Amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the United States State Department has urged China to halt its recent military activities near Taiwan, warning that the drills are unnecessarily heightening regional instability. The call followed a two-day military exercise conducted by China around Taiwan, which included missile launches and the deployment of fighter jets, naval vessels, and coast gua

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is scheduled to attend the state funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on December 31, marking a significant diplomatic gesture at a time of strained relations between the two neighbouring countries. The decision comes amid heightened political uncertainty in Bangladesh and a broader reassessment of regional alignments in South Asia following last year’s dramatic change of government in Dhaka. Kha

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country is effectively engaged in a full-scale conflict with the United States, Israel and Europe, describing Iran’s current diplomatic and strategic environment as increasingly complex and difficult. His remarks reflect heightened regional tensions following months of military confrontation, economic pressure and stalled diplomacy. In an

Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir issued a direct warning to Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, urging them to choose between maintaining ties with Islamabad or supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Addressing religious scholars at the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad on December 10, Munir alleged that a large portion of militants entering Pakistan were Afghan nationals. His remarks, shared on local broadcasts over the weekend, highlighted rising tensions b

A prominent youth leader from Bangladesh, Sharif Osman Hadi, has died in Singapore after succumbing to severe injuries sustained during an assassination attempt in Dhaka earlier this month, officials confirmed on Thursday. His death has sent shockwaves through political circles in Bangladesh and has raised renewed concerns over political violence targeting emerging leaders. Sharif Osman Hadi served as the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancho, a youth-oriented political platform that has g

United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt fighting following days of deadly clashes along their disputed border, raising hopes for a return to stability in the volatile region. The announcement came after Trump held separate phone conversations with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, as tensions threatened to escalate into a broader military confrontation. In

Tensions between Japan and China intensified further after a coordinated air patrol by Chinese and Russian military aircraft passed close to Japan and South Korea, prompting both Tokyo and Seoul to scramble fighter jets. According to Japan’s defence authorities, seven Russian aircraft and two Chinese aircraft briefly entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone, raising fresh concerns over the scale and frequency of joint operations by Beijing and Moscow in the Asia Pacific regio

China has firmly rejected Japan’s claims regarding recent aerial encounters, escalating a diplomatic dispute that has widened to include political, economic, and regional security dimensions. A spokesperson for the Chinese navy, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, stated that Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached Chinese vessels as they carried out previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait. According to Wang, the operations were routine and transparent, and China

The death toll from the widespread floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy monsoon rain in Southeast Asia has risen to more than 400, according to updated assessments from regional authorities on Saturday. Rescue teams across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia continued large-scale operations through the weekend as thousands of people remained stranded, many of them waiting on rooftops or in partially submerged homes for emergency assistance. The severe weather, intensified by a tropic

Amid heightened tensions in Latin America, the United States has issued a strong warning advising pilots, airlines, and operators to treat the airspace over and around Venezuela as closed. The statement was delivered by US President Donald Trump, who posted the alert during a period of intensified American counterdrug operations targeting trafficking networks operating near Venezuelan borders. His message underscored what officials describe as an increasingly unstable security climate, citing

India has been elevated to major power status in the Asia Power Index 2025, marking a significant milestone in New Delhi’s expanding global profile. The latest edition of the Index places India third in its overall ranking, behind only the United States and China, reflecting a steady enhancement of the country’s economic strength, military capability and regional influence. The ranking signals a turning point for India, which has long sought to consolidate its role as a central player in

A winter storm watch has been issued for the entire Chicago region as the area prepares for the possibility of significant snowfall during the weekend following Thanksgiving. Weather officials have included all of northern and central Illinois along with northwest Indiana in the alert, signaling that the system is expected to affect a large portion of the region. The watch will take effect at 3 a.m. on Saturday and remain in place through Sunday morning, covering a period during which travel con

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a sharp warning that the country cannot rule out the possibility of an all-out war with India, stating that Islamabad remains on full alert as tensions rise across the region. Speaking to Samaa TV, Asif said his analysis suggested India could adopt hostile strategies, including border incursions or coordinated attacks, and stressed the need for complete preparedness. His remarks follow Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi’

Tensions between China and Japan escalated sharply this week after Beijing delivered a series of unusually forceful warnings against any potential Japanese involvement in the Taiwan Strait. China’s defence ministry declared that Japan would face what it called a crushing defeat at the hands of the People’s Liberation Army if Tokyo attempted to intervene militarily in a Taiwan conflict. The warning, issued on Friday, followed a similar statement from China’s foreign ministry a day earlie

In a major geopolitical development, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has decided to restrict Pakistan’s access to cross-border river water by constructing a dam on the Kunar River. The directive came from Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, who ordered the Ministry of Water and Energy to begin construction “as fast as possible.” This move comes just weeks after deadly border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan that claimed hundreds of lives and amid heightened tensions followin

World leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh for a high-level summit following a historic ceasefire in Gaza. The agreement, aimed at ending the recent conflict, was marked by the signing of a peace declaration to solidify a lasting ceasefire between the warring parties. This development came hours after a significant hostage and prisoner swap, providing momentum for regional stability. The leaders attending described the day as historic, emphasizing that humanitarian aid would now begin

India has announced the reopening of its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, marking a significant step in restoring engagement with the Taliban-led government. The decision, revealed during a bilateral meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on October 10, represents the first high-level diplomatic dialogue between the two nations since the Taliban took power in August 2021. India had shut

Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a strong warning at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) centenary celebrations in New Delhi, stating that India’s greatest threat today is not infiltration by external forces but demographic changes that could destabilize social equality and national unity. Stressing that “unity in diversity” has always been the soul of India, he said that internal divisions caused by caste, language, regionalism,

In East San Jose, the trauma unit at Regional Medical Center is once again alive with activity. Doctors and nurses are back to doing the work they were trained for: cutting crash victims out of their clothes, replacing blood loss from torn arteries, and holding shattered bones together while shouting urgent instructions through the chaos of an emergency room. The noise and intensity may sound alarming to an outsider, but to those who work there, it represents a vital return to function after