Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Kedarnath on Diwali

&nbsp;Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating has turned negative for the first time since he became the country's leader in August, according to an opinion poll published on Monday.

His drop in popularity follows the Liberals' loss of its one-seat majority in a by-election in the seat of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, which left the Liberal-National coalition as a minority government.

Despite Morrison's negative rating, the Newspoll found 58 per cent of voters want parliament to run to a full term, with an election due in May 2019.

The government has had a bad two weeks, after announcing a controversial plan to consider moving the Australian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; mistakenly backing an "it's ok to be white" motion in parliament; and then losing the Wentworth by-election.

The seat was won by independent Kerryn Phelps in a huge swing against the Liberals, who had held the seat for more than a century.

The Newspoll found that the number dissatisfied with Morrison jumped six points to 44 per cent, which gave the prime minister a net negative approval rating for the first time.

Satisfaction with Morrison dropped from 7 on October&nbsp;15 to -3 on October&nbsp;28. However, he was still ahead of opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten, who had a satisfaction rating of -13.

Based on the results of the poll, the government would lose 19 seats in an election.

The federal Liberals are considered so tainted that Morrison did not even show up at the party's campaign launch on Sunday for a state election in Victoria, to be held on November&nbsp;24.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating has turned negative for the first time since he became the country's leader in August, according to an opinion poll published on Monday.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating has turned negative for the first time since he became the country's leader in August, according to an opinion poll published on Monday. His drop in popularity follows the Liberals' loss of its one-seat majority in a by-election in the seat of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, which left the Liberal-National coalition as a minority government. Despite Morrison's negative rating, the Newspoll found 58 per cent of voters want parliament to run to a full term, with an election due in May 2019. The government has had a bad two weeks, after announcing a controversial plan to consider moving the Australian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; mistakenly backing an "it's ok to be white" motion in parliament; and then losing the Wentworth by-election. The seat was won by independent Kerryn Phelps in a huge swing against the Liberals, who had held the seat for more than a century. The Newspoll found that the number dissatisfied with Morrison jumped six points to 44 per cent, which gave the prime minister a net negative approval rating for the first time. Satisfaction with Morrison dropped from 7 on October 15 to -3 on October 28. However, he was still ahead of opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten, who had a satisfaction rating of -13. Based on the results of the poll, the government would lose 19 seats in an election. The federal Liberals are considered so tainted that Morrison did not even show up at the party's campaign launch on Sunday for a state election in Victoria, to be held on November 24.

Australian prime minister's approval rating turns negative: Poll

The US State Department on Sunday called on Sri Lanka's president to "immediately reconvene parliament" to allow representatives there to quell a violent constitutional crisis sparked by the prime minister's sudden sacking.

"We&nbsp;urge all sides to refrain from intimidation and&nbsp;violence," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We call on the President, in consultation with the Speaker, to immediately&nbsp;reconvene parliament and allow the democratically elected representatives of the Sri Lankan people to fulfill their responsibility to affirm who will lead their government."

President Maithripala Sirisena fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday and installed a former strongman as the new prime minister, triggering political chaos in the Indian Ocean nation.

Police said one man was killed and two people were injured &nbsp;Sunday when bodyguards for Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, a Wickremesinghe loyalist, fired live rounds as a mob allied to the president threatened the cabinet member.

Wickremesinghe has refused to vacate the prime minister's official residence since being controversially deposed, declaring his dismissal illegal and demanding an emergency session of parliament to prove he still commands a majority.

The US State Department on Sunday called on Sri Lanka's president to "immediately reconvene parliament" to allow representatives there to quell a violent constitutional crisis sparked by the prime minister's sudden sacking.

The US State Department on Sunday called on Sri Lanka's president to "immediately reconvene parliament" to allow representatives there to quell a violent constitutional crisis sparked by the prime minister's sudden sacking. "We urge all sides to refrain from intimidation and violence," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "We call on the President, in consultation with the Speaker, to immediately reconvene parliament and allow the democratically elected representatives of the Sri Lankan people to fulfill their responsibility to affirm who will lead their government." President Maithripala Sirisena fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday and installed a former strongman as the new prime minister, triggering political chaos in the Indian Ocean nation. Police said one man was killed and two people were injured Sunday when bodyguards for Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, a Wickremesinghe loyalist, fired live rounds as a mob allied to the president threatened the cabinet member. Wickremesinghe has refused to vacate the prime minister's official residence since being controversially deposed, declaring his dismissal illegal and demanding an emergency session of parliament to prove he still commands a majority.

US urges Sri Lanka president to 'immediately reconvene parliament'

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says&nbsp;there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister.

The report,&nbsp;titled 'Humanity at Risk-Global Terror Threat Indicant', came up with the hypothetical scenario post-2020. It predicted that the dominance of terrorists and extremists could lead to attacks targeting India's political and financial systems with the "open support of the Pakistan military".&nbsp;

The report also predicted that extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan would become increasingly popular.

"Extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan (are) become increasingly popular. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan [could] then elect Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," the report&nbsp;mentioned.

The report also placed Pakistan at the top of the list of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-responsible-for-three-times-the-terror-risk-to-humanity-than-syria-report-173753">countries that pose a threat</a> to "humanity" and "global peace".&nbsp;

The report goes on to warn about the threat of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks.

"LeT is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully, in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan then elects LeT founder Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," it said.&nbsp;

The study also predicted that eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, the two relatively lawless border areas between the two countries, could become a single breakaway Taliban state.&nbsp;

The report also predicted that al-Qaida would gain a foothold by co-opting other separatist and ethnic movements in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand.&nbsp;

"The US summarily exits Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of a right-wing president inaugurated in January 2029, throwing those countries into major chaos. China's involvement in Afghanistan, specifically the attempt to play interlocutor with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, backfires. Incensed Pakistani and Afghan terror groups incite violence within China, thereby emboldening Uighur militants to launch a major attack in Beijing or Shanghai," the report said.

'Global Terror Threat Indicant' (GTTI) concludes that LeT and JeM are greater threats to humanity than the Islamic State/Daesh. 
&nbsp;

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister.

A report by the Indian think tank Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) and Oxford University says there is the possibility that Mumbai terror attack mastermind and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed could in the near future become Pakistan's prime minister. The report, titled 'Humanity at Risk-Global Terror Threat Indicant', came up with the hypothetical scenario post-2020. It predicted that the dominance of terrorists and extremists could lead to attacks targeting India's political and financial systems with the "open support of the Pakistan military". The report also predicted that extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan would become increasingly popular. "Extremist and religious political parties in Pakistan (are) become increasingly popular. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan [could] then elect Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," the report mentioned. The report also placed Pakistan at the top of the list of countries that pose a threat to "humanity" and "global peace". The report goes on to warn about the threat of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks. "LeT is able to build its party infrastructure and contest the federal elections successfully, in alliance with other extremist groups and active unofficial support from the military. Pakistan then elects LeT founder Hafiz Saeed as the head of government," it said. The study also predicted that eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, the two relatively lawless border areas between the two countries, could become a single breakaway Taliban state. The report also predicted that al-Qaida would gain a foothold by co-opting other separatist and ethnic movements in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand. "The US summarily exits Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of a right-wing president inaugurated in January 2029, throwing those countries into major chaos. China's involvement in Afghanistan, specifically the attempt to play interlocutor with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, backfires. Incensed Pakistani and Afghan terror groups incite violence within China, thereby emboldening Uighur militants to launch a major attack in Beijing or Shanghai," the report said. 'Global Terror Threat Indicant' (GTTI) concludes that LeT and JeM are greater threats to humanity than the Islamic State/Daesh.

'Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed could become Pakistan PM'

A report submitted to the Pakistan Supreme Court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday revealed that a number of government officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khanum, own benami property in Dubai.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's spokesperson on economy and energy issues, Farrukh Saleem's mother, Senator Taj Afridi and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem's widow are also named in the report, The Express Tribune reported.

The report, examining the details of the properties owned by Pakistanis, further cited that as many as 16 properties were owned by PTI leader Mumtaz Ahmed Muslim, while former PPP minister Amin Faheem's widow Rizwana Ameen is the owner of four properties in the real estate market of the country.

Also, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Anwar Baig's wife is named to be the owner of an apartment.

Other eminent individuals to be included in the report are Pakistani singer Adnan Sami Khan's mother Noreen Sami Kha, who has three properties to her name, customs collector Shahid Majeed, Federal Board of Revenue officer Wasif Khan, former Pakistan International Airlines Managing Director Ijaz Haroon's wife.

Daughters of Tariq Aziz, the former secretary of former President General Pervez Musharraf, DIG Suhail Habib Tajik, and customs collector Wahid Khurshid's wife have also been named in the list.

Notices have been sent in this regard to all those named in the list.

A report submitted to the Pakistan Supreme Court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday revealed that a number of government officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khanum, own benami property in Dubai.

A report submitted to the Pakistan Supreme Court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday revealed that a number of government officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khanum, own benami property in Dubai. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's spokesperson on economy and energy issues, Farrukh Saleem's mother, Senator Taj Afridi and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem's widow are also named in the report, The Express Tribune reported. The report, examining the details of the properties owned by Pakistanis, further cited that as many as 16 properties were owned by PTI leader Mumtaz Ahmed Muslim, while former PPP minister Amin Faheem's widow Rizwana Ameen is the owner of four properties in the real estate market of the country. Also, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Anwar Baig's wife is named to be the owner of an apartment. Other eminent individuals to be included in the report are Pakistani singer Adnan Sami Khan's mother Noreen Sami Kha, who has three properties to her name, customs collector Shahid Majeed, Federal Board of Revenue officer Wasif Khan, former Pakistan International Airlines Managing Director Ijaz Haroon's wife. Daughters of Tariq Aziz, the former secretary of former President General Pervez Musharraf, DIG Suhail Habib Tajik, and customs collector Wahid Khurshid's wife have also been named in the list. Notices have been sent in this regard to all those named in the list.

Pak PM's sister's named in FIA benami property report

Sri Lanka's president issued a formal notice Saturday for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down as prime minister and recognise his shock dismissal, in an unfolding constitutional crisis.

Hours after sacking his former ally, President Maithripala Sirisena issued gazettes formalising the dramatic move, and the installation of one-time strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse as the new prime minister.

However, Wickremesinghe continued to occupy Temple Trees, the official residence of the prime minister, and insisted in a letter to Sirisena that he was still in office.

He has said that he can be removed only by parliament where his party enjoys a majority, and also vowed to seek legal action against what he condemned as an unconstitutional move against him. &nbsp;

"I am addressing you as the prime minister of Sri Lanka," Wickremesinghe told reporters at a nationally televised press conference on Friday night. "I remain as prime minister and I will function as the prime minister."

Since his rushed swearing in, Rajapakse is yet to announce the formation of a cabinet -- which under the constitution is automatically dissolved when a prime minister is removed.

Parliamentary Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has said he will decide Saturday whether to recognise Rajapakse or not, after seeking legal advice.

Parliament is not due to meet until November 5 when the 2019 national budget is due to be presented. The Supreme Court, which is empowered to resolve constitutional disputes, is shut for the weekend and reopens on Monday.

The president's United People's Freedom Alliance party had earlier Friday quit the coalition that had governed with Wickremesinghe's party.

Speaking to jubilant supporters outside his Colombo home late Friday, Rajapakse also called on Wickremesinghe to step down.&nbsp;

Members of his party must "respect democracy, respect the country and respect the law", the former president said through a loudhailer from a balcony. &nbsp;

US urges calm&nbsp;

Overnight, Rajapakse loyalists stormed two state-owned television networks -- which they regard as loyal to the outgoing government -- and forced them off the air.&nbsp;

Video footage from private networks showed police overwhelmed by mobs at the Rupavahini national TV station but elsewhere in the capital streets remained calm.&nbsp;

The United States called on all sides in Sri Lanka to operate within the constitution and refrain from violence, and urged the island to move forward on post-war reconciliation.

Rajapakse crushed the decades-long Tamil Tiger uprising while in power, but refused to acknowledge abuses committed during the bloody civil war.

