Pakistan's upper class exploiting domestic workers

IANS | March 4, 2026 7:37 PM

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Domestic workers in Pakistan's Sindh are some of the most sought-after yet oppressed people in the region. Constantly flouted labour laws have resulted in a cemented culture of child labour practice, inhumane working hours, meagre pay that more often than not misses the minimum wage mark, as well as disputes that are resolved on the basis of power dynamics, according to an article in the Pakistani media.

Back from Saudi Arabia, Firhad Hakim's daughter speaks of Indians stranded amid West Asia crisis

IANS | March 4, 2026 6:39 PM

Kolkata, March 4 (IANS) Priyadarshini Hakim, daughter of West Bengal Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, returned here from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah, saying it was a relief to be back home even as many Indians remain stranded in the region amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.

India focusing on AI for good amid US-China rivalry

IANS | March 4, 2026 5:52 PM

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) While the US and China are locked in an intense rivalry in the AI race to gain a dominant position in the world, countries such as India, Indonesia, and Vietnam are eyeing the frontier technology with the more modest objective of meeting their developmental goals and maintaining digital autonomy, according to an article.

China seizes 'military vacuum' in Africa following Western retreat

IANS | March 4, 2026 5:43 PM

Naypyidaw, March 4 (IANS) China's growing military footprint in Africa now extends beyond nations that have distanced themselves from Paris, with Senegal and Ghana, long aligned with France and Western security partners, having stepped up acquisitions of Chinese defence systems.

UN Special Rapporteur echoes UNAMA concerns over deadly Pak-Afghan clashes, calls for restraint

IANS | March 4, 2026 5:11 PM

Kabul, March 4 (IANS) Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, on Wednesday echoed concerns raised by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) over the intensifying clashes along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border that have resulted in heavy civilian casualties and displacement.

Poverty, inequality on the rise in Pakistan

IANS | March 4, 2026 4:56 PM

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Both inequality and poverty have increased in Pakistan during the last six years, a report released by the country's Planning Commission clearly indicated.

Oppn’s Iran strike theory is ‘malicious conspiracy’: BJP

IANS | March 4, 2026 4:40 PM

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) BJP leader Amit Malviya, who heads the party's National Information and Technology Department, has sharply criticised India's opposition and what he described as the left-leaning ecosystem, including parts of the media, for their handling of recent developments in the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Iran crisis: BJP invokes Nehru's 1958 caution on Hungarian leader's execution

IANS | March 4, 2026 4:20 PM

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) In a social media post amid the global fallout from the US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya has drawn a historical parallel to underscore the need for diplomatic restraint.

Minor Christian boy forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan: Rights body

IANS | March 4, 2026 3:47 PM

Islamabad, March 4 (IANS) A minority Christian boy in Pakistan was forcibly converted to Islam, highlighting yet another case of injustice against vulnerable communities, said a leading minority rights group.

Gujarat targets 5.50 lakh girls in statewide HPV vaccination drive

IANS | March 4, 2026 1:27 PM

Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad, March 4 (IANS) Gujarat has set a target of vaccinating 5.50 lakh adolescent girls against cervical cancer under a statewide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation campaign launched from Ahmedabad, following the national roll-out announced last week.