From protests to UFOs: The non-coronavirus news you may have missed

The number of internally displaced people has hit a record high and the Taliban are trying to woo the minorities they once discriminated against

An internally displaced Somali woman and her children prepare their Iftar meal during the month of Ramadan at the Shabelle makeshift camp in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia. Reuters

Number of internally displaced people hits record 50 million 

The highest number of internally displaced people ever was recorded in 2019 at 50.8 million around the world were recorded, many forced from their homes by conflict and disasters.

The statistics from the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre said that the number was 10 million higher than in 2018, and said that almost 46 of the displaced were in just 61 countries.

Protester dies after riots in Lebanon

A protester died on Tuesday of wounds sustained during clashes with the Lebanese army in the northern city of Tripoli as the country sinks deeper into a severe economic crisis. Riots erupted in the city on Monday evening, with protesters vandalising several banks and throwing Molotov cocktails and a hand grenade at army vehicles, lightly injuring soldiers.

Pentagon declassifies videos that appear to show UFOs

The Pentagon has officially released videos it says shows "unidentified" flying objects speeding through the sky to clear up questions that the previously leaked footage was real.

The three videos, taken by US Navy pilots during training flights in 2004 and 2015, have been the subject of eager speculation since they were published between 2017 and 2018. The Department of Defence said in a statement, which confirmed that “the aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterised as ‘unidentified'.”

Iraq's PM-designate admits he is struggling

Iraq's prime minister-designate has given his clearest response yet to the delays he is encountering ahead of a May 9 deadline to secure a vote of confidence from parliament. Mustafa Al Kadhimi, a former intelligence chief supported by the US, indicated for the first time serious difficulties in forming a cabinet, saying political pressure he has come under is damaging to the national interest.

Taliban attempts to win over Afghanistan's minorities

After years of persecuting Afghanistan's religious and ethnic minorities, the Taliban are now trying to win over and recruit from the Shiite Hazara community ahead of intra-Afghan peace talks.

The predominantly Sunni insurgents posted a video on their website last week to introduce their first local leader from the Hazara community.

Worshipers perform Isha prayer while keeping distance between them next to the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site. AFP

People line up in Bur Dubai to receive an iftar pack from volunteers of the Kerala NGO Markaz. Reem Mohammed/The National

Ramadan decorations on the corniche at sunset, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dar Al Ber Iftar meal preparation for handing out as part of their charity work at the Modern Bakery in Al Quoz. Bulk prepared food is packed for individual consumption. Dr Hisham Al Zahrani inspects the food packaging. Antonie Robertson/The National

Dar Al Ber Iftar meal preparation for handing out as part of their charity work at the Modern Bakery in Al Quoz. Bulk prepared food is packed for individual consumption. Dr Hisham Al Zahrani inspects the food packaging. Antonie Robertson/The National

A worker sprays disinfectant inside a mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Herat, Afghanistan EPA

A woman prays at a mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Herat, Afghanistan. EPA

Ramadan decorations in Downtown, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Men get their hair done before iftar in a salon in Bur Dubai. Reem Mohammed/The National

People line up in Bur Dubai to receive an iftar pack from volunteers of the Kerala NGO Markaz. Reem Mohammed/The National

Noor Jahan and her granddaughter look for Noor’s son, who has joined the line-up in Bur Dubai to receive an iftar pack from volunteers of the Kerala NGO Markaz. Reem Mohammed/The National

Palestinians gather to get soup offered for free during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. EPA

An Iraqi woman prepares Iftar (breaking fast) meals during the holy month of Ramadan, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. REUTERS

Egyptian policeman Mohamed Nasser, wearing a face mask, fires a Ramadan cannon, a traditional cannon that was used in the earlier days to announce breaking fast time, in Cairo. EPA

Volunteers distribute water, food and juice, to a fasting driver on a road in Egypt's Menofia governorate, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP

A Palestinian man collects plastic and recyclable materials in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP