Author: EchoAsiaNews

Greenland and Denmark have formally rejected an offer from U.S. President Donald Trump to send a hospital ship to the Arctic island, saying such aid is unnecessary because Greenland already has a functioning public healthcare system, officials said Sunday. Trump announced the proposal on social media, saying he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” and suggested the mission was being coordinated with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, whom he appointed as special envoy to Greenland. In response, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen…

A Palestinian-Syrian film director accused Germany of being “partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel” during an awards ceremony at the Berlin International Film Festival, prompting a German minister to walk out of the event. Abdallah Al-Khatib made the remarks on Saturday night after his documentary, Chronicles From the Siege, won the Berlinale’s Perspectives section for emerging filmmakers. His comments came at the close of a politically charged edition of the festival, where organisers had faced criticism from some actors and directors for not taking a clear stance on the war in Gaza. Speaking on stage, Al-Khatib said he…

Pakistan carried out intelligence-based military airstrikes along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border on Sunday, targeting militant hideouts in response to a series of recent attacks on Pakistani soil, government sources and officials said. The strikes were aimed at camps and positions associated with militant groups blamed for violence inside Pakistan. According to security sources, Pakistani forces struck seven locations in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces, hitting what Islamabad described as hideouts and operational bases linked to banned armed groups. Pakistan’s State Minister for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, said in a televised statement that the operations resulted in the neutralization of nearly 80…

The Ministry of Finance on Saturday rejected claims that Pakistan is paying interest rates of up to 8 per cent on its external sovereign loans, terming the assertion misleading and taken out of context. In a statement reported by Dawn, the ministry said that while some commercial borrowings may carry higher rates, the overall average cost of the country’s external public debt remains significantly lower. According to the ministry, Pakistan’s total external debt and liabilities stand at approximately $138 billion. However, it clarified that external public debt, which refers specifically to government borrowings, is around $92 billion. Of this amount,…

A gas cylinder explosion ripped through a residential building in North Nazimabad on Sunday, killing a teenage boy and injuring four others, rescue officials and police said. The explosion occurred inside a 10th-floor apartment near the Hyderi commercial area, triggering a fire that spread to four flats on the same floor. The impact of the blast also damaged the roof of a ninth-floor apartment and affected the building’s elevator system. Emergency response teams, including four fire tenders, a water bowser and snorkel units, were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control.…

A Russian missile struck an Oreo cookie factory in eastern Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, marking the second time the facility has been hit since the war began in 2022, Reuters reported. Sybiha posted on X that the strike damaged a production building at the plant in Trostyanets, but there were no casualties. The facility, which manufactures Oreo cookies, is owned by U.S.-based snack giant Mondelez International. “This is not just an attack on Ukraine,” Sybiha wrote, adding that the missile strike was also aimed at “American business interests in Europe.” The same factory was badly…

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that Gianni Infantino, president of global soccer’s governing body Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and an IOC member, did not breach political neutrality rules by attending the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, the IOC confirmed on Saturday, Reuters reported. Infantino appeared this week at the launch of the Board of Peace alongside Donald Trump, the U.S. president, and other world leaders. The meeting, held in Washington, focused on reconstruction efforts in Gaza, including sport-related development projects. An IOC spokesperson said the committee had been in contact with FIFA and understood…

JPMorgan Chase & Co. confirmed on Friday that it closed multiple banking accounts linked to U.S. President Donald J. Trump in February 2021, roughly one month after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The bank did not cite Trump’s political status in announcing the closures, but said the decision was based on a standard internal review process. In a brief statement issued to Reuters, JPMorgan said the accounts were closed “in the ordinary course of business and consistent with its contract terms.” The bank declined to comment further on specific reasons or to disclose which accounts were affected.…

Australia’s centre-left government has rejected media reports claiming it is organizing the repatriation of 34 Australian women and children from a Syrian camp holding families of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants. Government officials said the Sunday Telegraph story alleging that Canberra was preparing to bring the group home was incorrect. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke denied that there were any official preparations, meetings with state authorities or coordinated repatriation efforts underway. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also reaffirmed that the government would not assist the group’s return. The 34 individuals, believed to be relatives of dead or imprisoned IS fighters, were…

Renowned poet, naat-reciter and speaker Syed Salman Gilani has died at the age of 74 after a long illness, his family confirmed on Saturday. Gilani had been receiving treatment at Sheikh Zayed Hospital for complications related to his heart and liver. According to relatives, he had been unwell for a long time, and his condition worsened recently despite medical care. He was widely known in literary and religious circles for his naat recitations and poetry, which were often praised for being relatable and heartfelt. In addition to devotional poetry, he was also known for his humorous verses. His funeral prayers…