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Quad of India, US, Japan, Australia holds first ministerial meet on sidelines of UNGA

First meeting of foreign ministers of the Quad – India, Australia, Japan and the US – took place on the sidelines of UNGA to counter China’s growing might.

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Quad first ministerial meet

The first minister-level meet of Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (“the Quad”) between India, Australia, Japan and the US took place on Thursday, Sep 26 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The Quad is seen as a bid by the four largest democracies of Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing economic and political clout.

Significant shift in India’s approach

The minister-level meet is a significant change for India which, till last year, had refused to upgrade the Quadrilateral grouping with the US, Australia and Japan from join secretary to foreign secretary level. India has been hesitant about the Quad, in part because it does not want to isolate China and because it has had a history of staying clear of security alliances. The Quad, revived in November 2017, had so far met at the level of Joint Secretary-rank officials and the Thursday meet upgrades it by at least three levels.

The concept of the Quad was first generated more than a decade ago during the George W Bush administration before it went into a hiatus. Its recent revival reflects growing unease over Chinese President Xi Jinping’s more assertive foreign policy.

Present at the Thursday meet to discuss the Indo-Pacific strategy were India’s External affairs minister S Jaishankar, Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Australia’s Marise Payne.

“Thank you #Quad Foreign Ministers @SecPompeo @moteging Aand @MarisePayne,” tweeted Jaishankar.

Pompeo tweeted: “Positive meeting with @MarisePayne, @DrSJaishankar, and @moteging. We discussed our shared interest in building a free and open #IndoPacific, denuclearization of #NorthKorea, and joint efforts to promote regional stability.”

Payne tweeted: “I met today in New York with my counterparts from the US, Japan and India to discuss our efforts to maintain and promote an open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and reaffirm our #Quad commitment to shared values and cooperation.”

After this, there has been no official statement from India on the meet.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said in an emailed statement: “The ‘Quad’ countries reaffirmed their commitment to shared values and cooperation on maritime security, infrastructure and connectivity in support of rules-based frameworks.”

They discussed efforts to “maintain and promote an open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific”, and agreed to hold regular ministerial meetings, she said.

Issues discussed at the meeting

A senior US State Department official, according to The Hindu, told reporters in New York that the Ministers “met to discuss collective efforts in our shared commitments and close cooperation on counter terrorism, mentoring, assistance in disaster relief, airtime security, cooperation, development, finance and cybersecurity efforts.”

The high-level meeting “demonstrates a shared commitment of our respective leadership to institutionalise this gathering of like-minded Indo-Pacific partners,” a second official present at the briefing said. The official then suggested that “formalise” was a more apt description than “institutionalise”.

On India’s role

The State Department official emphasised India’s role: “If I could single out India’s role in the quad, I think it highlights India’s leadership in the end of the Pacific region. It’s one of the many ways that the U.S. and India are now cooperating closely on shared strategic objectives.”

About what had changed this year with regard to India’s participation, The Hindu quoted the official as saying, “There’s recognition that, you know, in the past we didn’t have that similar like-mindedness necessarily among the four partners and over the past two years, you know, we’ve been able to demonstrate what’s changed.”

“We have a shared evaluation of those security threats and the threats facing the region when countries don’t have options to develop in a sustainable and free manner. And that’s really brought our four nations together,” the official said, adding, “Again, I would emphasise as, one mechanism, one architecture that complements and supplements, you know, other formats that we are all engaged in to promote the free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The Quad countries are also clear about the centrality of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) in South East Asia, the group being at the centre of security and strategic frameworks for the Asia-Pacific region.

Quad and China

Members of the Quad, barring Australia, are currently engaged in the annual Malabar exercises – military exercises that started between India and the US in 1994 and became trilateral (with Japan) in 2015. India has not permitted Australia to participate in these exercises, concerned about what message it would send to China, which is wary of the exercise. The issue was not discussed during the ministerial discussions, reported The Hindu.

