US shuts PLO office in Washington
Washington, Sep 10 : The US on Monday announced the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s office in Washington, citing its lack of steps to advance direct negotiations with Israel.
"The PLO has not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel," said the US State Department in a statement.
The decision to shut down the office was also linked with the US concerns with Palestinian attempts to prompt an investigation of Israel by the International Criminal Court, according to the statement.
Senior Palestinian officials, who have been informed earlier by the Trump administration about the decision, have strongly condemned the US move, calling it "reckless" and "bullying".
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Plea in Madras HC calls for SIT/ED/CBI probe into Gautam Adani's indictment in US bribery case
Chennai: A plea has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking the establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or directions to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the corruption charges against Indian businessman Gautam Adani. The plea follows Adani’s indictment by the United States Department of Justice in the Eastern District of New York on bribery charges.
Filed by Advocate and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi President ML Ravi, the plea alleges that Adani, along with other businessmen and power distribution companies in India, was involved in a scheme to bribe Indian government officials. The bribes were reportedly aimed at securing lucrative solar energy contracts with Indian entities. According to the US Department of Justice, Adani’s group paid USD 265 million in bribes, primarily to officials in Andhra Pradesh, to secure contracts with state electricity distribution companies between 2001 and 2023.
Ravi criticised the Indian authorities for their silence on the matter, despite the exposure of the corruption by foreign agencies. He argued that the lack of action by Indian investigation agencies undermines public trust and hinders national development. He called for a thorough investigation to uncover the full extent of the allegations, asserting that public officials had abused their power for personal gain, in violation of their duties.
