Tag: India-Canada ties

Morning Digest | EAM Jaishankar meets Blinken amid India-Canada diplomatic row; three killed in Rotterdam twin shootings, and more

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar say a few words to the news media as they meet at the State Department in Washington, U.S. on September 28, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Jaishankar meets Blinken, Sullivan in Washington

Kicking off the Washington segment of his U.S. trip, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. As The Hindu went to press, Mr. Jaishankar was also in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The meetings are routine but also particularly significant given the recent and serious diplomatic challenges in the India-Canada relationship following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that the Indian Government was linked to the assassination of a Khalistani separatist leader in British Columbia.

Two killed in Rotterdam twin shootings

Two people have been killed and a teenager is fighting for her life after a 32-year-old gunman opened fire at a house and a hospital in Rotterdam on Thursday. Dutch police said they were still investigating the motive for the twin attacks by the man dressed in combat gear, who also set fire to the hospital.

Mob tries to storm Manipur CM’s home

A mob tried to storm the personal residence of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh at Heingang in Imphal East on Thursday evening, amid simmering anger over the murder of two Meitei students who went missing in July. The photos of their bodies surfaced on social media earlier this week, leading to agitations and demonstrations by students.

Centre extends deadline for Manipur to record details of illegal migrants

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended its deadline for the Manipur government to record details of illegal migrants in the State, including biometric details. Although the State was due to complete the exercise by September 30, it has now been granted an additional six months till March 31, 2024.

Canadian police say probe into killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar ‘active and ongoing’

The killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar remains an “active and ongoing investigation”, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have said. Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

Afghanistan embassy announces shutdown citing lack of MEA support

Two years after the Taliban took over Kabul, the Afghanistan Embassy to India informed the government that it was being forced to close down, given the lack of resources with the Taliban regime and blamed the Indian Government for not supporting it despite several requests.

RS Chairman Dhankhar signs women‘s reservation Bill; to be placed before President for her assent

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on September 28 signed the women’s reservation Bill as passed by Parliament before it was presented to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent. The Constitution Amendment Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with near unanimity and the Rajya Sabha with unanimity during a special session of Parliament earlier this month.

Elderly have low awareness about welfare schemes, says India Ageing Report 2023

The awareness among the elderly population among the social welfare schemes in the country remains low, the recently published India Ageing Report 2023 has pointed out. The report, produced by the United Nations Population Fund, India, in collaboration with the International Institute for Population Sciences, throws light on the challenges, opportunities, and institutional responses surrounding elderly care in India as the country’s elderly are likely to make up 20% of the country’s population by 2050. 

Auto driver arrested in Ujjain rape case

An autorickshaw driver, who was arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl he found on the streets of Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, sustained injuries while attempting to escape from police custody on September 28, investigators said. Earlier this week, the girl, who was left semi-clad and bleeding after the sexual assault, was found wandering the streets of the holy town. 

Karnataka bandh call likely to affect normal life in Bengaluru today

Bengaluru is gearing up for yet another bandh scheduled for Friday, as Kannada organisations have declared a day-long shutdown across the state opposing releasing Cauvery water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. This bandh is expected to disrupt the daily lives of residents, with the possibility of private and public transport going off roads, shops, eateries and theatres shutting down, even as schools and colleges have been declared a holiday, as a precautionary measure.

Cricket World Cup 2023 | R. Ashwin replaces injured Axar Patel in India’s final World Cup squad

India have predictably named veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a replacement for injured spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel in their 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup, ICC announced on Thursday.

Sena Split | Cross-examination set for November 23, Sena (UBT) criticises delay

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has announced that the cross-examination process, related to disqualification petitions filed by Shiv Sena MLAs, will commence on November 23. According to the schedule issued by Mr. Narwekar, cross-examination will be held twice a week. 

Indian, French Army Chiefs exchange lessons from war in Ukraine

Pointing to the strategic partnership between India and France and the close cooperation between the two Navies and Air Forces, French Army Chief General Pierre Schill said the two Armies were also looking to deepen cooperation with more exercises and sharing best practices among others.

Heavy rain likely in West Bengal, Odisha over weekend

A low-pressure area brewing over the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain across Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha this weekend, the IMD said on September 28. It said that a low-pressure area is likely to form over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal by Friday and intensify thereafter into a well-marked low-pressure area, moving northwestwards in the direction of north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal.

