World Echo

India is set to formally retire its remaining MiG-21 fighter jets in September, drawing the curtain on the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) longest-serving and most controversial combat aircraft. Currently operated by the IAF’s 23 Squadron, known as the Panthers, the aircraft will be replaced by the indigenously developed Tejas Mk1A fighter jets. India inducted over 700 MiG-21s over the years, including several variants such as the Type-77, Type-96, BIS, and the upgraded Bison models. Many were licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). According to The Hindu, the final squadrons of MiG-21s are currently stationed at the Nal air base in Rajasthan. Their phase-out will reduce the IAF’s operational fighter strength to 29 squadrons, its lowest in decades, until Tejas units are fully integrated. Read: PAF aircraft shine at UK air show The aircraft have been marred by controversy, most notably during the 2019 aerial confrontation with Pakistan. In the aftermath of India’s Balakot airstri...

A coal mine collapse in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday killed six miners and injured 18 others, local authorities said. The incident took place in the Baghlan region of northern Afghanistan, where at least ten miners died in February 2022 in another coal mine collapse. Syed Mustafa Hashimi, head of the provincial Information and Culture office, told AFP that part of the mine had "suddenly collapsed," killing the six. Also Read: Jeweller killed in daylight heist in Karachi's Korangi Eighteen people have been hospitalized, he added, without describing the severity of their injuries. Afghanistan mines marble, minerals, gold, lithium and precious stones in addition to coal. There is little oversight over the industry, and fatal accidents are frequent. Miners often work without adequate equipment or safety gear. In December 2024, 22 men were trapped in a collapsed coal mine in Samangan, another northern province, but were rescued hours later. from Latest World News, Interna...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated that the protection of Chinese nationals in Pakistan remains a top priority for the government, underscoring its significance in the context of the country’s economic future and bilateral cooperation with China. Chairing a high-level meeting on security arrangements for Chinese citizens, the prime minister said that creating a safe and business-friendly environment was essential to maintaining the confidence of Chinese companies operating in Pakistan. “The confidence of Chinese companies in the Pakistani economy is extremely important for our economic future,” he stated. Read More: UN adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on 'peaceful dispute settlement' He highlighted ongoing efforts to bolster security for Chinese nationals across the country, including in the federal capital, citing Safe City projects as a key component of this strategy.  These surveillance and response systems, he said, were being implemented nationwide in ...

At least 35 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, including eight aid seekers and a 40-day-old baby who died from malnutrition, said medical sources. Doctors at al-Shifa Hospital told Al Jazeera that most patients arriving now suffer from starvation not war-related injuries. Medical staff is operating with limited supplies, they said. According to the World Food Programme, around 90,000 women and children in the enclave urgently need treatment for hunger-related conditions. The AFP Journalists’ Association issued a statement raising alarm over the worsening conditions of its freelance journalists inside Gaza, stating that some were now too weak from hunger to continue working. “We risk learning of their deaths at any moment, and this is unbearable,” the association said. Medical officials in Gaza reported that 13 Palestinians were killed in an early morning Israeli attack on the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. At least 25 others were wounded...

An Air India Airbus A320 flight veered off the runway as it landed during heavy rain at the Mumbai International Airport on Monday, briefly shutting the runway and damaging the underside of one of the plane's engines. All passengers and crew members have since disembarked, Air India said, without saying whether anyone was injured. Air India flight AI2744 had flown from Kochi in southern Kerala state to Mumbai. The Mumbai airport said in a statement there were "minor damages reported to the airport's primary runway" due to what it described as a "runway excursion", and a secondary runway had been activated to ensure operational continuity. The aircraft has been grounded for checks, Air India added. A Times of India report, citing sources, said three tyres had burst on the aircraft after the landing. TV footage from NDTV and India Today showed the outer casing of the engine damaged, with some apparent cracks. Read: Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control ...

The under-utilisation of an oil pipeline between Iraq and Turkey is unfortunate and Ankara wants a "new and vibrant phase" in the matter to benefit both parties and the region, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Monday. In a presidential decision published in the Official Gazette earlier on Monday, Ankara said the Turkey-Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement - agreed by Turkey's government in 1973 and put into effect in 1975 - and all subsequent protocols or memorandums will be halted from July 27, 2026. The official said the pipeline had the potential to become a "highly active and strategic pipeline for the region", and added Turkey had invested heavily in its maintenance, while repeatedly noting its importance for regional projects like the Development Road - a planned trade route involving Turkey and Iraq. "A new and vibrant phase for the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline will benefit both countries and the region as a whole," the person said.   from Lates...

At least 67 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire as they waited for UN aid trucks in northern Gaza on Sunday, the Gaza health ministry said, as Israel issued new evacuation orders for areas packed with displaced people. The ministry said dozens of people were also wounded in the incident in northern Gaza. It was one of the highest reported death tolls among repeated recent cases in which aid seekers have been killed, including 36 on Saturday. Another six people were killed near another aid site in the south, it said. Israel's military said its troops had fired warning shots towards a crowd of thousands of people in northern Gaza on Sunday to remove what it said was "an immediate threat". It said initial findings suggested reported casualty figures were inflated, and it "certainly does not intentionally target humanitarian aid trucks". Read More: Infant, 4-year-old child die of hunger in Gaza It did not immediately comment on the incident in the south. The UN...