Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump has invited him to the White House on February 4 as the first foreign leader to visit in Trump's second term. The announcement came as the United States pressures Israel and Hamas to continue a ceasefire that has paused a devastating 15-month war in Gaza. Talks about the ceasefire's more difficult second phase, which aims to end the war, begin on February 3.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office is hoping meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week. However, the trip is yet to be finalised and an official order will be issued thereafter. An AP report cited an official on the condition of anonymity stating details could be arranged when Trump's special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, travels to Israel this week for talks with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. If this meeting is held, Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump at the White House since his inauguration last week.US President Donald Trump blamed diversity policies implemented during the Obama and Biden administrations for compromising air safety standards. This statement came after a devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in no survivors.
Trump's remarks have ignited a heated debate about the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The President claimed that these initiatives prioritised policy over safety, stating, "I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first." He further emphasised, "They actually came out with a directive: 'too white.' And we want the people that are competent".
The FAA's hiring practices have been under scrutiny, with some critics arguing that DEI programs can be discriminatory. However, supporters of these initiatives contend that they address historical and ongoing discrimination against underrepresented groups, including racial minorities.
Trump has specifically targeted former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, implying that he hired unqualified individuals with disabilities and psychological issues for air traffic control positions. Trump expressed his doubts about their competence, saying, "I don't think so." He also claimed that the FAA was "ran into the ground" by DEI hires after being deemed "too white".
In response to the crash, Trump is appointing Chris Rocheleau as the acting administrator of the FAA. The agency's hiring practices and safety standards will likely face intense scrutiny in the coming days.
It's worth noting that changes to the FAA's hiring practices were made during the Obama administration, which introduced a biographical test as part of the application process. This move aimed to increase diversity among air traffic controllers. However, some have criticised this approach, arguing that it prioritised diversity over competence.
At least six killed, 31 others injured after tanker with LPG exploded in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The incident took place at the Industrial Estate in Multan's Hamid Pur Kanora area, according to rescue authorities.US President Donald Trump has refused to pay 290,000 pounds ($360,000) in legal fees after his English lawsuit against a private investigations firm was dismissed, a London court heard on Wednesday.
Trump brought a data protection lawsuit against Orbis Business Intelligence over allegations in a dossier written by its co-founder, former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, but his claim was thrown out in February last year.
The so-called Steele dossier alleged ties between Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russia as well as other salacious allegations, all of which Trump denied.
Lawyers representing Orbis said on Wednesday that Trump had been ordered to make a payment of 290,000 pounds towards Orbis' legal fees, with further sums also likely to be due.
"No real reason has been given for the non-payment," said Orbis' lawyer Mark Friston.
He said Trump was now also claiming he had "sovereign immunity" from any enforcement action as a head of state, an argument he said was "completely hopeless" as it had been a private lawsuit.
Trump's lawyer Jacqueline Perry said the court was in a "slightly unusual position, with a slightly unusual client".
"It's difficult to get instructions when your client is president of the free world and trying to turn everything upside down," she said. "This isn't high in his area of importance."
She said the president was "an innocent party in this" and was bringing a professional negligence claim against his former legal advisers for bringing his High Court lawsuit under the wrong statute.
"That was the only reason the case was struck out," she said, adding he wanted the action against his former advisers settled before addressing Orbis's "eye-wateringly" high costs.
Judge Jason Rowley ruled that Trump must pay the 290,000 pounds within 28 days, or his would be prevented from addressing the court in April on a future argument about Orbis' legal fees.
Trump's data protection lawsuit was dismissed, with Judge Karen Steyn ruling that "there are no compelling reasons to allow the claim to proceed".
Trump said in a witness statement for the hearing that he brought the case to prove claims in the so-called Steele dossier, published by the BuzzFeed website in 2017, that he engaged in "perverted sexual acts" in Russia, were false.
Many of the claims in the dossier were never substantiated and lawyers for Trump said that the report was "egregiously inaccurate" and contained "numerous false, phoney or made-up allegations".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
On the occasion of India's 76th Republic Day celebrations, a 190-member ensemble band from the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil) and Marching Contingent, which comprised 152 personnel from all branches of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), participated in the parade at the Kartavya Path. It is the first time that India has a contingent from Indonesia marching on Republic Day. For Indonesia also, the occasion became the first of its kind as its military band and a military contingent participated in a parade abroad, anywhere. The Indonesian contingent marched on the Kartavya Path with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto gracing the event as the chief guest. 
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio greeted the people of India on its 76th Republic Day, saying the partnership between the United States and New Delhi continues to reach newer heights, adding, "It will be a defining relationship of the 21st century." As India completes 75 years as a Republic, it will showcase its military might and vibrant cultural heritage at an annual parade on Sunday on the Kartavya Path in New Delhi.Denmark's foreign minister on Tuesday said that Donald Trump "will not have Greenland", following the US president's expressed desire to control the Danish autonomous territory.
"Trump will not have Greenland. Greenland is Greenland. And the Greenlandic people are a people, also in the sense of international law," Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters, adding that "this is also why we have said time and again that it is ultimately Greenland that decides Greenland's situation."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has asked the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut the prices of oil, arguing that it would stop the Russia-Ukraine war. He had made a similar claim earlier, too. Addressing the annual World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland via video conference, Trump accused the OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries of being responsible for the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine.
Nepal on Friday confirmed the death of its seven citizens in the tragic train accident that occured in Maharashtra's Jalgaon on Wednesday. The accident claimed at least 13 lives while leaving 15 others injured after some passengers of the Pushpak Express, which was bound for Mumbai from Lucknow, jumped off the train following an alarm chain-pulling incident. The tragedy unfolded as passengers onboard the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, fearing a blaze, hastily jumped onto the adjacent tracks and were run over by the oncoming Karnataka Express, which was heading from Bengaluru to Delhi.
