WORLD

Beijing, July 27 (IANS) A pastor in China's Xinjiang has been asked to follow regulations imposed by Communist officials and might face the shutdown of his church, according to a report.The pastor, identified as "Pastor A" to protect his identity, is a member of the Uyghur ethnic group and leads a small house church in Xinjiang, The Western Journal reported, citing a release from International Christian Concern.In the past few months, Communist officials have intensified pressure on the congregation, citing alleged violations linked to religious activities and enforcing new administrative demands which the church leaders have said they cannot follow.The church needs to pay a "compliance deposit" and produce documents about its activities, according to the International Christian Concern....

Dhaka, July 27 (IANS) The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has received complaints against the country’s former President Mohammed Shahabuddin just two days after he resigned from office, local media reported.The two organisations-- Bangladesh Azadi Party and the Rashtra Sanglap Forum submitted separate complaints on Sunday, while the Azadi Party filed an additional complaint against another former Bangladesh President, M Abdul Hamid.Addressing the journalists following the submissions, Hasinur Rahman, Convener of the Azadi Party, said that the two former presidents had remained silent during the alleged crimes linked to the 2024 protests, claiming their silence amounted to tacit approval of those acts, Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reporte...

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Large-scale sacking of women has taken place in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) industry, which was one of the world’s most celebrated stories of female economic empowerment, pulling millions of women into paid work and reshaping families, villages and the national economy, according a report in the Dhaka-based The Daily Star.Women made up roughly 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s garment workforce between 1980 and 1994, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) data. The figure fell to 70 per cent by 2005 and to around 53 per cent in both 2021 and 2023 -- a trajectory confirmed separately by studies from the Ethical Trading Initiative, GIZ and BRAC University, and from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS...

Seoul, July 27 (IANS) A Seoul court on Monday convicted South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol of election law violations, putting the main opposition party at risk of returning nearly 40 billion won (USD 27.3 million) that was reimbursed in campaign expenses for the 2022 presidential election.The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements as the People Power Party (PPP)'s presidential candidate ahead of the election in March 2022.If the verdict is finalised through appeals, the PPP will be forced to return the 39.7 billion won it was reimbursed in campaign expenses by the election watchdog after Yoon's victory in the 2022 election, Yonhap News Agency reported.Under the election ...

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) While Beijing’s relations with the European Union (EU) remain strained due to China’s growing trade surplus, the Communist country has been cleverly cultivating several individual members of the EU bloc to step up its exports, according to an article in Financial Times.In the first half of this year, China’s trade surplus with the EU, which hit 360 billion euros in 2025, rose another 24 per cent year-on-year. Beijing is also quietly leveraging relations with countries adjacent to the bloc, such as the UK and Morocco, to gain access to the EU single market, and is seeking to influence European companies with large operations in China, the article states. However, the article points out that growing Chinese surpluses might finally force Europe to call time on this t...

Kabul, July 27 (IANS) Afghan counter-narcotics police have seized 42 kg of methamphetamine during an intelligence-led operation in northern Faryab province, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement.The drugs, which originated in western Herat province, were discovered concealed inside a vehicle and were being trafficked toward Balkh province when they were intercepted, according to a ministry statement released late Sunday.One suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure and is currently under investigation, with authorities expected to refer the case to judicial officials, Xinhua News Agency reported.The bust comes just days after police reported confiscating 403 kg of opium in the northern Takhar province and arresting two individuals in that operation.The latest sei...

Seoul, July 27 (IANS) South Korea's unification ministry reaffirmed its stance Monday on seeking "realistic and practical" solutions to denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, focusing on halting North Korea's nuclear programs."The ministry's position has not budged from seeking a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community," Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, said at a regular briefing."Given the gravity of North Korean nuclear issues, we will focus on halting North Korea's nuclear programs and seek to find realistic and practical solutions," he said, Yonhap News Agency reported.His remarks came in response to a statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, carried by the Korean Central News Agency earlier in the day.She r...

Quetta, July 27 (IANS) The Baloch armed fighters launched a series of attacks targeting Pakistani forces and installations across multiple districts of Balochistan, leaving several personnel dead, local media reported citing sources.The fighters also seized and torched multiple vehicles transporting minerals, after opening fire on a convoy in the Nokchah area of Chagai district.The incident came against the backdrop of an "economic blockade" declared by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Since the announcement, the group has established control over major highways across Balochistan, with reports indicating that over 200 vehicles have been set ablaze, The Balochistan Post reported.In a separate incident, a large Pakistani military convoy heading to Noshki city was attacked on the N-40 hig...

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Bangladesh’s care economy holds one of the country’s largest untapped economic opportunities, but it cannot be expanded on the backs of children and must be formalised to deliver decent work and rights, a new report has said.The report from Dhaka-based publication The Business Standard said the care economy which is nearly valued at 18.9 per cent of GDP remains largely invisible and unregulated, with many households relying on underage domestic workers to meet rising demand for household and care services.It also flagged that child domestic labour is rising with 9.2 per cent of children aged five to 17 are estimated to be engaged in work, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF figures.It was common for a poorer relative to live with a Bangladeshi ...

Canberra, July 27 (IANS) Authorities in South Australia (SA) on Monday reported seven new suspected cases of the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain.Clare Scriven, SA's minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, told reporters that all seven new suspected cases were found in greater crested terns located on the state's southeast Limestone Coast.Of the suspected new cases, she said five were found in the same town over two days. Samples from all seven birds were initially tested by local authorities and have now been sent for confirmatory testing by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness to determine if local transmission has occurred.Once confirmed, it would take the total number of H5N1 cases in Australia to 27 after the highly pathogenic strain was first detected on the ma...