Chris Hipkins swears in as New Zealand PM, succeeds Jacinda Ardern
Wellington/UNI: Chris Hipkins was sworn in as the new New Zealand Prime Minister on Wednesday succeeding Jacinda Ardern, who resigned less than one week ago.
World
Crises hindering victim identification: UNODC human trafficking report
New York: Fewer victims of people trafficking are being identified, even as the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises are increasing their vulnerability, a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has found.
Palestinian refugees face hitting ‘rock bottom’, warns UNRWA in $1.6 billion appeal
New York: The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) appealed on Tuesday for $1.6 billion to fund core operations this year, as the people it helps face hitting “rock bottom”.
US sues Google for 15 years of monopoly, advertising abuse
New York: The Justice Department and the attorney-generals of eight US states filed a joint lawsuit against Google, determining to end its 15 years of monopoly of the Internet through alleged abuses of the digital advertising space.
North Korea imposes five-day lockdown in Pyongyang to battle rising cases of 'respiratory illness'
Pyongyang: North Korean authorities have imposed a five-day lockdown in Pyongyang city amid rising cases of 'respiratory illness'.
Chinese hackers attack 12 South Korean academic institutions
Seoul: South Korea's internet safety watchdog on Wednesday claimed a Chinese hacking group has launched a cyberattack against 12 South Korean academic institutions, media reports said.
Balochistan: Pakistani region facing acute clean drinking water shortage
Quetta: Pakistan's Balochistan region is facing an acute clean drinking water shortage as most of the water filtration plants installed at various locations in the province are currently out of order, media reports said on Tuesday.
Canadian officials warn citizens to protect themselves amid Chinese company owned Tiktok's data harvesting claims
Ottawa: Canadian officials have warned citizens to be wary of apps that could leave their data in the "wrong hands" at a time when popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok faces claims that it has spied on its users.
China says 80% of its population have had Covid-19: Reports
Beijing: A government scientist has estimated that around eight among 10 students in China are suffering from COVID-19.
Pakistan: PTM workers protest in Karachi demanding release of MNA Ali Wazir, mutiny case lodged
Karachi: Police recently arrested several members of the Pashtun Tahfuzz Movement (PTM) in an abetting mutiny case after they held a protest demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club.
Pakistan: Several cities still recording power shortage despite minister's claim over restoration
Islamabad: Several regions in Pakistan are still witnessing power outages despite the government's claim that it has been restored.
Over 90 pc of Turkish oppose Sweden's NATO membership after quran burning: Reports
Ankara: Some 92.5% of Turkish citizens have spoken against Ankara's greenlighting of Sweden's membership in NATO following the controversial demonstration with the burning of the Quran in Stockholm, a survey conducted by Turkish news agency Anadolu showed on Tuesday.
Chinese cargo ship runs aground in southern Japan: Reports
Beijing: The Chinese cargo ship Shin Haijo 2 has run aground between the islands of Ishigaki and Kohama in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, citing the country's coast guard.
Afghanistan: Taliban says Chinese nationals arrested over smuggling precious stones
Kabul: Taliban authorities have arrested five men, including two Chinese nationals, over alleged smuggling of lithium-bearing stones out of the country, media reports said on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Macron's erratic military policy shows lack of vision: Expert
Paris/UNI: French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a huge boost to military spending after years of advocating for cuts to the defense budget, a move that shows the president's lack of vision, Francois Asselineau, a French political expert and former presidential candidate, told Sputnik.
UN rights chief condemns ‘cold-blooded killing’ of Eswatini human rights lawyer
New York: Authorities in Eswatini must launch a probe into the killing of a prominent human rights lawyer gunned down this past weekend, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Monday.
Pakistan: Soldier dies in Bannu IED attack
Bannu: At least one Pakistani soldier died in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in the Jani Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district of Pakistan, media reports said on Tuesday.
Pakistan: Two cops martyred in Charsadda attack
Charsadda: At least two policemen were killed and one sustained injuries when terrorists attacked the Dheri Zardad check-post here on Saturday, media reports said on Monday.
Trouble with India: China builds new dam in Tibet which might hit flows downstream
Beijing: China, which has been engaged in conflict with India in recent years, is building a new dam in Tibet on a tributary of the Ganga, close to the tri-junction of its borders with India and Nepal, media reports said.
China’s ‘exhausted’ doctors and nurses working long hours for reduced pay amid COVID-19 surge
Beijing: Doctors and nurses in China are facing pay cuts or salary delays despite working hard to deal with the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in recent months.
Pakistani cities witnessing massive power outage
Lahore: Key Pakistani cities have been left without power, triggered by a "frequency variation" in the national grid, on Monday, media reports said.
US: Shooting at nightclub leaves 12 injured in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge: A shooting at a nightclub in the US city of Baton Rouge on Sunday left at least 12 people injured, police said.
Body found inside vehicle linked to California mass shooting: Reports
Washington: A SWAT team has breached a white van linked to the mass shooting in California and found a body inside, ABC News reports.
US: 10 killed in mass shooting in California during Chinese New Year's Eve gathering
Los Angeles: At least ten people were killed and 10 others were injured when a gunman opened fire in the US city of California on Saturday, during the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
Syria: Building collapses in Aleppo, 13 die
Aleppo: At least 13 people died as a building collapsed in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday.
Turkey condemns 'Quran burning' act in Sweden
Istanbul: Turkey has condemned the act of burning a Quran during a protest in Sweden recently, media reports said on Sunday.
Bangladesh: University student dies as bus hits motorcycle in Dhaka
Dhaka: A student of a private university died after a bus ploughed into a motorcycle she was riding on near the Jamuna Future Park in Bangladesh capital city Dhaka on Sunday.
Pakistan: Blast occurs close to police vehicle in Peshawar, no casualty
Peshawar: An explosion occurred close to a police vehicle within the limits of Badaber Police Station in Peshawar city of Pakistan on Sunday, media reports said.
Bangladesh: Garment workers block highway after truck hits and kills a security guard
Dhaka: Agitated workers demonstrated on the Dhaka-Tangail highway after a security guard deployed to a garment factory in Bangladesh's Gazipur region died in a road mishap, media reports said.
California Shooting: 9 die after Chinese New Year party
Los Angeles: At least nine people died after a shooting incident occurred at a business premise in the US city of California on Saturday following a Chinese New Year Party, media reports said.