Turkish security forces arrest at least 47 people over suspected links to PKK – Reports

Feb 15, 2020, at 09:21 am

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: Turkish security forces conducted anti-terror operations in the eastern province of Van, arresting 47 people over alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK, banned in Turkey), Turkish media reported.

Guinea-Bissau: Swearing-in of new President unlikely to bring stability, says UN representative

Feb 15, 2020, at 09:19 am

New York/IBNS: Political discord in Guinea-Bissau could hamper the first-ever peaceful transfer of power to a democratically elected leader, the top UN official in the West African country told the Security Council on Friday.

At least 15 children killed in Haiti orphanage fire

Feb 15, 2020, at 09:14 am

Mexico City/Xinhua/UNI: At least 15 children were killed in a fire at an orphanage in an area near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, local officials reported on Friday.

Amidst protection challenges, Eastern Route outpaces Mediterranean for people leaving Africa

Feb 15, 2020, at 09:10 am

New York/IBNS: A monthly average of 11,500 people traveling from the Horn of Africa to Yemen last year made the so-called Eastern Route the busiest maritime migration path on earth, the UN migration agency said on Friday.

Vital Idlib aid deliveries resume after ‘heavy bombing’ - WFP

Feb 15, 2020, at 08:59 am

New York/IBNS: Urgently-needed aid deliveries to embattled civilians in north-west Syria have started again after a day-long break in distributions caused by escalating hostilities, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

Over 3,000 UK children go to 'jihadi' schools in Pakistan each year, says govt report with concern

Feb 14, 2020, at 09:39 pm

London/IBNS: In an alarming finding, a secret government report in the UK has warned that over 3000 British children are being taken to Pakistan each year and enrolled in extremist summer schools, media reports said.

Trump visit will solidify India-US partnership: Amb Sandhu

Feb 14, 2020, at 07:32 pm

Washington/UNI: The partnership betwen India and the US is a "work in progress" and President Donald Trump's visit to India later this month will help solidify the partnership across all spheres, says India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Six policemen killed by Taliban infiltrator in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province

Feb 14, 2020, at 07:20 pm

Kabul/Sputnik:A policeman opened fire and killed six of his colleagues in Afghanistan’s Kunduz Province before joining up with Taliban militants, local sources told a Sputnik correspondent on Friday.

Islamic State financier raising almost $4Mln for terrorists detained near Moscow - Security Service

Feb 14, 2020, at 06:41 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: A financier of the Islamic State terror group (IS, banned in Russia), who has raised over 25 million rubles ($3.94 million) for the needs of terrorists, has been detained in the Moscow region, the Russian Federal Security Service said on Friday.

Turkish military says 'neutralized' 6 Kurdistan workers’ party members in Northern Iraq

Feb 14, 2020, at 06:35 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI:  The Turkish Air Force neutralized six members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a terrorist group, in airstrikes carried out on the Qandil region in northern Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Afghanistan: Explosion rocks Kunduz province, five killed

Feb 14, 2020, at 04:12 pm

Kunduz/IBNS: At least five children were killed in an explosion that rocked Afghanistan's Kunduz province, media reports said on Friday.

I am honoured: Narayan Murthy's son-in-law Rishi Sunak after becoming UK Finance Minister

Feb 14, 2020, at 11:34 am

London/IBNS/UNI: After becoming the United Kingdom Finance Minister, Indian-origin British MP Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder and billionaire Narayan Murthy, said he was honoured to assume the new post in the Boris Johnson government.

Mobile game aims to bridge gap between citizens and leaders on climate action

Feb 14, 2020, at 10:38 am

New York/IBNS: Millions of people worldwide will get to share their views on climate action through a UN campaign launched on Thursday aimed at connecting them with Governments and policy makers.

Year-old peace agreement must be implemented for ‘lasting peace’ in Central African Republic

Feb 14, 2020, at 10:37 am

New York/IBNS: Following a visit to the Central African Republic, a UN independent expert said that everyone must take all measures necessary to effectively implement the peace agreement that was signed in Bangui a year ago.

Transitional justice processes critical to lasting peace, Security Council hears

Feb 14, 2020, at 10:36 am

New York/IBNS: For countries to move forward after conflict or mass atrocities, suffering must be acknowledged and justice served, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Security Council on Thursday.

US welcomes conviction of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed

Feb 14, 2020, at 09:34 am

Washington/IBNS: The United States has welcomed the conviction of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed in terror financing cases.

Shooting in downtown Washington leaves one dead, suspect arrested - Police Chief

Feb 14, 2020, at 09:21 am

Washington/Sputnik/UNI: One person has been pronounced dead after a shooting in the downtown area of the US capital with the suspect under arrest, DC Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said in a press briefing.

20 students injured as mortar hits primary school in Myanmar's Rakhine state

Feb 14, 2020, at 09:05 am

  Yangon/Xinhua/UNI: A total of 20 students were injured as a mortar fire launched by members of the Arakan Army, a local insurgent group, hit a primary school in Myanmar's Rakhine state, said a release from the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services late Thursday.

Iran parliamentary elections commence

Feb 13, 2020, at 07:29 pm

Tehran/Xinhua: Iran's parliamentary election campaign officially started across the country on Thursday.According to Iran's Guardians Council of Constitution, the main entity in charge of vetting candidates, more than seven thousand candidates have been approved to compete in the February election.

Turkey kills 55 Syrian troops in Idlib: ministry

Feb 13, 2020, at 07:17 pm

Ankara/Xinhua: A total of 55 Syrian government soldiers were killed in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib amid escalation between Turkish and Syrian forces in the region, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Thursday.

Philippines to cease joint exercises with US after military pact termination: defense chief

Feb 13, 2020, at 07:06 pm

Manila/Xinhua: Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday that no more joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will be conducted once the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) is terminated in August this year.

Gunmen kill 21 people in Nigeria village

Feb 13, 2020, at 03:17 pm

Moscow/Sputnik: A village in the central Nigerian state of Kaduna has been attacked by gunmen, which resulted in the death of 21 people, media reported on Thursday.

Celebrating the diversity of radio, the medium people use the most

Feb 13, 2020, at 01:30 pm

New York/IBNS: In an era of rapid media evolution, radio still has the power to bring people together and provide communities with vital news and information, the UN Secretary-General has said.

Libya: Security Council demands commitment to ‘a lasting ceasefire’

Feb 13, 2020, at 01:20 pm

New York/IBNS: After what has reportedly been weeks of diplomatic negotiation, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on Wednesday aimed at stemming rising violence across Libya, demanding the warring parties commit to “a lasting ceasefire” according to terms agreed by military representatives from both sides at recent talks in Geneva.

Foreign fighters: ‘One of the most serious dimensions’ in global counter-terrorism struggle

Feb 13, 2020, at 01:18 pm

New York/IBNS: Over the past few years, ISIL and Al-Qaida terrorist fighters have posed an “unprecedented threat to international peace and security”, the UN counter-terrorism chief said on Wednesday in Vienna, at the close of a joint UN- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) regional conference on addressing challenges posed by terrorists who have gone to fight overseas.

Libya’s cities left ‘re-contaminated’ by months of fighting, warn landmine clearance experts

Feb 13, 2020, at 01:02 pm

New York/IBNS: Ongoing hostilities in Libya have left numerous cities severely “re-contaminated” with unexploded ordnance, threatening schools, universities and hospitals, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Wednesday.

‘We must all do more’ to protect children in armed conflict: UN chief

Feb 13, 2020, at 12:50 pm

New York/IBNS: On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need to integrate child protection into peace processes during a high-level Security Council briefing on Wednesday.

'POTUS and I are excited' to visit India: Melania Trump tweets

Feb 13, 2020, at 12:42 pm

Washington/UNI: First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) Melania Trump said she and her husband Donald Trump are excited about their India visit later this month and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting them.

Ten-fold increase in confirmed Coronavirus cases

Feb 13, 2020, at 10:41 am

Beijing/UNI: Health authorities in China’s Hubei province – the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic– reported on Thursday 14,840 new confirmed cases, almost 10 times the number reported a day earlier, and new deaths attributable to the contagion rose to 242, more than double on the day.

Japan: 5.5-magnitude quake strikes off Fukushima Prefecture, no tsunami warning issued

Feb 12, 2020, at 07:09 pm

Tokyo/UNI: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 on Wednesday struck off Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).