US to ink deal with Taliban on Feb 29: Pompeo

Feb 21, 2020, at 07:46 pm

Washington/UNI: The United States has reached an “understanding” with the Taliban and the two sides would sign a peace deal on February 29, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

On World Social Justice Day, the UN labour agency says ‘put people and planet first'

Feb 21, 2020, at 06:04 pm

New York/IBNS: Reduce inequality around the world, the United Nations labour agency urged on Thursday, World Social Justice Day.

Haitian leaders urged to end political impasse

Feb 21, 2020, at 06:03 pm

New York/IBNS: Leaders in Haiti must step up and end the political impasse between President Jovenel Moïse and a surging opposition movement that has paralyzed the island nation since July 2018, the top UN official there said on Thursday in a briefing to the UN Security Council in New York.

More than $1 billion pledged for post-earthquake recovery in Albania

Feb 21, 2020, at 06:02 pm

New York/IBNS: The international community has pledged $1.25 billion to help Albania recover from a devastating earthquake during a European Union-led donors’ conference in Brussels. 

Central African Republic: Security Council reflects on peace deal anniversary

Feb 21, 2020, at 06:00 pm

New York/IBNS: One year after the signing of a peace deal in the Central African Republic (CAR), State authority is being extended throughout the country, violence against civilians has decreased, and an inclusive Government remains in place, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.

End hostilities, ‘preserve lives’: UN refugee chief makes appeal for people trapped in Syria’s Idlib

Feb 21, 2020, at 05:59 pm

New York/IBNS: As the already dire situation in north-west Syria dramatically continues to worsen in Idlib province, the head of the United Nations refugee agency called on Thursday for an end to the hostilities and appealed for urgent action to allow the people trapped there to move to places of safety.

Bangladesh: 2 suspected robbers killed in Comilla

Feb 21, 2020, at 05:41 pm

Dhaka/IBNS: In a reported gunfight with police in  Palpari Bridge area under Adarsha Sadar upazila of Bangladesh's Comilla district, two suspected robbers have been killed, media reports said on Friday.

‘Deliberate starvation’ tactics used in South Sudan could be a war crime

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:52 pm

New York/IBNS: The people of South Sudan have been “deliberately starved” in different parts of the country for ethnic and political reasons, and sexual violence against women and men as a weapon of war is ongoing, UN investigators said on Thursday.

China Shouguang vegetable price index down 2.41 pct

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:38 pm

Jinan/Xinhua/UNI: The China Shouguang vegetable price index, a barometer of the country's vegetable market, fell 2.41 percent to 178.7 points on Friday.

Train derailment leaves 2 dead in Australia

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:35 pm

Sydney/UNI: Two people were killed and 11 injured when a train carrying 153 passengers derailed near a town north of Melbourne, officials said on Friday.

2 babies killed in Mongolia home fire

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:33 pm

Ulan Bator/Xinhua/UNI:  Two babies have been killed in a home fire in southwestern Mongolia, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported Friday.

Shanghai rolls out guideline for tourist attractions to control epidemic

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:32 pm

Shanghai/Xinhua/UNI: Shanghai on Friday rolled out a guideline for the municipality's A-grade tourist attractions to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Iran to hold parliamentary elections on Friday

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:30 pm

Tehran/Sputnik/UNI: The elections to Iran's 290-seat unicameral parliament will be held across the country on February 21.

Trump slams academy for awarding 'Parasite' as best picture over trade row with SKorea

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:29 pm

Washington/Sputnik/UNI: US President Donald Trump criticized the decision of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to award South Korea’s “Parasite” as the best picture over trade differences with South Korea.

Australia issues 42 arrest warrants for nationals in Syria suspected of IS links

Feb 21, 2020, at 04:25 pm

Canberra,/UNI: Australian Federal Police has obtained 42 arrest warrants for its citizens accused of supporting the Islamic State in Syria, including women from the Al-Hawl camp, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.

South Korea registers first Coronavirus death

Feb 20, 2020, at 08:25 pm

Seoul/UNI: South Korea confirmed the country's first fatality from the new Coronavirus on Thursday, while the total number of people infected by the deadly disease, recently named Covid-19, rose to 104.

