NEW DELHI, 30 November 2021, (TON): The Lok Sabha, lower House of the Indian parliament, passed a bill to repeal the three contentious agricultural sector reform laws, against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, within minutes of its introduction without discussion.

Soon after the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon after a brief adjournment on the first day of the winter session, Indian Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduced the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 through which the government wants to scrap the three laws which were passed by parliament in September last year.

The three laws were brought with an objective to bring reforms in the agriculture sector, especially marketing of farm produce.

The opposition lawmakers rushed to the well of the House demanding a debate on the bill and raised slogans and banners, our New Delhi correspondent reports.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he was ready to allow discussion on the bill provided the protesting lawmakers go back to their seats and there is order in the House.

However, the opposition did not pay heed to the Speaker's appeal and continued their protests.

NEW DELHI, 30 November 2021, (TON): From clinching deals on Kalashnikov assault rifles and very-short range air defence missile systems (VSHORADS) to a military logistics pact, upgraded combat exercises and more joint projects, Russia is now looking to challenge the US as India’s pre-eminent strategic partner and defence supplier.

Ahead of the annual Modi-Putin summit here on December 6, coinciding with the inaugural two-plus-two dialogue between their foreign and defence ministers, hectic negotiations are currently underway to put finishing touches on a wide-ranging strategic-defence agenda.

While there is now deep India-US strategic congruence across the spectrum, with New Delhi also inking defence deals worth over $21 billion with Washington since 2007, Russia wants to assert its long-standing special strategic partnership with India.

Russia, incidentally, has notched up military sales worth well over $65 billion to India since the early-1960s.

Russia is also apprehensive about India’s determined push for self-reliance in defence production. But it can take heart that the decks have finally been cleared for the long-pending Rs 5,124 crore project to manufacture over six lakh AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles at Korwa ordnance factory in Amethi district of UP, even as the $1.5 billion deal for India to acquire VSHORADS from Russia is also now in the “final stages”, said sources.

India also wants to induct the Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine called Chakra-III, under the $3 billion 10-year lease for it in March 2019, by 2025-2026.

NAYPYITAW, 30 November 2021, (TON): The CDF said “Resistance fighters from the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) attacked a government office where soldiers were stationed near the Chin State town of Matupi on Friday morning, killing two and severely injuring another.”

A CDF spokesperson said “around 10 soldiers were based at the Matupi District Office, five miles outside of the town, when the attack happened. “We have clashed so many times at that place.”

He added that some 30 junta soldiers from Infantry Battalion 140, which is based in Matupi, arrived at the office as reinforcements after the attack and the situation remained tense.

The day before the attack, the Matupi CDF teamed up with the Chin National Army to attack an outpost of Light Infantry Battalion 304 on the road linking Matupi to the town of Paletwa.

The group said “two junta soldiers on guard duty died in that attack and five were injured, while the resistance forces retreated without suffering any casualties.”

The CDF said that they attacked the soldiers because they had been terrorising civilians travelling along the road.

NAYPYITAW, 30 November 2021, (TON): Authorities in Buthidaung, northern Rakhine State, last week tightened travel restrictions against local Rohingya, requiring them to obtain a permission slip from an immigration office in order to leave the township.

The November 25 order from township adminstrator Nay Oo said that some “Muslim people” had been travelling beyond their own townships, districts, states, and regions without a document known as a Form 4, and that this threatened local security and rule of law.

The Rohingya have been subject to severe restrictions on their movements for years, one of numerous oppressive policies directed at the group that activists say form part of a genocidal campaign that came to a head with military-led mass killings in 2016 and 2017.

The order said “those who travel without permission slips will face legal action and the new rule will be in effect for two months from the date of issue.”

Until now, Rohingya in the township have needed a recommendation letter from their village administrator to travel outside the township, but did not need to ask immigration.

A Rohingya resident of Buthidaung, who asked to remain anonymous, said “the new restrictions would mean delays for people who need to travel to Maungdaw to seek medical help and would make it even harder for some Rohingya to earn a living.”

He said that the permission slip from the township immigration office will only be eligible only for seven days.

“We will need to get a recommendation letter from the village administrator first in order to get the permission slip from the immigration office.”

He added that this is just discrimination; people of other ethnicities do not need Form 4. This is basically just systematic oppression.

