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US Judge sets April 15 trial date in Trump hush money case

Trump’s trial had long been scheduled to begin on Monday, but at the last minute, Bragg’s office agreed to a multi-week delay….reports Asian Lite News

A New York judge has scheduled former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial to begin on April 15, enabling his first criminal trial to begin this spring following a last-minute delay.

Trump, who has looked to postpone all four of his criminal cases beyond the election, requested the judge toss his case over new documents recently turned over, or at least sanction Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) and postpone the trial.

However, during a hearing on Monday, Judge Juan Merchan rejected all of those requests and ruled in favour of Bragg by refusing to push the trial deeper into the campaign season, setting jury selection for April 15.

“The court finds that the people have complied and continue to comply with their discovery obligations,” Merchan said.

Trump’s trial had long been scheduled to begin on Monday, but at the last minute, Bragg’s office agreed to a multi-week delay.

This comes after the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York turned over more than 100,000 pages of records in recent weeks.

Following this, the parties traded blame for why the documents did not come to light earlier. Rather than begin the trial on Monday, the parties instead convened to sort out the document kerfuffle.

Trump attended the hearing alongside a roughly half-dozen of his lawyers, who were occasionally whispering to them but otherwise sitting stone-faced.

Moreover, he sat back in his chair for most of the hearing, looking ahead towards the judge. After the hearing, Trump repeated familiar claims that Bragg’s case was brought to keep him from campaigning for the presidential elections, scheduled for November.

“This is a case that could have been brought three and a half years ago and now they’re fighting over days because they want to try to do it during the election. This is election interference. That’s all that is. Election interference,” he said.

Trump is charged in the case with 34 counts of falsifying business records over reimbursements to his then-fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film star Stormy Daniels USD 130,000 just before the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.

Trump, who has acknowledged the reimbursements but denied the affair, has pleaded not guilty, as reported by The Hill.

However, Trump’s team and prosecutors, inside the courtroom, disagreed about how many new and relevant documents there were, with Trump attorney Todd Blanche claiming there were “thousands and thousands” without providing a specific number.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo, meanwhile, estimated there were only about 300 new, relevant records.

Blanche also went further, asserting that Bragg’s office was obligated to have the new documents months ago so Trump could adequately prepare his defence.

Merchan condemned the notion and raised his voice at one point as he pressed Blanche to cite a singular past case supporting his position.

“If you don’t have a case right now, it is really disconcerting because the allegations the defence makes in all of your papers, about the people’s misconduct, is incredibly serious, unbelievably serious,” Merchan said.

“You’re literally accusing the Manhattan DA’s office and the people assigned to this case of prosecutorial misconduct and trying to make me complicit in it. And you don’t have a single cite to support that position?” he added. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Israel’s war undermining top UN court’

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US and Israel clash over UN ceasefire demand  

Netanyahu accused the US of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Security Council on Monday issued its first demand for a ceasefire in Gaza, with the US angering Israel by abstaining from the vote. Israel responded by canceling a visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in the strongest public clash between the allies since the war began.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the administration was “kind of perplexed” by Netanyahu’s decision. He said the Israelis were “choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don’t need to do that.”

Kirby and the American ambassador to the UN said the US abstained because the resolution did not condemn Hamas. US officials chose to abstain rather than veto the proposal “because it does fairly reflect our view that a ceasefire and the release of hostages come together,” Kirby said.

The 15-member council voted 14-0 to approve the resolution, which also demanded the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel. The chamber broke into loud applause after the vote.

People fill water for use in their homes due to water shortages as a result of the ongoing escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip. (©UNICEF/UNI488774/Al-Qattaa)

The US vetoed past Security Council ceasefire resolutions in large part because of the failure to tie them directly to the release of hostages, the failure to condemn Hamas’ attacks and the delicacy of ongoing negotiations. American officials have argued that the ceasefire and hostage releases are linked, while Russia, China and many other council members favored unconditional calls for a ceasefire.

The resolution approved Monday demands the release of hostages but does not make it a condition for the ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, which ends in April.

Hamas said it welcomed the UN’s move but said the ceasefire needs to be permanent.

