FS Misri meets Nepal’s top leadership
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday met with Nepal’s top leadership and discussed ways to provide an impetus to various sectors of bilateral cooperation. Misri, who is here on a two-day visit at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Sewa Lamsal, paid a courtesy call on President Ramchandra Paudel at the president’s office Sheetalniwas in Kathmandu. “While conveying greetings of the Indian leadership, he discussed ways to further strengthen India-Nepal ties across all sectors,” the Indian Embassy in Nepal said in a post on X. Misri also called on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli at his office at Singhdurbar. “Foreign Secretary reaffirmed India & Nepal’s civilizational, close and multifaceted relationship & discussed ways to provide an impetus to various sectors of bilateral cooperation,” the mission said in another post. (PTI)
Pak leadership vows to protect minorities
Islamabad, Aug 11: Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership on Sunday vowed to protect the rights and religious freedoms of minorities, urging all segments of the society to work for promoting interfaith harmony, the spirit of love, tolerance, brotherhood and unity.
In 2009, Pakistan declared August 11 as the National Minorities Day to honour the historic speech made by its founder M A Jinnah who on August 11, 1947, promised to protect their rights.
President Asif Ali Zardari in his message said that minorities in Pakistan enjoy all political, economic and social rights which have been guaranteed by the Constitution, according to state-run Radio Pakistan. “We reaffirm our commitment to the promise made by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 11th August 1947, to the country’s minorities to protect their rights and religious freedoms,” Zardari said, adding the government was taking steps for the political, social and economic empowerment of minorities. (PTI)
China evacuates 80,000 people amid heavy rain
Beijing, Aug 11: More than 80,000 people have been evacuated in southwest China’s Sichuan Province amid the most recent rainstorms to hit the region, local authorities said on Sunday. Heavy rain have battered several of Sichuan’s cities and prefectures since Friday, triggering flash floods and destroying homes, according to the province’s emergency management authorities, Xinhua news agency reported. No casualties have yet been reported as a result of the latest rainstorms. (IANS)
18 dead after landfill site collapses
Kampala, Aug 11: A vast landfill site in the Ugandan capital collapsed, killing at least 18 people, the Red Cross said. Fourteen other people were injured when the Kiteezi landfill, which serves as a waste disposal site for much of Kampala, collapsed late Friday. At least two of the dead were children, Kampala Capital City Authority said in a statement. The collapse is believed to have been triggered by heavy rainfall. The precise details of what happened were unclear. (AP)