Container Vessels Collide in Strait of Johor
Two container vessels collided off Pasir Gudang Port in Johor, Malaysia, resulting in an oil spill. There was a collision between Singapore-registered container vessel...
Thailand Approves Constitutional Changes
Thailand's military-ruled legislature has approved constitutional changes desired by the newly enthroned king that would reserve more powers for him.
One change made by the...
UK Donates for Participation of LDCs in WTO
The United Kingdom Government has contributing GBP 100,000 (approximately CHF 132,000) to help least-developed countries (LDCs) participate in the eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11),...
China Criminalize Rape of Male
The sexual assault of men, which was not previously listed as an offense under Chinese law, is now a crime after an amendment to...
Four Countries to Graduate From ‘Least-Developed’ Status
Four countries could soon “graduate” from the ranks of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations, a United Nations expert committee announced recently.
Bhutan, Kiribati,...
Pakistan Starts Sealing its Border with Afganistan
Pakistan has started sealing its long border with Afghanistan and areas vulnerable to cross-border militant attacks.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a nearly 2,600 kilometer, largely...
New Security Council Members Elected
In one round of voting the United Nations General Assembly elected Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay to serve as non-permanent members on the...
Colombia and FARC Rebels Sign Accord
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Marxist rebel leader Timochenko signed an accord ending 51 year old war that killed a quarter of a...
UN Initiative to Tackle Mosquito Diseases Launched
In an effort to escalate the global fight against mosquito-borne diseases, the United Nations environment agency together with partners has launched a new collaborative...
ICC Gets Observer Status in UN
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has granted Observer Status to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
The decision was taken by 193 members of...
Pakistan Passes Law on Honour Killings
Pakistan's parliament has passed legislation against "honour killings".
A joint session of the Parliament unanimously approved anti-honour killing and anti-rape bills moved by PPP Senator...
Maldives Lifts Emergency
Maldives lifted a state of emergency declared by the president earlier this month, saying security had improved after the authorities detained individuals and seized...
UN Endorses Syria Peace Plan
The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution endorsing an international road map for a Syria peace process.
The resolution gives a UN blessing...
UN Launches Refugee and Migrant Response Plan
The United Nations refugee and migration agencies along with a host of partners unveiled a new strategy and appeal to help address the challenges...
Philippines Drug War in News
The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics.
The United...
News Sanctions Imposed by USA on Iran
USA slapped new sanctions on Iranian entities after the Iran conducted latest missile test.
US President Trump put Iran “on notice” for its alleged destabilising behaviour and...
FAO Launches FPIC Manual
The United Nations agricultural agency FAO unveiled a new manual that seeks to ensure that indigenous peoples, custodians of more than 80 per cent...
International Tribunal Rejects China’s Claim on Sea
A tribunal ruled that China has no legal basis for its vast claims in the South China Sea and had aggravated the seething regional...
African Union Troops To Burundi
Current Affairs: The African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC) has agreed to send troops to stop violence in Burundi after talks in which...
Earthquake in Tanzania
At least 10 people were killed and 129 injured after an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale hit northwest Tanzania.
The quake was...
American Control of Internet to End this Year
In September 2016, nearly 47 years after American computer science professors set the stage for the Internet, the US government is set to cede...
Venezuela Destroys 2000 Guns
Venezuelan police crushed and chopped up nearly 2,000 shotguns and pistols in a Caracas city square, as the new interior minister relaunched a long-stalled...
Mohamed Nasheed Signed Agreement for Democracy
Former Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed have decided to sign the historical inter-party coalition agreement.
Leaders of the four major parties- Maldivian Democratic...
China To Build $10b Nuclear Plants in Pak
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated construction work on a China-backed $10 billion nuclear power project near Karachi to add 1,100 MW to the...
Saudi Arabia and China Sign Several Agreements
Saudi Arabian King Salman visited China to deepen economic ties between the world’s biggest oil exporter and the world’s second-largest oil consumer.
China and Saudi Arabia...
