KAHDAHAR, 6 December 2020, (TON): The Afghan Defence Ministry said in a statement here Sunday that at least 18 militants belonging to Taliban were killed in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the former stronghold of the Taliban.

The spokesperson was quoted by media to have said that in the operations which covered parts of Dand, Jelai and Maroud districts since Saturday, 18 armed insurgents have been killed and number of anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines have been discovered, which were defused. Taliban have rejected the unfounded report about them regarding killings in parts of Kandahar province.

The report seems to be lacking authenticity, however, there are reports of movement of Afghan National Army troops on Sunday morning. 

RIYADH, 6 December 2020, (TON): The Indian Army Chief left India on a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. During his visit to Saudi Arabia General Naravane will be received by his counterpart in Riyadh. He will visit Saudi Ministry of Defence, Saudi National Defence College and a Counter Terrorism facility.

The development came when both ties between India and both Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates hit an all-time low after Indian leadership at New Delhi and general masses in India turned against the traditional Muslim Arab countries and started posting systematic media campaigns against the Royal families of both the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Forensic cyber evidence tracked Indian origin campaign from many countries.

Meanwhile, India political leadership, Indian Armed Forces and Indian masses in general were highly critical to Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for passing a motion calling on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rescind his government's decision to end the Kashmir region's semi-autonomous status.  

India was also highly critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Suleiman for plying role in issuing a banknote to mark on the occasion of its chairmanship of the G20 which depicted deputed region of State of Jammu Kashmir and disputed region of Arunachal Pradesh as territories outside India. These regions are disputed and decisions are pending.

After the completion of Saudi Arabia’s visit General Naravane will visit United Arab Emirates.

DHAKA, 5 December 2020, (TON): Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by mentioning the development of Bangladesh over the past decade as an outstanding achievement, credited by PM Sheikh Hasina.

International Monetary Fund also noted that PM Sheikh Hasina has led her country with visionary plans, action and hard work developed the positive growth rate while other developing countries' economies faced negative growth rates. The Secretary-General mentioned the average growth is 6-7% per year which is possible only for engaging 100% ICT access for people at grassroots levels which will make a digitalized world and spread the facilities of e-commerce and other digital platforms.

The Secretary-General further mentioned Bangladesh is prone to disaster and it has given a home to about 1.1 million Rohingyas fled from their homeland in Myanmar to avoid persecution along with it has positive economic growth in the amid of pandemic under the leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina, which is the learning lesson for many current world leaders.

Bangladesh High Commission in the UK and Commonwealth Secretariat in London last week jointly organized a high-level dialogue. Commonwealth is the International voluntary organization consisted of 54 member states. Bangladesh joined the commonwealth in 1972. The Commonwealth's main aim is to expand cooperation among member states and improve the lives of citizens. It has no written constitution.

NEW DELHI, 05 December, 2020, (TON): India summoned Canada’s ambassador on Friday and said comments made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over protests by farmers near Delhi were an interference in its domestic affairs and would seriously hurt bilateral ties.

Earlier, speaking virtually to members of the Indian community in Canada, Trudeau called images of the clashes “concerning” and that Canada would “always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.”

Indian officials bristled at Trudeau’s remarks, the first from a world leader on the growing protests. On Tuesday, the ministry of external affairs said the Canadian leader was “ill-informed” about the nature of the protests.

On Friday, India escalated its frustration, summoning Canada’s top diplomat in the country over the “unacceptable interference in our internal affairs” and warning further actions from Trudeau could have consequences for the relationship between the two countries.

“Such actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties between India and Canada,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

Landowners and agricultural workers from the northern Indian state of Punjab have been striking for days against the central government after it passed a series of reforms on farming laws, many fear will damage their livelihoods.

Thousands of farmers were met by police and tear gas as they descended upon India's capital this week, demanding a rollback of three controversial farm laws.

In recent days, a number of political leaders in the United States, the UK and Australia have since criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the growing crisis.

