Name: Bus-sized space rock to come closest to Earth today: NASA's asteroid alert
Uploaded: 2023-05-15T13:08:20.000+05:30
Duration: T00M32S
Channel: Editorji News Desk
Description: The asteroid, named 2023 JL1 is expected to make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 24.9 lakh kilometres.

Russia accused Ukraine of launching dozens of drones at a residence of President Vladimir Putin, a claim Kyiv denied as fabricated, as US-led peace efforts face fresh strain.

Russia says Ukraine attacked Putin's home, Kyiv calls this 'lie'

Russia accused Ukraine of launching dozens of drones at a residence of President Vladimir Putin, a claim Kyiv denied as fabricated, as US-led peace efforts face fresh strain.

Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of having fired dozens of drones at one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, an accusation that Ukraine called a "lie" aimed at undermining US-led efforts to end the war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who does not typically announce drone strikes, said Ukraine had fired "91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles" at Putin's home in the Novgorod region between late Sunday and early Monday, all of which were shot down.
"Given the complete degeneration of the criminal Kyiv regime, which has shifted to a policy of state terrorism, Russia's negotiating position will be reconsidered," Lavrov said, without elaborating or providing evidence for Russia's assertions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia's claim "a complete fabrication" designed to undermine the peace process, but US President Donald Trump -- who held a call with Putin earlier Monday -- directed his criticism at Kyiv.
"I don't like it. It's not good," Trump told reporters of the alleged attack at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. "You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it."
"It's a delicate period of time. This is not the right time," Trump added.
Russia's accusation comes at a pivotal moment in the peace process.
Ukraine says it has agreed to 90 percent of a US-drafted peace plan -- including the issue of post-war security guarantees.
But the issue of territory remains unresolved, and Russia -- which has been advancing on the battlefield for months -- has repeatedly rejected plans that do not yield to its maximalist demands.
In his call with Trump on Monday, Putin said he was still committed to the peace process but would "revise" Russia's negotiating position in light of the alleged drone attack, according to the Kremlin.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a "special military operation" to demilitarise the country and prevent the expansion of NATO.
Kyiv and its European allies say the war, the largest and deadliest on European soil since World War II, is an unprovoked and illegal land grab that has resulted in a tidal wave of violence and destruction.
 - Territory main sticking point -
Trump said a peace deal was "very close" following talks with Zelensky on Sunday.
Zelensky announced on Monday the United States had finally promised security guarantees in a post-war settlement -- albeit for 15 years, with the possibility of an extension.
But the key issue of territory and the future of the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine remains unresolved.
Putin has been pushing for full control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region as part of a post-war settlement and said Monday that his army still aimed to take it and three other Ukrainian regions Moscow claims as its own by force.
In Kyiv, where residents have been living under relentless Russian attacks for almost four years, few were hopeful of a breakthrough.
"Security guarantees have already been signed before -- and what did that give us? Absolutely nothing," photographer Anastasiia Pashchenko told AFP.
In Moscow, where criticism of Russia's invasion is banned, residents told AFP they wanted the fighting to end, but on the Kremlin's terms.
"Only Russia can put forward some conditions," said 53-year-old engineer Alexei.
Nikita, a 23-year-old who fought in Ukraine for a year, lauded Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine, even if it came "at a cost".
"Russia is a superpower that still needs to be reckoned with," he said.

US President Donald Trump again claimed he helped end the India-Pakistan conflict, repeating the assertion during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a claim India has consistently denied.

Trump repeats claim of ending India-Pak conflict during meeting with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump again claimed he helped end the India-Pakistan conflict, repeating the assertion during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a claim India has consistently denied.

US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict during his bilateral meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Trump began his bilateral meeting with Netanyahu and his delegation at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida Monday, he said that he had solved eight wars so far in the first year of his second term in the White House.
He said he stopped the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, threatening the countries with tariffs, as well as other conflicts, but is not given credit for it. He then repeated his claim that he stopped the fighting between India and Pakistan.
&ldquo;Settled eight wars, but we don't know the countries. Azerbaijan... It's good when you can say it... And (Russian President Vladimir) Putin actually said to me, &lsquo;I cannot believe you settled that war because I've been trying for 10 years&rsquo;. And I literally settled it in one day," Trump said.
"Trade. They do trade. I said, &lsquo;We're going to cut you off from trade. No more trade. To both of them... Then I put 200 per cent tariffs... the next day they called.&hellip; 35 years of fighting, and they stopped."
"Do I get credit for it? No. I did eight of them. India. How about India and Pakistan... So I did eight of them, and then I'll tell you the rest of it,&rdquo; Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and senior administration officials, told Netanyahu ahead of their bilateral meeting.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a &ldquo;full and immediate&rdquo; ceasefire after a &ldquo;long night&rdquo; of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 70 times that he ended the conflict between India and Pakistan.
He has taken credit for ending the conflict between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours during his meetings with world leaders and repeated the claim during his travels abroad.
India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs and said Hamas would face severe consequences if it fails to disarm, as he appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

