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The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
2 Indians killed, 1 abducted in terror attack in Niger; Indian embassy in touch with local authorities
The mission also cautioned all Indians in Niger to remain vigilant. The Indian Embassy in Niamey is in touch with the local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of those killed and ensure safe release of the abducted Indian. Niamey: In a heinous terror attack, two Indians were killed while one was abducted in the Dosso region of Niger, as noted by the Indian Embassy in Niger. In a post on X it said, 'In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure safe release of the abducted Indian. All Indians in Niger are advised to remain vigilant.' Arab News reported citing local sources that unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, around 100 kilometres (63 miles) from the capital city of Niamey. Previously in March, Niger had seen a terrorist attack by the Islamic State in Great Sahara in Kokorou, which had resulted in the deaths of at least 44 civilians and had left 13 severely injured, as reported by UN Security Council Press. The members had issued a statement condemning the attack in the strongest terms and had underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Significantly, the members had underscored the importance for all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate with the authorities of Niger as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard. The statement further highlighted, 'The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.' US State Department's 2023 Country Report on Terrorism for Niger had observed, that terrorist organizations exploited Niger's extensive borderlands and sparsely populated regions to attack and recruit among populations where access to government services was weak and economic opportunity negligible. Due to the small size of its 'defence force, ineffective coordination among security services, budget shortfalls, and instability in Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, and the Lake Chad Basin', Niger's efforts to fight terrorism were hampered. Niger is in the midst of a political upheaval as a military coup has taken control, ousting the democratically elected President. In July, 2023 President Mohamed Bazoum was detained by the Presidential Guard and General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself the new leader. This event led to widespread international condemnation. The Niger coup is the seventh such event in West and Central Africa since 2020, highlighting a concerning trend of military interventions in the region. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Also Read: Days after Batala arrest, US authorities seek Indian community's help amid crackdown on transnational gangs
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Two Indians killed, 1 abducted in Niger; embassy seeks safe release
In a heinous terror attack, two Indians were killed while one was abducted in the Dosso region of Niger, as noted by the Indian Embassy in Niger. The Indian Embassy in Niamey is in touch with the local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of those killed and ensure safe release of the abducted Indian. The mission also cautioned all Indians in Niger to remain vigilant. In a post on X it said, "In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure safe release of the abducted Indian. All Indians in Niger are advised to remain vigilant." Arab News reported citing local sources that unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, around 100 kilometres (63 miles) from the capital city of Niamey. Previously in March, Niger had seen a terrorist attack by the Islamic State in Great Sahara in Kokorou, which had resulted in the deaths of at least 44 civilians and had left 13 severely injured, as reported by UN Security Council Press. The members had issued a statement condemning the attack in the strongest terms and had underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Significantly, the members had underscored the importance for all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate with the authorities of Niger as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard. The statement further highlighted, "The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts." US State Department's 2023 Country Report on Terrorism for Niger had observed, that terrorist organizations exploited Niger's extensive borderlands and sparsely populated regions to attack and recruit among populations where access to government services was weak and economic opportunity negligible. Due to the small size of its "defence force, ineffective coordination among security services, budget shortfalls, and instability in Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, and the Lake Chad Basin", Niger's efforts to fight terrorism were hampered. Niger is in the midst of a political upheaval as a military coup has taken control, ousting the democratically elected President. In July, 2023 President Mohamed Bazoum was detained by the Presidential Guard and General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself the new leader. This event led to widespread international condemnation. The Niger coup is the seventh such event in West and Central Africa since 2020, highlighting a concerning trend of military interventions in the region.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
The View From India newsletter: Trump vs BRICS
