Wellington, Aug 6 (IANS) New Zealand has pledged support to Samoa amid a severe dengue outbreak that has so far claimed the lives of five Samoan children.Acknowledging the close ties between the two nations, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Wednesday that the New Zealand government will dispatch a small team to Apia, the Samoan capital, to provide clinical assistance and work with Samoan authorities on further medical support requirements.Additionally, New Zealand will provide…

Beijing, Aug 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit to be held in Tianjin City from August 31-September 1, reports cited on Wednesday. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to China since the Galwan clash in 2020, which severely strained bilateral ties. PM Modi had earlier travelled to China in 2019. He also held a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan…

Islamabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Although the core mission of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) was to enhance access and quality in higher education in the country, it continues to be crippled with administrative and organisational deficiencies due to faulty decisions, systemic lacunas and a lack of direction, local media cited on Wednesday.”Over the years, the HEC has been experiencing mission creep and now finds itself involved in internship programmes, laptop distribution schemes, deliveri…

Guangzhou, Aug 6 (IANS) Rain-triggered landslide left seven people missing in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, on Wednesday morning, local authorities said.A total of 14 people were trapped in the landslide that occurred at about 8.30 a.m. in Dayuan village in the city’s Baiyun District, with multiple houses damaged, according to the district’s emergency management bureau.As of noon, rescuers had pulled seven of them from the debris, all in stable condition, Xinhua news ag…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was once a dangerous terror outfit operating out of Bangladesh, threatening India’s national interests. However, since the past eight years, it had gone down considerably, and there were no signs of any activity from this proscribed terror group.With Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, many radical groups have run amok, and this has led to the revival of several terror groups, including the JMB.The Indian Intelligence agencies have warned…

Dhaka, Aug 6 (IANS) Three more people have died due to dengue in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours till Wednesday morning, raising the death toll from the mosquito-borne disease in 2025 to 92. The fatalities have been recorded in the Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions and the Dhaka North City Corporation, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). During this period, 428 more people were admitted to hospitals due to viral fever, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 22,812 …

Seoul, Aug 6 (IANS) A special counsel team will make its second attempt to execute a warrant to detain jailed former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday to bring him in for questioning over election meddling allegations involving him and his wife, judicial sources said. Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team will make the attempt at the Seoul Detention Centre, where Yoon is currently in custody over his failed attempt to impose martial law in December, the sources said Wednesday.The wa…

Islamabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Pakistan continues to persecute minorities through its controversial blasphemy laws, particularly targetting the Christian community, a report has detailed. The pattern of religious intolerance and violence against minorities, it said, stems from Pakistan’s adoption of an Islamic Constitution in 1973 and provisions of Sharia law in its Civil Code as, under the Pakistani constitution, the right to free speech is limited to uphold “the glory of Islam”.”Pakistan’s notoriou…

Washington, Aug 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he has signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing the country’s continued purchase of Russian oil.The White House said the decision is aimed at strengthening measures taken under earlier sanctions against Russia following its actions in Ukraine. The US President had announced a 25 per cent tariff on India last week.The order states that India is directly or indi…

Vientiane, Aug 6 (IANS) Laos has raised public awareness, especially among vulnerable groups, to prevent human trafficking.Laos’ Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare held a campaign to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, aiming to strengthen joint efforts against human trafficking and promote legal employment, the ministry said on Wednesday.The event aimed to raise public awareness about the dangers of human trafficking, a serious crime that violates human rights, inflicts…