"We call on all parties to act in accordance with Sri Lanka's constitution, refrain from violence and follow due process," the State Department said.

"We expect the government of Sri Lanka to uphold its Geneva commitments to human rights, reform, accountability, justice and reconciliation."

After Sirisena's election in 2015, Sri Lanka shifted from confrontation to conciliation with the US and other Western powers and promised at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to investigate allegations of abuses.

Sri Lanka's president issued a formal notice Saturday for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down as prime minister and recognise his shock dismissal, in an unfolding constitutional crisis.

Sri Lanka's president issued a formal notice Saturday for Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down as prime minister and recognise his shock dismissal, in an unfolding constitutional crisis. Hours after sacking his former ally, President Maithripala Sirisena issued gazettes formalising the dramatic move, and the installation of one-time strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse as the new prime minister. However, Wickremesinghe continued to occupy Temple Trees, the official residence of the prime minister, and insisted in a letter to Sirisena that he was still in office. He has said that he can be removed only by parliament where his party enjoys a majority, and also vowed to seek legal action against what he condemned as an unconstitutional move against him. "I am addressing you as the prime minister of Sri Lanka," Wickremesinghe told reporters at a nationally televised press conference on Friday night. "I remain as prime minister and I will function as the prime minister." Since his rushed swearing in, Rajapakse is yet to announce the formation of a cabinet -- which under the constitution is automatically dissolved when a prime minister is removed. Parliamentary Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has said he will decide Saturday whether to recognise Rajapakse or not, after seeking legal advice. Parliament is not due to meet until November 5 when the 2019 national budget is due to be presented. The Supreme Court, which is empowered to resolve constitutional disputes, is shut for the weekend and reopens on Monday. The president's United People's Freedom Alliance party had earlier Friday quit the coalition that had governed with Wickremesinghe's party. Speaking to jubilant supporters outside his Colombo home late Friday, Rajapakse also called on Wickremesinghe to step down. Members of his party must "respect democracy, respect the country and respect the law", the former president said through a loudhailer from a balcony. US urges calm Overnight, Rajapakse loyalists stormed two state-owned television networks -- which they regard as loyal to the outgoing government -- and forced them off the air. Video footage from private networks showed police overwhelmed by mobs at the Rupavahini national TV station but elsewhere in the capital streets remained calm. The United States called on all sides in Sri Lanka to operate within the constitution and refrain from violence, and urged the island to move forward on post-war reconciliation. Rajapakse crushed the decades-long Tamil Tiger uprising while in power, but refused to acknowledge abuses committed during the bloody civil war. "We call on all parties to act in accordance with Sri Lanka's constitution, refrain from violence and follow due process," the State Department said. "We expect the government of Sri Lanka to uphold its Geneva commitments to human rights, reform, accountability, justice and reconciliation." After Sirisena's election in 2015, Sri Lanka shifted from confrontation to conciliation with the US and other Western powers and promised at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to investigate allegations of abuses.

Sri Lanka crisis deepens as PM Wickremesinghe resists sacking

Sri&nbsp;Lankan opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed prime minister on Friday after President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed the incumbent in a surprise move that threatens political turmoil in the Indian Ocean nation.

Rajapaksa, a former pro-China president, ushered in billions of dollars of investment from Beijing to help rebuild the country following the end of a 26-year civil war against Tamil separatists in 2009.

But that investment has since put the tiny island in debt and forced it to hand over control of a strategic southern port to China, seen as part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative, drawing criticism from India and the United States.

President Sirisena administered the oath of office to Rajapaksa after sacking premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was away touring the south of the country, following months of infighting.

But Wickremesinghe later told reporters he remained the prime minister. "I have the majority and I remain as the prime minister and I will function as the prime minister," he said.

Under&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka's constitution, modelled on the French system of government, the president has executive powers while the prime minister heads the parliament.

There was no immediate reaction from India which has long seen&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka, located just off its southern tip, as part of its area of influence and had been concerned about Rajapaksa's wooing of China. Both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe were in India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent weeks.

Underlining the risk of chaos in the islands, where the government had been under pressure over a misfiring economy, Media and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Twitter that the appointment of Rajapaksa as prime minister was a violation of the constitution, which was amended in 2015 to curtail the powers of the president.

"This is an anti-democratic coup," Samaraweera tweeted.

State-run Rupavahini briefly went off-air when three ministers, including Samaraweera and Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne, tried to address the nation during a live programme.

Earlier Sirisensa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had said it would quit the ruling coalition, capping months of rising tensions between the president's bloc and Wickremesinghe's centre-right United National Party (UNP).

UPFA lawmaker Susil Premajayantha told reporters that a new cabinet would be sworn in soon.

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's US $87 billion economy has been under pressure in recent years, with growth slowing to a 16-year low of 3.3 per cent last year due to tight monetary and fiscal conditions, droughts and floods.

The ruling coalition had been further strained in recent days by strong criticism from Sirisena and his allies that ministers from Wickremesinghe's party did not act properly in investigating an alleged assassination plot to kill the president and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the new prime minister's younger brother.

The alleged plot briefly threatened to cause tension between&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;and India, after a report that Sirisena had accused India's intelligence services of involvement - a claim that New Delhi and Colombo have both denied.

Sirisena, along with some UPFA lawmakers including from his centre-left&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka&nbsp;Freedom Party (SLFP), formed a coalition government with Wickremesinghe's UNP soon after Sirisena unexpectedly defeated former ally Rajapaksa in a presidential election in January 2015.

The UNP and UPFA, an alliance of several political parties, consolidated their coalition after a parliamentary election in August 2015.

But both coalition partners suffered heavy defeats in local elections in February this year to a party backed by Rajapaksa. Sirisena loyalists backed a no-confidence motion in April against the prime minister, who survived after a majority of legislators voted to support his coalition government.

In early September, Rajapaksa had led thousands of opposition demonstrators who blocked a main road in Colombo in protest at economic hardship and the delaying of provincial polls.

Sri Lankan opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed prime minister on Friday after President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed the incumbent in a surprise move that threatens political turmoil in the Indian Ocean nation.

Sri Lankan opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed prime minister on Friday after President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed the incumbent in a surprise move that threatens political turmoil in the Indian Ocean nation. Rajapaksa, a former pro-China president, ushered in billions of dollars of investment from Beijing to help rebuild the country following the end of a 26-year civil war against Tamil separatists in 2009. But that investment has since put the tiny island in debt and forced it to hand over control of a strategic southern port to China, seen as part of Beijing's Belt and Road initiative, drawing criticism from India and the United States. President Sirisena administered the oath of office to Rajapaksa after sacking premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was away touring the south of the country, following months of infighting. But Wickremesinghe later told reporters he remained the prime minister. "I have the majority and I remain as the prime minister and I will function as the prime minister," he said. Under Sri Lanka's constitution, modelled on the French system of government, the president has executive powers while the prime minister heads the parliament. There was no immediate reaction from India which has long seen Sri Lanka, located just off its southern tip, as part of its area of influence and had been concerned about Rajapaksa's wooing of China. Both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe were in India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent weeks. Underlining the risk of chaos in the islands, where the government had been under pressure over a misfiring economy, Media and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Twitter that the appointment of Rajapaksa as prime minister was a violation of the constitution, which was amended in 2015 to curtail the powers of the president. "This is an anti-democratic coup," Samaraweera tweeted. State-run Rupavahini briefly went off-air when three ministers, including Samaraweera and Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne, tried to address the nation during a live programme. Earlier Sirisensa's United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had said it would quit the ruling coalition, capping months of rising tensions between the president's bloc and Wickremesinghe's centre-right United National Party (UNP). UPFA lawmaker Susil Premajayantha told reporters that a new cabinet would be sworn in soon. Sri Lanka's US $87 billion economy has been under pressure in recent years, with growth slowing to a 16-year low of 3.3 per cent last year due to tight monetary and fiscal conditions, droughts and floods. The ruling coalition had been further strained in recent days by strong criticism from Sirisena and his allies that ministers from Wickremesinghe's party did not act properly in investigating an alleged assassination plot to kill the president and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the new prime minister's younger brother. The alleged plot briefly threatened to cause tension between Sri Lanka and India, after a report that Sirisena had accused India's intelligence services of involvement - a claim that New Delhi and Colombo have both denied. Sirisena, along with some UPFA lawmakers including from his centre-left Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), formed a coalition government with Wickremesinghe's UNP soon after Sirisena unexpectedly defeated former ally Rajapaksa in a presidential election in January 2015. The UNP and UPFA, an alliance of several political parties, consolidated their coalition after a parliamentary election in August 2015. But both coalition partners suffered heavy defeats in local elections in February this year to a party backed by Rajapaksa. Sirisena loyalists backed a no-confidence motion in April against the prime minister, who survived after a majority of legislators voted to support his coalition government. In early September, Rajapaksa had led thousands of opposition demonstrators who blocked a main road in Colombo in protest at economic hardship and the delaying of provincial polls.

Turmoil in Sri Lanka as ex-president Rajapaksa sworn in as PM

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Saturday and discussed with him issues related to security and anti-terror cooperation between India and the island nation.

During the 30-minute meeting, both the leaders talked about further strengthening of India-Sri Lanka relations.

"Had a fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka,&nbsp;Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi today. We had deliberations on further strengthening cooperation between India and Sri Lanka on issues pertaining to security and terrorism in the region," Singh tweeted after the meeting.

Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit with an aim to boost ties in a range of areas including trade, investment and maritime security.&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Saturday and discussed with him issues related to security and anti-terror cooperation between India and the island nation.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Saturday and discussed with him issues related to security and anti-terror cooperation between India and the island nation. During the 30-minute meeting, both the leaders talked about further strengthening of India-Sri Lanka relations. "Had a fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi today. We had deliberations on further strengthening cooperation between India and Sri Lanka on issues pertaining to security and terrorism in the region," Singh tweeted after the meeting. Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit with an aim to boost ties in a range of areas including trade, investment and maritime security.

Rajnath meets Sri Lankan PM; discusses security, anti-terror cooperation

Israel warns Gaza's Hamas rulers 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sanitation Convention

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel will defend itself against Iran, after a friendly fire incident in Syria this week linked to Israeli strikes on Iranian targets there.

Syria accidentally downed a Russian plane late Monday, killing all 15 people on board, the same evening Israel launched strikes in the war-torn country.

Israel says it was targeting a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

"We do not want war, but if it is imposed on us, we will act with all our force," Netanyahu said during a ceremony in Jerusalem marking the 45th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war.

He said Iran "openly calls for the destruction of Israel."

"We will continue to defend ourselves in the face of this danger," said Netanyahu.

The incident on Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between Moscow and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime since Russian forces intervened in the conflict in 2015.

It also risked harming relations between Israel and Russia, which established a hotline three years ago to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but the leaders of both countries have since sought to move past the incident.

Israel sent its air force commander to Moscow on Thursday to share the military's findings on what happened.

Israel has vowed to stop its arch-foe Iran, which backs the Assad regime, from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

Earlier this month, it acknowledged having carried out more than 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months, mainly against Iranian targets.

The 1973 Arab-Israeli war saw Egypt and Syria carry out a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.

Despite its victory, Israel lost more than 2,500 soldiers in the war that it was not considered prepared for.

"The lessons of this war are rooted in us and we are constantly alert to the dangers that threaten us," Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel will defend itself against Iran, after a friendly fire incident in Syria this week linked to Israeli strikes on Iranian targets there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel will defend itself against Iran, after a friendly fire incident in Syria this week linked to Israeli strikes on Iranian targets there. Syria accidentally downed a Russian plane late Monday, killing all 15 people on board, the same evening Israel launched strikes in the war-torn country. Israel says it was targeting a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. "We do not want war, but if it is imposed on us, we will act with all our force," Netanyahu said during a ceremony in Jerusalem marking the 45th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war. He said Iran "openly calls for the destruction of Israel." "We will continue to defend ourselves in the face of this danger," said Netanyahu. The incident on Monday was the worst case of friendly fire between Moscow and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime since Russian forces intervened in the conflict in 2015. It also risked harming relations between Israel and Russia, which established a hotline three years ago to avoid accidental clashes in Syria, but the leaders of both countries have since sought to move past the incident. Israel sent its air force commander to Moscow on Thursday to share the military's findings on what happened. Israel has vowed to stop its arch-foe Iran, which backs the Assad regime, from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria. Earlier this month, it acknowledged having carried out more than 200 strikes in Syria over the past 18 months, mainly against Iranian targets. The 1973 Arab-Israeli war saw Egypt and Syria carry out a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. Despite its victory, Israel lost more than 2,500 soldiers in the war that it was not considered prepared for. "The lessons of this war are rooted in us and we are constantly alert to the dangers that threaten us," Netanyahu said.