In one of its biggest culling exercises, Taiwan is planning to kill up to 120,000 green iguanas to bring down their population since the species has wreaked havoc on the island's agricultural sector. Around 200,000 iguanas are likely to be present in the island's southern and central areas, and they rely on farming, according to Taiwan's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency. Last year, Taiwan killed around 70,000 iguanas, with each iguana killed with bounties of up to USD 15. India's diplomacy stands out globally for its ability to balance ties between adversaries. The latest example of this is happening this week. As foreign minister S Jaishankar touches down in New Delhi after a five-day visit to the US for Donald Trump's inauguration, foreign secretary Vikram Misri heads to China to foster ties with Beijing.
Just ten days ago, during a visit to Spain, foreign minister S Jaishankar had said India is one of the very few countries in the world that can engage both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Iran. "This is something very, very unique. And it is unique because if you look at the world today, it is a very polarised world," he said.
Donald Trump has threatened to impose hefty tariffs on China and even the BRICS+ countries, which India is a member of as well. China, the world's second-largest economy, has warned that it will retaliate, should Washington actually follow through. President Trump has also targeted China over its presence in the Panama Canal and said the US will take control of the waterway even if it means involving the military. China, on the other hand, has warned Washington over its involvement with Taiwan. Both nations have sanctioned each other.
Amid all this, India, which according to PM Modi, has "always chosen the side of peace", aims to engage all sides for positive and constructive outcomes. Earlier this week, S Jaishankar strengthened India-US bilateral ties when he met the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser for their first foreign engagements after the Trump administration took over. As PM Modi's special envoy, Dr Jaishankar was also given the first seat at the US President's inauguration.
As he returned after concluding "a very positive" visit to Washington, India's foreign secretary heads to Beijing to build the momentum in India-China ties following a meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia late-last year. Foreign Secretary Misri's visit was preceded by a visit by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval last month when he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
India and China, two of Asia's leading economies and the world's most populous nations, are working to boost bilateral ties after a four-and-a-half-year-long military standoff along the Line of Actual Control or LAC brought ties to a grinding halt. After dozens of rounds of talks - both diplomatically and militarily - an agreement was reached and troops on both sides pulled back from the buffer zones, returning the status quo-ante. This happened within a week of PM Modi and Xi Jinping announcing it during a meeting in Russia late last year. Following this, Chinese and Indian foreign and defence ministers also met each other on multilateral occasions.
After Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vikram Misri's will be the second high-level visit by an Indian official to Beijing in a month.
China has welcomed Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit this weekend and sounded positive about its outcome. "We welcome Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri's travel to China for the meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between China and India," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.
India's Ministry of External Affairs also said that "Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Beijing on January 26 and 27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China. The resumption of this bilateral mechanism flows from the agreement at the leadership level to discuss the next steps for India-China relations, including in the political, economic, and people-to-people domains."
Besides bilateral issues such as boundary talks, maintaining peace along the LAC, the building of the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, people-to-people ties, resuming direct flights between the two countries, and facilitate the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens, the two sides are also likely to touch upon issues of mutual global interest.
"All matters of mutual interest will be discussed," the foreign ministry said at a press briefing in New Delhi ahead of the foreign secretary's visit.
The BRICS+, where both countries are threatened with massive tariffs, might figure in talks as well, as would the latest sanctions threat to countries dealing with Russia and buying Russian oil - again a common threat to both countries. Regional issues such as the situation in the Middle East and in Syria are likely to be discussed too.
US backing out of the Paris Climate agreement and the WHO, as well as the much-needed reform of the United Nations and the Security Council are likely to be discussed as well.
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A couple of days after the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel’s top general Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi tendered his resignation on Tuesday, citing the security and intelligence failures related to Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.US President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to global elites in a video message to the World Economic Forum on Thursday: Make your product in the United States or pay tariffs.
Beamed on a giant screen in the Swiss Alpine village of Davos, Trump received a loud round of applause from political and business A-listers who had eagerly awaited his appearance all week.
Speaking from the White House, Trump touted his plans to cut taxes, deregulate industries and crack down on illegal immigration.
But he also had a tough message.
"Come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth," Trump said.
"But if you don't make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply you will have to pay a tariff."
In his wide-ranging speech, Trump made a link between the war in Ukraine and oil prices.
Trump said he would ask Saudi Arabia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to bring down crude prices.
"If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately," he said.
The US leader then fielded question from the top executives of Bank of America, Blackstone investment firm, Spanish group Banco Santander and French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies.
Trump is always a top draw in Davos, making waves at two previous in-person appearances during his first term in 2018 and 2020.
But showing up this year was tougher as the forum happened to start on the day of his inauguration in Washington on Monday.
Scores stood in line to hear him speak. Some in the audience included European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Trump fans
One of the Republican president's biggest cheerleaders on the world stage, Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei, took the stage hours before Trump, delivering a fiery speech against "the mental virus of woke ideology".
Milei said Argentina was "re-embracing the idea of freedom" and "that is what I trust President Trump will do in this new America".
He praised like-minded leaders such as Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.
"Slowly an international alliance has been formed of all those nations that want to be free and that believe in the ideas of freedom," he said.
He also defended his "dear friend" Elon Musk.
The US billionaire and Trump ally caused a stir this week by making hand gestures at an inauguration event for the US president that drew comparisons to the Nazi salute.
Milei said Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, has been "unfairly vilified by wokeism in recent hours for an innocent gesture that only means... his gratitude to the people".
'Let's not hyperventilate'
Trump already gave Davos a taste of what is to come since his inauguration on Monday, which coincided with the WEF's first day.
He has threatened tariffs on China, the European Union, Mexico and Canada, pulled the United States from the Paris climate pact and renewed his claim the Panama Canal, just to name a few.
His plans to cut taxes, reduce the size of the US federal government and deregulate industries likely found a sympathetic ear amongst many businesses, though economists warn the policies could rekindle inflation.
US trade partners and rivals already had a chance to react in Davos earlier this week, as they brace for a second round of his America First policies.
