India is ‘Counterbalance to Superpower Contest,’ Says New Zealand
Politics

India is ‘Counterbalance to Superpower Contest,’ Says New Zealand

New Zealand sees India as a “counterbalance to the superpower contest” in the region and wants to take bilateral ties to the next level to boost cooperation in diverse areas, from agriculture to education and security, said the New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in an interview on February 8. Both India and New Zealand have been trying to revitalise their bilateral relationship since last year. Mahuta said that her discussions with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi focused on collaboration in climate action, especially in the Pacific, agriculture, resea

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Japan, Philippines Sign Defence Agreement
Politics

Japan, Philippines Sign Defence Agreement

Japan and the Philippines have signed a defence pact to deepen military cooperation. The arrangement will see Japanese soldiers join natural and humanitarian disaster response training exercises in the Philippines. It has been seen as a first step towards broader defensive cooperation. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida signed the agreement in Tokyo on February 9. The visit of the Philippines President to Tokyo came shortly after the Philippines agreed to expand US access to its military bases, following a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Aust

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Angela Merkel Receives UNESCO Peace Prize in Ivory Coast
Politics

Angela Merkel Receives UNESCO Peace Prize in Ivory Coast

Germany's former chancellor Angela Merkel on February 8 was awarded the Felix Houphouet-Boigny UNESCO Peace Prize in Ivory Coast's capital Yamoussoukro for welcoming more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers to the European country in 2015 and 2016. Angela Merkel showed political courage when Germany welcomed refugees, who had fled conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea. Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, president of the jury awarding the prize, praised her for having opened the gates of Germany “at the same time many other countries were overcome with fear.”

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EAM S Jaishankar to Attend 12th World Hindi Conference in Fiji
Politics

EAM S Jaishankar to Attend 12th World Hindi Conference in Fiji

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will be on a three-day visit to Fiji from February 15 to attend the 12th World Hindi Conference, which will be co-hosted by the Governments of India and Fiji in Nadi. This will be Dr Jaishankar’s first visit to Fiji. A 270-member delegation comprising Hindi scholars and officials will travel to Fiji for the conference. Representatives from 50 countries were expected to participate in the conference. The conference will have a plenary session and 10 parallel sessions on topics such as Hindi in Girmitiya countries; Hindi in Fiji and the Pacifi

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EU and Singapore Launch Digital Partnership
Politics

EU and Singapore Launch Digital Partnership

The European Union (EU) and Singapore signed the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership (EUSDP) on February 1 in Brussels. The EUSDP will lead to a digital trade agreement to enable consumers and businesses to transact online more seamlessly and at lower costs. The deal was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market. The pact aims to boost participation in the digital economy by imparting relevant skills to workers in both jurisdictions and transforming their businesses and public services. Digital tr

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Hillary Clinton Announces $50 Million Global Climate Resilience Fund
Politics

Hillary Clinton Announces $50 Million Global Climate Resilience Fund

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on February 6 announced a Global Climate Resilience Fund of 50 million dollars for women to fight climate change. Addressing salt pan workers near Kuda village in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district, Clinton announced that the Clinton Global Initiative with the American Indian foundation, SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association founded by late activist Ela Bhatt) and other organisations will also help in providing new livelihood resources and education to women and communities. On February 5, Clinton attended a programme in Ahmedabad to mark t

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PM Modi Makes a Strong Pitch for Energy Investments at India Energy Week
Politics

PM Modi Makes a Strong Pitch for Energy Investments at India Energy Week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited investors to participate in the rapid growth being charted out by India’s energy sector. In his address at the inauguration of India Energy Week (6-8 February) in Bengaluru, the Prime Minister said that numerous areas of India’s energy landscape, from conventional hydrocarbons to renewables and biofuels to promising futuristic fuels like green hydrogen, are seeing record growth and are full of opportunities. The Prime Minister said that India’s strategy for the energy sector is centred around four major verticals of increase in domestic exp

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Rishi Sunak Joins the India-UK Security Discussion as a Special Gesture
Politics

Rishi Sunak Joins the India-UK Security Discussion as a Special Gesture

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attended the India-UK NSA dialogue between British counterpart Tim Barrow and India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval at the UK Cabinet Office as a “special gesture” on February 3. During the discussion, Sunak emphasised the UK government’s support for strengthening strategic alliances in sectors, including trade, defence, and science and technology. On his way back from Washington, where he met his American colleague Jake Sullivan for comparable discussions, Doval stopped in London for an annual bilateral strategic conversation. “A spe

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Saudi Arabia Launches Free Four-Day Visa
Politics

Saudi Arabia Launches Free Four-Day Visa

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a free stopover visa for visitors to stay in the Kingdom for up to four days. The transit visa for stopovers came into effect on January 30. The new Saudi visa is free and will be valid for three months. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the digital transit visa for stopover to facilitate the arrival in the Kingdom for all purposes, and the procedures for obtaining and automating an entry visa. It allows those in transit who wish to enter the Kingdom to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque, in addi

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PM Narendra Modi Gets Highest Approval Rating as Global Leader
Politics

PM Narendra Modi Gets Highest Approval Rating as Global Leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the world’s most popular leader for the second time in a row, says a finding by a US-based global leader approval tracker, Morning Consult. With the approval rating of 78 per cent of India’s adult population, PM Narendra Modi is the "most apt" leader for the title, it said. The research firm surveyed 22 leaders from across the globe and found Narendra Modi the most outstanding. He was followed by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador with 68 per cent and Swiss President Alain Berset at the third position with 62 per cent. Canada's Prime Mini

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