Prince Charles greeted the Sikhs in the UK and across the Commonwealth, on the festival of Vaisakhi.
"In these challenging times, the Sikh community is making an extraordinary and invaluable contribution to the life of this country, and to so many others, just as it has always done," he said in a video message posted on twitter.
Narendra Modi in a group picture with US vice president JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance and their children Ewan and Vivek, at Elysee Palace in Paris. (ANI Photo)
US vice president JD Vance and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi spoke on Tuesday (11) about how the US can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in US nuclear technology, the White House said.
The meeting between Vance and Modi in Paris, where they were both attending an artificial intelligence summit, came ahead of the prime minister's US visit later this week in which topics like trade, investment, technology and immigration are expected to be discussed.
Earlier this month, India proposed to amend its nuclear liability law to boost foreign and private investments in the much-guarded sector. Analysts say Washington has for years seen India as a counter to China's rising global influence.
Modi and Vance "discussed topics of mutual interest, including how the US can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, reliable US nuclear technology," the White House said in a statement.
The prime minister posted images of the meeting on X, showing him with the Vance family, including their sons Ewan and Vivek.
The post read: “Had a wonderful meeting with US VP J.D. Vance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek!”
Earlier, in a video shared by PMO India, the prime minister was seen holding bilateral talks with Vance, while his wife watched on. It came soon after Vance's address at the summit, in which he welcomed Modi's positive stance on AI as co-chair of the conference with France.
JD Vance attends a bilateral meeting with Modi at the residence of the US Ambassador in Paris, France, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis.
“I appreciate PM Modi's point. AI will facilitate and make people more productive. It is not going to replace human beings, it will never replace human beings,” Vance said.
On the trade front, strict liabilities under India's Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, had hampered implementation of an India-US nuclear deal that envisaged participation of US power plant makers such as General Electric and Westinghouse.
Modi and Donald Trump spoke late in January after the US president took office. The White House said that in that phone call Trump had stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship.
Republican Trump and Modi enjoyed warm relations in Trump's first term, but during his campaign for re-election Trump called India a "very big abuser" on trade. Trump also threatened the BRICS group of nations, of which India is part, with tariffs if they did not accept his demand of committing to not create a new currency.
India is considering tariff cuts in at least a dozen sectors to boost US exports in line with New Delhi's domestic production plans, government officials say. Modi may also propose increased US energy and defense imports.
(Agencies)
A British Airways passenger plane takes off behind houses next to land earmarked for a third runway at Longford near Heathrow Airport. REUTERS/Toby Melville
LONDON's Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs, will submit its proposal for a third runway to the British government by summer, its chief executive Thomas Woldbye will say in a speech on Wednesday (12).
The move comes after chancellor Rachel Reeves said last month the government would back the construction of a new runway at Heathrow to boost trade and economic growth.
"A third runway is critical for the country's future economic success, and I confirm we will submit our plans for a third runway to government this summer," Woldbye will say, according to a preview of his speech.
Heathrow will consult stakeholders including airlines and local communities before finalising the plan, he will say, and the project will only go ahead if rules on noise, air quality and emissions are met.
Successive governments have dithered over whether to expand the site to the west of London, caught between the need for more capacity and concerns over the environmental impact.
Reeves, who has pushed for growth since her Labour party came to power last July, said the case for a third runway was stronger than ever and she wanted to see permission being granted by the end of this parliament in 2029.
Woldbye previously said a third runway could be operational by 2035.
Even with the government's support, the plan - one of the country's most controversial infrastructure projects - has numerous hurdles to overcome before construction can start, including how it would be financed.
Heathrow is operating at 99 per cent capacity and risks being overtaken by European rivals. Its two runways compare with four each in Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport, and six at Amsterdam's Schiphol.
Woldbye will also launch on Wednesday a privately-funded plan to upgrade existing infrastructure at Heathrow. It includes new investment to improve terminal infrastructure and local transport connections.
(Reuters)
Musk, standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office with his 4-year-old son, said he was leading the effort to cut government waste. (Photo: Getty Images)
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to work with Elon Musk to identify government jobs that can be cut and functions that can be eliminated.
The move is part of an effort to reduce the federal workforce and align it with Trump’s policy priorities.
Musk, standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office with his 4-year-old son, said he was leading the effort to cut government waste.
Wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap, the billionaire defended his role in overseeing the initiative despite holding no elected position.
"You can't have an autonomous federal bureaucracy. You have to have one that's responsive to the people," Musk said. He described the bureaucracy as an “unconstitutional” fourth branch of government, arguing that it had "more power than any elected representative."
Musk, who owns Tesla and social media platform X, dismissed concerns over transparency in his team’s work. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he leads, has not disclosed details about its employees, operations, or specific actions inside agencies. It has only shared pound figures on reported budget cuts without further specifics.
"I fully expect to be scrutinised and get, you know, a daily proctology exam, basically," Musk said. "It's not like I think I can get away with something."
He also pushed back against criticism, particularly from Democrats, that his role amounted to a non-transparent takeover of government operations.
"You couldn't ask for a stronger mandate from ... the public," Musk said, citing Trump's election victory. "The people voted for major government reform. There should be no doubt about that."
Musk said he speaks to Trump nearly every day about the initiative.
The executive order signed Tuesday requires agencies to hire no more than one new employee for every four who leave.
It also directs agencies to work with Musk’s team to identify large-scale job cuts and consider eliminating certain agency components.
Employees in national security, public safety, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement are exempt.
Many government workers are part of labour unions, meaning layoffs and job reductions must comply with collective bargaining agreements. Non-union civil service employees also have legal job protections.
The administration has previously tried to reduce staff through buyout offers, though a federal judge blocked that effort.
Buyout push and legal challenges
Trump and Musk estimate the cuts could save £806 billion by reducing government waste, nearly 15 per cent of total federal spending.
Trump rejected claims that Musk’s role posed a conflict of interest, despite his leadership of SpaceX, which has lucrative contracts with the Pentagon and intelligence agencies.
"If we thought that, we would not let him do that segment or look in that area, if we thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest," Trump said.
Trump’s broader efforts to reduce the federal workforce have faced legal challenges. Courts have halted his buyout plan and blocked Musk’s access to sensitive Treasury payment systems.
A judge also stopped an order placing USAID workers on leave.
The US government has about 2.3 million civilian employees, excluding postal workers. While security agencies account for many of these jobs, others involve veterans' healthcare, agriculture inspections, and financial operations.
Earlier, Musk took to X to criticise law firms challenging the administration’s plans.
"Which law firms are pushing these anti-democratic cases to impede the will of the people?" he wrote.
He also criticised judges who blocked Trump’s orders, calling it a "judicial coup" that was undermining democracy.
Trump echoed this view in his meeting with Musk.
"We want to weed out the corruption. And it seems hard to believe that a judge could say, we don’t want you to do that," Trump said.
"So maybe we have to look at the judges, because that’s very serious."
Trump said he would follow court rulings but criticised their impact.
"I always abide by the courts, and then I’ll have to appeal it," he said. "Then what ... he’s done is he’s slowed down the momentum, and it gives crooked people more time to cover up the books."
(With inputs from Reuters)
Miliband said his meetings with Indian officials reinforced the commitment to work together in key areas, including grid modernisation, offshore wind, and industrial decarbonisation.
BRITAIN sees India as a “crucial partner” as both countries aim to deepen their cooperation on clean energy, with a focus on renewables and climate action, UK secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Miliband, said.
On a visit to India this week, Miliband highlighted India’s ambitious renewable energy targets and its commitment to achieving net zero by 2070.
