Category: World » Asia
Radiation Experts Begin Assessment Of Fukushima Nuclear Accident
30 Jan 11:59 | World
Sixty international experts assessing the radiation exposures and health effects resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan last March began a week-long meeting today in Vienna. read more »
North Korean Leadership Urged To Improve Human Rights
22 Jan 2012 | World
An independent United Nations expert has urged the new leadership in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to address pressing human rights concerns and resolve related outstanding issues, including the abduction of Japanese and other foreign nationals.read more »
Call To Take Seismic Threats Seriously As Quakes Wreak Havoc
18 Jan 2012 | World
The United Nations is urging countries to take seismic threats seriously as it published new data showing that major earthquakes claimed thousands of lives and affected millions of people in both 2010 and 2011.read more »
Human Rights Expert Welcomes Myanmar Release Of Prisoners
17 Jan 2012 | World
The United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in Myanmar has welcomed the recent decision by President Thein Sein to grant another amnesty and set free a significant number of prisoners of conscience.read more »
Concern At China's Conviction Of Human Rights Activist
28 Dec 2011 | World
The United Nations human rights chief has voiced her deep concern about the verdict and extremely harsh sentencing in the trial of leading activist Chen Wei, adding that it represents a serious setback for the protection and promotion of human rights in China.read more »
Alarm At North Korea Human Rights And Humanitarian Situations
20 Dec 2011 | World
nited Nations Member States have expressed deep concern at both persistent reports of “systematic, widespread and grave” human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the precarious humanitarian situation inside the Asian country.read more »
'Great Successor' Named New Leader of N. Korea
20 Dec 2011 | World
The late Kim Jong-Il's youngest son, "Great Sucessor" Kim Jong-eun, was named the next leader of N. Korea, though he may be more of a figurehead than an actual leader, some analysts said.read more »
N. Korea Test Fires Short Range Missile
19 Dec 2011 | World
North Korea test-fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast on Monday, coinciding with an announcement that Kim Jong-Il, the country's longtime leader, had died at the age of 69.read more »
North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Il Dead
18 Dec 2011 | World
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il died on Saturday, according to the North Korean state news agency.read more »
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Declared Stable
16 Dec 2011 | World
Japan has announced that it had successfully stabilized the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was damaged earlier this year and that the release of radioactive materials is under control. read more »
WTO Policies Harming Small Scale Farmers In Poor Countries Says Expert
16 Dec 2011 | World
The current international trade regime backed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) is harming small-scale farmers in the least developing countries (LDCs), significantly increasing their risk of food insecurity and reliance on large-scale producers, an independent United Nations human rights expert has warned.read more »
'Remarkable and Extraordinary Year' For United Nations
15 Dec 2011 | World
The United Nations has “never been so needed” to deal with the planet’s most pressing challenges, from the impact of climate change to growing demands for human rights to helping people facing humanitarian crises, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a year-end press conference.read more »
Corruption Leading To Unequal Access, Use And Distribution Of Land
12 Dec 2011 | World
Corruption caused by weak governance is leading to unequal land distribution and poor resource management, according to a new report, which argues that this lack of transparency is undermining social stability, investment and growth in developing countries.read more »
Scientists Assess Radioactivity in the Ocean from Japan Nuclear Power Facility
11 Dec 2011 | World
A new study by U.S. and Japanese researchers has found discharges from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plants peaked one month after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that precipitated the nuclear accident, and continued through at least July.read more »
Thai Laws On Insulting Royals Having 'Chilling Effect' On Freedom Of Expression
9 Dec 2011 | World
The United Nations human rights office has called on Thai authorities to reform laws that jail people convicted of insulting senior members of the country’s royal family, saying they were having a chilling effect on freedom of expression.read more »
China's Hu Urges Navy to Prepare for Combat
6 Dec 2011 | World
Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged the country's navy to prepare for combat amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region over maritime disputes and a U.S. bid to reassert itself in the region.read more »