Belgium Ratifies Three Significant ILO Conventions
The Government of Belgium deposited with the International Labour Office the instruments of ratification of :
1. The Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors’ Benefits Convention, 1967...
Budhi-Gandaki Hydroelectric Project in News
Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) to build the long-mooted 1,200-megawatt Budhi-Gandaki hydroelectric project. Estimates of the...
WHO Warning Over Substandard or Falsified Medicines
World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that substandard or fake medicines that fail to prevent and cure disease – and could even cause death...
Emergency Extended in Egypt
Egypt's parliament approved a three-month state of emergency.
The countrywide state of emergency was declared by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after the attacks but required...
Venezuela Launched Cryptocurrency ‘Petro’
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has launched the digital currency to circumvent U.S.-led financial sanctions.
He launched the cryptocurrency “petro” backed by oil reserves to shore...
Tourism Growth 4.3% in 2015
According to the United Nations World Tourism Barometer, the number of tourists travelling the world during the first eight months of this year reached...
24 Million Children Under Threat – Report
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), nearly 24 million children living in crisis zones in 22 strife-torn countries are being deprived of...
China Failed to Put Satellite into Orbit
China has failed to put satellite into orbit resulting in the loss of the satellite.
A Long March 4C rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan...
EU, Cuba Sign Deal to Normalise Ties
The European Union (EU) and Cuba has signed a deal to normalise ties that had been blocked for decades by human rights concerns under...
North Korea Test Fires Ballistic Missile
North Korea test-fired a submarine-launched missile 500 kilometres towards Japan.
A proven SLBM system would take North Korea's nuclear strike threat to a new level,...
African States Adopt New Malaria Framework
With Africa still accounting for more than 90 per cent of global malaria deaths in 2015, the United Nations health agency’s member States in...
Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Adopted
United Nations conference adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is the first multilateral legally-binding instrument for nuclear disarmament to have...
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Comes into Force
A major milestone for the global trading system was reached on 22 February 2017 when the first multilateral deal concluded in the 21 year...
Latest Rape Law Reforms in Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan
United Nations human rights body has welcomed the repeal of laws in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan that allow rapists to avoid criminal prosecution by marrying...
USA Reactions Against North Korea Bomb Test
The United States deployed a B-52 bomber on a low-level flight over its ally South Korea in a show of force following North Korea's...
China Opposes USA Defense Bill
China has spoken out against a U.S. defense bill passed recently which includes a provision calling for yearly military exchanges with Taiwan, which Beijing...
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of...
Cuba USA Business Council Meeting
The U.S.-Cuba Business Council held a meeting to forge links between the business sectors of both countries and identify investment opportunities.
The meeting of the...
‘International Armed Conflict’ in Syria
The International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that the situation in Syria now "amounts to an international armed conflict" after U.S. missile...
Global Fund Raises $12.9 bln to fight AIDS
A global fund has raised over $12.9 billion from international donors to eradicate AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by 2030.
The three diseases targeted by the...
USA Russia Agree on Syria Ceasefire
The United States and Russia agreed a deal to impose a ceasefire in Syria. The truce would come into force on 12 September, the...
Montenegro’s Accession to NATO
The accession of Montenegro to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2017.
In December 2009, Montenegro...
Battulga Wins Mongolian Presidential Election
Khaltmaa Battulga has won Mongolia's presidential election. Battulga of the Democratic Party (DP) is a 54-year-old former martial arts star.
Battulga won with 50.6 percent...
Colombia Ratifies Peace Deal
Colombia’s Congress has given its approval to a peace accord aimed at ending a 52-year-old armed conflict with FARC guerrillas.
The lower house of the...
Japan Eases Rules for Skilled Foreigners
It will now take just one-two years for skilled foreigners to get permanent residency in Japan as opposed to five years.
The relaxation of the...
China Stops One-Child Policy
China has announced the end of its one-child policy. From now, all couples would be allowed two children. Introduced in 1979, the One-Child Policy...
Japan Emperor to Abdicate in 2019
Emperor Akihito will step down on April 30, 2019 - the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in about two centuries.
