Trump ‘angry’ as he slams NATO allies​

IANS | March 17, 2026 11:18 PM

Washington, March 17 (IANS) US President Donald Trump is “angry” over European allies’ refusal to support operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Senator Lindsey Graham said Tuesday, as Trump criticised NATO for failing to back Washington’s Iran strikes during talks with Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin.​

Trump praises Mideast allies, slams NATO​

IANS | March 17, 2026 10:28 PM

Washington, March 17 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted NATO allies as “foolish” for failing to back Washington’s Iran strikes, even as he defended the operation during talks with Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheal Martin.​

Religious freedom in South Asia: India's pluralist framework in troubled neighbourhood

Narender Kumar | March 17, 2026 9:44 PM

New Delhi: Freedom of religion and belief is among the most fundamental of human rights. It safeguards human dignity, allowing individuals to practice their faith without fear and enabling diverse communities to coexist peacefully. Nowhere is this principle more significant — and more contested — than in South Asia, a region that is home to some of the world’s oldest religions and an extraordinary mosaic of beliefs including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism. While most South Asian nations constitutionally seem to guarantee religious freedom, the lived reality for many minorities reveals a more troubling picture shaped by politics, historical grievances, and social tensions.

Canadian dream held hostage as fear grips Punjabi builders in Vancouver: Report

IANS | March 17, 2026 9:16 PM

Ottawa, March 17 (IANS) The rising extortion threats faced by Punjabi builders in Canada's Vancouver are a clear warning that unchecked organised crime does not remain confined to a suburb or group but spreads across communities, erodes trust, stifles growth, and weakens the nation, a report highlighted on Tuesday.

Trump’s counter terrorism chief quits in protest over Iran war

IANS | March 17, 2026 8:51 PM

Washington, March 17 (IANS) The Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Joe Kent, has resigned with immediate effect, in a significant setback to President Donald Trump and the first high-level exit from the administration in protest against the ongoing Iran war.

Pakistan: Rights body expresses concern over continued detention of Baloch leaders

IANS | March 17, 2026 8:02 PM

Quetta, March 17 (IANS) A leading Pakistani human rights organisation on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the continued detention and ongoing trials of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, who have been kept in custody for nearly a year while facing "multiple fabricated cases" before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta.

Australian parliament moves cross-party motion raising concern over human rights in Tibet

IANS | March 17, 2026 7:52 PM

Canberra, March 17 (IANS) The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) co-chair Senator Deborah O’Neill (Labour) continues to highlight the international concern over human right violations in Tibet and the protection of Tibetan cultural and religious identity. The Senator recently introduced a cross-party motion on Tibet in the Australian Senate. Marking the 67th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, an identical motion was also passed in Australia's House of Representatives.