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British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered to lend support to his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve his goal of preparing young Indians for the 21st century. Under the new UK-India Skills pledge, 11 UK companies have committed to support skills development in India. Together, the UK government and UK businesses will establish new "Centres of Excellence" in key sectors, starting with a centre for  Automotive and Advanced Engineering  in Pune, said the joint statement issued after the talks between the two leaders. Both Prime Ministers agreed to initiate virtual partnerships at the school level to enable young people of either country to experience the school system of the other country and develop an understanding of the culture, traditions and social and family systems. The Prime Ministers announced that UK will be the partner country for the  2016 Technology Summit  in Delhi. Committed to promote further joint research partne...

Officials brace for protests over Gujarat riots Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in London on Thursday for a three-day visit, focused on defence and strategic ties between India and the U.K. as well as economic relations. Deals worth a reported $18 billion are expected to be signed during the visit. The highlight of the visit, however, is expected to be the address to Indians and NRIs at London’s Wembley stadium, with over 60,000 expected to attend. Significantly, Mr. Modi will be introduced at Wembley by U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron who will also accompany him through most of the visit, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said. Mr. Modi’s visit to the U.K. comes days after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s crushing defeat in the Bihar elections. But the government on Tuesday announced 15 key reforms in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). “While a big win in Bihar before the Wembley event would have been amazing, there is no doubt the PM’s address will enthuse his supp...

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would be visiting India “soon.” Mr. Netanyahu will be the second Israel PM to visit India. In 2003, the then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had travelled to India and it took 12 years before India reciprocated in the form of President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Israel last month. Mr. Mukherjee had invited Mr. Netanyahu to India. Mr. Netanyahu’s reference to visiting India came while answering a question about his vision for Israel at the Center for American Progress on Tuesday. “There are three things other countries want from Israel…..first, Israeli technology, second, Israeli technology and third, Israeli technology. Whether it is India, which I will be soon going to visit, or any other country,” he said, adding that his plan was to make Israel into a technological powerhouse. India-Israeli relations have turned more intense and demonstrative ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014. Mr. Modi plans to vis...

In return, India wants access to Internet-related data from U.S.-based service providers like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, among others. India could soon get access to a U.S. database of 11,000 terror suspects if the countries sign a pact to exchange information on terrorists, during the Homeland Security dialogue in December. The information would be shared through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s legal attache at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi. Though some security agencies expressed concern over giving unhindered access to the U.S. on such “sensitive database”, the government is of the view that it would be beneficial in the long run. India is, however, insisting that “privacy issues” be taken care of, and the agreement not be a tool to serve only the interests of the U.S. In return, it wants access to Internet-related data from U.S.-based service providers like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, among others. The Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD -6) is a model text ag...

He is the first Indian PM to visit the island nation in 34 years Prime Minister Narendra Modi clicks a picture during dedication of the India - Seychelles cooperation project 'Coastal Surveillance Radar System' in Mahe, Seychelles, on Wednesday.— PHOTO: PTI Terming Seychelles a “trusted friend and a strong strategic partner,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrapped up the first leg of his three-nation tour of the Indian Ocean countries with both nations underlining the need for comprehensive cooperation in the region. “Our security partnership is strong. It has enabled us to fulfil our shared responsibility to advance maritime security in the region,” Mr. Modi said. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in 34 years. Highlighting India’s push for regional integration, Mr. Modi observed: “We also hope that Seychelles will soon be a full partner in the maritime security cooperation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.” During his meet...

It is not often that the King of Saudi Arabia receives visiting foreign dignitaries at the airport. That precisely is what King Salman did on Wednesday when he went to the Riyadh airport to lay out an ostentatious welcome to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. There is speculation that the Saudi Kingdom is seeking Pakistan’s military support to shore up its internal and external defences amidst mounting regional tensions. No announcements were made after Sharif met King Salman and other senior members of the Saudi Royal family. But security cooperation was reportedly at the top of the agenda.

As he swings across the  Indian  Ocean this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest challenge is not  about  countering China. After  all , Beijing is far away and  India is right in the middle of the  Indian  Ocean. In the near term, the tyranny of  geography will limit the scope and intensity of Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. Modi’s real problem is in Delhi, afflicted by a condition called continentalism, which has proved rather difficult to overcome.

People who think  about  the United Nations too much tend to develop distinctly strange views of  international  affairs. Seventy years old this year, the  world  organisation is not letting old age slow it down. Its aid workers and peacekeepers are on the frontlines, from the wars in the Middle East to Ebola-stricken West Africa. Yet, diplomats and UN officials often struggle to focus on the ugly realities of these crises. It is easy to get sucked into the minutiae of the UN’s ineffably complex rules of procedure  and committee work instead. If you sit in the  Security  Council (UNSC) or General Assembly in  New  York, these details appear to be of global importance.

BEIJING: China on Sunday said the border dispute with India has been "contained" and the Indian elephant and Chinese dragon should "do more" to strengthen the bilateral cooperation to facilitate its settlement. Addressing his annual press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature, foreign minister Wang Yi said a warm welcome awaited Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he makes his first visit to China later this year. "Last September, President Xi Jinping made an historic visit to India. Picture of the two leaders working at a spinning wheel in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister, has spread far and wide in China," Wang said in response to a question from PTI about the India-China relations at a nationally-televised crowded press conference. India, China bound by 'unbreakable bond', Narendra Modi says "Chinese people believe in reciprocating the courtesy of others. I am sure when P...

