At Davos, EU Chief Says India Trade Pact Soon

DAVOS, Jan 20: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday signaled that negotiations between India and the European Union are approaching a significant phase, telling global leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos that the two sides are "on the cusp of a historic trade agreement" that could reshape global commerce and supply chains.

Speaking during her address, Ursula von der Leyen framed the prospective India-EU free trade agreement as part of Europe's broader strategy to champion what she described as "fair trade over tariffs, partnership over isolation, sustainability over exploitation." She said the European Union was committed to de-risking its economy and diversifying supply chains by deepening ties with the world's major growth centres.

"And right after Davos, the next weekend, I will travel to India. There is still work to do, but we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement," von der Leyen said, adding that "some call it the mother of all deals." According to her, the agreement would create a combined market of around two billion people and account for nearly a quarter of global GDP, giving European companies a crucial first-mover advantage in one of the world's fastest-growing regions.

The strong statement from Davos is the clearest public signal yet that both sides are pushing to conclude the long-pending negotiations, which have seen multiple rounds of talks over the years but gained fresh momentum amid shifting geopolitical and economic realities. The EU, like several major economies, has been seeking to reduce excessive dependence on a narrow set of suppliers and to build resilient, diversified supply chains, particularly in strategic sectors such as clean technologies, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and critical raw materials.

Von der Leyen placed India at the heart of this strategy, describing the Indo-Pacific as one of the "economic powerhouses of this century."

"Europe wants to do business with the growth centres of today and the economic powerhouses of this century, from Latin America to the Indo-Pacific and far beyond," she said, underlining that Europe "will always choose the world, and the world is ready to choose Europe."

Her comments come just days before her scheduled visit to New Delhi later this month, a trip that is expected to give a significant political push to the trade talks. The visit also coincides with a major diplomatic moment in India-EU relations.

India, UAE sign pacts on LNG, space; eye more data centres

NEW DELHI, Jan 19: India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday signed a series of agreements and outlined new areas of cooperation during the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said while briefing the media.

The two countries signed a letter of intent on collaboration in space infrastructure and joint missions, and another letter of intent for UAE participation in the development of a special investment region in Dholera, Gujarat.

India and the UAE also signed a long-term agreement for the supply of 0.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per annum. The UAE is currently the second-largest supplier of LNG to India.

An agreement on food safety was signed to encourage food and agricultural exports from India. The two sides also agreed to explore cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies, including large nuclear reactors and small reactors.

The UAE will examine investments to expand data centre capacity in India, and both sides will consider setting up a data embassy under mutually recognised sovereignty agreements.

India and the UAE also agreed to work towards doubling bilateral trade from $100 billion to $200 billion by 2032.

16,500 killed in Iran protests, claims report

TEHRAN, Jan 19: A new report quoting doctors on the ground has claimed that at least 16,500 protesters have died and 3,30,000 have been injured in Iran’s crackdown on weeks of demonstrations that initially began over economic issues but eventually turned into outrage calling for an end to the Iranian regime.

On Saturday, in what was the first public acknowledgement since protests rocked the country, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the unrest resulted in “several thousand” deaths.

“In this revolt, the US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: ‘We do support you, we do support you militarily,’” he said, while describing Donald Trump as a “criminal” and protesters as “foot soldiers” of the United States.

A new report from doctors on the ground, obtained by The Sunday Times, said that at least 16,500 protesters have died and 3,30,000 have been injured. The report also said that most of the victims are believed to have been under the age of 30.

Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, told the publication that Iranian authorities are using military-grade weapons to counter the demonstrations this time, as “gunshot and shrapnel wounds” are being seen in the heads, necks and chests of protesters.

According to data compiled by staff in eight major eye hospitals and 16 emergency departments in Iran, at least 16,500 to 18,000 people have been killed and 330,000 to 360,000 injured, including children and pregnant women, the report said.

At least 700 to 1,000 people have reportedly lost an eye. A single hospital in Tehran, the Noor Clinic, has recorded 7,000 cases of eye injuries.

Many people have also died due to a lack of blood. Medical workers in several hospitals donated their own blood to try to save patients. In some cases, however, security forces reportedly did not allow blood transfusions.

Professor Parasta called Iran’s actions a “genocide under the cover of digital darkness”. He told the publication, “They said they would kill until this stops and that’s what they are doing.”

Notably, these doctors spoke to the newspaper using Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has acted as a lifeline against state-imposed internet shutdowns in Iran. Earlier this week, SpaceX, the company that owns Starlink, made the satellite service free for people in the country.

This has placed Musk’s firm at the centre of another geopolitical flashpoint against a regional power that uses satellite jammers and signal spoofing methods.

For weeks, Iran remained under a massive internet blackout that choked the flow of information coming out of the country amid the crackdown on protests and cut off Iranians from the rest of the world.

At least 39 dead in Spain after two high-speed trains collide

ADAMUZ, Spain, Jan 19: At least 39 people died in southern Spain after a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming one on Sunday night in one of the worst railway accidents in Europe in the past 80 years.

The accident happened near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360 km (223 miles) south of the capital Madrid. It left 122 people injured, with 48 still in hospital and 12 in intensive care, according to emergency services.

Official admits at Least 5,000 Killed in Iran Protests

TEHRAN, Jan 18: At least 5,000 people were killed in the protests that gripped Iran this month, according to an Iranian official, 500 of whom were security personnel.

