No scope for third party mediation on Kashmir: Govt sources after Trump's fresh offer for help

Deccan Herald:There is no role for any third party on the Kashmir issue, government sources asserted on Wednesday in response to US President Donald Trump's fresh offer to "help" India and Pakistan resolve the lingering dispute. New Delhi's long-held position has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there is no question of any mediation or intervention by any third party.

Addressing the media with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Davos on Tuesday, Trump said that the US was watching the developments relating to Kashmir "very closely" and repeated his offer to "help" resolve the dispute.

It was Trump's fourth offer in last five months to help both the countries resolve the Kashmir issue after India withdrew the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories. "What's going on between Pakistan and India…..if we can help, we certainly will be willing to, we have been watching it closely, Trump said.

US willing to help resolve India-Pakistan standoff on Kashmir: Trump

Deccan Chronicle:President Donald Trump said the United States was watching developments between India and Pakistan over Kashmir “very closely” and was prepared to help if necessary, but did not say how.

Speaking ahead of talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump said trade and borders were both critical points for discussion, while Khan said that for him Afghanistan was the top priority.

“Trade is going to be of very, very paramount importance ... and we’re working together on some borders, and we’re talking about Kashmir in relation to what is going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help we certainly will be helping,” he said.

“We’ve been watching that and following it very, very closely,” he added

Modi, Oli jointly inaugurate integrated check post through video conferencing

Dailyexcelsior: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday jointly inaugurated the Rs 140 crore Jogbani-Biratnagar Integrated Check Post with an aim to improve bilateral trade and people-to-people contact.

Built with Indian assistance, the Integrated Check Post (ICP) is spread over 260 acres and is capable of handling 500 trucks on a daily basis.

The project, which will improve bilateral trade and people-to-people contact, was launched jointly by the two leaders via a video link.

It is the second ICP between the two countries after the first one was built in Raxaul-Birgunj in 2018.

After the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi said India is committed to simplifying and smoothening traffic with all friendly countries in the neighbourhood, and to “further facilitate contacts between us in areas such as business, culture and education”.

India and Nepal are working on several cross-border connectivity projects such as road, rail and transmission lines, he said.

Chinese Embassy Criticizes US Diplomat  Wells’ ‘Negative Propaganda’ against CPEC

News One:The Chinese embassy in Pakistan on Wednesday took exception to senior US diplomat Alice Wells’ criticism of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming it “negative propaganda” by the US to interfere in China-Pakistan relations and CPEC

“Although you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, we have to make our position clear and reject the negative propaganda by the US,” the embassy’s spokesperson said in response to a question, according to a press release.

The rebuke comes a day after Wells criticised the flagship project of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative and alleged that there was no transparency in CPEC projects. Wells had also claimed that Pakistan’s debt burden was growing due to the Chinese financing.

Responding to her comments on Wednesday, the Chinese embassy spokesperson said, “The comments hold nothing new, but the same cliche in her speech in November, 2019, which has been repeatedly rejected by China and Pakistan.” It added that “we must not let the truth be distorted and the lies run wild”.

With regard to Wells’ allegations about blacklisted firms getting contracts in CPEC, the embassy spokesperson said, “The Chinese government always requests the Chinese companies to operate according to local laws and regulations.

India’s Supreme Court Refuses to Strike down Citizenship Law

News One: India’s Supreme Court declined calls to suspend the implementation of a new citizenship law on Wednesday. It instead decided that a constitutional bench of five judges was needed to hear all the challenges to legislation

The court gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government four weeks to respond to 144 petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law which has ignited protests across the country.

The law, which came into effect on January 10 after being passed by the parliament in December, lays out a path for citizenship for six religious minorities in neighbouring mostly-Muslim countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Critics say that the omission of Muslims is discriminatory, and that basing the right to citizenship on religion violates the secular principles of India’s constitution.

Pakistan’s Asad Ali climbs highest mountain in South America

News One:Pakistan’s Asad Ali Memon has climbed Aconcagua – the highest mountain peak in South America – and hoisted a 50-meter-long national flag at the top.

The 22-year-old mountaineer dedicated his success to the soldiers of Pakistan Army and the people of Kashmir after making it to the highest mountain in the world outside Asia.

Aconcagua is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina with an elevation of 22,837 feet. Climbing Aconcagua was a part of ‘Seven Summit Challenge’ for Asad Ali

Conflict among two nuclear armed countries unthinkable: PM Imran Khan

News One:Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that one should not even think about a conflict between two nuclear armed states owing to the devastation it would create across the world.

The prime minister was speaking to media in Davos, where he is attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit. He spoke about India-Pakistan tensions, saying that Modi’s wrong policies in occupied Kashmir were the main cause for deteriorating relations between Islamabad and New Delhi

The prime minister said he was a “firm believer” in peace and that military conflicts were never the solution to problems. PM Imran said he reached out to Modi to settle disputes between the two countries when he first became prime minister. However, he said the reaction from Modi was “quite weird”

Iranian MP offers $3 million reward for 'whoever kills Trump

Express Tribune:An Iranian lawmaker offered a $3 million reward to anyone who killed US President Donald Trump and said Iran could avoid threats if it had nuclear arms, ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday amid Tehran’s latest standoff with Washington.

Tensions have steadily escalated since Trump pulled Washington out of Tehran’s nuclear agreement with world powers in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions. The standoff erupted into tit-for-tat military strikes this month.

On behalf of the people of Kerman province, we will pay a $3 million reward in cash to whoever kills Trump,” lawmaker Ahmad Hamzeh told the 290-seat parliament, ISNA reported.

World’s largest urban forest will be planted along the Lyari river

Hellopakistan:The largest urban forest in the world will be planted along the Lyari river over an area of 26 kilometers. Only environment –friendly fruit bearing trees will be planted. As an urban forest is planted along the rivers it will turn the area into an attractive spot for local people and foreign tourists. It is said that similar urban forest will be planted in other parts of the city as well.

Pakistan becomes second developing country to introduce electric vehicle policy

Hellopakistan:Pakistan has become the second developing country in the region to introduce an electric vehicle (EV) policy .There are many opportunities for Pakistan under the EV industry as it would help reduce the import of oil and help save around $1billion whereas 70% air pollution would be curtailed through EVs.