The two armies held eight rounds of talks in 2020 with the first held in June of that year, five rounds in 2021, and have held three rounds of talks so far this year….reports Asian Lite News
The disengagement of Indian and Chinese soldiers from Patrol Point-15 (Gogra-Hot Springs area) in eastern Ladakh is set to be wrapped up by Monday as announced by the two sides earlier, officials monitoring the standoff said on Sunday, asking not to be named. The process involves troops moving back to rear positions and dismantling of the temporary infrastructure created there.
The much-awaited disengagement, announced on September 8, is likely to result in the creation of a buffer zone of 2 to 4 km, as was done after previous rounds of troop pullback from friction points on the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), said one of the officials cited above.
India and China on Thursday announced that their frontline troops have kicked off disengagement from PP-15 in eastern Ladakh where the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a lingering standoff for over 28 months, with the breakthrough coming after the 16th round of military talks in July to cool tensions in the sensitive sector.
This is the fourth round of disengagement between the two armies.
“Disengagement from PP-15 is progressing in a coordinated and planned way. Joint verification to assess the implementation of the process will follow,” said a second official.
Disengagement of Indian and Chinese soldiers from friction points on LAC in the Ladakh sector had been stuck for over a year, with the last breakthrough coming in August 2021 when the two armies pulled back their forward deployed troops from the Gogra sector (PP-17A).
The two sides withdrew their soldiers from the Gogra sector, which was one of the friction points on LAC, to their permanent bases days on August 4-5 after the 12th round of military talks held between corps commander-ranked officers on July 31, 2021.
“Given the experience of dealing with China, we have to be cautious. Over the last three decades, India has signed several agreements with China for border peace, but it has always betrayed us,” military affairs expert Lieutenant General DB Shekatkar (retd) said when the latest disengagement was announced on September 8.
The rival armies have been locked in a tense standoff since May 2020. Despite 16 rounds of military talks held so far, problems at Depsang Bulge in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table.
The two armies held eight rounds of talks in 2020 with the first held in June of that year, five rounds in 2021, and have held three rounds of talks so far this year.
After the 16th round of talks on July 17, India and China said they would stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels for a mutually acceptable resolution of problems along LAC at the earliest.
Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and now PP-15, the two armies still have around 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre.
Manga Anantmula held up a poster during the press conference in an attempt to lodge a strong protest against the atrocities on women and requested the Pakistani envoy to address the issue of forced conversions…reports Asian Lite News
Former Congressional candidate from Virginia and Army veteran Manga Anantmula confronted Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan over the rapes of women belonging to minority communities in the name of flood relief.
Recently, a minor Hindu girl was gang raped in Sindh province, who was lured by free ration amid the devastating floods in Pakistan.
Masood Khan was addressing a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Friday where he was giving an update on the record flooding in Pakistan. Confronting the Pakistan Ambassador, Manga during the press conference on Friday asked Masood Khan to address the issues of forced conversions, rape and other atrocities on minority women in Pakistan.
Manga Anantmula also held up a poster during the press conference in an attempt to lodge a strong protest against the atrocities on women and requested the Pakistani envoy to address the issue of forced conversions. According to a report, a total of 157 women were kidnapped, 112 women were a victim of physical assault and 91 women were raped across Pakistan in the month of June.
During the press conference on Friday, Pakistan’s efforts to play victim were challenged and questions were raised as to why Pakistan could not develop sustainable infrastructure and instead has been investing in its military and nuclear capabilities.
Ambassador Khan was visibly disturbed and was unable to deliver convincing answers to the pertinent questions raised by the activist.
Meanwhile, the United States announced that it is providing an additional USD 20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by severe flooding in Pakistan resulting from heavy monsoon rains, as well as landslides and glacial lake outbursts, which have been ongoing since June. The estimated economic loss due to the unprecedented floods in Pakistan has neared around USD 18 billion, an increase from USD 12.5 billion estimated earlier, as calculated by the Centre and endorsed by the provinces.
Agriculture growth faced a much more severe impact in the aftermath of floods. The catastrophic floods have destroyed crops in 8.25 million acres as compared to the initial assessment of 4.2 million acres which has further increased the economic losses, reported The News International.
