International News
Death of Indian national in Russia: India calls for early discharge of remaining Indians from conflict zone

New Delhi, Jan 14: Reacting strongly to reports of the death of an Indian national in Russia, India on Tuesday reiterated its demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indians currently serving the Russian Army in the conflict zones.
“We have learnt of the unfortunate death of an Indian national from Kerala who had apparently been recruited to serve in the Russian Army. Another Indian national from Kerala, who was similarly recruited, has been injured and is receiving treatment in a hospital in Moscow,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Offering condolences to the family of the deceased, the senior diplomat stated that the Indian Embassy in Moscow is in touch with the families, and all possible assistance is being rendered.
“We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mortal remains to India. We have also sought the early discharge and repatriation to India of the injured person. The matter has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities in Moscow as well as with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi today. We have also reiterated our demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals,” he added.
The plight of Indians fighting for Russia in the Ukraine war is a key concern for New Delhi.
India has maintained that the recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian army in a conflict situation is not in consonance with the India-Russia diplomatic partnership, and has asked for the early release and return of all such Indian nationals.
Last year, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Moscow, Russia had decided to release and facilitate the return of all Indians fighting for the Russian army against Ukraine.
The breakthrough was achieved when PM Modi raised the matter at a private dinner hosted by Putin.
Over the last few years, over two dozen Indians were believed to have been forced into fighting the war against Ukraine after being tricked by agents into going to the country on the pretext of getting high-paying jobs.
Strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited them on false pretexts and promises, the authorities had confirmed, last year.
“As a result of concerted efforts by Government, most of the Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces have been discharged and several have been repatriated to India. According to available information, currently only 19 Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces. Government has requested the Russian authorities concerned to provide an update on the whereabouts of the remaining Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces and also ensure their safety, wellbeing and early discharge,” Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Parliament, last month.
International News
Netanyahu says Israeli team to travel to Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

Jerusalem, Feb 17: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a negotiation team will travel to Cairo on Monday to discuss the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to a statement released by his office, Netanyahu said he spoke by phone with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, after which he instructed an Israeli negotiation team to depart for Cairo on Monday.
The team will first discuss the “continuation of the implementation of Phase One of the deal,” and will “receive instructions on continuing negotiations regarding the second phase” after a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet scheduled for Monday, the statement said.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Witkoff said talks about the second phase have already begun and will continue this week “at a location to be determined so that we can figure out how we get to the end of Phase Two successfully.”
On Saturday, Hamas and Israel completed the sixth prisoner-for-hostage exchange following days of tense negotiations that threatened to undo the precarious ceasefire.
In the exchange, Hamas released three more Israeli hostages held in Gaza, while Israeli authorities freed 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, effective since January 19 and spanning six weeks, 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians. So far, 19 Israeli hostages, along with five Thais, have been released from Gaza, while Israeli authorities have released over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel and Hamas were supposed to begin talks on the second phase in early February. Hamas said in a statement on February 4 that it had started discussions with international mediators, whereas a spokesman for Netanyahu said on social media platform X on Tuesday that Israel had not yet begun negotiations on the second phase.
The second phase of the agreement is supposed to focus on the release of the remaining hostages, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, and the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.
International News
369 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails

Ramallah, Feb 15: The Israeli authorities on Saturday released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from its jails as part of the sixth batch of prisoner-for-hostage exchanges between Israel and Hamas.
Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told news agency that among the freed prisoners were 36 serving life sentences, and 333 detainees who had been arrested by Israel from the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023 attack.
Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses said that the prisoners were received in the courtyard of the Ramallah Cultural Palace in the presence of the Red Cross and their families.
Before the release of the prisoners, eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces stormed the city of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, to prevent Palestinians from assembling near the gate of Ofer prison, where the prisoners were being freed.
Earlier on Saturday, the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad released three Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The Israeli authorities have confirmed their arrival in Israel.
The freed hostages — Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, a 29-year-old Israeli-Russian citizen; Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old Israeli-American citizen; and Iair Horn, a 46-year-old Israeli-Argentine citizen — were kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Troufanov was kidnapped along with his mother, grandmother, and partner, and the three women were released in a previous hostage deal in November 2023. His father was killed on the day of the kidnapping.
Dekel-Chen, a father of three, had a daughter born after his abduction. Horn’s brother, Eitan, remains in captivity in Gaza.
“Thanks to the concentration of our forces in and around the Gaza Strip, and thanks to the clear and unequivocal statement of US President Donald Trump, Hamas has withdrawn and the release of the hostages continues,” said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump warned on Monday that if “all of the hostages” in Gaza were not freed by noon on Saturday, the truce would be called off, and he would “let hell break out.”
Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, effective since January 19 and spanning six weeks, 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians. So far, 19 Israeli hostages, along with five Thais, have been released.
International News
Three Israeli hostages released in Gaza arrive in Israel

Jerusalem, Feb 15: Three Israeli hostages previously held by the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad were transferred to Israeli authorities and crossed the border into Israel on Saturday as part of an ongoing ceasefire exchange, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced.
The freed hostages — Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, a 29-year-old Israeli-Russian citizen; Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old Israeli-American citizen; and Iair Horn, a 46-year-old Israeli-Argentine citizen — were kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Troufanov was kidnapped along with his mother, grandmother, and partner, and the three women were released in a previous hostage deal in November 2023. His father was killed on the day of the kidnapping.
Dekel-Chen, a father of three, had a daughter born after his abduction. Horn’s brother, Eitan, remains in captivity in Gaza.
“Thanks to the concentration of our forces in and around the Gaza Strip, and thanks to the clear and unequivocal statement of U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas has withdrawn and the release of the hostages continues,” said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump warned on Monday that if “all of the hostages” in Gaza were not freed by noon on Saturday, the truce would be called off, and he would “let hell break out.”
Hamas had initially intended to delay the scheduled hostage release, citing Israeli violations of the agreement. However, by Thursday, the group confirmed it would proceed with the swap of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.
The three were the sixth group of hostages freed as part of a swap deal between Palestinian militants and Israel under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, with Israel expected to begin releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners later on Saturday.
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