Nigeria`s government is in talks with Islamist militant group Boko Haram about a possible ceasefire with the ultimate aim of securing a permanent cessation of hostilities, the country`s information minister said on Sunday.

It is the first time in years the government has said it is talking to Boko Haram about a ceasefire in an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people since 2009. President Muhammadu Buhari`s administration has repeatedly said it is willing to hold talks with the group.

"Unknown to many, we have been in wider cessation-of-hostility talks with the insurgents for some time now," said Information Minister Lai Mohammed in an emailed statement outlining the background to the release of more than 100 schoolgirls freed last week by the group.

They had been kidnapped on Feb. 19 from the northeastern town of Dapchi. The kidnap of about 110 schoolgirls was the biggest mass abduction since around 270 girls were taken from the northeastern town of Chibok, in 2014.

Boko Haram fighters stunned Dapchi`s residents on Wednesday when they drove into the town and released the girls, who said five of their group had died in captivity and one had not been freed. 
Mohammed said a week-long ceasefire, starting on March 19, had been agreed to enable the group to drop off the girls. Mohammed said 111 girls were taken from the school - one more than previously thought - and six remained unaccounted for.

The freed girls were returned home to Dapchi on Sunday after meeting Buhari in the capital, Abuja, last week, according to the parents of at least two girls.

FACTIONS

"We were able to leverage on the wider talks when the Dapchi girls were abducted," said Mohammed.

"The ultimate aim is the permanent cessation of hostilities," he later told Reuters by telephone. A presidential spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman who purportedly represents the insurgents could not immediately be reached.

Boko Haram aims to create an Islamic state. Its campaign has spread to neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger but the group has been severely weakened in recent years by regional military pressure and it has lost most of the territory it once held.

Antony Goldman, of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting, said it would be difficult to negotiate with the group due to its divisions.

Boko Haram split when Islamic State named Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the group`s leader in August 2016. The other main division is led by Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram`s most recognizable figure. He is known for videos taunting Nigerian authorities and his faction uses girls as suicide bombers.

"There are many factions, some of which have committed terrible atrocities and have a world vision incompatible with the rule of law and constitutional democracy - but other elements may be ready to settle," said Goldman.

Security is a politically sensitive issue ahead of an election next February because Buhari was elected in 2015 in part because of his promise to improve security. For years he has said Boko Haram is defeated.

Nigeria has also seen several recent outbreaks of communal violence and it is trying to maintain a fragile peace in the Niger Delta where militant attacks on oil facilities helped push Africa`s biggest economy into a recession in 2016.

Buhari has in the last few weeks toured areas hit by security problems but has not said if he will seek re-election.

It is the first time in years the government has said it is talking to Boko Haram about a ceasefire in an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people since 2009.

Nigeria`s government is in talks with Islamist militant group Boko Haram about a possible ceasefire with the ultimate aim of securing a permanent cessation of hostilities, the country`s information minister said on Sunday. It is the first time in years the government has said it is talking to Boko Haram about a ceasefire in an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people since 2009. President Muhammadu Buhari`s administration has repeatedly said it is willing to hold talks with the group. "Unknown to many, we have been in wider cessation-of-hostility talks with the insurgents for some time now," said Information Minister Lai Mohammed in an emailed statement outlining the background to the release of more than 100 schoolgirls freed last week by the group. They had been kidnapped on Feb. 19 from the northeastern town of Dapchi. The kidnap of about 110 schoolgirls was the biggest mass abduction since around 270 girls were taken from the northeastern town of Chibok, in 2014. Boko Haram fighters stunned Dapchi`s residents on Wednesday when they drove into the town and released the girls, who said five of their group had died in captivity and one had not been freed. Mohammed said a week-long ceasefire, starting on March 19, had been agreed to enable the group to drop off the girls. Mohammed said 111 girls were taken from the school - one more than previously thought - and six remained unaccounted for. The freed girls were returned home to Dapchi on Sunday after meeting Buhari in the capital, Abuja, last week, according to the parents of at least two girls. FACTIONS "We were able to leverage on the wider talks when the Dapchi girls were abducted," said Mohammed. "The ultimate aim is the permanent cessation of hostilities," he later told Reuters by telephone. A presidential spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman who purportedly represents the insurgents could not immediately be reached. Boko Haram aims to create an Islamic state. Its campaign has spread to neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger but the group has been severely weakened in recent years by regional military pressure and it has lost most of the territory it once held. Antony Goldman, of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting, said it would be difficult to negotiate with the group due to its divisions. Boko Haram split when Islamic State named Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the group`s leader in August 2016. The other main division is led by Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram`s most recognizable figure. He is known for videos taunting Nigerian authorities and his faction uses girls as suicide bombers. "There are many factions, some of which have committed terrible atrocities and have a world vision incompatible with the rule of law and constitutional democracy - but other elements may be ready to settle," said Goldman. Security is a politically sensitive issue ahead of an election next February because Buhari was elected in 2015 in part because of his promise to improve security. For years he has said Boko Haram is defeated. Nigeria has also seen several recent outbreaks of communal violence and it is trying to maintain a fragile peace in the Niger Delta where militant attacks on oil facilities helped push Africa`s biggest economy into a recession in 2016. Buhari has in the last few weeks toured areas hit by security problems but has not said if he will seek re-election.

