Lobby behind Indian deaths report: Qatar

Lobby behind Indian deaths report: Qatar

Dubai, Feb 19 (IANS) Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, has said that given the large number of Indians who live in Qatar, one cannot say the mortality rate among Indian expatriates in the country during the past two years is alarming. Al Marri said a “vested interest lobby” was […]

IAEA hails ‘good’ progress in Iran over nuclear deal

IAEA hails ‘good’ progress in Iran over nuclear deal

A senior official of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Monday hailed “good” progress in talks with Iran over its nuclear energy programme. “Since November everything has gone as planned,” said IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards Tero Tapio Varjoranta, adding the progress in cooperation with Tehran was “good”. Varjoranta made the remarks a day […]

Kofi Annan presents Infosys Science awards

Kofi Annan presents Infosys Science awards

Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan Saturday presented the Infosys Science Prizes to five eminent scientists, a noted historian and a reputed linguist at an award ceremony here. The awards are set up by the Indian IT bellwether’s Infosys Science Foundation. Annan, who headed the UN for a decade from 1997 to 2006 as […]

Malala nominated for ‘Children’s Nobel’

Malala nominated for ‘Children’s Nobel’

Malala Yousafzai, the teenaged Pakistani education activist attacked by the Taliban, is among the three candidates nominated for this year’s World Children’s Prize, also known as the Children’s Nobel. Yousafzai has been nominated “for her courageous and dangerous fight for girls’ right to education”, according to the the website of the foundation that presents the […]

India, Germany should continue efforts for UNSC reform: Mukherjee

India and Germany, members of the G-4 grouping, have a strong partnership on regional and international issues and should continue their efforts for a fundamental reform of the UN Security Council, President Pranab Mukherjee has said. In his banquet speech for visiting German President Joachim Gauck at Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday night, Mukherjee said: “India attaches […]

Women, girls denied voice in decision making: Kofi Annan

Women, girls denied voice in decision making: Kofi Annan

Women and girls are major drivers of development, yet in India and elsewhere, they continue to be denied opportunities to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives, and those of their families and communities, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday. Giving the keynote address at the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit […]

UN criticises Vatican over kids’ abuse by priests

UN criticises Vatican over kids’ abuse by priests

The UN has denounced the Vatican for “systematically” adopting policies which enabled priests to sexually abuse thousands of children, BBC reported Wednesday. The Holy See must “immediately remove” all clergy who are known or suspected child abusers, said the UN watchdog for children’s rights. It heavily criticised the Vatican’s attitudes towards homosexuality, contraception and abortion, […]

US propagates partnership with Europe

The US sees Europe as its indispensable partner in addressing threats and challenges as well as opportunities, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said here Saturday. Speaking at the 50th Munich Security Conference, Hagel said: “It’s clear to us and President (Barack) Obama that our future requires a new and enhanced partnership with friends and allies, […]

733 killed in Iraq violence in January: UN

733 killed in Iraq violence in January: UN

A total of 733 people were killed in violent attacks in Iraq in January, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has revealed. A total of 618 civilians and 115 members of the security forces were killed and 1,229 were wounded in terrorist and violent acts in January across Iraq, Xinhua quoted UNAMI as saying […]

Six new H7N9 cases reported in China

Six new human cases of H7N9 bird flu and a death case due to it were reported in China Saturday, health authorities said. The new cases included two in the southern Guangdong province, two in the eastern Zhejiang province, one in the eastern Fujian province and one in Hunan province in central China, Xinhua reported. […]