China: Health experts issue alert as seasonal influenza cases spike
Beijing: The recent COVID-19 surge is slowly waning in China but the country is currently witnessing a spike in seasonal influenza cases.
World
Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for recent attacks on Pakistani security forces, communication towers
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) recently took responsibility for the attack on Pakistani security forces and communication towers in Mastung and Panjgur areas, media reports said.
China demands US stops all military contact with Taiwan: Defense Ministry
Beijing: China demands that the United States stop all military contact with Taiwan and stop arms sales to the island, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said.
Newly announced prison terms in Belarus signal ‘ongoing repression’
New York: A fresh round of prison sentences announced on Friday in Belarus signal "ongoing repression" in the country, where almost 1,500 people are detained on politically motivated charges, the UN human rights agency says.
State Bank of Pakistan massively hikes interest rate by 300bps
The State Bank of Pakistan has moved up key interest rates by a massive 300 basis points (bps), the highest figure touched since 1996.
Bhutan's Health Ministry launches initiative to screen hearing impairments
The Bhutanese Health Ministry is all set to carry out hearing screening for the country’s entire population and plans to provide hearing aids to those with partial hearing impairments, media reports said.
Haiti: Surge in gun trafficking fuels spike in gang violence
New York: Increasingly sophisticated and high-calibre firearms and ammunition are being trafficked into Haiti, fuelling an ongoing surge of gang violence that has plagued residents for months, according to a new UN assessment released on Thursday.
Myanmar: Tatmadaw army’s ‘scorched earth’ policy in spotlight
New York: Two years since a military coup in Myanmar, the UN rights office, OHCHR, warned on Friday that the generals’ “scorched earth” policy had left thousands of civilians dead, 80 per cent of townships impacted by fighting and the army “stretched so thin” on the ground, that it resorts to airstrikes.
Stone-masonry houses in Bhutan are earthquake-prone: Study
Thimpu: A recent study has unveiled that a Bhutanese house built with stone slabs is more susceptible to earthquakes compared to mud-rammed and concrete buildings, media reports said.
Bhutan now has a batch of monks with Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies, Je Khenpo awards certificates to 30 monks
Bhutan, the Himalayan Nation known for its scenic beauty, now has a batch of monks with a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies.
Terrorist killed in operation in North-West Pakistan: military
Islamabad: A terrorist was killed in an intelligence-based operation in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a military statement said.
Terrorist killed in operation in NW Pakistan: Military
Islamabad/UNI: A terrorist was killed in an intelligence-based operation in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a military statement said.
Security forces kill terrorist during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan
North Waziristan: Security forces killed a terrorist during an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan district’s Mir Ali general area on Friday, media reports said.
Indonesia: Fire breaks out at fuel storage station in Jakarta, 16 die
Jakarta: A fire broke out at a fuel storage station in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta which left at least 16 people dead, media reports said on Saturday.
Inflation spikes in Pakistan, experts feel families will need to make choices, sacrifices
Islamabad: Consumers are facing tough times in Pakistan, a nation battered by the economic crisis, as inflation spiked to touch a record figure last month, media reports said.
Crimes against humanity likely committed in Nicaragua, says independent rights probe
New York: Crimes against humanity in Nicaragua that have held the population there “hostage”, have likely been committed by pro-Government groups and sanctioned at the highest level since 2018, UN-appointed independent rights investigators said on Thursday.
Niger joins crucial UN transboundary water-sharing accord
New York: Niger announced on Thursday that it is to join a key UN water-sharing agreement with its Lake Chad neighbours in the increasingly drought-prone Sahel region.
Child Pornography charges: Maryland Mayor resigns following his arrest
Patrick Wojahn, the mayor of College Park, Maryland, has resigned after he was arrested on 56 counts of child pornography-related charges, media reports said.
Iraq: Repatriations from notorious Syria camp ‘an example for the world’
New York: UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday praised Iraq for repatriating its citizens from camps in northeast Syria holding people suspected of having ties to ISIL extremists, urging other governments “to take responsibility and to act”.
Food rationing for Rohingya refugees a ‘matter of life and death’: rights expert
New York: As food rationing begins for Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, a top UN-appointed independent rights expert on Thursday urged the international community to step in and reverse the policy as “a matter of life and death”.
WHO chief underscores need for ‘peace for health’ in landmark visit to northwest Syria
New York: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday visited earthquake-ravaged northwest Syria, becoming the first senior UN official to enter the region since war erupted in the country 12 years ago this month.
Governments urged to strengthen child social protection
New York: The number of children worldwide without access to social protection continues to rise, putting them at risk of poverty, hunger and discrimination, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report published on Wednesday.
Former Pakistani hockey player Shahida Raza dies in Italian shipwreck
Islamabad: Former hockey player Shahida Raza was among the Pakistani citizens who lost their lives after a wooden sailing boat, which was carrying migrants, crashed against rocks on the southern Italian coast over the weekend, media reports said.
Two US citizens arrested for illegally exporting technology to Russia
Washington: Two Kansas men were arrested today on charges related to a years-long scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws that included the illegal export of aviation-related technology to Russia after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the imposition of stricter restrictions on exports to Russia.
Afghanistan: IED blast in Khost leaves six TTP terrorists dead
Khost: An IED blast in Afghanistan's Khost province left at least six Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, including a prominent commander, dead on Thursday.
Libya boat wreck: Seven Pakistani die
Islamabad: At least seven Pakistani nationals died in a boat wreck in Libya’s port city of Benghazi, the country's Foreign office confirmed on Thursday.
Kenya: Popular Chinese-owned store in Nairobi shuts doors
Nairobi: A Chinese-owned supermarket named China Square in Kenya's Nairobi was shut down indefinitely amid uproar from competitors over low-priced goods.
Prince Harry, Meghan to be 'evicted' from their home on Windsor estate: Reports
London/IBNS: UK Royals Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are being evicted from their home on the British royal family's Windsor estate, reports said on Wednesday.
Death toll from Greece train collision rises to 36, three-day national mourning declared
Athens/UNI: The death toll from the collision of two trains in central Greece on late Tuesday night has increased to 36, while 66 injured people were still hospitalized, including six in serious condition in intensive care units, the Greek Fire Service said on Wednesday.
Restrictions on outbound remittances: DHL suspends ‘Import Express Product’ in Pakistan from Mar 15
Karachi: Global logistics company DHL has said it will suspend all its operations partially in Pakistan due to restrictions on outbound remittances by the government, media reports said.