International

Russia calls for jointly combating terrorism with India, other nations

New Delhi: Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, said on Saturday that his country is committed to fighting terrorism together with India and other nations, as he highlighted the strong statement of support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The remarks came after a dastardly terror attack near Moscow on March 22 left more than 140 people dead and several injured as terrorists, reportedly dressed in camouflage uniforms, stormed the Crocus City Hall, opening fire and setting off explosives. “Russia is committed to decisively fight the menace of terrorism together with India and other countries bilaterally and multilaterally,” Ambassador Alipov said in a post on X. “Strong statements of support to Russia and rejection of terrorism in all manifestations were made by Hon.…

Read More »

Israel’s war on Gaza live: Tanks ‘crushed bodies’ at al-Shifa Hospital

Palestinians who fled the ongoing Israeli siege of al-Shifa Hospital say Israeli tanks and armoured bulldozers drove over at least four bodies and ambulances. Israeli forces have also surrounded al-Amal and Nasser hospitals in southern Gaza. Israel informed the UN it would no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north Gaza, where 70 percent of people face an extreme level of food scarcity. Mediation efforts to end the bloodshed in Gaza appear to be struggling, with a Hamas official telling Al Jazeera that Israeli negotiators have rejected their latest proposals for a ceasefire. At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October…

Read More »

Russia-Ukraine war live: Border shelling intensifies after Putin reelected

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will not be intimidated as he cements his grip on power in a landslide election victory. Allies such as China were quick to congratulate Putin but Western countries denounced what they called an illegal election. Ukraine says residents are being evacuated from border settlements in the northeastern region of Sumy due to increased Russian shelling. Russia claims downing eight Vampire, two Alder and one Grad multiple-launch rocket system shells over its Belgorod region.

Read More »

Half-a-dozen people killed in Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan

Kabul: Pakistani military aircraft carried out airstrikes in the Barmal district of Paktika province and the Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district in Khost province. Tragically, these strikes targeted civilian homes, resulting in the loss of six lives and destruction of property, a spokesperson for Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement. Reports indicate that six individuals, including three women and three children, lost their lives in Paktika, while two women perished in Khost due to a collapsed house. “Last night at around 3 o’clock in the Barmal district of Paktika province and in Afghan Dubai area of Sepera district of Khost province, Pakistani planes bombed the houses of civilians, as a result, 6 people including 3 women and 3 children were…

Read More »

US Senator asks social media companies about preparations for elections in India

Washington: An influential American Senator on Friday asked the US social media companies as to what preparations they have made for elections in India, where social media platforms, including Meta-owned WhatsApp, have a long track record of amplifying misleading and false content. The letter, written by Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Intelligence and Rules Committees, which has oversight over US elections, comes on the eve of the announcement of elections in India by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The letter by Bennet to the leaders of Alphabet, Meta, TikTok, and X is addressed to seeking information from these companies about their preparations for elections in various countries, including India. “The dangers your platforms pose to elections are…

Read More »

Gaza ceasefire on cards as Israel likely to agree release of Palestinian prisoners

Tel Aviv: A six-week ceasefire is on the cards in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel after both sides communicated to the mediators on stepping down from their earlier demands. While Hamas has agreed to climb down from the demand for a permanent end of the war to a pause for six weeks, Israel has almost agreed to release 1000 Palestinian prisoners including 100 charged with grievous crimes including murder. There were a series of meetings in Doha, Cairo, and Paris in the last two days with different negotiators brokering a truce between Israel and Hamas Sources in Israeli intelligence agencies told IANS that Qatar has communicated to the Hamas leadership that it would “not hesitate to deport them from…

Read More »

Imran Khan’s party to merge with SIC if election commission approves latest intra-party polls

Islamabad: A top leader of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s party has said that his party would merge with the Sunni Ittehad Council if the election commission accepted its recent intra-party polls and returned its iconic poll symbol, a media report said on Friday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Asad Qaiser in an interview with DawnNewsTV said if the party got back its cricket bat electoral symbol after the recent organisational polls, then both parties would merge and “remain as PTI”. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is a political alliance of Islamic political and Barelvi religious parties in Pakistan. It was joined by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party-backed independents who won the February 8 elections. When asked whether PTI-backed candidates who joined the SIC…

Read More »

Vessel struck in Red Sea as Houthis promise attacks on more shipping lanes

A merchant vessel has been damaged in a missile strike in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said, as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened to expand their attacks on shipping which have disrupted global trade. The crew was not injured and the vessel continued its journey, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and security firm Ambrey, after the incident west of the rebel-held port of Hodeidah on Friday. The British Navy’s UKMTO said the ship reported being “struck by a missile”. “The vessel has sustained some damage,” the UKMTO said, and described the crew as being “safe”. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which comes as its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said…

Read More »

Earthquake of magnitude 5.3 jolts Afghanistan

Kabul: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Afghanistan on Wednesday, the National Center for Seismology reported. In a post on X, the NCS wrote, “Earthquake of Magnitude:5.3, Occurred on 13-03-2024, 20:54:10 IST, Lat: 36.28 & Long: 70.25, Depth: 146 Km, Region: Afghanistan” No reports of material damage or casualties have surfaced yet. Further details are awaited.

Read More »

SpaceX’s mega rocket blasts off on a third test flight from Texas

Mexico City: SpaceX‘s mega rocket blasted off on another test flight Thursday, aiming to make it halfway around the world this time. The first two flights last year lasted mere minutes before blowing up over the Gulf of Mexico. Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, soared from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border and headed out over the gulf. No people or satellites were on board. The rocket and futuristic-looking spacecraft towers 397 feet (121 meters), easily exceeding NASA’s past and present moon rockets. SpaceX’s Elon Musk was shooting for a shorter, hourlong flight on the latest demo, with the Indian Ocean as the spacecraft’s finish line. He noted that the company made thousands of upgrades and…

Read More »