N.Korean defectors launch 1st-ever political party

Seoul (IANS) In a first, North Korean defectors launched a political party in South Korea, vowing to work toward "liberating" people in their homeland from autocratic rule and promoting the rights of defectors, it was reported.

"Although we…

'Prisoner swap can't be precondition for talks with Taliban'

Kabul (IANS) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday again refused to accept the release of thousands of Taliban prisoners as a precondition for talks with the militant group, in a move that was likely to delay intra-Afghan peace negotiations set…

Senator Warren drops out of Democratic presidential nomination race

New York (IANS) Senator Elizabeth Warren has quit the Democratic race for the party's presidential nomination setting the field for a straight ideological contest between two septuagenarians, centrist former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator…

Brexit preps cost UK govt over $5 bn

London (IANS) Departments of the UK government have spent more than 4 billion pounds ($5 billion) on preparations for leaving the European Union (EU), according to country's public spending watchdog.

In a report, the National Audit Office…

Afghan experts cast doubt on US-Taliban peace deal

Kabul (IANS) Afghan experts have cast doubts over the outcome of the historic US-Taliban peace accord, which was signed in Doha on February 29 after 18 months of negotiations,
saying that the accord won't lead to ending the war in Afghanistan…

US committed to facilitating prisoner exchange: Khalilzad

Kabul (IANS) Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, on Thursday said that Washington was still committed to facilitating the prisoner exchange that was agreed on in the landmark peace deal signed with the Taliban.

Top court backs Afghan war crimes probe

The Hague (IANS) The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday ruled that an investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by the US and others in the Afghan war could go ahead.

Thursday's development comes The Hague-based ICC…

Biden sweeps early wins in 'Super Tuesday' primaries

Washington (IANS) Former US Vice President Joe Biden has scored early victories in Super Tuesday's Democratic primaries of the 2020 presidential election.

Biden has already been seen as winner in North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama, where…

2 Amazon workers infected with COVID-19, Twitter restricts travel

San Francisco (IANS) Amazon has confirmed that two of its employees have been infected with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy.

Amazon spokesperson Drew Herdener said that the company was "supporting the affected employees, who were in…

China's GDP decline at highest in 3 decades on '2020 Black Swan' event

New York (IANS) As a knock on effect of the coronavirus outbreak, China is expected to see the largest decline in the quarter-on-quarter GDP in over three decades.

Calling it "2020's Black Swan", according to a report by marquee fund house…