Anti-corruption efforts stagnating in G7 countries: 2019 CPI
Jan 25, 2020, at 08:06 am
New York/IBNS: More than two-thirds of countries – along with many of the world’s most advanced economies – are stagnating or showing signs of backsliding in their anti-corruption efforts, according to the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International.
Philippines to send back nearly 500 people to China's Wuhan: Civil Aviation Authority
Jan 24, 2020, at 09:18 pm
Moscow,/Sputnik: About 500 people visiting the city of Kalibo in the Philippines' province of Aklan will return to the Chinese city of Wuhan on Monday amid the coronavirus outbreak in China, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on Friday.
McDonald's halts operations in five Hubei province cities over coronavirus outbreak
Jan 24, 2020, at 09:09 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: US fast-food giant McDonald's said on Friday that it had decided to suspend business operations in five cities in China's Hubei province due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Shanghai disneyland temporarily shuts down over new coronavirus outbreak
Jan 24, 2020, at 07:23 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: Shanghai Disneyland theme park announced on Friday that it would temporarily close on January 25 due to the spread of the new coronavirus in China.
Netanyahu tells Zelenskyy Iran knew, hid truth about plane downing from beginning
Jan 24, 2020, at 07:10 pm
Jerusalem/Sputnik: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting on Friday that Iran knew immediately that its military had downed Ukraine's passenger plane but hid this information.
People must talk to those they disagree with: Merkel
Jan 24, 2020, at 06:57 pm
Davos/UNI: People must talk to those they disagree with or else there is no possibility to build a bridge between different views, says Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
All flights from China's Wuhan to Moscow canceled amid coronavirus outbreak: Airport
Jan 24, 2020, at 05:14 pm
Beijing/Sputnik/UNI: All flights from the Chinese city of Wuhan to Moscow have been canceled over the coronavirus outbreak in China, the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport told Sputnik on Friday.
Iraq's Shia leader calls for scheduled pullout of US troops from Iraq
Jan 24, 2020, at 04:53 pm
Baghdad/Xinhua/UNI: Iraqi Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday called for a scheduled withdrawal of US troops from Iraq through peaceful means.
Jan 24, 2020, at 01:26 pm
Davos/IBNS: To counter nationalism which is often weaponised by several powerful contemporary world leaders, billionaire financier George Soros, who himself was under fire in his homeland Hungary some years ago for allegedly supporting illegal migration, has come up with a unique but potentially controversial plan to make a fund to set up a global network of higher educational institutions.
Myanmar: Departing UN rights expert still hopeful for democratic transition
Jan 24, 2020, at 10:27 am
New York/IBNS: An independent human rights expert said she has not given up hope for a democratic transition in Myanmar even though the country has yet to address “grave allegations” of international crimes, including possible genocide.
Health services for Syrian women caught up in war, foster safety and hope: UNFPA
Jan 24, 2020, at 10:25 am
New York/IBNS: Continued displacement from conflict-affected areas in northeast Syria leaves women and girls in urgent need of safe spaces, shelter and reproductive health services, according to a Flash Update this week from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
At Davos, UN chief urges ‘big emitters’ to take climate action
Jan 24, 2020, at 10:23 am
New York/IBNS: The world is “doomed” in the face of climate change unless major industrial nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
Jan 24, 2020, at 10:15 am
New York/IBNS: Commemorating 75 years since the liberation of the notorious Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, independent UN rights experts said on Thursday that “urgent action” is needed to combat mounting antisemitism.
Top UN court orders Myanmar to protect Rohingya from genocide
Jan 24, 2020, at 10:11 am
New York/IBNS: Myanmar must take steps to protect its minority Rohingya population, the top UN court unanimously ruled on Thursday.
Doomsday Clock: It is now 100 seconds to midnight
Jan 24, 2020, at 09:18 am
New York/IBNS: The symbolic Doomsday Clock, which indicates the time left for the Earth to reach the state of complete annihilation, is currently 100 seconds away from touching the midnight.
