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Building collapse in Bengaluru kills 5, rescue operation still underway | Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, says India is ready to provide all cooperation to resolve Ukraine crisis | PM Modi meets Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in Kazan, reviews bilateral ties | A day after Indo-China's patrolling arrangement, PM Modi to meet Xi Jinping tomorrow at BRICS | Punjab govt gives nod to prosecute of Ram Rahim in 2015 sacrilege cases | Newly formed terror group with suspected backing of Lashkar-e-Taiba dismantled in Kashmir | Exiled author Taslima Nasreen urges Home Minister Amit Shah to let her stay in India | Man behind latest threat to Salman Khan apologises, says he 'made a mistake' | We have gone back to 2020 patrolling: S Jaishankar on India, China agreement | Supreme Court dismisses Arvind Kejriwal's plea against defamation case over Modi's degree issue

First-ever World Braille Day underscores importance of written language for human rights

Jan 04, 2019, at 09:16 am

New York, Jan 4 (IBNS): To raise awareness of the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment, on Friday the United Nations is observing the first official World Braille Day.

Deadly Mali attack to be investigated by UN rights experts

Jan 04, 2019, at 09:07 am

New York, Jan 4 (IBNS): An attack on a village in central Mali earlier this week in which at least 37 civilians died, is to be investigated with the help of United Nations human rights experts, the UN stabilization mission in the country (MINUSMA), announced on Thursday.

Security Council condemns attacks on Afghan security forces which killed at least 27

Jan 04, 2019, at 08:57 am

New York, Jan 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has condemned “in the strongest terms” a series of coordinated attacks aimed at security checkpoints in northern Afghanistan which took place on Monday night, killing at least 27 and wounding dozens of others

‘Milestones are clear’ for ‘significant progress’ in Somalia during 2019, Security Council hears

Jan 04, 2019, at 08:54 am

New York, Jan 4 (IBNS): Somali Government efforts to build a lasting peace through political reform and transformation have progressed along a “positive trajectory” but everyone involved in the process needs to “pull in the same direction”, the UN Special Representative in the country told the Security Council on Thursday.

Powering up health care in Sub-Saharan Africa

Jan 03, 2019, at 09:07 am

New York, Jan 3 (IBNS): Solar power is helping make universal healthcare a reality in places where unreliable power supplies regularly affect access to vital services, and can out people’s lives at risk, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Attack on UN compound in Somalia may be 'violation of international humanitarian law'

Jan 03, 2019, at 09:04 am

New York, Jan 3 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Tuesday’s attacks against the UN compound in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, saying that intentionally attacking UN personnel may constitute "a violation of international humanitarian law.”

UN diplomacy: political conflicts to watch in 2019

Jan 01, 2019, at 09:32 am

New York, Jan 1 (IBNS): As the world – and the United Nations – continues to grapple with political crises, we look at the political landscape with Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. We begin by asking her what it’s like to be the top UN political officer.

‘Stealing’ food from hungry Yemenis ‘must stop immediately’, says UN agency

Jan 01, 2019, at 09:11 am

New York, Jan 1 (IBNS): After uncovering evidence that humanitarian food supplies are being diverted in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sana’a, and other parts of the country, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has demanded an immediate end to the practice.

‘Continue working together’ UN chief urges DR Congo, as country heads to polls

Dec 29, 2018, at 08:35 am

New York, Dec 29 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all those playing an active political role in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to “continue working together” to ensure free and fair elections, as the country heads to polls this Sunday.

Guinea-Bissau needs ‘genuinely free and fair elections’ to break cycle of instability

Dec 28, 2018, at 08:40 am

New York, Dec 28 (IBNS): Unless political actors in Guinea-Bissau demonstrate renewed good faith to hold “genuinely free and fair elections,” the country is set to face a continuous cycle of instability, the United Nations Security Council warned on Thursday.

UN calls for ‘peaceful, credible and inclusive’ election in Bangladesh

Dec 28, 2018, at 08:33 am

New York, Dec 28 (IBNS): In the run-up to Sunday’s general elections in Bangladesh, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for “an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion” to allow a “peaceful, credible and inclusive poll.”

Libya: Attack on foreign ministry, an attack on all Libyans, stresses UN envoy

Dec 27, 2018, at 09:09 am

New York, Dec 27 (IBNS): The United Nations peace mission in Libya has “strongly” condemned a terrorist attack on the country’s foreign ministry in the capital, Tripoli.

UN ceasefire monitoring chief tours Yemeni port of Hudaydah

Dec 25, 2018, at 09:04 am

New York, Dec 25 (IBNS): The head of the UN team which is monitoring and helping implement a ground-breaking ceasefire across Yemen’s crucial port city of Hudaydah, had his first face-to-face meeting with authorities there on Monday.

UN rights expert urges full investigation into death of migrant girl, held in US

Dec 25, 2018, at 08:52 am

New York, Dec 25 (IBNS): A United Nations rights expert has called for a thorough investigation into the death of a Guatemalan migrant child, while she was in the custody of United States immigration authorities.

UN ready to support tsunami-hit parts of Indonesia – Secretary-General Guterres

Dec 24, 2018, at 08:56 am

New York, Dec 24 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep sadness” at the loss of life, injuries and damages caused by the tsunami that struck the Indonesian coast late Saturday, local time.

