After Hadi, another Bangladesh student leader shot in head

DHAKA, Dec 22: Unidentified gunmen on Monday (December 22, 2025) shot in the head Motaleb Shikder, a second leader of Bangladesh’s violent student-led 2004 uprising.

The attack took place in southwestern Khulna city, days after the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

"The Khulna Division head of NCP (National Citizen Party) and central coordinator of the party’s workers front, Motaleb Shikder, was shot a few minutes ago," NCP’s joint principal coordinator Mahmuda Mitu said in a Facebook post.

Mitu, a doctor, said Shikder was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

The Kaler Kantha newspaper, quoting hospital sources, said Shikder was shot on the left side of his head, and he was bleeding profusely when he was brought to the facility, where the doctors started emergency treatment.

The attack came days after Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area.

The 32-year-old Inqilab Mancha spokesperson died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday. Hadi was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.

The interim government of Muhammad Yunus staged a nationwide mourning for Hadi’s death on Saturday and said no stone would be left unturned to track down his killers as violence erupted in Dhaka and other major cities afresh over the attack and subsequent death.

Faisal Karim Masud's parents, wife and a female friend of the prime suspect have been arrested by police, but said they were unsure about his current whereabouts.

After Monday’s clandestine attack on Shikder in Khulna city’s Majid Sarani area, police said they were yet at dark about the attack perpetrators or motive but launched an “immediate manhunt” for their arrest.

Local police station chief Animesh Mondal, however, informed reporters that Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) authorities now shifted Shikder to its City Imaging Centre to pinpoint the state of his injury.

Senior Russian General Killed After Bomb Under Car Goes Off In Moscow

MOSCOW, Dec 22: A senior Russian general was killed in southern Moscow on Monday after an explosive device placed under his car went off, investigators said in a statement.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which examines major crimes, said it had opened a probe into the "murder" of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the training department within the General Staff.

The possibility that the attack was "linked" to "Ukrainian special forces" was among the lines of inquiry, it said.

Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has been blamed for several attacks targeting Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin personalities in Russia and in Russian-controlled Ukrainian regions.

General Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy of the General Staff, was killed in a car blast near Moscow in April.

In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian radiological, chemical and biological defence forces, was killed when a booby-trapped electric scooter exploded in Moscow, an attack claimed by Ukraine's SBU security service.

A Russian military blogger, Maxim Fomin, was killed when a statuette exploded in a Saint Petersburg cafe in April 2023.

And in August 2022, a car bomb killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin.

Indian visa applications suspended indefinitely in Bangladesh's Chittagong

DHAKA, Dec 21: India on Sunday suspended visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Bangladesh’s second-largest city, Chittagong, until further notice in the wake of heightened tensions following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, local media reported.

Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.

He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday.

His death triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Chattogram on Thursday.

Indian visa applications in Chittagong have been suspended indefinitely, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Sunday.

The decision came into effect on Sunday following a recent security incident at the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong.

According to the IVAC, all Indian visa-related services in the port city will remain closed from December 21 until further notice.

The statement added that a further announcement will be made regarding the reopening of the visa application centre after a review of the security situation.

On December 20, security was strengthened at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Bangladesh’s Sylhet city.

The enhanced security measures were put in place to ensure that “no third party can exploit the situation”, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Saiful Islam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday.

Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday amid extra-tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.

Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral prayers, and ahead of the ritual, they chanted anti-India slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka - Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain”.

MEA slams ‘misleading propaganda’ after protests outside Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi

NEW DELHI, Dec 21: The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a clarification after protests outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Sunday has stated that no attempt was made to breach the fence of the High Commission.

“We have noted misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media on the incident. The fact is that about 20-25 youth gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on 20 December and raised slogans in protest against the horrendous killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh,” said MEA.

“There was no attempt to breach the fence or create a security situation at any time. The police stationed at the spot dispersed the group after a few minutes. Visual evidence of these events is available publicly for all to see. India is committed to ensure the safety of foreign Missions/Posts in its territory in accordance with the Vienna Convention,” the statement added further.

9 Killed As Gunmen Randomly Shoot At People On Streets In South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 21: Nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a bar outside Johannesburg early Sunday, police said, in the second such shooting in South Africa this month.

Ten more were wounded in the early morning attack at the tavern in the impoverished Bekkersdal township in a gold mining area around 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of the city.

It follows a shooting at a tavern near Pretoria on December 6 when gunmen killed a dozen people, including a three-year-old child.

Police initially said 10 people were killed when the Bekkersdal bar was attacked just before 1:00 am (2300 GMT), but later revised the toll downwards.

Most of the attackers were armed with pistols and one had an AK-47 rifle, deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told SABC television from the scene.

"They entered the tavern and randomly shot at the patrons, unprovoked," he said.

Three people were killed inside the bar and others as they fled the scene, with the attackers continuing to shoot as they left, he said.

"It's also reported that after they shot the people, they searched them. They took their valuables, including cell phones," Kekana said.

The dead included a driver from an online car-hailing service who was driving past.

"It's pure criminality," Kekana said. Police launched a manhunt for the attackers and appealed for public assistance.

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised nation, is grappling with a high crime rate, much of it driven by organised networks and gangs.

The country is awash with legal and illegal firearms and shootings are common, often fuelled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.

The tavern hit in the Pretoria attack earlier this month was an unlicenced outlet in a hostel for migrant workers at Saulsville township.

The dead included children aged three, 12 and 16.

The country was also shocked by the daylight assassination in central Johannesburg last week of a popular former radio presenter known as DJ Warras.

The 40-year-old, whose real name was Warris Stock, was gunned down on December 16 outside a building that he had visited as part of his work with a private security company.

In another high-profile killing, a witness in a corruption inquiry was shot dead in front of his family on December 5, just weeks after testifying against a municipal police chief.

The murder of Marius Van der Merwe, 41, reignited a debate about the targeting of whistleblowers who provide information related to crime and corruption, including the public sector and cases implicating government officials.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with an average of 63 people killed each day between April and September, according to police data.

In one of the worst mass shootings in recent months, 18 relatives were shot dead at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape province in September 2024.

The victims, who had gathered for a traditional ceremony, were aged 14 to 64 years old, and 15 were women. Several men have been arrested.

US, Russian officials meet in Miami for talks on Ukraine war

MIAMI, Dec 21: Negotiators from Russia and the United States have met in the US city of Miami as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Washington to ramp up the pressure on Moscow to end its war on Ukraine.

The meeting on Saturday took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Dmitriev told the reporters the talks were positive and would continue on Sunday.

“The discussions are proceeding constructively,” said Dmitriev. “They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow.”

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that he may also join the talks in Miami. He said that progress has been made in discussions to end the war, but there is still a way to go.

“The role we’re trying to play is a role of figuring out whether there’s any overlap here that they can agree to, and that’s what we’ve invested a lot of time and energy [on], and continue to do so,” Rubio said. “That may not be possible. I hope it is. I hope it can get done this month, before the end of the year.”

Trump’s envoys have for weeks been negotiating a 20-point peace plan with Ukrainian, Russian and European officials.

While US ​officials say they have made progress, major differences remain on the issues of territory and possible security guarantees that Kyiv says are essential for any agreement.

Russia has shown few signs that it is willing to give up its expansive territorial demands in Ukraine, which it believes it is well-positioned to secure as the war grinds on and political fractures emerge among Ukraine’s European allies.

In Kyiv, Zelenskyy said he remains supportive of a US-led negotiations process, but that diplomacy needs to be accompanied by greater pressure on Russia.

IDF chief, hints at potential fight with Iran, says military will strike ‘wherever required’

TEL AVIV, Dec 21: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warns that the military will strike Israel’s enemies, “wherever required, on near and distant fronts alike,” apparently hinting that Israel will again need to strike in Iran.

“At the center of the longest and most complex war in Israel’s history stands the campaign against Iran. Iran is the one that financed and armed the ring of strangulation around Israel and stood behind the plans for its destruction,” he says at a handover ceremony for the head of the IDF Planning Directorate.

Also in his speech, Zamir takes a veiled jab at Defense Minister Israel Katz, who has been holding up senior appointments in the military, including plans to promote outgoing Planning Directorate chief Vice Adm. Eyal Harel as the next Navy commander.

“Eyal, you are arriving mature and ready to command the Navy and to lead it in the coming years, as I hope will be finalized in the very near future,” Zamir says.

Putin Says He’s Ready to End War Though Rejects Concessions

MOSCOW, Dec 19: President Vladimir Putin said he’s willing to discuss bringing Russia’s war in Ukraine to an end, even as he ruled out changes sought by Kyiv and Europe to a US peace plan drawn up with Moscow.

Putin said he had “practically agreed” on proposals for ending the war set out at summit talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.

“To say that we reject something is completely incorrect and has no basis in fact,” he said Friday at his annual televised news conference in Moscow. “The issue is entirely on the side of our Western opponents, so to speak, primarily the leaders” of Ukraine and Europe, he said.

Putin spoke after intense negotiations in recent weeks involving the US, Ukraine and Europe over a 28-point peace plan that emerged last month following discussions between Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev.

The US-Russia plan initially horrified Ukraine and its European allies by adopting a series of Kremlin demands that Kyiv had already flatly rejected. Some of the most contentious issues have been dropped or changed following interventions from Kyiv and Europe, and talks are continuing on the modified proposals amid rising optimism that they could form the basis of a peace deal.

Still, Putin hasn’t said if he’s willing to accept the plan in its current form. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are expected to meet separately with US officials for more talks in Florida at the weekend, including on plans for postwar security guarantees for Ukraine.

Trump is “making serious efforts to end this conflict,” Putin said. “We would also very much like to live in peace and without any military conflicts next year.”

Putin said later that Russia currently has 700,000 troops in Ukraine. Western allies of Ukraine calculate that more than 1.1 million Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, including almost 400,000 so far this year.

The Russian leader is refusing to roll back maximalist demands for territory in eastern and southern Ukraine, including parts of regions that Moscow’s forces have failed to occupy in more than a decade of fighting since 2014. Putin’s order to invade Ukraine triggered Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.

He has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire to allow space for negotiations. Trump in October abandoned plans for a second summit in Budapest after the US concluded that Russia wasn’t ready to move from its war aims.

European Union leaders agreed in a late-night deal to loan Ukraine €90 billion ($106 billion) for the next two years in a bid to strengthen Kyiv’s hand at the negotiating table and keep the war-torn country afloat. The loan will be funded from joint debt and backed by the bloc’s budget, a significant pivot from the bloc’s initial plan to use frozen Russian assets in Europe.

While it has defied predictions of collapse, Russia’s economy is straining under the impact of unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its western allies in response to the invasion. It has depleted more than half of its rainy-day reserves as the budget deficit widens amid slowing growth and a slump in commodity revenues including from oil and gas.

Faced with a widening gap in the military budget, Russia’s government has resorted to increasingly costly borrowing to help fund the war. It has issued 7.9 trillion rubles ($98 billion) of debt known as OFZ so far this year, sharply surpassing the previous record set in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is the third time that Putin has held his news conference since he began the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin canceled the event in late 2022 as Russia’s army suffered a series of reverses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Australia announces gun buyback scheme in wake of Bondi attack

SYDNEY, Dec 19: The Australian government has announced a gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack - its deadliest mass shooting in decades.

The scheme is the largest since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which left 35 people dead and prompted Australia to introduce world-leading gun control measures.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured on Sunday when two gunmen, believed to have been motivated by "Islamic State ideology", opened fire on a Jewish festival at the country's most iconic beach.

On Friday, police also said there was no ongoing reason to detain a group of men who were arrested in Sydney over their "extremist Islamic ideology".

Police allege Sunday's attack, which they have declared a terrorist incident, was committed by a father-son duo. Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed during the attack.

The day after the shooting, national cabinet - which includes representatives from the federal government and leaders from all states and territories - agreed to tighten gun controls.

Speaking to media on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there are now more than 4 million firearms in Australia - more than at the time of the Port Arthur massacre.

"We know that one of these terrorists held a firearm licence and had six guns, in spite of living in the middle of Sydney's suburbs... There's no reason why someone in that situation needed that many guns.

"If you're going to reduce the number of guns, then a buyback scheme has to be a piece of that puzzle," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett added.

The new scheme will purchase surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms, and will be funded on a 50-50 basis with the states and territories. Hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed, the government estimates.

National cabinet has also agreed to impose limits on the number of firearms held by any one individual, restrict open-ended firearms licensing and the types of guns that are legal and make Australian citizenship a condition of holding a firearm licence.

Work on a national firearms register will be accelerated and firearm regulators will have better access to criminal intelligence.

On Friday, New South Wales Police said they were preparing to release seven men with extremist ideology, but that they would continue to be monitored.

Tactical officers swarmed on the group, who had travelled from Victoria and were known to police there, in dramatic scenes in the suburb of Liverpool on Thursday. Officers found a knife, but no guns or other weapons.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference there is "no confirmed link" between the alleged terrorists and the detained group, but that Bondi Beach was one of several locations the latter was intending to visit.

"Whilst this specific threat posed by the males is unknown, I can say that the potential [for] a violent offence being committed was such that we were not prepared to tolerate the risk," Commissioner Lanyon said.

Oman FTA Sealed, India Gets Zero-Duty Access On Over 98% Of Tariff Lines

MUSCAT, Dec 18: India and Oman inked a free trade agreement on Thursday in Muskat in order to increase economic cooperation between the two nations. Under the FTA, Oman has offered "zero-duty access" to on 98.08% of its tariff lines, covering 99.38% of India’s exports to the country.

The agreement was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-day, three-nation visit.

Bilateral trade between the two nations amounted to $8.947 billion in fiscal year 2024 and increased to $10.613 billion in fiscal 2025.

According to the agreement, all major labour-intensive sectors including gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, agricultural products, engineering products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and automobiles will receive full tariff elimination.

Notably, gold and silver bullion have also been excluded.

India is offering Oman tariff liberalisation on 77.79% of its total tariff lines, which includes 94.81% of India’s imports from Oman by value.

The products which are of export interest to Oman but may be sensitive to the interests of local producers will be subject to a tariff-rate quota based liberalisation.

Sensitive products excluded by India without offering any concessions were mostly agricultural, such as including dairy, tea, coffee, rubber, and tobacco products.

Oman has also offered an enhanced mobility framework for Indian professionals. It further hiked the quota for intra-corporate transferees from 20% to 50%.

Furthermore, the deal also addresses non-tariff barriers persisting despite tariff concessions between the two nations.

The FTA also opens up 100% foreign direct investment by Indian companies in Oman, in various services sectors.

The deal also extends stay for contractual workers from 90 days to two years, with a two-plus year extension. The pact provides for more liberal entry and stay for skilled workers in accountancy, taxation, architecture, medical and allied services.

MEA summons Bangladesh high commissioner over security of Indian mission in Dhaka

NEW DELHI, Dec 17: India on Wednesday summoned Bangladesh high commissioner Riaz Hamidullah and registered a protest over the deteriorating security environment in the neighbouring country and plans by extremist elements that could affect the security of the Indian mission in Dhaka.

