Asia

‘Soul of our civilisation’: PM Modi on Diwali in UNESCO list

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the inscription of the festival of Diwali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. Highlighting how the festival stands closely linked to India's culture and ethos, PM Modi said that the addition would contribute to the festival's global popularity.

2025-12-10T08:06:49.743822+00:00 IST

Pakistan: Government neglect turns Karachi’s Liaquatabad into a t

According to The Express Tribune, garbage began piling up in the open plot nearly a month ago when SSWMB workers allegedly started unloading waste there.

2025-12-10T07:53:36.956108+00:00 IST

Cyclone Ditwah inundates 1.1 million hectares in Sri Lanka:UNDP

Cyclone Ditwah has caused one of the largest flood events in Sri Lanka's recent history, submerging 1.1 million hectares, roughly 20 per cent of the country's land mass, and directly exposing 2.3 million people to cyclone-driven flooding, according the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

2025-12-10T07:35:17.193026+00:00 IST

EAM on addition of Deepavali to UNESCO’s list

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday hailed the inscription of Diwali to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

2025-12-10T07:28:35.218136+00:00 IST

Diwali added to UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

In a post on X, he said, "A joyous moment as Deepavali, the festival of lights, marking the triumph of good over evil and the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom, Ayodhya, which is celebrated globally, is added to the @UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list."

2025-12-10T06:56:57.654848+00:00 IST

EAM Jaishankar pays tribute to freedom fighter C Rajagopalachari

Highlighting Rajaji as one of India's most influential public figures, Jaishankar noted that the freedom fighter's life and ideals continue to serve as a guiding light.

2025-12-10T06:35:25.867784+00:00 IST

Taiwan detects 7 Chinese sorties, 6 vessels around itself

Of the seven sorties, two crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ.

2025-12-10T06:30:13.089847+00:00 IST

Thailand-Cambodia clashes intensify, Thai F16s bombs villages

Clashes intensify between southeast Asian neighbours as Thai F16s bomb Cambodian villages while Cambodia fired rockets on a Thai hospital according to Khmer Times and the Bangkok Post.

2025-12-10T05:34:44.527211+00:00 IST

China executes financer on graft charges

The execution was carried out on Tuesday by a court in north China's Tianjin Municipality, following the approval of the Supreme People's Court, as per Xinhua.

2025-12-10T03:31:53.943452+00:00 IST

Pakistan: HRFP Observes International Human Rights Day 2025

The program aimed to reinforce core human rights principles and reconnect people to the understanding that human rights shape daily life often in ways that go unnoticed.

2025-12-10T03:15:14.461332+00:00 IST

India, Brunei hold inaugural meeting to boost defence cooperation

India and Brunei held the inaugural meeting of their Joint Working Group on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi, discussing military exchanges, maritime security, HADR, capacity building and industry collaboration. Both sides signed the ToR and agreed to deepen defence ties and pursue a structured roadmap under the JWG framework.

2025-12-10T01:04:25.437939+00:00 IST

Earthquake of magnitude 4.3 strikes Afghanistan

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan early Wednesday, the National Center for Seismology reported. The quake occurred at a depth of 150 km, with coordinates 36.39°N and 70.88°E, according to details posted by the agency on X.

2025-12-10T01:02:24.072856+00:00 IST

Italy's Deputy PM Antonio Tajani arrives in New Delhi for second India visit of 2025

Italy's Deputy PM Antonio Tajani arrived in New Delhi for his second visit to India this year. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed him on X, noting that Tajani's engagements in Delhi and Mumbai are expected to further strengthen the India-Italy strategic partnership.

2025-12-09T23:35:18.661897+00:00 IST

“You have made it possible,” says Hean on India’s reforms

Teo Chee Hean, Chairman of Temasek and Senior Advisor to the Singapore Prime Minister, praised India's reforms, noting simplified GST and the consolidation of 29 labour laws into four codes. He said these changes improved ease of doing business and achieved what many once thought impossible.

2025-12-09T21:16:44.990383+00:00 IST

Imran Khan "kept in illegal isolation", says sister Aleema as PTI stages protest outside Adiala Jail

Imran Khan's sisters and PTI leaders protested outside Adiala Jail, alleging he is being tortured and kept in isolation. A rare visit revealed claims of "psychological" and "mental torture," prompting strong reactions from Pakistan's army and government, which later banned further meetings over alleged rule violations.

2025-12-09T19:40:35.074178+00:00 IST

Microsoft’s USD 17.5 billion push to accelerate India’s AI growth

Microsoft announced a USD 17.5 billion investment in India to expand AI and cloud infrastructure, boost workforce skilling, and support national platforms. The move, following Satya Nadella's meeting with Prime Minister Modi, includes new data centers, AI tools for public services, and large-scale training initiatives.

2025-12-09T19:39:21.394621+00:00 IST

PM Modi congratulates Andrej Babiš on return as Czech PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Andrej Babis on becoming Czechia's new prime minister. Babis returns to power with a majority coalition, plans assertive governance, and faces pending fraud charges. His government is expected to shift Czechia's foreign policy closer to Hungary and Slovakia.

2025-12-09T18:42:33.435235+00:00 IST

Bangladesh to buy Eurofighter Typhoon from Italy

Bangladesh will procure Eurofighter Typhoons from Italy, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

2025-12-09T17:16:20.932418+00:00 IST

Imran Khan’s sisters stage protest outside Adiala Jail

The sisters of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held a protest outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday, voicing strong concerns over his health and safety in custody.

2025-12-09T15:45:30.755026+00:00 IST

China gets all riled up over Japan

It seems Japan can do nothing but annoy China at the moment. Whatever the field - whether it is diplomatic, cultural, trade or military - Beijing is finding something to criticise or complain about in connection to Japan.

2025-12-09T13:40:11.016249+00:00 IST

India, Nepal DGMOs validate joint counter-terrorism drill

The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the Indian Army and the Nepal Army jointly observed a two-day Battalion-level Validation Exercise in Pithoragarh, conducted as part of Exercise SURYAKIRAN-XIX.

2025-12-09T13:20:26.945349+00:00 IST