Maldives announces curfew across five islands
May 08, 2021, at 12:51 pm
As Covid-19 cases remain unchecked in the Maldives, authorities on Friday have announced further restrictions, putting five islands under curfew, reported Raajje TV. The measures came after the archipelago over 700 daily cases on Thursday.
$354 million power extension project in Pakistan awarded to Chinese firm
May 08, 2021, at 12:44 pm
Authorities in Pakistan have awarded a hydropower extension project worth $354 million to a Chinese firm, reported Dawn. The contract was signed following an international bidding process.
Resentment among Pakistani diplomats after Khan’s ‘colonial’ remark
May 08, 2021, at 12:41 pm
Anger has been brewing among Pakistan’s foreign service community since the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan rebuked them publicly for what he said their “colonial” mindset while dealing with the expatriate community.
Taliban to stop hostilities in Afghanistan for 3 days after Ramadan: Source
May 08, 2021, at 12:38 pm
Kabul/Sputnik: The Taliban Islamist movement will cease hostilities in Afghanistan for three days after Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan holy month, a source close to the group told Sputnik.
COVID stings Pakistan: Islamabad seals Durand Line with Afghanistan
May 08, 2021, at 05:09 am
Islamabad: Pakistan this week sealed the Torkham land crossing with Afghanistan in an attempt to control the passage of new variants of the coronavirus into the country.
Balochistan witnesses protest after Quetta Police gun down youth
May 08, 2021, at 02:52 am
Quetta: Pakistan's Quetta city witnessed protests recently after the Eagle Squad of Balochistan Police allegedly opened fire on the car being driven by a 22-year-old youth, killing him on Wednesday night in Quetta, media reports said.
G7 targets China on its treatment towards Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and South China Sea
May 08, 2021, at 02:35 am
London: The foreign ministers of Group of Seven (G7) countries have targeted China on issues like Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and military build-up in the South China Sea.
Hague: Pro Uyghur body stages demonstrate outside Chinese Embassy
May 08, 2021, at 02:09 am
Hague: Celebrating Doppa Day on May 5, a demonstration was staged in front of the Chinese Embassy here in the Netherlands by Hague based non-profit group Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) and World Uyghur Congress (WUC), media reports said.
Helmed by a Pakistani, this London eatery serves 500 free mails daily
May 07, 2021, at 06:48 pm
The brainchild of a Pakistani activist and businessman, an Asian community kitchen in West London is serving over 500 hot meals to low-income families, the homeless, and refugees for free each day.
Taliban takes control of of key dam in Afghanistan
May 07, 2021, at 06:46 pm
The Taliban, the Afghan insurgent group, has taken control of the Dahla dam- the second biggest dam in Afghanistan- in the southern province of Kandahar where intense fightings have been raging for months.
Afghanistan border: Four Pakistani soldiers killed in 'terror' ambush
May 07, 2021, at 06:40 pm
Islamabad: As many as four Pakistani soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan, officials said on Friday.
Rising number of poverty-induced child marriages makes Pakistan no country for girls
May 07, 2021, at 06:29 pm
Increasing poverty and spike in the number of child marriages due to it are becoming major causes of concern for young girls in Pakistan.
One dead, 3 injured as explosion hits repair plant in Southern China: Reports
May 07, 2021, at 06:13 pm
Beijing/Sputnik: A powerful explosion has hit a repair plant in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, leaving one person dead and three more injured, media reported on Friday.
UN chief pledges to keep ‘memories alive’ of those who died in service during 2020
May 07, 2021, at 06:00 pm
New York: The United Nations paused on Thursday to honour 336 personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2020: the highest number ever in a single year.
UN launches key initiative to protect seafarers’ human rights amid COVID-19 crisis
May 07, 2021, at 05:43 pm
New York: Around 200,000 cargo ship crew members are stranded at sea, beyond the length of their contracts due to COVID-19 restrictions, placing a major strain on their physical and mental health. New UN guidelines were published on Thursday, aimed at helping the industry better protect human rights at sea, as new COVID variants threaten to further delay crew turnover.
