Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: When a country’s foreign diplomats fear for their safety, it indicates a severe dereliction of international standards of diplomatic immunity and security. Adding fuel to the ongoing tension, a “Kill India” poster released by Pro-Khalistani leaders in Canada has elicited a wave of outrage. The controversial poster directly accuses Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General of India in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, of being involved in the assassination of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist and the head of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was recently possibly killed due to inter-gang warfare…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Mumbai will host the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Summit and Research Ministers’ Meeting from July 4 to 5. The G20 Research Ministers’ Meeting (RMM) on Wednesday will be chaired by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, according to a release issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology. A total of about 107 foreign delegates including Research Ministers from 29 G20 members, invited guest countries and international organizations are likely to participate in the meeting. The RIIG Summit will take place on Tuesday in Mumbai and will be chaired…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Ulemas or religious scholars have asked the Kashmiri Muslims to follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad, who has always preferred peace over violence and promoted amity and brotherhood at all cost. They participated in a seminar titled “Ulema’s Responsibility in the Safety of the Country” organised by Jammu & Kashmir People’s Justice Front (JKPJF) in Srinagar. The seminar was attended by various religious scholars from different states of India which included Molana Syed Saayim Mahdi, Molana Mirza Yasoob Abbas, Syed Hussain Mahdi Razvi, Syed Hussain Mahdi Razvi and others. In the seminar Molana Syed Saayim Mahdi, a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Film producer Ashok Sawhny ‘Sahil’ expressed happiness on seeing Kashmir becoming a film-shoot hub again and hoped that it will become a prime destination for the film industry. “I appreciate the J-K government’s move of rolling out a film policy for the smooth film shootings in the valley. This is definitely bringing more films, tourism and employment to the pristine valley,” Sawhny said in a statement. Sawhny also talked about his plans for shooting his next film amidst the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir. “Whether it is the film ‘Haider’ or my upcoming film, I believe that Kashmir is…

Sanjay Pulipaka: On July 04, India will host a virtual summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Considerable preparatory work preceded the virtual summit meeting. In April, there was a meeting of the SCO Defense Ministers, followed by SCO foreign ministers’ meetings, in May, in India. The SCO virtual summit meeting is happening in a specific geopolitical context. The Russia-Ukraine conflict constitutes a significant backdrop. There are concerns that Moscow is increasingly tilting towards Beijing because of the war. There is a debate as to whether international politics is witnessing the emergence of a new Cold War, with Russia and…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: UN Secretary General’s Special Representative (SRSG) on Disaster Risk Reduction Mami Mizutori on Monday urged Bangladesh to share some of the country’s best practices with other countries vulnerable to floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. She suggested that Bangladesh has internationally championed in the areas of disaster-related legislations, inter-agency coordination for disaster preparedness while the nation is successfully practising inclusiveness, especially for persons with disabilities during disasters. Mami Mizutori met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office. The minister requested the UN to help raise public awareness about earthquake preparedness. The foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Traditional Performing Arts and Music Division, formerly known as the Royal Academy of Performing Arts, has taken a new initiative to safeguard and popularise Bhutanese folk songs. Their goal is to make these traditional songs known worldwide and ensure they are accessible for future generations. To achieve this, the division has started creating musical notations for 250 folk songs. Musical notation is a system of representing musical sounds or notes on paper or other media. These notations allow musicians to play the songs on any instrument, preserving their cultural importance even as contemporary music gains more prominence.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In India, milk is more than just a drink, a staple that never goes out of style. Consumed hot and cold and in all seasons. The country’s favourite refreshment and source of nourishment, milk is a dietary delight for Indians across the country. From individuals producing their own milk to mega dairy cooperative brands catering to the calcium cravings of hundreds of millions of Indians, the Indian milk industry has emerged as ‘the biggest’ and ‘the best’ in the world. CEO of Lakshya Food India LTD, Ankit Redhu, from Jind, has prioritised profitability and aims to create more…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Indian automotive industry has achieved a remarkable feat by producing 27 million vehicles valued at USD 108 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. This significant surge in automobile production has surpassed the previous fiscal year, indicating a thriving industry. This success can be attributed to various factors such as the country’s favourable business environment, expanding consumer base, and the presence of leading global automobile manufacturers. With proactive government policies geared towards making sure that India has emerged as an attractive investment destination for automotive manufacturers. The Make in India initiative has also effectively created a conducive environment…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: “Secure” – this is the theme of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that will be chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 4, 2023. The theme “Secure” is meant as an acronym highlighting the focus on ‘Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, and Environment’ for the SCO during India’s Presidency. After hosting nearly 134 meetings in person, the Chair, New Delhi, announced on May 30th that it would hold the 23rd Meeting of the SCO, Council of Heads of State (CHS) in a virtual format. All the other seven…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Three years after the violent clash between Indian and Chinese forces in Galwan followed by tanks facing each other around the Pangong Tso — a lake spanning eastern Ladakh and western Tibet — there is hectic activity in the area from both sides. While China is rushing to complete a bridge across the Pangong Tso, connecting the north and south banks, India is also building a black-topped road on its side on the north bank. These are among a number of infrastructure developments initiated on both sides since the standoff, permanently altering the status quo on the ground…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon will be conducting joint maritime surveillance patrols this week with the Indian Navy to enhance maritime capabilities and build maritime domain awareness, Australian High Commission said on Sunday. “Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon will conduct joint maritime surveillance patrols this week with our Indian Navy mates. As top-tier security partners, India & Australia will continue to work together to enhance our maritime capabilities and build maritime domain awareness,” the statement by Australian High