Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The United States has started bulk buying Japanese seafood to supply its military there in response to China’s ban on such products imposed after Tokyo released treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Unveiling the initiative in a Reuters interview on Monday, U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Washington should also look more broadly into how it could help offset China’s ban that he said was part of its “economic wars”. China, which had been the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood, says its ban is due to food safety fears. The U.N.’s nuclear…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: With the Air Force having already operationalised three of its S-400 air defence missile squadrons along borders with China and Pakistan, Indian and Russian officials are set to meet soon to discuss the final delivery schedule for the remaining two squadrons. India had signed an over Rs 35,000 crore contract with the Russian side in 2018-19 for five squadrons of the S-400 missiles of which three have already arrived in the country but delivery of the remaining two was hindered due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “The three squadrons have already been operationalised in important sectors. While one unit…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China’s prominent annual display of military diplomacy, commenced on Sunday, despite the absence of a defense minister who traditionally hosts this event. China is utilizing the forum to advance President Xi Jinping’s vision for a safer world and to foster closer ties with developing nations, especially in light of heightened coordination between the United States and its allies aimed at constraining China’s military ambitions. A notable focus at this year’s forum is Russia, which initiated a conflict in Ukraine in 2022. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is prominently featured on the forum’s agenda as…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The recent collision between a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Philippine resupply boat near the Second Thomas Shoal on October 22 is just the latest in a series of incidents in the South China Sea. Can these types of incidents trigger a confrontation between China and the United States. While the risk of a deliberate war appears low, the possibility of accidental conflict should not be underestimated, Channel News Asia article reported. The South China Sea is a volatile region. A misjudgment or miscalculation on the ground could lead to an uncontrollable situation, given the proximity of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s biggest annual show of military diplomacy, Beijing Xiangshan Forum, started on Sunday although the Asian power is still missing a defence minister, who typically hosts this event. China hopes to use the forum to promote President Xi Jinping’s vision for a safer world and draw developing countries closer, as it faces increased coordination between the United States and its allies to curtail its military ambitions. Russia, which started a war in Ukraine in 2022, is being given centre stage at the forum. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is listed in the forum’s agenda as the first guest…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Baloch student of the Punjab University (PU) was arrested by police and plainclothesmen from the gate of the New Campus on Friday, triggering protests and condemnation from human rights activists, students, and Baloch nationalists. According to CCTV footage circulating on social media, Fareed Husain Baloch, a BS Education 8th semester student and a member of the Baloch Council of PU, was leaving the campus from the main gate when he was intercepted by two policemen and two others in civvies. The footage showed that the student resisted the arrest and tried to run away, but the policemen…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Moscow has expressed disappointment as Pakistan keeps on changing the structure of the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project and is not making any progress on the commercial deal amid US sanctions on Russian entities, reported The Express Tribune. The Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project was launched to build a Liquified Natural Gas (LPG) pipeline from Karachi to Lahore, and aimed to overcome the gas shortage in the Punjab province. The Pakistofficials went to Russia on October 10 to discuss the long-term oil deal and the gas pipeline project was also on the agenda. However, according to The Express…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: UK Conservative MP Theresa Anne Villiers met members of the Jammu and Kashmir diaspora in the British House of Commons to mark the anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India. Villiers said she raised concerns, this week, regarding human rights abuses committed against Hindus and other minority communities in Pakistan. The members of the Jammu and Kashmir diaspora, who participated in the meeting with Theresa Anne Villiers, included Ajatshatru Singh, Ritu Singh and Sushil Pandit. Villiers noted that it has been 76 years since the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. In a post on Facebook,…

INTERNATIONAL DESK:The House of Commons (UK Parliament) celebrated Jammu and Kashmir Day on the eve of the 76th anniversary of the Accession of the then princely state to India on October 26, 1947. The program was organised by the Jammu Kashmir diaspora based in the UK and hosted by Rt Hon Bob Blackman, MP Harrow East. Other parliamentarians attending the event included Rt Hon Jonathan Lord, MP Woking, Rt Hon Theresa Villiers, and MP Chipping Barnet. The special guests for the evening included Ajatshatru Singh and Ritu Singh from the erstwhile royal family of Jammu & Kashmir. Other keynote speakers…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan is grappling with a crippling economic crisis, losing a staggering USD 23 billion per year due to the pervasive issues of black marketing and smuggling, according to a recent report by ACE Money Transfer, a UK-based company. These illicit activities encompass a wide range of clandestine operations, including black market currency trading, oil smuggling, gold smuggling, and circumvention of import controls. The impact of these activities is not only causing significant financial losses but also posing a severe threat to Pakistan’s economic stability, government revenue, and overall financial health. The ACE report underscores the profound consequences of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has ordered relevant authorities to expedite the implementation of projects undertaken in collaboration with China and to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fertiliser to the farmers during the Rabi season. In his meeting with Planning Minister Sami Saeed on Tuesday, the PM discussed the implementation of projects agreed upon during his recent visit to China, according to APP. During the visit, the two countries signed 20 agreements and MoUs in several sectors, including infrastructure and mining. Separately, while chairing a meeting to review the provision of urea for the Rabi crop, the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Belt Road Initiative has entered a new phase and Pakistan has put a ‘blind trust’ on China over it. During a visit to China’s Belt and Road Forum last week, Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar agreed on a number of agreements, but experts warned that financial constraints and security threats could still hinder the projects, ANI reported quoting Nikkei Asia. Kakar while meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping called Pakistan’s partnership with the world’s No. 2 economy “made in heaven.” “We will always stand with China and trust you blindly,” Kakar was quoted as saying by…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: As the deportation of Afghan refugees continues to remain a hot topic these days, over 8,000 Afghan migrants have been forcefully deported back from Pakistan and Iran, Khaama Press reported. The number of Afghan people being deported from Pakistan and Iran has been confirmed by the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan. The Ministry said in a news release on Thursday that as of 24 October, 5,196 Afghan migrants have been forcibly sent back to Afghanistan through the border crossings at Turghandi and Spin Boldak. Officials from the border administrations in Nangarhar and Kandahar state that…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pakistan caretaker government, on Monday, granted approval for a substantial gas price hike of up to 193 per cent, aimed at recovering an additional Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 350 billion from consumers to bail out struggling gas companies. However, the proposal to completely abolish subsidies for the wealthiest exporters and industrialists was rejected, The Express Tribune reported. For domestic consumers, gas prices are set to surge by up to 172 per cent, with commercial consumers facing a 137 per cent increase, while cement manufacturers will experience a staggering 193 per cent hike starting November 1. The Economic Coordination…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Pakistani drone with a suspected contraband item was recovered in a joint operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Tuesday, said officials. The BSF said that on Tuesday around 11:28 am it intercepted the movement of a suspected drone near Village Wan in the district of Tarn Taran. “As per the laid down drill, BSF troops immediately reacted to intercept the drone,” said a statement issued by the BSF. “Further, a joint search operation with Punjab Police was carried out. During the search at about 12:15 pm, a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The intelligence leaders of the ‘Five Eyes’ countries have accused China of posing a threat to the world, alleging that the country is stealing intellectual property, trade secrets, and personal data all across the world, as reported by CBS News. These leaders made these claims on the news show ’60 Minutes’ on CBS News. ‘Five Eyes’ is a security alliance formed after World War II, comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It monitors the global threat landscape, including events such as the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in West Asia, Russia’s military offensive in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Manila said on Monday (Oct 23) that Chinese vessels “intentionally hit” Philippine boats at the weekend, escalating a diplomatic row over two collisions in the South China Sea. The countries have traded blame over Sunday’s incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations. The two collisions happened during a Philippine resupply mission to troops stationed on a navy vessel that was grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims. Philippine officials accused a Chinese coastguard ship and a “militia” vessel of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Manila summoned Beijing’s ambassador on Monday over two collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea, amid accusations the vessels were “intentionally hit”. The Philippines and China have traded blame over Sunday’s incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations. The two collisions on Sunday happened during a Philippine resupply mission to troops stationed on a crumbling naval vessel grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s territorial claims. The Philippine foreign ministry summoned China’s ambassador to Manila, Huang…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: An intervetion in the stock market. Liquidity injections by the central bank. More curbs on short selling. And yet, Chinese stocks cannot escape the real estate sector’s spiral of gloom. Data this week showed that property investment – a key driver of China’s economic activity – continued to slump, while home prices fell at the fastest pace in almost a year in September. That negated investor optimism over data showing a pickup in third-quarter economic growth. The main CSI 300 Index slid more than 4 per cent to cap its worst week in a year on Friday (Oct…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Republic of China (Taiwan) is already an independent nation, and as such has no need to declare independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release Saturday, after an EU official stated Friday that Taiwan should not make any unilateral declaration of independence. According to the statement, the ministry noticed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell published a piece on the European External Action Service (EEAS) website Friday, stating that the European Union’s (EU) One China Policy remains unchanged and that “Taiwan should not embark on…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked a Philippine boat supplying forces there Sunday, the latest in a series of maritime confrontations. The two countries have had numerous run-ins in areas of the South China Sea in recent months, especially the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands. The Philippines has been sending supplies to troops stationed on a rusted World War Two-era transport ship used as an outpost on the shoal, prompting China’s coast guard to repeatedly deploy vessels to block…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Russia President Vladimir Putin received a red-carpet treatment in Beijing this week at China’s 3rd Belt and Road Forum. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative – an ambitious undertaking to boost connectivity and trade across the world via Chinese infrastructure projects. At the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping called Putin “a dear friend.” On the sidelines, the two leaders held a three-hour discussion over the Sino-Russian partnership. China’s Foreign Ministry summarized what Putin said about China’s Belt and Road Initiative this way: “…the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The United States has appealed to Pakistan to permit Afghans seeking refuge to enter the country, Daily Times reported on Saturday. A spokesperson from the US State Department emphasised the need for Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, to facilitate the entry of Afghans seeking international protection and to collaborate with international humanitarian organisations to provide essential assistance. Pakistan has returned 3,248 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan in a single day as part of its efforts to combat illegal immigration. The deadline for the expulsion of undocumented migrants has led to over 51,000 Afghans being deported since it was announced.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The World Bank has reported an increase in poverty in Pakistan during the previous fiscal year due to soaring food and energy prices, labour market challenges, and flood-related damages, Dawn reported. According to the Macro Poverty Outlook, which was prepared for the recent annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Marrakesh, Morocco, prolonged and high inflation in food and energy prices, combined with a lack of substantial economic growth, could lead to social upheaval and negatively impact the well-being of disadvantaged households that have already seen their savings dwindle and incomes decline. The report indicates that…