Hong Kong bans public gatherings larger than 2 as COVID-19 cases continue rise
Jul 27, 2020, at 11:46 pm
Gaza/Sputnik: Israeli settlers torched in the early hours of Monday a mosque in the Palestinian city of Al-Bireh, located in the central West Bank province of Ramallah, Palestine’s state news agency WAFA has reported.
Israeli settlers set fire to mosque in West Bank
Jul 27, 2020, at 11:40 pm
Gaza/Sputnik: Israeli settlers torched in the early hours of Monday a mosque in the Palestinian city of Al-Bireh, located in the central West Bank province of Ramallah, Palestine’s state news agency WAFA has reported.
Diplomatic conflict: Russia suspends deliveries of S-400 missiles to Beijing
Jul 27, 2020, at 06:02 pm
Beijing: Russian newest S-400 air defense systems, acquired by China several years ago, were left without anti-aircraft guided missiles as Russia decided to stop supplying the weapons to Beijing, media reports said.
Australia now joins US in declaring China's claims in South China Sea as 'illegal'
Jul 27, 2020, at 03:53 pm
Sydney/Beijing: In a move, which might further deteriorate relations with China, Australia has backed the US in declaring Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea to be illegal.
Huge explosions hit ammunition depot near Iraq's capital
Jul 27, 2020, at 02:43 pm
Baghdad/Xinhua: Huge explosions hit an ammunition depot at a military base in southern Baghdad, the Iraqi military said.
Nantes cathedral fire: Church volunteer re-arrested
Jul 27, 2020, at 12:05 am
Paris: Authorities have re-arrested a person in connection with a fire that devastated the cathedral in the French city of Nantes, media reports said.
Brazil confirms over 51k new COVID-19 cases, more than 1,200 deaths in past 24 hrs
Jul 26, 2020, at 02:34 pm
Brasilia/UNI: More than 51,000 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Brazil in the past 24 hours, while the death toll has been increased by over 1,200 in that period, the health ministry said.
Nigeria to resume train services after months of shutdown
Jul 26, 2020, at 02:02 pm
Abuja/Xinhua: Nigeria will resume its train services after months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi said.
Colombian police arrest former FARC member who resumed criminal activity - President
Jul 26, 2020, at 12:46 pm
Buenos Aires/Sputnik: The Colombian police have caught a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), said to have continued engaging in criminal activities even after the group's disarmament, President Ivan Duque said.
Jul 26, 2020, at 12:42 am
With the world still battling COVID-19 outbreak, Pakistan and China have entered a secret three-year deal to expand potential bio-warfare capabilities, including running several research projects related to the deadly agent anthrax, media reports said.
Gunmen kill 6 family members north of Iraq's capital
Jul 25, 2020, at 10:44 pm
Baghdad/Xinhua: Unidentified gunmen shot dead six family members in a village in the Iraqi province of Salahudin, a provincial police source said Saturday.
Jul 25, 2020, at 07:28 pm
Ankara: The conversion of the iconic Hagia Sophia to a mosque is being seen by experts as country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attempt to wage a war on Islamophobia.
Children in Nigeria and surrounding countries, continuing to endure ‘horrendous violations’
Jul 25, 2020, at 06:00 pm
New York: Girls and boys in northeast Nigeria are continuing to endure brutal abuse at the hands of Boko Haram, and are also being deeply affected by military operations taking place to counter the terrorist group, despite noteworthy efforts, according the UN chief’s latest report on children and armed conflict.
Human rights office decries disproportionate use of force in US protests
Jul 25, 2020, at 05:58 pm
New York: People taking part in peaceful demonstrations across the United States, and journalists covering these protests, should not be subjected to disproportionate use of force or other violations, the UN human rights office said on Friday.
Zimbabwe: COVID-19 must not be used to stifle freedoms, says UN rights office
Jul 25, 2020, at 05:57 pm
New York: The coronavirus pandemic should not be used as an excuse to clamp down on fundamental freedoms, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) reminded authorities in Zimbabwe on Friday.
