Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe takes oath as PM

Aug 21, 2015, at 08:47 pm

Colombo, Aug 21 (IBNS): UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday took oath as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Record civilian casualties and widening conflict stretch humanitarian capacities in Afghanistan : UN

Aug 19, 2015, at 05:30 pm

New York, Aug 19 (IBNS) The Afghan conflict has intensified in 2015, resulting in record high levels of civilian casualties and new displacements that are stretching the humanitarian community’s ability to sufficiently meet life-saving needs, the United Nations relief wing reported today.

Bloggers killings: Police arrest three suspects

Aug 19, 2015, at 12:46 am

Dhaka, Aug 18 (IBNS): Three suspected militants have been arrested by security officials in Bangladesh in connection with the killings of bloggers Avijit Roy and Ananta Bijoy.

UN chief condemns terrorist attack in eastern province of Pakistan

Aug 18, 2015, at 08:14 pm

New York, Aug 18 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the bomb attack in District Attock, in Pakistan’s Punjab Province, and was saddened to learn that the attack had killed more than a dozen people, including Punjab's Home Minister, Shuja Khanzada, and injured many others.

Sri Lanka election today : Rajapakshe makes comeback bid as PM

Aug 17, 2015, at 04:34 pm

Colombo, Aug 17 (IBNS) Voting began for general election in Sri Lanka on Monday as former President Mahinda Rajapaksa makes attempt to comeback to power, this time as Prime Minister.

Sri Lanka votes to elect new PM

Aug 17, 2015, at 03:32 pm

Colombo, Aug 17 (IBNS) Voting for Sri Lanka's General Election is currently underway as more 15 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise on Monday.

Pakistan: Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada killed in terror attack

Aug 16, 2015, at 10:08 pm

Attock, Aug 16 (IBNS): A suicide bomb attack in Pakistan's Shadi Khan village killed Punjab province Home Minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada while he was in his political office on Sunday.

Pakistan: Blast occur at Punjab Home Minister's political office, 7 killed

Aug 16, 2015, at 08:18 pm

Attock, Aug 16 (IBNS): An intense explosion took place at Pakistan's Punjab province Home Minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada's political office on Sunday leaving seven people dead, media reports said.

UN-backed research ship scours Indian Ocean for plastic waste

Aug 15, 2015, at 02:43 pm

New York, Aug 15 (IBNS): The United Nations is supporting a project aiming to chart the impact of plastic waste, including garbage like plastic bags, and ‘microplastics’ used in products such as cosmetics and shower gels, in the Indian Ocean, underscoring the risk of dramatic upheavals in marine ecosystems even in one of the world's least-known and least-visited environments.

Pakistan: Gunmen open fire at cops, 4 killed

Aug 12, 2015, at 10:06 pm

Karachi, Aug 12 (IBNS) At least four policemen were killed in Pakistan's Zaman Town area as gunmen opened fire at them on Wednesday, media reports said.

UNICEF offers support to Pakistan authorities as child abuse investigation continues

Aug 12, 2015, at 02:06 pm

New York, Aug 12 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has offered its support to Pakistani authorities as they open an investigation into emerging reports of widespread abuses against children in the country’s district of Kasur, an agency official has confirmed.

Afghanistan: Five killed in Kabul airport suicide attack

Aug 10, 2015, at 11:52 pm

Kabul, Aug 10 (IBNS) At least five people were killed in a suicide attack at the entrance gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Monday, officials said.

Security Council deplores latest terrorist attacks in Afghan capital

Aug 10, 2015, at 02:31 pm

New York, Aug 10 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Sunday strongly condemned the series of terrorist attacks that have taken place in the Afghan capital, Kabul, since last Thursday and resulted in hundreds of casualties and at least 70 deaths, including children.

Bangladesh blogger death: Case filed against four anonymous assailants

Aug 08, 2015, at 08:43 pm

Dhaka, Aug 8 (IBNS): A case has been filed against four anonymous assailants in connection with the murder of blogger Niladri Chattopadhyay in Dhaka on Friday.

20 Kabul Police Academy recruits killed in suicide attack

Aug 08, 2015, at 05:26 am

Kabul, Aug 7 (IBNS): A suicide bomber on Friday blew himself up near Afghanistan's Kabul police academy, resulting in the loss of lives at least 20 recruits.

