NEW DELHI: President Donald Trump’s national security adviser discussed the situation in Afghanistan with India’s prime minister on Tuesday, nearly a week after the US military dropped a massive non-nuclear bomb in the country that it said killed 95 militants.
H.R. McMaster’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the first visit by a Trump administration official to India, a key ally in Asia.
The US Embassy said that the two also discussed ways to increase defense and counter-terrorism cooperation, and McMaster assured Modi of India’s status as a major defense partner in the global fight against terrorism.
Indian TV stations broadcast images of McMaster and Modi, each flanked by officials, sitting together at Modi’s home in the Indian capital.
McMaster also held two-hour-long talks with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval.
The talks with Indian officials also focused on the security situation in the region and Trump’s Afghan strategy. New Delhi wants Washington to pressure Pakistan to stop its support for Taliban militants and act against them.
McMaster’s visit to New Delhi was a part of regional consultations that included stops in Kabul and Islamabad.
US national security adviser discusses Afghanistan in India
US national security adviser discusses Afghanistan in India
Indonesia’s first woman president awarded honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah University
- Megawati was recognized for her leadership and contributions to social, legal affairs
- She has received 10 other honorary degrees from Indonesian and foreign institutions
JAKARTA: Megawati Sukarnoputri, who served as Indonesia’s fifth president and was the country’s only female head of state to date, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, becoming the first foreign national to receive the title.
Megawati, the eldest daughter of Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and chairwoman of the country’s largest political party, the PDIP, served as president from 2001 to 2004.
The 79-year-old was awarded an honorary doctorate in organizational and legal affairs in Riyadh on Monday during a ceremony overseen by Princess Nourah University’s acting president, Dr. Fawzia bint Sulaiman Al-Amro.
“This recognition was given in appreciation of her efforts during her presidency, her significant contributions to social, organizational, and legal fields, and her role in strengthening institutional leadership in Indonesia,” the university said in a statement.
This is Megawati’s 11th honorary doctorate. She has received similar degrees from Indonesian and foreign universities, including the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2003 and the Soka University of Japan in 2020.
She has also been awarded the title of honorary professor by several institutions, including by the Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2022.
“We gather at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, a university that stands as a symbol of women’s progress in education, knowledge and public service … To see so many intelligent women, I feel very proud,” Megawati said in her acceptance speech.
“Women’s empowerment is not a threat to any values, culture or tradition. It is actually a condition for nations that believe in their future … A great nation is one that is able to harness all of its human potential. A strong nation is one that does not allow half of its social power to be left on the sidelines of history.”
Megawati is the longest-serving political leader in Indonesia. Indonesia’s first direct presidential elections took place during her presidency, consolidating the country’s transition to democracy after the downfall of its longtime dictator Suharto in 1998.
