International

• US Senate Passes Annual Defence Policy Bill, Sending It to Biden for Signing
  
  The US Senate voted to pass the 895-billion-USD defence policy bill for fiscal year 2025, which, having previously cleared the House, now awaits to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed in an 85-14 vote, well...
• Turkey, Lebanon Agree to Act Together on Syrian Issues
  
  Turkey and Lebanon have agreed to work together on Syrian issues following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan."A new era has begun in Syria. As two key neighbors of Syria, we agree that we must act together," Erdogan said during a...
• US California Declares State of Emergency over Bird Flu
  
  California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak of Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, which has infected 34 people in the Golden State.According to the governor's office, this action came on Wednesday as cases...
• India's Envoy, US Officials Discuss Advancing Space Partnership
  
  India's Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and US officials met at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Centre in Houston to take stock of space cooperation between the two countries and discuss advancing their partnership.While there on...
• Yemen Urges International Support to Address Economic, Humanitarian Challenges
  
  Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council called for international support to address pressing economic and humanitarian challenges in the war-torn country.The council convened a meeting on Wednesday to assess Yemen's deteriorating conditions, during which it accused Houthi...
• Syria's Interim Authorities Pledge to Secure Safe Return of Soldiers Fleeing to Iraq
  
  Syria's interim authorities said that the previous government's soldiers and officers fleeing to Iraq are now welcome to return home without fear of reprisal.In a statement, the interim authorities pledged on Wednesday that military personnel who fled to neighbouring Iraq...
• Widespread Urban Shelling, Airstrikes Take Toll on Sudan Civilians: UN
  
  UN humanitarians reported widespread hostilities in Sudan, including shelling and airstrikes on civilian areas of Darfur and Khartoum, which inflicted significant casualties and destruction.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Clementine...
• Former French President Sarkozy Loses Final Appeal for Corruption, Influence-peddling
  
  France's highest court for civil and criminal cases upheld a verdict against former French President Nicholas Sarkozy for corruption and influence-peddling.In 2021, a lower court found that Sarkozy and his former lawyer, Thierry Herzog, had in 2014 formed a "corruption...
• Number of Unmarried People over Age 40 Jumps 6-fold in S. Korea
  
  The proportion of unmarried individuals in their 40s in South Korea increased 6.7 times for men and 5.7 times for women in 2020 compared with 20 years earlier, a government report showed on Thursday.The report underscores the trend of delayed marriages that is partly blamed...
• Committee Monitoring Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Holds 2ND Meeting in Lebanon
  
  The five-member monitoring committee to supervise Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire held its second meeting at the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura."The UNIFIL hosted the meeting, which was chaired by the...
• Rupee Falls to All-time Low of 85.12 against US Dollar over Hawkish Fed Outlook
  
  The Indian rupee fell 18 paise to all-time low of 85.12 against the US dollar on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) over Federal Reserve's hawkish commentary on rate cut outlook.The U.S. Fed meeting which was held on Wednesday, shifted its focus towards maximum employment...
• India Tops List of Recipient Countries for Remittances with $129 BN Inflow in 2024
  
  India tops the list of recipient countries for remittances in 2024 with an estimated inflow of $129 billion, followed by Mexico ($68 billion), China ($48 billion), the Philippines ($40 billion), and Pakistan ($33 billion), according to the latest figures compiled by World...
• Assam CM Attends Presentation on Gelephu Mindfulness City Project in Bhutan
  
  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday attended an insightful presentation on the Gelephu Mindfulness City Project during his four-day visit to Bhutan.The presentation provided valuable insights into the objectives and framework of the project.Representatives...
• US-India Exchanging Briefings on Alleged Plot against Khalistani: State Dept
  
  The panel set up by India to enquire into allegations about a murder-for-hire plot against a US-based Khalistani and US government agencies have been exchanging briefings, according to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller."We have been regularly briefing them on the...
• Israeli Forces to Remain on MT. Hermon Summit 'as Long as Necessary': Defence Minister
  
  Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israeli forces would remain on the Syrian summit of Mount Hermon for "as long as necessary."During a visit to the area with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior security officials for a situational assessment,...
• Parental Leave Declines for 1ST Time in S. Korea amid Falling Marriages, Childbirths
  
  The number of South Korean workers taking parental leave fell for the first time in 2023, reflecting a broader decline in marriages and childbirths, data showed on Wednesday.According to the data compiled by Statistics Korea, a total of 195,986 workers took or began to take...
• World Bank says ready to participate in Lebanon's reconstruction
  
  The World Bank is ready to take part in Lebanon's reconstruction after the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict comes to an end, a senior official from the World Bank said.Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank's country director for the Middle East Department, expressed the bank's...
• French President Macron Thanks PM Modi for India's Support after Cyclone Chido Hit Mayotte
  
  French President Emmanuel Macron expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday after India extended its support in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, a devastating storm that struck the French archipelago of Mayotte on Saturday.According to Meteo-France,...
• US-backed Kurdish Forces Propose 'demilitarised Zone' near Syria-Turkey Border
  
  The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, has said that his forces are willing to propose a "demilitarised zone" in the border city of Kobani in the northern countryside of Aleppo.He made the remarks on Tuesday on the social media...
• Netanyahu Denies Agreeing to Palestinian Statehood in Talks with Saudi Arabia
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that he would not permit the establishment of a Palestinian state, rejecting reports that Israel had agreed to a "path toward Palestinian statehood" as part of efforts to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia."Prime...
• Gunman in UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Indicted in New York City
  
  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. and New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch have announced the indictment of Luigi Mangione, 26, for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown of Manhattan on December 4.Mangione is...
• Vanuatu Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 14
  
  At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after a major earthquake struck Vanuatu on Tuesday.The Red Cross reported the updated death toll early Wednesday local time, citing government sources. Local media previously reported a death toll of seven,...
• NSA Ajit Doval to Hold Talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Today in Beijing
  
  India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived here on Tuesday to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as he takes part in the India-China Special Representatives' talks to be held on Wednesday, aimed at restoring the bilateral ties...
• Sri Lankan President Dissanayake Visits Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS in Delhi
  
  Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on a three-day State visit, on Tuesday visited a Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS here to gain insights into the country's quality and affordable medicine distribution system, an official said.In a post on X, Ministry of...
• South Korean Govt Unveils Measures to Boost Corporate Investment amid Martial Law Debacle
  
  The South Korean government on Wednesday unveiled a series of measures to stimulate corporate investment in key industries, aiming to address concerns that recent political turmoil could have long-term negative effects on the economy.The plan was introduced during a meeting...

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