World

what-happened-to-former-pakistan-army-chief-qamar-javed-bajwa-report-says-brain-haemorrhage-worsened

Sun Mar 29 16:56:37 IST 2026

Former Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa's health condition has reportedly worsened after he was injured after a fall at his residence, CNN News18 reported.

Recent unverified reports circulating in the media and online, claim that the former chief is suffering from severe brain haemorrhage.

The incident, which led to the critical injury, is said to have occurred this year with Bajwa reportedly falling at his home in Rawalpindi last month.

Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the incident was a domestic accident and that the retired General either slipped or fainted due to a reported third-degree atrioventricular (AV) heart block.

He was rushed to a military hospital in the region, where he underwent treatment and was kept under close medical supervision.

Initial updates in mid-February following the incident suggested that Bajwas was stable and conscious and was even able to recognise family members. Conflicting reports emerged later, with uncertainty looming over the health status of the former chief of staff who served from 2016 to 2022.

Accounts on X and social media are now claiming that Bajwa’s injury has led to disorientation, memory loss and an inability to recognise family members, including relatives.

Medical experts say that in some cases, head injuries can lead to delayed neurological complications

Bajwa is a prominent figure in Pakistan’s political landscape even after his retirement.

Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed told Ani in June 2024 that Bajwas played a role in the removal of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government headed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan had also said that he regretted trusting Bajwa during his tenure.

pakistan-to-announce-lockdown-minister-issues-clarification-amid-fuel-crisis

Sun Mar 29 16:43:08 IST 2026

With the escalating tensions in the Middle East, rumours abound that Pakistan is heading towards a lockdown. While some media reports claimed the government was mulling imposing a lockdown during the weekends, the country’s social media was abound with rumours that a lockdown has already been notified.

As per the reports, a “smart lockdown” has been imposed from 12 noon on Saturday to 11:59 pm on Sunday. It suggested a complete ban on markets, commercial activities, wedding ceremonies, and intercity travel on highways and motorways. The notification added that there will be exemptions only for hospitals, pharmacies, essential services, and public transport buses. It also mentioned provincial authorities would register two- and three-wheel vehicles for targeted subsidies.

However, the Pakistan Federal Minister denied reports of a lockdown. He told local media that no such weekend lockdown has been ordered, and the notification doing the rounds on social media was completely fake.

That said, media reports indicate that the federal government is holding talks with key stakeholders to make a final decision.

According to Express Tribune, the government is considering a hybrid working model where government offices operating five days a week and would adopt a three-day in-office and two-day remote schedule. As for service departments, it would be a four-day office and two-day online model.

To further reduce commuting and operational costs, a 50% rota system is expected to be enforced, alongside digital monitoring of attendance and weekly audit mechanisms. The government could also consider asking private organisations to impose work-from-home mechanisms.

This comes as the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association (APPPOA), representing around 15,000 fuel stations, has warned of a national shutdown if its concerns are not addressed amid the Middle East energy shortage. "In case our concerns are ignored, we would be compelled to shut down operations, which would trigger another fuel crisis in Pakistan. The responsibility for this would fall on the petroleum minister and the Petroleum Division," the association said in a statement.

nestle-appreciates-exceptional-taste-of-thieves-who-stole-and-made-a-break-with-413793-kitkat-bars

Sun Mar 29 15:21:22 IST 2026

A large shipment of KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Europe last week as they were being transported, Swiss food giant Nestle said on Saturday.

The company said that a truck which carried about 413,793 bars of its new chocolate range, about 12 tons, went missing after it left its production site in Italy earlier this week, for Poland.

In a statement on Friday, the company said that, “the vehicle and its load are still nowhere to be found.” Nestle did not reveal where the truck was lost on the route, which covered 1,250 to 1350 kilometres.

"We've always encouraged people to have a break with Kit Kat — but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate,” a spokesperson for KitKat said in the release.

Nestle also confirmed that no one was hurt during the heist.

The bars, made of crunchy wafers covered with chocolate, were headed to a distribution site in Poland. The company said that the stolen candy bars could be sold through unofficial channels in Europe. However, it is possible to track the styles of goods by scanning the unique batch code assigned to the individual bars, DW reported.

"If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat, who will then share the evidence appropriately," the statement said.

The candy heist could result in a shortage across supermarket shelves in European countries.

"Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes," KitKat said.

"With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend."

onlyfarms-us-lawmakers-slam-trumps-new-farmers-site-for-parodying-porn-site

Sun Mar 29 11:48:50 IST 2026

Eyebrows were raised on Saturday when the White House unveiled a new website meant to help farmers in the US track their agricultural costs and boost their income. Democratic leaders began ripping into U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he launched a “porn-inspired” government website.

The backlash was caused by the name of the website — OnlyFarms.gov—which reminded people of the popular adult content website OnlyFans. OnlyFarms is housed on the White House official website, but can only be found by searching OnlyFarms.gov.

California governor Gavin Newsom was one of the first to criticise the name, saying on X, “The White House spent more time launching a parody porn website than lowering your gas prices this week.”

Newsom then continued his attack, saying, “Is anyone surprised the sexual abuser president who protects Jeffrey Epstein just launched a porn-inspired government website?”

The trump administration launched the website to help farmers with the government's agricultural policies. Users can click on their state in an interactive map to see the amount they have saved due to Trump's new farming agenda. One of the new programs cover loans to vegetable, grain and seed farmers as well as cattle, pig and poultry producers and ensures a 90 per cent guarantees to lenders who work with small business in the agricultural industry.

The new policies come amid rising diesel prices and high fertiliser costs, largely driven up by Trump’s war in Iran. The supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz are also facing intense disruptions.

Critics said that the relief however is not getting to those who are in most need of it. Data by the Cato Institute shows the top ten farms capture about half of all the subsidies, The Daily Beast reported.

Even Republican leaders were unsure of the farming website's branding.

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie blasted the site and said that it was a misuse of taxpayer money and that the government shouldn't be parodying a porn site.”

“Can you arrest Epstein’s co-conspirators instead of riffing on a porn site?” Massie wrote on X.

Massie, a long-time rival to Trump, has also disagreed with the administrator on the transparency of the Epstein file and foreign police interventions like the Iran war.

former-nepal-pm-kp-sharma-oli-arrested-over-last-years-gen-z-protests

Sat Mar 28 07:43:10 IST 2026

Former Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli was arrested on Saturday in connection with the Gen Z protests that led to the collapse of his government in last September. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has also been taken into custody.

The arrests came just a day after rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as Prime Minister on Friday after winning the March 5 parliamentary elections.

According to reports, the arrests were made based on a panel’s recommendation to prosecute Oli for allegedly failing to prevent the crackdown on the protests, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.

Min Bahadur Shahi, a senior leader of Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), told Reuters that Oli was taken into custody from his residence this morning.

“A promise is a promise,” Prime Minister Shah wrote on X soon after Oli’s arrest.

"We have taken former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and outgoing Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak under control. This is not revenge against anyone; it is just the beginning of justice. I believe that now the country will take a new direction," he said.

The coalition government led by Oli collapsed following youth-led Gen Z protests against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban. The demonstrations escalated into violence on September 8 and 9, leaving more than 70 people dead.

Following Oli’s ouster, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki assumed office as interim prime minister on the recommendation of the Gen Z movement.

In the March 5 general elections, Balendra “Balen” Shah defeated Oli—a four-time prime minister—by a wide margin in the Jhapa-5 constituency, a long-standing stronghold of the CPN-UML.

ex-rapper-balendra-shah-takes-oath-as-nepals-youngest-prime-minister

Fri Mar 27 14:20:37 IST 2026

Rapper turned politician Balendra Shah has been sworn in as Nepal’s youngest prime minister after gaining a landslide victory in the country's first election since last year's Gen-Z-led protests.

The 35-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party leader had his swearing-in ceremony at the President’s office at Sheetal Nivas on Friday. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy.

Right before taking office, the ex-rapper dropped a song showcasing optimism about Nepal’s future with lyrics going "Undivided Nepali, this time history is being made."

The track garnered about 2 million views within hours of the release

After three years as the mayor of Kathmandu, Shah teamed up with the Rastriya Swatantra Party as its prime ministerial candidate, scoring a victory in the general elections.

Shah was raised by a stay-at-home mother and a father who is an ayurvedic practitioner. He is married and lives with his wife and daughter.

He rose to fame after winning a popular rap battle in Nepal with verses that reflected the frustration of the youth who felt abandoned. He had also criticised corruption and social inequality. His songs were also used by the Nepali youth who were part of the mass protest that ousted the previous government.

During the campaign, Shah opted to stay out of the public eye and instead ran his campaign on social media, pledging a sweeping anti-corruption agenda, judiciary reforms, and the creation of 1.2m new jobs, among other things.

The new Prime Minister also unveiled his council of ministers after taking the oath of office on Friday. Women leaders have been given five of the new portfolios in an attempt to make the cabinet more inclusive. Shah, meanwhile, had taken charge of both the defence and industry initiatives.

RSP vice-chair Swarnim Wagle has become the minister for Finance.

Shishir Khanal heads the RSP’s foreign affairs department, and Khadka Raj (Ganesh) Paudel has been appointed the minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Sasmit Pokharel has been appointed as the minister for Education, Science and Technology, and Youth and Sports.

Pratibha Rawal serves as the minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation

Biraj Bhakta Shrestha is the minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

Gita Chaudhary is the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and Forest and Environment.
Sobita Gautam has become the minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

Sita Badi has taken charge of the Ministry for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, while Sunil Lamsal is the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Urban Development.

Nisha Mehata has become Minister for Health and Population, and Water Supply.

former-cornhole-player-dayton-webber-arrested-for-murder-how-a-us-quadruple-amputee-with-no-hands-and-feet-allegedly-killed-a-man

Tue Mar 24 16:25:17 IST 2026

A US quadruple amputee, Dayton James Webber, who was previously known for being a champion cornhole player, has now been arrested on suspicion of murder in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Webber, 27, had lost all of his limbs after contracting a bacterial infection when he was about 10 months old. He now faces murder charges relating to the death of Bradrick Wells, authorities said on Monday.

Investigators said that Wells, also 27, was travelling with Webber in his car as his front-seat passenger on Sunday at about 10:25.

The two then began arguing in front of two other passengers in the backseat of the vehicle. Webber then allegedly shot Wells to death and pulled over in the community of La Plata.

Charles County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Diane Richardson said, "I know it escalated rather quickly, but we don't know what the argument was about, and that's something, hopefully, we learn."

An agency spokesperson said that the method used to fire the weapon is unknown when they were asked whether Wells used a gun which was adapted for his use.

Webber's YouTube channel has a video showing him practicing shooting with a gun.

"What I would say to answer any questions about how he did this, I would simply refer people to the internet. They can go to his YouTube page," Richardson said. "Mr Webber is a well-documented individual. There have been many stories written about him and plenty of videos to see."

Webber had then asked the other passengers to help him remove Wells’ body from the car, investigators said.

The other passengers refused and got out and fled the scene.

Webber, meanwhile, drove away with the body. The two scene then alerted police who were patrolling in the area just before 10:30 pm Sunday. They set out on a search for Webber.

Hours later, a resident of Charlotte Hall, Maryland, called investigators to report a body found in their yard.

The Charles County sheriff’s office said its deputies obtained a warrant to arrest Webber.

Webber’s car was found 150 miles away from where the body was recovered in Charlottesville, Virginia.a

They found him at a nearby hospital where he reportedly sought treatment for a medical issue.

The Albemarle county police department arrested Webber as a fugitive upon his dischange. Charles County sheriff’s deputies said they planned to book Webber with murder and other charges after his transfer to their custody.

Investigators said that Webber, Wells and the other passengers were all “known to each other.” The motive for the killing is unknown.

Dayton Webber’s arrest has quickly gained attention, as he was known for being a pro-cornhole player. Cornhole is a sport that involves tossing small bags of dried corn at a target made from wood.

He was also the first quadruple amputee player in the American Cornhole League (ACL).

what-caused-the-fire-and-explosion-at-the-texas-valero-oil-refinery-in-port-arthur

Tue Mar 24 13:22:24 IST 2026

The explosion and fire at the Valero oil refinery at Port Arthur Texas was reportedly caused by a fire breaking out at its diesel hydrotreater.

The fire broke out near the plant's fluid catalytic cracker, and the unit suffered severe damage, people familiar with the incident told Bloomberg.

The 243-diesel hydrotreater unit produced about 47,000 bpd. The unit uses hydroge to remove sulphur from motor fuels during the production to comply with US environmental rules.

The refinery, which produces about 380,000 barrels per day, has now been shut down. A few minor injuries were also reported, according to sources.

A Valero spokesperson said all personnel have been accounted for. Two nearby state highways have also been shut down by officials as a precaution, the spokesperson said.

Reports of a boom and smoke coming from the plant 90 miles or 145 kilometres east of Houston, Texas, were seen, 12 News reported. The blast was heard as far as 11 miles away.

