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UNITED NATIONS, Feb 03 (APP): “Torture and ill-treatment” of detainees persist in Afghan prisons, with nearly a third of those accused of security and terrorism-related allegations subjected to abuse, a new United Nations report said Wednesday.

The report, released jointly by UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Geneva-headquartered UN Human Rights Office, concluded that the percentage of detainees who had been tortured had fallen slightly over the 15 months to March 2020 to 30.3% from 31.9% in the previous two years, but remained “alarming”.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 03 (APP): Pakistan told a United Nations briefing on Afghanistan Tuesday that turning back from the ongoing Afghan peace process would be a tragedy, especially after making “substantial progress” towards a political solution to the country’s conflict, even though difficulties remain.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Myanmar on Tuesday but was unable to agree on a statement about the country’s military coup, with diplomats saying negotiations will continue.

“China and Russia have asked for more time,” one diplomat said following the behind-closed-doors videoconference meeting that lasted just over two hours.

“A statement is still under discussion,” confirmed another diplomat, also on condition of anonymity.

02 Feb 2021; MEMO: Global oil prices have risen following recent coronavirus developments around the world as a result of the vaccine roll out.

Fitch Solutions said in a report that demand for crude oil would rise in "the North America and the Asia-Pacific region," adding that the recovery would be "slower in Europe and Latin America due to the slow economic recovery in the main markets in those regions."

United Nations, Feb 2 (PTI) The UN Security Council on Tuesday will discuss the situation in Myanmar, where the military staged a coup after detaining top political figures, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and look at a "range of measures" with an idea of respecting the people's will expressed in the November general election.

(AP) --- Parts of northern New England were waiting their turn to be pummeled by a heavy winter storm Tuesday, while residents of the New York City region were digging out from under piles of snow that shut down public transport, canceled flights and closed coronavirus vaccination sites.

The National Weather Service said a foot (31 centimeters) or more could be on the ground in New England by the time the snow finally tapers off in the northernmost states by Wednesday evening.

ROCHESTER (NEW YORK, US), Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A 9-year-old Black girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police in the US city of Rochester, sparking new outrage over excesses committed by the country’s law enforcement.

Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson said the girl – who has not been named – had been suffering from a serious mental health emergency, reportedly threatening to take her own life and that of her mother.

United Nations, Feb 1 (PTI) The top United Nations leadership has strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders, as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres voiced concern over transfer of powers to the military, calling it a serious blow to democratic reforms in the country.

NEW YORK, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 26 million on Saturday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. COVID-19 case count rose to 26,012,880, with a total of 438,239 deaths, as of 2:22 p.m. local time (1922 GMT), according to the CSSE tally.

NEW YORK (AP) — Two men identified as members of the Proud Boys have been indicted on federal conspiracy and other charges in the Capitol riot as prosecutors raise the stakes in some of the slew of cases stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection.