ISLAMABAD, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Pakistan recorded nearly 70% increase in exports to China in the first quarter of 2021, an official said on Wednesday. 

Pakistan's ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said, "Impressive figures of Pakistan's exports to China in 1st quarter of year 2021. $888 million as compared to 2020' Q1 $526 million. An increase of 69%."  

Last year, phase two of the much-touted China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement came into effect, which now allows Pakistani manufacturers and traders to export around 313 new products to the Chinese market with zero duties. 

Pakistan is already enjoying zero duties on exports of 724 products to China under the first free trade pact signed between the two countries in 2006. After implementation of the second pact, Pakistan has been now allowed to export more than 1,000 products to China with zero duties.  

According to Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI), China was the second largest destination for Pakistan’s exports in 2020 after the US. 

According to official data, Pakistan and China's bilateral trade volume grew to some $15.6 billion in the 2019 fiscal year, up from $2.2 billion in 2005. 

In 2019, Pakistan also signed an agreement with China to use Chinese currency for bilateral trade to get rid of the dollar burden in $15 billion bilateral trade. 

In the past, China-Pakistan ties were mainly of military and strategic importance. But now the economic relations of China-Pakistan are strengthening specially after the conclusion of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2007. 

The two longtime allies are also partnering in the multi-million-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious project to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks to boost trade and stimulate economic growth. 

RIYADH, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz have discussed bilateral ties in a call on Tuesday.  

This is  the second conversation between both the leaders in less than a month. 

In a brief statement issued by Turkey’s communications directorate late on Tuesday, said the two leaders “evaluated” matters on issues affecting both countries “and steps to be taken to further the cooperation”. 

While Turkey and Saudi Arabia are major economic partners, the two have a tense political relationship.  

Turkey is looking to repair relations with Saudi Arabia after they were thrown into crisis by the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. 

Last year, Saudi businessmen endorsed an unofficial boycott of Turkish goods in response to what they called hostility from Ankara, slashing the value of trade by 98 percent. 

Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin last month said that Erdogan and King Salman had “a good call” in April and that the foreign ministers of the two countries had agreed to meet. 

Tuesday’s conversation came a day before a meeting between Turkish and Egyptian officials in Cairo, the latest step in Turkey’s push to mend relations with another United States-allied Arab power. 

Relations have been strained since Egypt’s army ousted in 2013 Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi, who was close to Turkey. Recently, however, Turkey has begun working to rebuild ties with Egypt and other Gulf states.  

COLOMBO, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Among 160 countries, Sri Lanka has been ranked 69th in the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) said. 

According to the latest NCSI ranking, Sri Lanka has advanced to 69 in 2021. Was ranked 98 in 2020. This is an improvement of 29 positions, the SLCERT said. 

NCSI report described that Sri Lanka has recorded the 83rd position on the Global Cyber security Index, 117th position in the ICT Development Index and 63rd in Networked Readiness Index. 

The CERT which is under the Ministry of Technology is implementing the nation’s first Information and Cyber Security Strategy and activities related to this and contributed significantly to the improved ranking. 

According to the index Greece recorded first place with an average of 96.10 and South Sudan ranked last with 160th position with an average of 2.60. India recorded 37th place in the index with an average of 59. Pakistan recorded 70th place on the index with an average of 42.86.  

The United States recorded the 16 positions in the index with an average of 79.22 while the United Kingdom recorded 18th place with a rank of 77.92, the index said. 

NCSI is a global index which measures the preparedness of countries to prevent cyber threats and manage cyber incidents. 

KABUL, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said on May 4th that Afghanistan’s education system is now in jeopardy as the country’s enemies are targeting students and destroying infrastructure. 

He indirectly referred to the recent car bomb attack in Logar province that killed at least 26 people, most of whom were students. 

In an event President Ghani inaugurated buildings for 59 schools in 22 provinces and said the education sector is the key to development in the country. 

“Today, our education is faced with a cruel attack and our student, who should be planning his future with a calm mind, is assassinated,” Ghani said. 

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that the country’s schools are accommodating students three times beyond capacity. 

The acting minister of education, Rangina Hamidi, said that her ministry has facilitated education with minimal facilities. 

“Education is the backbone for Afghanistan, and I assure you that we will be able to have a brighter future for Afghanistan if this sector improves,” Hamidi said. 

This comes amid complaints about a lack of school buildings and school teachers in some provinces, including Kabul. 

The Ministry of Education on April 10 said there is a need for at least 50,000 new teachers for the country’s schools, as the current number of instructors is not sufficient. 

Afghanistan’s schools have at least 220,000 teachers for 9.7 million students across the country. 

Along with the lack of school buildings, textbooks and other educational resources, the lack of teachers is said to be one of the major challenges facing the education sector in Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan’s education system has been devastated by more than three decades of sustained conflict. An estimated 3.7 million children are out-of-school in Afghanistan and 60% of them are girls.  

