ASIA

Pakistan to register Himalayan pink salt as Geographical Indications

2:06 pm February 19, 2021

Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to register Himalayan pink salt as Geographical Indications (GI) to prevent its unauthorized use by other countries. A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess origin-based qualities and reputation in the region. The precious salt is extracted from the Salt Range in Punjab which extends along the south […]

Myanmar protests focus on junta’s economic support

11:57 pm February 18, 2021

Yangon: State railway workers in Myanmar continued to strike Thursday despite a police rampage the previous night targeting them in a sign of the military junta’s concern over growing civil disobedience by public workers protesting the coup. Three-quarters of the country’s civil servants are on strike, all private banks are closed and the protests have weakened the […]

France to boost cyberdefence after hospital malware attacks

8:33 pm February 18, 2021

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday unveiled a plan to better arm public facilities and private companies against cyber criminals following ransomware attacks at two hospitals this month and an upsurge of similar cyber assaults in France. The attacks at the hospitals in Dax and Villefranche-sur-Saône prompted the transfer of some patients to other […]

Big protests across Myanmar as UN expert fears violence

5:33 pm February 17, 2021

Yangon: Demonstrators in Myanmar gathered Wednesday in their largest numbers so far to protest the military’s seizure of power, as a UN human rights expert warned that troops being brought to Yangon and elsewhere could signal the prospect for major violence. UN rapporteur Tom Andrews said he was alarmed by reports of soldiers being transported into Yangon, the biggest city. “In the […]

2 Christian youths booked on blasphemy charges in Pakistan’s Punjab

5:28 pm February 17, 2021

Lahore: Two Christian youths have been booked on blasphemy charges in Pakistan’s Punjab province, police said on Wednesday. ”Model Town Police (in Lahore) have registered an FIR against two Christian youths under sections 295-A, 295-B and 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC),” Superintendent of Police Asim Iftikhar told reporters here. ”We are raiding the whereabouts of the suspects and soon […]