UN reports increase in nations supporting renewable energy
Jun 04, 2014, at 05:16 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The number of developing countries with policies in place to support renewable energy has increased six-fold in just eight years, resulting in one-fifth of the world's power production now coming from renewable sources, according to a United Nations-backed report produced ahead of the UN Sustainable Energy for All Forum.
Astronomers find the 'Mega-Earth'
Jun 04, 2014, at 06:30 am
Cambridge, June 3 (IBNS): Astronomers have announced that they have discovered a new type of planet - a rocky world weighing 17 times as much as Earth.
CERN's ALPHA experiment measures charge of antihydrogen
Jun 04, 2014, at 03:25 am
Geneva, June 3 (IBNS): In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications on Tuesday, the ALPHA experiment at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator (AD) reported a measurement of the electric charge of antihydrogen atoms, finding it to be compatible with zero to eight decimal places.
UN hails move by US to curb power plant emissions
Jun 03, 2014, at 04:54 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): United Nations officials on Monday welcomed the initiative announced by President Barack Obama to limit emissions from power plants in the United States, voicing their hope that it will spur other countries to take concrete action to combat climate change.
New York: Ban welcomes Mayor's pledge to flight climate threat
Jun 03, 2014, at 04:50 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Big cities like New York are on the frontlines of the climate threat as well as engines of innovation, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday, welcoming Mayor Bill de Blasio's pledge to "green" the "city that never sleeps" and to pursue a framework for sustainable urban areas.
Harsh Vardhan requests CMs for action on AIIMS projects
Jun 01, 2014, at 02:20 am
New Delhi, May 31 (IBNS): Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan has decided to request the Chief Ministers of all states for their cooperation to set up super-speciality hospitals modelled on All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in their states.
UN seeks global cooperation for battle against climate change
May 30, 2014, at 05:25 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations agency on human settlements on Thursday said he hoped thousands of cities around the world will join forces to sign a compact to strengthen cooperation in tackling climate challenges when the UN convenes a summit on the issue four months from now.
UN issues guide to make fisheries more sustainable
May 29, 2014, at 05:14 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): A new series of guides released on Wednesday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will make it easier for fishers to identify deep-sea sharks, as well as improve reporting on catches and make deep-sea fisheries more sustainable.
Haiti: UN reports lowest number of cholera cases
May 29, 2014, at 05:01 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): The Haitian Prime Minister, the UN Special Representative to Haiti and the UN Senior Coordinator for cholera response vowed to press on with intensified efforts to eliminate the disease from the island as reports from the first months of 2014 reflected the lowest number of cases and cholera-related deaths since the beginning of the epidemic.
'Horlicks Ahaar Abhiyan' continues in West Bengal
May 28, 2014, at 09:08 pm
Kolkata, May 28 (IBNS): Multinational pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company GlaxoSmithKline said it is continuing its endeavor to sensitize on the cause of malnutrition with its initiative 'Horlicks Ahaar Abhiyan' in West Bengal.
Funding shortfall threatens health services for Somalis
May 28, 2014, at 06:14 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that it will have to suspend essential health services in Somalia unless it receives additional funding within one month, delivering a major blow to millions of women and children who depend on the agency and its partners for help.
UN concerned over rising CO2 levels as average hits new high
May 27, 2014, at 05:01 pm
New York, May 27 (IBNS): Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have crossed a new threshold, the United Nation's weather agency on Monday confirmed, warning that time is running out to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions.
UN urges end to social injustice of obstetric fistula
May 24, 2014, at 08:37 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): United Nations officials on Friday called for eradicating the global social injustice of obstetric fistula, a consequence of childbirth that affects an estimated two million women and girls in developing countries but is entirely preventable with access to quality medical care.
UN urges research on animals in spreading MERS virus
May 24, 2014, at 07:06 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Health experts and veterinarians called for stepped-up monitoring, investigations and immediate reporting of cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) during a meeting convened by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Oman.
NASA poke hole in Black Hole 'Doughnut' theory
May 23, 2014, at 05:07 pm
Washington, May 23 (IBNS) A survey of more than 170,000 supermassive black holes, using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), has astronomers reexamining a decades-old theory about the varying appearances of these interstellar objects.
