Latest World Headlines
Despite Progress, Challenges Remain for Stability in Mali
Thursday, 17 October 2013, 12:12 pm | UN News
Important steps have been taken recently to help restore constitutional order and stability in Mali, including successful presidential elections, the top United Nations envoy there said today, while noting some key remaining tasks such as addressing ... More >>
Philippines: UN To Assist with Post-Quake Relief Effort
Thursday, 17 October 2013, 12:10 pm | UN News
United Nations humanitarian agencies are arriving in the central Philippine island of Bohol to assist the Government with the response to a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck yesterday and which has so far affected more than 3 million people. More >>
Understanding risk to enhance community safety
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 7:19 pm | Secretariat of the Pacific Community
From 14 to 17 October, a team from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Geoscience and Applied Technology Division (SOPAC) will be visiting French Polynesia. They will report on the results of a series of studies designed to reduce the risk ... More >>
Role of rural women in responding to climate change
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:51 pm | UNFCCC
On the International Day of Rural Women, the UN's top climate change official Christiana Figueres drew attention to the important role of rural women in responding to the challenge climate change. More >>
HIV epidemic in Papua is very high
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:47 pm | SH News
Jayapura: Chairman of the National AIDS Commission (KPA) Papua, Constant Karma said he did not so surprised by the statement of the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior Diah Anggraeni which revealed that Praja IPDN are infected with HIV ... More >>
Taiwan Girls’ Day inaugurated
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:45 pm | Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
The Taiwan Girls’ Day was inaugurated on October 11, a move expected to strengthen the rights of girls nationwide, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). More >>
SOUTH KOREA: Miryang villagers maltreated by government
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:44 pm | Asian Human Rights Commission
The situation in Miryang is deeply alarming and appears to be deteriorating. The police are carrying out arbitrary arrests and detention, threat and harassment towards villagers and human rights defenders including violence and indiscriminate photo-taking ... More >>
SRI LANKA: Claims that prison death inquiry will cause riot
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:41 pm | Asian Human Rights Commission
The case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban, a Tamil prisoner whose death in prison evoked local and international expressions of concern last year was taken up on October 14 before the Supreme Court and the de facto Chief Justice, Mohan Peiris, refused to grant ... More >>
New Zealander and Arctic Sunrise captain refused bail
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:36 pm | Greenpeace
New Zealander David Haussmann, along with the captain of the Greenpeace International ship Arctic Sunrise and one other activist, has been refused bail in Russia. The Greenpeace International activists appeared this morning before a court in Murmansk. More >>
FemLINKPACIFIC Rural Women’s Day 2013: Food Security
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:32 pm | femLINKPACIFIC
Improving the overall status of rural women is more than just a social welfare project. It requires the recognition that rural women’s needs and concerns including great disparities in income and quality of life. More >>
PI Govts called to reiterate human costs of nuclear weapons
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:29 pm | femLINKPACIFIC
Ahead of the UN General Assembly First Committee in New York next week which will address the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons it is hoped that Pacific Island Governments who are State Parties to the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear ... More >>
PI Governments called to amplify call to ban nuclear weapons
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:23 pm | femLINKPACIFIC
Campaigners have welcomed the joint statement New Zealand will deliver in the coming week and FemLINKPACIFIC as a member of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) says ... More >>
Vanuatu hosts first National Youth Parliament
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:16 pm | UNDP
Fifty-two youth representing Vanuatu’s six provinces are in Port Vila this week participating in the country’s first ever National Youth Parliament which is generating a lot of interest among the youth groups, many of whom for the first time will enter ... More >>
Daily Press Briefing - October 15, 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:13 pm | US State Department
We, of course, have all been focused on the impacts of the shutdown. I know you all have been writing and reporting on it frequently. No one should mistake the fact that the shutdown is damaging to the State Department today and destructive to our ... More >>
Death of Peacekeepers in Darfur
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:08 pm | US State Department
On Sunday morning, unidentified gunmen attacked and killed three Senegalese peacekeepers participating in the joint United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). One other peacekeeper from Senegal was injured. More >>
