News for 'Department of Foreign Affairs'

UK Opposition protests as Braverman returns as home secretary

UK Opposition protests as Braverman returns as home secretary

Rediff.com26 Oct 2022

Braverman, 42, resigned from the cabinet of former prime minister Liz Truss last week, having breached the ministerial code by sending secure information from her private email.

Jaishankar, Wang Yi discuss Ladakh border row

Jaishankar, Wang Yi discuss Ladakh border row

Rediff.com17 Sep 2021

External affairs minister S Jaishankar has told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the two sides should work for an early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas as this has been an essential basis for progress in Sino-India ties.

'Modi has gone further than any PM to strengthen ties with the US'

'Modi has gone further than any PM to strengthen ties with the US'

Rediff.com27 Oct 2022

'While the US-Pakistan relationship has been stabilised, it's still mired in uncertainty.'

Police raids home of Karachi suicide bomber's father

Police raids home of Karachi suicide bomber's father

Rediff.com28 Apr 2022

Pakistani security forces on Thursday raided the house of the father of the woman suicide bomber from Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) who blew herself up in Karachi University that killed three Chinese teachers and injured another.

Pakistan to ignore US naming Salahuddin as a global terrorist

Pakistan to ignore US naming Salahuddin as a global terrorist

Rediff.com3 Jul 2017

Alleging that India was offering its services to the US to "pressurise" China, Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said India has been trying to downplay the Kashmir issue for a very long time.

China's aggression in Ladakh indicative of its intentions: US

China's aggression in Ladakh indicative of its intentions: US

Rediff.com31 Jul 2020

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'.

Covid runs rampant in China as govt seems absent

Covid runs rampant in China as govt seems absent

Rediff.com26 Dec 2022

One Chinese source informed ANI that 10 million new infections are probably occurring daily in China.

China probed weaponising COVID in 2015: Reports

China probed weaponising COVID in 2015: Reports

Rediff.com10 May 2021

The paper also includes musing that SARS -- which hit China in 2003 -- could have been a man-made bioweapon deliberately unleashed by "terrorists".

US Wants To Be Friends With Taliban?

US Wants To Be Friends With Taliban?

Rediff.com4 Feb 2022

Regional States will be worried that the US's nascent engagement with the Taliban behind the fig leaf of humanitarian aid enables the return of US intelligence personnel to Afghanistan, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

Beware! Australia warns citizens of 'high terror threat' in India

Beware! Australia warns citizens of 'high terror threat' in India

Rediff.com7 Jan 2015

Australia has revised its travel advisory for India asking its citizens to exercise high degree of caution while travelling to that country, citing high threat of terrorist activities.

Cabinet paves way for privatisation of govt-owned insurers

Cabinet paves way for privatisation of govt-owned insurers

Rediff.com29 Jul 2021

The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, paving the way for privatisation of government-owned insurers. The amendments, approved by Cabinet, will remove the clause for the Centre to hold at least 51 per cent in public sector insurance companies at any given time. It will also have an enabling provision for the transfer of management control from the government to the potential buyer of the public sector insurance company. The finance ministry will move amendments to the insurance Act in the ongoing Parliament session.

Xi Plays Tibet Card, Appoints Hardliner

Xi Plays Tibet Card, Appoints Hardliner

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

Wang Junzheng, Tibet's new Communist party boss, is on a number of sanctions lists by the US, Britain, the EU and Canada, for his tough role in Xinjiang, aimed at China's Uyghur ethnic minority, observes Jayadeva Ranade, the retired senior RA&W officer and distinguished China expert.

Resolution condemning human rights violations in Kashmir introduced in US Congress

Resolution condemning human rights violations in Kashmir introduced in US Congress

Rediff.com22 Nov 2019

The resolution said that any changes to the status of Jammu and Kashmir must be made with the direct consultation of the Kashmiri people, who must play a central role in the determination of their future.

Not in India's best interest to continue investing in Russian equipment: US

Not in India's best interest to continue investing in Russian equipment: US

Rediff.com6 Apr 2022

The defence secretary was responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson, a friend of India in the Congress who, of late, has been critical of India deciding to take an independent position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Cash-strapped Vodafone Idea gets nod for FDI up to Rs 15,000 crore

Cash-strapped Vodafone Idea gets nod for FDI up to Rs 15,000 crore

Rediff.com23 Jul 2021

Cash-strapped telco Vodafone Idea's proposal for investment of up to Rs 15,000 crore through foreign direct investment (FDI) has been approved by the Union government, according to officials. A top-level group, comprising representatives from the ministries of home affairs, external affairs, finance and commerce and industry, took the decision. The nod, which is an enabling provision, would help the financially-stressed company raise funds to pay up some of its dues linked to adjusted gross revenue (AGR), reduce debts and use the money for operational expenses.

Blinken arrives in India; to discuss various issues with leaders

Blinken arrives in India; to discuss various issues with leaders

Rediff.com27 Jul 2021

Blinken and Indian leaders on Wednesday will discuss a plethora of pressing issues such as the fluid situation in Afghanistan, regional security concerns, COVID-19 response and ways to boost Indo-Pacific engagement, people familiar with the agenda of talks said.

India is ready for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership: US

India is ready for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership: US

Rediff.com14 May 2016

India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan were the four UN member states which have not signed the NPT, the international pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

US may be banning TikTok, says Trump

US may be banning TikTok, says Trump

Rediff.com1 Aug 2020

India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps, including TikTok, a move welcomed by both the Trump administration and the US lawmakers.

China quietly resumes activities in Doklam area: US official

China quietly resumes activities in Doklam area: US official

Rediff.com27 Jul 2018

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese army.