The development marked yet another low point in bilateral relations, which have been strained since former premier Sheikh Hasina’s government collapsed in the face of widespread student-led protests and a caretaker administration led by Muhammad Yunus assumed office in August 2024. Over the past few days, certain extremist forces have planned protests around the Indian high commission in Dhaka, people familiar with the matter said.

Hamidullah was summoned by joint secretary B Shyam, who heads the Bangladesh-Myanmar division of the external affairs ministry and served a demarche or formal diplomatic representation, the people said on condition of anonymity.

“We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of missions and posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations,” the external affairs ministry said in a readout. It noted that Hamidullah was informed of India’s “strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh” and the “activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka”.

India backs peace and stability in Bangladesh and has “consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and credible elections, conducted in a peaceful atmosphere”, the readout added.

The people cited above said one of the triggers for the summoning of the Bangladeshi envoy was a fiery speech on Monday by National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah, who contended that Bangladesh can shelter separatist forces from India and sever the seven northeastern states – also known as the “seven sisters – from the rest of the country.

Abdullah, one of the key student leaders who led the protests against Hasina, was speaking at an event organised in Dhaka by Inqilab Mancha, the party whose leader Sharif Osman Hadi is in a critical condition after being shot by unidentified gunmen on December 12. Bangladeshi authorities and other NCP leaders such as Nahid Islam have obliquely hinted at an Indian connection to the attempt on Hadi’s life without giving any proof, and the accusation was repeated by Abdullah.

“Those creating chaos and terror in our country, those who tried to kill Hadi, those who are trying to disrupt the election, those who are trying to create instability in the country, those who kill our brothers and sisters on the border, they are being given refuge and support by India,” Abdullah said in his speech on Monday.

“I want to clearly tell India that those who don’t believe in the sovereignty and existence of my country, in voting rights and human rights, since you are giving refuge and support to these forces, we will give refuge and support to the separatist forces in India and sever the seven sisters from India,” he said.

In an apparent reference to the remarks of Abdullah and other Bangladeshi leaders, the external affairs ministry’s readout rejected the “false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh”. The “interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents”, the readout said.

Past Bangladeshi governments had supported or turned a blind eye to the activities of several militant groups from India's northeast that operated training camps in the neighbouring country in the 1980s and 1990s. Hasina played a decisive role as the PM in cracking down on these groups and their leaders.

“India has close and friendly relations with the people of Bangladesh rooted in the liberation struggle, and strengthened through various developmental and people-to-people initiatives,” the readout said.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry had earlier said India should prevent the “escape to India of the suspects” involved in the attempted assassination of Hadi and “ensure their immediate apprehension and extradition” if they enter Indian territory. The external affairs ministry responded to this by saying that India has never allowed its territory to be used for “activities inimical to the interests” of Bangladesh.

India-Bangladesh relations have cratered since last year, with New Delhi repeatedly criticising the caretaker administration for failing to tackle the oppression of Bangladesh’s minorities, including Hindus. It has also criticised the interim government’s failure to tackle the re-emergence of radical and extremist forces in Bangladesh.

Bondi Beach gunman originally from India, police say

SYDNEY, Dec 16: One of the two men suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach was originally from southern India but had "limited contact" with his family there, police sources have said.

Sajid Akram, 50, who died at the scene in Sydney on Sunday, was originally from the city of Hyderabad, a police official from the Indian state of Telangana said.

He had travelled to India just six times since moving to Australia in 1998 and his family "expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities," the official added.

Sajid and his 24-year-old son Naveed are suspected of killing 15 people and injuring dozens more at an event celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday.

Hyderabad, where Sajid Akram's family is based, is the capital of Telangana state in southern India.

The Telangana police official said Sajid had "visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and visits to his elderly parents".

"It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise," the official said.

"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana."

The official also said Sajid Akram had no criminal record in India, he had completed a degree and had moved to Australia in search of employment before marrying a woman "of European origin".

Sajid Akram was an Indian passport holder, but his children were born in Australia and are Australian citizens, the official added.

Ukraine gives up joining NATO in bid to shift the dial in Russia peace talks

BERLIN, Dec 15: Ukraine has said it’s willing to give up its aspirations to join NATO in return for security guarantees, as part of a peace deal to end the almost four-year war with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered to drop Kyiv’s NATO dreams during five hours of talks with U.S. officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Berlin over the weekend. Witkoff said “a lot of progress was made” during the talks, which are set to continue on Monday.

Ukraine’s offer marks a major policy shift. It has long coveted membership of the Western military alliance, whose members are obliged to consider an attack on one as an attack on all under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the offer to drop NATO membership in return for security guarantees was a compromise, amid resistance among some of its Western allies to its NATO bid.

“From the very beginning, Ukraine’s conditions – or perhaps more accurately, our ambition – was NATO membership. And that would have provided real security guarantees. Some partners from the United States and Europe did not support this direction,” he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat on Sunday.

“That is why today the bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States, specifically Article 5–like guarantees from the United States for us, and the security guarantees from our European colleagues for us, as well as from other countries such as Canada and Japan – these security guarantees for us provide an opportunity to prevent another outbreak of Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy commented.

“And this already is a compromise on our part,” he said.

Despite Ukraine publicly abandoning its NATO bid, the chances of it joining the alliance were vanishingly thin. Several members were resistant to the idea, including Moscow-friendly Slovakia and Hungary. Even Ukraine’s allies within NATO worried about poking the Russian bear beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Moscow vehemently opposes Ukraine joining NATO, and Russia has claimed the alliance’s expansion in Eastern Europe was one of the reasons it launched its so-called “special military operation” against Ukraine in 2022.

Kyiv insists that security guarantees must be a part of a peace deal instead of NATO membership, and this remains a sticking point in negotiations with Moscow, which is refusing to allow Ukraine’s allies to be part of any peacekeeping force in the country.

Talks about a draft peace agreement are continuing on Monday. Zelenskyy aide Dmytro Lytvyn said that the president would comment on the talks once they were completed.

The Kremlin said Monday that it expected to be briefed later on the outcome of talks between Ukraine and the U.S. on Monday.

When asked to comment on Kyiv relinquishing its NATO ambitions, and what security guarantees Russia could accept in a potential peace deal, Putin’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said:

“This issue is one of the cornerstones. And, of course, it requires special discussion against the background of all the others. But that is precisely what the negotiation process consists of, which I would like to emphasize once again - we do not want to engage in megaphone diplomacy.”

Fruit Seller, His 24-Year-Old Son Behind Deadly Shooting At Jews In Sydney

SYDNEY, Dec 15: Two gunmen who killed at least 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia were a father and son, police said on Monday. It was the deadliest shooting in Australia in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws.

One gunman, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was fatally shot by police. The other shooter, his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, was wounded and was being treated at a hospital, said Mal Lanyon, New South Wales police commissioner.

The duo were likely of Pakistani origin, CBS News reported, citing US intelligence officials briefed on the investigation. A picture of Akram's New South Wales driver's licence is also going viral on social media, where he appears to be wearing a green shirt resembling a Pakistani cricket team jersey.

The son is an Australian-born citizen, while the father arrived in 1998 on a student visa, which was transferred in 2001 to a partner visa and later resident return visas, Australia's Home Minister Tony Burke said.

Further, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the attackers were deliberately targeting the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.

According to investigators, Sajid Akram owned a fruit shop, while his son had been laid off from his bricklaying job around two months back after the company became insolvent. The police said that Sajid had held a gun licence for around 10 years.

The violence erupted at the end of a summer day when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach, an icon of Australia's cultural life. They included hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival.

Witnesses said the attack lasted about 10 minutes, sending hundreds of people scattering along the sand and into nearby streets. Police said around 1,000 people had attended the targeted Hanukkah event, which was held in a small park off the beach.

