Author: Priya Saha

Bangkok, December 25 Myanmar government troops rounded up villagers, some believed to be women and children, fatally shot more than 30 and set the bodies on fire, a witness and other reports said Saturday. The purported photos of the aftermath of the Christmas Eve massacre in eastern Mo So village, just outside Hpruso township in Kayah state where refugees were sheltering from an army offensive, spread on social media in the country, fuelling outrage against the military that took power in February. The accounts could not be independently verified. The photos showed the charred bodies of over 30 people in…

The Ministry of External Affairs appears to have taken back the reins, with an emphasis on substance over style There is a new momentum in India’s foreign policy, a clinical sharpness to its external policy design, articulation and implementation, in clear departure from the ‘song and dance diplomacy’ that characterised the foreign policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 1.0. After wasting several crucial years in the political promotion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Prime Minister aboard, there is today a visible transformation in India’s engagement of the world. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appears to have…

A widely circulated video on social media allegedly showing far-right Hindu leaders giving open calls for the use of weapons against Muslims, a minority in India, has sparked condemnation and outrage from rights activists. The clip is from a religious conclave believed to be held in Haridwar city of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, an important Hindu pilgrimage site, between 17-20 December. The three day conclave was streamed live on YouTube where dozens of monks are seen addressing the gathering and the alleged calls for taking up arms against Muslim minorities were given. In one widely circulated clip, a…

“If 100 of us are ready to kill 2 million of them, then we will win and make India a Hindu nation,” said Pooja Shakun Pandey, a leader of Hindu Mahasabha, a group that espouses militant Hindu nationalism, referring to the country’s Muslims. “Be ready to kill and go to jail.”Even by the standards of the rising anti-Muslim fury in India, the three-day conference in the city of Haridwar, 150 miles north of New Delhi, produced the most blatant and alarming call for violence in recent years.The crowded auditorium, where right-wing Hindu monks called for other Hindus to arm themselves…

For the followers of Christ, Christmas is a magical time of goodwill and giving back; they can feel it when it comes every year. People want to celebrate the day as much as possible, with friends, family, and community, and sing along to the songs of joy. Filled up with so much love, family and friends get together. They gather around illuminated Christmas decorations and trees, toast and pray. Fed up with the pandemic, this year, many wanted to go ahead with their celebrations with the help of safety measures like vaccines and wearing masks in public as Bangladesh has…

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A webinar held on December 24 pointed out the need to develop sustainable livelihoods for residents in the buffer zones of nature reserves and national parks so as to help with forest conservation. During 2016 – 2020, about 1,100 hamlets and villages in the buffer zones of nature reserves nationwide were assisted with about 43.8 billion VND (1.9 million USD) in total, including 41.8 billion VND from the State budget and 2 billion VND from other sources. The aid was spent mainly on developing infrastructure such as roads, community houses, and clean water…

Walton Group, a manufacturer, marketer and exporter of electronic and technical products in Bangladesh, has recently launched Walcart, an online market platform aimed at building the country’s largest online services and distribution network. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, has opened a platform in Dhaka. “We have moved from an importing country to a producing country and from there to an exporting country. Walton is playing a breakthrough role in this. Our goal is to be 50 from the ICT sector by 2025. It’s about generating $ 100 million in export revenue, one-fifth of which comes from…

LAHORE: The formation of Christian Journalists Association of Pakistan (CJAP) is a step in the right direction as there’s a dire need for spreading awareness and highlighting the issues facing the marginalized and vulnerable communities of the country, said government and church leaders. Addressing the maiden Christmas dinner and cake cutting ceremony organized on Wednesday night by the CJAP, a newly-formed body comprising Christian journalists from across the country, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Church of Pakistan Moderator/President Bishop Azad Marshall, National Commission for Minorities Member Albert David, prominent human rights advocate Saif Ul Malook and other speakers welcomed the…

By Associated PressDecember 24, 2021A massive fire swept through a crowded river ferry in Bangladesh early Friday, leaving at least 39 people dead and 70 injured, officials said.It took 15 fire engines two hours to control the fire and another eight to cool down the vessel, according to fire officer Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, who led the rescue operation. Afterward, the blackened hull of the ferry sat anchored at the river’s edge. Many anxious relatives gathered on the banks, while divers continued to search the waters.The blaze broke out around 3 a.m. on the MV Avijan-10, which was carrying 800 passengers, many…

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military carried out more airstrikes on a rebel-controlled area near the Thai border, the rebel group said on Friday, in the latest escalation of violence that has sent hundreds fleeing into Thailand. The Karen National Union (KNU) said the military launched at least two airstrikes and fired some artillery rounds on an area under its control near the Thai-Myanmar border late on Thursday.A Reuters reporter at Mae Sot, a Thai border town some 15 km (10 miles) from where the air strikes reportedly took place, heard several explosions on Thursday evening at around 11 p.m. local…

ISLAMABAD, Dec 24 (APP): Amidst the festivities of Christmas across the world, the Christians in India have been reduced to holding clandestine religious gatherings and secret baptisms as RSS goons never tolerate the non-Hindu rituals. Any non-Hindu religion has become a liability in Modi’s India as vicious Hindutva ideology, seeking Hindu domination in India, is the guiding principle for the BJP-led Indian government. The Christian minorities feel more threatened in central and northern India, where the BJP, governing party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is firmly in control, and where evangelical Christian groups are making inroads among lower-caste Hindus, albeit…

Amid worsening relations between Beijing and Washington, President Joe Biden signed a new law on Thursday banning products made in China’s Xinjiang province because of China’s oppression of its largely Muslim Uighur minority population. Pushed by members of the United States Congress, the law passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate by unanimous votes earlier this month. It imposes a near-blanket ban on the import to the US of goods from Xinjiang by requiring suppliers to first prove their products were not made with forced labour. Xinjiang is a large supplier of cotton and solar panels. United Nations…