NICOSIA, 14 February 2022, (TON): Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades received Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.

The two sides reviewed cooperation between the Kingdom and Cyprus and ways to strengthen and develop it in all fields.

They discussed the opportunities to broaden the mutual relations in light of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan to the benefit of both countries.

The two sides also discussed the most important regional and international issues of common interest.

The meeting stressed the importance both of intensifying international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and of rendering the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction.

Prince Faisal met his Cyprus counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides and reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral relations at all levels.

KABUL, 14 February 2022, (TON): Officials said “a Taliban delegation arrived in Doha in a new bid to convince governments to provide humanitarian aid, six months after the hardline Islamists toppled Afghanistan's Western-backed regime.”

The Taliban's foreign ministry said on Twitter “the delegation, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, will meet with the EU delegation in Doha, diplomatic missions and officials from Gulf countries.”

Their arrival in Doha was confirmed by international sources including a spokesman for the British government, and the trip comes as Afghanistan's aid-starved economy sinks deeper into an unprecedented crisis.

The latest bid to unlock aid follows meetings in Oslo late last month between representatives of the Taliban and governments that heavily bankrolled Afghanistan's previous government, which imploded in the face of a Taliban military offensive in mid-August.

The Taliban government has yet to gain formal recognition from any country and the UN says that half of Afghanistan's 38 million people face food shortages.

NEW DELHI, 14 February 2022, (TON): An official statement said “the Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 12 Indian fishermen and seized two fishing trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters.”

The Navy said “the arrests were made in seas north of Talaimannar. They were indulging in bottom trawling.”

"In an operation conducted in seas north of Talaimannar in the dark hours of February 12, Sri Lanka Navy managed to seize 2 Indian trawlers with 12 Indian fishermen whilst poaching in Sri Lankan waters," said the statement.

This is the third arrest of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters this month.

NEW DELHI, 14 February 2022, (TON): Despite tense relationships, Islamabad and New Delhi have finally cleared all hurdles in the way of transportation of Indian wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan as the first shipment carrying food grain is expected.

A foreign office official confirmed to media that India had provided the list of Afghan truck drivers and contractors who would carry the wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan.

The official said while requesting anonymity "”the first shipment is expected on February 22.”

Ahead of the wheat shipment, India on Friday signed an MOU with the World Food Programme (WFP) on the distribution of food grain to the people of Afghanistan. Under the agreement, India would hand over the wheat to WFP in Afghanistan that would then distribute it among the people.

This will be rare when India transports goods using Pakistan's land route to Afghanistan since Islamabad otherwise never permits two-way trade between New Delhi and Kabul.

DHAKA, 14 February 2022, (TON): Bangladesh Army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed started his three-day visit to Maldives, to bolster the military to military cooperation.

The Inter Services Public Relations directorate said “General Shafiuddin is leading a six-member delegation and scheduled to move to South Sudan on February 17.”

DHAKA, 14 February 2022, (TON): Bangladesh High Commission in London has decided to form a ‘Business Advisory Committee’ to further increase British businesses here through seizing new opportunities in post-Brexit times.

Bangladesh high commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem said “a Business Advisory Committee will be set up by the Bangladesh High Commission, London with Diaspora and mainstream chambers in the UK and Bangladesh to seize new and diversified business, trade and investment opportunities in post-Brexit times."

The Bangladesh envoy said the committee would facilitate regular networking and interactions for British-Bangladesh Chambers, entrepreneurs and businessmen with British companies showing growing interest in Bangladesh markets to import, export or invest in Bangladesh.

According to a press release received “the high commissioner was speaking at a business dialogue titled, ‘New Business Opportunities in a post-Brexit Britain’ hosted by Bangladesh High Commission, London.”

Tasneem called upon the chambers to provide real time advice to the high commission on how to complement a sustainable post-brexit and post LDC trade and investment dialogue taking place between the two countries.

She lauded Bangladesh Diaspora’s enterprise and entrepreneurial drive for connecting more British energy, infrastructure and IT sector companies with Bangladesh markets over the past 3 years.

