RIYADH, 10 December 2022, (TON): Arab countries will seek to improve cooperation with China and look forward to a new phase of partnership, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said at the Arab-China summit held in Riyadh.

The crown prince said “the Kingdom is working on enhancing cooperation [with China] to serve international stability.”

President Xi also said the summit would lead to a brighter future.

President added that China sought comprehensive cooperation with Arab states to serve Chinese-Arab mutual interests.

NEW DELHI, 10 December 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a virtual meeting of governors, chief ministers and lieutenant governors to discuss issues related to India's G-20 presidency, and said it is a unique opportunity for the country to showcase its strengths.

Prime Minister's Office said in a statement “during the meeting, the prime minister emphasised the importance of teamwork and sought the cooperation of states and Union Territories in the organisation of various G-20 events.”

The prime minister pointed out that the G-20 presidency would help showcase parts of India beyond the conventional big metros, thus bringing out the uniqueness of each part of the country.

DHAKA, 10 December 2022, (TON): US Ambassador Peter Haas, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly Clement Voule, and Amnesty International yesterday expressed concern over political violence in Dhaka.

In a statement, Haas also called on everyone to respect the rule of law and to refrain from violence, harassment, and intimidation.

Haas added "we encourage government authorities to investigate these reports of violence and to protect the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

DHAKA, 10 December 2022, (TON): Amnesty International called for the Bangladesh government to end the repression of demonstrations.

Amnesty International's Regional Director for South Asia, said, "this incident shows that the Bangladesh authorities have very little regard for the sanctity of human life and sends a chilling message that those who dare to exercise their human rights will face dire consequences."

Mishra said “authorities must put an end to excessive use of force when responding to large-scale demonstrations and only respond in a manner that is consistent with international standards.”

WASHINGTON, 10 December 2022, (TON): The US has said “Russia and Iran's relationship has warmed to a fully fledged defence partnership.”

Russia is giving an unprecedented level of military support, said US national security council spokesman John Kirby.

He added “the US has seen reports that the two countries are considering joint production of lethal drones.”

Co-operation between Russia and Iran has been highlighted recently, with Ukraine accusing Russia of using Iranian drones in its attacks.

NEW YORK, 10 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “humanitarian needs will increase worldwide in the year ahead, Saudi aid experts warn, requiring solidarity among the international community and the continued support of donors within the UN.”

Aqil Al-Ghamdi, the assistant supervisor general director for planning and development at the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, also known as KSRelief, said the areas worst affected by the escalating crisis will be the Horn of Africa, the Sahel region, the Great Lakes, Haiti and Ukraine.

Their situations will get worse because of factors such as economic disparity, climate change, food shortages, rising prices of fuel and fertilizer, the pandemic, ebola and cholera outbreaks, all of which will have crippling effects on the humanitarian situation.

MOSCOW, 10 December 2022, (TON): Russia said Friday that its ties with the United States were still in crisis despite a prisoner swap involving US basketball star Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Tensions between Moscow and Washington have soared in recent months over a range of issues, peaking after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told “it is probably wrong to draw any hypothetical conclusions that this could be a step toward overcoming the crisis that we currently have in bilateral relations.”

He said “ties continue to remain in a sad state.”

He added that talks with US authorities allowed a Russian citizen, who was basically held captive by the Americans for 14 years to return to his country.

LONDON, 10 December 2022, (TON): Britain on Friday announced sanctions against 30 people worldwide, including Russian and Iranian officials, targeting those it deems responsible for acts of torture, sexual violence, and the violent repression of street protests.

The move came a day after France announced plans for new European Union sanctions against Iran over human rights abuses in its security crackdown on popular unrest there as well as its supply of drones to Russia before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The British government said its sanctions were coordinated with international partners to mark International Anti-Corruption Day and Global Human Rights Day.

They encompassed individuals involved in activities including the torture of prisoners and the mobilization of troops to rape civilians.

RIYADH, 10 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia and China vowed to prioritize relations as part of their foreign policy and set a model of cooperation and solidarity for developing countries, according to a joint statement released by both parties after the Saudi-Chinese summit.

