India on Sunday expressed New Delhi's displeasure over the "malicious anti-India" posters that were put up in front of the UN building in Geneva with the Swiss ambassador, a source told WION.&nbsp;

Swiss Ambassador to Delhi Ralf Heckner said, "the Embassy has conveyed India’s concerns to Berne with all the seriousness it deserves."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mauritian-foreign-minister-alan-ganoo-praises-indias-leadership-at-g20-highlights-impact-of-ukraine-conflict-568771">Mauritian Foreign Minister Alan Ganoo praises India's leadership at G20, highlights impact of Ukraine conflict</a>

"Secretary (West), MEA today called in the Swiss Ambassador and raised the issue of posters with unfounded and malicious anti-India in front of the UN office in Geneva," a source had said earlier.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-african-foreign-minister-naledi-pandor-sees-indias-g20-leadership-as-opportunity-for-global-south-568817">South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor sees India's G20 leadership as opportunity for Global South</a>

As India raised its concerns with Switzerland, the Swiss envoy said that the anti-India posters in Geneva are not endorsed by the Swiss government.

Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-africas-foreign-minister-speaks-to-wion-on-india-ties-russia-ukraine-conflict-568786">South Africa's Foreign Minister speaks to WION on India ties, Russia Ukraine conflict</a>&nbsp;

"The envoy said that the posters in Geneva are part of the space provided to all, but in no way endorse the claims, nor reflect the position of the Swiss government," the source added.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

India on Sunday expressed New Delhi's displeasure over the "malicious anti-India" posters that were put up in front of the UN building in Geneva with the Swiss ambassador, a source told WION.

India on Sunday expressed New Delhi's displeasure over the "malicious anti-India" posters that were put up in front of the UN building in Geneva with the Swiss ambassador, a source told WION. Swiss Ambassador to Delhi Ralf Heckner said, "the Embassy has conveyed India’s concerns to Berne with all the seriousness it deserves." Also Read | Mauritian Foreign Minister Alan Ganoo praises India's leadership at G20, highlights impact of Ukraine conflict "Secretary (West), MEA today called in the Swiss Ambassador and raised the issue of posters with unfounded and malicious anti-India in front of the UN office in Geneva," a source had said earlier. Also Read | South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor sees India's G20 leadership as opportunity for Global South As India raised its concerns with Switzerland, the Swiss envoy said that the anti-India posters in Geneva are not endorsed by the Swiss government. Watch | South Africa's Foreign Minister speaks to WION on India ties, Russia Ukraine conflict "The envoy said that the posters in Geneva are part of the space provided to all, but in no way endorse the claims, nor reflect the position of the Swiss government," the source added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: Swiss envoy called over ‘malicious anti-India’ posters in Geneva

‘Allah, give us Modi so he can fix Pakistan’ Divide in G20, can members achieve consensus? Amid economic turmoil, political chaos in Sri Lanka At a firm in India, the computer tells you to 'Go home' 7-yr-old Bhutan Prince is country’s 1st digital citizen ‘RRR’ & ‘Naatu Naatu’ fever grips the world

Inside South Asia: Pakistan economy on brink; G20 Foreign Ministers meet in New Delhi

New Delhi is hosting the quad foreign ministers meet. India's external affairs minister is chairing this meeting with the U.S Secretary of State and foreign Ministers of Japan and Australian attendance.

Quad: Must maintain the liberal rules-based international order

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired the QUAD Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. The Foreign Ministers of QUAD member countries have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient.

Jaishankar hosts QUAD meet on developments in the Indo-Pacific and regional issues

Quad Meet 2023: New Delhi hosts the Quad Foreign Ministers

India: Quad meet on developments in the Indo-Pacific and regional issues

Quad Meet 2023: Indian Foreign Minister chairing the meet

India is hosting the G20 foreign ministers meeting. Fractured east-west relations over the conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China's global aspiration are set to dominate the meeting.

G20 Meet: Fractured East-West relations

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all latest news and top headlines from all across the globe.

WION Speed News: G20 Foreign Ministers meet in New Delhi

India is hosting the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting. Fractured east-west relations over the conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China's global aspirations are set to dominate the meeting.The meeting is particularly crucial for India's hopes to use its chairmanship of the group to leverage its position on the global stage and adopt a neutral stance on Ukraine. After a welcome dinner yesterday, the main meetings are being held today.

G20: India trying to reconcile differences; PM Modi flags deep global divisions

The G20 foreign ministers will be meeting in New Delhi today, the meet comes against Russia's war in Ukraine and spiraling U.S.-China tensions. In such a backdrop New Delhi hopes that issues like climate change and third world debt are not overlooked.

G20 talks overshadowed by the Ukraine War

India's foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra held a press conference before the G20 Foreign ministers meet. Foreign ministers from around the world will attend the G20 Summit which is taking place in New Delhi.

Indian Foreign Secretary holds press conference ahead of G20 meet

Eric Garcetti's candidature is expected to be heard on Tuesday (February 28) by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, more than a year after he was initially considered as a potential American ambassador to India in&nbsp;2021.&nbsp;

Garcetti, who was put&nbsp;forth by US&nbsp;President Joseph Biden to serve as ambassador to India, suffered yet another setback when a prominent Republican Senator put a hold on his confirmation, citing him as one of several "questionable" nominees.

Six additional nominations were also put on hold by Senator Marco Rubio, including that of Richard Verma, a former US ambassador to India, just days prior&nbsp;to a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was set for Tuesday. The confirmation procedures for Garcetti, Verma, and others would have to be postponed indefinitely until the problem is fixed, even though the Committee hearing may still go on, as reported by the Indian Express.&nbsp;

<h2>Biden and Garcetti: Political allies&nbsp;</h2>

In July 2021, Garcetti was named as the White House's choice for India, but his appointment was delayed due to charges of sexual harassment against his aide Rick Jacobs.&nbsp;

The appointment of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the United States ambassador to India was originally announced by President Joe Biden in May 2021, according to news organisation Axios.

Garcetti, 50, served as co-chair of Biden's election campaign and is still one of the President's most significant political allies. He was supposed to be a member of Biden's cabinet, but the scandal surrounding Rick Jacobs is alleged to have derailed those plans, as per AFP reports.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nikki-haley-makes-big-claim-on-covid-19-demands-aid-cut-to-communist-china-566630">Nikki Haley makes big claim on COVID-19, demands aid cut to 'communist' China</a>

Subsequently, American political circles perceived the potential selection of Garcetti, the mayor of the country's second-largest city by population (after New York City), as India's ambassador as a reward for one of the president's steadfast political allies.

Garcetti, who had three years prior given the idea of running for president some thought, backed Biden for the 2020 Democratic candidature on January 9, 2020. The selection committee to choose the presumed Democratic nominee's running mate picked Garcetti at the end of April of last year.

He was named as a candidate for the Biden Administration's position of secretary of transportation in November 2020. Black Lives Matter organised large-scale demonstrations against the nomination in Los Angeles, and Mayor Garcetti revealed that he had declined a job offer from Vice President-elect Biden without going into further detail, as reported by the&nbsp;Indian Express.

