In communal appeal to Muslim voters, Biden raises Kashmir in religious context

New York (IANS) In an openly communal appeal to Muslim voters, Joe Biden, the Democratic Party candidate for President, has dragged Kashmir into his campaign in a religious context rather than as a foreign policy or a general human rights issue.

Voting on for French local elections

Paris (IANS) Polling stations across more than 4,600 French towns opened on Sunday for the second round of the local elections, which were delayed three months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 13 per cent of municipalities, where…

UN experts call for action against China over human rights abuse

New Delhi/Geneva (IANS) The United Nations experts have called on the international community to take collective and decisive action to ensure that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime ends violations of its international obligations and human…

HK bans annual pro-democracy rally for 1st time in 17 yrs

Hong Kong (IANS) Police in Hong Kong announced on Saturday that the annual pro-democracy rally which takes place every year on July 1 has been banned for the first time in 17 years.

The protest rally has been taking place every year since the…

Pompeo cites China's Ladakh attack as factor in US reprioritising defence

New York (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cited Chinese Peoples Liberation Army's (PLA) "deadly" confrontation with India as one of the reasons for Washington recalibrating its defence commitments in Europe and looking at countering…

US lists 20 companies controlled by Chinese regime

New Delhi/Washington (IANS) The US has identified and listed 20 Chinese companies, including Huawei Technologies, which are controlled by the military regime in Beijing.

The listed companies are now prone to potential sanctions as part of the…

Pompeo ramps up global pressure on Huawei, calls Jio 'clean' for spurning it

New York (IANS) While ramping up the international campaign against Chinese telecommunications manufacturer Huawei, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has declared Reliance Jio a "clean" network for not using Huawei's equipment, keeping it safe…

Pandemic alters drug trafficking methods, routes: UN

Vienna (IANS) Restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic have forced innovation across sectors, including the global drug market, which has turned to new routes, trafficking methods and illegal substances, the UN warned in a report published…

Pakistan gets breather as FATF extends deadline

Islamabad (IANS) In a much needed breather for Pakistan, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has extended the deadline for the country till the next plenary meeting, urging Islamabad to ensure compliance of 27-point action plan.

The extension…

China tries to pacify families of 'unsung' PLA soldiers killed in Ladakh

New Delhi/Beijing (IANS) China on Wednesday attempted to pacify the aggrieved families of the Chinese soldiers who were killed in clashes with Indian troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh's Galwan valley, without any official…