Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China should allow cross-border sharing of information by financial firms operating in the country, a leading financial lobby group said, as authorities tighten control of data generated within its borders in a national security drive. Last July, China unveiled cross-border data review measures that require a security review for “important” offshore data transfers – a move that triggered confusion and concern among foreign financial firms operating in the country. Foreign interest could be curbed if the country’s data regulations remain vague or stringent, even as China continues to open up its capital markets, said Alice Law, CEO of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir in August 2019, made it clear that India’s Kashmir question is not open for negotiation, or that India need not make concessions on Kashmir in order to have peace with Pakistan, an expert, author and columnist on international affairs, Raja Mohan, said on Monday. He was speaking at a book discussion event on Satinder Kumar Lambadh’s ‘In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan relations under six Prime Ministers’, in the national capital on Monday. Raja Mohan, an author and columnist on international affairs said, “The Modi government came to power with a clear…

INTERNATIONAL DESK:Former president Barack Obama should spend his energy complimenting India more than criticizing it, according to a former commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Johnnie Moore. “I think the former president (Obama) should spend his energy complimenting India, more than criticizing India. India is the most diverse country in human history. It’s not a perfect country, just like the United States, it’s not a perfect country, but its diversity is its strength, and we should be complimenting the largest democracy in the world every chance that we can, that we have,” Moore, an evangelical leader,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The surge in wearables manufacturing in India is impacting Chinese assembly lines adversely, with many factories in that country facing a sharply reduced order book, several industry executives ET spoke to have said. Top wearables brands such as Boat and Gizmore are making most products locally in key categories audio and smartwatch through electronics contract manufacturers such as Dixon Technologies and Optiemus Electronics, the people added. Because wearables assembly as a whole has shifted from China to India, most of the factories (in China) that were assembling truly wireless earbuds, neck bands and smartwatches are sitting without orders,”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In the heart of North East India, an unlikely and ordinary plant, the water hyacinth, is being transformed into extraordinary art and craft. Often considered an invasive weed, this aquatic plant grows abundantly in the region’s water bodies. However, thanks to the vision of Paulmie Gogoi and Dr. Tanushree Devi, these weeds are receiving an artistic and sustainable reincarnation. Gogoi and Dr. Devi have established Woven Tales of North East, an initiative that employs local artisans—primarily women—to craft exquisite products from the water hyacinth. Their venture is centered in Nagaon, a quaint town situated 120 km from Guwahati.…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Sunday assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh. Lacroix made the assurance when he met acting Army Chief Lieutenant General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan at the military headquarters on Sunday. During the meeting, they exchanged greetings and discussed various issues related to the UN peacekeeping mission. During the discussion, the current status of the Mali mission and the future activities of the said mission was given utmost importance, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate media release. The Acting Army Chief…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo, Egypt. PM Modi on Sunday visited the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Egypt’s Cairo and paid tribute to the Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices during the First World War. PM Modi on Sunday also visited the Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo. The Al-Hakim Mosque is an 11th Century significant historical and cultural site in Egypt’s Cairo. The mosque stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage shared by India and Egypt. What adds even greater significance to the PM’s visit is the remarkable restoration…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Advancing India and Egypt’s relationship, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly discussed deepening cooperation across various areas including trade and investment, and renewable energy. Earlier, on Saturday, PM Modi met the Egyptian PM and held a roundtable meeting where seven cabinet ministers and senior officials were present in the meeting. Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Advancing India-Egypt civilisational relations! In his first engagement in Cairo, PM @narendramodi held a meeting with the newly setup India Unit in the Egyptian Cabinet @CabinetEgy, headed by PM Mostafa Madbouly. Seven Cabinet…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The inaugural Bhutan Trade and Investment Fair, a significant milestone in the diplomatic and economic ties between Bhutan and Bangladesh, commenced yesterday in the bustling city of Dhaka. The three-day fair, inaugurated by Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tipu Minshu, has attracted considerable attention from both the business community and the general public. With a total of 25 participating companies from Bhutan, the fair showcases a diverse array of products that highlight the unique craftsmanship and rich cultural heritage of the Land of the Thunder Dragon. This event, organized under the auspices of the Preferential Trade Agreement signed between Bhutan…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his maiden state visit to Egypt, on Saturday met the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam on Saturday. Earlier, he also held a roundtable meeting with the Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly. In his first engagement in Cairo, PM Modi held a meeting with the newly setup India Unit in the Egyptian Cabinet, headed by Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly. Seven Cabinet Ministers and senior officials were present in the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said. During the meeting, discussions focused on deepening cooperation across a range of areas including trade and investment,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived for his first State visit to Egypt, Ajit Gupte, the Indian ambassador to the African country, said the ties between the two countries go back over 4,000 years. He expressed hope that PM Modi’s ongoing visit would yield “very concrete outcomes”. PM Modi, who was received by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on his arrival at Cairo and was accorded a ceremonial welcome, became the first Prime Minister to visit the country since 1997. Speaking to ANI, Gupte said, “India and Egypt are two of the greatest ancient civilisations in the world…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Although ‘China’ was not categorically mentioned during the whole state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States, there was a ‘strong’ signal sent to Beijing, in a quiet and subtle way, Ellen Nakashima wrote in the Washington Post. “Joint statements issued by the United States and India over the last several years have condemned North Korea’s missile tests, called for the Taliban to respect human rights and appealed for an end to the violence in Myanmar. But