Wednesday, October 6th, 2021
NATO bars 8 members of Russian mission as spies
Brussels, OCT 6: NATO said on Wednesday it had stripped eight members of the Russian mission to the Alliance of their accreditation, calling them “undeclared Russian intelligence officers” — meaning spies. A NATO official giving the information said that “we can also confirm that we have reduced the number of positions which the Russian Federation can accredit to NATO to 10”, down from 20 previously.
Italy reports 39 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, 3,235 new cases
ROME: Italy reported 39 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday against 50 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 3,235 from 2,466. Italy has registered 131,157 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.69 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 2,872 on Wednesday, falling from 2,968 a dayRead More
ASEAN weighs excluding Myanmar junta boss from summit: envoy
Southeast Asian countries are discussing not inviting the head of Myanmar’s junta to a summit this month, due to the military’s failure to make progress on an agreed roadmap to restore peace in the strife-torn country, a regional envoy said on Wednesday. The junta’s inaction on a five-point plan it agreed in April with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was “tantamount to backtracking”, Erywan Yusof, the bloc’s special envoy to Myanmar, told a news conference. Erywan, the second foreign minister of ASEAN chair Brunei, said the junta had not directlyRead More
FM for enhancing Pak-Kyrgyz trade ties through economic diplomacy
ISLAMABAD, OCT 06 (DNA) – Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday called for enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan through economic diplomacy. The foreign minister, in a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan, said both the countries enjoyed cordial ties. The ambassador apprised the foreign minister of the steps taken by the embassy during last two years for promotion of bilateral ties as well as performance of the embassy. The foreign minister said a huge number of Pakistani studentsRead More
Naming Ceremony LNG Compatible Tugs and Pilot Boats held at SANMAR Shipyards
ISTANBUL, OCT 6 /DNA/ – A ‘Naming Ceremony’ was organized at SANMAR Shipyards, Istanbul to commemorate cooperation between SANMAR Shipyards, Turkey and Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Pakistan. Under an agreement, PQA has bought 4 ASD LNG Compatible Tugs and 2 Pilot Boats from SANMAR Shipyards. This project is yet another manifestation of the growing ties between Pakistan and Turkey in the maritime domain. The ceremony was attended by President SANMAR Shipyards, Mr. Cem Seven, Chairman Port Qasim Authority, Rear Admiral (R) Syed Hasan Nasir Shah, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey, Mr. Muhammad SyrusRead More
Proposed Anti-Forced Conversion Bill in Contravention with Constitution
ISLAMABAD, OCT 06 (DNA) – The impending anti-forced conversions legislation in Pakistan, which has already been tabled before the parliamentary committee on minorities contravenes the basic tenets of the Constitution and flouts the legislative authority of the Parliament as the proposed bill is imposed rather indigenous and aims to serve foreign interests. This was the crux of the discussion held at a seminar titled ‘rhetoric and reality of forced conversions in Pakistan’ which was organized by Islamabad Bar Association and Legal Thinkers Forum in collaboration with Institute of Policy StudiesRead More