Ten journalists covering protests remain detained across Belarus - Journalists Association
Aug 15, 2020, at 12:05 am
Minsk/Sputnik: Ten journalists who were detained by Belarusian law enforcement agents after the protests have not been released yet, the deputy head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) said on Friday.
Amid troubles with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is now facing gas shortfall
Aug 14, 2020, at 04:02 pm
Islamabad: Pakistan's Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan has said the country is currently facing a gas shortfall of about 3.5 billion cubic feet per day (BCFD) and Sindh will also be turning a gas-deficit province by next year.
Experts call for accountability following Beirut’s ‘unprecedented’ lethal explosion
Aug 14, 2020, at 03:19 pm
New York: The catastrophic blast which led to the deaths of more than 200 in Beirut on 4 August, has prompted more than three dozen independent rights experts on Thursday, to issue a call for justice and accountability on behalf of the Lebanese people.
‘Urgent need’ to stop erosion of nuclear order, major UN disarmament forum hears
Aug 14, 2020, at 03:05 pm
New York: The lack of trust and cooperation among States, and the diminished faith in “the very multilateral institution that was designed to maintain global peace and security”, must be overcome, a high-level UN official told a prominent disarmament conference on Thursday.
Kim Jong Un appoints Kim Tok Hun new premier of North Korean cabinet – Reports
Aug 14, 2020, at 02:56 pm
Seoul/Sputnik: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has appointed Kim Tok Hun a new premier of the North Korean cabinet instead of Kim Jae Ryong, who had been relieved from his post, the state-run KCNA news agency reported on Friday.
Deaths of children in northeast Syria ‘could have been averted’: UNICEF
Aug 14, 2020, at 02:50 pm
New York: The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed “deep alarm” over reports that eight children – all under the age of five – have died in Syria’s Al Hol camp, where several thousand children are languishing in dire conditions.
North Korea lifts coronavirus-linked lockdown from Kaesong border city
Aug 14, 2020, at 02:43 pm
Pyongyan/Sputnik: The North Korean authorities have decided to lift the coronavirus-linked lockdown from the border city of Kaesong, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
Iran arrests people on "espionage" charges
Aug 12, 2020, at 11:20 pm
Tehran/Xinhua: Iran's Intelligence Ministry has disbanded five spying teams connected with foreign espionage services and arrested a number of people in this regard, Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.
Somalia: Draft law a ‘major setback’ for victims of sexual violence
Aug 12, 2020, at 10:17 pm
New York: The UN official working to end rape during wartime is urging authorities in Somalia to scrap a proposed law that allows for child marriage, among other “very disturbing provisions”.
Refugees also affected by Beirut blast as UN relief efforts continue
Aug 12, 2020, at 10:14 pm
New York: Dozens of refugees were among the victims of the deadly explosions at Beirut’s port a week ago that destroyed large areas of the Lebanese capital, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Tuesday.
Violence in Sudan’s Western Darfur forces 2,500 into Chad: UN refugee agency
Aug 12, 2020, at 03:43 pm
New York: Recent clashes in Sudan’s Western Darfur region has driven more than 2,500 people across the border into neighbouring Chad, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported.
Rocket hits Green Zone in Iraq's capital
Aug 12, 2020, at 03:04 pm
Baghdad/Xinhua: A Katyusha rocket landed on Tuesday in the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad without causing casualties, the Iraqi military said.
Five Eyes alliance slams decision to postpone Hong Kong polls
Aug 11, 2020, at 07:37 pm
London: An alliance of five major nations- Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US - have voiced their concerns over the Hong Kong government’s “unjust” disqualification of candidates and “disproportionate” postponement of Legislative Council elections.
Argentina mulls tightening lockdown measures amid rise in COVID-19 cases
Aug 11, 2020, at 05:44 pm
Buenos Aires/Xinhua: Argentina's government has not ruled out tightening lockdown restrictions in force since March 20 if a rise in novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infections threatens to overwhelm hospitals, a top official said on Tuesday.
