News In Brief

Russia wants UN
resolution to preserve N-arms treaty
AFP, United Nations
The US pushed back Thursday against a Russian draft resolution to the UN General Assembly that proposed to preserve the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) that the US plans to pull out of, according to diplomatic sources.
“The international community has an obligation to react to this apocalyptic situation,” a Russian diplomat said in response to Washington’s recent announcement.

India urges UN sanctions on terror groups
PTI, United Nations
India has called for the UN Security Council sanctions regime to “proactively” list terrorists and terror groups involved in sexual violence in armed conflicts, underscoring that prosecution of criminals engaged in trans-boundary crimes is critical to deliver justice to victims.
First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Paulomi Tripathi, on Thursday said that women’s role and perspectives in peace processes remain largely neglected despite the normative and operative frameworks relating to women, peace and security agenda having been considerably strengthened across the UN system over the last two decades.

Emergency declared in typhoon-ravaged Northern Mariana
AFP, Saipan
US military aircraft laden with emergency supplies were flying in to the Northern Mariana Islands Saturday in the wake of destructive Super Typhoon Yutu which destroyed buildings and cut electricity supplies.
Ralph Torres, the governor of the US Pacific territory said President Donald Trump had approved a request for a “major disaster declaration” after the powerful storm, packing winds of up to 180 miles per hour (290kmh) left one person dead and caused widespread damage.

11 dead, 7 missing in Nigeria boat accident
Xinhua, Lagos
At least 11 people died Friday in a boat accident on the River Bukuru in Nigeria’s Benue state, an official said Saturday.
Tayo Fadile, a spokesperson for the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), who confirmed this to Xinhua, said seven of the passengers were still missing. He said 12 of the passengers in the ill-fated boat were rescued by divers.

Suicide attack on Afghan police bus kills six
AFP, Kabul
A suicide car bomb attack on a bus carrying police officers and workers in central Afghanistan killed at least six people and wounded dozens on Saturday, officials said.
The Taliban-claimed blast happened as the bus entered a police compound in the Wardak provincial capital of Maidan Shar, provincial police spokesman Hekmatullah Durrani told AFP. Six bodies and 31 wounded had been taken to hospitals in the city, health director Salim Asgharkhil said.