Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Foreign Ministers via video conference on Thursday. A thorough exchange of views took place on the development and strengthening of the strategic partnership of the BRICS states, including plans for the institutional development of the association, the Russian Embassy in India informed on Friday. “On July 20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in an extraordinary meeting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers via video conference,” the embassy said. A thorough exchange of views took place on the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the international community to take steps for an amicable end to the Ukraine war as the prolonging coupled with sanction and counter-sanction is destabilizing the world. “I emphasize again on the urgent need for an amicable end to the Ukraine war. The prolonging war and the imposed sanctions and counter sanctions continue to destabilize the world,” she said. The premier made this call while addressing a meeting of the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on Food, Energy and Finance through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban. Hasina said each passing…

INTERNATIONAL DSEK: Chinese authorities announced measures on Friday intended to help boost sales of automobiles and electronics with the goal of shoring up a sluggish economy, but the steps failed to impress investors who have been clamouring for stronger stimulus. Regions will be encouraged to increase annual car purchase quotas and efforts will be made to support sales of second-hand vehicles, said a statement on automobile consumption published by 13 government agencies including state planner National Development and Reform Commission. As China’s post-pandemic economic recovery slows, policymakers have identified the country’s automobile sector as a key lever which they want…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Finally, the cypher gate has become Imran Khan’s nemesis and has ended the dilemma of Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, along with the poll blues of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his shaky coalition, writes Delhi-based senior journalist and commentator, Malladi Rama Rao. Trail by special court, and capital punishment under the Official Secrets Act are expected in quick succession to make Imran Khan disappear from the country’s political map. The civilian and military leadership have been gunning for him for more than a year but have been apprehensive about packing him off from his six-bedroom Lahore…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday for talks during which the two leaders would discuss issues of mutual interest. The Sri Lankan President is on a two-day visit to India. “PM @narendramodi warmly welcomes President @RW_UNP of Sri Lanka at the Hyderabad House ahead of the bilateral talks. An opportunity to review and lend further momentum to the long-standing – ties, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. The talks are being held in Hyderabad House in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Argentina’s Ministry of Defence on Thursday signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on productive cooperation and acquisition of Light and Medium Utility Helicopters for its armed forces. The LoI was signed here by Argentinian Defence Minister Jorge Taiana, and HAL Chairman and Managing Director C B Ananthakrishnan, the Bengaluru-headquartered PSU said in a statement. Ananthakrishnan and other senior company officers briefed the visiting dignitaries on various activities of HAL and a presentation was given on the occasion. During the day-long programme, Taiana and his team viewed the flying display of various HAL products…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft moved into a new, higher, orbit around the Earth on Thursday after the successful completion of the fourth orbit-raising manoeuvre, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. “India celebrates the International Moon Day 2023 by propelling Chandrayaan-3 a step closer to the moon. The fourth orbit raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network), Bengaluru,” the ISRO tweeted. Chandrayaan-3, which is slated to make a soft landing on the Moon’s surface next month, is currently going around the Earth in elliptical orbits, sequentially raising the heights of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Japan is keen to make investments of around 5 trillion Japanese yen in India across various sectors including steel, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday. The steel minister made the remarks after a meeting with a Japanese delegation led by NISHIMURA Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, in the national capital. We had a very detailed discussion…about the common strategies that we can develop in terms of the path forward, exchange of best practices, exchange of new technologies, Japanese investment in India which would be close to 5 trillion yen…over the next few years…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: BofA Global Research on Thursday cut China’s economic growth forecast for this year to 5.1% on a disappointing second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth and potential delay in forceful policy response. The brokerage previously expected the country’s economy to grow at 5.7%. It also lowered China’s growth forecast for 2024 to 4.8% from the earlier 5%. The downward revision reflects our more cautious view on both investment and consumption growth, esp. in 3Q,” the Wall Street bank said in a note. “But as more signs of growth pressure emerge, policy makers will likely ramp up easing efforts by…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India has sent out invitations to all G20 members, invitee countries and international organizations and is looking forward to welcoming their participation for the G20 Summit scheduled in the national capital this September. Responding to a question on whether Russia has confirmed participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the G20 Summit, External Affairs Ministry official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said he cannot issue a response on any particular leader. “At this point, all I can reiterate is what we have said earlier that invitation have gone out to all the G20 members as well as the invitee countries,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Global citizenship and residence advisory company Henley & Partners has ranked Pakistan as a nation with the fourth worst passport in the world. According to the report, Pakistanis had access to 35 countries with an on-arrival visa facility until January this year which has now come down to 33, The News International reported. The nation of over 220 million stands at the 100th position among the 227 countries rated on the index, the results of which are estimated via the number of destinations that their residents can access without possessing a prior visa. Earlier this year, Pakistan was…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Stating that the India-US relationship is “stronger than ever”, the White House reemphasised that there is still a strong future with the I2U2 framework and the grouping is deepening partnerships between the member nations. I2U2 is a grouping — including India, Israel, UAE and the US — that aims for bolstering connectivity and cooperation in the Middle East region. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States was “extremely successful and important”. “The visit (PM Modi’s visit to the US) last month was extremely successful…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In a recent study conducted by Goldman Sachs, it has been predicted that India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will experience a remarkable surge, propelling the nation to become the second-largest economy globally by 2075. With a population of 1.4 billion people, India’s economy is projected to reach a staggering $52.5 trillion, surpassing the United States and trailing only China. Santanu Sengupta, the India economist at Goldman Sachs Research, emphasized the importance of India harnessing the potential of its expanding population. He emphasized that the key lies in promoting greater participation within the labor force and investing in training…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The historic 62-day annual Amarnath Yatra is going on at Gupha, located at an altitude of 13 thousand feet above sea level. There are two ways to go for this Yatra which started on July 1, 2023. One is the 48 km Nanwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the other is 14 km long from Bal Tal in Ganderbal district. This Yatra is a great symbol of communal harmony, mutual brotherhood among different communities. Yatra is a confluence of people of different faiths from all over India as well as abroad. It is a unique pilgrimage in which…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) has organised a two-day Startup Leadership Summit in Srinagar. This startup summit is aimed at bringing together budding entrepreneurs, industry experts, investors, innovators to discuss and promote startup culture and innovation in the region. Also, it was aimed at creating a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kashmir region by providing aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary resources, guidance, and mentorship. It will provide a platform to local entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas, network with innovators with prototypes, and learn from experienced mentors. Panel discussions, interactive workshops, pitch sessions, and keynote speeches are…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: for others to follow, 23-year-old Leki, through her tailoring shop is proving that disability is not a barrier to financial independence. In a small, rented space in Thimphu’s Babesa, Leki Lhaden has been tailoring her way for the past seven months. Today, Leki employs three women, one of whom has a physical disability. A three-day entrepreneurship programme in April by READ Bhutan, a non-profit organisation, helped Leki with basic entrepreneurial skills and financial management. “Regardless of being disabled or illiterate, if you have the will to follow through, you can achieve anything. You should not step back because of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Global Biofuels Alliance is likely to be launched on July 22 during the G20 Clean Energy Ministerial meeting in Goa. The initiative, to be launched under the G20 Presidency of India, has reportedly received strong support from Brazil and the USA. The Alliance will work to strengthen global cooperation and collaboration towards the adoption of biofuels and to seek out global best practices to advance their development and adoption on a large scale. Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, shared details of the initative. Earlier in February, 2023,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Azam Nazeer Tarar, Pakistan’s law minister, stated on Tuesday that overseas Pakistanis would not be able to vote online in the upcoming elections, ruling out the possibility of any amendments to the election laws to this effect. This was done to avoid starting any pilot projects, according to Dawn. “Overseas Pakistanis willing to vote have the right to do so, but since the committee’s report and the Supreme Court’s report stated that internet voting was not possible, pilot projects will not be allowed,” he said while speaking to the media after an in-camera meeting of the parliamentary committee…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s permanent representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj expressed India’s deep concern about the conflict in Ukraine and urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy at United Nations General Assembly Annual Debate on Ukraine. She also emphasized that this is not an era of war. Mentioning the loss of lives and the misery for the people the conflict has resulted in, particularly for the women, children and elderly, India’s permanent representative to the UN said, “India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. With millions becoming…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Three major infrastructural projects will be launched by Bangladesh with Indian assistance during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India for the G20 summit in September this year, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) national news agency of Dhaka reported on Tuesday. Three projects are namely; Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant-2, 65-kilometre-long Khulna-Mongla Port Railway Link, Akhaura (Bangladesh) and Agartala (India) Railway Link. The announcement was made by the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, who called on Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday and held wide-ranging discussions on the India-Bangladesh bilateral relationship. “Taking Forward All-Encompassing India-Bangladesh Friendship!…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday held a meeting with his Argentinan counterpart Jorge Enrique Taiana. Both Ministers discussed the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives, including measures to enhance defence industrial partnership. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Rajnath Singh stated, “Had Insightful deliberations with the Defence Minister of Argentine Republic, Mr Jorge Enrique Taiana on boosting India-Argentina bilateral ties and further consolidating defence cooperation.” Earlier in the day, Jorge Taiana, who arrived in India on Monday, laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in the national capital on Tuesday and paid homage to the fallen heroes. During…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India and the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan have agreed to intensify partnership to counter terror and combat radicalization and enhance defence cooperation. The decision to boost bilateral security cooperation was taken at the second security dialogue in Bishkek. Deputy National Security Advisor, Vikram Misri led the Indian delegation at the two day (July 17 and 18) dialogue while Marat Mukanovich Imankulov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic. Misri also called on Zheenbek Kulubaev, Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to a Press release issued by the Embassy of India in Bishkek, the discussions…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India has contributed USD 1,000,000 to the United Nations as part of the initiative to promote the usage of the Hindi language at the global organisation. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj handed over a cheque to Melissa Fleming, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Global Communications towards the expansion of usage of the Hindi language in the United Nations. “Investing in linguistic inclusivity! PR @ruchirakamboj handed a cheque of $1,000,000 to USG @MelissaFleming towards expanding the usage of #Hindi in @UN. With the Hindi@UN project, we are breaking barriers & enhancing public…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As a part of its totalitarian regime, a colonial boarding school system was established by the Chinese government in Tibet, which over a period of time, resulted in four generations of inexpensive labourers who could easily find work in Chinese cities, Bitter Winter reported. It is the 40 years of colonial boarding schools in Tibet that are held accountable for Tibet’s overall capacity and generation of labourers. Bitter Winter is an online magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China published by CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions, headquartered in Torino, Italy. Expressing his views…