US to engage Pakistan, India 'within 24 hours' to de-escalate tensions

As tensions continue to rise between India and Pakistan following the Kashmir incident, the United States has stepped in diplomatically, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio preparing to speak with foreign ministers of both countries to urge calm and avoid further escalation.

“We are reaching out to both parties, and telling, of course, them to not escalate the situation,” US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a press briefing.

According to Bruce, Secretary Rubio is expected to hold direct conversations with both Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers on Wednesday, emphasising the importance of restraint and open dialogue.

“Secretary Rubio believes diplomacy must take the lead,” the spokesperson added, noting that he has also encouraged “other foreign ministers around the world to do the same” and support efforts to maintain regional stability.

The diplomatic initiative comes as bilateral relations between Pakistan and India deteriorate following the April 22 Pahalgam incident, in which 26 people — including Indian navy personnel and civilians — were reportedly killed.

India has attempted to link Pakistan to the attack without providing verifiable evidence. Pakistan has firmly denied the allegations and has offered to participate in a neutral and transparent international investigation.

While the State Department stopped short of commenting on the specific allegations, the spokesperson reiterated the US position: “We are watching the situation closely and remain in direct contact with both governments.”

In response to a question regarding statements made by a Pakistani minister about historic cooperation with the US, Bruce declined to offer specific commentary, instead highlighting ongoing multi-level engagement with Islamabad.

When asked about recent collaboration following Pakistan’s facilitation in the arrest of a Daesh suspect, Bruce acknowledged Pakistan’s cooperation, saying: “We appreciated that arrest when it occurred.”

The briefing also touched on concerns raised in the US Congress regarding Pakistan’s domestic political situation. However, Bruce chose to refrain from commenting, stating that current diplomatic priorities are focused on de-escalating regional tensions and direct dialogue between leaders.

Chinese state media reports return of Shenzhou-19 crew to Earth

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Wednesday after six months on the country’s space station, state media footage showed, as Beijing advances towards its aim to become a major celestial power.

Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into its space programme in recent years, aiming to fly a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and eventually build a base on the lunar surface.

Its latest launch last week ferried a trio of astronauts to the Tiangong space station, heralding the start of the Shenzhou-20 mission.

They have taken over from Shenzhou-19 crew Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, whose landing capsule touched down in the northern Inner Mongolia region on Wednesday.

Pictures from state broadcaster CCTV showed the capsule, attached to a red-and-white striped parachute, descending through an azure sky before touching down in a cloud of brown desert dust.

Its occupants had worked on the space station since October, where they carried out experiments and set a new record for the longest ever spacewalk.

The crew were initially scheduled to return on Tuesday, but the mission was postponed due to bad weather at the landing site, according to Chinese authorities.

Wang, 35, was China’s only woman spaceflight engineer at the time of the launch, according to the Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Commander Cai, a 48-year-old former air force pilot, previously served aboard Tiangong as part of the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022.

Song, a 34-year-old onetime air force pilot, completed the group of spacefarers popularly dubbed “taikonauts” in China.

Vietnam celebrates 50 years since end of war with US

Thousands of Vietnamese have waved red flags and sang patriotic songs as a grand military parade held in Ho Chi Minh City concluded Vietnam’s 50th anniversary celebrations of the end of war with the United States.

Wednesday’s event commemorated the first act of the country’s reunification on April 30, 1975, when communist-run North Vietnam seized Saigon, the capital of the US-backed South, renamed Ho Chi Minh City shortly after the war in honour of the North’s founding leader.

A lotus-shaped float carrying a portrait of Ho Chi Minh was near the front of the parade as fighter jets and helicopters carrying red flags flew overhead.

According to international media reports, thousands of people stayed in the streets overnight to get the best vantage point for the parade, which was “a day of sombre reflection but also a day of celebration”.

“I am proud of having contributed to liberating the south,” said 75-year-old veteran Tran Van Truong who had travelled – dressed in full military uniform – from the capital, Hanoi, to see the parade.

“But what’s gone is gone, I have no hatred for those from the other side of the battle,” Truong told the AFP news agency. “We should join hands to celebrate the end of the war.”

For the first time, more than 300 soldiers from China, Laos and Cambodia also took part in the spectacle.

