Constitutional Committee breakthrough offers ‘sign of hope’ for long-suffering Syrians

Oct 01, 2019, at 10:10 am

New York: There is a “sign of hope for the long-suffering Syrian people” as a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, credible and inclusive Constitutional Committee is set to start deliberations next month, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council on Monday.

Stage set for successful 2020 Burundi elections, Foreign Minister tells General Assembly

Oct 01, 2019, at 10:01 am

New York: With organizational and financial preparations for Burundi’s 2020 elections well underway, Ezechiel Nibigira, Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the UN General Assembly on Monday the Government is wary of, and will not tolerate, any outside interference in the polls.

Yemen prisoner release boosts hopes of peace at last for war-weary civilians

Oct 01, 2019, at 09:54 am

New York: Hopes for a possible end to the war in Yemen grew slightly on Monday, following the news that nearly 300 detainees have been released as a gesture of goodwill by Houthi forces, pitted against the Government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Pakistan: 2 killed in Loralai explosion

Oct 01, 2019, at 09:18 am

Islamabad: An explosion occurred close to a police vehicle here in Loralai area of Pakistan and left two people, including a suspected bomber, killed, media reports said on Tuesday.

Al-Shabab terrorists attack US base in Somalia

Sep 30, 2019, at 05:56 pm

Mogadishu: Suspected Al-Shabab terrorists have attacked a military base in Somalia, media reports said on Monday.

Syria, Iraq open border crossing along Euphrates river after IS defeat

Sep 30, 2019, at 04:17 pm

Al Bukamal, Syria, Sep 30 (Sputnik/UNI) Syria and Iraq have completed all preparations needed to reopen the border checkpoint between the towns of Al Bukamal and Qaim, a major crossing point that has been closed for years following the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia), a Sputnik correspondent said on Monday.

Joint AU-Somalia offensive kills 20 al-Shabab militants

Sep 30, 2019, at 03:56 pm

Mogadishu, Sep 30 (Xinhua/UNI) Somali military backed by African Union forces killed 20 al-Shabab militants in an offensive in the southern region of Lower Shabelle, a military official said on Monday.

Fire breaks out inside refugee camp on Greek island, two dead: report

Sep 30, 2019, at 10:08 am

Athens, Sep 29 (Xinhua/UNI) Two persons lost their lives when a fire broke out inside the refugee camp of Moria on Greece's Lesvos Island, local ALPHA TV reported on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia: Fire breaks out at rail station, five hurt

Sep 30, 2019, at 09:35 am

Jeddah: A fire broke out at Saudi Arabia's Suleimaniyah rail station in Jeddah area and left five people hurt, media reports said on Monday.

Guterres welcomes conduct of Afghan elections, commends ‘all who braved security concerns to uphold their right to vote’

Sep 30, 2019, at 08:51 am

New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the conduct of presidential elections in Afghanistan on 28 September and commended all Afghans “who exercised their democratic voice and upheld their right to vote, braving security concerns”.

At UN, Yemen Foreign Minister demands end to ‘Iranian-Houthi coup d’etat’

Sep 29, 2019, at 11:12 pm

New York: The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen on Saturday called on the United Nations and the wider international community to stand by his crisis-torn country as it struggled to cope with daily assaults and “terrorist aggression” at the hands of vicious, Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Myanmar willing to repatriate ‘verified returnees’ from Bangladesh

Sep 29, 2019, at 11:11 pm

New York: Myanmar is prioritizing the repatriation of scores of people who fled violence in northern Rakhine state for Bangladesh, a senior official from the country said on Saturday, the fifth day of debate in the UN General Assembly.

Guinea-Bissau spotlights threats of organized crime, Sahel terrorism in speech to UN Assembly

Sep 29, 2019, at 11:01 pm

New York: Organized criminal networks continue to pose a threat to Guinea-Bissau and undermine stability in the West African nation, Foreign Minister Suzi Barbosa said in her speech on Saturday to the UN General Assembly.

At UN, Cuba slams US ‘criminal’ practices undermining country’s development

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:56 pm

New York: At the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, the Foreign Minister of Cuba condemned the United States for imposing blockades and other “criminal, non-conventional measures” that are hindering his country’s progress.

