International

Tom Cruise felicitated with US Navy’s highest civilian award

HOLLYWOOD star Tom Cruise has been feted with the US Navy’s highest civilian honour for his “outstanding contributions” to the military with his work on screen. It was with the 1986’s blockbuster “Top Gun,” Cruise shot to fame, and the film’s record-breaking success spiked military enlistment. The Distinguished Public Service Award was presented to Cruise during a ceremony on Tuesday at the Longcross Film Studios in Chertsey, Surrey, reports bb.com. The 62-year-old star expressed his gratitude for ..

After a gap of 6 years India-China’s SRdialogue resumes

INDIA on Wednesday pressed for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the border dispute with China as NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held extensive talks focusing on “positive” direction for cross-border cooperation including resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, river data sharing and border trade. The Indian readout of the 23rd Special Representatives (SR) dialogue, however, did not mention a six-point consensus that was listed in a statement issued by the ..

Russian Generalkilled in explosion

 MOSCOW : A SENIOR Russian General was killed on Tuesday by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building in Moscow, a day after U k r a i n e ’ s security service levelled criminal charges against him. A Ukrainian official sai..

India evacuates nationals Amid deteriorating situation in Syria

AMID rapidly deteriorating security situation, India evacuated 75 of its nationals from Syria, two days after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian Government. Noor Rahman Sheikh, Ambassador of India to Lebanon received them in Beirut. The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following an assessment of the security situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. “The Government of India today evacuated 75 Indian ..

Syrian crisis Govt still functioning, challenges loom: Syria PM

Syria’s Prime Minister said on Monday that most Cabinet Ministers are still working from offices in Damascus after rebels entered the capital over the weekend and overthrew President Bashar Assad. Streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future. But there were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country, which is led by a former senior Al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist ..

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of insurgency that toppled Syria’s Assad?

ABU MOHAMMED Al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. In recent days, the insurgency even dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. Insurgents ..

Amid martial law turmoil S Korea’s Interior Minister Lee Sang-min steps down

INTERIOR Minister Lee Sang-min stepped down from his post on Sunday amid political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law declaration last week. The Ministry said Yoon accepted Lee’s resignation shortly after he offered to resign. Lee, one of Yoon’s closest aides, announced his resignation, a day after the main Opposition party proposed an impeachment motion against Lee, with the vote scheduled for Tuesday. In a parliamentary session following the lifting of martial law, ..

7.0 magnitude earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning

A 7.0 MAGNITUDE earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the US West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 am West of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents ..

S Korea’s Oppn submits motion to impeach President Yoon over sudden martial law

SOUTH Korea’s Opposition parties on Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing pressure to leave office hours after he ended a short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle Parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it. Impeaching Yoon would require the support of two-thirds of Parliament for the motion and then the backing of at least six Constitutional Court justices...

South Korean President declares Emergency Martial Law; Parliament votes to defy him

SOUTH Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an Opposition that controls the country’s Parliament and that he accuses of sympathising with communist North Korea. Hours later, Parliament voted to lift the declaration, with the National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people”. Woo called for police and military personnel to withdraw from the Assembly’s ..

Writ petition in Desh HC seeks ban on Indian TV channels

  DHAKA :  A WRIT petition has been filed in the Bangladesh High Court seeking a ban on the broadcast of all Indian TV channels in the country citing provocative news aired on them, according to a media report. Lawyer Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan f..

Trump picks Indian American Kash Patel as FBI Director

PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump has picked Indian American Kash Patel to head the FBI, turning to a fierce ally to upend America’s premier law enforcement agency and rid the Government of perceived “conspirators”. It’s the latest bombshell Trump has thrown at the Washington establishment and a test for how far Senate Republicans will go in confirming his nominees...

India ranks 2nd on national index score among 29 countries: Report

INDIA has been placed second on the national index score among 29 countries in November 2024, according to a report on Friday. The LSEG-Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index India report maps consumer sentiment based on current conditions, expectations, investments, and jobs. It is based on a monthly survey of more than 21,000 adults under the age of 75 from 29 countries between October 25 and November 8. The report showed that Indonesia (64.3) holds the highest National Index score, among the 29 ..

Bangladesh HC ‘no’ to ban ISKCON

BANGLADESH High Court Thursday rejected a petition seeking a ban on ISKCON’s activities in the country, days after a lawyer was killed in a clash between security personnel and supporters of a Hindu leader, previously linked to the religious group. A lawyer had sought a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) after placing some newspaper reports related to the organisation on Wednesday. “The two-member High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury ..

Ceasefire in Lebanon Israel, Hezbollah agree on US-France-brokered deal

 TEL AVIV, The truce does not address devastating war in the Gaza   AFTER months of skirmishes and thousands of casualties, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire deal on Tuesday, brokered by US- and France and residents in cars ..