Without invoking Trump's name, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang warned: "There are no winners in a trade war."
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels was ready to negotiate with Trump.
But she also underscored the European Union's diverging policy with him on climate, saying the bloc would stick by the Paris accord.
World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on cooler heads to prevail during a WEF panel discussion on tariffs on Thursday, warning that tit-for-tat levies would be "catastrophic" for the world economy.
"Please let's not hyperventilate," she quipped. "I know we are here to discuss tariffs. I've been saying to everybody: could we chill, also?"
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the world having moved away to a large extent from broader concerns on COVID - it is something that is never really going away - it's also time to focus on new vaccines that can change the lives of any number of people around the world. The Serum Institute of India (SII) is a global leader in making vaccines.
Its CEO Adar Poonawalla spoke to NDTV on a range of issues, key among them the vaccine for malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.
"I just want to say I really hate mosquitoes. They kill more human beings than any other animal on the planet, with all the different mosquito-borne diseases from dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, malaria. So with that in mind, after COVID, I sort of focused our capex and partnerships with various companies to make vaccines for malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Those other vaccines are about two years away from launch," Mr Poonawalla told NDTV.
The Pune-based company's malaria vaccine has already been deployed in Africa. It has an efficacy of 77 per cent, "which is very good," he said.
"The malaria vaccine is already beginning to protect children in Africa. Right now with the Gavi replenishment, where they need to raise billions of dollars for various vaccine programmes in Africa, it is challenging to get enough funding to get the kind of vaccine coverage to scale up volumes to be delivered and procured," Mr Poonawala said, referring to the the vaccine alliance Gavi which works to increase equitable and sustainable use of vaccines globally.
On whether costing is an issue, Mr Poonawalla said that is an area where the Indian company played a huge role.
"This malaria vaccine by other manufacturers in the West was being offered at $10, $8 to $10. We brought down that price to $4," he told NDTV. "So that's more than a 50 per cent reduction, only with the objective of providing more access to more children who can now take it, with the budgets being strained and all of that."
Concerns Over No US Funding
Mr Poonawalla raised concerns over the withdrawal of US funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) by the new American President Donald Trump, and highlighted the importance of multilateral institutions such as WHO in maintaining global standards for medicines.
"I hope that's only temporary and they relook at it because multilateral organisations like the WHO play a very critical role in maintaining, sustaining global standards for medicines and vaccines," Mr Poonawalla said.
Even with American money for WHO, other countries can work together to bridge the gap which "is not a huge amount".
"We have been calling upon leaders and others here [Davos] to step up to bridge that gap; $500 million is not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things for others to pitch in and contribute. I'm sure that the WHO is already making plans to ensure all their critical programmes such as pre-qualifying vaccines and getting them approved and maintaining the standards for vaccines and other medicines are not affected," Mr Poonawalla said. "These are very critical aspects of what WHO does because all these other countries go by their quality standards and recommendations."
He said there could be some impact to vaccine and pharmaceutical companies if the funding gap is not looked into. "I am sure the WHO will be focusing on their key areas and priorities so that nothing takes a backstep. It's still early days to say, but I don't see any major impact as of now."
Vaccines In The Pipeline
Mr Poonawalla said the malaria vaccine works on the falciparum, a species of the parasite Plasmodium that causes malaria and is found in Africa. The vivax is another species of the parasite that is prevalent in India, but there is no vaccine for that at the moment, he said, adding a vaccine could be developed in a few years with some technological advances.
"In the meanwhile, we are going to have a chikungunya vaccine in a year and a half, which is, again, a serious issue in India. And also with climate change, we have seen a drastic increase in all these mosquito-borne viruses because when you have construction going on in development in this part of the world, you have these water bodies which become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. You have got climate change, where even a few degrees difference can increase the breeding of some of these mosquito species," Mr Poonawalla told NDTV.
He said the dengue vaccine will come in a little over two years; it will be a one-shot vaccine, and multiple doses will not be needed.
"There aren't many manufacturers who make these vaccines because typically they are all sold at a very low price. So it's not commercially interesting to most pharmaceutical companies to make these vaccines. That's where we and the Serum Institute play a very key role," Mr Poonawalla said.
The five-day meeting at Davos that began on Monday is exploring how to relaunch growth, harness new technologies and strengthen social and economic resilience, according to the World Economic Forum. The global meeting is seeing participation by nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, including 350 governmental leaders.
India's participation at Davos aims to strengthen partnerships, attract investment, and position the country as a global leader in sustainable development and technological innovation. India sent five Union ministers, three chief ministers, and ministers from several other states to the WEF this time.
President Donald Trump's administration has removed Admiral Linda Fagan -- the first woman to lead a US military service -- as the head of the Coast Guard.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Coast Guard, did not immediately respond to a request on Tuesday for comment on Fagan's dismissal.
Fox News cited a senior official saying reasons included her failure to address border security threats, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and an "erosion of trust" over the Coast Guard's investigation into sexual assault cases.
Trump and other Republicans have long railed against government programs aimed at fostering diversity, and border security is a key priority for the president, who declared a national emergency at the US frontier with Mexico on Monday, the first day of his new term.
"She served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her service to our nation," acting DHS secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a message to the Coast Guard, which is one of the five US military branches.
Fagan had led the Coast Guard since 2022, and previously held posts including vice commandant of the service.
She "served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way," according to an archived version of her biography, which is no longer available on the Coast Guard website.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday at an inauguration ceremony that has been scaled back due to a forecast of severe cold weather in the nation's capital.
WHAT EVENTS ARE EXPECTED?
Trump will take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural address inside the US Capitol, instead of outdoors in front of the building, as initially planned.
The traditional inaugural parade, which was set to include marching bands and other groups proceeding down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, has been moved to the Capital One Arena, a professional basketball and hockey venue in downtown Washington.
