Biden Admin welcomes India's emergence as a leading global power, its role in Indo-Pacific region
Washington: Describing India as one of the most important partners of the US in the Indo-Pacific region, the Biden Administration on Tuesday said that it welcomes India's emergence as a leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region.
"India is one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region to us. We welcome India's emergence as a leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
Earlier in the day, he said, Secretary of State Tony Blinken spoke with his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, for the second time in less than a fortnight. During the call, the two leaders reaffirm the strength of the US-India partnership and discussed issues of mutual concern, including the situation in Myanmar.
Blinken expressed concern over the military coup and the importance of rule of law and the democratic process in Myanmar.
They also discussed regional developments, including the value of US-India cooperation across the Indo-Pacific. "Both sides look forward to expanded regional cooperation, including through the Quad, and to address the challenges of COVID and climate change, Price said.
Responding to a question, Price said the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is both broad as well as multi-faceted.
"We'll continue to engage at the highest levels of our government to deepen cooperation on many fronts, and we are confident that the strong and upward trajectory of our partnership will, in fact, continue, he told reporters.
India and the US, he said, cooperate on a wide range of diplomatic and security issues, including defence, nonproliferation, regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, counterterrorism, peacekeeping, the environment, health, education, technology, agriculture, space and oceans.
"We also work closely in international organisations, and we welcome India joining the Security Council in last month of this year for a two-year term," Price said.
The United States, he noted, also remains India's largest and most important trading partner, with total bilateral trade increasing to USD146 billion in 2019.
US companies, of course, are a large source of India's foreign direct investment, he said.
Price also highlighted the people-to-people ties which he said are broad and important. "Across this country, nearly four million Indian Americans call the United States home, contributing in their communities and proudly serving their country in uniform," he said.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
