UK to drop parts of Internal Market Bill after reaching 'agreement in principle' with EU
Dec 09, 2020, at 01:24 am
London,/Sputnik: The UK will withdraw three clauses of its Internal Market Bill that were threatening to overrule some parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
US Secretary of Commerce calls China principal military, economic threat in Asia
Dec 08, 2020, at 11:09 pm
Washington/Sputnik: US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Tuesday described China as the main military and economic threat in the Asian region, chiding it for alleged non-compliance with international trade rules.
Hong Kong to toughen restrictive measures amid new wave of COVID-19: Chief Executive
Dec 08, 2020, at 10:35 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: Hong Kong decided to toughen restrictive measures in the city due to the new wave of COVID-19, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a briefing.
Boris Johnson confirms start of COVID-19 vaccination in UK
Dec 08, 2020, at 10:26 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday that the United Kingdom was starting vaccination against the coronavirus, expressing gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS), volunteers and all those following safety rules.
Pakistan: Journalist shot dead in Dera Ismail Khan
Dec 08, 2020, at 10:18 pm
Islamabad: Unknown persons shot dead a journalist in Pakistan's Dera Ismail Khan on Monday night, media reports said on Tuesday.
Mt Everest's height now revised to 8848.86 metres
Dec 08, 2020, at 09:03 pm
Kathmandu/UNI: Nepal and China on Tuesday jointly announced the new height of world's tallest mountain -- Mount Everest -- which now stands at 8848.86 metres.
Chinese authorities remove statue of revered Uyghur scholar in Xinjiang: Report
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:26 pm
Authorities in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have removed the statue of revered Uyghur scholar Mahmud Kashgary, highlighting yet another instance of Chinese violations of the minority community in the country, media reports said.
China's NPCSC is undermining autonomy of Hong Kong: Mike Pompeo
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:19 pm
Washington: Beijing’s unrelenting assault against Hong Kong’s democratic processes has gutted its Legislative Council, rendering the body a rubber stamp devoid of meaningful opposition, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
54 million women and youth face staggering humanitarian challenges
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:11 pm
New York: As COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact women and girls hit by multiple humanitarian crises, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency appealed on Monday for $818 million to provide 54 million women and youth with essential and life-saving services throughout 2021.
‘Quickly restore the rule of law’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray, urges Guterres
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:08 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General said on Monday it was “essential to quickly restore the rule of law” in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, where Government forces and those loyal to the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been engaged in fighting for more than a month.
Minor girl abducted in Pakistan, later forcefully married to 45-year-old man
Dec 08, 2020, at 05:33 pm
Islamabad: There seems to be no end to tortures committed against minors in Pakistan as a case has been registered against six men for allegedly abducting a 12-year-old girl from Ahmedabad in Pakistan’s Punjab province and even forcing her to marry a 45-year-old man.
New global hub to study factors driving radicalization and violent extremism
Dec 08, 2020, at 05:23 pm
New York: A new UN office in Doha will advance research into the factors that drive violent extremism and terrorism, the Organization’s counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov said on Monday during the soft launch held online.
Pakistan: Poor internet in Punjab leaves 34 million students' future at stake amid COVID-19
Dec 08, 2020, at 05:19 pm
Islamabad: Online education has emerged as the only alternative option for education in the world hit by COVID-19 pandemic but Pakistan's Punjab region is witnessing a massive challenge as the future of 34 million students is at stake due to poor internet connectivity in the belt, media reports said.
Improved Afghan law still fails victims of sex crimes and violence against women, UN report finds
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:29 pm
New York: Afghanistan’s justice system is continuing to fail female victims of violence and sex crimes, despite a 2009 law that was hailed as a significant step forward in legal efforts to protect them, according to a UN report published jointly on Monday by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
Transfer of Rohingya refugees to Bay of Bengal island ‘must be voluntary’: UN refugee agency
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:10 pm
New York: The head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), has voiced concerns over the reported relocation of some Rohingya refugees by Bangladeshi authorities, to an island off the country’s coast, in the Bay of Bengal.
