Chinese Foreign Minister Wang to embark on Middle East tour
Mar 24, 2021, at 10:10 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will start on Wednesday his Middle East tour, which includes official visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, as well as a working visit to Oman.
Turkey’s withdrawal from women’s protection treaty, ‘worrying step backwards’
Mar 24, 2021, at 09:51 pm
New York: Turkey’s decision to withdraw from an important treaty on protecting women is “a very worrying step backwards”, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday.
UN agencies call for urgent action to avert famine risk in 20 ‘hunger hotspots’
Mar 24, 2021, at 09:41 pm
New York: Famine is already on the doorstep of millions of families in 20 countries, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday in a report that calls for urgent action to avert rising hunger due to factors such as conflict, climate extremes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Seize the moment’ to recover and rebuild better, UN deputy chief urges Asia-Pacific nations
Mar 24, 2021, at 07:17 pm
New York: Confronting major setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic, countries in Asia and the Pacific “must now seize the moment” to rebuild and recover better together, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General said on Tuesday.
UN teams assisting tens of thousands of refugees, after massive fire rips through camp in Bangladesh
Mar 24, 2021, at 05:13 pm
New York: United Nations humanitarian personnel are on the ground evacuating tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees, after a devastating fire tore through the Kutupalong camp, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp.
Pakistan COVID-19: Cabinet approves highly expensive prices for vaccines
Mar 24, 2021, at 05:09 pm
Pakistan's Cabinet has approved highly expensive prices recommended by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for COVID-19 vaccines which are imported by private companies, media reports said.
US to hold China accountable for alleged human rights violations: Pelosi
Mar 24, 2021, at 05:05 pm
Washington/Sputnik: The United States will hold China accountable for human rights violations against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, but also against people in Tibet and Hong Kong, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday.
IMF chief backs $650Bln allocation for global recovery: Statement
Mar 24, 2021, at 03:36 pm
Washington/Sputnik: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement that she supports discussions about a possible new Special Drawing Rights allocation of $650 billion to support the global recovery from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-related restrictions extended in the Netherlands until April 20
Mar 24, 2021, at 03:24 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The restrictive measures introduced in the Netherlands in connection with the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been extended until April 20, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
Afghanistan still expects to see change in Taliban’s attitude: Security Adviser
Mar 24, 2021, at 02:26 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: Afghanistan still expects to see a change in Taliban's attitude, Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan's national security adviser, said on Tuesday following last week's peace talks with Taliban in Doha and a meeting in Moscow.
Sri Lanka lobbying with Islamic nations for support in UNHRC
Mar 24, 2021, at 01:37 am
The Sri Lankan government has stepped up its diplomatic efforts and is reportedly reaching out to Muslim nations to ward off a critical resolution that would put to vote on Tuesday in the ongoing 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Afghan envoy meets Sri Lanka foreign minister, seeks support for UN presidency
Mar 24, 2021, at 01:23 am
Mohammad Ashraf Haideri, the Afghan Ambassador to Sri Lanka met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Colombo, and discussed the Afghan peace process and bilateral cooperation among other things.
Key accused in Denial Pearl murder case shifted to Lahore
Mar 24, 2021, at 01:16 am
Kabul: Authorities in Pakistan have decided to shift the location of Ahmad Omar Sheikh, the key accused in the murder case of an American journalist Denial Pearl, citing security reasons, reported The Express Tribune.
UN chief ‘profoundly concerned’ over rise in violence against Asians
Mar 24, 2021, at 01:07 am
New York: The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a statement expressing his profound concern over the rise in violence against Asians, and people of Asian descent, during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mozambique: Cabo Delgado displacement could reach 1 million, UN officials warn
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:58 am
New York: Senior leaders with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Monday of the urgent need to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique, where an ongoing insurgency has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people.
Fourteen get death penalty for assassination attempt on Bangladesh PM
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:57 am
A Bangladesh court on Tuesday awarded the death sentence to 14 people who were convicted in a case involving an assassination attempt on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2000, reported Dhaka Tribune.
Nepal, Bangladesh sign four MoUs to enhance cooperation, connectivity
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:54 am
Nepal and Bangladesh have signed four memorandums of understanding aiming to boost cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, sanitation, and connectivity, reported the Daily Star.
Sri Lanka signs $1.5 billion currency swap deal with China
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:47 am
In what seems a temporary respite for Sri Lanka’s dwindling forex reserve, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has signed a $1.5 billion currency swap agreement with China, reported Colombopage.
Pakistan to tighten restrictions amid rising Covid cases
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:40 am
Pakistan has further tightened restrictions in major cities with high positivity rates in a bid to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus as the country reported more than 3000 infections on the fifth straight day.
Eliminate racial discrimination: World Uyghur Congress calls for action on UN Day
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:30 am
New York: On the occasion of the United Nations (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) reminded the world the need for urgent action to address the Uyghur genocide.
Women ‘systematically excluded’ from COVID response, despite being worst affected
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:21 am
New York: Notwithstanding that women make up 70 per cent of healthcare workers globally, and have been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also being “systematically excluded” from decision-making processes aimed at ending the pandemic, including government-run task forces around the world, according to the head of UN Women.
Collective commitment needed to end the ‘poison’ of racism: UN cultural chief says
Mar 24, 2021, at 12:09 am
New York: With the COVID-19 pandemic providing fertile ground for the resurgence of racism and discrimination, the head of the UN’s educational and cultural agency, UNESCO, called on Monday for countries to stand united in what she described as “these testing times”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry summons UK Ambassador
Mar 23, 2021, at 11:44 pm
Beijing/UNI: The Chinese Foreign Ministry informed on Tuesday that it had summoned the UK Ambassador to Beijing and lodged a protest against the UK's decision to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for alleged human rights violations against Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
Pakistan: Tribesmen protest delay in construction of Jabba dam
Mar 23, 2021, at 10:56 pm
Islamabad: Several Katiyakhel tribesmen demonstrated against prolonged delay in construction of Jabba dam in Pakistan's Jamrud region recently, media reports said on Tuesday.
Government announces extension of Canada Emergency Business Account to help small businesses
Mar 23, 2021, at 09:51 pm
Ottawa: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, Mary Ng, announced that the deadline for new Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) applications is being extended from Mar 31 to June 30, 2021.
US needs more ships to contain China, Russia, says Senator
Mar 23, 2021, at 03:31 pm
Washington/Sputnik: The United States must accelerate building new ships for the US Navy to contain the growing sea power of China and Russia, Senator Roger Wicker wrote in an op-ed piece.
Mar 23, 2021, at 03:10 pm
Beijing: The United States, Britain and Canada have expressed deep concern regarding China’s alleged human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang.
Ten people killed in Boulder shooting, including first officer at scene, local police say
Mar 23, 2021, at 02:31 pm
Washington/Sputnik: Ten people, including a police officer who was the first to respond to the scene, were killed in the Monday shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, local police said.
Nepali migrant workers to benefit from Saudi skill tests on entry
Mar 23, 2021, at 01:14 am
Nepali migrant workers going to Saudi Arabia will benefit from the recent move by Saudi authorities where they would be checked for their skills upon their arrival in the kingdom, experts said. According to a 2020 report on labor migration by the Nepal government, around 400,000 Nepalis are in Saudi Arabia.
Transborder management of water key to sustainable development: Pakistan to UN
Mar 23, 2021, at 01:06 am
Pakistan has told the United Nations that the transborder management of water is the key to sustainable development goals. The comment came in a UN session on the water on Sunday.