Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Johnson likely to visit India by month end

Johnson likely to visit India by month end

BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson is planning to visit India by April end with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties, according to official sources.

The visit, which is expected around April 22, is long overdue after Johnson was forced to cancel planned visits to India twice last year due to the pandemic.


His visit is against the backdrop of the ongoing India-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations, reports said.

While Downing Street is yet to confirm any details, an in-person meeting was discussed during a phone call between Johnson and prime minister Narendra Modi last month.

"The leaders welcomed India and the UK's strong and prosperous relationship and agreed to continue to build on trade, security and business ties in the coming weeks and months. They looked forward to meeting in-person at the earliest opportunity," a Downing Street spokesperson said in a readout of the call on March 22.

Last week, Downing Street sources told PTI that Johnson was "very keen" to visit India for talks with his Indian counterpart Modi.

The two leaders last met in-person on the sidelines of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow in November last year.

Then the talks focussed on the India-UK climate partnership as well as a review of the 2030 Roadmap which they had signed during a virtual summit in May 2021.

20211102151L India external affairs minister Dr. S Jaishankar meets UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. (ANI Photo)

The Roadmap, which aims to at least double bilateral trade between India and the UK by 2030, is part of Britain's so-called Indo-Pacific foreign policy tilt.

"A trade deal with India's booming economy offers huge benefits for British businesses, workers and consumers," Johnson said at the formal launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks earlier this year.

"The UK has world-class businesses and expertise we can rightly be proud of, from Scotch whisky distillers to financial services and cutting-edge renewable technology."

"We are seizing the opportunities offered in growing economies of the Indo-Pacific to cement our place on the global stage and deliver jobs and growth at home," he said in January.

The conflict in Ukraine and the UK's leading role in imposing stringent sanctions against Russian president Vladimir Putin's regime is also likely to feature strongly during talks between Johnson and Modi.

It will follow foreign secretary Liz Truss' visit to Delhi last week when she held talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar and also joined him at the first India-UK Strategic Futures Forum.

"On Ukraine, India reiterated that the immediate cessation of violence and return to dialogue and diplomacy is the key to long term peace in the region," the ministry of external affairs said with reference to the ministerial talks.

"Both sides appreciated the substantial progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations with two productive rounds already completed since their launch in January 2022," it noted.

The third round of India-UK FTA talks, scheduled to be hosted by India later this month, is likely to be timed around Johnson's visit.

(PTI)

More For You

Spain earthquakes

Almería airport sustained damage in its departures lounge

CSmonitor

Spain earthquakes: What we know about the 5.4-magnitude tremor that shook tourist regions

Highlights:

  • A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Almería, southern Spain, at 7.13 am on Monday
  • The tremor was felt in over 50 towns, including tourist destinations like Malaga
  • No injuries have been reported, but building damage occurred in airports and showrooms
  • The quake follows a weekend of floods and severe weather in Spain
  • No UK Foreign Office travel warnings have been issued, but travellers are advised to check local alerts

Southern Spain was rocked by a 5.4-magnitude earthquake on the morning of Monda,y 14 July, with tremors felt across several provinces, including popular tourist destinations.

The earthquake struck at 7.13 am off the coast of Almería, nearly two miles below sea level, according to Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN). Despite its intensity, there have been no reported injuries, although some structural damage has occurred.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India chief says crash report opens new questions, no conclusions yet

A PRELIMINARY report into last month's Air India plane crash that killed 260 people has raised further questions, and the investigation is still ongoing, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a memo to staff on Monday.

The initial report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday, pointed to confusion in the cockpit shortly before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson

Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson turn heads with intense PDA before Trump’s Club World Cup appearance

Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson flaunt PDA ahead of FIFA Club World Cup final​

Highlights:

  • Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson were seen getting intimate at Teterboro Airport before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup final.
  • The couple matched in white shirts and embraced publicly while awaiting President Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
  • Anderson defended Don Jr online earlier this year after a New York Magazine article criticised him.
  • Trump Jr’s ex-fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle was recently appointed US Ambassador to Greece, while ex-wife Vanessa is now dating Tiger Woods.

Donald Trump Jr and his girlfriend Bettina Anderson turned heads over the weekend with an unabashed public display of affection on the tarmac in Teterboro, New Jersey, just before President Trump and Melania Trump landed ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup final. The couple, who have been together since mid-2024, looked inseparable as they hugged, kissed, and held hands openly, seemingly unconcerned by the presence of others or nearby cameras.

 Donald Trump Jr and girlfriend Bettina Anderson All eyes on Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson as their PDA grabs attention before Trump’s arrivalGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump-Getty

Trump will become the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

King Charles to host Donald Trump for state visit in September

KING CHARLES will host US president Donald Trump in September for a second state visit to Britain, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.

The visit is scheduled to take place from 17 to 19 September.

Keep ReadingShow less
southend london plane crash

A plume of black smoke rises from an area near the runway after a small plane crash, as seen from inside a building at London Southend Airport on July 13, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Southend Airport closed after plane crash

LONDON Southend Airport in Essex has been closed until further notice after a small plane crashed at the airport on England’s south-east coast on Sunday, according to police.

In a post on X, London Southend Airport said all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled while emergency services, police, and air accident investigators are at the scene.

Keep ReadingShow less