Warring parties in Yemen must ‘fully respect’ Hudaydah ceasefire – UN Security Council

Dec 22, 2018, at 08:10 am

New York, Dec 22 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Friday endorsed the agreement reached between the Government of Yemen and leaders of the opposition Houthi movement, at the recent UN-backed talks in Sweden, and authorized the deployment of an advance team to facilitate the monitoring and implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.

Bamboo-boring beetles wreak havoc in Rohingya refugee camps, UN agency races to respond

Dec 22, 2018, at 08:05 am

New York,Dec 22 (IBNS): Beset by millions of bamboo-chomping beetles, almost every shelter in the vast Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh, needs replacing. With just over four months to go until the beginning of the monsoon season, the race is on for IOM, the United Nations migration agency which is managing the camp, to provide families living in the worst-affected temporary dwellings, with new and more durable bamboo.

Nicaragua: UN rights chief ‘alarmed’ by imminent expulsion of key human rights groups

Dec 22, 2018, at 08:02 am

New York, Dec 22 (IBNS):  After the Nicaraguan Government announced that it has asked two key human rights institutions to leave the country, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said on Friday that she was “extremely alarmed” by a decision that means, in effect, there will be “no functioning independent human rights bodies left in Nicaragua”.

Dozens of migrants dead and missing, adds to mounting toll off Spanish coast

Dec 22, 2018, at 07:59 am

New York, Dec 22 (IBNS): A group of migrant boats stranded at sea, was rescued off the Spanish coast on Thursday, and at least 25 people are believed to be dead or missing, including a pregnant woman, the UN Refugee Agency, UNCHR, has reported.

Instability in Africa’s Sahel, spreading outwards, Security Council told

Dec 21, 2018, at 09:30 am

New York, Dec 21 (IBNS): Efforts to address the multiple challenges facing Africa’s Sahel region should be driven by local, regional and national leadership, with the support of international partners as required, the United Nations Special Adviser for the region said on Thursday.

Remain united for Syrians, UN envoy de Mistura urges Security Council

Dec 21, 2018, at 09:10 am

New York, Dec 21 (IBNS): Addressing the problems plaguing Syria and bring years of brutal fighting to an end, requires further “genuine effort” on the part of influential countries, to talk to each other and work constructively, the veteran United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has said.

UN report sheds light on ‘unimaginable horrors’ faced by migrants and refugees in Libya, and beyond

Dec 21, 2018, at 09:06 am

New York, Dec 21 (IBNS): Migrants and refugees are being subjected to "unimaginable horrors" from the moment they enter Libya, throughout their stay in the country and – if they make it that far – during their attempts to cross the Mediterranean, according to a report released on Thursday, by the United Nations political mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

UN-led Yemen ceasefire monitoring team gets ready to begin operations

Dec 20, 2018, at 10:04 am

New York, Dec 20 (IBNS): A UN-led team tasked with overseeing  the ceasefire  which came into effect on Tuesday around a number of critical Yemeni ports, has begun planning operations with a conference call to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Confirmed ‘Blue Line’ tunnels ‘do not appear’ to surface in Israel – UN peacekeeping chief

Dec 20, 2018, at 09:56 am

New York, Dec 20 (IBNS): The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed the existence of at least two tunnels crossing the “Blue Line” – the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel – but they “do not appear thus far” to have exit points leading to the surface on Israeli territory, the United Nations top peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

‘Chance for peace’ in South Sudan finally within reach, declares UN Peacekeeping chief

Dec 19, 2018, at 09:18 am

New York, Dec 19 (IBNS): The security situation in South Sudan has significantly improved since the recently signed peace deal between the opposing parties in the country’s civil war, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN Peacekeeping (DPKO), told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Human rights champions from across the world receive top UN prize

Dec 19, 2018, at 09:09 am

New York, Dec 19 (IBNS): The “clear and profound” guidelines enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “have made it the world’s most widely translated document”, the UN Secretary-General told the General Assembly on Tuesday at an event to commemorate the Declaration’s 70th Anniversary, marked 10 December.

UN rights chief welcomes new text to protect rights of peasants and other rural workers

Dec 19, 2018, at 09:07 am

New York, Dec 19 (IBNS): As the most basic rights of rural people continue to be trampled on in many parts of the world, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, welcomed Monday the adoption on Monday by the UN General Assembly of a new declaration to help safeguard them.

Migrants: ‘A powerful driver’ of economic growth, ‘dynamism and understanding’

Dec 19, 2018, at 08:52 am

New York, Dec 19 (IBNS):Human migration is “a powerful driver of economic growth, dynamism and understanding,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, in his message  commemorating International Migrants Day, marked on 18 December.

Moves to create a Kosovo army have ‘deteriorated relations’ with Serbia: UN peacekeeping chief

Dec 18, 2018, at 09:48 am

New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): The decision by Kosovo’s parliament to form a national army was described by the UN Peacekeeping chief on Monday as having “further deteriorated relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” which, he said, have been strained for some time.

Prospect of negotiated peace in Afghanistan ‘never been more real’ – UN mission chief

Dec 18, 2018, at 09:46 am

New York, Dec 18 (IBNS): A negotiated end to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan “has never been more real…than it is now”, the head of the United Nations peace mission in the country has said, highlighting a series of important milestones achieved over recent months.