The fire at the refinery lasted about 5 hours after the explosion occurred, roughly around 7:30 pm on Monday local time.

The refinery also ran out of water and steam as firefighters tried to put out the blaze.

The plant employs around 770 employees and refines heavy sour crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

The explosion has come amid the global oil crisis casued by the war in iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for a large amount of the world's energy supply.

Gas prices were driven up by the uncertainty over the global supply in the past two weeks.

pakistan-was-the-worlds-most-polluted-country-and-indias-loni-was-the-most-polluted-city-in-2025-report

Tue Mar 24 11:58:36 IST 2026

Pakistan ranked as the most polluted country in 2025 in a recent report. The country recorded particulate matter known as PM2.5 up to 13 times higher than recommended World Health Organisation levels, the report by Swiss IQAir showed on Tuesday.

The particles come from combustion, industrial processes, and dust and can cause health concerns.

The reports also showed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standards.

Bangladesh and Tajikistan ranked the second and third in the list.

Among cities, India’s Loni was the world's most polluted city in 2025, with an average of PM2.5 levels of 11.5 micrograms, followed by Hotan in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang at 109.6 micrograms

All of the world's most polluted cities were in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 per cent of the world's cities met the WHO standard in 2025, down from 17 per cent a year earlier, with Canadian wildfires driving up PM2.5 across the United States and as far as Europe.

Only 13 countries met the average PM2.5 levels of having less than 5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025, up from seven in 2024.

The countries that met the standard were Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

About 75 countries reported lower PM2.5 levels in 2025 compared to a year earlier, while 54 recorded higher concentrations, IQ Air said.

The data this year has been considerably lower compared to 2024 as the United States shut down a global monitoring programme that compiled pollution data collected from its embassy and consulate buildings, citing budget constraints.

The lead author of the IQAir report, Christi Chester Schroeder, said, "The loss of the data in March made it appear there was a significant drop in PM2.5 levels (in Chad), but the fact of the matter is that we don't know."

The decision led to a loss of data in many smog-prone countries like Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo.

explosion-shakes-major-valero-refinery-in-port-arthur-texas-amid-global-oil-crisis

Tue Mar 24 11:21:05 IST 2026

Locals living in Port Arthur, Texas, were told to take shelter after an explosion rocked the city’s Valero Port Arthur oil refinery.

Images from the site show smoke rising above the site.

The incident occurred late on Monday at 7:22 pm local time.

Sheriff Zena Stephens said there are no reported injuries and the explosion was likely caused ‌by an industrial heater, CBS affiliate KFDM reported.

Port Arthur Fire Department confirmed the incident, adding “the type of incident is unknown at this time”.

“To ensure the safety of all residents in the vicinity in light of the recent explosion at the Valero Refinery, an immediate shelter-in-place is ordered,” said the fire department.

“For your safety, please remain in place until the all clear is given by emergency personnel,” they said.

Detailed information about the cause of the explosion has not been released.

The Valero Port Arthur Refinery employs around 770 workers acccording to its website and produces 435,000 barrels per day of crude oil, which is then processed into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Port Arthur is a city with a population of about 56,000 and it is located at the southeast corner of the state.

The explosion has come at a time when the strait of hormuz has been closed by Iran.

The port is a critical piece of the US’s fuel supply chain.

what-caused-the-colombia-military-plane-crash-that-killed-over-60

Tue Mar 24 09:52:36 IST 2026

A Colombian military plane carrying 128 people crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo airfield, resulting in 66 deaths and leaving several others injured. Four individuals remain missing, and a search operation is underway to locate them.

The Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 11 Air Force members, 115 army personnel, and two national police officers.

Puerto Leguizamo is a small, remote town near the border with Peru. A member of the firefighting team told Caracol TV that the plane appeared to have been struck near the end of the runway during takeoff, with one of its wings clipping a tree as it plummeted.

Local residents were the first to reach the crash site for rescue efforts, with videos showing wounded soldiers being transported to hospitals on the back of motorcycles.

Authorities said the crash site was in a difficult-to-reach area, hindering rescue operations.

Videos shared by Colombian media outlets showed a thick black cloud of smoke rising from the field where the plane had crashed.

In a post on X, President Gustavo Petro criticised officials for creating obstacles to his efforts to modernize the military. "I will grant no further delays; the lives of our young people are at stake," he stated. "If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed."

The Hercules C-130 planes, first introduced in the 1950s, were initially acquired by Colombia in the late 1960s. In recent years, Colombia has modernized some of its older C-130s with newer models sent by the United States under a provision that permits the transfer of used or surplus military equipment.

According to a Reuters report, Hercules C-130s are frequently used in Colombia for troop transport as part of the military’s operations in the country’s ongoing six-decade-long internal conflict, which has resulted in over 450,000 deaths.

i-tried-did-air-traffic-controller-mess-up-chilling-audio-reveals-what-led-to-air-canada-flight-crash-at-laguardia

Mon Mar 23 17:16:47 IST 2026

A chilling audio has revealed the high-pressure moments leading up to the fatal collision involving an Air Canada flight and a fire truck at LaGuardia airport on Sunday.

The two pilots operating the Air Canada flight were killed in the crash. At least 41 passengers and crew were shifted hospital. Two of the police officers on the fire truck suffered broken bones in the impact.

In the dramatic LiveATC recording that has emerged, one of the air traffic controllers can be heard admitting that he may have "messed up".

The air traffic controller can be heard giving permission for the fire truck to cross the runway but immediately demands to vehicle to stop seconds before the collision occurred.

"Truck 1, stop, stop, stop. Stop Truck 1. Stop," the controller can be heard shouting moments before the crash.

Then he turns back to the flight, "Jazz 646, I see you collided with the vehicle. Just hold position. I know you can't move. Vehicles are responding to you now."

The controller also immediately asked another incoming flight, operated by Frontier Airlines, to divert from the runway.

Responding to the controller, the pilot of the Frontier flight says, "That wasn't good to watch."

"I tried to reach out to stop them. We were dealing with an emergency earlier and I messed up," the controller admits.

"No, you did the best you could," the Frontier pilot replies, trying to reassure the controller.

Viral videos from the scene showed the front of the aircraft fuselage severely damaged. The debris could also be seen hanging from the mangled cockpit.

both-pilots-dead-after-air-canada-express-plane-collides-with-truck-at-new-yorks-laguardia-airport

Mon Mar 23 15:58:39 IST 2026

Two pilots have been confirmed dead after an Air Canada Express plane collided with a firefighting vehicle at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The plane, carrying 72 passengers and four crew members, was travelling at a speed of 24 mph when the collision took place.

Forty-one passengers and crew were taken to the hospital, along with two officers who were in the ground vehicle. According to officials, 32 were out of the hospital.

Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia said an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will look at all aspects of "exactly what went on during the crash".

While briefing the media, she said that the vehicle was carrying two officers. "Sadly, the two pilots are confirmed deceased," she said.

Following the investigation, the LaGuardia Airport was closed until 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

Several videos of the aftermath emerged on social media showing evacuation and rescue operations at the airport.

The New York City Police Department told people to "expect delays and avoid the area if possible."

The New York City Fire Department also cautioned the people and alerted them regarding road closures, traffic delays and cancellations.

The incident occurred around 11:38 pm (local time). The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has, meanwhile, issued a ground stop for all planes at the airport. Earlier, the FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency, and there was a high probability of an extension, without specifying any details.

An investigation was launched by the authorities into the incident.

Reportedly, the New York Port Authority stated that the fire truck was responding to a separate incident involving a United Airlines plane at the time of the collision.

air-canada-express-collision-did-pilot-and-copilot-survive-the-crash-what-actually-happened-at-new-yorks-laguardia-airport

Mon Mar 23 13:26:00 IST 2026

An Air Canada Express aircraft, flying back from Montreal, collided with a ground vehicle upon landing at New York's LaGuardia airport on late Sunday. The incident led to the temporary shut down of the airport and flights were diverted.

According to Flightradar24, the Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane struck the vehicle at a speed of about 24 miles per hour (39 kph).

Reportedly, four people were injured in the incident, which involved a fire truck manned by police officials. The videos of the incident, which went viral on social media, revealed that the aircraft's nose suffered severe damage.

It is not certain whether the pilot and co-pilot survived the crash.

Conflicting reports initially cast doubt on whether the pilot and co-pilot survived the crash. While some unverified accounts suggested fatalities, official sources confirm that both crew members survived the incident, though they are being treated for severe injuries.

Among the four injured also includes the truck driver driving the vehicle. They have been rushed to the hospital soon after the incident.

Due to the incident, the arriving flights had been diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin.

The plane involved in the accident was operated by Air Canada's regional partner Jazz, which is owned by Chorus Aviation. According to Air Canada's website, Jazz's CRJ-900 can seat up to 76 passengers.

New York City's emergency notification system said people could expect cancellations, road closures, traffic delays and emergency personnel near the airport.

ATC 'Stop, stop, stop' warning

The Air Traffic Controller's audio has surfaced on social media with the official's heard yelling, "Stop, stop, stop" to the truck driver seconds before the crash.

In the audio clip, the official was heard saying that the "Truck 1 and company LaGuardia Tower are requesting to cross 4 at Delta".

"Truck 1 and company crossing 4," the official says.

The traffic controller then asks, "Frontier 4195, just stop there, please."

"Stop, stop, stop, Truck 1, stop, stop, stop," the controller can be heard shouting in panic.

The traffic controller then asks "Delta 2603" to "go around".

"Jet 646. Jet 646, I see you collide with a vehicle. Hold position; I know you can't move. The vehicle is responding to you now," the controller was apparently heard telling the pilot of the Air Canada plane in the audio clip.

THE WEEK could not immediately verify the audio.

Reportedly, the truck, a fire vehicle, was trying to cross the runway to get to a United Airlines flight.

why-germany-is-desperate-for-indian-workers-amid-critical-labour-shortage

Mon Mar 23 12:16:19 IST 2026

Driven by an ageing population and the mass retirement of the 'baby boomer' generation, Germany is grappling with a chronic and structural skilled labour shortage. As Europe's largest economy, the country is facing critical workforce gaps across multiple sectors, including healthcare, engineering, IT, and energy.

Facing a shortage this dire, the country is trying to alleviate the problem by recruiting talent from outside its borders, with a particular focus on India.

The initiative began in 2021 after Henrik von Ungern-Sternberg was contacted by Magic Billion, an Indian employment agency offering candidates for vocational training programs.

The gist of the email was: "We have lots of young, motivated people looking for vocational training, and we're wondering if you're interested."

Handrik von Ungern-Sternberg was then working at a firm in southwest Germany that represented skilled workers from bricklayers to carpenters to butchers.

While speaking to the BBC, Handrik von Ungern-Sternberg said that we had a lot of desperate employers who couldn't find anyone to work for them. "So we decided to give it a chance."

Recognising a nationwide decline in traditional German trades, he contacted the head of the local butchers' guild. The sector's contraction has been stark: while Germany boasted 19,000 small, family-run butcher shops in 2002, fewer than 11,000 remained by 2021.

According to Joachim Lederer, recruiting young people has become incredibly difficult because the butchery trade requires "hard work." He noted that younger generations are pursuing different career paths, leading to a severe shortage of skilled labour in the sector.

Over the years, von Ungern-Sternberg established his own employment agency, India Works, which has successfully brought 200 young Indians to work in German butcher shops. This movement of workers is born of necessity rather than preference, as Germany grapples with a severe demographic crisis.

Conversely, India boasts a massive labour surplus. 'India is a country with 600 million people below the age of 25,' Aditi Banerjee of Magic Billion told the BBC, highlighting the nation's vast workforce potential.

According to a 2024 study by Bertelsmann Foundation think tank, the economy needs to attract 288,000 foreign workers annually or its workforce could decrease by 10 per cent by 2040.

In 2026, India Works expects to bring 775 young Indians to Germany for apprenticeships. This cohort will include road builders, mechanics, stonemasons, and bakers, among other trades. This expansion follows Berlin's 2024 announcement that it would increase the annual skilled worker visa quota for Indian nationals from 20,000 to 90,000.

According to a January 2026 study by the business daily Handelsblatt, Indian expatriates in Germany out-earned their local counterparts by roughly 29% in 2024. With a median gross monthly income of €5,393 (Rs 5,68,900) versus €4,177 (Rs 4,34,000) for German workers, these lucrative prospects—combined with domestic job scarcity—are drawing a wave of Indian talent to Europe.

was-laguardia-airport-shut-down-after-aircraft-taxiway-collision-heres-what-we-know-so-far

Mon Mar 23 11:12:01 IST 2026

A ground collision between an aircraft and an airport truck on a taxiway at New York's LaGuardia Airport has caused panic and chaos. Unverified social media reports indicate that the incident happened near runway 4. With the collision reports surfacing, there is apprehension that the airport may have temporarily shut down.