“We confirm our readiness to engage in an immediate prisoner exchange process that leads to the release of prisoners on both sides,” the group said. For months, the militants have sought a deal that includes a complete end to the conflict.

The US decision to abstain comes at a time of growing tensions between President Joe Biden’s administration and Netanyahu over Israel’s prosecution of the war, the high number of civilian casualties and the limited amounts of humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza. The two countries have also clashed over Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state, Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the expansion of settlements there.

In addition, the well-known antagonism between Netanyahu and Biden — which dates from Biden’s tenure as vice president — deepened after Biden questioned Israel’s strategy in combating Hamas.

Then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Biden ally, suggested that Netanyahu was not operating in Israel’s best interests and called for Israel to hold new elections. Biden signaled his approval of Schumer’s remarks, prompting a rebuke from Netanyahu.

During its US visit, the Israeli delegation was to present White House officials with its plans for a possible ground invasion of Rafah, a city on the Egyptian border in southern Gaza where over 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought shelter from the war.

Last week, Netanyahu rebuffed a US request to halt the planned Rafah invasion — vowing during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to act alone if necessary. Blinken warned that Israel could soon face growing international isolation, while Vice President Kamala Harris said Israel could soon face unspecified consequences if it launches the ground assault.

The Security Council vote came after Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution Friday that would have supported “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. That resolution featured a weakened link between a ceasefire and the release of hostages, leaving it open to interpretation, and no time limit.

The United States warned that the resolution approved Monday could hurt negotiations to halt the hostilities, raising the possibility of another veto, this time by the Americans. The talks involve the US, Egypt and Qatar.

Because Ramadan ends April 9, the ceasefire demand would last for just two weeks, though the draft says the pause in fighting should lead to “a sustainable ceasefire.”

The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the resolution “spoke out in support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts,” adding that negotiators were “getting closer” to a deal for a ceasefire with the release of all hostages, “but we’re not there yet.”

She urged the council and UN members across the world to “speak out and demand unequivocally that Hamas accepts the deal on the table.”

Thomas-Greenfield said the US abstained because “certain edits” the US requested were ignored, including a condemnation of Hamas.

The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, was backed by Russia and China and the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations.

Under the United Nations Charter, Security Council resolutions are legally binding on its 193 member nations, though they are often flouted.

Algeria’s UN ambassador, Amar Bendjama, the Arab representative on the council, thanked the council for “finally” demanding a ceasefire.

“We look forward to the commitment and the compliance of the Israeli occupying power with this resolution, for them to put an end to the bloodbath without any conditions, to end the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he said.

ALSO READ: ‘Israel’s war undermining top UN court’

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Amul Goes Global

Amul’s entrepreneurial spirit has made it one of the strongest dairy brands in the world…reports Asian Lite News

Popular dairy brand Amul, whose tagline is ‘Taste of India’, has now launched fresh milk products on the international stage for the first time and is now ready to cater to the people in the United States.

“I am pleased to inform that Amul shall be launching its fresh milk products in the United States of America. Happy to inform that we have tied up with a 108-year-old dairy cooperative in the US – Michigan Milk Producers Association, and this announcement was done at their annual meeting on March 20 at Detroit,” said Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which operates Amul.

“This is for the first time Amul fresh products range will be launched anywhere outside India and in a market like the United States, which has a very strong Indian and Asian diaspora,” Mehta told ANI.

Further, he said Amul hopes to expand the brand and become the largest dairy company in line with the vision given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attended its golden jubilee celebrations recently.

Amul’s entrepreneurial spirit has made it one of the strongest dairy brands in the world.

Addressing the gathering during the golden jubilee celebration, the Prime Minister asserted that a sapling that was planted 50 years ago by the farmers of Gujarat has become a giant tree.

Amul products are exported to more than 50 countries around the world. It has under it 18,000 milk cooperative committees, a network of 36,000 farmers, processing more than 3.5 crore litres of milk per day.

The evolution of the dairy sector in India and the stellar role played by dairy cooperatives since the launch of Operation Flood form an integral part of the country’s growth story as the country now is the largest producer of milk.

India contributes about 21 per cent to global milk production.

It is important to note that during the 1950s and 1960s the situation of India’s dairy sector was radically different as it was a milk-deficit nation and depended more on imports.