In March 2017, Garcetti was re-elected mayor for a five-and-a-half-year term. The election to choose his successor was set to take place in the fall of 2022. He is only permitted to serve two terms in office per local legislation. Los Angeles' mayor at the moment is a Democrat named Karen Bass.

<h2>The controversy surrounding Garcetti</h2>

A former bodyguard, Matthew Garza, filed a sexual harassment case against Jacobs that damaged Garcetti's chances for a Cabinet position before and the ambassadorial position currently.

While Garcetti was the mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022, Jacobs was his aide. According to reports, Jacobs gave people unsolicited hugs, massages, and lewd sex banter, as reported by the Week.

Further claims against Jacobs surfaced in various press reports and deposition testimony, after which more people have come forward to level similar charges against him.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/in-the-us-yet-more-evidence-of-growing-indian-american-clout-566629">In the US, yet more evidence of growing Indian-American clout</a>

Garcetti has said that he was unaware of Jacobs' sexual misconduct and has testified under oath in front of the Senate to this effect. It was "extremely unlikely," according to a report written by Republican Senator Charles E. Grassley in May 2022, that Garcetti was oblivious of the aide's allegedly inappropriate behaviour.

The White House, however, stated that President Joe Biden backs Garcetti. “This partisan report was a hit job from the beginning, and many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports,” the White House said.&nbsp;

<h2>Marco Rubio's stance</h2>

Republican US Senator Marco Rubio stated last week that he would also impose a hold on Garcetti due to the latter's ignorance of credible sexual assault allegations in his prior office, as reported by the Indian Express.

“I will not turn a blind eye to these absurd nominations, which will hasten America’s decline,” Rubio said in a statement on Friday. Rubio’s move will be another hurdle for Garcetti’s nomination, which had lapsed last year.

<h2>What next ?</h2>

The Senate's failure to appoint Biden's nominee for the position, Garcetti, has resulted in the vacancy in the position of US ambassador to India lasting for over two years.

Analysts have previously noted that the record-long vacancy occurs as US-India ties enter their "most critical phase," and that from America's standpoint, a long-term vision of the strategic partnership was needed, as reported by the Print.&nbsp;

It also appears doubtful that Biden will withdraw Garcetti's nomination and propose a different candidate. The White House stated that Garcetti's nomination was a "priority" on December 15 and that it will continue to support him. This was one week after Democrats gained a majority in the Senate, the Print reported.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Eric Garcetti's candidature is expected to be heard on Tuesday (February 28) by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, more than a year after he was initially considered as a potential American ambassador to India in 2021.

Eric Garcetti's candidature is expected to be heard on Tuesday (February 28) by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, more than a year after he was initially considered as a potential American ambassador to India in 2021. Garcetti, who was put forth by US President Joseph Biden to serve as ambassador to India, suffered yet another setback when a prominent Republican Senator put a hold on his confirmation, citing him as one of several "questionable" nominees. Six additional nominations were also put on hold by Senator Marco Rubio, including that of Richard Verma, a former US ambassador to India, just days prior to a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was set for Tuesday. The confirmation procedures for Garcetti, Verma, and others would have to be postponed indefinitely until the problem is fixed, even though the Committee hearing may still go on, as reported by the Indian Express. Biden and Garcetti: Political allies In July 2021, Garcetti was named as the White House's choice for India, but his appointment was delayed due to charges of sexual harassment against his aide Rick Jacobs. The appointment of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the United States ambassador to India was originally announced by President Joe Biden in May 2021, according to news organisation Axios. Garcetti, 50, served as co-chair of Biden's election campaign and is still one of the President's most significant political allies. He was supposed to be a member of Biden's cabinet, but the scandal surrounding Rick Jacobs is alleged to have derailed those plans, as per AFP reports. ALSO READ | Nikki Haley makes big claim on COVID-19, demands aid cut to 'communist' China Subsequently, American political circles perceived the potential selection of Garcetti, the mayor of the country's second-largest city by population (after New York City), as India's ambassador as a reward for one of the president's steadfast political allies. Garcetti, who had three years prior given the idea of running for president some thought, backed Biden for the 2020 Democratic candidature on January 9, 2020. The selection committee to choose the presumed Democratic nominee's running mate picked Garcetti at the end of April of last year. He was named as a candidate for the Biden Administration's position of secretary of transportation in November 2020. Black Lives Matter organised large-scale demonstrations against the nomination in Los Angeles, and Mayor Garcetti revealed that he had declined a job offer from Vice President-elect Biden without going into further detail, as reported by the Indian Express. In March 2017, Garcetti was re-elected mayor for a five-and-a-half-year term. The election to choose his successor was set to take place in the fall of 2022. He is only permitted to serve two terms in office per local legislation. Los Angeles' mayor at the moment is a Democrat named Karen Bass. The controversy surrounding Garcetti A former bodyguard, Matthew Garza, filed a sexual harassment case against Jacobs that damaged Garcetti's chances for a Cabinet position before and the ambassadorial position currently. While Garcetti was the mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022, Jacobs was his aide. According to reports, Jacobs gave people unsolicited hugs, massages, and lewd sex banter, as reported by the Week. Further claims against Jacobs surfaced in various press reports and deposition testimony, after which more people have come forward to level similar charges against him. ALSO READ | In the US, yet more evidence of growing Indian-American clout Garcetti has said that he was unaware of Jacobs' sexual misconduct and has testified under oath in front of the Senate to this effect. It was "extremely unlikely," according to a report written by Republican Senator Charles E. Grassley in May 2022, that Garcetti was oblivious of the aide's allegedly inappropriate behaviour. The White House, however, stated that President Joe Biden backs Garcetti. “This partisan report was a hit job from the beginning, and many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports,” the White House said. Marco Rubio's stance Republican US Senator Marco Rubio stated last week that he would also impose a hold on Garcetti due to the latter's ignorance of credible sexual assault allegations in his prior office, as reported by the Indian Express. “I will not turn a blind eye to these absurd nominations, which will hasten America’s decline,” Rubio said in a statement on Friday. Rubio’s move will be another hurdle for Garcetti’s nomination, which had lapsed last year. What next ? The Senate's failure to appoint Biden's nominee for the position, Garcetti, has resulted in the vacancy in the position of US ambassador to India lasting for over two years. Analysts have previously noted that the record-long vacancy occurs as US-India ties enter their "most critical phase," and that from America's standpoint, a long-term vision of the strategic partnership was needed, as reported by the Print. It also appears doubtful that Biden will withdraw Garcetti's nomination and propose a different candidate. The White House stated that Garcetti's nomination was a "priority" on December 15 and that it will continue to support him. This was one week after Democrats gained a majority in the Senate, the Print reported. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EXPLAINED | What is the controversy surrounding Eric Garcetti? Biden's pick for US envoy to India

In pics | Delhi hosts vintage vehicles rally ahead of G20 summit

A leopard wounded at least nine people after it ran wild in the courthouse on the outskirts of India's capital New Delhi in a place called Ghaziabad. The leopard was later captured by the forest department officials in a dramatic four-hour long rescue operation.