Commission read. Last year also, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAFF) P-8A Poseidon aircraft was deployed to India…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India will this week issue a letter of request (LoR) to the US government to initiate the purchase of 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) under the foreign military sales (FMS) programme, Washington DC’s government-to-government method of selling US-built military platforms and providing services and training to other countries, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. The FMS programme is a multi-tiered process and managed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) for the US Department of Defense (DoD). The Indian LoR will clearly mention the requirements of the three services, details of equipment sought and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: “The reincarnation of the Living Buddhas must be approved by the central government”, “the successor must be searched within China,” “Living Buddhas are not allowed to be looked for outside the country,” the Dalai Lama does not have any say in whether or not he will reincarnate. This is the stand of the Chinese government, expressed most recently at a press conference in Beijing, ludicrous as it may sound for an atheist government to say. Such an assertion of power is a blasphemy against the very foundation of the communist ideology which holds that “religion is the opiate…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh received inward remittances of USD $21.61 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23 through official channels, which is the second-highest ever. The country received a record amount of remittances $24.77 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21, when travel was banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh Bank (BB) revealed the updated statistics on Sunday (July 2). Different research organizations including CPD think that a big volume of inward remittances also came through illegal channel like Hundi. In June 2023, the last month of the outgoing fiscal year, the expatriates sent $2.19 billion in remittances during the time of…

James Khangenbam: “The dance form calms down our daily thinking, our daily consciousness. When we calm down our daily consciousness our body and mind became one. Mind, body and spirit transformation takes place. It could be in silence you can do with preferred music too”, says Agu Tara the facilitator of Butoh Dance when she was conducting workshop in Manipur. “I listen to the resonance of the tree and I sink into the resonance and I become the tree and I forget that I am a human. If you listen to the resonance you will dance all time and your…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Paris, one of India’s closest allies France made an offer many steps ahead of the path-breaking GE-414 engine deal with the US, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The Emmanuel Macron government has given the green signal to defence major Safran to jointly design, develop, test, manufacture and finally certify an engine that will power India’s twin engine advanced multi-role combat aircraft (AMCA) and the twin engine deck-based fighter for Indian aircraft carriers. While the government is tight-lipped about the deal, authoritative sources have confirmed that the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India is emerging as a “major power” in the Middle East, and it is time to take New Delhi’s projection of power in the region seriously, read an article in Foreign Policy, a US-based magazine on global affairs. The author, Steven A Cook, cited one of his previous visits to India after which he said he was sceptical about a future Indian role in the Middle East. “India and Middle Eastern countries were already intertwined in various ways, of course. There were budding military and technology ties between India and Israel. One could not travel in the Persian…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India on Saturday called on Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of 254 Indian fishermen and four civilian prisoners who have completed their jail term. Islamabad has also been asked to provide immediate consular access to the remaining 12 fishermen and 14 civilian prisoners who have been in Pakistan’s custody and are believed to be Indian, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. India made the request in the context of the exchange of the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen by both countries as part of a practice to do so on January 1 and July…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India’s Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is coming to an end. Dr. Mahip, a leading expert of Indian foreign affairs, provided Dunyo Information Agency with his vision on cooperation between the states of Central Asia and India within the framework of the SCO. “India is poised to host 22nd Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on July 4, an event that will transcend physical boundaries and take place in a virtual mode. Throughout its tenure, India has consistently demonstrated its commitment to fostering constructive engagement within the SCO through various activities and mutually beneficial cooperation among…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As the first batch of pilgrims started its journey towards the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning, an ‘Aarti’was performed at the shrine. “‘Aarti’ performed at Shri Amarnath Cave Shrine in Jammu & Kashmir, today morning. The first batch of pilgrims has started its journey towards the cave shrine,” officials from Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board posted the video. The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Saturday with the first batch of pilgrims starting their journey from Baltal base camp in Jammu Kashmir’s Ganderbal to Amarnath Cave. The Yatra was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Annual profits at China’s industrial firms extended a double-digit decline in the first five months as softening demand squeezed margins, reinforcing hopes of more policy support to bolster a stuttering post-COVID economic recovery. The 18.8% year-on-year slump in profits came on top of the 20.6% contraction in January-April, and added to evidence of an economy that was losing steam on many fronts in May including retail sales, exports and property investment as youth jobless rate scaled a fresh high of 20.8%. Last month alone, industrial earnings contracted by 12.6% from a year earlier, according to data from the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A second solar power plant has been installed in the capital under the Bhutan Solar Initiative Project. Aimed at fulfilling the need for clean and renewable energy, the 500-kilowatt ground-mounted solar power plant was commissioned today coinciding with Guru Rinpoche’s Birth Anniversary. The plant is expected to generate 835,000 units of electricity annually, worth almost Nu 4 M. The solar power plant located at Dechenchholing will generate more than double the electricity generated by the rooftop plant at the Centenary Farmer’s Market. Much like the rooftop solar plant, this plant also has a control room which will display…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As Bhutan celebrates the fifth anniversary of its maiden satellite launch in 2018, the country has reached new heights in space, science and technology since then. To commemorate the milestone, the grand finale of the first-ever National Space Challenge was held in the capital yesterday. The event featured a display of satellite prototypes developed by ten teams from two colleges. The GovTech Agency organised the challenge to foster scientific and technological innovation in the country. At dawn yesterday, the top ten teams selected from the College of Science and Technology and the Jigme Namgyel Engineering College gathered near…