In an interview with Eastern Eye on Tuesday (11), Miliband said, “I come away with a real sense of India’s ambition, and also a broader sense that some people in the UK ask, ‘Is Britain the only country pursuing this clean energy transition?’ Well, the answer is no, because I have just come to India and seen the real endeavour there is here to make this clean energy transition happen because of a belief that it can really work for India.”
At the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, held in New Delhi on Monday (10), India's minister of power and housing and urban affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Miliband announced the launch of phase-2 of the Accelerating Smart Power and Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) programme.
The global clean energy transition is unstoppable.
That's why I'm in India, to strengthen 🇬🇧 🇮🇳 partnership and cooperation.
Clean energy is the route to economic growth, energy security, good jobs and investment in the UK. pic.twitter.com/68vZURDZRf
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) February 11, 2025
It aims to enhance energy security through technical support for round-the-clock power supply, expansion of renewable energy projects, and advancements in industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation.
The initiative has been developed in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Power (MOP) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Miliband told Eastern Eye he was “really struck by the shared vision there is around the clean energy transition, the shared vision around energy security, around growth and tackling the climate crisis.”
He said his meetings with Indian officials reinforced the commitment to work together in key areas, including grid modernisation, offshore wind, and industrial decarbonisation.
“We’ve agreed to work together on grids, because that is a big issue, and we’ve agreed to deepen and strengthen our partnership because in all these respects, climate change is an issue that crosses borders, and it’s in all of our interests to work together on it,” the secretary of state said.
नई दिल्ली स्थित निर्माण भवन में यूके के ऊर्जा सुरक्षा एवं नेट जीरो सचिव, श्री @Ed_Miliband के साथ चौथे भारत-यूके ऊर्जा संवाद की अध्यक्षता की।
बैठक में बिजली वितरण,औद्योगिक ऊर्जा दक्षता, डीकार्बोनाइजेशन और इलेक्ट्रिक गतिशीलता में हुई प्रगति पर विस्तृत एवं सार्थक चर्चा हुई तथा… pic.twitter.com/moL2Oxa2y2
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) February 10, 2025
The UK is supporting India in offshore wind energy, and Miliband noted Britain’s expertise in the sector.
He also pointed to the role of UK businesses in India’s energy transition.
“I met a whole range of UK businesses at the UK pavilion at India Energy Week. It’s remarkable, actually, the different areas of businesses I saw - on mobility, around batteries and electric vehicles, offshore wind and how it can work with the government of India and the private sector in India. There are huge opportunities for British businesses here.”
Both the UK and India also share challenges in reducing dependence on fossil fuels, he said.
“The UK cost of living crisis that we’ve seen, and continue to see, is caused by our exposure to fossil fuels which are priced on the international market, and that’s what led to prices spiking so much, and prices being high, bills being high, at the moment.
“The more we drive to clean energy, the more we have clean, home-grown power that we control,” Miliband said.
He noted that India’s approach aligns with this view. “I’m really struck being here that, you know, that narrative, that argument is also being made here. Prime minister (Narendra) Modi talks of net zero being a net positive for India, and wanting India to be a country that is the first to urbanise and industrialise through clean energy.”
On the proposed UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and its impact on renewable energy cooperation, Miliband said the negotiations, set to begin in the coming weeks, would be important, but did not discuss specifics. “The more we can do on trade, the better it can be for both countries,” he said.
Miliband stressed, however, that clean energy collaboration would continue regardless of the FTA talks. “Even while negotiations continue, we can work together on clean energy. The message from the Indian government and businesses is a clear desire for UK firms to be involved, bringing their expertise to work with Indian partners.”
He also linked the collaboration to global climate negotiations. “This is really, really important also for the international negotiations, the COP negotiations that will be taking place in Brazil later on this year.”
India plays a key role in UK foreign and trade policy, Miliband said, adding, the country “is really of great importance to the UK. We can build a really fruitful partnership on a whole range of issues.”
