WORLD NEWS

World News

Latest news from and about the homeland

A former senior UK Special Forces officer has told a public inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan that the SAS had a "golden pass allowing them to get away with murder" In evidence given to a public inquiry into suspected war crimes in Afghanistan, the soldier said an allegedly rogue special forces unit had targeted all males of fighting age, including under 16s, even if they…

UK war crimes law strains relations with Israel

Israel has cancelled its special strategic dialogue with London to protest a law that enables Britain to arrest visiting foreign officials for alleged war crimes, press reports in both countries said Wednesday.
 
This week Israel's deputy prime minister Dan Meridor was forced to cancel a visit to London following warnings he could be arrested for alleged war crimes, the Daily Mail reported.
 
He did so after Britain’s Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice warned him he could face an arrest warrant from pro-Palestinian activists.

Menon: Indo-China ties 'strategic'

New Delhi has an 'overriding strategic interest' in developing better relations with China, Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said this week.

As we face the big issues, we do this in a cooperative manner so that we can negotiate solutions to the problems. We have an overriding strategic interest in letting relations grow in a healthy manner,” Menon was quoted as saying by IANS.

US mid-terms and foreign policy

Ahead of Tuesday’s mid-term elections in the United States, the question of what the outcome might mean for US foreign policy seems to have a consensus answer: no change. An analysis in the GlobalPost website says most political analysts believe there will likely be no significant change in the direction of the Obama administration’s foreign policy.

Chinese firm wins massive Indian order for electricity generators

A Chinese company, Shanghai Electric Co Ltd, has secured a $10bn contract to supply coal-fired generators to India’s Reliance Power Ltd, in a deal financed by Chinese banks, business press reports said. 

Shanghai Electric is China’s biggest power-equipment maker by market value, and Reliance Power’s order may be the world’s largest for generators, Bloomberg reported.

China-India trade to top $60 billion

Trade between China and India is expected to touch $60 billion this year. It has already crossed over $30 billion, with China having a slightly greater than 60% share of the trade. China has promised to increase imports from India in order to address the trade imbalance beteen the two countries, the Press Trust of India reported. Beijing is calling for Indian companies to invest in China and for the two countries to "develop more convergence of interests and mutual trust".

China's growth no longer export led - report

Noting that the question of what is - now - driving China’s seemingly relentless economic growth is one of significance to international policy makers and business executives alike, a leading business journal has conducted new research.  Arguing that conventional wisdom of export-led growth is wrong, the McKinsey Quarterly report says :