Trump warns Hamas, Iran after Netanyahu talks

US President Donald Trump warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear and missile programs and said Hamas would face severe consequences if it fails to disarm, as he appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu in Florida, Trump threatened to "eradicate" any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program or ballistic missile arsenal following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.
Trump also downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the second stage of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, saying that Israel had "lived up" to its commitments and that the onus was on Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"If they don't disarm as they agreed to do, then there will be hell to pay for them," Trump told reporters at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort. "They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time."
Hamas's armed wing reiterated earlier on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons.
A top political adviser to Iran's supreme leader on Monday said any aggression against his country would be met with an "immediate harsh response."
"Iran's #Missile_Capability and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate #Harsh_Response beyond its planners' imagination," Ali Shamkhani wrote on X.
 - 'Productive' meeting -
Netanyahu said his meeting with Trump had been "very productive" and announced that Israel was awarding the US leader its highest civilian honor -- the first time it has gone to a non-Israeli citizen.
Trump, the self-proclaimed "president of peace," has been keen to move onto the next phase of the Gaza truce, which would see a Palestinian technocratic government installed and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
While some White House officials fear Netanyahu is slow-walking the process, Trump said he had "very little difference" with the Israeli premier and was "not concerned about anything that Israel's doing."
During their fifth meeting in the United States since Trump's return to power this year, Netanyahu also appeared to have steered the US leader toward focusing on Israel's concerns about Iran.
Israeli officials and media have expressed concern in recent months that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Trump said Iran "may be behaving badly" and was looking at new nuclear sites to replace those targeted by US strikes during the same conflict, as well as restoring its missiles.
"I hope they're not trying to build up again because if they are, we're going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup," Trump said, adding that the US response "may be more powerful than the last time."
But Trump said he believed Iran was still interested in a deal with Washington on its nuclear and missile programs. Tehran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.
 - Focus on Gaza -
Trump and Netanyahu's talks also focused on other regional tension points, including Syria and the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
Trump said he hoped Netanyahu could "get along" with Syria's new president, a former Islamist rebel commander who toppled long-term ruler Bashar-al-Assad a year ago, despite a series of Israeli strikes along their border.
Netanyahu's visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia's invasion.
The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump's first year back in power, and Washington and regional mediators have hoped to keep their foot on the gas.
The Axios news site said Trump seeks to make announcements as soon as January on an interim government and an international force.
But Trump gave few details beyond saying that he hoped "reconstruction" could begin soon in the Palestinian territory, devastated by Israeli attacks in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks.
The disarmament of Hamas however continued to be a sticking point, with its armed wing again saying that it would not surrender its arms.
"Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a video message.

Bangladesh’s former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia died at the age of 80 after prolonged illness, days ahead of preparations for the 2026 general election.

Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia dies aged 80

Bangladesh&rsquo;s former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia died at the age of 80 after prolonged illness, days ahead of preparations for the 2026 general election.

Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who many believed would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again, died on Tuesday aged 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party said.
"The BNP Chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6:00 am (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer," the party said in a statement.
"We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul," it added.
Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February 2026 -- the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year.
The BNP is widely seen as a frontrunner.
But in late November she was rushed to hospital, where, despite the best efforts of medics, her condition declined from a raft of health issues.
Nevertheless, hours before her death, party workers had on Monday submitted nomination papers on her behalf for three constituencies for the polls.
During her final days, interim leader Muhammad Yunus called for the nation to pray for Zia, calling her a "source of utmost inspiration for the nation".
BNP's media chief Moudud Alamgir Pavel also confirmed Zia's death to AFP.
Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina's government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.
She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.
There had been plans earlier this month to fly her on a special air ambulance to London, but her condition was not stable enough.
Her son, political heavyweight Tarique Rahman, only returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in self-imposed exile on Thursday, where he was welcomed back by huge crowds of joyous supporters.
Rahman will lead the party through the February 12 general election, and is expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.
Bangladesh's Prothom Alo newspaper, who said that Zia had "earned the epithet of the 'uncompromising leader'", reported that Rahman and other family members were by her side at the time of her death.
"The lives of politicians are marked by rises and falls," the newspaper wrote on Tuesday.
"Lawsuits, arrests, imprisonment, persecution, and attacks by adversaries are far from uncommon. Khaleda Zia endured such ordeals at their most extreme."

The United States pledges $2 billion to UN humanitarian programs under Trump, emphasizing aid consolidation and efficiency, even as overall US foreign assistance faces sharp reductions.

US Announces $2 Billion Aid Commitment to UN Amid Cuts

The United States pledges $2 billion to UN humanitarian programs under Trump, emphasizing aid consolidation and efficiency, even as overall US foreign assistance faces sharp reductions.

