Latest news with #WestAsian
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
EAM Jaishankar talks to Cyprus counterpart, appreciates support for backing India's fight against terrorism
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday discussed ways of strengthening the India-Cyprus bilateral relationship with the West Asian nation's Foreign Affairs Minister, Constantinos Kombos. The EAM also expressed appreciation for Cyprus for backing India's fight against terrorism. Taking to X, the External Affairs Minister wrote: "Warm conversation with FM @ckombos of Cyprus. Discussed strengthening our bilateral partnership as well as India - EU ties. Appreciate the support consistently extended by Cyprus in combatting terrorism." The conversation between the two leaders assume significance as it came at a time when India has been sending its team of MPs to multiple countries as a part of Operation Sindoor outreach. The visits are a part of India's global diplomatic outreach campaign to highlight the significance of Operation Sindoor and India's continued fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Cyprus in 1962, bilateral relations between both nations have been traditionally very close and friendly. Besides, Cyprus has supported India on several crucial issues, including India's election to UNSC, the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, the NSG and the IAEA, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) notes. Cyprus also supported India post-Shakti series of nuclear tests and on the issues of the Pulwama terrorist attack, says the MEA. There have been several goodwill gestures between India and Cyprus, marking their special regard and gratitude for each other. The MEA notes India has named an avenue in Delhi in honour of Archbishop Makarios, the first President of Cyprus. "Cyprus issued two postal stamps on the occasion of Centenary Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 1970," it says. Apart from that, a bust of the 'Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi was installed in the garden of the Parliament of Cyprus in 1972 and the avenue in the front of bust was named as 'Jawaharlal Nehru Avenue' in 1983. In a heartwarming gesture underlining the close relations between the two nations, in 2019, Cyprus issued a commemorative stamp on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary. Taking the close ties between India and Cyprus into consideration, the latest conversation between S. Jaishankar and Constantinos Kombos holds importance as the subject of terrorism was also touched upon during the talks, with the Indian minister acknowledging the West Asian nation's constant support towards combatting terrorism.
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First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
Macron to open Singapore security conference, Hegseth among those attending; China in focus
French President Emmanuel Macron and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth are attending a security forum in Singapore. China's assertiveness, Russia's war on Ukraine, and West Asian conflict are likely to be in focus. read more French President Emmanuel Macron will open the security conference in Singapore, where China's assertiveness, Russia's war on Ukraine, and conflicts in Asia will most likely be discussed. File image/AP. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are among the world leaders, diplomats and top defense officials in Singapore this weekend for a security forum that will focus on China's growing assertiveness, the global impact of Russia's war on Ukraine and the flare-up of conflicts in Asia. Macron opens the conference with a keynote address Friday night that is expected to touch on all of those issues, as well as the pressure the hefty tariffs announced by President Donald Trump's administration is putting on Asian allies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It's Hegseth's first time to the Shangri-La dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, which is taking place against the backdrop of heightened rhetoric between Beijing and Washington due to the Trump administration's threat of triple digit tariffs on China, and some uncertainty in the region over how committed the U.S. is to the defense of Taiwan, which also faces possible 32% American tariffs. China claims the self-governing democracy as its own, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has not ruled out taking it by force. China sends military aircraft, ships and spy balloons near Taiwan as part of a campaign of daily harassment, and currently has an aircraft carrier in the waters southeast of the island. Hegseth told reporters before he boarded his plane for Singapore that Washington's policies were meant to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. 'We seek no conflict with anybody, including the Communist Chinese,' he said. 'We will stay strong for our interests. And that's a big part of what this trip is all about.' China, which usually sends its defense minister to the Shangri-La forum, appears to be sending a lower-level delegation this year but has not said why. Hegseth's trip to Singapore is his second to the region since becoming defense secretary, following a March visit to the Philippines, which has seen escalating confrontations with China over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That trip, which also included a stop in Japan, brought a degree of relief over growing concerns from the Philippines and others in the region about U.S. support from a president who has taken more of a transactional approach to diplomacy and seems wary of foreign engagements. The U.S. has been pursuing a 'free and open Indo-Pacific' policy, which includes regularly sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea, which is claimed almost in its entirety by China. The European Union has adopted a more economics-driven approach, but several European nations have also regularly taken part in the freedom of navigation exercises, including France which sent a carrier strike group on a five-month mission through the Indo-Pacific that concluded in April. In its published Indo-Pacific strategy, France has underscored the need to 'preserve a rules-based international order' in the face of 'China's increasing power and territorial claims' and its global competition with the United States. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD France's own ties to the Indo-Pacific are strong, with more than 1.6 million of its citizens living in the region in French overseas territories. In his speech, Macron is expected also to stress that the war in Ukraine is having a worldwide impact and that Russia seeks to destabilize Asia, the French president's office said. While democracies from the region, including Australia, South Korea and Japan, have been aiding Ukraine, China has been growingly supportive of Russia and North Korea has sent troops to fight for Moscow. The conference comes as civil war continues to rage in Myanmar, creating a massive humanitarian crisis that has only been compounded by the effects of a devastating earthquake that hit in March. It also follows the outbreak of violence this week on the Thai-Cambodian border, in which a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief exchange of fire between the two sides. Thailand and Cambodia have a long history of land disputes, though Thailand said after the short skirmish that the situation had been resolved. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Of greater concern, nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan came to the brink of war earlier this month in their most serious military confrontation in decades. The two armies exchanged gunfire, artillery strikes, missiles and drones that killed dozens of people, and Pakistan shot down several Indian planes before a truce was declared. (Except headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff)
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
Centre eyes tighter customs rules to curb smuggling by ‘import carriers'
New Delhi: The central government is working on a strategy to dismantle a sophisticated, illicit network of so-called 'import carriers' at India's bustling airports and seaports, according to two people aware of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Import carriers–who may masquerade as regular Indian tourists going abroad, some may even have special privileges–smuggle in goods beyond permissible limits or which may be banned in the country. They bring in items like gold, toys, electronics and the like from overseas, bypassing customs checks, and pass the goods on to other entities in the country for commercial use. To curb this practice, the commerce ministry plans to ask the finance ministry to direct the CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) to update baggage rules in the Customs Act, without causing any inconvenience to regular passengers, the people cited above said. Read more: Storm in a teacup: Should Indian workers in the UK be exempt from payroll tax? Current regulations allow Indian residents to bring in goods from overseas worth up to ₹50,000 duty-free, and up to ₹1,00,000 from some West Asian countries, beyond which customs duty applies. Further, under the Customs Act, 1962, passengers must declare dutiable or banned goods and can hand over bags for clearance. Using these rules for commercial imports is illegal, and can lead to confiscation or penalties. Measures being discussed include making declarations more detailed, placing a cap on how often passengers—especially frequent flyers from trade hubs like Dubai, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou—can avail duty-free allowances annually, and enhancing the existing Atithi app's digital customs declaration system with AI-based profiling and stricter tracking, the persons cited above said. The Atithi app, launched by the CBIC in November 2019, enables international travellers to electronically file customs declarations for dutiable items and currency in advance, streamlining the customs clearance process upon arrival in India. 'Most of the goods moved through the import carrier network are sourced from trade hubs of China and Dubai, with electronics and gold being the top items particularly on flights originating from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dubai," said the first person cited above. 'There are also discussions to increase collaboration with airport authorities and customs field formations to flag repeat offenders and prevent this backdoor route from being used for commercial gain." 'We have identified certain products such as electronic items, toys, luxury goods, garments, and gold to be brought under review," said a second person aware of the matter. Queries sent to the ministries of commerce, finance, and civil aviation remained unanswered till press time. How the import carrier network works Let us illustrate how import carriers work with an example. Say, a toy shop owner wants to sell Chinese toys in Delhi, which cannot be legally imported. The shopkeeper would pay a customs handling agent–a private employee–to facilitate the illicit import, who would in turn pay an import carrier (or more) to visit China as a tourist and bring in the toys as part of personal baggage. Once the trip is over, the toys brought in go back through the network and land in the toy seller's shop. Each such import carrier makes multiple trips, multiplying the volume and value of undeclared goods sneaked into the country. An industry executive who requested anonymity said that import carriers are so well-trained that they can bring in goods without any checks and have them delivered directly to homes, offices, or warehouses. Read more: Energy security: India needn't be staring at a $1 trillion import bill 'It is a known fact that the import of toys from China is completely banned, yet Chinese toys can be easily found in many parts of the country," this executive said. 'This is all happening through these import carriers, which is harming our domestic manufacturing ecosystem and causing significant revenue loss." 'There is an immediate need for government intervention to curb such illegal trade practices, which are harming the domestic manufacturing ecosystem and resulting in significant revenue loss to the exchequer," said C.K. Govil, president of The Air Cargo Agents Association of India, while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on domestic manufacturing would gradually diminish such illegal practices. However, experts are of the view that if India adopts a more liberal trading regime with lower tariffs and fewer restrictions, it could not only reduce the incentive for smuggling but also improve enforcement focus. 'A liberal trading regime with most of the world would put most smugglers out of business," said Rahul Ahluwalia, founder and director of the Foundation for Economic Development (FED), a policy think tank. 'We would also be able to focus enforcement capacity on truly dangerous contraband instead of turning normally traded goods into contraband." High-profile cases To be sure, the modus operandi is not only being used by regular folks, but also by celebrities and people with access to diplomatic channels. One such instance is the case of Kannada actress Ranya Rao, also known as Harshavardini Ranya, who was arrested at Bengaluru airport on 3 March 2025, for allegedly smuggling 14.2 kg of gold from Dubai. According to a report by The Indian Express, she used the US passport of her associate and co-accused, Telugu actor Tarun Raj Konduru (alias Virat Konduru), to bypass Dubai customs checks and move the gold into India. In another case, Shiv Kumar Prasad, a former personal assistant to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was held at Delhi's IGI Airport in May 2024 for allegedly receiving gold worth ₹35.2 lakh from a passenger arriving from Bangkok. He reportedly used his official Aerodrome Entry Permit to facilitate the illegal transfer. In another case in 2020, Swapna Suresh—a former UAE consulate employee and consultant to the Kerala IT department—was arrested after 30 kg of gold was found in diplomatic baggage. Exact figures on illegal imports into India are unavailable, but reports reveal significant scale. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized over 1,300 kg of smuggled gold in 2023-24, while industry estimates suggest around 700 kg of gold is smuggled daily, causing annual losses of nearly $10 billion. Electronics and luxury goods are also commonly smuggled, with recent seizures at Mumbai airport worth crores. India's trade deficit with China surged to a record level in the fiscal year ended 31 March, almost touching the $100 billion-mark. India exported goods worth $14.25 billion to China in 2024-25, and imported $113.45 billion worth of goods. While the exports have dipped 14.4% year-on-year, imports have jumped 11.5%, according to data from the commerce ministry.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu industries seek freeze on power tariff for a year
Industry associations in Coimbatore have appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation not to revise the electricity charges from July. Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumers Association president Pradeep Natarajan said the average power consumption of industries, operation of MSMEs, and export orders for the manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu have all seen a year-on-year decline. With the ongoing conflict in West Asian countries disrupting energy markets, trade routes, and financial sentiment, industries in Tamil Nadu, particularly MSMEs and export-driven manufacturers, are bearing the brunt. The Dearness Allowance/Consumer Price Index points during 2024-2025 have dropped. Hence, the Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) revision scheduled for July 2025 should be postponed, said Mr. Natarajan. 'This is not the time to increase power tariffs. Our industries are already struggling with falling demand, rising energy input costs, and mounting financial stress. A new tariff hike will only deepen the crisis,' he said in a press release. The Association sought a minimum one-year deferment of the multi-year tariff revision, status quo on current tariff levels until economic conditions stabilise, and special relief measures for energy-intensive and job-generating sectors. The Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Tiny Enterprises has urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to stall the proposed tariff revision with effect from July 1. Association president J. James pointed out that the fixed charges for MSMEs went up 430 % in 2022, and the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation was not reclassifying the tariff for micro units to 3 A (1) from 3 B despite orders from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission. Further 6 % tariff revision will lead to closure of MSMEs and job losses, he said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
3 Punjab men held captive by traffickers in Iran: Family
The Indian Embassy in Tehran on Wednesday said it has strongly taken up with Iranian authorities the case of three Punjab residents who went missing after reaching the West Asian country earlier this month, with their families alleging that the trio were abducted and their captors demanding ransom for their release. The three missing men have been identified as Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, and Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, in Punjab. The Indian Embassy, in a statement released on Wednesday, said that it has requested Iranian authorities to trace the location of the missing men and ensure their safety. 'Family members of 3 Indian citizens have informed the Embassy of India that their relatives are missing after having travelled to Iran,' the Indian Embassy said. 'The Embassy has strongly taken up this matter with the Iranian authorities, and requested that the missing Indians should be urgently traced and their safety should be ensured. We are also keeping the family- members regularly updated of the efforts being made by the Embassy.' According to a police complaint filed by Amritpal Singh's mother Gurdip Kaur, her son was allegedly promised work in Australia by Piplanwala-based travel agents and brothers Dheeraj Atwal and Kamal Atwal. The accused allegedly took ₹18 lakh from Amritpal and offered to take him to Australia via Iran using a donkey route, police said. A 'donkey route' is an illegal and dangerous method used for migration that involves crossing multiple countries and perilous terrain. Amritpal along with Hushanpreet Singh and Jaspal Singh travelled took a flight for Tehran from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on May 1, Kaur said in her complaint dated May 16. A day later, her son called to inform that he had reached Iran and that he would soon travel to Australia. 'Almost an hour later, Amritpal called again and said that he and the other two men had been held captive and the captors were demanding money, saying they had not been paid by their agents,' Kaur said in her complaint. Kaur said that the captors, in a video call with the families, beat up the three men and demanded they transfer ₹18 lakh each via moneygram. Amritpal's family later approached the travel agents at their residence for help, however, the two had fled and switched off their phone. Based on Kaur's complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Model Town police station on May 16 against the Atwal brothers and one of their employees. No arrests have been made so far in the case. 'Efforts are on to nab the absconding agents,' station house officer Gursahib Singh said.
