International

Arson attacks paralyseFrench rail network hours before start of Olympics

FRANCE’S high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralysing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe, and thwarting Olympic athletes from travel, only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Games. French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games. Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation saying the crimes could ..

Kamala Harris intends to “earn and win” Democratic nomination

US Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsed by Joe Biden to be a new Democratic presidential nominee, has said that she intends to “earn and win” the nomination of the party and “do everything in my power” to unite the nation to defeat her Republican rival Donald Trump in November. Harris, who received Biden’s support to become the next Democratic presidential nominee after he quit the race for the White House, is poised to become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of ..

Trump says, he ‘took a bullet for democracy’

FORMER US President Donald Trump in his first campaign rally since surviving an assassination attempt has dismissed concerns raised by critics that he is a threat to democracy, telling a large crowd in Michigan that he “took a bullet for democracy.” In the rally in Michigan on Saturday, Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee for the November 5 elections, was joined by his running mate J D Vance. More than 12,000 people piled into the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids to see him and his running ..

Microsoft says Crowd Strike bughit 8.5 million Windows devices

MICROSOFT said that the CrowdStrike update that grounded hundreds of fights around the world besides disrupting online services affected 8.5 million systems using the Windows operating software, which was less than 1 per cent of Windows devices, but the impact was disproportionately vast as it reflected the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services...

India is a 'strategic partner', says Pentagon

India is a 'strategic partner', says Pentagon..

Trump nominated for President; he names Vance as running mate

JUBILANT GOP delegates cheered as they formally nominated Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention kickoff, less than two days after an assassination attempt on the former President and shortly after he announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate. Their vote on Monday makes it official that Trump, who has long been the presumptive nominee, will lead the GOP in a third consecutive election. The winner in 2016, he lost to current President Joe Biden in 2020. ..

PM Modi becomes most followed world leader on X, crosses 100 million followers

SETTING ANOTHER benchmark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the world’s most followed leader on the social media platform ‘X’ with over 100 million followers. While comparing the followers of various Indian politicians on X, PM Modi stands out significantly in terms of numbers. The Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi has 26.4 million followers, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has 27.5 million, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav has 19.9 million, and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has ..

A driverless car hits a person crossing against the light in China, highlighting a challenge for AI

A driverless car hits a person crossing against the light in China, highlighting a challenge for AI..

‘India to play supportive role for peaceful region’

IN HIS first trip since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday travelled to Russia to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin -- a visit that is being seen as having a wider geopolitical context and signalling. Shortly after landing in Moscow, Modi said he is looking forward to deepening bilateral partnership in futuristic areas and that stronger ties between India and Russia will “greatly benefit our people”. India seeks to play a “supportive ..

Starmer becomes UK PM

KEIR Starmer became UK’s new Prime Minister on Friday and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a “sobering verdict” on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives, who suffered their worst electoral drubbing. Starmer, 61, assumed charge as the 58th Prime Minister after his customary audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following Sunak’s meeting with the British monarch. The Labour Party secured ..

New UK PM-elect Keir Starmer wants 'new strategic partnership' with India

New UK PM-elect Keir Starmer wants 'new strategic partnership' with India..

Rishi Sunak's legacy as first-ever British Indian PM secure amid crushing poll defeat

Rishi Sunak's legacy as first-ever British Indian PM secure amid crushing poll defeat..

Stop Labour's 'supermajority': UK PM Sunak's message as election campaign winds up

Stop Labour's 'supermajority': UK PM Sunak's message as election campaign winds up..

Israel in ‘final stage’ of eliminating Hamas in Gaza, says Netanyahu

JERUSALEM, ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country is in “the final stage” of eliminating Hamas’ armed force in the Gaza Strip. “We are advancing towards th..

Putin calls for resuming intermediate-range missiles production

MOSCOW, RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has called for resuming production of intermediate-range missiles that were banned under the now-scrapped INF Treaty with the US. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces..

Biden, Trump trade charges during 1st presidential debate

ATLANTA, PRESIDENT Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump sparred over the economy, border, foreign policy, abortion and national security during the first of presidential debates as they calle..

A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic panic about his candidacy

A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic panic about his candidacy..

Taiwan detects 15 Chinese military aircraft, 6 naval vessels around nation

TAIPEI, THE Ministry of National Defence said it has detected 15 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels around Taiwan between Saturday and Sunday, Taiwan News reported. According to MND, of the..

‘Hundreds died during Haj amid intense heat’

MECCA, HUNDREDS of people died during this year’s Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced intense high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said on Wed..

Bank of England keeps main interest rate at 16-yr high of 5.25% despite inflation fall

LONDON, THE Bank of England on Thursday kept its main interest rate at a 16-year high of 5.25 per cent even though inflation has fallen to its target of 2 per cent, with several policymakers warning that a pr..

India, Lanka commission Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre jointly

COLOMBO, EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held talks with Sri Lanka’s top leadership, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and jointly commissioned with him the Maritime Res..

NASA chief says US and India to expand collaboration in space; to train Indian astronaut for ISS

NASA chief says US and India to expand collaboration in space; to train Indian astronaut for ISS..

S Korea orders striking doctors to return to work

SEOUL, SOUTH Korean officials issued return-to-work orders for doctors participating in a one-day walkout on Tuesday as part of a protracted strike against Government plans to boost medical school admi..

9 killed due to floods, landslides in China

BEIJING, SOUTHERN China was reeling on Tuesday from heavy rains that triggered landslides killing at least nine people, knocking out power for entire villages and burying crops. Meanwhile, northern parts of t..

Ex-Thai PM Thaksin indicted on charge of royal defamation

BANGKOK, FORMER Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was granted release on bail hours after he was formally indicted on Tuesday on a charge of defaming the country’s monarchy in one of several..