The elevation of the discussion from official-level talks suggests the previously informal framework is being strengthened to improve intelligence-gathering and present a united front on regional security issues, with China at the forefront of those issues.

China has been increasing its economic influence, military might and diplomatic footprint in the Indo-Pacific.

According to the Times of India, on Saturday, S Jaishankar confirmed one of the topics up for discussion at the meeting would be Chinese oil prospecting in an exclusive economic zone of Vietnam. India had previously been the main holdout in furthering the group’s agenda, amid concerns in New Delhi that it could worsen ties with Beijing.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in November he sees the Quad as an “important sort of architecture in the region” that can cooperate economically, militarily and strategically.

China has made clear its opposition to the Quad’s “Indo-Pacific strategy”. In March 2018, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the bloc was a “headline-grabbing idea”.

“The four countries’ official position is that it targets no one,” Wang said. “I hope they mean what they say and their action will match their rhetoric. Nowadays, stoking a new Cold War is out of sync with the times and inciting bloc confrontation will find no market.”

The US and Australia, concerned that China may be looking to establish a military base in the South Pacific that would extend its military reach toward the Americas, have been striving to build an alternative model to Beijing’s state-directed lending for infrastructure projects. Those loans have raised concerns that poorer nations, saddled with debt, could be forced into increased reliance on Beijing.

The Quad members aim to finance infrastructure projects that are properly planned and financially sustainable, to increase the possibilities of trade and connectivity – although they don’t have nearly as much cash to offer as Xi’s Belt-and-Road Initiative, which Morgan Stanley says may total $1.3 trillion by 2027.

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UK condemns security breach at Jaishankar meeting in London

The UK Foreign Office has strongly condemned the security breach involving S Jaishankar in London, emphasizing swift police action. India has urged the UK to take stricter measures against pro-Khalistani elements.

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UK police securing area after security breach involving S Jaishankar

The United Kingdom has strongly condemned the security breach involving India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in London. The UK Foreign Office asserted that the Metropolitan Police acted promptly to address the situation and warned that any attempts to “intimidate and threaten” are unacceptable.

A pro-Khalistani protester attempted to breach security barricades and shouted anti-India slogans outside Chatham House, where Jaishankar had attended an interactive session at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The foreign minister, who was on the other side of the road, remained unharmed.

Swift police action

In response to the incident, UK authorities emphasized their commitment to security and law enforcement. “The Metropolitan Police acted swiftly to address the situation,” sources from the UK Foreign Office stated. They further condemned the act and reassured cooperation in diplomatic security matters.

A video circulating on social media showed a man attempting to break through the police cordon and block Jaishankar’s motorcade. However, the individual was quickly apprehended by officers on duty.

India’s response

India has expressed strong disapproval of the incident, stressing that host nations must uphold their diplomatic responsibilities. “We condemn the provocative activities of this small group of separatists and extremists,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“We deplore the misuse of democratic freedoms by such elements. We expect the host government in such cases to fully live up to their diplomatic obligations,” Jaiswal added.

This is not the first instance of Khalistani groups attempting to disrupt Indian diplomatic missions in the UK. In March 2023, protesters pulled down the national flag at the Indian High Commission in London, which led India to summon the senior-most British diplomat in Delhi, demanding an explanation for the “absence of security.”

India urges UK to take action

Following the latest security breach, India has once again urged the UK government to take action against separatist elements operating from British soil. The ongoing activities of pro-Khalistani groups in the UK remain a point of contention between the two countries, with India pressing for stricter measures to curb such incidents.

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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams describes her longest space mission as an emotional rollercoaster

Sunita Williams’ planned eight-day mission turned into a nine-month space stay due to technical faults in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. NASA now confirms her return on 19 March.