11 killed in terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach

SYDNEY, Dec 14: At least 11 people have been killed and 29 injured in a shooting on Australia’s Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community, police say. The attack, which took place as hundreds gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, has been declared a terrorist incident.

Police have confirmed that there are two known suspects — one is dead while the other is in a life-threatening condition in hospital. Officers have secured and removed explosive devices found in a nearby vehicle.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as “an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation” and said that “an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”

Israeli officials have reacted with horror and anger to the incident, with several accusing the Australian government of allowing a surge in antisemitism.

One of the two gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram.

Akram, a man from the city's south-west, was believed to have carried out an attack at the Australian iconic beach, packed with visitors on a busy weekend, ABC Australia reported.

The 43-year-old fruit shop owner from the Sutherland Shire who bravely tackled one of the gunmen is recovering well in the hospital, despite sustaining two bullet wounds, one in his arm and one in his hand, according to a relative. A family member, speaking outside a Sydney hospital, called the man "100 per cent a hero" and expressed hope that they would be allowed to see him soon.

Sydney Bondi beach attack has revived memories Of 1996 Port Arthur deadliest mass shooting in modern Australian history.

On April 28, 1996, a mass shooting at the Port Arthur historic tourist precinct in south-east Tasmania killed 35 people and injured many. The shooter, Martin Bryant, was later sentenced to 35 life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. At the time, Bryant was 28 years old and lived in New Town, Hobart.

Hamas confirms death of senior commander in Israeli attack

GAZA, Dec 14: Hamas on Sunday confirmed the killing of its senior commander Raed Saad in an Israeli attack in Gaza. This is a major death of a Hamas leader since the ceasefire in October.

On Saturday, the Israeli army confirmed that it had killed Saad in an attack near Gaza City. At least 25 people were wounded in the latest attack.

Confirming Saad’s killing in a video statement on Sunday, Hamas’s Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya accused Israel of violating the ceasefire, agreed in October.

Khalil further said that in the wake of Israel’s continued violations, including the latest assassination of a Hamas commander just yesterday, we call on the mediators and especially the US administration and US President Donald Trump as the main guarantor of the agreement, to force Israel to respect the ceasefire deal and to implement it.

Thailand declares curfew along coast as Cambodia border fighting spreads

BANGKOK, Dec 14: Thai forces said they had destroyed a bridge that Cambodia used to deliver heavy weapons and other equipment to the region and launched an operation targeting pre-positioned artillery in Cambodia’s coastal Koh Kong Province.

Thailand announced a curfew in its southeastern Trat Province on Sunday as fighting with Cambodia spread to coastal areas of a disputed border region, two days after U.S. President and would-be peacemaker Donald Trump said the sides had agreed to stop.

The Southeast Asian neighbours have resorted to arms several times this year since a Cambodian soldier was killed in a May skirmish, reigniting a conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border.

“Overall, there have been clashes continuously” since Cambodia again reiterated its openness to a ceasefire on Saturday, Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri told a press conference in Bangkok after announcing the curfew.

India's 'Appropriate Measures' Vow After Mexico's Steep 50% Import Tariffs

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: After Mexico approved a 50 per cent tariff hike on India for select products, New Delhi has warned of taking "appropriate measures" to safeguard its interests, an official said on Saturday.

"India reserves the right to take appropriate measures to safeguard the interests of Indian exporters, while continuing to pursue a solution through constructive dialogue," the official said.

According to a report, the official said that India was engaged with Mexico during the initial tabling of a bill in this regard.

"The Department of Commerce is engaged with Mexico's Ministry of Economy to explore mutually beneficial solutions which align with global trade rules," the official said.

A high-level meeting between Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Mexico's Vice Minister of Economy Luis Rosendo has taken place, and follow-up meetings are expected.

The government said that unilateral increases in MFN (most favoured nation) tariffs, without prior consultations, do not align with the spirit of our cooperative economic engagement or with the principles of predictability and transparency underpinning the multilateral trading system.

The tariffs that are imposed to protect the national industry and producers are set to come into effect from January 1, 2026.

"India values its partnership with Mexico and stands ready to work collaboratively toward a stable and balanced trade environment that benefits businesses and consumers in both countries," the official added.

Mexico has imposed duties on goods such as auto parts, light cars, clothing, plastics, steel, household appliances, toys, textiles, furniture, footwear, leather goods, paper, cardboard, motorcycles, aluminium, trailers, glass, soaps, perfumes, and cosmetics, per El Universal, a Mexican daily.

Countries that do not have a trade deal with Mexico will be impacted, like India, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Indonesia.

India and Mexico are also seeking to start negotiations for a free trade agreement, with experts saying that it will help insulate Indian companies from these tariffs.

Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Continue Despite Donald Trump's Ceasefire Claim

BANGKOK, Dec 14: Fighting raged Saturday morning along the border of Thailand and Cambodia, even after US President Donald Trump, acting as a mediator, declared that he had won agreement from both countries for a ceasefire.

Thai officials have said they did not agree to a ceasefire, and Cambodia has not commented on Trump's claim. Its defense ministry instead said Thai jets carried out airstrikes Saturday morning. Cambodian media reported Trump's claim without elaborating.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Saturday that some of Trump's remarks didn't "reflect an accurate understanding of the situation."

"We regret and we're disappointed that some of the points made by President Trump have bearing upon the feeling of the Thai people, Thailand, because we consider ourselves - we are proud, in fact - to be the oldest treaty ally of the United States in the region," he said.

The latest large-scale fighting was set off by a skirmish on Dec. 7 that wounded two Thai soldiers and derailed a ceasefire promoted by Trump that ended five days of earlier combat in July over longstanding territorial disputes.

The July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalized in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended.

About two dozen people have officially been reported killed in this past week's fighting, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced on both sides of the border.

The Thai military acknowledges 11 of its troops have been killed, while estimating there have been 165 fatalities among Cambodian soldiers. Cambodia has not announced military casualties, but has said at least 11 civilians have been killed and 76 wounded.

Trump on Friday, after speaking to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, had announced an agreement to restart the ceasefire.

"They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim," Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Trump's claim came after midnight in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Anutin had after his call with Trump said he had explained Thailand's reasons for fighting and said peace would depend on Cambodia ceasing its attacks first. The Thai foreign ministry later explicitly disputed Trump's claim that a ceasefire had been reached. Anutin's busy day on Friday including dissolving Parliament so new elections could be held early next year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, in comments posted early Saturday morning, also made no mention of a ceasefire.

He said he held phone conversations on Friday night with Trump, and a night earlier with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and thanked both "for their continuous efforts to achieve a long-lasting peace between Cambodia and Thailand."

"Cambodia is ready to cooperate in any way that is needed,' Hun Manet wrote.

Thailand has been carrying out airstrikes on what it says are strictly military targets, while Cambodia has been firing thousands of medium-range BM-21 rockets that have caused havoc but relatively few casualties.

BM-21 rocket launchers can fire up to 40 rockets at a time with a range of 30-40 kilometers (19-25 miles). These rockets cannot be precisely targeted and have landed largely in areas from where most people have already been evacuated.

However, the Thai army announced Saturday that BM-21 rockets had hit a civilian area in Sisaket province, seriously injuring two civilians who had heard warning sirens and had been running toward a bunker for safety.

Zelenskyy debunks Russia's claim it occupied Kupyansk with in-person visit

KYIV, Dec 1: The Ukrainian president published a video Friday from Kupyansk in Kharkiv region, visiting Ukrainian positions less than 2 kilometres away from Russian troops and well within the range of Moscow’s drones and artillery.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region on Friday, which Moscow claimed it had occupied.

Nearly one month ago on 20 November, Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Moscow troops had captured the northeastern Ukrainian town with a pre-war population of some 26,600 residents.

Kyiv denied the claims and Ukraine’s National Guard said it carried out a successful counterattack north of Kupyansk over the past several days, encircling Russian troops there.

In a video clip posted on his social media platforms on Friday, Zelenskyy is seen standing in front of a bullet-riddled sign bearing the town's name at the entrance to Kupyansk.

“The Russians kept going on about Kupyansk – the reality speaks for itself,” Zelenskyy said in his post.

"Today it is extremely important to achieve results on the front lines so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy.”

Geolocation analysis of the video shows Zelenskyy is standing less than 2 kilometres away from Russian positions and 500 metres from the grey zone, which is well within the range of Russian drones, mortar or artillery.

At least three villages to the north and west of Kupyansk also remain under Ukrainian control, Ukraine’s open-source intelligence project DeepState has shown.

Kupyansk's northern districts are also shown as being under Ukrainian control.

On 20 November, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian forces had “managed to block about 15 Ukrainian Armed Forces battalions” in the Kupyansk area, inviting journalists to “come and see the surrounded Ukrainian army units.”

Mexico Slaps 50% Tariffs On India

MEXICO CITY, Dec 11: Four months after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India for most goods, Mexico has approved levies of up to 50 per cent on the import of select products from Asian countries, including from India and China.

The tariffs that are imposed to protect the national industry and producers are set to come into effect from January 1, 2026.

Mexico has imposed duties on goods such as auto parts, light cars, clothing, plastics, steel, household appliances, toys, textiles, furniture, footwear, leather goods, paper, cardboard, motorcycles, aluminium, trailers, glass, soaps, perfumes, and cosmetics, per El Universal, a Mexican daily.

Countries that do not have a trade deal with Mexico will be impacted, like India, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Indonesia.

The Mexican government is seeking to reduce reliance on imports from Asian countries, especially China, with which it has a significant trade imbalance. Meanwhile, China on Thursday said that it has "always opposed unilateral tariff hikes in all forms" and urges Mexico to "correct its wrong practices of unilateralism and protectionism at an early date."

China will be the most impacted, as Mexico imported $130 billion worth of products from the country in 2024.

The proposed tariffs are also expected to generate additional revenue of US $3.8 billion (about Rs 33,910 crore).

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also wants to provide greater protection for the country's industry and increase domestic output.

"We believe that supporting [Mexican] industry is to create jobs." Deputy Ricardo Monreal, Morena's leader in the Chamber of Deputies, said, per mexiconewsdaily.com.

However, according to Mexican economic news outlet El Financier, analysts believe the tariffs are intended to appease the US ahead of the United States-Mexico-Canada review.

The Mexican tariffs will affect $1 billion worth of shipments from major Indian car exporters, such as Volkswagen, Hyundai, Nissan and Maruti Suzuki, according to a report.

The import duty on cars will rise to 50% from 20%, dealing a significant blow to India's largest vehicle exporters.

"The proposed tariff hike is expected to have a direct impact on Indian automobile exports to Mexico...we seek Government of India's support to kindly engage with the Mexican government," the industry body said in its letter to the commerce ministry before the tariff was finalised.

Mexico is India's third-largest car export market after South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Officials from Ukraine, U.S. and Europe to meet Saturday on Trump's plan

WASHINGTON, Dec 11: Senior U.S. officials are expected to meet on Saturday in Paris with senior officials from Ukraine, France, Germany and the U.K. to discuss President Trump's peace plan, according to White House official and a Ukrainian official.

The meeting is an effort to reach consensus on President Trump's peace plan, but comes amid sky-high transatlantic tensions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces growing pressure from the U.S. to swiftly accept Trump's 20-point plan, which includes major territorial losses and other concessions.

The Europeans have been counseling patience, and thus reassuring Kyiv but infuriating some in Washington.

The meeting in Paris follows a call on Wednesday between Trump and France President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Merz said Thursday that he and his fellow leaders had told Trump that only Ukraine can determine what to do with its own territory.

Merz said the call was constructive and that both sides showed respect. Trump, by contrast, said the participants "discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words."

While Ukraine, Germany, France and the U.K. will be represented at the meeting by their national security advisers, it's unclear if Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who is also Trump's national security adviser — will attend.

More than 30 dead after Myanmar military air strike hits hospital

NAYPYIDAW, Dec 11: At least 34 people have died and dozens more are injured after air strikes from Myanmar's military hit a hospital in the country's west on Wednesday night, according to ground sources.

The hospital is located in Mrauk-U town in Rakhine state, an area controlled by the Arakan Army - one of the strongest ethnic armies fighting the country's military regime.

Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the military seized power in a coup in 2021 and triggered a civil war.

In recent months, the military has intensified air strikes to take back territory from ethnic armies. It has also deployed paragliders to drop bombs on its enemies.

The Myanmar military has not commented on the strikes, which come as the country prepares to vote later this month in its first election since the coup.

However, pro-military accounts on Telegram claim the strikes this week were not aimed at civilians.

Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, said that most of the casualties were patients at the hospital.

Zelenskiy says he is open to elections if US ensures security

KYIV, Dec 10: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.

Wartime elections are forbidden by law but Zelenskiy, whose term expired last year, is facing renewed pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to hold a vote as he pushes Kyiv to secure peace quickly in the nearly four-year-old war with Russia.

"I'm ready for elections, and moreover I ask...that the U.S. help me, maybe together with European colleagues, to ensure the security of an election," Zelenskiy said in comments to reporters.

"And then in the next 60-90 days Ukraine will be ready to hold an election."

Zelenskiy's remarks followed comments by Trump in an interview with Politico published on Tuesday suggesting Ukraine's government was using the war as an excuse to avoid elections.

"You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore," Trump said.

Zelenskiy dismissed suggestions that he was clinging to power as "totally inadequate".

Zelenskyy says Ukraine won’t cede territory to Russia

WASHINGTON, Dec 9: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday his country will not make territorial concessions to Russia as the Trump administration looks to broker a peace deal between the two countries.

Zelenskyy told reporters following a meeting with leaders from France, Germany and the U.K. in London that Ukraine has “no right to give anything away” — under Ukrainian, international or moral law — according to The Washington Post.

Zelenskyy’s comments come as the Ukrainian leader faces growing pressure from the U.S. to accept a framework to bring to an end more than three years of fighting since Russia escalated its war with Ukraine in 2022.

The first draft of that framework drew skepticism from Ukrainian and European leaders — as well as bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. — after a leaked draft echoed several key Russian demands, including that Ukraine agree to give up the Donbas region and agree not to join NATO.

Peace talks between the U.S. and Ukraine have since hit a roadblock as the Trump administration insists that Kyiv cede the region in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said ahead of his trip to London that Ukrainian representatives had held “substantive discussions” with U.S. peace envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, but he added that “the conversation was constructive, though not easy.”

“Today, we held a detailed discussion on our joint diplomatic work with the American side, aligned a shared position on the importance of security guarantees and reconstruction, and agreed on the next steps,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media following the meeting.

Trump told reporters on Sunday evening that the Kremlin was “fine” with the latest version of a peace deal but that Zelenskyy “isn’t ready,” adding that he was “a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal.”

Zelenskyy is also set to meet with the leaders of NATO, the European Council and the European Union in Brussels.

IDF hits Hezbollah training sites in southern Lebanon overnight

TEL AVIV, Dec 9: Israel struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Monday night, according to an IDF statement released on Tuesday.

The statement read “The IDF recently attacked, under the leadership of the Northern Command and through the Air Force, infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in several areas in southern Lebanon.”

“As part of the attacks, the IDF attacked a training complex that was used by the 'Radwan Force' unit of the Hezbollah terrorist organization to conduct training and training of the organization's terrorists, for the planning and execution of terrorist plots against IDF forces and citizens of the State of Israel.”

The IDF reported that the training complex was used for shooting exercises and additional training in the use of various types of weapons.

Other military structures and a missile launch site were also reportedly targeted in the attack.

The strikes were a part of larger, ongoing IDF attempts at combating and destroying Hezbollah's rearmament capabilities following failed attempts at disarming the Iran-backed Lebanese terror organization.

Dozens injured in 7.5 quake in Japan, gov't warns of bigger temblor

TOKYO, Dec 9: The number of people who sustained injuries due to a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan climbed to at least 50 on Tuesday, according to a Kyodo News tally, after the late-night quake disrupted transport, water supplies and school operations.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the huge quake, which struck at 11:15 p.m. Monday off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture at a depth of 54 kilometers, could be followed by a temblor of similar or greater magnitude in the coming days.

It is the first time the agency has issued such an alert, created for coastal regions of Hokkaido and Sanriku after the massive March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. The alert covers 182 municipalities in seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba, east of Tokyo.

JR East said Tuesday it had suspended bullet train services on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line between Morioka and Shin-Aomori stations for inspections following the quake, but operations resumed around 3:40 p.m.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on people in the region to remain alert for information from local governments and the weather agency over the next week or so and to prepare for another possible quake, including by securing furniture.

"The government asks residents to continue social and economic activities while maintaining a readiness to evacuate immediately if any shaking is felt," Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo.

Thousands flee Thai-Cambodia border after deadly clashes

BANGKOK, Dec 8: Residents on both sides of Thailand's and Cambodia's border evacuated in droves on Monday as fresh clashes erupted, killing at least five people.

Both sides have each accused the other of starting the violence, which is the most serious confrontation between the two countries since they agreed to a ceasefire in July.

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says his country "never wanted violence" but will "use necessary means to preserve its sovereignty", while Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen accused Thai "invaders" of provoking retaliation.

Since May, escalating tensions between the neighbours have led to more than 40 deaths, as well as import bans and travel restrictions.

On Monday, the Thai army said its troops had responded to Cambodian fire in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani Province, including by launching air strikes along the disputed border; while Phnom Penh's defence ministry said it was the Thai forces that attacked first, in Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.

At least one Thai soldier and four Cambodian civilians have been killed, and about a dozen wounded as a result of Monday's fighting, according to officials on either side.

For Thai teacher Siksaka Pongsuwan, though, there are other, hidden victims of the clashes: the children living near the border, he warns, are "losing opportunities and... precious time" compared to their peers living in relatively peaceful cities.

Japan summons China envoy over ‘fighter jet radar lock’ as tensions surge

TOKYO, Dec 8: Japan has summoned China’s ambassador over an incident in which Chinese military aircraft allegedly twice locked fire-control radar onto Japanese fighter jets, as tensions between the two countries surge.

The move by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday was to protest against what it called the dangerous and “extremely regrettable” behaviour of the Chinese J-15 fighter jets over international waters southeast of Okinawa’s main island the previous day.

It said China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier fighter jets aimed radar beams at Japanese aircraft scrambled to shadow the vessel – claims denied by the Chinese embassy.

Illuminating aircraft with radar signals a potential attack that could force targeted planes to take evasive measures, making it among the most threatening actions a military aircraft can take.

The summoning of Ambassador Wu Jianghao came amid deeply strained relations between Beijing and Tokyo since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last month that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan – suggesting that Tokyo would intervene militarily.

The comments by Takaichi, who entered office in October, have enraged Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory, and led to a furious diplomatic dispute.

Beijing has summoned the Japanese ambassador, written to the United Nations, urged citizens to avoid travelling to Japan and renewed a ban on Japanese seafood imports, while cultural events involving Japanese performers and movies have also been hit.

'No Country Has Veto On Our Ties': Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has defended India's freedom of choice to choose its global partners, asserting that New Delhi's ties with Moscow had been the biggest and steadiest in a world fraught with geopolitical ups and downs.

"For any country to expect to have a veto in how we develop our relations with others is not a reasonable proposition. Others can expect the same," he said while speaking at the HT Leadership Summit.

India has always maintained that it has multiple relationships, Jaishankar said, stressing the need for partnerships with as many players as possible. "We have a freedom of choice. We talk about what is called strategic autonomy. And that continues. I cannot imagine why anybody would have reason to expect the contrary," he added.

Jaishankar's remarks came in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent India visit, which he said was about reimagining relationships. Asked if the high-level visit complicates India's ties with the US, the minister said that he wouldn't go to the Western press for an objective assessment for a reading on Putin.

It's crucial for India to maintain cooperation with as many players as possible and have that freedom of choice to bolster its position in the world, the minister said.

"The world has seen a lot of ups and downs in the last 70-80 years, but India and Russia have been among the steadiest big relationships in the world. Russia's ties with China or Europe had their ups and downs, and so did our ties with other nations. But you can see it in popular sentiments; there is a feeling in the streets about Russia," he added.

India must stand up for what is in its interest, he thundered, adding that diplomacy is not about pleasing someone else.

There is no lack of communication with the US, he said, asserting that a trade deal with Washington could become a reality soon, though he also warned against unforeseen turnarounds.

"We believe there can be a landing point for our respective trade interests. It is something that will be negotiated hard. For us, the interest of the workers and the farmers and the middle class matters. When we look at the trade agreements with the US, we must be judicious," he added.

Zelenskyy says he had 'substantive' phone call with US special envoy Steve Witkoff

KYIV, Dec 6: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that he had had a long and "substantive" phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

"Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace. We agreed on the next steps and formats for talks with the United States," Zelenskiy said on X.

Witkoff and Kushner had held two days of talks with Ukraine's senior negotiator Rustem Umerov in Miami this week, which both sides called "constructive discussions on advancing a credible pathway toward a durable and just peace in Ukraine".

Witkoff had been expected to brief Umerov on his meeting in Moscow this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Modi-Putin Summit Sets 2030 Trade Target, Seals Defence Co-Production

NEW DELHI, Dec 5: India and Russia on Friday used their 23rd Annual Summit to put a sharper economic, defence and technological edge on what both sides described as a "time-tested progressive partnership", unveiling a 2030 roadmap that links trade expansion, energy security, nuclear and space cooperation with a shared pitch for a multipolar world order.

President Vladimir Putin's state visit to New Delhi, marking 25 years of the India-Russia Strategic Partnership first declared in 2000 - ended with a joint statement that stressed mutual trust, "respect for core national interests" and a relationship both leaders said had remained "resilient" despite a "complex, challenging and uncertain geopolitical situation".

On the economic front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin reaffirmed an ambitious target of US$100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, with a clear emphasis on making that trade "balanced and sustainable" and boosting Indian exports to Russia.

A new "Programme 2030" for strategic areas of economic cooperation was adopted, and both sides welcomed progress on negotiating a Free Trade Agreement in goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, covering sectors of mutual interest. They also tasked negotiators to speed up work on a bilateral investment protection agreement.

Calling for an open and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, the statement zeroed in on practical bottlenecks: tariff and non-tariff barriers, logistics, connectivity gaps, payment mechanisms, and insurance and reinsurance issues - all flagged as key to hitting the 2030 trade target.

Notably, Moscow and New Delhi agreed to continue joint work on using national currencies for bilateral settlements, and to explore interoperability between national payment systems, financial messaging networks and even central bank digital currency platforms - a signal that both sides want to de-risk trade from third-country financial restrictions.