Following a visit of then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to the Anand district of Gujarat in 1964, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was created in 1965 with a mandate to support the creation of the ‘Anand pattern’ of dairy cooperatives across the country through the Operation Flood (OF) programme which was to be implemented in phases.

Verghese Kurien, widely renowned as the “Father of White Revolution” in India, was the first chairman of NDDB. Along with his team, Kurien commenced work on the launch of the project which envisaged the organisation of Anand-pattern cooperatives in milk sheds across the country from where liquid milk produced and procured by milk cooperatives would be transported to cities.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the success of Amul, urging the dairy brand to aim for global leadership.

Speaking to a gathering of milk producers from across Gujarat at the Motera Stadium here, the Prime Minister set a goal to double the milk processing capacity within the next five years, highlighting Amul’s current standing as the world’s eighth largest dairy.

“Amul, synonymous with trust, partnership, and farmer empowerment, represents a model of modernization and self-reliance,” said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister underscored the brand’s role in fulfilling the nutritional needs of India and its contribution to the dream of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India). With “a vision of transforming Amul into the world’s leading dairy”, PM Modi assured full governmental support, extending a “Modi guarantee” to the endeavor.

The event also inaugurated several key dairy projects across Gujarat, marking a leap in the sector’s infrastructure. Among these were Amul Dairy Anand’s automatic UHT plant, expansions of paneer and chocolate plants, Sabar Dairy’s cheese and whey powder manufacturing plants, Sarhad Dairy’s ice-cream making plant, and Dudhdhara Dairy’s processing plant in Navi Mumbai. Additionally, the Rajkot Dairy Development Project was launched.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the cattle keepers, the unsung heroes behind Amul’s success, and lauded the cooperative model that “has enabled small cattle keepers to undertake significant tasks”. He recalled the foundational role of Sardar Patel in establishing Amul and the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, setting a precedent for future generations.

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US Bolsters Japan HQ for Security Against China, NK

Japan and the United States will also work on further steps to enhance their response capabilities…reports Asian Lite News

The US military plans to bolster functions of its command headquarters in Japan, as it aims for smoother cooperation with the Asian country’s self-defence forces in tackling security threats posed by China and North Korea according to diplomatic sources cited by Kyodo news agency.

Japan and the United States will also work on further steps to enhance their response capabilities, Kyodo reported. Tokyo had in 2022 decided to acquire the capability to strike enemy bases even under Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution.

Also, Japan is set to establish a joint headquarters to command its ground, maritime and air forces by the end of March 2025 with Kishida’s government is aiming to deepen cooperation between the US military and the joint headquarters.

The development comes amidst what the two countries, which have been allies since the World War II, view as a growing threat from North Korea and China in the backdrop of Pyongyang’s missile tests and Beijing’s military activities in the South China Sea as well as the Taiwan conflict.

Notably, China (People’s Republic of China) considers the self-ruled territory of Taiwan as part of its territory and claims there is only “one China.”. China has increased military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including near-daily incursions into the country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) and sending military ships near its maritime borders

This comes ahead of talks in Washington next month between Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden in which the two leaders are expected to agree on the review of their command and control operations, sources said. Kishida is scheduled to visit the United States as a state guest, the first such visit by a Japanese leader since Shinzo Abe in 2015.

The US and Japanese sides are likely to discuss such details ahead of the two plus two talks of foreign and defence ministers of the two countries later this year.

The US and Japan had signed a defence treaty in 1960., which granted the United States the right to establish bases on the archipelago in exchange for a commitment to defend Japan in the event of an attack.

The two countries have worked closely on developing ballistic-missile technology and in 2020, the United States approved the sale of 105 F-35 fighters to Japan.

Currently, the US Indo-Pacific Command, responsible for Japan, has its headquarters in Hawaii but the different time zone (19 hours behind Japan time) and physical distance (6, 200 kilometers) hampers the efficient interaction of Japanese forces and the US. military.

Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters in Tokyo that Washington welcomes Japan’s efforts to boost its defence capabilities and that a related announcement may be made after the upcoming summit between Biden and Kishida, Kyodo reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines

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Daesh still a threat in Iraq, says US envoy

Daesh was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and Baghdad has argued the coalition’s mission has therefore ended….reports Asian Lite News

Daesh still poses a threat in Iraq and the US-led military coalition’s work with Iraq to fully defeat the group is not done, United States Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski told Reuters in an interview.

Senior Iraqi politicians, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, have repeatedly said that the group no longer posed a threat in Iraq and the coalition was not needed, even as its affiliates continued to carry out attacks elsewhere.

“We both assess Daesh is still a threat here, much, much diminished, but nevertheless our work is essentially not done and we want to ensure that Iraqi forces can continue the enduring defeat of Daesh,” Romanowski said at the US embassy in Baghdad.

She was speaking after Daesh’s Afghan branch, IS-K, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack at a rock concert near Moscow, in which 137 people were killed.

“As this event reminds us, Daesh is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere,” she said in an additional comment after the interview.

“That’s why the United States and Iraq share a commitment to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh, including by working together to shape the future of a strong bilateral US-Iraq security partnership.”

Last week, at least three people died in a suicide bombing carried out by IS-K in Afghanistan and in January it claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing in Iran, which shares a 1,600 km (994 mile) border with Iraq.

Iraq’s prime minister is due to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on April 15 to discuss the future of the coalition, as well as Iraqi financial reforms and a US push to wean Iraq — a rare ally of both Washington and Tehran — off Iranian power and gas.

While the coalition’s mission is to advise and assist Iraqi forces in the fight against the Daesh, Western officials say the US and its allies also see its presence in Iraq as a check on Iranian influence.

“It’s going to take some time,” to wind down the coalition’s work, Romanowski said, referring to talks between Washington and Baghdad initiated in January amid tit-for-tat attacks between Iran-backed Shia Muslim armed groups and US forces.

US-led forces invaded Iraq and toppled former leader Saddam Hussein in 2003, withdrawing in 2011 but then returning in 2014 to fight Daesh as part of an international coalition. The US currently has some 2,500 troops in the country.

Daesh was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and Baghdad has argued the coalition’s mission has therefore ended.

ALSO READ: Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines

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Biden passes $1.2 tr bill averting shutdown

This comes after the bill was passed by the US House of Representatives on Friday and the Senate on Saturday….reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden signed $1.2 trillion legislation into law on Saturday, averting the looming shutdown and completing the funding of federal agencies through the fiscal year, which ends September 30, CNN reported.

This comes after the bill was passed by the US House of Representatives on Friday and the Senate on Saturday.

The bill addresses a slate of critical government operations, including the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and the legislative branch.

Biden — who had the bill delivered to him in Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday — said in a statement that while the package is a “compromise,” it is “good news for the American people.”

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” Biden said in the statement, adding that “it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans” while investing in child care, cancer research and mental health, as reported by CNN.

President Biden also pointed out that the final package included “resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include.”

He also said that the job of the US Congress is not finished, urging them to pass additional legislation.

Biden called on the House to “pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests” and urged both chambers to pass the bipartisan border security bill his administration has negotiated, calling it “the toughest and fairest reforms in decades.”

The signing of the legislation marks a major moment on Capitol Hill as it brings to a close an annual appropriations process that has dragged on far longer than is typical – an effort that has been punctuated by partisan policy disagreements and a historic change of leadership in the House after conservatives ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an unprecedented vote last year, according to CNN.

This legislation is the second part of a two-tiered government funding process.

A separate six-bill funding package, which was signed into law earlier this month, included funding for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, military construction and other federal programs. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Biden to host trilateral summit with Japan, Philippines

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UN to vote on Gaza ceasefire resolution

The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, is backed by Russia and China and the 22-nation Arab Group at the UN…reports Asian Lite News

The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The vote comes after Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution Friday that would have supported “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

The United States warned that the resolution to be voted on Monday morning could hurt negotiations to halt hostilities by the US, Egypt and Qatar, raising the possibility of another veto, this time by the Americans.

The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, is backed by Russia and China and the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations.

A statement issued Friday night by the Arab Group appealed to all 15 council members “to act with unity and urgency” and vote for the resolution “to halt the bloodshed, preserve human lives and avert further human suffering and destruction.”

