Asia

China a ‘principal military, economic threat’ in Asia: US Commerce Secretary
9Dec By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, Singapore, World

China a ‘principal military, economic threat’ in Asia: US Commerce Secretary

China continues to be both the largest potential market and the principal military and economic threat in the Asian region, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said on Tuesday.Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit, Ross said: “China accounts for 210 out of 539 anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders imposed by the U.S. In addition, China makes up a “good portion” of the U.S. entity list that restricts companies’ access to American suppliers for national security reasons, he said.Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are slapped on products suspected of being sold at an unfairly low price. Chinese firms that have been put on the entity list include telecommunications giant Huawei.Commenting on the recently signed between China and 14 other Asia-Pacific Countries, Ross said that...
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6 men abduct minor in Pakistan’s Punjab, force her to marry 45-year-old man
7Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

6 men abduct minor in Pakistan’s Punjab, force her to marry 45-year-old man

In Pakistan’s Punjab province, a case has been registered against six men for allegedly abducting a 12-year-old girl and later forcing her to get married to a 45-year-old man.Though the girl was recovered by police officials, the accused managed to flee from the location. A local court had also chided the investigation offer for mentioning the wrong age of the victim as 17.Meanwhile, the father of the victim has appealed to higher authorities seeking action against the accused, and also complained of non-cooperation from the police department in this case.Earlier in November, a case of child marriage had surfaced in the Thul town of Sindh’s Sukkur despite a law outlawing such marriages put in place.Prior to that, a 13-year-old Christian girl named Arzoo Raja was forcibly abducted allegedly...
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Pakistan: Christian girl killed for rejecting Muslim man’s marriage proposal
7Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Pakistan: Christian girl killed for rejecting Muslim man’s marriage proposal

In yet another incident of lawlessness, a Christian girl in Pakistan was brutally killed after her parents rejected a marriage proposal sent by a Muslim man.Officers from the Koral Police Station in Rawalpindi claimed to have arrested an accused named Faizan, whereas raids were being carried out to arrest the prime suspect, Shehzad.Shehzad's mother is also said to have sent her son's proposal for the victim Sonia, but her parents refused as she was to marry another man, identified as Faizan.According to police, on the day of the incident, the girl was travelling with Faizan on the highway, when Shehzad opened fire on her.The police said that, as per the preliminary investigation, the murder appears to have been carried out of personal resentment. However, the deputy inspector general (DIG)...
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Drugs worth Rs 2.5 billion from Gwadar seized in Sri Lanka
7Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Drugs worth Rs 2.5 billion from Gwadar seized in Sri Lanka

On Sunday, four people from the Marawila Thoduwawa area of Sri Lanka were arrested for transporting drugs worth Rs 2.5 billion with origins in Chinese-controlled Gwadar.They were transporting heroin and crystal methamphetamine (ice) to the Sri Lankan boats from the Pak Dhow that originated from Gwadar.The involvement of the ISI officials in the drug smuggling network is established as such regular movement of Dhow from Gwadar is not possible without tacit support from the ISI and Chinese intelligence officials.The transfer happened in high seas between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.During a raid carried out by the Excise Department, 100 kilograms of heroin and 100 kilograms of ice were seized. It is suspected that a drug trafficker named 'Jude' who is hiding in Dubai, has sent the stock of dr...
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Bangladesh cannot forget Pakistan’s atrocities of 1971: PM Sheikh Hasina
4Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Bangladesh cannot forget Pakistan’s atrocities of 1971: PM Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said Bangladesh cannot forget atrocities committed by Pakistan in 1971.“Incidents of 1971 cannot be forgotten. The pain will remain forever,” she said while Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka Imran Ahmed Siddiqui called on the Prime Minister at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka.Referring to the volumes of the book titled “Secret Documents of Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman”, PM Hasina said all can learn many historical facts from 1948 to 1971 from the books.Noting that (the Urdu version) of the book “Unfinished Memoirs” written by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is one of the best seller books in Pakistan, she said it’s also well read in Pakistan apart from other countries.The PM e...
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J&K: Seminar on Disaster Management and Community Resilience held at Srinagar’s Amar Singh College
4Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

