A 700-personnel battalion of the Indian Army is participating in the ongoing bilateral tri-service exercise “Tiger Triumph 24.” The 14-day India-US exercise, which aims to enhance interoperability for conducting Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, started on 18 March and will conclude on 31 March.
On Thursday, India slammed China for saying it had “noted” US allegations that New Delhi was behind a foiled murder-for-hire plot to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It hoped the relevant countries would observe international law. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India and the US are two countries adhering to the rule of law and are capable of dealing with any issues that they have between themselves. It added that there is no role for any “speculative comments” and “gratuitous advice” by unrelated third parties.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed hope that India would join the peace summit in Switzerland this summer. Calling India a “global leader,” Kuleba said that Ukraine sees a change in India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and hopes that India will help bring Russia to the table.
Russia's veto on Thursday in the UN Security Council halted the extension of the mandate for a group of experts overseeing sanctions on North Korea, drawing criticism from the West. Moscow faces accusations of violating sanctions by purchasing weapons from North Korea amid the Ukraine conflict. The panel’s operations will cease when its current mandate ends in April. Despite the vote’s outcome, the existing sanctions against North Korea remain unaffected.
China announced on Thursday its intention to gradually remove tariffs on Australian wine more than three years ago, indicating a thaw in tensions between the two nations. The tariffs, which were introduced in 2020 and initially set at over 200%, will be removed on Friday. Canberra expressed appreciation for the decision, noting that the timing of the tariff removal is crucial for the recovery of the Australian wine industry.
In late February, US intelligence officials briefed senators on a biotech security bill, revealing that a Chinese pharmaceutical firm, WuXi AppTec, transferred US intellectual property to Beijing without authorisation. The proposed legislation aims to limit US government funds to such Chinese firms. Specific concerns included the transfer of a US client’s intellectual property to Chinese authorities without consent, as reported in recent intelligence. The sources, speaking anonymously, did not disclose the client’s identity or the nature of the information due to its classified status.