US believes Iran may have 'mistakenly shot down Ukranian plane': Reports

Jan 09, 2020, at 11:16 pm

Washington/IBNS: United States officials on Thursday said they believe that Iran may have mistakenly shot down the Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 176 people on board, media reports said.

Blast in northern Syria claims lives of 7 Turkish soldiers

Jan 09, 2020, at 07:26 pm

Damascus/Xinhua: The explosion that rocked a Turkey-held area in northern Syria has claimed the lives of seven Turkish soldiers, a war monitor reported on Thursday.

Ukraine jet crashes in Iran, killing 176: UN chief offers deepest condolences

Jan 09, 2020, at 06:59 pm

New York/IBNS: A Ukrainian airliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. In a statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ offered his deepest condolences, saying he was “deeply saddened by the crash”.

‘Unprecedented terrorist violence’ in West Africa, Sahel region

Jan 09, 2020, at 06:52 pm

New York/IBNS: The top UN official in West Africa and the Sahel updated the Security Council on Wednesday, describing an “unprecedented" rise in terrorist violence across the region.

Iran-US attack in Iraq: Guterres pledges ‘active engagement’ in further de-escalation efforts

Jan 09, 2020, at 06:42 pm

New York/IBNS: In the wake of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on air bases which house US forces in Iraq, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday that he would “continue his active engagement” to de-escalate tensions and avert full-scale war.

Iran will never be allowed to have nuclear weapon: Donald Trump

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:41 pm

Washington/IBNS: Amid ongoing tensions in the global arena, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that no Americans were hurt during the last night attack by the Iranian regime and that Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

Syria declares full solidarity with Iran facing US threats

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:32 pm

Damascus/Xinhua: Syrian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday declared the Syrian government's full solidarity with Iran and its right of self-defense, according to the state news agency SANA.

Japan's plans to send patrol ship to Gulf of Oman unaffected by Iran-US conflict: Gov't

Jan 08, 2020, at 05:46 pm

Tokyo/Sputnik/UNI: The confrontation between the United States and Iran does not affect Tokyo's plans to send a warship to patrol the Gulf of Oman, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.

Iran: Ukrainian Boeing-737 flight crash leaves 176 passengers killed

Jan 08, 2020, at 05:11 pm

Tehran/IBNS: The crash of a Ukrainian Boeing-737 flight in Iran's Tehran city left all its 176 passengers killed on Wednesday, media reports said.

Philippines orders mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Iraq

Jan 08, 2020, at 04:11 pm

Manila/Xinhua/UNI: The Philippines said on Wednesday that it is imposing a mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Iraq amid increasing tensions in the Middle East.

Zelenskyy cuts short Oman trip, returns to Kiev due to plane crash in Iran: Office

Jan 08, 2020, at 04:07 pm

Kiev/Sputnik/UNI: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cut short his visit to Oman and is urgently returning to Kiev in the wake of the deadly crash of Ukraine's Boeing 737 near Tehran airport, Zelenskyy's presidential office said on Wednesday.

US Senate has enough votes for Trump impeachment trial, says majority leader

Jan 08, 2020, at 04:04 pm

Washington/Xinhua/UNI: US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he has enough votes to set rules for the upper chamber's trial of President Donald Trump's impeachment.

UK condemns Iran's attacks on US military facilities in Iraq: Foreign secretary

Jan 08, 2020, at 04:02 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: The United Kingdom condemns Iran's Wednesday attacks on US military facilities in Iraq and calls on Tehran to defuse the tensions, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

Sixteen militants killed in Afghan provinces within a day: gov't

Jan 08, 2020, at 03:57 pm

Kabul/Xinhua/UNI: Sixteen Taliban militants were killed and six others wounded in five provinces since early Tuesday, the country's defense ministry confirmed on Wednesday.

Ukraine's embassy in Iran says plane crashed due to engine malfunction, not terror act

Jan 08, 2020, at 03:53 pm

Kiev/Sputnik/UNI: The preliminary investigation into the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737 plane crash earlier in the day shows that the aircraft experienced an engine malfunction and the tragedy was not the result of a terrorist act as some speculations have suggested, the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran said on Wednesday.