“It is long past time for a ceasefire,” the Arab Group said.

Ramadan began March 10 and ends April 9, which means that if the resolution is approved the ceasefire demand would last for just two weeks, though the draft says the pause in fighting should lead “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire.”

The vote was originally scheduled for Saturday morning, but its sponsors asked late Friday for a delay until Monday morning.

Many Security Council members are hoping the UN’s most powerful body, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, will demand an end to the war that began when Gaza’s Hamas rulers launched a surprise attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.

Since then, the Security Council has adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none has called for a ceasefire.

More than 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed during the fighting, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

Gaza also faces a dire humanitarian emergency, with a report from an international authority on hunger warning March 18 that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza and that escalation of the war could push half of the territory’s 2.3 million people to the brink of starvation.

The brief resolution scheduled for a vote Monday “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire for the month of Ramadan.” It also demands “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages ” and emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council Friday that the resolution’s text “fails to support sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could actually give Hamas an excuse to walk away from the deal on the table.”

“We should not move forward with any resolution that jeopardizes the ongoing negotiations,” she said, warning that if the diplomacy isn’t supported, “we may once again find this council deadlocked.”

“I truly hope that that does not come about,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

The United States has vetoed three resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the most recent an Arab-backed measure on Feb. 20. That resolution was supported by 13 council members with one abstention, reflecting the overwhelming support for a ceasefire.

Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, the protection of civilians and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it did not reflect global calls for a ceasefire.

They again vetoed the US resolution Friday, calling it ambiguous and saying it was not the direct demand to end the fighting that much of the world seeks.

The vote became another showdown involving world powers that are locked in tense disputes elsewhere, with the United States taking criticism for not being tough enough against its ally Israel, even as tensions between the two countries rise.

A key issue was the unusual language in the US draft. It said the Security Council “determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire.” The phrasing was not a straightforward “demand” or “call” to halt hostilities.

Before the vote, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate ceasefire, but he criticized the diluted language, which he called philosophical wording that does not belong in a UN resolution.

He accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of “deliberately misleading the international community” about calling for a ceasefire.

“This was some kind of an empty rhetorical exercise,” Nebenzia said. “The American product is exceedingly politicized, the sole purpose of which is to help to play to the voters, to throw them a bone in the form of some kind of a mention of a ceasefire in Gaza … and to ensure the impunity of Israel, whose crimes in the draft are not even assessed.”

China’s UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, said the US proposal set preconditions and fell far short of expectations of council members and the broader international community.

“If the US was serious about a ceasefire, it wouldn’t have vetoed time and again multiple council resolutions,” he said. “It wouldn’t have taken such a detour and played a game of words while being ambiguous and evasive on critical issues.”

Friday’s vote in the 15-member council was 11 members in favor and three against, including Algeria, the Arab representative on the council. There was one abstention, from Guyana.

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U.S. Double-Standard on Terror Undermines Indo-Pacific Security

Senior US officials are blissfully unconcerned about acts of terror and murder in India by networks which Pannun was known to be in frequent contact with, thereby exhibiting the syndrome of ‘My terrorist is a good terrorist’, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat

Concerns over the possibility of deportation of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, a resident of Delhi—who was arrested on 30 June 2023 by security officials in the Czech Republic—to the United States have increased. This is after unconfirmed reports emerged claiming that he was likely working for a “rogue” official of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency. Such a deportation would have an immediate negative impact on existing public support for strong India-US ties.

It would indicate that the Czechs have buckled under US pressure to commit what, in effect, is an act of Iraq-Afghanistan style “rendition”. Such an attempt at forced transfer to the US is similar to that sought by the “leader of the free world” from the UK government in the matter of the battered and belaboured Australian truth teller, Julian Assange. Coincidentally, Gupta was arrested by the Czechs, apparently on the orders of officials in the United States, just days after Ravi Sinha was appointed as the new R&AW chief in place of Samant Kumar Goyal on 19 June 2023. Sinha is known for his efficiency and conscientious work ethic.

