UN refugee chief laments nearly 80 million people forcibly displaced

Jun 18, 2020, at 08:05 pm

New York: Global displacement reached a staggering 79.5 million people last year - almost double the number of people in crisis registered a decade ago – owing to war, violence, persecution and other emergencies, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday.

Turkish diplomat elected President of historic 75th UN General Assembly

Jun 18, 2020, at 07:51 pm

New York/IBNS: Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir was elected President of the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly in a vote held on Wednesday that was emblematic of its time.

US Supreme Court ruling ‘extremely positive’ for LGBT community, says UN Rights Expert

Jun 18, 2020, at 07:12 pm

New York/IBNS: A UN expert on Wednesday hailed an historic judgement issued by the United States Supreme Court on 15 June that firing a person on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is unlawful.

National Hockey League's choice of Canada's hub city subject to approval by local health authorities: Justin Trudeau

Jun 17, 2020, at 11:41 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said in his daily news conference in Ottawa that his government is open to the suggestion of the National Hockey League (NHL) operating a hub city in Canada but the same is subjected to the approval by local health authorities, media reports said.

LGBTQ activist Sarah Hegazi death:#RaiseTheFlagForSarah storms Twitter

Jun 17, 2020, at 11:25 pm

Toronto/IBNS: The death of 30-year old Sarah Hegazi, an LGBTQ activist, due to apparent suicide on June 13 in her Toronto apartment, has sparked affluence of support on social media, with many people using the hashtag #RaiseTheFlagForSarah in her honour, media reports said.

Pakistan Politics: Baloch Party withdraws from PTI coalition

Jun 17, 2020, at 06:32 pm

Islamabad/UNI: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Wednesday announced its decision to withdraw from the PTI-led federal government over the later's 'failure' to implement the points that were agreed upon by the two parties during the government formation.

Twelve Afghan security personnel killed in Taliban Attack in Jawzjan

Jun 17, 2020, at 05:08 pm

Kabul/UNI:  At least 12 members of its security forces were killed in a violent confrontation with the Taliban, Afghan government confirmed on Wednesday.

Fire accident kills 7 in central China

Jun 17, 2020, at 04:52 pm

Beijing/Xinhua/UNI: Seven people were killed after a fire broke out on Wednesday morning in Shuangfeng County, central China's Hunan Province, according to the local publicity department.

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg to allow users to switch off political ads in new voting campaign

Jun 17, 2020, at 04:18 pm

Washington/Sputnik: Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday that his social networks will be launching a campaign to increase voter turnout in the upcoming US presidential election and that they will be introducing a feature to block all political ads.

Local IS leader arrested in eastern Afghanistan

Jun 17, 2020, at 04:13 pm

Kabul/Xinhua: The Afghan National Police (ANP) arrested four Islamic State (IS) members including one of the group's key leaders in eastern Kunar province, the Ministry of Interior said Wednesday.

Conviction of Filipino journalist ‘a new low’, says independent UN expert

Jun 17, 2020, at 09:20 am

New York/IBNS: The conviction of prominent Filipino journalist Maria Ressa has been described by an independent UN expert as “a new low in the Philippines’ protection of the freedom of expression” and “the ability of an independent media to function in the country”.

Syrian refugees resort to ever more desperate measures to resist pandemic impact

Jun 17, 2020, at 09:12 am

New York/IBNS: The COVID-19 crisis has caused a dramatic spike in the number of Syrian refugees in need of emergency assistance in the last three months, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, in an appeal for funding to confront new challenges posed by the health emergency.

Palestine accuses Netanyahu of misleading world on annexation plan

Jun 16, 2020, at 07:38 pm

Ramallah/Xinhua: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of misleading the world regarding his government's plan to annex the Palestinian lands.

French court receives 84 complaints over government's handling of COVID-19 crisis

Jun 16, 2020, at 06:28 pm

Moscow/Sputnik: The Court of Justice of the French Republic (CJR) has received 84 complaints to date against the government regarding its management of the coronavirus crisis, Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Francois Molins said on Tuesday.

Key Taliban member killed in Afghanistan

Jun 16, 2020, at 05:19 pm

Kabul/IBNS: Afghanistan security forces have killed a key Taliban group member, who was one of the prominent members of the Red Unit of the group, in the country's Wardak province, media reports said.