The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump's administration continues to slash US foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to &ldquo;adapt, shrink or die&rdquo; in a time of new financial realities.
The money is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States' status as the world's largest humanitarian donor.
The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key part of US demands for drastic changes across the world body that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programs and services.
The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-backed programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to UN data. US officials say only $8-$10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its UN membership.
Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed US soft power around the world. 
A year of crisis in aid
The move caps a crisis year for many UN organizations like its refugee, migration, and food aid agencies. The Trump administration has already cut billions in US foreign aid, prompting them to slash spending, aid projects, and thousands of jobs. Other traditional Western donors have reduced outlays, too.
The announced US pledge for aid programs of the United Nations &mdash; the world's top provider of humanitarian assistance and biggest recipient of US humanitarian aid money &mdash; takes shape in a preliminary deal with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, run by Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat and government official.
Even as the US pulls back its aid, needs have ballooned across the world: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought, and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes.
The cuts will have major implications for UN affiliates like the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Program, and refugee agency UNHCR. They have already received billions less from the US this year than under annual allocations from the previous Biden administration &mdash; or even during Trump's first term.
Now, the idea is that Fletcher's office &mdash; which last year set in motion a &ldquo;humanitarian reset&rdquo; to improve efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness of money spent &mdash; will become a funnel for US and other aid money that can be redirected to those agencies, rather than scattered US contributions to a variety of individual appeals for aid.
 US seeks aid consolidation
The United States wants to see &ldquo;more consolidated leadership authority&rdquo; in UN aid delivery systems, said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide details before the announcement at the US diplomatic mission in Geneva.
Under the plan, Fletcher and his coordination office &ldquo;are going to control the spigot&rdquo; on how money is distributed to agencies, the official said.
&ldquo;This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars &mdash; providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,&rdquo; said US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.
US officials say the $2 billion is just a first outlay to help fund OCHA's annual appeal for money, announced earlier this month. Fletcher, noting the upended aid landscape, already slashed the request this year. Other traditional UN donors like Britain, France, Germany, and Japan have reduced aid allocations and sought reforms this year.
&ldquo;The agreement requires the UN to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep,&rdquo; the State Department said in a statement. &ldquo;Individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Nowhere is reform more important than the humanitarian agencies, which perform some of the UN's most critical work,&rdquo; the department added. &ldquo;Today's agreement is a critical step in those reform efforts, balancing President Trump's commitment to remaining the world's most generous nation, with the imperative to bring reform to the way we fund, oversee, and integrate with UN humanitarian efforts.&rdquo;
At its core, the reform project will help establish pools of funding that can be directed either to specific crises or countries in need. A total of 17 countries will be targeted initially, including Bangladesh, Congo, Haiti, Syria, and Ukraine.
One of the world's most desperate countries, Afghanistan, is not included, nor are the Palestinian territories, which officials say will be covered by money stemming from Trump's as-yet-incomplete Gaza peace plan.
The project, months in the making, stems from Trump's longtime view that the world body has great promise, but has failed to live up to it, and has &mdash; in his eyes &mdash; drifted too far from its original mandate to save lives while undermining American interests, promoting radical ideologies, and encouraging wasteful, unaccountable spending.
Fletcher praised the deal, saying in a statement, &ldquo;At a moment of immense global strain, the United States is demonstrating that it is a humanitarian superpower, offering hope to people who have lost everything.&rdquo;

North Korea fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles over the Yellow Sea, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for expanded nuclear weapons development amid rising regional tensions.

North Korea tests cruise missiles in show of 'combat readiness'

North Korea fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles over the Yellow Sea, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for expanded nuclear weapons development amid rising regional tensions.

North Korea test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles, state media reported Monday, hailing the exercise as a show of "combat readiness" against foreign threats.
Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill -- staged Sunday over the Yellow Sea to the west of the Korean peninsula -- and called for "unlimited and sustained" development of his nuclear weapons forces, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
The goal of the exercise was to review the "counter-offensive response posture and combat capability of long-range missile sub-units," KCNA said.
The missiles flew for more than two hours, state media said, sharing photos of the missiles being fired and hitting a target.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired Sunday at 8:00 am (2300 GMT Saturday) from the Sunan area near the capital Pyongyang.
Kim vowed Pyongyang "would as ever devote all their efforts to the unlimited and sustained development of the state nuclear combat force", KCNA said.
North Korea last staged a ballistic missile test in early November, around a week after US President Donald Trump -- on a tour of the region -- expressed interest in meeting with Kim.
Pyongyang did not respond to the offer.
At that time, Trump had just approved South Korean plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine.
Last week Pyongyang showed off a nuclear submarine of its own.
Photos published by KCNA showed Kim walking alongside a purportedly 8,700-tonne submarine at an indoor assembly site, surrounded by officials and his daughter Kim Ju Ae.
Pyongyang viewed Seoul developing nuclear subs as "an offensive act severely violating its security and maritime sovereignty", Kim said, according to KCNA.
North Korean state media last week also published a defence ministry statement condemning the docking of the US Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Greenville in South Korea's Busan.
The cruise missile launch drill was aimed at countering these moves, said Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
"The arrow-type cruise missiles, with a range of around 2,000 kilometres, are capable of striking not only the entire Korean peninsula but also rear bases of US forces stationed in Japan," Yang told AFP.

