PARIS — Five global nuclear powers pledged Monday to prevent atomic weapons spreading and to avoid nuclear conflict, in a rare joint statement setting aside rising West-East tensions to reaffirm a goal of a nuke-free world. “We believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented,” said permanent UN Security Council members […]
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual news conference on Thursday said that insulting Prophet Muhammad does not count as freedom of expression. Insults to the prophet are a “violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam,” said Putin, according to the Russian News Agency […]
DHAKA — At least 32 people died when a packed ferry caught fire in southern Bangladesh on Friday, police said. The incident happened early in the morning near the southern rural town of Jhalokathi, 250km (155 miles) south of the capital Dhaka. The vessel was carrying around 500 people. “The three-storey Obhijan 10 caught fire […]
WASHINGTON — More than 6,400 journalists in Afghanistan have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover of the country, according to a recent survey. The survey conducted by non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) shows a radical change in the Afghan media landscape since the Taliban took power. […]
NEW YORK — The US State Department has said that sixty six Indian-origin terrorists were operating abroad with the global terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) which is also present in India, IANS reported. The number was as of November and none of the foreign terrorist fighters was repatriated to India last year, said the annual […]
PARIS — There are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world, the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more than 25 years ago, the NGO announced today. By contrast, the number killed this year – 46 – was the lowest since it began issuing annual tallies, due to the relative stabilisation of […]
GENEVA — Certain features of the Omicron variant, including its global spread and large number of mutations, suggest it could have a major impact on the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, said the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO). With the Omicron variant now present in 57 countries, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned […]
LONDON — Following up first doses of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines with second doses of the Moderna or Novavax jabs generates robust immune response against Covid-19, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. A team led by researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK found that no safety concerns were […]
MANCHESTER — A plane carrying a “Free Kashmir, 2,500 days occupied” banner was spotted during a football match in Manchester, leaving spectators surprised and amused. The incident happened during the Crystal Palace vs Manchester United match, which was taking place at the Old Trafford — a football stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It is still […]
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Saturday it will host a conference of foreign ministers from Islamic countries later this month in a bid to avert a looming humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters in the eastern city of Lahore that the “extraordinary session” of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic […]