Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu will make his maiden visit to India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting planned to be held this week, said Chinese Defence Ministry, The Global Times reported. According to Global Times, the Chinese Defence Ministry said that from Thursday to Friday (April 27, 28), the Chinese Defence Minister will take part in SCO and will make a speech and meet with the head of delegations from other countries. Global Times, in a tweet, said, “Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister Li Shangfu will attend a defence ministers’ meeting among…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan suffered an embarrassing setback when the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified for contempt of court, Asian Lite International reported. PoK’s High Court on April 11 declared Ilyas unfit to be a member of the “legislative assembly” due to contempt charges and from holding any public office for two years. This decision came after Ilyas was summoned to the PoK “Supreme Court” and high court for using derogatory language about the superior judiciary in his public speeches. Ilyas belongs to Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and is the first serving…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Sri Lanka is taking steps for economic revival in the backdrop of the first tranche of the bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and this would open up opportunities for Indian corporate sector. One of the measures the Lanka will pursue is restructuring of its State-owned enterprises. As part of its economic recovery and fiscal consolidation plan, the Sri Lankan government has shown interest in divestment in the airlines, hotels and hospital sectors among others and this would open up opportunities for Indian investors, ET has learnt. Sri Lanka received USD 330 million as the first…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu is scheduled to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting planned to be held in the ensuing week, defence officials said. The Pakistani side is yet to confirm their participation in the meeting, they said. The SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting is scheduled to be held on April 27 and 28. Following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, this is the first time that a Chinese Defence Minister will visit India. Li Shangfu, a US-sanctioned general, was named as China’s new Defence Minister a month ago. Li has been under US…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar is an important event that will showcase the region’s potential as a tourist destination and combat the negative narrative promoted by Pakistan, reported Asian Lite International. The G20 meeting is also an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that normalcy has been restored in the Union Territory. Despite opposition from Pakistan and China, India has decided to go ahead with the G20 meeting in Srinagar. It will refute Pakistan’s false allegations of human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley. Pakistan had urged its G20 allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Two Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft are currently on standby in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and INS Sumedha has reached Port Sudan, the external affairs ministry said on Sunday while giving details of preparations to evacuate Indians from conflict-hit Sudan. “The government is making all out efforts to ensure safety and security of Indians stranded in Sudan. We are closely monitoring the complex and evolving security situation in Sudan,” said the MEA. “We are also coordinating closely with various partners for the safe movement of those Indians who are stranded in Sudan and would like to be evacuated.” Apart…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel, embarked on a three-day visit to India in early April. His visit presented an opportunity for both nations to reflect on their long-standing bilateral ties and further reinforce their friendship. The joint statement issued after the visit underlined the extensive cooperation between India and Bhutan in different sectors, reported The Bhutan Live. In addition to the two existing facilities, India reaffirmed its support for Bhutan’s upcoming development objectives, which include the provision of standby lines of credit. Particular focus was given to the hydropower industry, which is the bedrock of relations…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Close on the heels of the Russian Deputy PM’s India visit this week, Russian companies have swung into action to boost International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) infrastructure and Iran’s ports and railroads to expand trade with India. Russian companies have launched discussions on options for their participation in boosting INSTC and expanding their presence in the Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf for trade with India and West Asia, ET has learnt. Moscow is also tapping into funds from West Asia to fund projects, ET has further learnt. Optimal use of INTSC figured high during Russian Deputy PM’s…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist Associations here on Saturday evening organised a peace rally to express solidarity with the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama following the controversy over his viral video for which he has apologised. They blamed China for trying to tarnish the image of the 14th Dalai Lama. The associations which took part in the peace rally included Himalayan Buddhist Associations Lahaul and Spiti, Buddha Sewa Sangh Shimla, Kinnaur Students Welfare Association Shimla, Lahaul-Spiti Students Welfare Association Shimla, Indo Tibetan Friendship Society Shimla, Bharat Tibet Samanvay Sangh Shimla, Regional Tibetan Women Association Shimla and Regional Tibetan Youth…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian nationals are among 66 people from “friendly and brotherly countries” evacuated by Saudi Arabia from violence-torn Sudan. The evacuation came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan. Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. There are reports of violence even amid 72-hour ceasefire. “In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdom’s Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting a day ago also held bilateral discussions with counterparts from several countries including those from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Barbados and Jamaica. During the meetings, discussions included topics ranging from renewable energy, digital transformation, and reformed multilateralism to International Solar Alliance (ISA). On Saturday, Jaishankar met with Amery Browne, the Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago The two leaders discussed a development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. “Good to meet Dr. Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a significant move, India, Iran, and Armenia have created a trilateral as senior officials of three countries met in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday to boost International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as well as another corridor that will connect Russia with Europe via Armenia. The delegations were led by Mnatsakan Safaryan, the deputy foreign minister of Armenia, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, the assistant of the foreign minister of Iran, and JP Singh, the joint secretary, MEA. ET reported in March that Armenia, whose ties with New Delhi is acquiring strategic dimension, has proposed the Persian Gulf-Black Sea…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Kenyan government has lost the fight to seize 4,272 acres from East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) for free, derailing plans to build affordable homes in a multibillion-shilling property deal financed by Chinese and Qataris, The East African reported. A Kenyan High Court stopped the takeover of the land in Athi River valued at about Kenyan Shillings (KES) 6.4 billion (USD 47.8 million) because the country’s government failed to follow rules that guide compulsory acquisition, including consulting stakeholders like National Social Security Fund (NSSF), French firm Lafarge and the Nairobi bourse-listed cement manufacturer. EAPCC managing director Oliver…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan’s major national food security policy goal is to grow enough wheat to not only meet its consumption needs but also create a surplus for buffer stocks and export. To achieve this, the government annually sets national sowing, output and procurement targets before planting begins. This policy worked well and the country more than doubled its wheat production between 1990 and 2011. Since then, however, wheat production has hovered around 26m tonnes, peaking to above 27m tonnes in 2021. The government had set a target of 28.4m tonnes for the current harvest, an ambitious goal considering that last…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China is increasing its Antarctic footprint according to new satellite imagery collected by a Washington-based think tank that shows construction has resumed for the first time since 2018 on the country’s fifth station in the southern polar region. Beijing has sought to develop new shipping routes in the Arctic and expand its research in Antarctica, but Western governments worry its increasing presence in the polar regions could provide the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with better surveillance capabilities. The new station, on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, is expected to include an observatory with a satellite ground station,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan said on Thursday foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will attend a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers in Goa next month, setting the stage for the first visit by a senior Pakistani leader to India in nearly a decade. The move is in line with Islamabad’s decision to not skip any important meetings under the framework of SCO, whose current chair is India. The announcement by Pakistan’s foreign office followed months of intense speculation on whether Bilawal or minister of state for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar would attend the meeting in Goa during May…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia invited industry players from the European Union (EU) to become a part of the fastest-growing aviation market in the world as the two day EU-India Aviation Summit began on Thursday in New Delhi. During the summit, a declaration of intent was signed between the Airport Authority of India and Eurocontrol. A letter of intent memorandum of understanding was signed between the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and European Union Aviation Safety for closer cooperation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a press release. Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel Jyotiraditya…

SPORTS DESK: Mizoram’s midfielder Cindy Remruatpuii Colney has been named among the 23rd-member squad for the Women’s U1-7 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Round 1 to play against host team Kyrgyz Republic from April 24, at Bishkek, the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. India (The Young Tigresses) is in Group F, which consists of hosts Kyrgyzstan, Republic and Myanmar. The Young Tigresses will play their opening game against the hosts on April 26 and then against Myanmar on April 28. According to head coach PV Priya, the team has been training and staying at the facilities of the Emerald Heights…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh will welcome observers from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) in the upcoming general election. “We will welcome observers from the European Union and the United Kingdom in the next general election,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Thursday. She said this when the outgoing UK High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson paid a farewell call at her official residence Ganabhaban. PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. Mentioning that some local election observers have a different agenda, the Prime Minister said they have established voting rights of people in Bangladesh. She…

FAYAZ BUKHARI: The valley is covered in darkness as Abdul Kareem Jinded, 71, prepares his drum to break the silence of his neighbourhood in Srinagar. A wood-cutter by day, he wakes up at midnight during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to walk 3-4 miles (5-6 km) through the bylanes of Srinagar’s downtown or old quarter, knocking on doors shouting: “Wake up and eat your morning meal before it is late”. Devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and usually eat a meal before the sun comes up. Jinded says his family has been playing the role of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: U.S. tech giant Apple could double or triple investments in India along with exports in the next few years, a minister said, as the company opened a second store in the big mobile phone market. Apple mainly assembles iPhones in India through contract manufacturers, but has plans to expand into iPads and AirPods. “I am very confident that this Apple-India partnership has a lot of headroom for investments, growth, exports and jobs – doubling and tripling over coming years,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the deputy information technology minister, told Reuters. His comments came after a meeting on Wednesday with Apple…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The White House on Wednesday said the US is committed to continuing working together with India in groups like Quad to advance economic growth for the two countries and “expand cooperation of our shared priorities.” “We’re committed to continuing working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth for our two countries and expand cooperation of our shared priorities,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Wednesday. The Quad is a strategic forum comprising India, Japan, the US, and Australia. Its primary objective is to develop a new strategy to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei will visit Taiwan this weekend, he announced, amid tensions between the island nation and China that have tested the loyalties of Latin American nations. Mr Giammattei’s announcement on Tuesday came just two weeks after he received Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen for an official visit during which she promised continued assistance for “democratic partners”. Ms Tsai then travelled to neighbouring Belize – the only other Central American country to retain diplomatic ties with Taiwan since Honduras shifted its allegiance to China in March. China considers self-ruled, democratic Taiwan part of its territory to be retaken…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian-origin businessman, PNC Menon, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sobha Group donated OMR 9.6 million over the next ten years to build 300 houses for orphans and needy families in Oman, reported Times of Oman. Menon said, “The most important things in one’s life are food, housing and education. So, I thought let us do housing only as this is the most important thing for any family. Therefore, we decided to construct 300 houses for 10 years. But today, I felt it should be not 10 years but five years,” while speaking to…