India: 9 injured in leopard attack in Ghaziabad as it runs wild in courthouse

India and the U.S. have come together to counter military challenge from China. New Delhi and Washington are fleshing out ways to share technology at the highest level, including building jet engines together. Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: India, U.S. unite to counter military challenge from China

An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck Nepal on Tuesday, sending tremors across New Delhi. There was no immediate report of any casualty. Watch this report to know further.

WION Dispatch: Earthquake with 5.4 magnitude hits Nepal, tremors felt in New Delhi

India Open Badminton 2023: The 2023 India Open which is officially known as Yonex- Sunrise India Open 2023 is all set to start in the capital city of New Delhi on Tuesday, 17 January.

India Open Badminton 2023: The 2023 India Open which is officially known as Yonex- Sunrise India Open 2023 is all set to start in the capital city of New Delhi on Tuesday, 17 January. The tournament will be held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall till 22 January 2023. This tournament in India has been held since 2008 and this will be the first time when India Open will be held in the super 750 status category. The Super 750 is one of the six levels into which the BWF World Tour is divided. The other five categories feature World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 500, Super 300 and Super 100. The 2023 India Open will be the second tournament of the 2023 BWF World Tour and is also part of the India Open championships. The tournament is organised by the Badminton Association of India with sanction from the Badminton World Federation. The tournament will see some of the top players from 29 countries, and a total of 97 players will compete in various categories- Men's singles, Women's singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. Where will India open 2023 be held? India open 2023 will take place in India from 17 to Jan 22 2023 What Time India open 2023 Will begin? Time India open 2023 Will be begin at 10:00 AM IST What are the venues for India open 2023? – Venue India open played at K. D. JADHAV INDOOR HALL, NEW DELHI, INDIA How to watch the India open 2023? Fans can watch the live telecast of the 2023 Indian Open on EuroSport India. Fans can also watch India open 2023 live streaming on BWF official YouTube channel. Defending champions in the India Open 2023: Men’s singles – Lakshya Sen (India) Women’s singles – Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand) Men’s doubles – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (India) Women’s doubles – Benyapa Aimsaard/Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Thailand) Mixed doubles – Terry Hee/Tan Wei Han (Indonesia) India Open 2023 Full Schedule (in all categories): 1st round– January 17, 18 2nd round– January 19 Quarter-final– January 20 Semi-final– January 21 Final – January 22 Point distribution of the India Open 2023: Below is the point distribution table for each phase of the tournament based on the BWF points system for the BWF World Tour Super 750 level. Winner Runner-up 03-Apr 05-Aug Sep-16 17/32 11,000 9,350 7,700 6,050 4,320 2,660 India Open 2023 Top Seeds: Men’s Singles: Viktor Axelsen – Denmark Lee Zii Jia – Malaysia Loh Kean Yew – Singapore Jonatan Christie – Indonesia Chou Tien-Chen –Taiwan Anthony Sinisuka Ginting – Indonesia Lakshya Sen – India Kunlavut Vitidsarn – Thailand Women’s Singles Akane Yamaguchi – Japan An Se-young – South Korea Chen Yu Fei – China He Bing Jiao – China PV Sindhu – India Ratchanok Intanon – Thailand Wang Zhiyi – China Pornpawee Chochuwong – Thailand Men’s Doubles Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi – Japan Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Ardianto – Indonesia Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik – Malaysia Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan – Indonesia Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty – India Kim Astrup/Anders Rasmussen – Denmark Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi – Malaysia Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo – Indonesia Women’s Doubles Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan – China Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida – Japan Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong – South Korea Jeong Na-eun/Kim Hye-jeong – South Korea Jongkolphon Kitithrakul/Rawinda Prajongjai – Thailand Zhang Shuxian/Zheng Yu – China Lee So-hee/Shin Seung-chan – South Korea Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan – Malaysia Mixed Doubles Zheng Siwei/Hang Yaqiong – China Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapisree Taerattanachai – Thailand Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino – Japan Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping – China Seo Seung-jae/Chae Yoo-jung – South Korea Tan Kian Meng/Lai Pei Jing – Malaysia Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet – Hong Kong Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue – France Official shuttle of the India Open 2023: The official shuttle used at the India Open 2023 is Yonex AS 50. India Open 2023 Badminton Prize Money: The total prize money of US$850,000 will be distributed for this tournament in accordance with BWF regulations. Event Winner Finalist Semi-finals Quarter-finals Last 16 Last 32 Singles $59,500 $28,900 $11,900 $4,675 $2,550 $850 Doubles $62,900 $29,750 $11,900 $5,312.50 $2762.50 $850

India Open Badminton 2023: Date, Time, venue, Draws, Schedule, Live, Prize Money, preview, Indian fixtures

Have you heard about Comic-Con India? The comic book convention was searched in popularity in the 1990s globally, is immensely popular in India too. The first such convention was hosted in New Delhi in 2011 and has since expanded to other major cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. This year the event made a resounding comeback after two years of Covid induced closures.

Inside Comic Con India 2022: More than 10 years of Comic Con Delhi

In the backdrop of the visit of Chinese spy ship, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry has said that Indian "Indian sensitivities will be kept in mind" so that it doesn't lead to any "unpleasantries" for both the countries. Remember Chinese spy ship or as Beijing has been terming it research vessel research vessel Yuan Wang 5 had visited the Sri Lankan port of hambantota raising concern for New Delhi. Speaking exclusively with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Colombo, FM Sabry said, "everyone who will be entitled will be known in advance, we will have a known procedure in place so that no one is surprised, so therefore it is important we also have the freedom of navigation in the Indian ocean."

The foreign minister lauded New Delhi's role amid the economic crisis his country has been facing pointing to "significant improvement" in the situation. India provided assistance worth 3.8 billion dollars to Sri Lanka to tide over unprecedented economic crisis. FM said," Indian support is very critical to us. India has played a great role in supporting the neighbor in the most difficult time of its history."

He also highlighted how the ongoing Russian Ukraine conflict has "disproportionately impacted" his country and said that Colombo is in talks with Moscow to get discounted Russian energy. He warned, "moment Russian oil goes out of the market, there will be scarcity and that will probably shoot up the prices and will create economic upheaval in terms of recession or something of that sort.". He also spoke about ties with China, implementation of 13th amendment and Tamil issue, IMF bailout...

WION: How has the current economic situation been? Has an improvement seen?

Ali Sabry: Sri Lanka had gone through tremendous difficulty during the course of the year, but if you compare with what you saw in March, May and July there is significant improvement on the ground. Tourist have started to come back, a little bit of stability in foreign currency because of that we have managed to get our fuel, cooking gas and other supplies to some sort of normality, but we are not out of the woods. Some turning point has taken place for goods.

