Category: World » Africa
Asteroids Will Make Earth Near Miss Wednesday Says NASA
3:29 am Eastern | USA News
NASA says two asteroids discovered just three days ago will pass within the moon's distance from Earth on Wednesday, with one coming as close as 49,000km.read more »
Thousands More Displaced By Fighting In Somali Capital
3 Sep 14:29 | World
Continuing fighting in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, has caused the displacement of at least 22,000 more civilians and forced relief agencies to curtail their operations in the war-scarred city during the past 12 days.read more »
Airline Passengers In Developing Countries Face 13 Times Risk Of Crash As U.S
1 Sep 13:46 | World
Passengers who fly in Developing World countries face 13 times the risk of being killed in an air accident as passengers in the First World, according to a new study.read more »
Plan Launched Against Human Trafficking
31 Aug 13:50 | World
The United Nations has launched a global action plan to combat human trafficking, with senior UN officials urging that governments worldwide take coordinated and consistent measures to try to defeat the scourge.read more »
Somali Pleads Guilty to Acts Of Piracy Against US Warship
27 Aug 2010 | USA News
Jama Idle Ibrahim, aka Jaamac Ciidle, of Somalia, has pleaded guilty today to acts of piracy against the USS Ashland, which he believed was a merchant vessel that he intended to seize and hold for ransom.read more »
States Urged To Ratify Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
27 Aug 2010 | World
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging all Member States that have not yet done so to ratify the United Nations-backed treaty banning nuclear tests, saying it is important to build on the momentum made on disarmament and non-proliferation over the past year.read more »
Mass Rapes "Brutal Reminder" Of Obstacles To Peace In DR Congo
26 Aug 2010 | World
The recent savage rape and assault of scores of civilians in the remote and troubled far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a “brutal reminder” of the obstacles faced in keeping the peace in conflict zones, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.read more »
Security Council Debates Pursuing Pirates Off Somali Coast
25 Aug 2010 | World
Commending the efforts undertaken so far to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says more can be done as the Security Council debated legal options to help bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. read more »
Deadly Attack On Somali Hotel Leaves 31 Dead
24 Aug 2010 | World
Members of an Islamic militant group dressed in army uniforms have stormed a hotel in Somalia killing 31 people, including six Members of Parliament.read more »
Number Of Somalis Needing Humanitarian Aid Falls
23 Aug 2010 | World
The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia has eased this year, with the number of people needing aid falling by 25 per cent to 2 million, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.read more »
Aid Access Restored To Troubled Camp For Displaced In Darfur
19 Aug 2010 | World
Aid workers have been allowed back into a restive camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur, the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission to the Sudanese region reported. read more »
Alarming Food Shortages In Niger
16 Aug 2010 | World
In an effort to alleviate alarming food shortages that have caused high malnutrition rates among children in Niger, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated an additional $15 million to enable the UN food agency to provide relief to an estimated 1.7 million people. read more »
Madagascar's Farms Threatened By Locust Plague
12 Aug 2010 | World
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that Madagascar is at risk of a crop-eating locust plague, potentially jeopardizing the livelihoods of 460,000 rural families.read more »
UN Considering ‘Light Presence’ In Somali Capital
10 Aug 2010 | World
With the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia nearing its full capacity, the United Nation is now “seriously considering” the second of its three-part strategy in which the world body would have a light presence in the capital, Mogadishu, and other parts of the war-ravaged country.read more »
Naomi Campbell Knew Diamonds Were From Taylor: Former Agent
9 Aug 2010 | Entertainment
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor gave Naomi Campbell diamonds after a 1997 dinner in South Africa, according to the supermodel's former agent Carole White.read more »
Actress Mia Farrow Due To Testify Before War Crimes Trial
7 Aug 2010 | Entertainment
The actress and humanitarian activist Mia Farrow is set to give evidence on Monday about blood diamonds that are the current focus of testimony at the ongoing trial of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor at a United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal.read more »