never has there been an outright mention of India’s primary adversary: China,” she stated. It has been China…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: American President Joe Biden has reiterated US support for India’s permanent membership in the reformed United Nations Security Council. The US also reaffirmed its support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and committed to continue engagement with like-minded partners to advance this goal. Biden welcomed India’s candidature as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2028-2029 considering India’s significant contribution to the UN system, commitment to multilateralism and active engagement in the intergovernmental negotiation process on Security Council reforms. In the joint statement released by India and the US, the two nations reaffirmed their…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby said that it is up to India to make its own choices regarding cutting down Russian oil imports. “India has to make its own choices about (Russian) oil purchases and we hope that we can continue to see that they purchase Russian oil at or below the price cap, as they have been,” said Kirby. In December last year, the United States and its allies went after Russia’s all-important oil revenues after a European ban and price cap on Russian oil. Europe, along with the United…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Baba Kalyani, Chairman and MD of Bharat Forge Limited and founding president of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers has hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden for emphasising on co-production of critical systems and platforms “identifying avenues for joint research and development in advanced technologies.” Kalyani termed the PM Modi’s US visit, a reflection of “strengthening engagement between two great and large democracies.” He said, “Historic state visit being accorded to PM Modi by US President Joe Biden is reflective of strengthening engagement between two great and large democracies, to scale up the Indian…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The global market for Kashmir Willow bats experienced a surge in demand following their exceptional display in the hands of international cricket players from Oman and the United Arab Emirates during the T20 World Cups. Building on this momentum, an impressive roster of around 17 players representing six cricketing nations has eagerly sought out Kashmiri Willow bats for their participation in the highly anticipated ODI World Cup 2023, set to grace the cricketing stage in India this October. From the sprawling industrial area stretching from Sangam to Awantipora, the rhythmic symphony of hammers resonated through the air, as…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a first, Relief Organisation (Migrant) Jammu and Kashmir are providing Electors Photo Identification Cards (EPICs) to the Kashmiri migrant voters at Jammu who filled their voter forms during the Special Summary Revision held in the month of September 2022. Continuing with the Campaign, EPICs were distributed among the Kashmiri migrant voters today at the migrant Camp Jagti where a large number of migrant voters availed this facility and collected their EPICs, a press statement read. The Relief Organisation, in collaboration with the office of Chief Electoral, J&K, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, is facilitating the distribution of “EPICs”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India and the United States have agreed to end six trade disputes at the World Trade Organisation and New Delhi will also lift retaliatory customs duties on 28 American products. This is likely to shore up trade between the nations and also help Indian exporters get key tax advantages. The decisions come amid Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The US, in 2018, had imposed 25 per cent and 10 per cent import taxes on certain steel and aluminium products, respectively, on…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The world’s leading aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace on Thursday signed a highly anticipated memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Washington to produce fighter jet engines in the country for the Indian Air Force during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, in a pivotal moment for a sector that is on the cusp of a major transformation. GE Aerospace’s F414 engines will be co-produced in India to power HAL’s Tejas light combat aircraft Mk2, the US firm announced in Washington calling the development “a major milestone and a key element”…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: There is a lot of buzz about India at the Paris Air Show, the world’s largest air show, which alternates with Farnborough in Britain, is at Le Bourget for the first time in four years after the 2021 edition fell victim to the pandemic. This comes after IndiGo’s monumental order for 500 Airbus narrowbody jets, billed as the largest order ever placed with Airbus. In February, Air India also placed orders for 470 aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing. In an exclusive with ANI, Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to France and Monaco said, “There is a lot…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Essayist and Statistician professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Tuesday in New York and held bilateral talks. Taleb, a distinguished professor of Risk Engineering at New York University’s School of Engineering, presented his own book titled “Skin in the Game” as a gift to PM Modi. Taleb holds a PhD from the University of Paris and an MBA from the Wharton School. He is the author of The Incerto, a 5-volume essay on uncertainty (Antifragile, The Black Swan, Fooled by Randomness, The Bed of Procrustes, and skin in the Game), and Dynamic Hedging (1997),…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: FIA (Federation of Indian Associations) fly a 250 feet long banner over the Hudson River, in New York to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his historic visit to the United States. PM Modi, who arrived in New York on Tuesday, is all set to participate in the Yoga Day celebrations on June 21. Indian diaspora gave a rousing welcome to PM Modi upon his arrival in New York on Tuesday for the first leg of his inaugural state visit to the US. PM Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the US, received a rousing welcome…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India is set to cross Rs 1,20,000 crore in mobile phone exports in the current fiscal year driven by tech giant Apple on the back of friendly government policies and production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, the country’s top electronics industry body told news agency IANS. India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said that mobile phone exports have already registered a massive 128 per cent growth in the months of April-May this year. Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA, told IANS, “Mobile phone exports growth in 2023-24 have bucked the trend of falling exports with a growth of 128 per cent in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In Early 2008, tech giant Samsung had scattered its operations all over China. But 15 years later the South Korean company has relocated most of its manufacturing units out of China to other South Asian countries like Vietnam. In the last few years American smartphone giant Apple, which so far had claimed to have a symbiotic relation with China, has started making similar moves to diversify its operations. Both Samsung and Apple are reshaping their businesses to catch up with the rapidly shifting global supply chain and harsh ‘Covid’ policy in China is acting as a major catalyst…