Indian Sub-continent

COLOMBO, Feb 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said, the government will spend around 132 million U.S. dollars on port development projects.

These investments would be made through revenue generated from port operations, the minister said last night.

Speaking at an event in Colombo, the minister said, the government has allocated over 100 million dollars for the Eastern Container Terminal and 32 million dollars for the Jaya Container Terminal.

NEW DELHI, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government announced on Saturday that a nuclear power plant will be set up in the northern Indian state of Haryana.

According to the government, the nuclear plant, the first in north India, will come up in Gorakhpur town of the Fatehabad district, about 150 km north of the Indian capital New Delhi.

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A group of armed men opened fire at a police station in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday, police officials said.

According to the local police, no casualties have been reported so far from the attack, adding that the assailants hurled hand grenades before making their way into the police station building.

Security and rescue teams have reached the area and cordoned it off.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- In the wake of a deadly earthquake in Türkiye, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif would undertake a two-day visit to the country to show solidarity with and support for its people, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

During his visit from Thursday to Friday, Sharif will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "to personally convey heartfelt condolences on behalf of the entire Pakistani nation over the loss of precious lives and the widespread damage caused by the earthquake," the ministry said in a statement.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A rare public show of division within the ranks of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban emerged in recent days when Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a powerful government figure, gave a speech seen as implicit criticism of the movement’s reclusive supreme leader.

The Taliban leadership has been opaque since the former insurgents’ takeover of the country in August 2021, with almost no indication of how decisions are made.

Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has assured strict action against those found guilty in connection with the incident here. 

The two women allegedly died after they immolated themselves during an anti-encroachment drive.

He further said that a committee has been formed to investigate this matter.

A late-night discussion with the officials in this matter held with the top officials.

NEW DELHI, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Income tax department officials in India Tuesday raided offices of the United Kingdom's national broadcaster British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in New Delhi and Mumbai, multiple media reports said.

According to the reports, the income tax officials arrived at the BBC offices for searches.

However, some reports quoting their sources said the tax officials carried out a "survey" over allegations of international taxation and transfer pricing irregularities involving the BBC.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka is fast-tracking efforts to seal a stalled trade pact with Thailand in order to boost trade and tourism, and improve the foreign currency shortage that has led to its worst economic crisis, a government minister said on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka began talks with Thailand on a free trade agreement in 2016, held two rounds of discussions in 2018, and the latest last month. But government spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said there’s been a “huge delay” and Sri Lanka is now determined to sign the agreement before the end of March.

MIRPUR [AJK]: Feb 13 (APP): Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan said on Monday that for the first time power had been transferred to the lower level through local government elections which would help solve the problems faced by the people at the grass-roots level.

“The government will provide all-out support to the elected representatives and fully empower them”, he said in a statement.

Sardar Tanveer said he believed in upholding democratic and moral values, however, he would ensure strict discipline in the party.

BENGALURU, India, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) plans to invest about $24 million in India to set up a logistics centre for airplane parts, Salil Gupte, president of the local unit told Reuters on Monday, boosting its footprint in the country amid a large plane order.

India's former state-run carrier Air India, which is now owned by Tata Group, is expected to announce a major deal this week for nearly 500 jets, worth more than $100 billion at list prices, split between Boeing and Airbus, Reuters has reported.