Author: Rahul M

Europe steps up sanctions on Russia, provides more support for Ukraine London, Oct 25 (IANS) European leaders and NATO’s chief vowed to step up sanctions on Russia and accelerate the delivery of long-range strike and air defence weapons to Ukraine following a “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders held a joint press conference after the meeting, saying the coalition aims to gradually phase out Russian oil and gas from the global market and channel frozen Russian assets into funding Ukraine’s reconstruction. Starmer said Britain had taken the lead in fully…

India should remain vigilant after Myanmar’s crackdown on cyber scam hubs New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Amid the massive crackdown on cybercriminals in Myanmar, India needs to remain vigilant about numerous cyber scam centres in China-Myanmar border areas that target its citizens, according to a report. The scam hubs in Kayin State, the Wa region, and the China-Myanmar border areas, where the central government’s reach is limited, lure victims with fake online job postings, confiscate passports, and force them to conduct fraudulent cryptocurrency and romance scams targeting victims worldwide, according to the report in India Narrative “New Delhi, Beijing, and…

Crumbling frontline: How TTP’s rural ‘takeover’ has left Pakistan army cornered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) For the Pakistan army, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) is fast becoming uncharted territory. Although it has entered into a delicate truce with the Afghan Taliban, the army is battling on several other fronts, such as K-P and Balochistan. The internal strife within the country has also heavily stressed the security mechanism. In K-P, it appears to be a complete takeover by Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP). The TTP is following the exact strategy that the Taliban had adopted before the 2021 pullout by the US…

South Korea: 1st joint govt-bereaved families commemoration set for Itaewon crowd crush anniversary Seoul, Oct 25 (IANS) The first joint commemoration by the government and the bereaved families will kick off Saturday, as South Korea prepares to mark the third anniversary of the deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district. A civil mourning event commemorating the victims of the crowd crush will take place at Seoul Plaza later in the day, jointly hosted for the first time by the association of victims’ families, a civic group on the disaster and the Seoul metropolitan government, according to the interior ministry. The…

The Congress in Kerala has surrendered itself to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and it has no existence of its own and is bereft of any loyal community-based support, said prominent Ezhava community leader Vellappally Natesan.“The Congress has many leaders in Kerala. But the problem is that its existence is linked to the Muslim League. That’s their failure. They have surrendered themselves to the League (IUML). They dance to the tunes of the League,” Natesan said in the latest episode of the Varthamanam podcast of The Indian Express Malayalam that will be streamed on Sunday. “The Congress today cannot…

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — At age 72, Rosalba Casas finally celebrated her 15th birthday on Friday, donning a flowing pink dress and a tiara for the quinceañera she dreamed of as a teenager.“This is the happiest day because I’m celebrating my 15th birthday,” Casas said, adding that she’d stayed up all night thinking about the big day.It was the first time she wore professional makeup or a formal gown, or rode in a limousine, where she joined 28 other older women chosen by the Sueños Hechos (Dreams Come True) Foundation for belated birthday celebrations.Quinceañeras are a time-honored tradition in Latin…

Mumbai: The frenzied redevelopment of old buildings all around Mumbai is posing a peculiar challenge for politicians in the city as they prepare for civic polls likely to be held early next year.A significant number of their voters in certain municipal wards of the city have been displaced, having temporarily changed residence with their building under redevelopment. Political parties are conducting internal surveys to identify these wards and the voters who might have moved, and track them down. Show Full Article A senior Mumbai-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who did not wish to be named told ThePrint that the…

For a quarter century, President Vladimir Putin has faced the specter of Russia’s shrinking and aging population.In 1999, a year before he came to power, the number of babies born in Russia plunged to its lowest recorded level. In 2005, Putin said the demographic woes needed to be resolved by maintaining “social and economic stability.”In 2019, he said the problem still “haunted” the country.As recently as Thursday, he told a Kremlin demographic conference that increasing births was “crucial” for Russia.Putin has launched initiatives to encourage people to have more children — from free school meals for large families to awarding…

LONDON (AP) — When President Donald Trump took the stage in Egypt to hail the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a row of world leaders stood behind him like extras in a political drama.It was a telling image. European governments have struggled to play a significant role in diplomacy over the Gaza war, while the “America First” leader has played a central one, pushing longtime allies in Europe toward the sidelines. Closer to home, they have labored with mixed results to shape Trump’s response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s obstinate pursuit of the Ukraine war, a conflict with…

LOS CORTIJOS, Spain (AP) — The bells and bleats faded as Osam Abdulmumen, a migrant from Sudan, herded sheep back from pasture, the sun setting over a centuries-old farm in Spain’s arid heartland.From dawn to dusk, Abdulmumen, 25, has looked over a flock of 400 animals for months in Los Cortijos, a village of 850 people in the plains of Castile-La Mancha, the region in central Spain made famous by the 17th-century classic “Don Quixote.” Los Cortijos is among hundreds of rural villages and towns in the region coping with depopulation that has made it tough to fill a job…