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is closer than ever after talks with Ukrainian and Russian leaders, but major disagreements over territory remain.

Trump says Ukraine peace deal closer, territory dispute unresolved

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end Russia&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine is closer than ever after talks with Ukrainian and Russian leaders, but major disagreements over territory remain.

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal was closer than ever to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine but reported no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory after new talks with the warring countries' leaders.
Trump, who had promised a peace deal on day one of his nearly year-old presidency, said it would become clear within weeks whether it was possible to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people since February 2022.
In a pre-New Year's diplomatic sprint, Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Florida, where the two met with top aides over lunch, a day after Russia unleashed major new attacks on residential areas of the capital Kyiv.
Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who immediately insisted that Moscow was "serious" about peace despite the assault.
"I really believe we're, Mr. President, probably closer than -- far closer than -- ever before with both parties," Trump said with Zelensky at his side in the tea room of his Mar-a-Lago estate.
"Everybody wants it ended," Trump said.
After their talks, Zelensky and Trump spoke jointly by telephone with key European leaders, who have been particularly alarmed about any decisions that would embolden Russia.
Zelensky said that he and European leaders could return jointly for talks with Trump in Washington in January.
The Ukrainian president stayed studiously polite throughout his visit, mindful of his disastrous White House meeting on February 28 where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated him for not being sufficiently grateful.
 - Territory impasse -
Trump, for all his stated optimism, gave few details on the progress he cited, instead digressing into familiar grievances about his predecessor Joe Biden, who committed billions of dollars for Ukraine's defense, and speaking of his own friendly rapport with Putin.
Trump acknowledged continued disagreement between Kyiv and Moscow on territory. The current plan, revised after weeks of intense US-Ukrainian negotiations, would stop the war at the current frontlines in the eastern Donbas region and set up a demilitarized area, while Russia has long demanded territorial concessions.
"It's unresolved, but it's getting a lot closer. That's a very tough issue, but one that I think will get resolved," Trump said.
Trump offered to address the Ukrainian parliament to promote the plan &nbsp;-- an idea, however unlikely, that Zelensky was quick to welcome.
Zelensky has voiced an openness to the revised US plan, marking Kyiv's most explicit acknowledgement yet of possible territorial concessions, although Ukrainians voters would need to approve it in a referendum.
By contrast, Russia has shown no signs of compromise, as it sees hope in the grinding gains it has made over four years against tough Ukrainian defenses.
The Kremlin in its readout of talks between Putin and Trump called on Kyiv to make a "brave decision" and immediately withdraw troops from Donbas, casting European leaders as the impediment to peace.
"Russia and the United States share the same position which is that the Ukrainian and European proposal for a temporary ceasefire (...) would only prolong the conflict and lead to a resumption of hostilities," the Kremlin's diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
 - '90 percent' agreed by Ukraine -
Trump's advisors have previously floated the idea of offering NATO-like security guarantees to Ukraine, meaning in theory that the alliance's members would respond militarily if Russia attacks again.
Zelensky said that the peace framework laid out by Trump was "90 percent agreed" and that "US-Ukraine security guarantees: 100 percent agreed."
Zelensky said the two sides were still finalizing a "prosperity plan" for Ukraine as well as the sequencing of the various actions.
Russia had adamantly rejected any entrance of the former Soviet republic into NATO.
In its latest assault with drones and missiles, Russia knocked out power and heating to hundreds of thousands of residents during freezing temperatures.
"If the authorities in Kyiv don't want to settle this business peacefully, we'll resolve all the problems before us by military means," Putin said on Saturday.

A passenger and freight train operated by the Mexican navy partially derailed in southern Oaxaca, killing 13 people and injuring 98. Authorities have launched an investigation.

More than a dozen dead in Mexico train derailment

A passenger and freight train operated by the Mexican navy partially derailed in southern Oaxaca, killing 13 people and injuring 98. Authorities have launched an investigation.

A train carrying 250 people derailed partially on Sunday in Mexico, killing 13 people and injuring 98, officials said.
The train's locomotive left the tracks during a trip in southern Oaxaca state, said the Mexican navy, which operates this particular rail line.
The navy had initially reported 20 people injured, but hours later announced in a statement that "98 were injured... and unfortunately, 13 people lost their lives."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had directed the secretary of the navy and other senior personnel to travel to the area and assist the families of those affected.
The country's Attorney General's office said it was opening an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The train runs between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean and carries both passengers and freight.
The line was inaugurated in 2023 as a major infrastructure project under then-president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to develop southeast Mexico.
On December 20, a train on the same route collided with a cargo truck attempting to cross the tracks, although that incident did not result in any deaths.

Newly declassified documents show former US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed serious concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear program.

Declassified US documents reveal US, Russia 'nervous' over Pakistan's nuclear proliferation

Newly declassified documents show former US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed serious concerns over Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear program.