By TON Research Desk

None of the Indian neighbor countries has remained safe from Indian atrocities. Bangladesh is another name in the list of victimized countries. India had been planning to construct a Tipaimukh Dam in Barak River (known as Surma, Kushiara in Bangladesh) for last four decades, which is located on just 1 km north of Bangladesh’s north-eastern border. It was planned to construct the dam for the purpose of producing electricity without the concern and discussion of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi people of the surrounded villages had the risk of their lives and they have come up for protests against India. Despite the huge protests from Bangladesh, India had been hiking her struggles for hydroelectric project since 2012. Bangladesh is a lower riparian country for Barak River. It borders with Mizoram on Indian side and it affects the whole north eastern Bangladesh’s districts Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulavibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Norshingdi and Narayanganj. Bangladesh has always opposed India to safe her border villages but India’s response was always shirking while constructing the dam. Hasina Wajid talked to her then Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh many times but in vain.

Once the dam will be completed, being a lower state, Bangladesh will have to pay its consequences because the huge dam will stop the water towards Bangladesh. Due to which, the agriculture lands of Bangladesh will get effected and farmers of the bordered districts will come to their knees. It will also affect fisheries, vegetation and greenery including local flora and fauna. A big number of people and livestock will displace themselves from these border areas. The uncontrollable immense natural disasters will take place. India wants to make specific part of Bangladesh a desert area. Millions of people depend upon the fresh water of the Meghna for their survivals. Bangladesh is already facing huge troubles due to climate change led to water shortages. A 286.20 sq. km Land area would come under water forever. The Barak waterfalls and Zeilad Lake, which are connected with the history of the Zeliangrong people, would forever be underwater. More than 40,000 people would be rendered landless. Eight villages situated at the Barak Valley would be completely underwater. More than 90 villages, mostly in the Tamenglong district, would be badly affected. About 27,242 hectares of cultivable land would be vanished. Two important rivers of Bnagladesh, Surma and Kushiara will dry up because they directly get the water from Barak River. India will stop water in Barak River, these Surma and Kushiara rivers will be finished up of water then India will open the spillways from Barak River in off seasons. The sudden flow of water will bring flood in Bangladesh’s river areas.

People of both countries will be getting affected and they are much wise people because they are aware of Indian intentions of building a big dam on the trans-border territory. Not only Bangladesh government has been protesting against the Indian project, but the common people of both countries are protesting against Indian government, because people of these border villages will suffer the consequences of this large dam. They are raising voices on social media; they have raised multiple slogans against Indian government and this project. One of their common slogans is that “Tipaimukh Dam is death to Sylhet and Bangladesh, it must be closed.” The people of both Bangladesh and India have launched a strong green progress against the Dam. The movement has taken various shapes; it had been started from streets to indoor protests. It took place in seminars and discussion meetings to virtual protests through Twitter, blogs, and other online web pages. The movement had gone to the stage of submission of petition UNO. This has become a very serious issue in which India is using different kind of Hippocratic techniques to bring Bangladesh closer in this regard. India is completely thinking of its own interest in making the dam. It does not have any concern if the people of border areas and all of the population linked with the rivers die with hunger or drown in the flood. India always keeps the hegemonic policy towards its neighbors; same it has done with Pakistan. India has constructed number of dams on Indus Rivers by violating Indus water treaty with Pakistan. It only wants dominancy in the region because it is seeking the role of a lord in the Indo-pacific trade. India is trying to increase its influencing role inside of countries which are bordered with it. Regional countries have to recognize her as a black sheep and India should stop her hegemonic position and policies regarding its neighbors.

TON Research Desk

Many decades back, human rights had been conceptualized in a way that didn’t cover women’s lives and the violence, crime, discrimination and coercion they experienced. Previously, women followed certain standards and customs that put numerous limitations upon them, primarily in the male dominated society. In the past decades women were not well educated so they were only limited to take care of home and families and not more than that in any aspect.

The scenario of Indian women is slowly changing in recent years, due to which we can see participation and rise of women in all important fields of life. This is in short, can be termed as women empowerment. There is a change in perception of Indian society towards women because of women’s achievements in all spheres of life. Today’s men are also more supportive towards their women as now Indian women is comparatively more empowered than men in the Indian society. Women of today not just handle their obligations and tasks at home rather they be able to manage their career outside home. Now Indian women is self-determining. On other hand women in rural area still facing lots of problem, however, the change that the urban Indian women is experiencing is moving with a slower pace. Today seventy-five per cent of Indian women live in rural areas where they lack even civic facilities. Still women's literacy in rural areas is about 25%, while in urban regions it is around 54%. Hence, there is transformations in the lives of rural and urban women as rural women are also looking for opportunities to move to urban centers. In the past, the focus of human rights had overlooked women’s lives due to which they had to face violence, crime, discrimination and coercion. In the past, Indian women were compelled to follow certain norms and traditions that put many restrictions upon them, primarily due to male dominated society. Women empowerment means the freedom of women from the immoral and unethical grips within Indian political, social, economic, caste and gender-based discrimination systems. It means giving women them opportunity to settle their life according to their own choice and decisions. Women’s empowerment does not mean glorifying women rather it means replacing patriarchy with an equality.

