India, Oman adopt vision document to expand ties; push for concluding CEPA soon

News Network
December 16, 2023

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on Saturday, December 16, adopted a vision document to shore up bilateral cooperation in around 10 key areas and pushed for concluding a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) as early as possible during their “productive” talks to inject new momentum in India-Oman strategic ties.

PM Modi and the Omani ruler also discussed the situation arising out of the Hamas-Israel conflict, the challenge of terrorism as well as the larger need to try and achieve a two-state solution to the Palestine issue as a way forward, according to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.

The two sides also announced the third tranche of Oman-India joint investment fund worth USD 300 million (around Rs 2,500 crore) that would be used for channelising investment into the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy.

The investment fund was started as a 50:50 joint venture between the SBI and Oman investment authority with the first tranche of USD 100 million and the second one of USD 200 million.

At a media briefing, the foreign secretary said India and Oman also signed agreements providing for cooperation in the field of information technology, combating financial crimes, culture and one for the establishment of a Hindi chair of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in Oman.

The Sultan of Oman arrived in Delhi on a state visit on Friday – his first trip to India as the top leader of the influential Gulf nation.

“Today is a historic day in India-Oman relations as the Sultan of Oman is on a state visit to India after 26 years,” Modi said in his remarks at the delegation-level dialogue.

“On the basis of our successful engagements, we are creating a path of bright future today,” he said, referring to the joint vision document.

“In this joint vision, concrete action points have been agreed upon in 10 different areas. I am confident that it will give a new and modern shape to our partnership,” he added.

“I am happy that the discussion on the CEPA agreement is going on and two rounds of discussion have been successfully completed where many important issues have been agreed upon,” Modi said.

Expressing hope that both sides will soon be able to sign the pact, Modi said it will add a new dimension to their economic cooperation.

Describing the talks between Modi and the visiting leader as “comprehensive and constructive”, Kwatra said the India-Oman vision document focuses on building a partnership in 8-to-10 areas including maritime cooperation and connectivity, digital payments, space, green energy, tourism, agriculture, food security and cricket.

The cooperation in clean energy will also focus on green hydrogen.

The vision document is broadly rooted in Oman’s ‘Vision 2040’, which is its national development blueprint, and India’s development vision of ‘Amritkaal’.

“An area which featured very prominently in the talks between the two leaders was ongoing discussions between the two countries for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement,” Kwatra said.

“Although the negotiations on CEPA have started only recently, they have made substantial progress in the last few rounds of discussion and both leaders gave strong impetus and push to conclude the CEPA agreement as early as possible,” he said.

There was also a discussion on the possibility of Oman utilising India’s digital payment system UPI with a corresponding Omani platform, besides an exchange of views on trade in Rupee.

To a question, Kwatra said the challenges arising out of the conflict in Gaza were definitely an important element of discussions.

“There was a shared appreciation of the continuing challenge that both countries face from the emerging multiple dimensions of the conflict, including the catastrophic humanitarian situation which is there,” Kwatra said on the Hamas-Israel conflict.

He said the challenge of terrorism and the larger need to try and achieve a two-state solution as a way forward was discussed.

“With regard to the situation there, it was discussed and both leaders exchanged in detail their perspective of the situation there,” he said.

India and the Sultanate of Oman are strategic partners and the bilateral trade and investment relationship between the two nations has been on an upswing in the last few years.

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News Network
November 18,2024

Advisors to US President-elect Donald Trump have instructed his allies and associates to refrain from using the inflammatory language they previously employed when discussing issues related to migrants and the deportation of asylum seekers, in a bid to avoid “looking like Nazis.”

US media reports said that Trump’s associates had been asked to stop using the word “camps” to describe potential facilities that would be used to accommodate migrants rounded up in deportation operations across the country.

The reports said the US president-elect’s allies had been ordered to stave off such charged terms as they would bring to mind “Nazis,” and be used against Trump.

“I have received some guidance to avoid terms, like ‘camps,’ that can be twisted and used against the president, yes,” one Trump ally told American monthly magazine Rolling Stone.

“Apparently, some people think it makes us look like Nazis.”