WION: Government has said that there were radical extremists behind the demonstrations. Have you identified who they were and whether they were getting support from abroad

Ali Sabry: &nbsp;Actually, it you look at the March and May protests, we got lot of support from the public because we understand if we have long queues for 4-5 days, there was no cooking gas, the sky rocketing prices, shortage of food, shortage of fertilizers, had reason for people to come out and we were very-very apologetic about it, towards that and we have done so publicly. Since then, constitutional process has taken place, new president has come has in, elected president has given up and gone, a new cabinet has been put in place. Still there is protests ongoing, then they are not public supported, public-spirited campaign. I would not say extremist but people with hidden agenda, political agenda to destabilize the country for political motives. We have identified them, we all know that, nothing new about them. Opposition just wants to scuttle the progress of the country so that if Sri Lanka recovers , they know they have to wait for a long period of time to get elections. They want to see destabilization take place on the ground so every time tourist are resuming, these protests take place. Some of them have been done by some elements who have not actually believed in democracy. This time they are using public anger to advance the ends

WION: How has the talks been with the IMF and has India played a role in facilitating the talks. I believe this is the 17th bailout you are trying to secure.

Ali Sabry: I started the negotiations with them, and they have studied, and staff level agreement has been reached, prior action before the EFF , extended fund facility, we have agreed on. We have agreed and implemented some of those things. EEF facility is for 2.9 billion, and the moment IMF gets involved, confidence in the system, ADB world Bank all come on the table, and we probably will be able to return to money market, so that is why it is so important. India, had been actually provided us with lifeline during the most crucial time of our history, in terms of economy is concerned and those credit lines kept us going for long period of time. I remember, when I was in Washington, your Finance minister Sitharaman led your group and supported us in our discussion with IMF and they have continued to do so. So it is important and Indian support is very critical to us. India has played a great role in supporting the neighbor in the most difficult time of its history.

WION: Why didn't China offer financial assistance, as India did, during the recent crisis?

Ali Sabry: Chinese also supported us just before the particular period of time, they also provided us some financial facilities and credit line, also they did provide us some soft arrangement to bolster our reserves at the central bank, apart from that some humanitarian assistance also. We hope China will step up in providing us debt restructuring assurances, along with India so that we can go to the, IMF and resolve the matter once and for all and get back to recovery path. So, it's important for all creditors and all investors that Sri Lanka recovers and recovers fast. The longer the debt gets suspended, the longer it takes to recover. It is bad for all the creditor and investors; everybody understands that including China.

WION: Has China offered to restructure...

Ali Sabry: We are in still discussions for that, &nbsp;they have been cooperative and part of the common plat form where we share information, recently in Washington. They are also took part on the virtual platform. So China, India, Paris club, Japan all of them being cooperative with us, so we are in the final stage of trying to get the debt restructuring and assurances. We are hopeful all countries and all our friends will not let us down.

WION: Have you asked for more Indian support.

Ali Sabry: Not really, right now our economy has stabilized to some extend and we should be able to manage our self. Right now, we have reached out to India and rest of the world, its not for aid or any more loans but basically investments. We are working with Indians and Indian companies and govt to work together in various areas for mutual interests, so that investment comes into the country and it will be beneficial for both Indians and Sri Lankans.

WION: How do you see India, Sri Lanka ties evolving. Both have close relationship, biggest has been civilizational connect

Ali Sabry: Very Very important for us, the most important relationship as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. For sure we share a civilization, our social, cultural, financial, economic ties are very very high and integrated. So it's important we understand India is growing, and biggest power in the region and hopefully will be the 3rd biggest economy by early 2030 or so. With that improvement, everybody in the region will also benefit. We need to understand how best we can cultivate this; we need to work towards it. There will be ups and downs, misunderstandings, but we are certain, given our long history of sharing a civilization, that Sri Lanka and Indian relationship will go strength to strength.

WION: Ambassador Milinda has said that a security threat to India is a security threat to Sri Lanka. Do you agree?

Ali Sabry: Basically, security together is very important for us, Indian security is also very important for us, no 2 words about it. We have understood that. we will not be willingly, or unwilling be part of for any threat to Indian security because any threat to India's security is threat to the region, and that region includes Sri Lanka and not good for Sri Lanka. We understand that we will work towards achieving peace and harmony in the region, no escalation of any sort of tension but peaceful relationship, enhanced economic activities which will benefit everybody in the region.

WION: All good relations have a set of irritants, and recently we saw the visit of a Chinese spy ship or a research ship that it seems has put a kink in ties

Ali Sabry: I don't think any kink or so but basically some concerns were expressed, and we were able to discuss those things and follow up. On our part we have made it very clear to everybody in the world that we don't want to contribute to escalation of tension between anyone. We are a very peaceful country, we would continue to do so and going forward, there will be no surprises. Everyone who will be entitled will be known in advance, we will have a known procedure in place so that no one is surprised, so therefore it is important we also have the freedom of navigation in the Indian ocean. In the meantime, there should not be any security threat to any of our neighbor

WION: Will future such visits, visit of Chinese spy ships or as they say research ship be allowed taking care of Indian sensitivities

Ali Sabry: I don't want to speculate, but Indian sensitivities will be kept in mind, we will continue to work with India and understand Indian sentiments so that we don't create any unpleasantries for both India, Sri Lanka and to the region.

WION: How do you see ties with China...

Ali Sabry: Our relationship with Beijing is very strong for long period of time, they have been close friend. This year we have celebrated 70 years of economic ties with them with Rubber, Rice pact, we exported rubber to them and imported rice. So our is a strong relationship and basically it has been a commercial relationship, economic relationship where they have come and invested heavily in Sri Lanka during &nbsp;a difficult period of time for us and during the 26 years of the conflict, during the last few years, Chinese supported us with supply of arms to get rid of threat from one of the most ruthless terrorist organization, the LTTE in order to bring back peace to our country. In that context that we have had very good relationship with them, sri lanka always follow the dynamic, neutral foreign policy where we would want everyone to be a friend of Sri Lanka and enemy to none. That is our foreign policy, that is our relationship, so given this dynamism, we would continue the same thing but taking India's sensitivities and security concerns because that is very important for us.

