Yusara Askari, Author at The Singapore Post

China-backed Port City in Colombo belongs to govt: Sri Lankan Minister

20Apr

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China-backed Port City in Colombo belongs to govt: Sri Lankan Minister

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Minister of Justice Ali Sabry has said the government owns 100 per cent of the land and the project has been initiated to bring investment in the special financial zone. Amid the controversy of China backed post City of Colombo.Addressing a media briefing on Sunday, Minister Sabry said the total area of the investment zone is 269 hectares and 91 hectares for public facilities and cannot be given to the project company, The Colombo Page reported. Out of the remaining land of the financial zone, 116 hectares or 43 per cent will be given to the project company which initiated the project in 2013 and spent USD 1.4 billion to develop the Port City."But all 100 per cent of the land is owned by the government. It is completely false to say that land was given to som...

China brought enormous force to border without provocation: Jaishankar

20Apr

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China brought enormous force to border without provocation: Jaishankar

New Delhi, India: Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Monday said the China is enforcing a lot of forces to the borders [Line of actual control(LAC)], without provocation. Speaking at the All India Management Association National Leadership Conclave, the external affairs minister pointed that for the last 40 years, India and China have had peace and tranquillity on the border though not “suggesting that we solved the boundary dispute”.“For last 40 years, we have had peace and tranquillity on the border. I’m not suggesting that we solved the boundary dispute… But the rest of our relationship got built on an assumption that neither would use force or threaten another. We had different agreements that translated those good intentions into commitments,” he said at the conclave.“La

Chinese embassy in US said they absolutely oppose to US- Japan joint statement

19Apr

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Chinese embassy in US said they absolutely oppose to US- Japan joint statement

BEIJING - China is objecting on the statement issued by the US and Japan The remarks have “completely gone beyond the scope of the normal development of bilateral relations”, harming the interests of third parties as well as peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, the embassy said. The move was an attempt to split the region that “will inevitably proceed with the purpose of harming others and end in harming themselves”, it added. The summit – Biden’s first in-person meeting with a foreign leader as president – came just days after China sent 25 aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, near Taiwan, which Beijing considers a wayward province. “I refrain from mentioning details, since it pertains to diplomatic exchanges, but there is already an agreed reco

to strengthen the regional ties Japan’s PM to Visit India, Philippines to Strengthen Regional Ties

19Apr

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to strengthen the regional ties Japan’s PM to Visit India, Philippines to Strengthen Regional Ties

Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in a move to strengthen regional ties after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to visit India and the Philippines in late April, in a move to strengthen regional ties after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Suga’s travels will include meeting India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Kyodo News, citing Japanese government sources. According to analysts, Japan wants to strengthen ties in Asia to counter Beijing's growing clout in the region. That echoes the agenda for his White House meeting, which was seen as emphasizing the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance before their shared rival, China. Analysts told VOA Mandarin that Suga’s expected visit is aimed at boosting c

15Apr

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Taiwan launches its first amphibious ship

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Taiwan from its new naval shipbuilding program begun by launching its amphibious transport ship which is the first from this program. The program started as a result of China to use military force to annex the island it claims is its territory. President Tsai Ing-wen presided over the launching ceremony at a shipyard in the southern port city of Kaohsiung for the first in the series of ships intended as&

Indian govt holds mega tourism event in J&K’s Srinagar from April 11 to 13

11Apr

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Indian govt holds mega tourism event in J&K’s Srinagar from April 11 to 13

The Ministry of Tourism under the aegis of the government of India has organized a mega tourism promotion event in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar from April 11 to 13. Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel addressed the delegates at the inauguration of the event titled "Tapping the Potential of Kashmir: Another Day in Paradise". The objective of the event is to showcase the various tourism products of Jammu and Kashmir and promote it as the destination for leisure, adventure, Eco, Wedding, films and MICE Tourism. Several interesting programmes, discussion sessions, technical tours, exhibitions, interactions will form the part of the event including a technical visit to the Tulip Gar

India, Bangladesh exchange MoUs; recognise Dec 6 as ‘Maitri Diwas’

28Mar

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India, Bangladesh exchange MoUs; recognise Dec 6 as ‘Maitri Diwas’

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said that December 6, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh, will be celebrated as ‘Maitri Diwas’.The decision came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Bangladesh on his first trip to a foreign country since the Covid-19 outbreak, held one-on-one talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina held talks in Dhaka on Saturday.According to a joint statement issued after their talks, Prime Minister Modi said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of the greatest leaders of modern times, will be remembered for his courage and indelible contribution to Bangladesh’s emergence as a sovereign country.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked India for conferring Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2020 on Ba

PM Modi in Dhaka invites 50 entrepreneurs to join startups in India; announces scholarships for Bangladeshi youth

26Mar

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PM Modi in Dhaka invites 50 entrepreneurs to join startups in India; announces scholarships for Bangladeshi youth

On his first foreign visit to Bangladesh after covid-19, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended an invitation to 50 entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to visit India to join the country’s start-up ecosystem.“On completion of 50 years of relationship between India and Bangladesh, I would like to invite 50 entrepreneurs of Bangladesh to visit India and join our start-up and innovation ecosystem and meet our venture capitalists. We will also be able to learn something from them and they will also get an opportunity to learn something from us,” Modi said during an event celebrating 50 years of Bangladesh’s liberation.Modi who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh also announced the ‘Swarna Jayanti’ scholarship for the youth of Bangladesh.The Swarna Jayanti Fellowship is a research fel

‘India will continue to engage with Bangladesh to conclude Teesta agreement’

24Mar

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‘India will continue to engage with Bangladesh to conclude Teesta agreement’

Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that New Delhi will continue to engage with Dhaka to conclude the Teesta agreement as soon as possible.Addressing a special briefing, Shringla said that the secretaries of water resources from both countries met recently under the Joint River Waters’ Commission.“There was extensive discussions and cooperation on all of the rivers that flow between our countries. There are issues that involve not just water flows but use of water for drinking and irrigation purposes,” he said, adding, “we will continue our cooperation in the water resources sector. It’s an important area of collaboration between the two countries”.While responding to a query about announcements related to the si

China aggressively building new villages in disputed borderlands in Himalayas: Report

22Mar

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China aggressively building new villages in disputed borderlands in Himalayas: Report

China is aggressively building many new villages in disputed borderlands in the Himalayas to extend or consolidate its control over strategically important areas that India, Bhutan, and Nepal maintain fall within their national boundaries, according to a report by Center for Policy Research.In an article titled ‘China’s Himalayan salami tactics’, Brahma Chellaney, professor of strategic studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research said that the strategic implications of China’s drive to populate these desolate, uninhabited border areas is its major buildup of new military facilities.The new installations range from electronic warfare stations and air defence sites to underground ammunition depots.“China’s militarised village-building spree has renewed the regional spotlight on