However, officials have yet to confirm whether the airport is shut down.

The flight-tracking data shows that the collision may have involved Air Canada CRJ flight AC8646, flying from Montreal, and a fire truck identified as Truck 1 while attempting to cross runway 04/22.

The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for all planes at the airport, according to a notice from the regulator. The FAA notice showed that the reason for the halt at the airport was an emergency and there was a high probability of an extension, without specifying any details. The regulator, in a seperate notice, said that the shut down could extend to 1800 GMT.

Videos of the incident are surfacing on social media. The aircraft appears to have sustained significant damage in the reported collision.

Passengers were reportedly evacuated onto the tarmac. While unconfirmed reports of injuries have surfaced, some sources indicate that five firefighters sustained critical injuries and over 100 passengers were hurt.

The audio of the air traffic control tower surfaced on social media. The ATC officials are heard yelling, "Stop, stop, stop!" in panic.

The video visuals show that despite the stop warnings, the ground vehicle collides with the plane.

outrage-after-pakistan-ex-envoy-makes-threatening-claim-will-attack-india-if-us-targets-us

Sun Mar 22 15:56:40 IST 2026

Former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit’s recent comments about Pakistan's relations with India have now sparked widespread outrage. In a recent video, Basit is seen saying that the Islamabad could target Indian cities if the US were to attack Pakistan, in a hypothetical situation.

The remarks, made during the discussion on a TV discussion, come amid heightened tension in the region just months after India carried out Operation Sindoor against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The operation followed the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu Kashmir that the led to the deaths of 26 civilians.

Basit, during the discussion, said, “If America attacks Pakistan, we have to attack India. Our missiles may not reach America, but we will attack Mumbai and New Delhi in India without a second thought. We won’t leave it, we’ll see what happens later,”

The remarks were made in response to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's statements on Pakistan’s long-range missiles. "She is Indian-origin after all. Pakistan's deterrence is India-specific. Tulsi Gabbard saw our missiles, but not India's Agni 5 and Agni 6. They are intercontinental missiles. We don't have that kind of range. I pray this increases. We should at least be able to target Israel," he said.

“India is their strategic partner. We get carried away and think Pakistan has strong ties (with the US). It is true that after (US President Donald) Trump came, some things have improved, but we must remember that the US will never be our strategic partner in the long term," he said. "India and the US are strategic partners, like we are with China. You take whatever benefit you can from President Trump, but don't think you have become a strategic partner. Don't assume that not mentioning Agni 5 and Agni 6 was a mistake. They don't see India the way they see Pakistan," he said.

The remarks that came after this are what sparked widespread criticism. They made a direct reference to possible strikes on major cities.

"If push comes to shove, suppose the situation in Iran deteriorates, and Israel has its eyes on us, circumstances develop in which the US has its eyes on our nuclear programme and tries to destroy it... This is impossible, but just as a worst-case scenario... let's say the US attacks Pakistan, even if the US is not in our nuclear range, what do you think is our option?

"India, we don't have to do anything... If anyone casts an evil eye on us, we must not think twice and attack Mumbai and New Delhi. We will see what happens later. If we do not have a choice, and the US attacks us. This is an impossibility... but the world must know that if anyone casts an evil eye on Pakistan. It will not have any option but to attack India," he said.

He then added, “We don’t even want that to happen,” and said it was only a hypothetical situation. “India doesn’t want that either,” the news anchor replied to his statement.

There has been no official response from India on the comments.

Basit served as Pakistan’s envoy to India between 2014 and 2017, a period which saw strained bilateral relations. His previous roles have amplified the relations to his comments, given his involvement in diplomatic engagements between the two nations.

The comments have been made when there are a number of wide regional conflicts in the region including between Pakistan and its neighbour Afghanistan, and the war in Iran.

did-putin-offer-to-stop-sharing-intelligence-with-iran-if-us-cut-off-supplies-to-ukraine

Sat Mar 21 11:35:01 IST 2026

Amid the ongoing Iran-US war and the rising tensions in the Middle East, media reports surfaced claiming Russia offered to stop sharing intelligence with Iran if the US ceased its supply to Ukraine. Moscow has denied the reports, calling them "FAKE".

The report in Politico, a US media firm, claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev had made a proposal about not sharing intel during a meeting with Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Miami last week.

The US, which has been sharing intelligence with Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, rejected the proposal, the report added.

Refuting the claims, Dmitriev responded to the report as "FAKE".

Meanwhile, Republican lawmaker Anna Paulina Luna slammed Politico, a "mouthpiece for the pro-war machine in Ukraine."

Since the war with Iran began, the US has been accusing Russia of supplying intelligence to Tehran. The Washington Post had reported that Russia had passed sensitive intelligence, including the US warships' locations and aircraft in the Middle East, to Iran.

The Kremlin had denied the report.

During the war with Ukraine, Iran has been one of Russia's main allies. Reportedly, Iran had supplied Moscow with drones to fire on Ukrainian cities.

US President Donald Trump has said that it was inconsequential if Russia had provided Iran with information to help Iran target US military facilities and personnel.

He had told reporters last week that, "if you take a look at what's happened to Iran in the last week, if they're getting information, it's not helping them much."

no-threat-to-canadians-from-agents-linked-to-india-canada-police-chief

Fri Mar 20 13:28:48 IST 2026

Following Canadian PM Mark Carney's recent visit to India, which marked a significant thaw in Indo-Canadian relations, the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has stated that there is no ongoing threat to Canadians from agents linked to India.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said that they are seeing transnational repression now, and the dots don't always connect to a foreign entity.

Duheme also stated that he was quoted back in 2024, based on the criminal investigation that was ongoing at the time. "The government official who made that quote, I'm not quite sure who briefed him," he said.

Canada-India relations took a major hit when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"We work closely with law enforcement from across the country to make sure that it's a coordinated approach. But it's important for people to report it. If it's not reported, there's little we can do," he said.

Noting the activities of the Bishnoi gang, which has been implicated in a series of extortion cases across Calgary, Brampton, and Surrey, Commissioner Mike Duheme underscored the significant complexity of these transnational investigations. He noted that while the gang's name is frequently invoked, connecting these specific criminal acts to a broader foreign entity remains a primary investigative challenge.

"Not all extortion cases are linked directly to Bishnoi. I think you have people who use his name," he said.

He also stressed that there are currently no confirmed links between the gang's criminal activities and the Government of India.

how-trumps-pearl-harbour-joke-caught-japanese-pm-takaichi-off-guard

Fri Mar 20 10:35:03 IST 2026

Trust US President Donald Trump to spring a surprise!

During a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House on Thursday, Trump made a gaffe when he invoked Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The meeting started on a lighter note, with the US president praising Takaichi for her understanding of the English language. When a journalist tried to pose a question to Trump, he stopped her and said that Takaichi's translator will translate it for the PM. "It's okay," Takaichi, however, said. Is that okay?" Trump asked, and added: "Do you understand? It's very good, I'll tell you. I mean, it's so nice that we don't have to sit (through translation) no, it's very good.

I haven't, I haven't picked up your language, so the next time you come, I will have your language back," he said, suggesting he will try and learn Japanese.

However, the awkward moment came when Trump, in response to a question about why allies like Japan were not notified of strikes in Iran, jokingly referred to the attack on Pearl Harbor. “We didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor? OK?," he said, looking at the Japanese PM. Takaichi's smile appeared to fade as Trump made this comment, and her eyebrows were raised.

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killed more than 2,400 Americans and led the United States to enter World War II. The US later dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to devastating effect, recording the only use of nuclear weapons in history.

Takaichi is among the first allied leaders to meet Trump since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. The meeting followed his public remarks suggesting that Japan was among the nations that had not promptly joined his call to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

During their discussions, Takaichi conveyed Japan's firm opposition to Iran's nuclear programme. Speaking through an interpreter, she described the current situation in the Middle East and globally as "very severe". "Even against that backdrop, I firmly believe that it is only you, Donald, who can achieve peace across the world," she said.

Trump, too, referred to Takaichi as a "popular, powerful woman". "This is a spectacular woman, and it's an honour to have you at the White House." The Japanese PM, speaking through an interpreter, referred to the leaders as "best buddies" and then said in English, "Japan is back."

Earlier on Thursday, leaders from five European countries and Japan had released a joint statement, urging Iran to cease attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupt commercial shipping. They also indicated readiness to contribute to "appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage for vessels, although details were not given.

Trump informed reporters that he and Takaichi would discuss Japan's level of support for US actions concerning the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "They are really stepping up to the plate." The US President later said that a significant portion of the oil Japan depends on travels through the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting, "So that's a big reason to step up." He also mentioned the scale of US defence spending in Japan and the presence of US troops there.

"I expect Japan to step up, you know, because we have that kind of relationship," Trump said.

Following the meeting, Takaichi informed reporters that both leaders agreed on the critical importance of securing the Strait of Hormuz. However, she provided President Trump with a detailed explanation of the actions Japan can and cannot undertake according to its national laws.

In addition to discussions on Iran, Takaichi and Trump finalised a nuclear reactor deal valued at $40 billion, as confirmed by the White House.

d4vds-ex-friend-neo-calls-celeste-rivas-victim-opening-up-new-trouble-for-the-singer-in-teens-death-case

Tue Mar 17 14:06:56 IST 2026

D4vd's ex-friend Neo calls Celeste Rivas 'victim' opening up new trouble for the singer in teen's death case

In a new development after months, Singer D4vd’s close associate Neo Langston, has distanced himself from the musician and is reportedly cooperating with the authorities on the case of the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Attorney Mark Geragos said that Neo’s recent actions could be a threat to the singer, who has not been arrested or convicted in the case so far.

Reports suggest that he is negotiating for immunity, which could provide him with legal protection in exchange for providing details pertinent to the case.

On Saturday, Neo posted on Instagram, writing “... at the end of the day this case isn't about me, it isn't about you, it's about getting justice for the victim and her family ..."

Sources told TMZ that the word victim is critical. The L.A. County Medical Examiner had trouble establishing the cause of the teen girl’s death, in large part because of the state Celeste's body was in when it was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla.

Neo was arrested last month for failing to appear before a grand jury in the murder case. He also had not offered much information.

On his private Instagram, he later claimed: "Thankfully I'm legally fine in every way, AND BOI DO I GOT ALL MY RECEIPTS FOR THINGS HAHAHAHA."

“I told so many people that I trust and I thought knew me as a person my side of things, all for that to be thrown out the fkin window as soon as I get arrested and they slap that di*kheads name next to mine." He wrote.

Authorities said that D4vd had taken a long drive in the middle of the night from LA to a remote area in Santa Barbara in the spring of 2025, months before Rivas’s body was found. Rumours suggested that another person accompanied him, possibly Neo.

After Rivas’ body was found, Neo deleted all his posts with D4vd.

Geragos emphasised the seriousness of Neo’s shift in loyalty, stating, “Neo is now focused on D4vd, and he is telling the story as he knows it, and this is D4vd’s worst nightmare."

Neo is reported to be a key witness in the case, and his statement could have major implications for himself, depending on his level of involvement, Geragos highlighted.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body was found in two bags in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla at a tow yard in Hollywood.

Authorities have not confirmed how long the body had been present in the car. Reports suggested that the girl was missing for weeks.

There have been no charges announced against D4vd, and no arrests have been made as the legal case is still developing.

cpec-bri-and-security-concerns-decoding-chinas-interest-in-mediating-between-pakistan-and-afghanistan

Tue Mar 17 10:50:28 IST 2026

As part of 'Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,' Pakistan launched airstrikes on Monday targeting what it described as 'military installations' in Kabul. Conversely, the Afghan Taliban claimed the strikes hit a drug rehabilitation hospital, resulting in an estimated 400 fatalities.

Pakistan has refuted Afghanistan's claims and said that no hospital was targeted in Kabul.

Tensions between the two nations have been simmering for some time, escalating early this year when both sides launched cross-border strikes. The friction stems from multiple factors, ranging from Islamabad’s accusations that the Afghan Taliban provides safe havens and logistical support to the TTP—a militant group responsible for a surge in deadly attacks within Pakistan—to the long-standing dispute over the controversial Durand Line.

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Turkey and China have been taking part in mediations to ease the conflict.

Officials stated that a meeting late last month between Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif included a message from President Xi Jinping urging a cessation of hostilities. While Beijing maintains it is in contact with both nations regarding an end to the conflict, Mosharraf Zaidi—the Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media—did not respond to inquiries about China’s mediation efforts.

Even last week, China's special envoy, Yue Xiaoyong, spent the last week in Kabul and Islamabad, urging a ceasefire. This strike, occurring immediately after those talks, suggests that regional diplomacy is failing to contain the "nationalist" drives of both the Taliban and the Pakistani military.

Why is China interested in mediation?

China's interest in mediating the conflict between the nations is driven by a blend of multi-billion-dollar economic stakes, regional security fears, and a desire to fill a diplomatic vacuum left by Western powers.

