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India on Wednesday said it is and will remain Colombo's most reliable friend and dependable partner as it underlined that New Delhi was willing to offer modern defence equipment to friendly partner countries like Sri Lanka. Addressing the Second India-Sri Lanka Defence Seminar here, India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, said that like in other areas, India and Sri Lanka were cooperating closely on security and defence matters. «Because of our geography, our security is interlinked and intertwined. And when we speak of security, we must remember that it has acquired a wider meaning than we have traditionally associated with it,» Jha said and added, after the Covid19 pandemic and impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has come to include energy, health, food and even economic security. The various advanced platforms and equipment developed indigenously in India can also become viable, affordable and modern solutions for the Sri Lankan military, he said.

both Brent and WTI fell more than one per cent. Coming to domestic prices, crude oil futures last traded 0.18 per cent higher at ₹7,115 per barrel on the multi commodity exchange (MCX) platform.

India and the Maldives may be moving to stabilise their bilateral ties after tensions. Since President Mohamed Muizzu took office last year, the removal of Indian troops from the Maldives has complicated diplomatic relations. But bilateral ties may be settling down.

India and China are important for the entire region and the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, the two countries will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders. In an interview with Newsweek magazine of the US, Modi said for India, the relationship with China is important and significant. «It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us. Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world,» he said. «I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity in our borders,» Modi said.

India and China are important for the entire region and the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, the two countries will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders. The prime minister made these remarks in an interview with Newsweek magazine, which described India's rise as «unstoppable». The New York-based magazine said India's «rapid upward economic trajectory and increasing diplomatic, scientific and military weight make it an emerging superpower of ever-growing importance to the United States and the world». During the wide-ranging interview carried by the magazine under the headline «Narendra Modi and the Unstoppable Rise of India», the prime minister talked about a host of issues including the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, ties with Pakistan, Quad, Ram temple and democracy, among others.

SÃO PAULO—Before his weekend showdown with tech billionaire Elon Musk, Brazil’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes had already earned a reputation as a lightning rod in Brazil’s battles over free speech. In recent years, de Moraes has slapped fines and bans on social-media companies and ordered police to investigate—and even arrest—some of the country’s most powerful conservative bloggers, businessmen and politicians over what he deemed offensive online posts.

U.N.'s climate chief said on Wednesday, in a speech that warned global warming is slipping down politicians' agendas. Scientists say halving climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is crucial to stop a rise in temperatures of more than 1.5 Celsius that would unleash more extreme weather and heat.

New Delhi: India and the Czech Republic are in talks to enhance defence cooperation, leveraging the shared utilization of Soviet and Russian-made defense platforms between the two nations. The discussions center on the possibility of Czech defense firms providing maintenance services, spares, and equipment to the Indian Army and Air Force, Eliska Zigova, Czech Republic’s Ambassador to India, said in an interview. “We understand that India has had a lot of cooperation in the past with the Soviet Union’s defense industry.

The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs of New Zealand, Andrew Bayly, has recommended a revamp of the country’s approach to digital asset regulation and the overall look on blockchain technology. 

AUKUS security pact this week.AUKUS, formed by the three countries in 2021, is part of efforts to push back against China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific region by focusing on military modernization through new technologies. The trio announced Monday it will begin consultations this year on collaborating with “prospective partners” around the world as part of its second phase, specifically mentioning Japan as an ally it is considering working with.Not mentioned was Canada, despite the federal government saying it is considering joining the pact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2021 described as “a deal for nuclear submarines, which Canada is not currently or any time soon in the market for.”Speaking to reporters Monday as his government announced its long-awaited defence policy update, Trudeau said Canada was already talking with AUKUS members about working with the alliance and potentially even joining it as a member.“I think it’s really important that allies, particularly across the Indo-Pacific, work together in stronger and tighter ways, and those Canadian conversations with our partners will continue,” he said.But AUKUS members have already poured cold water on the idea of expanding the alliance beyond the core trio — and experts say even if that is possible, Canada is unlikely to be invited.“The United States and Canada are already so closely aligned that AUKUS could become CANAUKUS pretty easily, but it’s not.