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Morning Digest | Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for another six months; ‘High level of military tension’ with China over last three years, says EAM Jaishankar, and more

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, beginning October 1. Image for representation purpose only. File

U.S. calls for ‘full and fair investigation’ into Canada’s allegations against India

The United States has said there ought to be a full and fair investigation into Canada’s allegations that the Indian government was involved in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a news conference on Tuesday.

CBI team led by Special Director to probe ‘killing’ of two students in Manipur

The Central Bureau of Investigation Special Director, Ajay Bhatnagar, will be leaving for Manipur on Wednesday by a special flight along with a team of officers to probe the suspected death of two Meitei students, said agency sources.

Centre extends AFSPA in parts of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for another six months

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, beginning October 1. The Act gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction.

Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built real estate empire, judge rules

A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

Told Canada it is not government policy: Jaishankar on Nijjar killing

In the latest round of sparring between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the government had told the Canadian Government that it was not its “policy“ to engage in such acts.

‘High level of military tension’ with China over last three years: EAM Jaishankar

There has been a “high level of military tension” with China over the last three years, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said, characterizing the overall state of “ very abnormal” relations between New Delhi and Beijing since the border clashes of 2020.

Karnataka told to release 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu till October 15

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) at its meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday decided that Karnataka should release 3,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) to Tamil Nadu from September 28 to October 15.

Cheetahs may be flown in from new countries

With six adult cheetahs dying within the first year of their relocation to India, wildlife experts associated with Project Cheetah are considering options of importing the next batch of big cats from countries other than South Africa and Namibia. A final decision is awaited.

Canadian Parliament speaker quits after publicly praising former Nazi soldier

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons lower chamber on September 26 said he would quit, a few days after he publicly praised a former Nazi soldier in Parliament in an incident that Russia said helped justify its war on Ukraine.

Centre asks States to promote heat tolerant wheat seeds in the rabi season

The Union government on Tuesday held an interaction with the States on the preparedness for the upcoming rabi crop season in the background of a 5% decrease in monsoon in this year. The Centre has asked States to promote heat resilient and high yielding varieties of wheat among farmers.

Promote khadi, Prime Minister tells students

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged students to promote khadi as a fashion statement in colleges and universities, which could emerge as hubs for the ‘Vocal for Local’ movement.

Taliban seek economic support and recognition from India ahead of Kazan meeting under Moscow format

Ahead of the Moscow format discussion at Kazan in Russia, the Taliban have called upon India to help in the economic recovery of Afghanistan. The discussion scheduled to be held on September 29 is significant from the regional point of view as this is the first such meeting after China increased engagement with the Taliban and sent a new Ambassador to Kabul earlier this month.

SC to hear Chandrababu Naidu’s plea for relief on September 27

A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna is scheduled to hear on September 27 a petition filed by Telugu Desam Party national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu against an Andhra Pradesh High Court order refusing to quash FIRs against him in the multi-crore skill development scam case.

Bhavani Devi loses in Asian Games quarterfinals, questions referee’s calls in loss to Chinese fencer

Bhavani Devi registered an impressive series of five wins in the morning to enter the knockout stages of the women’s sabre individual fencing event before bowing out to local favourite Yaqi Shao 15-7 in the quarterfinals. The Chinese, who has also been a training partner for Bhavani, won 15-7, racing to a 7-2 lead in the first period even before Bhavani could find her footing. She questioned some of the early decisions from the referee, even challenging them early on.

Canadian PM prone to ‘outrageous’ allegations, says Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Sabry

Weighing in on the recent diplomatic row between India and Canada regarding the killing of Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of making “outrageous allegations”, and remarked that some “terrorists have found a safe haven in Canada”.

U.S. sues Amazon for breaking antitrust law, harming consumers

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com on September 26, charging the online retailer with harming consumers with higher prices in the latest U.S. government legal action aimed at breaking Big Tech’s dominance of the internet.

‘Cannot bend rules of state to state interactions’: Canada’s U.N. Ambassador Rae

More than a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were involved in the June assassination of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) reiterated Ottawa’s concerns about foreign interference and rules of state to state interaction.

