Amid pandemic, Bangladesh govt allows some madrasas to reopen
Jul 11, 2020, at 02:38 pm
Dhaka: As other institutions remained shut due to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bangladesh government has allowed Hifzakhanas, madrasas that are not registered with an education board, to reopen on Sunday.
Donald Trump Signs Order Commuting Ex-Aide Roger Stone's 'Unjust' Sentence - White House
Jul 11, 2020, at 02:13 pm
Washington/Sputnik: US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order commuting his former adviser Roger Stone's sentence, the White House said in a statement.
Erdogan's Turkey turns Hagia Sophia into a mosque again; UNESCO regrets
Jul 11, 2020, at 06:01 am
Istanbul/IBNS: Hagia Sophia, Turkey's iconic monument, a UNESCO World Heritage and one of the central attractions of its capital Istanbul, is no longer a museum. It has been turned back as a mosque though some 1500 years ago it was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral.
Canada ill-prepared for second wave of COVID-19, says Senate Committee
Jul 11, 2020, at 05:31 am
Ottawa/IBNS: The Liberal Party of Canada had been asked by Canada's Senate Committee to deliver by Labour Day a contingency plan to contain the potential second wave of COVID-19, for which Canada is ill-prepared, media reports said.
Hong Kong: China's new agency to monitor national security law implementation
Jul 11, 2020, at 04:54 am
Hong Kong: Despite violent protests and agitations, Chinese authorities have opened a new agency in Hong Kong city which will be engaged in monitoring the implementation of the newly enacted law on national security in the special administrative region, media reports said.
China is using 'debt-plomacy' against Muslim nations to buy its silence on Uyghurs: Report
Jul 11, 2020, at 04:50 am
Beijing: China's ‘debt-plomacy’ imposed on Islamic nations like Pakistan is the reason why these countries are silent to the alleged Chinese excesses against its Muslim population, according a Singapore publication.
Jul 11, 2020, at 04:46 am
Geneva: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said it is analysing the contents of the new National Security Law that was adopted very carefully by China recently in terms of its compliance with the international human rights obligations applicable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Australia might ban Chinese app Tik Tok
Jul 11, 2020, at 04:16 am
Sydney: Amid growing concern that the platform might pose a national security threat and even when it is feared that the user's data might be shared with China, the Australia government is planning to ban Tik Tok following the action taken by India after a border faceoff with China, media reports said.
KP Oli led Nepal government rendered state system dysfunctional: Expert
Jul 11, 2020, at 03:09 am
Kathmandu: Nepal PM KP Oli-led government has rendered the state system dysfunctional, largely derailed democracy, and for all practical purposes, sent the 'republican' constitution into a coma, an expert has said.
Uyghur rights group asks UN to immediately strip China of its participatory status at UNHRC
Jul 11, 2020, at 01:38 am
Washington: Expressing concern over the manner in which China treats the minority community, a Uyghur rights group has urged the United Nations to immediately strip Beijing of its participatory status at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Jul 11, 2020, at 01:33 am
Washington: American scholar Michael Rubin has said Pakistan's failure of several decades to hold to account the terror complicity of its spy wing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has soiled the Islamic nation's reputation.
Lahore Court denies bail to Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, protests erupt
Jul 11, 2020, at 01:20 am
Lahore: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail application filed by Jang/Geo Media Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, highlighting the intention of PM Imran Khan-led government to dominate the media of the nation.
China’s Coast Guard shows up at Vanguard Bank in South China Sea to rile Vietnam
Jul 11, 2020, at 01:05 am
Chinese checkers: Boundary with China under negotiation, it hasn't been demarcated, says Bhutan
Jul 11, 2020, at 12:40 am
Thimphu/New Delhi: Amid COVID-19 pandemic spread and Chinese aggression evident in different corners of Asia, Himalayan nation Bhutan said its boundary with China is "under negotiation" and hasn't been demarcated.
Jul 11, 2020, at 12:32 am
Quetta: Residents of Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) this week protested against China and Pakistan over the illegal construction of dams on the Neelam and Jhelum rivers.
