Beijing: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who replaced Qin Gang this week after his summary dismissal, has said in his first comments that Beijing would deepen its global partnerships while “resolutely safeguarding” its sovereignty, security and development interests. Significantly, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which scrubbed the name, photos and speeches of Qin soon after his…
United Nations: The upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi is among the “critical opportunities ahead” for accelerated action on climate change, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, emphasising that the grouping’s success is a “basic precondition” for the success of the UN climate change conference. As the World Meteorological Organisation and the European Commission’s Copernicus…
Islamabad: China has rolled over a USD 2.4 billion loan to its all-weather ally Pakistan for two years to help the cash-strapped country shore up its foreign exchange reserves, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday. Dar said in a Twitter post that Pakistan was supposed to pay the loan in the next two fiscal years….
Islamabad: Pakistan has criticised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks that India is ready to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to maintain its honour and dignity, saying the “belligerent rhetoric” is a threat to regional peace and stability. Speaking at the Kargil War Memorial in Ladakh’s Drass town on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay…
Jerusalem: Angry protests following the passage of a controversial bill by Israel’s Parliament this week on a controversial bill that could limit the Supreme Court’s powers has given way to a quiet upheaval in the country with threats of mass emigration, resignations in critical positions, army desertions, strikes and flight of capital. Israeli Parliament approved the…
Singapore: Singapore’s former Indian-origin minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam formally launched his presidential campaign on Wednesday and pledged to evolve the country’s culture to keep it a “shining spot” in the world. The official launch comes more than a month after Tharman first announced his intention that he will run for president. Tharman, 66, stepped down from active…
London: The British government on Tuesday opened its second ballot under the UK-India Young Professional Scheme for Indians aged between 18 and 30 years with graduate-level qualifications for visas to the UK. The ballot, which closes on July 27, offers eligible young Indians the opportunity to live, work or study in the UK for up to…
Washington: Post the first state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, the two countries are forging much closer bilateral ties with high-level visits on all fronts, a senior Biden administration official has said, observing that India and the US have never had a stronger relationship than now. Modi visited the US at the…
Jerusalem: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday underwent a successful pacemaker implantation procedure, a surgery scheduled just days before the Knesset is set to vote on a controversial judicial reform bill that has paralysed the whole country. Last week, Netanyahu, 73, was hospitalised from Saturday to Sunday after he complained of dizziness following a…
Washington: As the two largest democracies of the world hits the election cycle ahead of the next year’s presidential elections in the US and parliamentary polls in India, politician-turned-diplomat Eric Garcetti believes that the politicians need to focus on leadership and governance and the elections would take care of them. “I love elections, and maybe…
