SOUTH ASIA

Kyiv, June 11 (IANS) A total of 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen killed in the conflict with Russia have returned home, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Wednesday.The repatriation of the deceased was made possible with the help of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other agencies, said the statement.The agency also expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its support in facilitating the return of the bodies, Xinhua news agency reported.The return is part of a deal made during the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey's Istanbul on June 2. Under the agreement, the first stage of the prisoner swap was carried out on Monday.Earlier on June 10, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov sai...

Quetta, June 11 (IANS) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Wednesday took responsibility for the attack on the surveillance system of the Pakistani army in the Zardalou area of Harnai district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.In an official statement, the BLA stated that on June 10, its fighters attacked and damaged the surveillance system of the "occupying" army."The occupying forces had erected at least two towers, on which four modern cameras were installed. The purpose of these cameras was to survey freedom fighters at long range and to save themselves from their attacks. As a result of this attack, all the cameras were damaged, for which our organisation Baloch Liberation Army accepts responsibility," read the statement.Recently, BLA claimed to have launched several attacks on ...

Ulaanbaatar, June 11 (IANS) India's Ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve on Wednesday participated in the opening ceremony of the Buddha Purnima day at the Battsagaan Temple of the Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar. In his address, the Ambassador highlighted that the five core principles (Panchsheel) of Buddha's teachings on ethical conduct will remain pertinent."Speaking at the occasion, the Ambassador conveyed his greetings on the auspicious day. He mentioned that the path of Panchsheel given by Lord Buddha will always be relevant. He informed that two sets of the holy Mongolian Kanjur reprinted in India have been handed over to the Gandan Monastery on 9 June 2025 and 38 sets are on the way. He recalled the role of former Ambassador of India Rinpoche Kushak Bakula (1990 to 2000) i...

Kuala Lumpur, June 11 (IANS) India on Wednesday called for collective action in addressing the menace of terrorism that poses a serious threat to peace, security and development of the entire region.Addressing the East Asia Summit Senior Officials' Meeting (EAS SOM) in Malaysia's Penang, P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, underlined the important role of EAS towards promoting free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific.Kumaran, who led the Indian delegation at the summit, shared New Delhi's position on regional and international issues as the premier leaders-led mechanism marks its 20th anniversary this year.Secretary (East) P. Kumaran also met with Amran Mohammed Zin, Secretary General at Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the sidelines of th...

Islamabad, June 7 (IANS) Six family members were killed and two others seriously injured after a gas cylinder explosion in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Saturday, according to a rescue official.According to Pakistan's ARY News, among the deceased were a husband, wife, and four other family members.Local police said that the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed due to the blast, leaving several people buried under the debris.Bilal Ahmad Faizi, spokesperson for Rescue 1122 KP, told Xinhua news agency that the incident occurred late on Friday in Irum Colony, a residential area in Mardan district."The explosion resulted in the collapse of a two-story house, killing six people and seriously injuring two girls," said Faizi.He said rescue teams responded swiftly to the...

Moscow, June 7 (IANS) Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of indefinitely delaying a planned exchange of prisoners and the handover of fallen soldiers' bodies.Russia has handed over the first list of 640 prisoners to Ukraine and begun transferring bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers, but Ukrainian negotiators did not arrive at the exchange site, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said in a telegram post.He called on Ukraine to "strictly adhere to the schedule and all agreements reached, and to immediately begin the exchange."Kiev did not immediately respond to the accusation, Xinhua news agency reported.Earlier on June 2, Russia and Ukraine had agreed to another major prisoner exchange in their latest round of direct talks in Istanbul, head of the Russian Delegation Vladimir Medinsky...

Dhaka, June 7 (IANS) In yet another major embarrassment for Bangladesh's interim government, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday rejected Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus' call for holding national elections in April 2026.Yunus on Friday said that the country's next national elections will be held "on a day in April", next year.In a televised speech to the nation on the eve of the festival of Eid al-Adha, Yunus also said that the country's Election Commission will present a detailed roadmap of the election at an "appropriate time".However, various political parties in the country slammed the move within a few hours of Yunus making the announcement.BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told local media in Dhaka on Saturday that April is "not suitable in any way" for...

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...