Nigeria talking to Boko Haram about possible ceasefire

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times&nbsp;didn&#39;t publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump&#39;s responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. 
 
The interview covers a range of topics. 
 
Moral standing 
 
Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime&#39;s domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think we have a right to lecture,&quot; Trump said. &quot;How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?&quot; He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. 
 
It failed to dawn on Trump that he&#39;s comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President&#39;s authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. 
 
Ironically, corroborating Trump&#39;s claim that the US shouldn&#39;t preach is Trump&#39;s own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. 
 
Foreign policy 
 
Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens.&nbsp; 
 
When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato,&nbsp;he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. 
 
Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House.&nbsp;More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties&nbsp;are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. 
 
In terms of international trade he urged to put &quot;America first&quot;, as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on &quot;America second&quot;. He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements.&nbsp;&quot;He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms.&quot; 
 
The Coup 
 
&quot;I give credit to him for being able to turn that around&quot;, Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn&#39;t take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can&#39;t all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of &nbsp;the failed coup.&nbsp;This is as basic as it is important, so it&#39;s worth quoting the&nbsp;Times&nbsp;piece here in full: 
 
&quot;Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. &#39;When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don&#39;t think we are a very good messenger,&#39; he said.&quot; 
 
The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, &quot;and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them&quot;. 
 
But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties,&nbsp;it&#39;s unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he&#39;s making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties.&nbsp; 
 
Islamic State 
 
Obama&#39;s administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to &quot;bomb the shit out of them&quot; or to converse.&nbsp; 
 
Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, &quot;Assad is a bad man&quot;. Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him &quot;a lot of knowledge&quot;, but shed no light on this knowledge. 
 
Nuclear weapons 
 
The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost&nbsp;of $500-billion. &quot;He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America&#39;s nuclear arsenal,&quot; the article says.&nbsp; 
 
To put it lightly, nothing in the Times&nbsp;interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. &quot;We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don&#39;t even know if it works.&quot; 
 
Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Wide-ranging media interview comes as close as possible to revealing what may be called his thoughts