Trump also held a campaign-style "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" at the arena on Sunday, putting the sometimes-maligned stadium at the center of events for two nights.
WHAT IS THE CAPITAL ONE ARENA?
The arena is home to the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals team. Built in 1997, it is located near the city's small Chinatown area, roughly equidistant from the Capitol building and the White House.
The stadium also hosts concerts and events like the Monster Jam monster truck rally.
WHO OWNS CAPITAL ONE ARENA?
The arena was owned for 14 years by sports mogul Ted Leonsis, founder and CEO of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Wizards and Capitals. The District of Columbia bought the arena for $88 million last year, after Leonsis planned to relocate the teams across the Potomac River to an arena in Virginia that is yet to be built.
When the relocation plan fell apart, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the district stepped in to keep the teams playing in D.C. The district is leasing the arena back to MSE and both are contributing towards a three-year, $800 million redevelopment project to modernize the arena.
Leonsis also owns a stake in aXiomatic, which has a controlling interest in Team Liquid, a global esports powerhouse with professional teams in 14 games.He has donated in the past to both Democrats and Republicans.
WHAT IS THE SEATING IN ARENA LIKE?
The arena has the capacity to hold around 20,000 people - a small fraction of the approximately 220,000 ticketed guests who had been due to watch from the US Capitol grounds.
WHAT WILL THE TRUMP PARADE LOOK LIKE?
It is unclear how the parade will be organized inside the sports venue, but Trump has said supporters will be able to view his swearing-in ceremony on screens inside the arena.
Monday morning, a desk was sent up in the center of the arena, which could be a spot for Trump to sign executive orders.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The five-day meeting at Davos beginning Monday will explore how to re-launch growth, harness new technologies and strengthen social and economic resilience, according to the World Economic Forum. The global meeting will see participation by nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, including 350 governmental leaders.
NDTV spoke to Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO Bob Mumgaard, Abhishek Awadhiya of SimpliAI, and Avanti Fellows founder Akshay Saxena - people who have a real say about where it's all going.
It's been a year of real crisis around the world, whether it's conflict, concerns over sustainable development, and concerns over so many issues, not least of all the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and climate.
Nuclear Fusion Energy
Mr Mumgaard began by giving an overview of the future of nuclear plants in terms of fusion energy and safe operations.
"It's completely different from existing nuclear power. It's the opposite. In fusion, you're combining light elements to make heavier ones the same way the Sun works. That means that there's no meltdown, there's no connection to weapons, and there's no long-lived nuclear waste," said Mr Mumgaard, who is dealing with one of the most interesting aspects of clean energy.
"The issue right now is we still have to develop the technology and deploy it. We're building on the very first power plants right now. Right now, we're about halfway through building the first prototype outside of Boston," he told NDTV.
Mr Mumgaard said his company spun out of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
"We started about three years ago building this machine. In about two years, we'll turn the machine on, and that'll be an important point in the world where we'll have, for the first time, industrial-scale fusion power being created by people," the Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO said.
On matters of cost, which will be a key factor in producing clean energy, Mr Mumgaard said the goal with all new sustainable energy is to produce energy in a way that the world can enable growth, which means it has to be low cost.
"And one of the great things about technologies like fusion is you're using all these other technologies that have come before, you're adding them up. And so you're getting the cost advantages that came from new ways to manufacture, you're getting cost advantages that come from simulation and the use of AI and fusion itself. And so we think that this could lead to a low-cost energy source. We need to still build this and have the receipts. And that's what we're working on now," he added.
AI And Workplace Disruptions
Abhishek Awadhiya of SimpliAI said he strongly believes that AI will work in conjunction with humanity and workforce to elevate productivity.
"A lot of our work is - while focused on automation at SimpliAI - we firmly believe that in the near term, all of these AI tools are going to elevate the productivity of workforces across functions and across roles. It's very important for all the players to really make that argument very clear, very succinct to the people at large, so that the fear factor around AI is actually replaced with positivity and hope," Mr Awadhiya said.
On jobs disappearing due to AI in the workplace, he said, "Well, as the report of World Economic Forum itself states that while there'll be about 90 odd million jobs which will be substituted by 2030, but 170 million more would be created. So in my mind, it's like what happened in the Industrial Revolution. Jobs will get substituted, the jobs which are repetitive, low value in nature, with high-value jobs being moved up the value chain to people. And to me, that is what is going to unlock productivity for humanity at large."
Future Of Education And AI
Avanti Fellows founder Akshay Saxena cautioned against going too fast with AI in the area of education.
"I think there's a couple of things to be really careful about, especially when you look at it in the context of a country like India, where we already have massive inequity that's growing. One is, like Abhishek said, that the nature of work will change, which means you'll have to almost work with an AI copilot alongside," Mr Saxena said.
"What are our schools doing to equip kids to do that? And how many kids even have exposure to this? Because the majority of kids in India don't even have cell phones of their own, or access to the internet in any meaningful way. And what does that mean for our colleges? Because India has amongst the largest engineering workforce that we produce, but also amongst the least employable engineering workforce," he said. "So how do we quickly remodel our engineering schools, technical schools to actually make graduates AI ready? And if you don't move quickly on these fronts, this could be quite catastrophic for India's youth."
At Davos, India's participation aims to strengthen partnerships, attract investment, and position the country as a global leader in sustainable development and technological innovation. India is sending five Union ministers, three chief ministers, and ministers from several other states to the WEF this time.
US immigration authorities will carry out mass arrests of undocumented immigrants across the country on Tuesday, a top border official in the incoming administration of Donald Trump has said.
The move would be among the first by Republican Trump, who returns to the White House on Monday, to uphold a campaign pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States.
The remarks on Friday by Trump's incoming "border czar" Tom Homan to Fox News came in response to reports in the Wall Street Journal and other US outlets that Trump's new administration planned to carry out an "immigration raid" in Chicago beginning Tuesday.
