Greece extends entry permission for Russians until Jan 7
Dec 13, 2020, at 02:42 pm
Athens/Sputnik: Greece is extending entry permission for up to 500 Russian citizens per week, provided that they test negative for COVID-19 and have all the necessary documents, the decision was published by the Government Gazette on Sunday.
World must invest in strong health systems that protect everyone- now and into the future
Dec 12, 2020, at 11:09 pm
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how important it is for all countries to have strong health systems that provide the entire population with quality services when and where they need them, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed.
COVID-19 vaccines: Donors urged to step up funding for needy countries
Dec 12, 2020, at 10:42 pm
New York: Addressing the financing gap to provide COVID-19 vaccines for everyone, everywhere, is an urgent priority, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, in an appeal for stepped-up funding to support poorer countries.
Lebanon: UN-backed tribunal sentences Hezbollah militant in Hariri assassination
Dec 12, 2020, at 10:25 pm
New York: The UN chief on Friday took note of five concurrent life sentences handed down to a Hezbollah militant, convicted in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, fifteen years ago.
Dec 12, 2020, at 10:07 pm
New York: Outstanding issues related to Syria’s initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile and programme cannot be considered “accurate and complete”, the head of the world body monitoring States’ implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention told the Security Council on Friday.
Ethiopia: UN refugee agency calls for ‘unfettered access’ to Tigray
Dec 12, 2020, at 09:38 pm
New York: Amidst “disturbing reports” from Ethiopians fleeing to Sudan, the UN refugee agency called on Friday for “unfettered access to Tigray in order to reach people in need”.
Yemen: Food insecurity a ‘ticking timebomb’, warn aid agencies
Dec 12, 2020, at 04:09 pm
New York: UN humanitarians issued a fresh alert on Friday for war-torn Yemen, warning that time is running out to avoid famine in the country. Out of two million children who need treatment for acute malnutrition, 360,000 are at risk of dying if they do not receive medical care, the World Food Programme (WFP) said.
Dec 12, 2020, at 05:49 am
Islamabad: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday invoked offence of rape against the Pakistani man who is a key suspect in the case connected to the underage marriage of Christian girl Arzoo.
Rich countries’ support for children ‘totally inadequate’: UN report
Dec 11, 2020, at 04:22 pm
New York: The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, slams the levels of financial support for children allocated by high-income countries during the pandemic as totally inadequate, in a child poverty report issued on Friday.
$1.44 billion plan to respond to Venezuela refugee and migrant needs
Dec 11, 2020, at 04:20 pm
New York: In a $1.4 billion appeal launched on Thursday, the UN migration organization IOM and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned that the pandemic has strained the capacity of Latin American and Caribbean countries to look after Venezuelan nationals.
Human rights must be ‘front and centre’ of COVID-19 response: Secretary-General
Dec 11, 2020, at 04:02 pm
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for human rights to be put “front and centre” of COVID-19 response and recovery globally in order to achieve a better future for people everywhere.
France to replace COVID-19 lockdown with curfew from next week
Dec 11, 2020, at 03:36 pm
Paris/UNI: The Covid-19 lockdown in France will be replaced with a dusk-to-dawn curfew from starting from Dec 15 as the the country struggles to contain the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said.
Anti-discrimination group on PSG-Istanbul Basaksehir case: Accidental racism still racism
Dec 09, 2020, at 11:04 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) group told Sputnik on Wednesday that it considers the incident at the Champions League match between French and Turkish football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir as "unintentional racism," also expressing the belief that the players' walk-off is a proof that many of them are already tired of half measures.
France: Five suspects detained in Paris teacher's murder case
Dec 09, 2020, at 10:52 pm
Paris/UNI: France's Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, designed to investigate serious crime, has detained five people suspected of complicity in the brutal killing of a French teacher at the hands of an extremist in October, Le Parisien newspaper has reported, citing sources.
18-year-old man arrested over terrorism-related charges: Australian Federal Police
Dec 09, 2020, at 10:04 pm
Canberra/Sputnik: The Australian Federal Police said on Wednesday that it had arrested an 18-year-old man in the southern city of Albury in the New South Wales (NSW) state over terrorism-related offenses.
