Kabul, May 20: As Pakistan intensifies its mass deportation of Afghan refugees, India has stepped in with humanitarian aid for thousands of affected families, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to supporting the Afghan people in times of crisis.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that the Government of India has delivered essential food aid to around 5,000 Afghan families who were recently expelled from Pakistan. The aid package, consisting of 11 different food items, was distributed through the Kabul office of the Directorate of Refugees to families deemed most in need.

India’s assistance was formally acknowledged in a public message from Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban-appointed Minister for Refugees and Repatriation. The message, delivered by Zakirullah Zakir, head of the Prime Minister’s Office’s Coordination Department, was read during an official aid distribution ceremony in Kabul.

Abdul Kabir expressed gratitude to both the Government and people of India for their continued support and called on other countries and humanitarian organisations to step up their aid for displaced Afghans. “India’s help has come at a time when our people are facing extreme hardship,” he said.

“We welcome all returnees and assure them of their safety and dignity under the general amnesty declared in the country,” he added.

Kalim al-Rahman Fani, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration, also acknowledged that returnees face numerous challenges, despite the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to provide housing and services. He noted that 58 new townships are being planned across 31 provinces to accommodate the influx.

Since April, Pakistan has expelled hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants, citing national security concerns and ties between the Taliban and India, allegations that remain unproven and have not been addressed by the Taliban.

Amid these regional tensions, India’s quiet but consistent humanitarian outreach stands in contrast to Islamabad’s crackdown, drawing attention to New Delhi’s people-centric approach to diplomacy in the region.

India has long maintained that its assistance to Afghanistan is driven by humanitarian concerns and a desire to ensure regional stability. This latest initiative signals New Delhi’s continued engagement with the Afghan people, even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban administration.

Washington, May 17: US President Donald Trump has said that he is not frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the war against Hamas in Gaza persists.

“No, look, he’s got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world, not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview from Abu Dhabi.

“That problem should have never happened.”

Trump did not stop in Israel during his first official foreign trip to the Middle East, where he travelled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Baier asked Trump if he thinks Netanyahu believes a potential nuclear deal with Iran is bad for the region, as the administration engages in negotiations.

“Bibi, he’s an angry man, and he should be because of October 7, and he’s been hurt badly by that, but in another way, he’s been sort of helped because I think he’s fought hard and bravely,” Trump responded.

Trump, who has repeatedly said that Gaza should be taken over by the US and developed, reiterated that the region should become a “freedom zone”.

“Gaza is a nasty place. It’s been that way for years. I think it should become a free zone, you know, freedom, I call it a freedom zone,” the US President said.

“They have Hamas. Everybody is being killed all over the place. I mean, you ever see, you talk about crime stats? It’s a nasty place.”

President Trump signalled on Friday that he wants the US to help take care of the situation in Gaza after a further wave of intense Israeli airstrikes overnight, saying “a lot of people are starving” and that he expected “a lot of good things” in the next month.

“I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month, and we’re going to see, we have to help also out the Palestinians,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday as he returned to the US after his Middle East trip.

When asked by a reporter whether he supported Israeli plans to expand the war in Gaza, the President responded: “You know, a lot of people are starving on Gaza, so we have to look at both sides.”

“But we’ll, we’re going to do a good job,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, speaking in the United Arab Emirates on the last leg of his visit to three Gulf nations, Trump said: “We’re looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people. There’s a lot of bad things going on.”

The Israeli military intensified operations across Gaza on Thursday, killing more than 100 people and pledging to continue bombings as Trump suggested establishing a “freedom zone” in the enclave.

Many of the casualties were in Jabalya in northern Gaza and in Khan Younis in the south, according to Gaza Civil Defence.

On Thursday, the US President reiterated his desire to take over the Gaza Strip, telling a business roundtable in Qatar that the US would “make it a freedom zone”.

Asked if the three countries he visited in the Middle East would be part of the solution, Trump said: “I spoke to all three of them, they would absolutely be. I mean, they’re really rich and really, really, really, even more than rich, they’re good people, and they would help. And so, money is not even the problem. You got to get countries to say, yes, take them.”

New York, May 16: The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York commemorated the International Day of Vesak on Friday with a distinguished panel discussion titled ‘Teachings of Gautama Buddha – a Path to Internal and Global Peace.’

The event drew participation from high-level diplomats, scholars, and spiritual leaders, reaffirming the enduring relevance of Lord Buddha’s teachings in addressing contemporary global challenges.

Announcing the event on its official social media handle, the Mission tweeted on Friday: “IndiaUNNewYork organised a Panel Discussion on ‘Teachings of Gautama Buddha – a Path to Internal and Global Peace’ to commemorate the International Day of Vesak.”

The panel featured Permanent Representatives and senior diplomats from a host of Buddhist-majority nations including Vietnam, Lao PDR, Thailand, Bhutan, Mongolia, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Russia. Their presence underscored the shared spiritual and cultural heritage that unites these countries and the global resonance of Buddhist values.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, opened the session with remarks emphasising the universal appeal of the Buddha’s message.

“Lord Buddha’s message of compassion, non-violence and his wisdom offer a path to inner and global peace, in a world beset with crisis and suffering,” he stated, drawing attention to the urgent need for spiritual grounding in modern geopolitics.

Prof. Abhay Kumar Singh, Interim Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University, an institution with deep historical ties to Buddhism, highlighted Lord Buddha’s timeless teachings of peace and compassion. Meanwhile, Professor Santosh Kumar Raut provided insights into how Buddhist philosophy could help humanity navigate the pressing challenges of the 21st century.

Vesak, the most sacred day for millions of Buddhists worldwide, marks the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Gautama Buddha, all of which occurred on the full moon day in the month of May.

The UN General Assembly, through Resolution 54/115 in 1999, officially recognised the International Day of Vesak to honour Buddhism’s profound contribution to global spirituality and peace.

The event served as a reminder that the path shown by the Buddha over 2,500 years ago continues to illuminate the journey towards personal transformation and collective harmony, ideals that resonate more than ever in the present era.