Manama, May 24 (IANS) An all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda, arrived in Bahrain as part of a high-level diplomatic global outreach mission against terrorism. The visit, aimed at strengthening India’s ties in the region and highlighting the country’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism, marks the beginning of a multi-nation tour across Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria.The Embassy of India in Bahrain confirmed the arrival via a post on the social media platform X, stating, “The All-Party Delegation led by H.E. Baijayant Jay Panda, Member of Parliament, arrived in Bahrain. India’s unwavering stand against cross-border terrorism will be highlighted in all the engagements. Hon’ble Baijayant Jay Panda & the delegation were received by Ambassador Vinod K. Jacob at the airport.”Ahead of the departure, Jay Panda emphasised the bipartisan nature and unity of the group. “Our group is embarking on a trip to West Asia. We have very senior members and broad representation from across the political spectrum. The most important message is the unity that India has demonstrated to the world and continues to demonstrate. We are committed to conveying that, after achieving victory on the battlefield, it is equally important to urge the world to stay focused on terrorism, which many countries have suffered from,” he said.He further asserted, “India faces a unique form of terrorism, state-sponsored terrorism, and, as you’ve seen recently, many countries are beginning to speak out in support of our position. That is our mission.”AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, also part of the Jay Panda-led delegation, outlined the tour’s roadmap and pointed to the broader regional context. “We will be going to Bahrain. Then we will be going to Kuwait, then Saudi Arabia and lastly Algeria. Now, it’s evident that the recent incident in Pahalgam was a tragic one, and for many years, as you and I both know, our neighbouring country, Pakistan, has been running terrorist camps on its own soil, providing them with shelter and support. These terrorists then cross over into our country to carry out attacks. We will be visiting these four countries to present these concerns and realities before them,” Owaisi said.Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu also reiterated the group’s intent to represent India’s voice firmly. “We are going to Bahrain. I am part of the Group 1 delegation. Our responsibility is to present India’s position in Bahrain,” he noted.–IANSrs/dan

Washington, May 24 (IANS) North Korea stands in its “strongest strategic position” in decades, a US intelligence report showed, as the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its pursuit of advanced weapons that can threaten US forces and allies in Northeast Asia, and the US mainland.The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the US Department of Defense on Friday offered the analysis in the ‘2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment’ that covered a wide range of security challenges from North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and other state and non-state actors.The assessment came amid deepening concerns over North Korea’s evolving nuclear and ballistic missile threats and its military alignment with Russia based on the two countries’ “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty signed in June last year.”North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is increasingly confident in his international political legitimacy and regime security,” the DIA said in the report.”North Korea is in its strongest strategic position in decades, possessing the military means to hold at risk US forces and US allies in Northeast Asia while continuing to improve its capability to threaten the US homeland,” it added.The report noted that in return for support for its war against Ukraine, Russia has been expanding its sharing of space, nuclear and missile applicable technology, expertise and materials to North Korea, China and Iran, which it said will enable advancements in the three countries’ weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs during the “next three to five years.””North Korea continues to illicitly procure items for its missile program that it cannot produce domestically, often in cooperation with Chinese and Russian nationals,” the agency said.”Similarly, North Korea almost certainly will continue marketing and proliferating ballistic missile systems and related technology to other countries of concern, as demonstrated by its provision of missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine.”The agency pointed out that Pyongyang continues to support its nuclear weapons program and increase its nuclear weapons stockpile by producing plutonium and highly enriched uranium, reports Yonhap news agency.”North Korea has restored its nuclear test site and is now postured to conduct a seventh nuclear test at a time of its choosing,” it said.The DIA assessed that Pyongyang “probably” has a biological warfare program and “almost certainly” has a chemical warfare program with the capability to produce nerve, blister, blood and choking agents.It described the North’s Special Operations Force (SOF) as “highly trained,” “well equipped”, and capable of infiltrating into South Korea.”North Korea’s SOF deployment to Russia will enable North Korea to use lessons learned from that experience for future combat training,” it said.Portraying the North as one of the world’s most militarised nations, the agency said the reclusive country has more than 1 million active-duty personnel and more than 7 million reserve and paramilitary personnel.On the space front, the agency assessed that the North’s ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles (SLVs) could be used as a “very basic” anti-satellite platform to target US and partner satellites in a conflict.”Additionally, North Korea has received an offer from Russia to assist its space program, including SLVs, satellites and training,” it said.The report also delved into growing cooperation among America’s competitors and potential adversaries, including collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang.”North Korea almost certainly is receiving reciprocal military cooperation from Moscow — including SA-22 surface-to-air missile systems and electronic warfare equipment — for providing soldiers and materiel to support Russia’s war against Ukraine,” it said.The DIA forecast that leaders in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang will strengthen their nations’ ties in their drive to undermine the influence of the US and its allies.–IANSsd/