Newly declassified documents from the US National Security Archive have revealed that Pakistan's nuclear programme was a major concern for both the United States and Russia, with leaders describing the situation as &ldquo;nervous&rdquo; due to potential instability and links to global proliferation networks.
Records of conversations between former US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, spanning 2001 to 2008, show deep apprehension about Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear activities, particularly its connections with Iran&rsquo;s nuclear programme and the AQ Khan network. The documents, released following a Freedom of Information lawsuit, include verbatim transcripts of meetings and calls.
During a meeting in the Oval Office in 2005, Putin highlighted evidence of Pakistani-origin uranium found in Iranian centrifuges, questioning the West&rsquo;s tolerance of Pakistan despite its history of proliferation. &ldquo;But it's not clear what the labs (Iran) have, where they are. Cooperation with Pakistan still exists,&rdquo; Putin said.
Bush responded by noting his discussions with Pakistani leadership: &ldquo;I talked to Musharraf about that. I told him we're worried about transfers to Iran and North Korea. They put AQ Khan in jail, and some of his buddies under house arrest. We want to know what they said. I keep reminding Musharraf of that. Either he's getting nothing, or he's not being forthcoming.&rdquo;
Putin reiterated concerns about uranium of Pakistani origin in Iran, stating, &ldquo;As far as I understand, they found uranium of Pakistani origin in the centrifuges.&rdquo; Bush acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s involvement in illicit transfers, adding, &ldquo;Yes, the stuff the Iranians forgot to tell the IAEA about. That's a violation.&rdquo;
Putin remarked, &ldquo;It was of Pakistani origin. That makes me nervous,&rdquo; with Bush responding, &ldquo;It makes us nervous, too.&rdquo;
In an earlier discussion in 2001 in Slovenia, Putin bluntly described Pakistan as &ldquo;just a junta&rdquo; with nuclear weapons and &ldquo;no democracy.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am concerned about Pakistan. It is just a junta with nuclear weapons. It is no democracy, yet the West makes no criticism of it. Should talk about it,&rdquo; he said.
The transcripts indicate ongoing worries over Pakistan&rsquo;s internal political instability and the security of its nuclear command system, with both leaders concerned that sensitive technology could fall into the wrong hands.
The documents also highlight persistent concerns about AQ Khan&rsquo;s proliferation network, which supplied nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya.
Recently, India criticized Pakistan over alleged nuclear testing activities revealed by US President Donald Trump, describing them as consistent with Islamabad&rsquo;s history of nuclear proliferation and smuggling networks.
Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said, &ldquo;Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan's history, which is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, AQ Khan network and further proliferation.&rdquo;
He added, &ldquo;India has always drawn the attention of the international community to these aspects of Pakistan's record.&rdquo;

China has denounced the US Pentagon report accusing Beijing of leveraging India-China border tensions and deepening defence ties with Pakistan. Chinese officials called the report biased, misleading, and interfering in internal affairs

China hits out at Pentagon report alleging bid to weaken US-India ties

China has denounced the US Pentagon report accusing Beijing of leveraging India-China border tensions and deepening defence ties with Pakistan. Chinese officials called the report biased, misleading, and interfering in internal affairs.

China on Thursday denounced a Pentagon report, which accused Beijing of leveraging reduced border tensions with India to undermine US-India ties while deepening defence ties with Pakistan, calling it an attempt to sow discord with false narratives.
"The Pentagon's report distorts China's defence policy, sows discord between China and other countries, and aims at finding a pretext for the US to maintain its military supremacy," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing here when asked about the US Department of War report submitted to the American Congress.
China firmly opposes the report, Lin said.
Separately, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang denounced the Pentagon report, which also highlighted the cooperation between China and Pakistan in sectors such as defence and space, with plans to set up a military base.
The US releases such reports year after year, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, Zhang told a separate media briefing.
The US report maliciously misinterpreted China's national defence policy, made unfounded speculations about China's military development, slandering and smearing the normal actions of the Chinese military, he said, declining to directly respond to a question on the report alleging China&rsquo;s expanding defence and cooperation with Pakistan.
The report is full of erroneous understandings of China and geopolitical biases, exaggerating the so-called "Chinese military threat" to mislead the international community, Zhang said.
"We express our strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this,&rdquo; he said and urged the US to stop fabricating false narratives and provoking confrontation and antagonism.
In his response to the Pentagon report on India-China ties, Lin stated that Beijing views and handles its relations with New Delhi from a strategic height and a long-term perspective.
"We stand ready to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, promote cooperation, and properly handle differences with India, and advance a sound and stable bilateral relationship,&rdquo; he said.
On the references to the Line of Actual Control in the US report, Lin said, &ldquo;the boundary question is a matter between China and India, and the current border situation between the two countries is generally stable with smooth communication channels&rdquo;.
&ldquo;China opposes relevant country&rsquo;s groundless and irresponsible comments,&rdquo; he said.
In its annual report to Congress on Tuesday on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025', the US Department of War said China probably seeks to capitalise from the deescalating tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India to stabilise bilateral relations and to prevent the deepening of US-India ties.
The report referred to a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in October 2024. Two days before their meeting, the agreement was to disengage from the remaining standoff sites along the LAC.
The Xi-Modi meeting marked the onset of monthly high-level engagements between the two countries, where parties discussed border management and next steps for the bilateral relationship, including direct flights, visa facilitation, and the exchange of academics and journalists, it said.
"China's leadership has extended the term 'core interest' to cover Taiwan and China's sovereignty claims amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh,&rdquo; the report said.
It also highlighted the cooperation between China and Pakistan in sectors such as defence and space, adding that Beijing "likely also considered" setting up a base in Pakistan.
It said China is actively considering and planning for additional military facilities. Pakistan is one of the countries where China has likely considered setting up a base, it said.