The presidential advisers also cautioned surrogates and allies to keep racist terms, which have dogged Trump’s campaign, out of their remarks.

They said with Trump’s heated rhetoric that used to compare undocumented immigrants to “animals” and his slight that they are “poisoning the blood of our country,” detractors did not need to reach too far to find parallels to Nazi Germany.

Stephen Miller, who Trump tapped to be his deputy chief of staff of policy, specifically used the word “camps” to describe holding facilities that he hoped the military could put together for immigrants.

Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is chosen by Trump to be in charge of the US borders, was no stranger to such language.

“It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighborhoods,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.”

Becoming a little more forthright about the new government’s aggressive deportation plans, Homan likened the early days of the Trump administration to the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I got three words for them – shock and awe,” he said. “You’re going to see us take this country back.”

Trump made immigration a central element of his 2024 presidential campaign but unlike his first run, which was mainly focused on building a border wall, he has shifted his attention to interior enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

People close to the US president and his aides are laying the groundwork for expanding detention facilities to fulfill his mass deportation campaign promise.

The businessman-turned-politician deported more than 1.5 million people during his first term.

The figure do not include the millions of people turned away at the border under a Covid-era policy enacted by Trump and used during most of Biden’s term.

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News Network
November 11,2024

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Mangaluru: In a deeply tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old woman named Ranjitha, who had recently given birth but tragically lost her newborn, ended her life by suicide on Monday. She reportedly leapt from the fourth-floor window of Lady Goschen Hospital’s luggage room.

Ranjitha, whose strength and resilience had carried her through a difficult pregnancy, was scheduled for discharge on Monday. Her journey to Lady Goschen Hospital began on October 24, when she was transferred from Karkala. She was a high-risk patient, battling both hypertension and diabetes. At the time of her admission, she was just 27 weeks pregnant.

Due to the complexities of her health, doctors made the difficult decision to perform an emergency C-section on October 30. She delivered a baby girl, premature and weighing only 960 grams. The newborn was immediately moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where doctors did all they could. Despite these efforts, the baby passed away on November 3.

Ranjitha’s sorrow was profound. She stayed under hospital care even after her initial recovery and was preparing to go home on November 9. She had even requested a couple more days at the hospital, seeking time perhaps to cope with her unimaginable grief.

On the day of her discharge, a discharge card ready and her family eagerly waiting to take her home, Ranjitha reportedly made her way to the luggage room in the early hours. There, standing on a cot placed for patients' family members, she climbed to a window and fell from the fourth floor. Despite the attempts of another visitor to intervene, tragedy was inevitable. She was rushed to Government Wenlock Hospital, where doctors confirmed the worst—she was no more.

Dr. Durgaparasad M R, the Medical Superintendent at Lady Goschen Hospital, shared his grief and spoke of the ongoing investigation. A post-mortem is to be conducted, and the local Tahsildar will complete the necessary inquest procedures. Ranjitha’s exact reasons for taking this step are yet to be confirmed, though the weight of her recent losses paints a sorrowful picture.

If you or anyone you know is struggling emotionally, please remember that help is available. Reach out to mental health experts who can provide support and guidance. The toll-free helpline number 9152987821 is available to assist anyone in distress.

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News Network
November 18,2024

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Mangaluru: The Ullal police have arrested Manohar, the owner of Vazco Beach Resort, and its manager Bharath in connection with the drowning of three college girls from Mysuru at the resort’s swimming pool on November 17.

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal confirmed the arrests, stating that a case has been registered under Section 106 of BNS. The bodies of the victims, all in their twenties, have been handed over to their parents. The women had arrived at the resort for a weekend getaway on November 16.

Following the tragic incident, the resort was sealed by officials led by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Harshavardhan. The trade license of the resort, issued on June 13, 2024, has been suspended, and the tourism department has temporarily revoked the resort's registration. These actions prohibit the resort from engaging in any tourism-related activities until further notice.

Someshwara TMC Chief Officer stated that the suspension was due to the resort's failure to implement adequate safety measures, which resulted in the loss of three lives. Further investigations are underway.

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