New Delhi

Chinese President Xi Jinping missed the dinner for world leaders at the G20 summit in New Delhi because he was unwell, according to people familiar with the matter. The report has fueled fresh speculation about the 70-year-old leader's health, coming just days before he was scheduled to travel to the United States, and has drawn wide attention and debate about his condition and absence from a key diplomatic gathering.

India and Pakistan exchanged sharp statements at the United Nations General Assembly after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the Kashmir issue and levelled allegations against India. New Delhi responded, exercising its right of reply, with Kashmir and terrorism dominating the exchange. The latest spat underscores the two neighbours' long-running dispute over the region.

Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's Congress party, is holding a live press conference at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi. The event is drawing large audiences as viewers await his remarks, which are expected to touch on current political issues facing the opposition party.

India has dispatched humanitarian support to Afghanistan, continuing a policy of providing assistance to the Afghan people despite not formally recognising the Taliban administration. The aid is part of New Delhi's ongoing engagement with Afghanistan, which has included wheat, medicines and other relief supplies in recent years. Observers see the move as a sign of India maintaining a humanitarian presence in the region.

Indian applicants for US visitor visas are facing long interview waits, with Hyderabad at around 12 months, Mumbai 11.5 months, New Delhi 10 months, Chennai 7.5 months and Kolkata 6.5 months. The figures are drawing attention as families planning travel for tourism, business or family visits face delays stretching close to a year before they can secure an interview appointment.

Pakistani security forces have killed dozens of alleged terrorists in operations in Balochistan, with officials claiming the fighters were backed by India. Islamabad has long accused New Delhi of supporting insurgent groups in the restive southwestern province, allegations India denies. The reported operation is drawing attention amid already heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India will continue to strike terrorist hubs as long as its neighbour supports terrorists. The statement, reported by The New Indian Express, underlines New Delhi's stated policy of cross-border action against militant infrastructure. Singh did not name the country, but the reference is widely understood to point to Pakistan, amid long-standing tensions over terrorism emanating from across the border.

India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the country must become self-reliant in defence, from semiconductors to warships, in an interview with NDTV. He argued that India cannot depend on foreign suppliers for critical military technology and needs domestic capability across the board. The remarks underline New Delhi's ongoing push to build its own defence manufacturing base.

Russia's envoy to India has claimed that a "Freudian slip" by the United States revealed American anxieties about India's growing global power. The remark, reported by NDTV, frames Washington as privately worried about India's rise even as the two countries deepen ties. The comments add to Moscow's ongoing diplomatic outreach to New Delhi amid shifting geopolitics.

India's government has put out a statement on strengthening the country's space sovereignty, signalling continued state focus on self-reliance in space capabilities. The announcement, carried by the Press Information Bureau, underscores policy efforts to expand India's satellite, launch and space security capacity. Observers see it as part of New Delhi's broader push to establish itself as a major independent space power.