International News
In US crackdown on 26/11 terrorism, Rana awaits extradition ruling, 4 on wanted list

As 13th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack rolls around, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani Canadian, is in detention awaiting a ruling on extradition to India, and four others, who have been charged in a US court, are on a wanted list of the US government in its attempts to crackdown on the alleged collaborators.
Prisoner Number 22829-424 Rana is being held at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Centre, a check on the Bureau of Prisons database on Wednesday showed.
Rana’s childhood friend, Pakistani American Daood Sayed Gilani who goes by the Western-sounding name David Coleman Headley, is serving a 35-year sentence after a federal judge convicted him on charges of helping carry out the Mumbai attacks.
He turned approver to avoid getting the maximum sentence of life in prison and testified against Rana.
He was also declared an approver in India and a Mumbai sessions court pardoned him in 2015 and accepted him as a prosecution witness.
With the alleged help of Rana, he got a business visa for India and conducted surveillance for the terror attacks that killed more than 170 people, including six Americans.
Sajid Mir of the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), who was charged in a federal court in Chicago in connection with the 2008 attack, is a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list with a $5 million bounty on his head.
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RfJ) counter-terrorism programme that offers a bounty for information leading to his capture says that he “served as a ‘handler’ for David Headley and others who were directed to carry out actions relating to planning, preparing for, and carrying out terrorist attacks on behalf of LeT.”
Along with him, three others who were also charged in the case, are on the RfJ list.
They are Major Iqbal, who allegedly funded and planned the 26/11 attack; Abu Qahafa the alleged trainer of the attackers, and Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu al-Qama, who is a commander of the LeT, according to the RfJ.
The four are residents of Pakistan, it said.
Rana was acquitted in a federal trial in Chicago on a charge of providing material support for the 26/11 attack, but convicted of helping the LeT and participating in a terrorist plot against a Danish newspaper and sentenced in 2013 to 14 years in prison.
He was temporarily released on compassionate grounds because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but was arrested immediately on a federal court warrant in June last year in connection with the extradition request from India and is still in custody.
Federal Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian in Los Angeles ordered the government and the defence to file documents supporting their respective pleas before July 15.
In their filing, Rana’s lawyers maintained that Headley’s testimony against him implicating him in the Mumbai attack was not reliable because he was an approver and that since he has been acquitted on the charges relating to 26/11 by the Chicago court he could not be extradited to face similar charges under their interpretation of the extradition treaty.
The government said in its filing that Rana and his partner in the immigration and travel business filed fake documents for an Indian visa making Gilani “regional manager supervising and consulting our operation in the Asian region” to enable him to operate in India.
Gilani used that cover to gather intelligence for the LeT to carry out the attacks in Mumbai.
Gilani kept Rana aware of his activities and he “became aware of how the terrorists were going to attack targets in Mumbai, that people would likely die” but did not distance himself from the conspirators, the government said.
As the case now stands, the last filing was by the government lawyers was on July 21 making technical arguments about a point made in the defence document that it said was “beyond the scope” laid down by the court.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hampered the progress of the extradition case by limiting direct hearings.
According to court documents from the government, Rana and Gilani shared quarters at the Cadet College Hasan Abdal “and remained friends throughout their lives”.
Rana became a Pakistani Army doctor reaching the rank of captain, but immigrated to Canada. After becoming a Canadian citizen, he moved to Chicago and ran a travel and immigration business.
When Gilani was arrested on drug trafficking charges, Rana put up his house as surety for Gilani’s bail.
Gilani was attacked in a Chicago area federal prison in 2018 and had to be hospitalised, according to media reports.
International
Australian scientists use underwater robots to explore remote reefs in South Pacific expedition

Sydney, June 3: Australian scientists are using cutting-edge underwater robots to explore remote and largely uncharted reef systems in the South Pacific, the University of Sydney said on Tuesday.
As part of a major international expedition, Australian scientists are mapping deep-sea habitats and biodiversity near Norfolk Island, an isolated Australian territory 1,600 km northeast of Sydney, one of the South Pacific’s most ecologically important regions, according to a university press release.
Its location and mix of tropical and temperate ecosystems make it key to tracking species shifts and climate change impacts, the release said.
Equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles are capturing thousands of images to create 3D maps of the seafloor and document marine life in unprecedented detail, it said, adding underwater robots serve as the eyes and hands of scientists, safely exploring deep-sea areas beyond the reach of human divers.
“It’s the first time that parts of the seabed in the Norfolk Ridge will be imaged in this detail,” said Stefan Williams from the University of Sydney’s Australian Center for Robotics.
The expedition unites scientists from Australia and New Zealand to map the seafloor and collect marine specimens such as fish, corals, molluscs and algae to enhance knowledge of regional biodiversity, the researchers said.
“Norfolk Island is a key oceanic stepping stone for species between tropical New Caledonia and temperate New Zealand,” said Shane Ahyong, acting chief scientist at the Australian Museum Research Institute, leading the second phase of the Norfolk Island scientific expedition.
International News
Top UK leaders back India’s zero tolerance against terrorism

London, June 3: The all-party delegation, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, held high-level engagements in London with UK government ministers, parliamentarians, party leaders, think tanks, and India friendship groups, highlighting Operation Sindoor as a significant shift in India’s counter-terrorism approach.
The leaders also discussed strengthening India–UK collaboration against cross-border terrorism.
The delegation received wide-ranging support, reaffirming shared commitments to global security, justice, and strategic partnership.
The delegation, in an interaction with UK Minister for Citizenship and Migration Seema Malhotra at the British Parliament, apprised her of India’s resolve against fighting terrorism.
They also met with Labour Party India Friendship Groups — including Labour Friends of India, Labour Convention of Indian Organisations, Sikhs for Labour, and Hindus for Labour presenting India’s united stance against terrorism.
The delegates reaffirmed India’s steadfast commitment to tackling terrorism with determination, highlighted that terrorism continues to endanger global stability and called for stronger cooperation to eliminate this shared threat in pursuit of lasting peace, security, and the collective good of humanity.
The Labour India Friendship Groups expressed their solidarity with India in a unified voice and extended firm support for India’s fight against terrorism.
They agreed that terror infrastructure must be dismantled wherever it exists and that terror financing must be addressed decisively — acknowledging that what affects India today could impact any nation, including the UK.
Both sides underscored the importance of continued dialogue to foster mutual understanding and expressed a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and engagement between the Labour Party and India.
At Conservative Campaign Headquarters, the delegation engaged with Co-Chair of the Conservative Party Dominic Johnson and Co-Chair of the Conservative Friends of India Koolesh Shah.
They voiced strong support for India’s fight against terrorism, acknowledged its global implications, and lauded the Indian diaspora’s contribution to the UK.
Earlier, on Monday the delegates interacted with UK-based think tanks, discussing the threat of cross-border terrorism and how Operation Sindoor sets a new strategic benchmark in India’s fight against it.
“Today, alongside my esteemed colleagues from the all-party delegation, I had the privilege of engaging with UK think tanks and the academic community, sharing India’s unwavering stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We highlighted the ‘new normal’ established by India in countering state-sponsored terrorism. Our dialogue with leading think tanks was fruitful, and we conveyed our concerns, explaining the purpose of our visit,” Ravi Shankar Prasad posted on X.
“We emphasised India’s capability in handling Pakistan, which we have successfully done in the past. While we believe in peace and amity, we also recognise the need to take decisive action to protect our citizens from terrorism. The world must understand the scourge of terrorism. We also underscored India’s economic achievements, emerging as a manufacturing hub with global recognition. As a sovereign nation with a significant growth trajectory, we firmly believe terrorism and trade are incompatible,” the post added.
Furthermore, the delegation met Catherine West, UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, reiterating India’s resolve to combat terrorism. They also emphasised that terror remains a threat to all nations, and therefore, the world needs to eradicate this scourge in the interests of all humanity.
The Minister reiterated the UK’s condemnation of terror attacks in India, the priority it attaches to the India relationship in global strategic and economic terms, in contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific and to global economic growth.
She said that the UK is with India in its efforts; as a nation that has suffered from terror attacks itself, the UK believes that those who commit acts of terror must be brought to justice. All countries must work towards this end.
Later, the delegation concluded the day interacting with UK thought leaders over dinner, discussing the global threat posed to all societies by terrorism, its social impact, and the connected rise of radicalisation.
