Asia Now

The US military struck three alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean yesterday, killing all 11 people on board, US Southern Command said. The Southern Command said in a statement that intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. It added that no US military personnel were harmed. The strikes brought the death toll from the US campaign, which began in Se

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited his Bangladeshi counterpart, Tarique Rahman, to visit India along with his family. In a letter to Mr Rahman, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to work closely with the BNP leader to further strengthen the multifaceted bilateral relationship between the two nations. PM Modi said as two close neighbours, India and Bangladesh have a deep-rooted friendship founded on shared history, cultural ties and the aspirations of the peoples for peace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any potential agreement with Iran must include the removal of nuclear material, a halt to uranium enrichment and restrictions on ballistic missiles. Speaking at a public conference yesterday after a recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, Netanyahu said Trump was determined to exhaust the possibilities of achieving a deal, which he believes can be achieved now. However, Netanyahu said he remains sceptica

The International Space Station has returned to full crew strength with the arrival of four new astronauts, replacing colleagues who left early due to health concerns. The new arrivals, who are set to spend eight to nine months aboard the station, are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot, and Russia’s Andrei Fedyaev. Last month’s medical evacuation was NASA’s first in 65 years of human spaceflight. One of the four astronauts launched by Spa

The United States military has said it carried out more than 10 strikes on more than 30 Islamic State targets in Syria earlier this month. The attack was carried in retaliation for the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in an ambush in December. US Central Command said the strikes, conducted between February 3 and February 12, targeted weapons storage sites, communication hubs and other infrastructure linked to the militant group. According to Central

India’s High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta held a meeting with Fiji’s Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister, Sakiasi Ditoka, discussing new avenues to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across priority sectors of mutual interest. The meeting reaffirmed the enduring India-Fiji Veilomani Dosti partnership, and exploring new avenues to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across priority sectors of mutual interest, Indian High Commission in Fiji posted on X.

The Trump administration has reached a trade deal with Taiwan, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99 per cent of its tariff barriers. The office of the US Trade Representative yesterday informed that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Taiwan’s Vice Premier Li-chiun Cheng signed the reciprocal agreement in Washington. Taiwan’s exports to the US will be taxed at a 15 per cent rate or the US government’s Most Favoured Nation rate. Under the deal, Taiwan will make i

As US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran, the world’s largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East. The move by the USS Gerald R. Ford will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme, reports said. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived

World Radio Day is being observed today. The Day is observed on 13th February every year to commemorate the establishment of the United Nations Radio in 1946. The theme this year is “Radio and Artificial Intelligence: AI is a tool, not a voice.” To mark World Radio Day 2026, Akashvani Raipur, Chhattisgarh, in collaboration with UNESCO, is organising a World Radio Day Conclave today. The conclave is centred on the official theme and will deliberate on how AI can strengthen c

In Thailand, a 17-year-old stole a gun from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern, briefly taking people hostage in a two-hour attack that killed one person and injured two others. Police also injured the assailant in a gun battle in Songkhla province before taking him into custody to end the standoff. The attack took place yesterday shortly after classes were dismissed. The school’s director died in a hospital today after being severely injured in the a

Several Canadian airlines, including Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat, suspended their services to Cuba, citing an aviation fuel shortage on the island. This suspension comes as the US tightens its grip on the nation’s oil supply by blocking shipments from Venezuela. A statement by the Air Canada airline said that it will operate empty flights to Cuba to pick up and return customers. Over the following days, the empty flights will pick up nearly three thousand passengers

Secretary (South) Dr Neena Malhotra co-chaired the 14th India-Egypt Foreign Office consultation along with the Assistant Foreign Minister at Cairo, Egypt. The Ministry of External Affairs said that during the meeting, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral strategic partnership and discussed possible cooperation to take the partnership forward. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, stepped down, accepting responsibility for advising the government to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, despite his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a public statement, Mr McSweeney said, he had given the Prime Minister flawed advice and accepted full responsibility for the appointment. He described the decision as damaging to public trust and to the

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renewing the national emergency on Iran and creating a new tariff system targeting countries that buy goods or services from Tehran. The White House said the order is designed to protect US national security, foreign policy, and the economy. It allows the United States to impose additional tariffs on imports from any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran

The United States and Russia will resume a high-level military-to-military dialogue that was suspended shortly before the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. This is the latest sign that the Trump administration is pursuing more normalised relations with Moscow, even as a key nuclear weapons treaty between the two powers expired. Yesterday marked the end of the New START Treaty, which limits the numbers and types of nuclear weapons each country maintains. In response

India has joined the BRICS Centre for Industrial Competencies (BCIC) to provide integrated support services to manufacturing companies and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across BRICS countries. India joined the BCIC at an event organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in New Delhi. The Commerce and Industry Ministry said that the National Productivity Council (NPC) has been designated as the India Centre for BRICS Industrial Competencies

In the Baltic nation of Latvia, the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre has reported that the country recorded a temperature of -32 degrees Celsius yesterday. The Northern European country has hit with the severest cold spell in 12 years this weekend. In most parts of Latvia, temperatures ranged between -16 and -26 degrees, with the warmest weather, -7 degrees, reported in Kolka, which is located in northwestern Latvia. Heating bills and shortages of wood p

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has asserted that with the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, India’s exports to the European Union can double in five years. Mr Goyal also urged the businesspersons, MSMEs, startups, and entrepreneurs to focus on going international. The Minister said this while sharing his interviews with prominent national dailies in a series of social media posts. The Minister highlighted how the trade deal will benefit the country in different ways

NASA has postponed the launch of its Artemis II mission to the Moon due to unfavourable weather conditions in Florida. The space agency now targets February 8 as the earliest possible launch date, replacing the earlier plan of February 6.The decision follows a review of cold weather and strong winds linked to a rare Arctic outbreak affecting the region. NASA will conduct the wet dress rehearsal on February 2, after which a final launch date will be confirmed. Artemis II is a

India and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic cooperation in next-generation digital technologies, including 6G telecommunications, with a focus on security, trust, and resilient global supply chains. The Ministry of Communications stated that this commitment was reflected in the Leaders’ Statement issued during the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners to India. During the visit,