Belarus on Friday said a Polish aircraft had breached its airspace, the latest spat between the neighbors whose ties have deteriorated during Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

Belarus accuses Polish military helicopter of breaching airspace, Poland denies claim

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty. &nbsp;

The issue apparently didn't arise in the meeting with Harris. "It's not on the agenda and it's not our intention to create a bad atmosphere," López Obrador said ahead of the talks.&nbsp;

The meeting itself 'the portion made public' focused on immigration, a key issue in US-Mexico relationship along with trade, border security and the pandemic.&nbsp;

"We are going to help on immigration,” López Obrador told Harris. “You can count on us."&nbsp;

But with Mexico facing key congressional and state elections on June 6, the nationalist president dedicated a good part of his news conference earlier in the day to expressing outrage over a funding decision by the US Agency for International Development.&nbsp;

"It is an interventionist act that violated our sovereignty," said López Obrador, who added that Mexico had filed a diplomatic note with the US Embassy.&nbsp;

Less than two hours later, it was all smiles and compliments when López Obrador and Harris met at least in the publicly shown prelude to the closed meeting, which comes ahead of a planned actual visit by Harris on June 8.&nbsp;

López Obrador commended US President Joe Biden for giving Harris the responsibility of finding ways to address the root causes of migration, and he said he planned to pitch again a proposal he floated last month at Biden's climate summit.&nbsp;

The Mexican president wants the US to fund a major expansion of one of his signature programmes, 'Planting Life’, which provides cash payments to farmers, who plant certain fruit and lumber trees.&nbsp;

The aim has been to help keep Mexicans in their rural communities.&nbsp;

Mexico has offered it as a way to help in Central America too. The more challenging part of López Obrador's pitch is that the US grant six-month work visas, and eventually citizenship, to those who participate in the programme.&nbsp;

The Biden administration, like the Trump and Obama administrations before it, has been overwhelmed by the number of migrant children and families arriving at the US-Mexico border and looked to Mexico for help in slowing transit across its territory.&nbsp;

Most of the migrants come from Central America, though the number of Mexican migrants has risen as well. Harris is also scheduled to visit Guatemala June 7.&nbsp;

"We agreed to work together to establish a strategic partnership to address root causes of migration, spur economic development, and expand security cooperation," Harris wrote later on Friday on Twitter.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty.

Just before an online meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador very publicly accused the US government of violating Mexico's sovereignty. The issue apparently didn't arise in the meeting with Harris. "It's not on the agenda and it's not our intention to create a bad atmosphere," López Obrador said ahead of the talks. The meeting itself 'the portion made public' focused on immigration, a key issue in US-Mexico relationship along with trade, border security and the pandemic. "We are going to help on immigration,” López Obrador told Harris. “You can count on us." But with Mexico facing key congressional and state elections on June 6, the nationalist president dedicated a good part of his news conference earlier in the day to expressing outrage over a funding decision by the US Agency for International Development. "It is an interventionist act that violated our sovereignty," said López Obrador, who added that Mexico had filed a diplomatic note with the US Embassy. Less than two hours later, it was all smiles and compliments when López Obrador and Harris met at least in the publicly shown prelude to the closed meeting, which comes ahead of a planned actual visit by Harris on June 8. López Obrador commended US President Joe Biden for giving Harris the responsibility of finding ways to address the root causes of migration, and he said he planned to pitch again a proposal he floated last month at Biden's climate summit. The Mexican president wants the US to fund a major expansion of one of his signature programmes, 'Planting Life’, which provides cash payments to farmers, who plant certain fruit and lumber trees. The aim has been to help keep Mexicans in their rural communities. Mexico has offered it as a way to help in Central America too. The more challenging part of López Obrador's pitch is that the US grant six-month work visas, and eventually citizenship, to those who participate in the programme. The Biden administration, like the Trump and Obama administrations before it, has been overwhelmed by the number of migrant children and families arriving at the US-Mexico border and looked to Mexico for help in slowing transit across its territory. Most of the migrants come from Central America, though the number of Mexican migrants has risen as well. Harris is also scheduled to visit Guatemala June 7. "We agreed to work together to establish a strategic partnership to address root causes of migration, spur economic development, and expand security cooperation," Harris wrote later on Friday on Twitter. (With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of Harris meeting, Mexico president accuses US 

Washington, Jun 13 (PTI) India and the US have agreed to hold official-level comprehensive talks to address trade and economic issues, days after President Donald Trump accused New Delhi of charging 100 per cent tariff on some of the US' goods.