1. CPEC: China has invested over $65 billion in Pakistan's infrastructure, energy and ports. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the most significant reasons for Beijing’s involvement. The current war along the Durand Line threatens these very routes (roads and railways) meant to connect China to the Arabian Sea.

2. Militant spillover: China is deeply wary of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). It fears that if the Taliban and Pakistan remain at war, the resulting chaos will allow groups like ETIM or ISIS-K to establish stronger bases in Afghanistan for operations against China.

3. Access to Afghanistan's mineral wealth: Afghanistan sits on an estimated $1 trillion in untapped mineral resources, including lithium and copper—minerals essential for China's global dominance in the EV battery market.

In 2025, Afghanistan was formally integrated into the Belt and Road framework. China wants to link Afghan mines to CPEC infrastructure, but this is impossible if the transit routes through Pakistan are a war zone.

4. Filling the diplomatic vacuum: With the United States and Israel currently embroiled in tensions with Iran, traditional mediators like Qatar and Turkey have been distracted.

China is in a difficult position; it cannot afford to lose Pakistan, its closest strategic ally, nor can it alienate the Taliban.

over-400-people-killed-in-pakistan-airstrikes-on-kabul-hospital-says-afghan-taliban

Tue Mar 17 07:50:28 IST 2026

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has claimed that at least 400 people were killed and more than 250 others injured in an airstrike carried out by Pakistan on a hospital treating drug users in the capital, Kabul. Pakistan has dismissed the accusation, stating that the strikes did not target any civilian facilities.

Afghanistan Government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said in a post on X that the airstrike destroyed large sections of the hospital. Rescue teams were working to control the fire at the site and recover the bodies of victims.

Another spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed that most of those killed and injured were patients undergoing treatment at the facility.

Islamabad rejected the allegations, saying the strikes “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition depots belonging to the Afghan Taliban,” according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Information.

The ministry added that the operation was “precise and carefully undertaken to ensure that no collateral damage was inflicted.”

The alleged airstrike comes as the deadliest fighting between the neighboring countries in years has entered its third week, with both sides exchanging fire along their shared border.

According to Khaama Press, Pakistan carried out heavy bombardment targeting Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Monday. The report said Pakistani aircraft also bombed a Taliban military facility in the Ghani Khel district of Nangarhar province late Monday evening.

The strikes reportedly came after Taliban forces launched drone attacks on areas inside Pakistan, escalating tensions and triggering retaliatory strikes along the border.

Videos shared by residents showed large explosions and fires in different parts of Kabul, while eyewitnesses said the intensity of the blasts shook the city.

The latest escalation came hours after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to step up efforts to combat terrorism. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of harboring militant groups, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, which it says carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

here-are-all-the-forbes-annual-worlds-billionaires-listees-who-are-in-the-epstein-files

Sun Mar 15 21:33:26 IST 2026

Dozens of names on the new 3,428-person Forbes’s 40th Annual World’s Billionaires List appear in the US Justice Department's Epstein library.

Many rich and famous personalities have had to come out to apologise and clarify that they are innocent after their names appeared on the DOJ’s library of files on the disgraced financier.

A significant number of the rich appear in the files, the NY Post reported.

Bill Gates, who is number 19 on the list with $108 billion, is one of the biggest names. Gates had to admit to flying on Epstein's private plane, the “Lolita Express”, and having an affair with two Russian women after his name came up in emails on the files. He has claimed that he did not do or see anything illicit while he spent time with the sex trafficker.

ALSO READ | ‘Russian nuclear physicist, bridge player’: Bill Gates admits he had affairs with women but denies they were Epstein victims

Steve Tisch, ranked 1,193rd richest in the world with a $2.2 billion fortune, had several questionable exchanges with Epstein. The latter had tried to set up Tisch, 77, with women. In one exchange, he tried to get him to be with a “Tahitian” girl named “Emily in 2013, years after Epstein’s first conviction in Florida. Tisch later said that they were talking about adult women and that he regrets associating with Epstein. Last week, the billionaire announced that he is transferring his ownership stake in the NFL franchise to his children.

Virgin founder Richard Branson, who appears 1,504th on the Forbes list with $2.8 billion, also appears in Epstein’s emails. Branson, 75, lives on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. A 20-minute helicopter ride away is little St James, Epstein's “pedo island” In the emails, Branson talked about all the Russian girls Epstein brought him. In 2013, the two hung out twice, with Epstein bringing girls each time. After the second visit, he told Epstein, “Any time you’re in the area, we'd love to see you! As long as you bring your harem!”

Others include Lex Wexner, 88, who’s 402nd on the list with $8.8 billion. Wexner, the founder of L Brands, the retail empire behind Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and The Limited, has been accused of using his fortune to help Epstein build his connection with global elites. The files show how Epstein was deeply embedded in Wexner’s philanthropic and corporate world, with the latter granting him authority over assets and property. Authorities consider Wexner a potential co-conspirator. Wexner recently, in a deposition, called Epstein a con artist who stole his money.

Leon Black, 74, the 251st richest person in the world with $12.1 billion, A lawsuit filed against him last year accused his Bank of America of providing services to Epstein and a sex trafficking ring, including Ghislaine Maxwell. He has also been accused of sexual abuse at Epstein’s mansion and allegedly colluded to silence and destroy the victim. He stepped down from his firm, Apollo, in 2021.

ALSO READ | Who is Leon Black? Emails reveal billionaire was pressured by Jeffrey Epstein for millions in cash

Glenn Dubin, 68, appears 1,440th on the list with $2.9 billion. Dubin flew on the “Lolita Express 21 times, flight logs show. He and his wife Eva Dubin also hosted Epstein at their home and vouched for him in 2009 to his probation officer, saying that they were “100% comfortable” with Epstein around their children. Epstein was also obsessed with Celina Dubin, the couple's 19-year-old daughter, and wanted to marry her, the documents show. A family spokesperson dismissed the remark as an “offhand comment” that the Dubins were not aware of.

ALSO READ | New Epstein files: Financier 'obsessed' with marrying ex-girlfriend’s teen daughter

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, 58, is the 1560th richest on the list with $2.7 billion. He visited Epstein's island in 2014 and and joked about sending ice cream “for the girls” as a gift afterwards.

Hyatt Hotels heir Tom Pritzker, 75, is the world’s 677th richest person with $6.2 billion. In 2018, he flew on the Lolita Express and helped arrange a trip for r Epstein’s girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, “to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey.” He told her, “May the force be with you.” he has since stepped down as chairman of Hyatt and said that he deeply regrets his ties to Epstein.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, 64, the former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO, is the 542nd richest person with a family fortune of $7.2 billion. He has claimed that, despite living next door to Epstein on East 71st Street, he only visited him once in 2005, and got so ”creeped out” by the massage room he never saw Epstein again. However, emails show that he had travelled to the island in 2012, possibly with his family.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 52, the third-richest man in the world with $237 billion, visited the island in 2007 and exchanged emails with Epstein about diners at his townhouse.

pakistan-says-it-destroyed-military-storage-tunnels-in-afghanistans-kandahar

Sun Mar 15 16:08:38 IST 2026

Pakistan has said that its forces launched new strikes, destroying an important technical equipment storage tunnel in Kandahar, sources said.

The tunnel was reportedly being used to store sensitive and advanced technical equipment by militants, the security sources added.

In a separate strike, Pakistan's forces also destroyed an equipment facility near the Kandahar province.

Islamabad’s state-run television said that the storage facility was being used by “Afghan Taliban and terrorists against innocent Pakistani civilians”.

The military said that its operation would continue until the Taliban government addressed the neighbours' core security concerns.

Residents in Kandahar told AFP that they saw military aircraft flying over the city late at night and heard explosions. One resident said that flames were visible afterwards.

Sounds of an airstrike were also heard by locals in the border town of Spin Boldak, south-east of Kandahar .

Authorities in Afghanistan’s eastern border province of Khost also said that clashes were reported on Saturday night

The strikes came after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned Afghanistan's drone attacks in three locations across Pakistan on Friday, warning Kabul that it had crossed a red line by attempting to target the country’s civilians.

The drones, both locally produced and rudimentary, were intercepted before they reached their targets.

The debris that fell wounded two children in Quetta and a civilian in Kohat and Rawalpindi, where the Pakistani military is headquartered.

The ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan began just two days before the uS Israel war in Iran. In late February, Pakistan launched a military operation in Afghanistan after it accused the latter of harbouring the Pakistan Taliban.

banksys-real-name-revealed-famous-street-artist-had-killed-his-past-after-previous-exposure

Sat Mar 14 13:45:26 IST 2026

The real identity of the popular street artist known as Banksy might have been finally revealed. A team of journalists in Reuters has claimed that the graffiti artist is Bristol native Robert Gunningham.

Gunnigham had changed his name after his initial exposure, the agency report claimed.

The revelation came from his arrest in New York in 2000 for graffiti on a billboard.

Police records showed that a handwritten confession was signed by a Robert Gunningham.

In 2008, The Mail reported his name to be the suspect. According to Banksy’s former manager Steve Lazarides, the then decided to “kill his past”.

"Robin Gunningham doesn't exist. The name you mentioned is the one I killed years ago," said Banksy's former manager, Steve Lazarides.

The artist who gained worldwide recognition with his politically charged graffiti and striking public works had carefully protected his identity for decades.

The confirmation that he had a new name, David Jones, reportedly came from Ukraine.

In October 2022, a series of Banksy graffiti works appeared in the country. The same month, a man by the name of David Jones had crossed into Poland.

He travelled with Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja, who was assisting the artist.

The choice of the new name is likely motivated by secrecy. In 2017, there were 6,000 David Joneses in the UK.

Banksy's lawyer, Mark Stevens, had asked Reuters not to publish the investigation, citing a threat to the artist's safety, but the agency decided that the public interest in a figure of such magnitude outweighed it.

Banksy is known for his distinctive stencil-based graffiti. His works have appeared on buildings in public spaces in London, New York, Paris, and Bethlehem.

His artworks have often become cultural landmarks and attract large crowds.

Stepehdns Banksy’s longtime lawyer had said that the artist disputes parts of the investigative reports by Reuters. He told reporters that Banksy “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.” Stephens also highlighted the importance of protecting the artist’s anonymity, explaining that the creator has faced serious risks in the past. “[Working] anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests,” he said.

“It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution—particularly when addressing sensitive issues such as politics, religion or social justice,” he said.

Banksy’s official company, Pest Control Office, had declined to comment on the reports, stating simply that the artist “has decided to say nothing.”

pope-leo-xivs-algeria-visit-a-test-for-religious-freedom-and-diplomacy

Sat Mar 14 12:57:55 IST 2026

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Algeria is planned for April 2026. This will be the first visit by a Roman Pontiff to the country, marking a shift in the Maghreb’s diplomatic stance. The government is promoting the event as a celebration of interfaith solidarity and ‘civilisational dialogue.’ However, critics see this event as highlighting a more complex institutional reality. The visit brings attention to the growing contradictions between Algeria’s international diplomatic ambitions and its restrictive domestic laws regarding non-Muslim minorities.

From a geopolitical perspective, the Algerian government is leveraging the upcoming Papal visit to enhance its moral authority and project an image of stability and tolerance. Algiers has faced ongoing scrutiny from various international observers, including the UNHRC, for shutting down Christian churches. An invitation from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Pope Leo XIV to visit is an effort to restore its reputation among the Global North. By hosting the Pope, Tebboune seeks to distance himself from the domestic policy of Islam homogenisation. The government is working hard to promote pluralism. However, the reality of upholding a 'security-first' approach toward indigenous religious movements continues to be seen as a national threat.

The September 2006 Ordinance (Ordinance 06-03) lies at the centre of multiple domestic conflicts. This ordinance governs all non-Muslim religious activities. It requires licensing for religious, educational, or social events. One of the most contentious issues is that it criminalises anyone attempting to proselytise Muslims. Conversely, Article 51 of the Algerian Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, making the 2006 Ordinance a significant administrative barrier. Additionally, non-Muslim worship is only allowed in buildings officially authorised by the state. Unfortunately, the issuing authority (National Commission for Non-Muslim Worship) has remained inactive. The Église protestante d'Algérie (Protestant Church of Algeria, EPA), as an indigenous body, still considers its member churches illegal due to a legal vacuum. The closure of nearly 47 Protestant church buildings has resulted in a landscape with no churches for Protestants. Moreover, in a recent legal case, Pastor Youssef Ourahmane and other EPA leaders were convicted of conducting unauthorised worship. This sharply contrasts with the state-supported grandeur of the Catholic Church’s public cathedrals, while minority religious leaders face criminal charges.