CERN openlab publishes a whitepaper on future IT challenges
May 23, 2014, at 04:31 am
Geneva, May 22 (IBNS): CERN openlab, the public-private partnership between CERN, leading IT companies and research institutes, on Thurday released a whitepaper on future IT challenges in scientific research to shape its upcoming three-year phase starting in 2015.
CMRI, BM Birla Heart Research Centre celebrate International Nurses Day
May 23, 2014, at 03:31 am
Kolkata, May 22 (IBNS) CK Birla Group of Hospitals (BM Birla Heart Research Centre and Calcutta Medical Research Institute), one of India's leading healthcare groups, on Thursday celebrated 'International Nurses day', and announced the launch of their specialized service called Homecare Nursing Service.
UN adopts new global platform to tackle wildlife
May 22, 2014, at 05:26 pm
New York, May 22 (IBNS): In response to the rising levels of illicit trafficking of fauna and flora, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has adopted a new global platform taking aim at this "particularly devastating" form of organized crime involving a raft of illegal activities - from poaching to timber smuggling and money laundering.
Moderate earthquake hits Bay of Bengal
May 22, 2014, at 05:04 pm
New Delhi, May 22 (IBNS) A moderate earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale hit the eastern coast of India on Wednesday, said reports on Thursday.
Syria: UN adapts to meet needs of Palestinian refugees
May 21, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The health department of the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees across the Middle East on Tuesday reported that more than half of its health centres in Syria are destroyed or non-functional, even as life expectancy is on the rise for Palestinians in the region with a growing ageing population suffering from sedentary lifestyles.
UN urges targets for improved health in development agenda
May 20, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Health must be a part of any future global development agenda, a senior United Nations official underscored on Monday as she outlined a host of issues afflicting millions around the world and which impact on efforts to reduce poverty and advance overall well-being.
UN urges global regulatory regime to battle junk foods
May 20, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Calling on Monday for a new global agreement to regulate unhealthy diets, the United Nations expert on the right to food urged swift action from governments to help change the way the world eats, as obesity-related health problems now kill more people than tobacco.
UNICEF urges quality care at birth to save children
May 20, 2014, at 05:26 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The majority of the almost 3 million children who die before they turn one month old could be saved if they received quality care around the time of birth, according to the findings released on Monday in a study supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which is urging additional attention and resources for this group of children.
CERN sheds new light on cloud formation
May 17, 2014, at 02:07 am
Geneva, May 16 (IBNS): CERN, the European organization for nuclear research on Friday in a study on 'Cloud' noted that biogenic vapours emitted by trees and oxidised in the atmosphere have a significant impact on the formation of clouds, thus helping to cool the planet.
UN reports depression as adolescent health challenge
May 15, 2014, at 05:56 pm
New York, May 15 (IBNS): Road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS and suicide are the top killers of adolescents globally, while depression is the predominant cause of illness and disability, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, urging a stronger focus on the health of boys and girls in their pre and teen years.
UN voices concern over gaps in maternity, paternity protections
May 14, 2014, at 06:23 pm
New York, May 14 (IBNS): Despite progress in maternity benefits and a positive trend in supporting new fathers, at least 830 million women workers still do not have adequate protection, the United Nations labour agency on Tuesday reported.
UN urges global action to disrupt illegal wildlife trade
May 14, 2014, at 06:21 pm
New York, May 14 (IBNS): Urging the international community to "come together at the highest political level" to halt the escalation of wildlife and forest crime, the United Nations crime chief said on Tuesday that the USD 8-USD 10 billion reaped annually from this "ruthless trade" ranks it alongside the trafficking of human beings, arms and drugs in terms of illicit profits.
Novo Nordisk, CMRI Hospital celebrates Nurse Day
May 14, 2014, at 03:11 am
Kolkata, May 13 (IBNS): Novo Nordisk India in association with CMRI Hospital organized a unique programme to educate nurses on the occasion of International Nurse Day.
UN official urges vigorous response to wildlife crime
May 13, 2014, at 05:31 pm
New York, May 13 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday stressed the need for a vigorous response to wildlife and forest crime, noting the growing threat the scourge poses to development worldwide.
UN urges greater action to curb alcohol-related deaths
May 13, 2014, at 05:27 pm
New York, May 13 (IBNS): More than three million deaths in 2012 were linked to alcohol with a steady increase in alcohol use among women, the United Nations health agency on Monday reported calling on Governments to do more to prevent alcohol-related deaths and diseases.