NATO membership open to nations meeting standards: Obama

Newport (Britain), Sep 6 (IANS) US President Barack Obama Friday said NATO will defend every ally, while reaffirming that the door to NATO membership remains open to nations that can meet its “high standards”. He made the remarks here at a press conference following his formal discussions on security issues with leaders of NATO member states […]

Unresponsive plane crashed off Jamaica

Kingston, Sep 6 (IANS) An unresponsive private plane crashed in the sea off Jamaica, officials of the island nation said Friday. It could not be immediately known how many people were on board the plane, which took off from New York’s Rochester city, at 08.26 a.m. (12:26 GMT). The aircraft was due to fly to Naples, […]

15 killed in Baghdad bomb attacks

Baghdad, Sep 5 (IANS) As many as 15 people have been killed and 52 others injured in bomb attacks across Baghdad Thursday, police sources said. A suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint and blew it up in kadhimiyah district in northern Baghdad, leaving at least nine people killed and 35 others injured, […]

Russia might face new economic sanctions over Ukraine : British PM

London, Sep 5 (IANS/EFE) Russia might face more economic sanctions unless it ceases its attempts to destabilise Ukraine, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday. In an interview with the BBC, Cameron said the measures taken against Russia, which is accused of supporting separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine with weapons and uniformed Russian troops, were beginning […]

Moscow accuses NATO of ‘exploiting’ Ukraine crisis

Moscow, Sep 5 (IANS) NATO has been trying to use the Ukraine conflict to divert public attention from worsening economic situation in Europe, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday. “I am convinced that NATO has been very glad that the current events in Ukraine lead to new tension in relations with Russia,” Xinhua quoted […]

NATO outlines long-term engagement in Afghanistan

Cardiff, Sep 5 (IANS) Western leaders meeting for a NATO summit in Wales Thursday outlined the long-term engagement in Afghanistan after the end of the NATO-led combat mission in the country later this year. Leaders from 28 NATO nations joined by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) partner countries agreed to launch a non-combat mission in […]

Obama to convene UN summit on foreign fighters threat

United Nations, Sep 4 (IANS) US President Barack Obama will convene a Security Council summit on “growing and dangerous phenomenon” of foreign terrorist fighters, American envoy to the UN Samantha Power said Wednesday. The summit will be held on Sep 25, with attendance of heads of state and government, who holds the rotating council presidency for […]

France halting Mistral warship ‘not tragedy’ : Russia

Moscow, Sep 4 (IANS) Russia Wednesday said that France’s decision to put the delivery of one of the two Mistral warships to Moscow on hold will not be a tragedy. “Even though this is unpleasant news of course and it strains relations with our French partners, the termination of the contract will not be a tragedy […]

Two million people affected by Libyan violence

United Nations, Sep 4 (IANS) The UN humanitarian agency estimates that the deteriorating security situation in Libya has affected nearly two million people across the north African country, a United Nations spokesman said. “The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the deteriorating security situation has spread from the Tripoli International Airport and […]

Ebola outbreak racing out of control, says UN officials

Washington, Sep 4 (IANS) The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa is racing ahead of efforts to control it and at least $600 million is needed to get the unprecedented epidemic under control, UN health officials said Wednesday. “This Ebola epidemic is the largest, most severe and most complex we have ever seen in the nearly […]