India has strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a recent China-Pakistan joint statement issued after meetings between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India, stating that no external party has the locus standi to comment on the issue. New Delhi also reaffirmed its opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, arguing that some projects pass through territory it claims as sovereign. India additionally rejected references to China-Pakistan trans-boundary water cooperation and reiterated its non-recognition of the 1963 boundary agreement. (PC: X)

The latest Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi concluded without announcing a date or host confirmation for the next Quad leaders’ summit, raising questions about the grouping’s future trajectory. Previous Quad statements typically identified the next summit host, but the latest joint statement only expressed anticipation for a future meeting. The talks involved S. Jaishankar, Marco Rubio, Penny Wong and Toshimitsu Motegi. With scheduling challenges involving the leaders of India, the United States, Japan and Australia, speculation has emerged that the Quad could temporarily revert to ministerial-level engagements or hold meetings alongside larger international gatherings. (PC: X)

India has strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a recent China-Pakistan joint statement, reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said no foreign country has the locus standi to comment on the matter. India also reiterated its opposition to projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in territories it considers its sovereign land, stating that such activities infringe upon its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Additionally, New Delhi rejected references to China-Pakistan trans-boundary water cooperation, citing its non-recognition of the 1963 boundary agreement.

A 45-year-old Indian woman from Gujarat was shot dead during a suspected robbery at a supermarket in Virginia, US, on May 23. The victim, Meghna Patel from Mehsana district’s Jantral village, had been working at the store for nearly 10 years. CCTV footage reportedly shows a masked gunman entering the nearly empty supermarket as a customer before shooting her at close range within seconds. The attacker allegedly continued firing before fleeing with items from the counter area. Patel’s family lives in both Gujarat and the US. Her death has triggered grief in her native village and among the Gujarati community in America.

An LNG tanker carrying gas from the UAE reached Gujarat’s Dahej terminal on Tuesday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such arrival in India in over two months. The Liberia-flagged vessel Al Hamra carried around 62,000 tonnes of LNG from ADNOC’s Das Island facility. Trade sources said the cargo belongs to state-run GAIL. The tanker arrived as energy shipments through the Strait remained heavily disrupted due to the West Asia conflict. India depends on LNG imports for nearly half of its natural gas needs. Officials hope the arrival will help restore more energy supplies from the Persian Gulf. (PC: The Indian Express)

A new immigration policy announced by the administration of United States President Donald Trump has sparked concern among Indian students and H-1B professionals over future residency prospects in America. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said Green Cards are a discretionary benefit and many applicants may now need to return to their home countries for processing. Immigration experts warned the move could disrupt careers and families already facing long visa backlogs. Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera criticised the policy, calling it disruptive and unfair to legal immigrants. Education leaders said growing uncertainty over visas and residency may push students towards alternative study destinations. (PC: ai Generated)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said negotiations for a free trade agreement between Canada and India are progressing rapidly and described the proposed pact as a “game changer” for businesses and workers. During discussions with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, both sides reviewed opportunities in energy, agri-food, technology and education. The two countries are pushing to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2026 while targeting bilateral trade growth to USD 50 billion by 2030. The renewed momentum follows efforts to reset relations after diplomatic tensions in 2023, with energy, nuclear cooperation, innovation and investment emerging as key areas of collaboration.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to India has helped pave the way for a complete reset of India-Canada relations. Speaking in Ottawa, Goyal indicated that the engagement marked a positive step toward rebuilding bilateral ties after a period of diplomatic strain. Relations between the two countries had deteriorated following the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, an issue that caused tensions during the tenure of Carney’s predecessor. The latest diplomatic outreach is being viewed as an effort to restore cooperation and improve relations between New Delhi and Ottawa.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court awarded ₹10 lakh compensation to businessman Ajay Singh after he spent 57 days in jail when airport security scanners at Bhopal airport wrongly identified garam masala and aamchur powder as heroin and psychotropic substances. Justice Deepak Khot said delays and inadequate forensic facilities led to the prolonged detention despite no contraband being found later. Singh was arrested in 2010 while travelling to Malaysia via Delhi. The final forensic report from Hyderabad cleared the seized packets. Singh argued the Canada-made detection machine was not calibrated for aromatic Indian spices, causing a false positive. (PC: The Independent)

An IndiGo pilot, Captain Pradeep Krishnan, shared a rare night-time aerial video showing the illuminated India-Pakistan border from the cockpit, captivating social media users. The footage captured a continuous stretch of yellow floodlights marking the heavily guarded Radcliffe Line, with border outposts and security installations visible from cruising altitude. Addressing passengers, he described it as one of the world’s most sensitive and heavily guarded borders. The video quickly went viral, drawing thousands of reactions and comments. Viewers praised the breathtaking perspective, the scale of lighting infrastructure, and the striking visual contrast between the illuminated boundary and surrounding darkness. Some reflected on people divided by history, politics and borders, despite geographical proximity.