SOUTH ASIA

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday oversaw the signing of six major agreements between India and Malaysia, as both nations moved to further strengthen cultural, economic and strategic cooperation during bilateral engagements in Kuala Lumpur.The agreements were finalised following comprehensive discussions between the two leaders during PM Modi's two-day official visit to Malaysia. The visit marked a significant milestone in advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).During their talks, both leaders explored avenues to enhance collaboration across a broad spectrum of sectors, including trade, investment, semiconductors, defence, secu...

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's stance on terrorism is firm -- "no double standards and no compromise" -- and also stressed that New Delhi will continue to expand cooperation with Malaysia in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. Addressing a joint press meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi said, "First of all, I thank my friend, Anwar Ibrahim, for this warm welcome. Last year, I was not able come to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, but I had promised my dear friend that I would soon visit Malaysia. For my first foreign visit of 2026, I have come to Malaysia."Highlighting the "special" India-Malaysia relations, he said, "We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have be...

Cairo, Feb 8 (IANS) Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that he expected a new round of talks with the United States to take place "soon," describing the meeting held a day earlier as a positive start while cautioning that rebuilding trust would take time.In an interview with Al Jazeera, aired on Saturday and later shared in Persian on his Telegram channel, Araghchi also made clear that Tehran would not relinquish its uranium enrichment program, which he called an "inalienable right." He added that his country was open to an agreement that reassures the international community while preserving its enrichment activities, Xinhua news agency reported.Araghchi also noted that Iran opposes transferring its uranium abroad and said the nuclear dispute could be resolved only through ...

Quetta, Jan 1 (IANS) Human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) asserted that consecutive bail orders issued by multiple courts across Balochistan underscore the “baseless, fabricated, and politically motivated nature of the cases” filed against its peaceful leadership by the Pakistani authorities.According to the BYC, its chief organiser, Mahrang Baloch and the other leaders, including Beebarg Baloch, Shahji Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Beebow Baloch, have been unlawfully detained for the past ten months.The rights body said the BYC leaders were initially held under the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) for three months, a law that allows “preventative detention” based on the government’s assessment of “potential threats to public order”. Their detention was, however, exte...