US denies Iran claims of prisoner deal; UK plays it down
Prisoner swaps between the U.S. and Iran are not uncommon and both countries in recent years have routinely sought the release of detainees.
Defence & Diplomacy
Chinese President Xi Jinping writes to PM Modi, offers help to fight COVID-19 surge
President Xi sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister Modi over the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the Xinhua news agency reported. In his message, Xi said China is willing to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation with India, and provide support and help to the country, it said.
Renewed clashes displace thousands in Myanmar: UN
Fresh clashes between Myanmar security forces and regional armed groups have displaced thousands across the country, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
World military spending almost $2 trillion in 2020: SIPRI
Total global military expenditure rose to $1981 billion last year, an increase of 2.6 per cent in real terms from 2019
US, NATO Pull-Out Of Afghanistan: How concerned should India be?
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year to end the country’s longest war. Following suit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) said it will also pull out its troops from Afghanistan.
China-Iran Deal: Beginning of multi-polarity in West Asia
It is important to note that even during the earlier Iran sanctions, Beijing continued its engagement with Tehran
China says India’s proposal of restoring status quo of April 2020 in eastern Ladakh could be discussed
China also said that there is no delay in holding talks with India to discuss the disengagement of troops from the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, amid reports about the likelihood of the 11th round of corps commander-level talks on Friday.
Taiwan says India helped Paraguay get vaccines after China pressure
India has already shipped 100,000 doses to Paraguay and there will be another 100,000, Wu added.
India-Kazakhstan ties continue to grow
The ground for strong relations had been laid down during the Soviet period when India enjoyed excellent relations with the USSR. That legacy still continues and is quickly being tapped into.
UNSC needs to introspect about the cost of its ‘actions and inactions’ on Syria: India
The UN Security Council needs to introspect about the cost of its “actions and inactions” on Syria, India has said, emphasising that the powerful organ of the world body cannot afford to be “unmoved” on the urgent need to build consensus and work collectively to end the sufferings of the people in the war-torn country.