Experts slam corporate farming, land grabbing in Pakistan

IANS | January 21, 2026 4:52 PM

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Experts in Pakistan have slammed the expansion of corporate farming and land acquisition, lamenting that such government schemes are displacing farmers and privatising land and water resources, particularly in Punjab and Sindh.

Buddhist community says minorities in Bangladesh facing severe repression, violence

IANS | January 21, 2026 4:43 PM

Colombo, Jan 21 (IANS) Highlighting that Buddhist minorities and other religious communities in Bangladesh are facing severe repression and violence, the Sri Lanka–Bangladesh Buddhist Solidarity Front has urged Buddhists across the world to unite for protecting their rights, especially those of indigenous Buddhists in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a report has stated.

Easing defence FDI norms could be a game-changer for India: Report

IANS | January 21, 2026 3:53 PM

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) India is considering a significant relaxation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules in the defence sector, raising the automatic‑route ownership cap from 49 to 74 per cent for existing licensed defence firms and removing vague conditions that would reshape its defence landscape, a recent report has highlighted.

EAM Jaishankar, Spanish counterpart discuss bilateral cooperation and global affairs

IANS | January 21, 2026 3:20 PM

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday, discussing bilateral cooperation, including in trade, investments, defence, technology, education sectors besides people-to-people ties.

Pakistan's Lahore ranked world's most polluted city

IANS | January 21, 2026 2:34 PM

Islamabad, Jan 21 (IANS) Lahore has been ranked at the top of global pollution charts with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 450, according to the Swiss air quality monitor IQAir, local media reported on Wednesday.

Japanese court sentences former PM Shinzo Abe's killer to life in prison

IANS | January 21, 2026 2:32 PM

Tokyo, Jan 21 (IANS) A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced the man charged with the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 to life in prison, terming the shooting using a homemade gun with adequate lethal power "vile and extremely vicious," local media reported.

Chinese researchers develop eye surgery robot

IANS | January 21, 2026 11:14 AM

Beijing, Jan 21 (IANS) A team of Chinese researchers has developed an autonomous robotic system that is capable of performing delicate eye injections within the confined space of the human eye.