Donald Trump gave an interview with The New York Times Wednesday night, the same evening he received the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The Times didn't publish a full transcript of the 45 minute discussion, but summarised the thrust of Trump's responses, supplemented when necessary with quotations. The interview covers a range of topics. Moral standing Trump said he would not condemn authoritarian allies like Turkey, who critics fear is in the midst of a widespread purge of the regime's domestic enemies. President Erdogan has reportedly arrested or fired 50,000 people, from high-ranking figures in the military, justice system and police to university professors. In a move that rings of anything but democracy, he is currently trying to reinstate the death penalty. "I don't think we have a right to lecture," Trump said. "How are we going to lecture people when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?" He was responding to the two recent fatal attacks against policemen by two ex-military African-American men, who appeared to be responding, in an appalling and unforgivable way, to numerous incidents of police brutality against African-Americans happening in cities across America. It failed to dawn on Trump that he's comparing a rogue military faction and a sitting President's authoritarian response to the actions of two non-state actors. About the preponderance of videos emerging showing American policemen shooting unarmed civilians Trump was quiet, but that would have made his comparison closer to sensible. Ironically, corroborating Trump's claim that the US shouldn't preach is Trump's own behaviour, as he has incited violence at his rallies. Unsurprisingly he has failed to criticize himself for this. Foreign policy Trump sees the world, and every single thing in it, through a money lens. When asked if under his presidency he would defend the 28 members of Nato, he laid a new condition; he would, but only after assessing their contributions to the alliance. Allies would receive protection if their relationship was economically advantageous, or would leave them to the wolves if they proved a net loss. Many before have criticised the military-industrial complex, but the notion of the American military being nothing more than a money-making enterprise has never been laid out so nakely by someone so close to the White House. More, this response presupposes that signed international treaties are in no way legally binding, undermining not just Nato but the very idea of entering into agreements with other countries. In terms of international trade he urged to put "America first", as if any other American politician has ever campaigned on "America second". He is by definition above rules, laws and agreements. "He was prepared to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he could not negotiate radically better terms." The Coup "I give credit to him for being able to turn that around", Trump said, as if talking about a dramatic come-from-behind victory in game 7. It doesn't take much reverence for morals or law to be concerned over the tens of thousands people imprisoned since the failed military coup, who can't all be guilty. Many world leaders urged Erdogan to be lawful in the wake of the failed coup. This is as basic as it is important, so it's worth quoting the Times piece here in full: "Asked if Mr Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice. 'When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don't think we are a very good messenger,' he said." The article points out that this places him in the same camp as Russia, North Korea and China, "and other autocratic nations (who) frequently cite violence and disorder on American streets to justify their own practises, and to make the case that the United States has no standing to criticise them". But this obscures an important point: those countries have in mind footage of American police killing citizens, mostly poor or African-American ones, something Trump has never denounced and if anything supports. When he talks about the apparent erosion of civil liberties, it's unclear what he means. If he has in mind the two men who recently killed police officers, he's making a categorical mistake: by definition only agents of the state, not private citizens, can take away civil liberties. Islamic State Obama's administration is in a bind: both its ally Turkey and the Kurds are fighting IS effectively, but Turkey is also fighting the Kurds out of fear they will break away and form their own state. Trump claims he will break this impasse by...hosting meetings. Knowing no middle ground, the way to defeat IS is either to "bomb the shit out of them" or to converse. Regarding the leader of Syria Trump was uncharacteristically perspicacious, saying, "Assad is a bad man". Trump claimed to have been briefed by two former Republican secretaries of state, who gave him "a lot of knowledge", but shed no light on this knowledge. Nuclear weapons The Obama administration has begun the process of modernising its nuclear arsenal, but the next president will decide whether or not to launch the reboot in earnest, with all the purchasing of submarines and bombers that entails, for an estimated cost of $500-billion. "He talked of funding a major military buildup, starting with a modernisation of America's nuclear arsenal," the article says. To put it lightly, nothing in the Times interview, or anything he has ever said bolsters confidence that Trump can be trusted around nuclear weapons. "We have a lot of obsolete weapons. We have nuclear that we don't even know if it works." Just how he plans to learn whether or not these nuclear weapons work should be a terriyfing thought to everybody. (WION)

Trump joins China and Russia in denouncing US civil liberties, without pointing to an example

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. 
 
Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. 
 
&quot;If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections,&quot; Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. &quot;A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve,&quot; he said, adding it would be an &quot;absurdity&quot;. 
 
Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. 
 
The country&#39;s political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain&#39;s long-established two-party system. 
 
Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. 
 
Rajoy&#39;s PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. 
 
In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. 
 
But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. &quot;We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right,&quot; Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party&#39;s leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. 
 
Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. 
 
Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues.&nbsp;Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy&#39;s government proposal through. 
 
(AFP)

The country has been without a fully functional government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls

Spain may be forced to hold a third round of elections, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned on Tuesday after his Socialist rival refused to back his efforts to form a government. Spain has been without a fully functioning government for more than seven months following two inconclusive polls, leaving it in political limbo in a sensitive economic and political period. But even as parties reiterate the crucial need for a stable government after repeat elections in June, none appear ready as yet to overcome their differences and seal a coalition deal, including Socialist party chief Pedro Sanchez. "If Mr Sanchez continues to say no, we will go to repeat elections," Rajoy, whose conservative Popular Party (PP) came first in June polls and who has therefore been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, told reporters. "A country that holds three elections in a year, or one in which its political leaders are incapable of agreeing, will not see its reputation improve," he said, adding it would be an "absurdity". Spain is currently ruled by a caretaker conservative government with limited room for manoeuvre just as it needs to take urgent steps to reduce its deficit, establish a budget for the coming year and address a growing separatist movement in the Catalonia region. The country's political paralysis started after elections on December 20 failed to give any party an absolute parliamentary majority, as upstart groupings Ciudadanos and Podemos shook up Spain's long-established two-party system. Fed up with years of crisis-sparked austerity and repeated corruption scandals, millions of Spaniards tasked the two upstarts to revitalise the country. But efforts to forge a coalition were unsuccessful as rival parties were unable to overcome their differences, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result. Rajoy's PP, in power since 2011, won the June 26 vote but fell short of an absolute majority, winning 137 seats out of 350. He has since been tasked by the king to form a coalition or minority government, which he will have to push through a parliamentary vote of confidence. In order to do so, Rajoy will need an absolute majority in the vote. If he fails, a second vote will be held in which he would only need a simple majority. But Sanchez, whose Socialist party came second in June elections and whose 85 seats would give any Rajoy-led government proposal a significant boost in a parliamentary vote refuses to back him. "We are not going to back something we want to change... the left will not back the right," Sanchez told reporters after meeting the acting prime minister. However, he appeared to leave the door open for the possibility that the Socialists would abstain in a vote of confidence, saying that the party's leadership committee would have the ultimate say in whether the grouping changes its posture or not. Several high-ranking members of the Socialist party, including former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, have pushed for an abstention to let a minority government led by Rajoy through, and thus end the political paralysis. And a high-ranking Socialist party source, who refuses to be named, has said an abstention in the second parliamentary vote is the most likely scenario. Rajoy is also due to meet Albert Rivera, the chief of centre-right upstart Ciudadanos, on Wednesday as his search for support continues. Rivera has said his party would be willing to abstain in the vote of confidence, but with just 32 seats, that would not be enough to push Rajoy's government proposal through. (AFP)

Spain PM warns third round of elections possible as deadlock continues

The Indian government on Monday radically liberalised the foreign direct investment (FDI) regime with the objective of providing major impetus to employment and job creation in India, as 100 per cent FDI was approved in the sectors of aviation, food, defence and pharmaceuticals. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Modi hailed a sweeping liberalisation of rules on foreign direct investment on Monday, saying they will make Asia&#39;s third-largest economy the most open in the world. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Key reform decisions were taken at a high level meeting chaired by the PM, which makes India the most open economy in the world for FDI,&quot; Modi said in a tweet. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In a second tweet, he said the changes would provide a &quot;major impetus to employment and job creation in India.&quot; &nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It has now been decided to permit 100% FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce (1/2)
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/744826441750163456">June 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
This is the second major reform after the last radical changes announced in November 2015. Now most of the sectors will be under the automatic approval route except a small negative list. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Launching the second set of liberalisation of foreign investments, the government relaxed the norms in host of sectors including single brand retail trade (SBTR), broadcasting carriage services, private security agencies and animal husbandry.&nbsp; 
Welcoming the landmark decision to open up the FDI regime, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said the relaxation of local sourcing norms under single brand retail trading for advanced technology products would encourage global brands to build up their participation in the country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Taken together, the FDI rules announced today will attract big new investments across key sectors such as food processing, defence production, pharmaceuticals and civil aviation, among others, thereby adding to growth and employment,&quot; Director General of CII Chandrajit Banerjee said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
Changes introduced in the policy include increase in sectoral caps, bringing more activities under the automatic route and easing of conditionality for foreign investment. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
These amendments seek to further simplify the regulations governing FDI in the country and make India an attractive destination for foreign investors. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It was decided to permit 100 per cent FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured or produced in India. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
In the defence sector, foreign investment beyond 49 per cent has now been permitted through government approval route, in cases resulting in access to modern technology in the country or for other reasons to be recorded. The condition of access to &#39;state-of-the-art&#39; technology in the country has been done away with. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
FDI limit for defence sector has also been made applicable to Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions covered under the Arms Act, 1959, of India. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
For private security agencies, FDI up to 49 per cent permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49 per cent and up to 74 per cent will be permitted through the government approval route. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The extant FDI policy on pharmaceutical sector provides for 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharma and FDI up to 100 per cent under government approval in brownfield pharma. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The extant policy on airports permits 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route in Greenfield Projects and 74 per cent FDI in Brownfield Projects under automatic route. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
With a view to aid in modernisation of the existing airports to establish a high standard and help ease the pressure on the existing airports, it has been decided to permit 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in Brownfield Airport projects. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As per the existing FDI policy, foreign investment up to 49 per cent is allowed under automatic route in scheduled air transport service/domestic scheduled passenger airline and regional air transport service. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It has now been decided to raise this limit to 100 per cent, with FDI up to 49 per cent permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49 per cent through government approval. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Monday&#39;s amendments to the FDI policy are meant to liberalise and simplify the FDI policy so as to provide ease of doing business in the country leading to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth of investment, incomes and employment. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
India&#39;s economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das said the manufacturing sector and job generation will get a boost with dual clearances no longer needed. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;With this liberalisation, we expect manufacturing activity to come in, more activity in defence products. The driving force behind the whole thing is that all this investment should facilitate creation of jobs,&quot; he told reporters here.&nbsp; 
The decision on FDI liberalisation was a follow-up to the decisions which were taken last November when a whole lot of reforms were announced. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Wherever approval is given by the regulator, the companies will not need to the approach the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for clearance,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(Agencies) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Foreign direct investment will be possible in sectors like food, defence, pharmaceuticals and aviation through the automatic approval route