The reason for the crackdown on the Protestant community is that they are mostly native Algerian converts from the Kabylie region, while the Catholic population primarily consists of expatriates. The Catholic Church holds a special position within the Algerian state. The country's dual strategy allows for the toleration of Catholic churches, as they are considered foreign entities that do not threaten the Arab-Islamic nationalist identity. The demographic difference is clear regarding Protestant Christian identity as a native. The state perceives them as ‘neo-colonial interference.' The Pope’s visit could be very risky, as it might legitimise selective pluralism—criminalising indigenous Christianity while respecting foreign Christians.

The significance of this particular Papal visit lies in the Augustinian heritage, which can serve as a tool for soft power. Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian, as he was a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, and the Pope’s journey to ancient Hippo (modern-day Annaba) aims to revive the spiritual and intellectual roots of Latin Christianity. Additionally, enabling spiritual tourism to the ruins where Saint Augustine preached could have economic benefits. However, making spiritual tourism a reality presents risks of duality. The state is taking a pragmatic approach to faith, adopting a museological strategy that suppresses the living practitioners of faith while simultaneously celebrating and commercialising the dead saint of 430 AD (the death of Augustine of Hippo).

The Papal visit to Algeria could be very significant. One potential outcome is whether Pope Leo XIV will focus his diplomacy on challenging the restrictions imposed by the discriminatory 2006 ordinance. Or will this visit be purely symbolic? The success of the visit can only be gauged by the reopening of closed churches or even the reopening of Caritas Algeria. Either this Papal visit will mark a breakthrough for religious freedom, or it will be just a superficial effort to conceal increasing religious intolerance in the country.

The author is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

11-indian-nationals-charged-with-conspiracy-to-stage-fake-robberies-in-u-visa-fraud-scheme-in-us

Sat Mar 14 11:05:42 IST 2026

Eleven Indian nationals have been charged with scheming to carry out a staged armed robbery at stores as part of a visa fraud scheme in Massachusetts, US.

Attorney Leah Foley said the conspiracy was planned to allow store clerks to claim they were crime victims on their immigration applications.

Those who were charged include:

39-year-old Jitendrakumar Patel, residing in Marshfield,

36-year-old Maheshkumar Patel, residing in Randolph,

45-year-old Sanjaykumar Patel, residing in Quincy,

40-year-old Dipikaben Patel, who has since been deported,

52-year-old Rameshbhai Patel residing in Eubank, Kentucky,

43-year-old Amitabahen Patel, residing in Plainville,

28-year-old Ronakkumar Patel, residing in Maryland Heights,

36-year-old Sangitaben Patel, residing in Randolph,

42-year-old Minkesh Patel, residing in Perrysburg, Ohio,

42-year-old Sonal Patel, residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, and

40-year-old Mitul Patel, residing in Worcester.

Jitendrakumar Patel, Maheshkumar Patel, Sanjaykumar Patel, Amitabahen Patel, Sangitaben Patel and Mitul Patel were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an appearance in federal court on Friday.

Rameshbhai Patel, Ronakkumar Patel, Sonal Patel and Minkesh Patel were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

Federal officials said that all of the accused resided in the US illegally.

Authorities said that the scheme began in March 2023, when Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators staged six fake robberies at convenience stores, liquor stores and fast food restaurants so that victims could apply for the U non immigration status.

“A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in a release.

The scheme would involve the “robbers" threatening the store clerks with apparent firearms, taking the cash from the register and fleeing.

The interaction would be caught on surveillance video.

Then the “victims” would wait five or more minutes to call the police to report the staged crime. The victims would then use the incident to write off on their U non-immigration status visas that they were victims of a violent crime.

The people who were the ‘victims' are also accused of paying Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme.

Rambhai Patel, who was the organiser, also paid the store owners to use their stores for the staged robbery.

Both Rambhai Patel and the getaway driver have been previously convicted.

The 11 charged in this case were either accused of arranging to set up the robbery or were paid to participate as a victim.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud is awarded a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of upto $250,000.

afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-of-targeting-civilians-in-overnight-airstrikes-as-fighting-enters-third-week

Fri Mar 13 13:27:04 IST 2026

The Taliban government in Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of targeting civilian homes in overnight air attacks in the Kabul.

A Pakistani security official confirmed that Pakistan struck overnight following the growing attacks in the country.

The Taliban government said that at least four civilians were killed in the fighting, which has entered the third week. Women and children were killed in the attacks, they said.

Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X Friday that Pakistan’s aircraft also struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar airport. Mujahid said that Pakistani strikes hit multiple civilian sites and uninhabited locations in Afghanistan, Paktia and Paktika provinces, as well as other areas. Khalid Zadran, Kabul police spokesperson, said that at least four civilians, including women and children, were killed in the city. 15 others were injured.

There was also no immediate comment from Pakistan’s military or government.

The strikes hit Afghanistan’s Kandahar, its second-largest city, including its airport.

The fighting between the countries is now in its third week after starting in late February. The conflict escalated on February 26 when Kabul said that it had struck Pakistani posts in response to Pakistani attacks along the border. The confrontation was deemed as an “open war with Afghanistan” by Islamabad. The attacks occurred just two days before the US and Israel attacked Iran, which has overshadowed the border conflict within the country.
Pakistan has maintained that it does not attack civilian sites.

Islamabad has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) terrorists.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan has said that about 56 civilians, including 24 children, were killed by military operations in the country by Pakistani operations between February 26 and March 5.

sri-lanka-orders-repatriation-of-84-sailors-killed-aboard-torpedoed-iranian-warship-iris-dena

Wed Mar 11 19:46:12 IST 2026

A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday passed an order to hand over the remains of the 84 Iranian sailors who were killed when Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena was torpedoed by an American submarine. The court's order comes at a time when there were reports of diplomatic pressure on Sri Lanka from America to not to repatriate the bodies of the Iranian sailors. The bodies, which are at Karapitiya teaching hospital, will be sent to Tehran by Sri Lanka.

The Galle chief magistrate court ruled that the bodies of 84 identified crew members from the IRIS Dena, torpedoed 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast on March 4, be handed over to Iranian embassy officials for repatriation. The 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy. Out of the 87 the crew members killed, 84 bodies have been identified.

The decision to hand over the remains have come days after there were reports of diplomatic pressure by America on Sri Lanka, as suggested by a leaked cable dated March 6. The cable was reportedly written by US Charge d’Affaires Jayne Howell.

The cable sent from the US Embassy in Colombo urged Sri Lankan authorities not to repatriate the surviving crew of the Iranian vessel IRIS Dena and also the 208 crew members who were evacuated from IRIS Bushehr, which was allowed to dock at the port of Trincomalee.

According to reports, the leaked cable was with an underlying goal saying, “minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda.” It is also said that Jayne Howell briefed the Israeli ambassador to India and Sri Lanka that there were no plans to repatriate the crew to Iran, even when the Israeli envoy asked about engagement with the crew to encourage defection.

The leaked cable, US diplomatic pressure and the Galle court order seems to be a strong message from the Sri Lankans to the world. The ruling underscores Sri Lanka’s diplomatic stance, its role as a neutral state and also to make it apparent that it will not respond to any pressure arising out of the conflict in West Asia. Sri Lanka has chosen to take its decision under international maritime and humanitarian law talks beyond diplomacy, according to the political circles in Sri Lanka.

foreign-hacker-breached-fbi-servers-that-held-epstein-files-in-2023-report

Wed Mar 11 16:55:48 IST 2026

Files from the FBI’s investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were compromised during a breach by a foreign hacker in 2023, according to a source and documents in the US Justice Department.

In a statement, the FBI described the breach as a "cyber incident" and said that it was "an isolated one." The hack was first reported on February 18 2023 by CNN. The details of the incident, including that of the foreign hacker was reported by Reuters after a review of the Justice Department documents.

The hack occurred on February 12, 2023, in the FBI’s New York Field Office after one of its servers at the Child Exploitation Forensic Lab was left vulnerable by Special Agent Aaron Spivack, according to files in the DOJ's library. Spivack was trying to navigate the bureau’s complex procedures for handling digital evidence.

The following day, a text file warned Spivack that his network had been compromised.

Unusual activity was traced on the server after further investigation, including "combing through certain files pertaining to the Epstein investigation.”

However, which specific files were accessed and whether or not the hacker downloaded the data and what they did with it, is unknown to the source. It is also not known whether the hacker was caught and punished for breaching law enforcement servers.

A person who was familiar with the breach said that the intrusion was made possibly by a foreign cybercriminal rather than a foreign government. However the incident still showed the files' potential intelligence value as the disgraced financier had links to prominent people in politics, academia, business and finance. The details in the files have led to multiple investigations worldwide.

According to the source, the hacker did not realise that he had breached a law enforcement server.

He expressed disgust at the presence of child abuse images on the device and left a message threatening to turn its owner over to the FBI, Reuters reported the person as saying.

The FBI officials reportedly diffused the situation by convincing them that they were actually the FBI. At one point, they had the hacker join a video chat where they showed him their credentials.

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl. He was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019, in what was ruled a suicide, after being arrested again for the sex trafficking of minors.

Documents collected from the investigations into the financier were released to the public earlier this year. Many of the files are heavily redacted despite the law mandating their full release.

from-nehrus-visit-to-modern-warfare-unpacking-decades-of-pak-afghan-tensions

Wed Mar 11 12:16:51 IST 2026

The Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions have flared up once again, this time as a full-blown war after Islamabad deployed its jets and heavy munitions onto the Afghan territory as a response to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) incessant attacks inside Pakistan. The attacks, coined as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, come with a loaded religious connotation to stake a higher moral ground vis-a-vis their Afghan co-religionists, similar to the term Fitna-al-Khawarij (named after the Khawarij, the fourth Caliph Ali’s supporters who later turned against him), a term used for the TTP.

From Former (and now court martialed) ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed’s self-invite and tea sipping moment in Kabul to the present-day tensions, the clock has come full circle, and the entire Pakistani media is unanimous with the pressing question: ‘How dare the Taliban turn against us when we created and sheltered them’? On the contrary, Pashtun activists have been quick to point out the Pakistan Army’s dealings with the TTP in the Musharraf era, where the latter were empowered to fight the Americans, till they turned against the Pakistan Army.

Two key factors heavily weigh on the bilateral ties, namely the broader politics around Afghanistan’s historical rejection of the Durand Line, and the Afghan Taliban’s support for the TTP, which has led to the present fighting. If there are any lessons to be drawn from the war-scale fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, it is the relegation of history that resurfaces in myriad aspects of the Pak-Afghan ties. As an inheritor of the Durand Line, Pakistan, since its creation, has attempted to rewrite the Pak-Afghan frontier’s history by tying the Pashtuns to a larger cause of faith.

Let us return to late 1946, when Pandit Nehru, as the newly appointed head of the interim government and head of the External Affairs Department, undertook a visit to the NWFP. The Muslim League, which had gained ground across India after the Direct Action Day, was successful in turning the Pashtun tribesmen against him, despite the presence of the Congress-Khudai Khidmatgar coalition government in the province. In Malakand, Nehru, along with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, came under attack from the locals and survived a brick attack on his head. He even travelled across the FATA region, including Waziristan’s Miranshah, Wana and Razmak. The overall attitude of tribes was hostile to Nehru, as the Muslim League convinced them that an imperialist Hindu was all set to rule them once the British left.

Later, in July 1947, the Muslim League won the referendum in the NWFP. Broadly, two factors consolidated the Muslim League’s position among the tribes: the first being the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war in Jammu and Kashmir, which was framed as a Holy War and was followed by the mobilisation of the Pashtuns to invade Kashmir. It is worth noting that besides Punjab and NWFP’s seminaries, prominent clerics of Kabul were also drawn into opposing Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India. The second factor was Jinnah’s promise of autonomy to the FATA region, along with his personal assurance to the Afghan leadership, given the shared culture and familial ties. Jinnah’s concerns had a context; as its name suggests, the FATA region was administered separately from the NWFP, and till independence, the British faced waves of resistance from the FATA tribes, who resisted any attempts to be controlled. The jolt in Afghan-Pak ties came early in 1949, when Pakistan’s second Governor General, Khwaja Nazmuddin, gave a statement that the FATA was part of Pakistan.

The other problem pertained to Pakistan’s own anxieties on the Pashtunistan narrative, which it claimed was an Indian conspiracy with Bacha Khan and Afghan support. Pakistani newspapers carried accusations of India’s involvement in the NWFP through the Fakir of Ipi, a tribal mystic, who first fought the British, and later the Pakistani state. Both countries came to the verge of a war in 1949 after Pakistan Air Force carried out aerial bombardments in Afghan territory adjoining the FATA region to punish the Fakir and his followers. The Fakir is also said to have written to Nehru immediately after independence seeking India’s support, and his opposition to Pakistan in the FATA region also thwarted an effective mobilisation that could have potentially inflicted more damage in Kashmir during the tribal invasion of 1947.

The incorporation of both, NWFP (presently Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Tribal Areas (former FATA region), into Pakistan was thus not without its set of complications, and naturally dragged Afghanistan into these problems.

In the Cold War years, as the Soviet Union came to interfere in Afghan politics, Pakistan found a natural alliance in the Islamist movements that challenged communism and cut across ethnic lines. The ISI worked with most of the influential warlords of the Afghan Jihad until it found the best bet in the Taliban in the 1990s. The Pakistani deep state’s confidence stemmed from its perceived influence on the Taliban through the Deobandi connections and its safe havens, but it could never get the Taliban to accept the Durand Line or support the Pakistan Army’s policies in KPK.

Since its creation, the two instances where Pakistan had unanimous support of the Pashtuns were first, when they were persuaded to unite and fight for Kashmir, and later during the Soviet invasion. These episodes, however, could not change the history of the Afghan frontier. The purpose of mentioning the specific towns where Nehru visited in 1946 is to recall that these very places emerged as home to much of TTP’s leadership, and to date continue to distract the Pakistan Army despite its mammoth operations for two decades.

This article does not intend to exonerate or question Nehru’s choices, but it certainly confirms a foreboding that the forces of history often manifest in silence.

Prateek Joshi has completed/defended his PhD from the University of Oxford, where his research looks into the early years of Indian foreign policy.

is-iran-behind-us-embassy-explosion-in-oslo-norway-police-investigates

Sun Mar 08 14:00:39 IST 2026

The US embassy in the Norwegian capital of Oslo has been hit by an explosion in the early hours of Sunday morning, news reports said. No injuries were reported as a consequence of the explosion. However, it was not immediately known if the incident caused any damage to the embassy's property.

It was not known what caused the explosion. However, reports of a blast at a US embassy amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have raised eyebrows. West Asia is on the boil after an Israeli–US joint offensive against Iran entered its eighth day.

The Oslo Police reportedly deployed a helicopter, the bomb squad, the canine squad, and crime scene technicians after an area with a radius of around 700 metres from the embassy was cordoned off. According to local media reports, the Minister of Justice and Public Security claimed that the explosion at the US embassy in Oslo is being taken very seriously.

Eyewitnesses reported a loud explosion near the embassy compound in western Oslo at around 1 am, CNN said in a report. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying they saw “a cloud of smoke” at the compound.

"We've determined that an explosion hit the American embassy," police spokesperson Mikael Dellemyr told Reuters, adding that the blast occurred at the entry to the consular section.

"The police are in a dialogue with the embassy and there are no reports of any injured persons," the statement said. The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

iris-dena-fallout-us-pressure-puts-sri-lanka-in-a-diplomatic-dilemma

Sat Mar 07 22:48:17 IST 2026

Two days after an American submarine sank the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, approximately 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern port city of Galle—killing dozens of sailors—the United States is reportedly pressing the island nation's government not to repatriate the survivors from the ship.

According to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on March 6, 2026, America has also warned Sri Lanka not to repatriate the 208 crew members evacuated from Iran’s naval auxiliary vessel IRIS Booshehr, which was docked at the Trincomalee port.

The attack on the Iranian ship, coupled with the presence of a second vessel at Trincomalee port, has created an unprecedented situation, with fear gripping the streets of Colombo as the country slowly emerges from its economic crisis.

Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Public Security, Sunil Watagala, said the country is going through a wartime-like situation, despite the Iranian ship attack in the Indian Ocean being an undesirable development. He said Sri Lanka is now facing an unprecedented scenario, unlike anything seen in recent history and warned that it is impossible to predict who might become victims or how people could be affected under the current uncertain circumstances.

‘‘We cannot predict when, how, or who else will have to take on responsibilities like the one that Karapitiya hospital suddenly had to take on. We cannot estimate in advance the impact such a situation could have on the lives of the people of our country. In this war-like situation, it took only a day for Karapitiya hospital, thousands of miles away, to be filled with corpses. That is why we must be prepared. That is why we must adopt preventive measures. Imposing a state of emergency will not give us an Iron Drome, but it will provide us with the opportunity to prepare as much as possible,” Watagala noted.

Sri Lanka’s opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, while speaking at the international healthcare exhibition held at the Bandaranaike international conference hall in Colombo, said that a war-like situation has risen in Sri Lanka due to the breakdown of trust and that Sri Lanka’s national aspiration should be to protect the 2.2 billion people. “We believe that we must act in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Premadasa said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, speaking at a session titled “Heart of the Seas: The Future of the Indian Ocean” at the Raisina Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi, said the country would treat the Iranian sailors rescued from IRIS Dena in accordance with international law. While answering a question about whether there is international pressure from the US to not repatriate the Iranians, he replied, saying “We have taken all the steps according to international laws.” He also said Sri Lanka was caring for 32 sailors from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in accordance with its international treaty obligations.

Earlier Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had said that his country would follow the Hague Convention, which requires a neutral state to hold combatants of a warring state until hostilities end. Dissanayake’s statement was a clear message to international pressure.

However, sources in the Sri Lankan bureaucracy told THE WEEK that the government is in talks with the International Committee of the Red Cross to decide on the next course of action in dealing with the survivors of IRIS Dena. They also said that the wounded survivors could be repatriated to Iran at their request, making note that the international humanitarian law applied to the survivors of IRIS Dena. According to the bureaucracy circles in Colombo, the Iranian diplomats in Colombo have already approached the government to take the remains of the 84 sailors killed in the IRIS Dena attack back to Iran.

epstein-files-prison-guard-s-bizarre-google-search-dollar5000-cash-deposit-found-in-new-doj-files

Sat Mar 07 21:56:10 IST 2026

Tova Noel, one of Jeffrey Epstein's prison guards, had looked up the notorious sex offender on Google just minutes before he was reportedly found dead in his cell, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Saturday.

Noel had also received a mysterious $5,000 cash deposit just 10 days before the sex offender's alleged suicide, the DOJ added, as per a New York Post report.

She is one of two prison officers—apart from Michael Thomas—at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), who had been accused of falsely claiming that they had checked on Epstein as per routine at the time of his death back in August 2019.

The guards were fired amid the criminal case that followed Epstein's death, which was later dropped.

According to an FBI record of Noel's search history on the night of Epstein's alleged death, as revealed by the DOJ, she had googled 'latest on Epstein in jail' twice that night—once at 5:42 AM and then again at 5:52 AM.

Less than 40 minutes later at about 6:30 AM, Thomas reportedly found Epstein had hung himself in his cell.

Prosecutors have once more alleged that 37-year-old Noel's internet history also showed that she had shopped for furniture online and had fallen asleep on the job, missing some of her routine 30-minute checks on Epstein.

They added that Thomas had been looking at motorcycles on his phone.

“I don’t remember doing that,” she claimed, according to a transcript from her 2021 statement to the DOJ. She also alleged that FBI records were not “accurate".

"I don’t recall looking him up,” she had added at the time.

Apart from the bizarre search term flagged by the FBI, Noel's banking company, Chase Bank, had also flagged a cash deposit of $5,000 into her account, which it claimed was part of a set of seven cash deposits between December 2018 and July 2019, totalling $11,880, as per the DOJ files.

She had not been questioned about the cash deposits in the 2021 deposition, the DOJ files showed, as the investigation continues and Noel denies any involvement in the death of the notorious sex offender.

nepal-after-election-a-mandate-for-change-accountability-and-democratic-renewal

Sat Mar 07 18:25:07 IST 2026

Nepal stands at a politically significant moment. The House of Representatives election on March 5 came after months of instability, anger, grief, and public distrust following the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9, 2025. Those protests did not emerge in a vacuum. They came from years of frustration with corruption, weak governance, broken promises, and an increasingly widening distance between the people and the political class. The early election itself was a result of that rupture.

The early trends from vote counting suggest a major political shift. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has taken a strong lead in the proportional vote and has also won or led in a large number of first-past-the-post constituencies, especially in Kathmandu Valley, indicating that many voters have chosen change over continuity. These are still developing results, but the signal is already clear: a large section of the Nepali public has punished older parties for underperformance and turned toward newer political alternatives with hope and urgency.

This election must therefore be read not only as a contest for power, but as a democratic message. For years, many people in Nepal voted for traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Maoist Centre, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, expecting governance, development, accountability, and national vision. But repeated failures, internal power games, and unfulfilled commitments weakened public trust. The rise of newer forces reflects not only dissatisfaction but also a demand for a more transparent, organised, and stable government.

As a Gen Z leader, I see this election as both a democratic correction and a moral test. I welcome the people’s mandate because I believe in the Constitution of Nepal and in the principle that sovereignty ultimately rests with the people. Democracy cannot be meaningful unless the people’s will is respected. The preamble and spirit of our Constitution make clear that the state must reflect the aspirations, dignity, and authority of its citizens. An election, then, is not merely procedural; it is an expression of democratic ownership.

But while Nepal moves forward electorally, the wounds of September remain open.

We are still waiting for the Karki Commission report on the Gen Z protests. That delay itself has become part of the crisis of trust. The commission’s term was extended multiple times, and rights groups have publicly called for the report to be released. At the same time, public concern has grown over possible impunity for those involved in vandalism and arson, even before the full truth has been officially established.

For many of us who were part of that moment, this is not an abstract issue. It is deeply personal.

We were not in favour of destruction, vandalism, or chaos. We believed the movement should remain peaceful. We expected peaceful transformation, not violent escalation. We wanted democratic pressure, not disorder. But somewhere between the aspiration of protest and the tragedy that followed, that movement was pushed into a horrifying direction. Young people were injured. Some lost their lives. Families lost their children, friends lost their companions, and a generation lost a part of its innocence.

That is why accountability matters.

Those responsible for the violence of September 8 and September 9, 2025 must be identified and punished not selectively, not politically, but justly. Those who killed protesters must be held accountable. Those who turned a public movement into a scene of destruction must be held accountable. Those who allowed the country to drift toward a state of institutional collapse and fear must also be held accountable. Nepal cannot build a stable democracy on top of silence, selective memory, or impunity.

The new government, whatever coalition or leadership finally emerges, must understand this clearly: electoral victory alone is not enough legitimacy. Legitimacy must now be earned through conduct. People will expect at least five things.

First, they will expect stability. Nepal has suffered too long from fragile coalitions, constant bargaining, and governments that focus more on survival than on service. Analysts had already warned before the vote that no single party was likely to secure an outright majority, which means coalition politics may continue. That makes political maturity even more important.

Second, people will expect transparency. Public trust has collapsed not only because promises were broken, but because decisions were too often opaque, elite-driven, and insulated from accountability. Any new government must communicate honestly, govern cleanly, and restore the credibility of public institutions.

Third, the people will expect organisation and delivery. Nepal does not need another government that speaks in slogans and performs in fragments. It needs functioning institutions, policy coherence, timely decisions, and visible public service.

Fourth, the public will expect justice. That includes releasing the Karki Commission report, acting on its findings, and ensuring that no one, whether from the state or from any group involved in violence, is above the law.

Fifth, the people will expect respect for democratic citizenship. The September protests showed that young people in Nepal are no longer willing to remain symbolic participants in democracy. They want to be heard, represented, and taken seriously. The political system must now respond to that reality.

The strong support for RSP shows how much hope people have invested in a new political force. But hope is not immunity. If RSP indeed becomes central to the new governing order, it too will be judged not by its rhetoric, but by its integrity, competence, and courage. The old parties were rejected because they failed to deliver on their own words. The new force must not repeat that cycle. The country is watching closely.

As someone from the younger generation who has stood in the middle of protest, democratic aspiration, and national uncertainty, I do not see this election as the end of a struggle. I see it as the beginning of a harder responsibility. Voting was only the first step. Governing well is the real test. Justice is the real test. Listening to the people is the real test.

Nepal’s democracy will not be saved merely by changing faces. It will be strengthened only when the state becomes accountable, when violence is not hidden behind political convenience, and when the people’s mandate is treated not as a tool for power, but as a duty of service.

This is what we expect from the new government: stability, transparency, order, constitutional commitment, and justice.

And above all, we expect truth.

Because a democracy that asks young people to vote, but denies them justice when they bleed, is a democracy in danger.

Jasmine Ojha is a Gen Z activist, lawyer, and youth leader from Nepal. She is the founder of Mission Smile Nepal and works to advance human rights, gender justice, civic participation, and inclusive policy change through grassroots advocacy.

pakistani-man-asif-merchant-found-guilty-of-planning-to-kill-trump-over-assassination-of-irans-quds-force-commander

Sat Mar 07 17:00:53 IST 2026

Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man, was convicted of planning to kill US President Donald Trump and other politicians on Friday. He was accused of colluding with Iran and attempting to recruit people in the US to carry out the plot, the Department of Justice said.

US prosecutors claimed that Iran’s IRGC was involved with the merchant after the assassination of former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Merchant was, according to the DOJ, targeting Trump in retaliation for the killing, AP reported.

In 2024, he also reportedly targetted then president Joe Biden and Nikki Haley, who ran against Trump that year.