The leaders also highlighted long-term fertilizer supplies to India and the possibility of joint ventures in the sector, and welcomed new agreements on mobility of skilled workers. Two new Indian consulates in Yekaterinburg and Kazan are set to deepen regional economic and people-to-people links.

Energy cooperation was described as a "significant pillar" of the relationship, with the statement listing a wide spectrum - oil and petroleum products, refining and petrochemicals, upstream services and technologies, LNG and LPG infrastructure, underground coal gasification and nuclear projects. Both sides acknowledged investment-related issues in this space and pledged to resolve investor concerns more quickly.

The summit put fresh emphasis on connectivity and regional resources. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor, and the Northern Sea Route, including training specialists for polar shipping.

In the Russian Far East and Arctic, India and Russia reaffirmed plans to expand trade and investment in agriculture, energy, mining, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, maritime transport and manpower under an existing 2024-2029 cooperation programme. The statement also underlined growing collaboration on critical minerals and rare earths, seen as crucial for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing.

Civil nuclear cooperation featured prominently. The two sides pledged to broaden work across the nuclear fuel cycle, life-cycle support for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) and non-power applications of nuclear technology. Russia's role was explicitly linked to India's goal of ramping up nuclear generating capacity to 100 GW by 2047.

They welcomed progress on KKNPP and committed to sticking to timelines for equipment and fuel supplies. India will "strive to finalise" the formal allotment of a second nuclear power plant site for a Russian-designed project, with both sides agreeing to accelerate technical and commercial discussions on VVER reactors, joint R&D, localization and joint manufacturing of nuclear equipment and fuel assemblies.

In space, the statement pointed to an "enhanced partnership" between ISRO and Roscosmos in peaceful uses of outer space, including human spaceflight programmes, satellite navigation, planetary exploration and rocket engine development and production.

Defence and military-technical cooperation - long described as a pillar of the relationship - is set for a structural shift. While reaffirming the centrality of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation, the leaders said the partnership is "reorienting" towards joint R&D, co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies and systems, in line with India's push for self-reliance.

Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spares, components and aggregates for Russian-origin equipment under the Make in India framework, not only to meet Indian forces' needs but also for export to "mutually friendly" third countries. They expressed satisfaction over regular high-level defence contacts and committed to maintaining the momentum of INDRA joint military exercises and military delegation exchanges.

Cultural and educational ties were projected as an "important component" of the partnership. The two sides agreed to hold Cultural Exchange Festivals on a parity basis, expand cooperation in the film industry through co-productions and festival participation, and deepen academic mobility and joint research between universities.

Tourism has seen a "steady increase", and both countries welcomed simplified visa formalities, including e-visas, with a promise to work towards further visa liberalisation. The statement also noted longstanding educational links and pledged continued efforts to ensure the well-being of students.

On the global stage, India and Russia reaffirmed their close coordination at the UN, G20, BRICS and SCO, calling for "reinvigorated multilateralism" and stressing the primacy of the UN Charter and international law.

Crucially, Russia reiterated its strong backing for India's bid for permanent membership of a reformed and expanded UN Security Council, and both called for comprehensive UNSC reform to reflect contemporary realities.

They lauded the "practical legacy" of India's G20 Presidency in 2023, including spotlighting Global South priorities and the admission of the African Union as a full G20 member. Russia pledged full support for India's BRICS chairship in 2026, as both sides backed an expanded BRICS focused on political-security, economic-financial and people-to-people pillars.

In security and arms control, both countries underscored their commitment to non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Russia again supporting India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. They also called for negotiations on a legally binding instrument to prevent an arms race in outer space, building on a Russian-sponsored draft treaty and a 2024 UN expert group report.

The joint statement devoted substantial space to counter-terrorism, with both leaders condemning attacks in Pahalgam (Jammu & Kashmir) on April 22, 2025, and at Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22, 2024, and calling for zero tolerance. They demanded concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, urged adoption of the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, and flagged the need to tackle misuse of new technologies by terror networks.

On regional issues, India and Russia highlighted close coordination on Afghanistan, supported counter-terrorism measures there and stressed the need for uninterrupted humanitarian aid. On West Asia and Gaza, they called for restraint, protection of civilians, adherence to international law and commitment to agreements that can ensure cessation of conflict and sustainable peace.

Climate change and green transitions also featured, with both sides backing the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, welcoming the work of a Joint Working Group on climate change and low-carbon development, and promising cooperation on Article 6 mechanisms, low-carbon technologies and sustainable finance. They noted new BRICS platforms on climate research and trade-climate-development, and welcomed Russia's move to join the International Big Cat Alliance, while India encouraged Moscow to also join the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Closing the summit, the joint statement framed the India-Russia "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" as both resilient and evolving, with "convergent and complementary" foreign policy priorities aimed at global peace and stability in a multipolar world and multipolar Asia.

President Putin thanked Prime Minister Modi for New Delhi's hospitality and invited him to Russia in 2026 for the 24th Annual Summit, signalling that, despite shifting global alignments, both sides intend to keep their long-standing relationship firmly on a forward track.

Modi gives special welcome to Putin, rare carpool and a dinner

NEW DELHI, Dec 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin kick-started his two-day visit to India, the first in over four years, on Thursday evening, with a warm and personal welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 'carpooling' with the Indian leader, and dinner at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the PM's residence in New Delhi.

Putin is in India for the 23rd Annual India-Russia Summit, and is working at a tight 26-hour schedule.

As Putin landed at Delhi's Palam airport at around 7 pm on Thursday, Modi broke protocol and personally received the Russian President, welcoming him with big smiles and a hug. The prime minister led the way, with Putin greeting both Russian and Indian officials present at the site.

After his arrival, Modi and Putin repeated their moment from Tianjin and travelled in the same car from the airport to the Prime Minister's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. The two leaders were seen talking and sharing some laughs as they 'carpooled' together.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that India got lucky with a leader like him.

"PM Modi lives and breathes India," Putin said in an interview with India Today.

Putin praised Modi's stance on the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump and said that the prime minister "is not one to give in to pressure".

“India is a great power, not an English or British colony, and everyone will have to take that into account," Putin said. He stressed the historical India-Russia defense and trade relations.

He said that Indians can indeed take pride in their leader as "Prime Minister Modi is not someone who succumbs to pressure easily".

"His stance is unwavering and straightforward, without being confrontational. Our goal is not to provoke conflict; rather, we aim to protect our lawful rights. India does the same," Putin added.

Putin also responded to a question on Trump's remarks on India's Russian oil purchases and said, "As for India's purchase of energy resources from Russia, I would like to note and have already mentioned publicly this once, the United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants."

He argued that if the US buys oil from Russia for its reactors, then India should have the same privilege.

The Russian President will be accorded a ceremonial welcome on Friday, along with a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

He will then visit Raj Ghat to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial.

After this, Putin will hold talks with Modi, along with the respective delegations, at Hyderabad House. The two leaders will then make statements at a joint press briefing.

Modi and Putin will also attend a business event jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Roscongress.

In the evening, President Droupadi Murmu will host a state banquet for her Russian counterpart.

Putin is expected to leave India at around 9 pm on Friday.

Witkoff-Putin talks end without breakthrough on Russia-Ukraine peace deal

MOSCOW, Dec 3: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 2 as part of the U.S. effort to advance negotiations aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

Top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who took part in the talks, called the meeting "very useful, constructive, and highly substantive" but said no concrete deal was agreed upon — a statement suggesting that a final peace agreement remains far off.

The five-hour meeting, originally set for 5 p.m. local time, began nearly three hours late, as Putin attended an investment forum where he issued veiled threats toward Europe.

