Starbucks closes store in downtown Seattle after employee tests positive for COVID-19

Mar 07, 2020, at 03:49 pm

San Francisco/Xinhua/UNI: US coffee chain titan Starbucks Corporation said on Friday evening that it has temporarily closed a store for "a deep clean" after an employee was found infected with COVID-19.

COVID-19 death toll: Over 3300 dead, says WHO

Mar 07, 2020, at 03:23 pm

Geneva/UNI: The World Health Organisation on Saturday confirmed that a total of 3380 people have so far lost their lives, worldwide, due to the deadly novel coronavirus which was first detected in China's Wuhan in late December and later spread across the world.

Rights office concerned over death sentences against 35 Yemeni MPs

Mar 07, 2020, at 10:32 am

New York/IBNS: The UN human rights office is calling on authorities in Yemen to revoke death sentences imposed against 35 parliamentarians allegedly for treason charges.

International Women’s Day: Gender equality benefits everyone

Mar 07, 2020, at 10:28 am

New York/IBNS: The benefits of gender equality are not just for women and girls, but “for everyone whose lives will be changed by a fairer world”, the chief of UN Women said in her message for International Women’s Day (IWD) at UN Headquarters on Friday, being celebrated in New York, ahead of the official day.

DR Congo: Agencies appeal for funding for refugee support and Ebola response

Mar 07, 2020, at 10:26 am

New York/IBNS: Urgent resources are needed to support countries in southern Africa and the Great Lakes region which are hosting more than 900,000 refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and partners said in a $621 million appeal launched on Friday.

Bangladesh: Dhaka metro rail worker hit by rod, dies

Mar 07, 2020, at 09:32 am

Dhaka/IBNS: A Dhaka Metro Rail Project worker died after he was hit by iron rods in the High Court area of the Bangladeshi city, media reports said on Saturday.

Afghanistan: 46 ISIS fighters surrender to ANDSF

Mar 07, 2020, at 09:15 am

Kabul/IBNS: A group of 46 ISIS fighters have renounced violence and surrendered to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in eastern Kunar province, on Saturday.

ISIS claims responsibility for Kabul attack

Mar 07, 2020, at 09:08 am

Kabul/IBNS: The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul on Friday which claimed 27 lives.

Gas leakage at Karachi Chemical Factory, 70 hospitalised

Mar 06, 2020, at 11:28 pm

Karachi/UNI: Gas leakage at a chemical plant in Karachi's Port Qasim area has caused at least 70 casualties in Karachi's Port Qasim area.

Afghanistan: 27 killed as gunmen attack ceremony in Kabul

Mar 06, 2020, at 05:59 pm

Kabul/IBNS: An attack took place at a ceremony on Friday, which was marking the anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, leader of the Hezb-e Wahdat party, where Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other politicians were attending,  and left 27 people killed, media reports said.

Attack in western Kabul kills 23, injures 33, numbers may increase: hospital sources

Mar 06, 2020, at 04:20 pm

Kabul/Sputnik/UNI: At least 23 people have been killed and 33 injured in the deadly attack in Kabul targeting the ceremony attended by former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, sources at the Mohammed Ali Jinnah hospital told Sputnik.

Kabul attack leaves 2 dead, 18 injured: spokesman for Afghan Health Ministry

Mar 06, 2020, at 04:19 pm

Kabul/Sputnik/UNI:  An attack in Kabul at a ceremony attended by top Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah left two dead and 18 injured, a spokesman for the Health Ministry told Sputnik on Friday.

International Women's Day: progress on gender equality remains slow

Mar 06, 2020, at 10:18 am

New York/IBNS: Women's Rights in Review, 25 years after Beijing takes stock of how the landmark gender equality plan, the Beijing Platform for Action, is being implemented and calls for greater parity and justice.

Guterres calls for ‘immediate and lasting’ end to Syria fighting as Turkey and Russia agree ceasefire

Mar 06, 2020, at 10:14 am

New York/IBNS: The UN Secretary-General said on Thursday that he hoped the latest ceasefire agreement between Russia and Turkey to end fighting across Syria’s stricken Idlib region, would finally lead to “an immediate and lasting cessation”, that would protect civilian lives.

‘Unanimous’ ICC gives go-ahead to probe Afghanistan alleged war crimes

Mar 06, 2020, at 10:13 am

New York/IBNS: Prosecutors have been given the green light to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan - and beyond its borders – linked to Afghan, Taliban and US troops, the International Criminal Court said on Thursday.