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The asteroid, named 2023 JL1 is expected to make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 24.9 lakh kilometres.

Bus-sized space rock to come closest to Earth today: NASA's asteroid alert

The asteroid, named 2023 JL1 is expected to make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 24.9 lakh kilometres.

American space agency NASA has issued an alert that an asteroid as big as a bus, is soaring towards the Earth.
The asteroid, named 2023 JL1 is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on May 15, 2023.
The approximate size of the space object is 39 feet.
It will pass by our planet at a distance of 24.9 lakh kilometres and at a speed of 26,316 kilometres per hour.

China says it mediated India-Pakistan tensions during May conflict, while New Delhi reiterates the issue was resolved through direct DGMO-level talks without third-party intervention.

After Trump, China claims mediation role in India-Pakistan tensions

China says it mediated India-Pakistan tensions during May conflict, while New Delhi reiterates the issue was resolved through direct DGMO-level talks without third-party intervention.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said &ldquo;tensions between India and Pakistan&rdquo; were among the list of hotspot issues &ldquo;mediated&rdquo; by China this year.
New Delhi has been maintaining that the May 7-10 conflict between India and Pakistan was resolved through direct talks between the DGMOs (Director General of Military Operations) of the armies of the two countries.
At the May 13 press briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs had said, &ldquo;regarding ceasefire and what sort of role other countries played, etc. See, the specific date, time and wording of the understanding was worked out between the DGMOs of the two countries at their phone call on 10th May 2025, commencing at 15:35 hours.&rdquo;
India has also been consistently maintaining that there is no place for any third-party intervention in matters relating to India and Pakistan.
&ldquo;This year, local wars and cross-border conflicts flared up more often than at any time since the end of WWII. Geopolitical turbulence continued to spread&rdquo;, Wang said, speaking at the Symposium on the International Situation and China&rsquo;s Foreign Relations in Beijing.
&ldquo;To build peace that lasts, we have taken an objective and just stance, and focused on addressing both symptoms and root causes&rdquo;, he added.
&ldquo;Following this Chinese approach to settling hotspot issues, we mediated in northern Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear issue, the tensions between Pakistan and India, the issues between Palestine and Israel, and the recent conflict between Cambodia and Thailand&rdquo;, he said.
China's role in the May 7-10 Operation Sindoor conflict between India and Pakistan this year came under serious scrutiny and criticism, especially the military assistance provided by Beijing to Islamabad.
On the diplomatic front, China, on May 7, called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint even while expressing regret over India&rsquo;s airstrikes.
&ldquo;China finds India&rsquo;s military operation early this morning regrettable&rdquo;, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement on the first day of Operation Sindoor, reacting to questions on India&rsquo;s airstrikes and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
&ldquo;China opposes all forms of terrorism&rdquo;, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said in an apparent reference to the Pahalgam terrorist attack and urged both sides to exercise restraint in the interest of peace.
But China&rsquo;s active military support to Pakistan during the operation Sindoor in May has become a sharp reminder about the negative impact of China-Pakistan close ties on Beijing&rsquo;s relations with New Delhi.
For its part, China, whose arms exports amount to over 81 per cent of Pakistan&rsquo;s military hardware, sought to downplay India&rsquo;s Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Rahul R Singh&rsquo;s assertion that Beijing used the conflict as a &ldquo;live lab&rdquo;, declining to directly answer his charge.
Gen Singh said China&rsquo;s strategy during Operation Sindoor was based on its ancient military strategy of "36 stratagems" and killing the adversary with a "borrowed knife" to buttress the point that Beijing extended all possible support to Pakistan to cause pain to India.
In his speech on China&rsquo;s foreign policy initiatives, Wang spoke of the good momentum of improvement of relations between India and China and spoke of Beijing&rsquo;s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin in August this year.
&ldquo;Also, this year, we invited the leaders of India and the DPRK to China. China-India relations showed a good momentum, and the traditional friendship with the DPRK was cemented and further promoted&rdquo;, he said, adding that the SCO summit was a resounding success.
China&rsquo;s engagement with neighbouring countries entered a new stage of building a community with a shared future at a faster pace, he said.
On the BRICS, he said, &ldquo;the 20-member BRICS family grew more prosperous. And BRICS cooperation was ever more robust under the expanded format&rdquo;.
&ldquo;This year, economic globalisation met serious setbacks. The tariff war dealt a blow to international trade rules and disrupted the global economic order. The choice between openness and isolation became imperative&rdquo;, he said in apparent reference to US President Donald Trump unleashing unilateral tariffs against China and other countries.
He said the China-US relationship is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in today&rsquo;s world.
&ldquo;The strategic choices of the two countries will shape the course of world history&rdquo;, he said.
&ldquo;On major issues of principle, we maintained firm and unequivocal positions. On issues concerning China&rsquo;s core interests, we responded with strength and held our ground&rdquo;, he said.
At the same time, we engaged and talked with the US to seek cooperation, foster a more rational, objective view of China, and address differences through consultation and dialogue, he said.
Both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with their frequent interactions, have &ldquo;guided the giant ship of China-US relations through troubled waters and steered it in the right direction&rdquo;, he said.
China and the US must seek solutions to their respective concerns based on equality, mutual respect and reciprocity, and find the right way for the two major countries to get along with each other.