PAKISTAN on the boil Imran’s supporters reach Islamabad 6 SECURITY MEN KILLED IN VIOLENCE

JAILED former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters reached the heart of Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday after removing barricades and battling police in clashes that killed six security personnel and injured dozens. Four paramilitary Rangers and two policemen were killed late on Monday and over 100 security personnel injured when protesters marching towards D-Chowk turned violent, prompting the Federal Government to deploy the Army in Islamabad along with shoot-at-sight orders, State-run media said ..

B’desh court denies bail to Hindu leader

A BANGLADESHI court on Tuesday denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on alleged “sedition” charges, and sent him to prison, amid protests by community members in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram. Bangladesh police on Monday arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Hindu group Sammilita Sanatani Jote, from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka while travelling to Chattogram. He was then brought to Chattogram. ..

Patole meets Kharge, dismisses resignation talk as ‘rumours’

AT LEAST 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea, Egyptian officials said Monday. The Governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers saved 28 people from the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment. Hanafy said 31 tourists of various nationalities were on board along with 14 crew. The governorate received a report shortly before dawn on Monday of a distress call made from the yacht, which had left Marsa ..

COP29 reaches global climate deal package

A PACKAGE of climate agreements was reached early Sunday at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). The agreements included decisions on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate financing and issues relating to the global carbon market mechanism under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The agreements set the post-2025 climate finance targets, including an annual funding of at least 300 billion US dollars ..

Guyana, Dominica confer top awards on PM Modi

GUYANA and Dominica have conferred their top awards on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his exceptional contributions to the global community and efforts in strengthening bilateral ties with the two Caribbean nations. The Prime Minister, who is in Guyana on the last leg of his three-nation visit, was conferred ‘The Order of Excellence’ by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday. “Sincerely thank President Dr Irfaan Ali, for conferring upon me Guyana’s ..

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas leaders

THE International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defence Minister and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire ..

Russia fired intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine for first time, says Kyiv

UKRAINE says Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight targeting Dnipro city in the central-east of the country, which, if confirmed, would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war. In a statement, on Thursday on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but said it was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea. It said an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired at Dnipro city ..

Gautam Adani charged with paying USD 265 mn bribe to Indian officials

BILLIONAIRE Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts. Adani, India’s second-richest man, and seven others including his nephew Sagar have been charged with paying bribes to unidentified officials of State Governments in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to buy expensive solar power, potentially earning more than USD 2 billion profit ..

Special welcome! PM Modi given key toGuyana’s Georgetown

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Guyana on Wednesday -- the first visit by an Indian head of the state in more than 50 years -- said his visit “will deepen the friendship between our nations.” In an unprecedented gesture, Modi was received at the airport by Guyana President Irfan Ali, his counterpart Mark Anthony Phillips and over a dozen Cabinet ministers while at the hotel, they were joined by the Prime Ministers of Grenada Dickon Mitchell and Barbados Mia Amor Mottley too. Modi was ..

India remains in top 10climate performers

INDIA remained in the top 10 on a list of 63 countries assessed for efforts to combat climate change, despite dropping two spots compared to an year ago, thanks to its low per-capita emissions and rapid deployment of renewables, a report said on Wednesday. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2025) -- published by think tanks Germanwatch, New Climate Institute, and Climate Action Network International -- tracks the progress of the world’s largest emitters in terms of emissions, renewables, and ..

Modi meets several world leaders in Brazil

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi met leaders of several countries, including those from Italy, Indonesia, Norway, Portugal, Egypt and South Korea on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and discussed ways to improve and strengthen bilateral ties. Modi also met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath and European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen. Modi, who arrived in the Brazilian city on Sunday after concluding a two-day trip to Nigeria, on Monday met his Italian counterpar..

UK to relaunch FTA talks with India

BRITISH Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that trade talks with India will relaunch in the new year, following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Brazil. Starmer and Modi met on the sidelines of the summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday after which Downing Street said the UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security, education, technology, and climate change. Starmer’s ..

UK to relaunch FTA talks with India

BRITISH Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that trade talks with India will relaunch in the new year, following his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Brazil. Starmer and Modi met on the sidelines of the summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday after which Downing Street said the UK will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a trade agreement as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security, education, technology, and climate change. Starmer’s ..

‘Long way to agree on new climate finance package’

AZERBAIJAN,hosting thisyear’s UN climate conference, on Monday said that countries still havealong way to agree on a new climate finance package to support developing nations in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. At a press conference, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev expressed concern over slow progress in resolving key issues. He urged Ministers to take responsibility and act swiftly. “There is still a long way to go on theNewCollectiveQuantified Goal (NCQG). Politicians must engage ..

Brazil welcomes PM Modi with vedic chants

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by BrazilianVedic scholars chanting Sanskrit mantras upon his arrival in Brazil for the G20 summit on Monday. The group of Vedic scholars, comprising men and women of all ages, sang melodious Sanskrit shlokas in PM Modi’s presence. They were dressed in traditional Indian attire, and the Prime Minister keenly listened to their harmonious recitation. According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, there is significant interest in India’s culture, ..

