SOUTH ASIA

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Year Ender 2025: Amaravati revival, big investment and road to trillion-dollar economy

Amaravati, Jan 1 (IANS) The re-launch of Amaravati capital development works, Google’s announcement to set up a $15 billion AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, and agreements for major investments across sectors were among the key developments in Andhra Pradesh in the year 2025.The highlight was the resumption of state capital works, as promised by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition during the elections held in 2024. With the support of the BJP-led government at the Centre, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu restarted work on his dream project.On May 2, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-launched the Amaravati development works, nearly 10 years after laying the foundation stone for the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. The state government restarted work on projects worth Rs 56,000 c...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

India and Pakistan exchange lists of prisoners, nuclear installations

INDIA, SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) India on Thursday called for early release and repatriation of civil prisoners, fishermen along with their boats, and missing Indian defence personnel from Pakistan's custody.As both countries exchanged - through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad - the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other's custody, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Pakistan has been asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 167 Indian fishermen and civil prisoners, who have completed their sentence."India has shared lists with details of 391 civil prisoners and 33 fishermen in its custody, who are Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists with details of 58 civil prisoners and 199 fishermen i...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

India to receive its 1st Bullet Train on August 15 next year: Ashwini Vaishnaw

INDIA, SOUTH ASIA, SPECIAL, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday indicated that India is likely to receive its first Bullet Train on August 15, 2027.The country is going to witness its first Bullet Train running on tracks next year, Vaishnaw said."Buy a Bullet Train ticket as on the Independence Day in 2027, the country will get its first Bullet Train," he said.Vaishnaw also said that the Vande Bharat Express chair car has created a new sense of confidence across the country, and people have appreciated it a lot."Requests are now coming in from all over India to run Vande Bharat trains, and almost every MP wants one. With the same comfort, safety, and standards, a new overnight journey will begin with the Vande Bharat Sleeper," he mentioned.India’s first Bullet Train project spans 50...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

‘Political vendetta by Pak authorities’: Baloch rights group after courts grant bail to detained leaders

SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES, WORLD

Quetta, Jan 1 (IANS) Human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) asserted that consecutive bail orders issued by multiple courts across Balochistan underscore the “baseless, fabricated, and politically motivated nature of the cases” filed against its peaceful leadership by the Pakistani authorities.According to the BYC, its chief organiser, Mahrang Baloch and the other leaders, including Beebarg Baloch, Shahji Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Beebow Baloch, have been unlawfully detained for the past ten months.The rights body said the BYC leaders were initially held under the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) for three months, a law that allows “preventative detention” based on the government’s assessment of “potential threats to public order”. Their detention was, however, exte...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Pakistan’s textile industry plunges into deep crisis: Report

INDIA, SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) Pakistan’s textile industry, which was once the driver of economic growth in the country, has plunged into a deep crisis with factories shutting down due to high production costs."Once celebrated for its export potential and capacity to drive industrial growth, Pakistan’s textile sector is now grappling with a convergence of structural, economic, and logistical shocks that have eroded competitiveness, shuttered factories, and destabilised livelihoods across the value chain. From collapsing cotton production to soaring energy costs, from regional competition to policy missteps, and now a nationwide transport strike, the industry stands at a critical inflection point," a report in the UK’s Daily Mirror said.The Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) has pointed...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

India-Maldives trade records three-fold jump in last 8 years

INDIA, SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) The bilateral trade between India and the Maldives has grown more than threefold over the last eight years, with India’s exports doubling to 680 million in FY 2024–25 and imports from the Maldives taking a huge 20-fold leap to $119 million. Along with the rising flow of Indian tourists to the island nation, the economic-interdependence between the two countries has been steadily growing over the years.Recently, India–Maldives relations have entered a renewed phase following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Maldives, during which eight key bilateral agreements were signed. The agreements cover debt relief, reducing the Maldives’ annual repayment burden by 40 per cent; a $565 million Line of Credit for infrastructure; UPI–RuPay integration; fisheries cooper...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Scores killed in blast at Swiss ski resort during New Year celebrations

SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES, WORLD

Crans-Montana (Switzerland), Jan 1 (IANS) A powerful explosion tore through a crowded bar in the upscale Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland during New Year celebrations, killing multiple people and leaving several others injured, authorities confirmed on Thursday.The exact cause of the blast has not yet been determined, though the incident occurred at a time when Switzerland has been facing forest fires amid an unusually dry spell.Swiss media reports have suggested that fireworks used during a concert may have triggered the explosion, but police officials have said the cause remains unknown and under investigation.Local radio station RhoneFM reported that the mishandling of pyrotechnics could be behind the tragedy, citing several people who allegedly confirmed this informat...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

North Korea’s Kim hails troops in Russia for cementing ‘invincible alliance’ with Moscow

SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES, WORLD

Seoul, Jan 1 (IANS) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told the country's troops dispatched to support Russia in its war against Ukraine that their combat participation helps cement the "invincible alliance" between Pyongyang and Moscow, state media reported on Thursday.Kim delivered the message in a New Year's letter addressed to North Korean soldiers stationed overseas, dated Wednesday and released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war efforts, with thousands believed to have been killed in action, reports Yonhap news agency, quoting KCNA.Extending New Year's greetings, Kim said 2025 was shining brightly thanks to the "imperishable" honour the troops safeguarded with their blood and lives."A...

Jan12026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Israeli military claims about 20,900 attacks in Middle East in 2025

SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES, WORLD

Tel Aviv, Jan 1 (IANS) The Israeli military has reported carrying out about 20,900 attacks across the Middle East in 2025, primarily targeting Gaza, Iran, Syria and Lebanon.Israel continued multi-front fighting throughout the year, necessitating the mobilisation of additional troops. The military called up about 306,830 reservists, including 54,000 who had previously been exempt from service, according to figures it released at the end of the year.In Gaza, where a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Israeli forces carried out about 19,530 attacks, the military said.According to Gaza's health authorities, Israeli assaults have killed at least 415 people and injured 1,152 others since October 11. A total of 71,269 people have been killed by Israeli fire since October 2023, reports Xinhua news ...

Dec312025 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Baloch groups in UK slam Pakistan, raise issue of enforced disappearances

SOUTH ASIA, TOP STORIES, WORLD

Quetta, Dec 31 (IANS) A Baloch political group held a protest in the United Kingdom's Manchester city against the enforced disappearances of women in Balochistan at the hands of the "occupying" Pakistani forces.The Free Balochistan Movement, which campaigns for the independence of Balochistan, organised the demonstration in Manchester, drawing attention to the growing pattern of repression against Baloch women by the Pakistani authorities.Sharing the pictures of the protests on X, showing demonstrators holding placards highlighting the atrocities, the group said: "Over the past month, there has been a significant increase in state repression against Baloch women, including the repeated abduction and enforced disappearance of Baloch women from their homes. In response, the Free Balochista...