US signs key defence agreement with India, Mike Pompeo says China ‘no friend to democracy’

News Snapshot:

A key takeaway was cooperation in third countries. AS India and the US announced on Tuesday signing of the crucial military pact, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), visiting US secretary of state Michael R Pompeo recalled the Galwan valley incident in June and said the US would “stand with the people of India to confront threats to their sovereignty and to their liberty”. From the Hyderabad House lawns and with defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S Jaishankar by their side, the visiting US ministers, Pompei and defence secretary Mark T Esper, launched a sharply worded attack...