KABUL, 5 May, 2021 (TON): The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has said that a Taliban plan to seize control of Afghanistan with a military takeover would not be acceptable to the world. 

In a statement issued by US embassy, Khalilzad "emphasized that there was strong consensus within both the regional and international community against any effort by the Taliban to pursue a military takeover. Only a negotiated settlement can end over 40 years of war in Afghanistan and Ambassador Khalilzad pledged common cause with Afghan leaders to accelerate efforts to reach an inclusive settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.” 

In separate meetings with Afghan political leaders in Kabul, Khalilzad called for a political consensus to be formed among Afghan political leaders to help pave the way for successful peace negotiation talks with the Taliban. 

A member of the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) who met Khalilzad in Kabul said that in the meeting discussions were held about the success of the upcoming UN-led summit on Afghanistan in Turkey. 

“He (Khalilzad) stressed the importance of the existence of the system, the protection of the security forces and the army,” said Haji Din Mohammad, a member of the HCNR. 

“If the consensus is limited to the meeting of a few political leaders, this can’t be evaluated as a solution,” said political analyst Wais Naseri. 

Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani has said that with the completion of the withdrawal of foreign forces, all decisions regarding the country will be taken by the Afghan people and the government. 

KATHMANDU, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Nepal's two major government-run hospitals based in capital Kathmandu have been facing oxygen supply shortage, authorities said.

The Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease hospital which has been converted into a COVID-19 hospital, and the National Trauma Centre, another hospital which treats people injured in accidents, are running out of liquid oxygen.

A hospital official Sagar Kumar Rajbhandari said, "Our liquid oxygen tank is running out of oxygen and it will just be enough till Wednesday."

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday addressed the nation and appealed to the international community to help Nepal in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his address to the nation he said that the government had banned supplying oxygen for purposes except for the purpose of treating patients.

The situation is becoming grim for Nepal as the Himalayan country on Tuesday reported another record of high deaths and infections.

So far Nepal has reported 323,187 cases and 3279 Covid-19 deaths, but cases are going up at breakneck speed.

COLOMBO, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 86 Indians on board 11 fishing boats while they were trying to illegally enter its waters, amidst enhanced vigilance against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the island nation.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Navy said it has deployed additional naval units to patrol the northern and western sea waters to prevent the illegal entry of migrants, including from India, which could heighten the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The announcement comes as military personnel apprehended 21 Indian nationals on four Indian boats for allegedly trying to enter the island nation in the last fortnight.

“By virtue of special patrols being conducted in the sea area close to the Palk Strait these days to prevent illegal immigrants from entering Sri Lankan waters, the Navy was able to prevent 11 Indian fishing vessels with 86 individuals, from their suspicious attempt to enter into Sri Lankan waters," the Navy said in a statement.

The Sri Lankan Navy said it has increased patrol along the island’s north and north-western coasts to prevent “illegal migration”.

The Indian High Commission said there were “a few boats with Indian fishermen near IMBL which were stopped by Sri Lankan Navy when they inadvertently drifted towards Sri Lanka”.

The Navy has urged the local fishing community to remain vigilant and refrain from having any contact with foreign fishing vessels at sea and to provide information on any smuggling groups.

Fishing dispute have been a constant area of concern between India and Sri Lanka. Illegal fishing by Indian fishermen within territorial waters of Sri Lanka is on regular basis. However,

Sri Lanka’s government patrol vigilantly on the International Maritime Boundary Line and capture Indian trawl boats and fishers.

SAN FRANCISCO, 05 May 2021, (TON):  India has started a new campaign against the Republicans, especially former President Donald Trump, who was defeated as a result of fraud elections. Interestingly, President Trump’s Facebook and Twitter accounts were blocked despite Washington claims to be custodian of freedom and liberty of speech.

Meanwhile, India has been paid to carryout propaganda against former US President Trump that he started his social media platform, which is actually just a WordPress blog.

Interestingly, the WordPress blog was even not signed in by President trump for over one and a half month.

BERLIN, 05 May 2021 (TON):  In suspicion of established links with Palestinian freedom fighters’ group Hamas, Germany has banned Ansaar. Germany claims that “Ansaar” as a charity organization under the guise of humanitarian aid is financing terror around the world.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Twitter, "If you want to fight terror you have to dry up its sources of funding."

German police searched buildings in 10 German states as part of the move to ban the organization but could not find material other than arrests. Police had also raided offices belonging Ansaar in 2019, on suspicion of financing the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is on a European Union terrorism blacklist. 

Ansaar website also provide their activities which include providing humanitarian aid to people affected by war and crisis by building or financing the construction of hospitals, orphanages and schools.

KABUL, 05 May 2021 (TON): One person was killed and four others injured in a roadside bomb blast that targeted a civilian bus carrying health workers in Kabul on Wednesday morning.

The bus was en-route Panjshir province where they health workers had offices.

District Governor of Kalakan, Abdul Ghafoor Popalzai confirmed that death one individual but eyewitnesses claimed that no one killed and three persons suffered minor injuries.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.