The toll is the highest yet cited by a government source for the nationwide protests that shook Iran’s establishment and brought the United States to the brink of intervention.

The Iranian official blamed "Israel and armed groups abroad" for the high number of people killed, and said the government’s official count was unlikely to go much higher.

Protests erupted in Tehran after the rial, Iran’s currency, crashed on December 28. The demonstrations quickly snowballed into a broader anti-government movement calling for the fall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The crackdown began with an internet blackout on January 8, plunging the country into an information darkness and preventing humanitarian groups and governments alike from understanding the full extent of the killing.

According to human rights groups, protesters were killed by security forces en masse. Throughout the blackout, IHR estimates that more than 20,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests.

That blackout has made an accurate death toll difficult to ascertain, as humanitarian groups struggle to reach contacts on the ground. But as early as last week, an informal group of academics and professionals working at hospitals said protester deaths between January 8 and January 10 alone could have reached 6,000.

In a video address Saturday, Khamenei said “thousands” had died in the protests, “some in an inhuman, savage manner.” He blamed the United States and President Donald Trump for the extent of destruction, calling him a “criminal".

"We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished," Khamenei said.

Trump has hinted in recent days that he came close to authorizing military strikes against Iran over the crackdown. He spent days last week threatening Iran’s leaders if the crackdown continued, and on Jan. 13 declared, “help is on its way.”

He was reportedly presented with military options to strike Iran on Tuesday, but by Friday, he appeared to have decided against the move after claiming that Iran had canceled some 800 executions of protesters it had planned.

“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump told POLITICO about Iran's Supreme Leader on Saturday.

Iran protests ‘subside’ after deadly crackdown; state media says 3,000 arrested

TEHRAN, Jan 16: Iran’s deadly crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests for now, according to a rights ​group and residents, as state media reported more arrests on Friday in the shadow of repeated U.S. threats ‌to intervene if the killing continues.

Fears of a U.S. attack have retreated since Wednesday, when President Donald Trump said he’d ​been told killings in Iran were easing. U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, conducted intense diplomacy with Washington this week to prevent a U.S. strike, warning of repercussions for the wider region that would ultimately impact the United States, a Gulf official said.

The White House said on Thursday that Trump and his team have warned Tehran there would be “grave consequences” if there is further bloodshed.

Trump understands that 800 scheduled executions were halted, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt added, saying the president was keeping “all of his options on the table”.

The protests erupted on December 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions, before spiralling into one of the biggest challenges yet ​to the clerical establishment that has run Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Axios reported that the director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, ⁠David Barnea, arrived in the U.S. on Friday for talks on the situation in Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The news outlet also cited U.S. sources as saying the U.S. military is sending additional defensive and offensive capabilities to the region to be ready in case Trump orders ​a strike.

With information flows from Iran obstructed by an internet blackout, several residents of Tehran said the capital had been quiet since Sunday. They said drones were flying over the city, where they’d seen no sign of protests on Thursday or Friday.

Iranian-Kurdish rights group Hengaw said that there had been no protest gatherings since Sunday, but “the security environment remains highly ‌restrictive”.

European troops arrive in Greenland as talks with US hit wall over future

GREENLAND, Jan 15: Soldiers from France, Germany and other European countries have begun arriving in Greenland to help boost the Arctic island’s security after talks involving Denmark, Greenland and the United States highlighted “fundamental disagreement” between President Donald Trump’s administration and its European allies.

France has already sent 15 soldiers and Germany 13. Norway and Sweden are also participating.

The mission has been described as a recognition-of-the-territory exercise with troops to plant the European Union’s flag on Greenland as a symbolic act.

“The first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow”, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday as French authorities said soldiers from the country’s mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.

France said the two-day mission is a way to show that EU troops can be quickly deployed if needed.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Ministry of Defence said it was deploying a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday.

There was a “sense of urgency” among European nations. “Particularly after the US’s actions in Venezuela, a sense that when Donald Trump says something, he actually means it. And that is why we’ve seen a number of European countries sending troops,” she said.

Denmark announced its plans to increase its own military presence in Greenland on Wednesday as the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met with White House representatives in Washington, DC, to discuss Trump’s intentions to take over the semiautonomous Danish territory to tap its mineral resources amid rising Russian and Chinese interest.

But the two foreign ministers emerged from the meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance having made little progress in dissuading Washington from seeking to take over Greenland.

“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”

Iran foreign minister calls Jaishankar as India issues ‘leave now’ advisory

TEHRAN/ NEW DELHI, Jan 14: Amid protests which have rocked the country, the Indian embassy in Iran in an advisory on Wednesday urged Indian nationals who are in Iran to leave the country by available means of transport, including commercial flights.

The embassy asked Indian citizens and PIOs in Iran to exercise due caution and stay away from areas of protests or demonstrations, and has urged them to stay in contact with the Indian embassy and monitor local media for developments.

Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday called external affairs minister S Jaishankar. In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar said, “Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran.”

Meanwhile, an anti-government protestor in Iran was allegedly due to be executed on Wednesday, the first reported hanging since demonstrations began.

26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was arrested on January 8 during the demonstrations in west Tehran's Fardias, has been sentenced to death, Iran International reported citing sources close to his family. The information was passed on to the Oslo-based rights group, Iran Human Rights. The exact charges against Soltani were not immediately clear.

