.
Rockets hit near US embassy in Baghdad
Expresstribune: A volley of rockets landed near the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad Sunday, two security sources told AFP, in the latest unclaimed attack on American installations in the country.
AFP reporters heard loud thuds emanating from the western bank of the Tigris, where most foreign embassies are located.
One security source said three Katyusha rockets hit near the high-security compound while another said as many as five struck the area.
There was no immediate word on casualties.
US ‘ready to assist’ Pakistan: Wells
Expresstribune: A senior aide of US President Donald Trump has acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts for fulfilling the obligations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), saying Washington stands ready to assist Islamabad in implementing them.
“We’ve been pleased to see progress by Pakistan towards fulfilling FATF obligations,” Alice Wells, the US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, said while briefing the media in Washington about her recent trip to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.
Asked about Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s request for US help to remove Pakistan from the global financial watchdog’s grey list, Wells noted that FATF was a technical process and an action plan had been presented to Islamabad.
Hajj cost further jacks up due to Saudi fee
Expresstribune: After a possible hike in the cost of government’s Hajj package, Saudi Arabia has also announced to impose an additional fee of Rs16,000 – raising the minimum cost of Hajj this year to around Rs566,000.
The Ministry of Religious Affair on Thursday told a Senate panel that cost of Hajj might increase this year Rs115,000 because of hike in the US dollar’s exchange rate and rising airfares.
After the increase in the Hajj package, the cost of government Hajj package for northern region would increase to Rs550,000 and that of the southern region to Rs545,000. The cost of government Hajj package last year was Rs433,000.
Indian citizenship act set to create largest statelessness crisis in world: EU lawmakers
Expresstribune: The European Union Parliament has drafted a resolution in which it expressed concerns over the controversial Indian citizenship act saying: “CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act] amendments are set to create the largest statelessness crisis in the world.”
The EU lawmakers have heaped scorn on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for enacting “fundamentally discriminatory” law in a five-page resolution to be tabled during the plenary session of the EU Parliament starting in Brussels next week.
The draft resolution condemned the violence and “systematic brutality” of the Indian law enforcement agencies against the protesters.
620km long human chain comprising of 70 lakh people formed in in Kerala in protest against CAA
The Statesman: A 620 km long human chain comprising around 70 lakh people was formed in Kerala by the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Sunday to mark protest against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.
The human chain stretched from Kasaragod in north to Kaliyikkavila in the south in Tamil Nadu.
As per the reports, a large number of people gathered for the human chain formation and after a trial at 3:30 pm, the chain formation began at 4 pm. At first, the Preamble of the Constitution was read out and then every participant took a pledge on the account of the CAA by the BJP-led Central government.
At the southernmost end, CPI-M Politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai was first in the chain while at the southernmost end, another Politburo member of the party MA Baby was standing.
Erdogan says Haftar pursues Libya attacks 'with all his resources
Morungexpress: Eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar is violating Libya's truce and so cannot be expected to respect the ceasefire called between his forces and pro-government troops, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.
Despite efforts by Turkey and Russia, Haftar abandoned talks on a ceasefire in Moscow earlier this month and his blockade of Libyan oilfields overshadowed a summit in Berlin last week aimed at agreeing on a permanent truce.
His Libyan National Army (LNA) faction aims to capture the capital, Tripoli, through the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russian mercenaries and African troops.
Turkey meanwhile backs Fayez al-Serraj's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).
Fighting has abated in the past weeks but picked up at the weekend at the frontline in southern Tripoli, where artillery fire could be heard, a Reuters reporter said. More than 150,000 people have been displaced by the months of fighting.
US-Taliban peace talks stuck over definition of violence
MorungExpress: The negotiations for an Afghanistan peace deal between the US and the Taliban are ensnarled over their disagreement on the definition of "reduction in violence".
A few weeks ago, the US and Taliban representatives resumed the stalled negotiations, which President Donald Trump had called off in September last year. The two sides have been holding closed-door parleys in Qatar to finalize the peace deal and gradual withdrawal of the US and NATO forces which launched a war against terror in Afghanistan 18 years ago.
Top officials told IANS that Washington has been feeling frustrated that even as the Taliban had offered to reduce attacks for up to ten days during the drawdown of the US forces from Afghanistan, violence remained high.
As per the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data, 54 civilians, 32 security forces and 232 militants have been killed since the beginning of this year alone. Last year, 817 civilians, 728 security forces and 10634 militants were killed in the country.
Release J&K leaders held sans charges, US ambassador asks India
Deccanchronicle: he United States on Saturday asked India to permit regular access for American diplomats to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and “to move swiftly to release those political leaders detained without charge”.
“On J&K, I was pleased to see some incremental steps, including the partial return of Internet service in Kashmir. And the visit by our ambassador and other foreign diplomats to J&K is something that I know was extensively covered in the press. We see this as a useful step. We also continue to urge the government to permit regular access by our diplomats, and to move swiftly to release those political leaders detained without charge,”
India may raise import duties on more than 50 items next week
Deccanchronicle: India plans to increase import duties on more than 50 items including electronics, electrical goods, chemicals and handicrafts, targeting about $56 billion worth of imports from China and elsewhere, officials and industry sources said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman could make the announcement when she presents her annual budget for 2020/21 on Feb. 1, along with other stimulus measures to revive sagging economic growth, one of the government officials said.
Higher customs duties are likely to hit goods such as mobile phone chargers, industrial chemicals, lamps, wooden furniture, candles, jewellery and handicraft items, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The move could hit smartphone manufacturers that still import chargers or other components such as vibrator motors and ringers, along with retailers such as giant IKEA that is in the process of expanding its footprint in India.
After US, Nepal followed the same suit as she offers to play role of mediator between Pakistan and India
Daily Excelsior: Nepal on Saturday offered to play the role of a mediator between India and Pakistan, saying that it was important for the two countries to have dialogue to resolve their issues.
“Dialogue is the best way to resolve any problem. There may be differences but it can be resolved through dialogue. If necessary, we can play the role of a mediator too,” a Nepal government source said here.
The source said that better solution to resolve the issues would be to develop better dialogue between two countries. “We can be instrumental, but it will be better (for the two sides) to develop direct contact,” the source said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last. India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
