Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah gears up for 2026 Nepal polls

IANS | December 25, 2025 11:12 PM

Kathmandu, Dec 25 (IANS) Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah was active throughout Thursday, meeting political leaders - mostly from newly formed political parties and Gen Z groups - as he seeks to galvanise support to challenge established political parties ahead of the scheduled parliamentary elections in March next year.

Bush, Putin privately cast China as a long-term strategic challenge

IANS | December 25, 2025 10:55 PM

Washington, Dec 25 (IANS) China’s rise emerged as a central concern in private talks between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Bush warning that Beijing posed the “biggest long-term problem” ahead, according to newly released transcripts of their meetings and conversations.

How 9/11 briefly made Putin Bush’s closest ally

IANS | December 25, 2025 10:38 PM

Washington, Dec 25 (IANS): In the weeks after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged as one of U.S. President George W. Bush’s closest partners, newly released transcripts show.

Putin warned Bush of Pakistan-linked nuclear leaks

IANS | December 25, 2025 10:16 PM

Washington, Dec 25 (IANS) Pakistan emerged as a central nuclear proliferation concern in private talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush, according to newly released transcripts that show both leaders warning of uranium of Pakistani origin turning up in Iran’s nuclear program and expressing deep unease over Islamabad’s control of its atomic assets.