Rights experts urge Nigeria to free humanist detained for blasphemy
Jul 25, 2020, at 05:50 pm
New York: Nigerian authorities must immediately release prominent humanist and rights defender Mubarak Bala, who has been detained for more than two months without charge on accusations of blasphemy, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Friday.
Protect people ‘fleeing war, violence’, UN refugee agency urges Poland
Jul 25, 2020, at 05:49 pm
New York: The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday encouraged Poland to fall in line with its international obligations, and allow asylum seekers access.
4 rockets hit Iraqi military base near capital
Jul 25, 2020, at 05:38 pm
Baghdad/Xinhua: Four "Katyusha rockets" on Friday landed in the military base of Basmaya in southeastern Baghdad without causing casualty, the Iraqi military said.
Turkey: Friday prayers held at Hagia Sofia after 86 years
Jul 25, 2020, at 12:02 am
Istanbul/UNI: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led Friday prayers at the iconic Hagia Sophia mosque for the first time in 86 years after his controversial decision to convert the historic museum into a mosque amid widespread global protests.
Putin, Trump describe COVID-19 as major challenge for all countries - Kremlin
Jul 24, 2020, at 10:21 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, noted in a recent phone call that the current pandemic was a significant challenge for all countries, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, adding that Putin assured Trump that that epidemiological situation in Moscow was positive.
Vietnam bans wild animal trade, imports to confront illegal bushmeat traffic - State Media
Jul 24, 2020, at 10:19 pm
Bangkok/Sputnik: Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a directive banning imports of wild animal meat to the country, as well as closing all markets and sites selling such products in order to fight bushmeat trafficking, the Vietnamese government's news portal reported on Friday.
'Temporary Basic Income' could slow COVID surge, provide lifeline for world’s poorest
Jul 24, 2020, at 03:37 pm
The immediate introduction of a Temporary Basic Income for the world’s poorest people could slow the current surge in COVID-19 and enable close to three billion people to stay at home, according to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released on Thursday.
COVID-19 provides opportunity to resolve conflicts, address weaknesses across Arab region: UN chief
Jul 24, 2020, at 03:22 pm
New York: While all Arab states are facing difficulties in responding to COVID-19, the pandemic can also provide an opportunity to resolve long-standing conflicts and address structural weaknesses across the region, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
Iran urged to release rights activist with COVID-19 symptoms ‘before it is too late’
Jul 23, 2020, at 06:30 pm
New York: A group of independent UN human rights experts has called for Iran to urgently release an activist who reportedly is ill with COVID-19 symptoms “before it is too late”.
Rights experts call on Tanzania to end ‘crackdown’ on civic space
Jul 23, 2020, at 06:20 pm
New York: Tanzania should allow peaceful gatherings to take place ahead of elections in October and step back from “draconian” laws, UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Wednesday.
Canada: Uyghur victims narrate about Chinese atrocities to House of Commons
Jul 23, 2020, at 05:33 pm
Ottawa: The House of Commons of Canada on Monday discussed the human rights situation of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province where the experts discussed the threats faced by the people belonging to the minority community in the country.
Jul 23, 2020, at 04:58 pm
Beijing: In what can be seen as an aggressive stance taken by China to destroy religious tolerance in the country, authorities have directed some Christians to smash the crosses on their churches and remove images of Jesus from their homes, media reports said.
Beijing calls on US to abolish 'revolting' decision to close Chinese consulate in Houston
Jul 22, 2020, at 10:25 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: China is calling on the United States to immediately abolish the decision to close China's Consulate General in the city of Houston, the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said on Wednesday.
Israel-Palestine: Breakdown in cooperation over COVID, now putting lives at risk
Jul 22, 2020, at 03:43 pm
Cooperation between Israelis and the Palestinians at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic is breaking down, putting human lives at risk as the economy goes into meltdown and the threat of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank lingers, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process says.
Ethiopia urged to allow peaceful demonstrations, investigate protestor deaths
Jul 22, 2020, at 03:38 pm
Independent UN human rights experts are urging the Ethiopian authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations, in a new appeal for investigations into the deaths of people protesting the recent killing of a popular singer and activist from the Oromo ethnic group.