Rajnath Singh discusses defence ties with US; asks new Pak PM Sharif to ‘curb terrorism’
Following the fourth India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the terrorism issue was raised during the bilateral talks but no assurance was offered by the US. He further mentioned that the US is India’s ‘natural’ ally and they further wish to maintain good ties with all the countries.
“It’s obvious that terrorism issue is raised whenever there are bilateral talks. We discussed the same (during 2+2 talks with US). No question of assurance by the US, we only discussed,” Rajnath Singh told ANI in Washington DC.
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Biden terms US’ partnership with India as ‘one of the most important relationships’
US President Joe Biden affirmed partnership with India as “one of the most important relationships” as he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually on Monday. According to the background press call by the Biden administration on US President’s meeting with PM Modi, the senior White House official said on record, “During the course of the meeting, President Biden affirmed that our partnership with India is one of our most important relationships, and the two leaders had a chance to have an hourlong, very candid conversation to discuss a range of bilateral and global issues.”
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EAM Jaishankar concludes ‘productive & substantive’ US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ‘concluded a productive and substantive’ US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and further hailed ties in the field of counterterrorism and maritime security. On Monday, Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions on several issues including the ongoing Russia- Ukraine war, the Afghanistan situation, challenges pertaining to the Indo-Pacific region, and a range of key bilateral issues.
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PNB Scam: Nirav Modi’s close aide Subhash Shankar extradited from Egypt, CBI gets custody
Marking major breakthrough in the Nirav Modi case, India has successfully extradited a close aide of the absconding diamantaire from Egypt. Subhash Shankar, who was the Deputy General Manager is one of Nirav Modi’s firms, was brought to Mumbai from Cairo on Monday. He is said to be the key person of interest in the Punjab National Bank scam, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
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UN chief says people caught up in crisis across globe cannot pay price for war in Ukraine
As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate despite global efforts to stop the Russian invasion, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday stated that people caught up in crisis all across the globe cannot afford to pay the price for Russia-Ukraine’s conflict. He further urged that all nations must keep their markets open, resist unreasonable and needless export restrictions, and provide reserves to countries in danger of starvation.
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Russia-Ukraine war: India at UNSC highlights ‘women, children disproportionately impacted’
In the United States Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the situation of women and children in war-torn Ukraine, India’s permanent ambassador at the US TS Tirumurti reiterated calls for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. He said that women and children invariably suffer the most in any armed conflicts or military confrontation.
“From reports coming out of Ukraine, women and children have been disproportionately impacted and form the bulk of the refugees and internally displaced persons. More than 4.4 million people have moved to neighbouring countries and another 7.1 million are displaced inside Ukraine,” Tirumurti said.
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EU diplomat Borrel describes Russia’s military actions in Ukraine as ‘failure’ & ‘horror’
EU foreign ministers on Monday held a crucial meeting to discuss Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, war crimes, and sixth round of sanctions with a tougher ‘oil embargo’, although a consensus proved to be increasingly difficult. The 27 member states agreed to draft and approve sanctions against Russia at the end of this week. “Discussing about Ukraine means certainly discussing the effectiveness of our sanctions,” Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, told reporters in Luxembourg.
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US supports India as defence industry leader in Indo-Pacific, avers Pentagon Chief Austin
United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Monday that the US supports India as a ‘defence industry leader’ in the Indo-Pacific region and a net contributor to security in the area. Referring to India, Austin said in a news conference following the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue that the US has found a new potential to extend their military’s operational reach and collaborate more closely throughout the Indo-Pacific.
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China is attempting to challenge, undermine sovereignty of its neighbours: Lloyd Austin
United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday lashed out at China over undermining the “security of its neighbours” as he hosted Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Pentagon ahead of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue alongside India and US foreign ministers, Dr S Jaishankar and Antony Blinken respectively. While Singh said that his visit “shall take India-US comprehensive strategic partnership to the next level”, Austin told the Union Defence Minister that the meeting between both the nations comes at a “critical moment” in the defence partnership.
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Imran Khan calls for ‘free & fair elections’, hours after Shehbaz Sharif becomes Pak PM
Only hours after Shehbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, ousted PM Imran Khan has demanded a ‘fair and free elections’ in the country. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan called for an ‘immediate election’ and said that the people should choose their PM. Khan called on the people of Pakistan to show solidarity for him and attend his public meeting in Peshawar on Wednesday.
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