U.S. Seeks Confidence-Building Measures with Iran
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:04 pm | US State Department
The Obama administration is encouraged by Iran’s stated desire to improve relations with the international community, and it is seeking to “test those assurances” in talks taking place in Geneva. More >>
South Asia Media Solidarity Network Bulletin - October 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 5:02 pm | International Federation of Journalists
Welcome to the e-bulletin of the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) for the month of October 2013. The next bulletin will be sent on November 15, 2013, and inputs are most welcome. More >>
Fiji: Media registration required in lead-up to election
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:58 pm | International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins with Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF), the regional media monitoring group, in being deeply concerned that requirements proposed by Fiji’s media authority for foreign media trainers, independent journalists ... More >>
IFJ condemns Philippine’s journalist accreditation scheme
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:57 pm | International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins with its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning House Bill 2550, the misnamed “Magna Carta for Journalists”, which seeks to impose an accreditation ... More >>
Charles Taylor Transferred to UK for Enforcement of Sentence
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:23 pm | Special Court for Sierra Leone
Charles Ghankay Taylor, the convicted former President of Liberia, was transferred today from the Netherlands and the custody of the Special Court to the United Kingdom, where he will serve the remainder of his 50-year sentence for war crimes and crimes ... More >>
Benny Wenda Concerned at Tomorrow’s Events in West Papua
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:13 pm | Free West Papua Campaign
Tomorrow, 16th October 2013, marks the 5th anniversary of the founding of two important groups in the struggle for West Papuan self-determination: International Parliamentarians for West Papua, and International Lawyers for West Papua. More >>
Untapped Resources in Central Asia Promise Great Rewards
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:10 pm | World Energy Council
Central Asia offers vast potential for energy procurement, but challenges lie ahead for the region's nations as well as the foreign players that seek to tap its potential, delegates to the World Energy Congress heard today. More >>
Hydropower Renaissance Underway, World Energy Congress Told
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:07 pm | World Energy Council
While it remains easier to build a coal plant than a hydro facility due to social and environmental concerns, hydropower is enjoying a renaissance. Large hydro projects seek to exploit the huge unused potential in Central Africa, Latin America, Russia ... More >>
Changing Market Offers Opportunities for Oil Companies
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 4:01 pm | World Energy Council
The resource ownership map has changed dramatically to the benefit of National Oil Companies (NOCs) and International Oil Companies (IOCs), speakers at the World Energy Congress said on Tuesday. More >>
Consultation urges protection of human rights in Papua
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 3:58 pm | InternationalCoalition for Papua
On September 25, 2013 a three days lasting event including an international consultation on Papua concluded in Geneva. The consultation titled Isolating Papua highlighted the increasing practice of limiting access to the Papuan provinces of Indonesia. More >>
MSG must let West Papuans to claim their Melanesian identity
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 3:40 pm | The East Timor Action Network ETAN
98 international and Pacific non-governmental organisations, academics, politicians and individuals have written to the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), welcoming their leadership on the West Papua issue and adding their wholehearted ... More >>
Arte Laguna Prize: the exhibition in Mumbai
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 12:24 pm | Arte Laguna Prize
On October 19th at 6.30 pm, ‘Indian Suggestions’, an exhibition dedicated to works by Carlos Cartama, Dina Goldstein and Michael Rotondi opens at Sakshi Gallery in Mumbai. More >>
Simple Hand-Washing with Soap Can Cut Death Rates
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 11:52 am | UN News
From Ethiopia and Yemen to Bolivia and Viet Nam millions of children are today taking part in the sixth annual United Nations-backed Global Handwashing Day, driving home the message that the simple use of soap and water can slash highly preventable diarrhoeal ... More >>
Afghanistan: Attack on Mosque Kills Government Official
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 11:47 am | UN News
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today strongly condemned an attack on a mosque, which killed the governor of the Logar Province, Arsala Jamal. More >>
Murmansk court continues to refuse bail for Greenpeace
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 10:33 am | Greenpeace
Amsterdam, 15 October 2013 - Greenpeace International activist Frank Hewetson (UK) has been refused bail by the Regional Court of Murmansk in Russia, bringing the number of rejected bail appeals to 10. More >>
