Belarus human rights situation deteriorating further, warns UN rights chief
Feb 26, 2021, at 09:18 pm
New York: A “systematic crackdown” against dissent in Belarus is continuing, months since the country’s disputed presidential election last year, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has told the Human Rights Council.
UN agencies begin registering asylum seekers at US-Mexico border
Feb 26, 2021, at 08:57 pm
New York: UN agencies have begun preparing individuals and families at the Matamoros informal camp, near the United States-Mexico border, for entry into the US, following the termination of a policy that forced asylum seekers to wait for immigration hearings in Mexico.
Mother of terrorism victim works to ‘turn the page’ on violent extremism
Feb 26, 2021, at 08:48 pm
New York: A Moroccan-French woman whose son was killed in a terrorist attack nearly a decade ago, has been commended for her powerful activism countering youth radicalization, and her efforts to replace the desolation of loss with ‘a prayer of love’.
UK imposes further sanctions on Myanmar’s top military
Feb 26, 2021, at 06:37 am
London/Sputnik: The UK has sanctioned another six military top-ranking officers of the Myanmar army, including Commander in Chief General Min Aung Hlaing, for alleged human rights violations following the February 1 coup against President Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, the UK Foreign Office announced on Thursday.
Expert feels Uighur movement seems to have lost momentum under Chinese repression
Feb 26, 2021, at 03:35 am
Beijing: A human rights expert has said he feels the Uighur movement seems to have lost momentum under Chinese repression while it made global campaigns pronounced.
S-400 missile system caught in traffic accident outside Moscow
Feb 25, 2021, at 10:15 pm
Moscow/Sputnik : A vehicle of the Russian military's seminal air-defense system — the S-400 Triumf missile systems — was caught in a traffic accident on the Mozhayskoye Highway outside Moscow on Thursday.
Experts accuse Iran of rights violations in shooting down Ukraine airlines flight
Feb 24, 2021, at 05:47 pm
New York: Iran committed multiple human rights violations in shooting downing Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Flight PS752 last year and in the aftermath of the deadly attack, two independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Tuesday.
UN to review deadly convoy attack in DR Congo which led to Italian Ambassador’s death
Feb 24, 2021, at 05:37 pm
New York: The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided further information on the deadly convoy attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday in which Italy’s Ambassador to the country, his bodyguard, and a WFP driver were killed.
First wave of COVID-19 vaccine syringes start journey to Maldives
Feb 24, 2021, at 04:40 pm
New York: The critical task of ensuring that all countries have enough medical equipment to vaccinate people safely against COVID-19 gathered pace on Tuesday, with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announcing that 100,000 syringes have been sent to the Maldives, ahead of an inoculation drive there.
ILO urges better policies to protect workers, businesses, as digital platforms proliferate
Feb 24, 2021, at 04:36 pm
New York: The UN International Labour Organization (ILO) on Tuesday highlighted the need for enhanced international policy cooperation to provide decent work opportunities and foster sustainable business growth in the digital economy.
Avoid ‘risky winner-take-all tactics’ in Somalia, UN Security Council hears
Feb 23, 2021, at 11:10 pm
New York: Increased “brinkmanship, pressure tactics, and tests of strength” are threatening progress in Somalia, the country’s UN envoy told the Security Council on Monday, warning that they must be resolved “through dialogue and compromise”.
Three killed in attack on UN World Food Programme convoy in DR Congo
Feb 23, 2021, at 10:34 pm
New York: The Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a World Food Programme (WFP) staff member, together with an Italian embassy official, were killed on Monday during an attack on a UN convoy in the east of the country, the agency has said.
Nuclear energy agency reaches temporary inspection solution with Iran
Feb 23, 2021, at 10:07 pm
New York: The UN-backed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reached a temporary deal with Iran so that monitoring of the country’s nuclear programme can continue, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi announced at a press conference in Vienna on Sunday.
UK unemployment rate up to 5.1 pc in Q4 of 2020 - Office for National Statistics
Feb 23, 2021, at 09:12 pm
London/Sputnik: The UK unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent in the three months to December last year, while the number of workers on payroll has fallen by 726,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic began in February 2020, the Office for National Statistics reported on Tuesday.
Feb 23, 2021, at 05:17 am
London/IBNS: Queen Elizabeth II is all set to deliver a televised speech to celebrate the Commonwealth on March 7, which is the same day as her grandson Harry's controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey will air.
EU Council condemns Myanmar coup, may impose sanctions
Feb 22, 2021, at 11:53 pm
Brussels/UNI: The European Union Council on Monday strongly condemned the military coup in Myanmar and said that it is considering sanctions against the individuals responsible for the ousting of the country's civilian government.
I work in premises which resemble a bunker, says Charlie Hebdo Editor
Feb 22, 2021, at 04:19 am
It has been six years since the Islamist attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Twelve people lost their lives and millions mourned. “Je suis Charlie” became an expression of solidarity, and Charlie Hebdo a symbol of freedom of speech and press freedom. How did the events of January 2015 change Charlie Hebdo? What is the impact of violence and threats against journalists on press freedom? And finally, is satire really allowed to do everything? Sven Lilienström, founder of the Faces of Democracy initiative, asked Gérard Biard (62), the editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo, this and more.
International Mother Language Day celebrates inclusion at school and in society
Feb 22, 2021, at 02:44 am
The UN educational and cultural agency, UNESCO, has encouraged people everywhere to celebrate the world’s diversity by supporting multilingualism at school and in everyday life: the theme for International Mother Language Day, observed on Sunday.
Georgian police detain 8 protesters in front of Parliament building in Tbilisi
Feb 22, 2021, at 02:29 am
Tbilisi/Sputnik: The Georgian police on Sunday detained eight people during an opposition protest in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said here on Sunday.
Myanmar: UN, US express concern regarding reports of violence
Feb 21, 2021, at 09:52 pm
Washington: The United Nations and the US State Department have both condemned the Myanmar's military rulers for their reported use of force against protesters.
Australian Prime Minister gets vaccinated against COVID19 marking 'comeback' from pandemic
Feb 21, 2021, at 09:14 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among the first people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in the country on Sunday.
Google fires senior researcher at AI Ethics team amid investigation of diversity policies
Feb 20, 2021, at 10:51 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Google's chief researcher on artificial intelligence ethics Margaret Mitchell said Saturday she was fired, which comes several weeks after controversial firing of ethical AI team co-leader Timnit Gebru and amid an internal probe of the company's policies on diversity and research.
UN chief to security meeting: ‘2021 must be the year to get back on track’
Feb 20, 2021, at 04:59 pm
New York: By exposing deep fissures and fragilities, “COVID-19 has x-rayed the world”, the UN chief told the Munich Security Conference on Friday, while acknowledging that today’s vulnerabilities go “well beyond” pandemics and public health.
Violence in South Sudan engulfs country, 10 years after independence ‘children all have guns’
Feb 20, 2021, at 04:39 pm
New York: Extreme violence and attacks involving thousands of fighters at a time have engulfed more than three-quarters of South Sudan, UN human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Friday, warning that the bloodshed faced by civilians are “the worst recorded” since the country’s civil war began in December 2013.
UN human rights office alarmed by ‘attacks’ on judicial independence in Haiti
Feb 20, 2021, at 04:33 pm
New York: The UN human rights office (OHCHR) is “very concerned” over recent attacks against judicial independence in Haiti, as the country is gripped by political and institutional instability, a spokesperson said on Friday.
DR Congo: Lives and futures of three million children at risk, UNICEF warns
Feb 20, 2021, at 04:28 pm
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Friday, highlighted the dire situation of some three million displaced children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who face brutal militia violence and extreme hunger.
Sexual Abuse: Pakistani-origin ex-House of Lords member Nazir Ahmed faces trial
Feb 20, 2021, at 04:17 pm
London: A British court has heard that a former Labour peer had repeatedly sexually abused two younger children when he was a teenager, media reports said.
Feb 20, 2021, at 07:38 am
London/IBNS : Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have confirmed to Queen Elizabeth II that they will not return as working members of the royal family, Bukingham Palace has said, according to a BBC report.
UN chief calls for ‘new social contract’ as part of post-pandemic recovery
Feb 19, 2021, at 05:01 pm
New York: With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing social and economic inequalities rooted in racism, discrimination and xenophobia, recovery must lead to more inclusive societies, the UN Secretary-General told Member States on Thursday.
Stop criminalizing civil society, UN rights experts urge Venezuelan authorities
Feb 19, 2021, at 04:52 pm
New York: United Nations independent human rights experts called on Thursday for the authorities in Venezuela to stop “continuous and increasing” attacks and intimidation against civil society organizations and journalists in the country.