Somali army kills at least seven al-Shabab militants in central region
May 10, 2021, at 04:52 pm
Mogadishu/Xinhua: Somali National Army (SNA) on Sunday killed at least seven al-Shabab militants after the SNA forces conducted operations near Mahas district in Hiran region in central Somalia, an official said.
EU, US condemn bombing of girls' school in Kabul
May 09, 2021, at 03:32 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The European Union and the United States have condemned the Saturday bombing of a girls’ school in the Afghan capital Kabul, which killed at least 53 people and wounded 151 others.
New York shooting leaves woman, child wounded: Police
May 09, 2021, at 02:53 pm
New York/Sputnik: A woman and a child have been shot in Times Square, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson told Sputnik, adding that the search for the suspect continues.
Security Council upholds role of multilateralism in a complex world
May 08, 2021, at 05:36 pm
New York: The President of the UN General Assembly on Friday urged countries to “do better” in making COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone, everywhere, warning that “good intentions are no match for vaccines in arms.”
European Parliament resolution on the deplorable state of human rights in Pakistan was overdue
May 08, 2021, at 05:20 pm
It would not have come as a surprise to any Pakistan-watcher that the European Parliament, in view of the “alarming” increase in the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, last week adopted a resolution calling for a review of the GSP+ status, the EU’s most beneficial trading relationship, which it had granted to the country. Once Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to put his stock behind the extremist and violent Tehrik-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and its demand that the French Ambassador be evicted from Islamabad as punishment for French President Macron’s espousal of free speech in his country, a strong response from the European Union (EU) was no longer in doubt.
Brazil: UN rights office urges independent probe into deadly police operation in Rio de Janeiro
May 08, 2021, at 04:48 pm
New York: The UN's human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into a major police operation in a favela in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which at least 25 were reportedly killed, including a police officer.
G7 targets China on its treatment towards Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and South China Sea
May 08, 2021, at 02:35 am
London: The foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) countries have targeted China on issues like Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and military build-up in the South China Sea.
UN chief pledges to keep ‘memories alive’ of those who died in service during 2020
May 07, 2021, at 06:00 pm
New York: The United Nations paused on Thursday to honour 336 personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2020: the highest number ever in a single year.
UN launches key initiative to protect seafarers’ human rights amid COVID-19 crisis
May 07, 2021, at 05:43 pm
New York: Around 200,000 cargo ship crew members are stranded at sea, beyond the length of their contracts due to COVID-19 restrictions, placing a major strain on their physical and mental health. New UN guidelines were published on Thursday, aimed at helping the industry better protect human rights at sea, as new COVID variants threaten to further delay crew turnover.
Ex-Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed injured in suspected bomb blast
May 07, 2021, at 05:23 am
Male/IBNS: Former Maldives President and current Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed was on Thursday injured in a suspected bomb blast, media reports said.
Japan's ruling opposition parties agree on bill for amending referendum law: Reports
May 06, 2021, at 10:30 pm
Tokyo/Sputnik: Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party reached an agreement on Thursday to approve a modified bill on a nationwide referendum law, the Kyodo news agency reported.
EU approves bringing US, Canada, Norway, into Bloc's PESCO Defence initiative
May 06, 2021, at 09:34 pm
Brussels/Sputnik: The Council of the European Union on Thursday approved inviting the United States, Canada and Norway to participate in the bloc's Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defense initiative.
German broadcaster DW says China's New Silk Route is full of cracks
May 06, 2021, at 07:10 pm
Deutsche Welle, the leading German public state-owned international broadcaster and news agency, has said cracks are appearing in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
New Australian missions in the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia to counter China
May 06, 2021, at 06:43 pm
The Australian government has opened embassies in the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia on Tuesday amid rising influence and challenge from China in the Pacifric region, media reports said.
Malian woman gives birth to nine children, two more than expected
May 06, 2021, at 05:29 am
Morocco/IBNS: A 25-year-old Malian woman has given birth to nine children, two more than the seven that had been detected in the ultrasound, the country's Ministry of Health said.
