World

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said that the United States' "great partnership" with India and "my good friend Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi" will be strengthened under his administration. In a post on X, Trump also extended his greetings on Diwali. "... Happy Diwali to All. I hope the Festival of Lights leads to the Victory of Good over Evil!," he posted. In the same post, the former President condemned the violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. "I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos," he said, adding that it would have "never happened" on his watch. Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden of ignoring Hindus across the world and in America. He also vowed to make "America Strong Agai...

 Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two unidentified Israeli sources. The attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles, the Axios report added. The report said that carrying out the attack through pro-Iran militias in Iraq could be an attempt by Tehran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/fCqrkew

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly suggested in a video released on Wednesday that Kyiv has requested supplies of long-range US Tomahawk missiles, as he made critical remarks about "confidential" information he said had been leaked. Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles), far greater than any missile Ukraine currently has in its arsenal. Such a weapons delivery would almost certainly be seen by Russia as an escalation in its war in Ukraine. Zelensky travelled to the United States last month to pitch a "victory plan" to President Joe Biden, which he said could help pressure Moscow to negotiate an end to the war in good faith. The Ukrainian leader has since said the plan envisages a "non-nuclear deterrence package" that would only be used if Moscow does not end its full-scale invasion and continues to escalate the conflict. Some of the plan's details have been kept confidential, something Zelensky alluded to in remarks ...

An Arctic seed vault on Norway's Spitsbergen island received new samples last week from the largest number of depositors since 2020, reflecting fear about the threat of conflict and climate change to food security, a custodian of the facility said recently. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set deep inside a mountain to withstand disasters from nuclear war to global warming, was launched in 2008 as a backup for the world's gene banks that store the genetic code for thousands of plant species. Billed as a doomsday vault protected by permafrost, the deposit has received samples from across the world, and played a leading role between 2015 and 2019 in rebuilding seed collections damaged during the war in Syria. "Climate change and conflict threaten infrastructure and impact food security for over 700 million people in more than 75 countries worldwide," Executive Director Stefan Schmitz of the Crop Trust said in a statement. Among the new desposits, Bolivia's first ...

Russia's nuclear forces today began a special exercise after orders were received from President Vladimir Putin. The move comes at a critical point in the Ukraine war after senior officials in Moscow termed it the "most difficult phase". This is the second such military exercise initiated by Putin in a fortnight and the West-led NATO alliance is still unsure of how to deal with the escalating situation. The rise in tensions began after western forces, led by the US were planning to allow Ukraine the use of long-range ballistic missiles to target territories deep inside Russia. Moscow has made it clear to the 'West' that if such a move was made by Ukraine with the backing of the West, Russia would consider the use of its nukes to defend the motherland. The Kremlin had said that its updated nuclear doctrine, approved by Putin last month, will allow Moscow to use nukes against non-nuclear states should be seen as a warning to the West. Launching the nuclear weapo...

Canada, once a country welcoming an inpour of immigration, on Thursday announced that it is expected to hack down on its annual permanent-resident (PR) target to 395,000 down 21% from half a million for next year, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. What are the implications for Indians? The number of Indians immigrating to Canada skyrocketed by 326% over the decade, increasing from 32,828 in 2013 to a staggering 139,715 in 2023, according to NFAP analysis. “In the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic, between addressing labor needs and maintaining population growth, we didn't get the balance quite right," Trudeau said, as the permanent residency dream for Indians seems more and more improbable now. He said, that although immigration is essential for Canada's future it has to be controlled and sustainable. This change would mean stricter eligibility criteria for international students and temporary workers will be implemented to manage the influx of newcom...

A man in the US is wanted in a murder case after he called the emergency number 911, claiming he had been chased by a bear and leading first responders to a dead body. According to a news release from the Monroe County Tennessee Sheriff's Office, 911 received a call about a "distressed hiker" on October 18 who claimed to be Brandon Andrade. He told the dispatcher that he had fallen off of a cliff while running from a bear and that he was injured and partially in the water. When officials conducted a search in Tellico Plains, the area where they received the call from, a body of a man was recovered with an identification of Brandon Kristopher Andrade.  After investigation, the officials found that Brandon Andrade was not the victim and that the identification had been "stolen and used" on multiple occasions. "A male that was using the stolen identification of Mr Andrade, was discovered to be a Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was wanted out of the State of Al...