Earlier last week, unconfirmed media reports had alleged that the government had found that “rogue” operatives were involved in a plot to assassinate a New York-based “shadow war” operative, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is a member of the proscribed Sikhs for Justice, SFJ, a Pakistan-linked organisation active in the facilitation of violent operations and vicious propaganda against India, actions that are designed to strain ties between the world’s two biggest democracies.

Pannun holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. It needs mention that neither the US nor Canada seems to have any objection to Pannun’s open support to groups indulging in acts of terror and murder in India, but has instead acted on the false narrative peddled by the Sino-Pakistan nexus that he was a “human rights” warrior. As a consequence, the two governments in effect are backing the “rights” of terrorists to commit acts of murder and violence against innocent citizens in another democracy.

TERROR SANCTUARIES: U.S., UK, CANADA

The US, Canada, Australia and the UK have for long been sanctuaries for several such elements, but growing public awareness of their terror-related activities is resulting in a change of stance towards them, especially in Australia. Only Canada, under a government in which the influence of the CCP is known to be overwhelming, has thus far not just provided safe haven but has even acted as an advocate of such facilitators and practitioners of the use of violence and terror in order to break up and destabilise India.

New Delhi had constituted an inquiry panel, the members of which were not made public, after the Joe Biden administration approached it last year with allegations that India’s intelligence agency was trying to assassinate Pannun as part of a larger plot of eliminating Khalistani operatives active in the US and Canada. As per such individuals in Washington, they were aware of the alleged plot since May 2023. It needs to be emphasised that such a charge remains uncorroborated, although the possibility of some operatives going rogue and conducting unauthorised operations cannot be ruled out. Such is a phenomenon that is common to several countries. What is extraordinary is the manner in which the nature of Pannun’s activities and sources of funding have apparently remained unexamined by security agencies in Canada and the US.

The constitution of the said committee was announced by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in the Rajya Sabha in December 2023. Media reports further claimed that the findings of the inquiry committee had been conveyed to the Biden administration, while adding that the official in question was no longer a part of R&AW. Interestingly, what purported to be the findings of the said report were leaked to the media and revealed to the public on the same day when, during a Congressional hearing, a senior US official stated that the alleged assassination attempt against known ISI-linked extremist backer Pannun was a “serious issue” between the United States and India.

He had added that Washington had raised it at the highest levels with India while “asking India to work quickly and transparently to make sure justice is done”. The senior US official was blissfully unconcerned about acts of terror and murder in India by networks which Pannun was known to be in frequent contact with, thereby exhibiting the syndrome of “My terrorist is a good terrorist”.

As a consequence of such a policy, several extremist elements who actively commit acts of terror in India are operating without hindrance in countries that claim to be security allies of New Delhi. To this may be added that while the US, the UK and the EU wax indignant and eloquent about Russia’s infringement of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, they continue to maintain radio silence over the PRC’s illegal occupation and militarisation of practically the entirety of the South China Sea, even though in international law, Beijing has no right to do so. Nor have such “friends of India” in the US made any protest over the illegal occupation of Indian territory by the PRC since the 1950s.

Clearly, some countries have, in their view, more right to violate sovereign territory than others. And that the yardstick applied to a European power such as Ukraine should be entirely different from that applied to India and ASEAN. Such a transparent double standard has significantly impacted goodwill for the Atlantic Alliance within the Global South, a group whose cause has been championed by India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PRAGUE PRESSURED BY WASHINGTON

Nikhil Gupta, who was arrested in Prague on the directions of the Biden government, was ordered to be extradited to the US on 23 November 2023 by a Prague lower court, an order which was then confirmed by the high court on 8 January 2024. However, the same was postponed when a three-bench judge of the Constitutional Court at Prague on 30 January, comprising Judge Vojtecha Simicka, Judge Lucie Dolanske and Judge Tomase Lichovnika, stayed his extradition ordered by the Czech high court. It remains to be seen whether US pressure will cause the Czechs to cave in.

Gupta had pointed to violations of his fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 7(2), Article 8 and Article 36(1) and (3) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, apart from Article 3, Article 5 and Article 6(1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to challenge his extradition. Of course, as in the Assange case, such rights are, in practice, kept in abeyance where countries that practise a double standard on such issues is concerned.

