WORLD

Kabul, Nov 8 (IANS) At least seven people were killed and two others injured in a highway collision in eastern Afghanistan's Laghman province, the provincial police office said on Sunday.The accident occurred when a speeding vehicle struck a three-wheeled motorcycle in the Mashli area of Qarghayi district, along a major highway linking Kabul to the eastern provinces on Saturday. Seven people died at the scene, while two others sustained injuries, according to police.The dead and injured were transported to Laghman's provincial hospital for further procedures, Xinhua News Agency reported.On November 4, police said that at least three commuters lost their lives and four others sustained injuries, some critically, due to a road accident in northern Afghanistan's Balkh province.The mishap to...

Jerusalem, Nov 8 (IANS) Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked opposition leader and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country’s next government, dealing a significant setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to retain power following the October 27 general election.Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, secured the backing of 67 lawmakers in consultations with parliamentary factions, compared with 46 who recommended Netanyahu. Seven lawmakers declined to endorse either candidate.Herzog announced his decision on Saturday, November 7, following consultations with political leaders, including Netanyahu and Eisenkot. The formal handover of the mandate is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at 5 pm local time, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.Eisenkot ...

Seoul, Nov 8 (IANS) A planned visit to South Korea by Madison Huang, a senior director at Nvidia Corp. and the daughter of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang, has been abruptly canceled, sources said.The younger Huang had planned to visit South Korea on Sunday to attend the "Nvidia AI Day Seoul 2026" event, set for Monday and Tuesday at the COEX exhibition centre in southern Seoul, and meet with South Korean government officials.But her scheduled trip is believed to have been abruptly called off due to family issues, the sources said, without disclosing details, reports Yonhap news agency.Some industry observers speculate the cancellation may have been influenced by foreign news reports saying that U.S. intelligence officials believe a woman who had a close relationship with Nvidia...

Washington, Nov 8 (IANS) New York state and Toronto have formally recognised Diwali on November 8, honouring South Asian communities as US and Canadian leaders marked the festival with greetings and community celebrations.New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed her proclamation on October 26, designating November 8 as Diwali — “The Festival of Lights”. India’s consulate in New York shared a photograph of the proclamation on Saturday and thanked her for recognising Indian Americans’ contributions.The proclamation calls Diwali “a deeply meaningful annual observance” celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists worldwide. It honours the “leadership and civic contributions” of New York’s celebrating communities, including South Asian and Indo-Caribbean residents.In Toronto, Mayor Olivia Chow...

Moscow, Nov 8 (IANS) Russia will regard any foreign military units deployed in Ukraine as legitimate targets, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, warning that such deployments would further escalate the conflict.Commenting on the "Koalicja 26.2" military exercises for multinational forces planned for November 9-22 in Ukraine, Zakharova on Saturday accused Western countries of disregarding Russia's security concerns and fueling tensions, Xinhua news agency reported.Britain and France hope to maintain a foothold in Ukraine through the deployment of multinational forces to confront Russia and inflict a military defeat on the country, she said."We reiterate once again that the deployment of foreign military contingents in Ukraine is categorically unacceptable -- whether...

Tehran, Nov 8 (IANS) The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Sunday two "violating" oil tankers attempting to pass through an "unauthorized" route in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire after hitting naval mines.In a statement on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said that one tanker hit mines east of the strait and the other while crossing the waterway.Both vessels had turned off navigation and GPS systems and were burning following the explosions, it added.The IRGC warned that any vessel cooperating with the "aggressive" US Army and entering the "unauthorized" region in the strait in defiance of Iranian regulations would "definitely" hit naval mines, Xinhua news agency reported.Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media pla...

Beijing, Nov 7 (IANS) Empty seats and back-row observers at the Chinese Communist Party’s latest plenum hint at how Xi Jinping will remake the elite in 2027, with those who failed to turn up likely written off, a report said.The fifth plenum of the CCP’s Central Committee, which closed on October 29, was not called to make appointments, but it still said a good deal about who is on the way up and who is finished, The Diplomat reported.“Barring sudden illness, an empty seat at a plenum points to chronic ill health or political trouble. The committee elected in 2022 had 205 full members and 171 alternates; only 162 full members and 117 alternates turned up this time,” the report said.The plenum confirmed the expulsion of 33 people, including Zhang Youxia, once Xi’s most senior general. Toget...

Islamabad, Nov 7 (IANS) Pakistan is going through a deepening national crisis as its self-serving ruling elite amasses wealth and prepares its escape abroad, while ordinary citizens face mounting economic hardship and a growing loss of hope, a report said.“Beneath this growing exodus lies a deeper crisis of corruption, military dominance, and political misrule that has weakened state institutions, diverted national resources, and pushed Pakistan closer to a breaking point,” wrote Imran Khurshid, an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Peace Studies.Official government figures presented to Pakistan’s National Assembly revealed that more than 317,000 Pakistanis left the country for employment abroad in the first half of 2026 alone, while over 1.87 million citizens migrated between 202...

Islamabad, Nov 7 (IANS) Bonded labour continues to exist in Pakistan as a system of generational exploitation sustained by abject poverty, debt and feudal power, with the failure to enforce the law forcing poor people into a life of bondage, local media reported.“Bonded labour is modern-day slavery. It exists in Pakistan as a system of generational exploitation sustained by abject poverty, debt, and feudal power,” Pakistan’s Daily Dawn reported.The editorial noted that the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recently praised Pakistan for raising the minimum marriageable age to 18, following its review of Pakistan’s second periodic report. However, questions about the high numbers of child brides and bonded labour eclipse the compliment, it said.“Underage marriage is enslav...

Naypyidaw, Nov 7 (IANS) The restrictions on religious practices for Catholics in China are extending beyond churches and clergy, affecting routine expressions of faith, including access to prayer books, participation in religious pilgrimages, rosary broadcasts and funeral services, a report has stated.It noted that the scope of religious practice is shaped not merely by what takes place within church premises but also by regulations governing religious publications, public gatherings, communication and traditional rites.“A Bible removed from a church shop, a pilgrimage cancelled after a priest receives new instructions, a prayer broadcast that suddenly disappears from the internet: for Catholics in China, restrictions on religious practice are increasingly being felt in the ordinary deta...