The Capitals: New Delhi's 'watershed moment' with European EFTA bloc

In New Delhi,India signed a trade agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland on Sunday that includes a commitment of $100 billion in investment and creating 1 million direct jobs in India in the next 15 years.

Hailed as a 'watershed moment' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, New Delhi committed to reducing import tariffs on industrial products from the four European countries that comprise the European Free Trade Association, or EFTA.

Also watch |Norway & Liechtenstein Ministers speak on India-EFTA agreement | World News

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India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India for the first time had signed an agreement with an important economic bloc in Europe.

Parmelin, speaking on behalf of the EFTA member states, said that "EFTA countries gain market access to a major growth market. Our companies strive to diversify their supply chains while rendering them more resilient. India, in return, will attract more foreign investment from EFTA, which will ultimately translate into an increase in good jobs."

Read more in The Capitals this week.

Berlin, Germany

The corridors of power in several Western capitals were rocked after a leaked audio tape showed how German military officers discusseddeployment scenarios for Taurus missiles in Ukraine. The development occurred after a German military officer used an unsecured phone line at a Singapore hotel to join a conference call that was hacked by Russians and leaked to the public, Germany’s defence ministerBoris Pistorius said.

Berlin was leftembarrassed after the Allies told it to enhance the security of such crucial calls. But the real fallout was evident in the further deterioration of Berlin-Moscow ties which are already at their lowest since Russia launched an offensive on Ukraine over two years ago.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that delivering those weapons to Ukraine was not an option, adding that he did not want Germany to be drawn into the war directly.

But the Russian foreign ministry in Moscow threatened Berlin with "dire consequences" in connection with the leak.

Beijing, China

In Beijing, the legislators of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) vowed to implement several new laws to "modernise China's system and capacity for national security" with a focus on sovereignty.

About 170-member National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), gathered at the annual meeting of parliament in Beijing earlier this week. The NPSCS pledged to enact laws including an emergency management law and atomic energy law.

They also said they would revise laws on national defence education and cybersecurity.

The annual legislative plan had an increased focus on national security amid China's continuous standoff with India along the Himalayas in Ladakh and increased maritime belligerence across the Taiwan strait.

The NPCSC report also vowed to "strengthen legislation in areas involving foreign affairs and develop a system of laws for extraterritorial application."

"We will use legal means to stand up for our country in the international arena and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests," the NPCSC report said.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Heavy gunfire sporadically erupted all through this week near Haiti's national palace, escalating the political turmoil that has gripped the nation.

The strife in Haiti reached a critical point last week when the country declared a state of emergency.

The escalation saw armed gangs attacking prisons and inmates breaking free, leading to a wave of violence and chaos.

Over ten thousand people were displaced during the unrest, coinciding with Prime Minister Henry's absence. The PM is in Kenya, where he was negotiating for an international force to combat Haiti's escalating gang wars.

The United States has asked Haiti's prime minister to expedite a political transition as armed gangs actively seek his ouster.

Madrid, Spain

A decade ago, Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez passed away in the Mexican capital Mexico City. But this week, Marquez was reborn with his undisclosed work that was published by his sons Gonzalo and Rodrigo Garcia Barcha in Madrid. Thenovel titled "Until August" was penned by the prolific Colombian-born writer in 2004.

Garcia Marquez, renowned for his masterpieces like "One Hundred Years of Solitude", has leftbehind a rich literary legacy. The posthumous release of "Until August" offers readers a poignant glimpse into the creative mind of the acclaimed author.

The release of "Until August" coincided with Garcia Marquez's birthday.

The story revolves around Ana Magdalena Bach, who annually embarks on a ferry journey to the island where her mother rests in eternal peace. This ritual transforms into a captivating exploration of self-discovery, as Ana grapples with the temptation to embrace a different persona for one night each year.

The posthumous novel is poised to add another chapter to the enduring legacy of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a literary luminary whose words continue to resonate with readers across the globe.