Boeing's CEO is scheduled to field questions about plane safety from US senators

Boeing's CEO is scheduled to field questions about plane safety from US senators..

North Korea says Russian President Putin will arrive in the North on Tuesday

North Korea says Russian President Putin will arrive in the North on Tuesday..

Watchdog: Nuclear-armed nations are deepening reliance on nuclear weapons

Watchdog: Nuclear-armed nations are deepening reliance on nuclear weapons..

G7 Summit commits toIndia-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

THE Group of Seven industrialised nations have committed to promoting concrete infrastructure initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) in the G7 Summit Communique issued at the end of the threeday G7 Summit, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Communique was issued on Friday evening after the customary “family photo” at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia, where the G7 also reiterated a commitment to a ..

Modi meets Biden, Trudeau, others during G7 Summit

By Aditi KhannaBARI, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met a host of world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudea..

Muslims begin Haj pilgrimage in Saudi

MINA (Saudi Arabia), IN SWELTERING temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in Mecca converged on a vast tent camp in the desert on Friday, officially opening the annual Haj pilgrimage. Ahead of their trip, they c..

45 Indians victims of Kuwait building fire

DUBAI/KUWAIT CITY, KUWAITI authorities have identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the tragic fire incident in a building housing foreign workers in the Gulf Kingdom,..

US, Europe clear way to $50 bn loan for Ukraine; keep Russian assets locked up

Borgo Egnazia, President Joe Biden and top global allies took action on dual fronts on Thursday to reinforce their solidarity with Ukraine as it fights off Russia’s invasion, with Group of Seven leaders..

Indians among 49 killed in Kuwait building fire

DUBAI/KUWAIT CITY, A MASSIVE fire engulfed a multi-storey building in Kuwait housing foreign workers early on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people, mostly Indians, and injuring more than 50 others, according..

Bangladesh court indicts Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and others on charges of embezzlement

Bangladesh court indicts Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and others on charges of embezzlement..

Malawi’s Vice President, nine others killed in plane crash

BLANTYRE (Malawi), MALAWI’S Vice President and nine others were killed in a plane crash, the country’s President said Tuesday. The wreckage of the military plane carrying Vice President Saulos Chi..

President Biden’s son, Hunter, convicted of all 3 felonies in federal gun trial

WILMINGTON, HUNTER Biden was convicted on Tuesday of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the President’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form ..

UNSC adopts resolution to end Israel-Hamas war

THE UN Security Council on Monday approved its first resolution endorsing a ceasefire plan aimed at ending the eight-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The US-sponsored resolution welcomes a cease-fire proposal announced by President Joe Biden that the United States says Israel has accepted. It calls on the militant Palestinian group Hamas, which initially said it viewed the proposal “positively”, to accept the three-phase plan. Hamas responded to the adoption by saying it welcomed the resolution ..

India fastest growing economy, to clock 6.7 pc growth over 3 years: World Bank

INDIA will remain the fastest-growing major economy recording a steady growth of 6.7 per cent in the next three years including the current financial year, said a World Bank report released on Tuesday. In India, growth is estimated to have picked up to 8.2 per cent in fiscal year (FY) 2023/24 (April 2023 to March 2024) -- 1.9 percentage points higher than estimated in January, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report. It further said global growth is projected to hold ..

In Italy's Puglia region, women take the lead in challenging the local mafia at great personal risk

In Italy's Puglia region, women take the lead in challenging the local mafia at great personal risk..

Man assaults Danish PM; to appear in pre-trial custody hearing

COPENHAGEN, A MAN who reportedly assaulted the Danish Prime Minister in central Copenhagen will appear in a pre-trial custody hearing on Saturday, authorities said. Police confirmed “there has been an i..

Right time to reset relations: China’s State-run newspaper

NEW DELHI, As the BJP-led NDA is all set to form a Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third consecutive time, one of China’s leading English-language newspapers said..

‘Judges reflect continuity of constitutional values’

OXFORD, While elections lie at the core of India’s constitutional democracy, judges reflect a sense of continuity of constitutional values that protect the system, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud..

China’s Chang’e-6 successfully lands on rarely explored Moon’s far side to collect samples

By K J M VarmaBEIJING, A CHINESE spacecraft successfully touched down on the far side of the Moon on Sunday, in the first endeavour of its kind to collect samples from this rarely explored terrain. The ..

S Africa’s partial poll results show ANC falling under 50%; coalition Govt likely

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa was heading closer to the reality of a national coalition Government for the first time on Friday as partial election results put the ruling African Nation Congress well shor..

Donald Trump convicted of felony

By Lalit K JhaWASHINGTON, DONALD Trump has been found guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records by a grand jury in New York, an unprecedented and historic verdict that makes him the first former..

Iran rules out sabotage explosion behind Raisi’s helicopter crash

TEHRAN, Iran has ruled out the possibility of a sabotage explosion leading to the helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, local media reported. The G..

On spelling's saddest day, hyped National Spelling Bee competitors see their hopes dashed

On spelling's saddest day, hyped National Spelling Bee competitors see their hopes dashed..

India’s contributions to global peace, securityexceptional: Kamboj

INDIA’S Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj lauded the country’s exceptional contributions to global peace and security on the occasion of International Day of UN Peacekeepers adding that the country’s peacekeepers have time and again shown unwavering courage to protect vulnerable communities around the world. In a video message on Wednesday, Kamboj remembered those who laid their lives as part of UN peacekeeping forces and noted they have made “ultimate sacrifice under ..

Owner of UK's Royal Mail says it has accepted a takeover offer from a Czech billionaire

Owner of UK's Royal Mail says it has accepted a takeover offer from a Czech billionaire..