Bangladesh will observe three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday on Wednesday for the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced.

Bangladesh Mourns Former PM Khaleda Zia with National Holiday

Bangladesh will observe three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday on Wednesday for the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced.

Khaleda Zia's funeral will be held on Wednesday, as Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday announced a three-day state mourning and a one-day general holiday following the death of the former prime minister.&nbsp;
In a televised address to the nation, Yunus urged people to maintain discipline and order during the funeral prayers and the observance of mourning across the country.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, I declare three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday tomorrow on the day of her Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers),&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Zia, the longtime chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died earlier in the day in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I know that all of you are deeply saddened at this time. I hope that you will show patience during this time of mourning and cooperate with all those concerned who are involved in observing the formalities, including her Namaz-e-Janaza,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

Yemen’s presidential council chief Rashad al-Alimi declared a state of emergency and cancelled a defence pact with the UAE after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized territory in the country’s south.

Yemen Declares Emergency Post Saudi Strikes on STC Arms

Yemen&rsquo;s presidential council chief Rashad al-Alimi declared a state of emergency and cancelled a defence pact with the UAE after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized territory in the country&rsquo;s south.

The leader of Yemen's presidential council declared a state of emergency and cancelled a security pact with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seized swathes of territory.
"The Joint Defence Agreement with the United Arab Emirates is hereby cancelled," a statement said, while a separate decree announced a 90-day state of emergency including a 72-hour air, sea and land blockade.
The announcements by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, come after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in divided Yemen said it struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatists.
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (SCT) forces have swept through the south of Yemen this month, taking most of resource-rich Hadramawt province and swathes of neighbouring Mahrah.
Alimi ordered the SCT to hand over the territory to Saudi-backed forces, calling the separatists' advance an "unacceptable rebellion" in a televised address.
The confrontation risks tearing apart the already fractured Yemeni government, which has different factions backed by oil-rich Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
It also threatens slow-moving peace negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a military intervention by the Saudi-led coalition.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Reaz Hamidullah, was urgently called to Dhaka by the foreign ministry for discussions following tensions in bilateral relations with India.

Bangladesh envoy in Delhi reaches Dhaka on urgent call: Report

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Reaz Hamidullah, was urgently called to Dhaka by the foreign ministry for discussions following tensions in bilateral relations with India.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Reaz Hamidullah overnight reached Dhaka following an &ldquo;urgent call&rdquo; from the foreign ministry amid visibly strained bilateral ties, reports said late Monday.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In view of the recent situation in bilateral ties with India, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi M Reaz Hamidullah was called to Dhaka on an urgent basis,&rdquo; mass-circulation daily Prothom Alo reported.&nbsp;
Quoting an unnamed &ldquo;responsible source&rdquo; in the foreign office, the newspaper said Hamidullah reached Dhaka on Monday night in response to the call.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He has been summoned to Dhaka for discussions on the recent situation of bilateral relations,&rdquo; the report said.&nbsp;

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and longtime BNP chief who shaped the country’s politics for decades and rivalled Sheikh Hasina, died in Dhaka after a prolonged illness.

Khaleda Zia's Legacy: From First Female PM to Democracy Icon

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh&rsquo;s first woman prime minister and longtime BNP chief who shaped the country&rsquo;s politics for decades and rivalled Sheikh Hasina, died in Dhaka after a prolonged illness.

