Author: EchoAsiaNews

The Indian rupee is poised to open with a muted response to the recent slide in the U.S. dollar and strengthening Chinese yuan, as local market flows continue to outweigh global currency trends, analysts say. Despite the U.S. dollar weakening broadly, with the U.S. dollar index falling and the offshore Chinese yuan rising to multi-year highs, the rupee has shown limited movement. Traders note that corporate dollar demand and technical factors dominated trading, preventing the rupee from fully benefiting from the weaker dollar backdrop. On Monday, the rupee closed slightly weaker at around 90.76 against the U.S. dollar, remaining within…

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday called for national unity in the fight against terrorism as the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the deadly suicide attack on an imambargah in Islamabad. Addressing the lower house, Asif said that while political اختلافات are a natural part of democracy, issues such as national sovereignty, territorial integrity and state security must rise above partisan politics. His remarks followed the suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers, which claimed at least 33 lives and left dozens injured. According to officials, the attacker first opened fire before detonating…

Pakistani rapper Talha Anjum has confirmed his engagement to London-based content creator Zoiea Karim following widespread social media speculation. Speculation began earlier this week after video clips and photos of what appeared to be an engagement ceremony circulated online. In the clips, Anjum and Karim were seen together, and moments from the gathering appeared to show a ring exchange and celebratory rituals. On Monday, Anjum shared a carousel of engagement photos on his official Instagram account, confirming the reports and posting a message dedicated to Karim that described the occasion as a new chapter in their lives. Fans and followers…

Pakistan’s government has directed its national men’s cricket team to play the scheduled ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against India on Feb. 15 in Colombo, ending uncertainty over the high-profile fixture. The decision came after discussions involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), officials said. Friendly countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, had formally requested Pakistan reconsider an earlier stance that had signalled a possible boycott of the match. Pakistan had been under pressure after announcing its intent not to play the India fixture…

Australian leaders called for calm on Tuesday after clashes broke out between police and demonstrators in central Sydney during the visit of Isaac Herzog, authorities said. Police said confrontations occurred near Sydney’s Town Hall on Monday evening as protesters gathered to oppose Herzog’s visit. New South Wales police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd after demonstrators attempted to breach police lines. At least 27 people were arrested, including 10 charged with assaulting police officers, according to police statements. The protests coincided with Herzog’s official visit to Australia, which includes events marking the victims of a deadly attack at a…

China is increasing its political, economic and defence engagement with Bangladesh as relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have weakened ahead of Bangladesh’s national election scheduled for Feb. 12, 2026. The shift follows the removal from power of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who maintained close ties with India during her tenure. Hasina was ousted in 2024 and is currently living in New Delhi. Bangladesh’s interim authorities have requested her extradition after she was convicted at home, but India has not acted on the request. Her Awami League party is not contesting the upcoming election, leaving two major parties with…

Pakistani authorities said on Monday that more than 44.3 million children were vaccinated during the first nationwide anti-polio campaign of the year, marking a major step in the country’s ongoing effort to eradicate the paralyzing virus. The week-long campaign, which ran from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, targeted children under the age of five across Pakistan and was overseen by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). Officials said over 400,000 trained polio workers visited households door-to-door to administer oral polio vaccine drops. “More than 44.3 million children were administered polio vaccine drops during the campaign,” the NEOC said in an…

Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended condolences to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari after a deadly bombing and shooting attack at a Shi’ite mosque in Islamabad, state media reported Monday, as world leaders condemned the violence and pledged support for Pakistan. Xi “strongly condemned violence and terrorist acts against innocent civilians” and reaffirmed China’s support for Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. The message was conveyed in a letter of sympathy addressed to Zardari. The comments followed a suicide bombing and gun attack at the Khadija Al-Kubra Shi’ite mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area of…

A South Korean military AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter crashed during a training flight on Monday in the northern county of Gapyeong, killing both crew members on board, the country’s military said. The helicopter went down at around 11:04 a.m. local time (0204 GMT) while conducting a routine training exercise, according to an army statement. The crash occurred in a hilly, forested area about 55 kilometres northeast of Seoul. Both crew members, identified as warrant officers, were rescued from the wreckage and transported to nearby hospitals in cardiac arrest, but were later pronounced dead, military and local authorities said. The Army…

Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has dispatched its 28th humanitarian relief consignment for civilians in the Gaza Strip, comprising 100 tonnes of tents and shelter supplies, state media and official releases reported. The special cargo flight carrying the aid departed Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore for Al-Arish, Egypt, from where the supplies will be forwarded to Gaza, NDMA said in a statement released on Monday. NDMA officials confirmed the shipment was sent under directives from the Prime Minister of Pakistan and organized in coordination with the Pakistani charity Alkhidmat Foundation. With this latest dispatch, Pakistan’s total volume of…