India’s top court has granted bail to a comedian after he spent 35 days in jail for a joke he didn’t crack. Munawar Faruqui, 30, was arrested on 1 January in the central Indian city of Indore just as one of his shows ended. He is accused of “insulting” Hindu religious sentiments in jokes that […]
A civil disobedience movement in Myanmar is gaining momentum with teachers and students protesting against Monday’s military coup. Demonstrators at a university in the biggest city, Yangon, chanted support for jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and wore red ribbons, her party’s colour. Ms Suu Kyi and other leaders have been held since the military’s […]
Soutik Biswas India correspondent A month after taking office in the summer of 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s “democracy will not sustain if we can’t guarantee freedom of speech and expression”. Six years on, many believe, India’s democracy looks diminished, by what they say are persistent attacks on the freedom of the press. […]
The US government has said it is “deeply disturbed” by a BBC report detailing allegations of systematic rape of Uighur women in Chinese camps. “These atrocities shock the conscience and must be met with serious consequences,” a spokesperson said. A UK government minister, Nigel Adams, said in parliament on Thursday that the report showed “clearly evil […]
By Mayank Bhardwaj KANDELA, India (Reuters) – Indian farmers’ leaders on Wednesday outlined plans to scale up months of protests against agricultural reforms, as their cause gained high-profile supporters in the West. Demanding the repeal of three new farm laws that they say will hurt them to the benefit of large corporations, tens of thousands of […]
By Reuters Staff MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia accused the West on Wednesday of descending into hysteria over the jailing of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, and the Kremlin said police had been right to use force to break up protests over his imprisonment. A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced the prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin […]
By Reuters Staff (Reuters) -Myanmar police have filed charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment and she will be detained until Feb. 15 for investigations, according to a police document. The move followed a military coup on Monday and the detention of Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi and other […]
A Moscow court has jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny for three-and-a-half years for violating the conditions of a suspended sentence. He has been in detention since returning to Russia last month. He had been treated in Germany for a near-fatal nerve agent attack against him in August. Thousands of supporters have rallied across Russia in […]
By Rachel Schraer Health reporter Coronavirus pandemic Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine gives around 92% protection against Covid-19, late stage trial results published in The Lancet reveal. It has also been deemed to be safe – and offer complete protection against hospitalisation and death. The vaccine was initially met with some controversy after being rolled out […]
Coronavirus pandemic A bushfire raging outside the Western Australian city of Perth has forced nearby residents to evacuate, as the city remains in a coronavirus lockdown. The blaze, whipped up by strong winds, had doubled in size overnight to a 75km (46 miles) fire-front said officials. At least 30 homes are believed lost. People have […]
