Washington, Aug 18 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has hit out at Democrat Senator Chris Murphy for criticising the Alaska meeting, calling him “very unattractive” and “lightweight,” who makes it hard to reach a peace deal. Trump’s statement comes after Murphy slammed Trump for humiliating America and described the Alaska meeting as a “disaster” and “embarrassment for the US.”Murphy also claimed that the meeting resulted in Russian President Vladimir Putin getting “everything he wanted”.In a po…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new US-Pakistan deal to jointly develop Pakistan’s oil reserves has added more complexity into South Asian geopolitics as the deal carries implications far beyond its stated aim of energy development.Despite Trump’s reference to “massive oil reserves,” Pakistan’s conventional crude output remains modest by global standards. The country’s proven reserves stand at roughly 238 million barrels, a sliver compared to Mid…

Quito, Aug 18 (IANS) Seven people were killed in a shooting that occurred in the northwestern Ecuadorian province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, local media reported. Several gunmen in black arrived at a billiard hall on Sunday in Santo Domingo, capital of the province, and opened fire on people present, according to a media report.Local police cordoned off the crime scene after the incident. An initial investigation showed the deceased included a retired police officer and a suspected crimi…

Quetta, Aug 18 (IANS) Leading Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch asserted that United States President Donald Trump gambled with peace by considering entrusting trillions of dollars’ worth of Balochistan’s mineral wealth to Pakistan, thereby empowering the terrorist country. Mir stressed that if Pakistan gains unchecked control over Balochistan’s trillion-dollar worth of critical minerals and rare earth resources, it would only accelerate its extremist ambitions. Very soon, its religiou…

Bengaluru, Aug 18 (IANS) Karnataka BJP on Monday announced that it would approach the State Election Commission regarding allegations of vote-buying by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra made the announcement at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.Answering a question on the statement of former senior Congress leader C.M. Ibrahim and on the alleged audio clip of Congress MLA Shivalinge Gowda, in which he speaks about purchasing votes, Vijayendra said, “The…

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) Fresh trouble seems to be brewing for ‘The Bengal Files’ Director Vivek Agnihotri, as a new FIR has been registered against him on charges of “wrongfully” describing freedom fighter Gopal Mukherjee a.k.a Gopal Patha “as a butcher”, in the movie, the trailer of which has been released recently.Gopal Mukherjee’s grandson, Santana Mukherjee, who has registered the fresh FIR, said they have taken exception to portraying his grandfather in the movie without the prior permissi…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The BJP on Monday congratulated Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on being named the NDA’s vice presidential candidate, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing a leader from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The election for the post of the Vice President of India, is scheduled to be held on September 9. Radhakrishnan, a former president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit and a veteran of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been fielded as the …

Indore, Aug 18 (IANS) With sanitation workers from the Valmiki community taking leave on Monday to celebrate the Goga Navami festival, residents of Indore, along with public representatives and social organisations, stepped in to keep the city clean.Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, MLAs, and other public representatives, including municipal corporators, carried out a cleanliness drive across Indore city.The campai…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) As President Donald Trump is likely to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports from August 27, foreign policy experts have cautioned that treating India as a trade adversary could backfire on the United States. A new report by the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) argues that coercive measures risk undermining decades of trust built between Washington and New Delhi, while also pushing India closer to China.The US move comes after Trump announced o…

Ahmedabad, Aug 18 (IANS) Heavy monsoon showers across Gujarat have led to a significant rise in water levels across the state’s reservoirs. As of August 18, 76 out of the state’s 207 dams — including the lifeline Sardar Sarovar — have reached between 70 per cent and 100 per cent of their storage capacity, placing them on ‘high alert.’Additionally, 26 dams are on ‘alert’ and 22 are on ‘warning.’ The Sardar Sarovar Dam alone is currently holding 76.40 per cent of its full capacit…