Study Finds Proximity Could Be Key To Success Of Healing Prayer
5 Aug 2010 | World
Findings reported from a new international study of healing prayer suggest that prayer for another person's healing just might help, especially if the one praying is physically near the person being prayed for. read more »
UN Pledges Support For Africa's Efforts To Boost Food Security
1 Aug 2010 | World
The United Nations says it is committed to helping African nations combat hunger and malnutrition as well as enabling the continent to feed itself.read more »
Darfur Peace Process Reaches "Critical Juncture"
29 Jul 2010 | World
The peace process in Darfur has reached a critical point, with the security situation deteriorating just as prospects for a negotiated settlement have slightly improved, a senior United Nations official has told the Security Council.read more »
Scientists Release "Unmistakable" Signs Of A Warming World
28 Jul 2010 | World
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released what it says is "unmistakeable" scientific evidence that our world is warming.read more »
Alarm At Deteriorating Treatment Of Uprooted Somalis
24 Jul 2010 | World
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks by a Somali rebel group in Uganda, the United Nations refugee agency has expressed its alarm over xenophobic incidents, round-ups and deportations of displaced Somalis both within and outside their country’s borders.read more »
Dire Humanitarian Crisis Continues To Grip Somalia
22 Jul 2010 | World
As Somalia remains in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, it is vital to ensure adequate funding to assist the 3.2 million people or more than 40 per cent of the population who rely on international aid, a senior United Nations aid official has stressed.read more »
Parliaments Urged To Play Leading Role In Tackling Today’s Crises
19 Jul 2010 | World
The world's elected parliamentarians can play a leading role in tackling some of today’s global crises and challenges, including unconstitutional changes of government and threats to the rule of law, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.read more »
FBI And Uganda Police Seek Help Finding 7/11 Bombers
19 Jul 2010 | World
The FBI has issued a wanted posted for two men identified as being involved with the suicide bombings that killed over seventy people watching the World Cup soccer finals in Uganda.read more »
Mia Farrow To Meet With War-Affected Children In Uganda
14 Jul 2010 | Entertainment
Actress and activist Mia Farrow is travelling to Uganda in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to meet with children impacted by years of conflict.read more »
Humanitarian Needs Of Haiti's Quake Survivors Still Immense
12 Jul 2010 | World
The humanitarian needs of people affected by January’s earthquake in Haiti remain immense six months after the disaster, relief agencies said in a report released today.read more »
Call To Bring Perpetrators Of "Vicious" Attacks In Uganda To Justice
12 Jul 2010 | World
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the bombings that struck the Ugandan capital on Sunday, killing dozens of people and wounding hundreds at two sites as they were watching the final match of the football World Cup.read more »
Gold Mining Causes Child Lead Poisoning Outbreak In Nigeria
8 Jul 2010 | World
The World Health Organization says it is working with the Nigerian Government to contain an unprecedented outbreak of lead poisoning in the country’s north as a result of the processing of lead-rich ore in gold mining.read more »
Difficult Childhoods Lead To Teenage Drinking: Study
5 Jul 2010 | World
An African study has found a link between a difficult childhood and alcohol consumption as a teenager. read more »
Fuel Truck Blast In DR Congo Kills Over 200
3 Jul 2010 | World
An overturned fuel truck in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has caught fire and exploded killing more than 200 people who had gathered there in an attempt to siphon fuel.read more »
Supermodel Naomi Campbell Ordered To Testify Before War Crimes Court
3 Jul 2010 | Entertainment
Judges at the United Nations-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone have ordered the high-profile British model Naomi Campbell to give evidence later this month about a blood diamond in the ongoing trial of the notorious former Liberian president Charles Taylor.read more »
Global Commuter Pain Study Reveals Traffic Jam Crisis
30 Jun 2010 | World
The daily commute in some of the world's most economically important international cities is longer and more grueling than ever, according to IBM's first global Commuter Pain study released today.read more »
World's Most Expensive Cities Revealed In Latest Mercer Survey
29 Jun 2010 | World
Luanda in Angola is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer Consulting, with Tokyo in second position and Ndjamena in Chad in third place. read more »
Haitian Population Set to Rebound After Earthquake
