaught of extreme weather with flood disrupting life in the north Indian state, an analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has suggested that it could be the result of extreme weather event, induced by a changing climate.
UN agency urges prosecution to end impunity for drug trafficking on high seas
Sep 10, 2014, at 03:05 pm
New York, Sept 10 (IBNS) The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hosted a special event on the rise of narcotics trafficking on maritime southern routes, particularly the Indian Ocean, advocating that drug traffickers caught in international waters be prosecuted.
As climate change debate heats up, UN experts warn 'we are running out of time'
Sep 10, 2014, at 03:03 pm
New York, Sept 10 (IBNS) The United Nations weather agency on Tuesday voiced concerns over the surge of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, which has reached a new record high in 2013, amid worrying sings that oceans and biosphere seem unable to soak up emissions as quickly as they used to.
'Merciless,' spread of Ebola in Liberia must be stopped in its tracks, Security Council told
Sep 10, 2014, at 03:00 pm
New York, Sept 10 (IBNS) Liberia is facing its greatest threat since its years-long conflict, the Security Council was told on Tuesday in a briefing that focused on the impact of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which is responsible for at least 1,200 deaths in the country.
Ebola: Ban to convene high-level meeting at UN headquarters to scale-up crisis response
Sep 10, 2014, at 02:57 pm
New York, Sept 10 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will convene leaders gathering in New York for the upcoming high-level segment of this year’s United Nations General Assembly to highlight the urgent needs and required response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.