India is set to take its first steps towards its own human space flight when the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission soars to the skies later this year. Private players in the space sector are also gearing up for launching satellites on home-built rockets.
India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that demanded that Russia immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution on Syria that denounced the escalating violence in the country and demanded a political transition, a voting in which India was among 31 nations that abstained.
Former US President Donald Trump claims Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir support his plan to end the Gaza conflict, citing their involvement in negotiations and a recent statement of full support.
'It was very clear in the Parliament election that there was an erosion of Hindu votes in southern Kerala from the CPI-M to the BJP.'
'The message that India has conveyed since the start of this conflict is clear and consistent. It is important to prevent escalation to ensure continued delivery of humanitarian aid and to work towards an early restoration of peace and stability. A peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward'
The resolution, sponsored among others by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, "notably with regard to the protection of civilians."
India has reached out to Denmark and other non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to apprise them of the Pahalgam terror attack and its cross-border linkages. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to his counterparts from several nations, conveying India's resolve to bring the perpetrators to justice. The outreach comes as India mulls options for responding to the attack, with Prime Minister Modi assuring the harshest response for the "perpetrators and conspirators." India has also received condolences and condemnations from world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
India has improved its ranking in the World Happiness Report 2025, climbing to 118th from 126th last year. However, it still lags behind neighbouring countries like Nepal, Pakistan, and Ukraine. Finland has topped the list for the eighth consecutive year. The report emphasizes the impact of caring and sharing on happiness, highlighting how sharing meals increases happiness. It also notes a decline in wellbeing in the United States, which has dropped to its lowest ever position at 24th.
The 193-member general assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referendums in regions within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine and the attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, following the organisation of the above-mentioned referendums".
India voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution that called for the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and reiterated the call for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in West Asia. The resolution, tabled by Senegal, was adopted with 157 nations voting in favor, while eight nations voted against it and seven abstained.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, put forward by Ukraine and its supporters, titled 'Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine'.
India stressed that it is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too in a democracy.
The Quad has emerged as a key grouping to work for peace, progress, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he left for the United States on a three-day visit.
His comment comes weeks after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi during which both the leaders discussed strengthening trade and infrastructure relations.
When asked the reason for India's abstention from a resolution in the UN General Assembly on October 27, 2023, regarding the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations, Jaishankar said there were many resolutions in the UN General Assembly and in some India abstained and in some, it voted in favour.
A R Rahman will be the second Indian artiste to perform at the UN General Assembly after M S Subbulakshmi.
New Delhi, while opting not to retaliate yet to the American tariffs, has in recent weeks sought to reinforce its friendship with Moscow, and recalibrate its ties with Beijing rather than surrender to Washington's diktats.
The 15-nation UN Security Council had last week voted for Guterres by acclamation and forwarded his name to the General Assembly.
In a historic commemoration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a yoga session for the first time at United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 9th International Day of Yoga to be celebrated on June 21.
amed Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Iyengar yoga exponent Deidra Demens, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and prominent American singer Mary Millben were among the eminent personalities who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a unique yoga session at the UN Headquarters.
'Trump is not shy when he is frustrated with countries'
UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang will visit India from February 4 to 8, his first official trip as President of the 79th session. Yang highlighted India's "remarkable transformation" over the past decade, particularly in digital and technological innovation, and plans to see how these advancements have reached the grassroots level during his visit. He also praised India's contributions to peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and its voice for the Global South.
United States President Donald Trump is set to engage in high-stakes bilateral meetings on Thursday, including a closed-door session with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Oval Office, according to Trump's public schedule released by the White House.
T P Srinivasan outlines the importance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly session
Amid growing global concerns over terrorism, India will seek early establishment of a United Nations convention on combating the scourge at the upcoming UN General Assembly session
The Dutch envoy said to Tirumurti "You should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter."
India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
As the UN marks 75 years of its existence, the 193-member UN General Assembly adopted a forward-looking political declaration that gave a clarion call for strengthening mechanism to combat terrorism, reformed multilateralism, inclusive development and better preparedness to deal with challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
India also slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for raking up Jammu and Kashmir at the UN.
The 193-member UN General Assembly on Thursday voted to adopt a draft resolution moved by the US to suspend Russia from the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Robust backing from the government and a desire to stage big-ticket events make India a strong candidate to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
"Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education," Harish said at the open debate on the 'Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question'.
Were External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, right, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, centre, and Hardip Singh Puri, India's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, left, perturbed by Libyan dictator Muammmar Gadhafi's demand that Kashmir be made an independent country, an observation embedded in his 96-minute diatribe.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will have a substantive engagement on the sidelines of the Quad summit on Saturday, and the two sides will sign at least two agreements following the talks.
In a proud moment for India, the United Nations General Assembly will declare June 21 as International Day of Yoga.
The BRICS nations have expressed concern over the proliferation of trade-restrictive actions in the form of 'indiscriminate rising' of tariffs, particularly measures used as a means of 'coercion', cautioning that such practices risk marginalising the Global South countries.
The United Nations released a colourful postal stamp of Mahatma Gandhi on Friday to commemorate the 140th birth anniversary of the apostle of non-violence.The philatelic honour for Gandhi came two years after the UN General Assembly decided to observe Gandhi's birthday as the International Day of Non-violence.The event was held at the Dag Hammarskjold Library at the UN and the speakers who paid tribute to Gandhi included General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki.
The resolution recognised the contribution of sports in creating an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations, its role to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism and its contributions to building resilience against radicalisation to violence and terrorist recruitment.
His remarks came in response to several European nations announcing their decision to recognise a Palestinian state during a summit at the UNGA on Monday. While the move was largely symbolic, it added to Israel's diplomatic isolation. Washington, however, has made clear it does not support the step.
