Category: World » Asia
Global Economic Growth Still Sluggish: Report
23 May 15:45 | World
Global economic growth will continue to be “below potential” this year, according to a new report that adds that job creation will be vital to spur recovery. read more »
IAEA To Open Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Centre In Fukushima
22 May 15:15 | World
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are heading to Japan to launch an emergency preparedness and response centre in Fukushima, the coastal city devastated two years ago when a massive earthquake and tsunami set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.read more »
Provocations After Latest North Korea Missile Test
19 May 15:28 | World
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his concern about provocations and tensions on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea launching short-range guided missiles into the sea on Saturday. read more »
Eight Countries Submit Plans To Combat Illegal Trade In Elephants
19 May 10:53 | World
Eight countries identified as being the most affected by the illegal trade in elephant ivory have submitted national action plans to a treaty to combat the scourge.read more »
No New Cases Of Avian Influenza A H7N9 Since May 8
18 May 16:13 | World
No new laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported to WHO by the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China since 8 May.read more »
Tetanus Eliminated In Over 30 Countries At High Risk
16 May 11:23 | World
Tetanus – one of the most deadly diseases a mother and her newborn can face – has been eliminated in more than 30 countries with previously had high rates of the illness. read more »
New Safety Agreement Between Garment Industry And Bangladeshi Workers
14 May 15:49 | World
International fashion brands, retailers and trade unions have signed an agreement to prevent workplace disasters in Bangladesh. read more »
Eating Insects Can Help Tackle Food Insecurity Says FAO
14 May 08:54 | World
While insects can be slimy, cringe-inducing creatures, often squashed on sight by humans, a new book released by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says beetles, wasps and caterpillars are also an unexplored nutrition source that can help address global food insecurity.read more »
131 Cases Of Avian Influenza A H7N9 Virus Confirmed
9 May 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says a total of 131 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have now been reported, with 32 deaths.read more »
Call For Western Clothing Brands To Work With Bangladesh To Prevent Another Disaster
9 May 2013 | World
Global clothing brands are being urged to work with Bangladesh, international organizations and civil society to improve working conditions in the country’s garment sector, following the collapse last month of a factory that left hundreds dead and wounded. read more »
Members of North Korea Human Rights Abuses Probe Announced
8 May 2013 | World
The President of the United Nations Human Rights Council has announced the appointment of the members of the commission of inquiry set up to investigate alleged abuses in North Korea. read more »
Bangladesh Agrees On Plan To Improve Working Conditions Following Disasters
6 May 2013 | World
Bangladeshi lawmakers will receive an agreed upon labour reform package as soon as next month to improve the nation's working conditions, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said following a high-level visit to the South Asian country still reeling from the deadly collapse of a garment factory.read more »
76,000 People Displaced Near Afghan Border
5 May 2013 | World
The UN emergency relief arm has warned that population displacement could surge amid Government military operations and ongoing fighting between rival armed groups in northern Pakistan, near the Afghan border. read more »
128 Cases Of Avian Influenza A H7N9 Now Confirmed
3 May 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says another two laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus have been confirmed in China, taking the total to 128.read more »
Media Freedom Faces 'Greatest Challenge Since The Cold War'
3 May 2013 | World
Media freedom faces its greatest challenge since the Cold War with Internet blocking, satellite jamming and the return of shortwave jamming said a group of leading international broadcasters.read more »
Two More Die From H7N9 Virus
30 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says another two people have died from avian influenza A (H7N9) virus with another 17 cases confirmed in China.read more »
Urgent Funding Appeal To Meet Health And Nutrition Needs Of North Korea
29 Apr 2013 | World
Five UN agencies have issued an urgent appeal for $29.4 million to meet the most critical health and nutrition needs of the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for the rest of this year.read more »
Social Protection Measures Key In Fight Against Child Labour: Report
29 Apr 2013 | World
The implementation of social protection measures can play a key role in rescuing minors from occupational bondage, a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found.read more »
Influenza A H7N9 Virus Cases Rise To 109
26 Apr 2013 | World
The number of Influenza A H7N9 infections in China has risen to 109 but the death toll has remain steady at 22.read more »
Source Of Human H7N9 Influenza Virus Identified
25 Apr 2013 | World
Chinese scientists say analysis of H7N9 influenza viruses collected from live poultry markets have shown these viruses circulating among birds were responsible for human infections.read more »
Asia's Consumption Of Raw Materials Unsustainable, Report Warns
24 Apr 2013 | World
The Asia-Pacific region must boost its resource efficiency or risk losing ground in lifestyle, economic growth and environmental sustainability, according to a new report.read more »
Four More Cases Of Influenza A (H7N9) Virus In China
24 Apr 2013 | World
Another four cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been confirmed in China taking the total number of cases to 108, including 22 deaths.read more »
China Agrees To End Production Of Ozone-Depleting Substances By 2030
23 Apr 2013 | World
China has agreed to completely eliminate its industrial production of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2030.read more »
Number Of Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Cases In China Increases To 104
23 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says 104 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been confirmed in China, including 21 deaths.read more »
Number Of Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Cases In China Increases To 87
19 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says an additional five laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been confirmed in China taking the total to 87.read more »
Health Experts Flying To China To Help Assess Deadly Flu Outbreak
16 Apr 2013 | World
International health experts will travel to China later this week for a week-long joint assessment of the deadly H7N9 bird influenza outbreak that has so far infected 63 people, 14 of them fatally.read more »
