J-K: NC youth activist among many prominent leaders join BJP

Thursday February 3, 2022

A youth activist of the National Conference

J-K: NC youth activist among many prominent leaders join BJP

A youth activist of the National Conference (NC) and leaders from other parties joined the BJP.

NC leader and social activist Shaida Maqsood, along with her supporters, joined the BJP.

Bridge over Mahakali river to strengthen relation with India: Nepal Transport Minister

Thursday February 3, 2022

Nepal's Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav on Feb 1 said the newly announced

Bridge over Mahakali river to strengthen relation with India: Nepal Transport Minister

Nepal's Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav on Feb 1 said the newly announced project to build a bridge over the Mahakali river would strengthen Nepal-India relations.

India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a motorable Bridge over the Mahakali River, connecting Dharchula (India) with Darchula (Nepal), under Indian grant assistance.

This agreement was signed by Ambassador of India, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Government of Nepal, Rabindra Nath Shrestha.

India-EU hold 2nd maritime security dialogue; both commit to inclusive, rules-based Indo-Pacific

Thursday February 3, 2022

India and the European Union on Feb 1 held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format, during

India-EU hold 2nd maritime security dialogue; both commit to inclusive, rules-based Indo-Pacific

India and the European Union on Feb 1 held their second maritime security dialogue in a virtual format, during which both sides committed to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a release said the consultations included developments in the maritime security environment, policy developments covering the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and India's Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative, India-EU maritime cooperation, and regional initiatives to address international maritime security issues.

India and the EU discussed cooperation, including in the field of maritime domain awareness, capacity-building, and joint naval activities, following their successful joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Aden in June 2021.

The meeting was co-chaired by Sandeep Arya, Joint Secretary for Disarmament and International Security Affairs at Ministry of External Affairs, India, and Joanneke Balfoort, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service.

Australia to host Quad meeting of Foreign Ministers this month

Thursday February 3, 2022

Australia will host a two-day Quadrilateral meeting

Australia to host Quad meeting of Foreign Ministers this month

Australia will host a two-day Quadrilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers this month.

Counterparts from India and Japan will join the US and Australia for the two-day summit, which will also discuss the crisis in Ukraine and threats to national and regional security.

The Quadrilateral Security Initiative 2.0 was formed on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asia Summit held in November 2017 with the proposal for the maritime alliance being mooted by Japan.

Ukraine-Russia tensions: India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to discuss issue

Thursday February 3, 2022

India on Jan 31 abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council ahead of a meeting to discuss the

Ukraine-Russia tensions: India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to discuss issue

India on Jan 31 abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council ahead of a meeting to discuss the situation on the Ukraine border. The UN Security Council met on jan 31 to discuss the Ukraine issue.

Ahead of the meeting, Russia, a permanent and veto-wielding member, called for a procedural vote to determine whether the open meeting should go ahead. Russia and China voted against the meeting, while India, Gabon and Kenya abstained.

All other 10 Council members, including Norway, France, the US, the UK, France, Ireland, Brazil and Mexico, voted in favour of the meeting going through. The Council needed only 9 yes votes for the meeting to go ahead.

With 10 Council members voting in favour, the Council went ahead with the meeting on the situation on the Ukraine border. Russia is reported to have massed an estimated 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine has brought increasingly strong warnings from the West that Moscow intends to invade. Russia has repeatedly denied that it plans to invade Ukraine.

However, Moscow is demanding that NATO promise never to allow Ukraine to join the military alliance, and to stop the deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.

The US and NATO have rejected Russia's demands but have not ruled out more talks to address the security concerns of Moscow and ease the crisis.

Amnesty International joins rights groups in accusing Israel of apartheid

Thursday February 3, 2022

Amnesty International said on Feb 1 that the Israel has maintained “a system of oppression and domination” over

Amnesty International joins rights groups in accusing Israel of apartheid

Amnesty International said on Feb 1 that the Israel has maintained “a system of oppression and domination” over the Palestinians going all the way back to its establishment in 1948, one that meets the international definition of apartheid.

With the release of a 278-page report compiled over a period of four years, the London-based rights group joins Human Rights Watch and the Israeli rights group B’Tselem in accusing Israel of apartheid — both within its borders and in the occupied territories.

Their findings are part of a growing international movement to redefine the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a struggle for equal rights rather than a territorial dispute. Those efforts have gained strength in the decade since the peace process ground to a halt, as Israel has consolidated its control over the occupied territories and soured on the idea of a Palestinian state.

US President Joe Biden names Qatar as major non-NATO ally amid looming energy crisis

Thursday February 3, 2022

US President Joe Biden on Feb 1 designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic honour but one that

US President Joe Biden names Qatar as major non-NATO ally amid looming energy crisis

US President Joe Biden on Feb 1 designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic honour but one that was meant to convey his administration's gratitude for the tiny Persian Gulf nation's assistance with evacuations from Afghanistan and in ending last year's Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Biden announced the designation during a meeting with the ruling leader of Qatar at the White House. It comes as he looks for the gas-rich nation to step up again to help the West as it faces the prospect of a European energy crunch if Russia invades Ukraine.

The move could be helpful in Qatar's bid to get US approval for a more than USD 500 million sale of MQ-9 Reaper drones The request has been languishing since 2020, when Trump was still in office.

The designation was for Qatar's help in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Qatar played a central role in aiding last summer's US military evacuations of Afghans who helped the US war effort along with American citizens.

Qatar also hosts the biggest US air base in the Middle East and served as a go-between with the Taliban for the last three administrations as they tried to wind down America's longest war. Qatar is the 18th country to receive this designation, the last being Brazil in 2019.

The designation provides benefits in defense trade and security cooperation, including eligibility for loan programs and priority delivery for certain military sales.

Diesel to cost Rs 2 more from Oct 1, North East to see petrol price go up

Thursday February 3, 2022

Diesel in most parts of the country may cost Rs 2 per litre more from October 1 while petrol in a few places such as

Diesel to cost Rs 2 more from Oct 1, North East to see petrol price go up

Diesel in most parts of the country may cost Rs 2 per litre more from October 1 while petrol in a few places such as North East may see a price hike after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman levied additional excise duty on fuel sold without blending it with ethanol or biodiesel.

Presently, 10 per cent ethanol, extracted from sugarcane or surplus foodgrain, is blended or mixed in petrol (meaning 10 per cent of ethanol mixed with 90 per cent of petrol) with a view to cutting oil import dependence and provide farmers with an additional source of income.

Ethanol-blended petrol is supplied in 75-80 per cent of the country as availability of ethanol and logistics hamper supply in remaining areas.

On the other hand, there is only an experimental blending of biodiesel, extracted from non-edible oilseeds, in diesel - the most used fuel in the country.

"Blending of fuel is a priority of this Government. To encourage the efforts for blending of fuel, unblended fuel shall attract an additional differential excise duty of Rs 2 per litre from the 1st day of October 2022," Sitharaman said in her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha.

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J-K: NC youth activist among many prominent leaders join BJP

J-K: NC youth activist among many prominent leaders join BJP

Bridge over Mahakali river to strengthen relation with India: Nepal Transport Minister

Bridge over Mahakali river to strengthen relation with India: Nepal Transport Minister

India-EU hold 2nd maritime security dialogue; both commit to inclusive, rules-based Indo-Pacific

India-EU hold 2nd maritime security dialogue; both commit to inclusive, rules-based Indo-Pacific

Australia to host Quad meeting of Foreign Ministers this month

Australia to host Quad meeting of Foreign Ministers this month

Ukraine-Russia tensions: India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to discuss issue

Ukraine-Russia tensions: India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to discuss issue

Amnesty International joins rights groups in accusing Israel of apartheid

Amnesty International joins rights groups in accusing Israel of apartheid

US President Joe Biden names Qatar as major non-NATO ally amid looming energy crisis

US President Joe Biden names Qatar as major non-NATO ally amid looming energy crisis

Diesel to cost Rs 2 more from Oct 1, North East to see petrol price go up

Diesel to cost Rs 2 more from Oct 1, North East to see petrol price go up

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