International and Bilateral Issues

Several Taliban negotiators have begun meeting U.S. officials in Qatar, where they are discussing preliminary trust-building measures, including a possible prisoner transfer, said several former Taliban officials and now a member of the High Peace Council.
The comments suggested that the Taliban, which has not publicly said it would engage in peace talks to end the war in Afghanistan, was at least gearing up for preliminary discussions.
The Afghan government, which was initially angry that it had been left out, has accepted the talks in principle but is not directly involved, a potential snag in what could be a historic development.
The Taliban's announcement this month that it would open an office in Qatar, which could allow for direct negotiations, drew fire from some Afghan factions as well as some U.S. policymakers, who fear the militants would use negotiations as a ploy to gain legitimacy and continue their efforts to re-impose an extremist Islamic state in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a “genuine person” who is desirous of resolving all issues with Pakistan, including the “core issue of Kashmir”, Mr. Gilani told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland.
“We are in the process of normalising trade relations with India, which will benefit the people of both countries.”

Wealthy immigrants and “world class” artists, musicians and intellectuals are to be given preference under plans designed to attract “the brightest and best” to Britain while keeping out those likely to be a burden on the state.
The move sparked accusations of “cherry picking,” with critics arguing that it would discriminate against people from poorer countries.
Under the proposed “selectivity” policy, the latest in a series of changes introduced by the Conservative-led coalition government since it came to power less than two years ago, those lacking the kind of skills that Britain needs to boost its economy and spouses of immigrants already settled in Britain would face tougher controls.
Tougher controls will mean that foreign spouses of British citizens would have to prove that they would be able to support themselves and not end up relying on state benefits. The family would be expected to show a household annual income of £26,000.
You have to show genuine serious usefulness to British society.

The Indo-Japan Coast Guard Joint Exercises, which alternates between India and Japan every year, was organised off the Bay of Bengal where fleets headed by the newly-commissioned Indian Coast Guard vessel Vishwast and the Japanese ship Settsu simulated a range of search-and-rescue, pollution control and anti-piracy operations.
The joint exercise named “Sahyog-Kaijin-XI”
The drill that formed part of initiatives between the two Coast Guards framed out in a Memorandum of Understanding dating back to November 24, 2006, began with a pollution response demonstration featuring a helicopter operation, during which spraying in undertaken to contain an oil spill.
One of the high points was a dramatic anti-piracy operation in which bright orange hand-flares are created to mark out the hijacked ship for the storming operation to follow where hovercrafts are deployed to round off the ship and commandos on a smaller boat break into the vessel in distress.