(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu's foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.) The 17th BRICS summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, triggered an angry response from U.S. President Donald Trump, after the grouping criticised his tariffs and condemned U.S.-Israel's attack on Iran. BRICS, which began as an economic acronym referring to Brazil, Russia, India and China (South Africa joined later), has evolved as the main institutional voice of the Global South. Last year, BRICS added five new members — Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Iran and Indonesia. This year's summit had assumed greater significance because of the global faultlines. It took place just weeks after Iran, a member country, was attacked. In the summit, the member countries, often pulled into different foreign policy directions, showed unity on two issues — on Mr. Trump's tariff threats and the attack on Iran. The group's July 6 declaration raised 'serious concerns' about the tariffs, which it said were 'inconsistent with WTO rules'. The 10-member grouping also termed the strikes on Iran, which started on June 13 triggering the 12-day Israel-Iran war, 'a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations'. Member countries also 'expressed serious concern over any attacks against peaceful nuclear installations that are carried out in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency' and pledged to 'remain seized of the matter'. Mr. Trump lashed out at BRICS as 'anti-American' and threatened to impose an additional 10% tariffs on countries aligning with the policies of the grouping. 'BRICS is not, in my opinion, a serious threat. But what they're trying to do is destroy the dollar so that another country can take over and be the standard, and we're not going to lose the standard at any time,' he said. In addition to the threatened 10%, the Trump administration has slapped 50% tariffs on Brazil for the 'witch-hunt' against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces charges of attempted coup. The U.S. has also imposed 30% tariffs on South Africa after accusing it of unequal trade. Besides, Republican Senators plan to bring a Bill called the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 that seeks to place 500% tariffs on imports of oil and sanctioned Russian products, which would hurt Russia, as well as India and China, its two biggest importers. This was not the first time Mr. Trump targeted BRICS. In January, immediately after he was sworn in for his second term, Mr. Trump called BRICS members 'seemingly hostile countries.' 'We are going to require a commitment from these seemingly hostile Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs,' he wrote in a social media post. He had made a similar comment in November 2024 as well. Why is Trump attacking BRICS? Mr. Trump's irritation, writes Suhasini Haidar in this explainer, appears to stem from BRICS declarations in South Africa in 2023 and Russia in 2024, where members discussed a BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative that aims to facilitate trade and investment within BRICS countries using local currencies and other mechanisms. The initiative built momentum due to the problems Western sanctions on Russia have meant for trading partners in the Global South.' India has dismissed Mr. Trump's criticism that BRICS is anti-American. In March 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said that India had no plans to replace the U.S. dollar. The government's focus is now on clinching a trade agreement with the Trump administration seeking to resolve the tariff disputes. But at the same time, India remains committed to BRICS, which now represents about half the global population, around 40% of the global GDP and a quarter of global trade. 'Despite all the challenges, the Rio declaration underlined the basic cohesion and consensus within BRICS members on a range of issues,' The Hindu wrote in this editorial. 'As India prepares for its leadership of the BRICS grouping next year, it can move forward with this consensus, fulfilling the vision for the grouping's acronym that Mr. Modi recast as 'Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability'. The Top Five 1. Global South | From the margins to the centre The 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which saw members navigating different relationships with both the U.S. and Russia as well as global conflicts, offered a striking reflection of both the promise and the challenges facing the idea of South-South cooperation in the world today, writes Srinivasan Ramani. 2. Israel has failed to solve the Persian puzzle The 12-day conflict has not destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities; this is a war that is far from over, writes Stanly Johny. 3. Rare earths emerge as a geopolitical lynchpin in the rising China-U.S. rivalry With China dominating the global rare earth supply chain and tightening grip over exports amid escalating trade tensions, the U.S. is now actively seeking alternative sources to reduce its strategic dependence, writes Smriti S. 4. Francesca Albanese | Shooting the messenger The UN Special Rapporteur, who has been sanctioned by the U.S., says 'all eyes must remain on Gaza, where children are dying of starvation in their mothers' arms', writes Adithya Narayan. 5. Grok | Troubling ascent The Elon Musk-controlled chatbot kicked off a controversy with praise for Adolf Hitler and controversial comments on the Jewish people, writes John Xavier.
