INTERNATIONAL

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Sudanese streets were filled with tens of thousands of protesters on Tuesday. The protesters demand greater civilian rule in the country’s transition towards democracy after removal of Omar al-Bashir last year. The protest was named the "million-man march". It was called by the Sudanese Professionals' Association, also known as Resistance Committees.  The association was instrumental in the protests against al-Bashir and the generals who took over power for months after his removal. Currently, the country is governed by a technocrat, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Hamdok governs the country at length with the dominant military that helped remove al-Bashir from his 30-year rule. The protests are a result of the failure of the Hamdok and milit...

On Tuesday, the United States (US) circulated a draft resolution to the U.N Security Council to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in the virtual Security Council meeting, said, “Don’t just take it from the United States, listen to countries in the region. From Israel to the Gulf, countries in the Middle East – who are most exposed to Iran’s predations – are speaking with one voice: Extend the arms embargo.” Pompeo’s statement reflects the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration’s long-held argument that the arms embargo on Iran, that is set to end in mid-October under Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, should not be lifted. The U.N security council veto-powers Russia and China have already stated their opposition to the draft resolut...

Researchers from China discovered a new form of swine flu which can infect humans and has the potential to result in a future pandemic. However, scientists have cautioned that the new swine flu virus does not pose an immediate global health threat. The new virus, called the G4 virus, is a genetic descend from the H1N1 swine flu that led to the 2009 pandemic. The study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) stated the G4 virus shows "all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus." The G4 virus was discovered by Chinese researches during a pig surveillance program. The research included 30,000 nasal swab samples from pigs in slaughterhouses and veterinary teaching hospitals across 10 Chinese provinces, between the...

A day after the the Indian government banned 59 Chinese mobile apps in India, citing security reasons, China has restricted the access of Indian newspapers and websites. While the Chinese newspapers and websites still remain to be accessible in India but people in China can only access the Indian media websites thought Virtual Private Network (VPN) server. As per the Indian government's official statement, all the banned apps are "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order." "In view of the information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the order said. This move will safeguard the interests of crore...

The Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday in a statement commenting on the new domicile law in Jammu Kashmir stated that India's attempt to alter Kashmir's demographic structure by issuing a domicile certificate to 25,000 Indian nationals is illegal and in violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, international law and 4th Geneva Convention. Imran Khan added that he has approached UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other world leaders to stop India's unacceptable treatment of Kashmiri people. At least 30,000 people have till now received domicile certificates online in Jammu Kashmir after the Indian government abrogated the speicla status of Jammu Kashmir and reduced the state into a Union territory. As per the new domicile law, non-perman...

On Monday morning after two ferries crashed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, more than 30 bodies have been recovered. A large ferry called Mayur-2 collided with a vessel called the Morning Bird carrying around 60 passengers and sank in just 20 seconds after, Shah Jamal, a local police chief said. Jamal stated that there were at least eight women and three children among the fatalities. He added that at the time of the crash the bigger boat was dropping its anchor at a port on the River Buriganga. Chief of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, Commodore Golam Sadeq, said that a four-member committee has been formed to look into the crash.

The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, on Monday stated reports of Uighur Muslims being forced to get sterilization, abortion, and coercive family planning by China’s ruling Communist Party, as “shocking” and “disturbing”. Mike Pompeo made these comments by referring to reports made by German researcher Adrian Zenz, published by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation think tank. Pompeo said, “We call on the Chinese Communist Party to immediately end these horrific practices and ask all nations to join the United States in demanding an end to these dehumanizing abuses.” As a persistent critic of the Chinese Communist Party, Pompeo called China’s practices against the minority Muslims as “an utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and basic human dignity.” Adrian Ze...

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the pandemic ‘is not even close to being over’. Johns Hopkins University recently reported global coronavirus cases to be exceeding 10 million and resulting in more than half a million fatalities from the respiratory disease, COVID-19. This statement comes amidst more United States (US) states stepping back from reopening as COVID-19 cases resurge and Brazil’s Sao Paulo expecting to receive approval to trail Chinese vaccine as the country still faces a big challenge. As of now, the US accounts for about a quarter of all deaths globally due to the coronavirus.

Shots fired at Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi leaving at least five people dead, reported rescue officials on Monday. People confirmed dead include policemen and security officials, according to an official with the Edhi rescue center, Mohammad Azeem. Director of the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Abid Ali, in a media briefing, stated that four attackers entered the compound and started firing but were killed by security personals. Abid Ali further said, “There were four attackers who came from the parking lot, they threw a grenade at the main entrance of the KSE (stock exchange) and then started firing indiscriminately." "The attackers were wearing uniform that looked like police uniforms, all four have been killed and the situation is currently under control." The Pakistan S...

The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, stated that Iran is experiencing its toughest year because of the US sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus aggravated Iran’s economic problems that were already on the downfall after the US President Donald Trump withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions. In a televised speech, Hassan Rouhani said, “It’s been the most difficult year due to the enemy’s economic pressure and the pandemic.” Iran is experiencing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases and deaths after the restrictions for the pandemic were gradually lifted from mid-April. Recently, Iran’s death toll reached 100 a day for the first time in two months. Iran’s total death toll comes to 10,508. Senior Iranian officials have continuously w...