BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to work together as they extended a 20-year-old bilateral agreement on friendship and cooperation to forge closer ties, amid the US and the EU push against both the countries over human rights and a host of other issues on Monday. As per a state-run Xinhua news agency, they issued a joint statement after their talks via video link, officially announcing the extension of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation (TGNFC), that they signed in 2001.

They held talks amid growing anxiety in Beijing, especially after the June 16 meeting between Putin and US President Joe Biden that Washington is attempting to wean away Moscow out of its close ties with Beijing. Also Putin-Xi talks took place ahead of the July 1 centenary celebrations of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), which had a roller coaster relations with the erstwhile Soviet Communist Party before the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Xi told Putin that China and Russia have injected positive energy into the international community through their close cooperation, as the world is entering a period of turbulence and change and human development is confronted with multiple crises. The two countries have set a good example for a new type of international relations, Xi said.

The TGNFC aligns with both countries’ fundamental interests, echoes the themes of the times for peace and development, and is a vivid example of building a new type of international relations and community with a shared future for mankind, Xi, also General Secretary of the CPC, said. On his part, Putin said the coordination between Russia and China plays a stabilising role in global affairs amid the growing political turbulence and increasing conflict potential, TASS news agency reported.

“Amid the increasing geopolitical turbulence, the breakdown of arms control agreements, and the increasing conflict potential in various corners of the world, the Russian-Chinese coordination plays a stabilising role in the global affairs,” Putin underscored. Putin said that the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation largely determined the current condition of bilateral relations.

He also stressed it is important that Russia and China have no territorial claims against each other and that this recognition rests upon a firm legal basis.

-With PTI inputs

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The embattled leader was found guilty of contempt after he failed to appear before an inquiry probing wide-ranging allegations of corruption during his nearly nine-year tenure.

Zuma, 79, is accused of enabling the plunder of state coffers during 2009 to 2018, his stay in office.

He was not in court for the ruling and has been given five days to present himself at a police station. If he fails to do that the police minister must order his arrest, the court directed.

In a strongly worded majority judgment handed down by Justice Sisi Khampepe of the Constitutional Court, she described Zuma’s statements as “outlandish” and “intolerable”. “The Constitutional Court can do nothing but conclude that Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court,” judge Khampepe said.

Judge Khampepe said that Zuma attempted to corrode the legitimacy of the Constitutional Court by conducting a “politically motivated smear campaign” against it, the commission and the judiciary. “No person is above the law whatever his rank or condition,” she said, continuing: “An act of defiance in respect of a direct judicial order has the potential to precipitate a constitutional crisis. If with impunity litigants are allowed to decide which orders they wish to obey, and which they wish to ignore, then our Constitution is not worth the paper on which it is written.”

The court also said that the sentence could not be suspended. The Commission of Enquiry, which is investigating allegations of corruption and bribery at state and parastatal institutions, had asked that Zuma be sent to prison for two years. Zuma has repeatedly denied the allegations. Zuma has repeatedly said that he would rather go to jail than cooperate with the Commission.

“The Constitutional Court holds that it is disturbing that (Zuma), who twice swore allegiance to the Republic (of South Africa), its laws and the Constitution, has sought to ignore, undermine and in many ways destroy the rule of law altogether,” the judge said.

The Constitutional Court went to great lengths to safeguard Zuma’s rights. Consequently, there is no sound nor logical basis on which Zuma can claim to have been treated “unfairly or victimised”, the judge said.

“His attempts to evoke public sympathy through unfounded allegations fly in the face of reason and are an insult to the Constitutional dispensation for which so many women and men fought and lost their lives. The majority finds itself faced with little choice but to send a resounding message that this kind of recalcitrance and defiance is unlawful and will be punished,” Khampepe said.

The judge said it was important for the sentence to be effective to maintain the public’s confidence in the judiciary. A minority judgment by two judges on the seven-member panel agreed that Zuma was in contempt of court but said that a punitive sentence would be inappropriate, as the Commission should refer Zuma’s contempt to the Public Prosecutor’s office.

Zuma, who was ousted as President just a few months before his second term ended three years ago by his own African National Congress party, is also facing other criminal charges that have been going on for over a decade. He is required to hand himself over within five days to the police station at either his rural homestead in Nkandla or in central Johannesburg, where he also has a home.

Zuma has been named as a central figure in the allegations of corruption of over 50 billion rands involving the three Gupta brothers, allegedly because of their closeness to him.

Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta have been accused of siphoning billions of rands from the state-owned corporations through their alleged proximity to Zuma.

The Indian-origin businessmen, who arrived in South Africa from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh in the 1990s, also allegedly announced appointments to the Cabinet well before Zuma himself did so.

Zuma’s two children are also alleged to have benefited from the Guptas, who are in self-exile in Dubai. The South African government has initiated their extradition. In a separate legal matter, Zuma pleaded not guilty last month in his corruption trial involving a major arms deal from the 1990s.

-With agency inputs

Expressing concern at United Nations (UN) over information and communication technology misuse for terrorist propaganda and radicalisation, India called on the attention of the UN member states on the possibility of weaponised drones for terrorist purposes on Monday. India also slammed Pakistan for spreading false narratives and making baseless allegations against it.