To evaluate and understand the existing Indian women status in the society, their rights and privileges under the law and how far they are actually practicing in the society certain data has been highlighted which empowered Indian women. Indian women rights as per workforce law is concerned, first of all, The Equal Remuneration Act (1976), the purpose of this act is to ensure that employers do not discriminate on the basis of sex, in matters of wage-fixing, transfers, training and promotion. Secondly, The Maternity Benefit Act (1961), the act which protects women employment during her maternity period also women have advantage of full paid absence from work in order to take care of her child. Thirdly, The Medical Termination of the Pregnancy Act (1971), it was applied by April 1972. Rules and regulations implementation was reviewed again in 1975 to eradicate tedious measures for the endorsement of the spot and to make benefits all the more promptly accessible. Fourthly, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place Act (2013). Some types of sexual harassment may also be offences under criminal law and should be reported to the police. Moreover, personal law includes, The Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), Later on dowry deaths happening after the law passed because women themselves ask for dowry as they want to avoid the questionable circumstances. Although mostly such kind of abuse occurs in urban areas, dowry deaths are reported to be increasing in rural areas as well. Then, The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act (1987), Sati is an ancient Hindu practice where the widow burned herself during the funeral of her husband. Though, the practice is still trend in limited areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006) has also been included in personal law for the girl who is under 18 years of age or the boy is younger than 21 years. In recent times, the Indian government forced unusual marriage limitations while having such situation in the society. Although reports in 1993 reflected that married daughters infrequently acquire a portion of their parent’s property but the Hindu Succession Act (Amendment) (2005), allowed daughters of the deceased equal rights with sons, and exposing them to similar liabilities and in-capacities. In addition, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (1956) protect Indian child or minors from involvement in prostitution. To conclude, in the past Indian women were experiencing discrimination and violence while they were neglected from all those opportunities which women of civilized nations were availing. They were restricted to mere obligations and duties in their homes only. But with the passage of time, the Indian women has been gradually empowered and they are not only handling their traditional responsibilities in their homes but also they have become career oriented. No doubt, the concept of women empowerment should not mere focus on giving women strength and skills to rise above their traditional roles but should also involve attempt to educate men regarding women issues inculcating developing a sense of respect and equal treatment of the women. Today, Indian women are legally very strong but there are many areas where women rights are not implemented due to their rigid norms and values. There is need to further empower Indian women without compromising the Eastern traditions and culture.

RIYADH, 13 February 2022, (TON): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed received a message from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on ways to strengthen bilateral relations, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.

The message was delivered to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, during a meeting with Duterte’s special envoy and presidential assistant on foreign affairs, Robert Borje, at Expo 2020 Dubai.

WAM said “Sheikh Abdullah also handed Borje a message from Sheikh Mohammed to the Philippines president, which dealt with bilateral relations.”

The two sides discussed joint cooperation and a number of issues of common interest.

They also reviewed Manila’s participation at Expo 2020 and its role in enhancing joint cooperation between the two countries in a number of important fields, such as industry and trade.

WASHINGTON, 13 February 2022, (TON): The United States vowed on Friday to commit more diplomatic and security resources to the Indo-Pacific to push back against what its sees as China’s bid to create a regional sphere of influence and become the world’s most influential power.

In a 12-page strategy overview, the Biden administration said it would focus on every corner of the region from South Asia to the Pacific Islands to strengthen its long-term position and commitment.

It said referring to the People’s Republic of China “the PRC is combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological might as it pursues a sphere of influence in the Indo-Pacific and seeks to become the world’s most influential power.”

“Our collective efforts over the next decade will determine whether the PRC succeeds in transforming the rules and norms that have benefited the Indo-Pacific and the world.”

Release of the document was timed to coincide with a visit to the Indo-Pacific by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken intended to emphasize the priority the United States attaches to the region, even as Washington grapples with a dangerous standoff with Moscow, which has massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s border, stoking Western fears of an invasion.