On the Russian side, the talks were led by Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, a senior economic negotiator. Witkoff was joined by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"So far, no compromise version of a peace settlement has been found, but some American proposals look more or less acceptable… the work will continue," Ushakov said.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that Putin rejected the U.S. peace plan, claiming that some parts of the proposal were accepted and some were not.

The meeting took place as Putin signals he sees no need for concessions, having dismissed prospects for progress days earlier and tied any ceasefire to Ukraine withdrawing from unoccupied territory — a nonstarter for Kyiv.

Zelensky said on Dec. 2 that if talks with the Russian side proceed smoothly, he could meet with the U.S. president soon, though "everything depends on today's discussions."

"They want to report to us immediately after their meeting. I think the next steps will depend on these signals," he said, adding that he is ready to meet with Trump.

EU Lawmakers Reach Deal To Ban Russian Gas Imports By Autumn 2027

BRUSSELS, Dec 3: European Union lawmakers and member states reached a deal Wednesday to ban all imports of Russian gas by autumn 2027, as the bloc seeks to choke off key funds feeding Moscow's war chest.

"This is the dawn of a new era, the era of Europe's full energy independence from Russia," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters following the overnight deal.

Aimed at breaking a reliance the bloc has struggled to end despite the invasion of Ukraine, the accord marks a compromise between EU capitals and the European Parliament, which wanted the ban to hit sooner.

"We've made it: Europe is turning off the tap on Russian gas, forever," EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen wrote on X.

"We've chosen energy security and independence for Europe. No more blackmail. No more market manipulation by Putin. We stand strong with Ukraine."

But the Kremlin hit back, saying the move would "accelerate" a decline of the EU's economy as it would force the bloc to resort to more expensive alternatives.

Under the deal, long-term pipeline contracts -- considered the most sensitive because they can run for decades -- will be banned from September 30, 2027, provided storage levels are sufficient, and no later than November 1, 2027.

For liquefied natural gas (LNG), long-term contracts will be prohibited from January 1, 2027, in line with a call by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to tighten sanctions on Moscow.

Short-term contracts will be phased out earlier: from April 25, 2026 for LNG and June 17, 2026 for pipeline gas.

The move aims "to end dependency on Russian energy following Russia's weaponisation of gas supplies with significant effects on the European energy market," said a European Council statement.

The timeline must still get final approval from the European Parliament and member states.

European companies will be able to invoke "force majeure" to legally justify breaking existing contracts, citing the EU import ban.

Will discuss Indian imports with Modi: Putin on his upcoming India visit

MOSCOW, Dec 2: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said he will discuss expanding Indian imports during his upcoming visit to New Delhi, adding that Moscow intends to continue deepening economic engagement with its key partners, including India and China.

Speaking at the VTB Investment Forum, Putin said, “I and Prime Minister Modi will discuss Indian imports during the upcoming visit,” noting that bilateral trade volumes with both India and China have risen sharply over the past three years.

Putin used his address to launch a fresh attack on Western governments, accusing European states of abandoning diplomacy. “If Europe wants to fight war, we are ready now,” he said. “Europeans do not have a peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war.”

The Russian President said the world was experiencing “high turbulence” caused by countries that “use their monopoly position” to exert pressure on others. He asserted that Western states “want to eradicate all competition” but added, “They are failing — and will continue failing.”

Putin reiterated that Russia would pursue an independent economic course aligned with its national priorities. “We will continue to pursue a sovereign economic policy, acting with our national interests in mind,” he said.

Ahead of Putin’s visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is ready to address India’s concerns over the widening trade deficit and will seek to create an “architecture” that shields bilateral commerce from pressure by third countries. He said New Delhi’s procurement of Russian crude may dip briefly because of Western sanctions, but Moscow was taking steps to maintain supply volumes.

“There are sanctions against the Russian oil production sector, but we are finding ways not to let the volume of trade go down,” Peskov said, adding that Russia had “deep experience” in operating under what it considers “illegal sanctions."

He stressed that Moscow wants a mechanism that protects India–Russia trade from external interference. “We should create an architecture of our relationship that must be free of any influence coming from any third country. We have to secure our trade from pressure from abroad,” he said.

Peskov indicated that settlement mechanisms in national currencies, bypassing the dollar-denominated system, may feature in discussions between Putin and PM Modi. “We understand the pressure on India,” he said, referring to the US.

He acknowledged India’s long-standing concerns over the massive trade imbalance. “We are aware of that. We are selling much more than we buy from India. We want to buy more from India,” he said. India currently imports goods and services worth around USD 65 billion from Russia, while Russian imports from India stand near USD 5 billion.

The spokesperson said cooperation in defence, including joint production of BrahMos missiles, may see further expansion. Discussions may also cover Su-57 fighter jets, additional S-400 air defence systems, and collaboration on small modular nuclear reactors. “Russia has experience in producing these small reactors and is ready to supply the technology,” he said.

On India–China relations, Peskov said Moscow respected the bilateral equation and hoped both nations could resolve their issues “to keep global stability and peace." He added that Russia seeks a relationship with India “as deep” as its declared “limitless” friendship with China. “We are ready to go as far as India is ready,” he said.

Peskov also welcomed recent US-led mediation efforts on the Ukraine conflict and said Russia remained open to peaceful negotiation. “We appreciate India’s position and the readiness of Prime Minister Modi to look for a peaceful solution,” he said.

He added that Russia was willing to work closely with India “to combat terrorism” and said Moscow would continue to expand ties with Afghanistan.

On the broader partnership, Peskov said Russia is “proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with India” during its phase of significant growth.

459 India-born truckers' licences revoked in New Zealand, families stage protest

AUCKLAND, Dec 1: A nationwide audit in New Zealand has led to the revocation of 459 licences of India-born commercial truck drivers after authorities uncovered fraudulent documents in the licence conversion process, according to the New Zealand Herald. The move has caused severe financial hardship for hundreds of families, prompting large-scale protests in Auckland.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) initially revoked 440 licences in July after discovering irregularities during the audit. However, an Official Information Act (OIA) request revealed the number had since risen to 459. All affected drivers were born in India, though none of the converted licences were Indian. Most of the drivers are aged between 30 and 35, and only two are women.

NZTA Deputy Director of Land Transport Mike Hargreaves said the licences were revoked following a thorough investigation. "We have systems in place to identify, investigate and respond to suspected fraudulent activity, and we will act swiftly when we find it by holding people to account," Hargreaves told the New Zealand Herald.

Providing false information in a licence application is illegal and can result in a fine of up to NZ$750. Under New Zealand law, applicants converting to a local truck licence must hold a valid overseas licence — current or expired within the past 12 months — and it must not be suspended, disqualified, or revoked in the country of issue. According to NZTA data, 436 of the converted licences originated from the United Arab Emirates, 18 from Australia, and five from Canada.

Hundreds of affected drivers and their families gathered at South Auckland’s Takanini Gurdwara to protest against the decision, demanding authorities restore their licences.

Navjot Sidhu, a transport operator advocating for the drivers, said the Indian community has been "disproportionately and severely affected", noting that many of these drivers had worked in the UAE before moving to New Zealand after borders reopened in 2022. "They form the backbone of New Zealand’s transport, logistics, and courier workforce," Sidhu said.

Amritpal Singh, who spent 15 years driving trucks in the UAE before relocating to New Zealand two years ago, said losing his licence has devastated his family. "They have taken away our only source of income. How will I feed my kids now?" he asked. Another driver, Parminder Singh, said he can no longer pay rent and relies on friends for support. "We had to borrow money just to attend this meeting," he said.

The revocation has sparked concerns within the Indian-origin community, which plays a significant role in New Zealand's trucking industry. For now, affected drivers remain without work as they await clarity on whether any relief or review will be offered.