India world’s largest democracy, important strategic partner, says US

The US Department of State spokesperson, Matthew Miller, was put on the spot to address recent publications alleging democratic backsliding in India and the US navigating the relationship with the country.

Chinese authorities arrest 4 Tibetans for protest over land grab

Police have arrested and detained four Tibetans who protested Chinese authorities’ seizure of pasture land owned by Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region, three sources inside Tibet told Radio Free Asia.

Flooding in Dubai turns planes into boats

A fierce storm has lashed Dubai with the “exceptional weather” conditions sparking travel chaos.

Chinese exodus leaves Cambodia boomtown with 500 ’ghost buildings’

An exodus of Chinese real estate companies has left this Cambodian seaside resort littered with hundreds of half-finished projects.

China’s March exports and imports shrink, miss forecasts by big margins

China’s exports contracted sharply in March while imports unexpectedly shrank, undershooting forecasts by big margins, highlighting the stiff task facing policymakers as they try to bolster a shaky economic recovery.

World’s largest renewable energy park now In India - 5 times larger than Paris

A narrow airstrip that doesn’t even have an air traffic controller to guide incoming airplanes and whose only infrastructure is a portable toilet and a make-shift office in a container in the midst of miles of barren land bordering Pakistan is an unlikely gateway to the world’s largest renewable energy park.

US shoots down Iranian drones bound for Israel

The US has shot down Iranian drones headed to Israel after Iran launched its retaliatory attack early on Sunday.

UK adds Pakistan to list Of countries ’’too dangerous to travel’’: Report

Islamabad: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom has recently added Pakistan to its list of countries that it states are ’’too dangerous’’ for UK citizens to travel, reported Geo News.

Maldives to hold road shows in India to woo tourists back

Male: In an apparent bid to woo Indian tourists back to the Maldives, a major tourism body in Male has announced that it will hold road shows across key Indian cities.

Six dead in mass stabbing at Sydney shopping center

Six people have been killed and several others injured, including a child, in a mass stabbing at a busy shopping center in Sydney, Australian police said.

US vows ’ironclad’ defence of Philippines, Japan amid growing China provocations

The United States’ defence commitments to Japan and the Philippines are “ironclad,” US President Joe Biden said on Thursday as he hosted the first-ever trilateral summit between the three countries, welcoming Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House a day after the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, CNN reported.

Taylor Swift’s music back on TikTok after dispute

Taylor Swift’s songs are back on TikTok following a dispute that led her label to stop licensing its content to the app.

Fitch downgrades China outlook to negative on economic growth risks

Fitch cut its outlook on China’s sovereign credit rating to negative on Wednesday, citing risks to public finances as the economy faces increasing uncertainty in its shift to new growth models.

Taiwan detects 10 Chinese military aircraft, 7 naval vessels around nation

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has announced that it has detected ten Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 am on Tuesday and 6 am on Wednesday.

World Athletics introduces $50,000 prize money for Olympic gold medallists

Sebastian Coe has defended World Athletics’ decision to break with 128 years of Olympic tradition by becoming the first sport to give athletes prize money if they are victorious in Paris this summer.

Tesla electric vehicles entry into India will be ’natural progression’, says Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that India, like every other country, should have electric car and it will be a natural progression for his company to provide Tesla electric vehicles in India.

Canada spies found China interfered in last two elections, probe hears

Canada’s domestic spy agency concluded that China interfered in the last two elections, an official probe heard on Monday, the firmest evidence so far of suspected Chinese meddling in Canadian politics.

Pak policeman held for smuggling arms in school bag

In a recent operation, the Counter Terrorism Department’s intelligence wing thwarted an arms smuggling attempt by a policeman, who concealed the arms in a school bag in Karachi, as reported by ARY News on Sunday.

World Health Day: India’s healthcare sector reflects 12.59 per cent growth in 2024-25

India’s healthcare landscape has undergone a transformation, propelled by substantial investments in infrastructure development. The Union Health Ministry’s allocation of Rs 90,658.63 crore in the interim Budget for 2024-2025 reflects a 12.59 per cent increase, highlighting the government’s prioritisation of healthcare expenditure.

New Zealand tightens visa rules amid near record migration

New Zealand said on Sunday that it was making immediate changes to its employment visa program after a near record migration last year which it said was ’’unsustainable’’.

Taiwan detects eight Chinese naval vessels around nation, deploys appropriate forces to respond

Taipei [Taiwan], April 7 (ANI): The Taiwan Ministry of National Defence (MND) tracked eight Chinese naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 am on Thursday (April 4) and 6 am on Friday (April 5), Taiwan News reported.

China will use AI to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft warns

China will attempt to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea and India this year with artificial intelligence-generated content after making a dry run with the presidential poll in Taiwan, Microsoft has warned.

Updated UK Travel Advisory on Sri Lanka expected to boost tourism industry

Travel Advisory of the United Kingdom on Sri Lanka has been updated on 5th April 2024. The travel Advisory has been updated with additional information on emergency medical numbers, road travel and safety and security on ’Entry requirements’, ’Safety and security’, and ’Health’ pages.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit India post Lok Sabha polls

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is slated to visit New Delhi after the conclusion of the general elections in India later this year.

’’Most eligible recipient’’: Sri Lankan monk on presenting sacred Buddha relics to Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has accomplished more for Buddhism than anyone in history and thus makes him the most eligible person to recieve Lord Buddha’s sacred Kapilavastu relics according to Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero.

807 suspected scammers arrested in Myanmar-China joint operation

More than 800 people suspected of being cross-border scammers were arrested in a joint police operation by Myanmar and China, the junta and Beijing’s embassy in Yangon said Monday.

ICG’s Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Paheredar makes a port call in Vietnam

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Pollution Control Vessel Samudra Paheredar, with an integral helicopter, made a port call at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on April 2 as part of its ongoing overseas deployment to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Lawmakers urge Biden to call out more Chinese biotech firms

A Republican and a Democratic member of Congress are calling on the Biden administration to add seven Chinese biotech firms to a list created by the Defense Department to highlight firms it says are allegedly working with Beijing’s military.

Finland shooting: Children wounded in Vantaa school shooting

Three children aged 13 have been wounded in a shooting at a school in the Finnish city of Vantaa, police say.

Bodies of 8 Chinese migrants found on Mexico beach after boat capsized

Eight Chinese migrants have been found dead on the coast of southern Mexico, authorities said, after their boat capsized along a popular but perilous route for illegally entering the United States.