Indonesia Ratifies Global Treaty Banning Nuclear Tests
6 Dec 2011 | World
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed ratification by Indonesia of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and encouraged all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify this instrument to advance its entry into force.read more »
'Merging Tsunami' Doubled Japan Destruction
6 Dec 2011 | World
NASA and Ohio State University researchers have discovered the major tsunami generated by the March 2011 Tohoku-Oki quake centered off northeastern Japan was a long-hypothesized "merging tsunami." read more »
New Climate Change Assessment Report Released
5 Dec 2011 | World
The results of a major new scientific assessment of climate change were published today, highlighting the changes the world has already seen and the impacts it could face if global temperature changes are not limited.read more »
Bollywood Star Aamir Khan Becomes Goodwill Ambassador
1 Dec 2011 | World
One of Bollywood’s biggest names, the actor-producer Aamir Khan, has become the newest Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), teaming up with the UN agency to promote better nutrition for children.read more »
China's Demand For Oil Will Equal US Demand By 2040 Say Researchers
1 Dec 2011 | World
Despite aggressive demand-management policies announced in recent years, China’s oil use could easily reach levels comparable to today’s U.S. levels by 2040, according to a new energy study by the Baker Institute.read more »
Land Degradation And Water Shortages Threaten Global Food Production
29 Nov 2011 | World
Global food production is being undermined by land degradation and shortages of farmland and water resources, making feeding the world’s rising population a daunting challenge, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.read more »
Five Million Pakistanis Still Need Help Following Floods
27 Nov 2011 | World
More than five million Pakistanis are now estimated to require humanitarian assistance as a result of this year’s floods, and almost half of those in need are children, aid agencies reported.read more »
Former Senior Khmer Rouge Leader Defends Genocide Actions At Trial
23 Nov 2011 | World
The second-in-command of the Khmer Rouge has told a United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal, where he is facing trial for genocide and other charges, that he had been trying to protect Cambodia from aggression when the notorious regime ruled the country in the late 1970s.read more »
Genocide Tribunal Rules Former Khmer Rouge Leader Unfit To Stand Trial
18 Nov 2011 | World
The genocide tribunal in Cambodia has ruled today that a 79-year-old former senior member of the Khmer Rouge is unfit to stand trial and ordered her unconditional release.read more »
Deforestation Threatens Planet, Economies and Communities, Ban Warns
18 Nov 2011 | World
Deforestation not only threatens the planet’s climate and national economic development, but also communities whose income, culture and way of life depend on healthy forests, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on a visit to Indonesia. read more »
IAEA Completes Review Of Japan's Response To Nuclear Disaster
16 Nov 2011 | World
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has completed its assessment of Japan’s response to nuclear contamination in areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was damaged during the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the country in March. read more »
Australia Agrees to Host U.S. Marines
16 Nov 2011 | World
Australia has agreed to host a full U.S. Marine task force in the coming years, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Tuesday at a news conference with President Barack Obama.read more »
Obama Warns China's Hu Over U.S. Trade Frustrations
13 Nov 2011 | US Politics and Govt
President Barack Obama on Sunday warned China's President Hu Jintao that Americans were growing increasingly frustrated over Beijing's monetary and trade policies, as he struggles to create more jobs at home.read more »
Pacific Rim Nations Prepare For Tsunami Preparedness Test
4 Nov 2011 | World
Some 30 Pacific Rim countries are to take part next week in a tsunami warning exercise to improve their ability to respond to an alert and enhance regional coordination in the event of a disaster. read more »
Global Food Prices Drop To 11 Month Low In October
3 Nov 2011 | World
Food prices dropped to an 11-month low in October according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), adding that they are still higher than last year and very volatile.read more »
New Kyrgyzstan President Says He Will Shutter U.S. Base
3 Nov 2011 | USA News
Kyrgyzstan's new president says he'll close the U.S. military base there when the current lease runs out in 2014.read more »
China Selling Missiles to Iran in Violation of UN Sanctions: Report
3 Nov 2011 | World
China has been selling advanced ballistic missiles to Iran in violation of United Nations sanctions, a congressional report charged.read more »