WION: Do you think the current economic crisis is due to China, its policy of debt crisis

Ali Sabry: No, I don't agree with that, that is a western phrase. We don't agree with that. Chinese never came and forcefully gave us money to us. Actually, we have gone and sort fund and they have respected that invested in our country. They are that biggest investor in our country, we don't agree with that phrase. Having taken the money we have put in proper use or who so ever we can get return is issue for Sri Lankans, therefore we don't associate with that kind of phrase, actually Chinese have been good friend for us and they have been biggest investor in the country post conflict in Sri Lanka

WION: How has the Russia-Ukraine conflict impacted your country, and do you plan to buy Russian energy, do you worry about sanctions

Ali Sabry: We have been disproportionately impacted by the Russian conflict so we pray and urge everybody to quickly, diplomatically and by dialogue resolve this. We have been impacted big time in terms of petroleum prices, the crude oil prices, the prices of coal and prices of grains and escalating prices of fertilizers. These are lifeline to our people, 30% of Sri Lankans involved in agriculture. We have been disproportionately impacted when prices go up in the market and with our depreciating rupee, the prices have gone 4-5 times of some of those things. It has been really -really difficult for Sri Lankans, and on top of that Russia, Ukraine have been our first 10 countries in terms of tourist coming to Sri Lanka and in export destination of our products like tea so that is huge problem of us, that has really impacted us and other countries and economies have slowed. We disproportionately impacted by this conflict and no 2 words about it. Yes, if there is a way to deal with Russian oil, why not, we want to. The kind of price escalation, it is unaffordable for us. As our President once put it, when the elephants fight, it's the grass which gets trampled, small countries like us get disproportionately trampled by this issue which is taking place in the world. So therefore, at the discounted prices without violating international norms, laws we would want to work with Russians, because Russia we have good relations for a long period of time, Russian discounted prices also is not a problem for other countries because no one wants Russian oil out of the market. Moment Russian oil goes out of the market, there will be scarcity and that will probably shoot up the prices and will create economic upheaval in terms of recession or something of that sort. I don't think anyone will like that.

WION: Have you spoken to Russians for it or engaged India on that given India gets discounted Russian oil

Ali Sabry: we have had several rounds of discussions, we are pursuing that option, keeping that option open either directly or through India

WION: Option on energy via India or with Russia...

Ali Sabry: with basically Moscow

WION: Are you looking at an election in the country...

Ali Sabry: Not really, in terms of our constitution you can't have Presidential elections before 4 and half years of term is finished. So the term is only comes to an end in 2024 November, until such time you cannot have a new election so the president has to continue, even if the siting President resigns, you need to go through the Parliament and elect someone for the term which is exactly what happened in Sri Lanka in July this year. As far as Parliamentary election is concerned, 2 and half years you cannot dissolve the Parliament and it came to an end in March but yet the Parliamentarians need to vote for that, so therefore, simple majority must vote for that, there has to be a no confidence motion. So, it is for the members of the Parliament to do so, or otherwise no possibility because certain term being given, President for 5 years and Parliament for 5 year and that period should take place in terms of the constitution.

WION: Any plans to implement the 13th amendment and also India expressed concerns over situation of Tamil minorities at UNHRC

Ali Sabry: right now actually we all want provincial council elections, it cannot be held now because of the a particular bill that was brought in to parliament in 2018 by then govt for which the TNA and Tamil parties also voted in terms of that particular voting a new delimitation has to take place of the provinces and it has not taken place and there is some legal impediment on that. It is their own doing unfortunately, and they did it that time to prevent elections and as a result of that but naturally 13th amendment should be implemented and those powers which was with them should be given to them, power should be devolved to the people in the area, the people of the areas should deal with the activity whom they elected. So yes 13th amendment should be implemented and govt is keen on implementing that. yes, India had taken up at various forums including the UNHRC.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

In the backdrop of the visit of Chinese spy ship, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry has said that Indian "Indian sensitivities will be kept in mind" so that it doesn't lead to any "unpleasantries" for both the countries.

