WORLD
China's hegemony in Asia unacceptable: India
Addressing scholars at the 13th All India Conference of China Studies, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, "The India-China relationship is today truly at a crossroads. Choices that are made will have profound repercussions, not just for the two nations but for the entire world."
India's bid for permanent UNSC membership matter of ongoing discussion: Biden's UN ambassador nominee
Linda's statement puts the clouds of confusion about the US stand over India's bid for permanent membership in the UNSC. This is in contrst to the stand taken by the US under regimes of George W Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump who had extended full support to India for permanent membership of the UN body.
Over 8,500 Afghan civilians killed, injured in 2020
According to the AIHRC report, there were some 3,000 dead Afghan civilians killed, while over 5,000 were wounded. Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dropped 21 per cent in 2020 as compared to 2019, TOLO News reported. Unknown armed groups were the second highest cause of casualties after the Taliban, it said.
S.Korea to hold planned combined drills with US
The two countries usually hold major combined military exercises twice a year, along with smaller-scale ones throughout the year, and the springtime one is supposed to be held around March. Since 2018, South Korea and the US have either cancelled or scaled back joint drills to back diplomacy with North Korea.
Climate change termed as 'global emergency' in biggest-ever poll
Issued on Wednesday, the UN Development Programme (UNDP)'s "People's Climate Vote" poll also showed that people supported more comprehensive climate policies to respond to the challenges, reports Xinhua news agency. The survey covered 50 countries with over half the world's population.
Japan's PM Yoshihide Suga holds 1st phone conversation with Biden
During the conversation, Suga welcomed Biden's decisions to return to the 2015 Paris Agreement on curbing carbon emissions and not to withdraw from the World Health Organization, Xinhua news agency reported. The Ministry confirmed that Biden also invited the Prime Minister to take part in a summit on climate change slated for April 22.
India NSA Ajit Doval discuss continuing close cooperation with American counterpart Jake Sullivan
During their phone conversation on Wednesday, Sullivan "reaffirmed President (Joe) Biden's commitment to a strong and enduring US-India strategic partnership based on our shared commitment to democracy", the White House said in a statement. "Renewing efforts to collaborate on global challenges, including Covid-19 and climate change" also figured in their talks, it said.
Russian parliament approves extending nuke treaty with US
At a plenary session on Wednesday, the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, approved the bill submitted by Putin on Tuesday on the extension of the significant arms control pact between Russia and the US, the Xinhua news agency reported. The New START reached by the world's two largest nuclear powers cannot be "overestimated" and it is of great significance for the whole world, said State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin.
US ends 'zero tolerance' border policy leading to family separations
According to a memo issued on Tuesday by Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson, federal prosecutors were directed to return to the previous policy of deciding whether to pursue individual cases, the Xinhua news agency reported. "Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualised assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding -- effective immediately -- the policy directive," Wilkinson wrote.
Vaccines decisive for Tokyo Olympics, says Bill Gates
The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down in Tokyo three weeks after the Japanese capital entered a state of emergency. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 973 new cases on Wednesday. The latest figure, as of Sunday and Monday, dipped below the 1,000-mark, before rising above the threshold on Tuesday where new daily infections in the city of 14 million rose to 1,026.
Don't Miss
Advertisement