Egypt has proposed an initial two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages of Hamas for some Palestinian prisoners, Egypt's president said on Sunday as Israeli military strikes killed 45 Palestinians across the enclave. Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made the announcement as efforts to defuse the devastating, more than year-long war resumed in Qatar with the directors of the CIA and Israel's Mossad intelligence agency taking part. Speaking alongside Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a press conference in Cairo, Sisi also said that talks should resume within 10 days of implementing the temporary ceasefire in efforts to reach a permanent one. There was no immediate comment from Israel or Hamas but a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort told Reuters: "I expect Hamas would listen to the new offers, but it remains determined that any agreement must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza." Israel has said the war c...

A cargo truck collided with a passenger bus in northern Mexico on Saturday, leaving at least 24 people dead and five others injured, local authorities said. "So far, the preliminary information available is that 24 passengers have died and five people are injured and are being treated," Rodrigo Reyes, a senior official in the government of Zacatecas state, said in a video on social media. The accident, on a highway that connects Zacatecas with the central state of Aguascalientes, occurred when a container filled with corn fell off the truck, causing the bus to overturn. The bus was traveling between the city of Tepic, in western Nayarit state, and Ciudad Juarez on the US border. The highway was closed to traffic, Reyes said, adding that army, National Guard and civil protection forces were deployed. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/Xq65poQ

As the November municipal election draws near, Kyle, a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada, is facing an unforeseen problem: there are no contenders for the mayorship, according to CKOM.COM. This year, current Mayor George Williams, who assumed office in November 2021, is scheduled to resign, leaving his position unfilled and without any candidates. Furthermore, there are still no nominees for a Town Council position. Two rounds of candidate applications have been released to promote mayor nominations, but thus far, no one has shown interest, according to Chief Administrative Officer Amber Dashney.  "It's a little concerning, but I am confident that someone will step forward," Dashney told CKOM.COM. The council will designate a deputy mayor to assume the duties of mayor if the post is not filled by the election on November 13. "At that meeting, we will decide on a date for a by-election, and we will continue calling a by-election until we fill the mayor spot and ...

The case of Ariha Shah, a three-year-old Indian girl who has been in foster care in Germany, was raised during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz here on Friday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. At a media briefing, the foreign secretary also said the chancellor has assured the Prime Minister that he is "very closely following" the issue. The girl has been in foster care in Germany for more than 36 months following allegations of minor physical abuse. Her parents, Bhavesh and Dhara Shah, are residents of Mira Bhayander in Maharashtra's Thane district. "The case has been followed very, very closely by us.... Our embassy in Berlin has taken it up. When the external affairs minister was in Germany a few weeks ago, he had raised it very strongly with his counterpart," Mr Misri said. "Yes, I can confirm that it was raised during the meeting today as well. We have at all levels impressed upon the Ger...

Alphabet's self-driving unit, Waymo, said on Friday it had closed a $5.6 billion funding round led by the Google parent, as it looks to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service. Automakers and technology companies are investing in autonomous ride-hailing services to capitalize on the technology to drive commercial success, even as it faces widespread skepticism and tight regulatory scrutiny. The investment round also saw participation from existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price, Waymo said. "With this latest investment, we will continue to welcome more riders into our Waymo One ride-hailing service in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, and in Austin and Atlanta through our expanded partnership with Uber," the company said. Alphabet had planned a $5 billion investment in Waymo over a multi-year period, finance chief Ruth Porat said in July. Waymo, which offers paid rides in autonomo...

Britain's King Charles III's remote private estate in the Scottish Highlands could become an exclusive location for weddings, if an application to the local council is approved. Documents submitted for consideration next week by the licencing board of Aberdeenshire Council outline plans to allow "weddings, dinners, meetings and associated events" at the Queen's Building on the royal Balmoral Estate. The Queen's Building lies just north of Balmoral Castle near the estate office and stables, and was built in the 1980s as staff quarters and a canteen. It was converted last year to accommodate dining for visitors. If approved at next Wednesday's licencing board meeting, the venue could host up to 277 guests inside, with a further 144 on an outside patio. Permission to sell alcohol and play music is also part of the application, which was submitted on April 30, the documents showed. "These events may involve live performances and dancing, where alcoh...

France should charge visitors a small fee to see the Notre-Dame cathedral to help the country keep its world-famous churches and cathedrals in shape, the culture minister said. Rachida Dati told newspaper Le Figaro in an interview published late on Wednesday that by charging only 5 euros per visitor Notre-Dame could raise 75 million euros ($81 million) a year. In France, where secularism is part of the national identity, the state is in charge of maintaining the country's religious sites, including 15,000 classified as historic monuments, which are usually free of charge. Notre-Dame has been undergoing reconstruction after a fire severely damaged its roof and spire. President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to rebuild Notre-Dame within five years, drawing massive private-sector financial support. Dati, a former Paris district mayor, also said tourists from outside the European Union should pay more to visit non-religious landmarks. "Is it normal that a French visitor pays the...

