UN honours traditional farming sites in China, Iran, Korea
May 02, 2014, at 05:48 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): The birthplace of jasmine tea and a nearly 3,000 year old irrigation system are among the traditional farming sites designated "globally important" land use systems or landscapes by the United Nations food and agricultural agency, it was announced on Thursday.
UN marks free media as vital to sustainable development
May 02, 2014, at 05:45 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): Free media, traditional and new, are indispensable for development, democracy and good governance, United Nations officials said on Thursday, spotlighting Press Freedom Day - observed annually on May 3 - to urge Governments, societies and individuals to actively defend this fundamental right as a critical factor in achieving internationally agreed development goals.
UN lauds incredible resilience of Iraqi voters
May 02, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): United Nations officials on Thursday congratulated the people and Government of Iraq for turning out in significant numbers in Wednesday's elections, and commended the electoral authorities and security personnel for their efforts.
UN voices concern over latest violence in parts of Sudan
May 02, 2014, at 05:37 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): Recent fighting in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states has displaced or affected an estimated 16,500 people, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which on Thursday detailed the aid response being offered to them through the UN and its partners.
CAR: UN warns against ethnic violence, rhetoric of fear
May 02, 2014, at 05:34 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): With rival Christian and Muslim militias stoking inter-communal violence and spreading fear throughout the Central African Republic (CAR), a senior United Nations relief official on Thursday urged the international community to uphold its pledges - and responsibility - to provide the security and resources to ease the crisis and prevent the country from splitting along religious lines.
South Sudan: UN reports fighters restricting movement
May 02, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan reported on Thursday that opposition forces are occupying Lich University, located in the central part of the country, and that said harassment and detention of UN staff was preventing the Mission from carrying out its activities.
Ban urges focus on Middle East peace efforts
May 02, 2014, at 05:25 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday appealed to Israelis and Palestinians to exercise prudence and avoid unilateral steps that would diminish the prospects of resuming negotiations after the latest downturn in the Middle East peace process.
FBI arrests suspect in kidnapping of 11-year boy
May 02, 2014, at 03:06 pm
New Orleans, May 2 (IBNS) FBI special agents from the New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force and Child Exploitation Task Force late Wednesday arrested Deborah Boyd, age 48, in connection with the kidnapping of 11-year-old Tyreon Brim.
Afghanistan: 10 killed in suicide bombing
May 02, 2014, at 03:39 am
Kabul, May 1 (IBNS) At least 10 people were killed in a suicide car bombing in Afghanistan's central Panjsher province on Thursday, media reports said.
Syria: Ban deplores targeting of civilians for tactical purposes
May 01, 2014, at 05:38 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned 'in the strongest terms' the latest attacks in Syria - which left dozens of civilians dead or wounded from mortar fire and shelling in neighborhoods in Homs and Damascus - and called on the Government and opposition groups to resist provocations that could undermine peace efforts.
South Sudan: UN urges leaders to prevent catastrophe
May 01, 2014, at 05:34 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): Warning that the world's youngest nation is on the verge of catastrophe, the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday called on South Sudan's leaders to relinquish their "personal power struggle" and steer their impoverished, war-battered country towards stability.
UN celebrates historic influence of jazz to connect people
May 01, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): Jazz has given rhythm to the struggles of civil rights movements around the world, the top United Nations cultural official said on Wednesday, hailing the power of this music to bring together artists from different cultures and backgrounds as a driver of integration and mutual respect.
UN goes Bollywood to promote LGBT rights
May 01, 2014, at 05:27 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office launched in Mumbai on Wednesday the latest phase of its global fight against homophobia: a Bollywood-style video called 'The Welcome', accompanied by an appeal from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to end the prejudice that forces millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to live in fear or hide in shame.
Ban appoints head of UN regional office in Central Africa
May 01, 2014, at 05:17 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal as the head of the United Nations political office tasked with helping to consolidate peace and prevent conflict in the Central African region.
