FGN63: CANADA-CARNEY-MODI
*Modi 'very focused' on delivery, bringing 'hundreds of millions' into formal economy: Canada PM
Sydney: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “very focused” on delivery of welfare programmes to the common people and has been successful in bringing “hundreds of millions” of them into the formal economy through “financial reforms” in India, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said.
FGN76: NEPAL-7THLD POLLING
Voting concludes peacefully in Nepal's first election since Gen Z protests for change
Kathmandu: Tens of thousands of people voted on Thursday in Nepal's first general elections since violent Gen Z protests toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government, with corruption and generational change in leadership as the main issues in the politically fragile country.
FGN69: LANKA-IRAN-LD SHIP
Sri Lanka says second Iranian ship awaits entry
Colombo: Sri Lanka on Thursday said it is deliberating appropriate action after a second Iranian ship has sought entry to its territorial waters, a day after a frigate belonging to the Islamic country was attacked near the island nation.
FGN68: PAK-AFGHAN
Pakistan achieves targets set by it in military operation against Afghanistan: PM's aide
Lahore: Pakistan has achieved targets set by it in the recent military operation against Afghanistan, a close aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed on Thursday.
FGN71: LANKA-EASTER-SUSPECT
Sri Lanka's ex-intel chief named suspect in Easter attack case
Colombo: Sri Lanka's former state intelligence service chief Suresh Sally has been named a suspect in the probe into the 2019 Easter bombings, police said on Thursday.
FGN75: CANADA-INDIAN-MURDER
Indian-origin woman stabbed to death in Canada
Ottawa: A 45-year-old Indian-origin woman was stabbed to death by unidentified persons in Canada's Ontario province, police said.
FGN54: ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-FINANCE
War with Iran to cost Israel USD 3 billion a week under current limitations: Finance Ministry
Jerusalem: The ongoing war with Iran could cost Israel an estimated NIS 9.4 billion (USD 3 billion approximately) per week under current restrictions on economic activities, the Israeli Finance Ministry has warned.
FGN49: CHINA-DEFENCE-2NDLD BUDGET
China hikes defence budget by 7 per cent to accelerate military modernisation
Beijing: China on Thursday hiked its defence budget to about 1.91 trillion yuan (USD 277 billion), an increase of seven per cent from last year in yuan terms, as part of its efforts to ramp up rapid modernisation of armed forces to catch up with the US military.
FGN58: CHINA-3RDLD ECONOMIC GROWTH
China lowers economic growth target to 4.5-5% amid global, domestic uncertainties
Beijing: China on Thursday lowered its GDP target to 4.5 to 5 per cent for this year in the face of Trump's trade tariff war, the worsening global crisis following the US-Iran war and headwinds in the domestic economy, owing to property market slump and unemployment crisis.
FGN60: PAK-ENERGY
Pak considering weekly petroleum price revision, mandatory work from home to ‘keep markets liquid’
Islamabad: Pakistan is considering various measures, including weekly petroleum price revision, compensating oil companies and mandatory work from home, to “keep markets liquid” amid the disruption of trade following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a media report said on Thursday.
FGN35: UN-INDIA
UN: India calls on international community to act together against ISIS, Al Qaeda
United Nations: India has called on the international community to act together against ISIS and Al Qaeda and their proxies, underlining that terrorism is an “existential threat” to international peace and security.*