Mali in transition: UN peacekeeping chief takes stock of political and security developments
Jan 23, 2021, at 03:42 pm
New York: Against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating security situation in Mali and the wider Sahel region, the UN peacekeeping chief concluded a visit to the restive northwest African nation on Thursday.
Sudan: 250 killed, over 100,000 displaced as violence surges in Darfur
Jan 23, 2021, at 03:20 pm
New York: A sharp uptick in intercommunal violence in Sudan’s Darfur region has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes in search of safety, including many into neighbouring Chad, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Friday.
Antonio Guterres hails entry into force of treaty banning nuclear weapons
Jan 23, 2021, at 03:16 pm
New York: The first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty in more than two decades, came into force just after midnight on Friday, hailed by the UN Secretary-General as “an important step towards a world free of nuclear weapons”.
Canada PM Justin Trudeau discusses delay in Pfizer doses with CEO by phone
Jan 23, 2021, at 04:16 am
Ottawa/IBNS: After learning from Pfizer on Thursday that delays to COVID-19 vaccines' shipments are going to be even worse than previously thought, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spoke to the biopharmaceutical's CEO-Albert Bourla by phone on Thursday.
Jan 23, 2021, at 02:58 am
Canada/IBNS: Canada's Gov. Gen. Julie Payette and her secretary, Assunta di Lorenzo on Thursday resigned following the revelation of a devastating 'toxic' workplace environment at Rideau Hall by the review of the completed report done by an independent consulting firm, which the Privy Council Office hired.
Uighur women tweet: Twitter locks US Chinese Embassy page
Jan 22, 2021, at 11:26 pm
Washington: Popular micro-blogging site Twitter has locked the official account of Chinese Embassy in the US over its earlier tweet which claimed that Uighur women in Xinjiang region are now "emancipated" and no longer "baby-making machines", creating another chapter of embarrassment for Beijing.
China marks lowest economic growth in several decades
Jan 22, 2021, at 06:42 pm
Beijing: China marked its lowest economic growth in a span of four decades in recent years.
Senior panel probing violations in Syria, examining new measures to safeguard humanitarians
Jan 22, 2021, at 04:06 pm
New York: The UN chief announced on Thursday that he has set up an independent Senior Advisory Panel on strengthening the mechanism whereby humanitarian workers and sites are better protected from attack in Syria, according to a statement released by his spokesperson.
Central African Republic: UN mission chief appeals for more peacekeepers
Jan 22, 2021, at 04:02 pm
New York: The top UN official in the Central African Republic (CAR) appealed to the Security Council on Thursday for more peacekeepers and equipment amid escalating violence surrounding elections last month.
Sixth of Canadian small businesses consider closing for good, 2.4mln jobs at risk: Study
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:44 pm
Toronto/Sputnik: A sixth of Canadian small businesses impacted by the COVID-19-related restrictions are contemplating closing for good, potentially putting 2.4 million jobs in jeopardy, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said in a report.
FIBA sanctions Canada Basketball, levies $227K fine
Jan 22, 2021, at 06:00 am
Canada/IBNS: Canada Basketball President and CEO Glen Grunwald was fined up to $227,138 for the sport by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and also threatened by it for docking Canada's national team a point in the standings for having chosen not to attend a FIBA AmeriCup qualifier in November on the advice of medical experts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jan 22, 2021, at 04:15 am
Beijing/UNI: Jack Ma, the founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, made his first public appearance on Wednesday, after disappearing from the public's eyes for almost three months following his controversial speech criticizing China's banking system in October last year.
China gifts Pakistan 500,000 doses of its Sinopharm vaccine: Foreign Minister
Jan 22, 2021, at 03:54 am
Moscow/Sputnik: China has sent 500,000 doses of its Sinopharm vaccine to Pakistan for free and pledged to send 1.1 million more doses by late February, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday.
There is always room for improvement: China on COVID-19 handling
Jan 22, 2021, at 03:23 am
Beijing: Receiving flak, China has admitted that the nation could have done better and there is always room for betterment in handling the COVID-19 pandemic situation which is believed to have originated from Wuhan city and later spread across the globe.