"There's going to be a big raid across the country. Chicago is just one of many places," said Homan, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who oversaw a policy that separated migrant parents and children at the border under the first Trump administration.
"On Tuesday, ICE is finally going to go out and do their job. We're going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens," he said in the interview.
"What we're telling ICE, you're going to enforce the immigration law without apology. You're going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they're in the country illegally, they got a problem," Homan added.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the "large-scale immigration raid" in Chicago was expected to start on Tuesday, a day after Trump's inauguration, would "last all week" and would involve 100 to 200 ICE officers, citing four unnamed people familiar with the operation's planning.
Don Terry, a Chicago police spokesman, told the New York Times that the department would not "intervene or interfere with any other government agencies performing their duties."
But he said the department "does not document immigration status" and "will not share information with federal immigration authorities."
Midwestern Chicago is one of several Democrat-led US cities that have declared themselves "sanctuaries" for migrants -- meaning they will not be arrested solely for not having legal immigrant status.
A Trump representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In a major breakthrough, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, mediators announced Wednesday which will halt a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip. The deal has raised the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.
In a significant development amid war, Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage agreement being negotiated in Doha in relation to the situation in Gaza, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing two Israeli officials.The upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be a highly secured event, with U.S. national security agencies warning that it could be an attractive target for violent extremists. Despite no specific credible threats, the agencies are taking precautions due to the heightened political environment and potential for violence.
Since the two assassination attempts on Trump, during the 2024 campaign and the recent attacks this year in New Orleans and Las Vegas, officials have been on high alert.
Perpetrators may see the swearing-in as "their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence," as a group of intelligence wrote in a threat assessment, accessed by POLITICO.
The threat assessment, compiled by the FBI, Secret Service, Capitol Police, and other agencies, highlights various nightmare scenarios, including bomb hoaxes, swatting calls, drone flights, and vehicle-ramming attacks. Foreign terrorists, domestic extremists, and lone wolves are considered potential perpetrators. The assessment also notes that Iran has long sought revenge against Trump for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, with 700,000 users on Telegram threatening to assassinate him the day after Election Day.
Law enforcement officials are concerned that protests surrounding the inauguration could turn violent, with some groups having previously arranged protests that ended in arrests. The threat assessment mentions that past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest.
To address these concerns, a massive security operation is being put in place. Approximately 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel will be on-site to secure the inauguration, 4,000 officers will be reinforced in Washington D.C. from all over the country and nearly 1,000 officers supporting Capitol Police. The Secret Service, FBI, and other agencies are working together to protect the event, with a dedicated planning team from the Capitol Police department focusing on the inauguration since May.
Former counterterrorism official John Cohen notes that the threat environment for this inauguration is even more volatile and dangerous than it was in 2021. He points to the assassination attempts on Trump, recent threats at the Capitol, and broadening social attitudes that violence and destruction are acceptable ways to express political views.
The security measures in place will include physical security barriers, street closures, uniformed law enforcement deployed, undercover assets being deployed, and National Guard members at key places. The inauguration is expected to be a highly secured event, with law enforcement agencies taking all necessary precautions to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
Walmart's first logo update in 17 years is garnering significant online attention, though it may not be the kind the retail giant anticipated. The redesign, which the company describes as a modernisation grounded in tradition, includes a bolder font, a richer blue background, and a "more energised" yellow spark icon.
Speaking about the change, William White, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US, said in a press statement: "This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow."
The internet, especially X (formerly Twitter), is awash with memes and jokes about the new logo
A user commented, "Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this."
Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this.
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 13, 2025
Another user wrote, "Breaking: Walmart spends millions to shift their logo's shade by one hex code. Innovation at its finest."
Breaking: Walmart spends millions to shift their logo's shade by one hex code. Innovation at its finest. ??
— Kentucky Kernels Of Truth (@TrackDaddyKy) January 13, 2025
How much do you think they paid for this? $1M? $10M? $100M?
— Kody Nordquist (@KodyNordquist) January 13, 2025
The third user asked on X, "How much do you think they paid for this? $1M? $10M? $100M?"
The fourth user wrote, " Did Walmart release a new logo or a vision test? Just asking."
Did Walmart release a new logo or a vision test? ?
— ♥️?Mariel Schaab ?? ?? Coach4Expats (@MarieSchaab) January 14, 2025
Just asking ? pic.twitter.com/L2iW10esvA
Walmart just unveiled their new logo. It looks the fucking same. pic.twitter.com/UwoQDX4Ij9
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) January 13, 2025
The fifth user wrote, "Walmart just unveiled their new logo. It looks the f****** same."
President-elect Donald Trump's push to make Canada the 51st state of the United States has given rise to whirlwinds across the globe. In the latest development, the upcoming president's claim over Canada has drawn criticism from former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien, who has offered blunt advice to Trump saying, "Give your head a shake!"
Outgoing President Joe Biden will deliver his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, January 15, from the Oval Office as President-elect Donald Trump is slated to be sworn in as the next president on January 20. Biden's remarks are scheduled at 8 pm Eastern, which will likely be the last significant opportunity for him to address American citizens and the world before he makes way for Donald Trump to take office. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants more "masculine energy" in corporate culture, saying that an environment that "celebrates aggression" can have positive effects.
"The masculine energy I think is good," the 40-year-old said during a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. "And obviously society has plenty of that, but I think corporate culture is really trying to get away from it." He added that having a culture that celebrates aggression "a bit more, has its own merits that are really positive."
Mr Zuckerberg, appearing with curly hair, a black T-shirt, and a gold pendant, reflected on his own evolution. He credited martial arts as a formative experience, describing it as "a much more masculine culture."
Mr Zuckerberg recently announced major changes to Meta's policies, ending initiatives aimed at boosting diversity in hiring. An internal memo, shared by Axios, explained the decision, partly blaming a "charged" view of DEI.
The memo read: "At Meta, we have a principle of serving everyone. This can be achieved through cognitively diverse teams, with differences in knowledge, skills, political views, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences."