Obama nominates Indian American woman for key post

Obama nominates Indian American woman for key post

Rediff.com19 Jul 2013

United States President Barack Obama has nominated Nisha Desai Biswal as the new assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs.

Sujatha Singh in US, says it's up to Karzai to sign security pact

Sujatha Singh in US, says it's up to Karzai to sign security pact

Rediff.com13 Dec 2013

Aziz Haniffa reports from Washignton, DC, on Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh's three-day visit to the US capital.

'China may be hit by second wave of coronavirus in Nov'

'China may be hit by second wave of coronavirus in Nov'

Rediff.com16 Apr 2020

Zhang Wenhong, who heads the Covid-19 clinical expert team in Shanghai and leads the infectious disease department at one of the eastern metropolitan city's top hospitals, expects that in the long term, countries will have to take a flexible approach to recurring outbreaks.

Rise and Rise of Qatar in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Rise and Rise of Qatar in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Rediff.com1 Sep 2021

Considering that Qatar is a trusted ally of Washington for decades, it is expected to be a steady influence on the Taliban leadership, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

Top 11 Foreign Language Films, 2014

Top 11 Foreign Language Films, 2014

Rediff.com5 Jan 2015

Beautiful movies, from across the world.

Ministries get 60 days to decide on FDI plans

Ministries get 60 days to decide on FDI plans

Rediff.com7 Jun 2017

A panel led by the secretaries of the DEA and the DIPP would conduct a quarterly review on the pending proposals.

Centre scraps FIPB to 'further liberalise' FDI regime

Centre scraps FIPB to 'further liberalise' FDI regime

Rediff.com24 May 2017

The approvals would be handled independently by administrative ministries of different sectors.

'US Won't Pressure India On Russia'

'US Won't Pressure India On Russia'

Rediff.com27 Oct 2022

'Washington appears to be playing the long game, and making the argument to India that over the longer term, Russia -- sanctioned, cash-strapped, isolated by the West -- will no longer be a viable defence partner for India'

Huge cash seized from another flat of Bengal minister's aide

Huge cash seized from another flat of Bengal minister's aide

Rediff.com28 Jul 2022

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids in three locations in and around Kolkata and again recovered large stacks of cash from a flat linked to Arpita Mukherjee, considered a close associate of arrested West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee.

US imposes new visa restrictions on China over Tibet

US imposes new visa restrictions on China over Tibet

Rediff.com9 Jul 2020

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was taking action against an unspecified number of Chinese officials, including from the ruling Communist Party, under a US law that calls on China to let Americans visit Tibet.

India, China hold talks again, but no concrete outcome yet

India, China hold talks again, but no concrete outcome yet

Rediff.com30 Sep 2020

The Wednesday talks took place amid a war of words between the two sides on perception of the LAC, the de-facto Sino-India border spanning a length of nearly 3,500 km.

Indian govt's some actions inconsistent with democratic values: Top US official

Indian govt's some actions inconsistent with democratic values: Top US official

Rediff.com12 Jun 2021

'This includes increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and the detention of human rights activists and journalists'

China accuses US of using democracy as 'WMD' to stoke confrontation

China accuses US of using democracy as 'WMD' to stoke confrontation

Rediff.com11 Dec 2021

While the US omitted China and Russia from the list of invitees, Beijing was furious over the invitation to the self-governing island Taiwan, which China said is a blatant violation of the 'One China' policy that considers Taipei as the integral part of the Chinese mainland.

This man wants to know how much PM spent on foreign trips

This man wants to know how much PM spent on foreign trips

Rediff.com15 Oct 2015

'My interest is to open up transparency to the people who unnecessary raise these issues. The prime minister has full right to go wherever he is going but the question is why is he not transparent on expenditure.' 'When the prime minister went to the UN, he spoke of transparency. You are not complying with it. It shows hypocrisy.' Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd) on why he filed an RTI to find out how much Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent on his foreign visits.

US shuts embassy in Afghanistan, moves it to Qatar

US shuts embassy in Afghanistan, moves it to Qatar

Rediff.com31 Aug 2021

The United States has begun a new diplomatic mission in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as the US withdrew its last troops from the country ending the 20-year war in the South Asian nation.

US House ties rights knot to aid to Pakistan

US House ties rights knot to aid to Pakistan

Rediff.com15 Jun 2013

The amendment moved by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Friday requires the US Defence Secretary to certify that Pakistan is not using its military to "persecute minority groups for their legitimate and nonviolent political and religious beliefs".

Indian govt blocked more than 6000 URLs, websites in 2021: IT minister

Indian govt blocked more than 6000 URLs, websites in 2021: IT minister

Rediff.com2 Feb 2022

More than 6,000 URLs, accounts or websites were blocked in 2021, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Trouble brews for Indian techies as H-1B visa norms get tougher

Trouble brews for Indian techies as H-1B visa norms get tougher

Rediff.com2 Nov 2018

The new information required by the Department of Labour is significant because before sponsoring a foreign worker for the H-1B visa, the company needs to get its labour application approved by it.

US body wants India named for violating religious rights, chief dissents

US body wants India named for violating religious rights, chief dissents

Rediff.com21 Apr 2021

A US Congress-constituted quasi-judicial body on Wednesday asked the Joe Biden Administration to designate four nations, including India, as "countries of particular concern", alleging that religious freedom conditions there in 2020 continued their negative trajectory.

Apples, almonds, walnuts from US to attract 50% higher tax

Apples, almonds, walnuts from US to attract 50% higher tax

Rediff.com17 Sep 2018

The US side had pushed for removal of price caps on medical equipment such as coronary stents and a commitment by India to reduce trade imbalance