Iran has faced international pressure over the crackdown on protests in the country, with the death toll reported to have surpassed 2,500. The Iranian government and US President Donald Trump are trading barbs over the violent protests in Tehran.

Trump called on Iranians to "keep protesting", telling them that "help is on its way". His remarks drew sharp criticism from Iran's regime, which accused the US President of encouraging political destabilisation, inciting violence, and threatening the country's sovereignty.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported early Wednesday that the number of dead was at least 2,571. Iranian state television acknowledged that the country had a "lot of martyrs" but did not provide a specific figure.

Protests in Iran began in late December amid the anger over the country's ailing economy, and soon targeted the theocracy as well, especially Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Several graffiti and chants across Tehran reportedly called for Khamenei's death, something that could carry a death sentence.

Meanehile, Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's satellite internet provider Starlink is now offering free service in Iran, citing activists on Wednesday. A Los Angeles-based activist, Mehdi Yahyanejad, who has helped get the units into Iran, said that the free service had started. Starlink has reportedly been the only way for Iranians to communicate with people outside the country since authorities shut down the internet on Thursday night amid soaring nationwide protests.

At least 12,000 killed amid Iran demonstrations, says report

TEHRAN, Jan 14: At least 12,000 people have been killed in the ongoing deadly crackdown on protests in Iran, reported Iran International, citing senior government and security sources.

They also said that much of the 'killing' was carried out on January 8 and 9, during an ongoing internet shutdown.

Iran International's Editorial Board has released an entire statement on its findings, titled: "The killing of 12,000 Iranians will not be buried in silence."

Teenager Gang-Raped By Pak Grooming Gang In London, 200 Sikhs Rescue Her

LONDON, Jan 14: In an unsettling incident in Hounslow, West London, 200 members of the Sikh community gathered chanting, "Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal," to rescue a 16-year-old girl held captive by a man in his late 30s.

The teenager was raped by 6 other men belonging to a Pakistani grooming gang. After hours of protests, one of the perpetrators was taken into custody by the police, and the girl was released.

A video of the demonstration has gone viral on the internet, with the footage showing the accused being taken in a police van.

The accused had befriended the teenager when she was only 13 years old and began to form a relationship with her. She was persuaded through grooming tactics to leave her home when she turned 16, according to the Sikh Press Association. The area where the accused lived had 20 secondary schools, with several children passing by his home.

A 16 year old Sikh girl was groomed by a Pakistani Muslim man in his 40s. He took her into his flat and raped her along with 6 other Pakistani men. Over 200 members of the Sikh community gathered outside the flat to get their daughter back. They didn't bring swords or kirpans.

Pakistani grooming gangs in the UK have been associated with systematic child sexual abuse for decades. They target young girls, aged 11-16, and lure them with promises of love, gifts and friendship. They usually target interfaith girls from vulnerable backgrounds to isolate them from their families. Once they are isolated, the perpetrators blackmail them with threats, and they are also trafficked for profit.

Last year, billionaire Elon Musk stood up in support of Reform UK Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe. The MP had urged others to ignore the UK prime minister's calls to vote against a full national inquiry into the Pakistani rape gangs. "They should ignore him and do the right thing," he wrote on X.

Musk supported Lowe by writing, "For all those poor little girls who were so terribly abused, many of whom died, they should do the right thing," in a post on X.

According to the Guardian, an inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay had reported that at least 1,400 children had been groomed and abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 by Pakistan-origin men, and a 2022 inquiry found out that child sexual abuse is "endemic" across England and Wales.

Nearly 2,000 People Killed In Iran Protests, Says Official

DUBAI, Jan 13: About 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in protests in Iran, an Iranian official said on Tuesday, the first time authorities have acknowledged the high death count from an intense crackdown on two weeks of nationwide unrest.

The Iranian official said that what he called terrorists were behind the deaths of both protesters and security personnel. The official did not give a breakdown of who had been killed.

The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has been the biggest internal challenge to Iranian authorities for at least three years and comes amid intensifying international pressure after Israeli and US strikes last year.

Iran's clerical authorities, in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, have tried to take a dual approach to the demonstrations, calling protests over economic problems legitimate while enforcing a harsh security crackdown. They have accused the US and Israel of fomenting unrest and said unnamed people they call terrorists have hijacked the protests.

India, Germany to simplify defence trade: Modi

GANDHINAGAR, Jan 12: India and Germany will enhance defence trade with an eye on ‘co-production and co-development,’ said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, as the two sides signed an agreement to strengthen bilateral defence industrial cooperation.

Welcoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India, Modi said India will launch a ‘consultation mechanism’ on increasing collaboration with Germany in the Indo-Pacific region.

In his remarks, Chancellor Merz, who is on his first visit to Asia since assuming office in May 2025, said “rough winds” are blowing in world politics and that India and Germany should increase partnership to counter global trends of instability.

“The growing cooperation in defence and security is a symbol of our mutual trust and shared vision. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Chancellor Merz for simplifying the processes related to defence trade. We will also work on a roadmap to enhance cooperation between our defence industries, which will open up new opportunities for co-development and co-production,” said Prime Minister Modi in his remarks following talks with Chancellor Merz, when several agreements, including one on ‘Strengthening the Bilateral Defence Industrial Cooperation’, were signed.

