After six years on the rise, Afghan opium crop cultivation declines: UN survey

New York, Oct 15 (IBNS): Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan decreased 19 per cent in 2015, compared to the previous year, according to the latest Afghanistan Opium Survey figures released on Wednesday by the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Suicide attack in Pakistan's PML-N MNA's office kills 7

Islamabad, Oct 14 (IBNS): At least seven people were killed as a suicide bomber blew up his explosives at the office of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Amjad Farooq Khosa in Pakistan's Dera Ghazi Khan district on Wednesday, media reports said.

UN mission concerned by Taliban threats against Afghan media outlets

New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): Expressing serious concerns at recent statements made from the Taliban that identified specific Afghan media outlets and its staff as targets, the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) on Tuesday urged all parties to the conflict to respect and protect the right to freedom of expression.

UN relief official urges action to address urgent needs in Afghanistan and Pakistan

New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): The head of Operations at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, called on Tuesday for renewed international commitment to address urgent humanitarian needs, and to shore up regional peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, noting that the two countries were on differing humanitarian trajectories.

Pakistan: Landslide buries shanties in Karachi, 13 killed

Karachi, Oct 13 (IBNS): AT least 13 people were killed in a landslide that buried shanties in Gulsitan-e-Jauhar area here on Tuesday, media reports said.

Afghanistan: UN urges prompt investigation into murder of mission staff member

New York, Oct 13 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply troubled and saddened over Monday's killing in Kandahar of Toorpaki Ulfat, a staff member of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Nepal: Experts begin post-disaster work at damaged UNESCO heritage sites

New York, Oct 9 (IBNS): International and national experts from the Nepalese Department of Archaeology and an archaeological team from Durham University have begun post-disaster excavation surveys and rescue excavations at earthquake damaged UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Shahadat send to 3-day remand by Bangladesh court

Dhaka, Oct 8 (IBNS): A Bangladesh court on Thursday sent cricketer Shahadat Hossain to three- day custody in connection with the case on torturing a domestic help.

UN refugee official calls for renewed international focus on Afghanistan

New York, Oct 8 (IBNS): The United Nations’ most senior refugee official is appealing to the international community to refocus its attention on Afghanistan, warning that it would be dangerous to ignore the country, and praised Iran and Pakistan for hosting so many Afghan refugees.

No humanitarian agencies left in Afghan city of Kunduz after bombing: UN

New York, Oct 7 (IBNS): There are currently no humanitarian agencies left in Kunduz, the north-eastern Afghan city where an air strike hit the Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) hospital, causing the deaths and injuries of medical personnel, patients and other civilians, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

JMB leader killed in grenade blast

Dhaka, Oct 6 (IBNS): Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Mohammed Javed was killed in a grenade blast on Tuesday, media reports said.

No IS in Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka, Oct 4 (IBNS): Amid reports of IS involvements in the killings of two foreign nationals in Bangladesh, country's PM Sheikh Hasina rejected the presence of the militant group in the Asian nation.

Afghanistan: UN strongly condemns 'tragic, inexcusable' Kunduz hospital airstrike

New York, Oct 4 (IBNS) Senior United Nations officials on Saturday condemned what they called a “tragic” and “inexcusable” air strike on the Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Kunduz, a city in northern Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of medical personnel, patients and other civilians.

Afghanistan: US raid on Kunduz hospital kills 9

Kunduz City, Oct 3 (IBNS) A US airstrike has left nine people killed in Médecins Sans Frontières' (MSF) hospital in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Saturday,media reports said.

Sheikh Hasina returns to Bangladesh

Dhaka, Oct 3 (IBNS): Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Saturday returned to India after completing her visit to the US.