India and the world

Photo:  George Jacob Koovakad with the late Pope (Vatican News) India-West News Desk NEW DELHI — The world is in mourning as Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on April 21, at the age of

Photo: Twitter NEW DELHI (ANI) — The Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra have been inscribed in UNESCO’s prestigious Memory of the World Register, recognizing their enduring cultural and philosophical significance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his joy on the achievement, saying,

NEW DELHI — India’s trade gap with China has reached an all-time high, and officials are getting increasingly uneasy. New government data shows that India ended the 2024–25 fiscal year with a massive $99.2 billion trade deficit with its northern

VARANASI (ANI)- In a unique display of endurance and cross-cultural spirit, Japanese national Nozomu Hagihara has reached Varanasi during his 2,000-kilometre journey dribbling a football across India—a bid to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance dribbled. Hagihara began

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - After a 15-year pause, Pakistan and Bangladesh have resumed foreign secretary-level talks, signaling a notable shift in South Asian diplomacy. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch arrived in Dhaka on April 15 for a series of meetings

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - India’s exports of cut and polished diamonds have plunged to their lowest level in nearly two decades in the 2024–25 fiscal year, dragged down by weak demand from key markets and the impact of fresh

DHAKA (ANI)- Bangladesh has renamed the traditional Bengali New Year procession recognized by UNESCO, in response to pressure from Islamic political and religious groups claiming it reflected Hindu cultural elements. The annual procession, formerly known as "Mangal Shobhajatra", will now be called "Barshavaran Ananda

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - A drone strike hit the Kyiv warehouse of Indian pharmaceutical giant Kusum, Ukraine said on April 12, alleging that Russia deliberately targeted Indian-owned businesses. The attack destroyed stocks of essential medicines, including supplies meant for

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – India has withdrawn a transshipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargoes, a move that comes amid strained trade relations and in response to recent comments by Bangladesh's interim government head, Muhammad Yunus. Yunus controversially described India’s Northeast

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - India and China have long been at odds, but the escalating trade tensions with caused by the inexplicable policies of President Donald Trump, are now pushing them closer together. In what would not have happened a

Photo: A. Savin, Wikipedia NEW DELHI, (ANI) - Over the past five years, the government has received 1,617 complaints from Non-Resident Indian (NRI) women who claim they were abandoned by their husbands abroad, the Ministry of External Affairs  shared in Parliament on

Photo: Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh NEW DELHI (ANI)- India is closely monitoring China's plans to develop hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra River, ensuring its interests and those of its downstream citizens are safeguarded, Minister of State

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - Former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has taken a step into the corporate world, joining U.S.-based public relations firm Penta as an advisory board member. The firm, which counts Microsoft, Google, and JP Morgan among

India-West News Desk A recent opinion piece for Newsweek discussing the evolving power dynamics in Africa, says China’s influence is waning and India is stepping in to assert itself. Gordon G. Chang, an author and commentator, highlighted that Africa, traditionally dominated by external

Photo:: Twitter India-West News Desk OTTAWA - India sees a potential thaw in its strained relationship with Canada following Mark Carney’s rise to power, given his previous remarks on strengthening trade ties between the two nations. Carney, who secured a sweeping 85.9%

Photo: UN Web Tv GENEVA (ANI)- India has strongly rejected UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's "unfounded and baseless" remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur, made during the 58th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Addressing

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – India and the European Union have set a year-end deadline for concluding a long-pending free trade agreement, marking their first firm commitment to a timeline after years of negotiations, Reuters reported. The decision, announced on

Photo: Twitter MOSCOW (ANI)- Russia on February 27 criticized the US for its "inappropriate and counter-productive" demands that India stop unloading Russian oil tankers. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that India has not officially joined Western-initiated restrictive measures against Russia.

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – The European Union is urging India to lower tariffs on automobiles and wine to strengthen trade ties and reduce its dependence on China, a senior EU official said ahead of European Commission President Ursula von

Photo: Twitter/PiyushGoyal India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In response to President Donald Trump's recent threats of imposing tariffs on foreign goods, India and the United Kingdom have accelerated efforts to finalize a free trade agreement (FTA). Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – Qatar has pledged to invest $10 billion in India across multiple sectors, according to a joint statement released on February 18 following the visit of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to New Delhi. This

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Indian refiners are restructuring their dealings with oil traders, insurers, and vessel operators to ensure a steady flow of discounted Russian crude while avoiding violations of the latest U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reported. Following the January 10 U.S.

