Indian Sub-continent

KATHMANDU, Sept 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – Seven people were killed and 27 others injured, when a passenger bus crashed into a truck last night, in Banke district of western Nepal, local police said, today.

The bus, with 41 people on board, hit a truck parked on the East-West Highway, as it was carrying tourists back from a visit to neighbouring Dang district, said Sundar Tiwari, a police officer from Banke.

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's placard at the opening of the G20 summit on Saturday referred to India as "Bharat", raising speculation of a change of name for the South Asian nation.

India is also called Bharat, Bharata, Hindustan - its pre-colonial names - in Indian languages and these are used interchangeably by the public and officially.

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The Group of 20 adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states not to use force to grab territory.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Leaders' Declaration had been adopted on the first day of the weekend G20 summit in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Group of 20 leaders agreed Saturday to triple renewable energy and try to increase the funds for climate change-related disasters but maintained the status quo with regards to phasing out carbon spewing coal.

At a news conference shortly after the G20 leaders — whose countries also emit 80% of all planet-warming gases — announced the agreement, Amitabh Kant, a senior Indian government official leading some of the G20 negotiations, called it “probably the most vibrant, dynamic and ambitious document on climate action.”

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Joe Biden and his allies on Saturday announced plans to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East and Europe, an ambitious project aimed at fostering economic growth and political cooperation.

“This is a big deal,” said Biden. “This is a really big deal.”

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Saudi crown prince once vilified by President Joe Biden has been elevated from a fist bump to a hearty handshake.

Biden warmly greeted Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Mohammed bin Salman, after they appeared together along with several other leaders at the Group of 20 summit Saturday in New Delhi. The leaders had gathered to announce an ambitious plan to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East and Europe.

NEW DELHI (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the Group of 20 top economic powers, which are responsible for more than 80% of the emissions that cause global warming, to use their weekend summit to send a strong message on climate change.

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Joe Biden opened his visit to India on Friday by meeting privately with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian leader’s home in a session the White House said was marked by “undeniable warmth and confidence” in one another going into the annual Group of 20 summit where climate, economic security and more will dominate the weekend’s talks.

ISLAMABAD, Sep 7 (APP): The United States (US) and Pakistan on Thursday discussed strengthening bilateral trade relations, fostering mutual cooperation to the bilateral ties.

US Ambassador Donald Blome called on the Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production, Dr. Gohar Ejaz in the Ministry of Commerce, said a press release issued here.

One of the key highlights of the meeting was the exploration of potential opportunities for boosting trade in various sectors, including Textile, value added Food products, Fresh Mangoes and Dates, Soybean and Beef.

ISLAMABAD, Sept 7 (NNN-APP) – Four Pakistani soldiers and 12 terrorists were killed, in a clash between government security forces and the terrorists, in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, yesterday, a military statement said.

The clash occurred in Chitral district, where a group of terrorists, equipped with the latest weapons attacked two Pakistani military posts, located closer to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, in the statement.