Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The US in its “2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” raised concern over human rights violations in China, Pakistan and Myanmar. In Xinjiang, in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the country report described how genocide and crimes against humanity continued to occur against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups. “Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. These crimes were continuing and included: the arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Families in Afghanistan called on the Taliban yet again to open schools for girls in grades 7 to 12 as they are worried about the future of their daughters in the country under the regime of the organisation, TOLOnews reported. This comes as Afghanistan enters a new education year, however, the female students in the country are still denied their basic right to attain education. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, schooling above grade six has been closed, which, later in December last year, barred girls and women from going to universities and working with NGOs. In…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Monday said Bangladesh will soon graduate from being classified as a least developed country, and they have already launched the Joint Study Group on the possibility of an Economic Partnership Agreement with Bangladesh. He said this also reflects the important Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) principle of “excluding no one.” The Japanese Prime Minister was delivering a policy speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). He described Japan’s plan to develop a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” “To achieve this, India is an indispensable partner. I believe that Japan and India…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Monday said the countries which are acknowledging genocide in Myanmar must also recognize the genocide Pakistani military had committed in Bangladesh in 1971. “We are immediately raising this with those countries,” he told reporters after a seminar at Foreign Service Academy while talking about the heinous attack of Pakistani military on the unarmed civilians during the nine months of Bangladesh Liberation War. The seminar titled “Recognition of Bangladesh Genocide 1971” was held at Foreign Service Academy. The state minister said since there is already a Genocide Day in the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said a glorious chapter opened in the country’s military history with the commission of its first ever submarine base in Cox’s Bazar. “A glorious chapter started in the military history of Bangladesh as a full-fledged and modern submarine base is being commissioned in the Bangladesh Navy,” she said. The premier was addressing the commissioning ceremony of the country’s first submarine base ‘BNS Sheikh Hasina’ of Bangladesh Navy at Pekua in Cox’s Bazar through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban here. She said her government established the Bangladesh Navy as a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations during the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference, according to the statement released by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, on Sunday, lauded the work of WFP in promoting food self-sufficiency and supporting governmental and global efforts to ensure long-term solutions to the challenge of hunger. At the conference, Tomar also thanked the ministers for being a part of the global conference organized by India with the aim…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Kannada blockbuster film ‘Kantara’ was screened at the Pathe Balexert theatre Geneva on March 17. An audience of about 220 people including the UN representatives, Heads of International Organisations from Germany, Brazil, UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), ITU (International Telecommunication Union) WHO (World Health Organisation), Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indian diaspora attended the screening. The audience gave a rapturous response to the film. Set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, ‘Kantara’ followed the character of Rishab Shetty (who is also the director of the movie), playing the role of a Kambala champion, who had…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Is China thinking of using artificial intelligence (AI) to further its militarisation and island building activities in the South China Sea? This is what a report by the South China Morning Post said while highlighting that China is mulling to bolster its maritime claims in the hotly contested South China Sea. The Hong Kong-based news outlet cited a report by China’s peer reviewed journal, Operations Research and Management Science which, in an article published on February 14, said the Tianjin-based Civil Aviation University of China’s Transportation Science and Engineering College ran an AI simulation of the construction and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s for inviting him for the G7 Summit in Japan later this year during their bilateral meeting held here on Monday. PM Modi held bilateral delegation-level talks with his Japanese counterpart at Hyderabad House here. “Today Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida invited me to the G7 Leaders’ Summit which will be held in Hiroshima in May. I thank him for this,” PM Modi said at the joint press statement after the meeting. “I welcome Japanese PM Fumio Kishida to India. In the last one year, PM Fumio Kishida…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India was able to repel a Chinese military incursion in contested border territory in the high Himalayas late last year due to unprecedented intelligence-sharing with the U.S. military, U.S. News has learned, an act that caught China’s People’s Liberation Army forces off-guard, enraged Beijing and appears to have forced the Chinese Communist Party to reconsider its approach to land grabs along its borders. The U.S. government for the first time provided real-time details to its Indian counterparts of the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion, says a source familiar with a previously unreported…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India and Japan on Monday signed two documents on the renewal of a memorandum of cooperation on the Japanese language and exchange of notes on a 300 billion Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train. At a special briefing by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on the visit of Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida to India, he said, “There were two documents signed on the sidelines- Renewal of MOC (Memorandum of Cooperation) in the Japanese language, essentially focussing on higher level language learning and second agreement was Exchange of notes on JICA loan for 300 bn on…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, believes that artificial intelligence technology will reshape society as we know it, adding that he worries that AI chatbots could “eliminate a lot of current jobs”. According to ABC News, he believes it comes with real dangers but can also be “the greatest technology humanity has yet developed” to drastically improve our lives. “We’ve got to be careful here. I think people should be happy that we are a little bit scared of this,” Altman was quoted as saying. When asked why he was “scared” about forming his…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed the need for enhancing regional connectivity for boosting trade and commerce, offering India to use Chattogram and Sylhet ports for mutual benefits. “India can use our Chattogram and Sylhet ports if they want,” she said when Member of the Governing Council of India Foundation Ram Madhav called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban here. PM’s Deputy Press Secretary K M Shakhawat Moon briefed the reporters after the meeting. Sheikh Hasina mentioned that increased connectivity in the regions will help enhance people to people contacts. She conveyed her greetings to the Indian…

ZOOMBNAGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to play an effective role in maintaining peace, security and stability to smoothen Bangladesh’s journey towards a developed and prosperous country by 2026. “We have to forward as developed country. We have time as we will start journey as a developed country by 2026. We’re preparing from now on. So, we have to maintain peace, security and stability in the country,” she said. The premier also asked the law enforcement agencies particularly the RAB to be vigilant as none can stockpile food and make its adulteration on…

INTERNATIONAL DSEK: As Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to arrive in India for a two-day trip on Monday, the leader’s visit to the national capital is seen as a great opportunity to review the bilateral ties between the two countries. Since the last Summit meeting held in March 2022 between India and Japan, now is a significant time to engage on a bilateral level as both New Delhi and Tokyo are holding the Presidencies of the G20 and G7, respectively. The partnership between both countries ranges in multiple areas like defence and security, trade and investment, S&T, Education,…

Sujan R Chinoy: Oregon’s Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a resolution in the US Senate on February 16 reaffirming the state of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and condemning China’s provocations in South Asia. Tennessee’s Republican Senator Bill Hagerty and Texas’ Republican Senator John Cornyn co-sponsored the resolution. The resolution has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Senator Hagerty’s term as US Ambassador to Japan (2017-2019) overlapped with mine (2015-2018). I recall candid one-on-one discussions with him about China’s rise and the emerging challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Senator Hagerty has vast experience of Asia and knows his facts.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: By Sahil Pandey Armies of 25 African countries will attend the India-Africa Chiefs Conclave in Pune on March 28, a senior Indian Army official said. In the two sessions from the Indian side, the participants, including senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs and the Services, as well as ex-Servicemen, will also attend the conclave. The first session will explore the key pillars of India Africa Defence Partnership. The second session will focus on Indian Defence Industry’s Outreach to Africa. Eminent speakers from Africa will form part of the panel discussion,” the Army…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: US President Joe Biden plans to host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner this summer, people familiar with the matter said, reported Bloomberg. The White House aims for the state dinner to take place in June but the timing could slip. However, a spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment, reported Bloomberg. PM Modi’s formal state visit is a sign of the deepening US-India relationship in various fields including defence, technology, space exploration, trade and investments. Moreover, the Biden administration advances policies and initiatives for a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter what…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Due to security concerns over China, Japan has decided to deploy missile troops on remote islands near China and Taiwan, American broadcaster CNN reported. The country has ordered numerous troops, including missile units to ensure its hold in the region and showcase its defence capabilities. Around 570 men of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force will be stationed at the recently built garrison on Ishigaki island in the prefecture of Okinawa, the country’s military confirmed, according to CNN. The troops reportedly arrived on Thursday. Notably, the island of Ishigaki is quite famous amongst scuba divers and is located 200 kilometres…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s development model is winning praise at the 52nd UN Human Rights Council meet in Geneva with NGOs highlighting the Indian education model and urging other UN member states to follow it. Sai Sampath from Eco Fawn, United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) NGO, during his oral intervention, described and narrated the story of Rohini, a Dalit girl studying in Geneva. She has been the beneficiary of Rs 1 crore granted by the government of India. “It is an honour for me to represent the voice of 200 million Dalit people of India at the United Nations.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The situation between India and China in the western Himalayan region of Ladakh is fragile and dangerous, with military forces deployed very close to each other in some parts, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. At least 24 soldiers were killed when the two sides clashed in the region in mid-2020, but the situation has been calmed through rounds of diplomatic and military talks. Violence erupted in the eastern sector of the undemarcated border between the two nations in December but did not result in any deaths. “The situation to my mind still remains very fragile because…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The 103rd birth anniversary of greatest Bangalee of all time Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day-2023 was celebrated at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Friday with due respect and festivity. To celebrate the day, the Embassy organized elaborate programs which included hosting of the National Flag, placing a floral wreath at the bust of Bangabandhu, discussion meeting, essay and painting competition for the children, cultural function and screening of two documentaries on Bangabandhu. The day’s programs of the Embassy began in the morning with formally hoisting of the National Flag…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Friday raised India’s growth forecast for FY24 to 5.9% from 5.7% in November. “We are impressed by the reforms India has been taking over the years. Also, steps like trying to open up the economy. We want India to keep the reform state of mind,” said Alvaro Santos Pereira, acting chief economist, OECD.(ECONOMIC TIMES)

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India will host a senior official-level meeting of G20 culture ministries in Jammu and Kashmir in May, overriding objections by Pakistan which had lobbied member-states like China, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia to prevent the Indian government from hosting any such meeting in the Union territory. Official sources said the meeting will see senior officials of G20 and guest countries discussing Indian presidency priorities like protection and restitution of cultural property, harnessing living heritage of sustainable future, promotion of cultural industries and leveraging of digital technology for protection of culture. India’s permanent representative Ruchira Kamboj told the UN earlier…