Asia

    "Two-thirds of ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year have taken place in the last five weeks," added Swarup. India on Thursday rejected Pakistan’s allegations of ceasefire violations by Indian Army along the International Border as false and baseless. In a statement to the media, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup insisted that India’s security forces don’t initiate nor violate ceasefire, they only retaliate. “Two-thirds of ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year have taken place in the last five weeks,” added Swarup. MEA also termed Pakistan’s allegation against certain Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad as ‘baseless and unsubstantiated’. “We completely reject baseless and unsubstantiated allegations made by Pakistan against ...

    National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi will meet in Hyderabad in November first week for informal dialogue on the state of bilateral relations. National Security Advisors of India and China will meet next week to discuss measures to improve bilateral ties which are strained by differences over a host of issues, including India’s admission into NSG and Beijing’s attempts to block UN ban on JeM Chief Masood Azhar. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi will meet in Hyderabad in November first week for informal dialogue on the state of bilateral relations, specially the irritants bedevilling the development of ties, officials said. Besides blocking India’s admission into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (N...

    The Afghan girl whose piercing eyes made her famous when her photo appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine has been reportedly been arrested on suspicion of corruption. Sharbat Gula, photographed as a 12-year-old inhabitant of a refugee camp in 1984, now faces the possibility of spending 14 years in jail, it was reported. She was arrested at her home in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Wednesday by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Peshawar, Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper said. Quoting “FIA sources,” the Pakistani newspaper said she was suspected of forging a computerised national identity card. The extraordinary twist in Ms Gula’s story was, some commentators suggested, an episode which highlighted the desperate measures many Afghans are willing to take t...

    Pakistan said that two civilians were killed and nine others injured in the firing. For the second day in a row, Pakistan on Wednesday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a strong protest over alleged unprovoked firing by Indian forces along the Working Boundary and Line of Control. It was second day in succession that Indian envoy J P Singh was summoned by the Foreign Office over violation of ceasefire. The Indian Deputy High Commissioner was summoned by the Director General (South Asia & SAARC) today. A strong protest was lodged against the unprovoked ceasefire violations, the Foreign Office said in a statement. The protest was lodged over violation of ceasefire agreement at the Working Boundary in Chaprar and Harpal sectors and on the LoC in Bhimber...

    Modi focused on the need to awaken responsibility among 1.25 crore Indians towards persons with disability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his first visit to Vadodara since he was elected in 2014, on Saturday hinted at “surgical strikes” on black money. Speaking at an event — the Swavlamban Samajik Adhikarita Shivir — to distribute aids and assistance to the specially-abled in Vadodara, Modi asked the crowd in Hindi, “Do you know what the entire world is praising India for currently?” The crowd chorused, “Surgical strikes.” Watch what else is making news: Amid the chorus, Modi continued in Gujarati, “The economic growth of the country continues despite two droughts. The entire world is looking up to the progress India is making in its economic sector. Do you remember wha...

    Accusing politicians of causing a great harm to the country, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak recently endorsed Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statement that Islamabad’s roads were probably being built through revenue earned from Chittagong’s jute fields. “Sheikh Mujeeb was very right in saying that we, the politicians from West Pakistan, looted Bengalis and deprived them of their rights. The pace of development is fast in Bangladesh now as they have improved their system of governance and are now among few developing nations,” reports The Express Tribune reports on Sunday quoting Khattak. Pervaiz Khattak was addressing different public gatherings in Ghazi, Haripur and Havelian areas. He on Saturday said politicians were responsible for h...

    PM Modi said the leaders were unanimous in recognising the threat that terror, extremism and radicalization present to regional and global peace, stability and economic prosperity. Combating cross-border terrorism and its supporters will be a key priority for BRICS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday announcing decisions taken by top leaders of the five-nation influential grouping at its annual summit. In his concluding remarks at the BRICS summit, Modi said it was agreed at the summit that those who nurture, shelter, support and sponsor forces of violence and terror are as much a threat to us as terrorists themselves and efforts must be speeded up to deal with the menace. This is seen as a boost to India’s stand on the issue as it has been pitching for isolation ...

    King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died peacefully on Thursday, was the world's longest-reigning monarch, credited with restoring the influence of Thailand's royalty during 70 years on the throne and earning the devotion of many of his subjects. For the majority of the country's 68 million people, the king was a pillar of stability in rapidly changing times - Thailand embraced industrialisation during his reign but also saw its parliamentary democracy punctuated by 10 military coups, the most recent in May 2014. King Bhumibol, who ascended the throne on June 9, 1946, was seen as a force for unity, and there have long been concerns that the political tensions that have riven Thailand over the past decade could worsen after his death. That may be less likely under the regime of th...

    A little girl protected by the embrace of her dead father was the last survivor pulled out of the rubble of collapsed multi-storey buildings in China, reports said today. She was found deep in the debris of four six-storey residential buildings more than 12 hours after they crumbled in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, killing at least 22 people, state broadcaster CCTV said. Three-year-old Wu Ningxi survived with only minor injuries thanks to the protection offered by her young father, who was found dead after shielding her from falling rubble, it added. "The child was able to survive entirely thanks to the fact that her dad used his own flesh and blood to prop up a life-saving space for his daughter," a rescuer told the China Youth Daily. The 26-year-old shoe f...

    On Bigg Boss 10, Salman Khan is hosting Deepika Padukone and not Ae Dil Hai Mushkil stars including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as his first guest. Bigg Boss 10 is all set to land on our TV screens on October 16 and we can’t be more excited. Other than the usual but winning mix of celeb participants, Salman Khan and controversies, we also have common people in the show this year. And then there are the star guests. We see the big stars attending the show to promote their films and Salman Khan giving them the Salman Khan treatment. We all remember how Bigg Boss 9 ended with Katrina Kaif appearing on the show to promote her film Fitoor. There was a lot of buzz regarding whether Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay stars will appear on Bigg Boss 10 to promote their films. Speculation sa...