Afghan President agrees to resume talks with Taliban in Doha – Qatari Foreign Ministry

Jun 12, 2020, at 09:29 am

Doha/Sputnik: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has agreed to hold a new round of negotiations with the Taliban in the Qatari capital of Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Mutlaq Al-Qahtani told Al-Jazeera broadcaster.

COVID-19 highlights ‘life and death’ stakes for greater digital cooperation

Jun 12, 2020, at 09:23 am

New York/IBNS: Managing the digital divide better, has become “a matter of life and death” for people unable to access essential healthcare information during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief has told a virtual high-level meeting on rapid technological change.

Twitter says it removed over 32,000 Chinese, Russian, Turkish accounts linked to govt propaganda

Jun 12, 2020, at 08:33 am

New York: Micro-blogging site Twitter on Friday announced it has suspended over 32,000 accounts from its platform following an investigation that found ties to state-run propaganda and disinformation operations by China, Russia and Turkey.

Windstorm rips through southern Quebec causing power outages

Jun 12, 2020, at 02:31 am

Montreal/IBNS: More than 100,000 Hydro-Québec customers across southern Quebec have been without electricity due to power outages caused by strong and gusting winds, media reports said.

US ignores Russia’s request to release imprisoned citizens amid COVID-19 pandemic: Envoy

Jun 11, 2020, at 11:05 pm

Washington/Sputnik: The United States has ignored Moscow’s requests to release Russian citizens from US prisons amid the novel coronavirus pandemic for humanitarian reasons, Russian Ambassador in Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Thursday.

Lack of safety upgrades in Ontario nursing homes made them more vulnerable to deadly COVID-19

Jun 11, 2020, at 10:43 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: Absence of safety upgrades in Ontario's long-term-care homes for the past two decades has increased their vulnerability to the deadly spread of COVID-19, media reports said.

Hong Kongers confronting 'largest, retiring regime', says activist Joshua Wong

Jun 11, 2020, at 07:49 pm

Hong Kong: At a time when China decided to  impose the new national security law on Hong Kong, pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said the people of the city are standing against the "largest and retiring regime" in the world.

China engaged in targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns: EU

Jun 11, 2020, at 07:42 pm

Brussels: When Beijing is facing heat over the origin of the deadly COVID-19 virus from China, European Union has now claimed that  it is running disinformation campaigns.

Pakistan forces flee posts amid violent protest in Balochistan

Jun 11, 2020, at 07:22 pm

Islamabad: Pakistani Border Forces recently abandoned check posts in Pakistan's Balochistan region amid protests by locals in Brabchah area of the city, media reports said.

Canada: 6th International Day of Yoga to be virtually observed in Toronto on Jun 21

Jun 11, 2020, at 06:56 pm

Toronto/IBNS: The sixth International Day of Yoga will be virtually observed here on Jun 21, Consulate General of India, Toronto office reported.

Scores of Boko Haram militants killed in Nigerian military airstrikes

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:57 pm

Abuja/Xinhua:  Scores of suspected Boko Haram militants were killed and their hideouts destroyed when Nigerian military airstrikes hit targets inside the Sambisa forest in the country's northeast region, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

Sudan: Indicted war crimes suspects must be brought to justice – ICC prosecutor

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:50 pm

New York: Buoyed by the surrender of a key Darfur war crimes suspect, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is urging the Security Council to press Sudan to do more to bring other indicted persons – including ex-president Omar Al-Bashir – to justice.

District police chief killed in Taliban attack in Eastern Afghanistan

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:44 pm

Kabul/UNI:  A district police chief was killed and four other police officers wounded during clashes with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, a provincial police spokesman confirmed on Thursday.

COVID-19: ‘Unparalleled economic shock’ threatens development hopes and gains

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:42 pm

New York: As the diverse and severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt across the world, an “unparalleled economic shock” is putting development gains at risk, the UN chief told a meeting of high-powered business leaders on Wednesday.

Pakistan's opposition leader tests positive for COVID-19

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:37 pm

Islamabad/Xinhua: The leader of the opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly or the lower house of the parliament Shahbaz Sharif and several other politicians have tested positive for COVID-19, local media reported on Thursday.

Rights experts condemn use of force against journalists covering US protests

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:35 pm

New York/IBNS: Journalists covering ongoing protests denouncing systemic racism and police brutality in the United States must be able to do their job in peace, two experts on the right to freedom of expression said on Wednesday.

Trump says 'domestic terrorists' have taken over Seattle, lashes out at local leaders

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:32 pm

Washington/Sputnik: US President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at the leadership in Washington state for refusing to disperse protesters from the streets of Seattle, the state's capital, claiming “domestic terrorists” have taken over the city.

Taliban should make its stand against Al Qaida clear, says US Gen

Jun 11, 2020, at 04:30 pm

Kabul/UNI:  United State Central Command’s top general, Marine Gen. Kenneth F McKenzie has said that he would not recommend a complete US troop pullout from Afghanistan by mid 2021 unless the Taliban make it clear that they no longer support Al-Qaida fighters.

Chinese propaganda outlet paid iconic US newspapers $19 mn in ads, printing: Report

Jun 10, 2020, at 11:41 pm

Beijing/IBNS: A Chinese propaganda outlet has paid US newspapers nearly $19 million for advertising and printing expenses over the past four years, media reports said.

Five more cases of enforced disappearances emerge from Balochistan

Jun 10, 2020, at 11:38 pm

Quetta: Five more cases of enforced disappearances have been reported from Balochistan as atrocities continued in this Pakistani region.

Pakistan govt reaches deal with Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid

Jun 10, 2020, at 11:30 pm

Islamabad: Returning to spotlight, controversial Maulana Abdul Aziz, who had led the weekly congregational prayer without taking any anti-Covid-19 measures and had openly displayed weapons,  reached an agreement with the Pakistani government by which he vacated Lal Masjid G-6 and moved to the madrassah Jamia Hafsa in G-7.

Lack of medical facilities in Balochistan leads to death of three, including children

Jun 10, 2020, at 11:15 pm

Quetta: The Pakistani government seems to be neglecting the Balochistan region as evident from the deaths of three, including two children, in the area in the past 24 hours due to unavailability of medical facilities.

Canada-US border closure extends further to late July: Reports

Jun 10, 2020, at 10:39 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: The Canada-US border closure, set to expire on June 21, is further extended till late July, media reports said quoting sources.

Bangladesh: COVID-19 death toll reaches 1,012

Jun 10, 2020, at 05:52 pm

Dhaka/UNI:  The death toll from novel coronavirus in Bangladesh has reached 1,012 as 37 more people died in the last 24 hours.

Most deprived children face biggest risk of unemployment: Study

Jun 10, 2020, at 04:56 pm

New York: Children growing up in jobless households will be less likely to gain employment in an economic recession, according to a new cross-European study led by UCL and the University of Bath. 

Afghanistan records 684 new COVID-19 positive cases

Jun 10, 2020, at 04:47 pm

Kabul/Xinhua: Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry has confirmed 684 new COVID-19 positive cases over the past 24 hours, totaling the number of patients infected with the disease to 22,143 in the country, said a statement of the ministry released Wednesday.

Chinese ambassador to Russia blames west for protests in Hong Kong

Jun 10, 2020, at 04:28 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: China's ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, on Wednesday blamed western nations for standing behind the unrest in the Asian country's special administrative region of Hong Kong.

Prime Minister Abe says Japan will lead G7 statement on Hong Kong - Reports

Jun 10, 2020, at 04:25 pm

Tokyo/Sputnik/UNI: - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that he wants Japan to lead the G7 statement on the situation in Hong Kong condemning China's new security law, media reported.

Canada: Liberals to table new bill for stricter CERB rules, to impose penalties and jail terms for false claims

Jun 10, 2020, at 03:51 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada's Liberal government is set to impose stricter rules for claiming the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), as well as fines and jail terms for fraudulent applicants, media reports said.

69 killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria: military source

Jun 10, 2020, at 03:43 pm

Lagos/Xinhua/uUNI:  At least 69 people, mostly women and children, were killed Tuesday night, when Boko Haram attacked Zowo ward in Gubio area of Nigeria's restive northeastern Borno state, a military source said on Wednesday.