Guterres spotlights ‘critical role’ of aviation in pandemic recovery, marking International Day
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:04 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General has called for greater support for the aviation sector, badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, to allow it to better weather the global economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New COVID-19 spike could hurt US economy’s V-shaped recovery: White House Adviser Kudlow
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:49 pm
Washington/Sputnik: The potential for a V-shaped US economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is being threatened by a resurgence of infections, White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said on Monday.
Pfizer, Moderna will not attend Trump's 'vaccine summit' : Senior official
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:41 pm
Washington/Sputnik: Pfizer and Moderna, the two major pharmaceutical manufacturers expected to soon receive federal approval for emergency use of their coronavirus vaccines, will not attend President Donald Trump’s vaccine summit in the White House on Tuesday, a senior administration official told reporters.
Joe Biden to nominate Ex-CENTCOM Chief Austin to lead Defense Department: Reports
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:30 pm
Washington/Sputnik: President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate former commander of US Central Command, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, to be his Secretary of Defense, Politico reported citing three people familiar with the matter.
US Judge blocks Donald Trump administration's restrictions on Chinese video app TikTok
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:24 pm
Washington/UNI: A US federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump-led administration from imposing a ban on the video-sharing platform TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
Japan to adopt new economic stimulus package worth more than $707 billion: Suga
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:07 pm
Tokyo/Sputnik: Japan will adopt new stimulus measures on Tuesday including a package worth 73.6 trillion yen (over $707 billion) aimed at supporting the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.
Justin Trudeau confirms delivery of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines by next week
Dec 08, 2020, at 05:25 am
Ottawa/IBNS: Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau on Monday confirmed the receipt of hundreds of thousands of doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by next week, which is awaiting the country's health approval.
PDM leaders vow to hold Lahore public meeting despite Pakistan PM Imran Khan govt's warnings
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:45 am
Islamabad: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders once again challenged Pakistan PM Imran Khan and said they will host the Lahore public meeting on Dec 13 despite the government warning of legal action.
Pakistan: Christian girl shot dead for rejecting marriage proposal sent by Muslim man
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:29 am
Islamabad: A Christian girl was allegedly killed after her parents rejected a marriage proposal sent to her by a Muslim man in Pakistan, media reports said on Monday.
Pope Francis to visit Iraq next year
Dec 08, 2020, at 12:14 am
Rome/Sputnik: Pope Francis will pay an official visit to Iraq from March 5-8, 2021, Vatican press office chief Matteo Bruni said on Monday.
Dec 08, 2020, at 12:04 am
Peshawar: Six COVID-19 infected patients died in a Pakistan hospital after oxygen supply at the medical facility ran out, media reports said on Monday.
EU split over tougher action on Turkey ahead of crucial summit
Dec 07, 2020, at 11:33 pm
Brussels/Sputnik: The European Union is on the fence about sanctioning Ankara over what it sees as Turkish provocations in the Mediterranean, ahead of a crucial summit this week, a Brussels-based news website cited its sources as saying Monday.
Bangladesh: Anti-terrorism unit officials arrest two Hizb ut-Tahrir members
Dec 07, 2020, at 11:03 pm
Dhaka: Bangladesh's anti-terrorism unit officials arrested two suspected members of banned militant outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir, media reports said on Monday.
Police checking Aeroflot plane at JFK after reports of explosives on board: Embassy
Dec 07, 2020, at 03:13 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: New York police are checking an Aeroflot plane that has arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport from Moscow for explosive devices, a spokesperson of the Russian Embassy in the US told Sputnik.
Iranian military says nuclear Physicist was assassinated by satellite-controlled weapon
Dec 07, 2020, at 02:43 pm
Tehran/Sputnik: The weapon used to assassinate Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was remotely controlled from a satellite, Brig. Gen. Ramazan Sharif, the spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said on Sunday.