Indira Gandhi, P N Haksar proved more than a match for Nixon-Kissinger in 1971: Jairam Ramesh

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who passed away recently, created "huge headaches" for India in 1971, but then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her close aide P N Haksar proved "more than a match for them," said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. He also mentioned that Gary Bass in his book 'The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide' severely criticizes Kissinger for his role in the events of 1971 leading up to the creation of Bangladesh. Ramesh described the encounters between Kissinger, Haksar, Nixon, and Indira Gandhi in his book 'Intertwined Lives: PN Haksar & Indira Gandhi.'

UN leaders hail India as champion of South-South cooperation, highlight 'exemplary leadership' in addressing global challenges

Top UN leaders and envoys have lauded India’s "exemplary leadership" in addressing global challenges and for being a champion of South-South cooperation, as they highlighted the country’s G20 Presidency and termed the “enduring" partnership between India and the United Nations as a “guidelight” within the Global South.

1 killed, 8 injured in shooting attack in Jerusalem

Six people were injured in a shooting attack in Jerusalem, according to Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service. The suspected attackers were killed at the scene, police said.

COP28 Summit: Nations urged to phase out fossil fuels

The UN climate conference, COP28, has opened in Dubai with a call for nations to take faster action on climate change and phase out fossil fuels. The conference, which is being attended by more than 97,000 people including world leaders, activists and lobbyists, is expected to be the largest climate gathering of its kind. The UN and hosts the United Arab Emirates say these talks will be the most important since the Paris Agreement in 2015. Scientists say that faster and deeper cuts to emissions are needed to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Israel-Hamas truce extended by a day, more hostages sought

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the ceasefire for at least one more day, just minutes before the six-day truce was due to expire. The truce has brought the first respite in the bombardment of Gaza, which has been reduced to wasteland in response to a deadly rampage by Hamas militants into southern Israel on October 7th. Both sides said they were ready to resume fighting, but the truce was extended as mediators sought to release more hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Japan suspends its Osprey flights after fatal US military aircraft crash

Japan has suspended its own Osprey flights after a US Osprey crashed into the sea during a training mission. Officials have also asked the US military to stop all Ospreys operating in Japan except for those involved in the search for victims of the crash. Japan has grounded all 14 Japanese-owned Ospreys deployed at Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force bases.

Israel-Hamas fail to agree next hostage swap, truce set to end

A truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire as time runs out on efforts to prolong a six-day pause in fighting and an exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. The truce, extended from its initial four days, brought the first respite in the bombardment of Gaza with much of the coastal territory having been reduced to wasteland. Israel has said that if no agreement is reached regarding the next hostages to be released, it is ready to relaunch military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Death of Henry Kissinger met with polarised reaction across the world

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's death has received polarised reactions. World leaders and high-level officials, such as former President George W Bush and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, praised Kissinger's accomplishments and contributions to global affairs. However, on social media, Kissinger faced criticism for his controversial foreign policy decisions, with many referring to him as a war criminal. Kissinger's influence on global affairs extended beyond his time in office, with him recently meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss bilateral relations.

16 more hostages released from Gaza on last day of extended Israel-Hamas truce

16 people who were being held hostage in Gaza were handed over to Israeli officials on Wednesday, the second and last day of an extended truce in the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Red Cross and other authorities said.

On outrage over antisemitic content, Elon Musk curses out advertisers who left X

Elon Musk responded to advertisers that left his social media platform X over antisemitic content by telling them to "go f*ck yourself" in an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit. Musk had previously faced criticism for agreeing with an anti-Jewish post on X and has since apologized. He denied being antisemitic and expressed frustration at advertisers who left the platform, including Walt Disney, saying they couldn't blackmail him. Musk also visited Israel and spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss antisemitism and hate speech.

Vivek Ramaswamy's top aide quits, jumps ship to join Donald Trump over US presidential bid

A senior aide to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has resigned and joined former President Donald Trump's White House campaign, a Ramaswamy spokesperson said on Wednesday. Brian Swensen, a national political director for Ramaswamy who had been focusing much of his time on the crucial early nominating state of New Hampshire, left the former biotech executive's presidential campaign as it has struggled to gain traction. A Trump aide said Swensen will now help the former president's campaign in Nevada, another early state in the Republican nomination battle.

Israel's ex-hostage on confronting Hamas chief: ‘Sinwar was with us…He was silent’

An 85-year-old Israeli woman who was abducted by Hamas and held captive for two weeks has said that she confronted the group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, during her captivity. Yocheved Lifshitz, a peace activist, asked Sinwar how he could act violently against people who support peace. Sinwar remained silent. Lifshitz's husband, Oded, was also kidnapped and remains in captivity. Lifshitz said she was beaten when she was abducted but was then treated well during her captivity. She turned to shake the hand of a masked captor upon her release, saying they treated her gently and met her needs.

India favours UN resolution expressing concern over Israel not withdrawing from Golan Heights

India has voted in favor of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly expressing concern over Israel's failure to withdraw from the Syrian Golan. The resolution, introduced by Egypt, was adopted by a recorded vote with 91 in favor, eight against, and 62 abstentions. The resolution called on Israel to rescind its decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction, and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and to withdraw from the region. Other countries voting in favor included China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates, while Australia, Canada, Israel, the UK, and the US voted against it.

Five premature babies found dead in Gaza hospital, Hamas health ministry claims

Five premature babies have been found dead at a hospital in Gaza City. The Hamas-run health ministry has said that Israeli soldiers had blocked access to the intensive care unit at Al-Nasr paediatric facility, and doctors were finally "able to get into the ward on Tuesday night". There, the soldiers had left five premature babies who were found "partly decomposed". Earlier this month, 39 premature babies at another Gaza City hospital died or were evacuated due to a lack of electricity to run their incubators.

US charges Indian man with conspiracy to kill Khalistani separatist in New York

The United States has charged an Indian national with conspiring to assassinate a U.S. citizen who advocated for a sovereign state for Sikhs. Nikhil Gupta, who was arrested in June by Czech authorities and is awaiting extradition, allegedly conspired from India to assassinate the individual in New York City. The charges come after U.S. authorities recently thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over potential involvement. The targeted individual in Gupta's alleged plot has not been named but is described as a vocal critic of the Indian government.