Asia
At least 18 people are dead after a stampede at New Delhi railway station in India
At least 18 people, including 14 women, were killed in a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital of New Delhi, the Press Trust of India news agency reported Sunday.
Many of the victims were Hindu pilgrims who were traveling to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj in northern India, according to Delhi’s caretaker chief minister, Atishi, who uses only one name.
The stampede happened late Saturday while thousands of people were gathered at the New Delhi railway station waiting to board a train. The incident occurred after some passengers slipped and fell on others while coming down from a footbridge that connects train platforms, authorities said.
Sheela Devi, who was at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital in New Delhi to collect her daughter-in-law's body, said an announcement about a change of train platforms created confusion among the passengers that led to the stampede.
“The crowd went out of control and no one could control it,” said Nikhil Kumar, a shopkeeper who witnessed the crowd surge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was “distressed by the stampede.”
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede,” he said on the social platform X.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that an investigation has been ordered to find what led to the stampede.
At least 30 people were killed in a stampede at the six-week festival last month after tens of millions of Hindus gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters.
13 hours ago
10 dead, 19 hurt as car hits bus in India
At least 10 people lost their lives, and 19 others sustained injuries when a car carrying Maha Kumbh devotees from Chhattisgarh collided with a bus on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway in Uttar Pradesh around midnight on Friday.
According to DCP Yamunanagar Vivek Chandra Yadav, the victims’ bodies were sent to Swaroop Rani Nehru Medical Hospital for post-mortem, and necessary legal procedures were underway.
The accident occurred around 2am near the Meja police station in Prayagraj when a Bolero car, transporting devotees from Korba in Chhattisgarh to the Sangam for a holy dip, crashed into a bus carrying pilgrims from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
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Authorities suspect the Bolero’s driver may have fallen asleep, causing the crash.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the incident, instructing officials to expedite relief efforts and provide proper medical care for the injured.
Source: with inputs from Hindustan Times
1 day ago
Guarded optimism in India as Trump, Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship.
“Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,” said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India’s director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. “As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it’s surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.”
The meeting signaled that “defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days,” Bhatia said.
In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership.
Modi and Trump “pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,” the statement said.
The leaders also “committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing,” the statement said.
While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi’s dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S.
Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time.
“What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It’s a long-term project,” he said.
It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India’s immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India.
“They are not going to come tomorrow,” Bedi said. “It’s going to take several years to start arriving,” he added.
As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment.
With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization.
“India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America,” said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military’s Northern Command.
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China’s rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.
The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China’s rise.
Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing’s efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
“The major threat is from China which is outstripping India’s capability,” Hooda said.
In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India’s defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones.
The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said.
“It’s a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we’ll get modern weapons,” Hooda said. “It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.”
1 day ago
260 trafficked foreigners rescued from Myanmar scam centers to be repatriated
Around 260 foreign nationals, who were trafficked and forced to work in online scam centers in Myanmar, are set to be repatriated following a rescue operation, Thailand's army announced Thursday.
The individuals, from 20 different countries, were brought to Thailand’s Tak province from Myanmar’s Myawaddy district on Wednesday. The victims include people from Ethiopia, Kenya, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and several other nations, AP reports.
According to Thai authorities, these individuals were coerced into working in online scam centers that operated across Southeast Asia. These scams, including fake romantic schemes, fraudulent investment offers, and illegal gambling, have defrauded victims worldwide of billions of dollars. Many workers were lured with false job promises and later held against their will.
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The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, a Myanmar ethnic militia, reportedly facilitated the workers' release and escorted them to the Thai border. Myanmar's military government has limited control over many frontier areas, where ethnic militias often engage in criminal activities like drug trafficking and protecting scam operations.
The rescued individuals will undergo questioning to confirm if they were victims of human trafficking. Verified victims will be placed under protection while awaiting repatriation.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, stated that the country would only accept those who can be immediately repatriated by their home countries, emphasizing that Thailand has no plans to establish additional shelters.
The operation follows earlier crackdowns on scam centers in Myanmar, particularly in Shan state, where China exerted pressure to curb these illegal activities. In late 2023, ethnic militias with close ties to Beijing shut down many such operations, resulting in the repatriation of approximately 45,000 Chinese nationals.
