World

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has named a gender equal cabinet Photo: Barcroft

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says cabinet is half women ‘because it’s 2015’

— November 6, 2015 comments off
Canada’s new ministerial cabinet is the first in the country’s history to have gender parity Justin Trudeau, Canada’s new prime minister, has picked 15 men and 15 women as part of a ministerial team that... Read more »
Antarctica is gaining Ice but that doesn't mean Global Warming is over

Antarctica is gaining Ice but that doesn’t mean Global Warming is over

— November 4, 2015 comments off
A new study by NASA published in the Journal of Glaciology by a team led by NASA researcher Jay Zwally produces a surprising and controversial new estimate of large mass gains. Zwally’s team has... Read more »
China,France agree on climate compliance checks

France and China agree checks on emissions-cutting compliance

— November 3, 2015 comments off
China and France have agreed to include compliance checks in the international climate change agreement that will be negotiated in Paris in December. French President Francois Hollande who is in China to... Read more »

Russian passenger plane with 220 onboard crashes in Egypt

— October 31, 2015 comments off
A Russian plane carrying over 220 people from Egypt to Russia disappeared from radars, and crashed in central Sinai, according to Russian and Egyptian authorities. Kolavia Flight 7K9268, an Airbus A321, went... Read more »
Pakistani author, Kanza Javed was supposed to participate in Indian Literature Fest for the launch of her book ‘Ashes, Wine and Dust,' but her visa was denied at the last-minute by India.

Pakistani author launches her Novel on Skype after India denied visa

— October 28, 2015 comments off
When a Pakistani author Kanza Javed was denied a visa to travel to India for her book launch. She didn’t lose hope. Kanza, with the help of her publisher, Aanchal Malhotras, co-ordinated a... Read more »
A powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude has shaken Himalayan region on 26 October 2015. The epicenter of the quake was reported to be in northeastern Afghanistan.

Powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude shakes Pakistan, Afghanistan and India

— October 26, 2015 comments off
More than 200 dead, 1000 injured in Pakistan as powerful quake strikes Hindukush region Pakistan Meteorological Department say the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1 ISLAMABAD (Pakistan) – A powerful earthquake measuring 7.5... Read more »
Muslims and Jews sharing meal together in Hummus cafe in Israel.