Benjamin Netanyahu hits out at Iran after Syria friendly fire incident

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday morning.&nbsp;

Kejriwal said in his letter that he was requesting the prime minister with "folded hands" to end the "strike" by Delhi's IAS officers.&nbsp;

Listing out the development projects stuck because of the strike, Kejriwal said "only you or the LG can end the strike". He added that "this is why people are saying the Centre and the LG are behind the strike".&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
"Delhi facing unprecedented situation, Request you to get IAS officers to end strike"- CM <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArvindKejriwal</a> to PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DelhiWithKejriwal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DelhiWithKejriwal</a> <a href="https://t.co/RMzw9Cjmgt">pic.twitter.com/RMzw9Cjmgt</a>
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1007140402359463936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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मेरा भाई पुणे से मुझसे मिलने आया। उसको मुझसे मिलने नहीं दिया गया। ये तो ग़लत है।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/1007119053909946370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kejriwal and three of his cabinet colleagues have been sitting in protest outside Delhi LG Anil Baijal's office for four days now.&nbsp;

Two of them — Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain — are on an indefinite <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/aap-sit-in-at-lgs-waiting-room-enters-day-3-delhi-deputy-cm-begins-hunger-strike-144018?first_load=no">hunger strike</a>.&nbsp;

Delhi AAP government contends that the city-state's bureaucrats have been on "strike" — they have not been attending meetings with minister or taking phone calls — ever since the alleged attack on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs in February.&nbsp;

The attack allegedly took place in Kejriwal's home and in his presence.&nbsp;

Kejriwal and his colleagues had on Monday gone to meet the LG to ask him to help put an end the strike. They began their protest — in the LG's waiting room — when he refused to meet them.&nbsp;

The Aam Aadmi Party had on Wednesday marched on the LG's home.&nbsp;

They said today that they would march to Rajpath in protest and if need be, on the PM's home.&nbsp;

Kejriwal said in his letter that he was requesting the prime minister with 'folded hands' to end the 'strike' by Delhi's IAS officers

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday morning. Kejriwal said in his letter that he was requesting the prime minister with "folded hands" to end the "strike" by Delhi's IAS officers. Listing out the development projects stuck because of the strike, Kejriwal said "only you or the LG can end the strike". He added that "this is why people are saying the Centre and the LG are behind the strike". "Delhi facing unprecedented situation, Request you to get IAS officers to end strike"- CM @ArvindKejriwal to PM @narendramodi#DelhiWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/RMzw9Cjmgt — AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 14, 2018 × मेरा भाई पुणे से मुझसे मिलने आया। उसको मुझसे मिलने नहीं दिया गया। ये तो ग़लत है। — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 14, 2018 × Kejriwal and three of his cabinet colleagues have been sitting in protest outside Delhi LG Anil Baijal's office for four days now. Two of them — Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain — are on an indefinite hunger strike. Delhi AAP government contends that the city-state's bureaucrats have been on "strike" — they have not been attending meetings with minister or taking phone calls — ever since the alleged attack on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs in February. The attack allegedly took place in Kejriwal's home and in his presence. Kejriwal and his colleagues had on Monday gone to meet the LG to ask him to help put an end the strike. They began their protest — in the LG's waiting room — when he refused to meet them. The Aam Aadmi Party had on Wednesday marched on the LG's home. They said today that they would march to Rajpath in protest and if need be, on the PM's home.

AAP-IAS officers' standoff: Delhi CM Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, asks for help

Pakistan interim Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk on Wednesday approved the names of new chief secretaries and inspector generals of police (IGP) in all four provinces.

As per a Dawn report, Mulk chaired a federal Cabinet meeting, which was attended by the members of Election Commission of Pakistan and members of provincial governments of the concerned constituencies to discuss the choices for the given posts.

Akbar Hussain Durrani was appointed as the chief secretary of Punjab. He was previously posted as Secretary of Federal Education and Professional Training Division and is due to retire in 2021.

Retired Major Azam Suleman Khan was appointed as chief secretary of Sindh. He was previously posted with Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and will retire in 2021.

Former PAS officer Naveed Kamran Baloch was appointed as chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Dr Akhtar Nazir is made the chief secretary of Balochistan.

Further, Dr Kaleem Imam was designated as Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), while Amjad Javed Saleemi would take charge in Sindh. Muhammad Tahir and Mohsin Hassan Butt were appointed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan respectively.

Akbar Hussain Durrani was appointed as the chief secretary of Punjab

Pakistan interim Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk on Wednesday approved the names of new chief secretaries and inspector generals of police (IGP) in all four provinces. As per a Dawn report, Mulk chaired a federal Cabinet meeting, which was attended by the members of Election Commission of Pakistan and members of provincial governments of the concerned constituencies to discuss the choices for the given posts. Akbar Hussain Durrani was appointed as the chief secretary of Punjab. He was previously posted as Secretary of Federal Education and Professional Training Division and is due to retire in 2021. Retired Major Azam Suleman Khan was appointed as chief secretary of Sindh. He was previously posted with Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and will retire in 2021. Former PAS officer Naveed Kamran Baloch was appointed as chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Dr Akhtar Nazir is made the chief secretary of Balochistan. Further, Dr Kaleem Imam was designated as Punjab's Inspector General of Police (IGP), while Amjad Javed Saleemi would take charge in Sindh. Muhammad Tahir and Mohsin Hassan Butt were appointed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan respectively.

Pakistan interim PM appoints chief secretaries, IGPs of 4 provinces

Parliament is finalising laws that will formally end Britain's membership of the European Union, a process which has forced the government to make some important concessions that will change the dynamic of Brexit negotiations.

Below is a summary of what has happened so far and what it means for Brexit.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is being finalised in parliament after more than 250 hours of debate. It repeals the 1972 laws which made Britain a member of the European Community and provides the basis for existing EU law to be transferred into British law.

Having been debated by both the lower house of parliament, the Commons, and the unelected upper house, the Lords, the bill is in its final stages.

The Commons is now debating whether to accept any of the 15 changes made by the Lords against the government's wishes.

The debate began&nbsp;on Tuesday, and will resume at around 1200 GMT&nbsp;Wednesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May was forced into promising a major concession to pro-EU lawmakers&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;which could give parliament a greater say over the exit deal Britain negotiates with the European Union.

May had to do this because she does not have a clear parliamentary majority and faced defeat. Her party is split between Brexiteers who want a clean break from the EU and a pro-European faction who want to retain close ties.

So far, the government has rejected all the other changes proposed by the Lords, including an attempt to remove the fixed Brexit date of&nbsp;March 29, 2019, from the bill.

The government has always promised to give lawmakers a vote on the final exit deal it negotiates with the EU. Ministers originally wanted to make this a vote to either accept the deal or to leave without a deal.

To avoid a rebellion, May proposed a plan whereby, if parliament rejected its deal, ministers would have 28 days to come up with a plan of action and present it to lawmakers.

This was not enough to convince the rebels. Ministers then agreed to discuss ways to add additional checks and balances to the process. The government said it would discuss a three-part alternative proposal put forward by one of the rebel lawmakers.

The government has agreed to consider ways to implement the first two parts of pro-European lawmaker Dominic Grieve's plan.

The first part of Grieve's plan means that if parliament votes against the government's deal, ministers have 21 days to come back with a plan of action, which must then be approved by a vote in parliament&nbsp;within seven days.

Compared to the government's proposal, this is a shorter time to respond, and gives parliament a vote to approve the response.

The second part of Grieve's plan specifies that if the government has not reached a deal with the EU by&nbsp;November 30, ministers must submit a plan of action to parliament. This plan of action must then be approved by parliament in a vote.

This adds an extra backstop in case the government's stalled negotiations with the EU are delayed. The government is aiming to have a deal agreed in October.

A third part of Grieve's amendment, which the government has not agreed to discuss and is likely to resist, would hand control of the Brexit negotiations to parliament if an exit deal has not been agreed by&nbsp;Feb. 15&nbsp;next year.

The final compromise has yet to be agreed and will be discussed in private over the coming days.

However, whatever form it takes it will give parliament a greater say over the final deal in the event that the government either fails to reach an exit deal, or proposes an exit agreement which parliament does not accept.

This is significant because a majority in parliament wishes to see a softer Brexit deal that would retain closer customs ties with the EU after Britain leaves.

If Brexit is softened in this way, an influential group of eurosceptics in May's party could challenge her leadership. Such an outcome, though far from certain, would cast the Brexit process into disarray.

Talks with rebels will take place over coming days to negotiate a new form of words defining what say parliament will have over the process and will reveal how much ground May has given to the pro-Europeans.

This new form of words will then be presented to the Lords on&nbsp;June 18. Both houses must then agree the final wording before it becomes law. A final end-date for the process has not been fixed, but is likely to come within weeks rather than months.

The Commons is now debating whether to accept any of the 15 changes made by the Lords against the government's wishes

Parliament is finalising laws that will formally end Britain's membership of the European Union, a process which has forced the government to make some important concessions that will change the dynamic of Brexit negotiations. Below is a summary of what has happened so far and what it means for Brexit. The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is being finalised in parliament after more than 250 hours of debate. It repeals the 1972 laws which made Britain a member of the European Community and provides the basis for existing EU law to be transferred into British law. Having been debated by both the lower house of parliament, the Commons, and the unelected upper house, the Lords, the bill is in its final stages. The Commons is now debating whether to accept any of the 15 changes made by the Lords against the government's wishes. The debate began on Tuesday, and will resume at around 1200 GMT Wednesday. Prime Minister Theresa May was forced into promising a major concession to pro-EU lawmakers on Tuesday which could give parliament a greater say over the exit deal Britain negotiates with the European Union. May had to do this because she does not have a clear parliamentary majority and faced defeat. Her party is split between Brexiteers who want a clean break from the EU and a pro-European faction who want to retain close ties. So far, the government has rejected all the other changes proposed by the Lords, including an attempt to remove the fixed Brexit date of March 29, 2019, from the bill. The government has always promised to give lawmakers a vote on the final exit deal it negotiates with the EU. Ministers originally wanted to make this a vote to either accept the deal or to leave without a deal. To avoid a rebellion, May proposed a plan whereby, if parliament rejected its deal, ministers would have 28 days to come up with a plan of action and present it to lawmakers. This was not enough to convince the rebels. Ministers then agreed to discuss ways to add additional checks and balances to the process. The government said it would discuss a three-part alternative proposal put forward by one of the rebel lawmakers. The government has agreed to consider ways to implement the first two parts of pro-European lawmaker Dominic Grieve's plan. The first part of Grieve's plan means that if parliament votes against the government's deal, ministers have 21 days to come back with a plan of action, which must then be approved by a vote in parliament within seven days. Compared to the government's proposal, this is a shorter time to respond, and gives parliament a vote to approve the response. The second part of Grieve's plan specifies that if the government has not reached a deal with the EU by November 30, ministers must submit a plan of action to parliament. This plan of action must then be approved by parliament in a vote. This adds an extra backstop in case the government's stalled negotiations with the EU are delayed. The government is aiming to have a deal agreed in October. A third part of Grieve's amendment, which the government has not agreed to discuss and is likely to resist, would hand control of the Brexit negotiations to parliament if an exit deal has not been agreed by Feb. 15 next year. The final compromise has yet to be agreed and will be discussed in private over the coming days. However, whatever form it takes it will give parliament a greater say over the final deal in the event that the government either fails to reach an exit deal, or proposes an exit agreement which parliament does not accept. This is significant because a majority in parliament wishes to see a softer Brexit deal that would retain closer customs ties with the EU after Britain leaves. If Brexit is softened in this way, an influential group of eurosceptics in May's party could challenge her leadership. Such an outcome, though far from certain, would cast the Brexit process into disarray. Talks with rebels will take place over coming days to negotiate a new form of words defining what say parliament will have over the process and will reveal how much ground May has given to the pro-Europeans. This new form of words will then be presented to the Lords on June 18. Both houses must then agree the final wording before it becomes law. A final end-date for the process has not been fixed, but is likely to come within weeks rather than months.

