General News

People in the Somali town of Jawhar, 90 kilometres north of the capital, Mogadishu, now live without the stringent rules of the al –Shabaab Islamic extremists.

On 9 December, the Somali National Army, supported by African Union troops captured the town, one of the few remaining strongholds of al-Shabaab.

The town, in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia, had been under the control of the radical group linked to Al Qaeda.

Dianne Penn reports.

Duration: 2'44"

The plight of migrants who are stranded in crisis situations as a result of man-made or natural disasters is the focus of this year’s International Migrants Day.

The day is observed on 18 December each year to highlight issues that affect millions of migrants around the world.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that in crisis situations migrants often find themselves stuck between the rock and hard place.

Australia’s aboriginal female community experiences much higher rates of abuse than the rest of the population, says Cathy Eatock, a senior policy officer in state government.

Ms. Eatock, an aboriginie herself, spoke at a recent meeting at the United Nations on strategies for ending violence against women.

She explained to Gerry Adams some of the factors that contribute to the abuse.

Duration: 3'53"

Progress made in controlling malaria is being threatened by a slowdown in global efforts against the disease.

The warning comes in this year’s annual report of the World Health Organization (WHO) on malaria.

WHO says that $5 billion is needed over the next decade to combat malaria but only half of that amount is available.

Derrick Mbatha reports.

Duration: 4'40"

The political crisis Guinea-Bissau caused by the military coup on 12 April continues, according to the outgoing top United Nations envoy in the West African country.

For the past four years, Joseph Mutaboba has been trying to help the country rebuild its political institutions following years of coups since its independence from Portugal in 1974.

Mr. Mutaboba was in New York to brief the Security Council  on his mission. 

Violence against women is pervasive and harms not only women but their families and their communities.

At a two-day forum at the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, UN officials, government representatives and other stakeholders discussed how to prevent it.

Sandrea Falconer, Jamaica’s Minister of Information with responsibility for gender affairs, told Gerry Adams that she is head of a specific committee addressing the problem.

Duration: 2'52"

The issue of senior Sudanese officials sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the crimes allegedly committed in Darfur was brought before the Security Council on Thursday.

The crimes relate to the civil war which erupted in the region in 2003 between the government of Sudan and its allied militia and other armed rebel groups.

The one billionth tourist crossed an international border on the 13th of December of 2012, according to the UN World Tourism Organization.

Marcelo Risi of the UNWTO says everybody likes to travel.

In fact, he told Gerry Adams that travel’s socio-economic impact is so wide-ranging that it has become an important addition to the UN agenda.

Duration: 2'24"

The central role of women in development is being discussed at a two-day meeting taking place in Vienna, Austria.

The Vienna Policy Dialogue has been organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in partnership with UN women and the Government of Austria.

Early this week more than 200 Ethiopian migrants were returned to their country from Yemen on a flight chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

They are part of hundreds of Ethiopian migrants who are stranded in and around Yemen’s north-western town of Haradh after their attempt to enter Saudi Arabia in search of work failed.