Hummus Restaurant offers discount to Jews and Arabs who dine together

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Share Hummus for Peace A restaurant near the coastal city of Netanya in Israel recently started offering 50 percent off each plate of the chickpea paste at tables seating Jews and Arabs... Read more »
Brazilian natives of the Pareci tribe dance before playing head football with a hand-made ball, during the first day of the International Games of Indigenous Peoples, in Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso, on November 10, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Christophe SimonCHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images http://epaper.pakobserver.net/201507/07/back.php http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=276512 http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=275113 http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=275638 EXHIBITION TO REMEMBER ONE OF CUBA’S BEST ARTISTS 60th anniversary of Pak-Cuban diplomatic ties Thursday, October 22, 2015 - Islamabad—The new custodian of the Cuban embassy, Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción, Ambassador of the Republic Cuba in Pakistan, Wednesday, received the elites of the town, diplomats and art aficionados at the exhibition of the works of Cuban artists. According to Zenén Buergo the day was important for three reasons; it marked the National Culture Day of the Republic of Cuba, 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Cuba and was featured in the memory of great Cuban singer Sara Gonzalez. One could see a large number of diplomats taking interest in 30 engravings by Cuban artists put on display at the embassy. The title of the exhibition should have been ‘30 engravings by 30 artists’ quipped a guest, however another standing nearby said it was very thoughtful of Zenén Buergo to name the exhibition after a great Brazilian star Sara Gonzalez. “For the first time in Pakistan works of 30 Cuban artists was put on display,” said she. Ambassador Sara Gonzalez too made a reference to this earlier in his speech saying such a magnificent collection has never been displayed before at the Embassy of Cuba. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was the guest at the evening. Most of the art pieces were lithographic, some Xylographic and a couple of them were calligraphic. Visitors also took interest in Silkscreen printing work. The titles of the engravings were also wistfully chosen like “Si me Pides el pescado” or “If you ask me the Fish,” “Canto del Amor y la Vida” or “Singing of Love and Life,” Cancion de Acero” or “Song of Heart of Steel”, “La mona de Sara” or “The Monkey Sara” and “Ofrendo” or “I offer”. Here one must compliment the staff and officials of the embassy in briefing the guests about each piece of art and engraving. Though this is the exhibition first of its kind, yet one hopes and wishes it will not be the last as Pakistani art lovers find many common aspects in the artworks of the artists of the two countries, remarked an art lover while talking to Pakistan Observer. Cuban art is derived from the roots and rituals of its peoples so does Pakistan’s and I see no reason this does not find its prominent place in our local art world and the credit for this will go to the Cuban ambassador, he further said. An exhibition showcasing a Cuban art collection was organised at the residence of the Swiss Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission Roger Kull on Saturday. Titled “Archivos Babalú”, the exhibition comprised over 70 small and medium silk screen prints produced by various Cuban artists who were trained under contemporary Cuban artist Liudmila Lopez Dominguez. “I’m very happy to be the first one to bring Cuban art to Pakistan,” said Dominguez, adding that through the exhibition, she aimed to bridge cultures and explore the potential for exchange opportunities from both countries. Dominguez’s work also featured in the exhibition among the 40 Cuban artists who have presented silk-screen printing, an old Chinese art technique prepared manually. “Whatever you see here has been produced in my workshop,” said Dominguez, who is the owner and director of her studio-gallery “Bablú Ayé” in Havana, Cuba. Using solid, bold and bright colours, the art pieces were quirky and vibrant with a mix of themes, layers and subjects. There was a recurring element of women’s feet clad in richly-detailed and elaborately-ornamented footwear, painted toe-nails with intermittent props such as guitars, the Cuban flag, eyes, blank slates and black-and-white spirals. The talented young Cuban artist Liudmila López Domínguez is an example of that. Her inspiration is women’s shoes, and they have been the theme of a countless number of works that she has exhibited in many countries. “Shoes reflect my interest in continuing my discourse about gender, which involves what I can symbolically depict. This allows me to make connections between my own personal history and the collective one that are related to glamour, classes, comfort, and even states of mind.” López is a graduate of the José Joaquin Tejada School of Fine Arts in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. She devoted the initial years of her career to painting, and especially to engraving, and believes that as one of the most complete techniques, it gave her a strong background. López has exhibited her work in many solo and collective shoes in Cuba and abroad inlcuding Spain (2001), United States (2002), Greece. This young artist has won many awards and mentions for her outstanding work Compositora, Cuban singer and guitarist Cuban Singer songwriter Sara González, member of the Movimiento de la Nueva Trova (Cuban New Song Movement) Singer-songwriter Sara Gonzalez, one of the original voices of the New Cuban Song Movement, has died in Havana, official media reported. She died in Havana, Cuba in 2012 at the age of 60. The Cuban newspaper Granma published an article entitled “Sara will always be the voice of victory”, which described her as one of the paradigmatic voices of the Cuban New Song Movement over the past 50 years.

Over 2,000 ethnic athletes to participate in World Indigenous Games in Brazil

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Participants arrive for first ‘indigenous Olympics’ from dozens of Brazilian ethnicities as well as from such far-flung nations as Ethiopia and New Zealand PALMAS, BRAZIL — World’s first “indigenous Olympics” kicked off... Read more »
Police outside the school in Trollhattan. Photo: EPA

Masked man with sword kills two at Sweden school

— October 23, 2015 comments off
A masked sword-wielding man has killed at least two people and wounded some others at a school in Sweden before being shot by police on Thursday, authorities said. One male teacher, 20, died... Read more »
Teenage student, who was arrested in Texas after taking a homemade clock to school, accepts scholarship offer in Doha

US clock kid Ahmed is moving to Qatar to study

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Teenage student, who was arrested in Texas after taking a homemade clock to school, accepts scholarship offer in Doha The 14-year-old Muslim boy, Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested for bringing science project... Read more »
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Wednesday is a bid to ease tensions in the region. (Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters)

Ban Ki-moon urges Israel, Palestine for political solution to end violence

— October 20, 2015 comments off
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will make a surprise visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Tuesday, in a high-profile gambit to bring an end to the month-long wave of violence that... Read more »
Pakistan and Russia on Friday signed an inter-governmental agreement for the construction of 1,100 km gas pipeline from Lahore to Karachi.

