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.

Putin warned Bush about NATO, Ukraine years before rupture

IANS | December 25, 2025 10:44 PM

Washington, Dec 25 (IANS) Long before Russia’s confrontation with the West hardened into open hostility, President Vladimir Putin privately warned U.S. President George W. Bush that NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia would create permanent instability, according to newly released transcripts of their meetings from 2001 to 2008.

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.

Ease of doing business and policy stability fuel India’s IPO surge: PHDCCI

IANS | December 25, 2025 10:22 PM

Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) India’s capital market has reached a historic milestone in 2025 by surpassing the United States in the number of IPO listings, reflecting deep investor trust in the country’s overall economic and regulatory ecosystem, Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) said on Thursday.

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.