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday discussed with her Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera the possibility of resuming ferry services between the two countries. However, the Foreign Ministers did not discuss the fisheries issue. “Not a word about it,” Sri Lankan Foreign Minister told  The Hindu  soon after his meeting with Ms. Swaraj, but officials said the subject was likely to be discussed at her lunch meeting with Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. In addition to discussing agreements to be inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit,

China’s dominance over India in overseas oil has been on clear display, but there is reason to believe that the competitive landscape may be changing The race between China and India for global oil resources was over before it started. From Central Asia to Africa, China’s large and powerful national oil companies outmuscled their smaller Indian counterparts. But the recent plummet in international oil prices, from a peak of $115 per barrel in mid-June to below $70 in early December, presents a rare opportunity to India. If lower oil prices are sustained throughout next year, Indian national oil companies will find the cost of overseas mergers and acquisitions more affordable. They may also discover Chinese competition to be less severe. China’s oil giants have slowed down their international activity of late and become preoccupied with developments at home.

hows keen interest in building Smart Cities Canada’s Minister Shri Ed Fast holds talks with Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu  Canada has strongly pitched in with the offer of its wood based high density house construction technology to enable India meet its ‘Housing for All by 2022’ target. This offer was made by the visiting Canadian Minister of International Trade Shri Ed Fast during his meeting with the Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu here today (15.10.2014). The Canadian Minister made detailed queries about the new initiatives in urban sector including building of 100 Smart Cities, Housing for All and infrastructure development in urban areas of the country. He sought to know the clear timelines for execution of these schemes and specific areas requiring technologies and investments. Shri Venkaiah Naidu gave a detailed account of various initiatives and suggested cooperation in respect of affordable housing, waste water recyc...

Download PDF version Scholars have, in recent works, sought to "depoliticise" the ethnic nationalities question in China and to reorient it around cultural and civic arguments. This has not been received too well by critics, including those favouring the status quo in China, which still derives its understanding of the "ethnic question" from orthodox communist doctrines on the subject of nationalities. Debasish Chaudhuri ( chaudhuri.debasish@gmail.com ) is with the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi. Alot of deliberations on the theoretical issues related to depoliticisation of China’s existing ethnic policy and the need for a second generation ethnic policy have been going on for about a decade. The debate began with the publication of an article 1  in 2004 by Ma Rong, a professor of sociology and social anthropology at the Beijing University. Scholars from different disciplines of social sciences in China felt the urge for revisiting va...

Aimed at boosting their “strategic partnership” — now being re-christened as a “defining partnership” — to new levels, India and the United States on Tuesday announced a slew of concrete steps towards collaborating on building a counter-terror platform — a major step forward from the earlier task force system. Even before the joint statement was announced, following the 90-minute meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its briefing, stated that the two countries had agreed to make “joint and concerted” efforts in this direction — including dismantling of “safe havens”, and terrorist and criminal networks. It was stated that India and the US would now work together to target the financial and tactical support for the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, al-Qaeda, Haqqani network and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The statement is significant as Dawood is widely believed to be in Pakistan, and the Haqqani ...

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are urging China to focus on controlling risks from rapidly rising debt due to its reliance on credit-fuelled growth. The comments add to warnings by private sector analysts that China’s run-up in debt, especially since the 2008 global crisis, could lead to financial problems and disrupt economic growth that already is slowing. In a report Friday, the World Bank said Beijing should pay close attention to rising credit, especially in its largely unregulated informal lending market, and reduce debts owed by local governments. “These policy measures will improve the quality of China’s growth, making it more balanced, inclusive and sustainable,” said Karlis Smits, the report’s chief author, in a statement. That came after an IMF official said Thursday that financial vulnerabilities have risen to a point where “containing them should be a priority.” Rising debts owed by local governments and uncertainty about informal lending ha...

AP Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Investment Forum on Friday. Russia will respect the outcome of Ukraine’s presidential election, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s surprise invitation to the leaders of India’s neighbours to attend his swearing-in ceremony on May 26 has the makings of a shock and awe tactic with three messages: the first to Pakistan, the second to the region and the third for domestic consumption. While dressed up as an outreach to all  SAARC leaders , the invitation was clearly meant primarily for  Prime Minister Nawaz

Instead of victory memorials, Sri Lanka needs a monument to commemorate all casualties of the war In the hot plains of the Vanni, a larger-than-life stone soldier emerges out of a block of concrete, an AK-47 in one hand and the Sri Lankan flag in the other. Hardly visible from the ground, a dove sits on the machine gun. This is a “victory memorial” created by the Army after the end of the hostilities between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army in May 2009. Beneath it, two plaques commemorate its creation. They are in Sinhala and in English, but not in Tamil, the majority language there.

1.Crimea Parliament declares independence after vote,EU to reject outcome Crimea’s Parliament on Monday declared the region an independent state, after its residents voted overwhelmingly to break off from Ukraine and seek to join

1.Rwandan jailed for genocide Pascal Simbikangwa, a 54-year-old former member of the Rwandan presidential guard, was found guilty of perpetrating genocide and of complicity in crimes against humanity  to 25 years in prison over the 1994 genocide . 2.U.S. defends snooping as ‘lawful’ and ‘valid’ The United States defended its controls on mass surveillance on Friday before a U.N. watchdog body, amid a sweeping review of Washington’s record on civil and political rights. During a session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, experts from the 18-member panel repeatedly quizzed Washington’s delegation about the scale and scope of spying. 3.Road map for ‘Crimean Spring’ Crimea’s referendum on Sunday to break from Ukraine and join Russia is regarded as illegitimate by the West but seen in Moscow as an example of self-determination like Kosovo leaving Serbia. Here are some facts and figures for the vote that has sparked a security crisis on Europe’s eas...