Pakistan, Russia sign US $2 billion deal to build gas pipeline

— October 17, 2015 comments off
Pakistan and Russia on Friday signed an inter-governmental agreement for the construction of 1,100 km gas pipeline from Lahore to Karachi. The agreement was jointly signed by Federal Minister for Petroleum and... Read more »
Refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey - a crossing EU leaders want to discourage people from taking AFP/GEtty Imagese

European leaders and Turkey agree on joint plan to help refugees

— October 16, 2015 comments off
European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels said they agreed on an “action plan” with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan​ to cooperate on improving the lives of two million Syrian refugees in... Read more »

Old Habits Die Hard

— October 15, 2015 comments off
By Tassawar Khan; The aggressive policies of Indian PM Narindra Modi stay in the media lime light. A visible change is observed in the Indian Foreign Policy since the BJP superemo has... Read more »
Victims lie on the street in Ankara as the scene of the explosion is cordoned off . Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Nearly 100 dead as bombs rock Turkey’s capital

— October 11, 2015 comments off
Two powerful bombs ripped through the main train station in Ankara on Saturday morning, killing at least 100 people and injuring 186 others in the deadliest attack in the Turkish capital in... Read more »
Svetlana Alexievich was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize for Literature. Credit Reuters

Belarus Journalist Svetlana Alexievich wins 2015 Nobel prize in literature

— October 8, 2015 comments off
Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist and prose writer, was recognized for “for her polyphonic writings” and awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday. The 67-year-old writer and journalist from Belarus... Read more »
Sweden aims to become the first fossil fuel-free country in the world

Sweden aims to become the first fossil fuel-free country in the world

— October 8, 2015 comments off
“Sweden will become one of the first fossil-free welfare states in the world,” Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven announced in a speech to the UN General Assembly. “When European regulations do... Read more »

“ASEAN must make bold decision to combat transnational crime”

— September 30, 2015 comments off
KUALA LUMPUR: With transnational organised crime having gone global and reached macroeconomic proportions, Asean countries are at a critical juncture to decide whether they should also focus on new types of such... Read more »
Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Mina near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, September 24, 2015. Photo: AP

More than 700 pilgrims killed, 719 injured during Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

— September 24, 2015 comments off
More than 700 people are crushed to death and 719 injured in stampede during Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia MINA (Saudi Arabia) – According to latest reports, at least 717 people... Read more »
A policeman stands inside the al-Balili mosque after two suicide bombings at the mosque during Eid al-Adha prayers in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Bomb blast during Eid prayers in Yemen kill at least 25

— September 24, 2015 comments off
SANAA (Yemen) – A suicide bomber blew himself up during prayers at a mosque for the Eid al-Adha holiday on Thursday, killing 25 people in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, security officials said. Dozens... Read more »

Australia-Japan Foundation announces grants, worth around $620,000

— September 24, 2015 comments off
The Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF) is pleased to announce the successful grant recipients for 2015-16 worth around $620,000 . In a message of congratulation the Murray McLean, AO Chair of the AJF Foundation  said: “On... Read more »

Pakistan sees Indian, Afghan link with air base attack

— September 19, 2015 comments off
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has gathered intelligence information regarding Friday’s terrorists attack on a Pakistani Air Force mosque and the adjoining areas and has recorded conversations between attackers and their handlers in Afghanistan.... Read more »

Australian and Indian Navies in first maritime exercise

— September 14, 2015 comments off
The inaugural bilateral maritime exercise between India and Australia, AUSINDEX15, has commenced, with an opening ceremony held in Visakhapatnam, India, late last week (Sept. 12, 2015). According to an official report building... Read more »

Chinese Ambassador assures Sri Lanka on support for economic stability

— September 14, 2015 comments off
COLOMBO — The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang has assured Sri Lanka that China’s economy remains stable and still has a huge potential. He said that despite the economy facing a... Read more »