Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on "brotherly" countries, including Saudi Arabia, to urge India to de-escalate tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Sharif met with ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, reiterating Pakistan's commitment to peace in South Asia. He rejected India's accusations linking Pakistan to the attack, emphasizing Pakistan's own history as a victim of terrorism. The meeting comes amidst heightened tensions between the two countries.
China has toned down its rhetoric on fighting a trade or any other type of war with the US, saying that no such wars should be fought because they cannot be won. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded to US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth's remarks that his country doesn't seek a war with China, but will rebuild the military and prepare for war. However, on Tuesday, Lin had said that China is ready to fight till the end if the US wants a trade war or any other type of war. Hegseth said on Wednesday that the US is not actively seeking conflict with China, but is rebuilding its military and establishing deterrence.
'In the Indian government there are no illusions about the United States reliability or the possibility of having any kind of preferential treatment from Washington when it comes to trade.'
Beijing's latest weapon, 15 times more powerful than TNT, signals a new frontier in high-impact, non-nuclear military technology.
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
And while delegates from all over China attended the National People's Congress, all eyes were on one man, the anointed-by-personal-diktat ruler for life, Xi Jinping.
In the talks, China emphasised that the two sides should proceed from the fundamental interests of China, India and adhere to the strategic height and long-term perspective of China-India relations, the readout said.
India's trade deficit with China neared $100 billion in FY25, amid escalating concerns of dumping, data released by the commerce department on Wednesday showed. Chinese imports rose by 11.5 per cent to $113.45 billion, while outbound shipments to the neighbouring country saw 14.5 per cent contraction to $14.2 billion.
Beijing on Wednesday shut down 40 subway stations -- about 10 per cent of the total -- and 158 bus routes metro stations besides schools, restaurants and businesses and ordered daily COVID-19 testing of its 21 million residents as the Chinese capital ramped up measures to prevent the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant which has brought the financial hub Shanghai to halt for over a month.
US intelligence agencies have identified China as the primary military and cyber threat to the US, noting that it continues to enhance its capabilities to potentially take control of Taiwan, according to a report by Taipei Times.
China on Wednesday hit back at United States President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese exports with 84 per cent levies on its imports from America, intensifying the trade war between the top two economies of the world.
Despite Beijing reporting just 51 new cases on Wednesday, China's capital tightened Covid restrictions as it battled an outbreak.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed issues of bilateral interest.
'Every decision India makes along the LoC, it must also consider implications along the LAC.'
'India enjoys conventional superiority, but nuclear deterrence imposes clear boundaries.'
Trump's sweeping tariffs and penalties on China-built ships have turned global shipping into the front line of economic war, observes Shyam G Menon.
India's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services on Thursday reported a 1.68 per cent dip in its consolidated net profit to Rs 12,224 crore for the March 2025 quarter. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - whose earnings marked the official start of IT results season - reported a total revenue of Rs 64,479 crore in Q4 FY25, up 5.3 per cent over the year-ago period.
'For weeks, months and years, it would continue to be debated if India should have pushed the early advantage and decapacitated Pakistan militarily.' 'India refused to bite the provocatively proverbial bullet and escalate it into a full-fledged war,' notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'He is intrigued by the intractability of Kashmir issue. With his interest in dealmaking and peacebrokering, he sees it as an exciting challenge to tackle.'
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will travel to Beijing for a two-day trip beginning Sunday, marking the second high-profile visit from India to China in less than one-and-a-half months. The visit comes amidst ongoing border tensions and follows a recent disengagement pact between the two countries in eastern Ladakh. The Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism meeting will focus on the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains. The decision to revive this bilateral mechanism was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October.
Amid the tumbling stock market in the United States, following the White House clarification of tariffs on China to be at least 145 per cent and an earlier announcement of a 90-day pause on tariffs for over 75 countries, President Donald Trump addressed the challenges associated with his tariff policy, stating that there would be 'transition problems'.
'India won't take anything from Pakistan lying down.'
World leaders, including the UN Secretary-General and US President Donald Trump, have urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and seek peaceful solutions to the ongoing tensions. The calls for calm come after India conducted airstrikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to a recent terrorist attack. Leaders from the US, Russia, UK, China, UAE, Qatar, and Japan have expressed concern over the escalating situation and emphasized the need for dialogue and de-escalation.
India now has 284 billionaires, 13 more than last year, maintaining its position as the third-largest dollar-billionaire hub globally, after the US and China.
He said that in recent times, based on the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, China and India have maintained close communication on the border situation through diplomatic and military channels and achieved great progress.
Domestic benchmark equity indices may see a positive trading sentiment on Friday thanks to a spectacular rally in world markets after the US President Donald Trump announced to put tariff hikes on hold for 90 days, excluding China from the reprieve. Indian stock markets were closed on Thursday for Shri Mahavir Jayanti. Trump has declared a three-month pause on reciprocal tariffs on non-retaliating countries marking a rather unexpected U-turn after record high levies he imposed led to global stock market meltdown.
On a mission to cool soaring bilateral tensions, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday held extensive talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on a range of issues, including the Taiwan issue and the Ukraine war.
Gearing up for Trump 2.0 era, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday cautioned there will be no winner in a tariff or tech wars between China and the United States and vowed that Beijing would firmly safeguard its interests.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates claimed gold at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday to become the first team in 28 years to capture three consecutive World Ice Dance titles.
Kirsty Coventry's journey from the Olympic podium to the highest office in sport has been marked by excellence, resilience, and reform.
China has downplayed reports of a massive flu outbreak overwhelming hospitals, stating that cases of respiratory diseases this winter are less severe than last year. The Foreign Ministry assured foreigners that it is safe to travel to China.
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday warned of new and significantly higher tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing does not withdraw a recent 34 per cent retaliatory tariff hike, threatening to end all ongoing talks with China.
'What signal would we be sending -- that we don't stand by our friends?'
China has honored an army regiment commander who was injured in the Galwan Valley border clash with Indian soldiers in 2020 as an outstanding member of the national advisory body - Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Qi Fabao, who was made the torchbearer for the Winter Olympics in 2022, was among the 33 individuals honored with the 2024 Outstanding Performance Award for CPPCC Members. The incident, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, led to a freeze in relations between the two countries for over four years. Ties were restored after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in October 2023.
The Philippines Navy this month alleged that the Chinese ships used water cannons to attack its ships.
China is likely to deploy Artificial Intelligence-generated content via social media to sway public opinion to boost its geopolitical interests during elections in countries like India, South Korea and the US, tech giant Microsoft has warned.
Sebastian Coe, frontrunner for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency, has hailed the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Games, stating it will open up new markets, crucial for the Olympic movement's growth. He emphasized the sport's extensive support base beyond South Asia, particularly in major cities with large South Asian communities.
Like Mumbai turned some of its stadiums into Covid hospitals during the worst days of the pandemic in the city in 2020, Beijing has set up a coronavirus hospital in a sports arena.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is on a four-day visit to China.
The Air India flight crashed into the sea after a mid-air bomb explosion in what was a failed assassination attempt on Chinese premier Zhou En Lai.
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