In the backdrop of the visit of Chinese spy ship, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry has said that Indian "Indian sensitivities will be kept in mind" so that it doesn't lead to any "unpleasantries" for both the countries. Remember Chinese spy ship or as Beijing has been terming it research vessel research vessel Yuan Wang 5 had visited the Sri Lankan port of hambantota raising concern for New Delhi. Speaking exclusively with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Colombo, FM Sabry said, "everyone who will be entitled will be known in advance, we will have a known procedure in place so that no one is surprised, so therefore it is important we also have the freedom of navigation in the Indian ocean." The foreign minister lauded New Delhi's role amid the economic crisis his country has been facing pointing to "significant improvement" in the situation. India provided assistance worth 3.8 billion dollars to Sri Lanka to tide over unprecedented economic crisis. FM said," Indian support is very critical to us. India has played a great role in supporting the neighbor in the most difficult time of its history." He also highlighted how the ongoing Russian Ukraine conflict has "disproportionately impacted" his country and said that Colombo is in talks with Moscow to get discounted Russian energy. He warned, "moment Russian oil goes out of the market, there will be scarcity and that will probably shoot up the prices and will create economic upheaval in terms of recession or something of that sort.". He also spoke about ties with China, implementation of 13th amendment and Tamil issue, IMF bailout... WION: How has the current economic situation been? Has an improvement seen? Ali Sabry: Sri Lanka had gone through tremendous difficulty during the course of the year, but if you compare with what you saw in March, May and July there is significant improvement on the ground. Tourist have started to come back, a little bit of stability in foreign currency because of that we have managed to get our fuel, cooking gas and other supplies to some sort of normality, but we are not out of the woods. Some turning point has taken place for goods. WION: Government has said that there were radical extremists behind the demonstrations. Have you identified who they were and whether they were getting support from abroad Ali Sabry: Actually, it you look at the March and May protests, we got lot of support from the public because we understand if we have long queues for 4-5 days, there was no cooking gas, the sky rocketing prices, shortage of food, shortage of fertilizers, had reason for people to come out and we were very-very apologetic about it, towards that and we have done so publicly. Since then, constitutional process has taken place, new president has come has in, elected president has given up and gone, a new cabinet has been put in place. Still there is protests ongoing, then they are not public supported, public-spirited campaign. I would not say extremist but people with hidden agenda, political agenda to destabilize the country for political motives. We have identified them, we all know that, nothing new about them. Opposition just wants to scuttle the progress of the country so that if Sri Lanka recovers , they know they have to wait for a long period of time to get elections. They want to see destabilization take place on the ground so every time tourist are resuming, these protests take place. Some of them have been done by some elements who have not actually believed in democracy. This time they are using public anger to advance the ends WION: How has the talks been with the IMF and has India played a role in facilitating the talks. I believe this is the 17th bailout you are trying to secure. Ali Sabry: I started the negotiations with them, and they have studied, and staff level agreement has been reached, prior action before the EFF , extended fund facility, we have agreed on. We have agreed and implemented some of those things. EEF facility is for 2.9 billion, and the moment IMF gets involved, confidence in the system, ADB world Bank all come on the table, and we probably will be able to return to money market, so that is why it is so important. India, had been actually provided us with lifeline during the most crucial time of our history, in terms of economy is concerned and those credit lines kept us going for long period of time. I remember, when I was in Washington, your Finance minister Sitharaman led your group and supported us in our discussion with IMF and they have continued to do so. So it is important and Indian support is very critical to us. India has played a great role in supporting the neighbor in the most difficult time of its history. WION: Why didn't China offer financial assistance, as India did, during the recent crisis? Ali Sabry: Chinese also supported us just before the particular period of time, they also provided us some financial facilities and credit line, also they did provide us some soft arrangement to bolster our reserves at the central bank, apart from that some humanitarian assistance also. We hope China will step up in providing us debt restructuring assurances, along with India so that we can go to the, IMF and resolve the matter once and for all and get back to recovery path. So, it's important for all creditors and all investors that Sri Lanka recovers and recovers fast. The longer the debt gets suspended, the longer it takes to recover. It is bad for all the creditor and investors; everybody understands that including China. WION: Has China offered to restructure... Ali Sabry: We are in still discussions for that, they have been cooperative and part of the common plat form where we share information, recently in Washington. They are also took part on the virtual platform. So China, India, Paris club, Japan all of them being cooperative with us, so we are in the final stage of trying to get the debt restructuring and assurances. We are hopeful all countries and all our friends will not let us down. WION: Have you asked for more Indian support. Ali Sabry: Not really, right now our economy has stabilized to some extend and we should be able to manage our self. Right now, we have reached out to India and rest of the world, its not for aid or any more loans but basically investments. We are working with Indians and Indian companies and govt to work together in various areas for mutual interests, so that investment comes into the country and it will be beneficial for both Indians and Sri Lankans. WION: How do you see India, Sri Lanka ties evolving. Both have close relationship, biggest has been civilizational connect Ali Sabry: Very Very important for us, the most important relationship as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. For sure we share a civilization, our social, cultural, financial, economic ties are very very high and integrated. So it's important we understand India is growing, and biggest power in the region and hopefully will be the 3rd biggest economy by early 2030 or so. With that improvement, everybody in the region will also benefit. We need to understand how best we can cultivate this; we need to work towards it. There will be ups and downs, misunderstandings, but we are certain, given our long history of sharing a civilization, that Sri Lanka and Indian relationship will go strength to strength. WION: Ambassador Milinda has said that a security threat to India is a security threat to Sri Lanka. Do you agree? Ali Sabry: Basically, security together is very important for us, Indian security is also very important for us, no 2 words about it. We have understood that. we will not be willingly, or unwilling be part of for any threat to Indian security because any threat to India's security is threat to the region, and that region includes Sri Lanka and not good for Sri Lanka. We understand that we will work towards achieving peace and harmony in the region, no escalation of any sort of tension but peaceful relationship, enhanced economic activities which will benefit everybody in the region. WION: All good relations have a set of irritants, and recently we saw the visit of a Chinese spy ship or a research ship that it seems has put a kink in ties Ali Sabry: I don't think any kink or so but basically some concerns were expressed, and we were able to discuss those things and follow up. On our part we have made it very clear to everybody in the world that we don't want to contribute to escalation of tension between anyone. We are a very peaceful country, we would continue to do so and going forward, there will be no surprises. Everyone who will be entitled will be known in advance, we will have a known procedure in place so that no one is surprised, so therefore it is important we also have the freedom of navigation in the Indian ocean. In the meantime, there should not be any security threat to any of our neighbor WION: Will future such visits, visit of Chinese spy ships or as they say research ship be allowed taking care of Indian sensitivities Ali Sabry: I don't want to speculate, but Indian sensitivities will be kept in mind, we will continue to work with India and understand Indian sentiments so that we don't create any unpleasantries for both India, Sri Lanka and to the region. WION: How do you see ties with China... Ali Sabry: Our relationship with Beijing is very strong for long period of time, they have been close friend. This year we have celebrated 70 years of economic ties with them with Rubber, Rice pact, we exported rubber to them and imported rice. So our is a strong relationship and basically it has been a commercial relationship, economic relationship where they have come and invested heavily in Sri Lanka during a difficult period of time for us and during the 26 years of the conflict, during the last few years, Chinese supported us with supply of arms to get rid of threat from one of the most ruthless terrorist organization, the LTTE in order to bring back peace to our country. In that context that we have had very good relationship with them, sri lanka always follow the dynamic, neutral foreign policy where we would want everyone to be a friend of Sri Lanka and enemy to none. That is our foreign policy, that is our relationship, so given this dynamism, we would continue the same thing but taking India's sensitivities and security concerns because that is very important for us. WION: Do you think the current economic crisis is due to China, its policy of debt crisis Ali Sabry: No, I don't agree with that, that is a western phrase. We don't agree with that. Chinese never came and forcefully gave us money to us. Actually, we have gone and sort fund and they have respected that invested in our country. They are that biggest investor in our country, we don't agree with that phrase. Having taken the money we have put in proper use or who so ever we can get return is issue for Sri Lankans, therefore we don't associate with that kind of phrase, actually Chinese have been good friend for us and they have been biggest investor in the country post conflict in Sri Lanka WION: How has the Russia-Ukraine conflict impacted your country, and do you plan to buy Russian energy, do you worry about sanctions Ali Sabry: We have been disproportionately impacted by the Russian conflict so we pray and urge everybody to quickly, diplomatically and by dialogue resolve this. We have been impacted big time in terms of petroleum prices, the crude oil prices, the prices of coal and prices of grains and escalating prices of fertilizers. These are lifeline to our people, 30% of Sri Lankans involved in agriculture. We have been disproportionately impacted when prices go up in the market and with our depreciating rupee, the prices have gone 4-5 times of some of those things. It has been really -really difficult for Sri Lankans, and on top of that Russia, Ukraine have been our first 10 countries in terms of tourist coming to Sri Lanka and in export destination of our products like tea so that is huge problem of us, that has really impacted us and other countries and economies have slowed. We disproportionately impacted by this conflict and no 2 words about it. Yes, if there is a way to deal with Russian oil, why not, we want to. The kind of price escalation, it is unaffordable for us. As our President once put it, when the elephants fight, it's the grass which gets trampled, small countries like us get disproportionately trampled by this issue which is taking place in the world. So therefore, at the discounted prices without violating international norms, laws we would want to work with Russians, because Russia we have good relations for a long period of time, Russian discounted prices also is not a problem for other countries because no one wants Russian oil out of the market. Moment Russian oil goes out of the market, there will be scarcity and that will probably shoot up the prices and will create economic upheaval in terms of recession or something of that sort. I don't think anyone will like that. WION: Have you spoken to Russians for it or engaged India on that given India gets discounted Russian oil Ali Sabry: we have had several rounds of discussions, we are pursuing that option, keeping that option open either directly or through India WION: Option on energy via India or with Russia... Ali Sabry: with basically Moscow WION: Are you looking at an election in the country... Ali Sabry: Not really, in terms of our constitution you can't have Presidential elections before 4 and half years of term is finished. So the term is only comes to an end in 2024 November, until such time you cannot have a new election so the president has to continue, even if the siting President resigns, you need to go through the Parliament and elect someone for the term which is exactly what happened in Sri Lanka in July this year. As far as Parliamentary election is concerned, 2 and half years you cannot dissolve the Parliament and it came to an end in March but yet the Parliamentarians need to vote for that, so therefore, simple majority must vote for that, there has to be a no confidence motion. So, it is for the members of the Parliament to do so, or otherwise no possibility because certain term being given, President for 5 years and Parliament for 5 year and that period should take place in terms of the constitution. WION: Any plans to implement the 13th amendment and also India expressed concerns over situation of Tamil minorities at UNHRC Ali Sabry: right now actually we all want provincial council elections, it cannot be held now because of the a particular bill that was brought in to parliament in 2018 by then govt for which the TNA and Tamil parties also voted in terms of that particular voting a new delimitation has to take place of the provinces and it has not taken place and there is some legal impediment on that. It is their own doing unfortunately, and they did it that time to prevent elections and as a result of that but naturally 13th amendment should be implemented and those powers which was with them should be given to them, power should be devolved to the people in the area, the people of the areas should deal with the activity whom they elected. So yes 13th amendment should be implemented and govt is keen on implementing that. yes, India had taken up at various forums including the UNHRC.

