Bangladesh has cut services to millions of mobile phones along its border with India for “security” reasons amid fears a new citizenship law passed by its giant neighbour could prompt an influx of migrants. Bangladesh shares a 4,000-kilometre border with India and the shutdown would affect some 10 million mobile phone users. The decision was taken keeping in mind India’s current situation which may prompt many people to enter Bangladesh.
Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, who claimed to be behind the world’s first gene-edited babies has been sentenced to three years in prison. Jiankui, who shocked the scientific community last year by announcing the birth of twin girls whose genes had allegedly been altered to confer immunity to HIV, was also fined three million yuan ($430,000) for illegal medical practice.
Rabeeha Abdurehim, an Indian Muslim student refused to accept the gold medal at the Pondicherry University in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Rabeeha who secured first position in the post-graduate department of Mass Communication mentioned that the gold medal was an insult to her and every student fighting against whatever is happening right now and it was in solidarity with all the students around India.
Qantas has set the record for the longest ever flight on an A380 Airbus from Dresden, Germany to Sydney, Australia. The flight took 18 hours and 26 minutes to complete. This was a non-commercial flight without passengers or cargo on it. The company operated two flights from New York to Sydney and another from London to Sydney to research if the 18+ hour journey would be practical.
Saudi Arabia on Saturday rejected reports that it was involved in Pakistan’s absence from the Kuala Lumpur Summit. The Saudi embassy in Islamabad released its statement a day after Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Pakistan had decided to stay away from the recently concluded summit because of Saudi Arabia’s threats of economic sanctions.
President of the United States, Donald Trump was impeached for abuse of power in a historic vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The decision set up a Senate trial on removing him from office after three turbulent years. By a 230 to 197 vote in Democratic-majority House, Trump became the third occupant of the White House in American history to be impeached.
Indian police detained more than 100 protesters in key Indian cities for defying ban on protests that authorities hope to stop widespread demonstrations against a new citizenship law. Internet service was blocked in some parts of New Delhi, a tactic Indian authorities are known to use in other parts of the country, such as occupied Kashmir, to try to stop protests from being organised.
As clashes continue in India after controversial citizenship law, death toll has risen to six. In Assam, four people died after being shot by police, while another was killed when a shop he was sleeping in was set on fire and a sixth after he was beaten up during a protest. Some 5,000 people took part in a fresh demonstration on Sunday.
Boris Johnson is on course for a historical victory in the U.K. election, winning a string of seats from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party in its traditional heartlands. BBC’s exit poll showed the Prime Minister’s Conservative Party would win 368 seats in Parliament, with a large majority of approximately 86, and a mandate to fulfil its campaign pledge of “Getting Brexit Done.”
Pakistan is ranked second last in the list of ‘world’s most reputable countries’ comprised of 54 countries by a U-S based data and insights company. Pakistan being at 53rd spot, just one above Iran and one beneath Saudi Arabia, also below India, Bangladesh and Nigeria. The rankings are based on the countries’ tourism, economy, people’s behaviour, exports, and investments.