Obama arrives in Japan on four-nation Asian trip

Obama arrives in Japan on four-nation Asian trip

Tokyo, April 23 (IANS) US President Barack Obama Wednesday arrived in Japan on the first leg of his four-nation Asian trip. Obama will stay here through Friday and will hold a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the focus on the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks, Xinhua reported. The two […]

Pakistan’s interior minister calls government-Taliban meeeting

Pakistan’s interior minister calls government-Taliban meeeting

Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has called a joint meeting Wednesday of the government and Taliban committees engaged in attempting to restore peace in the country’s troubled north. The meeting will discuss progress in dialogue process and chalk out future line of action, Geo News reported citing an interior […]

Polarising posts drive ‘unfriending’ on Facebook

Polarising posts drive ‘unfriending’ on Facebook

New York, April 23 (IANS) Have you unfriended your best friend on Facebook because he/she posted frequent, uninteresting or contradictory comments about religion or politics? You are not alone. An interesting research reveals that the most common reason for unfriending someone is that the person posted polarising comments often about religion or politics – the […]

Jordan vows to protect holy sites in Jerusalem

Jordan vows to protect holy sites in Jerusalem

Amman, April 22 (IANS) Jordan will take all necessary measures to defend Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city, the Jordanian government said Monday The statement came through Jordanian Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani, a day after Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli security at the mosque, state-run media […]

China to deepen cooperation with Cuba

China to deepen cooperation with Cuba

Havana, April 22 (IANS) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that his country will deepen its mutually beneficial cooperation with Cuba in various fields and refresh bilateral ties. China also would continue to adhere to the policy of long-term friendship with Cuba, maintain high-level exchanges and strengthen exchanges on governance experience with Cuba, Xinhua […]

Saudi King dismisses health minister over MERS cases

Saudi King dismisses health minister over MERS cases

Riyadh, April 22 (IANS) Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud relieved Health Minister Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah of his post Monday, appointing him as advisor at the Royal Court, Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision came a day after Al-Rabia announced the rise in cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infections to […]

Australia mulls more aid for Syrian refugees

Australia mulls more aid for Syrian refugees

Amman, April 22 (IANS) Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said here Monday that his country is looking into increasing aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan, local media reported. Bishop made the remarks at a meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Xinhua reported. Australia is aware of the challenges Jordan is facing due to hosting […]

Four Yemeni soldiers killed in clashes

Four Yemeni soldiers killed in clashes

Aden, April 22 (IANS) Four Yemeni soldiers were killed Monday and three wounded during clashes with gunmen in southeastern province of Hadramout, military sources said. The fighting occurred during an army raid of a house of ” terrorist elements” in the coastal city of Mukalla, Hadramout’s provincial capital, Xinhua quoted the sources as saying on […]

Pakistani president postpones official visit to Nigeria

Pakistani president postpones official visit to Nigeria

Abuja, April 22 (IANS) Pakistani president Mamnoon Hussain has indefinitely postponed a three-day official visit to Nigeria, citing some pressing concerns in his country, officials said Monday. Hussain’s visit was initially billed to begin Monday, but embassy officials in Nigeria said the Pakistani leader, while seeking to postpone the visit, did not actually give details […]

Kerry urges Russia to help implement Ukraine deal

Kerry urges Russia to help implement Ukraine deal

Washington, April 22 (IANS) US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged Russia to “take concrete steps” to help implement the agreement aimed at defusing tensions in Ukraine. In his telephone talk with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kerry urged Russia Monday to publicly call on “separatists to vacate illegal buildings and checkpoints, accept amnesty, […]