International Women's Day: progress on gender equality remains slow

Mar 06, 2020, at 10:08 am

New York/IBNS: Despite decades of progress in closing the gender equality gap, close to nine out of 10 men and women around the world, hold some sort of bias against women, according to new findings published on Thursday from the UN Development Programmme (UNDP).

Pakistan: Karachi building collapse leaves 14 dead 

Mar 06, 2020, at 09:03 am

Karachi/IBNS: A five-storey residential building collapsed in Pakistan's Karachi city which left at least 14 people dead, media reports said on Friday.

Bulgarian GDP grows by 3.4 pct in 2019

Mar 05, 2020, at 07:14 pm

Sofia/Xinhua: Bulgarian gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.4 percent year-on-year in 2019 in real terms, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the country's National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Egypt confirms 3rd case of novel coronavirus: ministry

Mar 05, 2020, at 07:03 pm

Cairo/Xinhua: Egypt's Health Ministry and the World Health Organization said in a joint statement Thursday that an Egyptian citizen was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the number of confirmed cases inside Egypt to three.

Morocco, Turkmenistan to boost bilateral cooperation

Mar 05, 2020, at 06:55 pm

Rabat/Xinhua: Morocco and Turkmenistan have agreed to boost cooperation, commerce and investment, an official statement said on Thursday.  

UN mourns passing of former Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuéllar

Mar 05, 2020, at 02:35 pm

New York/IBNS: Javier Perez de Cuéllar, the fifth United Nations Secretary-General, praised for his ability to foster dialogue and for leading the Organization through a turbulent decade, has passed away at the age of 100.

Violent extremism prevention ‘only effective’ if human rights are enshrined

Mar 05, 2020, at 02:34 pm

New York/IBNS: Many global programmes aimed at countering violent extremism have negative impacts on human rights and may even ‘foster radicalization’ rather than preventing it, an independent UN human rights expert warned on Wednesday.

Syria: UN food relief agency ‘doing everything we can’ to reach Idlib civilians

Mar 05, 2020, at 02:33 pm

New York/IBNS: Difficult winter weather conditions, road congestion and military manoeuvres are restricting humanitarian aid delivery to desperate civilians in the Syrian province of Idlib, where a Government operation to weed out extremists has uprooted nearly one million people since December.

Human rights defenders, too often left defenceless themselves – UN expert

Mar 05, 2020, at 02:32 pm

New York/IBNS: Human rights defenders working in conflict and post-conflict situations need to be given greater recognition, protection and support, an independent UN expert said on Wednesday, in his latest report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Deadlock broken, South Sudan on road to ‘sustainable peace’, but international support still key

Mar 05, 2020, at 01:57 pm

New York/IBNS: Positive developments in South Sudan have “moved the country further along the road to sustainable peace”, the top UN official there told Security Council members on Wednesday.

Russia's security service says fake news about coronavirus comes from abroad: Putin

Mar 04, 2020, at 07:44 pm

Moscow/Sputnik: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that fake news regarding cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Russia is coming from foreign countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Turkey rescues 220 illegal immigrants off Aegean coast in 2 days

Mar 04, 2020, at 07:35 pm

Istanbul/Xinhua: The Turkish coast guard rescued at least 220 illegal immigrants in separate incidents off Turkey's Aegean coast during the last two days, the force announced on its website.

Pakistan ethnic groups stage protest in Geneva on UNHRC sidelines, Pashtun leader seeks India's help

Mar 04, 2020, at 06:35 pm

Geneva/IBNS: Voicing their discontent, human rights activists from Pashtun, Baloch, Sindhi and other communities have highlighted the atrocities perpetrated by the Pakistani military establishment on these group, with a pavilion displaying 'Stop Pashtun Torture' at Broken Chair in Geneva recently.

U.S. forces conduct 1st airstrike against Taliban after peace deal

Mar 04, 2020, at 05:04 pm

Kabul/Xinhua/UNI: The U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducted a defensive airstrike in support of Afghan security forces in southern Helmand province on Wednesday, the first raid after a U.S.-Taliban deal was signed.

Bangladesh: Awami League activist hacked to death

Mar 04, 2020, at 04:38 pm

Dhaka/IBNS: An Awami League activist was hacked to death by unidentified person in Jashore’s Sharsha area in Bangladesh, media reports said.