India to buy howitzers worth $737m from US
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally cleared the long-pending purchase of 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers from the United States, the US media reported on Monday.
The $737 million arms deal is part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement between the United States and India, which aims to promote greater defence cooperation between the two countries.
Mugabe’s trial put off indefinitely
AFP, Harare
A Zimbabwe court on Wednesday indefinitely postponed the trial of five war veteran leaders charged with insulting longtime President Robert Mugabe, citing bungling by the prosecution.
The five were facing charges for authoring a highly-critical statement accusing Mugabe of “dictatorial” behaviour, and were arrested earlier this year in a crackdown on critics of the 92-year-old leader.
Colombian govt, Farc to sign new peace deal
BBC Online
Colombia’s government says it will sign a new peace accord with Farc rebels on Thursday, after a previous deal was rejected in a referendum last month.
The new revised agreement will be submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to a popular vote.
Iran will retaliate if US renews sanctions: Khamenei
AFP, Tehran
Iran will retaliate if the United States renews sanctions next month, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Wednesday.
“In the issue of the nuclear deal, the current administration has committed several violations, the latest of which is the renewal of the 10-year sanctions,” Khamenei said in a televised speech to thousands of members of the Basij Islamist volunteer militia.
“If these sanctions happen, it is absolutely a breach of the JCPOA,” he added, referring to last year’s deal with world powers under which sanctions were eased in exchange for curbs to Iran’s nuclear programme.
S Korea, Japan sign intelligence deal
AFP, Seoul
Japan and South Korea signed a controversial agreement on Wednesday to share defence intelligence on North Korea, despite protests from opposition parties and activists in Seoul.
South Korea’s defence ministry said the accord was “necessary” in the face of growing military threats from Pyongyang, which has conducted two nuclear tests and more than 20 missile launches this year.
3 Indian soldiers killed near Kashmir frontier
AP, Srinagar
Three Indian soldiers were killed Tuesday along the highly militarized de facto border that divides the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, army officials said.
Army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said the attackers also mutilated the body of one soldier in Machil sector in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
