IndianRepublic.in

Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military positions early Monday morning, marking the collapse of a US-brokered peace deal signed just weeks ago.  Image Source: Visegrad 24 The Royal Thai Air Force said it targeted weapons depots and command centres near the Chong An Ma Pass after Cambodian shelling killed a Thai soldier and injured two more. The strikes follow weeks of rising tensions along the disputed border, and come after Thailand suspended participation in the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords—an agreement facilitated by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. That deal had followed a five-day conflict in July that left dozens dead and displaced over 200,000. Cambodia has denied launching any attacks, accusing Thailand of initiating the violence and engaging in “provocative actions for many days.” Phnom Penh’s Ministry of National Defense dismissed the Thai claims as “false information,” saying Cambodia had not retaliated even after being str...

US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States is “working very hard” to end the Ukraine conflict and expressed optimism that a peace agreement involving Russia and Ukraine could soon be reached.  Image Source: FanTrumpArmy Speaking ahead of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the White House on December 3, Trump stated, “We're making peace all over the world… We're settling wars at levels that nobody's ever seen before. Eight of them.  We're looking for one more. That's Russia-Ukraine… and I think we’ll get there eventually.” Trump’s comments came amid intensifying diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow, including a five-hour meeting at the Kremlin on December 2 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser Jared Kushner.  According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the discussions focused on a revised US peace proposal com...

European leaders have issued a unified but cautious response to the newly revealed 28-point United States peace proposal for Ukraine, voicing support for diplomatic efforts while warning that the current framework is deeply flawed and risks undermining both Ukrainian sovereignty and European security.  Image Source: Zelenskyy The plan, widely reported to have been crafted by the Trump-led administration, has alarmed key capitals across the EU and G7 due to its heavy concessions to Russia, including recognition of annexed territories and long-term restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Washington’s engagement but asserted that the proposal must be significantly strengthened.  “No border can be changed by force, and Ukraine must never be left vulnerable,” Macron said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this view, stating that while the draft contains elements essential to a future settlement, any agreeme...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that his government is actively reviewing a US-drafted plan to end the nearly four-year war with Russia, as Kyiv grapples with renewed battlefield assaults and growing diplomatic pressure from Washington. Image Source: Zelenskyy In a post shared on Friday, Zelenskyy said his team was “working on the document prepared by the American side,” adding that discussions were ongoing with France, Germany, and the UK to ensure that “principled stances are taken into account.”  The plan, widely attributed to US President Donald Trump, outlines 28 points that include conditions Ukraine is expected to accept in exchange for peace, among them territorial concessions, limits on its military, and permanent exclusion from NATO. Reports suggest the proposal would allow Russia to retain control of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk, and to maintain influence over parts of Zaporizhia and Kherson by freezing battle lines. In return, the West would lift ...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa from November 21 to 23, 2025 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit , marking the first time the summit is held on the African continent.  Hosted under the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability" , the summit is expected to confront overlapping global crises by amplifying the voice of the Global South, of which India remains a key pillar. File Photo Source: PM NaMo The Johannesburg summit is the fourth consecutive G20 hosted by a Global South country , following presidencies by Indonesia, India, and Brazil.  Modi will represent India’s stance on inclusive growth, climate resilience, and the ethical governance of emerging technologies, participating in all three main summit sessions.  These include dialogues on sustainable economic growth, climate and disaster resilience, and ensuring equitable access to resources like critical minerals and artificial intelligence. On the sidelines of th...

U.S. President Donald Trump has declared Nigeria a “ country of particular concern ,” citing what he described as a genocidal wave of killings targeting Christians in the West African nation.  File Photo: Bola Ahmed Tinubu Trump’s statement, made in a public video released Thursday, paints a dire picture of the country’s deteriorating religious freedoms and urges immediate U.S. intervention.  “ Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter ,” Trump said, referencing what he called a global crisis of religious persecution. According to Trump, 3,100 Christians have been killed in Nigeria this year alone, a figure he contrasted against a global death toll of 4,476, underscoring the country's outlier status in religious violence. While independent figures vary, multiple human rights watchdogs, including Open Doors USA and the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), have pr...

In a move that has sharpened international focus on nuclear posturing, the United States Air Force’s Global Strike Command launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, just days after President Donald Trump publicly declared his administration’s intent to resume nuclear weapons testing. US Tests Minuteman III Missile; Via: Nexta The missile, which carried no warhead, was launched as part of what the Air Force has termed a “routine reliability test” and landed near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.  The launch was confirmed by Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson via social media, though no formal statement had been issued at the time by Vandenberg Space Force Base or Global Strike Command, the U.S. military authority that oversees both strategic bombers and silo-based nuclear missiles. ‼️‼️🇺🇲🚀 BIG NEWS - The United States is preparing for a nuclear weapons test: Washington plans to conduct a tes...

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning potential military action in Nigeria, warning that the West African nation could face immediate suspension of all U.S. aid and a possible armed intervention if it “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Image Source: Official ABAT “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump declared in a post on his social media platform.  “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Since 2023, our administration h...

