Abu Dhabi, May 23 (IANS) The high-level all-party delegation from India led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde on Friday paid obeisance at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, BAPS Hindu Temple and Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara in Abu Dhabi conveying a strong message of harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence – the values shared and cherished by India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Earlier in the day, the delegation held a meeting with Nikolay Mladenov, Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy of the UAE, discussing enhancing cooperation between India and the UAE in fighting terrorism as well as radicalisation under the global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor.“The All-party delegation led by Shrikant Eknath Shinde met Nikolay Mladenov, Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. They exchanged views on furthering cooperation between India-UAE in counter-terrorism and combating radicalism,” the Indian Embassy in UAE posted on X.The delegation on Thursday interacted with the members of the Indian Community in Abu Dhabi, conveying India’s national consensus and collective resolve against terrorism.It also held productive discussions with Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Director General, National Media Office of UAE about the role of media to counter terrorism and extremism.The UAE has assured India that both countries will tackle terrorism together as the strong bilateral relationship extends beyond trade and culture, also encompassing security and strategic issues.UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi – Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal National Council – besides several other senior Emirati parliamentarians expressed full solidarity with India as the high-level all-party delegation from India called on them in Abu Dhabi.As the delegation highlighted the perpetration of cross-border terrorism and efforts to cause social disharmony in India by Pakistan, Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan conveyed his deep condolences on the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attacks and said, “India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India.”The delegation then held substantive discussions with Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal National Council, underscoring the precise, measured, and non-escalatory nature of Operation Sindoor against the barbaric terrorist attack on the tourists in Kashmir on April 22.According to the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, during the meeting, Nuaimi stressed, “India-UAE relationship is beyond trade and culture, and encompasses security and strategic issues. Terrorism is against the whole of humanity and the international community must act now.”The delegation led by Shinde includes BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD’s Sasmit Patra, IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer, BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.Their ongoing visit marked the beginning of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism, including the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack.–IANSint/scor/as

Washington, May 23 (IANS) A Pentagon spokesperson on Friday dismissed reports on the United States’…

Rome, May 23 (IANS) Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his delegation arrived in Rome on Friday to participate in the fifth round of indirect talks with the United States. The talks are being facilitated by Oman with Steve Witkoff, the US President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, leading the delegation from Washington.”Set to travel to Rome for the 5th round of indirect talks with the United States. Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science: Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide,” Araghchi posted on X before departing for Italy.Araghchi on Thursday said that there will be no nuclear agreement if the US seeks to cease Iran’s uranium enrichment.He made the remarks in a live interview broadcast by the state-run IRIB TV ahead of the fifth round of indirect nuclear talks between Iranian and US delegations in Rome on Friday.“Fundamental differences still exist between us. The US side does not believe in uranium enrichment in Iran. If this is their objective, there would be no agreement,” Araghchi said while responding to US officials’ recent demands that Tehran should completely stop uranium enrichment on its soil.“However, if they seek that Iran does not move toward nuclear weapons, this can be achieved. We do not seek nuclear weapons,” he saidAraghchi noted that the nuclear deal signed between Iran and several other countries in 2015 was no longer effective, “but it does not mean that the deal is dead,” adding that the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, could be revived, Xinhua news agency reported.However, Araghchi emphasised that Iran would not give up its nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment.Iran and the US have earlier held four rounds of indirect talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US sanctions through the mediation of Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaid.Earlier on Wednesday US Department of State identified Iran’s construction sector as being controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who only build terror and chaos, and identified 10 additional strategic materials that Iran is using in connection with its nuclear, military, or ballistic missile programs, said department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a statement.“With these determinations, the United States has broader sanctions authorities to prevent Iran from acquiring strategic materials for its construction sector under IRGC control and its proliferation programs,” Bruce addedRecently, US officials have repeatedly demanded that Iran completely cease its uranium enrichment activities, a request that Tehran has firmly rejected, insisting the issue is “non-negotiable”.–IANSint/scor/as

