Baseless: Iran Reacts To UAE's 'Attack' Claims After Trade Suspension

TEHRAN: Iran has "categorically rejected" the United Arab Emirates' allegation that Tehran had launched ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state, calling the claim "baseless" and harmful to regional trust and security efforts. Iran's Foreign Ministry said such "baseless accusations" should be avoided as a principle of "good neighbourliness"....more

US Ambassador Sergio Gor calls Jammu and Kashmir important part of India after meeting Omar Abdullah

SRINAGAR: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” after meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar. Ambassador Gor, who arrived in Srinagar as part of his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since assuming office, held discussions with Omar Abdullah on India-US relations and areas where Washington could engage with the Union Territory....more

Ambassador Gor calls for stronger India-US economic partnership

By Deepak Arora

MUMBAI: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Tuesday called for India and the United States to work together as “true partners” to address friction points and unlock the full potential of their economic relationship. Addressing the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) National Convention in Mumbai, Ambassador Gor called for stronger India-US economic partnership. He stressed the need for predictable taxation and regulatory frameworks to provide businesses with greater certainty and encourage investment and innovation....more

Trump To Meet Kim Jong Un This Year, Says North Korea Has 57 Nuclear Weapons

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, in what would be their first encounter of Trump's second term. Trump also said that North Korea had 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, in a rare and unusually specific assessment by a US president of Kim's atomic arsenal....more

Time for Military Justice Reform? Experts Call for Overhaul of India's Court Martial System

By Rear Admiral Dhiren Vig (Retd)

NEW DELHI: India's military justice system, long regarded as a cornerstone of discipline within the Armed Forces, is facing renewed calls for reform amid concerns over procedural shortcomings, judicial delays and the need for greater transparency in court martial proceedings. The military legal framework operates under a distinct set of laws designed to ensure swift disciplinary action and maintain operational readiness, morale and discipline among service personnel....more

'Credibility Well-Established': Centre After Trump's Praise For Indian Polls

NEW DELHI: India has reacted to US President Donald Trump's nod to the Indian electoral system, noting that its "credibility and robustness" are well established globally. Trump has cited India's voter card system to press for domestic citizenship verification, claiming the move would curb electoral fraud....more

India Signs Rs 1,900-Crore Deal To Lease 2 MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with has signed a contract with US defence major General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for the leasing of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months. The contract is valued at approximately Rs 1,943 crore. It was signed in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A. Anbarasu, at Kartavya Bhawan-2 here on Monday....more

US Names India Among 40 Hubs Of China's Tariff Evasion

WASHINGTON: The Donald Trump administration has flagged over 40 US trading partners, including India, Canada, and the European Union, for potential risks in aiding Chinese tariff evasion by operating a "shadow trans-shipment network". The United States vowed to tap artificial intelligence to help detect and penalise such illegal practices. The White House report, titled 'The Great Transshipment Scam', criticised the longstanding concern surrounding "illegal transshipment," where goods could be sent through a third country that faces lower US tariffs to avoid paying higher levies imposed by President Donald Trump....more

@ India examining White House report on Chinese goods transshipment

Bangladesh Lists 2 Riders For PM Rahman's India Visit. One Is Hasina Return

DHAKA: Bangladesh said on Sunday that its Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's proposed visit to India is unlikely to go ahead unless New Delhi moves ahead with the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other fugitives wanted by Dhaka. According to a statement from the Bangladeshi foreign ministry, officials from both countries have been in contact for several weeks about the possibility of a bilateral visit by Rahman to New Delhi....more

Congress Working Committee resolves to stick to two-stanza Vande Mataram recital at party events

NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Wednesday resolved to continue with the tradition, as set by a 1937 CWC decision, of reciting only the first two stanzas of the national song 'Vande Mataram' at party programmes. The decision comes in the wake of the Centre recently making the full recital of the song part of the official protocol....more

Rahul Gandhi demands accountability as NTA announces re-conduct of UGC-NET

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the government and demanded that the National Testing Agency (NTA)’s leadership be held accountable after the agency said it would re-conduct the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) for English, commerce and sociology....more

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill; India risks tariffs over Russian oil

WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Friday passed a Russia sanctions bill that authorises tariffs of up to 100% on countries continuing significant purchases of Russian energy. The bill puts India among the nations that could face the measure if the legislation is enacted. The bill is aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine by targeting not only Moscow but also countries that continue buying Russian oil and other energy products....more

Netanyahu, Trump envoy agree on US General's supervision on Hamas disarmament

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on Monday with US envoy Jared Kushner that a US General should supervise Hamas's disarmament, a day after Donald Trump's son-in-law met the Palestinian militant group’s representative. According to an official, Netanyahu told Kushner that Israel would not pull troops from Gaza until the disarmament is complete....more

After Hyderabad, Top Bengaluru Law College Opposes Invitation To Chief Justice

BENGALURU: Students and alumni of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) have opposed the invitation to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra to the university's upcoming convocation ceremony....more