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India and Canada reset ties after strain of Sikh leader’s murder

Published

4 months ago

2025/10/14

Priyan

Anita Anand (left) with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi [BBC]

India and Canada have agreed a host of steps at talks between their foreign ministers in Delhi aimed at restoring ties that plummeted after a Sikh separatist leader was assassinated on Canadian soil.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand, making her first official visit to India, met her counterpart S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi told her the visit would strengthen “efforts to impart new momentum” to the two countries’ partnership.

Relations hit rock bottom in 2023 when Canada’s then PM Justin Trudeau accused India of being linkrd to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, claims Delhi denied. Both countries suspended visa services and expelled each others top diplomats.

Canada is home to nearly 1.7 million people of Indian origin and the developments were being watched anxiously in both countries.

After the meeting of their foreign ministers in Delhi, the two sides announced a series of measures, including starting ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment.

“Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances,” a joint statement said.

Signs of a thaw have appeared this year since Mark Carney took over as Canadian prime minister.

In June, Carney and Modi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada. Two months later, the countries appointed mew high commissioners to each other’s countries.

Anand and Jaishankar also met each other on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September.

X/MEA Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on Monday. They are seen shaking hands with the flags of India and Canada in the background. — *Jaishankar said India-Canada ties had been making steady progress [BBC]*

On Monday, Jaishankar said that India-Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last few months.

“When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy. We see another open society. We see diversity and pluralism,” he said, adding that this was “the basis for a close sustainable and long-term co-operative framework”.

“We are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific,” Anand said.

The two countries will resume the Canada–India CEO Forum, which brings together executives from both countries to increase bilateral trade and investment. The announcement comes as Delhi deals with a punitive 50% tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian goods.

Anand is also set to meet India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss boosting trade ties, before visiting Mumbai to speak to business leaders about investments and economic opportunities.

She will then travel to China and Singapore as part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy that focuses on deepening the country’s engagement in the region.

***[BBC]***

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Trump threatens tariffs for countries trading with Iran

Published

47 mins ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

[pic BBC]

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran.

The order, issued on Friday, does not specify the rate that could be imposed, but uses 25% as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the US from any nation that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran”.

Trump has not directly commented on the order but reiterated “no nuclear weapons” for Iran when speaking from Air Force One on Friday night.

It comes as talks continue between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman, following several weeks of threats from both sides.

Trump threatened a 25% tariff of countries doing business with Iran earlier this year, in a post to Truth Social.

On 12 January, he wrote: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America.”

At the time, no further detail was provided on how the tariffs would work in practice.

[BBC]

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Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts

Published

55 mins ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 12.00 noon 07 February 2026 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 February 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa province and in Galle and Matara districts.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

Latest News

Decisions and judgments of the Supreme Court are a reflection of justice in the country – PM

Published

1 hour ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the decisions and judgments delivered within the Supreme Court complex serve as a mirror that clearly reflects the justice, democracy, and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the ceremony to handover the refurbished Supreme Court complex for judicial proceedings, following its modernization with assistance from the Government of China.

The renovation project was carried out in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Justice of Sri Lanka, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

While preserving the original appearance and structural integrity of the Supreme Court building, the complex has been upgraded with modern technology. The renovations include seven new court court rooms equipped with single-judge, three-judge, five-judge, and seven-judge benches; 20 new official chambers for judges; staff facilities; elevators; a modern library; a case records room; an auditorium; and a control room with an automated camera system covering all areas of the complex.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted,

“The complex, originally constructed in 1988 with the support of the Government of China, has now been modernized in line with contemporary needs after more than three decades, marking a significant step forward.

The investment in judicial infrastructure is, in essence, an investment in public trust. A secure and efficient environment strengthens the independence and dignity of the judiciary”.

The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the continuous support extended to Sri Lanka by the Government of China, including President Xi Jinping and expressed that these modern facilities would serve as a strong foundation in fulfilling the public’s expectation that justice will be delivered equally to all.

The event was attended by Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, Chief Justice Padman Surasena, Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, as well as several judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]