More than 300,000 Chinese soldiers were involved in the bloody conflict, according to state media, providing crucial anti-aircraft defence support and helping with logistics and supplies.

“I think Hanoi is signalling to China that they recognise China’s historical contribution,” said Zach Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington who focuses on Southeast Asian politics. “It’s also another way for them to signal: ‘Don’t think our foreign policy is lurching towards the Americans.'”

Amazon launches first Kuiper satellites to rival Starlink

The first 27 satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper broadband internet constellation were launched into space from Florida on Monday, kicking off the long-delayed deployment of an internet-from-space network that will rival SpaceX’s Starlink.

The satellites are the first of 3,236 that Amazon plans to send into low-Earth orbit for Project Kuiper, a $10 billion effort unveiled in 2019 to beam broadband internet globally for consumers, businesses and governments – customers that SpaceX has courted for years with its powerful Starlink business.

Sitting atop an Atlas V rocket from the Boeing (BA.N), and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), joint-venture United Launch Alliance, the batch of 27 satellites was lofted into space at 7 p.m. EDT pm from the rocket company’s launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Bad weather scrubbed an initial launch attempt on April 9.

Kuiper is arguably Amazon’s biggest bet under way, pitting it against Starlink as well as global telecommunications providers like AT&T (T.N), and T-Mobile (TMUS.O). The company has positioned the service as a boon to rural areas where connectivity is sparse or nonexistent.

The mission to deploy the first operational satellites has been delayed more than a year – Amazon once hoped it could launch the inaugural batch in early 2024. The company faces a deadline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to deploy half its constellation, 1,618 satellites, by mid-2026, but its slower start means Amazon is likely to seek an extension, analysts say.

Hours or possibly days after the launch, Amazon is expected to publicly confirm initial contact with all of the satellites from its mission operations center in Redmond, Washington. If all goes as planned, the company said it expects to “begin delivering service to customers later this year.”

ULA could launch up to five more Kuiper missions this year, ULA CEO Tory Bruno told Reuters in an interview this month. Amazon said in a 2020 FCC filing that it could begin service in some northern and southern regions at 578 satellites, with coverage expanding toward Earth’s equator as the company launches more satellites.

The Web services and e-commerce giant’s Project Kuiper is an ambitious foray into space, with a late start in a market dominated by SpaceX. But Amazon executives see the company’s deep consumer product experience and established cloud computing business that Kuiper will connect with as an edge over Starlink.

Amazon launched two prototype satellites in 2023 in tests it said were successful, before de-orbiting them in 2024. It had been relatively quiet about the program’s development until announcing its first Kuiper launch plans earlier this month.

ROOM FOR LOTS OF WINNERS:

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, with a unique edge as both a satellite operator and launch company with its reusable Falcon 9, has put more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit since 2019, marking its 250th dedicated Starlink launch on Monday.

Its deployment pace has hastened to at least one Starlink mission per week, each rocket with roughly two-dozen satellites on board to expand the network’s bandwidth and replace outdated satellites.

That quick pace has helped Musk’s company amass more than 5 million internet users across 125 countries, upend the global satellite communications market and woo military and intelligence agencies that have sought to use Starlink and its manufacturing line for sensitive national security programs.

Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos has voiced confidence that Kuiper can compete with Starlink, telling Reuters in a January interview “there’s insatiable demand” for internet.

“There’s room for lots of winners there. I predict Starlink will continue to be successful, and I predict Kuiper will be successful as well,” he said.

“It will be a primarily commercial system, but there will be defense uses for these LEO constellations, no doubt,” he added, referring to low-Earth orbit.

Amazon in 2023 revealed its Kuiper consumer terminals, an LP vinyl record-sized antenna that communicates with Kuiper satellites overhead, as well as a smaller terminal whose size it compares to its e-book Kindle device. The company expects to make tens of millions of the devices for under $400 each.

Amazon in 2022 booked 83 rocket launches from ULA, France’s Arianespace and Blue Origin, Bezos’ space company, snagging the industry’s biggest-ever launch deal as it prepared to begin Kuiper deployment.