In his defence to the Czech Constitution court, the 53-year-old Gupta had claimed that his extradition to the United States of America was inadmissible, as the nature of the act alleged against him had not been sufficiently assessed. The court, while postponing his extradition, said that the extradition of Gupta to America would be an irreversible step and the factual effects of it could not be reversed. The impact of such an extradition on public support for strong India-US ties is of course clear, as is the fact that the PRC in particular has long been unhappy at the warming of ties between the US and India, especially after Prime Minister Modi took office in 2014.

U.S. SEEKS RENDITION OF NIKHIL GUPTA

Media reports claiming that Gupta was acting on the advice and directions of a “rogue” officer appear designed to make it more difficult for Gupta to succeed in his quest to avoid extradition to a country that is known as the Execution Capital of the world. Extraditing Gupta to the US would flout every convention of international law, and would amount to a repeat by the Biden administration of the illegal “renditions” carried out in Iraq during the Bush-Cheney period in the US. In this case, that would involve the forced rendition of a citizen of a friendly country that has been in the forefront of fighting terror operations, and which under international right has every right to do so.

In a recent case involving eight Indians who were arrested by the Qatar police, the Government of India, from the moment the incident came to its notice, made it clear that it was going to provide all needed support to them so that they can be brought back. Emir Al Thani of Qatar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were the prime movers behind such a statesmanlike decision by the Emirate of Qatar, a decision that has immensely strengthened goodwill for Qatar in India.

The Sunday Guardian’s email to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking its response on the details of the inquiry committee on the basis of which the entire operation has been attributed to a “rogue” officer, has not elicited any response thus far. Similarly, close family members of Nikhil Gupta too did not respond to media reports about a “rogue” officer, which reports are likely to come as a massive setback for them. His Prague-based lawyer too did not respond to this newspaper’s queries. Official sources in the security apparatus too did not respond to the developments.

An official of the Czech Constitution Court told this newspaper that the Constitution court (or the Supreme Court), whose decision is final, makes its decisions without a public hearing, and that the decision is shared publicly only if it finds that the petitioner’s fundamental rights have been violated. That clearly seems to be the case.

Surprisingly, there has been no response about such a violation of rights by EU representatives who speak endlessly about human rights. Their silence may be the consequence of US pressure, given the alacrity with which the Biden administration has in effect backed Pannun and his external handlers in continuing their Gray Zone warfare against India. All this despite his record of actions designed to split India and throw the country into violence and chaos.

CHINA BENEFICIARY OF U.S. STANCE

It needs to be kept in mind that India has as much right as the US to ensure that its citizens are protected from acts of terror, and that countries which harbour sympathisers and facilitators of terror networks ought not to be acting in a way that reveals a double standard where fighting terror is concerned. The Gupta saga, should it go the way the Sino-Wahhabi alliance and its covert operatives in some NATO member states are working towards, may leave a long-lasting mark on India-US relations to the benefit of China.

The CCP is known to have extensive and active networks in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Rather than support India when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made false accusations against a government elected by more votes than any other democracy, the US State Department in particular sought to justify US administration indifference to the security concerns of India. This was done through name calling and innuendo in a manner that must be music to the ears of those who seek to torpedo India-US ties, especially where the security of the Indo-Pacific and the war on terror are concerned.

As shown by its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Narendra Modi government is committed to resisting external pressure aimed at dilute its commitment towards ensuring the security not just of India but the Indo-Pacific. Judging by events taking place, securing the Indo-Pacific and fighting terror networks appear to be a greater priority for Delhi than for Washington, much to the glee of the PRC and its partners who are collectively engaged in kinetic and asymmetric warfare waging against the democracies fronting the Indo-Pacific.

ALSO READ: US proposes hostage-to-prisoner ratio in Gaza truce talks

ALSO READ: Blinken condemns ‘heinous’ Moscow attack

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US proposes hostage-to-prisoner ratio in Gaza truce talks

The sides have previously said that, if a deal is reached, Israel would suspend its Gaza offensive for six weeks and recover 40 of 130 hostages…reports Asian Lite news

The United States has made a “bridging proposal” for the number of jailed Palestinians that should be released by Israel in exchange for every hostage freed by Hamas in any new Gaza truce, an Israeli official briefed on the Qatar-hosted talks said on Saturday.

An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea is in Doha for indirect negotiations with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which CIA director William Burns is helping Qatari and Egyptian officials to mediate.

“During the negotiations, significant gaps came to light on the question of the ratio” of prisoners to be released for each hostage, said an Israeli official, who requested anonymity.

“The United States put a bridging proposal on the table, to which Israel responded positively. Hamas’ response is pending.” The official provided no details on the U.S. proposal. The U.S. embassy in Israel did not immediately comment.

The sides have previously said that, if a deal is reached, Israel would suspend its Gaza offensive for six weeks and recover 40 of 130 hostages still held by Hamas from an Oct. 7 cross-border rampage that triggered the war.

Under a previous truce, in late November, Israel released three jailed Palestinians, most of them young and accused of relatively light offences, for every hostage freed by Hamas.

Both sides anticipate that Hamas will now seek the release of a larger number of more senior Palestinian militants.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Israel was to blame for the failure to reach an agreement because it has so far refused to commit to ending the military offensive, pull out its forces from the Gaza Strip, and allow the displaced to return to their homes in northern Gaza Strip.

“What America and the occupation want is to regain the captives without a commitment to end the aggression, which means the resumption of war, killing and destruction and we can’t accept that,” said Abu Zuhri.

The Hamas armed wing said on Saturday that an Israeli hostage had died due to “lack of medicine and food”.

Israeli officials have generally declined to respond to such announcements, accusing Hamas of psychological warfare. But Israel has itself declared 35 of the hostages dead in captivity.

Two Palestinian officials close to the mediation said a Gaza truce deal was not imminent. One of them said that Israel was to blame for hold-ups, but did not detail these.

Hamas wants any ceasefire to include an Israeli commitment to end the war and withdraw forces from Gaza. Israel has ruled this out, saying it will eventually press the campaign to dismantle Hamas.

ALSO READ: ‘Putin wants to blame Ukraine for Moscow attack’

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Blinken condemns ‘heinous’ Moscow attack

Russian authorities said at least 145 people had been injured, with 16 people in a “critical state”…reports Asian Lite News

The US secretary of state Antony Blinken condemned Friday’s terrorist attack in Moscow in a statement Saturday afternoon, calling the shooting a “heinous crime”.

“We condemn terrorism in all of its forms and stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life from this horrific event,” Blinken said in the statement. “We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and all affected by this heinous crime.”

The statement comes after the death toll from the attack rose to 133 on Saturday morning. Vladimir Putin announced Russia had arrested 11 people in connection with the attack, including the four gunmen they believe are responsible for the shooting. All four were foreign citizens, according to Russia’s interior ministry.

Russian authorities said at least 145 people had been injured, with 16 people in a “critical state”.

“The number of victims of the terrorist attack will grow significantly,” said Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region.

Blinken is the latest head of foreign affairs to condemn the attack. The British foreign secretary, David Cameron, said in a statement that the UK “condemns the deadly attack in the strongest possible terms”.

US officials late Friday confirmed Washington had had intelligence that an attack would be carried out, advising Americans in Russia to avoid large gatherings before the shooting took place on Friday.

“Earlier this month, the US government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow – potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts – which prompted the state department to issue a public advisory to Americans in Russia,” Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement. Watson said the US government shared the information with Russian authorities per the US’s “duty to warn” policy.

In a statement made through an affiliated news agency, the Islamic State claimed responsibility and said that the attack had been carried out due to the “raging war” between ISIS and countries fighting Islam.

In an address to the nation on Saturday, Putin did not mention the Islamic State by name but said that the gunmen had been captured as they fled to Ukraine. Putin suggested, without evidence, that Kyiv may have been involved in the attack, saying that the country “prepared a window” for the gunmen to cross the border after they carried out the attack.

In a statement, Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs said it “categorically reject[s] the accusations” that the country was involved in the shooting.

The shooting took place at Crocus City Hall, a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, minutes before a Russian rock band had been scheduled to play to a sold-out audience. It is one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country’s history.

Attackers also set the concert hall on fire, causing some in attendance to die of smoke inhalation.

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