Custodial deaths continue to rise in Bangladesh

IANS | September 24, 2026 9:24 PM

Dhaka, Sep 24 (IANS) As custodial deaths continue to rise in Bangladesh, at least 132 prisoners have died in the first eight and a half months of 2026 across the country, raising renewed questions about overcrowded jails, inadequate healthcare and official accountability, a report has highlighted.

India, Pacific Island countries reaffirm commitment to strengthen partnership

IANS | September 24, 2026 9:16 PM

New York, Sep 24 (IANS) India and the Pacific Islands discussed further cooperation in renewable energy, climate action, disaster resilience, education, healthcare and capacity building sectors during a meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Foreign Ministers, chaired by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday.

Trump, Xi open White House State visit

IANS | September 24, 2026 8:45 PM

Washington, Sep 24 (IANS) US President Donald Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a State visit, with both leaders calling for cooperation as they prepared to discuss trade, security and technology.

Trump and Xi face tests beyond trade

Lalit K Jha | September 24, 2026 8:07 PM

Washington, Sep 24 (IANS) A last-minute extension of the US-China trade truce has eased one immediate pressure on the White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taiwan, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Iran remain on the agenda.

Reactionary identity-driven groupings like Mecca Agreement unlikely to last long

IANS | September 24, 2026 8:04 PM

Istanbul/New Delhi Sep 24 (IANS) Alliances play a crucial role in international politics. The rationale for any alliance is shared threat. Once in the alliance, commitment to the allied partners should come naturally. More important for any alliance is the clarity of potential threats or the goal to be achieved. It should be clear from the outset what threat the alliance is supposed to keep at bay or what goal is to be achieved. Relatedly, the nature and intensity of the threat also matter: it should be seen as threatening the allied partners to a great degree, if not equally.