3+ mon, 7+ hour ago (392+ words) The Trump administration said Friday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "is denying and revoking visas from members of the'Palestine'Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority" ahead of next month's United Nations General Assembly in New York. The US State Department'said'Friday that "the Trump administration has been clear: It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace." "Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism'including the October 7 massacre'and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO," the statement continues. See Also: How Do I Know if My Child Has a Corn Allergy? No US administration'in modern times'has ever demanded that'Israel'repudiate its generations-long illegal occupation and settler…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (405+ words) New Delhi, Oct 6:The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to announce the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections on Monday at 4 p.m., marking the beginning of a crucial political phase in the state. The announcement is likely to be made during a press briefing led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. This comes just a day after the poll panel's delegation concluded its review of election preparedness in Bihar, meeting with representatives from all major political parties and assessing logistical arrangements. The term of the current Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, which means the elections must be conducted before that date. Sources indicate that the schedule will be carefully planned to avoid overlapping with major festivals like Diwali and Chhath, which fall between October 18 and October 28. This consideration aims…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (407+ words) Kochi, Oct 15: St. Rita's Public School in Palluruthy in Kerala's Kochi reopened on Wednesday after being closed for two days following a controversy over the wearing of the hijab by a Class 8 student. There was a strong police force outside the school. The girl, who had insisted on wearing the hijab, did not attend school, with her parent citing health issues for her absence. The controversy erupted after the school authorities allegedly denied the student entry to the classroom for wearing a headscarf. The girl's father, on Tuesday, stated that the family was willing to abide by the school's regulations and wanted their daughter to continue her studies there. "We do not want this to be exploited for any communal agenda," he conveyed. This stand was made public after a meeting between the family and school management representatives, mediated by…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago (409+ words) Kolkata, Sep 22: Amid high possibilities of the beginning of the Election Commission of India (ECI)-proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal next month, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) is taking all possible precautions to make the revision process foolproof. Understanding that the Booth-Level Officers (BLOs), as grassroots-level electoral officials, will be playing the most crucial role, the CEO's office is giving special emphasis to both their conduct as well as security while they are on field jobs for the revision process. An insider from the CEO's office said the BLOs have been given strict instructions that in case they face any interference or resistance or deliberate non-cooperation while performing their field exercise, be it from any political party or anyone from the state administrative machinery, such matters should be immediately brought to the notice of…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (407+ words) New Delhi, Oct 5: Amid the unprecedented floods triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, incessant rainfall led to the swelling of the Torsa river, inundating vast areas across West Bengal and Bhutan. Responding swiftly to an emergency evacuation request on Sunday, the Indian Army launched two helicopters from Sevoke Road Aviation Base to undertake a critical rescue mission in the Phuentsholing area of Bhutan. Braving marginal weather conditions and low visibility, the Army Aviation pilots conducted an aerial reconnaissance before skillfully landing in challenging terrain to evacuate stranded civilians to safety. See Also: India to Develop Bhutan's First Railway System at a Cost of "4,033 Crore A senior military official remarked: "The Indian Army remains ever ready to assist civil authorities in times of crisis. This operation reflects our deep commitment to humanitarian values and the enduring friendship…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (402+ words) Kabul, Oct 15: At least 12 people were killed and over 100 others were injured in a Pakistani military strike on Spin Boldak district in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday, local media reported, quoting the Taliban. In a statement shared on X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistani forces launched an attack on the border district early morning using light and heavy weapons. Mujahid said that multiple Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by Afghan forces, Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported. "In retaliatory operations, multiple Pakistani aggressor soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks fell into the hands of Afghan forces, and most of their military installations were destroyed. However, the mujahideen, with high spirits, are ready to defend their homeland, sanctuaries, and people," he added. Taliban officials said that the clashes…...

2+ mon, 4+ week ago (414+ words) Patna, Sep 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he is anguished and deeply pained over the abuse and insult meted out to his mother from a political stage in Bihar and said that this was not just an insult to his late mother but all the mothers of the country. Slamming the "gaali politics" and falling political discourse in poll-bound Bihar, PM Modi said that abuses and expletives were hurled at his mother, who is not even on this earth, at the Congress-RJD rally venue, and this has left him deeply hurt. "As a son, it is a very painful moment for me. I never imagined such a level of politics," he said, addressing the gathering of women in Bihar via video conferencing. Tearing into Congress-RJD, PM Modi said that the abuse was not just targeted at his mother,…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago (410+ words) Chennai, Sep 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M.K. Stalin on Tuesday directed the party's Members of Parliament to intensify their work in constituencies by spending at least four days a week among the people and submitting performance reports once every 15 days. Chairing a meeting of DMK MPs from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters in Chennai, Stalin urged the legislators to balance parliamentary duties with direct constituency engagement. He asked them to actively participate in outreach initiatives such as 'Ungaludan Stalin' and 'Nalam Kaakkum Stalin', and to work with district administrations to ensure swift redressal of public grievances raised in these camps. He particularly stressed that eligible women who were left out of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme must be identified and included without delay. See Also:…...

1+ mon, 3+ day ago (406+ words) Kuala Lumpur, Oct 27: India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, on Monday, met the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and appreciated the discussion on bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues. The meeting comes amid the ongoing trade talks between the two countries. In a post on his official X account, EAM Jaishankar wrote: "Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues." "We are in dialogue with the United States of America. Our teams are engaged. We recently had the commerce secretary visit the US, and he met with his counterparts. We continue to engage with them, and talks are progressing. We hope to work towards a fair and equitable agreement in the near future," Union Minister Piyush Goyal…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago (401+ words) El Fasher, Oct 16: The United Nations' humanitarian action is on the brink of collapse, with needs higher than ever and funding for the UN system's humanitarian operations shrinking, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In his remarks to the UN General Assembly on the UN80 Initiative on Wednesday (local time), Guterres said: "Now is the time for bold, systemic change, building on the Humanitarian Reset: to deliver faster, at lower cost and with greater reliability to the millions of people whose lives depend on us in moments of crisis." With this goal in mind, the UN chief said, the United Nations has established a New Humanitarian Compact between UN humanitarian agencies -- a six-point blueprint to deliver better, restore trust in multilateral action and maximise the impact of every dollar. "The Compact will bring the UN system together in a new Collaborative…...