IOM reports 160 illegal immigrants rescued off Libyan coast
Aug 11, 2020, at 02:02 pm
Tripoli/Xinhua: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday said that 160 illegal immigrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast recently.
Lebanese PM Hassan Diab resigns in wake of Beirut explosion and public fury
Aug 11, 2020, at 04:38 am
Beirut/IBNS: Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Monday announced his resignation from the office in the wake of the massive Beirut port explosion last week, which triggered civil unrest and mass protests in the country.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei opens Twitter account in Hindi
Aug 10, 2020, at 03:10 pm
Tehran: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei has opened an account in micro-blogging site Twitter in Hindi.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under National security law - Reports
Aug 10, 2020, at 02:16 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Hong Kong police have arrested pro-democratic media tycoon Jimmy Lai under the national security law, Global Times reported on Monday.
Nigerian police kill eight gunmen in crossfire
Aug 10, 2020, at 03:01 am
Lagos/Xinhua: At least eight gunmen have been killed in a combat operation by police in Nigeria's northwestern state of Katsina, a police spokesman said on Sunday.
Lebanese Information Minister resigns after Beirut explosion
Aug 10, 2020, at 01:54 am
Moscow/Sputnik: Lebanese Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad on Sunday announced her resigning from office in the wake of a massive explosion in Beirut and subsequent civil unrest.
Aug 09, 2020, at 11:22 pm
New York: Inclusion and participation of the world’s 476 million indigenous peoples must be ensured in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and on the road ahead towards recovery, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has underscored.
Lessons of Nagasaki survivors should motivate the world to eliminate all nuclear weapons – UN chief
Aug 09, 2020, at 11:06 pm
New York: UN Secretary General António Guterres on Sunday marked 75 years since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki with praise for the hibakusha, the survivors, who transformed their decades-long plight into a warning about the perils of nuclear weapons and an example of the triumph of the human spirit.
Argentine govt announces economic subsidy for families of COVID-19 victims
Aug 09, 2020, at 02:20 pm
Buenos Aires/Xinhua: The Argentine government announced on Sunday that it would deliver an economic subsidy to relatives of people who have died from the novel coronavirus.
Over 40 Syrians died in Beirut blast : Embassy
Aug 09, 2020, at 02:42 am
Moscow/Sputnik: At least 43 Syrian nationals have died in Tuesday's mammoth blast in Beirut, the Syrian Embassy in Lebanon said Saturday.
Countries urged to target smugglers after 27 migrants die at sea
Aug 08, 2020, at 04:57 pm
New York: Two UN agencies are calling for greater action to dismantle smuggling and trafficking networks following the deaths of 27 migrants off the coast of Mauritania, northwest Africa.
As Beirut rescuers search for survivors, UN warns of ‘huge’ needs
Aug 08, 2020, at 04:55 pm
New York: Across Lebanon, “the needs are immediate, and they are huge” in the aftermath of the explosion that destroyed Beirut city port, UN agencies said on Friday.
Cross-border links between terrorists, organized crime, underscore need for coherent global response
Aug 07, 2020, at 10:50 pm
New York: The nexus between terrorism and organized crime took centre stage in the Security Council on Thursday, with experts raising fresh concerns over opportunistic alliances emerging among belligerents who share a hostility towards national authorities, and seek to exploit vulnerabilities created by the COVID-19 crisis.
New humanitarian air service boosts COVID-19 response in the Pacific
Aug 07, 2020, at 10:48 pm
New York: A flight carrying protective masks, ventilators and other essential medical supplies for COVID-19 response, landed in Papua New Guinea on Thursday, marking the start of a humanitarian air service for the Pacific region, Governments and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have announced.
Yemen: Human right violations against journalists, coming ‘from all quarters’
Aug 07, 2020, at 10:46 pm
New York: Unparalleled rights violations and abuses against journalists are being carried out by all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday
China slams US measures against TikTok, WeChat : Foreign Ministry
Aug 07, 2020, at 10:43 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: Beijing opposes the US measures against the Chinese owners of the TikTok and WeChat apps and demands that Washington stops politicizing economic issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday.