Lending support for India's ambitious Nalanda University project, six countries on Thursday began the process of signing inter-government agreements to pledge their commitment for this academic institution.
Mukherjee, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from his father's pocket borough of Jangipur, said he joined the Mamata Banerjee-led party because she has taken a strong stand on this issue.
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed deep concern over the declaration of the state of emergency in Myanmar by the military and called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders arbitrarily detained by the military.
The Singapore Airlines agreed to fly the stranded passengers to India, as there is no scheduled Air India flight for Thursday.
'India does not wish to remain silent in improving its strategic space so that its leverage to counter China's expansionist designs is maintained, besides enabling it to play a responsible role from a position of strength for peace and stability in Asia,' points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
India and Brunei on Tuesday emphasised the need for a peaceful solution to the South China Sea issue through discussions as Vice President Hamid Ansari held wide-ranging talks with the top leadership here, with the two sides signing three agreements including on defence.
The SAARC has not lived up to its potential, the White House said.
"Growth is expected to moderate gradually in China... pick up in India, and remain broadly stable in the Asean-5 region."
He said that if there are issues that need to be talked about, it is between India and Pakistan.
For India to reach its ambiguous economic growth targets, it needs to be integrated into global trade pacts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night left for Australia on the second leg of his three-nation tour during which he will attend the annual summit of the Group of 20 of the world's developed and emerging economies.
"If it is said Indians are argumentative, I will agree. But if it is said Indians are intolerant, I refuse to agree," said the president at the inaugural ceremony of the 'Namami Brahmaputra' festival in Guwahati.
Defence, security, science and technology, trade and culture are some of the issues on the plate for the talks.
The Indo-Asean FTA provides an opportunity for India to be more engaged with the region, says Sanjaya Baru.
A United Nations human rights investigator has recommended that international pressure be put on North Korea as part of a multi-pronged strategy to know the fate of hundreds of foreign nationals allegedly abducted by it.
Two members of the small delegation accompanying External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the UK have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing him to rework his official schedule in London.
"The bilaterals amidst the multilateral. PM @narendramodi meets Premier Li Kequiang of China for first engagement," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.
UBS, Credit Suisse see emerging markets doing well next year, but expect India to underperform, given its rich valuations.
With a large addressable market like India, IT major IBM is gearing up to make the country a hub for its Linux initiatives in the South East Asian region, a senior company executive said on Wednesday.
During April-July this fiscal, exports grew by 1.72 per cent to $98.2 billion. Imports too increased by 2.82 per cent to $160.7 billion during the period.
The five-nation grouping BRICS on Tuesday resolved to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, and vowed to step up joint efforts in building support for an India-backed global framework to effectively deal with the menace.
He said the 2 countries have handled border issues in the past.
Admiral Colombage said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would have an India first approach as the key to strategic security.
The prime minister's meetings with Abe and Turnbull came a day after he held "very expansive" talks with US President Donald Trump on intensifying overall security and defence cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where China is strengthening its military build up.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited ASEAN leaders to be the chief guests.
'This includes increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and the detention of human rights activists and journalists'
Pompeo, during a Congressional hearing on Thursday, told the members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that 'the actions are entirely consistent with what they have been signalling to the world for decades you might even argue since 1989, but certainly since General Secretary Xi came to power'.
Modi said the initiatives taken by the East Asia Summit in disaster preparedness and response are truly commendable.
In an address at the Global Dialogue Security Forum, he underlined the need for India to put greater focus on having strong bilateral, trilateral and multilateral arrangements with like-minded countries to maximise its strategic leverage in the region.
'We are looking for ability to work in a global matrix organisation -- the ability to deal with ambiguity, flexibility to work in a changing environment, willingness to learn and be curious.'
The announcement of Modi's visit comes a day after India and China ended their 73-day standoff in Dokalam by withdrawing their troops from the area.
According to Jaishankar, much has changed, mostly to India's disadvantage, since November 1950, when Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru had a famous exchange of views on how to approach China.
Colombo seems to be veering to the middle path between China and the US on global matters, but in regional matters of strategic security, it is increasingly identifying with India, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Joe Biden's B3W proposal aims to bring democracies together. India should come up with its own plans to contribute to the initiative, states Rahul Mishra.
The Congress alleged that by doing so the Modi government was resorting to "cheap politics".
Modi may take satisfaction from his display of considerable political skill in managing a mercurial, temperamental and unpredictable US president and nudging him into uncharacteristic restraint and even carefully orchestrated remarks. This personal chemistry will come in handy if Trump returns as president in the November elections, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
He said that India will work with Singapore to bring the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to early conclusion. He also said the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement has been reviewed and the two sides will work to further upgrade it.
India on Friday said a common currency for Asian countries, similar to the euro for European nations, was still a few years away and would require more coordinated efforts on part of all the participants.
