Headlines- "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic [Republic] of Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on the X social media platform..
- The declaration of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was applauded by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which described it as "a critical and long-overdue reprieve for civilians who have endured weeks of unrelenting violence."
- The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed optimism that it will lay the groundwork for long-term stability in the Middle East.
- As part of an earlier two-week ceasefire deal between Tehran and the United States to pause the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's Foreign Ministry praised the ceasefire reached by Israel and Lebanon.
- At midnight local time on Friday, gunfire broke out in the southern suburbs of Beirut as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect.
- The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health estimates that since March 2, Israeli forces have killed at least 2,196 civilians and injured another 7,185.
- The Lebanese government urges people not return back to their homes in southern Lebanon, despite Israel and Lebanon have reached a 10-day ceasefire.
- The United States is "very close" to a deal with Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Year: 2020
Laos Cracks Down on Ivory, Rhino...
More than 200 kilograms of prohibited wildlife products were confiscated in Luang Prabang in 2017, 2018, and 2019, an official from the province’s Agriculture and Forestry Department told RFA’s Lao Service at the end of the year
US to Push Ahead in 2020...
The year 2020 in Afghanistan begins with the Trump administration vowing to push ahead with plans to withdraw U.S. troops and an upward trend in the number of U.S. combat casualties in the country. In December, the White House said U.S. troop reduction in Afghanistan was “not necessarily” tied to reaching a peace agreement with the Taliban
DC Restaurant Gives The US Capital...
Hundreds of new restaurants mushroom in Washington every year, but the “Immigrant Food” restaurant that recently opened just a block away from the White House is unique
Women in Muslim New Delhi Neighborhood...
Hundreds of women camping on a road that connects New Delhi to a satellite town are holding one of the most unusual protests that has happened in India in the aftermath of a new citizenship law. The law excludes Muslims from religious groups that can be granted expedited citizenship if they faced religious persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh
Tibetan Buddhist Centers Linked to Larung...
A worldwide network of Tibetan Buddhist centers founded by a senior abbot of the Larung Gar Academy in China’s Sichuan province has been closed down, with followers suspecting Chinese pressure behind the move
Malaysia Detains Hundreds of Undocumented Migrants...
After obtaining identification documents from their embassies and showing plane tickets to their home countries, applicants were also required to pay a fee of 700 ringgit (U.S. $171) as a penalty for overstaying in the country, officials said
Nigeria’s Visually Impaired Struggle Against Poverty,...
A year ago, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Act to help the country’s disabled. However, Nigeria’s blind and visually impaired say they are still struggling against poverty and bias, with many forced to beg for a living.
Pakistani Reporter Nasrullah Chaudhry Sentenced to...
The anti-terrorist court in Karachi (southern Pakistan), sentenced journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry to December 5, 2019 to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 rupees (125 euros). Editor of the daily newspaper in Urdu language Nai Baat , he was arrested on November 11, 2018 for “possession of documents inciting religious hatred and jihad”
Good News
A new surgical procedure makes it easier and safer for living donor to donate a portion of lever for live saving lever transplant..A California startup called OFFWORLD has ambitious plans that are out of this world. They are working on developing autonomous robots that would be able to mine the Moon and Mars
New denial of justice for Cambodian...
On November 14, 2017, in the wake of their arrest, the pro-government website Fresh News had indeed leaked information according to which the police had found pornographic material “produced with foreign nationals” on the computer of the one of the two journalists. It is on the basis of this pseudo-information that the judge decided to continue the investigation