Here are some of the major developments from across the world on Wednesday.
India, Italy condemn terrorism, agree to deepen defence cooperation
India and Italy on Wednesday strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, and called upon all nations to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure. During their meeting in Rome, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni welcomed the first meeting of the Permanent Task Force on countering the financing of terrorism and the upcoming meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism.
“The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross border terrorism. The two leaders strongly condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and reiterated their commitment to cooperate in the fight against terrorists and terrorist groups and their affiliates including those listed in the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions regime,” the India-Italy Joint Declaration stated.
Both leaders called on all countries to work towards disrupting terrorist networks and combating terror financing in line with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidelines. They also agreed to enhance cooperation at the United Nations (UN), FATF, and other multilateral forums.
On the defence front, the two PMs expressed satisfaction over the deepening of defence cooperation, including through ministerial exchanges, service-to-service interactions, and port visits.
They welcomed the adoption of a Joint Declaration of Intent and a Defence Industrial Roadmap to promote technological cooperation, co-production and co-development in areas such as helicopters, naval platforms, marine armament, and electronic warfare.
The leaders also agreed to explore the possibility of an annual high-level military dialogue and decided to launch a dialogue on maritime security. They welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and India’s Directorate of Enforcement.
India will not tolerate any form of nuclear blackmail: Rajnath Singh
Seoul Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that India will not tolerate any form of nuclear blackmail, while asserting that the country remains committed to its ‘No First Use policy’.
Speaking at an event organised by the Indian diaspora in Seoul, Singh said, “Operation Sindoor was proof that India will not tolerate terrorism in any form. As a responsible nuclear power, we firmly adhere to a policy of No First Use. However, there are times when people mistake our restraint and commitment to peace for weakness. While India remains committed to its No First Use policy, it will not tolerate any form of nuclear blackmail. This is new India.”
Singh, who is on a three-day visit to South Korea, held wide-ranging talks with his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back. The two sides signed key agreements to enhance cooperation in defence, cyberspace, and military training. Two agreements were also signed between India’s L&T and South Korea’s Hanwha Co Ltd to boost defence manufacturing collaboration.
The Defence Ministry said the agreements signalled a promising future for India-South Korea defence innovation and technology partnership.
Iran accuses US of trying to restart Middle East War
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday accused the United States (US) of trying to restart the Middle East war, days after President Donald Trump threatened fresh military action against Tehran.
“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said in an audio message.
His remarks came after President Trump warned that he would attack Iran again unless Tehran agreed to a peace deal.
Iranian officials have warned of a “forceful response” in case of any renewed conflict.
A ceasefire reached on April 8 had brought a temporary halt to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. However, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan, tensions remain high with both sides issuing warnings.
Ebola risk high regionally but low globally: WHO
The World Health Organization on Wednesday said that the risk of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains high at the national and regional levels, but low at the global level.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while investigations into the origins of the outbreak were still ongoing, the epidemic in eastern DRC had likely begun a couple of months ago.
“So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in the DRC… although we know the scale of the epidemic in DRC is much larger,” Tedros said. He added that Uganda had reported two confirmed cases in Kampala, including one death, while a US national working in the DRC had tested positive and was shifted to Germany.
The WHO emergency committee noted that the current situation did not meet the threshold of a pandemic emergency.
Xi, Putin strengthen ties days after Trump’s Beijing visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Beijing on Wednesday, days after US President Donald Trump’s visit to China, and sought to highlight the strength of their bilateral relations.
The two leaders signed several agreements on trade, energy and media, and extended their treaty of “friendly cooperation”. While neither leader directly referred to the United States, Xi warned against “unilateral and hegemonic countercurrents running rampant” in the international system. Putin described the ties between the two countries as being at an “unprecedentedly high level”.
On the Middle East, Xi called for an early end to the ongoing conflict to secure energy supplies. On Ukraine, both sides agreed on the need to address the “root causes” of the conflict through dialogue and negotiations.
However, there was no breakthrough on the proposed “Power of Siberia 2” natural gas pipeline. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while a “basic understanding” had been reached on the route and construction, some details were still being worked out.
(With AFP, IANS, PTI, and ANI inputs)