Iraq: UN probe into ISIL atrocities making ‘real progress’, Security Council hears

Jun 16, 2020, at 04:42 pm

New York/IBNS; The special UN Investigative Team probing ISIL atrocities in Iraq is making “real progress,” its chief said on Monday, as it begins to pinpoint the perpetrators of some of the worst crimes committed by the terrorist group during its years-long occupation of large swathes of the country.

China's economy to continue recovery in H2: analysts

Jun 16, 2020, at 04:34 pm

Beijing/Xinhua/UNI:  China's economy will see continued recovery in the second half of this year amid a rebound in both investment and consumption, analysts said.

Children caught in conflict facing ‘brutality and fear while the world watches’

Jun 16, 2020, at 04:32 pm

New York/IBNS: Boys and girls used and abused in armed conflict have had their childhoods replaced by “pain, brutality and fear while the world watches”, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said on Monday.

Russia charges noted scientist with treason for passing state secrets to China

Jun 16, 2020, at 03:22 pm

Moscow: Russia has charged a top scientist of the country with treason after accusing him of passing state secrets to China.

Human Rights Council picks up again after COVID suspension, to hold racism debate

Jun 16, 2020, at 10:02 am

New York/IBNS: After a three month long COVID-19-enforced break, the Human Rights Council resumed on Monday, giving the green light to a rare Urgent Debate on racism, alleged police brutality and violence against protesters sickened by the killing of American George Floyd in police custody.

Russian teenager detained on suspicion of planning school attack

Jun 16, 2020, at 09:27 am

Moscow/Xinhua/UNI: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a 14-year-old boy suspected of plotting a school attack in the city of Volgograd, the Russian Investigative Committee said Monday.

Pakistan: CPEC gets Rs 21 bn for 2020-21, experts believe project placed in 'cold storage'

Jun 15, 2020, at 10:11 pm

Islamabad: Once it might have been considered as a game changer in Pakistan but the recent attitude towards it did not reflect much positive impression as the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the year 2020-21 contains around Rs 21 billion allocation for projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), media reports said.

Influence of West placed CPEC in cold storage: Noted Pakistan economist

Jun 15, 2020, at 09:55 pm

Islamabad: A noted economist has said Pakistan’s economic policies are being made in Washington and such steps have led to no mentioning of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the budget 2020-21.

Ontario allows visits by family to long-term care, retirement homes under strict health protocols

Jun 15, 2020, at 08:57 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada has decided to gradually resume visits of family and friends to long-term care homes, retirement homes and other residential care settings in Ontario beginning June 18, authorities informed during a news conference on June 11.

COVID-19: Bangladesh's death toll tops 1,200; total cases exceed 90,000

Jun 15, 2020, at 06:08 pm

Dhaka/UNI: Bangladesh confirmed 38 more fatalities from Novel Coronavirus on Monday, bringing the country's death toll to over 1,200.

Mysterious green fireball above Australia's outback leaves experts baffled

Jun 15, 2020, at 06:03 pm

Canberra/Xinhua/UNI: A mysterious, green colored fireball flew across the sky of Australia's remote outback on Monday, stunning onlookers and leaving local experts baffled about its origins.

Pakistan: Punjab region to reimpose COVID-19 lockdown

Jun 15, 2020, at 05:54 pm

IslamabadUNI: The authorities of the Pakistan's Punjab province announced on Monday that they will be imposing a complete coronavirus-related lockdown in the worst-affected areas of the provincial capital city of Lahore in an attempt to curb the virus spread.

Afghanistan: Eleven Taliban militants, others killed

Jun 15, 2020, at 05:25 pm

Kabul/UNI: At least four members of the public uprising forces and 11 Taliban militants have been killed in clashes in northeastern Kapisa province, Mohammad Hussain Sanjini, head of provincial council, said on Monday.

Afghanistan: Doctor killed, two people injured in attacks

Jun 15, 2020, at 04:26 pm

Kabul/UNI: Two separate attacks have taken place in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, leaving one person dead and two others injured, a police source told Tolo News on Monday.

UK set to let all shops reopen after three months of COVID-19 quarantine on Monday

Jun 15, 2020, at 09:49 am

London/Sputnik: Non-food stores in the United Kingdom are due to resume operations on Monday after almost three months of coronavirus-impelled closure along with a set of other measures marking the country's return to pre-pandemic life in line with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's order in the end of May.