Austrian Foreign Ministry summons Belarusian Ambassador over Ryanair incident
May 26, 2021, at 10:58 pm
Vienna/Sputnik: The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Sputnik on Wednesday that it had summoned Belarusian Ambassador Andrei Dapkiunas to express protest over the Minsk-initiated emergency landing of a Ryanair plane that led to the arrest of an opposition journalist.
After Colombo Port City, yet another construction project goes to a Chinese firm
May 26, 2021, at 10:43 pm
Colombo: Ever since the Rajapaksa brothers came to power in Sri Lanka, China has steadily been increasing its footprints in the island nation. On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan cabinet awarded yet another major project for building a key expressway in its capital Colombo to a Chinese firm.
COVID-19: Bahrain suspends entry of passengers from Pakistan, four other nations
May 26, 2021, at 07:57 pm
Manama: The Bahrain government has stopped entry of travellers arriving from COVID-19 red list countries, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, on all flights starting May 24, media reports said.
Sri Lanka to buy 14 million doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China
May 26, 2021, at 07:47 pm
Sri Lanka will buy 14 million Sinpharm vaccines from China as the government aims to fast-track vaccines drive in the country amid worsening Covid-19 situation, reported Colombopage.
Somali leaders walk ‘back from the brink’, resume talks on critical elections
May 26, 2021, at 07:43 pm
New York: A summit involving leaders of Somalia’s political factions is underway in Mogadishu, a welcome relief after months of escalating tension, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday, expressing hope that a consensus on electoral plans will be announced imminently.
Africa essential for sustainable development, poverty reduction and peace
May 26, 2021, at 06:21 pm
New York: Africa’s rich, diverse cultural and natural heritage, is important for sustainable development, poverty reduction, and “building and maintaining peace”, the UN chief said on Tuesday, marking the international day celebrating the continent.
May 26, 2021, at 06:10 pm
Minsk: The father of a journalist, who was arrested after his flight was intercepted by the Belarus air force and diverted to Belarus on the order of President Alexander Lukashenko, said he feared that his son might be tortured.
UK Foreign Secretary arrives in Israel
May 26, 2021, at 06:01 pm
London/Sputnik: UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he arrived in Israel to discuss a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
Three Japanese fishermen killed after collision with Russian ship in Japan's waters: Kyodo
May 26, 2021, at 03:08 pm
Tokyo/Sputnik: The deaths of three crew members of a Japanese fishing vessel, who were in critical condition after a collision with Russia's Amur ship in Japanese waters, have been confirmed, Kyodo news agency reported, citing firefighters, who also have rescue and ambulance functions.
US: Multiple gunshots fired at George Floyd square in Minneapolis on his first death anniversary
May 26, 2021, at 05:22 am
Washington/IBNS: Multiple gunshots were heard on Tuesday near the site in US' Minneapolis where people were observing the first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, reports said.
Nepal amends citizenship rules, to provide citizenship by descent
May 26, 2021, at 01:31 am
COVID-19: Bahrain suspends entry of passengers from Pakistan, four other nations
May 26, 2021, at 01:17 am
Manama: The Bahrain government has stopped entry of travellers arriving from COVID-19 red list countries, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, on all flights starting May 24, media reports said.
Pakistan: APC terms Bahria Town Karachi as 'illegal'
May 26, 2021, at 01:08 am
Islamabad: An All Parties Conference (APC) on Sunday declared Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) of Pakistan as "illegal and unconstitutional" and "a modern form of colonisation", media reports said.
Pakistan: FC men, protesters clash in Kurram leaving 8 injured
May 26, 2021, at 01:04 am
Kurram: Clashes between the protesters and personnel of the law enforcement agencies in Pakistan's Kurram region on Saturday left at least eight people hurt, media reports said.
Pakistani Air Force partners with Turkey’s notorious paramilitary group: Reports
May 26, 2021, at 12:48 am
The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) has agreed to cooperate with a Turkish paramilitary group accused by the United Nations of deploying fighters, including children, from Syrian armed groups to take part in military operations in Libya, says Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network.
