Syrian government Army takes control of flashpoint Idlib village
Dec 23, 2019, at 10:00 am
Damascus/Sputnik/UNI: The Syrian government has reclaimed control of Alteh, a flashpoint village in the Idlib province, a source in the Syrian military told Sputnik on Sunday.
Syrian troops repel Islamist onslaught on Idlib’s Qarratin al-Qabira: Russian military
Dec 23, 2019, at 09:57 am
Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: A hundred Syrian jihadists tried to storm the Idlib village of Qarratin al-Qabira over the weekend but was repelled by government forces, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Syria reconciliation center said Sunday.
Guatemala: 21 people die in road mishap
Dec 22, 2019, at 05:55 pm
Guatemala City/IBNS: At least 21 people died when a bus and truck crashed in Guatemala on Saturday, media reports said.
Australian PM apologises for going on holiday amid wildfire emergency
Dec 22, 2019, at 10:48 am
Canberra/Sputnik: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised on Sunday for going on a family holiday to Hawaii amid wildfire emergency in the country.
South Korea: Fire breaks out in motel; 1 dead, 28 injured
Dec 22, 2019, at 08:36 am
Seoul/UNI: At least one person was killed and 28 others injured when a fire broke out at a motel in Southwestern South Korea on early Sunday.
Death toll from measles outbreak in Samoa rises to 79: Govt
Dec 22, 2019, at 08:31 am
Moscow/Sputnik: A measles outbreak in Samoa has already killed 79 people, with over 5,500 cases of the disease registered in the country, which has a population of less than 200,000, the Samoan government said on Sunday.
Yemeni army launches offensive against Houthi rebels in Saada
Dec 21, 2019, at 11:17 pm
Sanaa/Xinhua/UNI: The Yemeni army said on Saturday it launched an offensive against the Houthi rebels in the northern province of Saada and captured several strategic highland sites.
Dec 21, 2019, at 02:34 pm
Washington/IBNS: The United States has re-designated Pakistan and China, among several nations, as countries of particular concern on religious freedom where persecution continues on the basis of faiths.
Top Criminal Court to conduct official probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine
Dec 21, 2019, at 08:54 am
New Yor/IBNS: Following a “thorough, independent and objective assessment”, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that she plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine, but asked the Court for a further ruling over territorial jurisdiction.
Syria: Lack of consensus following face-to-face talks, underscores need for broader process
Dec 21, 2019, at 08:53 am
New York/IBNS: The second session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, aiming to create a new post-war political road map for the country, failed to get off the ground due to lack of consensus over the agenda, the UN Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council on Friday.
UN independent experts ‘deeply disturbed’ by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters
Dec 21, 2019, at 08:42 am
New York/IBNS: Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.
Stand for peace and harmony says Guterres, following meeting with Pope Francis
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:58 am
New York/IBNS: In the midst of “turbulent and trying times”, all the world’s people must stand together in peace and harmony, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday. António Guterres was speaking following an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, who he thanked for his strong support for the global Organization.
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:52 am
New York/IBNS: Devastating drought in the southern African nation of Lesotho has left more than half a million people facing severe food shortages and tens of thousands “one step away from famine”, UN humanitarians said on Friday, in an appeal for funds.
Iranian President urges all countries to counter US 'Economic Terrorism'
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:43 am
Tehran/Sputnik/UNI: Countries committed to the fight against terrorism must stand against the US economic terrorism as well, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday.
Lebanese security forces stabilize situation in Beirut after clashes with Sunni protesters
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:36 am
Beirut/Sputnik/UNI: The Lebanese security forces have stabilized the situation in downtown Beirut after the clashes with Sunni protesters in the area, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Saturday.
US took custody of 15 Islamic State children, 6 adults in war on terror – Senior Official
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:28 am
Washington/Sputnik/UNI: The US government has taken custody this year of 15 American children of parents associated with the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) and of eight adults of whom six are being prosecuted for terror-related offenses, a senior Trump administration told a Department of State briefing.