China’s new coal power plant projects hit highest level in 10yrs, report says
Thailand has intensified efforts to combat these scams in collaboration with China. In February, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged joint action to dismantle scam networks in the region. Additionally, Thai authorities recently cut off utilities, including internet, to certain border areas notorious for scam centers.
The Thai army assured that investigations will continue, using the rescued individuals' accounts to track and prosecute the traffickers behind these operations.
2 days ago
Erdogan holds talks with Pakistani premier to discuss Gaza and bilateral issues
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday at his office in Islamabad to discuss the situation in Gaza and boosting bilateral trade and cooperation.
Erdogan and Sharif jointly chaired bilateral strategic cooperation talks between the countries, which share close historic and cultural ties.
At a televised ceremony, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of 24 agreements and a memorandum of understanding to boosting trade and economic ties.
Seated next to Sharif, the Turkish president said he will encourage businessmen from his country to engage with their Pakistani counterparts. He thanked Pakistan for standing by Turkey after a powerful earthquake hit his country two years ago, causing massive devastation and killing thousands of people.
China's Xi and Thailand's leader vow to crack down on scam networks that plague Southeast Asia
He said the two sides had “agreed to further strengthen our relations” and renewed their commitment to extending support to the Palestinian people.
“Alongside Pakistan, we strive to provide every effort possible to support to the just cause of our Palestinian brothers, both within the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other platforms," Erdogan said.
“We believe that we must strengthen this determined stance, especially at a time when there are unlawful and morally unacceptable proposals such as tearing our Gazan brothers from their homeland,” Erdogan added, in reference to recent proposals to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.
Sharif also praised Erdogan for his support to the Palestinian people.
Erdogan was earlier welcomed by people in traditional Turkish and Pakistani dresses who lined a key city road that had been decorated with Turkish and Pakistani flags. The crowds danced to the beat of drums as the Turkish leader's convoy passed through the streets.
Erdogan and his wife, Emine Erdogan, were welcomed by Sharif on their arrival at his office. A band played the national anthems of both countries before a ceremony that saw the leaders inspecting a guard of honor.
3 days ago
China’s new coal power plant projects hit highest level in 10yrs, report says
China’s power industry began construction on nearly 100 gigawatts of new coal plant capacity last year, the most in nearly a decade, a report from two clean-energy groups said Thursday.
The development raises concerns about the country’s ability to meet its carbon reduction goals and threatens to undercut China's massive expansion in solar and wind power, which has far outpaced that in the United States and Europe, the report said.
“Instead of replacing coal, clean energy is being layered on top of an entrenched reliance on fossil fuels,” it said.
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The report is part of a review of China’s coal projects done every six months by the Europe-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and the U.S.-based Global Energy Monitor.
Construction began on 94.5 gigawatts of coal power plant capacity in 2024, more than in any year since 2015, according to a worldwide database of coal plants maintained by Global Energy Monitor.
Work also resumed on 3.3 gigawatts of suspended projects, the report said.
"A substantial number of new plants will come online in the next 2-3 years, further solidifying coal’s role in the power system,” it said.
The concern is that coal power will displace solar and wind capacity. The report said that in the last three months of 2024, electricity generation from fossil fuels remained high, while solar and wind utilization dropped sharply.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced two climate goals in 2020 — a peak in carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.
The country's carbon emissions may have already peaked, analysts say, and the next challenge is to begin reducing them.
China was among the many nations that missed a U.N. deadline this week to submit a national plan to cut emissions by 2035.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the government is working on a plan and will submit it “in due course this year.”
The report from the two clean energy groups said that China accounted for 93% of construction starts globally for coal power plants last year.
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Proposals for new or revived coal plant projects in China fell last year to 68.9 gigawatts from more than 100 gigawatts the two previous years, suggesting that construction starts could slow, the report said.
The amount of new coal power capacity approved in China last year also fell to 66.7 gigawatts, after a sharp rise in 2022-23.
3 days ago
Young Chinese turn to DeepSeek for emotional support
Each night before bed, 28-year-old Holly Wang logs into DeepSeek for what she calls her "therapy sessions." Since the launch of the Chinese AI app in January, Holly has turned to the chatbot to share her struggles, including the grief of losing her grandmother. Its thoughtful, empathetic responses have moved her to tears more than once.
"DeepSeek has been an incredible counsellor," Holly says. "It helps me view situations from new perspectives, often more effectively than the paid therapy services I've tried." Holly requested anonymity to protect her privacy.
AI apps like DeepSeek have become part of daily life for many around the world, assisting with tasks like writing reports, planning trips, and learning new skills. In China, however, young people are increasingly turning to these tools for emotional support—a role not traditionally associated with algorithms and code.
DeepSeek's success has not only sparked national pride but has also provided solace to a generation facing uncertainty. Experts attribute this growing emotional reliance to a sluggish economy, high unemployment, and the psychological toll of prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns. Additionally, China's tightening controls have limited public forums for airing frustrations.
The chatbot stands out from domestic alternatives like those from Alibaba, Baidu, and ByteDance, primarily because of its unique "thought process" feature. Users can see how the AI formulates its responses, offering a sense of transparency and personal connection.
On social media platform RedNote, Holly shared how one interaction with DeepSeek brought her to tears. "I don’t know why, but it’s been so long since I felt such comfort," she wrote. "I’ve been overwhelmed by distant dreams and endless work. Thank you, AI."
Unlike ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, which are restricted in China, DeepSeek is readily accessible without the need for VPN services. Holly, who works in the creative industry, describes it as superior to other Chinese AI apps, especially in generating creative and literary content.
AI's growing role in emotional support is supported by research. Nan Jia, a professor at the University of Southern California, notes that chatbots can help people feel genuinely heard. "Friends and family often jump to solutions when someone just wants to feel understood," she explains. "AI appears more empathetic because it listens to everything without interruption."
Despite a rising demand for mental health services, social stigma remains a barrier in parts of Asia. Another woman from Hubei province recounted her positive experience with DeepSeek after previous disappointments with other apps. When she asked if she was oversharing with her family, DeepSeek suggested her feelings might stem from a deep-seated desire for approval. The response, paired with a step-by-step framework for self-reflection, left her in tears.
"DeepSeek introduced me to new perspectives," she says. "It genuinely seems to understand you before responding."
As more young Chinese turn to AI for companionship and counsel, DeepSeek stands out as more than just a digital assistant—it has become a virtual shoulder to lean on in uncertain times.
With input from BBC
3 days ago
Thousands in Taiwan and China celebrate the Lantern Festival with high hopes and rice dumplings
Thousands in Taiwan and China celebrated the Lantern Festival on Wednesday by releasing paper lanterns into the night sky, visiting light installations and snacking on glutinous rice dumplings.
The holiday marks the end of the Lunar New Year period and is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
At the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in northern Taiwan, thousands lined up in the rain to light up and observe wish lanterns. Among them were Mae Alegonero and Shine Ceralvo, friends from the Philippines who work in central Taiwan. They decided to join the event after seeing images of the floating lanterns trending on TikTok.
“You experience this once in a lifetime,” Alegonero said, as she sheltered under an umbrella with her friend and waited for the festivities to begin.
Some visitors came from as far as Europe and Latin America to witness in person the iconic images of paper lanterns filling the night sky.
Villagers in Taiwan started using paper lanterns more than a century ago to signify to others it was safe to return after bandits raided their communities. Today, the lanterns carry hopes of peace and prosperity in the New Year.
For Charlotte Cadinot, an exchange student from France, the fascination with wish lanterns started when she watched the Disney movie “Tangled,” which features a scene where Princess Rapunzel and her beau wish upon lanterns floating above a lake.
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Cadinot and her boyfriend, Remi Delmas, recreated that scene to an extent when they wrote their own common wish on a lantern before releasing it into the sky.
A total of nine waves of lantern releases were interspersed with music and dance performances as part of the festival. The stars of the show were a pair of 12-foot (3.6 meters) pink and golden snake-shaped lanterns, in a nod to the Year of the Snake.
People in China also celebrated the Lantern Festival, although no officially-organized event there sees the release of large amounts of paper lanterns.
Instead, Beijing residents lined up for glutinous rice dumplings — the festival’s most sought-after snack — and visited light shows across the city. The largest among them, at the Beijing Garden Expo Park, in the city’s suburbs, displayed more than 10,000 installations of various sizes and designs.
Some installations were up to 60 feet (18 meters) tall and depicted everything from cultural landmarks to traditional symbols such as the God of Fortune, dragons and phoenixes to modern interpretations such as a cyberpunk-style Beijing opera headdress.