He was convicted of "murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries," directed by the Iranian authorities, the DOJ said in a statement.

The week-long trial, which came amid the US-Israel war with Iran, took place in Brooklyn.

One of Merchant’s lawyers said that the there are still "complex and significant legal issues yet to be decided". He is facing life in prison.

The DOJ said that Merchant was a trained operative of the IRGC.

He arrived in the US from Pakistan in April 2024 after spending time in Iran.

In June, he contacted a person whom he believed would help him carry out the assassination. The person, however, reported him to the police.

He then met with undercover law enforcement officers who posed as hitmen. He was arrested in July.

Merchant admitted that he was sent by the IRGC to arrange political assassinations during the trial. He said that he did so to protect his family in Tehran.

He also said that he was never ordered to kill a specific person, however his handler named three people during conversations.

neutrality-in-peril-why-rescue-of-iranian-ship-iris-bushehr-sparked-sovereignty-row-in-sri-lanka

Sat Mar 07 01:22:26 IST 2026

On February 28, when the military attacks of Israel and US began on Iran, it sent fear among those in Colombo. For the people of this island nation who have overcome the long, serpentine queues in front of fuel stations and empty supermarket shelves, a war in west Asia translates directly into economic trouble at home.

The fear doubled in the streets of Colombo on March 4, when an American submarine torpedoed the Iranian ship IRIS Dena. The next day, when the Sri Lankan government docked the second ship in the Trincomalee Port and evacuated the crew, it set off a political debate in the Sri Lankan parliament.

In a televised address on Thursday, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared: “ No person should die in a war like this. Every life is equally precious. We are not taking sides, but while maintaining our neutrality, we are taking action to save lives.”

Like the IRIS Dena, torpedoed by America, the second vessel, IRIS Bushehr, which had been part of the same Iranian naval contingent at the MILAN 2026 naval exercise—is a logistics replenishment ship.

Dissanayake also revealed that on February 26, the government of Iran had formally requested permission from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for three Iranian naval vessels to enter Sri Lankan ports between March 9 and 13.

According to him, Sri Lanka had not yet granted approval to the ships on those dates and that the request was presented as a goodwill visit and a tour meant to enhance cooperation.

He had noted that genuine goodwill visits required extensive procedural arrangements, and when Sri Lanka reviewed the situation, it found that the vessels had stayed just beyond Sri Lanka’s national maritime boundary, although close to it.

“A goodwill visit does not occur in such a manner,” Dissanayake pointed out in his televised address.

While Sri Lanka’s decision on the IRIS Bushehr is termed by a few stakeholders as a courageous act against American and Israeli pressure, in reality, the island nation limited the rescue efforts to humanitarian aid and evacuation of the crew to safety.

There was no open port welcome and the second ship was not allowed to dock for a long time since the government did not want to antagonise America. However, the attack by America and the Sri Lankan government allowing the second ship to be docked at the Trincomalee Port for disembarking have sparked intense political debate in Sri Lanka.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa declared that military action within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone raises serious questions about national sovereignty.

“If a submarine had entered our waters 40 nautical miles from Sri Lanka, did we not have the technology to detect it? Do we not have surface radars? Sonobuoys or underwater sonar networks? Do we not have towed sonars or satellite surveillance? At a time when our national security was at its highest level, a submarine entered our Exclusive Economic Zone and carried out an attack. This alone shows the level of our national security,” Premadasa said in the parliament.

“The Exclusive Economic Zone is meant for economic activities, not military operations,” he added.

Former MP Wimal Weerawansa questioned whether US pressure influenced the government’s handling of Iranian naval vessels near Sri Lanka. He also alleged that the American officials had pressured the authorities to not allow an Iranian ship to dock in Colombo, though the government has not confirmed these claims.

For Sri Lanka, which maintains diplomatic ties with both America and Iran for over many decades, the conflict has forced a perilous neutral stance.

Sri Lanka hoped the neutral stance would satisfy both sides, but it has only invited the wrath of both nations.

Inviting the wrath or any disturbance in the relationships with both Tehran and Washington will only add more difficulties to Sri Lanka, as it has the majority of its diaspora in these two countries. On the other hand, any regional volatility can blow up Sri Lanka’s economy, which is slowly recovering from the rippling effect caused by the national crisis a few years ago.

unwilling-to-risk-us-strike-on-colombo-here-is-what-sri-lanka-offered-iranian-naval-ship-seeking-help

Fri Mar 06 12:01:20 IST 2026

The Sri Lankan Navy on Friday said 204 of the 208 Iranian personnel on board the IRINS Bushehr have been "safely" transferred to the Port of Colombo. The incident comes two days after an Iranian Navy frigate was sunk near the island nation. In a televised address on Thursday, it was revealed that the IRINS Bushehr had sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters, citing engine failure.

Four sailors remain on the ship, which had developed trouble in one of its engines, and it will take at least two more days for the vessel to reach the eastern Port of Trincomalee from its current location outside the capital, Colombo. Earlier, Sri Lankan media had reported that Tehran had requested the docking of the Bushehr and the IRIS Tonb in Colombo Port. The island nation stated that it could not risk the security of its capital city by letting them dock and redirected them to Trincomalee Port instead.

ALSO READ | Pete Hegseth confirms US role in destruction of Iranian warship 'IRIS Dena' off Sri Lankan coast

Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said the Iranian sailors will be taken to the navy camp at Welisara, a northern suburb of Colombo. "They will be subject to a medical examination as a formality of registration," Sampath was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.

"We wanted to remain neutral while dealing with a humanitarian response," he said, adding that Sri Lanka's role was limited to responding to a request from one party involved in the conflict.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that on 26 February, Iran sought Sri Lanka's permission to enter the Port of Colombo for four days between 9 and 13 March for the purpose of a "goodwill visit". "That was not the proper way for goodwill visits. We were studying the situation. On 27 February, we were told that a sailor had tripped and fallen and required assistance to bring him ashore," PTI quoted him as saying.

is-balen-shah-anti-india-rsp-leads-in-47-seats-heads-towards-landslide-victory-in-nepal-polls

Fri Mar 06 12:16:50 IST 2026

Balen Shah’s newly founded Rashtriya Swatantra Party is now leading in the early counting of votes in Nepal's first general election since the Gen Z protests that took over the country.

The RSP has now won 3 seats and is leading in another 55 of the 165 constituencies, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, ousted former Prime Minister KP Oli Sharmas CPN (UML) is trailing behind, leading in just 4 seats. Meanwhile the Nepali Congress is leading in 8 seats.

Balendra Shah, known as just Balen Shah, 35, is now the youngest party leader contesting for prime minister in the country.

He was the first independent candidate to become mayor of Kathmandu.

After the Gen Z protests, the youth of Nepal turned to the The former rapper turned politician to ask him to contest the elections.

Some of Shah's earlier statements he made about India has led to him being deemed as anti-India in his stance. Incidentally, he completed his Masters on Structural Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka .

In 2023, he made it into the spotlight after he began urging for a ban on Indian movies in Nepal after alleging that a Bollywood movie had suggested that Sita, one of the major goddesses in Hinduism, was “India’s daughter.” According to Hindu texts, however, she was born in present day Nepal region or in north Bihar close to the border.

When asked about the same by Dainik Bhaskar, he said, “In Bollywood films, Pakistan is always shown as a place of guns and bombs. Because of this, citizens of Sri Lanka and Nepal are afraid to visit Pakistan, thinking only terrorists live there. This should be opposed.”

The same year, he became subject to controversy after he placed a map of “Greater Nepal” in his office. The map showed Nepal's borders extending beyond present day borders to also include territories that were once under Nepali rule before the 1816 treat of Sugaulli.

The move was reportedly a symbolic response to an ‘Akanda Bharat mural which was displayed i the Parliamentary building in India, which also claimed many parts of Nepal as part of India.

On the issue, he said, “I never said anything for which I should apologise. India called its parliamentary map a cultural one, so we put up a historical map of Greater Nepal. No one should object.”

In 2025, he raised eyebrows after he made a post that included a swear word used against opposition political parties in Nepal and multiple countries, including India, China and the US.

He later deleted the post after it drew flak for straining the country's relations with foreign nations.

One of the parties that was also mentioned in that post was the RSP. He joined the party after quitting as Kathmandu mayor last year to contest the elections.

why-iranian-naval-vessel-iris-lavan-docked-in-india-on-the-day-of-us-attack-on-iris-dena

Fri Mar 06 23:50:53 IST 2026

As the war between Iran and US-Israel forces reaches the seventh day, a fresh twist has appeared in the Wednesday attack on the IRIS Dena, an Iranian warship, off the coast of Sri Lanka.

According to government sources, another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Lavan, had allegedly requested permission to dock in Kochi on February 28 after developing serious technical faults.

The report added that it received approval on March 1 under humanitarian grounds, after which it finally docked on March 4. Its 183-member crew was housed at the Indian Navy's quarters.

The sources noted that just like the IRIS Dena, the IRIS Lavan had also been a guest for the Indian Navy's International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, organised at Visakhapatnam back in February this year.

Notably, the Western Naval Command had also welcomed a flotilla comprising the IRIS Lavan and the IRIS Boushehr to Mumbai for a "goodwill and training visit" from February 25-28.

"The flotilla, carrying about 220 officer cadets, is on a training mission in the Indian Ocean," it added in an X post.

In retrospect, while the IRIS Lavan allegedly managed to escape being attacked by the US as it had docked at Kochi, the IRIS Dena was not so lucky.

The latter, a Moudge-class frigate, had been returning to Iran after taking part in the IFR 2026 when it was torpedoed by a US submarine, leading to the deaths of at least 87 sailors.

Hours later, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth soon clarified Washington's role in the strike, declaring that it had been destroyed as a part of Operation Epic Fury, which is the country's name for coordinated joint strikes with Israel on Iran.

The Pentagon also released visuals of the strike on the Iranian frigate, that drew sharp reactions from Iran, which has called it a "war crime".

"IRIS Dena was a training ship. It was invited by the Indian Navy to take part in an exercise. They went there as guests. They were unarmed," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the attack.

The Indian Navy, which had deployed the INS Tarangini—that had been operating nearby—to aid Sri Lanka in attending to the Iranian frigate's distress call, has rejected claims that it played a role in helping the US by providing intel. It has also said that the INS Ikshak had sailed from Kochi to assist search and rescue operations as well.

trump-declares-no-time-limits-on-us-iran-war-amid-escalating-tensions

Fri Mar 06 10:53:50 IST 2026

As the Middle East faces escalating tensions fueled by coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran, the question remains: how long can this cycle of conflict persist before reaching a breaking point? It seems US President Donald Trump is not ready to end it soon.

"I have no time limits," said Trump when asked about how long the US war with Iran could continue.

"I have no time limits on anything. I want to get it done," he said. His comments came after he publicly said that the Iran war could last for at least four to five weeks. However, it remains to be seen how the timelines change with the president facing increasing political pressure domestically against the war.

"They can't have a nuclear weapon. That's number one, two, and three. Number four, no ballistic missiles."

Trump also pointed out that "somebody rational and sane should be appointed to lead Iran."

Amid the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Trump said Tehran was reaching out to the United States about making a deal. It had come a "little bit late", said Trump, adding that America wants to "fight more than they do."

“They [Iran] are calling; they are saying, ‘How do we make a deal?’ I said, ‘You are being a little bit late.’ Now we want to fight more than they do," Trump said.

He also added that the US is working closely with Israeli forces and is destroying Iran's missiles and drone capability "every single hour".

Meanwhile, Trump has encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq to join the fight against Iran. On the possibility of the Iranian Kurdish forces entering Iran, Trump told Reuters on Thursday: "I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it."

woman-told-fbi-that-she-was-sexually-assaulted-by-donald-trump-as-a-minor-missing-files-now-released-by-us-justice-department-show

Fri Mar 06 16:58:04 IST 2026

The United States Justice Department has now posted an additional three FBI memos that describe interviews of a woman related to sexual assault allegations involving US President Donald Trump.

The files were previously missing from the Epstein library.

In the memos, the woman who was interviewed describes how she was introduced to Trump by Epstein in either New York or New Jersey and how the former sexually assaulted her.

The incident reportedly occurred when she was between 13 and 15 years old.

The woman said that she was in a very tall building with a huge room.

Trump, she said, then instructed the other people in the room that she was to leave.

She then described how she had bit Trump's private parts after she was forced down to perform oral sex on him.

Trump then proceeded to physically assault her by pulling her hair and punching her in the side of her head.

She also said that she was abused by both Trump and Epstein.

Dozens of witnesses' and victims’ interviews like these were found to be missing from the Epstein library, a CNN analysis found.

The DOJ had said that the the missing files were wrongly labelled as duplicative, hence why they were excluded from the tranche of files released to the public.

Trump has consistently denied any criminal involvement with Epstein.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that the claims from the FBI interviews were “completely baseless accusations, backed by zero credible evidence.”