The decision in this regard was taken during a series of meetings visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

"We will now work together to expand (bilateral) trade," Prabhu told a group of Indian reporters here yesterday at the conclusion of his two-day trip to the US.&nbsp

India will send an official team to work out the details and initiate a comprehensive negotiation on all issues concerning trade and economic relationship between the two countries. "The team will come within the next few days," Prabhu said.&nbsp

Acknowledging that both sides have trade and tariff issues with each other, the minister said officials would hold talks on all of them.&nbsp

President Trump, in a press conference in Canada's Quebec City where he attended the G7 summit, took a swipe at India along with the world's other top economies and accused New Delhi of charging 100 per cent tariff on some of the US' goods, as he threatened to cut trade ties with countries who are robbing America.

Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Singh Sarna said New Delhi has written to the US on steel and aluminum tariff.&nbsp

A full-fledged case has been made by India for waiver of steel and aluminum tariffs, he added. "It has been a very positive engagement."

In addition to Ross and Lighthizer, Prabhu held talks with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. He also met two powerful Senators John Cornyn and Mark Warner - the two co-chairs of the Senate India caucus.

"The meetings were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, with appreciation for each other's points of view. Discussions centered around bilateral trade and commercial relations between the two countries and focused on finding the way forward to address concerns of both sides," the Indian Embassy said in a readout of the meetings.

"In this context, it was agreed that Indian and US officials would meet at a senior level at an early date to discuss various issues of interest to both sides and carry forward the discussions in a positive, constructive and result oriented manner," it said.

During his two-day visit to Washington DC, Prabhu addressed business and industry leaders in meetings organised by US-India Business Council (USIBC) and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and held meetings with other stakeholders.

"It's a great time to join hands with each other. And that's the realisation within the (Trump) administration as well. Therefore, we have really decided to move on. As you know, we always hear the trade disputes between US and India, but when I had meeting with the USTR, with the Commerce Secretary, with Agriculture Secretary, with Senators, it is very clear that we must move on, keep the issues behind," Prabhu told industry leaders at a reception hosted by USIBC in association with the FICCI and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

In his interaction with industry leaders at an event organised by the USISPF, Prabhu spoke about the improvements that have been made in the trade relationship, including trade deficit reduction.&nbsp

"Every great partnership has areas of agreement and disagreement. I'm hopeful that the US investment corridor is only going to grow, and I'm confident that we will be able to bridge our gaps," Prabhu noted.

The industry interaction included senior officials from leading US companies such as: Boston Scientific, FedEx, Walmart, Abbott, UTC, Honeywell, PhRMA, MoneyGram International, Lockheed Martin, Koch Industries, Amway, Uber, 21st Century Fox, and Medtronic.

Noting that India and the US have an important strategic relationship and shared goals, USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal said the council is a constructive partner in achieving the full potential of the US-India commercial opportunity.

The USIBC roundtable organised in association with the CII comprised of US and Indian industry giants from the energy, aerospace, ICT, life sciences and defence sectors who reiterated India's position as a critical market while also raising issues facing their companies such as data localization and price controls, as well as public procurement and operational hurdles.

