UN forum to address challenges faced by world population
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:55 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): Member States on Monday kicked off a week-long assessment at United Nations Headquarters of action taken over the past 20 years to improve people's lives and address population issues amid changes in ageing, fertility, mortality, migration and urbanization.
UN urges states to sign treaty on migrant workers' rights
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:51 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): The expert members of the United Nations panel dealing with the rights of migrant workers and their families renewed on Monday their appeal to all countries to sign the international treaty on the rights of those workers, which went into effect almost 11 years ago.
UN launches response for flood-affected Solomon islands
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:47 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): The United Nations and its partners in the Pacific have begun deployments to Honiara on Monday in support of the Solomon Islands' Government response to what is considered to be "the worst floods ever seen in the country," killing at least 23 people and affecting another 50,000 across the country.
Crisis devastating economy, livelihoods in CAR: UN
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:40 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) is devastating the economy and people's ability to secure basic necessities, says a new joint United Nations assessment, which warns that as the violence continues and the rains set in, providing the type of broad action needed to halt the country's downward spiral is becoming more difficult and expensive "with every passing day."
Philippines: UN seeks debt relief to support typhoon recovery
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:33 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): Voicing concern that the Philippines' post-typhoon reconstruction and recovery efforts could be undermined by its heavy debt load, a United Nations independent human rights expert on Monday issued a strong call on international creditors to cancel the country's debt and to provide unrestricted grant aid instead of new loans.
Cambodia: UN concerned over curbs affecting human rights
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:29 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, expressed concern on Monday that the country's National Assembly held its second session last week without the opposition representatives taking up their seat, and urged the legislature to upkeep the key principles of any law-making process: transparency, accountability and participation.
US man pleads guilty to armed bank robbery
Apr 08, 2014, at 05:08 pm
Atlanta, Apr 8 (IBNS) Charles Johnson, III, 27, of Savannah, Georgia, pled guilty last week before United States District Court Judge B. Avant Edenfield to the armed bank robbery of the Savannah Bank branch located at 100 Chatham Parkway on July 11, 2013.
Pistorius apologises to girlfriend's family
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:09 am
Pretoria, Apr 7 (IBNS): Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius on Monday apologised to the family of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp who was shot dead last year.
MH 370: Malaysia hopeful after new lead
Apr 08, 2014, at 05:37 am
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 7 (IBNS) Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Monday said he feels that the detection of pulse signals in the southern Indian Ocean might lead to 'positive development' in the search for the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 aircraft which went missing last month.
Rwanda: Ban urges global support to prevent future atrocities
Apr 07, 2014, at 05:08 pm
New York, Apr 7 (IBNS): As Rwandans commemorate the genocide that took place 20 years ago, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed during a visit to Kigali on Sunday the need for the international community to learn from such atrocities and to ensure that the words 'never again' are translated into action.
Afghanistan votes to elect new president
Apr 06, 2014, at 05:23 am
Kabul, Apr 5 (IBNS): Defying Taliban threats , more than seven million voters exercised their franchise in the presidential and provincial polls in Afghanistan on Saturday, country's Independent Election Commission (IEC) said.
MH370: Chinese ship discovers pulse signal
Apr 06, 2014, at 04:41 am
Beijing, Apr 5 (IBNS): A Chinese ship, which is searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, on Saturday detected a pulse signal in the southern Indian Ocean waters, media reports said.
US: 13 arrested for drug distribution
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:46 pm
Salt Lake City, Apr 5 (IBNS) Thirteen arrests were made Wednesday as a part of a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case targeting the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in Utah by alleged members of the La Raza gang and their associates.
Ban hails role of women in achieving world free of landmines
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:10 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for greater measures to involve more women at higher levels in mine action, stressing their vital role in advancing the vision of a world free of landmines.
UN deplores attack on journalists in Afghanistan
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:06 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) strongly condemned the "abhorrent" attack on two international journalists working for the Associated Press on Friday which left one dead and the other wounded.
Somalia: UN calls for moratorium after execution of murderer
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:03 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office Friday voiced its concern at the "hasty" judicial process in the Somali town of Kismayo that led to the execution of man nine days after he allegedly murdered an elder, and called on authorities to impose a moratorium on the death penalty.
Prague: Ban urges shared global responsibility for better future
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:59 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): From reducing poverty and hunger to addressing climate change, the world faces big challenges that cannot be tackled alone, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, highlighting the importance of shared global responsibility in an address to students in the Czech Republic.
UNSC seeks peaceful, credible polls in Guinea-Bissau
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:54 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has urged all national stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to facilitate the conduct of peaceful and credible elections on Apr 13, when citizens of the West African nation will participate in long-delayed president and legislative elections.
UN urges Kazakhstan to end registration of religious communities
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:49 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations expert on religious freedom called on Friday on the Kazakhstan Government to halt the mandatory registration of religious communities, which notably affects small groups.
Chadian soldiers responsible for Bangui attack: UN
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:45 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): A preliminary investigation by the United Nations human rights office into the deadly events that took place on Mar 29 in a suburb of Bangui, the crisis-riven capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), has found that Chadian soldiers killed some 30 civilians and seriously wounded more than 300 in an indiscriminate attack on a crowded market.
UN concerned over thousands of IDPs in Philippines
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:38 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations on Friday sounded the alarm on behalf of some 64,600 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southern Philippines still living in evacuation centres, transition sites and with host communities, six months after deadly fighting broke out between the rebel Moro National Liberation Front and Government forces in Zamboanga City.
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:04 am
Miranshah, Apr 4 (IBNS): The Pakistani Taliban on Friday extended the ceasefire till Apr 10, media reports said.
Foreign journalist shot dead in Afghanistan
Apr 05, 2014, at 03:38 am
Khost, Apr 4 (IBNS): An Afghan policeman opened fire at two foreign journalists in eastern Afghanistan on Friday which left one of them dead, reports said.
US man ordered detained on child pornography charges
Apr 04, 2014, at 06:12 pm
Houston, Apr 4 (IBNS) Glenn Casey Portwood, 52, of Sugar Land, has been ordered held in custody pending trial on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Ban urges all Afghans to vote in upcoming elections
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:50 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday he is encouraged by the technical and security preparations and broad public engagement for Afghanistan's upcoming elections and urged all of the country's citizens to take part in the historic polls which will be held on Saturday.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon cross one million mark: UN
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): Now in its fourth year, the Syrian conflict hit yet another bleak milestone on Thursday, as the United Nations refugee agency reported that the number of displaced seeking refuge in neighbouring Lebanon has passed the one million mark, putting more pressure on a host community that is already stretched to the breaking point.
UN seeks effort to prevent catastrophe in South Sudan
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:33 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): With no political solution to the conflict that has torn South Sudan apart in sight, senior United Nations officials working in the country stressed on Thursday that they are in a "race against time" ahead of the rainy season to help prevent a health and hunger catastrophe.
UNSC concerned at deteriorating security situation in Darfur
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): Deeply concerned at the "considerable deterioration" of the security situation in Darfur over the past year, marked by ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Government and rebels, and an upsurge in inter-communal violence, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday endorsed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's revised strategic priorities for the joint African Union-UN mission in the long-restive western region of Sudan.
Pakistan denies reports of Taliban prisoners release
Apr 04, 2014, at 04:41 am
Islamabad, Apr 3 (IBNS): The Pakistan Prime Minister's office on Thursday dismissed reports that it has released prisoners belonging to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Ban calls on States to join treaty regulating arms trade
Apr 03, 2014, at 06:14 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): Marking the first anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on all States that have not yet done so to sign and/or ratify the instrument without delay to facilitate its entry into force.