Global news and world events
Ottawa: Canada lifted the visa requirement for citizens of Qatar, the federal government announced Tuesday, allowing Qatari nationals to travel to Canada for business or tourism without a visa.
A devastating fire tore through seven high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, claiming 36 lives and leaving 279 people reported missing, media reports said.
A devastating fire tore through seven high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday, killing 13 people, injuring more than a dozen others, and forcing hundreds to flee as towering flames lit up the night sky, media reports said.
Rawalpindi/IBNS: Amid a wave of rumours alleging that former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan "mysteriously" died in prison, his three sisters have come forward, accusing the police of violently assaulting them when they attempted to meet him.
More than one in four children globally – around 610 million – live with mothers who have experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse by an intimate partner in the past year, making violence a part of their everyday lives, according to new data released by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday.
The Occupied Palestinian Territory is now in its deepest economic crisis ever recorded, with Gaza suffering an “unprecedented and catastrophic” collapse, according to a new report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) presented in Geneva on Tuesday.
Ottawa/IBNS: The Indian flag was desecrated, and "Kill India" chants erupted at an unofficial referendum organised by the banned Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Ottawa on Sunday.
Australian senator Pauline Hanson has been suspended from Parliament for the remainder of the year after entering the Senate wearing a burqa as part of a protest calling for a nationwide ban on the garment, media reports said.
Reform UK has recorded a sharp rise in support across London, dealing another blow to Sadiq Khan’s administration as Labour’s numbers continue to slide, the Daily Express reported.
Kabul/IBNS: Afghanistan’s Taliban administration on Tuesday vowed to deliver a “measured response” after overnight airstrikes it accused Pakistan of carrying out killed 10 civilians, sharply escalating tensions a day after a deadly suicide bombing in Pakistan.
Beijing/IBNS: China on Tuesday dismissed the harassment allegations made by Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Arunachal Pradesh–born woman, who claimed she was mistreated by officials at Shanghai Airport.
Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the 2025 femicide brief from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women confirms that femicide continues to take the lives of tens of thousands of women and girls worldwide, with no sign of real progress.
Students and cultural activists demonstrated in Bangladesh over the recent arrest of a baul singer over blasphemy charges for making derogatory remarks during a recent musical performance.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April, following a telephone conversation between the two leaders.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has warned that new tools like generative artificial intelligence could be easily misused without proper checks in place.
Ottawa: Canada approved major changes to its citizenship laws with the passage of Bill C-3, legislation designed to resolve long-standing gaps that prevented some Canadians from passing on citizenship to children born or adopted abroad.
The Malaysian government is planning to ban social media use for users under 16, as part of a wider effort to improve online safety for children, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.
Dubai/IBNS: A US Air Force (USAF) captain has openly criticised the organisers of the Dubai Air Show 2025 for going ahead with scheduled displays even after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter crashed, killing Wing Commander Namansh Syal.
Leaders from across the world are debating how industry can help tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges – from climate change and food insecurity to the need for fairer supply chains – at the Global Industry Summit, which opened on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed 'eliminating' Hamas commander Alaa' Haddadeh, with both Israel and the Palestinian group continuing to accuse each other of ceasefire violations.
At least three Federal Constabulary (FC) officials were killed and three terrorists shot dead after an attack on the paramilitary force’s headquarters in Peshawar on Monday, according to media reports.
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday it killed Hezbollah’s military chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon.
Johannesburg/IBNS: India and Canada agreed to launch negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.
Johannesburg/IBNS: India, Australia, and Canada officially launched a new trilateral technology and innovation partnership, named the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership (ACITI), aimed at enhancing cooperation in critical minerals, clean energy, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out an airstrike on Sunday in Beirut, targeting a senior Hezbollah leader, escalating tensions in the region.
Ministers and leaders from across the world’s 44 least developed countries have pledged to accelerate industrialisation that benefits all, and strengthen resilience in the face of global challenges, at an international UN conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
School owners, teachers and parents in Nigeria have voiced alarm over the surge in student abductions across educational institutions, particularly in the country’s northern region, where a series of attacks has intensified security fears.
Ottawa/IBNS: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed Ukrainians on the occasion of the 92nd Holodomor Memorial Day on Thursday.
Winnipeg/IBNS: A memorial ceremony at the Manitoba Legislature Building on Thursday featured 750 pairs of children’s shoes lit by candles and arranged on the building’s steps to honour the youngest victims of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Armed bandits attacked a private Catholic school in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State on Friday, abducting 215 students and 12 teachers, according to local media reports.
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