New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) India and the US Thursday held the first edition of the two-plus-two talks, aimed at further strengthening bilateral defence and security collaboration as well as boosting their global strategic partnership, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held talks with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis.

By Yoshita Singh

United Nations, Sep 6 (PTI) Pakistan's focus for decades has been to undermine India's territorial integrity through the "explicit use of terrorism" as a state policy, New Delhi said in a stern response after Islamabad raked up the Kashmir issue at the UN.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi yet again raised the issue of Kashmir while addressing the High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace in the UN General Assembly Wednesday.

MOSCOW, September 5. /TASS/. The UK must provide fingerprints of the suspects in the Skripal case to Interpol, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Wednesday on the Rossiya-1 channel.

"We should start the conversation with facts, that is, with fingerprints. If according to the British side, these people have come from Russia, they must have received British visas, so, please, "fingers at the table". Because none of us can work without Interpol here," the diplomat stressed.

WASHINGTON; 6 Sep2018; (AP) — The Trump administration may be about to slap tariffs of up to 25 percent on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, escalating a confrontation between the world’s two biggest economies and likely squeezing U.S. companies that import everything from handbags to bicycle tires.

The administration could decide to begin taxing the imports — equal to nearly 40 percent of all the goods China sold the United States last year — after a public comment period ends Thursday.

HANOI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- During upcoming World Economic Forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) slated for Sept. 11-13 in Vietnam's capital, 1,000 delegates from 43 countries and regions will focus their discussions on five key topics, organizers said on Thursday.

MOSCOW, September 6. /TASS/. A hole in the hull of the Russian Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft was drilled when the spaceship was fully assembled, a source in the space industry told TASS on Thursday.

"The hole was drilled when the spaceship was already assembled," he said, adding that the spacecraft's manufacturer, the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation had decided to check all manned Soyuz and cargo Progress spaceships, both those that are being assembled and those sent to the Baikonur space center.

By Prashant Rangnekar

Bengaluru, Sept 6 (PTI) Stepping up space cooperation, India and France Thursday inked an agreement to collaborate on Gaganyaan, ISRO's first human space mission.

The two countries have formed a working group for the project.

Mumbai, Sep 5; PTI: A trial court here Wednesday deferred framing of charges against Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit and other accused persons in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Special judge, National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, Vinod Padalkar deferred the framing of charges after Purohit and other accused raised objections on the validity of sanction for their prosecution under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Washington, Sep 5 (PTI) India buying a missile defence system from Russia and oil from Iran would be part of the 2+2 dialogue, but not the talks' primary focus, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis are headed to India for the talks tomorrow with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This is the inaugural 2+2 dialogue between the two countries.

"They are (missile system purchase from Russia and oil from Iran) part of the conversation. They are part of the relationship.

DOHA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Qatar has approved a law to grant permanent residency to expatriates under certain conditions, said state-run Qatar News Agency on Wednesday.

The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani approved the permanent residency law, stipulating that expatriates who fulfill eligibility criteria can apply for a permanent residency.

Candidates born abroad should complete 20 years in Qatar on a legal, ordinary residency, and for those born in Qatar, the time required will be 10 years.

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) The Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to hear next week a PIL seeking stay on the Rafale fighter jet deal between India with France.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the submissions of advocate M L Sharma that his plea be listed for urgent hearing.

In his PIL, Sharma alleged discrepancies in the fighter jet deal with France and sought stay on it.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for the demolition of a Bedouin village in the West Bank, rejecting a final appeal in a case that has drawn heavy international criticism and become a rallying cry for the Palestinians.

In its decision, the court rejected an appeal to block the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar. It said that a stay would expire in a week, and the encampment could then be legally torn down. There was no date immediately announced for the demolition.