Britain's Brexit laws: What's changed and what happens next?

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was accused&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;of surrendering part of his nation's identity, as a deal he struck to settle a name dispute with Macedonia prompted a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians and media.

Under the agreement announced by Athens and Skopje&nbsp;on Tuesday, the Balkan state known as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" would henceforth be called the "Republic of Northern Macedonia".

The accord would open the way for the small nation's eventual membership of the European Union and NATO, currently blocked by Greece's objections to its current name.

But conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called it "deeply problematic", because the majority of Greeks were against it and Tsipras lacked the political legitimacy to sign it.

"We are in a situation that is unprecedented in Greece's constitutional history. A prime minister without a clear parliamentary mandate willing to commit the country to a reality which will not be possible to change," Mitsotakis said.

The accord requires ratification by both countries' parliaments, and the junior partner in Greece's coalition, the right wing Independent Greeks party, has said it does not back any deal that gives away the name Macedonia.

That chimes in with the view of many ordinary Greeks, who feel the name implies territorial claims on a northern Greek province of the same name, the birthplace of national hero Alexander the Great.

The name dispute has soured bilateral relations since 1991, when Greece's northern neighbour declared its independence from former Yugoslavia under the name Republic of Macedonia.

In a front-page editorial conservative daily Eleftheros Typos called the agreement "the surrender of the Macedonian identity and language," while centre-right Kathimerini referred to "a deal with gaps and question marks".

Responding to the conservatives, Deputy Foreign Minister George Katrougkalos said the deal would put an end to the perpetuation of the name Macedonia as an identifier for the Balkan state.

"If they believe this (that the government does not have the legitimacy), they have the means ... to question it with a no-confidence motion. Why aren't they doing it?" Katrougkalos told Greek Skai TV.

Centre-left daily Ta Nea newspaper said that, while the historian of the future would have the luxury of time to assess the deal, "until then one must keep in mind that there are no compromises without concessions."

Activist group The Committee for The Hellenic Identity of Macedonia said it would organise protests in Athens and northern Greece if the deal went ahead and urged lawmakers not to ratify it.

"We peacefully assert that they have no right to sign (a deal) against Greek people's will," they wrote on Facebook.

Mikis Theodorakis, who composed the music to the film 'Zorba the Greek', said the agreement would "stigmatise us forever" if it went ahead.

'We peacefully assert that they have no right to sign (a deal) against Greek people's will,' they wrote on Facebook

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was accused on Wednesday of surrendering part of his nation's identity, as a deal he struck to settle a name dispute with Macedonia prompted a barrage of criticism from opposition politicians and media. Under the agreement announced by Athens and Skopje on Tuesday, the Balkan state known as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" would henceforth be called the "Republic of Northern Macedonia". The accord would open the way for the small nation's eventual membership of the European Union and NATO, currently blocked by Greece's objections to its current name. But conservative opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called it "deeply problematic", because the majority of Greeks were against it and Tsipras lacked the political legitimacy to sign it. "We are in a situation that is unprecedented in Greece's constitutional history. A prime minister without a clear parliamentary mandate willing to commit the country to a reality which will not be possible to change," Mitsotakis said. The accord requires ratification by both countries' parliaments, and the junior partner in Greece's coalition, the right wing Independent Greeks party, has said it does not back any deal that gives away the name Macedonia. That chimes in with the view of many ordinary Greeks, who feel the name implies territorial claims on a northern Greek province of the same name, the birthplace of national hero Alexander the Great. The name dispute has soured bilateral relations since 1991, when Greece's northern neighbour declared its independence from former Yugoslavia under the name Republic of Macedonia. In a front-page editorial conservative daily Eleftheros Typos called the agreement "the surrender of the Macedonian identity and language," while centre-right Kathimerini referred to "a deal with gaps and question marks". Responding to the conservatives, Deputy Foreign Minister George Katrougkalos said the deal would put an end to the perpetuation of the name Macedonia as an identifier for the Balkan state. "If they believe this (that the government does not have the legitimacy), they have the means ... to question it with a no-confidence motion. Why aren't they doing it?" Katrougkalos told Greek Skai TV. Centre-left daily Ta Nea newspaper said that, while the historian of the future would have the luxury of time to assess the deal, "until then one must keep in mind that there are no compromises without concessions." Activist group The Committee for The Hellenic Identity of Macedonia said it would organise protests in Athens and northern Greece if the deal went ahead and urged lawmakers not to ratify it. "We peacefully assert that they have no right to sign (a deal) against Greek people's will," they wrote on Facebook. Mikis Theodorakis, who composed the music to the film 'Zorba the Greek', said the agreement would "stigmatise us forever" if it went ahead.

Greek PM faces domestic backlash over Macedonia name deal

Bulgaria is interested in joint unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production with Israel, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said&nbsp;on Wednesday.

"I do hope that all the peace agreements are signed. But also here I would like to broach the topic of Hi-tech and the possibility of maybe partnering up and manufacturing together products in the area of defence, Hi-tech in the area of defence. Especially maybe focusing on this new state of the art, weapons or means of facilitating defence and mainly the drones," Borisov told reporters before meeting his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Israel rivals the United States as a top UAV exporter and has cooperated with Russia and India on drone technologies.

UAVs accounted for 2 percent of Israel's defence sales in 2017, according to government data released last month. Total defence sales in 2017 were valued at $9.2 billion.

Israel rivals the United States as a top UAV exporter and has cooperated with Russia and India on drone technologies

Bulgaria is interested in joint unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production with Israel, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said on Wednesday. "I do hope that all the peace agreements are signed. But also here I would like to broach the topic of Hi-tech and the possibility of maybe partnering up and manufacturing together products in the area of defence, Hi-tech in the area of defence. Especially maybe focusing on this new state of the art, weapons or means of facilitating defence and mainly the drones," Borisov told reporters before meeting his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Israel rivals the United States as a top UAV exporter and has cooperated with Russia and India on drone technologies. UAVs accounted for 2 percent of Israel's defence sales in 2017, according to government data released last month. Total defence sales in 2017 were valued at $9.2 billion.

Bulgaria PM suggests joint drone manufacture with Israel

India&nbsp;is set to miss a December deadline to acquire land for a Japan-backed $17 billion bullet train project following protests by fruit growers, government officials said, likely delaying one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious projects.

Modi's office is now monitoring the project week-to-week, as&nbsp;Indian officials seek to reassure Tokyo that the hurdles can be overcome through intense negotiations with sapota and mango growers in Maharashtra.

Protests, backed by local politicians, have flared up in recent months against attempts to secure sections of a 108-km stretch, which is around one-fifth of the entire bullet train corridor connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad, the largest commercial city in Modi's home state Gujarat.

"I've worked hard for three decades to develop this plantation, and they are asking me to hand over this land," sapota farmer Dashrat Purav, 62, said as he showed his orchard in the town of Palghar, a three-hour-drive north of Mumbai.

"I haven't worked hard to surrender land for the project. I did that for my children."

Purav said he would sell his land only if at least one of his two unemployed sons was promised a government job.

Protests against land acquisitions are common in&nbsp;India, where tens of millions of farmers till small holdings. A planned $44 billion refinery to be run by a consortium including Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, is also struggling to secure land in Maharashtra.

"Land acquisition for any project is complex in&nbsp;India," said Dhananjay Kumar, spokesman for the National High-Speed Rail Corp Ltd (NHSRCL) that is overseeing the project. "Here also we are facing difficulty because of so much resistance."

Failure to procure the bullet train land by the deadline would delay disbursal of soft-loans by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a government development body, which is reviewing the project next month, said two senior officials with the state-run&nbsp;Indian Railways, declining to be named.

A JICA spokeswoman said that&nbsp;India&nbsp;must create&nbsp;relocation plans for local residents and make them public in order to enter into a loan agreement covering the main part of the bullet train project.

"It is possible that it takes time to sign a contract as&nbsp;India&nbsp;takes proper and careful measures in line with JICA's guidelines for environmental and social considerations," she said.

To assuage Japan's concerns,&nbsp;Indian officials have sought a meeting this month with transport ministry officials in Tokyo, one of the&nbsp;Indian officials said.&nbsp;India&nbsp;wants the project's completion target to be advanced by a year to 2022, the 75th year of&nbsp;India's independence.

A Japanese transport ministry official who deals with the bullet train project said that&nbsp;Indian officials had told them that "they can manage" the land acquisition.

"We will continue to work together with the&nbsp;Indian government to bring this project forward with an aim to start operation in 2023," the official said.

Japan is majority-funding the train project through a 50-year loan. Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp, JFE Holdings, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Corp and Hitachi are likely to supply at least 70 percent of the core components of the rail line, sources told Reuters in January.

Modi has called the project crucial for his pet "Make in&nbsp;India" campaign aimed at lifting the share of manufacturing in&nbsp;India's $2 trillion economy. The government also hopes to generate hundreds of jobs through the train project, and hence is pushing hard to finish it on time.

To sweeten the terms for people opposed to selling their land,&nbsp;Indian Railways has put its weight behind NHSRCL, pledging funds from its own welfare scheme to build schools and community halls, one of the officials said.

Ashwani Lohani, chairman of the&nbsp;Indian Railway Board, said the issues with farmers were not insurmountable.

The government has offered to buy land at a 25per centt premium to the market value, the two government officials said. Farmers are also being offered resettlement dues of 500,000 rupees ($7,409) or 50 percent of the land value, whichever is higher.

However, local political opposition in Palghar, ahead of a general election next year, has fanned the protests. Opponents say the bullet train is wasteful and the money would be better used upgrading the country's rickety rail infrastructure. Farmers have threatened a hunger strike.

Last week, farmers and local activists disrupted a public hearing conducted by NHSRCL, its second attempt to hold such an event in less than a month. The first one last month was also cut short by protests.

