'India-Japan key pillars of stable, secure Indo-Pacific region'
PM Modi says in op-ed in Japanese newspaper
Tokyo(PTI): India and Japan are key pillars of a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region and their partnership is for peace, stability and prosperity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an op-ed published in a leading Japanese language newspaper on Monday.
Penned an op-ed on the vibrant relations between India and Japan, Prime Minister Modi, who is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders, said on Twitter.
Ours is a partnership for peace, stability and prosperity. I trace the journey of our special friendship which completes 70 glorious years. @Yomiuri_Online, he said in a tweet.
Closer India-Japan cooperation is vital in the post-COVID world, Modi said.
Our nations are firmly committed to democratic values. Together, we are key pillars of a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region. I am equally glad that we are working closely in various multilateral forums as well, he said in another tweet.
I have had the opportunity of regularly interacting with the Japanese people since my days as Gujarat CM, Modi said.
Japan's developmental strides have always been admirable, he said, adding that Japan is partnering with India in key sectors including infrastructure, technology, innovation, start-ups and more.
The op-ed published in the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper on Monday. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Tokyo at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
He will attend the summit of the Quad leaders which is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
Besides Modi, the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24 will be attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian prime minister-elect Anthony Albanese.
The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.
Modi will hold separate bilateral meetings with Biden, Kishida and Albanese on the sidelines of the summit. He had hosted Kishida for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit in March 2022.
He said economic cooperation between India and Japan is an important aspect of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
Modi also said that he is looking forward to a bilateral meeting with newly-elected Australian Prime Minister Albanese during which the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and regional and global issues of mutual interest will be discussed.
Noting that Japan is home to nearly 40,000 members of the Indian diaspora, who are an important anchor in India's relations with Japan, Modi said he looks forward to interacting with them.
Japan’s Indian community has made pioneering contributions in different fields. They have also remained connected with their roots in India. I thank the Indian diaspora in Japan for the warm welcome. pic.twitter.com/cfMCzM4XVf
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2022
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