Apart from defence, the list of ‘outcomes’ included several other MoUs and Joint Declarations of Intent covering areas like recruitment of skilled professionals by Germany, sports, and higher education.

Modi pointed out that Chancellor Merz’s visit coincided with India and Germany marking 25 years of strategic partnership and 75 years of diplomatic relations. He showcased India-Germany partnership in third countries such as Ghana, Cameroon and Malawi, saying that these examples show that the two sides can work to support development in the Global South.

The two teams also discussed multiple regional issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, with Modi reiterating India’s condemnation of terrorism. “India has always advocated for the peaceful resolution of all problems and disputes, and supports all efforts being made in this direction,” he said, announcing that a consultation mechanism with Germany will be launched for the Indo-Pacific region.

Modi said that bilateral trade between the two countries has crossed $50 billion, “infusing new energy” into the relationship.

Chancellor Merz urged India to partner with Germany in strengthening ‘global supply chains’. “Unfortunately, we are seeing a renaissance of protectionism,” said Mr. Merz, adding that protectionism hurts India-Germany trade ties.

The comments from the visiting German leader about the rise in protectionism in global affairs came against the backdrop of a decline in India-U.S. trade relations that have been hit by the imposition of punitive tariffs on India by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Chancellor Merz did not talk about President Trump in his formal remarks, but later, talking to reporters, he mentioned that Germany does not impose tariffs on other countries, an indirect reference to the punitive tariffs that the U.S. has imposed on India.

Iran President offers talks as protest toll crosses 500

TEHRAN, Jan 11: As intensified anti-government protests continue to rock Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said "rioters" should not be allowed to disrupt society. This is the first time the President spoke after three nights of intensified protests against the clerical government.

As the agitation rages, at least 538 people have reportedly died since the protests started last month.

The protests in Iran began on December 28 from a few markets in capital Tehran over economic woes. The stir gained momentum in the coming days as university students joined the agitation over Iran's rising inflation and falling Rial value.

The protests that flared up from Thursday as massive crowds of people poured out on streets that coincided with exiled prince Reza Pahlavi's call for stronger protests against the government of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Sunday, Pezeshkian in an interview with state TV said "protesting is the people's right". However, he maintained what the Iranian government has been saying about the protests, drawing a line between outcry over Iran's dwindling economy and "rioters", who they allege are backed by the United States and Israel.

"The people (of Iran) should not allow rioters to disrupt society. The people should believe that we (the government) want to establish justice," he told state broadcaster IRIB as he called on Iranians to "come together and not let these people riot" on the streets.

"If people have a concern we will hear them, it is our duty to hear them and solve their problems. However, our highest duty is to not allow rioters to come and disrupt the society," he said.

Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of "trying to escalate this unrest with regard to the economic discussion and solutions we are working on".

"They have taken some people here inside and abroad and trained them. They brought terrorists in from abroad into the country," he said, calling those who had allegedly set a mosque on fire "not human".

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei last week had issued a strong warning saying that “rioters must be put in their place”.

Over 200 Reported Dead in Tehran as Regime Opens Fire on Protests

TEHRAN, Jan 10: As protests against Iran’s government swelled significantly in size on Thursday night, the regime responded in many places by opening fire. A Tehran doctor said on condition of anonymity that just six hospitals in the capital had recorded at least 217 protester deaths, “most by live ammunition.”

The death count, if confirmed, would signal a feared crackdown presaged by the regime’s near-total shutdown of the nation’s Internet and phone connections since Thursday night. It would also constitute a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier in the day warned that the regime would “pay hell” if it killed protesters who have taken to the streets in growing numbers since December 28.

The demonstrations, which now span all 31 provinces, began as a protest against an economy in freefall. But they soon broadened to demand the overthrow of the authoritarian Islamic regime that has ruled the nation of around 92 million since 1979. Though the rallies have been largely peaceful, with chants of “Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator,” some government buildings have been vandalized.

The doctor said authorities removed corpses from the hospital on Friday. Most of the dead were young people, he said, including several killed outside a northern Tehran police station when security forces sprayed machine gun fire at protesters, who died “on the spot.” Activists reported at least 30 people were shot in the incident.

Human rights groups on Friday reported much lower death tolls than the physician, though the discrepancy might be explained by differing reporting standards. The D.C.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, which tallies only victims who have been identified, reported at least 63 deaths since the start of the protests, including 49 civilians.

‘Bring system to knees’: Iran exiled prince's new protest call, and a homecoming hint

NEW YORK, Jan 10: Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, on Saturday issued a fresh call for agitation and asked Iranians to return to streets over the weekend at 6 pm as the country reels under intensified anti-government protests, which his previous appeals to the public also played role in.

Pahlavi urged workers in key economic sectors such as transport, oil, gas and energy to start a nationwide strike to bring the “Islamic Republic and its worn-out and fragile repression apparatus to its knees.”

“Also, I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 10 and 11), this time, from 6 pm, to come to the streets with flags, images, and national symbols and claim public spaces as your own. Our goal is no longer merely to come to the streets; the goal is to prepare for seizing the centers of cities and holding them,” he wrote in Persian in a post on X (formerly Twitter), as he also announced his homecoming.