Canada's troops in Iraq safe after Tehran's strikes: Chief of defense staff

Jan 08, 2020, at 12:17 pm

Moscow/UNI: Canadian troops are all safe and their whereabouts is known following Tehran's strikes on US military facilities in Iraq, Gen Jonathan Vance, the chief of Defense Staff, said Wednesday.

All is well: Trump after Iran's missile strike at Iraqi bases hosting US military

Jan 08, 2020, at 11:08 am

Washington/IBNS: US President Donald Trump posed unperturbed even after two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel were fired by Iran.

US Federal Aviation Agency bans flights over Persian Gulf - Statement

Jan 08, 2020, at 11:07 am

Washington/Sputnik/UNI: The US Federal Aviation Authority banned flights over the Persian Gulf due to escalating military activities in the region.

Trump, Merkel discuss middle east, Libya in phone conversation: White House Spokesman

Jan 08, 2020, at 11:01 am

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: US President Donald Trump has held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Libya, a White House spokesman said on Wednesday.

All onboard passengers killed after Ukrainian plane crashes near Tehran

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:56 am

Tehran/IBNS: All 180 onboard passengers were killed after a Ukrainian plane crashed near Iran's Khomeini Airport on Wednesday, media reports said.

Sudan: Intercommunal clashes displace tens of thousands in volatile Darfur region

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:38 am

New York/IBNS: Around 40,000 have been displaced in Sudan’s West Darfur State in recent days, following intercommunal clashes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, citing Sudanese Government data.

UN chief monitoring Venezuela developments ‘with concern’

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:33 am

New York/IBNS: The latest twist in Venezuela’s ongoing political crisis “make urgently needed dialogue even more difficult to achieve”, the UN Secretary-General has said.

Syria: Civilians face ‘daily nightmare’ in Idlib, says top UN official

Jan 08, 2020, at 10:16 am

New York/IBNS: Following a sharp escalation of hostilities in southern Idlib, “at least 300,000 civilians have fled their homes” since mid-December, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria crisis said on Tuesday, voicing concern for their well-being.

Iran: Ukrainian plane with 180 on board crashes

Jan 08, 2020, at 09:46 am

Tehran/IBNS: A Ukrainian passenger plane, which was carrying 180 passengers,  crashed near Iran's Khomeini Airport on Wednesday, media reports said.

Pakistan: 2 killed in Quetta blast, 14 hurt

Jan 08, 2020, at 09:28 am

Quetta/IBNS: The death toll in the blast which rocked Quetta area in Pakistan touched two on Wednesday, media reports said.

Iraq: Iran fires ballistic missiles at 2 bases used by US troops

Jan 08, 2020, at 09:13 am

Baghdad/Washington/Tehran/IBNS: The US Department of Defence on Wednesday said more than a dozen ballistic missiles, which were fired by Iran, hit at least two airbases housing US troops in Iraq.

Over 100 Afghan militants surrender within 2 days amid clamp-down

Jan 07, 2020, at 08:54 pm

Kabul/Xinhua: More than 100 militants have surrendered to Afghan government forces over the past two days amid increasing military pressure on the Taliban, officials said Tuesday.

Pakistan: Blast hits Quetta, 7 hurt

Jan 07, 2020, at 06:26 pm

Quetta/IBNS: A motorcycle, which was parked close to a security forces vehicle in Quetta area of Pakistan, blew up on Tuesday and left at least seven people hurt, media reports said.

Seven Syrian troops killed in ambush in desert region

Jan 07, 2020, at 06:14 pm

Damascus/Xinhua/UNI: A bus transporting Syrian soldiers was ambushed on Tuesday morning in the desert of the eastern province of Deir al Zour, leaving seven soldiers killed and 14 others wounded.

Thirty five killed, 48 injured during Soleimani's funeral procession in Iran - reports

Jan 07, 2020, at 05:19 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: Thirty-five people have died and another 48 got injured in a stampede as people packed the streets of the Iranian city of Kerman for the funeral procession of late Qasem Soleimani, the country's Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force commander, killed by the United States last week, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported on Tuesday.