Five Sikh soldiers killed as Indian Army units exchange fire in IIOJK

In a shocking incident reflecting the growing chaos within the Indian Army, two units reportedly opened fire on each other along the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in the deaths of five Sikh soldiers.

According to sources, the incident occurred on the night between April 25 and 26 in the Japala Bridge area of the Baramulla sector in Indian-occupied Kashmir. During a routine patrol, the 185 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF), stationed in Baramulla, allegedly fired on the 13 Sikh Light Infantry Regiment of the 12th Brigade.

The exchange of fire has left the Sikh soldiers of the 13 Sikh Light Infantry Regiment enraged, sources say. Defense analysts view the incident as a clear sign of rising frustration and internal discord within the Indian Army ranks.

Experts also pointed out that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred within the Indian military. Past occurrences of similar nature have raised concerns over discipline and morale within the armed forces.

Defense analysts further emphasized that the Pakistan Army remains fully prepared to defend its borders. Any form of aggression from India would be met with a strong and decisive response.

 

Canada’s Liberal Party wins election dominated by Trump’s trade war

Canada’s governing Liberal Party has won national elections dominated by United States President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, a career economist and banker who cast himself as a champion for Canada in the face of Trump’s threats, led the Liberals to a fourth consecutive term on Monday, a stunning turnaround for a party that until recently was on track for a crushing defeat at the hands of the Conservative Party.

Carney, who had never held office before taking the top job in March, cast the outcome as an opportunity to “stand up for Canada” and “build Canada strong”.

“The coming days and months will be challenging and they will call for some sacrifices but we will share those sacrifices by supporting our workers and our businesses,” Carney said in a victory speech in which he called on Canadians to never forget the lessons of the “American betrayal”.

Although Carney’s Liberals won the most seats in the 343-member House of Commons, it is unclear if he will be able to form a majority government or need to rely on the support of a smaller party.

With the votes still being counted late on Monday, the Liberals were on course to win at least 165 seats, with the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, on track to take at least 147, according to projections by national broadcaster CBC.

The Liberals last won a parliamentary majority in 2015 and had relied on the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party to pass legislation after narrowly winning the 2021 election with 160 seats.

The election result marks a stunning turnaround for the centre-left party, which trailed the Conservatives by more than 20 points in polls as recently as January.

While Poilievre, 45, had hoped to capitalise on the widespread unpopularity of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom voters blamed for rising living costs and record levels of immigration, Trump’s return to the White House prompted a surge in patriotic sentiment in Canada and galvanised voters around the incumbent party.

After leading the race for more than two years, the Conservatives’ advantage quickly evaporated when Carney replaced Trudeau as the person tasked with navigating the escalating tensions between Ottawa and Washington.

By the time election day came around, the Liberals were polling as clear favourites.

“We will always put Canada first,” Poilievre said in a concession speech to supporters, adding that his party would work with the government on the “common goal of defending Canada’s interests” and “getting a new trade deal that puts these tariffs behind us while protecting our sovereignty”.

Carney-led Liberals on track to win Canadian election

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals retained power in the country's election on Monday, but CTV News predicted they would fall short of the majority government he had wanted to help him negotiate tariffs with United States President Donald Trump.

The Liberals needed to win 172 of the House of Commons' 343 electoral districts, known as seats, for a majority that would allow them to govern without support from a smaller party.

According to CTV, the Liberals were leading or elected in 156 districts, followed by the Conservatives with 145.

The westernmost province of British Columbia, where polls closed last, could decide whether Liberals fall short of a majority government.

Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, a polling firm, told Reuters the Liberal win hinged on three factors.

"It was the 'anybody-but-Conservative' factor, it was the Trump tariff factor, and then it was the Trudeau departure ... which enabled a lot of left-of-centre voters and traditional Liberal voters to come back to the party," Kurl said, referring to the resignation of unpopular former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Carney had promised a tough approach with Washington over its tariffs and said Canada would need to spend billions to reduce its reliance on the US But the right-of-centre Conservatives, who called for change after more than nine years of Liberal rule, showed unexpected strength.

Minority governments in Canada rarely last longer than 2-1/2 years.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp projected a Liberal win but did not yet say if they expected a minority or majority government.

