International

S Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart Qureshi to attend Dushanbe meet

Published

3 years ago

March 19, 2021

(Asian News Hub) – Indian external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi will attend the Ninth Ministerial Conference of the “Heart of Asia” on March 30 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

This is after many years that both Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers will be together under one roof. As of now, there is no confirmation of any meeting happening between the two sides.

The development comes even as a number of conciliatory comments are coming from Pakistan, by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistani Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

On Thursday (March 19), speaking at the Islamabad security dialogue, the Pakistani Army Chief said, “We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward.” Earlier, at the same platform, Imran Khan talked about trade in the region can only prosper if India takes “the first step”.

Earlier in the week, India’s foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said, “India desires good neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully.”

“Any meaningful dialogue can only be held in a conducive atmosphere and the onus is on Pakistan to create such an atmosphere,” he added.

Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process is a decade old initiative of Afghan-Turkey that has 15 countries as part of it. The initiative aims at peace in Afghanistan. Most of the countries are Afghanistan’s Neighbours and west Asian countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE as part of it. India hosted the same meet in 2016 in Amritsar.

International

Erica Robin becomes first ever Miss Universe Pakistan

Published

1 week ago

September 17, 2023

Agencies

Erica Robin, a model from Karachi has been crowned “Miss Universe Pakistan 2023”, becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win the title.

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Four other models from different parts of the country participated in the beauty pageant, including Hira Inam from Lahore, Jessical Wilson from Rawalpindi, Pakistani-American Malika Alvi from Pennsylvania, and Sabrina Wasim. Jessica Wilson, a 28-year-old cyber security engineer was named first runner-up while Hira Inam (24), Malyka Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26) were the rest of the finalists.

Award-winning actress, mental health advocate, and former Miss International Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines was one of the distinguished panel of judges who picked the winner.

Robin will be the official representative of Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to be held in El Salvador later this year. Pakistan will be sending five models to compete in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. This landmark moment marks the first time Pakistan has ever been represented in the world’s most esteemed beauty competition.

International

Morocco earthquake: Death toll surpasses 2000

Published

2 weeks ago

September 10, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

According to state TV, the number of fatalities following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000. The death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake to strike the nation of North Africa in decades.

Also Read: Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said “we are hoping for miracles from the rubble,” CNN reported.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.

The quake was the most powerful to shake the area surrounding Marrakech in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.

International

Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Published

2 weeks ago

September 9, 2023

Asian News Hub Webdesk

More than 800 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a massive earthquake that struck Morocco. It was the deadliest tremor to hit the country in more than 60 years, and it destroyed homes in isolated mountain towns while rescue workers searched through the debris for survivors, reuters reported.

As per reuters, a magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The Interior Ministry said 820 people had been killed and another 672 injured.

Most of the fatalities are in mountainous areas outside Marrakech, the nearest city to the epicentre, its updated toll showed.