Asia

Pakistan’s economy not managed properly in past: PM Khan admits
9Apr By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan’s economy not managed properly in past: PM Khan admits

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday admitted that the country’s economy has been mismanaged in the past.Speaking at an event in Islamabad, the Pakistan PM said loans worth billions of dollars were taken in the past which instead of wealth creation further increased the burden of loans.He said the government is focusing on wealth creation projects to retire the country’s debt.Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country, Khan said that his government would approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for another relief package to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.Khan had said his government’s “main concern is to lift our people” out of poverty.“We are going to speak to IMF because we see disruptions ahead. Just when our economy was recovering and all the indicator...
Read More
India extends NRs 42.95 million grant assistance to Nepal for new school building
6Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia

India extends NRs 42.95 million grant assistance to Nepal for new school building

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for grant assistance, India has extended Nepali rupees 42.95 million (26.98 million INR) to Nepal for a new building of a secondary school in Udayapur district.The MoU was signed between the Indian embassy, Nepali Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) and Triyuga Municipality for the construction of a new building for Shree Bal Mandir Secondary School, Triyuga Municipality on April 5, 2021.“The project will be taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDPs) at an estimated cost of NRs 42.95 million under the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Development Partnership programme,” the Indian embassy said in a statement on Monday.Since 2003, under the HICDP scheme, the government of India has taken up over 520 of which 448 p...
Read More
India, Russia bilateral cooperation remains energetic, forward-looking: MEA
6Apr mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia

India, Russia bilateral cooperation remains energetic, forward-looking: MEA

Addressing a joint statement with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that New Delhi and Moscow’s bilateral cooperation remains “energetic” and “forward-looking”.Jaishankar and Sergey Lavrov assessed “positively” the economic cooperation between India and Russia as well as noted new opportunities in the Russian far east during the discussion.Jaishankar said they both talked about connectivity including the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor.Earlier in the day, Lavrov, who is on a two-day India visit, held delegation-level talks with Jaishankar.Much of the discussion between the two ministers covered the preparations for President Vladimir Putin’s visit for the annual summit...
Read More
Taiwan reports another incursion by Chinese warplane: Report
4Apr mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Taiwan reports another incursion by Chinese warplane: Report

In yet another instance of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, a Chinese warplane entered the Taiwanese southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Saturday.According to a chart provided by Taiwan Defence Ministry, the aircraft flew into the airspace between Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea, which are controlled by Taiwan.“In response to the incursion, Taiwan’s Air Force scrambled planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft, issued radio warnings and mobilized air defence assets until the Chinese aircraft left the ADIZ,” the ministry added.Air defence identification zones are early warning systems that help countries detect incursions into their airspace. Any aircraft entering such an area is supposed to report its route and purpose to the “host” nation, thou...
Read More
H&M forced to shut 20 stores in China over remarks on Xinjiang cotton: Report
4Apr mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

H&M forced to shut 20 stores in China over remarks on Xinjiang cotton: Report

Soon after giving out a statement on forced labour in Xinjiang, Swedish fashion retailer H&M was forced to close 20 stores in China.Recently, several companies including H&M and Nike are facing pressure after they said that they were concerned about allegations that forced labour has been used to produce cotton in Xinjiang.The ruling Communist Party lashed out at H&M, Nike and other shoe and clothing brands last week after the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed travel and financial sanctions on officials accused of abuses in Xinjiang in China’s northwest.H&M has shut down about 20 of its 500 outlets in the communist country. Some of the closures might have been the result of Chinese landlords forcing out the shops, while local consumers vowed to b...
Read More
Reconstruction of 2 schools in Nepal begins with Indian aid
3Apr mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Reconstruction of 2 schools in Nepal begins with Indian aid

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu on Friday said that the reconstruction of two government schools in Nepal has begun with Indian assistance on Friday.“The ‘bhoomi pooja’ for the reconstruction of Shree Harisiddhi Secondary School at Roshi Rural Municipality and Shree Siddheshower Secondary School at Mahabharat Rural Municipality were carried out today,” said a statement by the Indian embassy.The Shree Harisiddhi Secondary School is being reconstructed at a cost of Nepali rupees (NRs) 28.4 million and Shree Siddheshower Secondary school is being reconstructed at a cost of NRs 39.6 million.These schools will be built as per earthquake-resilient reconstruction norms of the Nepal government.“The new infrastructure of Harisiddhi Secondary School will include a single three-storied block with nin...
Read More
China used Twitter, Facebook more than ever for Xinjiang Propaganda in 2020: Research
1Apr mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

China used Twitter, Facebook more than ever for Xinjiang Propaganda in 2020: Research

A new research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has said that the Chinese government’s propaganda activity on Twitter and Facebook over its policies toward ethnic minorities in Xinjiang reached an all-time high in 2020, as Beijing sought to portray its approach, including use of widespread internment camps, as beneficial to the remote northwestern region.According to the research, the frequency of tweets about Xinjiang from Chinese state media and diplomatic Twitter accounts increased to an average of nearly 500 tweets per month in 2020, up from about 280 per month in 2019.“Since early 2020, there’s been a stark increase in the Chinese Government and state media’s use of US social media networks to push alternative narratives and disinformation about the situation in Xinjiang. ...
Read More
Pak PM responds to PM Modi’s letter saying Pakistan also desires ‘peaceful relations’
31Mar mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pak PM responds to PM Modi’s letter saying Pakistan also desires ‘peaceful relations’

In reply to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings for Pakistan Day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that people of his country also “desire peaceful and cooperative relations.”Prime Minister Modi had written to Khan on March 23 extending greetings on the occasion of Pakistan Day. “As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with people of Pakistan, for this environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility is imperative,” PM Modi had written.Responding to Modi, Pakistan PM through a letter said: “Thank you for your letter conveying greetings on Pakistan Day. The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and r...
Read More
Pakistan begins lockdowns as covid-19 spreads again; Lahore epicentre
23Mar mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan begins lockdowns as covid-19 spreads again; Lahore epicentre

The Health Minister in Pakistan’s Punjab, Dr Yasmin Rashid, on Monday said that the country is imposing micro-smart lockdowns (strictly restricted movement) in various cities of Punjab to rein in the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.She warned that the Covid-19 positivity rate has been consistently on the rise and witnessed 12 per cent increase. “Punjab government has issued new SOPs for public places, bazaars (markets) and other activities that involved gatherings,” she said.Dr Yasmin Rashid further said that Lahore was becoming epicentre of the novel coronavirus, as 1,824 new cases have been reported.She assured that there’s no need to panic because the government has enough facilities to manage the increasing infections.Dr Rashid further informed that National Command Operation Center’s (NCO...
Read More
Pak High Commission funding HefazatIslam to protest against Indian PM: Bangladesh Chhatra League chief
21Mar mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pak High Commission funding HefazatIslam to protest against Indian PM: Bangladesh Chhatra League chief

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) president Al Nahean Khan Joy has alleged that Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka is “secretly funding” hardline Islamist organisation Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh to stage protests against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Taking to Twitter, Joy, the president of BCL, the student wing of Bangladesh ruling Awami League, said: “Pak Flag of Pakistan HC #Dhaka’s #SecretFunding for @HIBofficial @Hefazot to protest against India Flag of India & its PM @narendramodi. We, #secular & #democratic people of #Bangladesh condemn this attempt by Pak agency #ISI. #Shame on @GovtofPakistan, protector of #Terrorists around the globe”.Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, a massive rally was taken out on Friday in Bangladesh’s capital D...
Read More