In a ceremony on Wednesday, Switzerland welcomed Viola Amherd as its new president, succeeding Alain Berset in the rotating honorary role within the country's cabinet. Amherd, currently the defence minister, is set to assume the presidency from January. The change comes as part of the annual rotation tradition among cabinet members. In tandem with this transition, the Swiss parliament elected Beat Jans to the seven-member cabinet, succeeding Berset, who opted to step down by the year's end. The cabinet reshuffle maintains the existing political balance, with Jans hailing from the centre-le
New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, announced on Monday a renewed commitment to strengthen ties with intelligence partners, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia. The four countries, which together with New Zealand are known as the Five Eyes, have shared intelligence since World War Two, though the alliance has come under pressure in recent years. Peters, a key figure in the right-of-center government led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, aims to bolster defense and security engagement, marking a departure from New Zealand's traditionally moderate stanc
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the President's authority to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019, leading to the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, leading the five-judge Bench, affirmed that the President could unilaterally issue a notification to cease the existence of Article 370. The court emphasized that the President possessed the power to abrogate Article 370 when "special circumstances warrant a special solution," and that the judiciary could not question the decision based on the
In a significant move aimed at enhancing bilateral ties and addressing shared concerns over China's assertiveness in the South China Sea, the Indian and Vietnamese armies commenced an 11-day joint military exercise on Monday. The exercise, named "VINBAX-23," is scheduled to take place in Hanoi from December 11 to 21, marking the latest chapter in the growing strategic partnership between the two nations. The primary objective of VINBAX-23 is to foster collaboration and promote interoperability between the Indian and Vietnamese armed forces. With 45 personnel from each side participating, t
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed that India host the 33rd Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 33) in 2028. Speaking during the opening ceremony's high-level segment, PM Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to the UN Framework for Climate Change process. "India is committed to the UN Framework for Climate Change process. That is why, from this stage, I propose to host the COP33 Summit in India in 2028," expressed Prime Minister Modi, making a significant commitment to addressing global climate concerns. Asserti
Winston Peters, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, has announced that the country would seek to strengthen engagement with the United States on strategic and security challenges while also looking to unlock potential in their economic relationship. Addressing the United States Business Summit in Auckland, Peters emphasized the crucial role that New Zealand, as a small democracy with deep regional relationships, can play in promoting shared values and economic opportunities. The speech marked Peters' first as foreign minister under the recently elected centre-right government in New Zealand
India will come up with new regulations to tackle deepfakes, the Union IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday. The govt, on Thursday, revealed plans to draft new regulations or amend existing laws in order to deal with the deepfake menace. Deepfakes involve digitally altering a person's face or body in videos to make them appear as someone else, often leading to the spread of false information. The comprehensive plan outlined by Mr. Vaishnaw focuses on four key pillars: detection of deepfakes, prevention by removing or reducing their virality, strengthening reporting mechanisms,
New Zealand welcomed its new right-of-centre government on Monday, with parliament expected to begin next week and marking a shift in policies, including alterations to the central bank mandate and lifting the ban on oil and gas exploration. National Party leader Christopher Luxon was sworn in as the country's 42nd prime minister, accompanied by his cabinet ministers. The coalition, formed by the Centre-right National Party, libertarian ACT New Zealand, and populist New Zealand First, concluded six years of left-wing governance in the country. “We’ve got the team, we’ve got the id
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the deal to release 50 Israeli hostages. During his address at the Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit on November 22, he asserted that killing of innocents, especially children and women, is not acceptable. The Prime Minister made seven observations on the Israel-Hamas conflict. These included zero tolerance on terrorism, expediting humanitarian aid, need for regional stability and pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. The virtual G20 summit was attended by 22 heads of government, though some leaders were not present. Russian Presi
India on November 20 donated $2.5 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as part of its annual contribution of $5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency’s core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said. The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations