M oscow [Russia], October 2 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (local time) praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, saying he has "good ideas" for a peaceful resolution. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of those world leaders who, despite our very good and even friendly relations, personal good relations, constantly raises the question and asks the question about putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine," Putin said, addressing the crowd. He said PM Modi has been actively pushing for mutually acceptable solutions. "He has an avid interest and very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions. In that sense, naturally, the Prime Minister takes a neutral position but with an interest in the end of the conflict. I think it's my duty to say that directly. And we are thankful to the Prime Minister for his ideas," Putin said. Putin expressed gratitude to Modi for his efforts and continued support for resolving the conflict through dialogue. "We are thankful for his desire to put an end to this conflict through peaceful means and as soon as possible," he added. Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly called for peace, emphasising that India has maintained a principled and humanitarian approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He made the remarks during an interview with Japanese news outlet 'The Yomiuri Shimbun' during his visit to the country in August. "India has maintained a principled and humanitarian stance on the conflict which is equally appreciated by both President Putin and President Zelenskyy. In line with this, both the leaders spoke to me to share their perspectives on the developments related to the conflict. I reiterated India's principled and consistent stand and encouraged dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict," the Prime Minister said. Responding to a question on what role India envisions in peace efforts between the two nations, PM Modi said, "I have already indicated India's willingness to support meaningful efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of the conflict. I believe, by virtue of our good relations with both sides, including key stakeholders, we can strengthen efforts dedicated to the restoration of an early and lasting peace in Ukraine." PM Modi and Putin most recently met in September on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi and discussed closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030, as well as cooperation in infrastructure, energy, technology, defence and culture. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

R ejinagar (West Bengal) [India], October 2 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari campaigned in Rejinagar on Thursday for the upcoming Assembly by-election and met the family of a six-year-old girl who died in a stampede-like situation reportedly during a political rally organised by the Democratic TMC candidate in the constituency. During his campaign visit, Adhikari offered his condolences to the bereaved family. The BJP has fielded Sakharav Sarkar from the Rejinagar Assembly constituency and Hasirani Rath from the Nandigram seat, with polling scheduled for October 6. Earlier, on September 18, the BJP released a list of party leaders who will campaign for its candidates in the Assembly by-elections. The list, issued by the party's Central Office, includes state party chief Samik Bhattacharya and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the top, followed by actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty and State Minister Dilip Ghosh. Other prominent names on the list include party leaders Sukanta Majumdar, Locket Chatterjee, Soumitra Khan, Agnimitra Paul, Rudranil Ghosh and Roopa Ganguly. Samik Bhattacharya has appointed BJP MP and state general secretary Jyotirmay Singh Mahato and state minister Gouri Shankar Ghosh as in-charges for the upcoming by-elections in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies, respectively. The Rejinagar seat fell vacant following the resignation of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder Humayun Kabir, who had also secured victory from Nowda. The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari gave up the seat and chose to retain Bhabanipur, where he defeated TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in the Assembly elections held earlier this year. Polling will be conducted on October 6, while counting of votes will take place on October 9. The Election Commission stated that the entire election process is scheduled to be completed before October 11. The bypolls come amid an ongoing dispute within the Trinamool Congress over the party's name and election symbol, with the Election Commission recently passing an interim order barring both rival TMC factions from using the party's name or symbol until the matter is resolved. The TMC announced Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) as its candidate for Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury for Rejinagar. From the Congress, Mohd Abdullahil Kafi will contest from the Rejinagar Assembly constituency, while Milan Pradhan has been named the candidate from Nandigram. The CPI(M) has fielded Advocate Sayeed Asad Ali from the Rejinagar Assembly constituency, while the CPI has nominated Shanti Gopal Giri from Nandigram. (ANI)

B y Reena Bhardwaj Milwaukee [US], October 2 : Negotiations on the bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States are nearing their final phase, though a final announcement is not imminent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday (local time). Responding to a question fromat the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting, Greer said talks were in the "short strokes", an American expression for the final stretch of a task. "I think we're toward the end of it," he said. Greer said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a "very constructive call" on Wednesday morning, US time, and may speak again soon to assess progress. "My sense is that the President and the Prime Minister may have another call very soon on this just to assess progress and where we are," he told ANI. He cautioned against expecting a quick announcement, but said both sides had mapped out the core issues. "I don't think there's something imminent, but we truly have identified the universe of items that are sticking points, and we're working diligently toward them," Greer said. Describing his meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Greer said, "We had a very constructive conversation, Minister Goyal and myself. Our staff is meeting right now, since they're in the country and we're here. We are continually trying to finish the trade deal with India." Goyal met Greer on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee. Sharing details on X, Goyal said he "had a productive discussion with USTR Greer towards early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement". The meeting coincided with a phone call between Modi and Trump, in which the leaders reviewed progress across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest. Ahead of the visit, the Commerce Ministry said Goyal would engage bilaterally with his US counterpart "to advance a balanced and mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and finalise an interim deal in line with the Joint Statement of 7 February 2026". India and the US announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the BTA in February, but subsequent shifts in the US tariff landscape have prolonged negotiations. On September 24, Goyal said the deal was "done and dusted" and would be executed once the US gives India the right competitive advantage over its rivals in the American market. India's main competitors there include China, Bangladesh and ASEAN member states. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor