World

Former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli was elected CPN-UML chairman for a third consecutive term with a two-thirds majority at the party’s 11th general convention, consolidating his dominance despite his recent ouster from government after student-led protests

Turkey warned Russia and Ukraine to exercise caution over Black Sea security after Turkish F-16 jets shot down an unidentified drone that entered its airspace. Ankara cited risks of the Ukraine war spilling over, following recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian tankers near Turkish waters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said 21st century India takes bold and swift decisions, sets ambitious goals and delivers results within defined timelines, while addressing the Indian community in Muscat during his two-day visit to Oman.

Amandeep Singh-Bola, of Indian-Kiwi origin, helped restrain one of the Bondi Beach attackers during a December 14 shooting that killed 15 and injured 40. He acted alongside police to subdue the suspect, demonstrating courage amid the terrorist attack

Ecuadorian footballer Mario Pineida, a defender for Barcelona de Guayaquil, was shot dead in Guayaquil amid escalating violence in Ecuador. Another person was killed and one wounded, highlighting the country’s worsening security crisis and rising homicide rates

Dust storms in northern China, largely originating from Mongolia, highlight regional desertification and climate challenges. China is exporting anti-desertification expertise, including tree-planting and land management techniques, to Mongolia, balancing cooperation with local nomadic traditions and rising environmental diplomacy

Africa was the hardest hit by President Donald Trump’s expanded US travel restrictions, with several countries facing full or partial bans, prompting muted official reactions, concern over unfair treatment, and warnings of strained US–Africa relations and wider diplomatic, economic and social impacts

EU leaders meet in Brussels to seek agreement on a massive loan plan to fund Ukraine’s military and financial needs, amid divisions over using frozen Russian assets, economic risks, and opposition from several member states as negotiations intensify at a high-stakes summit

Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Peter Arnett, renowned for frontline reporting from Vietnam to Iraq and iconic Gulf War broadcasts from Baghdad, died at 91 in California after battling prostate cancer, leaving a lasting legacy in global journalism.

The US has said India is a “highly strategic potential partner” in supply chain security efforts and dismissed speculation that New Delhi’s exclusion from the Pax Silica initiative was linked to political or trade tensions between the two sides.

The US has approved arms sales to Taiwan worth over $10 billion, including HIMARS launchers, ATACMS missiles, howitzers and drones, a move expected to further strain relations with China, which strongly opposes military support to Taipei.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Muscat on Wednesday for the concluding leg of his three-nation tour. He was received by Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said. This marks Modi’s second visit to Oman, home to nearly 7 lakh Indians.

A suspect in Sydney’s Bondi Beach antisemitic massacre was charged with 59 offences, including 15 murders and terrorism. As funerals began for the victims, Australia confronted questions over antisemitism, security failures and gun laws, with leaders pledging tougher action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India’s ‘Vande Mataram’ and Ethiopia’s national anthem both refer to the motherland as “Mother”, reflecting shared values and cultural outlook, while addressing a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament.

An MIT professor and fusion scientist, Nuno FG Loureiro, was fatally shot at his home near Boston, prompting a homicide investigation. Authorities have made no arrests so far, as tributes pour in highlighting his leadership in clean energy research

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked the people and government of Ethiopia for conferring the country’s highest award, the ‘Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia’, calling it a tribute to India-Ethiopia ties and reaffirming commitment to deeper cooperation.

A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced the Decreasing Russian Oil Profits (DROP) Act, proposing financial sanctions on foreign entities purchasing Russian oil to curb Moscow’s war funding, while allowing limited exemptions for countries that support Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump expanded travel restrictions by adding 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, citing security, vetting failures and visa overstays, significantly widening limits on entry and immigration as part of his administration’s tougher border and national security policy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss expanding cooperation in technology, economy, connectivity and security, expressing confidence that the India-Israel strategic partnership will continue to strengthen.

Nirav Modi’s bid to reopen his extradition appeal in the UK High Court has been adjourned to March 2026 after Indian authorities submitted fresh assurances regarding his detention in Mumbai. The case, linked to the Rs 14,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, has already spanned six years in UK courts.

Three Indian students were among 40 injured in the Sydney Bondi Beach terrorist attack during the Hanukkah by the Sea festival. Two are reportedly hospitalized. Fifteen people died, including a child, while authorities investigate extremist links and international travel of the attackers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left Jordan for Ethiopia on the second leg of his four-day, three-nation tour. Jordanian Crown Prince Al Hussein personally saw him off. Modi will address Ethiopia’s parliament, meet PM Abiy Ahmed, and engage with the Indian diaspora

Sydney taekwondo instructor Kwang Kyung Yoo was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murdering a 7-year-old student and the boy’s parents. Jealousy over the family’s financial success motivated the crimes, which were described as senseless, violent, and cruel

In Amman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Jordanian companies to invest in India, highlighting its 8%+ growth and emerging sectors like healthcare, dry-climate farming, and food infrastructure. He emphasized long-term India-Jordan economic cooperation and mutual benefits for businesses and citizens