A 10-member Imperial Household...
S.Korea Japan Agree on Intelligence Sharing
Japan and South Korea signed an agreement to share intelligence on North Korea's military activities, including its nuclear program.
The pact will help "restrain" North...
$1.5 Billion IMF Loan to Sri Lanka
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a USD 1.5 billion loan to Sri Lanka, with USD 168 million being disbursed as the first...
Group of 77 Gets New Chair
Ecuador has taken over from Thailand as chair of the Group of 77.
G 77 promotes the interests of the 134 developing countries it represents at...
Japan UK MoU on Nuclear Cooperation
Japanese and British Ministers in charge of energy policy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on nuclear power cooperation.
Hiroshige Seko and Greg Clark...
WTO Roadmap to Reducing Barriers to Trade Launched
WTO members achieved a breakthrough in a meeting of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) by agreeing on a list of recommendations...
China Launches Cargo Train to Afghanistan
China launched its first cargo train to Afghanistan.
The train carrying 84 containers departed from Nantong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, to the Afghanistan city...
Afghanistan Signs Deal with Hekmatyar
Afghanistan signed a draft peace agreement with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
Under the terms of the deal Hekmatyar should accept the constitution and abandon violence.
It...
Gambia Declares Itself an ‘Islamic State’
Current Affairs: Gambia’s President has declared his country an Islamic republic. Mr. Jammeh made the declaration at a political rally in the coastal village...
Philippines Gets Anti-Submarine Warship
In order to boost its capability to patrol vast maritime borders, Philippines has purchased Pohang-class anti-submarine warship from South Korea.
South Korea will transfer this warship to...
Ethiopia Lifts State of Emergency
Ethiopia’s government has lifted a state of emergency imposed in October after hundreds of people were killed in anti-government protests.
Lawmakers in the East African...
USA Okays Radar Sale to Philippines
The U.S. government has approved the sale to the government of the Philippines of two Sea Giraffe radars and related equipment, support and training...
Myanmar Signs Ceasefire Agreement With Rebels
Myanmar has signed a peace deal formally called the Nationwide Cease-fire Agreement,
with armed rebel groups. The government has signed a ceasefire deal with eight...
Turkish Parliament Approves Presidential System
The Turkish parliament has approved a package of constitutional reforms that will see more power placed in the hands of the president, completing a...
Pakistan Bank Opens Branch in China
Pakistan's Habib Bank has opened a branch in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Habib Bank is the first foreign bank of...
France Elects New President
French voters elected 39 year old former investment banker Emmanuel Macron as the youngest ever President of France.
The centrist candidate defeated the far-right challenger...
S-300 System of Iran Becomes Operational
Iran’s advanced S-300 air defence system, delivered by Russia following a July 2015 nuclear deal is now operational.
The S-300 air defence system has been...
UN Resolution to End Embargo Against Cuba
The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution, calling for ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States...
APEC Unveils Financial Infrastructure Development Network
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies formally launched an initiative that will make financial services accessible to more micro, small and medium-enterprises (MSMEs).
Launched...
Canada to Join Asian Infrastructure Bank
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his country will apply to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The AIIB was officially established...
Colombia Signs New Peace Deal with FARC
More than a month after Colombian voters rejected a peace deal with the country’s largest guerrilla group, negotiators in Havana signed a new deal.
Negotiators...
US to Give Military Planes to Phillipines
The US is giving the Philippines two used military aircraft to help it expand sea patrols in the face of territorial disputes with China....
Google and Cuba Sign Pact for Faster Data
Google and the Cuban government have signed a deal for faster access of data by installing servers on the Cuba island.
Storing Google data in...
UN Human Rights Council Gets 14 New Members
The UN General Assembly elected, by secret ballot, 14 States to serve on the Human Rights Council.
Newly elected to the Geneva-based body are Brazil,...
FARC Colombia Peace Deal Finalised
Negotiators seeking to end the five-decades-old bloody insurgency in Colombia have announced that they had reached a final peace deal in one of the...