Security Cabinet Statement on Iran - Embassy of Isreal
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 10:20 am | Embassy of Israel in Wellington
Iran has been working for over 20 years to obtain nuclear weapons capabilities despite its declared commitment to pursue only civilian nuclear energy. More >>
Human rights groups call on MSG leaders
Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 9:19 am | Peace Movement Aotearoa
15 October 2012 (London / Wellington) – Ninety-eight international and Pacific non-governmental organisations, including Peace Movement Aotearoa, academics, politicians and individuals have written to the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), ... More >>
SRI LANKA: Inquiry on the Welikada and Vavuniya Prison Riots
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 5:34 pm | Asian Human Rights Commission
This intervention is made in a spirit of democratic engagement by the Friday Forum, a group of concerned citizens who have come together to consider current issues of public interest with a view to making a contribution to peace, democracy, good governance ... More >>
Death Toll of Pakistan’s Journalists Hits Nine for the Year
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 5:29 pm | International Federation of Journalists
The gunning down of a journalist outside his home in the district of Karak in Pakistan’s northern province on October 11 has taken the country’s journalist death toll to nine this year. More >>
Transport Technology Innovations Needed For Decarbonization
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 5:22 pm | World Energy Council
World Energy Congress, Daegu, Korea, 14 October 2013: With the total number of cars in the world expected to double to around 2.6 billion vehicles by 2050, governments and the automotive industry must find ways to decarbonise the transportation sector ... More >>
Côte d’Ivoire: UN expert launches fifth official visit
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 5:11 pm | OHCHR
The United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire, Doudou Diène, started today his fifth official mission to the country, from 14 to 23 October 2013, to gather information on the human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire. More >>
Arab states must not close doors to Palestinian refugees
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 5:07 pm | Alray Media Agency
Palestinian Government demanded the Arab states not to close their doors in the face of Palestinian refugees, and work diligently to offer a helping hand to them. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ghazi Hamad called Monday morning in a press ... More >>
6 EU Member States keep doors open to banned carbon credits
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 4:40 pm | Carbon Market Watch
At today’s meeting of EU Environment Ministers, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Spain refused to extend the EU-ETS ban on industrial gas offset credits to their national greenhouse gas reduction targets, prompting concern that some EU ... More >>
10,000 Gaza workers laid off due to tightened blockade
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 4:06 pm | Alray Media Agency
The Palestinian government said 10 thousand workers have joined the unemployed after construction materials stopped to flow through the underground tunnels along the Egyptian border. More >>
Alaskan to carry Olympic torch to the North Pole
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 2:42 pm | University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks vice chancellor and former Olympic shooter Pat Pitney will represent the United States during the North Pole leg of the Olympic Torch Relay beginning this week. More >>
Violence in Syrian Refugee Camp Kills Seven Palestinians
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 12:38 pm | UN News
The United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees today called on all parties in Syria to stop the violence in refugee camps and other civilian areas, following violence near the Dera’a camp which killed seven Palestinians. More >>
Kosovo: UN Urges Cessation of Violence in Wake of Bombing
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 12:36 pm | UN News
The head of United Nations mission in Kosovo strongly condemned a bombing earlier today in northern Mitrovica and called for a swift and thorough investigation. “These cowardly acts of violence are reprehensible, and they gravely jeopardize security ... More >>
Not Enough Done To Reintegrate Victims of Human Trafficking
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 12:32 pm | UN News
Although human trafficking is recognized as modern-day slavery, many victims of the scourge in the Greater Mekong Sub-region of South-East Asia are not given adequate help for reintegration into their communities, according to a United Nations-backed ... More >>
UN Launches Essay Contest to Celebrate Multilingualism
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 12:26 pm | UN News
The United Nations is asking college and university students to write an essay in one of its six official languages on the role of multilingualism in a globalized world. More >>
UN Condemns Latest Attacks in Iraq Ahead Of the Eid Holiday
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 12:24 pm | UN News
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned in the strongest terms a string of bombings which have killed or wounded scores of Iraqis ahead of the Eid Al-Adha holiday. More >>
You can’t improve what you don’t measure