Farmers outside of Delhi have announced they have no intention of leaving. Protest leaders have met with government officials over the last two days for negotiations, but talks fail yet again and justice-seeking farmer’s vows to continue their legitimate protest.

ISLAMABAD, 05 December, 2020, (TON): Two Pakistani companies have made it to Forbes ‘Asia’s Best under a Billion 2020’ list. The annual list recognises 200 top-performing small and mid-sized companies in the Asia-Pacific region with sales under $1 billion. Information technology company Systems Limited Pakistan (SLP) along with local textile giant Feroze1888 Mills Ltd have made it to this year's list.

Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood congratulated the companies for making it to the coveted list. He lauded the companies and reaffirmed his commitment and belief in “the entrepreneurship of our people".

He also expressed the confidence that the achievement of these firms would “provide impetus to others to achieve similar laurels.”

Founded in 1977, Systems Limited Pakistan has the distinction of being the country's first software technology company, according to a statement on its website.

In a statement, CEO Asif Peer said the company's achievement was a "proud moment for the entire team".

Meanwhile, Feroze1888 Mills Ltd is a manufacturer and exporter of specialised yarn and terry products not only in Pakistan but across the globe. The company began operations in the 1970s.

GENEVA, 05 December 2020, (TON): According to World Health Organisation (WHO) yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 172 people so far.

Nigeria has been battling successive yellow fever outbreaks since 2017. This latest outbreak was detected in November, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.

"As of November 24, the outbreak has been reported in five states in Nigeria: Delta, Enugu, Bauchi, Benue and Ebonyi," he said.

"A total of 530 suspected cases have been reported, including 48 that have been confirmed by lab testing.

"A total of 172 deaths have been reported out of those 530 suspected cases."

He said sample testing was ongoing through national reference laboratories.

Capacity has been increased in certain hospitals to help manage patients who develop yellow fever symptoms and complications.

Currently, Nigeria's 16 of 36 states and the federal capital territory have completed vaccination campaigns.

Six more are expected to do so in the first quarter of 2021, with a further six set to do so by the end of next year, bringing the total to 28, the WHO said.

The percentage of people immunised against yellow fever remains low in many parts of Africa, even though the vaccine is nearly 100 per cent effective and relatively cheap.

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, which is largely transmitted in urban settings by mosquitoes.

Nigeria is facing several concurrent public health emergencies, including circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDPV), measles, monkeypox, Lassa fever and cholera outbreaks as well as humanitarian crisis in the northeast of the country.

At present, the Yellow Fever outbreaks are considered high risk at national level, low at regional and global levels.

ISLAMABAD, 05 December 2020, (TON): Pakistan has rejected as ‘incorrect’ and ‘misleading’ the assertions made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the legal proceedings currently taking place in the case of Indian Naval Commander Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav, blaming Pakistan for linking the Jadhav case with another Indian prisoner while doubting its own lawyer in spy case.

“It is evident that by casting aspersions on the Indian High Commission’s own legal counsel, the Indian government is looking for an escape from the legal proceedings in Commander Jadhav case,” noted the Foreign Office spokesman in a statement issued here on Friday.

He reminded the government of India that in pursuance of the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan had invited the Indian High Commission to meet Commander Jadhav and appoint a lawyer on his behalf so that proceedings to review and reconsider Commander Jadhav’s conviction could commence. However, during diplomatic exchanges, the Indian High Commission refused to instruct a lawyer itself, as in their view this would amount to a waiver of India’s sovereign immunity. Resultantly, the Government of Pakistan was constrained to initiate proceedings for appointment of a state counsel for Commander Jadhav.

Engaging counsel for Ismail but not for Jadhav shows ‘discrepancy’ in Delhi’s stance, Attorney General said.

The Attorney General for Pakistan said, during the course of the proceedings cited the case of Mohammad Ismail, an Indian national currently in custody in Pakistan, where the Indian High Commission had engaged Shahnawaz Noon as its lawyer. On the contrary to the false statement by the Indian MEA, no attempt was made to link the cases of Commander Jadhav with another Indian prisoner Ismail, the FO said.

