UN ups security in New York

THE United Nations plans a €25 million security upgrade at its New York headquarters after attacks on UN installations in the last year, including the Baghdad bombing that killed 22 people.

The improvements are to include a higher fence, new gates, improved outdoor lighting, additional closed-circuit television cameras, vehicle barriers and an electronic system for controlling access, according to UN documents.

The world body, which hosts a million tourists and more than 100,000 official visitors a year, is seeking to balance public access with its needs for greater security.