"In coming weeks, we will intensify the protests," said Nilam&nbsp;Gorhe, a spokesman for Shiv Sena, a regional party that has an on-off relationship with Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

'I haven't worked hard to surrender land for the project. I did that for my children'

India is set to miss a December deadline to acquire land for a Japan-backed $17 billion bullet train project following protests by fruit growers, government officials said, likely delaying one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious projects. Modi's office is now monitoring the project week-to-week, as Indian officials seek to reassure Tokyo that the hurdles can be overcome through intense negotiations with sapota and mango growers in Maharashtra. Protests, backed by local politicians, have flared up in recent months against attempts to secure sections of a 108-km stretch, which is around one-fifth of the entire bullet train corridor connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad, the largest commercial city in Modi's home state Gujarat. "I've worked hard for three decades to develop this plantation, and they are asking me to hand over this land," sapota farmer Dashrat Purav, 62, said as he showed his orchard in the town of Palghar, a three-hour-drive north of Mumbai. "I haven't worked hard to surrender land for the project. I did that for my children." Purav said he would sell his land only if at least one of his two unemployed sons was promised a government job. Protests against land acquisitions are common in India, where tens of millions of farmers till small holdings. A planned $44 billion refinery to be run by a consortium including Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, is also struggling to secure land in Maharashtra. "Land acquisition for any project is complex in India," said Dhananjay Kumar, spokesman for the National High-Speed Rail Corp Ltd (NHSRCL) that is overseeing the project. "Here also we are facing difficulty because of so much resistance." Failure to procure the bullet train land by the deadline would delay disbursal of soft-loans by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a government development body, which is reviewing the project next month, said two senior officials with the state-run Indian Railways, declining to be named. A JICA spokeswoman said that India must create relocation plans for local residents and make them public in order to enter into a loan agreement covering the main part of the bullet train project. "It is possible that it takes time to sign a contract as India takes proper and careful measures in line with JICA's guidelines for environmental and social considerations," she said. To assuage Japan's concerns, Indian officials have sought a meeting this month with transport ministry officials in Tokyo, one of the Indian officials said. India wants the project's completion target to be advanced by a year to 2022, the 75th year of India's independence. A Japanese transport ministry official who deals with the bullet train project said that Indian officials had told them that "they can manage" the land acquisition. "We will continue to work together with the Indian government to bring this project forward with an aim to start operation in 2023," the official said. Japan is majority-funding the train project through a 50-year loan. Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corp, JFE Holdings, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Corp and Hitachi are likely to supply at least 70 percent of the core components of the rail line, sources told Reuters in January. Modi has called the project crucial for his pet "Make in India" campaign aimed at lifting the share of manufacturing in India's $2 trillion economy. The government also hopes to generate hundreds of jobs through the train project, and hence is pushing hard to finish it on time. To sweeten the terms for people opposed to selling their land, Indian Railways has put its weight behind NHSRCL, pledging funds from its own welfare scheme to build schools and community halls, one of the officials said. Ashwani Lohani, chairman of the Indian Railway Board, said the issues with farmers were not insurmountable. The government has offered to buy land at a 25per centt premium to the market value, the two government officials said. Farmers are also being offered resettlement dues of 500,000 rupees ($7,409) or 50 percent of the land value, whichever is higher. However, local political opposition in Palghar, ahead of a general election next year, has fanned the protests. Opponents say the bullet train is wasteful and the money would be better used upgrading the country's rickety rail infrastructure. Farmers have threatened a hunger strike. Last week, farmers and local activists disrupted a public hearing conducted by NHSRCL, its second attempt to hold such an event in less than a month. The first one last month was also cut short by protests. "In coming weeks, we will intensify the protests," said Nilam Gorhe, a spokesman for Shiv Sena, a regional party that has an on-off relationship with Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

India set to miss key target for Japan-backed bullet train project

United States President Donald Trump, who is attending two-day Group of Seven summit in Canada`s La Malbaie, reportedly pitched the idea of discarding all tariffs and trade barriers between the US and its G-7 allies at the summit.

"We should at least consider no tariffs, no barriers - scrapping all of it," the US media reported Trump, as saying to the assembled leaders. Trump`s latest suggestion is ironic as it comes amid a tit-for-tat trade war, which the US President launched lately.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly challenged Trump`s remarks, asking, "What about subsidies?"Politico reported that leaders present for the meeting took Trump`s suggestion as largely rhetorical.

Optimistically responding to Trump`s suggestion, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is reported to have told him, "We`ll take it as a starting point."

Earlier&nbsp;on Friday, Trump had a spat with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over Twitter, lashing out at them in a series of tweets over the criticism on U.S` imposition of trade tariff."Why isn`t the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the US. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers and companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!" Trump tweeted&nbsp;on Friday.

"Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the US and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesn`t bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy - hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!," Trump wrote in another tweet.

In another Twitter post, Trump wrote, "Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the US is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them&nbsp;tomorrow."

On May 31, the US had announced the imposition of 25 and 10 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium respectively on three of its biggest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU).

Justin Trudeau reportedly challenged Trump`s remarks, asking, What about subsidies? Politico reported that leaders present for the meeting took Trump`s suggestion as largely rhetorical

United States President Donald Trump, who is attending two-day Group of Seven summit in Canada`s La Malbaie, reportedly pitched the idea of discarding all tariffs and trade barriers between the US and its G-7 allies at the summit. "We should at least consider no tariffs, no barriers - scrapping all of it," the US media reported Trump, as saying to the assembled leaders. Trump`s latest suggestion is ironic as it comes amid a tit-for-tat trade war, which the US President launched lately. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly challenged Trump`s remarks, asking, "What about subsidies?"Politico reported that leaders present for the meeting took Trump`s suggestion as largely rhetorical. Optimistically responding to Trump`s suggestion, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is reported to have told him, "We`ll take it as a starting point." Earlier on Friday, Trump had a spat with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over Twitter, lashing out at them in a series of tweets over the criticism on U.S` imposition of trade tariff."Why isn`t the European Union and Canada informing the public that for years they have used massive Trade Tariffs and non-monetary Trade Barriers against the US. Totally unfair to our farmers, workers and companies. Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!" Trump tweeted on Friday. "Prime Minister Trudeau is being so indignant, bringing up the relationship that the US and Canada had over the many years and all sorts of other things...but he doesn`t bring up the fact that they charge us up to 300% on dairy - hurting our Farmers, killing our Agriculture!," Trump wrote in another tweet. In another Twitter post, Trump wrote, "Please tell Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron that they are charging the US massive tariffs and create non-monetary barriers. The EU trade surplus with the US is $151 Billion, and Canada keeps our farmers and others out. Look forward to seeing them tomorrow." On May 31, the US had announced the imposition of 25 and 10 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium respectively on three of its biggest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU).

Trump pitches ending trade tariffs at G-7 summit: Reports

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in China on Saturday&nbsp;on a two-day visit to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit where India is likely to pitch for concerted regional and global action against terror networks and favour effective connectivity links to boost trade.

India became a full member of the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi's entry into it is expected to increase the eight-member group's heft in regional geopolitics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue.

Hours after his arrival in this central port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping&nbsp;during which the two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation.

The meeting is taking place weeks after the two leaders held an informal summit in central China's Wuhan city during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers.

In&nbsp;tomorrow's&nbsp;meeting, Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit.

About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries.

India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members last year.&nbsp;

The officials said India is also likely to focus on the importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries.

India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich Central Asian countries.

Sources indicated that India's focus would be to include its concerns over cross-border terrorism in the final outcome document.

India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country.

Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China.

Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in China on Saturday on a two-day visit to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit where India is likely to pitch for concerted regional and global action against terror networks and favour effective connectivity links to boost trade. India became a full member of the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi's entry into it is expected to increase the eight-member group's heft in regional geopolitics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. Hours after his arrival in this central port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which the two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation. The meeting is taking place weeks after the two leaders held an informal summit in central China's Wuhan city during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers. In tomorrow's meeting, Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the informal summit. About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India was an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members last year. The officials said India is also likely to focus on the importance of regional connectivity projects to boost trade among members of the SCO countries. India has been strongly pushing for connectivity projects like the Chabahar port project and International North-South Transport Corridor to gain access to resource-rich Central Asian countries. Sources indicated that India's focus would be to include its concerns over cross-border terrorism in the final outcome document. India has been raising the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in various multilateral forums with an aim to build pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure operating from that country. Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China.

PM Modi to attend SCO summit tomorrow; terror, trade on agenda

Indian bonds rallied on Friday on optimism that the government will soon take steps to ease a jump in bond yields after word spread that the interim finance minister had met a handful of bankers and analysts to seek feedback on the economy.

In the meeting held late on Thursday, Piyush Goyal allayed concerns around India's fiscal deficit and rising inflation, and sought feedback on massive losses in banks' bond holdings, two participants who attended the meeting told Reuters.

Goyal wanted to know ways in which the government could help banks reduce the trading losses on their bond portfolios due to soaring yields, one of the participants said.

Some of the suggestions from the participants included issuance of floating rate bonds and bond buybacks by the government, he said.

Indian bonds have weakened to multi-year lows as global oil prices surged, causing yields to spike above 8 per cent.

The benchmark 10-year bond yield opened at a three-year high of 8.033 per cent on Friday, on worries over further rate hikes and a potentially higher fiscal deficit. However, by 0750 GMT the yield had eased to 7.92 percent.

On Wednesday, the country's central bank raised its key policy rate for the first time in four years, citing growing inflation worries due to a steep spike in oil prices and a weakening rupee.

The hike - the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power - could not have come at a worse time for a government grappling with spending constraints, voter discontent in the rural heartlands and rising oil prices.

Goyal assured the government would stick to its fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent, responding to concerns over fiscal slippage ahead of an election year, according to one of the participants.

The minister also said that the government's proposed plan to buy food grains at a minimum price from farmers would not be inflationary.

Goyal, who is currently the railway minister, has taken additional charge of the finance ministry temporarily until Arun Jaitley recovers after undergoing a kidney transplant.

"He was just seeking feedback and we do not know whether the government will implement any of these steps or not," another participant at the meeting told Reuters.

Piyush Goyal allayed concerns around India's fiscal deficit and rising inflation

Indian bonds rallied on Friday on optimism that the government will soon take steps to ease a jump in bond yields after word spread that the interim finance minister had met a handful of bankers and analysts to seek feedback on the economy. In the meeting held late on Thursday, Piyush Goyal allayed concerns around India's fiscal deficit and rising inflation, and sought feedback on massive losses in banks' bond holdings, two participants who attended the meeting told Reuters. Goyal wanted to know ways in which the government could help banks reduce the trading losses on their bond portfolios due to soaring yields, one of the participants said. Some of the suggestions from the participants included issuance of floating rate bonds and bond buybacks by the government, he said. Indian bonds have weakened to multi-year lows as global oil prices surged, causing yields to spike above 8 per cent. The benchmark 10-year bond yield opened at a three-year high of 8.033 per cent on Friday, on worries over further rate hikes and a potentially higher fiscal deficit. However, by 0750 GMT the yield had eased to 7.92 percent. On Wednesday, the country's central bank raised its key policy rate for the first time in four years, citing growing inflation worries due to a steep spike in oil prices and a weakening rupee. The hike - the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power - could not have come at a worse time for a government grappling with spending constraints, voter discontent in the rural heartlands and rising oil prices. Goyal assured the government would stick to its fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent, responding to concerns over fiscal slippage ahead of an election year, according to one of the participants. The minister also said that the government's proposed plan to buy food grains at a minimum price from farmers would not be inflationary. Goyal, who is currently the railway minister, has taken additional charge of the finance ministry temporarily until Arun Jaitley recovers after undergoing a kidney transplant. "He was just seeking feedback and we do not know whether the government will implement any of these steps or not," another participant at the meeting told Reuters.

Indian bonds rally on hopes government will bolster markets

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed replaced the heads of two branches of the security services as he presses ahead with wide-ranging political and economic reforms.

Sworn in as premier of the Horn of Africa country in April, Abiy has pledged to push through reforms in response to demands from protesters during waves of unrest that began in 2015, when security forces killed hundreds of people.

He named Seare Mekonnen as head of the armed forces in place of Samora Yunis, Abiy's Chief of Staff Fitsum Arega said in a Twitter post late on Thursday.

Samora had served in Ethiopia's military for four decades.

The premier also named air force head Adem Mohamed to head the NISS security service, replacing Getachew Assefa, the Ethiopian News Agency said. It quoted a statement from the prime minister's office.

The reasons for the changes were not disclosed, but both Samora and Getachew are senior members of the TPLF, the party that has dominated Ethiopian politics since 1991.

"This certainly indicates a weakening of the TPLF," said a university lecturer in the capital Addis Ababa who declined to give his name.

The TPLF is dominated by ethnic Tigrayans, while Abiy is an ethnic Oromos.

Samora had served in Ethiopia's military for four decades

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed replaced the heads of two branches of the security services as he presses ahead with wide-ranging political and economic reforms. Sworn in as premier of the Horn of Africa country in April, Abiy has pledged to push through reforms in response to demands from protesters during waves of unrest that began in 2015, when security forces killed hundreds of people. He named Seare Mekonnen as head of the armed forces in place of Samora Yunis, Abiy's Chief of Staff Fitsum Arega said in a Twitter post late on Thursday. Samora had served in Ethiopia's military for four decades. The premier also named air force head Adem Mohamed to head the NISS security service, replacing Getachew Assefa, the Ethiopian News Agency said. It quoted a statement from the prime minister's office. The reasons for the changes were not disclosed, but both Samora and Getachew are senior members of the TPLF, the party that has dominated Ethiopian politics since 1991. "This certainly indicates a weakening of the TPLF," said a university lecturer in the capital Addis Ababa who declined to give his name. The TPLF is dominated by ethnic Tigrayans, while Abiy is an ethnic Oromos.

