World Echo

New Delhi condemned an attack that sank an Indian-flagged vessel transiting through Omani waters as “unacceptable” on Thursday and said commercial ships should not be targeted amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. The attack on the dhow — a wooden vessel — occurred while it was sailing from Somalia to the United Arab Emirates in the early hours of Wednesday, causing a fire on board that eventually led to the ship sinking, New Delhi said. All 14 crew members were rescued by the Omani coast guard and taken to Diba port, India added. India did not specify the nature of the attack or identify who was responsible. However, British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the explosion was believed to have been caused by a drone or missile strike. The vessel was carrying livestock cargo, Vanguard said. “The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian marin...

A state banquet is underway in Beijing. It kicked off with Xi saying China and the US should be partners, not rivals, and US President Donald Trump describing Chinese President Xi Jinping as a friend. The event caps off the first day of the two-day summit between the leaders of the world's two largest economies. Earlier, Xi told Trump that trade talks were making progress, but cautioned that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path and even lead to conflict. Xi's remarks on Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by Beijing, came in a closed-door meeting that ran more than two hours, China's foreign ministry said. They represented a stark - if not unprecedented - warning during a pomp-filled occasion that otherwise appeared friendly and relaxed. The US summary of the talks made no mention of Taiwan. Instead, it focused on the leaders' shared desire to reopen the key waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closed due...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday told China's Xi Jinping their countries would have "a fantastic future together", as they began a superpower summit in Beijing on thorny issues including Iran, trade and Taiwan. Heaping praise on his host, Trump told Xi it was "an honour to be your friend", as the Chinese leader, in less effusive tones, said the two sides "should be partners and not rivals". Xi warned his US counterpart that the issue of Taiwan could push their two countries into "conflict" if mishandled, a stark opening salvo as a superpower summit set to tackle numerous thorny issues began in Beijing Thursday. Temple of Heaven Trump had arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a "great leader" and "friend", as he predicted that their countries would have "a fantastic future together". Trump visited the Temple of Heaven. Xi greeted Trump outside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests....

Dozens of Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning under the protection of Israeli forces, the official news agency Wafa reported. Local sources said occupiers entered the compound and publicly performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards under Israeli protection, Wafa added. Under Israeli occupation police protection, a group of Zionist settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque's courtyards, desecrating the holy site by singing and dancing. Follow: https://t.co/B3zXG74hnU pic.twitter.com/AuPjbboebY — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 14, 2026 The Turkish foreign ministry condemned the act in a statement posted on X, saying, "Such provocative acts, which violate the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a holy site belonging to Muslims, risk further deepening tensions and instability in the region." The statement ended with a call to protect the rights of Palestinians and prevent "violations ...

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...

The United States on Tuesday announced visa restrictions against 13 individuals linked to Indian online pharmacy KS International Traders for allegedly distributing counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyl. In a statement, the US State Department said the individuals were close associates of KS International Traders and its owner, which was based in India. “Sanctioned online pharmacies like KS International Traders, based in India, have sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills laced with illicit fentanyl to unsuspecting victims across the US,” the statement said. Read: Iran war to cast a shadow on BRICS foreign ministers meeting in Delhi The department said KS International Traders generated revenue through fentanyl trafficking, noting that US President Donald Trump had designated fentanyl a “Weapon of Mass Destruction.” The statement said the move underscored the US’ and India’s “enduring and shared commi...