Iraq: UNSC welcomes peaceful parliamentary elections
May 01, 2014, at 05:06 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday welcomed the timely holding of parliamentary elections in Iraq, and, looking forward to the certification of the results by national electoral officials, called on the country's leaders "to engage, as quickly as possible, to form a Government that represents the will and sovereignty of the Iraqi people."
US: Man charged in mortgage fraud scheme
May 01, 2014, at 03:49 pm
Pittsburgh, May 1 (IBNS) A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of bank and wire fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced on Wednesday.
UN chief strongly condemns latest attacks on civilians in Syria
May 01, 2014, at 04:16 am
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned ‘in the strongest terms’ the latest attacks in Syria – which left dozens of civilians dead or wounded from mortar fire and shelling in neighbourhoods in Homs and Damascus – and called on the government and opposition groups to resist provocations that could undermine peace efforts.
MH370: Malaysia to release initial report tomorrow
May 01, 2014, at 03:50 am
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 30 (IBNS): Malaysia's acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday said preliminary report on the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 aircraft's disappearance will be released on Thursday.
Blast hits China railway station
May 01, 2014, at 01:38 am
Beijing, Apr 30 (IBNS): A blast hit a railway station in China's Urumqi on Wednesday.
Upcoming national elections important for Iraq: Ban
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:23 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the importance of Wednesday's national elections for peace and stability in Iraq and called for creating the necessary conditions to enable all citizens to participate in the polls.
UN urges ratification of chemical weapons convention
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:21 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): Marking the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President John Ashe on Tuesday urged the six reticent Member States to sign and/or ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention which aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
UN deplores Egypt's mass death sentences
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:19 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday strongly condemned the imposition of the death penalty on hundreds of people in Egypt, after mass trials that she said clearly breached international human rights law.
After deadly attack, UN urges safety for displaced in CAR
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:13 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): At least two people were killed and six others injured in the Central African Republic (CAR) after an attack on an 18-truck humanitarian convoy relocating 1,300 Muslims to safety in the country's north, a spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday confirmed, renewing calls for protection of displaced people.
South Sudan: UN provides aid to displaced civilians ahead of rains
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:11 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency is preparing to airlift relief supplies to South Sudan on Tuesday for 100,000 displaced people ahead of the rainy season, while the top UN relief official there is calling for a month-long truce to enable people to move around safely and cultivate their fields.
UN urges Maldives to repeal regulation on death penalty
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:08 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday voiced deep concern about a new regulation in the Maldives that effectively overturns a 60-year moratorium on the use of capital punishment in the country and allows for children as young as seven to be sentenced to death for certain crimes.
UNSC extends mandate of Western Sahara mission
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:06 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Western Sahara and organizing a referendum on self-determination for the people of the territory.
UN urges Mid-east parties to salvage peace efforts
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:03 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): In the wake of Israel's decision to break off talks with the Palestinians after a Fatah-Hamas unity deal, and amid a "volatile" situation on the ground with negative trends in the West Bank and a fragile calm in Gaza, a United Nations envoy on Tuesday challenged the parties to use this "moment of truth" to reflect on the hard choices required to keep peace from slipping further away.
Chemical watchdog to probe chlorine gas attacks in Syria
Apr 30, 2014, at 05:58 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Tuesday it will seek to "establish the facts" surrounding allegations of the use of chlorine in Syria, where it is already working jointly with the United Nations to rid the country of its chemical weapons.
Cote d'Ivoire: UNSC lifts diamond ban, tweaks arms embargo
Apr 30, 2014, at 05:43 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday voted unanimously to lift a ban on importing rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire and to partially lift the arms embargo, differentiating between lethal and non-lethal arms.
Maryland man sentenced for attempted sex trafficking
Apr 30, 2014, at 05:01 pm
Minneapolis, Apr 30 (IBNS) United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Maryland man convicted of attempted trafficking with respect to involuntary servitude and forced labor was sentenced on April 22, 2014, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.