India, Singapore to upgrade trade cooperation pact
Singapore, June 1: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and Singapore will soon upgrade their Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) following a bilateral summit with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong here.
"We are happy with the second review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement," Modi said in a joint address to the media with Lee following the summit.
"Officials from both our countries will soon discuss how to upgrade this agreement," he said.
India and Singapore signed the CECA in 2005. Singapore is the first country with which India signed such a treaty.
On his part, Lee said that bilateral trade between India and Singapore has doubled S$25 billion since the CECA came into effect.
He also said that, as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Singapore will work with India in the regional security architecture.
Modi arrived here on Wednesday on the third and final leg of his five-nation tour of southeast Asia.
This is his second visit to Singapore as Prime Minister.
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Neymar helps Santos avoid relegation, says he will have knee surgery
Sao Paulo (AP): Neymar's Santos secured its survival in Brazil's Serie A on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Cruzeiro, and the 33-year-old soccer star later confirmed he will undergo surgery on his left knee.
Playing its last league match of the season, Santos — which achieved a global following with all-time great Pelé — avoided what would have been the club's second relegation in its history. Santos was relegated in 2023 for the first time almost a year after the death of Pelé.
Neymar struggled to recover from a torn ACL in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. But he proved key for Santos in its successful fight to avoid relegation in the Brazilian championship after its promotion last year.
Neymar, who returned to Santos in January, was decisive for the club where he started his professional career. In the last three rounds of the league, Neymar scored a goal against Sport Recife in a 3-0 win, netted a hat trick against Juventude on Wednesday in another 3-0 victory, and on Sunday was an effective playmaker.
Thaciano (26th and 28th minutes) and João Schmidt (60th) scored against Cruzeiro at Vila Belmiro Stadium as Santos finished 12th with 47 points.
Neymar played only 19 of the 38 rounds of the league, which started in April. He scored eight goals.
"I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me,” Neymar said after the game. "I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery."
Neymar did not give more details about the knee injury and surgery. He still hopes to be included in Brazil's final squad for the 2026 World Cup, though coach Carlo Ancelotti is yet to pick the former captain since he took over in May.
Flamengo won its ninth Brazilian league title midweek after a 1-0 home victory against Ceara. The Rio de Janeiro club also won the Copa Libertadores last month. AP