The result capped a notable comeback for the Liberals, who had been 20 points behind in the polls in January before Trudeau announced he was quitting and Trump started threatening tariffs and annexation.

Trump's threats ignited a wave of patriotism that swelled support for Carney, a political newcomer who previously led two G7 central banks.

Trump re-emerged as a campaign factor last week, declaring that he might raise a 25% tariff on Canadian-made cars because the US does not want them. He said earlier he might use "economic force" to make Canada the 51st state.

Carney has emphasised that his experience handling economic issues makes him the best leader to deal with Trump, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has tapped into concerns about the cost of living, crime and a housing crisis.

Trump, in a social media post on Monday, reiterated his call for Canada to become the 51st state.

"Good luck to the Great people of Canada," he said. "Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America. No more artificially drawn line from many years ago."

Conservative disappointment:

Tensions with the US have caused supporters of two smaller parties, the left-leaning New Democratic Party and the separatist Bloc Quebecois, to shift to the Liberals.

The last party to win four consecutive elections in Canada was the Liberals, in 2004.

The result was a huge defeat for Poilievre, who focused his campaign on domestic issues and the need to fix a country that he said the Liberals had "broken."

WhatsApp to simplify voice recording feature in upcoming update

WhatsApp is set to tweak its voice recording feature in an upcoming update, making it much smoother and quicker to use by enabling users to record voice messages with a single tap.

Some beta testers, who downloaded the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.13.10.70 update available on the TestFlight app, can now experiment with a new way of recording voice messages that simplifies the process significantly, WABetaInfo reported.

Currently, there are two ways to send a voice message on the popular Meta-owned instant messaging app.

The first method involves pressing and holding the microphone button within a chat. As soon as the button is released, the voice message is automatically sent if it has been recorded for at least a second.

The second method is designed for longer recordings in which users can press the microphone button and then slide their finger upward to activate a locked mode. This feature allows users to continue speaking without needing to hold the button the entire time.

However, with the latest update, WhatsApp unified these two methods into a single experience, allowing users to start a voice recording with just a single tap.

Specifically, the lock is automatically activated as soon as the user taps the microphone button, eliminating the need to keep the button pressed during the recording. Users no longer need to swipe up to trigger the lock either.

The new update activates the lock instantly as soon as the microphone button is tapped, eliminating the need for any additional gestures and making the entire voice message recording process feel significantly more fluid for users.

This small but significant tweak will likely reduce friction in sending voice messages, making the action smoother and more natural for everyone.

This change could also save time and simplify daily communication.

It's worth noting that this new behaviour might feel a bit unfamiliar to users who are used to holding the button or swiping up. However, after using it a few times, most people will likely find it intuitive and efficient.

The new feature is available to some beta testers who install the latest versions of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app, and it's rolling out to more people over the coming weeks.

Titanic survivor's letter sold for £300,000 at auction

A letter written by a Titanic passenger days before the ship sank has been sold for a record-breaking £300,000 ($400,000) at auction in the UK.

Colonel Archibald Gracie's letter was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire on Sunday, at a price five times higher than the £60,000 it was expected to fetch.

The letter has been described as "prophetic", as it records Col Gracie telling an acquaintance he would "await my journey's end" before passing judgement on the "fine ship".

The letter was dated 10 April 1912, the day he boarded the Titanic in Southampton, and five days before it sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

Col Gracie was one of about 2,200 passengers and crew on board the Titanic sailing to New York. More than 1,500 died in the disaster.

The first-class passenger, wrote the letter from cabin C51. It was posted when the ship docked in Queenstown, Ireland, on 11 April 1912. It was also postmarked London on 12 April.

The auctioneer who facilitated the sale said the letter had attracted the highest price of any correspondence written onboard the Titanic.

Col Gracie's account of the sinking is among the best known.

He later wrote the book The Truth About The Titanic, recalling his experience onboard the doomed ocean liner.

He recounted how he survived by scrambling onto an overturned lifeboat in the icy waters.

More than half the men who had originally reached the lifeboat died from exhaustion or cold, he wrote.

Although Col Gracie survived the disaster, his health was severely affected by the hypothermia and physical injuries he suffered.

He fell into a coma on 2 December 1912, and died of complications from diabetes two days later.