Iraq: ISIS terrorists target 2 oil wells
Dec 09, 2020, at 09:57 pm
Baghdad/UNI: Members of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization have attacked two oil wells in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, the Shafaq news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a source in the local police.
Ethiopia: UN concern mounts over shortages, child welfare, in ongoing Tigray crisis
Dec 09, 2020, at 05:28 pm
New York: The dire shortage of food, water, fuel and cash in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia is seriously affecting people there, including aid workers, the United Nations reported on Tuesday, citing its humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.
Independent UN expert calls for Julian Assange’s release, cites prison’s COVID outbreak
Dec 09, 2020, at 05:21 pm
New York: Amid a COVID-19 outbreak at London’s Belmarsh prison, an independent UN expert appealed to British authorities on Tuesday to release Julian Assange or to place him under guarded house arrest during extradition proceedings to the United States.
Over 1,100 refugees returned to Nagorno-Karabakh in past 24 hours: Russian Military
Dec 09, 2020, at 02:57 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: More than 1,100 refugees have returned to Stepanakert, the capital of the breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, within the past 24 hours with the assistance from Russian peacekeepers, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
Authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan impose curfew in 2 provinces amid protests: Reports
Dec 09, 2020, at 02:45 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The government of Iraqi Kurdistan, the autonomous region in Northern Iraq, on Tuesday introduced a curfew in the provinces of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja amid the ongoing protests, the Shafaq news agency reported.
Turkey is a Jihadist Travel Agency: Greek Foreign Minister
Dec 09, 2020, at 02:30 pm
Athens/UNI: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has described Turkey as a "jihadist travel agency" and charged that Ankara’s policies undermine regional security.
UK to drop parts of Internal Market Bill after reaching 'agreement in principle' with EU
Dec 09, 2020, at 01:24 am
London,/Sputnik: The UK will withdraw three clauses of its Internal Market Bill that were threatening to overrule some parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Boris Johnson confirms start of COVID-19 vaccination in UK
Dec 08, 2020, at 10:26 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday that the United Kingdom was starting vaccination against the coronavirus, expressing gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS), volunteers and all those following safety rules.
54 million women and youth face staggering humanitarian challenges
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:11 pm
New York: As COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact women and girls hit by multiple humanitarian crises, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency appealed on Monday for $818 million to provide 54 million women and youth with essential and life-saving services throughout 2021.
‘Quickly restore the rule of law’ in Ethiopia’s Tigray, urges Guterres
Dec 08, 2020, at 06:08 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General said on Monday it was “essential to quickly restore the rule of law” in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, where Government forces and those loyal to the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been engaged in fighting for more than a month.
New global hub to study factors driving radicalization and violent extremism
Dec 08, 2020, at 05:23 pm
New York: A new UN office in Doha will advance research into the factors that drive violent extremism and terrorism, the Organization’s counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov said on Monday during the soft launch held online.
Guterres spotlights ‘critical role’ of aviation in pandemic recovery, marking International Day
Dec 08, 2020, at 04:04 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General has called for greater support for the aviation sector, badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, to allow it to better weather the global economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pfizer, Moderna will not attend Trump's 'vaccine summit' : Senior official
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:41 pm
Washington/Sputnik: Pfizer and Moderna, the two major pharmaceutical manufacturers expected to soon receive federal approval for emergency use of their coronavirus vaccines, will not attend President Donald Trump’s vaccine summit in the White House on Tuesday, a senior administration official told reporters.
Japan to adopt new economic stimulus package worth more than $707 billion: Suga
Dec 08, 2020, at 03:07 pm
Tokyo/Sputnik: Japan will adopt new stimulus measures on Tuesday including a package worth 73.6 trillion yen (over $707 billion) aimed at supporting the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.
Pope Francis to visit Iraq next year
Dec 08, 2020, at 12:14 am
Rome/Sputnik: Pope Francis will pay an official visit to Iraq from March 5-8, 2021, Vatican press office chief Matteo Bruni said on Monday.