“I too am preparing to return to the homeland so that at the time of our national revolution's victory, I can be beside you, the great nation of Iran. I believe that day is very near,” he wrote. Pahlavi's family fled Iran months before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and his father Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the last monarch if Iran which has been under clerical leadership since his ouster.

'Be prepared to intervene': Reza Pahlavi's 'urgent' message to Trump amid Iran unrest

NEW YORK, Jan 9: Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, reached out to United States President Donald Trump on Friday and urged him to intervene in the ongoing protests in Iran.

Highlighting what is happening in Iran, Pahlavi said that there is no internet or landlines in the country and the protestors were facing bullets. Through a post on X (formerly Twitter), he issued an “urgent and immediate call” for Trump's support and action.

“Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support, and action. Last night you saw the millions of brave Iranians in the streets facing down live bullets. Today, they are facing not just bullets but a total communications blackout. No Internet. No landlines,” he wrote on X.

“Ali Khamenei, fearing the end of his criminal regime at the hands of the people and with the help of your powerful promise to support the protesters, has threatened the people on the streets with a brutal crack down. And he wants to use this blackout to murder these young heroes,” he added.

The exiled prince said that the people of Iran will hit the streets in protests in an hour and that "time is of the essence" as he urged Trump to intervene.

“I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers. Last night they did that. Your threat to this criminal regime has also kept the regime’s thugs at bay. But time is of the essence. The people will be on the streets again in an hour. I am asking you to help,” he said.

“You have proven and I know you are a man of peace and a man of your word. Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran,” he added.

Meanwhile, a US-based human rights group has said that the death toll in nationwide protests in Iran has jumped to at least 62. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said there have been at least 2,300 arrests during the protests. The figures of the right's body have been accurate in previous round of violence in demonstrations in Iran.

India refutes U.S. Commerce Secretary statements on Modi not speaking to Trump

NEW DELHI, Jan 9: India has pushed back at US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claims that the trade deal between the countries stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Donald Trump.

Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods in August, including a penalty for buying Russian oil, after the talks stalled.

Both sides are now back to negotiating a deal but there is no clarity on when it will materialise and several informal deadlines have been missed.

Key sticking points remain even now - including agriculture. Washington has been pushing for greater access to India's farm sector but Delhi has fiercely protected it.

However, Lutnick suggested the deal was close to completion at the start.

"It was all set up. I said [to the Indian side] you got to have Modi call the president. They were uncomfortable doing it, so Modi didn't call," Lutnick said in a podcast released on Friday.

The White House has not yet commented on Lutnick's assertions.

India, however, said on Friday that the characterisation of the discussions between Delhi and Washington in the remarks made by Lutnick was "not accurate".

"India and the US were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement as far back as 13 February last year. Since then both sides have held multiple rounds of negotiations to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement. On several occasions, we have been close to a deal," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.

He added that Modi and Trump had spoken on the phone eight times last year, covering "covering different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership".

Speaking on the All-In Podcast, a business and technology show hosted by four venture capitalists, Lutnick said that Trump's philosophy of making deals was like a "staircase" - meaning the "first stair gets the best deal".

He said that India was the second country to enter into negotiations with the US for a trade deal after the UK, and that Washington gave Delhi "three Fridays" to close the deal. His role, Lutnick said, was to negotiate the contracts and set up the whole deal but that Trump was the one who closed them - and that India's reluctance to set up the phone call meant the agreement ran into trouble.

He added that after that, US closed a slew of deals with other countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam.

He also said that when India got back later saying they were ready to take the initial deal, "the train had left the station".

But the terms of the deal that Lutnick claims India missed are unclear. Agriculture, for instance, has been a key sticking point in the negotiations - Washington has been pushing for greater access to India's farm sector but Delhi has fiercely protected it.

In December, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told senators in Washington that the US had received the "best ever offer" from India. He also called India a "tough nut to crack".

Trump has also made several comments about India and Modi in recent days, including warning of an increase in tariffs if Delhi does not stop buying Russian oil.

India ramped up its purchase of cheaper oil from Moscow after the Ukraine war. Delhi had defended its decision saying that it needed to think about the energy needs of its vast population.

Since the tariffs kicked in, oil refiners in India have been cutting their purchases from Moscow, according to several reports.

Lutnick's comments come two days after US Senator Lindsey Graham said that Trump had "greenlit" a punishing Russia sanctions bill that, if passed by Congress, would allow for even higher secondary tariffs and sanctions on countries doing business with Moscow.

Jaiswal said on Friday that India was "aware of the proposed bill" and was "closely following developments", reiterating the country's stance on the energy needs of its population.

Despite the 50% tariffs, India's good exports to the US jumped more than 22% in November from a year earlier.

The tariffs and the accompanying rhetoric have put a strain on the relationship between India and the US. Modi, who has shared a warm relationship with Trump, was among the first world leaders to visit the White House after the president was sworn in.

100 people killed in U.S. attack, says Venezuela’s Interior Minister

CARACAS, Jan 8: Venezuela’s military held a funeral in the capital Wednesday for some of the dozens of soldiers killed during the U.S. operation that captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Music from a military orchestra echoed over the cemetery as family members and soldiers marched behind a row of caskets. Men carried the wooden caskets cloaked in the Venezuelan flag past rows of uniformed officers.

“Thank you for letting them embrace a military career,” a military commander, Rafael Murillo, said to families surrounding him at the cemetery on the city’s south side.