China Spy Ship Row: Sri Lanka FM Ali Sabry says New Delhi's sensitivities will be kept in mind

The saga of a 28-year-old man named Aaftab Amin Poonawala in India’s capital Delhi who killed his live-in partner Shraddha Vikas Walker brutally in May is sure to send chills down anyone's spine. Delhi police is still investigating the case and in the latest development has reportedly moved a lower court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala. This comes after media reports citing police said Aaftab was misleading the investigation by his answers during investigation. The police reportedly said Aaftab had confessed of killing his live-in partner and dismembering her body into 35 pieces. Now, the court is likely to hear the plea on Tuesday, reported ANI news agency. The agency citing sources said Aaftab will be produced before the court once his five-day police custody expires.&nbsp;

Earlier multiple media reports said the court extended the police custody of the accused. Before the plea for polygraph test Delhi police had also sought to conduct narco test on Aaftab to investigate the gruesome killing, the reports added. According to reports, the court had allowed the application seeking permission for a narco analysis test on Aaftab. The accused was connected to the court proceedings through video conferencing. Aaftab was not physically produced before the court and his consent for the test was sought through video conferencing.

When came to light, the case shocked the nation. It still continues to do so we learn more each day about the gory details emerging out of the ongoing investigation. The 26-year-old Walker was allegedly strangled to death by Poonawala, who then chopped her body into 35 parts and bought a refrigerator to keep them. Over the span of two to three months the accused scattered Shraddha's body parts in the city’s Mehrauli forest and surrounding areas and reportedly said that he was “inspired” by the American crime show ‘Dexter’, in which the protagonist is a forensics expert who leads a double life as a serial killer.&nbsp;

As per reports, Poonawala and Walker met in Mumbai and started dating soon after. Shraddha's family had not approved of their inter-faith relationship. Media reports said the couple later moved to Delhi in the first week of May and were living at a friend’s house and later they rented an apartment in South Delhi’s Chhattarpur area. Aaftab during the interrogation said Walker reportedly began pressuring him for marriage when their relationship became tense which led to frequent fights.&nbsp;

On May 18, following an argument, Poonawala allegedly strangled Walker and dismembered her in order to dispose off the body. The accused had allegedly bought a 300-litre fridge to keep the victim's body in at least 35 pieces. According to police sources cited in media, Poonawala was a trained chef from a private institute in Mumbai where he was also reportedly trained in cutting meat. It supposedly took him two days to cut Walker’s body and Poonawala claims that he did it with a hacksaw with multiple blades.&nbsp;

However, the police are yet to recover the tool allegedly used to commit the crime. Furthermore, the accused claims that after “chopping the body”, he “washed the blood from them and stuffed them in some plastic bags.” Reportedly, all these plastic bags were then kept in the fridge. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The 28-year-old would then step out of the house around 2 am to dispose off the victim’s body one part at a time in the Mehrauli forest and surrounding areas, said media reports. The police reportedly said that during this time, Poonawala would burn incense sticks to keep the foul smell away and wipe the floor with detergent. &nbsp;

“After almost two three months, he discarded the head and the torso,” said a police officer to the Indian Express. Meanwhile, the accused reportedly had also researched human anatomy, Googled ways to clean human blood from the floor with some chemicals, and disposed off the stained clothes.&nbsp;

The local police have also claimed that the accused disclosed that weeks after the alleged murder he became active on the dating app Bumble through which he had met Walker, and even started dating another girl and had even visited the apartment where Walker had allegedly been killed.&nbsp;

The arrest was made after Walker’s father, Vikash Madan Walker, was led to Delhi from Maharashtra’s Palghar district after lodging a missing person complaint in Mumbai. During the interrogation, Aaftab reportedly confessed to the crime and the police had also recovered some bones from their rented apartment in Delhi.&nbsp;

He had also allegedly impersonated the victim on social media for weeks and spoken to her friends while continuing to live in the same flat. Walker’s father had come to Delhi after Shraddha’s friend had said that her phone had been switched off for weeks back in September, according to media reports. On November 8, Vikas Madan lodged a complaint at the Mehrauli police station after which the police filed a case of murder and got five-day custody of the accused who eventually confessed.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The saga of a 28-year-old man named Aaftab Amin Poonawala in India’s capital Delhi who killed his live-in partner Shraddha Vikas Walker brutally in May is sure to send chills down anyone's spine.

The saga of a 28-year-old man named Aaftab Amin Poonawala in India’s capital Delhi who killed his live-in partner Shraddha Vikas Walker brutally in May is sure to send chills down anyone's spine. Delhi police is still investigating the case and in the latest development has reportedly moved a lower court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test on the accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala. This comes after media reports citing police said Aaftab was misleading the investigation by his answers during investigation. The police reportedly said Aaftab had confessed of killing his live-in partner and dismembering her body into 35 pieces. Now, the court is likely to hear the plea on Tuesday, reported ANI news agency. The agency citing sources said Aaftab will be produced before the court once his five-day police custody expires. Earlier multiple media reports said the court extended the police custody of the accused. Before the plea for polygraph test Delhi police had also sought to conduct narco test on Aaftab to investigate the gruesome killing, the reports added. According to reports, the court had allowed the application seeking permission for a narco analysis test on Aaftab. The accused was connected to the court proceedings through video conferencing. Aaftab was not physically produced before the court and his consent for the test was sought through video conferencing. When came to light, the case shocked the nation. It still continues to do so we learn more each day about the gory details emerging out of the ongoing investigation. The 26-year-old Walker was allegedly strangled to death by Poonawala, who then chopped her body into 35 parts and bought a refrigerator to keep them. Over the span of two to three months the accused scattered Shraddha's body parts in the city’s Mehrauli forest and surrounding areas and reportedly said that he was “inspired” by the American crime show ‘Dexter’, in which the protagonist is a forensics expert who leads a double life as a serial killer. As per reports, Poonawala and Walker met in Mumbai and started dating soon after. Shraddha's family had not approved of their inter-faith relationship. Media reports said the couple later moved to Delhi in the first week of May and were living at a friend’s house and later they rented an apartment in South Delhi’s Chhattarpur area. Aaftab during the interrogation said Walker reportedly began pressuring him for marriage when their relationship became tense which led to frequent fights. On May 18, following an argument, Poonawala allegedly strangled Walker and dismembered her in order to dispose off the body. The accused had allegedly bought a 300-litre fridge to keep the victim's body in at least 35 pieces. According to police sources cited in media, Poonawala was a trained chef from a private institute in Mumbai where he was also reportedly trained in cutting meat. It supposedly took him two days to cut Walker’s body and Poonawala claims that he did it with a hacksaw with multiple blades. However, the police are yet to recover the tool allegedly used to commit the crime. Furthermore, the accused claims that after “chopping the body”, he “washed the blood from them and stuffed them in some plastic bags.” Reportedly, all these plastic bags were then kept in the fridge. The 28-year-old would then step out of the house around 2 am to dispose off the victim’s body one part at a time in the Mehrauli forest and surrounding areas, said media reports. The police reportedly said that during this time, Poonawala would burn incense sticks to keep the foul smell away and wipe the floor with detergent. “After almost two three months, he discarded the head and the torso,” said a police officer to the Indian Express. Meanwhile, the accused reportedly had also researched human anatomy, Googled ways to clean human blood from the floor with some chemicals, and disposed off the stained clothes. The local police have also claimed that the accused disclosed that weeks after the alleged murder he became active on the dating app Bumble through which he had met Walker, and even started dating another girl and had even visited the apartment where Walker had allegedly been killed. The arrest was made after Walker’s father, Vikash Madan Walker, was led to Delhi from Maharashtra’s Palghar district after lodging a missing person complaint in Mumbai. During the interrogation, Aaftab reportedly confessed to the crime and the police had also recovered some bones from their rented apartment in Delhi. He had also allegedly impersonated the victim on social media for weeks and spoken to her friends while continuing to live in the same flat. Walker’s father had come to Delhi after Shraddha’s friend had said that her phone had been switched off for weeks back in September, according to media reports. On November 8, Vikas Madan lodged a complaint at the Mehrauli police station after which the police filed a case of murder and got five-day custody of the accused who eventually confessed.

