Modi congratulates new Malaysian PM
New Delhi, May 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad over telephone, an official said.
"Prime Minister Modi conveyed his good wishes for the progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Malaysia," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.
"He stated that the close and mutually beneficial India-Malaysia ties are based on the strong foundation of shared values, interests and vibrant people-to-people relations," it stated.
"The Prime Minister said that he looked forward to working with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to further strengthen India-Malaysia strategic partnership."
Last week, Mahathir, who governed for more than two decades became, at the age of 92, became the world's oldest elected leader.
He came out of retirement and defected to the opposition to take on and beat former protege Najib Razak. His historic win ousted the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had been in power since independence in 1957.
Malaysia is an important member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc with which India has been increasing its engagements under New Delhi's Act East Policy.
The country is also home to around 2.7 million people of Indian origin.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
