Seamstress Tove Lycke works on NATO flags, at the flag manufacturer Flagghuset, in Akersberga, outside Stockholm, Sweden, March 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

INS Kolkata assists two merchant vessels hit in Gulf of Aden

Indian Naval destroyer INS Kolkata responded to two instances of missile/drone attacks on merchant vessels in the last few days. On March 6, the warship rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian, from Barbados-flagged bulk carrier MV True Confidence after it was hit in the Gulf of Aden and the crew forced to abandon ship. In another incident, on March 4, INS Kolkata responded to a request from MSC Sky II, a Liberian-flagged container vessel, which was hit at about 7 p.m. approximately 90 nautical miles south-east of Aden.

CJI asks if Speaker did not contradict Supreme Court to bank on legislative majority to decide Shinde camp as ‘real’ Shiv Sena

The Supreme Court on March 7 asked whether Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar “contradicted” a Constitution Bench judgment to bank on ‘legislative majority’ as a criterion to declare Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as the “real” Shiv Sena.

Sandeshkhali reports misleading, Bengal safest for women, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the reports of atrocities on women at Sandeshkhali were misleading and Bengal was the safest State for women.

Almost 60% of the funds received by national political parties are from ‘unknown’ sources

Almost 60% of the funds received by political parties cannot be traced and come from “unknown” sources, including electoral bonds, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

CCS approves development of AMCA, India’s fifth-gen fighter

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the project for the design and development of India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), to be undertaken by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), defence sources confirmed on March 7.

India sending unemployed poor to Israel: Arundhati Roy

The unemployed poor of India are being sent to Israel to fill up the vacancies created by Palestinians leaving jobs due to the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, noted writer and activist Arundhati Roy stated. A message from Ms. Roy was read at an event by Indians for Palestine on March 7 at the Press Club of India where the organisers said that more than 30,000 Palestinians have died so far under Israeli attacks and called for “immediate and urgent action” to help civilians trapped in Gaza.

Tribal Affairs Ministry, ISRO to collaborate on use of V-SAT centres for Internet in 80 tribal villages in pilot project

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is planning to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to deploy V-SAT stations on a pilot basis for around 80 tribal villages in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra to bring Internet services there, according to a proposal unveiled on Thursday at a ministry event meant to brainstorm innovative projects for tribal development.

Centre releases additional DA to employees, pensioners

The Union Cabinet, which met in New Delhi on March 7, decided to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from January 1, 2024. The increase will be four percentage points over the existing rate of 46% of the basic pay/ pension, to compensate against price rise, the government said. Other allowances, including house rent allowance, canteen allowance and deputation allowance, will also be increased subsequently.

Sweden officially joins NATO after completing its accession process, ending decades of neutrality

Sweden on March 7 formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Days after PM Modi congratulated him, Pakistan PM Sharif thanks him for the greeting

Pakistan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his greetings on social media on Thursday, even as the two countries showed no signs of any thaw in ties at present.

Rahul Gandhi likely to seek re-election from Wayanad

The Congress’ top election body is said to have cleared the candidature of party leader Rahul Gandhi for the Wayanad constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Sources also said that Shashi Tharoor will be again fielded from Thiruvananthapuram, where he has won three consecutive Lok Sabha elections. There is, however, no official announcement from the party.

Every citizen has a right to criticise abrogation of Article 370: SC

The Supreme Court on March 7 quashed an FIR accusing a college professor in Maharashtra of spreading enmity and disharmony by terming the abrogation of Article 370 a “black day” and wishing “happy independence” to the people of Pakistan in a WhatsApp group of faculty and parents.

Washington:

Sweden on Thursday became the 32nd member of NATO in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, ending two centuries of official non-alignment and capping two years of torturous diplomacy.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday hailed his country’s entry into NATO as a “victory for freedom,” as it turned the page on two centuries of non-alignment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The accession “is a victory for freedom today. Sweden has made a free, democratic, sovereign and united choice to join NATO,” he said at a ceremony in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“This is a historic day. Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATO’s table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

“After over 200 years of non-alignment Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of allies’ freedom and security,” he said.

The Swedish government announced it was holding a special government meeting to approve accession.

Later in the day, the Swedish Prime Minister is to attend the annual State of the Union address by President Joe Biden, who has been struggling to persuade the rival Republican Party to approve new aid to Ukraine.

Sweden’s blue and golden-yellow flag is expected to be hoisted on Monday at the Brussels headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance.

Russia has vowed “countermeasures” over Sweden’s entry into NATO, especially if the alliance’s troops and assets deploy in the country.

Sweden and Finland, while both militarily intertwined with the United States and members of the European Union, have historically steered clear of officially joining NATO, formed in the Cold War to unite against the Soviet Union.

After Finland joined last year, Sweden’s membership means all the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, except Russia, will be part of the US-led military alliance. 

That has led some to label the sea a “NATO lake”, with the Western allies now appearing well-placed to strangle Russia’s room for manoeuvre in the crucial shipping route if a war with Moscow ever breaks out.

– Turning page on non-alignment –

Sweden has not been involved in a war, including World War II, since the Napoleonic conflicts of the early 19th century.

But Finland and Sweden launched a joint bid after Russia in 2022 invaded Ukraine, which had unsuccessfully sought to join NATO — which considers an attack on one member an attack on all.

Finland successfully joined in April 2023. 

Sweden’s candidacy stalled due to an assertive push by Turkey, which demanded that Stockholm, known for its liberal asylum policies, crack down on Kurdish militants who have campaigned against Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later demanded action after protesters, enjoying Swedish laws on free speech, desecrated Islam’s holy book the Koran.

In a clear if unstated sweetener, the United States dangled the prospect of F-16 warplanes to Turkey, which has faced the wrath of US sanctions over a major military purchase from Russia.

The Biden administration in January approved $23 billion in F-16 warplanes to Turkey swiftly after it ratified Sweden’s membership.

The United States simultaneously pushed ahead with $8.6 billion in more advanced F-35 jets for Greece, a fellow NATO member that has a historic rivalry and frequent tensions with Turkey.

Even with Turkey’s blessing, Sweden faced another obstacle as it needed approval of a last country — Hungary, whose nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, has often thumbed his nose at Western allies.

The Hungarian parliament ratified Sweden’s membership on February 26. But in one last hiccup, Hungary could not formally sign the accession document due to a brief absence in the mostly ceremonial post of president, after an Orban ally resigned in a scandal over pardoning a convicted child abuser’s accomplice.

A recent poll by Swedish broadcaster SR said that most Swedes believe the country made too many sacrifices to join NATO, although more than three-quarters believed NATO would strengthen the country’s security.