Syed Firdaus Ashraf marches through time to trace the bitter history between Russia and its West European neighbours.
The deportation of 104 Indian nationals from the US, followed by another 119 set to arrive in Amritsar on Saturday night, has sparked controversy in India over the treatment of returnees. The US government's intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants has led to criticism of the use of handcuffs and shackles for deportees, even those who have committed no crimes beyond immigration violations. The issue has led to heated debates in the Indian Parliament, with opposition leaders demanding an inquiry into the deportation process. The Indian government is engaging with US officials to ensure the humane treatment of deportees, while also facing the challenge of reintegrating returnees into Indian society. The deportations highlight the ongoing tension between border control and human rights, and the complexities of US-India relations.
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized five fishing boats for allegedly venturing into the island nation's territorial waters. This incident is the latest in a series of arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged illegal fishing activities. The issue of fishermen is a contentious one in the relationship between India and Sri Lanka, with past incidents involving firing at fishermen and seizures of boats. This latest incident follows an earlier arrest of 10 Indian fishermen earlier this month and an incident in January where five Indian fishermen were injured after the Sri Lankan Navy fired on them. India has expressed its displeasure regarding the use of force by Sri Lanka.
Many unauthorised migrants originate from Punjab and Gujarat, states known for high migration aspirations rather than political instability.
Eleven Indian nationals were found dead at a restaurant in Georgia's mountain resort of Gudauri. The Indian mission in Tbilisi said it was working closely with local authorities to facilitate the prompt repatriation of the mortal remains to India. Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs said the initial inspection found no signs of injury or violence. All victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning, local media reported, citing police. The victims were employees of an Indian restaurant 'Haveli' in Gudauri and were from north India. The police started an investigation under Article 116 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which implies negligent manslaughter.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea of the wife of an Indian Army officer seeking repatriation of her husband and other Army officers believed to be held under illegal detention as prisoners of war by Pakistan since the 1971 war.
India on Tuesday pressed Russia to release all the Indians recruited by the Russian military, following the death of another Indian national in the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone, taking the death toll to 10.
India has confirmed that 12 Indian nationals have died while serving in the Russian military during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Another 16 Indians, who were serving in the Russian armed forces, are listed as missing by Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a total of 126 Indians were serving with the Russian military and 96 of them have so far been discharged.
US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs and a travel ban on Colombia after the South American nation refused to accept two American military planes deporting undocumented Colombians. The move comes after President Trump announced mass deportations of illegal immigrants and warned countries of consequences if they refuse to accept them. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in a post on X, said that the US cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals and denied the entry of American planes carrying Colombian migrants into Colombian territory. Trump responded by imposing a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the US, a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on Colombian government officials, and visa sanctions on all party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government. The US also announced enhanced customs and border protection inspections of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds. In retaliation, Colombia announced a 25% import tariff on American products.
Modi lived up to his declaration that his visit was purely meant to strengthen India's relationship with the US, but there may be situations in which our silence on some issues will haunt us in the future, cautions Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The Sri Lanka deputy high commissioner's office in Chennai is coordinating the efforts, it added.
'When compared to many of America's treaty allies in Asia, Modi 3.0 is on a much stronger footing.'
India on Saturday repatriated 31 Pakistani fishermen, including three children, to their home country through the Indo-Pak border at Attari.
'The touchstone is reciprocity which will be applied to friends and foes alike.' 'It will be a bitter pill to swallow.'
'Binary fission will happen -- startups will lead to more startups.'
Trump spoke approvingly of his recent telephone conversation with Xi Jinping. This could indicate the possibility of America and China reaching some level of tactical accommodation, which would not be good news for India, points out Ambassador Shyam Saran, a former foreign secretary.
Delhi Police have identified 175 people as suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants during a 12-hour verification drive in outer Delhi. The drive, which began on Saturday, is part of a broader initiative to identify and repatriate individuals living in the national capital without valid legal documents. The police are conducting door-to-door checks and scrutinizing documents to authenticate identities. They are also coordinating with local police in Bangladesh to verify information. The verification drives follow a directive from the Delhi LG Secretariat to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the city.
Notably, the husband of Dipika Jogi on Monday claimed in Durg that she was held captive by her employer in Oman.
Pakistan has contacted governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen for the repatriation of slain Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's three wives and their children, according to media reports.
The repatriation orders for the two Indian Police Service officers come in the backdrop of a spate of terror incidents in the Jammu region, along the India-Pakistan border.
'The finance minister has done as much as she can when you look into the fiscal constraints she had.'
A United Kingdom auction house has withdrawn a 'Naga Human Skull' from its lots for a live online sale on Wednesday following outcry in India over the issue.
The last batch of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives have been repatriated, confirmed Heena Waleed, President's Office Chief Spokesperson told Sun.mv news portal, without giving the number of Indian soldiers.
Ram was repatriated from Pakistan to India on September 12 last year along with 148 Indian prisoners.
India has shared lists of 337 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen in its custody, who are Pakistanis or are believed to be Pakistanis.
'Any earnings, regardless of location, will be subject to Indian income tax.'
Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests on the bodies of those killed in the devastating fire incident in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area and an Indian Air Force aircraft is on standby to bring back the mortal remains of Indians killed in the incident, officials said on Thursday.
The Bangladeshi pilot, who made an emergency landing in Indian territory after being caught in a storm on Thursday, was handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities.
The Union Finance Ministry on Friday announced key amendments to foreign exchange (forex) regulations, including mandating government approvals for all investments originating from countries that share land borders with India. The latest amendments also seek to simplify cross-border share swaps and streamline key definitions, such as "control". The updated regulations have aligned the treatment of downstream investments made by overseas citizen of India (OCI)-owned entities with those owned by non-resident Indians (NRIs) on a non-repatriation basis.
Firming up confidence building measures, India repatriated 91 Pakistani prisoners, including 87 fishermen, at the Amritsar-Wagah Border on Tuesday on the eve of crucial talks between the foreign ministers of both the nations in New Delhi.
She, however, refused to disclose the exact figure of the Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives, stating the details would be shared at a later date, Sun.mv news portal reported.
Six Pakistani nationals languishing in Indian prisons, including an 11-year-old boy, were Monday repatriated to their country through the Indo-Pak Wagah joint check post.
George reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Pakistan government repatriated 172 Indian fishermen and one civil prisoner on Monday.
The Pinjari family faced a devastating turn of events as siblings Jishan and Jia were swept away with two others by a strong wave in the Volkhov river in Russia.
At least 47 Indians trapped in cyber scam centres in Laos have been rescued from the Bokeo province of the country, the Indian embassy in the Southeast Asian country said on Saturday.
Pakistan will soon repatriate to Saudi Arabia two widows and several children of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who were captured after he was killed during a US military raid in the garrison town of Abbottabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that India stands ready to provide all possible cooperation towards ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that dialogue and diplomacy is the only way to bring peace to the region.
President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, has thanked India for enabling the resumption of medical evacuation services with civilian aviation personnel from India.