USA: Rights expert decries wave of anti-protest laws ‘spreading through the country’
May 07, 2021, at 04:37 pm
New York: A UN independent human rights expert has slammed new laws in several American states aimed at suppressing racial justice protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a statement on Wednesday.
Former TV presenter gunned down in Afghanistan
May 07, 2021, at 01:14 pm
A former TV presenter in an Afghan news channel was on Thursday gunned down in the southern province of Kandahar, thus adding one more name to the long list of assassinated people, associated with the country’s media industry.
Ahead of confidence motion, Nepal PM Oli reaches out to opposition leader
May 07, 2021, at 01:03 pm
Soon after the Oli government in Nepal was reduced to a minority government, Oli reached out to Sher Bahadur Deuba, the leader of the Nepali Congress, a key opposition party, on Wednesday.
Pakistan PM lauds working of Indian embassies, reprimands its own diplomats
May 07, 2021, at 01:01 pm
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has lauded the working of Indian embassies in foreign countries, saying they work better and remain engaged to attract foreign investment in India. He advised Pakistani diplomats to adopt course corrections in their functioning.
Sri Lankan prime minister elected to head of board of governors of ADB
May 07, 2021, at 12:59 pm
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has been elected to the chair of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), reported Colombopage. Rajapaksa, who also holds the charge of the ministry of finance in Sri Lanka, will remain in the position for 2021-2022.
Ex-Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed injured in suspected bomb blast
May 07, 2021, at 05:23 am
Male/IBNS: Former Maldives President and current Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed was on Thursday injured in a suspected bomb blast, media reports said.
Beijing receives jolt: EU suspends efforts to ratify controversial investment deal with China
May 07, 2021, at 01:42 am
Brussels: Amid ongoing tension between Brussels and Beijing, the European Union has suspended efforts to ratify an investment deal with China, media reports said.
Human Rights and China: Uyghur School Director jailed for 14 years
May 07, 2021, at 01:12 am
A Uyghur academic director and prolific translator who is the brother of an RFA reporter has been sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence following two years spent in an internment camp in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) for “religious extremism", an episode surely highlighting the aggressive stance taken by China over the people of the region.
China arm-twists local news channels in Hong Kong: Reports
May 07, 2021, at 01:01 am
Hong Kong: China is taking up a more aggressive stance against Hong Kong’s main broadcaster as there has been sudden reshuffles from the top while journalists were even removed from their positions, which experts believe is Beijing's attempt to target the local media of the region.
Is Pakistani economy sinking as the trade deficit widens to $23.8b in 10 months?
May 07, 2021, at 12:02 am
Islamabad: Pakistan seems to be struggling in the economic front and it is evident from the trade deficit as it widened to $23.8 billion and exceeded the annual target by $4.1 billion in 10 months of the current fiscal year.
Afghanistan Alert: Taliban threatens media outlets over gov’t collusion
May 06, 2021, at 11:57 pm
Kabul: Taliban terror group has warned the Afghan media outlets to halt what they called one-sided publications and broadcastings.
May 06, 2021, at 11:30 pm
Islamabad: A senior Pakistan journalist has pointed out that a large number of children in the country are sexually abused and are vulnerable to assault and this is a reality that can no longer be ignored.
Japan's ruling opposition parties agree on bill for amending referendum law: Reports
May 06, 2021, at 10:30 pm
Tokyo/Sputnik: Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party reached an agreement on Thursday to approve a modified bill on a nationwide referendum law, the Kyodo news agency reported.
Beijing indefinitely suspends China-Australia strategic economic dialogue: Commission
May 06, 2021, at 09:43 pm
Beijing/UNI: Beijing decided on Thursday to indefinitely suspend the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue over what it describes as Canberra's measures to disrupt normal exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said.
EU approves bringing US, Canada, Norway, into Bloc's PESCO Defence initiative
May 06, 2021, at 09:34 pm
Brussels/Sputnik: The Council of the European Union on Thursday approved inviting the United States, Canada and Norway to participate in the bloc's Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defense initiative.