Southern Philippine grenade blast kills 2 children

Feb 20, 2020, at 07:27 pm

Manila/Xinhua: A rifle grenade exploded inside a house in Dipolog City in the southern Philippines on Thursday, killing two boys aged eight and five, a military general said.

Suspected perpetrator of Hanau attack in Germany found dead at home, 1 more body discovered

Feb 20, 2020, at 10:31 am

Moscow, Feb 20 (Sputnik) A suspected perpetrator of the shooting attacks in the German town of Hanau was found dead at his home on Thursday, the police of southeastern Hessen said.

China's doping control officers need to go through strict medical check before work

Feb 19, 2020, at 06:46 pm

Beijing/Xinhua:The doping control officers (DCOs) must pass virus test and relative medical check before they are allowed to carry out doping tests amid a nationwide fight against the new coronavirus, China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) said here on Wednesday.

Amid tight security, Pakistan court sends Hindu girl Mahek Kumari to production home

Feb 19, 2020, at 11:38 am

Jacobabad/IBNS: Amid protests by Hindu community members over the kidnap, conversion, and marriage of minor Hindu girl Mehak Kumari in Pakistan and a verdict awaited by a court, certain sections of people forced locals of Jacobabad city in Sindh province of the country to close shops on Tuesday to influence the decision in the case.

Chinese military hackers steal Equifax data of 13 million Britons

Feb 18, 2020, at 08:35 pm

Beijing/IBNS: In a “criminal heist” spanning the globe, Chinese military hackers allegedly stole personal information of more than 13 million Britons, media reports said on Tuesday.

Leaked Chinese document on Uyghur Muslims show people detained for veil, beard or clicking on foreign website

Feb 18, 2020, at 08:31 pm

Beijing/IBNS: A leaked Chinese government document has shown how issues, like growing a beard, wearing a veil or accidentally visiting a foreign website, were among the justifications shown to send  Uyghur Muslims to China’s detention camps in Xinjiang province.

Canada grants 1.39 lakh Study Permit to Indians in 2019

Feb 18, 2020, at 07:43 pm

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada's Immigration Agency has granted 1.39 lakh Study Permit to the Indian students in 2019 to pursue higher degrees, media reports said.

Global terror financing watchdog  FATF decides to retain Pakistan in ‘Grey List’

Feb 18, 2020, at 06:28 pm

Paris/Islamabad/IBNS/UNI: In a setback for Pakistan, global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Tuesday decided to retain the south Asian nation in its ‘Grey List’.

Thai economy to surge over 3 pct next year: central bank

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:13 pm

Banghok/Xinhua/UNI:  The Bank of Thailand (BOT) on Tuesday said that despite the slowing global economy, drought and delay of the fiscal 2020 budget, a gradual recovery will come at the second and third quarter this year.

Afghanistan: Militants kill judge

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:11 pm

Afghanistan/Xinhua/UNI:  Taliban militants has killed a primary court judge in Afghanistan's western Herat province, a local official said Tuesday.

Syrian army completely secures Aleppo city from rebels' shelling

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:10 pm

Damascus/Xinhua/UNI: The Syrian government forces on Monday said that Syria's northern city Aleppo has been finally made safe from shelling after a wide-scale military operation, saying that dozens of villages and towns returned under government control as a result of the current military operation..

Police arrest 6 drug traffickers in Afghanistan: gov't

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:07 pm

Kabul/Xinhua/UNI: The Counter-Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) have arrested six narcotic drug traffickers in five provinces, the country's Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

South Korea sends presidential jet to return 4 citizens aboard virus-stricken liner: reports

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:06 pm

Seoul/Sputnik/UNI:  South Korea has sent a presidential plane to Japan to evacuate four of its citizens from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise liner, media reported on Tuesday.

Car explosion on highway in western Colombia kills 7, injures 11: Local Army Chief

Feb 18, 2020, at 05:01 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: At least seven people have died, and 11 others were injured as a result of a car explosion in western Colombia, Major General Jorge Isaacs Hoyos Rojas, a local army commander, said on Tuesday.