WORLD

A free and open Indo-Pacific, defence collaboration with focus on production in India and technology transfer and a “massive push’’ for an FTA by Diwali were among issues that dominated the agenda of UK PM Boris Johnson’s first summit meeting with his counterpart Narendra Modi in India.

The two countries signed two G2G MoUs including one in nuclear energy partnership. Four non-government MoUs were also signed.

Addressing Modi as a ‘khas dost’ (dear friend), and calling the partnership with India “one of the defining friendships of our times’’, Johnson said in his media statement that the new and enhanced defence partnership will support the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The UK announced an Open General Export Licence, apparently the first for any Indo-Pacific country, to expedite defence procurement by India and also support for a new fighter jet technology.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her counterparts from the mostly western bloc walked out of a G20 finance boffins session on Wednesday as Russian officials began to speak, a boycott — to protest Moscow's war on Ukraine — that was not joined by officials from at least ten other nations, including Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

A photo posted on social media by Canada's finance minister Chrystia Freeland showed ten finance officials, including Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who walked out of the meeting. "The world's democracies will not stand idly by in the face of continued Russian aggression and war crimes. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine is a grave threat to the global economy. Russia should not be participating or included in these meetings," Freeland wrote.

Garry Kasparov, a famed chess grandmaster and vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has outlined the conditions necessary for the Russian leader to be overthrown.

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During an appearance on CNN this week, host Paula Reid asked Kasparov if discontentment with Putin's leadership could be building in Moscow amid the country's mounting military losses in Ukraine and mounting sanctions.

He replied that anti-Kremlin sentiments are likely to increase in time and laid out an "order of moves" that could lead to Putin's fall.

More than 40 people have been arrested after clashes in Sweden between police and people angry at plans by a far-right group to burn copies of the Quran, the media reported.

Three people were injured in Norrkoping on Sunday when officers fired warning shots at rioters, police said. The violence was sparked by a series of rallies organised by the Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan. He says he has burned a copy of Islam`s holy book and wants to do so again.

Muslims consider the Quran the sacred word of God and view any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it as deeply offensive.

The European Union (EU) on Monday condemned the "indiscriminate" bombing of civilians by Russian forces in Ukraine, after deadly strikes hit the western city of Lviv.

"The EU condemns the continued indiscriminate and illegal shelling of civilians and civilian infrastructure by Russian armed forces," said a statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

He noted "particularly heavy attacks" in the east and south of Ukraine and the ongoing offensive against the country's second city, Kharkiv.