In engaging with critical stakeholders, Prabhu highlighted the ongoing policy reforms being pursued by India to improve its business climate and remove bureaucratic hurdles.&nbsp

Prabhu noted that India will soon release its new Industrial Policy, aimed at transforming India into a modern, flourishing, economic powerhouse.&nbsp

During the interaction, he emphasized the importance of a dispute redressal mechanism, and resolving such issues together in a way that does not derail but rather strengthens bilateral ties.&nbsp

Under Trump, trade dispute between India and the US has increased, with his administration asking New Delhi to lower its trade barriers and open up its market.&nbsp

Trump has repeatedly raked up the issue of India imposing high import duty on the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and threatened to increase the import tariff on "thousands and thousands" of Indian motorcycles to the US.&nbsp

Trump had at the recent G7 summit taken a swipe at the world's top economies and India, accusing New Delhi of charging a 100 per cent tariff on some of the US' goods

Washington, Jun 13 (PTI) India and the US have agreed to hold official-level comprehensive talks to address trade and economic issues, days after President Donald Trump accused New Delhi of charging 100 per cent tariff on some of the US' goods. The decision in this regard was taken during a series of meetings visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had with US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. "We will now work together to expand (bilateral) trade," Prabhu told a group of Indian reporters here yesterday at the conclusion of his two-day trip to the US. India will send an official team to work out the details and initiate a comprehensive negotiation on all issues concerning trade and economic relationship between the two countries. "The team will come within the next few days," Prabhu said. Acknowledging that both sides have trade and tariff issues with each other, the minister said officials would hold talks on all of them. President Trump, in a press conference in Canada's Quebec City where he attended the G7 summit, took a swipe at India along with the world's other top economies and accused New Delhi of charging 100 per cent tariff on some of the US' goods, as he threatened to cut trade ties with countries who are robbing America. Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Singh Sarna said New Delhi has written to the US on steel and aluminum tariff. A full-fledged case has been made by India for waiver of steel and aluminum tariffs, he added. "It has been a very positive engagement." In addition to Ross and Lighthizer, Prabhu held talks with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. He also met two powerful Senators John Cornyn and Mark Warner - the two co-chairs of the Senate India caucus. "The meetings were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, with appreciation for each other's points of view. Discussions centered around bilateral trade and commercial relations between the two countries and focused on finding the way forward to address concerns of both sides," the Indian Embassy said in a readout of the meetings. "In this context, it was agreed that Indian and US officials would meet at a senior level at an early date to discuss various issues of interest to both sides and carry forward the discussions in a positive, constructive and result oriented manner," it said. During his two-day visit to Washington DC, Prabhu addressed business and industry leaders in meetings organised by US-India Business Council (USIBC) and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and held meetings with other stakeholders. "It's a great time to join hands with each other. And that's the realisation within the (Trump) administration as well. Therefore, we have really decided to move on. As you know, we always hear the trade disputes between US and India, but when I had meeting with the USTR, with the Commerce Secretary, with Agriculture Secretary, with Senators, it is very clear that we must move on, keep the issues behind," Prabhu told industry leaders at a reception hosted by USIBC in association with the FICCI and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. In his interaction with industry leaders at an event organised by the USISPF, Prabhu spoke about the improvements that have been made in the trade relationship, including trade deficit reduction. "Every great partnership has areas of agreement and disagreement. I'm hopeful that the US investment corridor is only going to grow, and I'm confident that we will be able to bridge our gaps," Prabhu noted. The industry interaction included senior officials from leading US companies such as: Boston Scientific, FedEx, Walmart, Abbott, UTC, Honeywell, PhRMA, MoneyGram International, Lockheed Martin, Koch Industries, Amway, Uber, 21st Century Fox, and Medtronic. Noting that India and the US have an important strategic relationship and shared goals, USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal said the council is a constructive partner in achieving the full potential of the US-India commercial opportunity. The USIBC roundtable organised in association with the CII comprised of US and Indian industry giants from the energy, aerospace, ICT, life sciences and defence sectors who reiterated India's position as a critical market while also raising issues facing their companies such as data localization and price controls, as well as public procurement and operational hurdles. In engaging with critical stakeholders, Prabhu highlighted the ongoing policy reforms being pursued by India to improve its business climate and remove bureaucratic hurdles. Prabhu noted that India will soon release its new Industrial Policy, aimed at transforming India into a modern, flourishing, economic powerhouse. During the interaction, he emphasized the importance of a dispute redressal mechanism, and resolving such issues together in a way that does not derail but rather strengthens bilateral ties. Under Trump, trade dispute between India and the US has increased, with his administration asking New Delhi to lower its trade barriers and open up its market. Trump has repeatedly raked up the issue of India imposing high import duty on the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and threatened to increase the import tariff on "thousands and thousands" of Indian motorcycles to the US.

