Neighbours discuss economic partnership
India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday agreed to intensify their cooperation in the security sector, with a focus on maintaining stability in their neighbourhood. Following talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the two countries said that their security interests were closely aligned, adding that they remained “sensitive to each other’s concerns”. Modi and Wickremesinghe also discussed the status of the comprehensive economic partnership between the two countries, with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressing hope that an agreement on the matter would be finalised by next year.
Pentagon deepens cooperation with India
The United States’ Pentagon on Tuesday said that it had established an India Rapid Reaction Cell to deepen strategic ties between New Delhi and Washington. The cell will attempt to boost the US’ defence ties with India by accelerating the co-production of military equipment. Cell chief Keith Webster said that the Cell would also work on all the schemes implemented under the India-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative. The establishment of the cell comes weeks ahead of a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama on the side-lines of the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York.
UAE deports four Indians for IS links
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday deported four second-generation Indians from Kerala for their alleged links with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Officials said that while the four men had sent and received “radical content” on social networks such as Facebook, investigators had not established the presence of any direct link between them and the Islamic State. The deportees were also reported to have links to another 20-year-old, who is believed to have joined the militant group in Syria. While both Central and state security agencies have opened separate dossiers on the four deportees, a Union Home Ministry official said that the government was “still undecided on the nature” of the cases to be registered against them.
Centre made pro-corporate changes to Land Bill: Congress
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of making changes to the Land Acquisition Bill to favour corporate houses. Congress leader Ajay Maken said that while the party-led United Progressive Alliance government had passed a bill favourable to farmers in 2013, the current National Democratic Alliance government had made amendments to the Act “as it was keen to help some big industrialists”. Maken further said that the NDA-administered Centre only changed its position after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi “forcefully fought to protect” the interests of farmers around the country.
Delhi High Court grants Bharti interim relief
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti a two-day reprieve from arrest in a case of domestic violence filed against him by his wife, Lipika Mitra. Granting the Delhi MLA interim relief, Justice Suresh Kait asked the state police to issue a status report on the case. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Shailender Babbar argued that granting relief to the former state law minister would enable him to influence witnesses in the case. Bharti approached the High Court after a sessions court issued a non-bailable warrant against him on Monday.
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India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday agreed to intensify their cooperation in the security sector, with a focus on maintaining stability in their neighbourhood. Following talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe, the two countries said that their security interests were closely aligned, adding that they remained “sensitive to each other’s concerns”. Modi and Wickremesinghe also discussed the status of the comprehensive economic partnership between the two countries, with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressing hope that an agreement on the matter would be finalised by next year.
Pentagon deepens cooperation with India
The United States’ Pentagon on Tuesday said that it had established an India Rapid Reaction Cell to deepen strategic ties between New Delhi and Washington. The cell will attempt to boost the US’ defence ties with India by accelerating the co-production of military equipment. Cell chief Keith Webster said that the Cell would also work on all the schemes implemented under the India-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative. The establishment of the cell comes weeks ahead of a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama on the side-lines of the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York.
UAE deports four Indians for IS links
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday deported four second-generation Indians from Kerala for their alleged links with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Officials said that while the four men had sent and received “radical content” on social networks such as Facebook, investigators had not established the presence of any direct link between them and the Islamic State. The deportees were also reported to have links to another 20-year-old, who is believed to have joined the militant group in Syria. While both Central and state security agencies have opened separate dossiers on the four deportees, a Union Home Ministry official said that the government was “still undecided on the nature” of the cases to be registered against them.
Centre made pro-corporate changes to Land Bill: Congress
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi government of making changes to the Land Acquisition Bill to favour corporate houses. Congress leader Ajay Maken said that while the party-led United Progressive Alliance government had passed a bill favourable to farmers in 2013, the current National Democratic Alliance government had made amendments to the Act “as it was keen to help some big industrialists”. Maken further said that the NDA-administered Centre only changed its position after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi “forcefully fought to protect” the interests of farmers around the country.
Delhi High Court grants Bharti interim relief
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti a two-day reprieve from arrest in a case of domestic violence filed against him by his wife, Lipika Mitra. Granting the Delhi MLA interim relief, Justice Suresh Kait asked the state police to issue a status report on the case. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Shailender Babbar argued that granting relief to the former state law minister would enable him to influence witnesses in the case. Bharti approached the High Court after a sessions court issued a non-bailable warrant against him on Monday.