Latest news with #UnitedNations-endorsed
Hans India
15-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
International Day of Families 2025: Celebrating the Pillars of Society
Every year on May 15, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of Families, a United Nations-endorsed event that highlights the importance of families in our personal lives and within communities. This observance underscores the need to promote family well-being and address challenges that families face across social, economic, and cultural landscapes. Why Is International Day of Families Celebrated on May 15? The United Nations designated May 15 as the International Day of Families to recognize the fundamental role families play in building cohesive and resilient societies. Families are not only the core of human relationships but also contribute significantly to social progress and sustainable development. Historical Background The initiative began with UN Resolution 44/82 in 1989, emphasizing family stability as vital to society. Two years later, Resolution 46/92 (1991) further examined the effects of changing global dynamics on family life. Finally, on September 20, 1993, the UN General Assembly declared May 15 as the International Day of Families through Resolution A/RES/47/237. The day serves as a global reminder to value and support the institution of family through policies and community initiatives. Heartfelt Wishes for International Day of Families 2025 1. Wishing your family joy, love, and unity on this special day. 2. May your home always be filled with laughter and peace. 3. Here's to cherishing memories and growing together as a family. 4. Families are the foundation of love—celebrate yours today. 5. May your loved ones always be your biggest strength and happiness. 6. Sending warm wishes for harmony and affection in your family. 7. May every home enjoy prosperity and compassion. 8. Happy Family Day! Let love be the light that guides your way. 9. Strengthen bonds, spread smiles—Happy International Day of Families! 10. Together we thrive. Celebrate the gift of family. Meaningful Messages to Share 1. On this day, let's reaffirm our commitment to strengthening families around the world. 2. Families create the social fabric of every nation—support them. 3. A strong family builds a stronger, more sustainable society. 4. Let's honor and protect the love that connects us all. 5. Happy Families Day! Let your home be your sanctuary. 6. Support, respect, and celebrate family diversity and unity. 7. Families empower us to overcome life's greatest challenges. 8. May we shape policies that prioritize the well-being of families. 9. This day reminds us to be grateful for our loved ones. 10. Investing in families means investing in our future. Inspirational Quotes about Families 1. 'Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.' – David Ogden Stiers 2. 'Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.' – George Burns 3. 'Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.' – Anthony Brandt 4. 'What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.' – Mother Teresa 5. 'Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family.' – Peter Pearsall 6. 'There's nothing that makes you more insane than family.' – Jim Butcher 7. 'Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life.' – Albert Einstein 8. 'Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.' – Wanda Hope Carter 9. 'The world, we'd discovered, doesn't love you like your family loves you.' – Louis Zamperini The International Day of Families 2025 is more than a symbolic occasion—it's a powerful reminder of the need to protect, nurture, and celebrate the essential role that families play in our lives. Whether through policy reform, community support, or simple acts of love, strengthening families ultimately strengthens the world.
South China Morning Post
22-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
UN experts to assess Hong Kong's rescue team for accreditation next year
UN experts will assess Hong Kong's disaster rescue team next year as part of its bid to attain international accreditation to recognise its abilities, with the squad commander saying he is confident about the group's chances of passing the evaluation. Advertisement Cheu Yu-kok, commander of the team that was deployed to earthquake-stricken Myanmar last month, said on Tuesday that the group had already completed up to four drills and gathered advice from mainland Chinese counterparts to prepare for the assessment. 'Our progress has been good so far, we are also confident that we can pass the evaluation to become an accredited international search and rescue team next year,' Cheu said. The group applied for an accreditation as a medium-sized rescue team with the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group in November 2023, after the department led a 49-strong team to conduct a nine-day rescue operation in Turkey's earthquake. The advisory group is a United Nations-endorsed body that coordinates global rescue missions and develops search and rescue standards. Its accreditations are split into 'light', 'medium' and 'heavy' teams, with varying manpower and capability requirements. Advertisement A medium team is able to sustain 24-hour operations at a site for up to seven days and can perform searches with dogs, rigging and lifting. The team is also able to cut structural steel.
