News

Singapore has always been keen to strengthen ties with India, country’s Parliament speaker Halimah Yacob has said, urging the city state-based businesses to further develop trade relations with the emerging economy.

Highlighting the two countries’ good track record of working closely, Yacob yesterday told members of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) to progress on the past performance.

The speaker said SICCI had long recognised the importance of India as an economic partner for Singapore.

A US court has asked a Sikh group to serve summons on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by June 18 or face dismissal of a case of alleged violation of human rights during his tenure.

“Plaintiffs shall file proof of service on or before June 18, 2014,” US District Judge James E Boasberg said in its April 18 order.

The Washington federal court had issued summons against Manmohan Singh during his September 2013 visit to Washington on a plea by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) accusing him of “funding crimes against humanity perpetrated upon the Sikh community in India”.

A US court has asked a Sikh group to serve summons on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by June 18 or face dismissal of a case of alleged violation of human rights during his tenure.

“Plaintiffs shall file proof of service on or before June 18, 2014,” US District Judge James E. Boasberg said in its April 18 order.

The Washington federal court had issued summons against Manmohan Singh during his September 2013 visit to Washington on a plea by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) accusing him of “funding crimes against humanity perpetrated upon the Sikh community in India”.

State-owned Venezuelan oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) has said it has made new oil finds in three different areas of the Andean nation.

An “effective exploratory drilling plan” dating back to late 2013 has resulted in the discovery of 185 million barrels of crude and 1.1 trillion cubic feet of gas, PDVSA said in a statement Thursday.

Venezuela has 297.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, more than any other country. Most of that crude is located in the Orinoco Belt, a territory in eastern Venezuela that holds roughly a quarter of the world’s petroleum.

US President Barack Obama has announced his intent to appoint three Indian-Americans to his 14-member advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

The Indian-Americans include, US Air Force officer Lt Col Ravi Chaudhary, prominent community leader Shekar Narasimhan and popular film and television actor Maulik Pancholy. N Nina Ahmad of Bangladeshi-origin has also been nominated to the AAPIs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday called “anti-terror operation” conducted by Ukrainian troops in the east of the country “a serious crime”, warning of “consequences” if Kiev used the army against its own people.

“If the regime in Kiev started using troops against its population, this is a grave crime,” Xinhua quoted Putin as saying at a media forum in St. Petersburg.

Death toll from a sunken South Korean ferry rose to 181 Friday morning as divers kept searching bodies or possible survivors inside the submerged vessel.

On the 10th day since the ferry carrying 476 people capsized off the country’s southwestern coast on April 16, seven more bodies were recovered from the ship overnight, raising the death toll to 181, with 121 still missing, Xinhua reported.

The number of the rescued has been unchanged at 174 since the first day of the deadly incident.

Amid dark skies and the first taste of winter, thousands of ordinary Australians have laid wreaths at hundreds of solemn services around the country to commemorate the men and women who served and died in wars for ANZAC day, the nation’s unofficial national day.

ANZAC serves as an acronym for Australia New Zealand Army Corps and the date marks the 99th anniversary of the first landings by Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915, according to Xinhua.

US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday called on the Israelis and Palestinians to make compromises so as to forward the stalled peace talks.

The fresh appeal from the top American envoy came as Israel’s security cabinet decided to suspend the negotiations in response to ongoing reconciliation efforts between rival Palestinian factions of Fatah and Hamas, Xinhua reported.

“There’s always a way forward, but leaders have to make the compromises necessary to do that,” Kerry told reporters before meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende at the State Department.

Belgium has given Rwanda 18 million euros to finance public health, Rwandan authorities said Thursday.

Minister of Finance Claver Gatete said the grant is to realise the objectives of Rwanda’s third health sector strategic plan developed for 2012-2018, Xinhua reported.

The government of Rwanda, the minister said, is presently engaged in continuous provision of improved health services for the country’s population.

Israel’s chief negotiator Tzipi Livni said Thursday that the door was not closed on the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians after the former claimed to suspend the talks, the media reported.

“We are not closing the door on the talks. The cabinet did not decide on unilaterally withdrawing from the negotiations table but rather to suspend and re-examine them,” Xinhua quoted Livni as saying.

“We need to take some time to see how we respond to this harsh incident,” she said, referring to the agreement signed by the Fatah and the Hamas Palestinian factions Wednesday.