Ethiopia's prime minister replaces commanders in security reshuffle

Hungary's government will begin a major revision of the country's constitution in the autumn that could take 12-18 months, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.

Right-wing nationalist Orban, who was reelected with a landslide in April elections for a third straight term, did not reveal any further details.

He said "discussion" about changes to the 2011 constitution would start in September.

Orban's ruling Fidesz party holds 133 of 199 seats in Hungary's parliament which ensures the necessary two-third majority to change any laws.

"In the autumn we would like to launch a 1-1.5 year long constitution revision where we will look at what has worked and what could have worked ... and find potential gaps which we need to fill in with new constitutional text," Orban said.

After he rose to power in 2010, Orban used his strong mandate in parliament to rewrite Hungary's constitution.

One of the criticised changes was curbing the powers of the top court in budget and tax matters.

Orban's ruling Fidesz party holds 133 of 199 seats in Hungary's parliament which ensures the necessary two-third majority to change any laws

Hungary's government will begin a major revision of the country's constitution in the autumn that could take 12-18 months, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday. Right-wing nationalist Orban, who was reelected with a landslide in April elections for a third straight term, did not reveal any further details. He said "discussion" about changes to the 2011 constitution would start in September. Orban's ruling Fidesz party holds 133 of 199 seats in Hungary's parliament which ensures the necessary two-third majority to change any laws. "In the autumn we would like to launch a 1-1.5 year long constitution revision where we will look at what has worked and what could have worked ... and find potential gaps which we need to fill in with new constitutional text," Orban said. After he rose to power in 2010, Orban used his strong mandate in parliament to rewrite Hungary's constitution. One of the criticised changes was curbing the powers of the top court in budget and tax matters.

PM Orban flags big changes in Hungary's constitution

British Prime Minister Theresa&nbspMay&nbsptold President Donald&nbspTrump&nbspon Monday that US&nbsptariffs&nbspimposed on European Union steel and aluminium imports were "unjustified and deeply disappointing" during a phone&nbspcall.

The leaders spoke for the first time since the announcement in a 30-minute&nbspcall&nbspand agreed to discuss the issue further at the G7 summit in Canada later this week.

Trump&nbsphas infuriated European Union members, Canada and Mexico by imposing&nbsptariffs&nbspof 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, ending months of uncertainty about potential exemptions and suggesting a hardening of the U.S. approach to trade negotiations.

"The prime minister raised the US&nbspdecision to apply&nbsptariffs&nbspto EU steel and aluminium imports, which she said was unjustified and deeply disappointing," a spokesman for the prime minister told reporters.

"She said the US&nbspand UK and EU are close national security allies and we recognise the importance of the values of open and fair trade across the world. The prime minister also underlined the need to safeguard jobs."

The EU threatened&nbsptariffs&nbspon Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon, measures aimed at the political bases of US&nbspRepublican legislators.

Britain's&nbsptrade minister Liam Fox warned parliament on Monday that growing protectionism could "ramp up into a global trading disaster" and said Britain and the European Union's response must be measured and proportionate.

"It is right to seek to defend our domestic industries from both the direct and indirect impacts of these US&nbsptariffs. The response must be measured, and proportionate," Fox told parliament.

During the&nbspcall,&nbspMay&nbspalso announced her support for&nbspTrump's plan to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore next week.

The leaders spoke for the first time since the announcement in a 30-minute call and agreed to discuss the issue further at the G7 summit in Canada later this week

British Prime Minister Theresa&nbspMay&nbsptold President Donald&nbspTrump&nbspon Monday that US&nbsptariffs&nbspimposed on European Union steel and aluminium imports were "unjustified and deeply disappointing" during a phone&nbspcall. The leaders spoke for the first time since the announcement in a 30-minute&nbspcall&nbspand agreed to discuss the issue further at the G7 summit in Canada later this week. Trump&nbsphas infuriated European Union members, Canada and Mexico by imposing&nbsptariffs&nbspof 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, ending months of uncertainty about potential exemptions and suggesting a hardening of the U.S. approach to trade negotiations. "The prime minister raised the US&nbspdecision to apply&nbsptariffs&nbspto EU steel and aluminium imports, which she said was unjustified and deeply disappointing," a spokesman for the prime minister told reporters. "She said the US&nbspand UK and EU are close national security allies and we recognise the importance of the values of open and fair trade across the world. The prime minister also underlined the need to safeguard jobs." The EU threatened&nbsptariffs&nbspon Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon, measures aimed at the political bases of US&nbspRepublican legislators. Britain's&nbsptrade minister Liam Fox warned parliament on Monday that growing protectionism could "ramp up into a global trading disaster" and said Britain and the European Union's response must be measured and proportionate. "It is right to seek to defend our domestic industries from both the direct and indirect impacts of these US&nbsptariffs. The response must be measured, and proportionate," Fox told parliament. During the&nbspcall,&nbspMay&nbspalso announced her support for&nbspTrump's plan to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore next week.

US tariffs 'unjustified', Britain's May tells Trump on call

In a boxing match, a player sometimes fends off the opponent, sometimes defends, and then, at the apt moment, he attacks.

As momentum gathers for the 2019 general election, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seems to be playing the political game just as carefully, say leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party and political observers.

In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp

He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in&nbspagainst the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before.

"When Kejriwal changed strategy in 2017, post Uttar Pradesh poll results, the charisma of Modi was intact. You don't attack a leader who is popular because that will backfire. But when he is becoming unpopular, change the strategy,&nbspa senior AAP leader told PTI.

The rising fuel prices that has resulted in anger among the people, the recent defeats in the bypolls and the opposition banding together against the BJP have prompted the change, he said.

On May 31, the day of the bypoll results in which the BJP won one parliamentary seat and one assembly seat of 14 constituencies, Kejriwal posted a carefully timed tweet in praise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the target of his anti-graft campaign during the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha polls the following year.

Taking a swipe at Modi, Kejriwal said people were missing an "educated prime minister" like Manmohan Singh.

"It's dawning on people now that the PM should be educated," Kejriwal tweeted, posting a Wall Street Journal article on the falling rupee.

This was a clear dig at Modi, reminiscent of his past attacks on the prime minister and reiterating doubts on the authenticity of his educational qualifications.

After the bypoll results became known, Kejriwal said the results were a reflection of people's anger against the prime minister.

The BJP had earlier lost Karnataka and the Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

On May 31 itself, Kejriwal tweeted a video about people in Varanasi criticising the prime minister. He sought to link the CBI raid on state Health Minister Satyendar Jain's residence to steps the Delhi government is planning to take to reduce the charges by hospitals.

On the raid that took on place on May 30, he tweeted, "What does PM Modi want?"

A few days before that, on May 26, responding to a tweet on the performance of Delhi government schools, Kerjiwal said, "This is despite the obstacles created by the LG, the BJP and the PM. Congratulations to all students, principals and teachers."

On May 22, he attacked the prime minister's insurance scheme on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). "PM's crop insurance scheme is a complete fraud on the farmers. Its sole objective is to benefit some insurance companies,"&nbspthe AAP chief said.

"Attacking a leader when he is popular will backfire. When the opposition is uniting against Modi, the bypoll results suggest that anti-incumbency is setting in, he is jumping on the bandwagon and mounting an attack,"&nbspsaid political analyst Sanjay Kumar.

AAP's Delhi unit spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Kejriwal was a human being and was bound to hit back.

"How long will you push him against the wall? After all he is a human being, he is bound to hit back. They have not allowed the Delhi government to function,"&nbsphe said.

"We also tried to use the strategy of minimising our attacks and instead focus on work, but the incidents over past one year reflect that the strategy has not worked,"&nbspBharadwaj added.&nbsp

He was referring to the recent raids on Jain's residence by the CBI, the interrogation of the chief minister and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs, the removal of Delhi government advisors, including Atishi Marlena, and the arrest of Kejriwal's kin in an alleged irregularity in the PWD related work.&nbsp

Kejriwal kept mum in 2017 after AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the the BJP's sweep of Uttar Pradesh. But now, with Modi on the backfoot, the Delhi Chief Minister has renewed his attacks with the same level of acerbity as earlier

In a boxing match, a player sometimes fends off the opponent, sometimes defends, and then, at the apt moment, he attacks. As momentum gathers for the 2019 general election, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seems to be playing the political game just as carefully, say leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party and political observers. In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in&nbspagainst the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before. "When Kejriwal changed strategy in 2017, post Uttar Pradesh poll results, the charisma of Modi was intact. You don't attack a leader who is popular because that will backfire. But when he is becoming unpopular, change the strategy,&nbspa senior AAP leader told PTI. The rising fuel prices that has resulted in anger among the people, the recent defeats in the bypolls and the opposition banding together against the BJP have prompted the change, he said. On May 31, the day of the bypoll results in which the BJP won one parliamentary seat and one assembly seat of 14 constituencies, Kejriwal posted a carefully timed tweet in praise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the target of his anti-graft campaign during the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha polls the following year. Taking a swipe at Modi, Kejriwal said people were missing an "educated prime minister" like Manmohan Singh. "It's dawning on people now that the PM should be educated," Kejriwal tweeted, posting a Wall Street Journal article on the falling rupee. This was a clear dig at Modi, reminiscent of his past attacks on the prime minister and reiterating doubts on the authenticity of his educational qualifications. After the bypoll results became known, Kejriwal said the results were a reflection of people's anger against the prime minister. The BJP had earlier lost Karnataka and the Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. On May 31 itself, Kejriwal tweeted a video about people in Varanasi criticising the prime minister. He sought to link the CBI raid on state Health Minister Satyendar Jain's residence to steps the Delhi government is planning to take to reduce the charges by hospitals. On the raid that took on place on May 30, he tweeted, "What does PM Modi want?" A few days before that, on May 26, responding to a tweet on the performance of Delhi government schools, Kerjiwal said, "This is despite the obstacles created by the LG, the BJP and the PM. Congratulations to all students, principals and teachers." On May 22, he attacked the prime minister's insurance scheme on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). "PM's crop insurance scheme is a complete fraud on the farmers. Its sole objective is to benefit some insurance companies,"&nbspthe AAP chief said. "Attacking a leader when he is popular will backfire. When the opposition is uniting against Modi, the bypoll results suggest that anti-incumbency is setting in, he is jumping on the bandwagon and mounting an attack,"&nbspsaid political analyst Sanjay Kumar. AAP's Delhi unit spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Kejriwal was a human being and was bound to hit back. "How long will you push him against the wall? After all he is a human being, he is bound to hit back. They have not allowed the Delhi government to function,"&nbsphe said. "We also tried to use the strategy of minimising our attacks and instead focus on work, but the incidents over past one year reflect that the strategy has not worked,"&nbspBharadwaj added. He was referring to the recent raids on Jain's residence by the CBI, the interrogation of the chief minister and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs, the removal of Delhi government advisors, including Atishi Marlena, and the arrest of Kejriwal's kin in an alleged irregularity in the PWD related work.

After a year of keeping quiet, Kejriwal renews attacks on Modi 

The government is all set to conclude a multi-billion dollar deal by October to procure 200 Kamov Ka-226T attack helicopters through a joint venture between Russian Helicopters and state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Official sources said almost all the groundwork to finalise the mega project has been completed as the government is eyeing to seal it within the next four months.

An inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia was signed for the project during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December 2015.

In October 2016, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement to set up the joint venture (JV) between HAL and Russian Helicopters which will co-produce the choppers. India is procuring the choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

Last month, the defence ministry issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Indo-Russian venture for the project.

Officials said the HAL-RH joint venture will send a detailed response to the RFP by end of August and the final deal is set to be signed in October.

They said the government has already approved the technical configuration for the twin-engine multi-role helicopter which is known for its superior manoeuvring capabilities in mountainous areas.&nbsp

The defence ministry has already approved the payment for setting up of the JV. A site in the vicinity of Tumkur near Bengaluru has been identified for setting up the facility to produce the choppers.&nbsp

The Kamov helicopters will be supplied to the Indian Air Force and the Army. Both these forces have been pressing for early conclusion of the deal so that they could replace their ageing fleet of existing choppers within next three to four years.

