International travel Archives

Justin Trudeau ‘Declined’ Offer to Return Home on Air India One Flight, ‘Decided to Wait’ for Canadian Plane

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was stuck in New Delhi since Sunday after his plane suffered a technical snag. (Photo by AFP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was reportedly offered the service of Air India One by New Delhi. However, the Canadian side “declined” the offer and decided to wait for the replacement aircraft.

The prime minister and his delegation, who were to leave the national capital after the G20 summit on Sunday, were stranded here due to technical issues with their aircraft. They finally flew out on Tuesday afternoon after another Canadian plane arrived for him.

News agency ANI later on Tuesday quoted its sources as saying that Trudeau had rejected Air India One services. The report came at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada to his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of G20 Summit.

“The PM conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

In July, India summoned the Canadian envoy and issued a demarche over the increasing activities by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada, days after posters featuring names of India’s senior diplomats serving in Canada featured in some posters in certain areas in that country.

In June, a video emerged on social media that showed a float depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It was reportedly part of a parade that was organised by some Khalistani elements in Brampton.

Asked about India’s concerns over the increasing activities of the Khalistani elements in Canada, Trudeau said at a press conference that his country will always defend freedom of peaceful protest but at the same time asserted that it will always prevent violence and push back against hatred.

“Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us,” he said.

“At the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred. I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada,” Trudeau said.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/justin-trudeau-declined-offer-to-return-home-on-air-india-one-flight-8575311.html

Aircraft glitch delays Canada PM Trudeau’s departure from India

Aircraft glitch delays Canada PM Trudeau’s departure from India
Trudeau, who attended the G20 Summit in New Delhi, had been due to depart India on Sunday evening local time.

Earlier on Sunday, Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s departure from India was delayed after the aircraft he and the rest of the Canadian delegation were using experienced “technical issues,” his office said on Sunday.

Trudeau, who attended the G20 Summit in New Delhi, had been due to depart India on Sunday evening local time.

“Upon our departure for the airport, we were made aware by the Canadian Armed Forces that CFC001 was experiencing technical issues,” a statement from the prime minister’s office said, referring to the plane. “These issues are not fixable overnight, our delegation will be staying in India until alternate arrangements are made.”

The statement did not specify the nature of the aircraft’s issues.

Earlier on Sunday, Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The two spoke about inclusive economic growth, support for low-and middle-income countries and access to concessional finance for sustainable development, according to a separate statement from the prime minister’s office.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/uncategorized/aircraft-glitch-delays-canada-pm-trudeaus-departure-from-india-11344281.html

COVID-19: North Korea becomes latest country to relax border after pandemic – but only to its citizens

Flights have already begun operating to Beijing in China and Vladivostok in Russia ahead of the borders reopening, but it is unclear who has actually travelled onboard.

North Koreans line-up for a flight to Pyongyang at Beijing Capital International Airport on Saturday. Pic: AP

North Korea has become the latest country to reopen its borders following the COVID-19 pandemic – but only to its own citizens.

Pyongyang announced its own citizens will be allowed to fly back into the country, with those returning having to quarantine for seven days for “proper medical observation”, according to a statement on state television.

While details are scant, experts believe North Koreans abroad include students and workers, and were mostly based in allied countries such as China or Russia.

North Korea slammed its borders shut after the pandemic started, banning tourism, flying out key diplomats and halting border traffic and trade, with analysts believing the move harmed its food security and economy.

South Korea’s spy agency said it believes the North will slowly begin to fully reopen its borders in an effort to revive its economy.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-north-korea-becomes-latest-country-to-relax-border-after-pandemic-but-only-to-its-citizens-12948775

US citizens urged to leave Belarus immediately

VILNIUS, Lithuania — The Biden administration is urging U.S. citizens in Belarus to depart the country immediately and warned against travel there in a statement published Monday.

The updated travel warning comes after bordering countries Lithuania, Latvia and Poland have stepped up security along the border over concerns about Russian Wagner mercenary forces exiled in the country.

The State Department, in its warning, encouraged Americans still in Belarus to depart the country immediately and categorized the country as a Level 4 risk, the highest security warning.

Belarus’s longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko, known as Europe’s last dictator, has been a key facilitator of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and is under a catalog of U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses and political repression against Belarusian people who challenged his claim to election victory in 2020.

The U.S. mission in Belarus is scaled down and only handles emergency American Citizen Services.

Lukashenko’s welcoming of Wagner forces in a deal with Putin that ended the mercenary group’s short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin has raised concern in NATO-member countries on its border.

“Do not travel to Belarus due to Belarusian authorities’ continued facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus,” the State Department wrote in its warning.

Last week, Lithuania closed two of its six border crossings with Belarus. The State Department urged Americans to travel through the remaining, open border crossings, warning that the Polish, Lithuanian, and Latvian governments have stated that further closures of border crossings with Belarus are possible.

Source: https://thehill.com/policy/international/4162594-us-citizens-urged-to-leave-belarus-immediately/