Trump names Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary. Leavitt, 27, would replace Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House Press Secretary on January 20, 2025 when Trump takes oath as the 47th President of the United States. She was the Trump Campaign’s National Press Secretary and has previously served in the Trump White House as Assistant Press Secretary. Announcing her nomination, Trump said, “Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on ..

Colombia's government eager for post-fossil fuels economy. But costs are barrier!

Colombia's government eager for post-fossil fuels economy. But costs are barrier!..

Shanghai, Tokyo, NY, Houston spew most greenhouse gas

CITIES in Asia and the United States emit the most heat-trapping gas that feeds climate change, with Shanghai the most polluting, according to new data that combines observations and artificial intelligence. Seven states or provinces spew more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, all of them in China, except Texas, which ranks sixth, according to new data from an organisation co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore and released Friday at the United Nations climate talks in Baku, ..

Trump vows to end Russia-Ukraine war

US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump has said his administration will focus on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, as he lamented the killing of people in the conflict. He also said his administration will also work on bringing peace to West Asia. “We’re going to work on the Middle East, and we’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop,” Trump said during a gala for the America First Policy Institute held at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thursday. This was his first major speech and public ..

New gen Russian fighter jet Su-57 makes waves at China's air show

New gen Russian fighter jet Su-57 makes waves at China's air show ..

For 3rd straight year Earth remains on a path to be 2.70C warmer

FOR the third straight year, efforts to fight climate change haven’t lowered projections for how hot the world is likely to get — and recent developments in China and the United States are likely to slightly worsen the outlook, according to an analysis on Thursday. The analysis comes as countries come together for the 29th edition of the United Nations climate talks, hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, where nations are trying to set new targets to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases and figure out how much ..

Trump’s Republicans get control of US House

REPUBLICANS have won enough seats to control the US House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on US Government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier on Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats. With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend ..

Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence

WASHINGTON :  US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat and the first-ever Hindu elected to the US Congress, would serve as Director of National Intelligence in his second term. A four-term Congressw..

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users..

Trump promises to turn Washington upside down yet being welcomed back

Trump promises to turn Washington upside down yet being welcomed back..

COP 29 Developingcountriesdemand FAIR CLIMATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT

INDIA, as part of the Like-Minded Developing Countries bloc, stood firm in calling for equitable financial support from developed nations at the ongoing COP29 climate negotiations, multiple sources from the grouping said here. Concerns were also raised that nearly 69 per cent of reported finance came in the form of loans adding burdens on the already vulnerable countries. At the annual climate talks, India negotiates in key groupings such as the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), G77 and ..

Japanese regulators disqualify reactor under post-Fukushima safety standards for first time

Japanese regulators disqualify reactor under post-Fukushima safety standards for first time..

Some wealthy countries say trillions needed to fight climate change, rich nations must lead

Some wealthy countries say trillions needed to fight climate change, rich nations must lead..

35 KILLED, 43 INJURED as manrams car into crowd in China

THIRTY-FIVE peoplewerekilled and43others injuredwhena 62- year-old man rammed his car into a crowd of people exercising at a sports centre on Monday in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, which is currently hosting the country’s prestigious international air show. Terming it a “major vicious incident”, local police said the incident occurred around 7:48 pm on Monday when citizens wereexercisingatthesportscentre wherealargenumberofpeople gathered for physical workouts, the official media reported Tuesday...

COP29 adopts establishment of global carbon market under Paris Pact’s Art 6

IN A landmark decision on the first day of the global climate talks here, COP29 has officially adopted the new operational standards for a mechanism of the Paris Agreement under Article 6, setting the stage for a global carbon market. This adoption of article 6.4, achieved during the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA), sets the stage for operationalising Article 6, which has faced years of deadlock. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement facilitates ..

India confident of reaching $100 bn trade with Russia ahead of 2030 timeline: EAM

INDIA is confident of achieving USD 100 billion in annual bilateral trade with Russia well ahead of the timeline of 2030 and a more substantive relationship between the two nations has a larger global resonance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. There have been challenges to trade, especially with regard to payments and logistics and perceptible progress has been made in that regard, but there is still some work to be done, he said. The External Affairs Minister was speaking ..

For nearly decade, climate talks have been hashing out so-called Article 6. But what is it?

For nearly decade, climate talks have been hashing out so-called Article 6. But what is it?..

Japan mulls $65 billion in public support for AI, chips

Japan mulls $65 billion in public support for AI, chips..

COP29 begins: Fight delays climate talks

DEVELOPING countries, including China and India, sparred with rich nations over including “unilateral trade measures”, such as the European Union’s carbon border tax, in the agenda of the UN climate talks, delaying the formal start of the conference on Monday. Agenda disputes are common at UN climate conferences but this one is especially significant as countries have limited time to agree on a new climate finance goal to help developing countries adapt to and fight climate change, the central issue ..

Trump, Putin speak over phone, discuss endingwar in Ukraine: Media report; Kremlin denies

US PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone and discussed ending the war in Ukraine amongst many other important topics, according to a media report. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied the media report of the phone call between Putin and Trump. After winning the recent presidential elections, Trump has spoken to over 70 world leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among the firsts. “The two ..