Ban urges Lebanon to elect president without delay
May 26, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday regretted that the Lebanese Parliament was unable to elect a new president within the timeframe set by the constitution and called on the country's leaders to select a new one "without delay".
Ban urges efforts to unleash Africa's potential in agriculture
May 26, 2014, at 04:53 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): The world must do more to unleash Africa's full potential in agriculture, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said while also urging the continent's leaders and development partners to combat growing social and economic inequalities.
Syria: UN condemns attack during aid distribution
May 26, 2014, at 04:50 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian chief on Sunday expressed outrage at a deliberate attack on a humanitarian warehouse in the Damascus province of Syria, which occurred as aid workers were preparing to distribute urgently needed supplies to hundreds of families in the besieged city.
Brussels: Ban strongly condemns Jewish Museum shooting
May 26, 2014, at 04:48 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): Following a shooting on Sunday at the Jewish Museum of Brussels, which may have been an act of anti-Semitism, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday reiterated his strong condemnation of all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
China: 5 killed in mine mishap
May 26, 2014, at 04:59 am
Beijing, May 25 (IBNS): At least five people died and four others went missing after a colliery gas burst at a mine in China's Guizhou Province, media reports said on Sunday.
China: 23 terror, religious extremism groups busted
May 26, 2014, at 04:07 am
Beijing, May 25 (IBNS); As many as 23 terror and religious extremism groups have been busted in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions, reports said on Sunday.
US rampage: Killer identified as Hollywood filmmaker's son
May 26, 2014, at 03:12 am
Washington, May 25 (IBNS): A US college student, who had killed six people during a murderous rampage on Friday in the seaside college community of Isla Vista, close to theUniversity of California at Santa Barbara, had taped a video vowing a "day of retribution" against women who had sexually shunned him before committing the crime, media reports said on Sunday.
UNSC condemns attack on Indian consulate
May 25, 2014, at 06:14 am
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The UN Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on the Indian consulate in the western Afghan province of Herat and called for those responsible of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to be brought to justice.
Senior UN officials condemn attack on Somali parliament
May 25, 2014, at 06:13 am
New York, May 24 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his special representative in Somalia, Nicholas Kay, on Saturday condemned an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen on the Federal Parliament, in the capital Mogadishu, where legislators were in session.
US condemns attack on Somali Parliament
May 25, 2014, at 06:08 am
Washington, May 24 (IBNS): The United States on Saturday condemned attack performed by militants on the Somali Parliament.
Somalia's Parliament attacked, 10 killed
May 25, 2014, at 06:06 am
Mogadishu, May 24 (IBNS): At least 10 people were killed as militants attacked Somalia's Parliament building on Saturday.
Earthquake shakes Greece, Turkey, above 100 injured
May 25, 2014, at 04:40 am
Alexandroupolis, Greece, May 24 (IBNS): More than 100 people were injured in Turkey as an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit south-southwest of Alexandroupolis city in Greece on Saturday, media reports said.
UN urges restoration of rule of law following Thai coup
May 24, 2014, at 08:35 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday urged Thailand to ensure respect for human rights and a prompt restoration of the rule of law, echoing a call made on Thursday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following the military coup.
ICC sentences former Congolese militia leader
May 24, 2014, at 08:33 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday sentenced former militia leader Germain Katanga to 12 years in prison for war crimes committed in relation to a 2003 attack in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
UN urges adoption of treaty against forced labour
May 24, 2014, at 08:31 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Independent United Nations human rights experts dealing with the issues of slavery, migrants and trafficking on Friday called on governments to adopt a legally binding international protocol to respond to the scourge of forced labour.
Boko Haram put on UN terror sanctions list
May 24, 2014, at 08:26 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has added Boko Haram, the Nigerian militant group that has claimed responsibility for the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in mid-April, to its list of Al-Qaida associates subject to financial sanctions and an arms embargo.
UN condemns killing of Palestinian teenagers in West Bank
May 24, 2014, at 08:24 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief has voiced her "very serious concerns" about a recent incident involving the killing of two Palestinian teenagers in the occupied West Bank.
Central African children fleeing to Cameroon: UN
May 24, 2014, at 08:21 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Nearly 30 children - the youngest a baby - died in the past month fleeing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations refugee agency on Friday confirmed, renewing its appeal for USD 22 million in urgently-needed funds to help the growing number of people taking "a journey of starvation and death" in search of safety in Cameroon.
Ban condemns attack on electoral rally in Syria
May 24, 2014, at 08:17 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned a deadly mortar attack on an electoral rally in southern Syria and reiterated his call for an end to violence in the country.
Mali: UN heads north to push for ceasefire
May 24, 2014, at 08:15 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Deadly clashes between Tuareg rebels and Government forces in northern Mali have sent a "small but growing" number of terrified civilians fleeing southward and into neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday, while senior UN and African Union officials are in Kidal to push for a ceasefire.
Landslides, disease poses threats in Balkans: UN
May 24, 2014, at 08:10 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): United Nations humanitarian agencies on Friday raised concerns about landslides and possible water-borne diseases from the worst flooding in Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in more than a century, which may have disturbed minefields from the Bosnian war.
South Sudan: UN meets rebel leader to discuss peace efforts
May 24, 2014, at 08:06 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The top United Nations official in South Sudan has met with rebel leader David Yau Yau to discuss peace efforts in Greater Pibor County, Jonglei state, which was once the epicentre of instability in the country.
May 24, 2014, at 02:59 am
Bangkok, May 23 (IBNS): In a significant development, the military rulers in Thailand have detained country's ex-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday , media reports said.
Tennessee man indicted for cross burning
May 23, 2014, at 05:15 pm
Memphis, May 23 (IBNS) A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday returned a three-count indictment against Timothy Flanagan, 33, formerly of Giles County, Tennessee, currently residing in Hudson, Florida, charging him with federal offenses for his role in a cross-burning in front of an interracial family’s home in Minor Hill, Tennessee, the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee announced.
Russia, China blocks UNSC referral of Syria to ICC
May 23, 2014, at 04:35 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): Despite repeated appeals by senior United Nations officials for accountability for crimes being committed in Syria, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was unable on Thursday to adopt a resolution that would have referred the situation in the war-torn nation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), due to vetoes by permanent members Russia and China.
Somalia nearing danger zone in critical areas: UN
May 23, 2014, at 04:32 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): While Somalia has made political, economic and security progress in the last 12 months, the country is approaching a "danger zone" in a number of areas, the top United Nations official warned on Thursday.
Ban calls for return to civilian order in Thailand
May 23, 2014, at 04:30 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): Appealing for "a prompt return to civilian order" in Thailand, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed serious concern about the military takeover in the country on Thursday and urged all parties to respect human rights and refrain from violence.
Ban seeks justice for perpetrators of Chinese market attack
May 23, 2014, at 04:27 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Thursday's attack on civilians at an open-air market in Xinjiang, China, and said he hoped that those responsible will be brought to justice.
UN spotlights power of sports to advance shared values
May 23, 2014, at 04:23 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): High-level officials, prominent athletes and youth teamed up at the United Nations in New York on Thursday to spotlight the values that the world of sports can advance, including, diversity, inclusion, peacebuilding and development.
UN Women launches campaign to promote gender equality
May 23, 2014, at 04:19 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): The United Nations entity tasked with promoting gender equality on Thursday launched a major campaign kicking off a year-long, worldwide commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.