According to the 2015 agreement, 60 Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India.

Russia had agreed to ensure transfer of technologies to India as part of the pact. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition for decades.

An inter-governmental agreement between inter-governmental was signed for the project during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December 2015.

The government is all set to conclude a multi-billion dollar deal by October to procure 200 Kamov Ka-226T attack helicopters through a joint venture between Russian Helicopters and state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Official sources said almost all the groundwork to finalise the mega project has been completed as the government is eyeing to seal it within the next four months. An inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia was signed for the project during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December 2015. In October 2016, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement to set up the joint venture (JV) between HAL and Russian Helicopters which will co-produce the choppers. India is procuring the choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Last month, the defence ministry issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Indo-Russian venture for the project. Officials said the HAL-RH joint venture will send a detailed response to the RFP by end of August and the final deal is set to be signed in October. They said the government has already approved the technical configuration for the twin-engine multi-role helicopter which is known for its superior manoeuvring capabilities in mountainous areas. The defence ministry has already approved the payment for setting up of the JV. A site in the vicinity of Tumkur near Bengaluru has been identified for setting up the facility to produce the choppers. The Kamov helicopters will be supplied to the Indian Air Force and the Army. Both these forces have been pressing for early conclusion of the deal so that they could replace their ageing fleet of existing choppers within next three to four years. According to the 2015 agreement, 60 Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India. Russia had agreed to ensure transfer of technologies to India as part of the pact. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition for decades.

Govt to seal deal by October to procure 200 Kamov military choppers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore's former premier Goh Chok Tong today jointly unveiled a plaque to pay tribute at the immersion site of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes at the waterfront Clifford pier in the city-state.

Over 250 members of Indian diaspora led by Singapore's Emeritus Minister Goh Chok Tong joined the ceremony at the pier, 70 years after a part of the Mahatma's ashes were immeresed in the Singapore water with a plane showering flowers and petals.

Modi, who is here on the last leg of his three-nation tour, unveiled the plaque on the seafront where some of the Mahatma's ashes were immersed in 1948.

"Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and I unveiled a plaque marking the site where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed at the Clifford Pier in Singapore," Modi tweeted.

"Bapu's message reverberates globally. His thoughts and ideals motivate us to work for the greater good of humanity," he said.

Beautiful renditions of 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye' and 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram', two favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi, were sung on the occasion.

"Beautiful musical presentation by Singaporean artists on local instruments of 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' - another favourite bhajan of Mahatma at Clifford Pier in the presence of Prime Minister Modi," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

After Gandhi's death in 1948, his ashes were sent to various parts of India and the world, including Singapore, for immersion.

Earlier, Modi met Goh, a veteran leader and an advocate of deeper India-Singapore engagement.

"Had a productive meeting with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong," Modi tweeted.

Modi and Goh unveiled the plaque at the pier, which is now a heritage landmark in the Fullerton Hotel Complex.

"The unveiling of plaque of the Mahatma is remembrance again of Gandhi as a global figure and his relationship with all his Indian diaspora globally. That is the significance of this event," said Ameerali Jumabhoy, a 93-year old Singaporean businessman, who leads Gandhi Jayanti celebration in Singapore every year as a leading members of the Global People of Indian Origin.

Following the unveiling of the plaque, Gandhi's picture carved in gold leaf and framed in table-top were gifted to people who attended today's ceremony.

Later, Modi visited the National Orchid Garden of Singapore where an orchid was named after him.

He then visited Singapore's oldest Hindu temple Sri Mariamman, Chulia mosque in Chinatown and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.&nbsp;

Modi arrived here&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;on the last leg of his three-nation visit.

Modi unveiled the plaque on the seafront where some of the Mahatma's ashes were immersed in 1948

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore's former premier Goh Chok Tong today jointly unveiled a plaque to pay tribute at the immersion site of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes at the waterfront Clifford pier in the city-state. Over 250 members of Indian diaspora led by Singapore's Emeritus Minister Goh Chok Tong joined the ceremony at the pier, 70 years after a part of the Mahatma's ashes were immeresed in the Singapore water with a plane showering flowers and petals. Modi, who is here on the last leg of his three-nation tour, unveiled the plaque on the seafront where some of the Mahatma's ashes were immersed in 1948. "Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and I unveiled a plaque marking the site where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed at the Clifford Pier in Singapore," Modi tweeted. "Bapu's message reverberates globally. His thoughts and ideals motivate us to work for the greater good of humanity," he said. Beautiful renditions of 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye' and 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram', two favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi, were sung on the occasion. "Beautiful musical presentation by Singaporean artists on local instruments of 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' - another favourite bhajan of Mahatma at Clifford Pier in the presence of Prime Minister Modi," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. After Gandhi's death in 1948, his ashes were sent to various parts of India and the world, including Singapore, for immersion. Earlier, Modi met Goh, a veteran leader and an advocate of deeper India-Singapore engagement. "Had a productive meeting with Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong," Modi tweeted. Modi and Goh unveiled the plaque at the pier, which is now a heritage landmark in the Fullerton Hotel Complex. "The unveiling of plaque of the Mahatma is remembrance again of Gandhi as a global figure and his relationship with all his Indian diaspora globally. That is the significance of this event," said Ameerali Jumabhoy, a 93-year old Singaporean businessman, who leads Gandhi Jayanti celebration in Singapore every year as a leading members of the Global People of Indian Origin. Following the unveiling of the plaque, Gandhi's picture carved in gold leaf and framed in table-top were gifted to people who attended today's ceremony. Later, Modi visited the National Orchid Garden of Singapore where an orchid was named after him. He then visited Singapore's oldest Hindu temple Sri Mariamman, Chulia mosque in Chinatown and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. Modi arrived here on Thursday on the last leg of his three-nation visit.

Prime Minister Modi unveils Gandhi's plaque with former Singaporean premier

The EU&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;launched its first counteroffensive against Washington's punishing steel and aluminium tariffs while the US began meetings in Canada with outraged finance ministers from its top trading partners.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump floated the possibility of scrapping the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement in favour of separate bilateral deals with Canada and Mexico.

Brussels and Ottawa filed legal challenges at the World Trade Organization against Washington's decision. The EU, Canada and Mexico also threatened stiff retaliatory tariffs as they pushed back against President Donald Trump's multi-front trade offensive.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;he was dumbfounded by Washington's national security basis for the tariffs, given that US and Canadian troops had fought together in World War II, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"This is insulting to them," he told NBC News.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "deeply disappointed" and reiterated a call for Britain and the EU to be "permanently exempted" from the "unjustified" metals tariffs.

As the Group of Seven ministerial meeting opened in Canada, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin faced stern reaction from his counterparts, who accused Trump of jeopardizing the world economy with steps that would prove job killers for all concerned.

Canada Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the G7 discussions would be "difficult."

"We are sending the message that these measures are not helpful," he told reporters.

And French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Europe "will not negotiate with a gun to our heads."

They are joined at the meeting by officials from Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan.

"Unfortunately, we are being treated to a G6 + 1, with the United States squaring off against the rest and risking the economic destabilization of the planet," Le Maire said.

Behind closed doors, according to a European source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mnuchin said little, choosing not to get into detail and deferring answers to next week's G7 summit when heads of state gather in Quebec, Canada.

Other delegations, however, hammered the points made earlier in public.

Le Maire argued that if Washington itself flouted the rules of international commerce, it would have a harder time convincing China to abide by them.

The US imposed the tariffs in March but gave Canada and the EU -- the biggest sources of foreign aluminium and steel for the US -- a grace period that ended at&nbsp;midnight&nbsp;Thursday.

Trump's decision drew furious responses from Canadian President Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The EU is preparing to slap tariffs on US products including bourbon, motorcycles and blue jeans worth up to 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion).

"If players in the world don't stick to the rulebook, the system might collapse. That is why we are challenging the US and China at the WTO," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said.

Macron told Trump in a telephone call that the tariffs were "illegal," and Merkel said the measure "risks touching off spirals of escalation that in the end hurt everyone."

Canada unveiled a package of counter-tariffs on US imports valued at Can$16.6 billion (US$12.8 billion).

And Mexico said it would impose retaliatory duties on a variety of US goods, including steel and a host of agricultural goods, including pork, apples and cheese.

The prospect of a global trade war has roiled financial markets this week even if they were back in positive territory&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;due to upbeat US economic data.&nbsp;

Berenberg Bank economist Holger Schmieding argued that the direct impact of a US-EU trade war on the world economy would actually be rather small.&nbsp;

Nevertheless, "Trump's contempt for international rules can deal a significant blow to business confidence especially in trade-oriented nations," Schmieding said.

The WTO's former chief, Pascal Lamy, also said the damage would likely be limited in concrete terms.

"We have to keep things in proportion," he said on the French radio station France Info. He estimated that the economic impact of the tariffs would amount to "a very small part of trade flows as a whole."

But others have estimated the impact as up to a full point off global growth if the conflict expands and retaliation goes into effect.

The German carmakers' federation described the imposition of tariffs as "incomprehensible."

"In a connected, global economy, customs barriers don't benefit anyone, including the United States," the VDA federation said.

Germany's carmakers are especially braced for the latest threat from Trump, who earlier this month launched proceedings that could eventually slap 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports.

"I know he has a very particular problem with German cars," warned Malmstrom.

Trump floated the possibility of scrapping the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement in favour of separate bilateral deals with Canada and Mexico

The EU on Friday launched its first counteroffensive against Washington's punishing steel and aluminium tariffs while the US began meetings in Canada with outraged finance ministers from its top trading partners. Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump floated the possibility of scrapping the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement in favour of separate bilateral deals with Canada and Mexico. Brussels and Ottawa filed legal challenges at the World Trade Organization against Washington's decision. The EU, Canada and Mexico also threatened stiff retaliatory tariffs as they pushed back against President Donald Trump's multi-front trade offensive. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he was dumbfounded by Washington's national security basis for the tariffs, given that US and Canadian troops had fought together in World War II, Afghanistan and elsewhere. "This is insulting to them," he told NBC News. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "deeply disappointed" and reiterated a call for Britain and the EU to be "permanently exempted" from the "unjustified" metals tariffs. As the Group of Seven ministerial meeting opened in Canada, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin faced stern reaction from his counterparts, who accused Trump of jeopardizing the world economy with steps that would prove job killers for all concerned. Canada Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the G7 discussions would be "difficult." "We are sending the message that these measures are not helpful," he told reporters. And French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Europe "will not negotiate with a gun to our heads." They are joined at the meeting by officials from Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan. "Unfortunately, we are being treated to a G6 + 1, with the United States squaring off against the rest and risking the economic destabilization of the planet," Le Maire said. Behind closed doors, according to a European source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mnuchin said little, choosing not to get into detail and deferring answers to next week's G7 summit when heads of state gather in Quebec, Canada. Other delegations, however, hammered the points made earlier in public. Le Maire argued that if Washington itself flouted the rules of international commerce, it would have a harder time convincing China to abide by them. The US imposed the tariffs in March but gave Canada and the EU -- the biggest sources of foreign aluminium and steel for the US -- a grace period that ended at midnight Thursday. Trump's decision drew furious responses from Canadian President Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. The EU is preparing to slap tariffs on US products including bourbon, motorcycles and blue jeans worth up to 2.8 billion euros ($3.3 billion). "If players in the world don't stick to the rulebook, the system might collapse. That is why we are challenging the US and China at the WTO," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said. Macron told Trump in a telephone call that the tariffs were "illegal," and Merkel said the measure "risks touching off spirals of escalation that in the end hurt everyone." Canada unveiled a package of counter-tariffs on US imports valued at Can$16.6 billion (US$12.8 billion). And Mexico said it would impose retaliatory duties on a variety of US goods, including steel and a host of agricultural goods, including pork, apples and cheese. The prospect of a global trade war has roiled financial markets this week even if they were back in positive territory on Friday due to upbeat US economic data. Berenberg Bank economist Holger Schmieding argued that the direct impact of a US-EU trade war on the world economy would actually be rather small. Nevertheless, "Trump's contempt for international rules can deal a significant blow to business confidence especially in trade-oriented nations," Schmieding said. The WTO's former chief, Pascal Lamy, also said the damage would likely be limited in concrete terms. "We have to keep things in proportion," he said on the French radio station France Info. He estimated that the economic impact of the tariffs would amount to "a very small part of trade flows as a whole." But others have estimated the impact as up to a full point off global growth if the conflict expands and retaliation goes into effect. The German carmakers' federation described the imposition of tariffs as "incomprehensible." "In a connected, global economy, customs barriers don't benefit anyone, including the United States," the VDA federation said. Germany's carmakers are especially braced for the latest threat from Trump, who earlier this month launched proceedings that could eventually slap 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports. "I know he has a very particular problem with German cars," warned Malmstrom.