Release jailed dissident on medical grounds, UN experts urge Iran
May 06, 2021, at 01:57 am
New York: United Nations independent human rights experts, on Tuesday, called on Iranian authorities to immediately release a political activist, said to be at risk of severe health complications and even death, if not provided with appropriate medical care.
Israeli air strike on Syria's Latakia province kills civilian: Reports
May 05, 2021, at 02:42 pm
Beirut/Sputnik: A civilian was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli air strike on civilian targets in the Syrian province of Latakia, Syrian state television station Al Ikhbariya reported.
Darwin Port lease to Chinese company Landbridge should be reviewed, feels ex Australian PM Rudd
May 05, 2021, at 02:18 am
Melbourne: Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has said the Australian government should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the 99-year lease of Darwin Port to a Chinese company is justified on national security grounds.
Pandemic showcases need for partnerships: ECOSOC President
May 04, 2021, at 08:27 pm
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how all countries are connected, underscoring that global cooperation and solidarity are the only way out of the crisis, senior UN officials said on Monday during the annual Partnership Forum, organized by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Poland starting to lift many of its coronavirus restrictions
May 04, 2021, at 06:13 pm
Warsaw/Sputnik: Poland is starting to lift many of its coronavirus restrictions.
New Zealand’s differences with China becoming ‘harder to reconcile’, says PM Jacinda Ardern
May 04, 2021, at 08:46 am
Wellington: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has sent out a strong message to China and said that it is becoming “harder to reconcile" its relationship with Beijing.
Huawei poses national risks, it is a technological threat: Experts
May 03, 2021, at 05:55 am
Chinese tech firm Huawei has become an unexpected symbol of technological threat, experts said.
UK records another 1,907 coronavirus cases, 7 deaths
May 02, 2021, at 04:39 am
London/Xinhua: Another 1,907 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,418,530, according to official figures released Saturday.
Europe: COVID must spark rethink to prioritize ‘human lives’ over economic policies
May 01, 2021, at 06:42 pm
New York: The devastating impact of COVID-19 serves as a stark reminder that the European Union must “put human lives” above economic policy considerations, that privilege competition between EU Member States, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday.
Conflict with China: Australia unveils plans to upgrade military
May 01, 2021, at 04:20 am
Canberra: Australia on Wednesday unveiled plans to spend A$747 million (US$581 million) in a bid to upgrade its military bases and expand joint exercises with the United States.
44 killed, 103 injured in stampede at Israeli religious festival
May 01, 2021, at 04:17 am
Jerusalem/UNI: At least 44 people were killed and 103 injured on Thursday night when a stampede broke out at a religious bonfire festival attended by tens of thousands people in northern Israel.
Illegal rare earth mining escalates near Chinese border since Myanmar coup
Apr 30, 2021, at 11:32 pm
Naypyitaw: Illegal rare earth mining has spiked in northern Kachin State, which is located near to the Chinese border, following Myanmar’s Feb. 1 coup in areas controlled by a junta-sponsored militia, media reports said.
More uniformed women in peace operations, ‘key priority’
Apr 30, 2021, at 06:13 pm
New York: Increasing the participation of uniformed women in peace operations is a “key priority” for the United Nations, the head of peacekeeping told a High-Level Launch Event on Wednesday.
Emmanuel Macron to unveil phased plan to ease France's COVID-19 restrictions
Apr 29, 2021, at 05:53 pm
Paris/Xinhua: French President Emmanuel Macron will unveil a "progressive and phased" plan to relax the country's coronavirus rules on Friday, Prime Minister Jean Castex said here on Wednesday.
Experts raise red flags over Nigeria's $3.3 billion debts to China
Apr 29, 2021, at 05:47 pm
Flagging the economic managers of the African nation, experts have expressed concern over Nigeria’s increasing indebtedness to China, media reports said.