The men were honoured with a gun salute as the caskets were lowered into the ground and their loved ones wailed. Armed National Guard members patrolled parts of the cemetery for hours before and during the ceremony that followed an emotional wake.

The funeral came a day after acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a seven-day mourning period for the fallen officers.

Venezuela’s military has said at least 24 Venezuelan officers were killed in Saturday’s dead-of-night U.S. military operation to capture Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores and spirit them to New York to face drug charges.

Maduro and Ms. Flores each pleaded not guilty to the charges in a U.S. court Monday.

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday on state television that at least 100 people were killed and a similar number injured during the U.S. operation. He did not provide a breakdown of civilians and members of the armed forces as well as nationalities.

Cuba has said 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela were killed in the U.S. operation.

Violent clashes as Iran protests spread to more areas

TEHRAN, Jan 8: There were violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in several locations in Iran on Wednesday, as a wave of unrest sparked by the country's economic crisis continued for an 11th day.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, said two policemen were shot and killed by armed individuals in the south-western town of Lordegan.

Videos posted on social media showed a tense stand-off between protesters and security forces, with the sound of gunfire in the background.

In footage from several other areas, security forces appear to fire guns and tear gas towards crowds of protesters, some of whom are throwing stones.

The protests have so far spread to 111 cities and towns across all 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).

It has reported that at least 34 protesters and four security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and that 2,200 protesters have been arrested.

At least 35 people killed during Iran protests, rights group says

TEHRAN, Jan 6: At least 35 people have been killed during the last 10 days of protests across Iran, a human rights group has said.

The foreign-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that two of those confirmed killed were affiliated with security forces.

Iranian authorities have not published an official death toll but said two security personnel have been killed.

HRANA also said more than 60 protesters had been injured and 1,200 had been arrested during the unrest, which was sparked by an economic crisis and has spread to 27 of 31 provinces.

On Tuesday, videos showed security forces fired tear gas during clashes with protesters who chanted slogans against Iran's clerical rulers at Tehran's Grand Bazaar.

The protests began on 28 December, when shopkeepers took to the streets of the capital to express their anger at another sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency against the US dollar on the open market.

The rial has sunk to a record low over the past year and inflation has soared to 40% as sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme squeeze an economy also weakened by mismanagement and corruption.

University students soon joined the protests and they began spreading to other cities.

Venezuela’s acting president calls for dialogue and ‘coexistence’ with the U.S.

CARACAS, Jan 5: A day after a blistering speech in which she accused the Trump administration of illegally kidnapping Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s head of state, the country’s new acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, released a statement on Sunday night striking a much more diplomatic tone.

In a statement posted on social media, Ms. Rodríguez said that Venezuela “aspires to live without external threats” and “has a right to sovereignty.” But she continued in a more conciliatory tack.

“We extend an invitation to the U.S. government to work together on a cooperative agenda, oriented toward shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote.

Ms. Rodríguez, 56, a former foreign minister, was Maduro’s vice president. When Maduro was taken out of the country by force and in handcuffs on Saturday, she initially refused to acknowledge that she had essentially become president, referring to Maduro as the country’s “only” president.

In a news conference announcing Maduro’s capture on Saturday, President Trump said that Ms. Rodríguez had spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed to cooperate in a transition government.

But hours later, Ms. Rodríguez gave a fiery speech in which she accused the United States of invading the country. She called for Maduro’s return.

Trump publicly threatened her, telling The Atlantic on Sunday that “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price.”

Ms. Rodríguez’s missive on Sunday, notably, did not demand Maduro’s release. He and his wife, facing drug charges, are now in a federal jail in New York.

Addressing Trump in her statement, Ms. Rodríguez said: “Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s position, and it is the position of all of Venezuela at this moment. That is the Venezuela I believe in, the Venezuela to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to be a great power where all good Venezuelans can come together.”

On Sunday, the Venezuelan Supreme Court declared her the country’s acting president.

2 Men Rape Hindu Widow, Tie Her To Tree And Cut Her Hair In Bangladesh

DHAKA, Jan 5: A 40-year-old Hindu woman has allegedly been gang-raped by two men, who also tied her to a tree and cut off her hair in central Bangladesh's Kaliganj, a sub-district of Jhenaidah.

In her police complaint, the woman said she purchased three decimals of land along with a two-storey house for 2 million taka from one Shahin and his brother in Ward No. 7 of Kaliganj municipality two-and-a-half years ago, according to local media reports. After that, Shahin began making indecent proposals to her and harassing her when she refused.

On Saturday evening, when two relatives from the widow's village were visiting, Shahin and his associate Hasan stormed in and raped her. They then demanded 50,000 taka (around Rs 37,000) from her.

When she refused to give them money, they allegedly assaulted the relatives and drove them away. After the woman began screaming, they tied her to a tree, cut off her hair, recorded the act, and circulated the video on social media.

They also tortured the widow and she then lost consciousness. Local residents rescued her and admitted her to the Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.

Hindu Journalist Shot In The Head By Men On Bike In Bangladesh

DHAKA, Jan 5: In yet another incident of a Hindu man being killed in Bangladesh, a 45-year-old factory owner, who was also the acting editor of a newspaper, has been shot in the head by a group of men, who also slit his throat.

Local sources alleged Rana Pratap had multiple cases filed against him.

