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Myanmar blames India for restricting pulses import quota (4 minutes ago)
Yangon, Aug 24 (IANS) Yangon has blamed New Delhi for restricting import of three major pulses from Mayanmar, saying that the move has plunged Burmese pulses industry into chaos, an official report said on Thursday.

'Alarmingly high' arsenic level found in Pakistan groundwater (09:38)
Washington, Aug 24 (IANS) An "alarmingly high" level of arsenic contamination was found in groundwater in Pakistan, putting up to 60 million people at risk of serious diseases including cancer, reveals a US study.

Swine flu claims 3 lives in 3 days in Myanmar (09:10)
Yangon, Aug 24 (IANS) Three more persons have died of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, in the past three days, bringing the toll to 33 in Myanmar as of Wednesday, media reports said on Thursday.

Taliban suicide attack in Afghanistan kills 6 (19:58)
Kabul, Aug 23 (IANS) Six people were killed, including the attacker, and 40 were wounded when the Taliban detonated a vehicle loaded with explosives near a police barrack in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Justice Minister resigns (19:48)
Colombo, Aug 23 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe resigned on Wednesday amid constant pressure from his party and President Maithripala Sirisena following accusations of pressurising the Attorney General's office to hold off investigations against the country's previous regime.

Pakistan using India as excuse to pursue Afghan policy: US official (19:18)
Washington, Aug 23 (IANS) Pakistan is using India's role in Afghanistan as an excuse to pursue its policies in the war-torn country, a top US official said, dismissing Islamabad's concerns over New Delhi's developmental activities in Afghanistan.

Trust us, Pakistan Army chief tells US envoy (Lead) (18:34)
Islamabad, Aug 23 (IANS) Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday told US Ambassador David Hale that Islamabad will continue to do what it is doing in Afghanistan out of its national interests, not to appease Washington.

China reacts cautiously to Nepal PM's visit to India (17:18)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, Aug 23 (IANS) China on Wednesday reacted cautiously to Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's four-day visit to India, saying international diplomacy is not a zero sum game.

Pakistan upset over US stand based on ‘false narrative' (16:00)
Islamabad, Aug 23 (IANS) Pakistan on Wednesday said US President Donald Trump's warning to it was disappointing, adding Washington must work with Islamabad "instead of relying on the false narrative of safe havens".

Nepal brings back four rhinos swept away to India (15:52)
Chitwan (Nepal), Aug 23 (IANS) Nepal has brought back four one-horned rhinoceros that were swept away across the Indian border and nearby settlements in the recent monsoon floods, officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan doesn't deserve second chance: Afghan daily (15:38)
Kabul, Aug 23 (IANS) Echoing US President Donald Trump's charges that Pakistan was backing terrorists in Afghanistan, a leading Afghan newspaper on Wednesday said Islamabad cannot be trusted any more.

After Trump's speech, Guterres hopes world will help in Afghan political settlement (23:18)
By Arul Louis
United Nations, Aug 22 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes the international community will help Afghanistan find a political solution to its crisis, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

7 dead, over 1,500 affected by dengue in Peshawar (21:28)
Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) Seven persons have been killed and over 1,500 affected by the dengue virus in Pakistan's Peshawar, according to statistics released by the authorities on Tuesday.

Maldives Army occupies Parliament to block no-trust vote (19:32)
Male, Aug 22 (IANS) The Maldives military locked down the nations Parliament on Tuesday in what opposition lawmakers said was an attempt to block a motion to impeach the Speaker of the House.

Nawaz's wife diagnosed with cancer (19:28)
Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz was diagnosed with throat cancer on Tuesday, the media reported.

We want peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan tells US (19:18)
Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) Pakistan told the US on Tuesday that it desires "peace and stability in Afghanistan".

China defends Pakistan after Trump's terrorism barb (18:40)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, Aug 22 (IANS) China on Tuesday defended Pakistan after US President Donald Trump slammed Islamabad for harbouring terrorists.

Trump puts Pakistan on notice on Afghanistan, seeks Indian help (Roundup) (17:10)
Washington/New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) President Donald Trump has unveiled his long-awaited Afghanistan policy, warning the US will take action within Pakistan if it did not stop backing terrorists battling American forces. And in a first for an American President, Trump brought India directly into the equation by assigning a strategic role for New Delhi.

If we enter India, it will be chaos: China (Lead) (15:40)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, Aug 22 (IANS) China on Tuesday said there will be "utter chaos" if its troops entered India on the pretext that Indian border infrastructure posed a threat to Beijing.

Afghan President welcomes new US strategy (14:50)
Kabul, Aug 22 (IANS) Afghan President Ashraf Gahni on Tuesday welcomed the new strategy announced by US President Donald Trump.

If we enter India, it will be chaos: China (14:40)
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, Aug 22 (IANS) China on Tuesday said there will be "utter chaos" if its troops entered India on the pretext that Indian border infrastructure posed a threat to Beijing.

Taliban issues warning over Trump's new Afghanistan policy (14:18)
Kabul, Aug 22 (IANS) The Taliban on Tuesday warned that the US would lose many more lives in Afghanistan after President Donald Trump approved increasing the number of American troops deployed to the war-torn South Asian country.

Make Karachi liveable, says daily (14:02)
Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) A Pakistani newspaper pleaded on Tuesday that Karachi, the country's largest city and its commercial hub, should be made "liveable again".

Taliban can't win militarily: US commander (13:28)
Kabul, Aug 22 (IANS) General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, on Tuesday said the Taliban cannot win the war in Afghanistan by military means.

Trump puts Pakistan on notice, warns it has much to lose by backing terrorists (Lead) (With Images) (13:14)
By Arul Louis
New York, Aug 22 (IANS) With his trademark bluntness, US President Donald Trump has put Pakistan on notice with a virtual ultimatum warning that it "has much to lose" by backing terrorists and held out threat of action against them within its borders.