Sixty Cases Of Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Now Confirmed In China
16 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says another nine laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A(H7N9) virus have been confirmed in China, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 60 including 13 deaths.read more »
Four More Cases Of Influenza A (H7N9) Virus In China
11 Apr 2013 | World
Four more cases of the deadly influenza A(H7N9)virus have been confirmed in China taking the total number of cases to 28, with two more people dieing as a result of the virus. read more »
"Everything Possible Is Being Done" To Tackle H7N9 Flu Virus: WHO
10 Apr 2013 | World
All possible steps to monitor and contain the spread of the H7N9 influenza virus in China are being taken by local authorities, the World Health Organization said, while confirming that seven people across the Asian country had already succumbed to the disease. read more »
24 Cases Of Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Now Confirmed In China
10 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization says 24 cases of the deadly influenza A(H7N9) virus have now been confirmed in China.read more »
Land Degradation Damaging Global Agriculture Production
10 Apr 2013 | World
The international community is losing vast amounts of agricultural production due to the effects of continuing land degradation such as desertification, a new study has warned, adding that without sustainable land management, development initiatives the world over will be stymied. read more »
Concern Over Growing Use Of Death Penalty In Middle East And Asian
7 Apr 2013 | World
The United Nations human rights office has called on Governments to establish an official moratorium on all executions with a long term goal of abolishing the death penalty worldwide. read more »
Eighteen Cases Of Deadly H7N9 Virus Now Recorded In China
7 Apr 2013 | World
A total of 18 cases of influenza A(H7N9) virus have been laboratory confirmed in China, including six deaths, with two new cases confirmed in Shanghai. read more »
More Cases Of Influenza A (H7N9) Recorded In China
4 Apr 2013 | World
The World Health Organization (WHO) says an additional four cases of human infection with deadly influenza A(H7N9) have been recorded in Jiangsu province in eastern China, with no apparent link between the cases.read more »
Korean Peninsula Crisis Has "Gone Too Far"
2 Apr 2013 | World
The current crisis on the Korean peninsula “has already gone too far” following an announcement by North Korea to restart its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. read more »
Deadly Household Air Pollution Leads To Call For Biomarker Studies
2 Apr 2013 | World
Almost four million people die each year from household air pollution (HAP) caused by exposure to the combustion of biomass fuels (wood, charcoal, crop residues, and dung), kerosene, or coal. read more »
First Known Deaths From H7N9 Virus Recorded In China
2 Apr 2013 | World
The China Health and Family Planning Commission has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of three cases of human infection with influenza A(H7N9), with two of the victims dead and the third in critical condition.read more »
Global Arms Trade Treaty Fails To Reach Consensus
29 Mar 2013 | World
The Final United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) has failed to reach an agreement among all 193 Member States on a treaty text during the last day of the conference. read more »
Human Rights Inquiry Announced Into Abuses In DPR Korea
25 Mar 2013 | World
The Human Rights Council has announced a commission of inquiry into alleged abuses in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).read more »
South Korea And U.S. Sign Agreement To Counter Future Threats From North Korea
25 Mar 2013 | World
The Chairman of the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Jung, Seung-jo and the Combined Forces Command Commander Gen. James D. Thurman have signed a new plan to counter future threats from North Korea. read more »
1.1 Billion People Still Defecate In The Open As Action Urged On Sanitation Crisis
22 Mar 2013 | World
Of the world's seven billion people, six billion have mobile phones but only 4.5 billion have access to toilets or latrines – meaning that 2.5 billion people, mostly in rural areas, do not have proper sanitation. read more »
Record Disaster Losses Top $100 Billion For Third Consecutive Year
17 Mar 2013 | World
Thousands of people were killed in extreme disaster events in 2012 with more than $100 billion in property losses for a third year in a row.read more »
Pakistan Concerns Over U.S. Drone Flyovers Backed By UN
16 Mar 2013 | World
The United States' ongoing drone campaign in Pakistan is a violation of the South Asian nation’s sovereignty, as it is being conducted without the consent of its elected representatives or that of the legitimate Government, a United Nations expert has warned. read more »
Ancient Chinese Coin Found On Kenyan Island
13 Mar 2013 | World
A joint expedition of scientists has unearthed a 600-year-old Chinese coin on the Kenyan island of Manda that shows trade existed between China and east Africa decades before European explorers set sail and changed the map of the world.read more »
North Korea Urged To Abide By Korean War Truce
12 Mar 2013 | World
The United Nations has called on North Korea to continue to respect the terms of the 1953 Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War, amid the country’s reported claims that the pact is nullified. read more »
Human Rights Abuses In North Korea "May Amount To Crimes Against Humanity"
12 Mar 2013 | World
Many of the systematic patterns of human rights violations documented in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) may constitute crimes against humanity, according to an independent expert.read more »
Expert Warns Of Significant Human Rights Shortcomings In Burma
11 Mar 2013 | World
Ongoing reforms in Burma, otherwise known as Myanmar, are improving the human rights situation in the country, but a large gap still remains between these efforts and their implementation on the ground, according to a United Nations independent expert.read more »
Global Food Prices Expected To Remain Stable
10 Mar 2013 | World
World food prices have held steady for another month with falling cereal and sugar prices offsetting gains in vegetable oils and dairy, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said, while also pointing to what could be a record wheat crop this year. read more »
"Legal Highs" Represent Threat To Public Health, Says Panel
5 Mar 2013 | World
An independent body tasked with monitoring the production and consumption of narcotics worldwide has warned of the increase in use of psychoactive substances known as 'legal highs' which reproduce the effect of illegal drugs, and represent a threat to public health.read more »
$10 Billion Needed To Aid World Hotspots
5 Mar 2013 | World
The United Nations humanitarian chief has urged the international community to dig into its wallet for the $10.4 billion needed this year to help more than 57 million people around the world.read more »