Express Tribune
19-02-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Nasa says asteroid 2024 YR4 impact risk rises to 3.1%, potential threat
Listen to article A newly identified asteroid, 2024 YR4, has been classified as the most threatening space rock ever recorded by modern forecasting, with NASA data estimating a 3.1% chance of impact on December 22, 2032. The asteroid's trajectory could take it over some of the world's most populous cities, raising concerns among astronomers and planetary defense agencies. The estimated impact corridor stretches from the eastern Pacific Ocean, across South America, the Atlantic, Africa, the Middle East, and into South Asia. This trajectory includes eight of the world's top 100 most populated cities — Bogotá, Abidjan, Lagos, Khartoum, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Dhaka—with a combined urban population of over 110 million people. Asteroid's Destructive Potential Measuring between 130 and 300 feet (40–90 metres) wide, 2024 YR4 has the potential to cause massive destruction if it enters Earth's atmosphere. Scientists estimate its impact force at approximately eight megatons of TNT—more than 500 times the power of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. If the asteroid collides with Earth, the most likely scenario is an airburst explosion at high altitude, which could devastate an area with a 50-kilometer (30-mile) radius. However, if it is at the larger end of size estimates, it could create an impact crater, further escalating its destructive power. The asteroid's speed, which could reach 40,000 miles per hour, would significantly amplify its potential for devastation. NASA and Global Response Efforts Despite the historically high impact probability, experts emphasize that there is no immediate cause for panic. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), a United Nations-endorsed planetary defense coalition, has been closely monitoring the asteroid since its detection by Chile's El Sauce Observatory on December 27, 2023. On January 29, 2024, IAWN issued an official warning after the impact probability surpassed 1%, a rare event in planetary defense history. The European Space Agency's planetary defense office has independently estimated the impact risk at 2.8%, slightly lower than NASA's calculation. 'This is not a crisis at this point in time,' said Richard Moissl, head of ESA's planetary defense office. 'This is not the dinosaur killer. This is not a planet killer. This is, at most, dangerous for a city.' Upcoming James Webb observations & ongoing monitoring NASA and other space agencies are working to refine 2024 YR4's trajectory. In March 2025, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)—the most powerful space observatory—will be tasked with closely studying the asteroid's size, composition, and trajectory. 'Webb is able to see things that are very, very dim,' said Bruce Betts, chief scientist of the Planetary Society. 'That's key because the asteroid's orbit is currently taking it out toward Jupiter, making observations challenging until its next close approach in 2028.' Ground-based telescopes will continue tracking the asteroid until April 2024, after which it will become too faint to observe. It will remain out of sight until June 2028, when astronomers will get another opportunity to refine its trajectory. Mitigation plans: DART & future deflection missions NASA has reassured the public that the global scientific community has the time and technology to act if 2024 YR4's impact risk rises. In 2022, NASA successfully tested its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, demonstrating that a spacecraft could alter an asteroid's course. China has announced it will conduct its own asteroid-deflection test in 2027, targeting a smaller asteroid to evaluate redirection techniques. Other space agencies are also exploring contingency measures, including gravity tractors, laser ablation, and nuclear deflection as a last resort. Moissl explained that if the risk probability exceeds 10%, IAWN would issue a formal global alert, prompting UN member states with territories in potential impact zones to begin emergency preparedness planning. Historical Comparison: Apophis 2004 & the dinosaur extinction The last time an asteroid posed a similar risk was Apophis in 2004, which initially had a 2.7% chance of striking Earth in 2029. However, further observations ruled out the possibility of impact. Unlike the six-mile-wide asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, 2024 YR4 is classified as a 'city killer', rather than a global extinction event. No immediate danger, but continued monitoring required Scientists stress that while the asteroid's impact odds remain low, its trajectory is being closely monitored. If future observations indicate an increased risk, planetary defense agencies will have time to take necessary action. For now, experts advise against alarm. 'Naturally, when you see the percentages go up, it doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy,' said Betts, 'but as astronomers gather more data, the probability will likely edge up before rapidly dropping to zero.'
