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.

If SOPs ignored then COVID-19 cases in Pakistan will touch one million by July end: Minister

Jun 15, 2020, at 09:31 am

Islamabad/IBNS: A Pakistani minister has cautioned his countrymen that if the carelessness of citizens in following standard operating procedures continues  then the number of COVID-19 cases in the country might touch 300,000 by the end of this month and to a million by end July.

UN chief in ‘support migrants’ plea, as remittances drop by 20 per cent predicted

Jun 15, 2020, at 09:17 am

New York: Marking International Day of Family Remittances, The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has released a message appealing for “people everywhere” to support migrants, at a time when remittances – the money migrants send home to support their families – have fallen by more than $100 billion, causing hunger, lost schooling and deteriorating health, for tens of millions of families.

China may occupy Tibet physically but not mentally: Dalai Lama

Jun 15, 2020, at 12:06 am

Bodh Gaya: Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said the Chinese government can physically capture Tibet but they cannot control the minds of the people from the region.

Hong Kong protests might have serious impact on its special status that will end in 2047: Beijing

Jun 14, 2020, at 11:59 pm

Beijing: China has warned that widespread demonstrations might have a serious impact on Hong Kong's special status which will end in 2047 under Beijing's 'one country, two systems' principle, specially at a time when the city is still witnessing pro-democracy protests.

Pakistan continues to witness forceful conversion of minority girls

Jun 14, 2020, at 11:53 pm

Islamabad: Pakistan, one of the key South Asian nations that is fighting a serious COVID-19 outbreak, is still witnessing forced conversion of minority girls even at this hour of health crisis.

Pro-China police justifies excess in Hong Kong blaming youngsters for committing crimes under shadow of protest

Jun 14, 2020, at 11:43 pm

Beijing: Justifying the aggressive tactic adopted by the security officials towards pro-democracy protesters, the pro-China Hong Kong police are now accusing young Hong Kongers of committing crimes under the shadow of unrest.

Vietnam raises objection to China's Undersea Cable Construction in Paracel Island

Jun 14, 2020, at 11:24 pm

Hanoi: Vietnam has objected to China's reported move of laying  undersea cables in the disputed Paracel Islands.