"Such teams are better at innovating, solving complex problems and identifying new opportunities which ultimately helps us deliver on our ambition to build products that serve everyone," the memo added.
"On top of that, we've always believed that no one should be given - or deprived- of opportunities because of protected characteristics, and that has not changed," it read.
The company said it would no longer use the Diverse Slate Approach for hiring but still look for candidates from all backgrounds. Goals for hiring women and minorities have been dropped to avoid the idea that decisions are based on race or gender. The company is also ending its programme to prioritise diverse-owned businesses and will now focus on supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
Training programmes will focus on fair and unbiased practices for everyone. The DEI team has been disbanded, and its head, Maxine Williams, will take on a new role focused on accessibility and engagement.
Mr Zuckerberg also believed companies had become too culturally "neutered." He said this realisation came after he started interacting more with men in the mixed martial arts community. "You want women to succeed and companies to unlock the value of great people no matter their background," he said. "But I think these things can all always go a little far."
According to a report circulating in the Pakistani media, seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, and UAE, have deported a total of 258 Pakistanis. The majority of individuals, 232, have been sent back to Pakistan by Saudi Arabia, while 21 were deported from the UAE. Notably, deportees also include 7 beggars. 
New York's highest court declined to block Donald Trump's upcoming sentencing in his hush-money case on Thursday, leaving the US Supreme Court as the president-elect's likely last option to prevent the hearing from taking place on Friday. One judge of the New York Court of Appeals issued a brief order declining to grant a hearing to Trump's legal team.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in office have been marked by deep economic and social crisis, was sworn in for a third term on Friday, despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture.
Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of July's election by both Venezuela's electoral authority and top court, though detailed tallies confirming his victory have never been published.
Venezuela's opposition says ballot box-level tallies show a landslide win for its former candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized as president-elect by several countries including the United States. International election observers said the vote was not democratic.
The months since the election have seen Gonzalez's flight to Spain in September, his ally Maria Corina Machado going into hiding in Venezuela, and the detentions of high-profile opposition figures and protesters.
In the latest in a series of punitive steps, the outgoing Biden administration increased its reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro on drug trafficking charges to $25 million, from a previous $15 million.
It also issued a $25 million reward for Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, as well as new sanctions against eight other officials including the head of state oil company PDVSA Hector Obregon.
The US indicted Maduro and others on narcotics and corruption charges, among others, in 2020. Maduro has rejected the accusations.
The US move coincided with sanctions by Britain and the European Union each targeting 15 officials, including members of the National Electoral Council and the security forces, and Canadian sanctions targeting 14 current and former officials.
The Maduro government has always rejected all sanctions, saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to an "economic war" designed to cripple Venezuela.
"The outgoing government of the United States doesn't know how to take revenge on us," Maduro said during his inauguration speech, without directly mentioning sanctions.
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sanctions.
Maduro and his allies have cheered what they say is the country's resilience despite the measures, though they have historically blamed some economic hardships and shortages on sanctions.
OPPOSITION TO SPEAK
Gonzalez, who has been on a whistle-stop tour of the Americas this week, has said he will return to Venezuela to take up the mantle of president, but has given no details.
The government, which has accused the opposition of fomenting fascist plots against it, has said Gonzalez will be arrested if he returns and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Opposition leaders Gonzalez and Machado are each expected to speak later on Friday.
Both are being investigated by the attorney general's office for alleged conspiracy, but only Gonzalez has a public warrant out for his arrest.
Machado's first public appearance since August at an anti-government march in Caracas on Thursday was marred by a brief detention.
Her Vente Venezuela political movement said guns were fired and Machado was knocked off the motorcycle on which she was leaving the event. She was then held and forced to film several videos, it said.
One video shared on social media and by government officials showed her sitting on a curb and recounting losing her wallet.
The government scoffed at the incident and denied any involvement.
Some 42 people have been detained for political reasons since Tuesday, judicial NGO Foro Penal said.
Maduro was sworn in at the national assembly in Caracas and said he was taking his oath in the name of sixteenth-century Indigenous leader Guaicaipuro and late President Hugo Chavez, his mentor, among others.
"May this new presidential term be a period of peace, of prosperity, of equality and the new democracy," Maduro said, adding he would convene a commission dedicated to constitutional reform.
"This act is possible because Venezuela is peaceful, in full exercise of its national sovereignty, of its popular sovereignty, of its national independence," Maduro said.
Some 2,000 invitees from 125 countries attended the inauguration, according to the government.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, staunch allies of Maduro, attended as did Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament.
ECONOMIC TROUBLES
Venezuela closed its borders and airspace to Colombia for 72 hours starting at 0500 local time (1000 GMT), the foreign ministry in Bogota said in a statement, adding the border on the Colombian side would remain open.
The opposition, non-governmental organizations and international bodies such as the United Nations have for years decried increasing repression of opposition political parties, activists and independent media in Venezuela.
US President-elect Donald Trump has said the country is being run by a dictator.
Meanwhile the government has repeatedly accused the opposition of plotting with foreign governments and agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency to commit acts of sabotage and terrorism.
The government said this week it had detained seven "mercenaries," including a high-ranking FBI official and a US military official.
Venezuela's economy has experienced a prolonged crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and the exodus of more than 7 million migrants seeking better opportunities abroad.
Many of Machado's supporters, among them retired Venezuelans who would like to see their children and grandchildren return to the country, say jobs, inflation and unreliable public services are among their top concerns.
The government, meanwhile, has employed orthodox methods to try to tamp down inflation, to some success. Maduro said this month that the economy grew 9% last year.
About 2,000 people were arrested at protests following the election. The government said this week it has released 1,515 of them.