Islamabad, May 23 (IANS) Asserting that the country is staring down the barrel of a…

Seoul, May 23 (IANS) South Korean Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung said on…

Tokyo, May 23 (IANS) The Indian all-party parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha interacted with the Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League in Tokyo on Friday, conveying India’s resolute stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism under the global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor.During the talks, the Japanese side, led by league chairman Yasutoshi Nishimura, expressed full support for India’s resolve to counter cross border terrorism.The Indian delegation also held a meeting with Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, continuing with the momentum of Nukaga’s recent visit to India, during which he voiced Japan’s unwavering support for India in its fight against terrorism.”All-Party Delegation from India met with Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, building on the momentum of Mr. Nukaga’s recent visit to India, where he expressed Japan’s full support for India’s fight against terrorism. Nukaga reiterated his support for India’s unified national resolve to combat terrorism,” the Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.Earlier in the day, the Indian delegation also held a fruitful interaction with Minoru Kihara, Former Defence Minister of Japan, and Shinako Tsuchiya, the Director General of the International Bureau, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), reiterating India’s strong resolve to fight every form of terrorism.The delegation also met Yasuhiro Hanashi, Acting Chairperson of the Research Committee on Counter-terrorism of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Former Minister of Justice, highlighting India’s unified and determined stance against terrorism in all its forms. Both sides reiterated their zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.Furthermore, the delegation actively engaged with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Indian Embassy, reaffirming India’s steadfast commitment to combating terrorism.”Proactive engagement by the All-Party Delegation from India with the Diplomatic Corps in Tokyo at the Embassy of India in Japan reaffirms India’s unwavering national resolve against terrorism. United in voice, firm in action,” the Embassy of India in Japan posted on X.The delegation led by Jha includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi and Brij Lal, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Barittas, and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid.Their ongoing visit marked the beginning of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism, including the heinous April 22 Pahalgam attack.–IANSint/scor/as

New Delhi: Turkey’s vocal support for Pakistan following India’s retaliatory strikes against terror networks after…

London, May 23 (IANS) A Norwegian man had a narrow escape as a huge container ship ran aground onto his garden, missing his bedroom where he was sleeping by scant metres, reports said on Friday. The incident occurred in Byneset, near Trondheim city, and Johan Helberg was asleep throughout the arrival of his unexpected visitor – the 135-metre, Cypriot-flagged cargo ship, the NCL Salten.Helberg only woke to find the ship when his neighbour, who had witnessed the ship heading for the shore, rushed to his house to alert him, the BBC reported.”The doorbell rang at a time of day when I don’t like to open,” Helberg told Norwegian television channel TV 2.He said that he went to the window and “was quite astonished to see a big ship, adding that he had to bend his neck to see its top.Five metres further south and it would have entered the bedroom, and “that wouldn’t have been particularly pleasant”, he said.”I didn’t hear anything,” Helbe told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, adding that he was told that there had been a loud noise.Helberg’s neighbour, Jostein Jorgensen, said he was woken by the sound of the ship as it headed at full speed towards land – and Helberg’s house.”I was sure that he was already outside, but no, there was no sign of life. I rang the doorbell many times… it was only when I called him on the phone that I managed to contact him,” Jorgensen told TV2.Helberg said that the ship was “a very bulky new neighbour, but it will soon go away.”He said that he was “very excited” to see how the ship would be removed from his garden, adding that it would take a lot of effort.No one was injured in the incident.The container vessel had 16 people on board and was travelling south-west through the Trondheim Fjord to Orkanger when it went off course, the BBC reported.It is not known what caused the crash, and Norwegian police are said to be investigating.Bente Hetland, the Managing Director of NCL, which had chartered the ship, said it was a “serious incident” and “we are grateful that nobody was injured”.–IANSvd/vd