European Union joins global battle against Trump tariff onslaught

Socialist Pedro Sanchez was sworn in on Saturday as Spain's seventh head of government since its return to democracy in the late 1970s, taking over from veteran conservative Mariano Rajoy who was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/parliament-ousts-spain-pm-replaced-by-socialist-leader-141570">ousted</a> on Friday over a corruption scandal.

One of Sanchez' main challenges will be to try and find a way out of the crisis in the wealthy Catalonia region, where a new nationalist government was due to be sworn in on Saturday.

Sanchez was sworn in as Spanish prime minister before King Felipe, his right hand on the constitution -- the first time that was not done with the Bible or a crucifix.

Sanchez became prime minister with only 84 seats for his Socialist Party in the 350-member assembly thanks to support from the hard-left Podemos and smaller nationalist parties.

He said he intends to steer the country through to mid-2020 when the parliamentary term ends.

But his majority - the smallest for a Spanish government since the return to democracy following Francisco Franco's death in 1975, makes it unclear how long his administration can last.

Sanchez's predecessor the veteran conservative Mariano Rajoy was ousted on Friday over a corruption scandal

Socialist Pedro Sanchez was sworn in on Saturday as Spain's seventh head of government since its return to democracy in the late 1970s, taking over from veteran conservative Mariano Rajoy who was ousted on Friday over a corruption scandal. One of Sanchez' main challenges will be to try and find a way out of the crisis in the wealthy Catalonia region, where a new nationalist government was due to be sworn in on Saturday. Sanchez was sworn in as Spanish prime minister before King Felipe, his right hand on the constitution -- the first time that was not done with the Bible or a crucifix. Sanchez became prime minister with only 84 seats for his Socialist Party in the 350-member assembly thanks to support from the hard-left Podemos and smaller nationalist parties. He said he intends to steer the country through to mid-2020 when the parliamentary term ends. But his majority - the smallest for a Spanish government since the return to democracy following Francisco Franco's death in 1975, makes it unclear how long his administration can last.

Pedro Sanchez sworn in as new Spanish Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore, days after the Pentagon renamed its Pacific Command as Indo-Pacific Command in a largely symbolic move to signal India’s importance to the US military.

Mr Modi, who is here on the last leg of his three-nation tour, held a closed-door meeting with Mr. Mattis during which both sides discussed all security related issues of mutual and global interests, sources said.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue which was addressed by the Prime Minister last night. In his keynote address at the Dialogue, Mr. Modi had said an “Asia of rivalry” will hold the region back while an Asia of cooperation will shape the current century. Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together with trust and confidence while being sensitive to each other’s interests, he had said.

“We should all have equal access as a right under international law to the use of common spaces on sea and in the air that would require freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law,” he had said.

Mr Mattis also addressed the dialogue where he stressed upon freedom for all and “reaffirmation for rule based order”. The meeting between the two leaders assumes significance as in his address Mr. Mattis has stressed upon both countries working together and with other nations for ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. “It is only appropriate that waterways remain open for all nations,” he said.

The meeting comes days after the U.S. renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, amid heightened tensions with China over the militarisation of the South China Sea. The U.S. move came in the wake of a series of measures by China that have raised tensions in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area. The U.S. also rejects China’s claims of ownership of the area. The Pentagon’s move is also reflective of the growing importance of India in U.S. strategic thinking.

India was granted the ‘Major Defence Partner’ status by the previous Barack Obama Administration, providing for transfer of technology and deeper cooperation in the defence sector. In 2016, India and the U.S. had signed a crucial logistics defence pact enabling their militaries to use each other’s assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, making joint operations more efficient. Soon after coming to power, the Trump administration had renamed Asia Pacific as Indo-Pacific and identified India as one bookend of the region.

On last day of his three-day visit to Singapore on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi met US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore, days after the Pentagon renamed its Pacific Command as Indo-Pacific Command in a largely symbolic move to signal India’s importance to the US military. Mr Modi, who is here on the last leg of his three-nation tour, held a closed-door meeting with Mr. Mattis during which both sides discussed all security related issues of mutual and global interests, sources said. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue which was addressed by the Prime Minister last night. In his keynote address at the Dialogue, Mr. Modi had said an “Asia of rivalry” will hold the region back while an Asia of cooperation will shape the current century. Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together with trust and confidence while being sensitive to each other’s interests, he had said. “We should all have equal access as a right under international law to the use of common spaces on sea and in the air that would require freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law,” he had said. Mr Mattis also addressed the dialogue where he stressed upon freedom for all and “reaffirmation for rule based order”. The meeting between the two leaders assumes significance as in his address Mr. Mattis has stressed upon both countries working together and with other nations for ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region. “It is only appropriate that waterways remain open for all nations,” he said. The meeting comes days after the U.S. renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, amid heightened tensions with China over the militarisation of the South China Sea. The U.S. move came in the wake of a series of measures by China that have raised tensions in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area. The U.S. also rejects China’s claims of ownership of the area. The Pentagon’s move is also reflective of the growing importance of India in U.S. strategic thinking. India was granted the ‘Major Defence Partner’ status by the previous Barack Obama Administration, providing for transfer of technology and deeper cooperation in the defence sector. In 2016, India and the U.S. had signed a crucial logistics defence pact enabling their militaries to use each other’s assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, making joint operations more efficient. Soon after coming to power, the Trump administration had renamed Asia Pacific as Indo-Pacific and identified India as one bookend of the region.

In a boost to Indo-US strategic ties, PM Narendra Modi meets US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore

Canada hit back at steep US tariffs on aluminum and steel&nbsp;on Thursday, announcing retaliatory duties on up to Can$16.6 billion (US$12.8 billion) in American imports.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference the US tariffs were "totally unacceptable."

"These tariffs are an affront to the long standing security partnership between Canada and the United States, and in particular, an affront to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside their American brothers in arms," he said, noting the US national security justification for its measures.

"We have to believe that at some point, common sense will prevail. But we see no sign of that in this action today by the US administration," the prime minister said.

The Canadian tariffs, which Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said are proportional to the US duties, will be applied to US steel and aluminum as well as consumer products from&nbsp;July 1.

These items include yogurt, coffee, sugar, toilet paper, sailboats, mattresses, washing machines and lawn mowers -- all aimed at exerting pressure on key US states that export a lot to Canada.

At the same time, Ottawa will challenge the "illegal and counterproductive" US measures under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and at the World Trade Organization, said Freeland.

The tit-for-tat trade spat comes after nine months of negotiations between Canada, Mexico and the United States to revamp NAFTA bogged down.

Washington had granted Canada and Mexico an exemption on the metal tariffs to give the parties time to successfully negotiate a new free trade deal.

But Washington rejected the latest offer from its neighbors to accept a larger US share of North American auto manufacturing in exchange for the US dropping other contentious demands.

Trudeau said he spoke with US President Donald Trump last week and offered to fly to Washington and sit down with him to hammer out the "final details of NAFTA because there were broad lines of a decent win-win-win deal on the table."

But Vice President Mike Pence called back this week to set a NAFTA sunset clause as a precondition for the meeting, which both Canada and Mexico had rejected.

Trudeau said he replied that "there was no possibility of any Canadian prime minister signing a NAFTA deal that included a five-year sunset clause."

"Obviously, the visit didn't happen," he said.

Late&nbsp;Thursday, President Donald Trump said in a statement it was made clear to Trudeau that the US "will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all."

"The United States has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade.&nbsp;Those days are over," he said.

Meanwhile, last month and earlier&nbsp;Thursday, Ottawa also unveiled measures to stop transshipments of steel and aluminum into the North American market, hoping to satisfy US concerns and avert a trade war.

But hope faded when US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the United States would impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Canada and others from&nbsp;Friday.

Freeland noted that the United States has a US$2 billion trade surplus with Canada in steel, and that "roughly half" of all US steel exports go to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference the US tariffs were "totally unacceptable."

Canada hit back at steep US tariffs on aluminum and steel on Thursday, announcing retaliatory duties on up to Can$16.6 billion (US$12.8 billion) in American imports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference the US tariffs were "totally unacceptable." "These tariffs are an affront to the long standing security partnership between Canada and the United States, and in particular, an affront to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside their American brothers in arms," he said, noting the US national security justification for its measures. "We have to believe that at some point, common sense will prevail. But we see no sign of that in this action today by the US administration," the prime minister said. The Canadian tariffs, which Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said are proportional to the US duties, will be applied to US steel and aluminum as well as consumer products from July 1. These items include yogurt, coffee, sugar, toilet paper, sailboats, mattresses, washing machines and lawn mowers -- all aimed at exerting pressure on key US states that export a lot to Canada. At the same time, Ottawa will challenge the "illegal and counterproductive" US measures under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and at the World Trade Organization, said Freeland. The tit-for-tat trade spat comes after nine months of negotiations between Canada, Mexico and the United States to revamp NAFTA bogged down. Washington had granted Canada and Mexico an exemption on the metal tariffs to give the parties time to successfully negotiate a new free trade deal. But Washington rejected the latest offer from its neighbors to accept a larger US share of North American auto manufacturing in exchange for the US dropping other contentious demands. Trudeau said he spoke with US President Donald Trump last week and offered to fly to Washington and sit down with him to hammer out the "final details of NAFTA because there were broad lines of a decent win-win-win deal on the table." But Vice President Mike Pence called back this week to set a NAFTA sunset clause as a precondition for the meeting, which both Canada and Mexico had rejected. Trudeau said he replied that "there was no possibility of any Canadian prime minister signing a NAFTA deal that included a five-year sunset clause." "Obviously, the visit didn't happen," he said. Late Thursday, President Donald Trump said in a statement it was made clear to Trudeau that the US "will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all." "The United States has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade. Those days are over," he said. Meanwhile, last month and earlier Thursday, Ottawa also unveiled measures to stop transshipments of steel and aluminum into the North American market, hoping to satisfy US concerns and avert a trade war. But hope faded when US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the United States would impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum from Canada and others from Friday. Freeland noted that the United States has a US$2 billion trade surplus with Canada in steel, and that "roughly half" of all US steel exports go to Canada.

Canada hits US with billions in retaliatory tariffs in steel row

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is delivering the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.&nbsp;

"Singapore shows that when nations stand behind principles, not one country or the other, they gain global respect," Modi said in Singapore.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" id="frmwion" scrolling="no" src="http://wionews.dittotv.com/?header=no" width="100%"></iframe>

The Shangri-La Dialogue is a "track one" inter-governmental security forum held annually by an independent think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The forum is attended by defence ministers, ministry heads, and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states. The dialogue gets its name from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore where it has been held since 2002.

'Singapore shows that when nations stand behind principles, not one country or the other, they gain global respect,' Modi said in Singapore

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is delivering the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. "Singapore shows that when nations stand behind principles, not one country or the other, they gain global respect," Modi said in Singapore. The Shangri-La Dialogue is a "track one" inter-governmental security forum held annually by an independent think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The forum is attended by defence ministers, ministry heads, and military chiefs of 28 Asia-Pacific states. The dialogue gets its name from the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore where it has been held since 2002.

Watch live: PM Modi delivers keynote address at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

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