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.