Finland temporarily reopens two border crossings with Russia
Dec 13, 2023, at 08:05 am
Helsinki: The government of Finland decided on Tuesday to reopen two land crossings on its border with Russia.
Kenya to become visa-free for the world
Dec 13, 2023, at 04:39 am
Nairobi: Tourists from around the world visiting Kenya will no longer need a visa to enter the country starting January, President William Ruto said on Tuesday.
Uphold freedoms, fulfill the promise of human rights, urges UN chief
Dec 12, 2023, at 08:56 pm
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on world leaders to rely on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a roadmap to not only uphold human rights but also prevent wars, combat hatred, rebuild trust and build a sustainable future for all.
UN launches $46 billion appeal to respond to worsening crises in 2024
Dec 12, 2023, at 08:40 pm
As conflicts, climate emergencies and collapsing economies continue to wreak havoc on communities worldwide, the UN on Monday issued an appeal for $46.4 billion for 2024 to help 181 million people facing catastrophic hunger, mass displacement and diseases worldwide.
Gaza humanitarian crisis deepens as fighting rages on across the Strip
Dec 12, 2023, at 08:36 pm
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths reiterated deep concerns for the people of Gaza on Monday, amid reports of intense fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza City and Jabalia in the north of the Strip, and in Khan Younis in the south, while Israeli bombardment of the enclave has continued.
Report says Britain is slipping back to social divide of Victorian era
Dec 12, 2023, at 02:57 pm
The UK is in danger of sliding back into the “Two Nations” of the Victorian era marked by a widening gulf between mainstream society and a depressed and poverty-stricken underclass, according to a report released by a leading think-tank into the state of the nation.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization wars acute hunger set to soar across the globe
Dec 12, 2023, at 01:25 pm
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday that acute hunger is set to soar globally, on the back of “massive underfunding” in agriculture support programmes during times of crisis.
189 passengers evacuated from flight at Stockholm airport after smoke fills cabin
Dec 12, 2023, at 07:24 am
In a shocking incident, nearly 200 people were forced to evacuate an aircraft at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden on December 10 after the plane's cabin was filled up with smoke when the engine was switched on to takeoff, as per a report in the New York Post.
Australia to reform 'broken' migration system, tightens student visas
Dec 12, 2023, at 06:11 am
Sydney: Australia Monday said that it will reform its "broken" migration system and tighten visa requirements for foreign students and low-skilled workers, reducing its immigration intake by half over the next two years.
Two-state solution is the only thing that Iran and Israel oppose, says Iranian FM
Dec 12, 2023, at 05:19 am
Doha (Qatar): The two-state solution is the only thing that Iran and Israel do not believe in, Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Monday via translation at an international forum in Doha.
Seventeen people hurt as two trains collide in Italy
Dec 11, 2023, at 10:05 pm
Milan: At least 17 people were injured after two trains crashed in northeast Italy late Sunday, media reports said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres says he will not give up appealing for Gaza-Israel humanitarian ceasefire
Dec 11, 2023, at 02:59 am
The UN Secretary-General on Sunday pledged that he would “not give up” on appealing for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, adding that inaction on the Security Council was undermining its credibility.
Three-day presidential election kicks off in Egypt today
Dec 10, 2023, at 05:05 pm
Cairo/IBNS/UNI: The presidential election in Egypt kick-started on Sunday, with incumbent President Abdel Fattah Sisi running for his third term.
Iraqi PM warns US against unilateral response to rocket attack on embassy
Dec 10, 2023, at 07:39 am
Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has reiterated his government's commitment to protecting diplomatic missions while reminding the United States not to respond unilaterally to an unclaimed rock attack on the U.S. embassy without Iraq's approval.
Israel plans to end operations in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis in 3-4 weeks
Dec 10, 2023, at 07:06 am
Jerusalem: Military operations by the Israeli army in the southern Gaza Strip's largest city of Khan Yunis might end in three to four weeks, Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli defense official.
Samuel Paty's beheading case: Six teens convicted in France
Dec 09, 2023, at 04:09 pm
At least six teens have been convicted in the events leading to the beheading of a teacher in France in 2020.
Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined: UN report
Dec 09, 2023, at 02:51 pm
More people were killed due to homicide than armed conflict and terrorism combined in 2021, with an average of 52 lives lost per hour worldwide, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report published on Friday.
Russian Prez Vladimir Putin to run for his fifth term next year
Dec 09, 2023, at 06:03 am
Moscow/IBNS: Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday announced that he will stand again for a fifth term in office.
Italy exits China's Belt and Road Initiative
Dec 09, 2023, at 12:12 am
Italy has decided to exit China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative when the contract expires next month.
Philippines bombing: Key suspect arrested
Dec 08, 2023, at 09:49 pm
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday (December 7, 2023) said an alleged accomplice in the bombing at Mindanao State University in Marawi City was arrested by government forces recently.
Dec 08, 2023, at 03:10 pm
Two months to the day since Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel prompted a massive Israeli military retaliation in Gaza, the situation in the war-torn enclave is becoming “apocalyptic” with hostilities making meaningful humanitarian efforts “nearly impossible”, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday (December 7, 2023).
Israel kills five top Hamas commanders seen in rare photo
Dec 08, 2023, at 03:30 am
Gaza: Israel has killed five top Hamas commanders, including the head of Hamas’s aerial division, two battalion commanders, a brigade commander, and a deputy brigade commander, the New York Times reported citing the Israeli military.
Russia and Saudi Arabia rally OPEC+ nations for unified oil cuts
Dec 08, 2023, at 02:14 am
Riyadh/IBNS: The world's two biggest oil exporters, Saudi Arabia and Russia, on Thursday called for all OPEC+ nations to join an agreement on output cuts for the good of the global economy, just days after a fractious meeting of the producers' club, Reuters reported.
Indian-origin Samir Shah chosen to chair BBC after Richard Sharp exits
Dec 07, 2023, at 06:19 am
Seasoned British television executive Samir Shah has been chosen as the government's preferred candidate to chair the BBC, reported Reuters on Wednesday, citing culture minister Lucy Frazer.
Death toll in Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano eruption reaches 23
Dec 07, 2023, at 05:28 am
West Sumatra (Indonesia): The death toll from Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano explosion reached 23 as rescuers found the last missing hikers, BBC reports.
Hamas attack on October 7: Israel revokes UN humanitarian official's visa
Dec 06, 2023, at 09:29 pm
The Israeli government on Wednesday cancelled the visa for UN’s humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian territories Lynn Hastings after she refused to speak against Hamas.
UNRWA says more than 600,000 people are under evacuation orders in southern Gaza
Dec 06, 2023, at 08:46 pm
A top UN official has said over 600,000 people are under evacuation orders in southern Gaza amid the ongoing clash between Israel and Hamas members.
Dec 06, 2023, at 02:38 pm
A sharp rise in child poverty was registered across 40 of the world’s richest countries between 2014 and 2021, according to a new report published on Wednesday by the UN Children's Fund's global research centre, Innocenti.
65 Palestinians killed in intensified Israeli attacks on central, southern Gaza
Dec 06, 2023, at 06:19 am
Gaza/IBNS/UNI: At least 65 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds of others were wounded on Tuesday as a result of the Israeli attacks that targeted central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said.
British government introduces tougher visa rule to cut migration
Dec 05, 2023, at 11:27 pm
The UK government has introduced a plan to slash migration levels and curb abuse of the immigration system, delivering the biggest-ever reduction in net migration.