Delhi Shraddha Murder Case: What we know about ‘Dexter-inspired’ murder case so far

The Air quality in India's capital New Delhi is worsening day by day. This has prompted the authorities to impose anti-pollution measures,

South Asia Diary: Delhi enveloped in thick layer of smog

A powerful earthquake of 6.6 magnitude has hit Nepal. According to reports about six people were killed and five others wee seriously injured. The National Seismological Centre has said that the earthquake happened roughly at about 2:12 AM with an epicenter in a place called Khaptad National Park in the Doti disctrict.

Earthquake rattles Nepal: Strong tremors felt in New Delhi, surrounding areas

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is heading to Russia for a two-day bilateral visit. The top Indian minister is expected to hold an audience with&nbsp;Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. However, it is not clear if he will be meeting President Vladimir Putin.

"The external affairs minister will meet his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia. Discussions are expected to cover the entire range of bilateral issues as well as exchange of views on various regional and international developments," said MEA spokesperson&nbsp;Arindam Bagchi.

"Issues pertaining to bilateral economic cooperation in various domains will be discussed."

The visit by&nbsp;Jaishankar comes right before the G-20 summit, scheduled to take place in Bali from November 15-16.&nbsp;

The G-20 summit assumes importance because this will be the first time since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February that western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, will be in the same room.

Up until now, India has carefully nurdled its position on the issue with Jaishankar leading the charge.&nbsp;New Delhi hasn't condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has requested to solve the conflict through&nbsp;diplomacy and dialogue.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-reacts-on-pm-modis-not-an-era-of-war-remark-calls-out-west-for-misquoting-519196">Read more:&nbsp;Russia: West misquoting, selectively picking PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark</a>

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia later this year. Thus, Jaishankar could be laying the groundwork for things to come. As the western bloc attempts to alienate Russia, it becomes highly crucial for Putin to have New Delhi in its corner.

Moreover, the visit comes in the backdrop of&nbsp;Russia becoming India's largest oil supplier in the month of October. According to reports, Kremlin now supplies almost 22 per cent of India's total crude imports, beating the likes of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-foreign-minister-meets-indian-eam-s-jaishankar-467449">WATCH |&nbsp;Russian foreign minister meets Indian EAM S Jaishankar</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russian-foreign-minister-meets-indian-eam-s-jaishankar-467449/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier this year, when western pressure was at full tilt on New Delhi to stop importing oil from Russia, S Jaishankar took a rather strong approach and shut the western media saying&nbsp;"buying Russian gas is not funding the war".

"Why it's only Indian money and fund coming from India and not gas coming to Europe which funds war, let's be even-handed out," said Jaishankar at the Globsec 2022 Bratislava forum.

"Why countries in Europe and West and the United States, why don`t they allow Iranian oil in the market why don`t they allow Venezuela oil to come to the market? They have squeezed every other source of oil we have and then say you will not go to the market and get the best deal for the people, it's not a fair approach," he added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india/buying-russian-gas-is-not-funding-the-war-says-jaishankar-484836">Read more:&nbsp;Buying Russian gas is not funding the war, says Jaishankar</a>

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is heading to Russia for a two-day bilateral visit. The top Indian minister is expected to hold an audience with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is heading to Russia for a two-day bilateral visit. The top Indian minister is expected to hold an audience with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. However, it is not clear if he will be meeting President Vladimir Putin. "The external affairs minister will meet his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia. Discussions are expected to cover the entire range of bilateral issues as well as exchange of views on various regional and international developments," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. "Issues pertaining to bilateral economic cooperation in various domains will be discussed." The visit by Jaishankar comes right before the G-20 summit, scheduled to take place in Bali from November 15-16. The G-20 summit assumes importance because this will be the first time since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February that western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, will be in the same room. Up until now, India has carefully nurdled its position on the issue with Jaishankar leading the charge. New Delhi hasn't condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has requested to solve the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. Read more: Russia: West misquoting, selectively picking PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Russia later this year. Thus, Jaishankar could be laying the groundwork for things to come. As the western bloc attempts to alienate Russia, it becomes highly crucial for Putin to have New Delhi in its corner. Moreover, the visit comes in the backdrop of Russia becoming India's largest oil supplier in the month of October. According to reports, Kremlin now supplies almost 22 per cent of India's total crude imports, beating the likes of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. WATCH | Russian foreign minister meets Indian EAM S Jaishankar × Earlier this year, when western pressure was at full tilt on New Delhi to stop importing oil from Russia, S Jaishankar took a rather strong approach and shut the western media saying "buying Russian gas is not funding the war". "Why it's only Indian money and fund coming from India and not gas coming to Europe which funds war, let's be even-handed out," said Jaishankar at the Globsec 2022 Bratislava forum. "Why countries in Europe and West and the United States, why don`t they allow Iranian oil in the market why don`t they allow Venezuela oil to come to the market? They have squeezed every other source of oil we have and then say you will not go to the market and get the best deal for the people, it's not a fair approach," he added. Read more: Buying Russian gas is not funding the war, says Jaishankar (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarks on Russia trip, ahead of the G-20 summit

new-delhi

New Delhi, News on New Delhi, stories on New Delhi, articles on New Delhi, New Delhi stories at Wion, New Delhi news, New Delhi latest news

new delhi