Gonzalez, 75, said his son-in-law was kidnapped on Tuesday while taking his children to school.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In a significant development, Bangladesh's ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday left the nation's capital for London on Tuesday for medical treatment, said one of her advisers. Zahiruddin Swapan, an adviser to Zia, told The Associated Press by phone that the three-time former premier and head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late Tuesday on an air ambulance.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced his resignation amid mounting dissent inside his party. "I intend to resign as party leader as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau said at a press conference.Chris Anderson, the head of TED, wrote an open letter to billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday over the tech mogul's recent posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to Anderson, the owner of X is forgetting the "core tenets of journalism".
"...Without them, I think your efforts to make X the respected home of citizen journalism will fail. When you tell hundreds of millions of people that someone should be hanged or jailed for outrageous crimes against humanity, just possibly you should first sound out what those who know those people really well would say about them. Some of your recent posts could literally get someone killed. Do you really want to risk that?" Anderson questioned, referring to Musk's recent posts.
Musk has been frequently bashing international governments whose politics he dislikes and praising far-right figures. He has been using X to post several criticisms and accusations aimed at political figures - especially in UK, Germany, and Canada.
"You say you want to maximize un-regretted user seconds on X. By far the simplest way you could do this, Elon, is simply to thoughtfully edit what you yourself post," Anderson said.
According to Anderson, the owner of X is failing to follow the "fairness doctrine" - which says that before publishing critical claims about an individual, or an institution, one must reach out to them for their side of the story. While the TED chief believes that Musk is eyeing issues that are important and worthy of efforts, he said that the way it is being presented is "playground bullying".
"It's crass and it's cruel, and it's therefore not nearly as effective as it could be. You're hearing the cheers of your most loyal followers, but missing the fact you're making yourself a laughing stock among many who you really want on your side. Long-term that's going to damage X, your other businesses, and indeed your long-term dreams for humanity. No one wants to follow a playground bully to Mars," Anderson said.
With a certain amount of trepidation, I'm posting this open letter to @elonmusk, someone I have admired, but who, right now, is causing me concern. I know I'm not alone in thinking these thoughts. Please like or repost if you're willing... And Elon, if you're listening, please… pic.twitter.com/WGU9okIXJ3
— Chris Anderson (@TEDchris) January 7, 2025
Anderson mentioned that while Musk is someone he admires, at present, he is causing concern.
"I miss the old Elon. You can be funny, interesting, insightful and inspiring. You've fought incredibly hard for what you've built. And you may feel you're entitled to do whatever the hell you want with it. But I also know that you understand the danger of holding too tightly to the ring of power, how it can distort someone's judgement and turn them ugly," he wrote.
"I'm hoping you can loosen that ring just a little. For the love of humanity that you profess, I really urge you to embrace the fairness doctrine and showcase a better face of X," Anderson added.
Musk has not yet responded to the letter.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed at least 21 people, including two children, on Saturday, according to hospital staff. The attacks, which targeted homes, cars, and civilians on the streets, come as a new round of ceasefire negotiations is underway in Qatar, following nearly 15 months of conflict. Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv, urging the government to secure a ceasefire after Hamas released a video of one of the hostages still being held in Gaza.
New Delhi: India on Friday reacted sharply to the media report which claimed the Maldives opposition sought USD 6 million from New Delhi to aid in a plot to impeach Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu. "Both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. You can see a pattern in their activities. I leave you to judge their credibility. As far as we are concerned, they have none," the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a weekly press briefing on Friday.Bangladesh's interim government on Sunday cancelled a planned training programme for 50 judges and judicial officers in India, scrapping a previous notification.
“The notification has been cancelled,” a law ministry spokesman said without elaborating.
The Daily Star newspaper, however, reported the cancellation came in compliance with a directive from Bangladesh's Supreme Court.
The cancellation order came a day after the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported that 50 lower judiciary judges would undergo a one-day training programme from February 10 at the National Judicial Academy and the State Judicial Academy in Madhya Pradesh.
The trainee judges selected under the programme were district and session judge or their equivalent officers, additional district and session judge, joint district judge, senior assistant judges and assistant judge.
The Indian government was supposed to bear all the expenses for the training programmes.
India and Bangladesh have witnessed strained ties since the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi on August 5 last year following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's 16-year regime.
There have been a series of attacks on Hindu community members and their places of worship after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power on August 8.
New Delhi has already raised concern with Dhaka, especially after a Hindu monk was arrested in a sedition case and put in jail after he was denied bail last month.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
After the terrorist attack in New Orleans which killed 15 people as an ISIS supporter rammed into a car during the New Year's celebration, United States President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the United States will relentlessly pursue ISIS as well as other terrorist organisations. King Charles III was on Saturday said to be "deeply saddened" after police said a British relative of his sons' former nanny was among the victims of the deadly truck-ramming attack in New Orleans.
Edward Pettifer, 31, who died in the atrocity, was the stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry's former nanny Tiggy Pettifer.
It was "understood the King was... deeply saddened, and had been in touch with the family to share personal condolences", the UK's Press Association news agency said in a report.
Heir to the throne Prince William said he and his wife Catherine had also been "shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer".
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack," he wrote on the couple's Kensington Palace social media account.
Pettifer's half-brother Tom is one of William's godsons and was a page boy at his wedding to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in 2011.
In 1993, Charles employed Tiggy Legge-Bourke, now Pettifer, whose family had longstanding links to the royals, as a nanny for William and his younger brother Harry after his separation from their mother, Princess Diana.
"The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed's death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, and a friend to so many. We will all miss him terribly," the Pettifer family said in a statement.
On New Year's Day a US army veteran, who the FBI says pledged loyalty to the Islamic State jihadist group, used a pickup truck to kill and wound revellers in New Orleans's crowded French Quarter, before being killed by police.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was "extremely saddened" to learn a British man had been among those killed in the attack.
"We are supporting his family and stand united with the US against terror threats," he wrote on X.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed that improving relations with India requires a two-way effort. He emphasised that Pakistan has been actively engaging in diplomatic efforts since the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government took office last year.
