News

Bangladesh attacks: No NSG team to Dhaka Government sources have confirmed that media reports about an   NSG team   heading to Bangladesh, to assist in the post blast analysis of the attack at the Eid prayer gathering in Kishoreganj on Thursday and the Gulshan cafe attack last week, are false. "These are baseless reports, no truth in them," said the government source to ANI when asked about movement of the NSG team. Earlier, media reports had stated that the Special Force s   establishment of   Bangladesh Attacks   had approved India's request for inspection by NSG teams of the blast site to gather "first hand understanding of the situation." The National Security Guard, is India's elite counter terrorism force that specialises in hostage rescue missions, countering hijack situations among other special operations. NSG teams were last seen in action during the Pathankot terror attack, wherein six terrorists were neutralised. An explosion took...

China pulls up chief negotiator for limited global support for anti-India position at NSG The Chinese leadership has pulled up Wang Qun, its lead negotiator and Director General of the Arms Control Division at the Foreign Ministry, for failing to drum up significant global support for China's position in Seoul which blocked India's entry into the   NSG . Highly placed Western and Chinese sources said that Wang Qun had told   Beijing   that at least one third of the NSG nations would endorse China's position. However, the position was totally in the reverse, with as many as 44 nations backing   India   and   China   only having the support of four nations. Beijing now fears that the fallout of the NSG outcome could have an impact on a crucial verdict expected soon from the Permanent Court   of Arbitration in The Hague in a case brought by the   Philippines   concerning China's territorial reclamation activities in the South Chin...

NSG to take up Pakistan, India's membership requests this week The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) 2016 annual plenary, which begins in   Seoul   on Monday, will take up membership requests from both   India   and   Pakistan   on June 23-24. According to   Dawn , Pakistan submitted its membership application on May 19, a week after India, which applied on May 12. With massive global support, India stands as a favourite to join the 48-nation group, with an active support from the United States, Russia, Britain, France and other world powers. China, however, stands as an obstacle to India's application, arguing that it would enhance a nuclear competition in South   Asia   by isolating Pakistan. China   wants   NSG   to admit Pakistan as well, pointing out that both India and Pakistan possessed nuclear weapons and had not signed the NPT. While China may not force the NSG to admit Pakistan, it can block India as new m...

China to block India's NSG bid if Pakistan not included Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi  of his country’s support to India’s bid for the membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), even as China led five other countries at a meeting of the export control group in Vienna to stall the proposal. According to sources,  China  will approve of India’s membership only if Pakistan  is also included in the elite group. Modi, meanwhile, is likely to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 23-24, where India and Pakistan are likely to be admitted to the six-member group. China had objected to India’s entry to the SCO as well. However, it had relented once Pakistan’s request to join the group was accepted. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his country’s support to India’s bid for the membership of Nuclear Sup...

From tackling terror to NSG inclusion, Modi - Obama make headway on a range of issues After Prime Minister  Narendra Modi ’s discussion on Tuesday with US President  Barack Obama  in Washington, a joint statement described what it billed as their “third major bilateral summit”, after earlier meetings in September 2014 and January 2015. The statement noted a new military logistics agreement, made common cause in the South China Sea, revealed growing American involvement in helping India build an indigenous aircraft carrier, and announced additional co-development projects for defence equipment. There is a new agreement for sharing terrorist-related information. India will be buying six 1,000 MW nuclear power plants from Toshiba-Westinghouse, with the contract to be signed in 2017. And Washington has thrown its full weight behind India’s candidature for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Asia-Pacific cooperation US officials privately lament New De...