Ratcheting up the tensions over Ukraine by several notches, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday night signed a decree recognising two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Lugansk – as sovereign nations. Putin signed the document after an hour-long, detailed televised address to the nation in which he explained the rationale for the […]
WORLD
Russia, US wage mind games over Ukraine
War clouds hovered over Ukraine on Sunday with both Russia and the US deepening their mind games over a possible invasion of Kyiv by Moscow. While Russia extended its military drill in Belarus involving a large number of troops, which was originally scheduled to end on Sunday, the US said Putin’s playbook for invasion of […]
When Japan’s Princess Mako gave up royal status to marry a common man
In a decision that has evoked mixed reaction, Japan’s Princess Mako has chosen to give up her royal status so that she can marry the man she fell in love with. Pained by the harsh reactions and opposition to her choice, Mako went in on a simple ceremony on Tuesday October 26, 2021 followed by […]
US troops to stay put in Afghanistan
American troops are unlikely to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1 as envisaged in the “peace deal” signed by the Trump administration and Taliban leaders last year. Days after US President Joe Biden said it would be “tough” to meet the May 1 deadline, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to […]
Mysterious blast rips through Beirut, ripples felt across the sea
Over 100 people were killed and another 4,000 seriously injured as a gigantic, nuclear-like explosion rocked Lebanon capital Beirut on Tuesday evening. The blast happened at 6 pm local time at the port area in Central Beirut. It as so powerful it sent up a huge mushroom-shaped shock wave flipping vehicles and blowing out windows […]
‘Historical injustice as India’s role in WW-II remains unacknowledged’
Excerpts from India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar’s opening remarks at the RIC trilateral foreign ministers’ video conference on June 23, 2020 Friends, We welcome this special RIC meeting of Foreign Ministers to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War, as well as the foundation of the United Nations. The victory […]
Here’s the world’s youngest PM
When Finnish transport minister Sanna Mirella Marin takes over as Prime Minister of the Nordic country later this week, she will be the world’s youngest Prime Minister at 34 – younger than Ukrain’s 35 years young premier Oleksiy Honcharuk and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern who is 39. Marin was elected to the top post by […]
Is Sweden the world’s best country for women?
MONICA BOSE RAGHAVAN There are not many countries in the world where more than half the ministers and over 40% of the Members of Parliament are women. Sweden scores on both fronts. But, then, Sweden is not like any other nation. It proudly calls itself the world’s first ‘feminist government’ where gender equality tops everything […]
The Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation Treaty
Ministerial declaration, Stockholm, 11 June 2019 We, the participating states – Argentina, Canada, Finland, Ethiopia, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland – to the Stockholm Ministerial Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), met today to discuss how nuclear disarmament can be advanced. […]
Iran: What’s Trump’s game plan?
Clouds of war are hovering over West Asia with the US and Iran hardening their stance. While tensions between the two countries have risen sharply ever since Donald Trump became the US President, the latest impasse was triggered by Iran’s threat that it would stop respecting an international deal it signed in 2015 agreeing to […]