Pratap's killing comes close on the heels of the rape of a Hindu widow and the murders of at least three Hindu men in the country since December, prompting condemnation of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government's handling of violence against minorities.

Officials said Pratap was killed in the Kopalia Bazar area of Manirampur sub-district in Jashore in southwestern Bangladesh around 6 pm on Monday.

Akhtar Faruk Mintu, chairman of the Manoharpur Union Parishad, said Pratap, the son of a schoolteacher from Arua village in the neighbouring Keshabpur sub-district, had been running an ice factory in Kopalia Bazar for two years. On Monday evening, some men called him out of the ice factory, led him to an alley, and shot him.

A local resident, Ripon Hossain, said that the attackers arrived on a motorcycle. He recalled that the attackers had an argument with Pratap, fired several rounds at his head and fled. Seven bullet casings were found beside Pratap's body.

Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Raziullah Khan said Pratap's throat was also slit.

French President Macron's wife Brigitte wins case against cyber harassers who called her ‘transgender’

A Paris court on Monday pronounced 10 people guilty on charges of cyber harassment of the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron and spreading false claims about her being a “transgender woman”.

The 10 individuals, comprising eight men and two women, were found guilty of making malicious comments over Brigitte Macron's gender and sexuality, Reuters reported. They also made other remarks such as terming the 24-year age difference between her and the President “paedophilia”.

The court pronounced them guilty and sentenced them to up to eight months of suspended jail time.

The fight against allegations

Brigitte and her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron have been in similar controversies earlier after scandalous posts by cyber harassers saying she was “born a male under the name Jean Michel Trogneux”. That is actually her elder brother.

Although they had ignored these comments for years, they recently begun to challenge the allegations in court.

Brigitte Macron said that online attacks against her seemed endless and included people who broke into her tax website and modified her identity.

The ruling on Monday marked a victory for the Macrons as they pursued a separate high-profile US defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer and podcaster Candace Owens. Owens had also claimed earlier that Brigitte was born male.

Brigitte Macron in an interview on Sunday defended her fight against cyber bullies and said that she hoped it would be an example to others. She also lamented that her attackers ignored the strong evidence of her gender.

“I want to help adolescents to fight against harassment, and if I do not set an example, it will be difficult,” she said.

Pope Leo calls for Venezuela to remain an independent country

VATICAN CITY, Jan 4: Pope Leo called for Venezuela to remain an independent nation and said he was following developments after the United States' toppling of President Nicolas Maduro with a "soul full of concern" on Sunday.

Leo, the first American pope, also called for respect for human rights and the rule of law "as enshrined" in Venezuela's constitution.

"We must not delay in overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, while guaranteeing the country's sovereignty," the pope told pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during his Sunday prayer.

'Deep Concern': India's Message To People Of Venezuela After US Raid

NEW DELHI, Jan 4: India today said the developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern and it is closely monitoring the evolving situation, a day after US special forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from the capital Caracas in a textbook nighttime airborne raid.

"India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement today.

"The Embassy of India in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance," it said.

Rights group says at least 16 dead in Iran during week of protests

DUBAI, Jan 4: At least 16 people have been killed during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said on Sunday, as protests over soaring inflation spread across the country prompting violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Deaths and arrests have been reported through the week both by state media and rights groups, though the numbers have differed. Reuters has not been able to verify the figures independently.

The protests are the biggest in three years and while smaller than some previous bouts of unrest to rattle the Islamic Republic, they come at a moment of vulnerability with the economy in tatters and international pressure building.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to come to the protesters' aid if they face violence, saying on Friday "we are locked and loaded and ready to go" but without specifying any actions he was considering.

That warning prompted threats of retaliation against U.S. forces in the region from senior Iranian officials and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran "will not yield to the enemy".

Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that at least 17 people had been killed since the start of the protests. HRANA, a network of rights activists, said at least 16 people had been killed and 582 arrested.

Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan told state media that security forces had been targeting protest leaders for arrest over the previous two days, saying "a big number of leaders on the virtual space have been detained".

At least 20 dead as Saudi Arabia-led coalition strikes separatist camp in Yemen

HEDRAMOUT, Jan 3: At least 20 separatist fighters were killed by airstrikes on Yemen on Friday as a Saudi-led coalition hit back at the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed Southern Transition Council, two days after UAE said that it would withdraw its forces from Saudi Arabia following the bombardment in Yemen's Mukalla.

The fighters died in attacks on military bases in Al-Khasha and Seiyun, a news agency reported quoting an official for the Southern Transitional Council's forces. Airstrikes carried out by Saudi-led coalition killed 20 UAE-backed Yemeni separatist fighters on Friday, a military official for the group said.

The strikes hit the airport and military base in Hadramout's Seiyun city on Friday, an STC source and witnesses said. The strikes have also hit airport operations with no planes have taken off or landed at Aden airport for more than 24 hours, although the ministry did not officially announce its closure.

The air raids came shortly after pro-Saudi forces launched a campaign to take control of military sites in Hadramout, ‘peacefully’.

This was the first time that coalition fires fell people since STC seized almost all provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, including oil facilities earlier in December.

The UAE said that it sought de-escalation after the strikes on Friday and that its last forces had left Yemen.