Vital That Lessons Are Learned From Japanese Nuclear Accident: IAEA
2 Nov 2011 | World
Nuclear security is an extremely important issue for all countries and it is vital that the right lessons are learned from the accident at the Japanese power plant earlier this year, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). read more »
"New And Deeper Jobs Recession Looms" With 80 million Jobs Needed
31 Oct 2011 | World
An ILO report just released warns the cooling global economy risks pushing the world into a double-dip jobs recession and triggering an outbreak of social strife unless governments take urgent action to stimulate employment growth. read more »
Flood Disaster Worsens In Thailand
28 Oct 2011 | World
The United Nations will provide 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets in temporary shelters and other areas in flood-hit Thailand in a bid to protect people from dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases, as weather forecasts predict more heavy rainfall over the weekend.read more »
7 Billion People "Not The Issue" - Human Development Is What Counts
27 Oct 2011 | World
As the global media speculate on the number of people likely to inhabit the planet on Oct. 31 an international team of population and development experts argue that it is not simply the number of people that matters but more so their distribution by age, education, health status and location that is most relevant to local and global sustainability.read more »
Criminals May Have Laundered $1.6 Trillion In 2009
25 Oct 2011 | World
Criminals may have laundered around $1.6 trillion in 2009, one fifth of that coming from the illicit drug trade, according to a new report.read more »
Dollar Falls to Record Low Against Yen
21 Oct 2011 | Business
The U.S. dollar has fallen to a record low against the yen, in the biggest daily decline since August.read more »
North Korea Facing Starvation Crisis
21 Oct 2011 | World
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) cannot feed its people for the “foreseeable future,” the United Nations relief chief reported, urging the world to step up humanitarian support and not “turn our backs” on a population where an estimated six million people now depend on food aid.read more »
Richer Countries Have "Greater Responsibility" To Restore Financial Stability
17 Oct 2011 | World
The world's major economies must shoulder greater responsibility to restore global financial stability, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.read more »
Flood Disaster In South-East Asia
16 Oct 2011 | World
Storms and flooding across South-East Asia have killed more than 700 people and affected the lives of millions of people.read more »
ISAF Mandate In Afghanistan Extended
12 Oct 2011 | World
The Security Council has extended the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan for another year, with an agreement between the country and troop-contributing States to gradually transfer key security responsibilities to the Afghan Government by the end of 2014.read more »
Trouble Brewing Over Supply Of Rare Minerals Say Researchers
10 Oct 2011 | World
Researchers say trouble is brewing over projected growth in demand for rare earth minerals and other elements and the security of their supplies, which are used to make everything from photovoltaic panels and cellphone displays to the permanent magnets in cutting edge new wind generators.read more »
High Food Prices Set To Continue
10 Oct 2011 | World
Agencies working to combat hunger have called for action to ensure long-term food security as a new report shows that high food prices are likely to continue and possible increase over the next decade.read more »
Global Food Insecurity To Continue Through 2012
6 Oct 2011 | World
Despite improved prospects for world cereal production and falling prices, food security is likely to remain precarious in some regions in 2011-2012 with the slowdown in global economic recovery and increased risks of recession casting a shadow, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned.read more »
Asia Monsoon Economic Losses Near $7bn
4 Oct 2011 | World
Economic losses from the Asia Monsoon were near $7 billion, according to the Aon Benfield September Catastrophe Study.read more »
China Warns of Trade War Over U.S. Yuan Legislation
4 Oct 2011 | Business
China on Tuesday warned the U.S. a trade war could ensue if a bill aimed at forcing Beijing to let its currency rise passes.read more »
Putin Eyes 'Eurasian Union'
4 Oct 2011 | World
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he wants to reconstitute all of the former Soviet satellite countries back into a "Eurasian Union," one of his first foreign policy goals as he prepares to take over the presidency.read more »
Greater Efforts Needed To Avert Humanitarian Crises
3 Oct 2011 | World
The head of the United Nations refugee agency has called on the international community to ramp up its efforts to pre-empt humanitarian crises, citing the current deadly famine in Somalia as an example of a lack of both foresight and of means take preventive action.read more »