Seoul, May 23 (IANS) South Korea’s defence ministry said on Friday that it has not held any discussions with the Pentagon over the possibility of scaling back US Forces Korea (USFK) troops stationed in South Korea.The remark came in response to a report by The Wall Street Journal that US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering withdrawing some 4,500 troops of the 28,500-strong USFK and relocating them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific, including Guam.”As the core strength of the South Korea-US alliance, the USFK, alongside our military, has contributed to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and in the region by maintaining a firm combined defense posture and deterring North Korea’s invasion and provocation,” the ministry said.”We will continue to cooperate with the US side to advance in such a direction,” it said.A Pentagon spokesperson told that there are no policy announcements to make regarding any potential USFK troop reduction, Yonhap news agency reported.A defence ministry official also emphasised that a possible reduction of USFK troops on the Korean Peninsula is a matter that mandates consultation between the allies.”A change in USFK troops is a matter that requires bilateral consultation, based on the spirit of the South Korea-US alliance and mutual respect,” a ministry official told reporters, adding such a plan would have to go through certain procedures, such as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and the Military Committee Meeting (MCM).SCM is an annual meeting of the defense chiefs of the two nations, while MCM refers to annual talks between the allies’ military chiefs.In October, Seoul and Washington signed the latest version of the five-year Special Measures Agreement (SMA), effective through 2030, under which Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.1 billion) next year for the upkeep of the USFK, up 8.3 per cent from 2025.But Trump called South Korea a “money machine,” saying that Seoul would be paying $10 billion a year to station the USFK had he been in the White House when he was a presidential candidate.Since 2008, the USFK has maintained a troop level of 28,500 on the Korean Peninsula, across components of the Eighth Army, the Seventh Air Force, US Naval Forces Korea, US Marine Corps Forces Korea and the US Special Operations Command Korea.–IANSint/jk/as

Moscow, May 23 (IANS) Condemning the heinous April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Russia on Friday said that it stands in solidarity with India for elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Moscow’s stand was conveyed as an all-party delegation from India, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, met with senior members of the Russian Federation Council, including Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs in the Russian capital to reaffirm the united stand against terrorism.During the meeting, the Russian side strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reiterated its solidarity with India in the global fight against terrorism in all its forms.”The All-Party Delegation led by Hon’ble MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation met with First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs H.E. Mr. Andrey Denisov and other senators. The Russian side condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and stated that Russia stands in solidarity with India for elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations! Russia and India have shared position in the fight against terrorism,” the Embassy of India in Russia posted on X.”Together in the fight against terrorism!”, the post added.Earlier in the day, the delegation was briefed by Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar on various aspects of bilateral relations ahead of their commencement of official engagements highlighting India’s strong resolve in fighting terrorism in all its forms under the global outreach campaign of Operation Sindoor.“Ambassador Vinay Kumar briefs MPs Kanimozhi, Rajeev Rai, Brijesh Chowta, Prem Chand Gupta, Ashok Kumar Mittal and Ambassador Manjeev Puri on various aspects of India-Russia relations, before they start the official engagements,” the Embassy of India in Russia posted on X.Earlier on Friday, the third high-level delegation led by Kanimozhi arrived in Moscow to convey India’s firm stance in combating terrorism and was received by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar.The delegation led by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi includes Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai, BJP MP Captain Brijesh Chowta (Retd.); RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, and former Ambassador of India to the EU, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nepal; Former Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri.“On arrival at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport the Members of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Rajeev Rai, Captain Brijesh Chowta, Prem Chand Gupta, Ashok Kumar Mittal, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, welcomed by Ambassador of India to Russia Vinay Kumar A busy schedule of meetings and interactions awaits them in Moscow on 23-24 May 2025,” the Indian Embassy in Russia posted on X.Their visit comes under India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.“In the context of the Indian government’s continued efforts under Operation Sindoor and in furtherance of India’s principled and resolute stand against the menace of terrorism, an All-Party Delegation comprising Members of Parliament and a senior diplomat is undertaking a visit to Russia from May 22 to May 24, 2025. The delegation would carry forth the country’s strong message of zero-tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the Embassy of India in Russia said in a statement on Thursday.–IANSint/scor/rs/as