Photo: Screengrab, UK Home Office India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – The UK Labour government has intensified its crackdown on illegal workers, adopting enforcement measures reminiscent of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. In a nationwide operation, authorities have raided businesses including

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away on February 4 at the age of 88 in Lisbon, surrounded by his family. Aga Khan IV became the

Photo: Central Tibetan Administration NEW YORK (ANI): The Tibet Museum, under the Department of Information and International Relations of the Central Tibetan Administration, has launched a travelling exhibition across the United States from February 3 to 24 to raise awareness about

NEW DELHI (ANI)- Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to China from January 26 to 27 marked a significant step forward in India-China relations, with several key developments underscoring the two countries' commitment to strengthening ties. One of the major highlights was

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - India on January 16 welcomed the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of intense conflict. India expressed hope that the agreement would lead to a "safe and sustained supply

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) - Indian oil refiners have stopped dealing with Russian companies and tankers that have been sanctioned by the United States. However, the Indian government does not expect any major disruptions to the supply of Russian crude oil

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In a tragic turn of events, a 32-year-old man from Kerala, Binil T B, has died while fighting on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war. His 27-year-old relative, Jain T K, has sustained serious injuries. The

NEW DELHI, (ANI) - India has strongly urged China to ensure that its upstream activities on the Brahmaputra River do not adversely impact downstream states, following reports of a mega dam project under construction in the Tibet region. The river, known

NEW DELHI, (ANI) - The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued an advisory urging Indian travelers to adhere to Mexico's immigration regulations to avoid difficulties upon arrival. On January 3, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized the importance of reviewing

India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY - The United Nations will mark its inaugural Meditation Day on December 21, with renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian Sri Sri Ravishankar delivering the keynote address. The event aims to establish an annual global celebration

India-West News Desk India has once again emerged as the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with a record-breaking $129 billion flowing into the country in 2024, according to World Bank data. This significant figure highlights the crucial role of India’s vast

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - India and China have agreed on six points to resolve the border issue after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing. While the need to maintain peace along the border

India-West News Desk MOSCOW - Indian tourist could soon enjoy visa-free travel to Russia, with the new arrangement expected as early as spring 2025. This follows a series of consultations between Moscow and New Delhi, which began in June this year,

India-West News Desk SINGAPORE - Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh achieved a historic milestone on December 12, becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion at the age of 18. He dethroned defending champion Ding Liren of China in a gripping final game of

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In a startling disclosure, the Ministry of External Affairs reported that 1,871 Indian women married to Non-Resident Indians have been abandoned by their spouses abroad. The revelation came in response to a question raised by

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Archbishop George Jacob Koovakad, a distinguished Indian priest and Vatican diplomat, was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in a solemn ceremony held at Vatican City. The milestone has been hailed as

BEIJING (Reuters) -Nepal's veteran communist politician K.P. Sharma Oli, returning as the country's prime minister this year for a fourth time, sought to kick-start infrastructure projects with Beijing this week amid a pivot away from India's sphere of influence. Oli arrived

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on December 2 that preparations were under way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India but there were no exact dates yet. Putin is likely to visit India in early 2025 at the invitation

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed Parliament that Indian asylum seekers “denigrate” the nation and society for “personal gain.” This statement followed data revealing that over 41,000 Indians applied for asylum in the United

NEW DELHI (ANI) - Prominent spiritual leaders Sadhguru and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar have expressed strong criticism over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON leader, by Bangladeshi authorities. Krishna Das, also known as Chandan Kumar Dhar, was

India-West News Desk ISLAMABAD - At least one police officer has been killed and over 50 injured, Pakistan's authorities said, as thousands of supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan pressed on with their march toward Islamabad despite a security lockdown. The

NEW YORK, NY(ANI) - The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations recently organized the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Hindi Diwas in New York on November 22, 2024. This landmark event commemorated the 75th anniversary of Hindi's adoption as an

NEW DELHI (ANI) - During his visit to India on November 12, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov highlighted the significant progress in bilateral trade between the two nations while emphasizing the potential for further growth. "Here I would like

India-West News Desk MUMBAI - The Tata Group is collaborating with Somerville College, University of Oxford, to construct the Ratan Tata Building, with work expected to begin in spring 2025. This new facility aims to enhance teaching and learning environments, foster

India-West News Desk BENGALURU - King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla made a brief stopover in Karnataka following their recent trip to Australia and Samoa, Buckingham Palace confirmed on October 30. They are at the Soukya International Holistic Health Center, where

MUMBAI, (ANI) - External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on October 27 said that Mumbai has become a powerful symbol of counterterrorism globally. He further stressed that the country must not repeat the mistakes of the past and India should take a

NEW DELHI/BEIJING (REUTERS) -India and China have begun implementing an agreement to end a military standoff on their disputed Himalayan border, the two sides said on October 25, in the biggest thaw between the Asian giants since deadly clashes between

KAZAN (ANI) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of BRICS Summit here and welcomed the agreement reached between the two countries earlier this week on patrolling arrangements along Line of Actual Control in