59 killed in airstrikes, clashes in Iraq

Baghdad, Sep 24 (IANS) At least 59 people were killed in separate airstrikes and clashes with the Islamic State (IS) militants across Iraq Wednesday, while the militants blew two archeological and religious sites in Salahudin province, security sources said. In Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala, Iraqi security forces backed by Shia militias recaptured two villages of […]

‘Nobody gets a pass’ in tackling climate change: Obama

Washington, Sep 24 (IANS/EFE) US President Barack Obama Tuesday announced measures to help other countries fight climate change, saying that it is necessary to adopt an ambitious worldwide accord in which all countries are involved. “We recognise our role in creating this problem, we embrace our responsibility to combat it. We will do our part, and […]

France hopes Iran n-talks yields final agreement

Paris, Sep 24 (IANS) French President Francois Hollande Tuesday expressed hope that Western leaders’ negotiations with Iran over its nuclear plan will lead to a lasting compromise to lift sanctions against Tehran. At the United Nations annual gathering in New York, Hollande met his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and held talks on negotiations between P5+1 countries […]

WFP assistance reaches one mn displaced Iraqis

Geneva, Sep 24 (IANS) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Tuesday said it provided food assistance to more than one million civilians across Iraq who were displaced since conflict erupted in mid-June, despite a challenging security situation and the continuous movement of people. “With the help of our partners, we managed to scale up and […]

UN chief to convene high-level meeting on Ebola

United Nations, Sep 24 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will convene a meeting of world leaders during the General Assembly’s annual high-level session in response to the deadly Ebola virus outbreak, a UN spokesman said Tuesday. The “High-level Meeting on Response to the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak” is scheduled at the UN headquarters in New York […]

US abandons use of landmines outside Korea

Washington, Sep 24 (IANS/EFE) The United States announced Tuesday that it will no longer use anti-personnel landmines outside the Korean Peninsula. “Today’s announcement also means that we will not assist, encourage, or induce others to use, stockpile, produce or transfer anti-personnel landmines outside of the Korean Peninsula,” Efe quoted State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki as saying. […]

All parties must abide by UN charter in Syria: Ban

United Nations, Sep 24 (IANS) All measures to fight terrorist groups operating in Syria must be fully in line with the Charter of the United Nations and strictly in accordance with the international humanitarian law, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday. Ban made the remarks in his opening address here on climate change, after the United […]

Libyan groups strike back on Islamist militants

Tripoli, Sep 24 (IANS) Libya’s pro-secular militias from Zintan counterattacked the Islamist militants Tuesday near capital Tripoli, military sources said. Zintan militia commander Jilani Aldahish said their fighters were engaged in deadly fighting with militants from the Islamist armed alliance Libya Dawn around the area of Wadi al-Aziziyah, Xinhua reported. Aldahish said their manoeuvre was meant […]

Assad reaffirms counter-terrorism efforts

Damascus, Sep 24 (IANS) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Tuesday reiterated that his administration was moving forward in battling terrorism in the region. The president made the remarks during his meeting with the visiting Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayad, in which Assad said his country “was with any international effort that aims at fighting terror”, Xinhua […]

Bin Laden’s son-in-law sentenced to life in prison

Washington, Sep 24 (IANS/EFE) A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden was Tuesday sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on terrorism charges. US district judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Suleiman Abu Ghaith, a 48-year-old Kuwaiti imam, for conspiracy to murder Americans and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist group. Abu Ghaith, who was extradited […]