Tehran, Aug 19 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Wednesday rejected the United Arab Emirates’ claim that Iran had launched a missile toward the country. The denial came after the UAE said on Tuesday that it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran earlier that day.Baghaei expressed regret over the accusation against Iran, saying the UAE’s move runs counter to the principle of good neighbourliness and undermines ongoing efforts to build trust among regiona…

Bogota, Aug 19 (IANS) The death toll from the recent magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia has risen to 312, with 4,611 people injured and 290 missing, according to the local authorities. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management reported that the quake had affected 470 municipalities in 15 departments, adding that 277 buildings had collapsed, while close to 30,000 homes were destroyed and over 134,000 others damaged.National and international search-and-rescue teams continued combing throug…

Islamabad, Aug 19 (IANS) Pakistan’s Minister for Law, Azam Nazeer Tarar, has said that the country’s government would seek a review of the Supreme Court’s order concerning former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s transfer to a hospital as the order went “beyond the legal parameters”, local media reported on Wednesday. “After reviewing the law, the authorities are of the view that this order does not fall within the legal parameters governing the facilities that can be provided to a convicted person in…

Singapore, August 19 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday discussed ways to enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, while exchanging views on the current geopolitical situation.Following the meeting, the EAM took to X and posted, “Delighted to meet my friend FM Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore. A detailed discussion on how to further deepen our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. …

Kinshasa, Aug 19 (IANS) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), as the epidemic surpasses 5,000 cases, spreads into new areas and prompts authorities to pursue experimental vaccines and treatments. The outbreak is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded and is spreading faster than all previous ones, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebrey…

Sydney, Aug 19 (IANS) Police have commenced an investigation after a man was fatally stabbed at a residence in Sydney’s inner-south on Tuesday night, the security agencies stated on Wednesday. A police statement said that officers were called to an assault at a unit in Waterloo, 3 km south of central Sydney, around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday and arrived to find a man had been stabbed.The man, believed to be in his 30s, was treated by ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital in a critical co…

Abidjan, Aug 19 (IANS) Experts from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have reaffirmed their commitment in Abidjan to strengthening the response to epidemics and other public health emergencies. Health experts, representatives of member states and technical partners are participating in a four-day workshop from Tuesday, focused on the technical validation of the third Regional Strategic Plan for Epidemic Preparedness and Response and other Public Health Emergencies of the ECO…

Yangon (Myanmar), Aug 19 (IANS) The launch of a new Small Development Project (SDP) for construction of a warehouse in Yangon for disaster relief and assistance materials along with the groundbreaking ceremony of a pre-school building was held in Naypyitaw on Wednesday, the Embassy of India in Yangon stated. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Government of India’s assistance for the ‘Construction of warehouse in Dagon Myothit District, Yangon’ for storing disaster relief and assistance mat…

New Delhi/Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, in New Delhi on Thursday to further strengthen defence cooperation between the two nations and promote peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday for his maiden visit to India. Upon arrival, he inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai. The Japanese Defence Minister also laid a wreath at the G…

Washington, August 19 (IANS) The Baloch American Congress president, Tara Chand, has written to US President Donald Trump seeking urgent intervention over recent Pakistani military airstrikes in Balochistan’s Surab district that reportedly killed more than 30 civilians, including women and children. In his letter addressed to Trump, Chand wrote, “We respectfully urge your administration to investigate these serious allegations and determine whether any US-origin aircraft, weapons, drones, te…