Jul 11, 2020, at 12:28 am
Washington: Focussing on the threat which China poses to the world, FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday said Beijing is working to compromise American health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions conducting essential COVID-19 research.
Islamabad: Court disposes three identical petitions filed against construction of Hindu temple
Jul 11, 2020, at 12:20 am
Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday disposed of three identical petitions filed against the construction of a Hindu temple in Pakistan capital city Islamabad.
Kenyan banks swamp debt market as COVID-19 slows down economic activities
Jul 10, 2020, at 10:50 pm
Nairobi/Xinhua: Kenya's short-term government securities received the highest subscription in history this week as banks swamped the debt market with bids amid reduced economic activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iran refutes claims on explosion in western Tehran province – Reports
Jul 10, 2020, at 10:42 pm
Moscow/Sputnik: The Iranian authorities have denied reports on an alleged explosion that took place in the province of Tehran late on Thursday, the IRIB broadcaster reported on Friday, citing the head of one of the local cities.
Power cuts hit South Africa amid COVID-19
Jul 10, 2020, at 10:39 pm
Cape Town/Xinhua: A new spate of power cuts hit South Africa on Friday, the first time in four months, as the country grapples with an escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
560 hotels close in Lebanon amid COVID-19 outbreak, financial crisis
Jul 10, 2020, at 10:34 pm
Beirut/Xinhua: A total of 560 hotels shut down in Lebanon due to the absence of tourists given the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide, Elnashra, online independent newspaper, reported on Friday.
Afghanistan: Security forces kill Pakistani terrorist
Jul 10, 2020, at 09:44 pm
Kabul: The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have killed a Pakistani terrorist during an operation in Afghanistan's South-eastern Paktiya province, media reports said.
Pakistan: Seven Punjab cities to undergo 15-day lockdown from today
Jul 10, 2020, at 09:09 pm
Lahore: With increased COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, seven cities in Punjab will be under a 15-day smart lockdown which will start from Friday, media reports said.
Professor charged for illegally using US grants to aid Chinese research - Justice Dept
Jul 10, 2020, at 03:46 pm
Washignton/Sputnik: A professor at a US university has been charged for allegedly using US grant funds to develop China's expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology, the Justice Department said in a press release.
Intercommunal violence, terrorist attacks inflame tensions in West Africa
Jul 10, 2020, at 03:24 pm
Intercommunal violence and persistent attacks by extremists, continue to undermine peace and security across West Africa, the UN’s top official in the region warned the Security Council on Thursday, calling for sustained engagement with all partners to urgently advance a holistic approach to peace.
Global Acceleration Framework to speed up water and sanitation access for all
Jul 10, 2020, at 03:21 pm
New York: A new mechanism launched on Thursday aims to speed up action so that people everywhere will have access to water and sanitation by the end of the decade, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Address ‘unprecedented’ impact of coronavirus on Latin America and the Caribbean, urges Guterres
Jul 10, 2020, at 03:18 pm
New York: As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the world, Latin America and the Caribbean have become a “hotspot of the pandemic”, the UN chief said on Thursday, releasing a new policy initiative on how best to recover in a region already embroiled in poverty, hunger, unemployment and inequality.
Jul 10, 2020, at 02:38 pm
New York: The growing use of weaponised drones risks destabilising global peace and security and creating a “drone power club” among nations, that face no effective accountability for deploying them as part of their “war on terror”, a senior UN-appointed independent rights expert said on Thursday.
Bangladesh: Former home minister Sahara Khatun dies, Sheikh Hasina mourns
Jul 10, 2020, at 02:33 pm
Dhaka: Bangladesh's former home minister Sahara Khatun, who was undergoing treatment in a Thailand hospital, died on Friday.
Refugees in Africa ‘even more vulnerable than ever’ amid COVID crisis
Jul 10, 2020, at 02:24 pm
New York: Millions of refugees across Africa face even greater food insecurity because of aid disruption and rising food prices linked to the COVID-19 crisis, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.