Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

China clears path for Indian pilgrims

Relations between India and China soured after the 2020 clash between troops along their border in the Himalayas, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese.

China Opens Travel Access for Indian Pilgrims to Sacred Sites

Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are revered sites in Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism and other faiths.

getty image

CHINA’S foreign ministry announced on Monday (28) that Indian pilgrims would be able to travel to holy sites in Tibet for the first time in five years this summer, in the latest sign of warming relations between the two countries.

Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in China’s Tibet region are important in many religions, including Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, but Indian pilgrims had been unable to cross the border since 2020 owing to the pandemic and geopolitical tensions.


“The pilgrimage of Indian devotees to the sacred mountains and lakes in Tibet is an important part of cultural exchange between China and India,” Guo Jiakun, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular press conference, while announcing the resumption of the annual event that usually runs from June to September.

“China is willing to work with India to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders,” he added, referring to a meeting last October between Chinese president Xi Jinping and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi that ended a five-year break in leader-to-leader meetings.

Relations between India and China soured after the 2020 clash between troops along their border in the Himalayas, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese.

But several high-level meetings have taken place since Xi and Modi met last year.

In December, China and India reached a six-point consensus on their border during a meeting in Beijing in which they also agreed to promote the resumption of Indian pilgrims’ visits to Tibet.

And in January, the two countries agreed to work on resolving trade and economic differences and to resume direct air services, following a visit by India’s foreign secretary to Beijing.

More For You

modi putin

Before their formal meeting, Putin offered Modi a ride in his Aurus limousine.

X/@narendramodi

Six key takeaways from the SCO summit

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

Modi pressed for ending the Ukraine conflict at the earliest, reaffirmed India’s long-standing ties with Russia, and discussed trade and border issues with Xi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghanistan earthquake

Afghan volunteers and Taliban security personnel carry an earthquake victim evacuated by a military helicopter from the Nurgal district of Kunar province onn September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

Afghanistan earthquake kills more than 800, thousands injured

A MAJOR rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday after a powerful earthquake and several aftershocks destroyed homes in a remote mountainous region, killing more than 800 people, according to Taliban authorities.

The quake struck just before midnight and was felt as far as Kabul and in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi ,Xi & Putin

Narendra Modi talks with Vladimir Putin and Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

SCO declaration slams Pahalgam attack, calls for united action on terror

Highlights:

  • SCO condemns terror attack in Pahalgam and echoes India’s stance on “double standards”.
  • Leaders call for justice for perpetrators of attacks in Pahalgam and Balochistan.
  • Declaration criticises Israeli military strikes in Gaza causing civilian casualties.
  • SCO stresses UN’s central role in global counter-terrorism strategy.

THE SHANGHAI Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and agreed with India’s position that “double standards” in tackling terrorism are not acceptable.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dinesh K Patnaik

India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa.

iStock

Envoys appointed as India, Canada move to restore diplomatic ties

INDIA and Canada on Thursday announced the appointment of new envoys to each other’s capitals, in a step aimed at restoring strained ties following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.

India has named senior diplomat Dinesh K Patnaik as the next high commissioner to Ottawa, while Canada appointed Christopher Cooter as its new envoy to New Delhi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mumbai-Reuters
A drone view of the construction work of the upcoming coastal road in Mumbai, India. (Photo credit: Reuters)
Reuters

India’s economy grows faster than expected as US tariffs pose risk

Highlights:

  • India’s GDP grew 7.8 per cent in April-June, beating forecasts of 6.7 per cent.
  • US has double tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent, raising export concerns.
  • Consumer spending rose 7.0 per cent year-on-year, driven by rural demand..

INDIA’s economy expanded faster than expected in the April-June quarter, even as higher US tariffs on Indian imports are set to weigh on activity in the coming months.

Keep ReadingShow less