After Trump accuses Delhi of high tariffs, US & India agree to hold trade talks

Australia on Thursday accused asylum seekers held in Pacific detention camps of falsely reporting sexual assault in order to get sent to Australia, a day after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing abuse at the Nauru immigration centre. 
 
More than 2,000 incidents, including sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, were reported over two years at the Australian-funded Nauru detention centre, more than half involving children, Guardian Australia reported. 
 
Immigration minister Peter Dutton on Thursday said asylum seekers were lying about sexual abuse, and repeated comments he made earlier this year that refugee advocates were encouraging detainees to self-harm and set themselves on fire. 
 
&quot;I have been made aware of some incidents that have reported false allegations of sexual assault, because in the end, people have paid money to people smugglers and they want to come to our country,&quot; Dutton said in an interview on Australian radio.&nbsp;&quot;Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia. Certainly some have made false allegations.&quot; 
 
Under its hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat are sent for processing to Australian-funded camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. 
 
The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad. Australia, however, has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments.&nbsp;Australia says the policy is needed to stop asylum seekers dying at sea on the dangerous boat journey from Indonesia to Australia. Hundreds of people died attempting the trip in the years before the policy was put in place. 
 
Refugee advocates said the leaked reports show the urgent need to end Australia&#39;s offshore detention policy, and that asylum seekers must be given medical and psychological support. 
 
Hayley Ballinger, a child protection worker at the Nauru detention centre from 2014-15, said that it was an &quot;absolute insult&quot; to suggest that refugees had lied about abuse that has now been widely documented. 
 
&quot;All of the statements speak for themselves. Certainly the clients I saw there suffered and they really suffered. And this stuff really, really did happen. We witnessed it first-hand,&quot; Ballinger told Reuters. 
 
(Reuters)

Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and self-immolation in an effort to get to Australia: Immigration minister

Australia on Thursday accused asylum seekers held in Pacific detention camps of falsely reporting sexual assault in order to get sent to Australia, a day after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing abuse at the Nauru immigration centre. More than 2,000 incidents, including sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, were reported over two years at the Australian-funded Nauru detention centre, more than half involving children, Guardian Australia reported. Immigration minister Peter Dutton on Thursday said asylum seekers were lying about sexual abuse, and repeated comments he made earlier this year that refugee advocates were encouraging detainees to self-harm and set themselves on fire. "I have been made aware of some incidents that have reported false allegations of sexual assault, because in the end, people have paid money to people smugglers and they want to come to our country," Dutton said in an interview on Australian radio. "Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia. Certainly some have made false allegations." Under its hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat are sent for processing to Australian-funded camps on Nauru, which holds about 500 people, and on Manus island in Papua New Guinea. They are told they will never be settled in Australia. The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad. Australia, however, has vowed there will be no change to the policy, which has been pursued by successive governments. Australia says the policy is needed to stop asylum seekers dying at sea on the dangerous boat journey from Indonesia to Australia. Hundreds of people died attempting the trip in the years before the policy was put in place. Refugee advocates said the leaked reports show the urgent need to end Australia's offshore detention policy, and that asylum seekers must be given medical and psychological support. Hayley Ballinger, a child protection worker at the Nauru detention centre from 2014-15, said that it was an "absolute insult" to suggest that refugees had lied about abuse that has now been widely documented. "All of the statements speak for themselves. Certainly the clients I saw there suffered and they really suffered. And this stuff really, really did happen. We witnessed it first-hand," Ballinger told Reuters. (Reuters)

Australia accuses refugees of falsely reporting sexual abuse

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