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Sunita Williams

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is finally preparing to return to Earth after an unplanned nine-month stay in space. Originally intended to be an eight-day mission, her journey stretched unexpectedly due to technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, embarked on the mission in June last year aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. This marked the spacecraft’s first crewed flight. However, technical malfunctions surfaced upon their arrival at the International Space Station (ISS), prompting NASA to deem the capsule unfit for their return. Consequently, the agency opted to send the spacecraft back without any passengers, leaving Williams and Wilmore in space indefinitely.

NASA confirms return schedule

With multiple delays over the months, NASA had to wait for a safe alternative. Now, with the upcoming launch of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission on 12 March, their replacements will finally arrive at the ISS. The returning astronauts, including Williams, are scheduled to depart on 19 March in an older SpaceX capsule.

Emotional and mental challenges of prolonged space stay

Speaking during a press conference, Williams reflected on the challenges of an extended mission. She described the experience as “an emotional rollercoaster,” emphasizing the difficulty of being away from family for such an extended period.

While the ISS provides astronauts with an extraordinary perspective of Earth and space, the psychological toll of isolation and uncertainty has been a significant challenge. Williams’ return will mark the end of an unexpectedly long and complex mission, highlighting both the rewards and difficulties of human spaceflight.

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Latest world news

US Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to avoid paying USAID contractors, beneficiaries

Justice Samuel Alito, leading the dissenting conservative justices, criticized the ruling, calling it a reward for “an act of judicial hubris” and arguing that it imposes a $2 billion burden on American taxpayers. Alito contended that Judge Ali lacked the authority to mandate such payments.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a federal judge’s authority to order the Trump administration to pay $2 billion to contractors of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) but stopped short of requiring immediate payment. The 5-4 decision rejected an emergency application filed by the Justice Department, which sought to block the order issued by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali.

Judge Ali had issued a series of rulings demanding the government release funds that President Donald Trump froze through an executive order targeting what he called wasteful foreign aid programs. While the Supreme Court’s decision is a temporary setback for the Trump administration, the nonprofit organizations and businesses awaiting payment remain in limbo. One organization recently laid off 110 employees due to the funding freeze, according to court documents.

Justice Samuel Alito, leading the dissenting conservative justices, criticized the ruling, calling it a reward for “an act of judicial hubris” and arguing that it imposes a $2 billion burden on American taxpayers. Alito contended that Judge Ali lacked the authority to mandate such payments.

The Supreme Court’s decision leaves in place Ali’s temporary restraining order, which had paused the spending freeze. Judge Ali is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday to consider a more permanent solution.

The majority opinion, supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett alongside the court’s three liberal justices, noted that the Trump administration had not challenged Ali’s initial order but only the deadline for compliance, which has already passed. The court instructed Ali to clarify the government’s obligations under the temporary restraining order, taking into account the feasibility of compliance timelines.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh joined Alito in dissent.

The Trump administration argued that the situation had evolved since the initial freeze, as it replaced the blanket spending halt with individualized assessments. These assessments led to the cancellation of 5,800 USAID contracts and 4,100 State Department grants, totaling nearly $60 billion in aid.

The funding freeze was implemented following an executive order by President Trump, who criticized foreign aid programs as wasteful and misaligned with his foreign policy objectives. The subsequent lawsuit alleged that the freeze violated federal law and disrupted critical, life-saving programs abroad.

Judge Ali initially ordered the temporary restoration of funding on February 13. However, after nearly two weeks of non-compliance, he set a deadline for the government to release payments for work already completed. The administration appealed, calling Ali’s order “incredibly intrusive and profoundly erroneous” and objecting to the timeline for releasing the funds.

The Supreme Court’s decision underscores the ongoing tension between the judiciary and the executive branch over the administration’s foreign aid policies. While the ruling affirms the judiciary’s role in overseeing executive actions, the delay in payment leaves contractors and aid organizations grappling with financial uncertainty.

As the legal battle continues, the fate of billions of dollars in foreign aid remains unresolved, with significant implications for global humanitarian efforts and U.S. foreign policy.

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