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The Dawn  May 26, 2020 The United States is pushing relations with China to "the brink of a new Cold War", China's foreign minster said on Sunday, rejecting US "lies" over the corona virus while saying Beijing was open to an international effort to find its source. Keeping up the worsening war of words with Washington over the pandemic and a Beijing move to tighten control over Hong Kong , Wang Yi said the United States had been infected by a "political virus" compelling figures there to continually attack China. "It has come to our attention that some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War," Wang told reporters during a press conference at China's week-long annual parliamentary session. Longstanding friction between the two powers over trade , human rights and a range of other issues have been pushed to new heights since th...

ईरान के राष्ट्रपति ने वैश्विक ताकतों के साथ 2015 में हुए परमाणु सौदे को बचाए रखने के लिए एक नयी पेशकश की है जिसके तहत उसे अगले वर्ष से विदशों से हथियार खरीदने और दुनिया को हथियार बेचे जाने का मौका मिल सकता है। राष्ट्रपति हसन रूहानी ने ईरान के दक्षिण पश्चिम करमन प्रांत के रफसनजान में सोमवार को एक भाषण के दौरान ये टिप्पणियां की। रूहानी ने कहा, “अगर हम परमाणु सौदे को बचाए रखते हैं तो ईरान के हथियार प्रतिबंध को हटा लिया जाएगा और हम दुनिया से हथियार खरीद सकते हैं या उन्हें अपने हथियार बेच सकते हैं। यह सौदे के महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रभावों में से एक है।” हथियारों पर अमेरिका की ओर से लगाए गए प्रतिबंध पहले से ही ट्रंप प्रशासन के लिए चिंता का विषय बने हुए हैं। यह सब ऐसे समय में हो रहा है जब राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रंप ने पिछले साल एकपक्षीय तरीके से इस सौदे से अमेरिका को बाहर कर लिया था। उसके बाद से ही ईरान ने यूरोप पर दबाव बनाने के लिए सौदे के तहत लगी सीमाओं को तोड़ना शुरू कर दिया था। Reference: https://www.livehindustan.com/international/story-hassan-rouhani-trying-new-way-to-continue-iran-nu...

Reuters October 25, 2019 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to grant China’s Huawei technologies Co Ltd access to the UK’s future 5G telecoms network, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. Senior government and security services sources said the UK is moving towards a decision that will see Huawei allowed access to the “non-contentious” parts of the network, which will open rift with United States as it has banned the company over fears that it is too close to Chinese intelligence agencies, the newspaper said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-huawei-idUSKBN1X600T

The Express Tribune October 25, 2018 In a bid to tighten the noose around those who have accumulated wealth through illegal means, the federal cabinet has approved enlisting anti-corruption agencies as whistle-blowers for purpose of unearthing Benami properties. The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved issuing the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 aimed at expanding the definition of a whistle-blower. Against the existing definition of a person, the cabinet approved including an entity and agency as a whistle-blower for the purpose of the Benami law. The information obtained during the investigation by the National Accountability Bureau and the Federal Investigation Agency can now be used as a legal source of information for the purpose of tracing and identifying the real owners of Benami properties. The Benami properties are the ones that the real owners have retained on somebody else’s name either to hide the source of income or evade...

The Times of India October 14, 2019 A new category of wheat, first developed in Mexico, may hold the answer to several health isues with Indian kids. Fortified with zinc and iron it has already been tested in some parts of India, with encouraging results. India has made impressive gains in overcoming hunger, but the fight against "hidden hunger" remains a huge challenge. Nearly three out of five children below age 5 and more than half (54%) of all pregnant women in the country are anaemic. close to two out of five kids in the same age group are stunted and more than one in every five is waste, which means they are too thin for their height. Reference:  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-humble-wheat-can-help-in-fight-against-hidden-hunger/articleshow/71150646.cms?from=mdr

CNN World July 10,2019 The US warned against drawing a “false distinction” between Hezbollah’s terror and political activities on Tuesday as it imposed sanctions on two leading Lebanese parliamentarians and a high-ranking security official. They were placed on a sanctions blacklist by the US Treasury for terror-related activity in the first time the US has moved against members of the Lebanese Parliament. MPs Amin Sherri and Muhammad Raad, and security official Wafiq Safa, were sanctioned for "acting for or on behalf" of the group that remains a key regional proxy of Iran and fought in Syria for President Bashar Al Assad.  “Hezbollah uses its operatives in Lebanon’s Parliament to manipulate institutions in support of the terrorist group’s financial and security interests, and to bolster Iran’s malign activities,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. “Hezbollah threatens the economic stability and securit...

The Firstpost July 06,2019 The $15 billion deal to pay for 114 fifth generation combat aircraft, for whom tenders have been recently announced and bids are already coming in, is the biggest single military budget on the planet. And with India being the favoured shopper, cash strapped hardware manufacturers are naturally salivating to be counted. Linking up with big business houses to make feasible the 85 percent indigenous manufacture that is a clause in the contractual obligation may sound impressive. But, if the Rafale deal is anything to go by, it could well be the stickiest part of the selection process. According to global media reports, Boeing is partnering with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd for the fighter jet deal, offering its F/A-18. Lockheed will jointly bid with salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group for its F-21 jets, and Saab will team up with billionaire Gautam Adani to offer its Gripen jets. There will be many oth...

