Canada set conditions for Modi’s G7 invite, including law enforcement dialogue: Report
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend the upcoming G7 outreach meeting in Canada was reportedly contingent upon an agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to engage in law enforcement dialogue, according to Canadian media reports.
A federal Liberal source told The Toronto Star that the invitation extended to Modi came with certain “conditions,” and that the Indian prime minister had initially sought time to respond. Though the specifics of the conversation remain unclear, the law enforcement dialogue is said to have been among the key terms.
Carney, who has faced domestic criticism for inviting Modi amid unresolved allegations related to the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, said on Friday that the decision followed “important” bilateral progress. “We have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue, so there’s been some progress on that which recognises issues of accountability,” he said.
Modi, however, did not mention this aspect in his public statement following a telephonic conversation with Carney.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told The Hindustan Times from Paris that the invitation should not be seen as a softening of Canada’s stance on the Nijjar case. She emphasised that the independent investigation remains ongoing and that the rule of law is paramount.
Ties between the two countries had sharply deteriorated after Canadian authorities accused Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar’s killing. While the renewed law enforcement dialogue signals some level of cooperation, Canadian officials continue to insist that justice and accountability are non-negotiable.
The G7 summit is scheduled to be held from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, with a focus on strengthening peace and security, countering foreign interference and transnational crime, and improving responses to wildfires.
Other invitees to the outreach meeting include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
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Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