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The View from India | The significance of Blinken’s China visit

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
| Photo Credit: AP

(This article forms a part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken started his much-awaited China visit on Sunday, seeking to cool tensions between the two great powers. Mr. Blinken was scheduled to travel to China in January, in the first Secretary-level visit since 2018, but that trip was postponed after a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over continental America. Tensions were high between the U.S. and China, particularly after the then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China, in August last year. Earlier this month, the U.S. had sought Defence Minister–level talks between the two countries on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore. But China said no to the talks as its Defence Minister Li Shangfu faced American sanctions. At the Shangri-La dialogue, Mr. Li and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin shook hands but did not hold talks. There were also two incidents in recent weeks where American and Chinese jets and destroyers came dangerously close to each other over the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. Against this backdrop, Mr. Blinken’s visit assumes great significance.

The focus of the visit was on stabilising the great power relationship even if there is no breakthrough on contentious issues, from Taiwan and South China Sea to Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade disputes. After holding talks for several hours with China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Mr. Blinken said both sides “discussed how we can responsibly manage the relationship between our two countries through open channels of communication”. The Chinese side also emphasised managing ties despite differences. “Both sides agreed to jointly implement the important common understandings reached by the two Presidents in Bali, effectively manage differences, and advance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, reports Ananth Krishnan. In Beijing, Mr. Blinken also held talks with Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, and President Xi Jinping.

African peace mission

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting with a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting with a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in St. Petersburg, Russia.
| Photo Credit:
AP

An African peace mission, led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Ukraine and Russia last week, seeking ways to end the war. In Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv where bodies were found after the Russian withdrawal last year, the delegation visited the site of a mass grave and held talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. In St. Petersburg, Mr. Ramaphosa met Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and told him the war must be brought to an end diplomatically. But the Kremlin was pessimistic about the African mission. “The peace initiative proposed by African countries is very difficult to implement, difficult to compare positions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said about it. The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to oust the Russian forces from the areas they hold, using Western-supplied advanced weapons, in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-km front line. Ukraine has claimed to have won some minor success along the frontline by taking villages in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk border, but is facing stiff resistance from the Russians.

Trump pleads not guilty

Donald Trump

Donald Trump
| Photo Credit:
AP

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to federal criminal charges that he unlawfully kept classified documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them. The indictment of Mr. Trump, who became the first former President to face federal charges, creates an unprecedented political situation in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 presidential election. For Mr. Trump, who assailed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election campaign over her use of a private server, this is an embarrassing situation. He already faces criminal charges in investigations by the Manhattan District Attorney over the payment of hush money to an adult film actor in 2016. A prosecutor in Georgia is probing alleged attempts by Mr. Trump and his allies to topple the results of the 2020 presidential elections, with charges expected in August. Fresh charges pursued by the federal government will further deepen his legal troubles just when the election campaign is heating up. But at the same time, he seems determined to fight the case both politically and legally. What makes the indictment politically complicated is that Mr. Trump is not only a former President but also the key potential rival of Mr. Biden, the incumbent, in 2024.

The Top Five

Musings on the frictions in India-Canada ties:Indian diplomats have the obligation to highlight the damage to bilateral ties when Canadian politicians support separatism in India, writes Vivek Katju.

Jumpstarting the next phase of U.S.-India defence ties:The visit of America’s Defence Secretary earlier in June has prepared the ground for the the Indian Prime Minister’s U.S. visit next week, which could see some big ticket announcements, write Harsh V. Pant and Vivek Mishra.

The path to a new and imminent U.S.-Iran nuclear deal:Tehran is entering into the arrangement with no illusion that it will have a long-term value as, at best, it will survive the present Biden administration, writes Talmiz Ahmad.

In Israel, diverse Jewish-Indian communities come together to build a Heritage Centre:The festivities symbolised not only the rise of Israel-India relations, but also internal reconciliation among Indian Jews–Cochinis, Bnei Israel, Baghdadis and Bnei Menashe—known for their internal feuding along the lines of caste and class that go back hundreds of years, reports Yeshaya Rosenman.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank | Banking on China:Canada’s comment that it would conduct an ‘expeditious’ review of its involvement in the AIIB has underlined the continuing shadow of politics over the functioning of the multilateral lender in which China holds the most voting power with 26.58%, writes Ananth Krishnan.

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