International Relations

Decision follows PM Imran Khan’s visit to the kingdom Saudi Arabia will be the third “strategic partner” of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a senior Pakistani Minister announced on Thursday, soon after Prime Minister Imran Khan returned from his first foreign trip to the cash-rich kingdom. The CPEC …

Foreign Minister says it is not a solution to stop migrants Spain’s Foreign Minister revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested building a wall along the Sahara desert to stem the arrival of migrants, as he plans to do on the Mexican border. “Closing ports is not a solution, and …

‘North Korean leader is hoping for a second summit with Donald Trump’ Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in visited the spiritual birthplace of the Korean nation on Thursday for a show of unity after their North-South summit gave new momentum to Pyongyang’s negotiations with Washington. The North Korean leader on Wednesday …

New rates on both sides will go into effect on September 24 The trade rivalry between the U.S. and China escalated to an unprecedented level on Tuesday, with both countries announcing new tariffs on imports from each other. The U.S. has announced 10% tariff on $200 billion of imports from …

Israel is set to raze down Khan al-Ahmar, isolating West Bank from East Jerusalem For the anxious Palestinian residents of Khan al-Ahmar, there’s little left to do but wait. After the West Bank hamlet lost its last legal protection against demolition late last week, Israeli forces could swoop in any …

The United States has warned that it will have a “fundamentally different set of rules” to deal with the countries continuing to have economic activities with Iran after its sanctions against Tehran become fully operational on November 4. “Make no mistake about it, come November 4 (and) there will be …

What difference can a newspaper Editor make? Britain’s tabloids have often been credited — either by themselves or others — with having an extraordinary sway over public opinion. The Sun ’s claim that it had swung the 1992 general election towards a surprise victory for the Conservatives continues to be …

Radical change can sometimes come without revolution. In Uzbekistan, journalist Abu Ali Niyazmatov said that the changes are so dramatic every day that it is sometimes hard to keep up with reforms introduced by the new President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who came to power just two years ago. “Changes are going …

Samim Faramarz, 28, and his cameraperson, Ramiz Ahmadi, 23, were among the first few journalists at the scene of the suicide attack in Kabul on September 5. As they finished the first broadcast about the explosion at a local sports club, Faramarz described the grim situation to his viewers. “I …

‘They wouldn’t talk about that with previous administrations’ India has asked for a trade deal with the U.S. due to his tough policies, President Donald Trump told his supporters. Addressing a rally in South Dakota on Friday, he said countries have learned to respect the U.S. now. “India called us …

Neither of the two mainstream blocs can form a government on their own as far-right party makes major gains Sweden faced political deadlock on Monday after the far-right made gains in legislative elections that left the question of who will form the next government up in the air. As expected, …

Obama campaigns for Democrats in California ahead of midterm polls in Nov. Former President Barack Obama said the November midterm elections will give Americans “a chance to restore some sanity in our politics”, taking another swipe at his successor as he raised his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain …

Foreign Minister Wang says on Pakistan visit that only four of the 18 projects use concessional loan China has rejected accusations that its financial backing for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a “debt trap” that could compromise Islamabad’s sovereignty. Beijing has billed the Gwadar to Kashgar corridor as …

‘It is imposing undue influence on poll’ The Maldives has hit out at the United States after it warned of possible sanctions against key officials of the island nation if the upcoming election is not free and fair. President Donald Trump’s administration warned the Maldives on Thursday of possible sanctions …

Earlier this month, British tabloid The Daily Express ran a headline lambasting British aid to India. The article pointed to the £98 million that Britain was set to spend on India between 2018 and 2020, which it insisted was roughly equivalent to the spend on the Chandrayaan-2 space probe. “The …

In Japan, loyalty to tradition often wins out over practicability. A case in point is the Japanese language itself, which uses a mercurial combination of three wholly different scripts: hiragana , katakana and kanji . Another example, currently in the news, is Japan’s traditional gengo calendar system, a custom that …

Negotiators say developed nations want to change rules on funding plans The United States, despite withdrawing from a landmark accord aimed at curbing climate change, is stonewalling vital UN talks over how to fund poorer nations as they battle against global warming, multiple sources said on Saturday. Protests were staged …

The pact gives both countries access to designated military facilities in specific areas The India-U.S. foundational agreement for mutual logistics support, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), has been fully operationalised over the past few months, official sources said. Earlier this week, India concluded the third foundational agreement, Communications …

He won acclaim for Deliverance and Boogie Nights Burt Reynolds, the moustachioed heart-throb of 1970s cinema who won acclaim in Deliverance and a host of awards later in his career for Boogie Nights , died on Thursday. The famously suave 82-year-old, a huge box office draw at his peak who …

Tightrope of fairness After the initial confusion, questions continued to arise that the Academy found hard to answer. Was it fair for ABC, the network that broadcasts the Oscars, to lobby hard for such an award when its parent company (Disney) makes the sort of blockbusters that would probably crowd …