‘India, Switzerland studying ways to share info on black money’
India and Switzerland are discussing ways of sharing information on specific accounts relating to black money stashed away in the European nation, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said here on Saturday.
In his two-page letter to the Swiss Minister in March, Mr. Chidambaram threatened to drag the European nation to multilateral fora like G20 for continuing to block India's requests.
Mr. Chidambaram also reminded her of the April 2009 declaration adopted by G20 leaders stating that the “era of bank secrecy is over.”
Mr. Chidambaram had said Switzerland did not honour the terms of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between the two nations, under which information about Indians with accounts in Swiss banks has been sought by the tax authorities.
Two Akash missiles tested
The Indian Air Force on Saturday successfully test-fired two Akash, the ground-to-air missiles, which hit their targets flying 25 km away. While one missile tore apart an incoming target towed by Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft (PTA), another took apart a receding target, again trailed by Lakshya. The IAF personnel operated the entire Akash system including the targets. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed Akash, which is already under production for the IAF and the Army.
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has held that a Muslim woman will be entitled to maintenance from her husband even after divorce and she can file an application before a magistrate court.
Quoting an earlier Constitution Bench verdict, a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Vikramajit Sen said: “A Muslim husband is liable to make a reasonable and fair provision for the future of the divorced wife which obviously includes her maintenance as well.” Such a reasonable and fair provision extending beyond the iddat period must be made by the husband within the iddat period. His liability, arising from Section 3 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act to pay maintenance, “is not confined to the iddat period.”
(Iddat is the waiting period after a declaration of divorce.)
Unity govt. will recognise Israel: Abbas
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said on Saturday the new unity government he is set to head with the backing of Hamas would reject violence and recognise Israel and existing agreements.
Israel, however, slammed his speech to the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Central Council as a “coup de grace” to the peace process.
The PLO body had convened to chart a course of action after Israel suspended U.S.-brokered peace talks in response to a reconciliation deal with the Islamist Hamas movement.
The agreement between the rival Palestinian factions came as the U.S. and Israel had hoped to extend the faltering peace talks beyond their April 29 deadline.
Israel said it would not negotiate with a government backed by Hamas, the armed Islamist movement ruling the Gaza Strip, which is pledged to the destruction of the Jewish state and has always rejected peace talks.
G-7 agrees on more sanctions
The United States and its allies have agreed to ramp up pressure on Russia over Ukraine as Kiev’s military crackdown on pro-Russian protesters in the east has stalled.
In a joint statement the Group of Seven nations said they would “move swiftly” on new sanctions against Russia, which “has taken no concrete actions” to implement the Geneva agreement on defusing the Ukraine crisis.
The statement was released by the White House on Friday when it became clear that Kiev’s “anti-terrorist operation” in Ukraine’s southeast had bogged down.
Ukrainian authorities had called off an assault on the insurgents-held city of Sloviansk after Russia launched large-scale war games near the Ukrainian border, vowing to “stop the Ukrainian war machine” from attacking civilians.
Gains against malaria but threat remains
Japan and the United States have announced joint support for the U.N. Women’s Safe City Programme in Delhi.
This Programme builds on an ongoing partnership with the Delhi government, U.N. agencies and civil society organisations, especially with Jagori — women’s group. It will help to strengthen the commitment of the Delhi government to women's safety.
The Delhi Programme is a part of U.N. Women’s Safe Cities Global Initiative that spans 17 cities in developing and developed countries. It aims to prevent sexual violence in urban public spaces through strategic alliances with communities, grassroots women, local governments, service providers and safety sector.
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