Files have come as Democrats are investigating whether the Department purposefully withheld materials that included allegations against Trump.

The woman in the files had come forward to law enforcement after Epstein’s arrest in 2019.

She had alleged that she was assaulted by Epstein in Hilton Head Island when she was 13. The alleged incident happened around 1984.

Four follow up interview of the same survivor were also conducted the same year on 24 July, 7 August, 20 August, and 16 October.

When the 3 million files were released initially, only the July 24 interview was included in the, The file that mention trump was withheld.

three-reasons-why-spain-opposed-us-israel-war-on-iran

Thu Mar 05 12:54:43 IST 2026

In a rare and unexpected development, Spain has opposed the US-Israel war on Iran. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared "No a la guerra" (No to war!) as his country's stand and refused to permit the use of its two military bases for war operations. Spain hosts approximately 6,000 US troops at the Rota naval base and Morón air base. Sánchez’s invocation of the historic "No a la guerra" — a slogan that mobilised Spain against the US war on Iraq and toppled a pro-war administration in 2003 — has thrust Madrid into a diplomatic standoff with Washington.

The socialist administration emphatically refused any flight operations that could aid a war on Iran, citing the lack of international legal authorisation for the US to undertake such a war. The Prime Minister and cabinet colleagues emphasised that any operations from these bases fall under Spanish sovereignty and can support only missions that comply with the UN Charter, international law and bilateral US-Spain defence agreements.

US President Donald Trump accused Madrid of "betraying allies" after initial reports suggested a lack of overflight permissions for American jets. He threatened to cut all trade ties with Spain immediately. "We are going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain," said the President. Trump also said the US doesn’t need the Spanish government’s permission to operate from the NATO bases.

Sánchez hit back at Donald Trump in a fiery address: "Spain will not be dragged into an illegal war without a UN mandate. Our bases are for defence, not aggression." The denial was categorical: no refuelling, no logistics and no intelligence sharing. He also said, “We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of reprisals from someone.”

Recollecting the Iraq war and its subsequent destruction, the Prime Minister said, “The world has been here before. Twenty-three years ago, another US administration led us into an unjust war. The Iraq war led to a dramatic increase in terrorism and a serious migration and economic crisis.”

A NATO ally opposing the US war on a non-Western country in current times sounds implausible. So, why the opposition? There appear to be at least three reasons, beyond any personal commitment of Prime Minister Sánchez to peace.

The first reason is that the socialist Prime Minister heads a fragile coalition of socialists, greens and regional nationalists, many of whom oppose US interventions. This stand could not only galvanise the leftist vote base but also bond the coalition partners in the runnin-up time to the general elections, which will be held in August 2027.

The second is the public sentiment, which is largely anti-war. A flash poll by Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas showed 68 per cent of Spaniards opposing involvement, with urban youth — scarred by endless Middle East quagmires — leading the charge. Madrid's Puerta del Sol square swelled with demonstrators waving Palestinian and anti-NATO banners, chanting "Bush, Aznar, Trump: the same war machine." Organisers from the revived "No to War" platform, which was dormant in recent years, vowed nationwide actions if escalation continues.

The 2003 Iraq invasion, which saw then Prime Minister José María Aznar align with George W. Bush, ignited Spain's largest-ever protests — over three million people took to the streets — and later handed victory to Sánchez's Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE)) in the subsequent local elections the same year and the general elections in the next year. The Spanish public is historically anti-war and carries this sentiment more strongly than in other European countries. Hence, opposing the US-Israel war could help the leftist coalition in the upcoming general elections.

The third reason is that Spain believes that the US needs them more than vice versa. Spain has about €30 billion in annual exports to the US, ranging from olive oil to Airbus parts. However, the US has the upper hand in bilateral trade. In 2025, US exports to Spain were $26.1 billion and imports were $21.3 billion, with the US enjoying a $4.8 billion trade surplus. The Spanish government has also garnered strong backing from the European Union on this dispute. Responding to the US threats, European Commission Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné said, “Any threat against a member state is by definition a threat against the EU.” The French President spoke to the Spanish Prime Minister to express solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion, reported Euronews.

However, critics at home, led by opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the conservative Popular Party, opposed the move. Feijóo, whose PP backed the Iraq war, accused Sánchez of trying to win a few votes at home. “We cannot put at risk our security, stability and position in the world,” he averred. Right-wing media outlets like Libertad Digital and El Mundo accused Sánchez of electoral opportunism and weaponising memories of 2003 for political gain. Libertad Digital said the Prime Minister’s anti-war stand could simultaneously appease his coalition partners and distract people from the scandals his government is facing.

nepals-first-general-election-after-gen-z-protests-why-it-matters-for-india

Thu Mar 05 07:55:38 IST 2026

Polling is underway in Nepal for the general elections, the first since the Gen Z-led protests that toppled the government of K.P. Sharma Oli last year.

More than 18.9 million citizens are eligible to vote in the election to choose members of the 275-seat House of Representatives (HoR). A total of 3,406 candidates are contesting 165 seats under the direct voting system, while 3,135 candidates are competing for 110 seats through the proportional representation system.

Across the country, 10,967 polling booths and 23,112 polling centres have been set up. Voting began at 7 am and is scheduled to conclude at 5 pm.

According to media reports, Nepal’s political landscape is sharply divided between those supporting the demands raised during the Gen Z protests and traditional political forces that are less inclined toward sweeping reforms.

Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’-led Nepali Communist Party are widely seen as representing the traditional political establishment. On the other hand, the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) led by Ravi Lamichhane and the reformed Nepali Congress led by Gagan Thapa have positioned themselves as voices supporting the concerns raised by the Gen Z movement.

Newer political groups such as Kulman Ghising’s Ujyalo Nepal Party and Harka Sampang’s Shram Shakti Party have also entered the electoral arena, though their influence remains limited to certain regions.

The RSP has named former Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah as its prime ministerial candidate, while the Nepali Congress has projected Gagan Thapa as its PM face. Meanwhile, K.P. Sharma Oli remains the prime ministerial candidate of the CPN-UML.

The CPN-UML-led coalition government, backed by the Nepali Congress, collapsed following a Gen Z-led protest that rocked the country on September 8 and 9. The protests were driven by widespread public anger over corruption, poor governance, and nepotism, as well as growing demands for generational change in Nepal’s political leadership.

India is closely watching the election, as its outcome could shape the future trajectory of relations between New Delhi and Kathmandu, including their strategic and economic cooperation.

India is Nepal’s largest trading partner, and a significant portion of Nepal’s trade with third countries passes through Indian ports and transit routes. A friendly government in Kathmandu could help ensure continuity in existing policies and bilateral agreements, particularly at a time when China’s influence in Nepal is growing.

Additionally, five Indian states share an open border with Nepal, allowing free movement of people between the two countries. Political stability in Nepal is therefore crucial for maintaining border security and law-and-order along the frontier.

India has also invested in several infrastructure and development projects in Nepal. A government less inclined toward cooperation with New Delhi could potentially affect the smooth progress of these initiatives.

101-people-missing-after-submarine-attack-on-iranian-warship-off-sri-lanka

Wed Mar 04 17:08:46 IST 2026

At least 101 people are missing, and 78 are injured after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka, sources from the country’s navy and defence say.

The Sri Lankan navy has dispatched a rescue team after receiving distress calls from the Iranian warship the IRIS Dena, a defence ministry spokeperson said.

"At this point, 79 people have been rescued and taken to the hospital, with one in serious condition. Another 101 are believed to be missing," the navy source said.

The ship was reportedly attacked by a US submarine. However it is unclear whether the Iranian frigate was being shadowed by a USS Pinckney at the time of the incident, The Indian Express reported.

The frigate was on its return voyage to Iran after attending a naval engagement hosted by India when it reported the emergency. India had hosted the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam in mid-February which brought together the naval forces of multiple countries.

The ship reportedly carried around 180 crew members.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath had earlier told Parliament that the country's military has rescued 30 people from the sinking vessel in waters near the country. An airforce surveillance aircraft has been dispatched to conduct search operations in the area where the attack occured.

He also said that Sri Lanka would take appropriate action.

Local media also reported that the distress signals were sent off about 40 nautical miles south of the coast of Galle. The injured were also admitted to hospitals in Galle which is about 115 kilometres south of Colombo.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said,“We responded to the distress call under our international obligations as this falls within Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean.”

Earlier Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the US had destroyed about 17 Iranian warships including a submarine in its operations against the country. Tehran has not confirmed all of the attacks.

texas-shooting-suspect-who-killed-indian-origin-student-wore-clothes-with-iranian-flag-design-fbi-probe-says

Wed Mar 04 10:59:07 IST 2026

The gunman who killed three people, including an indian-american student, Savitha Shan, in Austin, Texas, in the US, reportedly had terror links, a new FBI probe reveals.

During the shooting, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, wore a T-shirt stamped with an Iranian flag design, sources said.

The suspect also had the words “Property of Allah” written on his clothes, a law enforcement official who spoke to AP said.

Investigators are now probing whether the weekend shooting was inspired by this week's US strikes on Iran, BBC reported.

Savitha Shan, who was majoring in management information systems and economics at the University of Texas, was 21 years old at the time of the shooting. The two other victims were 19-year-old Ryder Harrington and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson.

The Austin Police Department are planing to hold a news conference on the shooting on Thursday.

Diagne is a Senegalese immigrant who became a US citizen.

He was not on the radar of the local police or the FBI before the attack on Sunday on West Sixth Street in Austin . He had arrived in the US in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa and then became a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying an American.

The source who spoke to CBS News also said that he had a history of mental health issues. He was sued for severely injuring a woman in a vehicle crash and was arrested four times between 2001 and 2016.

A probe into his background revealed that he had posted misogynistic, anti-Semitic, and anti-Christian posts in the year and a half leading up to the attack . He also had made pro-Iranian pro-Islam posts. However, there were no posts that indicated his plans to attack in a mass shooting incident.

pete-hegseth-confirms-us-role-in-destruction-of-iranian-warship-iris-dena-off-sri-lankan-coast-all-you-need-to-know

Wed Mar 04 20:15:47 IST 2026

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday confirmed that it was a torpedo from a US submarine that sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.

In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the Tuesday night strike on the Iranian warship was the first such attack on an enemy vessel since World War II.

The US defence department has also released visuals showing the moment the torpedo allegedly hit the Iranian warship.

Though Hegseth did not name the warship, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath revealed that as many as 180 people had been onboard the Moudge-class Iranian frigate, which he identified as the IRIS Dena.

The vessel sunk about 40 nautical miles away from Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday after issuing a distress call, Sri Lankan officials had said earlier.

The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday said it rescued at least 32 Iranian sailors from a sinking Iranian naval ship off the southern coast, while several bodies were recovered from the site.

Notably, the frigate had been part of a joint naval exercise hosted by India, and was returning to Iran when it reported the distress signal.

About two weeks ago, India had hosted the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review (IFR) in Visakhapatnam on February 18, which brought together naval forces from more than 70 countries.

About 19 warships from 18 countries were also on display alongside dozens of Indian naval vessels, including the INS Vikrant, destroyers, frigates, and submarines—all of which were showcased before the presidential ship—the INS Sumedha—that sailed with the country’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief President Draupadi Murmu.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to respond to news of the destruction of the IRIS Dena—one of the Indian Navy's guests at the IFR 2026—which took place within India's sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean, and how the attack will impact ties between New Delhi and Washington, going forward.

what-happened-at-trump-tower-nypd-responds-to-suspicious-package-alert-amid-tensions-with-iran

Tue Mar 03 10:23:32 IST 2026

Amid escalating Middle East tensions following US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Trump Tower received a suspicious package on Monday. The timing of the delivery prompted an immediate response from the NYPD bomb squad and the US Secret Service, disrupting traffic across Midtown Manhattan.

However, no evacuations or injuries were reported on the site.

According to the police, a 911 call was received around 4:20 pm ET after the Secret Service located the package in the building's mail room at 725 Fifth Avenue.

The bomb squad were dispatched to investigate and secure the area.

Later, the authorities determined that the package was not a threat.

Videos on social media showed multiple police vehicles, fire trucks and tactical officers stationed outside the Fifth Avenue skyscraper.

"Police Activity: Expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions & emergency personnel near 5th Avenue & West 56th Street, Manhattan. Avoid the area," New York City's emergency notification system posted on X.

US law enforcement agencies remained on high alert amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Iran.

Anti-war protesters were reported outside the tower on Monday evening as well.

Meanwhile, no arrests were made linked to the incident. Authorities are yet to release more details about the package.

Trump Tower, a prominent 58-story landmark housing both corporate offices and luxury residences, remains under constant surveillance and heavy security as a high-profile site linked to President Donald Trump.

Following the breakdown of nuclear talks, US and Israeli forces launched a series of strikes on Iran on Feb 28. The confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and key security officials has prompted an immediate vow of retaliation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).