Another blogger killed in Bangladesh

Aug 07, 2015, at 10:03 pm

Dhaka, Aug 7 (IBNS): A blogger has been killed by militants in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Friday, media reports said.

Civilians continue to bear brunt of Afghan conflict, UN report reveals

Aug 06, 2015, at 02:54 pm

New York, Aug 6 (IBNS): Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the Afghan conflict in the first half of 2015, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, noting that casualties are projected to equal or exceed the record high numbers documented last year.

UN experts urge Pakistan to strengthen protection of children after latest execution

Aug 06, 2015, at 02:50 pm

New York, Aug 6 (IBNS): United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday condemned the execution in Pakistan of Shafqat Hussein, who was reportedly 14 years old when he was convicted of murder, and called on the country to strengthen the protection of children.

New Afghan Taliban leader releases audio message

Aug 02, 2015, at 02:56 am

Kabul, Aug 1 (IBNS) Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has released a audio message where he has called for unity among Talibans, media reports said.

Gunmen opens fire at political rally in Sri Lank's Colombo, one killed

Jul 31, 2015, at 10:13 pm

Colombo, July 31 (IBNS): Unidentified gunmen on Friday opened fire at a political rally in Sri Lanka's Colombo city, leaving one person dead.

Amnesty International says more Myanmar prisoners of conscience remain behind bars

Jul 31, 2015, at 03:42 am

London, July 30 (IBNS) The release of at least 11 prisoners of conscience in a mass prisoner amnesty in Myanmar Thursday is a step in the right direction, but authorities must immediately clear the country's jails of the scores of peaceful activists who still remain behind bars, Amnesty International said.

Children in Nepal still at risk three months after devastating quake: UNICEF

Jul 28, 2015, at 02:38 pm

New York, Jul 28 (IBNS): Three months after Nepal's devastating 25 April earthquake and its aftershocks, children continue to face multiple risks as their families have been pushed deeper into poverty and they remain in need of aid, warned the United Nations's Children Fund (UNICEF).

US embassy employee shot dead in Pakistan

Jul 26, 2015, at 11:41 pm

Islamabad, July 26 (IBNS): Unknown gunmen have shot dead a Pakistani man who was working with the United States embassy in Islamabad, media reports said on Sunday.

Pakistan: 5.5 earthquake hits Islamabad

Jul 25, 2015, at 10:05 pm

Islamabad, July 25 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale hit Pakistan's Islamabad city on Saturday, officials said.

Nepal: UN relief official warns emergency is not over yet

Jul 25, 2015, at 03:18 pm

New York, Jul 25 (IBNS): Three months after the first of the devastating earthquakes that hit Nepal, hundreds of thousands of survivors continue to require and rely on urgent humanitarian assistance, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the recovering country said on Friday.

Afghanistan suicide attack kills 19

Jul 23, 2015, at 01:21 am

Kabul, July 22 (IBNS) : A suicide attack in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province has killed at least 19 people while leaving 32 others wounded, media reports said on Wednesday.

Pakistan: Train hits car, 6 killed

Jul 20, 2015, at 01:01 am

Islamabad, July 19 (IBNS) A train hit a car at an open railway crossing in Matiari district of Pakistan which killed at least six people on Sunday, media reports said.

Bangladesh: Two buses collide head-on, 16 killed

Jul 19, 2015, at 11:18 pm

Dhaka, July 19 (IBNS) Two passenger buses collided head-on in west of the Bangabandhu Bridge in Bangladesh's Sirajganj area to leave at least 16 people dead on Sunday, media reports said.

In Nepal, UN and partners help quake-stricken district prepare for monsoon season

Jul 14, 2015, at 03:46 pm

New York, July 14 (IBNS) More than 2.8 million people remain in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance in Nepal, especially in the district worst hit by the twin earthquakes east of the capital, Kathmandu, where monsoon-triggered heavy downpours, floods and landslides will soon exacerbate their needs, the United Nations has said.

Afghanistan: UN envoy condemns deadly suicide attack that killed 27 civilians

Jul 14, 2015, at 03:25 pm

New York, July 14 (IBNS) The top UN official in Afghanistan on Monday condemned the deadly attack perpetrated on Sunday in the eastern province of Khost.