28 Jun 2010 | World
The population of Haiti is projected to increase from 9.6 million in 2010 to 13.4 million by 2050, according to new data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. read more »
The G-20 Toronto Summit Declaration
28 Jun 2010 | World
The Group of 20 countries have released a summit declaration which aims to cut deficits by 2013, against the wishes of the United States. Full transcript of the G-20 Toronto Summit Declaration.read more »
Don't Balance Budgets On The Back Of The Poor, G20 Told
27 Jun 2010 | World
G20 leaders meeting in Toronto have been urged to take urgent steps to help the poor and vulnerable make ends meet through investment, as hundreds were arrested in protest surrounding the meeting in Canada.read more »
Report Says Cannabis Most Popular Drug But Amphetamine-Type Use Rising
24 Jun 2010 | World
Cannabis remains the world's most widely produced and used illicit substance in the world but amphetamine-type stimulants and prescription medications are increasingly becoming the drugs of choice globally, according to a new United Nations report.read more »
Security Council Deplores Deadly Ambush Of Peacekeepers
22 Jun 2010 | World
The UN Security Council has condemned an ambush by unknown assailants in Darfur in which three soldiers serving with the African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force were killed and a fourth was seriously wounded.read more »
Scientists Find 3.6 Million-Year-Old Relative of 'Lucy'
21 Jun 2010 | World
Scientists have announced the discovery of a 3.6 million-year-old partial skeleton found in Ethiopia, with the early hominid believed to be 400,000 years older than the famous "Lucy" skeleton. read more »
Worst of H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic May Have Passed: WHO
18 Jun 2010 | World
The World Health Organization says there has been a low resurgence of the H1N1 swine flu virus and the worst of the pandemic may have passed.read more »
Report Warns Food Prices Could Soar Up By 40 Per Cent In Next Decade
15 Jun 2010 | World
Global prices of food could climb by as much as 40 per cent in the coming decade, as the global population continues to surge, according to a new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report.read more »
UN Plans Gorilla Rescue Airlift
7 Jun 2010 | World
In continuing efforts to preserve gorillas, one of the world most endangered species, the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will next month carry out a second airlift of six baby gorillas to a sanctuary where they will cared for before they released into the wild.read more »
Annie Lennox To Spotlight Toll Of HIV On Women, Girls
2 Jun 2010 | Entertainment
Scottish singer, songwriter and women’s activist Annie Lennox will use her voice to speak out for women and girls affected by HIV in her new role as International Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). read more »
Horrors And Heroism Of Haiti Quake Captured In Online Archive
29 May 2010 | World
Thousands of photographs, film clips, audio files and other documents taken in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake disaster have been indexed on a digital archive available publicly on the Internet.read more »
20th Century One Of Driest In 9 Centuries For Northwest Africa
26 May 2010 | World
Droughts in the late 20th century rival some of North Africa's major droughts of centuries past, according to new research that peers back in time to the year 1179.read more »
Clinton Heads To East For Talks
18 May 2010 | US Politics and Govt
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit China, Japan and South Korea this month to discuss economic and strategic issues.read more »
Actress Mia Farrow Witnesses Plight Of Guinea's Children
11 May 2010 | Entertainment
Acclaimed actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow has appealed for greater investment in youngsters in Guinea after touring a maternity ward where three newborns fight for their lives in one incubator and a school where four pupils crowd onto a bench meant for two. read more »
UN Condemns Killing Of Peacekeepers In Darfur
7 May 2010 | World
The United Nations has expressed outrage after two peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-UN force in Sudan’s war-scarred Darfur region were killed and three others seriously wounded in an ambush.read more »
Russian Commandos Free Hijacked Oil Tanker
6 May 2010 | World
Russian commandos have boarded the Liberian hijacked tanker Moscow University and freed the crew after an exchange of fire between Somali pirates and a Russian warship.read more »
Fresh Clashes Erupt In Darfur Despite Peace Process
4 May 2010 | World
The joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur has urged the Government and one of the leading insurgent groups in the western Sudanese region to stop fighting as it confirmed that fresh clashes had erupted between the two sides despite a peace process intended to end the conflict.read more »