The Firstpost July 06,2019 China once again ensured that there was no discussion on India’s admission into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), arguing that the issue can be discussed only after a consensus evolves over the entry of all countries who have not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NSG plenary concluded recently in Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, in Kazakhstan. The NSG is the most important global multilateral governance body to regulate export of nuclear materials and technologies, including dual-use items. India is not a signatory to the NPT by choice, but it remains outside the NSG due to global non-proliferation norms as well as geopolitical manoeuvrings.  Indias NSG hopes dashed by China yet again; Beijing continues its veto despite Modi-Xi bonhomie. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese president at Bishkek.  The NSG functions as an informal group that has certain guidelines. If India is admitted into the NSG fold, it will m...

The Hindu July 06,2019   The UN Security Council called on Friday for a ceasefire in Libya as the death toll from a three-month offensive on Tripoli reached 1,000, including scores killed in an air strike that hit a detention centre for migrants. The council condemned the late Tuesday attack on the Tajoura detention camp east of Tripoli and "stressed the need for all parties to urgently de-escalate the situation and to commit to a ceasefire", said a joint statement. Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces hold eastern Libya and much of the country's south, launched an offensive in early April to wrestle the capital from forces loyal to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Air strikes and ground fighting have since left nearly 1,000 people dead and some 5,000 wounded, the UN's World Health Organization said. The fighting has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes and threatens to plunge Libya into deeper co...

The News June 24, 2019 FATF asks Pakistan to complete action plan by October WASHINGTON: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has strongly urged Pakistan to swiftly compete its promised action plan by October this year to avoid serious repercussions. t the conclusion of the week-long meeting yesterday in Orlando, Florida, the FATF expressed strong concerns that Pakistan has failed to complete its assigned action plan items twice already, once in January and the second time in May. It also asked Islamabad to swiftly complete its action plan by October 2019, when the last set of action plan items are set to expire. "Otherwise, the FATF will decide the next step at that time for insufficient progress," the FATF said hinting at placing Pakistan on its blacklist. Last year in June, Pakistan was placed on the 'grey list' of the international terror financing watchdog and given a 27 points action plan. The grey list is a warning given to a countrywhen it fai...

The Hindu April 08, 2019 Sri Lanka has sought enhanced military training from India, according to President Maithripala Sirisena’s office. Visiting Indian Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra called on Mr. Sirisena on Monday, and wide-ranging matters, including bilateral defence cooperation between the neighbouring countries and regional security, were discussed, officials said. “India and Sri Lanka agreed to increase cooperation in security and defence spheres in several areas, including regional security, curbing drug smuggling and human trafficking and training of members of the security forces,” a statement from the presidential media unit said. Thanking India for its partnership, Mr. Sirisena requested to increase the number of personnel trained by India. The Indian Defence Secretary agreed to look into the possibility of enhancing training facilities, the statement further said. Currently, over 60% of Sri Lanka’s military personnel pursue their young officers’ c...

Reuters April 09,2019 Adani Enterprises has taken a step closer to the construction of a controversial thermal coal mine in Australia after winning federal government approval for its groundwater management plan. Adani wants to develop the Carmichael coal deposit in Queensland state, but has faced fierce environmental resistance that has turned the project into a political hot potato ahead of a federal election due next month. Environment Minister Melissa Price said on Tuesday the project still needed nine further approvals from the Federal and Queensland state governments before mining can start. “This decision does not comprise the final approval for this project,” she said.  Adani wins govt approval for groundwater management plan for Australian coal mine, project still needs 9 more clearances The groundwater management plan also requires approval from the state government, the state’s environmental department told Reuters last week, which is also assessing ...

Firstpost April 08,2019 S. Muralidharan The American morbid fascination for monetising just about everything is perhaps the zenith of financial engineering. Mortgage companies sell off their receivables maturing over a leisurely period spanning on an average 15 to 20 years to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) at a discount so it can issue bonds on the strength of such post-dated receivables. Unlocking the value of illiquid or dormant assets is the pithy description given for such transactions with the title for the entire convoluted process being securitisation. The 2008 financial crisis having its epicenter in the US mortgage market for securitisation that rocked the entire world for a very long time with its aftershocks still being heard has had something to do with this brinkmanship. The lengths to which the securitisation process goes is amazing and mind-numbing. A power producer can securitise all its future earnings spanning, say 30 years and raise enough money. There is a...

Economic Times April 05, 2019 Sachin Dave India has started a major crackdown on online purchases of goods from Chinese eCommerce platforms that were escaping  customs duty and goods and services tax, two  people with direct knowledge of the matter  said. After shooting letters to the tax officers  and customs officers, the government is now  asking the post office and courier companies  to monitor shipments from China. “Up until now, customs department was asked to undertake strict action, now even post office would be asked to scrutinize such purchases,” said a person aware of the development. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) through a written communication had directed that all ports across India to see if the shipments were genuine gifts. The government had stopped import of goods through Mumbai and is now looking to start similar crackdown across I...