UBS and three other systemically relevant banks must face tougher capital requirements to shield the country's wider economy, a year after the rescue of Credit Suisse. In 209 pages of recommendations on how to police banks deemed «too big to fail» (TBTF), the Swiss government pitched 22 measures for direct implementation. It stopped short of saying how far stricter capital requirements should go.

Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday and asserted «it is our character that we do what we say». Speaking at a campaign rally for the BJP's Saharanpur candidate Raghav Lakhanpal, he said, «A few years ago, there was a perception that politicians speak lies to seek votes and go away. They don't care about the public or the nation. This was the common perception towards politicians and political parties.» «We have changed this perception. It is our character that we do what we say. Earlier, it was the norm to think that a politician would lie but we changed this perception,» Singh added. The defence minister said political parties make big promises in their manifestos but forget those after assuming power.

Tesla chief Elon Musk will visit India this month to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to make an announcement related to his plans to invest and open a new factory in the country, two sources with direct knowledge said. The billionaire executive will meet Modi in the week of April 22 in New Delhi, and will separately make an announcement about his India plans, said the two sources, who declined to be named as the trip details are confidential. Modi's office and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Musk's final India trip agenda could still change.

Thomas Cook India and its group firm SOTC Travel have partnered with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board to offer aerial darshans to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, the company announced on Wednesday. The five-day spiritual tour has been launched at a price of Rs 90,000 per person — subsidized by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. The base camp for the tour will be Pithoragarh, in Uttarakhand. The darshans will start from the second day onwards. On the day-2 of the trip Manokamna temple darshan will be organised and on day-3 onwards there will be Adi Kailash & Om Parvat darshan. Each batch of the five-day spiritual tour will consist of 14 persons.

2024 Lok Sabha polls is a battle between two ideologies, claimed that Congress has always united the country, while "the other side" has always divided the people of India. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the former Congress chief in Hindi wrote: "This election is a battle between two ideologies! On one side is Congress which has always united India and on the other side are those who have always tried to divide the people." Gandhi said history is witness to who joined hands with forces that wanted the division of the country and strengthened them and who fought for the unity and independence of the country.

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Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he should have first seen the deeds of his ancestors before taking out the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He asserted it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who worked to unite India in the last 10 years. He has brought people closer, Saini said. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar in support of the BJP candidate Bhupendra Yadav, Saini targeted Gandhi, saying, «First he took out Bharat Jodo Yatra and now he is talking about justice. It is being said in the Congress manifesto that they will give justice to the people of the country. Before taking out Bharat Jodo Yatra, he should have first seen the deeds of his ancestors.» Saini claimed that during the 55-year rule of the Congress, one had to stand in line for three days to get an LPG cylinder. «Modi not only ended the line but also gave gas cylinders to mothers and sisters. Modi has worked to secure the country's borders,» he said.

PhonePe on Wednesday said it has partnered with Nepal's digital wallet service eSewa and the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) Pokhara to promote digital payments through UPI on the Himalayan country's payment processor Fonepay Network. The partnership is a part of the Fewa New Year Festival which will be held from April 11-14 in Nepal. Over 3,000 merchants will participate in the festival with more than 1,00,000 visitors expected to visit.

EU legislation forced Alphabet's Google, Microsoft and Apple to make it easier for users to switch to rivals, according to data provided to Reuters by six companies. The early results come after the EU's sweeping Digital Markets Act, which aims to remove unfair competition, took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers from a «choice screen.»

Europe’s highest human rights court has ruled that its member nations must better protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change

Six northern Europe countries bordering the North Sea have signed an agreement to work together to protect underwater infrastructure in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean from an increased risk of sabotage