At least 30 Palestinians injured in anti-Israel protest in eastern Gaza
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:19 am
Gaza/Xinhua/UNI: At least 30 Palestinian demonstrators were injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers stationed on the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.
At least 485 killed in protests in Iraq since early October
Dec 21, 2019, at 07:14 am
Baghdad/Xinhua/UNI: The casualty toll in protests since early October in Iraq has risen to 485 dead and some 27,000 wounded, an official from the human rights watchdog said on Friday.
Iran and US both undermining nuclear deal says UN political affairs chief
Dec 20, 2019, at 08:34 am
New York/IBNS: Both Iran and the United States have been putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme, which remains a “cornerstone of international peace and security”, said the UN’s political affairs chief on Thursday.
Tolerance key to tackling violent extremism: UN counter-terrorism chief
Dec 20, 2019, at 08:24 am
New York/IBNS: The head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) has highlighted the importance of tolerance in combating the “corrosive spread” of violent extremism.
Life for civilians in Syria ‘worse than when the year began’
Dec 20, 2019, at 08:18 am
New York/IBNS: The humanitarian situation facing civilians in many parts of Syria is “worse than when the year began”, the UN deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Thursday.
Rights expert welcomes Pope’s decision to lift 'veil of secrecy' on child abuse cases
Dec 20, 2019, at 08:03 am
New York/IBNS: The Vatican must take action to ensure justice for people who were sexually abused by priests during childhood, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday.
UN health agency signals tobacco might be reaching burn-out among men
Dec 19, 2019, at 10:10 am
New York/IBNS: Two decades of increasing tobacco use around the world are set to go into reverse, UN health experts have predicted, after revealing data indicating that fewer men and boys are smoking than before.
‘Deliver justice’ for atrocity crimes in Darfur, top court prosecutor tells Security Council
Dec 19, 2019, at 10:06 am
New York/IBNS: “Concrete steps” must be taken towards ending impunity for atrocity crimes in Darfur, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council on Wednesday, during her briefing on Sudan.
Global Refugee Forum ends with hundreds of pledges
Dec 19, 2019, at 09:54 am
New York/IBNS: The first-ever Global Refugee Forum concluded in Geneva on Wednesday with more than 770 pledges of support, covering areas such as protection, employment, and education, for refugees and the communities which have taken them in.
Only ‘concrete action’ will stop fraying of Israel-Palestine peace prospects
Dec 19, 2019, at 09:38 am
New York/IBNS: Obstacles to any lasting deal between Israel and Palestine continue to mount, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told Security Council members on Wednesday, and only “concrete action” towards a two-State solution will change that dynamic.
‘New and dangerous’ global risks require multilateral solutions, Guterres tells Italian Senate
Dec 19, 2019, at 09:30 am
New York/IBNS: Shifting balances of power are triggering “new and dangerous risks”, the UN chief told the Italian Senate in Rome on Wednesday, pointing to the need for more coordinated international responses, focused on solutions.
Misery for Venezuelans continues ahead of 2020 elections: UN rights chief Bachelet
Dec 19, 2019, at 09:00 am
New York/IBNS: Demonstrations in Venezuela must be allowed to take place ahead of elections in 2020, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Wednesday, citing continued reports of harassment, threats, and detention by intelligence services and security forces.
Car bomb goes off in rebel-held area in NE Syria, leaving casualties
Dec 18, 2019, at 05:41 pm
Damascus/Xinhua/UNI: A car bomb went off in the countryside of the rebel-held Ras al-Ayn city in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, leaving unknown numbers of casualties, state news agency SANA reported.
Death toll from Hong Kong bus mishap toches six
Dec 18, 2019, at 05:40 pm
Hong Kong/Xinhua/UNI: Death toll from the bus crash in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday afternoon has risen to six after a female succumbed to her injury, according to local authorities.