Khaleda Zia, the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and the second in the Muslim world, dominated the country's politics for decades alongside her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina.
Zia, the longtime chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died early Tuesday in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80.
She is admired by her supporters for her role in restoring democracy in the country following military or quasi-military rule since 1975.
Zia largely dominated Bangladesh's politics in the 1990s as well as in the early 2000s.
Her political journey, spanning over four decades, was one of tremendous highs and lows: from leading a major party and governing the country to being convicted on corruption charges and later receiving a presidential pardon.
Zia's rise as a public figure is widely viewed as accidental. A decade after becoming a widow at the age of 35, she assumed the role of prime minister, but her entry into politics was not planned.
She was largely unfamiliar with the political world until she was seemingly dragged into it following the assassination of her husband, President Ziaur Rahman, a military strongman turned politician, in an abortive army coup on May 30, 1981.
Before this, she was merely regarded as the wife of a general and later the First Lady.
However, she quickly made her mark as the top leader of the BNP, the party her husband had founded in 1978.
She was enrolled as a primary member on January 3, 1982. By March of the following year, she became the party's vice president, and in May 1984, BNP's Chairperson &mdash; a position she held until her death.
Her main rival throughout this period was Sheikh Hasina, the chief of the Awami League.
After the 1982 military coup by the then Army chief Gen HM Ershad, Zia initiated a movement for restoring democracy.
In 1986, Ershad announced a presidential election amid simultaneous campaigns by Zia's BNP-led alliance and Hasina's Awami League-led 15-party coalition.
Both alliances initially decided to boycott the polls, but the Awami League, along with the Communist Party and other parties, eventually participated.
Zia's alliance stuck to the boycott, and Ershad placed Hasina under house arrest before the widely believed rigged March election, securing his position as president as a nominee of the Jatiya Party.
"Her (Zia&rsquo;s) popularity soared after she boycotted the polls in 1986,&rdquo; wrote Professor Howher Rizvi, who later became international affairs adviser of Hasina's government.
After the fall of the Ershad regime in December 1990, a caretaker government headed by Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed conducted the elections in February 1991.
BNP emerged as the party with majority to the surprise of many who believed the Awami League would win the polls.
The new parliament amended the constitution, switching to a parliamentary system from a presidential form of government, and Zia became the first woman prime minister in Bangladesh and second in the Muslim world after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto.
BNP was re-elected to power in 1996, but the government lasted only 12 days as the Awami League staged vigorous street campaigns.
Zia&rsquo;s government quit after introducing the caretaker government system.
Though BNP lost the fresh election in June 1996, the party won 116 seats, becoming the largest opposition in the country's history.
In 1999, Zia formed a four-party coalition and launched agitations protesting the then-ruling Awami League government.
She was re-elected in 2001.
In 2006, she stepped down from office, passing power to a caretaker administration.
In September 2007, she was arrested on what her party claimed were &ldquo;baseless charges of corruption&rdquo;.
Zia's electoral popularity can be gauged by the fact that she never lost in any constituency.
"She was elected in five separate parliamentary constituencies in the elections of 1991, 1996 and 2001, while in 2008, she won in all three constituencies from where she contested,&rdquo; a BNP leader said.
Zia was born on August 15, 1946, to Taiyaba and Iskandar Majumdar in Dinajpur district in undivided India.
Her father migrated from Jalpaiguri, where the family ran a tea business, to what was East Pakistan after the partition.
In 1960, she married Army Captain Ziaur Rahman, who became the president of Bangladesh.
When Zia became BNP's chief in 1983, many of its leaders and supporters were uncertain about the new chairperson.
Additionally, the party's ousting during the 1982 coup had left the BNP in a state of political wilderness.
She, however, consolidated the party and led it in waging a protracted campaign against the Ershad regime alongside the Awami League.
Ahead of the 2008 polls, Zia claimed to be self-educated in the affidavit attached to her nomination paper.
The BNP website, however, mentions that she studied at Dinajpur Government Girls' School and Surendra Nath College.
Zia spent her last 15 years as a major opposition leader fighting what her party described as the 'autocratic' Hasina regime and also the corruption charges against her.
On February 8, 2018, she was sentenced to five years in jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust case and later received a seven-year sentence in the Zia Charitable Trust case.
In 2024, a day after Hasina was ousted from power, Zia was granted a presidential pardon and released.
The following day, she returned to politics with a massive rally, breathing new life into the BNP despite her ailing health.
During Zia&rsquo;s first term as prime minister from 1991 to 1996, relations with India were a mix of normal diplomacy and tensions, particularly over water sharing of the Ganges and cross-border insurgencies.
Her government adopted a "Look East" policy, signalling a strategic alignment with China and Islamic countries rather than India.
But her second tenure saw a very low ebb in bilateral ties that largely stalled connectivity and trade expansion, while New Delhi expressed strong concern over militant groups operating from Bangladesh and cross-border infiltration.
Zia, however, visited India twice as the Prime Minister in 1992 and 2006 and once as the opposition leader in 2012 at the invitation of the Indian government.
Her 2006 state visit yielded agreements on trade and security, and her 2012 visit as the opposition leader was aimed at rebuilding BNP ties with New Delhi.
Her son and heir-apparent, Tarique Rahman, who is currently BNP's acting chairman, recently returned home after living in London in self exile since 2008.
Her other son, Arafat Rahman, died of a cardiac arrest in 2015.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently dubbed Zia as the 'Mother of Democracy'.

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