VSK Kaumudi, Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), while speaking at a UN high-level conference of heads of counter-terrorism agencies, said, “Being a low-cost option and easily available, utilisation of these aerial/sub-surface platforms for sinister purposes by terrorist groups such as intelligence collection, weapon/explosives delivery and targeted attacks have become an imminent danger and challenge for security agencies worldwide.”

“The possibility of the use of weaponised drones for terrorist purposes against strategic and commercial assets calls for serious attention by the member states,” he added.

Kaumudi also slammed a vitriolic diatribe by the Pakistan delegation, accusing it of “peddling false narratives and making baseless allegations against India”.

“For a nation that engages in sectarian violence against its own minorities and harbours a deep sense of insecurity and orchestrated hatred for India, there is nothing new that we could have expected from this delegation. 7th review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) is over and Pakistan’s false narrative was summarily negated by the UN membership,” he said.

He added that the international community should call upon Pakistan to take effective, verifiable and irreversible actions against terror outfits operating on the territory under its control and not take the high road of morality which is only laden with mines of falsehood.

“Covid-19 and the subsequent isolation has further accentuated the impact of the internet on people making them vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment by terrorist groups. Spreading terrorist propaganda through the use of “indulging video games” is another strategy that was deployed by terrorist groups during the pandemic,” Kaumudi said.

The Secretary also suggested a multipronged approach to tackle the global threats emanating out of misuse of new technologies particularly aiming towards terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. “The transborder nature of this threat calls for collective and unified action by the international community, without any excuse or exceptions, ensuring that those countries which provide safe havens to terrorists should be called out and held accountable,” he said.

He also mentioned that India has put in place an elaborate CT and security architecture besides introducing a series of measures in the cyber-space encapsulating counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation strategies. “The Government of India stands fully committed to the fight against terrorism and has been fully supportive of the United Nations efforts in this regard,” he remarked.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday held a discussion with the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab over the progress in Afghanistan and the situation in Myanmar.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said they discussed the state of the world, regional issues, Covid-19, and climate action. “Met the UK Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab this morning. Reviewed the progress of our bilateral Road Map. Discussed the state of the world, regional issues, Covid and Climate Action,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Raab said London and New Delhi’s friendship is invaluable as the two countries tackle common challenges together from Covid-19 to climate change. Jaishankar and Raab are in Rome to attend the G20 ministerial meetings.

Raab tweeted, “At the G20 today @DrSJaishankar & I spoke about the UK-India 2030 Roadmap, progress in Afghanistan & the situation in Myanmar. The UK Flag of United Kingdom & India Flag of India friendship is invaluable as we tackle common challenges together, from Covid-19 to climate change, so we can #BuildBackBetter.”

NEW DELHI: As per sources, social media reports claiming that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met certain Taliban leaders are “completely false, baseless, and mischievous.”

“We have seen social media reports claiming that EAM has met certain Taliban leaders. Such reports are completely false, baseless and mischievous,” a source said. Some reports floating on social media claimed that Jaishankar met some Taliban leaders who assured that the outfit’s future relations with India will not be based on Pakistan’s wishes.

During the UNSC Debate on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan last week, Jaishankar had called for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to ensure reduction in violence in Afghanistan and said that terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries must be dismantled immediately for enduring peace in the war-torn country. Jaishankar had said there needs to be zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terror acts. He had said it is equally important to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan is not used by terrorist groups to threaten or attack any other country and those providing material and financial support to terrorist entities must be held accountable. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced 24-hour uninterrupted power supply and 300 units of free electricity per month to all domestic consumers in Punjab, if it comes to power.

Kejriwal said that all the existing beneficiary categories which were getting 200 free units like SCs, BCs, BPL families, freedom fighters, etc. will get 300 free units, to be charged only for over and above 300 units. In this way, if any of these beneficiaries consume 350 units in a month, then they will be charged for only 50 overstepped units. The first 300 units will be totally free for the consumers.

Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP state president and MP Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh, co-incharge Raghav Chadha, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, former IG, and party leader Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. Kejriwal was on a one-day visit to Chandigarh to make these announcements for the people of Punjab as part of his first guarantee. Addressing a press conference held at the Chandigarh Press Club here, Arvind Kejriwal made certain announcements regarding electricity; stating that it was a guarantee of Kejriwal which will be fulfilled on the very first day of the AAP government, unlike tall promises of Captain Amarinder Singh, that were ‘never fulfilled’.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea against the Delhi high court’s order which had dismissed a PIL seeking stay of construction of Central Vista Project during the pandemic and had also imposed a cost of Rs One lakh for filing motivated petition against the project. “Genuine PILs have done wonders, but questionable PILs have caused problems. PILs have their own sanctity,” the court said.

The Supreme Court agreed with the findings of the Delhi High Court after noting that the petitioner had selectively chosen Central Vista Project and did not even research about other public projects which were allowed during the lockdown.

The Supreme Court was hearing petitions by Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi challenging the May 31 judgment of the Delhi High Court.

On 31 May the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea seeking to halt construction work at Central Vista Avenue in the national capital given the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delhi high court in its order said that “The Project in question is of vital importance and essential and has a direct nexus with the main project, namely, Central Vista Project.”

The Court stated that once the workers were staying at the site and all facilities had been provided and the Covid-19 protocols were being adhered to, there was no reason for it to exercise powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to stop the project.

The Court further observed that projects of national importance cannot be stopped especially when the conditions imposed by the order of the DDMA dated 19th April, are not flouted or violated.