SOUTH ASIA

Baghdad, Jan 27 (IANS) Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani called for unified efforts among regional countries to support stability in the Middle East.Al-Sudani made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. According to a statement by al-Sudani's media office, the two discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreements.Al-Sudani reiterated "Iraq's readiness to coordinate with neighboring countries, especially Türkiye, regarding ongoing regional developments," it said.For his part, Fidan reaffirmed his country's desire to maintain close coordination with Iraq on regional developments, stressing Turkey's commitment to the strategic D...

Tel Aviv, Jan 27 (IANS) The Israeli government announced that Hamas will release six hostages this week while Israel will allow Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes in the northern region starting Monday. According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, “Following vigorous and determined negotiations led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas has backtracked and will carry out an additional phase of releasing hostages this Thursday.”The statement specified that civilian Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger, and one other hostage would be released on Thursday, with three additional hostages set to be released on Saturday. Furthermore, Israel stated it had received a status list from Hamas regarding all hostages due for release in the initial phase of the ...

Beirut, Jan 27 (IANS) The death toll from Israeli attacks on crowds of Lebanese trying to return to their homes in southern Lebanon has risen to 22, including six women, with 124 others injured, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.The injured included 12 women and a paramedic from the Islamic Scout Association, who was carrying out a humanitarian rescue mission, the ministry said in a statement.A Lebanese military source told Xinhua that an Israeli force, backed by a Merkava tank and a bulldozer, advanced towards a gathering of civilians in the village of Mays al-Jabal, and "fired heavily to intimidate and disperse the residents."The Israeli military also blocked the main road at the entrance of the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon located in Naqoura, southern Leba...

Tehran, Jan 27 (IANS) Iran has expressed its readiness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in the area of information and communications technology (ICT).In a meeting in Tehran, Iranian ICT Minister Seyed Sattar Hashemi and Saudi Ambassador to Iran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi stressed the need to promote bilateral relations and cooperation across various sectors and at different levels, Xinhua news agency reported quoting official news agency IRNA .The Iranian minister outlined different areas for cooperation between the two countries, especially in ICT, adding the two countries could prioritise cooperation in data transit. He also stressed other potential areas for bilateral cooperation, including developing communication infrastructure, advancing e-government initiatives, and ensuring cybersecu...

Tel Aviv, Jan 26 (IANS) Israel recorded 439 traffic fatalities in 2024, a 21.6 per cent rise compared to the 361 deaths registered in 2023, according to a statement issued by the Israel Bureau of Statistics on Sunday. The bureau noted that the number of fatalities last year was the highest since 2006, when 439 people were killed in traffic accidents in Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.The number of fatal accidents in the country rose by 19.8 per cent year-on-year, from 338 in 2023 to 405 in 2024.The main causes of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities or serious injuries in 2024 were failure to yield to pedestrians, ignoring traffic lights, lane crossing, and excessive speed, Israel's National Road Safety Authority revealed in a press release in early January.Israel recorded 351 ro...

Kathmandu, Jan 22 (IANS) The Nepali government has significantly increased climbing permit fees for Mount Everest or Mount Qomolangma, an official said on Wednesday.The climbing fee for foreigners was hiked to $15,000 from $11,000, an increase of 36 per cent."The new rate will be effective on September 1, 2025," said Madhav Adhikari, an official from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation."Those aspiring to scale Mount Qomolangma this spring will not have to pay the increased fee," he told Xinhua.Meanwhile, those planning to scale the world's tallest peak, which straddles Nepal and China in the fall season, will have to pay $7,500, up from $5,500.The cost for winter and monsoon seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750.For Nepali climbers, the fee has been doubled from 75,000 Ne...

Singapore, Jan 22 (IANS) Singapore has established a committee to review the country's electoral boundaries in preparation for its next general election, which must be held by November 2025, though the exact date has yet to be set.In a statement released on Wednesday, the Elections Department announced that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had convened the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee.According to the local newspaper The Straits Times, the time between the formation of the committee and the polling day in the past four elections has ranged from four to 11 months, Xinhua news agency reported.As a necessary step before the general election, the committee will assess the current electoral divisions and recommend adjustments to the boundaries of constituencies based on the latest register...