Forced labour: US solar companies rely on materials from China's Xinjiang
Jan 22, 2021, at 03:14 am
Washington: US solar companies are heavily dependent on materials produced in Xinjiang region of China where forced labour and re-education camps have become a major issue of concern for the global human rights activists.
First Nations in Western Canada hit hard by COVID-19
Jan 22, 2021, at 03:10 am
Canada/IBNS: Canadian federal officials are alarmed by the rising curve of COVID-19 outbreaks in people of First Nations in Western Canada, making up half the number of hospitalizations in some provinces.
China is calling all independent coverage in Xinjiang as fake news: Report
Jan 22, 2021, at 03:06 am
Trying to keep all developments in the region under tight restriction, China is allegedly calling all independent coverage in the Xinjiang region as 'fake news'.
Hurting Beijing: Denmark govt mulls Taiwan's WHO return
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:59 am
Copenhagen: The Denmark parliament is considering a resolution to support Taiwan's bid to return to the World Health Organization, a step that might annoy China.
Baloch, Sindhi human rights groups demand international investigation into death of Karima Baloch
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:33 am
Islamabad: Baloch and Sindhi human rights and political organisations have demanded an international investigation into the death of activist Karima Baloch in Canada last month.
Statistics Canada to do large scale hiring ahead of 'contact-free' census
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:29 am
Canada/IBNS: In its attempt to perform a contact-free or physically distanced census during the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Canada said in a press release published this week that it is looking to hire approximately 32,000 field staff to survey the Canadian population this spring.
Hong Kong issue: China targets US over 'blatant interference'
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:19 am
Beijing: China has condemned the US stance of blatant interfering in Hong Kong affairs, a region which is continuously in conflict with Beijing.
Pakistan police drop investigation into Muslim man who abducted, raped Christian woman
Jan 22, 2021, at 02:16 am
Islamabad: Pakistan police have dropped an investigation against three men who are accused of kidnapping a Christian girl, 12, before abusing her and chaining her up for five months, a case indicative of the misery of minorities in the nation.
Marks and Spencer signs Call to Action on human rights abuses on Uyghurs in China
Jan 21, 2021, at 06:11 am
Causing major embarrassment to China, multinational retailer M&S has become one of the first companies to formally sign the Call to Action on human rights abuses: Brand Commitment to Exit the Uyghur Region.
Jan 21, 2021, at 06:07 am
Washington: Gen (retired) Lloyd Austin, US president Joe Biden’s pick to head the Pentagon, has voiced his concern over China’s “increasingly aggressive actions” across the Indo-Pacific.
"This is America's day, democracy's day": Joe Biden after taking oath as 46th US President
Jan 21, 2021, at 04:54 am
Washington/IBNS: As Joe Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States, he said this is "America's day. This is Democracy's day."
Joe Biden takes oath as 46th President of United States
Jan 21, 2021, at 04:09 am
Washington/IBNS: Democrat leader Joe Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States at the 59th inauguration ceremony held in the West Front of the US Capitol.
"This is your time": Barack Obama congratulates Joe Biden
Jan 21, 2021, at 03:31 am
Washington/IBNS: Former US President Barack Obama on Wednesday congratulated Joe Biden with a meaningful photo ahead of the Democrat leader's oath-taking ceremony.
'New day in America': Biden tweets ahead of taking oath as 46th US President
Jan 21, 2021, at 03:14 am
Washington/IBNS: As Joe Biden is all set to take oath as the 46th President of the United States, the Democrat leader tweeted that it is a "new day in America" ahead of the inauguration ceremony.
Pfizer cancels Covid-19 vaccine delivery to Canada for next week
Jan 21, 2021, at 03:02 am
Canada/IBNS: Pfizer-BioNTech cancelled its delivery of Covid 19 doses to Canada for the next week, said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander leading vaccine logistics for the federal government.
Canada: Quebec changes its vaccination campaign
Jan 21, 2021, at 02:36 am
Quebec/IBNS: Canada's Quebec will make changes to its vaccination plan, the province's health minister Christian Dubé has announced.