Punjab

LAHORE (Reuters) - Two men were sentenced to death on Saturday for gang-raping a woman on the side of a highway in Pakistan last year, an attack that triggered nationwide protests and calls for tougher laws. The men, Abid Malhi and Shafqat Hussain, were convicted of gang rape, kidnapping, robbery and terrorism offences, according to a written order released by the judge in the eastern city of Lahore. The woman was raped at the side of a highway in the eastern province of Punjab after her car ran out of fuel while she was driving her two children in September. Protesters took to the streets saying Pakistan needed to bring in legal reforms and do more to protect women and children after a series of high-profile cases. Fewer than 3% of sexual assault or rape cases result in a conviction in Pakistan, according to the Karachi-based group War Against Rape. In December, Pakistan introduced a new rape law, creating create special courts in a bid to speed up prosecutions and ... » Learn More about Two men sentenced to death for Pakistan gang rape: prosecutors

NEW DELHI - India’s health ministry warned on Sunday that a huge gathering of devotees for a Hindu festival could send coronavirus cases surging, as the country recorded the most new infections in nearly four months. The ministry said up to 40 people were testing positive for Covid-19 daily around the site of the weeks-long Mahakumbh that began this month and peaks in April in the Himalayan holy town of Haridwar, next to the Ganges. The festival is held only once every 12 years. Organisers have said here more than 150 million visitors are expected, as many Hindus believe bathing in the river during this period absolves people of sins and bring salvation from the cycle of life and death. In a letter to the state government of Uttarakhand, where Haridwar is located, the ministry told local authorities their daily coronavirus testing of 55,000 people in Haridwar was not enough given the large numbers of pilgrims expected, and that cases were already rising. “This positivity ... » Learn More about Massive religious gathering worries India as Covid-19 cases surge

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India reported its most COVID-19 cases and deaths in months on Monday, on the first anniversary of the start of a chaotic nationwide lockdown that left many people jobless and shrank the economy. Authorities reintroduced some curbs to slow the spread of the virus, especially in the western state of Maharashtra, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 46,951 new infections and the majority of the 212 deaths. Some hospitals in the country's worst-affected state have begun to run short of beds. With the biggest rise in cases since early November, India's total has surpassed 11.65 million, the highest in the world after the United States and Brazil. The increase in deaths was the largest since early January, and took the total to 159,967. In some parts of India, most people still go out without masks and flout advice on social distancing, including politicians campaigning in four states where elections will begin later this month. The health ministry ... » Learn More about A year on from lockdown, India reports worst daily rise in COVID-19 in months

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India reported a new variant of the coronavirus on Wednesday as it struggled with the highest single-day tally of new infections and deaths this year. The variant, described by officials as a "double mutant", has been found in more than 200 samples in the hardest-hit western state of Maharashtra, which is home to India's financial capital of Mumbai. Health officials said the new variant had not been detected in large enough numbers to link it to the surge in cases in Maharashtra and other states including Kerala and Punjab. Epidemiologists said the term "double mutant" refers to an entirely new variant that has the characteristics of two already identified variants. "Double mutant is not a scientific term. It is just another mutant which seems to be unique to India," said Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in New Delhi. "Is there a reason to be worried about this particular variant? Not as yet, ... » Learn More about India reports new coronavirus variant as daily deaths reach year’s high

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India reported 40,953 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the biggest daily jump in nearly four months, with its richest state and economic backbone Maharashtra accounting for more than half the infections. Deaths rose by 188 to 159,404, the health ministry reported, underscoring a resurgence of the virus in the world's third worst affected country, after the United States and Brazil. Some regions in India have already reimposed containment measures, including lockdowns and restaurant closures, and more are being considered. Doctors have blamed the fresh infection wave on people's relaxed attitude to mask-wearing and other social distancing measures, warning that hospital wards were swiftly filling up in states like Maharashtra. Maharashtra reported a record 25,681 cases, including 3,000 in the financial capital of Mumbai, over the past 24 hours. The state of 112 million people has imposed a lockdown in some districts and put curbs on cinemas, hotels ... » Learn More about India coronavirus cases surge to four-month high, some lockdowns return

