Afghanistan has welcomed remarks made by the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar at the ‘Heart Of Asia’ conference in Dushanbe on Tuesday. Making reference to the presence of foreign fighters and support of terrorism in Afghanistan by the foreign government Jaishankar had said, “For a durable peace in Afghanistan, what we need is a genuine ‘double peace’, […]
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Rights report highlights unlawful killings and forced disappearance of Baloch activists in Pakistan
In its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights, the US State Department has highlighted significant human rights issues in Pakistan, including unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government and forced disappearance of Pashtun, Sindhi, and Baloch human rights activists. The report, released on Tuesday, said that there was a lack of government accountability, and abuses often […]
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France submits the baguette for Unesco heritage status
France has chosen the baguette as its candidate for Unesco intangible cultural heritage status, the government said yesterday, seeking recognition for that most quintessential of French symbols While berets and strings of garlic around the neck might be more stereotype than reality these days, long loaves of bread are still […]
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Brazil’s Bolsonaro overhauls cabinet amid Covid surge
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro overhauled his government yesterday, changing six cabinet members including the foreign, defence and justice ministers, as the far-right leader faced mounting pressure over a deadly surge of Covid-19. Bolsonaro, who comes up for re-election in October 2022, has drawn backlash with his handling of the pandemic […]
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Japanese health minister apologises for staff breaking Covid-19 protocols
Japan’s health minister apologised today after media reported ministry employees had gathered at a restaurant late at night in Tokyo in violation of the government’s Covid-19 contagion protocols. Norihisa Tamura confirmed that 23 ministry employees ate dinner together on March 24 and that he would investigate the matter quickly, Kyodo […]
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Myanmar crackdown death toll passes 500
More than 500 people have been killed in the Myanmar junta’s brutal crackdown on protests against its coup to oust civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a local monitoring group said today. The grim toll was passed as world powers ramped up their condemnation of the military’s ruthless campaign against […]
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ICC rules on appeal by Congolese ‘Terminator’ warlord
The International Criminal Court will decide Tuesday on an appeal by a Congolese warlord dubbed the “Terminator”, who received the tribunal’s longest-ever war crimes sentence. Rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda was convicted by the Hague-based ICC in 2019 over a reign of terror in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the […]
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S Jaishankar to attend Heart of Asia conference in Tajikistan today
During his three-day visit to Tajikistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the ninth Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) on Afghanistan in Dushanbe on Tuesday. Jaishankar will attend the conference at the joint invitation of his counterparts from Afghanistan and Tajikistan. He is expected to meet leaders of other participating countries on the sidelines, […]
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India urges UNSC to introspect about cost of ‘actions and inactions’ in Syria
India has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to assess the “costs of its actions and inactions” in Syria and said there is an urgent need to build consensus on the humanitarian situation and collectively work to ameliorate the sufferings of people in the middle eastern country. Speaking in the UNSC Meeting on Syria (humanitarian issues) […]
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5.8 magnitude quake hits Japan’s Chiba
An quake”>earthquake of magnitude 5.8 on the Richter scale struck off Chiba Prefecture of Japan on Sunday morning. The temblor occurred at around 9:27 am (local time), with its epicenter at a latitude of 33.7 degrees north and a longitude of 140.5 degrees east, and at depth of 50 km, Xinhua reported. So far no tsunami […]
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Iran-China to sign 24-year cooperation pact
Iran and China are to sign a 25-year cooperation agreement later today, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said, as the US rivals move closer together. China is Iran’s leading trade partner and was the biggest buyer of Iranian oil before then US president Donald Trump reimposed sweeping unilateral sanctions […]
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Pakistani Rock Band ‘Strings’ Disbanded After 33 Years
Pakistani rock band Strings, known for belting out hit songs like “Dhaani” and “Duur“, have announced that they are ending their 33-year-long musical partnership. The group took to social media on Thursday evening to announce their decision to disband, saying that the members will share an “inseparable bond”. “Hey guys. […]
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Indonesia bans Ramadan exodus over coronavirus fears
Muslim majority Indonesia today banned an annual exodus that sees millions travel across the vast nation to mark the end of Ramadan over fears of a surge in Covid-19 infections. Travellers pack into airports, train stations and ports across the nearly 5,000-kilometre-long archipelago in a mass migration, known as Mudik, […]
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PM Modi pays tribute to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tribute to Bangladesh’s ‘Father of the Nation’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh and later he also became the prime minister. He was assassinated on August 15, 1975. Rahman is known as […]
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Army troops display para dropping techniques to South Korean Defence Minister in Agra
Indian Army Troops displayed para dropping techniques to South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook on Saturday morning in Agra. Indian Army Chief MM Naravane, who was also present there, witnessing combat freefall and static line jump. The programme, organised to commemorate Shu Wook’s visit to India, continued for half-hour glorifying the bilateral defence meet between […]