Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's visit to New Delhi marks a new impetus in the strategic partnership between India and Mongolia. Indian Prime Minister Modi announced a training programme for Mongolian border forces, free e-visas, and deeper cultural exchanges based on Buddhism. The two countries are united by a shared desire to reduce trade and energy dependence on China and Russia.
In Khushab District, a Christian family reports growing threats and the forced conversion to Islam of their 17-year-old daughter. The girl was taken by the police and then went missing from state custody. The Edge Foundation is assisting the parents, now hiding for fear of retaliation, and is preparing an appeal to the Lahore High Court. This case is emblematic of the persecution affecting religious minorities in Pakistan.
Israel’s prime minister pulls out from the signing of the agreement, ostensibly because of a Jewish holiday, but the most likely reason is the presence of Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media announced a historic visit by Indonesian President Prabowo to Israel tomorrow, which Indonesia’s foreign ministry quickly denied. Modi snubs the summit, sending his Minister of State for External Affairs.
Fierce fighting along the border has reignited tensions between the two countries following a Pakistani raid on Kabul against the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad claims 200 Taliban fighters were killed, while Kabul reports 58 Pakistani soldiers killed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trying to broker a truce. In Pakistan, the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement has resumed protests, sparking clashes in Islamabad and Lahore amid growing tensions.
The court ruled that the land is a private donation, not religious property, squashing the Waqf Board’s attempt, in 2019, to claim the area as a religious asset, creating uncertainty for more than 600 Catholic families who had legally purchased the land. The court called the Board's action a “land-grabbing tactic”, clarifying that the state is not bound by its orders. The Archbishop Chakkalakkal of Calicut calls for the full restoration of property rights.
Today, India decided to reopen its embassy in Kabul, marking an unprecedented political step towards the Taliban government. The announcement came after Pakistan struck the Afghan capital to eliminate Noor Wali Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban. These developments are part of a new phase in the conflict between India and Pakistan, which began with Operation Sindoor, launched by New Delhi in May in response to an attack in Kashmir.
