India on Monday strongly rejected Pakistan’s allegations of mistreatment of religious minorities, asserting that Islamabad lacks the moral authority to comment on such matters given its own record. Responding to remarks from Pakistan’s Foreign Office, New Delhi said attempts to highlight alleged incidents in India cannot mask Pakistan’s well-documented history of systemic discrimination and persecution of minorities. The response came after Pakistani Foreign Affairs spokespers

The family of an Indian-origin woman living in Southern California has described a deeply distressing experience after she was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement during what was expected to be the final step of her green card process. Babblejit “Bubbly” Kaur, 60, a longtime member of the Long Beach restaurant community, was taken into custody on December 1 while attending a scheduled biometric appointment connected to her application for permanent residency. Kaur has lived in the United States since 1994 and had reached the final stage of the green card process after her petition was approved through sponsorship by her US citizen daughter and son-in-law. According to her family, the appointment was meant to be a routine procedure, required before the issuance of permanent residency status. Instead, it ended with federal agents detaining her without prior notice or explanation. Her daughter, Joti Kaur, said her mother sensed something was wrong even before the appointment began. When Kaur arrived at the immigration office, several federal agents reportedly entered the building and proceeded to a back room. Shortly afterward, she was called into the same area, where agents informed her that she was being arrested. Family members maintain that Kaur has no criminal record and has complied with immigration requirements throughout her decades in the country. Joti described the arrest as traumatic, stating that her mother was placed in a van with several men and restrained with shackles on her hands and feet. The family was not immediately told where she had been taken, heightening fears during the first few hours following her detention. They later learned that she had been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Los Angeles. Conditions inside the facility have added to the family’s concern. According to Joti, her mother has been held in a crowded room with more than two dozen detainees. She has struggled to sleep due to constant lighting and noise throughout the night, including frequent crying and shouting. The prolonged uncertainty and lack of clear communication have taken an emotional toll on both Kaur and her family. The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly disclosed the reason for Kaur’s detention. Her family says they are still seeking clarity on what led to the arrest, particularly given that her green card petition had already been approved and she was nearing the completion of the process. Kaur and her husband are well known in Long Beach, where they operated Natraj Cuisine of India and Nepal for more than two decades until the Covid pandemic disrupted the restaurant industry. The couple, who raised three children in the US, are regarded by community members as hardworking and deeply rooted in the area. In recent years, Kaur had continued working in the local restaurant sector. Local elected officials have expressed concern over the case, with one congressman stating that his office is actively working to assist the family and condemning what he described as actions that instill fear among law-abiding immigrants. For the Kaurs, the episode has transformed a long-awaited immigration milestone into an ongoing ordeal, as they wait for answers and hope for her safe return home.

Bangladesh witnessed massive unrest on Monday as clashes broke out across Dhaka and several other regions following the International Crimes Tribunal’s death penalty verdict against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ruling, linked to charges of incitement, killings and failure to prevent atrocities during the student-led uprising of 2024, triggered violent confrontations between Awami League supporters, rival groups, and security forces. Two people lost their lives as highways were b

Celina Jaitly has written an emotional message expressing relief and gratitude after the Delhi High Court took up her petition regarding her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, an Indian Army veteran who was missing for nine months before being detained. After more than a year of searching for answers, her family has finally found a ray of hope as the court intervened in the matter. In her heartfelt message, Celina shared that she stood outside the Delhi High Court filled wit

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been officially declared the winner of the country’s presidential election, securing another term in office after a landslide victory that has sparked widespread unrest and international concern. The electoral commission announced on Saturday that the incumbent leader, representing the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, won 98% of the votes cast during Wednesday’s election, solidifying the party’s decades-long hold on Tanzanian politic

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, an India-born man who spent 43 years in a Pennsylvania prison for a murder he did not commit, was freed earlier this month only to be detained again — this time by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 64-year-old Green Card holder, who arrived in the United States as a nine-month-old infant, was exonerated after newly uncovered FBI evidence proved his innocence. Yet, he now faces deportation to India under a decades-old immigration order dating bac

During his official visit to Japan on Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump met with the families of Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korea several decades ago. The emotional meeting took place in Tokyo, where relatives of the victims shared their ongoing struggle for answers and appealed for international cooperation to bring their loved ones home. President Trump expressed deep sympathy and reaffirmed Washington’s full and unwavering support for Japan’s efforts to re

Saudi Arabia has officially abolished the long-standing Kafala system, a major labour reform hailed as a landmark shift for millions of migrant workers across the Gulf region. The decision marks a new chapter in the kingdom’s ongoing transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, an ambitious roadmap to modernize the economy, attract foreign investment, and improve the country’s global image. The Kafala system, which governed the relationship between empl

A 64-year-old Indian origin man who spent more than four decades in an American prison for a crime he did not commit has finally walked free, only to face a new ordeal — possible deportation to a country he barely remembers. Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam’s story, marked by injustice, endurance, and hope, has taken another painful turn just days after his long-awaited release. Vedam was freed from a Pennsylvania correctional facility after a court overturned his decades-old murder c

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, beating out several high-profile nominees, including former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Machado for her unwavering dedication to democratic reform and human rights in Venezuela, citing her efforts to lead a peaceful movement against dictatorship. Announcing the decision in Oslo, Nobel Committee Chair Jorgen Watner Frydnes described Machado as “a

India issued a sharp rebuttal to Switzerland during the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva after the Swiss delegation expressed concerns about the treatment of minorities in India. Representing New Delhi, Kshitij Tyagi, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, described Switzerland’s comments as “surprising, shallow, and ill-informed.” He emphasized that as the current president of the UNHRC, Switzerland sho

India has formally assured Belgium of the conditions under which fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi will be held if extradited in connection with the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case. Choksi, arrested by Belgian authorities in April this year, is one of the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore fraud along with his nephew Nirav Modi. In a detailed letter to Belgium’s Ministry of Justice, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs outlined prison conditions at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, a

A leaked audio recording has revealed that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, allegedly authorized the brutal crackdown on student protesters in 2024. The recording,  captures Hasina’s conversation with a senior government official in which she directs security forces to use "lethal weapons" and to "shoot wherever they find them," referring to the protesters. The conversation took place on July 18, 2024, whi

A French doctor who was aboard the intercepted humanitarian aid boat heading to Gaza has accused Israeli authorities of mistreating passengers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg. The boat, named Madleen and organized by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from Italy on June 1 with the aim of delivering aid to Gaza amid worsening humanitarian conditions. The vessel was stopped by the Israeli navy roughly 200 kilometers from the Gaza