Washington, May 24 (IANS) Harvard University has sued the administration of US President Donald Trump for a second time, one day after the Homeland Security Department said it would block the prestigious university from enrolling international students.”The revocation continues a series of government actions to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and to submit to the federal government’s illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” Harvard University President Alan Garber wrote in a letter to members of the Harvard community on Friday.”We condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action. It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfil their dreams,” Garber said.The Harvard president said the university has just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow. “As we pursue legal remedies, we will do everything in our power to support our students and scholars,” he added.US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.”Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country,” Noem said in a statement. “Enrolling international students is a privilege — not a right — and that privilege has been revoked due to Harvard’s repeated failure to comply with federal law.”The secretary noted that in addition to barring enrollment of future international students, “existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.”On April 11, Trump administration officials sent a letter to Harvard, demanding that the university make “meaningful governance reform and restructuring.”The administration’s main demands include eliminating what it describes as antisemitism on campus and dismantling diversity initiatives that favour certain minority groups.On April 14, Harvard University rejected the Trump administration’s demands to make sweeping changes to its governance, hiring and admissions practices.Just a few hours later, the Trump administration announced a freeze on 2.2 billion US dollars in multi-year grants and 60 million in multi-year contract value to the university.On April 16, Noem demanded that Harvard University share information about the foreign student visa holders’ illegal and violent activities by April 30, or risk losing its authorisation to enrol international students.On April 21, Harvard University said that it has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration’s funding freeze, calling the action “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority”.As of the fall 2023 semester, international students made up over 27 per cent of Harvard’s student body, according to university data.–IANSint/sd/

Abu Dhabi, May 24 (IANS) The high-level all-party delegation from India led by Shiv Sena…

United Nations, May 24 (IANS) India has charged Pakistan with violating the Indus Water Treaty by trampling its spirit of goodwill through thousands of terrorist attacks and by obstructing the updating of the infrastructure to ensure its safety.

“Despite this, India has shown extraordinary patience and magnanimity,” said India’s Permanent Representative P Harish, responding to what he said were Pakistan’s campaign of disinformation about New Delhi suspending the treaty.“India has finally announced that the Treaty will be in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicentre of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border terrorism. It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in violation of the Indus Water Treaty and not India,” he said.After the massacre of 26 people by Pakistan-based terrorists last month, India said it was suspending the treaty reached in 1960 under the aegis of the World Bank to provide Pakistan a consistent share of the water from the Indus and its allied water resources.Speaking at an informal meeting of the Security Council on protecting water in armed conflict, Harish outlined the problems that have arisen since the treaty was signed.“Far-reaching fundamental changes have taken place not only in terms of escalating security concerns through cross-border terror attacks, but also growing requirements for producing clean energy, climate change, and demographic change”, he said.While the technology for dam infrastructure improved to ensure safety and more efficient water use, “some of the old dams are facing serious safety concerns”.He said that New Delhi formally asked Islamabad on several occasions in the last two years to discuss modifications of the treaty to no avail.“Pakistan has continued to consistently block any changes to this infrastructure, and any modifications of the provisions, which are permissible under the treaty,” Harish said.Harish emphasised that while the fundamental basis of the treaty laid out in its preamble is a spirit of goodwill and friendship, Pakistan has inflicted on India three wars and thousands of terror attacks.He added that these cynical acts continue to endanger the safety of our projects and the lives of civilians.”In the last four decades, more than 20,000 Indian lives have been lost in terror attacks, the most recent of which was the dastardly targeted terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam last month. In fact, in 2012, terrorists even attacked the Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.–IANSal/dan

Tokyo, May 24 (IANS) The all-party parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay…

Washington, May 24 (IANS) The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has reached a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing stemming from the two fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft, which together claimed 346 lives.In its filing in the federal court in Texas, the DOJ on Friday described the agreement as “a fair and just resolution that serves the public interest,” emphasising that it ensures immediate accountability and substantial benefits for affected families while sidestepping the uncertainties and risks of litigation.Under the deal, Boeing will avoid a felony conviction and the scheduled trial next month, reports Xinhua news agency.Boeing will have to “pay or invest” more than 1.1 billion US dollars, according to the filing.It includes a 487.2-million-dollar criminal fine. A 243.6-million-dollar fine it already paid in an earlier agreement would be credited. It also includes 444.5 million dollars for a new fund for crash victims, and 445 million dollars more on compliance, safety and quality programs.After the fatal crashes, Boeing was accused of conspiring to defraud regulators by withholding critical information about the 737 Max’s flight-control system, which was implicated in both crashes.In 2021, the company entered a deferred prosecution agreement to avoid prosecution, paying a total of 2.51 billion dollars — including a 243.6-million-dollar criminal penalty, 500 million dollars for victims’ families, and 1.77 billion dollars in compensation to airline customers.”Boeing’s employees chose the path of profit over candour by concealing material information from the FAA concerning the operation of its 737 Max aeroplane and engaging in an effort to cover up their deception,” then-acting Assistant Attorney General David Burns of the DOJ’s Criminal Division said after the 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.That 2021 settlement was set to expire two days after a door panel blew out of a nearly new 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines on Jan. 5, 2024, after the aircraft left Boeing’s factory without key bolts installed.Following the incident, prosecutors alleged Boeing had breached its 2021 settlement by failing to implement an effective compliance and ethics program.In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge in a revised settlement carrying a potential 487.2-million-dollar fine.Lawyers for victims’ family members railed against the preliminary plea deal, equating it to a slap on the wrist for the corporate giant.A federal judge ultimately rejected that plea deal over concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion criteria for selecting the corporate monitor.Families of the crash victims have criticised past agreements as overly lenient, demanding greater accountability and calling for Boeing’s executives to face trial.–IANSint/sd/

