Wellington, March 22: Calling India an “increasingly important partner”, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Saturday that the partnership between the two countries has “grown much stronger” during his five-day visit to New Delhi and Mumbai, earlier this week.

“India, the world’s most populous country, is an increasingly important partner for New Zealand. That partnership has grown much stronger during my visit this week,” Luxon said after returning home from an official visit to India from March 16-20.

“It was a pleasure to visit India this week and spend time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to strengthen ties between our countries. I am delighted that negotiations on a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement have now been launched,” he added.

This was Luxon’s first visit to India in his current capacity – also the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister since October 2016. During their discussions, both Prime Ministers welcomed the launch of FTA negotiations for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial trade agreement to achieve deeper economic integration.

“India is one of the fastest-growing economies and on track to become the third largest in the world over the next 10 years. Our Government is relentlessly focused on growing our economy so that all Kiwis can do better, and the launch of negotiations presents an opportunity to do exactly that,” Luxon posted on X on Saturday.

Bolstering bilateral defence cooperation, the two countries have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Defence Cooperation and noted the need for ensuring the safety and security of sea lanes of communication while agreeing that there needs to be regular dialogue to discuss enhancement of maritime safety.

“New Zealand’s commitment to regional security has also been reinforced, with New Zealand and India announcing a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement,” the New Zealand PM said on Saturday.

During his five-day visit to New Delhi and Mumbai, Luxon was also accompanied by Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston; Ethnic Communities, and Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell; Todd McClay, the Minister for Trade and Investment, Agriculture, and Forestry; and, a high-level delegation comprising of officials, and representatives of businesses, community diaspora, media and cultural groups.

“On top of that, I and our business delegation focused on enhancing New Zealand’s presence in key sectors, including education, technology, tourism, investment, manufacturing, food and primary industries. Unlocking new business opportunities, 33 MOUs and other commercial outcomes were progressed on the mission, reflecting the growing partnerships between New Zealand and Indian businesses,” Luxon said after returning home.

Amman, March 21: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling for immediate international intervention to halt Israel’s military operations and reopen border crossings for humanitarian aid.

During calls with several of his counterparts Thursday, Safadi warned of the catastrophic consequences of Israel resuming its military operations in Gaza and blocking humanitarian aid delivery, underscored the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and condemned the resumption of hostilities and the use of food as a weapon, according to a statement by the ministry.

The discussions also addressed regional and international efforts to facilitate aid access and de-escalate tensions. Safadi cautioned against Israel’s illegal measures in the West Bank, warning they could further destabilise the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

He spoke with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, and Austria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

In his conversation with the Bulgarian foreign minister, Safadi condemned the killing of a Bulgarian national who worked for the United Nations Office for Project Services in an Israeli attack on the UN office two days ago.

He extended Jordan’s condolences and urged Israel to ensure the safety of international organisations and their personnel in Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, at least 16 Palestinians were killed and over 30 wounded in an Israeli airstrike that struck a crowd of mourners in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Gaza health authorities.

The strike hit the Salatin area of Beit Lahia during a gathering to mourn victims of earlier Israeli attacks, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the incident.

New Delhi, March 21: London’s Heathrow Airport has been shut down for the day after a fire in a substation in the western part of the city led to a power outage and has left more than 16,000 homes without electricity.

According to British media over 150 people have also been evacuated.

In an X post on Friday morning (India time), the airport advised passengers not to travel and also to contact their respective airlines for further details.

“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 11.59 pm on March 21,” the airport said.

An airport spokesperson told the Media, “Whilst fire crews are responding, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored… we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.”

As per reports several flights have already been diverted while the airport authorities “expect significant disruption over the coming days”.

The reports have mentioned that the Scottish and Southern Electricity Network, which supplies power to nearly four million homes in central and southern England, as well as the north of Scotland, said the fire broke out at the North Hyde substation and that emergency services were on the scene.

The London Fire Brigade reported that a transformer inside the substation caught fire, prompting a large-scale emergency response. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene. As a precaution, a 200-metre cordon has been established, and residents have been advised to keep doors and windows closed because of smoke.

Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, handling around 1,300 landings and take-offs each day. A record 83.9 million passengers passed through its terminals last year.