J&K: Seminar on Disaster Management and Community Resilience held at Srinagar’s Amar Singh College

In the back drop of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which emphasizes on the empowerment of local communities to mitigate and prevent loss of life and property, Amar Singh College in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city organized a seminar on ‘Disaster Management and Community Resilience’.The seminar was organized by the Department of Geography in collaboration with the debates and seminars committee of the college.Prof Shujat Ahmad Banday, Head, Department of Geography laid emphasis on the preventive measures of disasters and natural calamities. He argued that use of planning and application of preventive technologies can be helpful in the prevention of life and property.Prof. Bashir Ahmad Rather, Principal of the college, who presided over the seminar, in his pres...
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J&K govt withdraws 30% fare hike on public transport
3Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

J&K govt withdraws 30% fare hike on public transport

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government has withdrawn 30 per cent fare hike on public transport in the union territory which was earlier imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic.Government has accorded sanction to the withdrawal of “30 percent of fare hike on authorized fare” ordered vide government order no: 30 JK (TR) of 2020 dated 22-06-2020 in view of restrictions imposed on seat capacity of stage carriage passenger vehicles due to covid-19 pandemic, an order said.“Only authorized fare (charged prior to the issuance of government order number 31: JK (TR) of 2020 dated 22-06-2020) shall be charged from the passengers by the operators of stage carriage passenger vehicles in the Union Territory,” the order read.“Any violation of this order shall strictly be dealt with under the prov...
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India’s Cabinet Secretary reviews arrangements for COVID vaccine roll-out
3Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA, World

India’s Cabinet Secretary reviews arrangements for COVID vaccine roll-out

In a high-level meeting, Cabinet Secretary of India, Rajiv Gauba asked all the states and union territories to prepare and maintain a database of the prioritized group of people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during the initial stages.Chief Secretary of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, BVR Subrahmanyam, and Director General of J&K Police, Dilbag Singh along with Chief Secretaries of all the states/UTs participated in the meeting.While reviewing the public health response to COVID-19, the Cabinet Secretary said that at present, three companies are frontrunners in developing COVID-19 vaccines in India, which are currently in the third phase of clinical trials and will be shortly available for usage.He asked the States/UTs to “develop respective databases to prioritize various g...
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J&K: GRA Insurance policy for 3.5 lakh Govt employees renewed
2Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K: GRA Insurance policy for 3.5 lakh Govt employees renewed

The Finance Department under the Jammu and Kashmir administration has renewed Group Personal Accidental (GRA) Insurance Policy for 3.5 lakhs gazetted and non-gazetted Government employees of J&K including consolidated, contractual, adhoc and daily wagers.Meanwhile, sanction has also been accorded to the advance withdrawal of an amount of Rs 12.10 crores (Rs 345.74 per employee) under various heads for subsequent release of the amount to M/s Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. as per premium for group personal accidental insurance policy for 3.50 lakhs employees in J&K Government for a period of one year, from the date of payment of premium.
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J&K: Revenue dept asks presiding officers to fix all cases within 15 days
2Dec By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K: Revenue dept asks presiding officers to fix all cases within 15 days

The Revenue Department of the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued directions to review all administrative actions which have been held-up due to court orders from the last six months in J&K.It asked presiding officers in revenue courts to fix all the cases within the next 15 days.“The Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Kashmir, Commissioner Survey and Land Records, J&K, All Deputy Commissioners, all additional deputy commissioners, all assistant commissioners (revenue), all regional director survey and land records/Tehsildars are impressed upon to review all administrative actions/procedures held upon on account of interim court orders and in case, the court orders are more than six months old, treat them orders as expired and proceed accordingly,” read the circular issued by the ...
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