Moscow, May 24 (IANS) Russia and Ukraine have conducted a major prisoner swap, exchanging 390 prisoners each under an agreement reached during recent talks in Istanbul, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.The defence ministry on Friday said 270 Russian servicemen and 120 civilians have returned from territory controlled by Kyiv.In return, 270 Ukrainian prisoners and 120 civilians have also been released, it added.The freed Russian prisoners are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with necessary psychological and medical assistance, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting the ministry.”The large-scale exchange initiated by the Russian side is planned to continue in the coming days,” according to the ministry.Ukraine and Russia reached a deal on the largest swap of their captives during a meeting in Turkey’s Istanbul on May 16.Following their direct negotiations in Istanbul last week, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, marking the largest prisoner swap since the start of the conflict in 2022.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced that 390 Ukrainians returned home from captivity during the first stage of a prisoner exchange with Russia under the “1,000 for 1,000 formula”.”On Saturday and Sunday, we expect the exchange to continue,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.The Ukrainian President also emphasised that Ukraine will continue diplomatic efforts to return all its citizens who are still held in captivity.–IANSint/sd/

Hamburg, May 24 (IANS) At least 18 people were injured in a knife attack at Hamburg train station on Friday evening, according to local media reports. Authorities confirmed the arrest of a woman suspected of being behind the assault. Of the injured, four are in critical condition, while six others sustained serious injuries, according to a report by Germany’s Bild newspaper.Hamburg police, however, stated on the social media platform X that there were no confirmed figures available as yet but acknowledged that “several” people had suffered life-threatening injuries.According to police sources, the attacker struck passengers on the platform situated between tracks 13 and 14. The station, located in the heart of Hamburg — Germany’s second-largest city — is a major hub for local, regional, and long-distance train services.The stabbing took place shortly after 6 p.m., right in front of a waiting train, reports regional broadcaster NDR. A high-speed ICE train was visible at the platform following the incident, with its doors still open — suggesting the attack occurred as passengers were boarding or alighting from the train.As a result of the violence, four tracks at the station were shut down on Friday evening. The temporary closures led to delays and diversions for several long-distance trains operating through the busy terminal.Florian Abbenseth, spokesperson for the Hamburg police, told reporters that the motive behind the attack was still under investigation. “So far, we have no evidence that the woman could have acted with political motivation,” he said. “Rather, we have findings on the basis of which we are now investigating in particular whether she may have been in a state of mental distress,” Abbenseth added.The stabbing incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Germany. Just earlier this year, in February, days before the country’s federal election, another shocking incident unfolded in Munich where at least 30 people were injured after a car rammed into a crowd. The suspect in that case was a 24-year-old Afghan national and asylum seeker who was swiftly taken into custody.The Munich incident had occurred only hours before several prominent international leaders, including US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were due to arrive in the city for the annual Munich Security Conference.–IANSint/sd/

Washington, May 24 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said that the fifth round of Iran-US indirect talks was “one of the most professional rounds.””I think the American side at present has a better and more clear understanding of our positions,” Araghchi told Iran’s state-run IRIB TV at the end of the fifth round held on Friday in Rome.Different ideas were discussed in the fifth round, and it was decided that the two sides further review the ideas and make the arrangements for the next round, which will hopefully “enter details to some extent” if both sides accept new solutions, he said.The indirect talks will not conclude in two or three rounds due to their complexity, said the foreign minister, adding that “the fact that we are now treading along a reasonable path is (a kind of) progress.”Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on the social media platform X that the fifth round was held in a “calm and professional” atmosphere, and the date and venue of the next round will be decided and announced later.Also on Friday, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi said on X that the fifth round has concluded “with some but not conclusive progress.”The fifth round of talks, led by Araqchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, lasted over three hours, reports Xinhua news agency.Previously, the two sides held four rounds of Oman-mediated indirect talks starting in April on Tehran’s nuclear program and the lifting of US sanctions, three of which were in Oman’s Muscat and one in Rome.In recent days, US officials have repeatedly demanded that Iran completely cease uranium enrichment, a request firmly rejected by Tehran.–IANSint/sd/