Indian leader lunches with Queen Elizabeth
LONDON – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lunched with Queen Elizabeth II and rallied thousands of cheering supporters on the second day of his high-profile official visit to Britain, as royal officials announced Prince William and his wife, Kate, will visit India next year.
Modi arrived at Buckingham Palace for lunch Friday in a Jaguar, the iconic British car brand owned by India’s Tata Motors – a symbol of the close relationship between India and its former colonial ruler.
Modi’s ambitious plans to modernize India and his pro-business agenda have won him many fans among the 1.5 million people of Indian origin in Britain.
Kerry pledges support to boost Tunisia
TUNIS, Tunisia – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday pledged expanded economic and security support for Tunisia to help it cement democratic gains made since its revolution heralded the dawn of the 2011 Arab Spring.
Kerry was not specific but said the U.S. and Tunisia would soon begin negotiations on a major loan guarantee and were discussing expanded military cooperation, including intelligence sharing and the possible use of drones to collect information about potential threats. A U.S. military team will travel to Tunisia in two weeks to begin those talks, Kerry said.
Russia bans flights by Egyptian carrier
MOSCOW – Russia’s state aviation agency on Friday banned Egypt’s national carrier from flying to Russia, a move that follows the suspension of all Russian flights to Egypt after a deadly crash.
The agency, Rosaviatsiya, on Friday formally notified Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, where EgyptAir flights arrive, that the ban is effective starting Saturday, said airport spokesman Alexander Vlasov.
The aviation agency didn’t give any immediate reason for the ban on flights, and Egypt’s aviation authorities said they haven’t been notified officially of this decision.
Associated Press
