When the United Kingdom (UK) releases the highly anticipated integrated review of its foreign, defence, security and development policy in March, it will mark the first formal iteration of the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy. This brief explores the dynamics that are driving the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific. It identifies three key drivers that are prompting the shift: a reappraisal of China, the economic fallout of Brexit, and the UK’s close ties with the US. It explores the emerging trends in this churn across security, trade, development, and diplomatic domains and highlights the opportunities they afford the India-UK relationship.
ATHENS: Turkey insists that α “two-state solution” is now the only way to solve the Cyprus problem, even if it contradicts UN resolutions for a federation model with political equality between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
The Mediterranean island has remained divided since 1974, when Turkish troops took advantage of a coup orchestrated by the military government of Athens against then-Cyprus President Archbishop Makarios and invaded the island.
Turkey has occupied almost 40 percent of Cyprus territory since then, while Turkish Cypriots have declared the independence of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” a state recognized only by Turkey.
Turkey wants to keep Cyprus as a “geopolitical hostage” as this serves President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans to revive the Ottoman empire and exert maritime dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
UK has administered 15 million first doses of Covid-19 vaccine, minister says
From CNN’s Mia Alberti
A health worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine in St Albans, England, on February 8. Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
The United Kingdom has administered 15 million first doses of Covid-19 vaccine, the minister in charge of the program, Nadhim Zahawi, tweeted Sunday. We will not rest till we offer the vaccine to the whole of phase 1, Zahawi wrote, referring to priority groups set out by the government.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it a significant milestone and an extraordinary feat. In England I can now tell you we have now offered jabs to everyone in the first four priority groups, the people most likely to be severely ill from Coronavirus, hitting the first target we set ourselves, Johnson wrote.
Farm Reform India s Domestic Issue, Will Track Protest Closely: UK Leader Farm Reform India s Domestic Issue, Will Track Protest Closely: UK Leader As India is our friend, it is only right that we make representations when we think that things are happening that are not in the interests of the reputation of the country of which we are a friend, he said.
Multiple rounds of talks between the government and the farmer unions have remained deadlocked.
London:
Agricultural reform is a domestic policy issue of India, the Leader of the House of Commons has said in Parliament, reflecting the UK government s stance over the farmer protests in New Delhi.
Protesters came out on the streets in Myanmar on Friday against the military rule imposed last Monday even as the country's leaders announced the release of 23,000 inmates as part of a prison amnesty.
Watch: