On Sunday, witnesses and officials said that protesters opposed to the proposed funds clashed with police after Nepal's parliament approved a U.S. infrastructure grant of $500 million. Critics say the grant undermines Nepal's sovereignty. According to Parliament Speaker Agni Sapkota, the aid agreement was agreed upon by a majority vote of the Nepali lawmakers. Washington said that the aid does not need to be repaid and it comes without conditions. Several of the major political parties, including the coalition government, disagreed about accepting the grant. Concerned about U.S. infl
On Sunday, an official statement was released by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka stating that Sri Lanka has successfully completed the trials of an AC train that was supplied by India. The statement said, “Officials from the High Commission of India accompanied by representatives of India accompanied by representatives from Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and the Sri Lankan Railways traveled aboard an air-conditioned train [AC Diesel Multiple Unit(DMU)] on its successful trial run in Sri Lanka on February 18, 2022” India supplied the train under a USD 318 m
On Monday, the military-dominated parliament of Mali sanctioned a five-year democratic transition plan. The plan allowed the military government of Colonel Assimi Goita to continue on his post and rule the country up for more than five years. Additionally, the legislature declared that the president, who serves in an interim capacity, would not be permitted to run for office at that time - theoretically, it is preventing Goita from taking office. The restriction, however, would not apply if Goita resigned and ran for president as a private citizen rather than as an official candidate. H
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to strengthen ties with African countries while in Dakar, Senegal as part of a four-day trip to West and Central Africa. On Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall said during a joint press conference, “We will continue to enhance our relations with African countires on the basis of sincerity and solidarity. We exchanged ideas on how we can further advance our relations in every area, we once again gladly observed that we share the same determination to deepen our cooperation”. Turkey and Senegal exchan
On Tuesday, the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi expresses gratitude to India for proving the first consignment of humanitarian air of 50,000 tonnes of wheat. India has provided wheat to the war-ravaged country at a time when the nation is facing major food insecurity. Foreign Minister of India Harsh V Shringla along with Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and World Food Program Country Director Bishaw Parajuli was present at the ceremony held at Amritsar to flag off the first convey of 50 trucks carrying 25000 MT of wheat assistance from India to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Afghan embassy
India’s External Affairs Minister Mr. S. Jaishankar met his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock to discuss bilateral issues. The wide range of discussion indeed the Indo-Pacific, development surrounding Ukraine and situation in Afghanistan. He tweeted, “A wide-ranging discussion with German Foreign Minister @ABerbock. Focused on climate action and SDGs, bilaterally and globally”. Mr. Jaishankar also met his Iranian counterpart H Amirabdollahian to discuss bilateral economic cooperation, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and Af
As part of the trade dispute, the EU challenged China at the World Trade Organization on Friday, saying Beijing was interfering with European businesses' ability to use foreign courts to defend patents. The EU-China relationship has become increasingly strained, and the latest salvo comes just weeks after Brussels filed a separate case at the WTO alleging that Beijing was illegally punishing EU member state Lithuania for its stance on Taiwan. Valdis Dombrovkis, the executive vice president said in a statement, “EU companies have a right to seek justice on fair terms when their technol
In a pact with Australia, the UK committed 25 million pounds (S$46 million) to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific, and the leaders of both countries expressed "grave concerns" about Chinese policies in Xinjiang. A video call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Thursday (Feb 17) also called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and warned Russia against invading Ukraine. In a joint statement post-meeting, the leaders said, “They agreed on the need for de-escalation and underscored that any further Russian incursion in U
On Monday, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan visited the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2013. In a pivot toward economic partnership, the two countries mend ties strained by animosity. The Gulf state’s de facto ruler Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan greeted Erdogan. Crown Prince visited Ankara last November where investments worth billions of dollars were signed. At Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport before his departure, Mr. Erdogan said, “During the visit, we aim to develop the momentum we have captured with the United Arab Emirates and to take the ne
A deal worth more than $500 million will be signed between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Moroccan army to provide the Barak MX air and missile defense system. As a flexible and modular missile defense system, the Barak MX system can protect against a wide range of missile threats and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). There are three types of interceptors in the Barak family: Barak-MRAD, which intercepts missiles up to ranges of 35 kilometers; Barak-LRAD, which can intercepts missiles up to the range of 70 kilometers; and Barak-ER, which can intercepts missiles up to the range