Launching a major evacuation drive, India has brought back over 530 of its nationals from strife-torn Libya by two special Air India planes, even as 88 others crossed over by road to Tunisia from the North African nation facing large-scale protests against the Gaddafi regime.
Indian Oil Corporation and its partner Oil India Ltd have won an oil block in Libya in the first ever joint foray in oil and gas exploration overseas.
The Obama administration has rationalised India's abstention on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 last month, calling for a no-fly zone in strife-torn Libya, as based on part misinformation and part going along with its Brazil, Russia, and China partners.
India, along with four other members of the United Nations Security Council, abstained from voting on a resolution that approves a no-fly zone over Libya and authorises "all necessary measures" for protecting civilians there from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. Ten of the 15-member body voted in favour of the resolution, but five nations -- China, Russia (which have veto power) and non-permanent members India, Germany and Brazil -- abstained from voting.
Nirupama Rao, India's new ambassador to the United States, has defended India's stand on Libya and Syria, which stands in stark contrast to that of the US and its allies in the NATO. In the interaction that followed her keynote address at the third Brookings-FICCI Strategic Dialogue on US-India Relations, Rao said, "Let me say that we deeply value the consultations that we had with the United States on issues related to the Arab Spring and the upheavals that we have seen".
A disturbing new evidence of the barbarity of Libyan despot Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime in East Libya has emerged. Seven prisoners were rescued by the opposition movement after they were found buried alive.
Vyalar Ravi, minister for Civil Aviation and overseas Indians told rediff.com that the Indian Navy's warships are going to Libya only to escort the hired ships that would be bringing back Indian citizens being evacuated from the troubled country.
After six months of struggle, the battle to oust Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi from his throne is nearing its end.
The 2 Indians have been brought back safely to University of Sirte and efforts were continuing for the remaining two.
Naval warships INS Jalashwa and INS Mysore which have been dispatched to evacuate the Indian nationals stranded in strife-torn Libya would start their operations from March 8, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said.
Addressing his supporters in Tripoli on Wednesday, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi on Wednesday dismissed allegations about his tyrannical rule and claimed that power was in the hands of the people of the nation."We freed Libya in 1977 and handed it over to the people. I challenge everyone who says I am exercising power," said Gaddafi.Targeting western nations which have repeatedly called for his resignation, he said, "The world doesn't understand the people committee rule."
Libya said both the countries can play a major role as Libya is the northern gate for Africa, and India is an active member seeking to play an essential role in Asia.
Whatever the humanitarian stance taken by the leaders in Washington, London and Paris, the real catalyst for action in Libya is not the deaths of countless civilians, but the need to secure the supply of oil to an increasingly thirsty developed world, argues Richard M Bennett
A United States war plane crash landed in Libya as coalition forces hit several defence targets across Tripoli on Tuesday, but there was no let up by Muammar Gaddafi's military which pounded rebel-held towns of Misurata and Ajdabiya.
Loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire rang across the Libyan capital for the third night in running as coalition bombers and missiles struck targets, including Muammar Gaddafi's Tripoli compound and a big naval base on the outskirts of the city.
A senior minister in United Progressive Alliance government and an influential Congress leader told rediff.com that, "India will never be party to any military intervention in any part of the Middle East or in any of the Gulf countries."
A total of 1,034 Indians arrived in New Delhi by three special flights of Air India on Thursday, from strife-torn Libya, taking the number of evacuees from the north African country to 3,262.
India and Libya discussed ways to boost their relationship, particularly in the IT and Oil sector during talks visiting Petroleum Minister Murli Deora had with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli.
In interviews with rediff.com, experts argued that in many ways it was a sense of deja vu all over again vis-a-vis India's voting patterns in the United Nations on major issues and its anachronistic non-aligned bent where New Delhi retreats to assume 'weak and safe positions' particularly where its leadership as a democratic and emerging power is required.
Pakistan, which used every "legal and illegal" means to go nuclear, shared its secret atomic technology and equipment with countries like Iran and Libya, says an Inter-Services Intelligence report, based on disgraced scientist A Q Khan's questioning, which was circulated among western intelligence agencies.
Germany will compensate for its non-participation in the United States-led military operation in Libya by sending around 300 additional troops to Afghanistan to relieve its NATO partners involved in airborne surveillance there for similar operations in the war-torn North African nation.
BHEL's first gas turbine in Libya commissioned
Four journalists working for the New York Times in Libya recount the horror of spending six days in the captivity of Muammar al-Gaddafi's security forces.
The central government on Thursday decided to immediately commence evacuation of Indians from Libya by sea and air in view of the "sharp and unprecedented deterioration" in the situation in the African nation which is witnessing anti-government protests that have claimed hundreds of lives so far.
The NYT identified the missing journalists as Anthony Shadid, the Beirut bureau chief and twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize for foreign reporting; Stephen Farrell, a reporter and videographer who was kidnapped by Taliban in 2009, and two photographers, Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario, who have worked extensively in the Middle East and Africa
Despite a strong call for establishing a no-fly zone in Libya by Britain, deliberations on the measure were still "very preliminary", according to a top Indian envoy in United Nations, who stressed that key questions like "objective" and "assets" remain unanswered.
Gunmen have attacked a hotel killing three guards and injuring 12 other people.
"These guys are now three for three as supplier to the biggest proliferation problems we have," a senior official in Washington told The New York Times, referring to previously reported Pakistani aid to the nuclear programmes of North Korea and Iran.
Nearly a third of 18,000 Indians, stuck in strife-torn Libya, would have been evacuated by Tuesday through air and sea.
"Let me assure the nation that all Indians are safe and all those Indians who are willing to be evacuated will be evacuated safely and without any expenditure incurred by them," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said.
With the situation in Libya remaining volatile, government on Tuesday said it was putting in place plans for possible evacuation of Indians whose number is around 18,000.
It's time New Delhi gives some clarity to its Libya policy so as to secure its energy and business interests in the north African nation, says Harsh V Pant
A total of 1,045 Indians returned home in three batches from strife-torn Libya on Wednesday by Air India special flights.
The United States defence and intelligence agencies are preparing the groundwork for operations to kill or capture terrorists responsible for the attack on its mission in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi resulting in death of four Americans including its Ambassador.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has ruled out invading Libya against a United Nations mandate, amid concerns that the forces of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi were using cluster bombs to gain control over rebel strongholds.
ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd-Indian Oil Corp combine have won an oil block each in Libya. \n
Khan was 'spreading the world's deadliest technology to some of the world's most questionable regimes', Dick Cheney said.
An influential American Senator has moved a Congressional amendment to strip all US aid to Pakistan, Egypt and Libya -- totalling about $4 billion per annum -- and divided the fund equally for veterans jobs bill and deficit reduction programme.
Hakki Pikkis are a semi-nomadic tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters, from Karnataka. Their knowledge of the forest and traditional medicine is extensive and is prized by the Sudanese community.
'...to bring the Global South and others to the negotiating table on the basis of Gandhi's non-violence so that we can leave a safer world for our children.'
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