US-NATO rift widens as Trump calls allies ‘cowards’

IANS | March 20, 2026 8:42 PM

New York, March 20 (IANS) The rift between US President Donald Trump and NATO deepened on Friday as he called members of the pact “cowards” and warned that he would “remember” their refusal to help open the Strait of Hormuz.

Nepali detained by Iran amid Hormuz crisis

IANS | March 20, 2026 7:22 PM

Kathmandu, March 20 (IANS) The Nepal government on Friday confirmed that a Nepali national working aboard a vessel navigating the maritime corridor of the Strait of Hormuz has been detained by the Iranian authorities amid the ongoing war involving the US, Israel, and Iran.

China's assertiveness in South China Sea poses global security concern: Report

IANS | March 20, 2026 7:16 PM

Naypyidaw, March 20 (IANS) Vietnam's resistance to Chinese hegemony in the South China Sea represents both a national defence of sovereignty and a struggle to uphold international law. The deterioration of ties between the two countries indicates a risky trajectory – one where China’s assertiveness could disrupt fragile stability in the Southeast Asian region, a report has detailed.