World

NEW DELHI: In a significant diplomatic development, Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, is in India for a seven-day visit aimed at engaging on bilateral and regional matters. As part of his itinerary, Muttaqi will visit the historic Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

NEW YORK: Nineteen people are dead or missing after a devastating blast destroyed a building at a military explosives plant in the US state of Tennessee, local officials said.

WASHINGTON: In an exclusive interview with IANS, US Representative Ami Bera advised against President Donald Trump’s threats of escalating US–China trade confrontation. He cautioned that a tariff war would ultimately “hurt the American consumer” and urged the White House to resume diplomacy rather than ramp up economic hostilities.

NEW DELHI: The highly coveted 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was on Friday awarded to Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado for being a steadfast supporter of democracy, and not to US President Donald Trump, who had been gunning for the prestigious award.

WASHINGTON: Hours after the Nobel Committee ignored US President Donald Trump’s candidature for the peace prize and awarded it to Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, Steven Cheung, Assistant to the President and White House Director of Communications, accused the Committee of placing “politics over peace.”

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump may not have received the Nobel Peace Prize this year, but the winner, an ally from Venezuela, dedicated the award to him on Friday. 

RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of ceasefire agreement in Gaza and expressed hope that these efforts would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution.

MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart from the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations during their meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.

NEW YORK: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based advocacy group, has severely criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh for increasingly using the recently amended counterterrorism law to arrest "alleged" supporters of the former Awami League government.

NEW DELHI: In a major shift in strategy, Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has announced the formation of its first-ever women’s wing, named “Jamaat-ul-Mominaat”, sources told IANS.

NEW DELHI: Victor Hugo Echeverri Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to India, on Thursday said that the reciprocal tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump have created opportunities for nations like India and Colombia to forge new alliances.

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for an official visit to India, focused on discussing the bilateral ties and regional matters.

UNITED NATIONS: Welcoming the Gaza peace deal, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said it opens opportunities for a lasting agreement that would lead to a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living in peace.

CANBERRA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday held "productive" bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles to explore new avenues for strengthening defence cooperation between the two nations.

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed deep gratitude to US President Donald Trump following the announcement of a breakthrough agreement with Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, marking what he described as a "great day for Israel".

MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Thursday and will discuss India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in line with 'Vision 2035'.

SYDNEY: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Sydney on Wednesday for a two-day official visit to Australia with the Indian High Commissioner to Australia Gopal Baglay receiving him in Sydney.

DHAKA: Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday issued arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior officials of security forces over alleged enforced disappearances during the previous Awami League government, local media reported.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has been suffering losses at the hands of the Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Balochistan. With a minerals deal on cards with the United States and the upcoming China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project 2.0 (CPEC), Pakistan has to assure these countries of security guarantees.

HANOI: Heavy rains and floods triggered by Typhoon Matmo have left eight people dead and five others injured in Vietnam, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority announced Wednesday.

CALFORNIA: Several members of the Indian-American community and advocacy organisations in the United States have voiced their appreciation as California officially designated Diwali-- the 'Festival of Lights'-- as a statewide holiday.

CANBERRA: Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held the 10th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting in Canberra on Wednesday, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral ties.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said that some furloughed federal employees may not receive back pay once the government reopens, following earlier threats to lay off federal workers during shutdown.

GAZA: A Hamas source said that the group has demanded that any release of Israeli hostages be "directly tied to" a clear timetable for Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza, as the group's indirect negotiations with Israel continue in Egypt.

NEW DELHI: United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Mumbai early Wednesday morning at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, marking the beginning of his first official visit to India since assuming office.

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police on Tuesday registered a complaint filed by the families of those killed during the recent Gen-Z protest movement against former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak. 

QUETTA: At least three Baloch civilians, including a woman, became the latest victims of enforced disappearances amid mass property destruction and gross human rights violations by the Pakistani Army in the Zehri region of Balochistan, the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) on Tuesday said.

NEW DELHI: After the deliberate strategic relocation of terror outfits, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), into Pakistan’s restive region Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, top sources now confirm that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is now being subtly repurposed by the Pakistani military establishment to target Baloch nationalists and elements within the Taliban regime who defy Islamabad’s control.

DHAKA: In yet another major political conflict in Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party (NCP) warned of far-reaching consequences that could seriously impact next year's elections if it is denied Shapla (water lily) as its electoral symbol.

QUETTA: At least seven people were injured after a blast targeted the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in the Shikarpur district of Pakistan's Sindh on Tuesday, local media reported, citing officials.

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns the continued arbitrary detentions of UN personnel and its partners, as well as the ongoing unlawful seizure of UN premises and assets in areas under Houthi control, a UN spokesperson said.

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, addressing the inaugural session of the Trust and Safety India Festival (TASI) 2025, underscored the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) while urging a balanced and responsible approach to its governance.

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that their alliance "will be invariably carried forward in the future," as Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened military cooperation over Russia's war against Ukraine.

UNITED NATIONS: “Put an end to the hostilities in Gaza, Israel and the region now”, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded ahead of the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, calling that a “dark day seared in the memories” of all.