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3 days ago
Seoul says North Korea is destroying facility that hosted reunions of war-separated families
North Korea is demolishing a South Korea-built property that had been used to host reunions of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, the South’s government said Thursday, as it continues to eliminate symbols of engagement between the war-divided rivals.
Relations between the Koreas are at their worst in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continuing to flaunt his expanding nuclear weapons program and declaring to abandon long-standing goals of inter-Korean reconciliation, while describing the South as a permanent enemy.
The 12-story building at the North’s scenic Diamond Mountain resort, which has 206 rooms and banquet facilities for hosting meetings, had been used for family reunions since 2009. The Koreas last held a family reunion in 2018, after Kim initiated diplomacy with Seoul and Washington in an effort to leverage his nuclear program for economic benefits.
Negotiations derailed in 2019 after a failed summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, who was serving his first term, when the Americans rejected North Korea’s demands for a major release of U.S.-led economic sanctions in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. The North has since suspended virtually all diplomatic activity with the South and ignored U.S. requests to resume talks while accelerating the development of nuclear weapons and missiles.
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Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said it had confirmed that North Korea was demolishing the building, named the Reunion Center for the Separated Families, and urged the North to suspend the destruction. The North had previously removed a South Korea-built hotel, golf course and other tourist facilities from the Diamond Mountain resort.
“Demolishing the reunion center is an act against humanity that crushes the yearning of separated families, as well as a grave infringement of our state-owned property,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the South’s government will consider “necessary” countermeasures, including legal action and international pressure, but it isn’t clear whether Seoul has any effective options.
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In 2023, South Korea filed a 44.7 billion won ($30 million) damage suit against North Korea for blowing up a joint liaison office just north of their border in 2020. The lawsuit was seen as symbolic as there’s no clear way for South Korea to force North Korea to pay if it is found liable for damages.
3 days ago
India commits $2 billion to expand nuclear power capacity
India wants more nuclear power, has pledged over $2 billion toward research and will change laws to boost investment to do it.
The pledges were made by India's finance minister earlier this month as part of a plan to expand electricity generation and reduce emissions. Nuclear power is a way to make electricity that doesn't emit planet-warming gases, although it does create radioactive waste. India is one of the world’s biggest emitters of planet-heating gases and over 75% of its power is still generated by burning fossil fuels, mostly coal. India wants to install 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047 — enough to power nearly 60 million Indian homes a year.
Energy experts say that for the world to move away from carbon-polluting fuels like coal, oil and gas, sources like nuclear that don't rely on the sun and the wind — which aren't always available — are needed. But some are skeptical about India's ambitions as the country's nuclear sector is still very small, and negative public perceptions about the industry remain.
To grow the sector, Shayak Sengupta, a senior research associate at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, said the new Trump administration's desire to reconfigure trade could be beneficial. India's nuclear growth plan provides “ample opportunity” for U.S. exports, as the nuclear power sector there is much more mature, and companies are working on developments in the technology, like smaller and cheaper nuclear reactors. India is also investing in small reactors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s is set to meet President Trump on Wednesday. The pair are expected to discuss nuclear power, among other topics, according to India's oil minister.
Nuclear power is around three times as expensive as solar energy in India and can take up to six years to install as opposed to similar amounts of solar that usually take less than a year. Newer small modular reactors are cheaper and faster to build, but they also make less electricity.
India has managed to double the amount of nuclear power installed in the country in the last decade, but it still makes up just 3% of its electricity.
Still, “the first challenge remains convincing the public to let the projects get deployed in their vicinity,” said Ruchita Shah, an energy analyst at the climate think-tank, Ember. Local communities have protested at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India and at proposed nuclear sites in the western state of Maharashtra in the last decade, citing security and environmental concerns.
But for investors and governments, “the level of interest (in nuclear power) now is the highest it's been since the oil crises in the 1970s,” said Brent Wanner, head of the power sector unit at the International Energy Agency. That's because it's reliable and clean, he said.
The IEA found that 63 nuclear reactors are currently under construction globally, the most since 1990.
Wanner said governments are critical in getting nuclear power projects underway and India's plan “very positive” for the nuclear industry.
Even with its eye on nuclear, India shouldn't forget about other sources of energy that don't emit greenhouse gases, said Madhura Joshi, from the climate think tank E3G.
“Solar, other renewables and storage can come up much faster and quicker," Joshi said, delivering “the immediate solutions that are needed.”
4 days ago