INTERNATIONAL

Anti-government protesters plan to defy a ban on gatherings in Thailand’s capital for a third day and hold rallies across the nation, escalating a three-month-old movement in support of monarchy reform and greater democracy. Pro-democracy protesters will return to stage a demonstration in Bangkok today after tens of thousands of them defied an emergency declared by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha on Thursday to quell the escalating demonstrations. Parit Chiwarak, arrested during the demonstration near the premier’s office on Wednesday, urged his supporters to “keep staging protests” until their demands are met. Protesters shouting “Prayuth get out” occupied the Ratchaprasong intersection in the middle of Bangkok’s main shopping district for several hours on Thursday, demanding the ...

External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar on Thursday said that India-China relationship in the last three decades was predicated on the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control and that disturbing the “very foundation” of the ties is going to have consequences. In an interactive session at the Bloomberg India Economic Forum, the external affairs minister also said the problem was not created by India, noting both sides are engaged in talks to resolve the over five-month-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh. When queried about the outcome of the ongoing talks, Jaishankar said the “discussions are going on and it is a work in progress.” At the same time, he said there has been a troop build-up along the LAC and in many ways, it has no precedence in the r...

Thailand's student-led democracy movement has been calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. The former army chief had seized power in a 2014 coup before he was appointed as premier after controversial elections last year. In a televised announcement the government said urgent measures were needed to "maintain peace and order". It justified the orders partly on the grounds of some protesters disturbing a royal motorcade during a mass march in Bangkok on Wednesday. The protests have widened in recent months to also call for curbs on the king's powers. The emergency measures came into effect at 04:00 local time on Thursday (21:00 GMT on Wednesday). More than 20 people have been arrested including three protest leaders. The decree, announced on state tel...

Securing 169 votes in the 193 - member UN General Assembly, Pakistan has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) with an overwhelming majority. Pakistan secured the highest number of votes among the five candidates from the Asia-Pacific region. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a tweet, “Since HRC’s establishment in 2006, this is the fifth time Pakistan has been elected to the premier UN body on human rights.” “The international community has once again reposed confidence in Pakistan, recognising our contribution to the national and global human rights agenda and strong credentials as a consensus builder in the HRC,” said a statement by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York. Pakistan has served on the UNHRC since January 2018 and w...

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has thanked India for its “timely help”. “India has been a solid and consistent supporter of Palestinian refugees for decades. This contribution is even more significant as it comes at a critical time,” Sami Mshasha, Director of Communications at UNRWA, told PTI. India on Wednesday contributed USD one million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agencyto support Palestinian refugees who have been facing extreme challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move hailed by the UN body as “timely help”. The Government of India handed over the contribution cheque to the UN agency through its representative in Palestine, Sunil Kumar. “India is facing a difficult situation at home due to the pandemi...

Chinese President Xi Jinping, told his nation’s troops to begin preparing for war, according to a report in Xinhua, the state-run news agency as tensions between China and Taiwan intensifies. President Xi Jinping during a visit to Guandong military base on Tuesday said that Chinese troops should “put all their minds and energy on preparing for war.buy medications online gaetzpharmacy.com/medications/ no prescription ” In his visit, China's President said troops must “maintain a state of high alert” and remain "absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable,” according to state news agency Xinhua. Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman has demanded the Unites States call off the planned arms deal and sever military ties between Washington and Taipei. Washing...

The removed statue of the 15th-century Italian navigator, along with four Catholic friars, towered over one of the Mexico City’s main traffic circles for decades. Authorities said it was taken away for restoration work on Saturday but added that it was also time for reflection about Columbus’s legacy, triggering speculation in Mexican media that the statue may not be returned. The Mexican government has removed a prominent bronze statue of Christopher Columbus and surrounded another with high metal fencing ahead of an annual protest that marks the explorer’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. The removed statue had towered above a Mexico City traffic circle for decades [Gustavo Graf/Reuters] Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the capital’s Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum both...

Ethnic Armenian officials in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh said on Monday that 45 more servicemen had been killed in fighting with Azerbaijan, bringing its total military death toll to 525 since fighting broke out on September 27. At least 25 civilians have been killed and more than 100 wounded since then. The fighting has surged to its worst level since the 1990s, when some 30,000 people were killed.

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Interior Minister, a week after a missile from the combat zone in Armenia and Azerbaijan conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh hit an Iranian village, said that the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia had been told to keep closer control over the fighting and they will “take appropriate measures if necessary”. Nonetheless, the government of Iran has offered to mediate in the conflict. Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said, "We call on both sides to exercise restraint, to end the conflict immediately and to resume negotiations”. Iran is home to both Armenian and Azerbaijani minority, The Azeris being one of the most influential ethnic groups in Iran. Ali Khameni, Iran’s Spiritual leader is of the Azerb...