The two sides reaffirmed they will continue to firmly support each other’s core interests, support each other in maintaining their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and exert joint efforts to defend the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, rules of international law and basic principles of international relations.

The Saudi side reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle, state news agency SPA reported.

By Ali husnain

Sri Lanka although owing many disputes in the state is yet more important in maritime as it is an island nation. The ocean is never too far from Sri Lanka. Situated right at the center of the world's busiest sea communication, the geography connects the country with the Indian Ocean, and its destiny is linked to this strategic body of water. For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been part of Sri Lanka's strategic, security, and political narratives. However, over the years, the country's involvement in the affairs of the Indian Ocean has retracted due to domestic and regional circumstances. Its consciousness of its ocean identity declined when it took an inward orientation which gave greater visibility to its South Asian identity, and its imagination began to pivot towards the Indian hinterland. However, with the rising importance of the Indian Ocean in geopolitics and the end of the civil war, Sri Lanka's consciousness of its ocean identity has grown. Successive governments have formulated policies that would have paved the way to becoming the hub of the Indian Ocean, making the ocean the center of its economic development, maritime security, and defense relations.

Moreover, Sri Lanka is anticipated to play a significant role in any future competitive engagement between the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and America's entrenched marine presence in South Asia. Seeking a Sri Lankan coalition has emerged as a workable tactic for both China and America that has the potential to upend their antagonistic relationship. As a result, the Indian Ocean and the states that border it are quickly gaining enormous global attention.

This is reflected, for instance, in how China and India have increased their financial support for the construction of naval "outposts" to safeguard important economic markets and interests. Because of America's established influence in these areas, this might not now represent a threat to it. But once it exceeds a certain point, a response is inevitable. Sri Lanka is the country that is closest to the important maritime lanes due to renewed security obligations and meltdowns in the Middle East. Sri Lankan ports give investors direct access to the world's maritime trade. The busiest East-West shipping route, which is traveled by 60,000 ships and carries two-thirds of the world's containerized goods, is located just 10 nautical miles south of Sri Lanka.

There is quite a several historic evidence to prove the ancient maritime strength of Sri Lanka. The connectivity to the ancient maritime silk route which linked China and Europe opened in the middle of the Tang dynasty. The first ever recorded passage to Sri Lanka in the 5^th century BCE is the arrival of Vijaya and his followers from Orissa in India.

Even though ancient Sri Lanka had significant progress in the maritime culture which was rich with the number of ports in the shipbuilding industry, the downfall occurred with the foreign invasions. Since then no major development or significance has been laid on the maritime factor of this island nation. The importance of paying close attention to the maritime space emerged in the early 80s with the inception of LTTE maritime activities mainly across the Palk Strait. The strategic failure that took place at the very early stages of the conflict in terms of developing a stronger Navy paid a heavy price when confronted with the LTTE maritime capabilities at the crucial stages of the conflict.

 So contemporarily one of the most intense outposts of conflict in the near future could occur in the Indian Ocean, which is about to become the core of the tri-polar contest between China, India, and the US. The Indian Ocean region is a place where each of the three states has specific interests and goals. As a result, Sri Lanka's location along the east-west corridor is crucial to its ability to dominate the region. It will therefore have significant geopolitical ramifications whether Sri Lanka chooses to remain neutral or aligns with one of the three regional powers. It is likely to have a significant impact on who will win this fantastic game. Hence Sri Lanka is a key piece in the great game of the Indian Ocean and plays an important role in maritime politics. Further, in accordance with the current politics in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka would be an important actor and hence the rational foreign policy objectives could become the key achievements of Sri Lanka if it formulates smart foreign policy regarding maritime politics. The need of the hour is to stabilize its internal politics and unity of the nation depending only upon its own resources. It must ensure national harmony and state sovereignty in world politics to gain importance and prestige and look into the eyes of the great powers which are depending upon Sri Lanka for their maritime interests in the Indian Ocean.