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CPEC has become a reality: Pakistan PM (29 minutes ago)
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a reality and provided the country with a platform to achieve development, prosperity and poverty alleviation.

Pakistani, US officials hold talks amid curbs on diplomats (20:12)
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Senior Pakistani and US officials held talks here on Monday amid tensions over tit-for-tat travel restrictions on each other's diplomats, authorities said.

Modi to visit Nepal on May 11 (19:22)
Kathmandu, April 23 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day state visit to Nepal on May 11.

Transgender shot dead in Pakistan (14:18)
Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) A transgender was shot dead after being beaten up by a group of armed men in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the media reported on Monday.

Yaba drug smuggling, addiction rates record alarming rise in Bangladesh (12:38)
By Rajnish Singh
Dhaka (Bangladesh), April 23 (IANS) Smuggling of the highly-addictive drug yaba -- and its soaring acceptance among the youth and even celebrities -- is a challenge Bangladesh faces increasingly as Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar are suspected to be peddling it as a means of survival, say border guard officials.

14 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan (12:08)
Kabul, April 23 (IANS) At least 14 Taliban militants were killed in military operations in two Afghan provinces, authorities said on Monday.

Nepal in talks with India, Pakistan to revitalise Saarc (21:54)
Kathmandu, April 22 (IANS) Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday said Nepal has been holding negotiations with India and Pakistan to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc).

Twin bombings kill 58 in Afghanistan (Second Lead) (21:30)
Kabul, April 22 (IANS) At least 58 people were killed in twin blasts in Afghanistan on Sunday while another 117 were injured, media reports said.

Six killed in another Afghanistan explosion (18:46)
Baghlan (Afghanistan), April 22 (IANS) In a second bombing in Afghanistan on Sunday, six persons were killed and five injured as a bomb went off close to a voter registration centre in Baghlan.

Kabul suicide blast kills 31 (Lead) (16:36)
Kabul, April 22 (IANS) A suicide bomber blew himself up among a crowd lining up to get access to an election-related registration site in the Afghan capital on Sunday, killing 31 people and injuring 54 others, officials said.

Kabul blast kills 10, injures 56 (13:52)
Kabul, April 22 (IANS) At least 10 people were killed and 56 others injured when a suicide bombing blast took place through an election-related registering site in the Afghan capital on Sunday, officials said.

Dilemma of a Bangladeshi commander as Rohingya humanitarian crisis unfolded (13:32)
By Rajnish Singh
Ghumdhum Border Post (Bangladesh), April 22 (IANS) When hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees, escaping a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar, gathered near the Bangladesh border last year, a senior Bangladesh army commander was caught in a dilemma. He was wary of illegal incursions but at the same time didn't want to leave innocent men, women and children to die.

Pakistani traders end protest after Army agrees to demands (20:14)
Islamabad, April 21 (IANS) Traders from Pakistan's North Waziristan have called off a week-long protest in Islamabad after the Army agreed to compensate them for losses to their businesses owing to an anti-terror operation in the region, an official said on Saturday.

Pakistan court directs Interior Ministry to decide Indian Sikh woman's fate (19:34)
Islamabad, April 21 (IANS) The Lahore High Court directed Pakistan's Interior Ministry on Saturday to decide within 30 days the fate of Indian Sikh woman pilgrim who converted to Islam, married a Lahore-based man and moved the court for citizenship and visa extension.

Sushma Swaraj arrives in Beijing, to hold talks with Wang Yi (18:50)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, April 21 (IANS) India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived on Saturday in Beijing on a four-day China visit where she will hold crucial bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ministerial-level meeting.

US human rights report criticises violations in India by both government, terrorists (11:02)
By Arul Louis
New York, April 21 (IANS) The US State Department's human rights report criticises India for violations by police and security forces while at the same time noting the "serious abuses" by separatist insurgents and terrorists.

Upcoming elections may slow Indian economic reforms pace: IMF chief (20:04)
By Arul Louis
United Nations, April 20 (IANS) India's pace of economic reforms may slow down in the coming months because of the impending elections, although it has carried out major reforms that could help the nation reap the benefits of the upswing, said the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Sharif wife's chemotherapy treatment ends in UK (19:38)
London, April 20 (IANS) Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that the chemotherapy treatment of his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing treatment for cancer in London, has ended.

Pakistan's anti-graft body to probe Musharraf (18:24)
Islamabad, April 20 (IANS) Pakistan's anti-corruption body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), on Friday approved an investigation into allegations against former President Pervez Musharraf for "holding assets beyond means" and "wrongful use of authority".

Roadside bomb kills 5 in Afghanistan (15:46)
Kabul, April 20 (IANS) Five civilians were killed after a roadside bomb planted by militants struck a vehicle in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Friday, an official said.

Bhutan set to go to National Council polls (19:36)
Thimpu, April 19 (IANS) Bhutan is all set to go to the National Council polls on Friday.

Over 500,000 still affected by Sri Lanka drought (17:30)
Colombo, April 19 (IANS) Over 500,000 people still remain affected by the drought in 10 districts of Sri Lanka, according to a report released by the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre (DMC) on Thursday.

Asif to attend SCO ministers' meeting in Beijing (17:28)
Islamabad, April 19 (IANS) Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit China to attend the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Beijing from April 23-24.

3 girls injured in Pakistan acid attack (16:14)
Islamabad, April 19 (IANS) Three female students, including two sisters, suffered burns in an acid attack carried out by the sisters' uncle for rejecting a marriage proposal in Pakistan's Gujrat city on Thursday morning.

Pakistan calls India's claims on surgical strike 'baseless' (15:20)
Islamabad, April 19 (IANS) Pakistan on Thursday rejected as "false" and "baseless" Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claims of having launched a surgical strike on terrorist camps in Pakistani territory.