India Gazette
06-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
BRICS leaders strongly condemn Pahalgam attack, reject double standards in countering terrorism
Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], July 7 (ANI): Condemning the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in the 'strongest terms,' leaders of BRICS nations reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the 'cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens.' In a joint declaration at the 17th BRICS summit, the leaders described terrorism as 'criminal and unjustifiable', regardless of the motive, and called for ensuring 'zero tolerance' for terrorism, rejecting 'double standards' in countering terror. The declaration stated, 'We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm ourcommitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including thecross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens.' BRICS leaders reiterated that terrorism should not be linked with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group. 'We reiterate that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group and that all those involved in terrorist activities and their support must be heldaccountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and internationallaw. We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards incountering terrorism,' it added. The leaders of BRICS nations welcomed the activities of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five Subgroups, based on the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan, and the CTWG position paper. The joint declaration stated, 'We emphasize the primary responsibility of States in combatingterrorism and that global efforts to prevent and counter terrorist threats must fully complywith their obligations under international law, including the Charter of the UnitedNations, in particular the purposes and principles thereof, and relevant internationalconventions and protocols, in particular international human rights law, internationalrefugee law and international humanitarian law, as applicable.' 'We welcome the activities of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five Subgroups based upon the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and the CTWG position paper. We look forward to further deepening counter-terrorism cooperation. We call for an expeditious finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework. We call for concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities,' it added. In the joint declaration, leaders of BRICS nations also condemned the attacks against bridges and railway infrastructure deliberately targeting civilians in the Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh regions of Russia on May 31, June 1 and 5, resulting in multiple civilian casualties, including children. The leaders of the BRICS nations reiterated their commitment to preventing and combating illicit financial flows, including money laundering and the financing of terrorism, extremism and proliferation, as well as other forms of transnational organized crime, such as drug trafficking,cybercrimes, crimes that impact the environment, illicit trafficking of firearms, traffickingin persons, corruption and the use of new technologies, including cryptocurrencies, forillegal, in particular terrorist purposes. The joint declaration stated, 'In this regard, we underscore the importance of enhancing capacity-building and technical assistance, particularly for developing countries, to support the implementation of relevant international obligations. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of technical and non-politicized nature of international anti-criminal cooperation, including for the purpose of prevention and of financial investigations.' 'We note the need to further strengthen such cooperation, including through relevant existing BRICS working groups, meetings of the BRICS countries competent authorities and other forms of cooperation based on the documents adopted in BRICS, as well as the relevant international legal instruments to which BRICS countries are parties. We emphasize the importance of creating conditions for the safe development of the younger generation, reducing the risk of their involvement in illegal activities, and welcomed the development of relevant international projects with the participation of young people,' it added. The BRICS summit, hosted by Brazil, brought together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia. (ANI)
Business Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Brics leaders condemn attacks on Iran, tell Israel to leave Gaza
[RIO DE JANEIRO] Brics leaders condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to withdraw troops from the Gaza Strip, urging 'just and lasting' solutions to conflicts across the Middle East. In a joint statement released on Sunday (Jul 6), leaders gathered in Brazil agreed to denounce military strikes against Iran, a Brics member, since Jun 13, when Israel began attacks that culminated with US airstrikes nine days later. The strikes 'constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations', according to the declaration. The 10-member bloc of emerging-market nations also expressed 'grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory', citing Israeli attacks and the obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, something Israel denies, while calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, along with the release of all hostages. The language is part of a broader call for global multilateral institutions, including the United Nations Security Council, to promote peaceful resolutions to ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. While it does not single out the US, it is likely to be seen as an unwelcome intervention in Israeli affairs as Netanyahu prepares to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. 'South Africa remains gravely concerned at the deteriorating peace and security situation in the Middle East,' President Cyril Ramaphosa told fellow leaders during his opening statement on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. 'The recent attacks by Israel and the United States on the Islamic Republic of Iran raise serious concerns of international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the protection of civilians.' Brics leaders additionally 'express alarm' at the current trend of 'a critical increase in global military spending'. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up That's another clash with Trump's demand that Nato countries raise defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, a request that was met at last month's summit of alliance members in The Hague with a particular focus on facing down aggression by Russia, a founding Brics member. Brics leaders also expressed 'serious concerns' about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures 'which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules', again without mentioning the US. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is hosting the two-day summit, opened on Sunday's session by reiterating the group's longstanding calls to reform the Security Council to make it more representative of the Global South. The Brics bloc, named for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, recently expanded to add Indonesia, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Egypt as members, an effort to increase its clout in global affairs long dominated by Washington and the West. 'Brics is increasingly shaping global debates on development, multipolar governance and security matters,' Ramaphosa said in his remarks. 'We must continue to advocate for the urgent intensification of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and ensure sustainable and lasting peace.' BLOOMBERG