Syrian crisis is ‘clearest example’ of foreign investment in terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister says at UN

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:50 pm

New York: Although terrorism is a “global nightmare which haunts everyone”, some countries have invested in terrorism as a tool to impose their “insidious agendas” on other nations, Syria’s Deputy Prime Minister Walid Al-Moualem told the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Effective multilateralism the antidote to today’s ‘divisions’, Holy See tells UN Assembly

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:44 pm

New York: As a precondition for addressing so many of today’s greatest challenges, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Secretary of the Holy See, told the United Nations on Saturday morning that “galvanizing effective multilateralism” is one of the most important priorities for the international community.

Hong Kong witnesses another weekend of protests

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:27 pm

Hong Kong: Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong Police lobbed tear gas shells and even fired blue dye from a water cannon to disperse protesters who used petrol bombs and bricks while clashing with the security forces in the city, media reports said.  

Israeli army detains 27 Palestinian popular front activists

Sep 29, 2019, at 08:53 pm

Gaza, Sep 29 (Sputnik/UNI) The Israeli army has detained 27 activists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the occupied West Bank, a member of the group’s central committee told Sputnik on Sunday.

Jordanian court orders halt to teachers’ strike -Reports

Sep 29, 2019, at 08:45 pm

Beirut, Sep 29 (Sputnik/UNI) A Jordanian court ordered on Sunday to suspend an open-ended teachers’ strike pending the final ruling, state media said.

Pedersen confirms Kurds represented in Syrian constitutional committee

Sep 29, 2019, at 08:41 pm

United Nations, Sep 29 (Sputnik/UNI) United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has confirmed to Sputnik that the Kurds will be part of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.

Hong Kong leader to attend China’s national day celebrations in Beijing

Sep 29, 2019, at 07:47 pm

Beijing, Sep 29 (Sputnik/UNI) Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will travel to Beijing on Monday as China prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on Tuesday, her office said.

Kenyan police orders al-Shabab suspect to surrender

Sep 29, 2019, at 06:38 pm

Nairobi, Sep 29 (Xinhua/UNI) Kenyan police on Sunday ordered an al-Shabab suspect to surrender to the nearest police station with immediate effect.

Bangladesh will be poverty-free by 2030: FM AHM Mustafa Kamal

Sep 29, 2019, at 05:51 pm

Dhaka: Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Sunday said the country is going to be poverty-free by 2030.

Afghanistan: Prominent Taliban leader Mawlavi Abdul Hanan killed in Ghazni airstrike

Sep 29, 2019, at 04:54 pm

Kabul: The Afghanistan government on Sunday confirmed that a prominent Taliban leader was killed during an airstrike conducted in the country's south-eastern Ghazni province, media reports said.

Pakistan: Man arrested for sexually assaulting daughter-in-law

Sep 29, 2019, at 04:39 pm

Karachi: Police have arrested a man for allegedly sexually assaulting his daughter-in-law in Karachi city of Pakistan, media reports said.

Death toll in Indonesia quake rises to 30, about 25,000 flee home

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:40 am

Jakarta, Sep 29 (Xinhua) The number of casualties climbed to 30 with 156 others injured, while around 25,000 people took shelters, a senior disaster agency official said on Sunday after a 6.5-magnitude quake hit Indonesia's eastern Maluku province three days ago.

6.2 magnitude earthquake hits Philippines: EMSC

Sep 29, 2019, at 10:09 am

Moscow, Sep 29 (Sputnik): A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit the Philippine island of Mindanao, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said Sunday.

Balochistan: Blast leaves three people killed, 12 injured

Sep 28, 2019, at 11:09 pm

Islamabad: At least three people, including a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), were killed as an explosion hit Pakistan's Chaman area in Balochistan on Saturday, media reports said.

Pakistan: Two people killed as explosion rocks Balochistan

Sep 28, 2019, at 07:02 pm

Islamabad: At least two people were killed as an explosion rocked Balochistan's Chaman area in Pakistan on Saturday, media reports said.

Seven migrants drown off Moroccan coast

Sep 28, 2019, at 06:44 pm

Rabat, Sept 28 (Xinhua/UNI) Some seven Moroccan migrants have drowned after their boat sank off Morocco's coast on Saturday, local media reported.