Another Rohingya from Buthidaung said it would be necessary to bribe local immigration officials to get the permission slip. We have to wait if we don’t pay them. We need to pay them 5,000-10,000 kyat if we want it on the same day.

DHAKA, 30 November 2021, (TON): The two-day investment summit, which concluded, received investment proposals of $2.7 billion from domestic and international companies in different sectors.

Engineering Dimension, a Saudi industrial group, declared to invest $1.75 billion in making power generators and setting up cement manufacturing plant, said Md Sirazul Islam, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) after the summit.

He said “Aygaz, a Turkish industrial group, announced it would invest $150 million along with local United Group.”

Besides, Karnaphuly Dry Dock signed a deal with Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority to invest $118 million in construction of a terminal in the Chattogram port, he said, adding that Barishal Electric Power Company announced investment of $100 million in producing electricity.

Guopo Renewable Energy Technology proposed to invest $50 million. Hangzhou JY Supply Chain announced plans for investment of $20 million and IT Hub Investments will invest $15 million, added Sirazul.

BIDA organised the event at Radisson Blu Water Garden Dhaka to promote Bangladesh as one of the world's most profitable investment destinations and highlight specific private investment opportunities here. More than 6,000 participants joined the summit, including 5,000 in person.

The BIDA chairman said “the participants represented 54 countries which indicates how the brand of Bangladesh is expanding globally.”

DHAKA, 30 November 2021, (TON): Law Minister Anisul Huq said “Bangladesh will turn into a high-middle income country by 2031 and into a developed country by 2041 with its current development pace.”

He said “this while speaking as chief guest to "Legal Infrastructures of International Investment Conference-2021", organised by Bangladesh Export Development Authority at a city hotel.”

He said that the government has taken many steps that include formulating the eighth five-year plan and amendment of relevant laws to increase foreign investments.

NEW DELHI, 29 November 2021, (TON): A two-day trilateral maritime drill conducted by the coast guards of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives to bolster security in the Indian Ocean, enhance mutual operational capability and exercise interoperability between these three countries culminated in the Maldives on Sunday.

The 15th edition of the trilateral engagement termed "Dosti" is conducted biennially, and 2021 marks 30 years since these maritime drills were first introduced.

However, it began primarily as a bilateral engagement, involving only Indian and Maldives Coast Guards. Sri Lanka joined in 2012 to make it a trilateral exercise.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement "the two-day exercise under the aegis of Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a pioneering effort to collaborate efforts towards the Pillar of Maritime Security.”

ISLAMABAD, 29 November 2021, (TON): President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday held a meeting in Ashgabat with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and agreed to enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

They concurred to further strengthen the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to achieve its objectives.

The two leaders underlined the need for collective efforts of the region particularly of the Islamic countries to stop Islamophobia.

President Alvi said “there was a need to work together to tackle the challenges faced by the region.”

He thanked the Turkish President for Turkey’s principled stance on the issue of Kashmir.

President Alvi also held a meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev here and exchanged views on bilateral ties, trade and economic cooperation.

RIYADH, 29 November 2021, (TON): Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met Argentinian Deputy Prime Minister Jorge Neme and Defense Minister Jorge Taiana, in the capital Buenos Aires.

The meeting, which was held during a luncheon hosted by Saudi ambassador to Argentina Hussain Mohammed Al-Asiri, reviewed Saudi-Argentinian bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them in all fields of cooperation, in addition to discussing the latest developments on the regional and international levels.

They also discussed ways of boosting cooperation between the two countries in various fields, especially in light of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan. Intensifying bilateral coordination to achieve the aspirations of both countries is a priority for both sides.

WASHINGTON, 29 November 2021, (TON): Russia's ambassador to the United States said that 27 more Russian diplomats and their families were expelled from the United States and would leave on January 30.

"Our diplomats are being expelled...A large group of my comrades, 27 people with families, will leave us on January 30... We are facing a serious staff shortage," Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said in a video interview for the Soloviev Live Youtube channel aired late.

According to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova “Russia has previously said that over 100 of its diplomats with families had been forced to leave the United States since 2016 when the relationship between the two countries worsened. As of October 29, nearly 200 Russian diplomats were still in their jobs in the US, included the staff of the Russian mission to the United Nations.”

Biden's administration said last month that the staff of the US mission in Russia had shrunk to 120 from 1,200 in early 2017 after a series of expulsions and restrictions, and it was difficult to continue with anything other than a caretaker presence at the embassy.