WORLD

Kathmandu, Sep 7 (IANS) Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday called on the international community to take concrete and effective measures to ensure climate justice for Nepal and other ecologically vulnerable countries, saying the recent disaster has exposed the extraordinary fragility of the Himalayan environment.Addressing the nation, President Paudel said the disaster had once again highlighted the growing risks posed by continuously rising global temperatures as the nation mourns the loss of lives from the deadly floods that wreaked havoc in Nepal.“This disaster not only demonstrates the extraordinary fragility of our Himalayan environment, but has also once again made us seriously aware of the risks arising from continuously rising global temperatures,” he said.Paudel’s ca...

London, Sep 7 (IANS) A Chinese state-owned firm provided materials required for making Kamikaze drones to Russia. The supply of the components was mentioned in Russia's internal documents, leading UK daily The Telegraph claimed in a joint investigation done with Politico. It mentioned that Chinese firm supplied parts to a firm connected to Russia's largest energy producer, which made Geran drones used for carrying out an attack on a shopping mall in Ukraine.The report revealed how a Chinese government company supplied drone-making materials to Russia. According to the shipping and customs documents obtained by The Telegraph and Politico reporters, Chinese company shipped 46 tonnes of carbon fibre chemicals to a subsidiary of Russian state firm Rosatom earlier in 2026.The company that rec...

Barcelona, Sep 7 (IANS) Reaffirming the enduring maritime ties between India and Spain, Indian Navy's sail training ship, INS Sudarshini, concluded its six-day Barcelona port call as part of ongoing transoceanic expedition, Lokayan 26. During the visit, the Commanding Officer held professional exchanges with senior officials of the Spanish Navy and maritime authorities. A deck reception was hosted onboard, which was attended by senior naval officers, diplomatic representatives, civil authorities and distinguished guests. The ship was open to visitors, which allowed members of the Indian community and local residents to interact with the crew and trainees.The port call provided an opportunity for professional and cultural engagement and further strengthened bonds of friendship and cooperati...

Sanaa, Sep 7 (IANS) Yemen's Houthi group on Monday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out airstrikes and cruise missile attacks across several provinces of the war-ravaged country, as an escalating battle with government forces spread to multiple fronts."The Saudi enemy targeted the provinces of Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Marib and Taiz with several airstrikes and cruise missiles," Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah TV reported, without giving details on casualties or damage.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group had "managed to shoot down a Saudi CH-4 reconnaissance drone" over Khabb wa ash-Sha'af district in the northern province of Al-Jawf on Monday.Saudi Arabia has yet to comment on the accusation, Xinhua News Agency reported.Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces said in a statement tha...

Tehran, Sep 7 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Iran-Oman negotiations on the designation of a temporary route for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz have reached their final stage.The understanding between the two countries regarding the route's designation would likely be registered with the International Maritime Organisation in the coming days, Baghaei said at a weekly press conference in Tehran, Xinhua News Agency reported.The insecurity in the waterway is a consequence of the US-Israeli "military aggression" against Iran, he said, noting, "Vessels will not be able to travel this route with confidence and a sense of security by the time this situation continues."Responding to a question about a Sunday visit by a Qatari delegation to Iran...

Seoul, Sep 7 (IANS) South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back met with his Philippine counterpart on Monday to discuss regional security issues and ways to boost bilateral arms cooperation, Seoul's defence ministry said.Ahn's meeting with Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro was held on the sidelines of the Seoul Defence Dialogue that began earlier in the day.The two ministers assessed that South Korea and the Philippines have continued to build trust for a prolonged period and vowed to expand cooperation in various sectors, including in personnel exchanges and joint drills, Yonhap News Agency reported.The two ministers also vowed to strengthen cooperation in the defence sector by building on an agreement reached at a bilateral summit of their leaders held in March.Notably, Ahn...

Tokyo, Sep 7 (IANS) Japan on Monday said that it scrambled fighter aircraft for five days after China's reconnaissance aircraft flew over the East China Sea, local media reported.The Japanese Defence Ministry's Joint Staff said it detected China's Y-9 aircraft from Thursday to Monday off the Danjo islands, west of Japan's Kyushu, and off Okinawa's main island in the East China Sea. The ministry said that the Chinese aircraft flew from the direction of mainland China and did not violate Japan's airspace, Japan's leading Kyodo News Agency reported.The development comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Ties between China and Japan have been strained after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in parliament in November 2025 that a Chinese attack on Taiwa...

Ramallah, Sep 7 (IANS) Representative of India to Palestine, Mahima Sikand, met Bethlehem Governor Mohammad Taha Abu Alia and Beit Fajjar Mayor Sameeh Thawabteh at the Representative Office in Ramallah on Monday, holding discussions on challenges facing local communities and key development priorities.“Honoured to welcome H.E. Mr. Mohammad Taha Abu Alia, Governor of Bethlehem, and H.E. Mr. Sameeh Thawabteh, Mayor of Beit Fajjar, to the Representative Office today. We exchanged views on the current situation in Bethlehem Governorate and Beit Fajjar, including challenges facing local communities and key development priorities, and discussed avenues for closer engagement in areas of mutual interest,” the representative office stated on X.“Fondly recalled the 12th International Day of Yoga cel...

Nairobi, Sep 7 (IANS) Every $1 invested in tackling climate change and air pollution together can generate around $15 in economic benefits, a report published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) said on Monday. This is higher than tackling climate change and clean air separately, and it includes both market and non-market economic gains.Released on the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, the report titled 'Hidden assets: The economic and health case for climate and clean air action' is the first comprehensive global economic assessment of integrated climate and clean-air action.“For too long, we have treated climate action as a cost to be managed and air pollution as the unfortunate outcome of development. This report shows the o...

Beijing, Sep 7 (IANS) The Embassy of India in Beijing on Monday requested the families of Indian nationals who remain missing following the devastating mudslide and flash flood of August 26 to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process.“Following confirmation from authorities in the People's Republic of China that they are now able to receive DNA samples for Indian nationals listed as missing following the devastating mudslide and flash flood of August 26, the Embassy of India in Beijing requests the families of Indian nationals who remain missing, to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process,” the Embassy stated.It requested the families to provide the DNA information to submit the relevant data, in the internationally recognised CODIS format, to the Embas...