He noted the flurry of high-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries. “Prime minister Modi and Keir Starmer met last year. David Lammy came here just after becoming the foreign secretary. I’m here for this visit, and so I think there is really fruitful cooperation we can do together.”
India and the UK have been strengthening their energy partnership through joint initiatives and investments. The UK-India Roadmap 2030 outlines commitments on climate action and clean energy transition, with both countries aiming to expand cooperation in offshore wind, solar energy, and green hydrogen.
The UK has supported India’s energy transition through technical expertise and private sector collaboration. Ministers have highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security and sustainable development and expanding cooperation in power distribution, sector reforms, industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation, and electric mobility sectors.
Emerging areas such as energy storage, green data centres, and offshore wind - especially with a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - were highlighted as key priorities for future collaboration.
India has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and aims to generate 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources.
The UK has pledged to work with India on policy frameworks, investment facilitation, and knowledge-sharing to support this transition.
Sheikh Hasina (Photo credit: Getty Images)
BANGLADESH's former government was behind systematic attacks and killings of protesters as it strived to hold onto power last year, the UN said Wednesday (12), warning the abuses could amount to "crimes against humanity".
Before premier Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution last August, her government oversaw a systematic crackdown on protesters and others, including "hundreds of extrajudicial killings", the UN said.
Publishing findings of its fact-finding inquiry into events in Bangladesh between July 1 and August 15 last year, the UN rights office said it had "reasonable grounds to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, imprisonment and infliction of other inhumane acts have taken place."
These alleged crimes committed by the government, along with violent elements of her Awami League party and the Bangladeshi security and intelligence services, were part of "a widespread and systematic attack against protesters and other civilians... in furtherance of the former government's (bid) to ensure its continuation in power," the report said.
Hasina, 77, who fled into exile in neighbouring India, has already defied an arrest warrant to face trial in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity.
The rights office launched its fact-finding mission at the request of Bangladesh's interim leader Mohammed Yunus, sending a team including human rights investigators, a forensics physician and a weapons expert to the country.
Wednesday's report is mainly based on more than 230 confidential in-depth interviews conducted in Bangladesh and online with victims, witnesses, protest leaders, rights defenders and others, reviews of medical case files, and of photos, videos and other documents.
The team determined that security forces had supported Hasina's government throughout the unrest, which began as protests against civil service job quotas and then escalated into wider calls for her to stand down.
The rights office said the former government had tried systematically to suppress the protests with increasingly violent means.
It estimated that "as many as 1,400 people may have been killed" in that 45-day time period, while thousands were injured.
The vast majority of those killed "were shot by Bangladesh's security forces", the rights office said, adding that children made up 12 to 13 per cent of those killed.
The overall death toll given is far higher than the most recent estimate by Bangladesh's interim government of 834 people killed during the protests.
'Rampant state violence'
"The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition," UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe hundreds of extrajudicial killings, extensive arbitrary arrests and detentions, and torture, were carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of the political leadership and senior security officials as part of a strategy to suppress the protests."
Turk said the testimonies and evidence gathered by his office "paint a disturbing picture of rampant state violence and targeted killings".
In some documented cases, "security forces deliberately killed or maimed defenceless protesters by shooting them at point blank range", the report said.
It also documented gender-based violence, including threats of rape aimed at deterring women from taking part in protests.
And the rights office said its team had determined that "police and other security forces killed and maimed children, and subjected them to arbitrary arrest, detention in inhumane conditions and torture."
While protests were still ongoing, the report also highlighted that some elements in the crowds committed "lynchings and other serious retaliatory violence" against police and Awami league officials or supporters.
"Accountability and justice are essential for national healing and for the future of Bangladesh," Turk said.
He stressed that "the best way forward for Bangladesh is to face the horrific wrongs committed" during the period in question.
What was needed, he said, was "a comprehensive process of truth-telling, healing and accountability, and to redress the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure they can never happen again."
(AFP)
