Socio-economic meltdown leaves Lebanese ‘hanging on by a thread’
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:47 pm
New York: With livelihoods in tatters and hopes almost shattered, the Lebanese are “hanging on by a thread,” the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said on Thursday, announcing the extension of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to address the rapidly deteriorating situation.
Sri Lanka: WFP ramps up emergency support, beginning with pregnant mothers in need
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:42 pm
New York: The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday began distributing food vouchers to pregnant women in underserved districts of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, marking the start of the UN agency’s emergency response in the country, which is facing its gravest political and economic crisis since independence.
More than 100 million now forcibly displaced: UNHCR report
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:39 pm
New York: A staggering 100 million people have now been forced to flee their homes globally, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday, highlighting worldwide food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan as leading causes.
Blast rocks mosque in Afghanistan, several injured
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:36 pm
Kabul: A blast rocked a mosque in Afghanistan's Kunduz province on Friday.
Sanctions on Russia already hitting remittance-dependent countries in Central Asia: IOM
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:31 pm
New York: As the UN marks the International Day of Family Remittances on Thursday, there is concern that economic contraction and job losses in Russia - likely to now rise further as a result of sanctions imposed since the invasion of Ukraine - are already having an impact on remittance-dependent communities in Central Asia, according to experts with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Burkina Faso: UN chief condemns brutal attack that left scores dead
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:27 pm
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned a weekend attack in Burkina Faso that left dozens of civilians dead and displaced scores more, his Spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Rights experts alarmed by violent civil society crackdown in Iran
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:22 pm
New York: UN independent human rights experts have deplored the recent violent crackdown on civil society in Iran, calling on Wednesday for independent investigations into excessive use of force against protestors.
Promoting women’s rights, a ‘proven’ strategy for peace and stability
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:17 pm
New York: The Women, Peace and Security agenda is “one of our best hopes” for a more peaceful future and a liveable planet, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday.
New UN guide aims to tackle growing problem of elder abuse
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:11 pm
New York: Every year, one in six people aged 60 years and older experience some form of abuse – a trend that is expected to continue with rapid population ageing in many countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka is planning to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from India
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:06 pm
Colombo: Sri Lanka, a nation facing a severe economic crisis, is planning to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from India.
Afghanistan facing ‘the darkest moments’ in a generation
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:05 pm
Kabul: The Afghanistan people are experiencing some of “the darkest moments” in a generation the UN human rights chief told Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
UN’s Bachelet concerned over Ukraine orphans ‘deported’ to Russia for adoption
Jun 17, 2022, at 11:00 pm
New York: The UN’s top rights official expressed her concern on Wednesday at reports that Ukrainian children have been “forcibly deported” from the country’s embattled eastern regions, and taken to Russia for adoption.
US: Shooting at a church in Alabama leaves one dead
Jun 17, 2022, at 01:56 pm
Birmingham: At least one person died during a shooting at a church in Birmingham city in the US state of Alabama on Thursday, media reports said.
TV anchor sells food on street in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, story goes viral
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:44 am
Kabul/IBNS: It is quite a wide known fact that Afghanistan is facing a lot of economic and political turmoil since the Taliban took control of the country but a recent Twitter post by Kabir Haqmal, who earlier worked with the Hamid Karzai government, depicts the poor condition of many talented professionals in the nation.
Balochistan rights group condemns violent attack of Pakistani forces on peaceful vigil in Karachi
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:33 am
London: The UK-based Balochistan rights group, Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), in a statement to the media, has condemned the violent attack of the Pakistani forces on the peaceful vigil of the families of forcibly disappeared persons and other peaceful protesters in Karachi.
Pakistan Human Rights Commission condemns abductions of Baloch students from Karachi University
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:30 am
Lahore, Pakistan: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned the recent incidents of abductions and manhandling of Baloch students from Karachi University.
Afghanistan: Taliban compel shopkeepers in Kandahar to install white flag in shops
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:27 am
Kandahar, Afghanistan: The Taliban have reportedly forced shopkeepers in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city to install their group’s white flag in their shops and buildings, while health clinics and public baths have too been asked to follow the suit.
China's policy destroying Tibet's environment: Report
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:14 am
Lhasa,Tibet: China, for its own benefit, is shattering and destroying the nature-bound systems of Tibet, while Beijing is not even giving an iota of thought to the inhabitants, reports said.
Canada’s defence minister Anita Anand to provide more military aid to Ukraine
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:04 am
Brussels/IBNS: Canada’s Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, during her participation in the United States-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, announced that her country would provide military aid valued at approximately $9 million to Ukraine with 10 replacement barrels to enable the sustainment of M777 howitzer artillery guns.
Jun 17, 2022, at 05:00 am
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed new rules governing “non-war” military operations which will allow the country's military to undertake “special military operations” abroad.
47 nations voice concern over Beijing's treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang
Jun 17, 2022, at 04:51 am
Geneva: As many as 47 countries have voiced concern about China's Uyghur repression and Beijing's abuses in the country’s far-western Xinjiang region.
Quebec’s new language law could hurt tech companies' recruitment, damage economy: Report
Jun 17, 2022, at 04:46 am
Quebec/IBNS: Quebec’s Premier François Legault has been warned by the leaders of dozens of Quebec-based technology companies that the province’s new language law, known as Bill 96 could cause enormous damage to the province’s economy due to the problems in recruiting talented people.
Canada suspends vaccine mandates for domestic travellers, federal employees
Jun 16, 2022, at 03:34 am
Ottawa/IBNS: The federal government of Canada has suspended the vaccine mandate for federal employees and for passengers wishing to board a plane or train in the country.
Jun 16, 2022, at 01:38 am
Kuwait: A Kuwaiti court has sentenced activist Salman Al-Khalidi to a five years' imprisonment on charges that challenge his legitimate right to freedom of opinion and expression, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said in a statement expressing deep concern.
Nepal cancels 2-day weekly holiday after month-long trial
Jun 15, 2022, at 11:25 pm
Kathmandu/UNI/Xinhua: Nepal will resume a one-day weekly holiday from this week after experimenting with Saturday-Sunday holidays for a month, an official said on Wednesday.
Sri Lankan govt workers now given extra day off a week to grow food
Jun 15, 2022, at 11:19 pm
Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has announced that it is giving its officials an extra day off a week to encourage them to grow food, amid fears of a food shortage engulfing the country, BBC reported on Wednesday.
Yemen truce holding, but full measures still not in place
Jun 15, 2022, at 11:14 pm
New York: The “unprecedented” truce in Yemen has so far led to a reduction in fighting and other positive developments, but action is needed on its full implementation and to address rising humanitarian needs and insecurity, the UN Security Council heard on Tuesday.
Myanmar: Cycle of ‘human rights violations and abuses’ continues, warns Bachelet
Jun 15, 2022, at 05:08 pm
New York: Still suffering from the devastating consequences of the February 2021 military coup, the UN rights chief said on Tuesday that the people of Myanmar remain “trapped in a cycle of poverty and displacement, human rights violations and abuses”.
South Sudan: UN humanitarians forced to cut aid to 1.7 million people
Jun 15, 2022, at 04:54 pm
Food assistance to 1.7 million people in South Sudan has been suspended, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday, citing a funding crunch and rising needs.
Hunger in Latin America: Whole continent is on the move, warns WFP
Jun 15, 2022, at 04:23 pm
New York: Ever greater numbers of vulnerable people are risking their lives on dangerous migration routes in Latin America, forced to move by the global food security crisis that’s been made worse by spiralling inflation linked to the war in Ukraine, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.