Forced conversion still remains an irritant for Pakistan: Report
May 26, 2021, at 12:44 am
Islamabad: Experts have voiced their concerns that Pakistan is still witnessing hundreds of annual cases of forced conversions of mostly underage non-Muslim girls to Islam in the country.
TLP’s radicalism impacting Pakistan’s political structure: Expert
May 26, 2021, at 12:38 am
Lahore: A Lahore-based journalist has said the rise of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) group has changed the trend in Pakistan which has witnessed religious-political parties not gaining much popularity or even vote bank politics in the country.
Dawood Ibrahim: US agents asked Pakistani gold trader Asif Hafeez for help
May 26, 2021, at 12:34 am
Islamabad: Court papers have revealed that American agents had asked Pakistani gold trader Muhammad Asif Hafeez to help them with information for a breakthrough on India’s most wanted Dawood Ibrahim, media reports said on Tuesday.
Nepal, US discuss bilateral cooperation and Covid situation
May 25, 2021, at 10:33 pm
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali hd a telephonic conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and discussed bilateral cooperation including the Covid situation in Nepal.
Afghan forces free over 40 people from Taliban captivity: Defence Ministry
May 25, 2021, at 10:29 pm
Kabul/Sputnik: The Afghan special forces liberated 41 captives from a Taliban prison in the western province of Herat, the Afghan Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Bank approves 200 million currency swap with Sri Lanka
May 25, 2021, at 10:20 pm
Bangladesh Bank has approved a 200 million US dollar currency swap with Sri Lanka’s central bank. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka agreed to the arrangement during the visit of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to Dhaka earlier this year.
Australia to close down its embassy in Afghanistan amid worsening security situation
May 25, 2021, at 09:16 pm
Melbourne: Australia will close down its embassy in Kabul this week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday, citing the uncertain security environment, thus making it the first major country to shut down its mission after the announcement of foreign troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pakistan's literacy rate stagnated at 60 percent: Survey
May 25, 2021, at 08:22 pm
Islamabad: Pakistan's literacy rate among children aged 10-year-old and above have stagnated at 60 percent, media reports said.
Pakistan seeks broad-based partnership with US, seeks help to arrange Covid 19 vaccine
May 25, 2021, at 08:11 pm
Islamabad: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has now sought the US role in arranging coronavirus vaccine for his country after the nation failed to get supply committed under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVAX because of excessive global demand.
Chinese aggression: Beijing is gradually invading Bhutan, reveals study
May 25, 2021, at 07:52 pm
Paro: A new research has unveiled that China has quietly been invading its Himalayan neighbour Bhutan for years, media reports said.
Lithuania drops out of China's 17+1 group dealing a blow to Beijing
May 25, 2021, at 07:40 pm
Vilnius: Giving China a jolt, Lithuania has dropped out from the "17+1" group and urged other EU countries to follow suit.
High-level probe into Chinese ‘spies’ working in British universities could lead to arrests: Report
May 25, 2021, at 07:19 pm
Beijing/London: A high-level probe into Chinese ‘spies’ working in British universities might lead to arrests in the upcoming weeks, media reports said.
UN chief appeals for dialogue in Samoa amid prime ministerial stand-off
May 25, 2021, at 06:15 pm
New York: The UN has called for dialogue in Samoa, where the first woman elected as Prime Minister was locked out of Parliament on Monday amid a bitter power struggle with the country’s long-standing leader.
May 25, 2021, at 06:12 pm
New York: The UN Secretary-General said on Monday he was “deeply concerned” over the apparent forced landing of a commercial passenger jet over Belarus, and the subsequent detention of a prominent dissident and journalist by authorities there.
WFP scales up support in Yemen but fears response could be hampered
May 25, 2021, at 05:57 pm
New York: Although the World Food Programme (WFP) is ramping up support to people in Yemen’s worst hunger hotspots, in efforts to prevent famine, sustaining response through the rest of the year is uncertain, the UN agency warned on Monday.