The Indian government on Monday radically liberalised the foreign direct investment (FDI) regime with the objective of providing major impetus to employment and job creation in India, as 100 per cent FDI was approved in the sectors of aviation, food, defence and pharmaceuticals. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Modi hailed a sweeping liberalisation of rules on foreign direct investment on Monday, saying they will make Asia's third-largest economy the most open in the world. "Key reform decisions were taken at a high level meeting chaired by the PM, which makes India the most open economy in the world for FDI," Modi said in a tweet. In a second tweet, he said the changes would provide a "major impetus to employment and job creation in India." It has now been decided to permit 100% FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce (1/2) — PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 20, 2016 This is the second major reform after the last radical changes announced in November 2015. Now most of the sectors will be under the automatic approval route except a small negative list. Launching the second set of liberalisation of foreign investments, the government relaxed the norms in host of sectors including single brand retail trade (SBTR), broadcasting carriage services, private security agencies and animal husbandry. Welcoming the landmark decision to open up the FDI regime, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said the relaxation of local sourcing norms under single brand retail trading for advanced technology products would encourage global brands to build up their participation in the country. "Taken together, the FDI rules announced today will attract big new investments across key sectors such as food processing, defence production, pharmaceuticals and civil aviation, among others, thereby adding to growth and employment," Director General of CII Chandrajit Banerjee said in a statement. Changes introduced in the policy include increase in sectoral caps, bringing more activities under the automatic route and easing of conditionality for foreign investment. These amendments seek to further simplify the regulations governing FDI in the country and make India an attractive destination for foreign investors. It was decided to permit 100 per cent FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured or produced in India. In the defence sector, foreign investment beyond 49 per cent has now been permitted through government approval route, in cases resulting in access to modern technology in the country or for other reasons to be recorded. The condition of access to 'state-of-the-art' technology in the country has been done away with. FDI limit for defence sector has also been made applicable to Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions covered under the Arms Act, 1959, of India. For private security agencies, FDI up to 49 per cent permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49 per cent and up to 74 per cent will be permitted through the government approval route. The extant FDI policy on pharmaceutical sector provides for 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharma and FDI up to 100 per cent under government approval in brownfield pharma. The extant policy on airports permits 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route in Greenfield Projects and 74 per cent FDI in Brownfield Projects under automatic route. With a view to aid in modernisation of the existing airports to establish a high standard and help ease the pressure on the existing airports, it has been decided to permit 100 per cent FDI under automatic route in Brownfield Airport projects. As per the existing FDI policy, foreign investment up to 49 per cent is allowed under automatic route in scheduled air transport service/domestic scheduled passenger airline and regional air transport service. It has now been decided to raise this limit to 100 per cent, with FDI up to 49 per cent permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49 per cent through government approval. Monday's amendments to the FDI policy are meant to liberalise and simplify the FDI policy so as to provide ease of doing business in the country leading to larger FDI inflows contributing to growth of investment, incomes and employment. India's economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das said the manufacturing sector and job generation will get a boost with dual clearances no longer needed. "With this liberalisation, we expect manufacturing activity to come in, more activity in defence products. The driving force behind the whole thing is that all this investment should facilitate creation of jobs," he told reporters here. The decision on FDI liberalisation was a follow-up to the decisions which were taken last November when a whole lot of reforms were announced. "Wherever approval is given by the regulator, the companies will not need to the approach the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for clearance," he said. (Agencies)

Radical reform: India allows 100% FDI in key sectors

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