India to push for action against terror at G-20

November 15, 2015

New Delhi, Nov 15: After a series of deadly terror attacks in Paris, India is set to raise its pitch to seek stronger global actions against the menace, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to call upon G-20 leaders assembling in Turkey to push for early adoption of the long-pending Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism by the United Nations.

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The G-20 summit at Antalya in Turkey on Sunday and Monday seems set to be overshadowed by Paris attacks and Modi is likely to stress that the fight against terrorism and sponsors of terrorism will require greater and more effective international cooperation. He will argue that the global consensus against terrorism should not be allowed to be held back by a few and the world must unequivocally reject “selective approaches” in combating terrorism.

The prime minister will join other G-20 leaders for a dinner in Antalaya on Sunday to discuss global terrorism and refugee crisis. He is likely to call for international efforts to counter ideology that underpins extremism and draws youths to terrorism, officials told Deccan Herald in New Delhi.

Modi will also refer to anti-India terrorism emanating from Pakistan. He is likely to recall the November 26-29, 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai and call upon world leaders to nudge the Pakistan government to bring to justice the masterminds of the attacks, which had left over 170 killed and countless others injured. The similarity between 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and the string of terror strikes in Paris late on Friday already caught the attention of the international community.

Though the G-20 generally focuses on international economy, Turkey, which currently holds the presidency of the bloc, also included in the agenda issues related terrorism, with particular emphasis in the situation in Iraq and Syria, where Islamic State still controls large territories.

Modi, who was on a visit to London till Saturday, and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday agreed to continue to work together to disrupt all financial and tactical support for terrorist networks to prevent terror strikes and to counter violent extremism, including through exchanges of best practices and technologies.

New Delhi has of late sharpened its criticism against the United Nations Security Council for its “less than robust” response to the threat of terrorism, especially in Asia and Africa.

“The increasing number and brutality of terrorist acts meanwhile vividly illustrates the ineffectiveness of the (UN Security) Council to counter terrorism,” Ashoke Mukherjee, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, told the General Assembly of the international organisation on Thursday.

India is likely to redouble efforts to end impasse in the negotiations over the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which New Delhi has been pushing for since 1996.

Though a draft text of the CCIT is pending before the General Assembly since 2008, negotiations are currently deadlocked, primarily due to disagreements over the definition of terrorism.

“I would like the UN that is celebrating its 70th anniversary to not waste anytime in defining terrorism,” Modi said in London on Saturday.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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News Network
December 20,2025

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At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services. 

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.

The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi). 

Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-

•    0361-2731621
•    0361-2731622
•    0361-2731623

The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.

Train Services Disrupted

Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.

The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.

Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30. 

The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks. 

Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years

At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.

He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.

Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.

The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.

These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.

The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.

Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.

A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.

Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested. 

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