Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Modi to host Chinese president Jinping  

INDIA'S prime minister Narendra Modi will host Chinese president Xi Jinping for an informal summit later this week, the Indian foreign ministry said, with the talks coming at a time when ties have been strained over Kashmir.

The meeting in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday (11) and Saturday (12) is aimed at enhancing the rapport formed by the two leaders when they met in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year to help stabilise ties.


But New Delhi’s decision in August to withdraw special status for Kashmir drew sharp condemnation from Pakistan and its ally China, which took the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

"The forthcoming Chennai Informal Summit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to continue their discussions on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance and to exchange views on deepening India-China Closer Development Partnership," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (9).

India says its revocation of the special status of Muslim majority Kashmir is an internal matter and aimed at faster economic development of the Himalayan territory.

China, which has been criticised by the US for its treatment of Muslim ethnic minorities, said it believed India and Pakistan must refrain from taking unilateral action in Kashmir and has expressed concern over human rights violations in the territory.

India has dismissed those concerns.

"The second informal meeting as such is significant given these ominous signals at bilateral, regional and global levels," said Srikanth Kondapalli, professor of Chinese studies at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.

"Stabilizing relations is important as both are seized with a number of issues – domestic as well as regional," he said.

Ahead of Xi's trip to India, China invited Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan for talks on bilateral issues.

China supports Pakistan in safeguarding its independent sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday (8) as he met Khan.

During Xi's visit, Modi is expected to raise economic issues, including India's $53bn trade deficit with China in 2018-19, and the smaller presence of Indian companies in China compared with other major economies.

China, for its part, is expected to urge New Delhi to take an independent decision on telecom equipment maker Huawei’s bid for India’s proposed 3G network and not be swayed by US pressure that it was a security risk.

Sources had said in August that Beijing had warned of "reverse sanctions" on Indian firms engaged in business in China should India block Huawei Technologies because of pressure from Washington.

During the upcoming meeting, officials said Modi and Xi will tour the coastal town of Mamallapuram, near Chennai, home to an 8th-century temple.

(Reuters)

More For You

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
Ganpati festival

The Ganpati festival celebrates Ganesha as the god of new beginnings, and the god of wisdom and intelligence. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hindu community centre in London damaged in fire after Ganapati Visarjan event

A HINDU community centre in east London caught fire on Saturday evening, causing major damage to the building. The London Fire Brigade brought the fire under control and confirmed that no injuries were reported.

The incident took place at the Shree Sorathia Prajapati Community Centre on Cleveland Road in Ilford, which had been decorated for a Ganapati Visarjan event attended by members of the Hindu community.

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
Police arrest five after anti-asylum protesters target Heathrow hotel

Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate outside the Cladhan Hotel on August 30, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Police arrest five after anti-asylum protesters target Heathrow hotel

BRITISH police said they arrested five people on Saturday (30) after masked men tried to force their way into a hotel used by asylum-seekers, a day after the government won a court ruling on the use of another hotel to house migrants.

Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in, London's Metropolitan Police force said.

Keep ReadingShow less
HSS (UK) celebrates five decades of shaping leaders through SSV

HSS (UK) celebrates five decades of shaping leaders through SSV

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (UK) has achieved a significant milestone, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its flagship leadership development programme - Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV), with a record-breaking attendance of 605 participants supported by 139 volunteers, representing its highest attendance to date and demonstrating the enduring appeal of traditional value-based education and leadership training.

Participants travelled from 65 towns across all four home nations of the UK, whilst 167 working professionals willingly sacrificed their annual leave to serve as instructors and support teams to ensure smooth running of the camps and invest in the next generation's development.

Keep ReadingShow less