Nvidia's leather-jacket-clad CEO Jensen Huang got a rock star welcome at the company's AI summit in India on Thursday, with passes sold out and tech enthusiasts spending thousands of rupees to travel to the event. The reception Huang received in India's commercial capital Mumbai was reminiscent of the "Jensanity" seen in other parts of the world, especially Taiwan, as his popularity climbs with Nvidia's soaring earnings and multi-trillion dollar market valuation. The event, where the US company unveiled plans to supply Reliance Industries and other Indian firms with its AI chips, had to be delayed for more than half an hour due to the crowd that one Nvidia employee said was "easily a few thousand". "This was Coldplay, but for tech bros. The passes were all sold out," Yuvraj Mehta, a robotics engineer for an AI startup that is part of the Nvidia incubation program said, referring to the British rock band. Two engineers, who declined to b...

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was released from prison on Thursday, a day after she was granted bail in a case linked to the illegal sale of state gifts, ending about nine months of imprisonment. The release is the biggest legal relief for Imran Khan and his family since he was imprisoned in August last year. Bushra Bibi, who was arrested in January, was released from Adiala Jail in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan still remains. Local television channels showed a small number of supporters throwing rose petals on two white SUVs escorting her from the jail. Bushra Bibi faces at least one other graft case linked to receiving land from a real estate developer. "Welcome back Bushra Bibi! You have faced extremely difficult times, disgusting campaign and character assassination attempts against your during your illegal time in jail," Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said in a post on X. Imran Khan him...

Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society. Dominique Pelicot, her husband, has admitted to inviting dozens of strangers over nearly ten years to their house to rape her after he had drugged her. Fifty other men also stand trial, accused of raping her. Gisele Pelicot, her voice often shaking with emotion, told the court she was destroyed by what happened to her. She said how "unbelievably violent" it was for her that many of the accused in the trial, which started on Sept.2, said they thought she agreed to the rapes or was faking sleeping. "I've decided not to be ashamed, I've done nothing wrong," Gisele Pelicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence, told the court in Avignon. She said she had insisted the trial be held publicly, and not behind clos...

Bangladesh banned the student wing of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's party on Thursday, citing its involvement in violent attacks on demonstrations that toppled the autocratic leader. Sheikh Hasina fled the country in August as thousands marched on her official residence, ending a 15-year tenure that saw widespread human rights abuses. The student wing of her Awami League party was accused of propping up her iron-fisted rule, which saw the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. A government notice accused the party's youth wing, known as the Chhatra League, of involvement in "murders, persecution, torture... and many other activities that threaten public security". The statement added that the student group had been outlawed under anti-terrorism laws. Initially peaceful protests that began in July against Sheikh Hasina's government turned violent when Chhatra League activists attacked student demonstrators on university campuses...

Lebanon's Hezbollah movement said on Tuesday there would be no negotiations while fighting continued with Israel and it claimed sole responsibility for a drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home. The group "takes full and sole responsibility" for targeting Netanyahu's house, Mohammad Afif, head of the Iranian-backed operator group's media office, told a press conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut. "If our hands didn't reach you the previous time, then days, nights and the battlefield are still between us," he said. Israel said a drone was launched at Netanyahu's holiday home on Saturday. Netanyahu was not there at the time, but he described it as an assassination attempt by "Iran's proxy Hezbollah" and called it a "grave mistake". Hezbollah also for the first time acknowledged that Israel had captured some of its fighters since it launched a ground offensive in south Lebanon, ...

Israel has announced steps to boost aid deliveries to Gaza, but UN figures show a huge drop in supplies getting through to the war-battered territory and humanitarian workers doubt much is reaching those who need it most. Aid workers and experts told AFP that there were still many obstacles to getting desperately needed supplies to Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip's north, where intense Israeli military operations since early October have left hundreds dead. Not only are there disputes over the actual volume of aid being allowed in, but agencies are often unable to reach people under constant bombardment, meaning it does not always make it where the dire humanitarian needs are greatest. How does aid enter Gaza?  Most trucks carrying humanitarian supplies enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing on the border between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip. The shipments are inspected by the Israeli military for security reasons, a process cited by humanitarian groups as the m...