In the wake of the increased economic losses and reduced GDP growth, the per capita income is projected to slow down. The government had envisaged a GDP growth rate of 5 per cent for the current fiscal year.
Moreover, poverty and unemployment will go up manifold from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent. Some 37 per cent population was hit by poverty after floods in 118 districts, as estimated by the Pakistan government.
A high-profile committee with representation from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, State Bank of Pakistan, FBR, PIDE and others evaluated that poverty and unemployment have gone up manifold, rising from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday landed in Pakistan on a two-day visit to take stock of the floods-related situation and express solidarity with the country’s people hit by extreme monsoon rain. (ANI)
The minister said that remittance sent by expatriate workers to Sri Lanka reached $325 million in August, an increase of 16.4 per cent compared to July…reports Asian Lite News
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said that more than 200,000 Sri Lankans have left for foreign jobs in 2022 so far.
He said that these are the people who have registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, and some may have left without registering, Xinhua news agency reported.
The minister said that remittance sent by expatriate workers to Sri Lanka reached $325 million in August, an increase of 16.4 per cent compared to July.
Around 330,000 people are expected to leave Sri Lanka for foreign jobs by the end of this year, the minister said.
The minister expressed gratitude to workers who have sent money through the banking system at a time when the country is facing a foreign exchange shortage.
In honor of the British monarch, we take a look at some of the gifts she received from the region during her 70-year reign.
Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, king of Bahrain, presented Elizabeth with two purebred Arabian horses at the 2013 Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Sultan Qaboos
In 2010, former ruler of Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said presented the queen with a 12-inch vase engraved in 21-carat gold, and a gold Faberge egg that opened to reveal a tiny toy horse.
Sheikh Khalifa
In 1985, Qatar’s ruler at the time, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani, gave the queen a diamond necklace with a centerpiece of two large rubies.
Sheikh Rashid
In 1979, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai at the time, gifted Elizabeth diamond and sapphire jewelry, a solid-gold sculpture of a camel, and two palm trees.
King Faisal
In 1967, Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal gifted the British monarch a necklace with 300 diamonds, including baguettes and brilliants, weighing more than 80 carats.
King Farouk
Egypt’s King Farouk gifted the queen a gold necklace in 1947 that dated back to the third century and incorporated one of the earliest Egyptian coins.
The printing of the text book is to be completed by January for the 2023 education year starting from next March…;reports Asian Lite News
Battling with ongoing economic crisis with skyrocketing inflation and dollar crunch, Sri Lanka is to get Indian loan assistance to print text books for school children for the year 2023.
Education Minister Susil Premejanatha said that steps have been taken to import raw materials including papers and ink required for textbook printing under Indian credit line.
The printing of the text book is to be completed by January for the 2023 education year starting from next March.
Financially broke with no dollars to import printing material, education was one of the main victims of current economic crisis the country has been going through.
In March last year, the island nation cancelled examinations for millions of students with no papers to print exam papers.
Providing free education, Sri Lanka provides text books and school uniforms for students and around $44 million is estimated for the printing of books for the year 2023.
While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to provide $2.9 billion over four years with conditions to help salvage the country from its economic crisis, India, as a single country has provided the biggest financial support so far extending $4 billion for the year 2022 alone.
The delegation will also include the Foreign Secretary and other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments…reports Asian Lite news
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with other senior officials is expected to arrive in New York on September 19 to attend the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, UN sources told Dawn.
Sharif is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 23 and is expected to return to Pakistan the same evening.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Federal Minister for Broadcasting and Information Maryam Aurangzeb will accompany Sharif.
The delegation will also include the Foreign Secretary and other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments, Dawn reported.
The Pakistan Prime Minister is expected to attend the inaugural session of the UN General Assembly on September 20, a day after he reaches New York. The same day, he will address a summit meeting on education reforms, which will also consider how to deal with the pandemic’s negative impact on education.
Sharif will attend two more meetings on food insecurity and climate change, Dawn reported.
Bhutto and Khar will travel to Washington on September 25 for bilateral meetings with US officials. They are expected to stay in the US capital until September 27.
While the visit to the United Nations has its own significance, one major item on the Prime Minister’s agenda — a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden — is still undecided.
This year’s General Assembly is particularly significant because this will be the first in-person summit of world leaders at the UN since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 sessions were converted into virtual meetings because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During his tenure as Punjab Chief Minister, Shehbaz used to have a firm grip over the bureaucracy but at the Centre, things appear to have not been in his control…reports Asian Lite News
Shehbaz Sharif, who is known for his governance and administrative skills in the past, is unimpressive as the Pakistani Prime Minister, The News reported.
While former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been vocal in criticising Sharif and his performance, there are many even within the ruling coalition and in the concerned quarters who are surprised why Shehbaz is not performing, The News reported.
Service delivery of the government departments, falling within the jurisdiction of the federal capital territory, is disappointing like the past whereas there seems to be no government check on the phenomenal rise of dollar rate owing to illegal flight of American currency to Afghanistan and satta (speculative buying) — which is badly hurting the economy and market sentiment.
During his tenure as Punjab Chief Minister, Shehbaz used to have a firm grip over the bureaucracy but at the Centre, things appear to have not been in his control, The News reported.
According to one of Shehbaz’s close aides, the Prime Minister’s main focus so far has been the economy, which interestingly is also not being managed, and to the surprise of many, even after the IMF deal instead of getting better it is worsening.
A key economic wizard of the Shehbaz government, when approached over the reasons for unexpected rise in the dollar rate despite the IMF deal, was found totally clueless as to why it was happening and how to stop it, The News reported.
According to a source, Shehbaz has recently assigned former Prime Minister and senior PML(N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to prepare a strategy for improving governance and service delivery in the government departments. Abbasi, it is said, will present his reform strategy, when ready, to the Prime Minister for implementation.
Following his Punjab experience, the Prime Minister, after coming to power, had announced implementation of a one-dish policy for weddings in Islamabad but here, too, there are frequent violations in an area that is smaller than many divisions of the Punjab province. There is also no improvement in public dealing in the federal government departments.
It is said that Shehbaz Sharif became the Prime Minister during tough conditions — particularly economic ones. He also depends on the ruling coalition comprising over a dozen political partners. However, there is no explanation available as to what prevents the Prime Minister from improving the performance of bureaucracy and ensuring the writ of the government, particularly in matters that are sensitive for the country’s economy, The News reported.
The spokesman also cautioned the European countries against resorting to threats…reports Asian Lite News
he latest statement by Britain, France and Germany saying they had “serious doubts” about Iran’s intentions to revive a 2015 nuclear deal is “unconstructive” and “in breach of goodwill,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its official website.
“It is surprising and regrettable that under the current circumstances when diplomatic interactions and exchange of messages continue between the negotiating sides and the coordinator of the Vienna talks to finalise the negotiations, the EU troika issues such a statement in a move that deviates from the path of the fruitful approach during the talks,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani was quoted as saying on Saturday.
Referring to the “goodwill and serious resolve” of Iran to finalise talks on the revival of the Iranian 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he warned the European sides “against being influenced by propaganda waged by third parties that were against the negotiations from the very beginning and are now making their utmost to cause the talks to fail”.
The spokesman also cautioned the European countries against resorting to threats, Xinhua news agency reported.
“All those who ignorantly think they, through threats and sanctions, can dissuade the Iranian people from fully pursuing their rights and achieving their interests must draw a lesson from the US’s maximum defeat in its maximum pressure campaign,” Kanaani stressed.
He underscored Iran is still ready to finalise a deal. Kanaani said he believes that an agreement can swiftly be reached if the other sides avoid being influenced by outside pressures.
On Saturday, France, Germany and Britain said in a joint statement that Iran “has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity” given by a recent EU-submitted “final set of texts” to rescue the nuclear pact, voicing their “serious doubts as to Iran’s intentions and commitment to a successful outcome on the JCPOA”.
Iran signed the JCPOA with world major countries in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for removing sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.
The latest round of the nuclear talks was held in Austria in early August after a five-month hiatus. On August 8, the EU put forward its “final text” of the draft decision on reviving the JCPOA.
Iran and the United States have recently indirectly exchanged views on the EU proposal.
During her 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II devoted herself to promoting national development and friendly exchanges between Britain and other countries, Mao stressed…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday that China expresses deep condolences over the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, adding the Queen made important contributions to expanding friendly exchanges between the two countries.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in history, has died aged 96, according to Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
Mao said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had sent condolences to British King Charles III over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent condolences to British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
During her 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II devoted herself to promoting national development and friendly exchanges between Britain and other countries, Mao stressed.
Noting that Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to visit China and had also received a number of Chinese leaders to visit Britain, Mao said that the Queen made significant contributions to enhancing understanding between the Chinese and British people and expanding friendly exchanges between the two countries.
“China stands ready to continue to work with the British royal family and all sectors to promote the continuous development of bilateral relations,” Mao noted.
After Buckingham Palace announced the queen’s death, Chinese social media users shared photos from her China trip. On microblogging platform Weibo, 20 of the 50 top topics list were dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II on Friday morning, with many calling her a “legend.”
“She has probably witnessed the most striking parts of history in modern times, and now she has completed her mission,” one user commented.
As the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne after her father King George VI died in 1952. She has witnessed a myriad of social changes and political upheavals both at home and abroad during her 70-year reign, from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to Brexit in 2020.
While Elizabeth II was a much revered figure, the institution has been censured for its colonial legacy, including in Hong Kong up until 1997. On Weibo, some comments criticized the British royal family for defending its colonial rule in other countries, arguing that the Chinese people should instead commemorate the nation’s founder Mao Zedong, as Friday marks the 46th anniversary of his death.
The British monarch’s death also made headlines in China’s domestic media. Many outlets highlighted Queen Elizabeth’s key role in stabilizing and unifying the country, while expressing concerns about the struggles Britain currently faces.
“The passing of Queen Elizabeth is another blow to the confidence of British people in the wake of inflation and the energy crisis,” Zhao Chen, a researcher focusing on European studies at China Academy of Social Sciences, told domestic outlet Time News, adding that her death could leave question marks for the monarchy and trigger a reputation crisis for the royal family in the future.
The special name that Mandela had for the Queen was ‘Motlalepula’, which means ‘to come with rain’ in the indigenous Setswana language…reports Asian Lite News
Contravening royal etiquette, Nelson Mandela often referred to Queen Elizabeth II by a special name out of respect and affection, South Africa’s late apartheid hero’s foundation said on Friday, while sharing interesting anecdotes on their friendship.
Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years.
She was 96.
“By his own admission, Nelson Mandela was an anglophile, and in the years after his release from the prison, he cultivated a close relationship with the Queen. He hosted her in South Africa and visited her in England, taking particular delight in exploring Buckingham Palace,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement.
“They also talked on the phone frequently, using their first names with each other as a sign of mutual respect as well as affection,” the Foundation said.
The special name that Mandela had for the Queen was ‘Motlalepula’, which means ‘to come with rain’ in the indigenous Setswana language, it said.
During a banquet hosted by Mandela in 1997 for then Prince Charles, who is now King Charles III, Mandela explained the reasoning behind coining this special name for the Queen.
“We cherish fond memories of the Royal State Visit to South Africa by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1995. We regard it as a watershed in the historical relationship between our countries, now firm partners for peace and prosperity,” Mandela had said.
“As a token of our affection to Her Majesty, we conferred on her the name ‘Motlalepula’, because her visit coincided with torrential rains that we had not experienced in a long time. With the threat of El Nino, we would have welcomed her presence in this period even more. But we can rest content that a part of her soul and her magic is with us today,” he added.
Fondly known to South Africans as Madiba, Mandela spent 27 years in prison, before leading his country from white minority rule to a multi-racial democracy.
He died in 2013 aged 95.
Mandela received numerous civic awards from British institutions, including the British Order of Merit from the Queen, the Order of St John, and an honorary doctorate in law.
“For Madiba (the clan name by which Mandela is fondly known) it was important that the former colonial power in southern Africa should be drawn into cordial and productive relations with the newly democratic republic of South Africa,” the Foundation said.
“For the same reason, South Africa becoming a full member of the Commonwealth again after its long apartheid-era absence had a special significance,” the Foundation said.
The Foundation also recalled how Mandela would ask anyone from Britain or anyone who had visited Britain the question, “And did you get to meet the Queen?” “He would then take great delight in sharing anecdotes of his encounters with her,” the Foundation said, as it shared condolences with the Royal Family and wished King Charles III “strength and fortitude as he takes on new responsibilities at this difficult time.”
Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also expressed his profound and sincere condolences to King Charles III.
“Her Majesty was an extraordinary and world-renowned public figure who lived a remarkable life. Her life and legacy will be fondly remembered by many around the world. The Queen’s commitment and dedication during her 70 years on the throne remains a noble and virtuous example to the entire world,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on Friday.
He recalled how he had met the Queen at the last Commonwealth meeting in London four years ago.
“(We) spent some time looking at letters that Former President Mandela had sent to the Queen, reminiscing about the great statesman that Her Majesty respected enormously,” he recollected and added that South Africa’s thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family, the government and people of the United Kingdom as they mourn their immense loss.
In South Africa and across the globe, the death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted reflections on the historic sweep of her reign and how she succeeded in presiding over the end of Britain’s colonial empire and embracing the independence of her former dominions.
It was in Cape Town, marking her 21st birthday in 1947, that the then Princess Elizabeth pledged that her “whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”.
The British empire soon crumbled, but Elizabeth managed to maintain a regal if a ceremonial, position as the head of the Commonwealth, the 54 nations of mostly previous British colonies.
“The Queen lived a long and consequential life, fulfilling her pledge to serve until her very last breath at the age of 96,” Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, said in a statement Friday.
“She was an exemplary leader of the kind seldom seen in the modern era.”
As queen, Elizabeth was seen as endorsing the birth of democracies in Africa where previously Blacks had been denied basic rights, including the vote.
When in glittering tiaras she danced with new African leaders in the 1960s and visited their capital cities, she bestowed a legitimacy on their governments.
When white-minority rule finally fell in South Africa in 1994, Elizabeth welcomed Nelson Mandela as a world leader.
Her openly warm friendship with Mandela was enjoyed by him, and it gave her a new relevance.
“In the years after his release from prison, (Mandela) cultivated a close relationship with the queen. He hosted her in South Africa and visited her in England, taking particular delight in exploring Buckingham Palace. They also talked on the phone frequently, using their first names with each other as a sign of mutual respect as well as affection,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement Friday.
“For Madiba (Mandela’s clan name) it was important that the former colonial power in southern Africa should be drawn into cordial and productive relations with the newly democratic republic of South Africa. For the same reason, South Africa becoming a full member of the Commonwealth again after its long apartheid-era absence had a special significance,” it said.
Fellow radical anti-apartheid fighter, Anglican archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, also enjoyed good relations with the queen, and his foundation paid tribute to her.
“Although ensconced in the pomp, ceremony and lifestyle of royalty and empire, in a world of profound inequality, she was a servant queen,” Tutu’s foundation and trust said Friday.
In contrast, a scathing view of the queen’s rule was issued by South Africa’s populist party, the Economic Freedom Fighters.
The queen was “head of an institution built up, sustained, and living off a brutal legacy of dehumanisation of millions of people across the world,” said the statement.
“We do not mourn the death of Elizabeth, because to us her death is a reminder of a very tragic period in this country and Africa’s history,” said the party.
“During her 70-year reign as queen, she never once acknowledged the atrocities that her family inflicted on native people that Britain invaded across the world. She willingly benefited from the wealth that was attained from the exploitation and murder of millions of people across the world.”
The queen’s death came as a growing number of British territories in the Caribbean are seeking to replace the monarch with their own heads of state amid demands that Britain apologise for its colonial-era abuses and award its former colonies slavery reparations.
Still, Caribbean leaders mourned her.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that for many years Elizabeth visited the island every decade.
“Undoubtedly, she formed a special bond with the people of Jamaica,” he said.
“We are saddened that we will not see her light again, but we will remember her historic reign.”
Bermuda Premier David Burt noted that her reign “has spanned decades of such immense change for the United Kingdom and the world.”