International Court Rules on emergency measures in Myanmar to protect Rohingya minority
Jan 23, 2020, at 07:42 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Thursday that conditions were met for emergency measures in Myanmar to protect the Rohingya Muslim minority on the request of the Gambia, obliging Myanmar to ensure that its armed units do not commit or incite genocide. In November, the Gambia initiated proceedings at the ICJ against Myanmar accusing it of committing atrocities on massive scale against the Rohingya Muslims residing within its territory.
Over 1,000 Syrians return home from Jordan, Lebanon over past 24 hours: Russian Military
Jan 23, 2020, at 07:30 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: More than 1,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country from Jordan and Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
Blast kills several Turkish soldiers in northern Syria
Jan 23, 2020, at 07:21 pm
Damascus/Xinhua: Several Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday by a blast that targeted them in the countryside of Syria's northern province of Raqqa, state news agency SANA reported.
US envoy threatens Solemani's successor with 'Same Fate' if killings of Americans continue
Jan 23, 2020, at 07:14 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The successor of Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds special forces unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who was killed in a US strike earlier in January, will face a similar fate if they continue to kill US nationals, the US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, told Arabic-language daily Asharq al-Awsat.
Group-IB says report alleging Saudi crown Prince hacked Bezos' phone lacks evidence
Jan 23, 2020, at 06:37 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: A report claiming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman played a role in the hacking of Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' phone contains no evidence, Sergey Nikitin, Deputy Head of Forensics Lab at Group-IB, a software company specializing in cybersecurity, told Sputnik on Thursday.
International Court rules on emergency measures in Myanmar to protect Rohingya minority
Jan 23, 2020, at 06:26 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Thursday that conditions were met for emergency measures in Myanmar to protect the Rohingya Muslim minority on the request of the Gambia, obliging Myanmar to ensure that its armed units do not commit or incite genocide.
Militants conduct 3 attacks on Syrian army in Idlib, all attacks repelled- Russia Military
Jan 23, 2020, at 09:02 am
Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: Militants have conducted three attacks on Syrian government's forces in the Idlib de-escalation zone, all the attacks have been repelled, while eight Syrian servicemen have been killed and six militants have been eliminated, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syria reconciliation said on Wednesday.
Russia's Prime Minister Mishustin signs decree for approval of new government
Jan 22, 2020, at 07:08 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on Wednesday, approving the new structure of the government, a corresponding document published on the cabinet's website said.
WEF launches Friends of Africa growth platform
Jan 22, 2020, at 03:51 pm
Geneva, Switzerland/IBNS: In the spirit of the Davos Manifesto 2020, the World Economic Forum is launching the Davos Friends of Africa Growth Platform (AGP) community to mobilize the global community for collective action to meet the 100 million-by-2025 goal for this business-led initiative.
Israeli troops open fire on three suspects trying to cross border fence – IDF Statement
Jan 22, 2020, at 10:34 am
Telaviv/Sputnik/UNI: Israeli troops on Tuesday opened fire and hit three suspects who were spotted attempting to cross the border from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Iraqi PM says firing rockets on U.S. embassy harms Iraq
Jan 22, 2020, at 10:26 am
Baghdad/Xinhua/UNI: Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday that firing rockets at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad is unacceptable and harms Iraq.
Joint UN-Congolese strategy needed to address insecurity following deadly attacks
Jan 22, 2020, at 10:16 am
New York/IBNS: Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the UN peacekeeping operation in the country, MONUSCO, are being urged to develop a comprehensive joint strategy to address insecurity in Beni territory, located in the east.
Jan 22, 2020, at 10:10 am
New York/IBNS: Seventy-five years ago, when soldiers of the Soviet army entered the Auschwitz concentration camp in occupied Poland, they were “stunned into silence” by what they saw, UN Secretary-General António Guterres recalled on Tuesday.
‘Negative developments’ undermining two-State solution in Middle East
Jan 22, 2020, at 10:06 am
New York/IBNS: Recent heightened tensions in the Middle East underscore the critical need for dialogue and diplomacy in the region, the UN’s Political Affairs chief told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Lebanon: UN rights office calls for de-escalation of protest violence
Jan 22, 2020, at 09:43 am
New York/IBNS: What had been largely peaceful demonstrations against Lebanon’s Government in the capital Beirut grew increasingly violent over the weekend, sparking the concern of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.