Kabul, Aug 7 (IANS) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on Pakistan to halt deportation of vulnerable Afghan refugees, warning that forcible repatriation, particularly of women, girls and people who are ill could violate basic human rights and protections. UNHCR has voiced serious concern over Pakistan’s decision to deport Afghan refugees who have temporary residence permits and demanded protection of vulnerable people, leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press rep…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The recent development in India-Maldives ties is an important strategic move in India’s foreign policy. The move apart from being a goodwill gesture showcases India’s reassertion of primacy in the Indian Ocean, where China’s presence is evident by its persistent influence, a report highlighted on Thursday. Maldives through the reset of bilateral ties gets India’s economic assistance, robust security cooperation and people-to-people connection, pushing away China’s a…

Tokyo, Aug 7 (IANS) Torrential rain continued to lash Japan’s Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan coast on Thursday, prompting warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) of potential landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and rising river levels, particularly in regions still recovering from a powerful earthquake earlier this year, the local media reported. Bullet train services on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line were suspended for over five hours between Nagano and Kanazawa stations, …

Hyderabad, Aug 7 (IANS) AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday expressed apprehensions that the 50 per cent tariff imposed by the US on India will disrupt supply chains, deter Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and hit jobs hard.The Hyderabad MP, in a post on social media platform X, reacted strongly to the fresh tariff announced by US President Donald Trump.”Trump just slapped another 25% tariff on India, taking it to 50%, because we bought oil from Russia. This isn’t diplomacy, it’s bu…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The investigation into the fatal Air India crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad is ongoing, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will examine all the aspects to determine the probable causes and contributory factors leading to the flight AI 171 accident, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.The AAIB has published a preliminary report based on the available factual information, and it does not contain any conclusion.”The sole objective of the investigation of …

Kolkata, Aug 7 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary and newly-appointed leader of the party’s Parliamentary team in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday, launched a scathing attack against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the latter’s directive to West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant earlier this week, asking for immediate suspension of four election officers and lodging FIRs against them.All four of the election officers have allegedly been found guilty by the EC of involvement in…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, on Thursday recommended the appointment of a judicial officer as a Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge. The recommendation for the appointment of judicial officer Ramesh Kumari was originally initiated by the Chief Justice of the P&H High Court in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues. “The Supreme Court Collegium has on 07th August, 2025 approved the proposal for appointment of…

Patna, Aug 7 (IANS) BJP’s Bihar unit spokesperson Danish Eqbal on Thursday renewed the attack on Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor for the 2020 election data “theft”. The case pertains to the alleged theft and misuse of election campaign data and intellectual property from a Congress member.Eqbal, addressing the media and also releasing a video statement, said: “Prashant Kishor has been exposed. Those who preach morality are themselves involved in serious crimes under IPC Sections 467, 468, 471…

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) In a fiery Press conference held at the Congress headquarters on Thursday, senior Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of “colluding with the BJP to manipulate elections” and “helping dismantle democracy” systematically.Raising serious concerns over the credibility of the voter rolls and the conduct of recent elections, LoP Gandhi said, “Are th…

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) With US President Donald Trump imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods – raising the total duty to 50 per cent – and Prime Minister Narendra Modi responding by asserting that he was “ready to pay a personal price” for protecting the interests of India’s farmers, fishermen, and livestock holders, the Shiv Sena-UBT on Thursday questioned the nature of the PM’s so-called friendship with the US leader. Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey …