Geneva, Aug 7 (IANS) United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk has condemned the escalation in deadly attacks by the March 23 Movement (M23) and other armed groups against civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past month. According to first-hand accounts received by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), between July 9 and 21, at least 319 civilians were killed by the M23 in four villages in the Rutshuru territory…

Melbourne, Aug 7 (IANS) Consul General of India in Melbourne Sushil Kumar met Australian National University’s former professor Peter Friedlander on Thursday and gave him the reward money for his article in a quarterly magazine, ‘Gagananchal Visheshank’, which is published by the Indian Council for Cultural Research (ICCR). During the meeting, Sushil Kumar praised Peter Friedlander for his efforts to promote Hindi language in Australia. Consulate General of India in Melbourne also shared Friedla…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday strongly advocated for a reciprocal tariff regime in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of imposing steep import duties on Indian goods, suggesting that New Delhi should consider a 50 per cent tariff on American imports if diplomatic negotiations with Washington fail to yield results.Trump was singling out India, even though countries like China and Turkey continue to import oil from Russia.India officially describ…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, the BJP on Thursday welcomed the move as a diplomatic necessity to maintain stable relations with India’s neighbours, while the Opposition has raised questions about its purpose and potential benefits. Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Ghulam Ali Khatana said, “China is our neighbouring country, and it’s important to maint…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Leading foreign policy and national security expert Lisa Curtis, who served as former Deputy Assistant during US President Donald Trump’s first term, on Thursday called the decision by Trump to impose additional tariffs on India “shocking,” while highlighting India’s rapidly growing economy as a major strength in the strategic partnership between the two nations.Speaking exclusively to IANS, Curtis expressed surprise at the 25 per cent tariff announced by Presiden…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Leaders across India’s political spectrum on Thursday strongly reacted to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of imposing a punitive 25 per cent tariff on India for continuing to buy oil from Russia — a move that would raise total tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.In a sharp rebuke, Indian leaders questioned Washington’s authority to “punish” sovereign countries for pursuing independent foreign policy and warned that retaliatory measures would be considered if …

Dhaka, Aug 7 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Awami League has sounded the alarm over the nation’s worsening economic crisis, blaming the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for widespread financial distress, mass job losses, surging hunger, and the collapse of businesses and banking institutions.The party claimed that more than 10 million jobs have been lost in the past year, food insecurity has spiked, small businesses have shut down in large numbers, and the banking sector is reeling under massive debt….

Seoul, Aug 7 (IANS) A senior unification ministry official of South Korea said on Thursday that this year’s annual summertime joint military exercise with the United States was “adjusted” as part of efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, following a decision to reschedule about half of its field drills to next month. The remarks came shortly after Seoul and Washington announced that the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise will take place as planned from August 18-28, although 2…

Port Louis, Aug 7 (IANS) Indian High Commissioner to Mauritius Anurag Srivastava has officially handed over the first batch of 10 electric buses (e-buses) to Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam in a significant boost to New Delhi-Port Louis development ties. The handover ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation in Reduit, a landmark symbol of India-Mauritius friendship.The event was attended by Mauritian ministers, junior m…

Dhaka, Aug 7 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Awami League has strongly condemned and rejected the ‘July Declaration’ recently unveiled by the interim government’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, describing it as a “malicious, politically motivated document.”The party expressed deep concern and stressed that the “illegal usurper and murderous-fascist Yunus clique has, from the very beginning, pursued a politics of division.”Slamming the Yunus-led interim government, the party asserted that the current regime h…