France has detected several cases of a new Covid-19 variant, raising concerns amid a surge in cases of the infectious disease in Europe. The variant, known as B.1.X or B.1.640, was detected in October in Bannalec and Finistere, French dailty Le Telegramme reported. ....

India has successfully reconstructed 50,000 houses in Nepal's Gorkha and Nuwakot districts in association with National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), UN Development Program, and UN Office for the Project Services. ....

The Pakistan government has released 20 Indian fishermen from the District Prison and Correctional Facility in Karachi, Dawn news reported. ....

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore has said that there is deep concern over reports that child marriages in Afghanistan are on the rise. ....

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met a US Congressional delegation and exchanged views on the potential for enhancing bilateral ties and strengthening cooperation on contemporary global issues such as the terrorism, climate change and reliable supply chains for critical technologies. ....

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced to provide $7 million to conduct genomic research in eight low and middle income countries, including India. Other countries are South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Brazil. ....

A Chinese representative will attend the Pakistan-hosted meeting on Afghanistan on Thursday, along with representatives from the US and Russia, and Chinese analysts believe that the four countries which could play a comprehensive role in addressing the plight of Afghanistan are likely to discuss the urgent needs and next steps for Afghan Taliban in forming an inclusive government and cracking down on terrorism, Global Times reported. ....

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education and also the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, has married Asser Malik, general manager high-performance with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a low-key nikah ceremony in Birmingham. ....

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education and also the world's youngest Nobel Prize laureate, has married Asser Malik, general manager high-performance with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a low-key nikah ceremony in Birmingham. ....

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, will arrive in Islamabad on Wednesday at the invitation from Pakistan to be a part of the Troika Plus meeting. ....