US defence official holds talks with Modi
India and the United States on Wednesday signed a 10-year defence framework agreement stating that the US would focus on taking “appropriate measures to enhance India’s defence capability". The agreement, signed by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Secretary-of-Defence Ashton Carter, was renewed during US President Barack Obama’s visit to India in January. The countries agreed to cooperate on aircraft carrier construction and jet engine technology while reaffirming their commitment to deepening the bilateral defence relationship between them. Carter also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Kashmir part of Pakistan, claims Pakistani army chief
Pakistani Army Chief Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was an “unfinished agenda” of Partition. In a speech given at the National Defence University in Islamabad, Sharif said that the Pakistan and Kashmir were “inseparable”, adding that Pakistan would not allow anyone to use “proxies” against it. Sharif’s remarks came a day after India opposed Islamabad’s move to hold elections in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, claiming that it was an attempt by Pakistan to provide a cover for its “forcible and illegal occupation” of the area.
Google issues apology on Modi images
Internet giant Google on Wednesday issued an apology after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s images appeared if users searched for the "top 10 criminals in India”. The company said that the query’s results were not reflective of its opinions, adding that it was troubled by the results. “Sometimes, the way images are described on the internet can yield surprising results to specific queries,” the company said. A spokesperson for the company said that the results had appeared due to a British daily which had an image of Modi with erroneous metadata. The representative said that the images had been drawn from news articles where Modi had made statements regarding politicians with a criminal background. The company said that it was working to improve its algorithms to prevent “unexpected results”.
Centre files complaint against Nestle
The Central government on Wednesday filed a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against Nestle India, the manufacturer of popular noodle brand Maggi. In its complaint filed under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the Centre said that the company had engaged in “unfair trade practices” in the sale of the noodles. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was asked to look into the issue. The issue arose following reports of excessive high amounts of lead and monosodium glutamate in the popular brand of noodles. Meanwhile, the army issued an advisory to its personnel, asking them not to consume the noodles. The Delhi government also banned the sale of the product for 15 days.
Dutch prime minister to visit India
Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte will begin a two-day visit to India on Friday to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. Rutte, who will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit, will be accompanied by two ministers from his government and a delegation of businessmen from the Netherlands. The meeting between Rutte and Modi will be followed by a roundtable of the Dutch and Indian delegations with representatives of large companies from both countries. The country is one of the top five investors in India, with trade between the two standing at almost six billion euros.
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India and the United States on Wednesday signed a 10-year defence framework agreement stating that the US would focus on taking “appropriate measures to enhance India’s defence capability". The agreement, signed by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Secretary-of-Defence Ashton Carter, was renewed during US President Barack Obama’s visit to India in January. The countries agreed to cooperate on aircraft carrier construction and jet engine technology while reaffirming their commitment to deepening the bilateral defence relationship between them. Carter also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Kashmir part of Pakistan, claims Pakistani army chief
Pakistani Army Chief Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was an “unfinished agenda” of Partition. In a speech given at the National Defence University in Islamabad, Sharif said that the Pakistan and Kashmir were “inseparable”, adding that Pakistan would not allow anyone to use “proxies” against it. Sharif’s remarks came a day after India opposed Islamabad’s move to hold elections in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, claiming that it was an attempt by Pakistan to provide a cover for its “forcible and illegal occupation” of the area.
Google issues apology on Modi images
Internet giant Google on Wednesday issued an apology after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s images appeared if users searched for the "top 10 criminals in India”. The company said that the query’s results were not reflective of its opinions, adding that it was troubled by the results. “Sometimes, the way images are described on the internet can yield surprising results to specific queries,” the company said. A spokesperson for the company said that the results had appeared due to a British daily which had an image of Modi with erroneous metadata. The representative said that the images had been drawn from news articles where Modi had made statements regarding politicians with a criminal background. The company said that it was working to improve its algorithms to prevent “unexpected results”.
Centre files complaint against Nestle
The Central government on Wednesday filed a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against Nestle India, the manufacturer of popular noodle brand Maggi. In its complaint filed under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the Centre said that the company had engaged in “unfair trade practices” in the sale of the noodles. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was asked to look into the issue. The issue arose following reports of excessive high amounts of lead and monosodium glutamate in the popular brand of noodles. Meanwhile, the army issued an advisory to its personnel, asking them not to consume the noodles. The Delhi government also banned the sale of the product for 15 days.
Dutch prime minister to visit India
Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte will begin a two-day visit to India on Friday to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. Rutte, who will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit, will be accompanied by two ministers from his government and a delegation of businessmen from the Netherlands. The meeting between Rutte and Modi will be followed by a roundtable of the Dutch and Indian delegations with representatives of large companies from both countries. The country is one of the top five investors in India, with trade between the two standing at almost six billion euros.