India and the United States have signed a 10-year framework agreement to expand and deepen their defence cooperation, signalling a new phase in their strategic partnership. The deal was formalised during a bilateral meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement lays out a unified vision for advancing military collaboration across all domains, including interoperability, joint technology development, intelligence sharing, and coordination with regional allies.  Both leaders held cordial & constructive discussions on strengthening the India-US defence partnership. Via:Pete Hegseth It is expected to provide long-term policy direction across the entire spectrum of defence ties between the world’s largest democracy and its most powerful military. “It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new dec...

When the sitting Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, tells a cheering crowd of conservatives that he hopes his Hindu wife will one day convert to Christianity, it is a statement that reveals the deep fault lines between public posturing, private faith, and the growing anxieties of an increasingly pluralistic America. File Photo Source: JD Vance At a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi, Vance, responding to a question about his wife Usha’s religion, spoke of her Hindu background, their shared early atheism, and how they now raise their three children in the Christian tradition. “Do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do,” he said.  “But if she doesn’t, God gives everyone free will.” For many, it was a diplomatic answer -- respectful, restrained, and seemingly tolerant. But for millions watching, particularly Indian-Americans and interfaith families, it struck a very different chord: coercion w...

Fresh from a closed-door meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, U.S. President Donald J. Trump declared a raft of wins for American agriculture and energy in a late-night post that read more like a campaign rally than a diplomatic communique.  “Farmers should immediately go out and buy more land and larger tractors,” Trump urged, crediting Xi for greenlighting “massive amounts” of soybean and sorghum purchases, and praising China’s vow to help curb fentanyl trafficking. Image Source: MFA China But across the table, Beijing was reading from a different script emphasizing long-term engagement, economic stability, and strategic restraint. According to a statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi told Trump the U.S. and China should be “partners and friends,” and cautioned against “falling into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation.”  He framed China’s economic trajectory as “a vast ocean, big, resilient and promising,” pointing to 5.2 percent GDP ...

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced a resumption of American nuclear weapons testing, triggering an immediate international backlash. The declaration follows Russia’s confirmed test of Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile capable of intercontinental range and prolonged flight time -- a move many see as reigniting the global arms race. Representational Image Source: Nobel Prize In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed the United States possesses “more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” asserting that his previous administration had undertaken a “complete update and renovation” of the U.S. arsenal.  Citing ongoing weapons development by adversaries, Trump stated he had instructed the “Department of War” to begin renewed testing of nuclear weapons, a shift in nomenclature that drew immediate condemnation. “I HATED to do it, but had no choice!” Trump wrote, asserting that Russia is second in nuclear capabilities and China a “distant third....

In a White House reverberating with cultural symbolism, President Donald Trump hosted a Diwali celebration that blended reverence for Indian traditions with unambiguous political messaging aimed at the Indian-American community and the broader diaspora. President Trump Celebrates Light and Legacy, Courts Indian-American Ties Welcoming business leaders, diplomats, and Indian-American officials, Trump opened the event by praising Diwali as “a beautiful Hindu festival” and “a symbol of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness.”  The ceremony, held in the East Room, featured a traditional diya lighting and was attended by key figures including Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra, Tulsi Gabbard, and Indian-origin CEOs from tech and finance. “This is a serious group of people,” Trump said early in his remarks, later calling Indian-Americans “some of the smartest, most hardworking, and successful people in the world.” The President was joined by executives from high...

Millions of Americans took to the streets across all 50 states in one of the largest protest mobilizations in recent U.S. history, under the banner of the “No Kings” movement. With over 2,700 demonstrations recorded nationwide, organizers said the turnout surpassed seven million participants--an escalation from June’s initial wave of protests that drew around five million.  Image Source: Alex Cole Saturday’s action was largely peaceful, but undeniably potent, as it unfolded against a backdrop of mounting national tension: a protracted government shutdown, sweeping immigration raids, and growing alarm over the erosion of democratic norms. The demonstrations, spread from urban centers like New York City and Chicago to small-town squares in rural America, were a defiant stand against what many view as President Donald Trump’s consolidation of unchecked executive power.  Protesters--diverse in background and motive--voiced concern over perceived threats to the country’s founding ...

The newly appointed U.S. Ambassador-designate to India, Sergio Gor, began his diplomatic innings with a whirlwind tour of New Delhi’s power corridors, marking his arrival with high-profile meetings and a strong show of bilateral optimism.  His engagements included Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and a closely watched sit-down with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.  External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador-designate to India. “We just finished an incredible meeting with Prime Minister Modi, where we discussed bilateral issues, including defence, trade, and technology,” Gor said. He underlined the alignment of strategic priorities between the world’s two largest democracies. His message, though carefully diplomatic, reflected the unmistakable imprimatur of the Trump administration.  “The U.S. values its relationship with India, and under the strong le...

In what could mark a turning point in one of the most intractable conflicts in modern history, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that both Israel and Hamas have formally signed off on the first phase of his Middle East peace plan.  “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump posted on his social media platform, calling it a “Historic and Unprecedented Event.” Israel and Hamas have formally signed off on the first phase of his Middle East peace plan. According to Trump, the deal ensures that “ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon,” referencing the hundreds of Israeli civilians and soldiers held captive by Hamas since the October 7 attacks.  In return, “Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.” . @SecRubio at today's vigil for hostage families and survivors of Hamas’s heinous October 7 attacks: "Th...