The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on Wednesday marked Zero Discrimination Day with a “Make Some Noise” campaign, urging people to speak up against discrimination. “Discrimination takes many forms, and can be based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or age,” Xinhua news agency quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying. “For this year’s […]
The US Senate approved Ryan Zinke, a former Republican congressman and ex-Navy SEAL, as President Donald Trump’s new secretary of the interior. The 68-31 vote in his favour reflects the fact that his nomination had not generated as much controversy or rejection by upper house Democrats as other people tapped by Trump to comprise his […]
Wall Street closed with strong gains on Wednesday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), the main market indicator, rising 1.45 per cent and ending the day above 21,000 for the first time in history in the wake of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. All the major indexes moved into […]
With the surge in instances of people using Facebook Live to stream suicides, the social networking giant is including new options for people to report such videos. According to a report in Abc News on Wednesday, Facebook said that it’s in a “unique position,” through personal connections people have on Facebook, to help connect those […]
Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has admitted defeat in Mosul, the terror group’s biggest stronghold in Iraq, and has ordered militants to either flee or kill themselves in suicide attacks, the media reported. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made a “farewell speech” to his combatants in battlefields, ordering them to “flee and hide in mountainous […]
Malaysia will cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced, citing security reasons. The rule would come into effective from March 6, The Malaysian Star daily reported on Thursday. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said he was waiting to be briefed by the ministry’s legal adviser and the […]
Denouncing Pakistan as the global “epicentre” of terrorism, India has rejected Islamabad’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and accused it of trying to destabilise the state. “Pakistan has created terrorist outfits against India,” Ajit Kumar, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, told the Council […]
US President Donald Trump has called for a “merit-based immigration system” similar to those of Canada and Australia in place of the current “outdated” programme. Such a system is likely to give Indians an edge because large numbers of the diaspora has high education and skill levels. Delivering his State of the Union Address to […]
The US Senate has confirmed billionaire banker and investor Wilbur Ross as President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary, media report said. In a 72-27 vote, Ross had a much easier time obtaining confirmation than many of his Cabinet colleagues over the course of recent weeks as Democrats have drawn out confirmation hearings, posed extensive questions about […]
The Pentagon has sent the White House a preliminary plan to defeat the Islamic State (IS), a spokesman said without providing details about the plan. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis on Monday was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying that the plan is a framework for a broader plan to defeat the IS extremists, and […]