Sri Lanka briefs EU on moves to repeal anti-terror laws

At the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the organisation Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) raised concerns over the continued misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and their impact on religious minorities.

At the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Yasser Laaroussi, from the ECO FAWN Society, during General Debate under Item 3, in his oral statement, highlighted the terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. He urged the international community to intensify efforts to combat terrorism and ensure accountability for attacks targeting civilians

Speaking on Thursday, Anjo, a representative of the Sambhali Trust, emphasized that the progress of human rights should not only be measured through laws and resolutions, but through everyday improvements in communities.

"India is a major exporter of petroleum products, especially to our neighbourhood. We have been supplying diesel to Bangladesh through waterways, rail and the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline in partnership with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. Diesel exports to Bangladesh have continued since then," he said.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned a drone strike on the commercial vessel Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean. Calling it "a terrorist attack & a war crime," she detailed the crew's rescue after a gas explosion, criticised Malta's refusal to assist the injured, and denounced the European silence.

Pakistan's fruit and vegetable supply remains dominated by traditional middlemen and the "mandi" system, with digital platforms handling only 2-3% of trade. Restrictive provincial laws and lack of infrastructure force farmers into dependency on commission agents, stalling modern technological transformation in the agricultural sector.

The European Union on Wednesday moved to intensify pressure on Tehran amid the conflict in West Asia by approving new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian regime officials and entities accused of serious human rights violations.

A recent analysis by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a significant rise in anti-Indian commentary and hostility on social media platforms, with targeted posts and coordinated campaigns driving much of the online rhetoric, as stated in a column by Tanner Nau, Editorial Fellow at The Free Press.

Esmaeil Baqaei, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, on Tuesday paid tributes to the sailors of IRIS Dena who were killed after the frigate was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka.

Baghaei's remarks came in response to statements by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas regarding the regional situation.