Author: Mike Harrison

Harsimrat Kaur Badal slams Delhi Police for heavy barricading at protest site. Former Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal reached the Ghazipur border on Thursday to meet farmers protesting against the farm laws. She was accompanied by more than a dozen MPs from different parties.However, because of heavy barricading at the border, they could not meet the farmers. Ms. Badal told reporters that the Lok Sabha Speaker was not allowing a discussion on the farmers’ protest. The purpose of the visit, Ms. Badal said, was to inform the Speaker about the situation at the protest site.…

During a telephonic talks, the U.S. President and his South Korean counterpart agreed work together to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he and U.S. President Joe Biden have agreed to further bolster their countries’ alliance and work together to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula.After his first phone talks with Mr. Biden since the U.S. president’s Jan. 20 inauguration, President Moon Jae-in tweeted that “I just had a great conversation with President @JoeBiden @POTUS” and that he welcomed “America’s return” in the midst of global challenges such as COVID-19, climate change and…

Myanmar’s army seized power on Monday, overthrowing popular elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi A group of protesters waved banners and chanted anti-coup slogans in Myanmar’s second city of Mandalay on Thursday in the first such street protest against this week’s Army takeover, images on social media showed.Video on Facebook showed around 20 people outside Mandalay Medical University. One banner read “People protest againstmilitary coup”.”Our arrested leaders, release now, release now,” the protesters chanted.Myanmar’s army seized power on Monday, overthrowing popular elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is detained and now faces possible charges for import infringements over the…

Beijing denies accusations of abuse in Xinjiang, says the complexes it set up in the region provided vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism The United States is “deeply disturbed” by reports of systematic rape and sexual abuse against women in internment camps for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region and there must be serious consequences for atrocities committed there, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.Also read: Secret documents reveal how China’s mass detention camps workA BBC report earlier on Wednesday said women in the camps were subject to rape, sexual abuse and…

Congress leader compares them to MEA’s comments on neighbourhood; differs from Rahul People concerned with human rights and livelihood issues don’t recognise boundaries, Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidamabaram said late on Wednesday night with reference to tweets by singer Rihanna and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the tweets by Ms. Rihanna and Ms. Thunberg, both of whom have announced their support for the farmers’ agitation, as “sensationalist”. Mr. Chidambaram, however, backed them in a series of tweets.The former finance minister’s position on Twitter, however, seemed to differ from…

The Indian Medical Association has objected to the government determining that only 162 doctors have died due to COVID-19 in India. Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, gave the figures in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.“We are shocked by your announcement…” said the letter on Wednesday signed by Dr. J.A. Jayalal and Dr. Jayesh M. Lele, senior officials of the IMA. “ This is contrary to the data released by the IMA… 734 doctors lost their lives due to COVID of which 431 are general practitioners who are the first point of contact for the people. Sadly 25…

The Cong. leader goes abroad to hatch conspiracy with anti-India elements as to how to defame India, says Sambit Patra After the unprecedented statement by the Ministry of External Affairs referring to outsiders (including international celebrities) commenting on the protests against contentious farm laws, the BJP on Wednesday said it was the opposition Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi who were complicit in spreading “fake narratives” and “hatching anti-India” conspiracies while abroad.Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted that “no propaganda can deter India’s unity! No propaganda can stop India to attain new heights! Propaganda can not decide India’s fate only…

Pakistan began its countrywide coronavirus vaccination programme on Wednesday, with the first jabs administered simultaneously in all four provinces, a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the immunisation drive in capital Islamabad. As per the schedule, frontline health workers are being vaccinated first, followed by the elderly citizens and then the rest. The drive began after half a million doses of vaccines were donated by China on Monday. The nationwide campaign is being held in major cities of all provinces and Pakistan occupied-Kashmir. Advisor on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, on the occasion, said China’s Sinopharm has proved its effectiveness.…

President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday ruled out changes to Iran’s nuclear accord with world powers and dismissed calls to broaden the terms of the deal and include regional countries.U.S. President Joe Biden has voiced support for returning to the accord, from which Donald Trump exited, but has insisted that Tehran first resume full compliance and consider expanding the deal beyond the nuclear issue.Iran’s regional arch rival, Saudi Arabia, has also called for a role in any future talks on the agreement.“No clause of the JCPOA will change. Know this. And no one will be added to the JCPOA,” Mr. Rouhani…

A school on the restive Assam-Mizoram border was damaged in two bomb blasts triggered by unidentified miscreants on Wednesday afternoon.The incident happened almost seven months after another school was blown up amid a violent border row.Pabindra Kumar Nath, SP of southern Assam’s Hailakandi district, said the blasts had damaged the Muliwala Lower Primary School on the Assam side of the border. The school is about 12 km from the nearest police station at Ramnathpur.“The situation is tense but under control. We have increased security,” said Mr. Nath, who inspected the school with Deputy Commissioner Megh Nidhi Dahal.On July 10, miscreants…