ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday his country is committed to upholding human rights for all, prioritizing advancement of tolerance and constructive engagement after Pakistan has been re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) with an overwhelming majority.
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said that elections were held in New York on Tuesday and among the five candidates from the Asia-Pacific region vying for four seats, Pakistan secured the highest number of votes. (Pakistan-UNHRC-Election)
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VIENTIANE — The first signal controller of the China-Laos Railway was successfully set up in the northern suburbs of Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday, which marked a key step in the signal system construction and installation along the China-Laos railway.
The China-Laos railway’s signal engineering includes the laying of 562-km signal, installation and commissioning of 171 sets of rerouting machines, 345 sets of signal controllers and 425 sections of track circuit equipment. (China-Laos-Railway)
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YANGON — Three candidates from Myanmar’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were abducted by an armed group during a campaigning activity for the upcoming general elections in Taungup township of Rakhine state on Wednesday, a military spokesperson told Xinhua.
“Based on the testimonies by members of security forces and witnesses, three party representatives and helmsmen were seized by five men who were holding arms, assumed to be owned by the Arakan Army (AA),” Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, secretary of the Military True News Information Team, said. (Myanmar-Candidates-Abduction)
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TOKYO — Japan on Wednesday unveiled its newest 3,000 ton submarine named Taigei which was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. amid no signs of the nation reining in its ever-increasing and constitutionally questionable “defense” spending.
The submarine was unveiled at a shipyard in western Japan and is slated to go into service as the 22nd vessel in the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) submarine fleet in March 2022. (Japan-Submarine)
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VIENTIANE — Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here Wednesday with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and the two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the post-epidemic era, economic ties and coordination in regional affairs.
Wang said China and Laos are friendly neighbors and also comrades and brothers working together to advance the socialist cause.
Both countries have succeeded in containing the COVID-19 epidemic, demonstrating the socialist systems’ advantages of concentrating resources to accomplish large undertakings and the two parties’ advanced philosophy of taking the interests of the people above everything else, Wang said. (China-Laos-Ties)