Hindu businessman stabbed, set on fire by mob in Bangladesh dies

Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu businessman who was stabbed and set on fire by a mob on New Year’s Eve, died on Saturday morning while undergoing treatment for burn injuries at the National Burn Institute in Dhaka. Hospital sources said he died at around 7:20 am after being under treatment for nearly three days.

“Khokon Das, who was injured in a fire attack in Damudya Upazila of Shariatpur, passed away at 7:20 this morning at the National Burn Institute in Bangladesh,” said Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, Professor of the National Burn Institute.

Doctors said about 30 per cent of Das’s body was burned, with severe injuries to his face and respiratory tract. Authorities said they were completing the necessary paperwork to take his body back to his village home.

The attack took place on December 31 near Keurbhanga Bazar in Koneshwar Union of Damudya in Shariatpur district. According to local newspaper Prothom Alo, the incident occurred around 9:30 pm when a group of miscreants stopped Das while he was returning home after closing his pharmacy shop for the day. The attackers allegedly assaulted him with sharp weapons, poured petrol on his body and set him on fire. In an attempt to save himself, Das jumped into a nearby pond beside the road. Hearing his screams, local residents rushed to the scene, prompting the attackers to flee.

40 killed in New Year’s Day fire at Swiss ski resort

BERN, Jan 1: About 40 people were killed and around 115 others injured in a fire at a New Year’s party in a Swiss ski resort bar, according to police. Authorities said many of the victims were young, and it will take days to identify all of them.

One of Switzerland’s most exclusive locales, Crans-Montana is known for sweeping vistas stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc.

Authorities will be looking into the exact cause of the fire and if safety standards were upheld. Two witnesses said that it was caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles, but officials say it will take time to determine what started the blaze.

Video from outside Le Constellation bar shows panic in the crowd as the blaze broke out. One witness said he heard screams and saw people lying on the ground in the aftermath.

Swiss authorities do not know how many people were inside Le Constellation bar when the deadly fire started there.

People injured in the devastating fire in Crans-Montana are being treated in hospitals across the country, according to Mathias Reynard, the president of the State Council of the Valais canton.

He said that 115 people were injured in the fire, with a “significant number of them” classified as “critical.”

The head of the canton said 80 people were treated by the emergency services and taken to hospital, while 35 people came to hospitals on their own.

Reynard said 42 ambulances, 13 helicopters and three disaster trucks were deployed to the scene.

He said that 60 people were being treated in the local hospital in Sion, while others were transferred to other medical centers around the country, including its two specialist major burns centers in Lausanne and Zurich.

President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin expressed gratitude to the international community for its support.

During a news conference, Parmelin thanked Switzerland’s neighboring countries — France, Germany, and Italy — whose leaders contacted Switzerland, he said.

Fighting breaks out in eastern Yemen along border with Saudi Arabia

HADRAMOUT, Jan 2: Fighting has broken out in Yemen’s Hadramout province that borders Saudi Arabia between forces loyal to the region’s Saudi-backed governor and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The STC accused Saudi Arabia of bombing its forces near the border. But Hadramout’s Governor Salem al-Khanbashi says the efforts to take back military bases from the STC are meant to “peacefully and systematically” reclaim Yemen’s southern province.

The development comes days after Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government it backs accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the STC and pushing it to seize parts of the Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces in southern Yemen last month.

Two killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Iran

TEHRAN, Jan 1: Two people are reported to have been killed during growing unrest in Iran on the fifth day of protests over the soaring cost of living.

Both the semi-official Fars news agency and human rights group, Hengaw, said people had died during clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Lordegan, in south-western Iran.

On Thursday videos posted on social media showed cars set on fire during running battles between protesters and security forces.

Many protesters have called for ending the rule of the country's supreme leader. Some have also called for a return to the monarchy.

Thursday marks the fifth day of protests in cities across the country, sparked by a currency collapse.

Hindu man stabbed, set on fire by mob in Bangladesh. 4th such incident in 2 weeks

DHAKA, Jan 1: A Hindu businessman had a narrow escape after he was beaten, stabbed and set on fire by a mob in Bangladesh in the fourth such attack on the minority community in the past two weeks. The youth, identified as Khokan Chandra, escaped by jumping into a nearby pond, but he sustained serious burn injuries.

The brutal attack took place on New Year's Eve when Khokan, 40, was returning home after closing his pharmacy shop in Keurbhanga Bazar. When he reached the Tiloi area, at around 9 pm, a group of miscreants waylaid him and assaulted him brutally.

The miscreants then stabbed him multiple times with sharp weapons, poured petrol on his body and set him on fire. However, Khokan managed to jump into a nearby pond and was later rescued by locals. He was rushed to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, with doctors saying his condition is critical.

However, the motive behind the attack and the identities of those involved have not yet been confirmed.

The attack on Khokon has only heightened tensions among the minority Hindu community amid a series of attacks and lynchings following the murder of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The protests over Hadi's death in Bangladesh have taken a sharply anti-India tone amid allegations that the leader's killers fled to India.

The latest incident comes a day after another Hindu man, Bajendra Biswas, was shot dead while he was on security duty at a garment factory in Bangladesh's Mymensingh. Local reports said the killer, Noman Mia, asked Biswas, "Do I shoot you?" before pulling the trigger.

Both Biswas and Mia were members of the Ansar Bahini, a paramilitary auxiliary force under Bangladesh's Home.