When asked about Pakistan's relations with India, he stressed the importance of mutual effort, and said, "Afghanistan is our brother. We want strong ties. With India, it takes two to tango. If there's goodwill, we are ready for trade."
India took a jibe at Pakistan's comment. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The relevant 'T' word here is terrorism, not tango", during his weekly briefing.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Pakistan Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's statement regarding ties with India 'it takes two to tango', MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, " The relevant 'T' word there is 'terrorism' and not 'tango'..." pic.twitter.com/2hrTW75ScR
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2025
India has reiterated time and again that "terror and talks" cannot go together, and urged Pakistan to stop cross border terrorism.
The relationship between the two countries came to a halt after the 2019 Pulwama Attack. Pakistan also downgraded the diplomatic ties with India after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Dar also announced plans to visit Bangladesh next month, aiming to strengthen economic and trade cooperation. He described Bangladesh as "like a lost brother" and noted that Islamabad and Dhaka are rebuilding ties after the fall of the Hasina government last year, on August 5, after a student-led protest.
Dar also rejected claims of the country's isolation as he said, "When we assumed office, there was a perception of diplomatic isolation. However, by expanding our diplomatic reach and engaging with regional neighbours, this perception has changed."
Additionally, Dar addressed Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan, expressing a desire to strengthen ties despite the challenge of terrorism. He criticised former intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed for engaging in talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and revealed that planned visits to Kabul were postponed due to terrorist attacks.
Moreover, Pakistan has been facing a rise in terrorism since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban came to power, and they have demanded that Afghanistan should control the terrorists who are operating on their soil against Pakistan.
In other developments, Dar highlighted progress in Pakistan's nuclear energy sector, announcing the launch of the Chashma 5 (C-5) nuclear power project. He also confirmed the appointment of former Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood as Secretary General of the D-8 Developing Eight Forum.
A day after a deadly car attack in US's New Orleans which left 15 dead and several injured on New Year's day, another incident involving a car - a Tesla Cybertruck - at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas has the FBI buried in investigating whether the two are linked.
A Tesla Cybertruck laden with explosives was detonated at the Trump Hotel in Vegas earlier today, killing the driver who was the prime suspect in the incident. There were no other casualties as the blast was contained by the sturdy build quality of the vehicle. While investigating the scene the FBI found gasoline canisters and large firework mortars packed inside the Cybertruck.
What raised eyebrows during the investigation though, was the fact that both suspects were US Army veterans. This led the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI to open a parallel probe to see if there is a link.
While the incident in New Orleans, where the suspect ploughed a pick-up truck through a crowd, has been declared a terror attack with a link to ISIS, the one in Vegas is still being probed and hasn't been labelled so.
The man who was driving the Tesla Cybertruck and blew it up in Vegas was 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger - a US Army veteran. Strangely, the man driving the pick-up truck in New Orleans - Shamsud Din Jabbar - had also served in the US Army. Even more intriguing is that the two men reportedly served at the same military base.
If this was not enough of a coincidence, another one that surfaced during the investigation was that both men had hired the vehicles reportedly from the same App-based car rental service Turo.
Both suspects died during the attacks. While New Orleans suspect Jabbar died in a shootout with the police after driving through the crowd, Vegas blast suspect Livelsberger died in the explosion and his body was found in the vehicle by security agencies.
According to local media reports, Livelsberger served in the Special Forces of the US Army for 18 years. In comparison, New Orleans suspect Jabbar served in the US military for less than a decade and had served in Afghanistan for a year from 2009 to 2010.
The New Orleans mass killer had said on video that he had joined terror group ISIS. Shamsud-Din Jabbar "drove from Houston to New Orleans on the evening of the 31st and he posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS," FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said at a press conference.
The FBI confirmed that in one video, Jabbar "explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers.'"
An ISIS flag was also found in the pick-up truck he was driving that day.
Pakistan today replaced Japan for a seat at the world's topmost diplomatic body - the UN Security Council. Islamabad will occupy one of the two seats from the Asia-Pacific region (South Korea being the other) for two years starting today.
Pakistan will also preside over the council in July when it will be the Chair. This will allow Islamabad to set the United Nations Security Council agenda. In addition to this, Islamabad finds itself holding another crucial post after it secured a seat on the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, which is responsible for designating individuals and groups as terrorists and imposing sanctions.
This new two-year tenure as a non-permanent member would be Pakistan's eighth term at the top UN body. It comes at a significant time, when central and west Asia is experiencing political and humanitarian crises - the war in Gaza, crisis in Lebanon, heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, the regime change in Syria, and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, to name a few.
Europe too is reeling under severe economic strain of the years-long Russia-Ukraine war. In East Asia, there are serious concerns over China's threat to Taiwan and North Korea's military rise while South Korea is imploding from one of its worst political crises. China also has serious differences with Philippines and Vietnam leading to naval face-offs.
But perhaps the most obvious of Pakistan's agendas will be to rake up its rhetoric about Kashmir. Islamabad's envoy to the United Nations has already hinted this in his remarks after Pakistan assumed the seat at the UN Security Council. "We will continue to highlight" the Kashmir issue "and push for concrete steps from the international community," said Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram.
As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Pakistan will not have veto rights, but it will have a significant say in matters such as designating terrorists and wield influence over the sanctions committee.
Pakistan's two-year term also coincides with talks to reform the UN Security Council with India aiming to become a permanent member with full veto rights. Islamabad will likely do all it can to hinder the process and push back New Delhi's attempts to gain a rightful seat at the council. India, being the world's most populous nation, and one of the leading global economies, with a proven track-record has been persisting for the "much-needed reforms".
Islamabad has already said that it will strongly oppose the addition of any new permanent members, and will favour the expansion of the non-permanent category instead.
Islamabad has also said that as one of the five non-permanent members of the Security Council from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation or OIC countries, Pakistan will aim to become the 'Voice of the Muslim World', quite like India being the 'Voice of the Global South'.