The nine-member delegation includes a diverse political representation: Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP), Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), former Union Minister M.J. Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.
After concluding visits to France, Italy, and Denmark, the Indian delegation arrived in London as a part of India’s global diplomatic outreach campaign to highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and India’s continued fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
International News
‘India and Saudi Arabia united by shared resolve to combat terrorism’

Riyadh, May 29: The Indian all-party Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda on Thursday shared India’s firm resolve towards terrorism with a zero-tolerance approach and the ‘new normal policy’ in light of Operation Sindoor during a visit to Gulf Research Centre, a prominent think-tank in Saudi Arabia recognised for its expertise in global affairs.
The delegation, welcomed by Chairman Abdulaziz Sager, held a frank and productive exchange of views. The discussions also focused on a strong India-Saudi Arabia partnership across all domains, including security and defense cooperation.
“India-Saudi Arabia continue to deepen ties across security, defence and global affairs, united by a shared resolve to combat terrorism. Our all-party delegation had a candid and insightful exchange at Gulf Research Centre with Chairman Abdulaziz Sager sharing India’s zero-tolerance and new normal approach post-Operation Sindoor and exploring ways to strengthen the India-Saudi partnership,” Panda posted on X.
Later, the delegation held interactions with President Abdulmajeed Albanyan of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in Riyadh, sharing strong concerns about cross-border terrorism and India’s position of zero tolerance against terrorism.
“Strengthening security ties and advancing counter-terrorism cooperation, the India-Saudi partnership continues to deepen. Along with our all-party delegation colleagues, we visited Naif Arab University for Security Sciences and had a meaningful exchange with President Abdulmajeed bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, discussing India’s firm zero-tolerance approach to cross-border terrorism and shared opportunities in security education and research,” Panda posted on X.
Earlier, the delegates also interacted with the Saudi Civil Society, including distinguished guests from the government, think-tanks, business, and media. They shared India’s resolute stance on terrorism, Operation Sindoor, and India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership.
The delegation led by Panda also includes BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP Rekha Sharma, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Indian diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Satnam Singh Sandhu highlighted that India and Saudi Arabia stand united in enhancing the bilateral ties and promoting a secure and peaceful environment in the region.
“Led by Baijayant Jay Panda, our All-Party Delegation representing India in Saudi Arabia engaged with key voices from the Saudi government, civil society, think-tanks, business and media. We conveyed India’s firm stance against terrorism and shared insights on Operation Sindoor, a proud symbol of India’s global humanitarian leadership. India and Saudi Arabia stand united in strengthening bilateral relations and ensuring peace, security, and prosperity in the region,” Sandhu posted on X.
The delegation on Wednesday had an extensive discussion with Adel Bin Ahmed al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi highlighting what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his speech earlier this month – that “this is certainly not the era of war but this is also not the era of terrorism”. The delegates reiterated India’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism and appreciated the support received from political leadership in Saudi Arabia in condemning the April 22 Pahlagam terrorist attack.
They underlined the importance of coordinated action against terrorism, dismantling terrorist infrastructure, denying safe havens, financing and political justification to terrorist entities, highlighting the “new normal” in India’s approach to terrorism.
“The delegation held a meeting with Mishaal Al-Sulami, Deputy Speaker of Shura Council. The Indian delegation expressed deep gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam. It conveyed that India stands firm and united in its resolve to fight terrorism. Acts of terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances or reasons. Chairman of the Saudi-India Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Shura Council, Abdulrahman Snitan A. Alharbi and senior Members of the Committee hosted the delegation for lunch,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a statement.
“The delegation also met Mushabab bin Ayed Al-Qahtani, Director General of Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and held discussions which focused on India’s approach to countering terror. In all the meetings, the Indian delegation underlined that India has received unwavering support from Saudi Arabia on issues related to counter-terrorism. Both countries will continue to work together in their efforts towards de-radicalization and curbing extremism,” the statement added
Furthermore, the Indian Embassy hosted a dinner interaction with the participation of distinguished personalities from Saudi civil society, which gave an opportunity for further discussions on countering terrorism as well as broader topics related to India-Saudi bilateral partnership.
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