Turkish Constitutional Referendum in News
A constitutional referendum was held throughout Turkey on 16 April 2017 on whether to approve 18 proposed amendments to the Turkish constitution that were...
Norway-China Restore Diplomatic Ties
China cut off ties with Norway in 2010, after the Nobel committee awarded its peace prize to Liu Xiabao, a Chinese dissident convicted of...
UNSC Renews Anti-terror Sanctions
Current Affairs: UN Security Council renewed sanctions regime against terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
In an unanimously adopted resolution, the council expressed its strong concern about...
Pakistan and China Sign $500 Millions Deals
Pakistan signed new deals with China worth nearly $500 million. The memorandums of understanding add to the $57 billion already pledged for the China-Pakistan...
Typhoon Koppu Hits Philippines
In Philippines, Typhoon Koppu has slammed into the main island of Luzon, destroying homes and displacing around 10,000 people. Disaster management officials warned of...
Romanian PM Resigns: International Affairs
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced his resignation over a fire tragedy that has killed 32 people and injured more than 180 others.
He resigned...
Earthquake Rocks Italy
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck central Italy, leaving at least 37 people dead and 150 missing. Many of the dead were in the...
Bangladesh Re-Install Lady Justice Statue
Bangladesh government has reinstalled a Lady Justice statue near the country’s Supreme Court, two days after its removal.
The statue of a woman holding a...
Qatar Signs Deal to Buy F-15 Fighters from USA
The United States and Qatar have signed a deal for the purchase of F-15 fighter jets with an initial cost of $12bn.
The F-15 is...
UN Global Vector Control Response 2017-2030
The Global vector control response 2017–2030 provides strategic guidance to countries and development partners for urgent strengthening of vector control as a fundamental approach...
Women in Politics Map Launched
Women in Politics Map was launched by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.
The number of women Heads of State or Heads of Government...
MERCOSUR Suspends Venezuela
South American nations have suspended Venezuela from the Mercosur trade group over its failure to comply with its commitments when it joined the group...
Myanmar Passes Bill to Strengthen Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s upper house of parliament approved a Bill that gives Aung San Suu Kyi a powerful government role, despite opposition from the military on...
South Korea Japan Ties Improve
The latest North Korea's nuclear test set off alarm bells in Japan and South Korea. South Korea Japan ties imporved as both nations had...
Trade Facilitation Agreement: Mozambique Ratifies
Mozambique has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), making it the 105th WTO member to do so. Only five more ratifications from members are...
Bird-Shaped International Airport Opened
Turkmenistan has unveiled an international airport worth over USD 2 billion in the capital Ashgabat.
The five-floor airport is built in the shape of a...
Egypt’s Parliament Meets After 3 Years
Egypt's new parliament held its opening session on 10 Jan 2016 more than three years after a court dissolved the old Islamist-dominated chamber.
The body...
Iraq PM Declares Emergency
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has declared an emergency in areas overwhelmed by heavy rain that has caused widespread flooding and multiple deaths.
Iraq was...
German Approves Espionage Law
German lawmakers have approved a bill that allows the country's foreign intelligence agency to spy on European Union institutions and fellow EU member states.
The...
‘Every Newborn Action Plan’ Launched in Iraq
With the support of UNICEF, the Ministry of Health of Iraq launched the Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), which was developed jointly with UN Children's...
World’s Fastest Growing Refugee Crisis
South Sudan has now become the world's fastest growing refugee crisis with more than 1.8 million refugees, including one million children, having sought safety...
Iran Denounces Latest Sanctions
Iran has condemned the USA for imposing new sanctions in connection with the country's missile defense program.
The sanctions were imposed by the US Treasury...
Bangladesh Lifts Ban on Facebook
Bangladesh lifted a ban on Facebook after it was imposed for security reasons few days ago.
The government banned Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber blocked last...
Asian Infrastructure Bank Gets New Members
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved the membership of Argentina, Madagascar and Tonga.
The AIIB’s board of Governors adopted resolutions approving the three...