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 10:09 am | Secretariat of the Pacific Community
– Once a disaster starts to unfold, it is too late to start looking for the information needed to manage it. This truism has been discussed for the past decade and remains relevant today for the disaster management business. More >>
Nzer David Haussmann and Greenpeace Cptn refused bail
Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 9:16 am | Greenpeace New Zealand
The Greenpeace International activists appeared this morning before a court in Murmansk. Haussmann was one of the electricians on the Arctic Sunrise when it was seized last month by armed men from the Russian security forces. The ship’s captain, American ... More >>
Pacific Fuel Demand is High But Alternatives Are in Sight
Monday, 14 October 2013, 7:39 pm | Asian Development Bank
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (14 October 2013) – The Pacific region’s primary energy demand is projected to more than double from 3.6 million tons of oil equivalent in 2010 to 8.8 tons of oil equivalent in 2035 at an annual rate of 3.7%, the Asian Development ... More >>
Ban Condemns Attack That Killed Three Peacekeepers in Darfur
Monday, 14 October 2013, 5:13 pm | UN News
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the attack in Darfur on an African Union-United Nations convoy, which resulted in the death of three Senegalese peacekeepers. More >>
Attack on Journalist in Pakistan’s Abbottabad City Condemned
Monday, 14 October 2013, 4:00 pm | International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and partners in the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) are shocked and horrified by the latest instance of an attack with obvious lethal intent on a journalist in Pakistan. More >>
Pacific Fisheries Turns Deal Breaker for EU
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:59 pm | Solomon Islands Government
The Pacific's fisheries resources have turned out to be the deal breaker for the current negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Pacific Island Countries and the European Union in Brussels. More >>
TGTE Election Commission’s computer hacked
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:58 pm | Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam’s (TGTE) Election Commission’s computer was hacked. The Election Commission just completed accepting nominations for the second TGTE Parliament to elect Members of Parliament from twelve countries. More >>
West Papuan Asylum Seekers Dumped in Remote Refugee Camp
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:54 pm | Freedom Flotilla
Six of the West Papuans who sought asylum in Australia after being persecuted for their involvement in a ceremonial handover of sacred water and ashes as part of the Freedom Flotilla, were relocated under armed guard to Kiunga on Saturday the 12th ... More >>
Greenpeace bail appeals refused, Brazil president speaks out
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:52 pm | Greenpeace
Appeals for bail by lawyers for Phil Ball and Kieron Bryan, both British citizens, were today refused by the Regional Court of Murmansk. Phil Ball is one of 28 Greenpeace International activists, along with New Zealanders David Haussmann and Jonathan Beauchamp, ... More >>
Pacific called to examine future relations with EU post-2020
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:49 pm | ACP Group
The first consultation of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) will be held in Apia, Samoa from 17-19 October 2013. This is the first in a series of six regional consultations in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to solicit the views and secure positions ... More >>
Statement at International Monetary and Financial Committee
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:46 pm | US State Department
Five years ago, the world economy was faced with a devastating crisis. Together, our countries committed to and implemented a swift and aggressive emergency response that helped calm financial markets, repair and reform our financial systems, and ... More >>
Joint Press Availability With Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:43 pm | US State Department
Afghan and international media, the United States media, welcome to our today’s press conference. And we apologize for making you waiting from morning up to now. Thanks for being so patient. And I’m very happy that today, His Excellency John ... More >>
Background Briefing on Bilateral Security Agreement
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:42 pm | US State Department
Okay. So we're just going to do a quick backgrounder on the meetings that Secretary Kerry just had in Afghanistan, and a readout of those. And we have Senior State Department Official One, Senior Administration Official One here. And if I have anything, I'll ... More >>
After Latest Lampedusa Tragedy, Call for Migrant Protection
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:26 pm | UN News
Following reports of a second ship capsizing off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the international community to protect the rights of migrants and take action to prevent such tragic incidents. More >>
DR Congo: Attack on Peacekeeping Helicopter 'Unacceptable'
Monday, 14 October 2013, 3:25 pm | UN News
The United Nations Special Envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region has condemned the armed rebel attack on a UN helicopter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) calling the act "unacceptable." More >>
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