(BBC News) Iran has a growing number of coronavirus cases and there is concern about how the government is responding. With the help of our colleagues in BBC Persian, we’ve been trying to piece together what is happening in Iran. How many have been infected? Iran has recorded the highest number of deaths outside China and a growing number of… Read more »
(Al Jazeera) At least 25 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in violence across the Indian capital New Delhi that started on Sunday, according to hospital officials and local media outlets. Police and paramilitary forces patrolled the streets in far greater numbers on Wednesday, and swathes of the riot-hit areas were deserted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for calm on… Read more »
(Asia Times) A week-long “reduction in violence” between the Taliban, the US, and Afghan security forces will commence this weekend, an official said on Friday, ahead of the signing of a possible deal between Washington and the insurgents. If the partial truce goes ahead, it would mark a historic step after more than 18 years of gruelling conflict in Afghanistan… Read more »
(Asia Times) The huge crowds that greeted United States President Donald Trump on his first state visit to India seem directly disproportional to the outcome in the end. Both countries announced agreements on three minor areas, signed a deal for more military helicopters and promised a trade deal “soon.” For years touted as “natural partners,” India and the US more… Read more »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States barred Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, from entering the country over accusations of human rights violations including extrajudicial killings in 2009 during the country’s civil war, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. “The allegations of gross human rights violations against Shavendra Silva, documented by the United Nations and… Read more »
AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will be shielded from the sight of slums by a newly built wall when he visits the city of Ahmedabad during a visit to India this month. Construction workers build a wall along a slum area as part of a beautification drive along a route that U.S. President Donald Trump and India’s Prime… Read more »
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced hardline Islamist cleric Hafiz Mohammad Saeed to 11 years in jail for financing terrorist operations. The man accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 161 people is to serve two five-and-a-half prison terms concurrently. Saeed has been wanted by India for years, and is designated as a global terrorist by… Read more »
Two American troops were killed and six others wounded by an Afghan soldier armed with a machine gun, the US military confirmed on Sunday. The deaths come at a sensitive time in the 18-year-old war, with President Donald Trump eager to bring troops home and end the longest conflict in US history. The incident occurred late Saturday at a base in Sherzad district,… Read more »
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban militants attacked a police base in northern Afghanistan, killing 11, possibly with help from at least one of the policemen inside, local government officials said Tuesday. The insurgents first overran a checkpoint near the base late Monday, and were apparently able to breach the compound with ease because a sympathetic policeman opened a door for… Read more »
NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – In a boost to female reproductive rights, India’s cabinet on Wednesday backed giving women more time to seek an abortion in a bill aimed at helping the young, disadvantaged and the raped. The government said the cabinet had approved extending the abortion deadline to 24 weeks from 20, with the measure set to go… Read more »