St Petersburg

Ramadan in St Petersburg – the city where the sun doesn’t set

Muslim authorities in northern Russia say wait of up to 22 hours to break fast is simply an extra challenge to faith By Alec Luhn  When Ramadan starts on Thursday, the faithful in... Read more »
Parramasala Sydney 2012

Parramasala Festival 2015 to coincide with Indian Tourism Week

Parramasala Festival 2015 to be held from 16 October to 18 October in Parramatta NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Multiculturalism John Ajaka have announced details of the much-anticipated 2015 Parramasala Festival. Mr... Read more »

10-year multiple-entry visas for Chinese travellers to boost Australian tourism

The federal government has extended multiple entry visas to Chinese nationals from three to 10 years to better compete with the US, which is also clamouring for more Asian tourists. Trade and... Read more »
Australia's Northern Territory

Northern Australia vision to make region an ‘economic powerhouse’

The government has released a $1.2bn plan to make northern Australia an “economic powerhouse”, which includes greater temporary migration and expediting native title claims. The white paper on developing northern Australia also... Read more »
A girl arranges plates before iftar – the breaking-fast meal– during Ramadan at the Grand Mosque in Delhi, India. Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

Muslims observe first day of Ramadan

The Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan has begun on Thursday for Muslims around the world. Because Muslims follow a lunar calendar, different moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the... Read more »
A delegation of MQM called on President Asif Ali Zardari at President House.

Pakistan should proclaim Governor Rule in Sindh Province

By Saeed Qureshi It appears that now the big fish both erstwhile and in power have started feeling the pinch of the anti-corruption drive pedaled by the Rangers in Karachi. It is... Read more »
Muslims worldwide mark beginning of holy month of Ramadan

Muslims worldwide mark beginning of holy month of Ramadan

Millions of Muslims all around the world mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Religious authorities in Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and most other countries declared Thursday as the first... Read more »

Digital platform on family farming launched by FAO

New initiative aims to inform policy makers, continue global conversation on food security Recognizing the contributions of family farmers to food security and poverty eradication worldwide, FAO has launched a new digital... Read more »
Pakistan was successful in securing its first ever export order for its JF-17 Thunder fighter at the first day of the International Paris Air Show

Pakistan’s JF-17 wins first export order at Paris Air Show

PARIS (France) –  After high expectations for a deal to pull through, Pakistan was successful in securing its first ever export order for its JF-17 Thunder fighter on Monday at the first... Read more »
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley pays tribute to Gandhi on his first stop of his tour of India

Foley pays tribute to Gandhi on his first overseas trip as Labor Leader

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley has paid tribute to Gandhi on his first stop of his tour of India, laying a wreath at the Raj Ghat memorial in Delhi today. Mr Foley... Read more »
Barclay Primary School. Photo: School website

UK schools forbid students from fasting during Ramadan because of health concerns

UK schools claim the school policy had the same purpose as Islamic Law – “to safeguard the health and education of the child” Several primary schools in London say they are forbidding students... Read more »
102-year-old woman awarded Ph.D she was denied under Nazi regime

102-year-old woman awarded Ph.D she was denied under Nazi regime

102-year-old woman becomes Germany’s oldest student 80 years after the Nazis blocked her doctorate Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport wasn’t allowed to defend her doctoral thesis in 1938 under the Nazis because she was part-Jewish.... Read more »
climate change

US, UK least concerned about climate change, survey says

The United States and Britain are the main barriers when it comes to tackling climate change, according to a new survey. The survey by YouGov, spanning four continents and 15 countries, found... Read more »

Quality education, decent jobs a must to end child labour: ILO

New ILO study points to the long-term impact of child labour New ILO report shows the need for coherent policies tackling child labour and the lack of decent jobs for youth together.... Read more »

Top 50 highest-rated CEOs in America as judged by their employees

America’s Favorite Bosses In 2015 Glassdoor, the careers website, has just released its third annual Employees’ Choice Awards for the Highest Rated CEOs. The survey is based solely on the input of employees who anonymously and voluntarily... Read more »

Pakistan’s JF-17 to participate in Paris Air Show 2015

As the world’s oldest and largest air show, the Paris Air Show is the undisputed queen of its kind. The tarmac of Paris-Le Bourget Airport is set, once again, to be heaving... Read more »
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister of State for National Development Maliki Osman. (Photo: FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto)

Singapore, FAO sign milestone deal on food safety, illegal fishing

Singapore, FAO to tackle food security issues This is the first agreement signed between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Singapore since the latter joined in 2013... Read more »

Turkey’s ruling party loses majority as pro-Kurdish party gains seats

With 99 per cent of votes counted, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party has lost its majority, as for the first time in the republic’s history a pro-Kurdish party is in parliament Turkey witnessed... Read more »

Malaysia earthquake death toll rises to 16

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities said on Sunday 16 bodies had been recovered from the country’s highest peak Mount Kinabalu after a magnitude 6 earthquake caused landslides and aftershocks. The victims were 6... Read more »

Why did Saudi Arabia intervene in Yemen?

By Mohammed Khalid Alyahya While Iran’s destructive influence in Yemen is as alarming to Saudi Arabia as its meddling in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia’s decision to intervene militarily in Yemen... Read more »
MERS virus has claimed the lives of five people, with another 64 people suffering from the illness in South Korea.

South Korea declares ‘war’ on Mers virus as 2300 in quarantine

Seoul, (South Korea) – Fears of MERS in South Korea are growing by the day, with more than 2,300 people quarantined as the country grapples with the outbreak. At least 1,381 schools will... Read more »
Pakistan armed forces Chief of Staff General Raheel Sharif

Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable: Pakistan’s Army Chief

ISLAMABAD (Pakistan) – In one of his strongest remarks on Kashmir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable, and that Kashmir is... Read more »
Special assistant to Prime Minister, Syed Tariq Fatemi, arrives to attend the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on October 16, 2014 in Milan. AFP / Giuseppe Cacace

Pakistan to host D-8 summit on June 4-5

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, the current Chairman of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Development, will host a meeting of the 36th session of the Developing-8 Commission this week. “This meeting is being organised... Read more »
Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi, center, and members of the anti-Islamic State coalition meet in Paris, France, to discuss strategy in fighting the jihadists who have made key battlefield advances in recent weeks in Iraq and Syria, Tuesday, June 2, 2015.

Anti-ISIS coalition makes little progress at Paris meeting

Iraqi PM terms rise of ISIS global ‘failure’, calls for more support against ISIS The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has described the rapid advance of Isis as a “failure of the... Read more »