Spero News

Priest mistaken as a terrorist beaten in Florida

An Orthodox priest visiting from Greece was allegedly attacked by a Marine reservist in Tampa. His assailant claims the priest made homosexual advances.

Sri Lanka: Young former refugees receive gift of ten bicycles to go to school

The National Fisheries Solidarity Movement donates the bicycles to young people in Arripputhurai. Mr Fernando, school director in Mullikulam’s Catholic school, says young men and women would like to continue their studies but there are no local services or help to enable them to fulfil their wish.

Home furnishings giant IKEA raises money for UNICEF

More than 500,000 children, mainly in Africa, are expected to benefit from home furnishing and accessories firm IKEA?s Holiday season fundraising campaign, which will donate one euro for every soft toy sold to the UN Children?s Fund (UNICEF) and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Save the ...

UN official lauds role of sport in European Union development programmes

A senior United Nations official today praised the European Commission for its use of sport in bringing together diverse communities within the continent?s geo-political bloc, as well as helping people in poor countries.

Eco-friendly initiatives recognized with UN-backed award

A range of eco-friendly start-up initiatives in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Niger, Southern Africa and Zimbabwe have won a notable sustainable development award, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.

As fighting escalates in Yemen, UN agency repeats call for humanitarian access

The United Nations refugee agency said today it is extremely concerned about the recent escalation of the conflict between Government forces and rebels in northern Yemen, and once again appealed for access to those displaced by the fighting.

Flooding drives Somalis from their homes amid aid funding shortfall, warns UN

Around 16,000 Somalis have been forced from their homes by severe flooding in the south of the strife-torn country, the United Nations humanitarian arm said today, while underscoring that a funding shortfall is hampering relief efforts.

Ban urges more States to adhere to global pact on explosive remnants of war

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on those States that have not yet done so to adhere to the global pact dealing with explosive remnants of war, noting the deadly toll that these weapons which are left over after conflict takes on society.

Number of civilians escaping tribal violence in DR Congo on the rise - UN

The number of civilians fleeing tribal violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into neighbouring Republic of Congo since last week has topped 21,800, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

UN receives provisional voters? list for much delayed Ivorian presidential poll

C�te d?Ivoire?s independent electoral commission today handed over a provisional voters? list to the top United Nations envoy there, a step forward towards holding the much-delayed presidential poll in the West African country, split by civil war in 2002 into a Government-ruled south and a ...

In face of Abbas? electoral withdrawal, UN again urges Israeli settlement freeze

Terming Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas? announcement that he will not run for re-election "a loud and clear wake-up call," a senior United Nations official today called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

UN rushes aid to flood victims in El Salvador

The United Nations has sent a disaster assessment team to El Salvador and released a $50,000 cash grant to help the small Central American country recover from torrential rainfall that caused massive flooding and triggered landslides, killing at least 140 people and displacing nearly 14,000 others.

Lebanon and Israel must do more to achieve permanent ceasefire - UN envoy

Despite recent "worrying incidents" in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hizbollah militants battled fiercely three years ago, talk of a new war is alarmist, but all sides must do more to translate the cessation of hostilities into a permanent ceasefire, a senior United Nations official warned ...

Global: Mixed scorecard for donors

Kenya: In and out of school in Samburu

PAKISTAN – ITALY Europe and West should help Pakistan repeal blasphemy legislation

In a press conference organised by AsiaNews, Pakistani Christian activists launch an international campaign to raise awareness about the problem. Their goal is to have blasphemy laws repeal in their home country because they have caused too much violence and discrimination against religious ...

Swine Flu Follies: A Regional Roundup Of Reactions (And Overreactions) To Virus's Spread

As the swine-flu virus continues to spread through the Balkans and the former Soviet Union, the measures taken by some governments range from bizarre and befuddled to possibly political.

Starting Iran's Basij Young

A leader of Iran's Student Basij organization has announced that 6,000 Basij units will be created in Iran's elementary schools.

Eyewitness Says Explosion Started Deadly Kazakh Fire

Kazakh officials are investigating a fire in a warehouse in Astana on November 9 that killed at least 14 people, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reports.

Moscow Police Arrest Two In Killing Of Kyrgyz Man

The suspects were detained in Moscow Oblast's Ramen district and charged in the murder of a 40-year-old Kyrgyz man who was found stabbed to death on November 3 in a forest near the Russian town of Rybkhoz.