Pakistan’s unique geo-strategic location, vast human and natural resources and growth potential provide an attractive incentive. Pakistan as an investment destination, offers friendly policies and commitment to maximize and enhance investors comfort and confidence level. Almost all sectors of economy are open to investment with attractive incentives and liberal policies. The traditional as well as non-traditional sectors of our economy offer the business community great opportunities to invest in the country and earn the maximum returns. The Food Processing, Logistics, Automobiles, Information Technology and Information Technology enabled Services, Housing & Construction, Manufacturing, Financial Business, Oil & Gas Exploration, Trade, Tourism, and Textile sectors are some of the areas, which are ripe for the foreign and domestic investment, or the mutual benefits of all. With the mandate of Board of Investment (BOI), Investment is promoted, encouraged and facilitated both ... » Learn More about Invest in Pakistan

He has not lost hope despite being owed two months' salary. The Indian national, who gave his name only as Mr Raj, said things appear to be going back to normal even though some of his compatriots had to recently be put on stay-home notice (SHN) for a second time, this round for 14 days. "I understand my boss' problems as everyone suffered during the circuit breaker when there was no work," said Mr Raj, who is in his mid-40s and works as a driver. "From June onward, I restarted work and got my monthly $750 pay. I just have to tahan because my boss promised to repay my April and May salaries," he said, using the Malay term for "endure". Mr Raj, who has been working in Singapore for more than 10 years, admitted he was fearful when talk of a second lockdown last month began to spread on WhatsApp. Fortunately for him, he does not stay in a purpose-built dormitory, otherwise there was a chance he would also be quarantined. While looking for a new job in May, during the ... » Learn More about Health, finances still weigh on workers’ minds

SINGAPORE - An exhibition with more than 450 artefacts from Sikhs in Singapore was launched on Friday (March 26), one of the biggest showcases of the community in the country's history. Sikhs in Singapore - A Story Untold, housed at the Indian Heritage Centre in Little India, tells of the experiences of some 13,000 followers of Sikhism, and is mostly made up of artefacts contributed by the community over the past year. Given the passion for collection of many of the Sikhs here, the objects loaned to the centre have significance far beyond Singapore's shores. A 19th century gouache on paper painting, for instance, dates back to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united Punjab against invaders to create the first Sikh Empire in 1801. Another draw of the exhibition are loans from the internationally renowned Khanuja family collection and the Kapany collection in the United States, which were brought here despite the challenges of transporting them amid the coronavirus ... » Learn More about Kings, shields and gold bracelets: One of the biggest exhibitions on Sikhs opens in Singapore

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): An exhibition with more than 450 artefacts from Sikhs in Singapore was launched on Friday (March 26), one of the biggest showcases of the community in the country's history. Sikhs in Singapore - A Story Untold, housed at the Indian Heritage Centre in Little India, tells of the experiences of some 13,000 followers of Sikhism, and is mostly made up of artefacts contributed by the community over the past year. Given the passion for collection of many of the Sikhs here, the objects loaned to the centre have significance far beyond Singapore's shores. A 19th century gouache on paper painting, for instance, dates back to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united Punjab against invaders to create the first Sikh Empire in 1801. Another draw of the exhibition are loans from the internationally renowned Khanuja family collection and the Kapany collection in the United States, which were brought here despite the challenges of transporting them amid ... » Learn More about One of the biggest exhibitions on Sikhs opens in Singapore

The fire broke out Monday evening inside the Eastern Railways Strand road office in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. The building houses railway ticketing offices. According to officials, seven bodies were found in an elevator, and two others in another one. "Nearly all the bodies were lying inside the elevator. They had used the elevator to climb up. As the floor was on fire and it was hot, the moment the elevator door opened, they got charred," Sujit Bose, state fire minister told media. Preliminary investigations suggested the victims appeared to have suffocated and been burnt to death inside the lift. A statement issued by India's federal railway minister Piyush Goyal said he salutes the bravery of three railway personnel and those who laid down their lives to stop the fire. The federal railway minister has ordered a high-level probe to ascertain the cause of the fire. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the incident and prayed for ... » Learn More about Death toll rises to nine in India’s West Bengal railways building fire as Covid-19 cases goes above 11.2 million