The Pakistani the FO in a statement explained, “The two cases are and remain entirely distinct. Reference to Mr Ismail’s case was only for purpose of showing the ‘discrepancy’, and ‘inconsistency’ in the Indian position.”

In line with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgement, Pakistan has already provided consular access to the Indian High Commission twice and has taken all necessary steps for effective review and reconsideration in the case, it said.

“The offer of a third consular access is still there. The Indian side is once again urged to desist from the use of its usual diversionary and dilatory tactics and instead take practical steps so that legal proceedings could be duly concluded and full effect could be given to the judgement of ICJ,” the FO said.

The FO statement came a day after India blamed Pakistan for linking Kulbhushan Jadhav case with another prisoner’s case.

MANAMA, 05 December 2020, (TON): Bahrain will not allow the import of Israeli goods produced in settlements in illegally occupied Palestinian territory, state news agency reported, disavowing comments made by the Gulf state’s trade minister earlier this week.

Bahrain’s Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid al-Zayani had voiced openness to settlement imports, adding that Manama would make no distinction between goods produced in Israel or in the occupied West Bank and Golan Heights.

Al-Zayani earlier said that Bahrain “will treat Israeli products as Israeli products … so we have no issue with labelling or origin”.

“The minister’s statement was misinterpreted and that the ministry is committed to the Bahraini government’s unwavering stance regarding adherence to the resolutions of the United Nations,” BNA reported late on Friday, quoting an official source from the ministry of industry, commerce and tourism.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has made it even more difficult for Palestinians by providing full support to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates formalised ties with Israel on September 15th under a US-sponsored deal billed by the Gulf States as being made possible by Israel’s shelving of a plan to annex West Bank settlements. Most world powers deem the plan, which was decided without the Palestinians, illegal.

ISTANBUL, 05 December, 2020, (TON): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday he hopes France will "get rid" of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron as soon as possible.

"Macron is a trouble for France. With Macron, France is passing through a very, very dangerous period. I hope that France will get rid of Macron trouble as soon as possible," Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.

On Friday Ergodan said France should get rid of Macron "otherwise they will not be able to get rid of yellow vests," referring to the protest movement that began in France in 2018.

"Yellow vests could later turn into red vests," Erdogan said.

France, late in 2018, had experienced one of the most significant social mobilisations in its recent history, which laid bare the country’s social ills, anti-elite sentiment, growing inequalities and thirst for social justice.

Now, the similar concerns are again come into the spotlight when systemic racism is at the peak in the country, ragging similar protests in intensity that rocks the country. It has been roiled for days, with mass protests and collective outrage, over a proposed security law that would criminalize recording or photographing police behaviour.

Turkey and France are embroiled in a series of disputes, from tensions in the eastern Mediterranean to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.

And the spat has risen to new levels in recent months as Macron has moved to crack down on Muslims, as he previously targeted Islam, saying a religion in crisis across the world – comments that upset Muslims in France and globally. Erdogan has repeatedly suggested that Macron get "mental checks" and urged the Turkish people to boycott French-labelled products.

PARIS, 05 December 2020, (TON): European doubts over a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain boiled over on Friday with France threatening a veto as tricky negotiations entered what could be their final hours.

There is still a risk that Britain and the European Union will fail to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Friday, adding that, if a good deal cannot be reached France, will veto it.

“I want to tell our fishermen, our producers, the citizens who are listening that we will not accept a deal with bad terms,” Beaune told Europe 1 radio.

“If a good agreement cannot be reached, we will oppose it. Each country has a veto right, so it is possible ... We will do our own evaluation of this draft deal, if there is one.”

Meanwhile, EU chief Charles Michel urged members to remain united behind Brussels' negotiators in post-Brexit trade talks Friday, after France threatened to veto any deal that gives ground to London.

Michel congratulated EU negotiator Michel Barnier on keeping member states informed of his progress in London, and added: "And so until the last minute, the last second of the procedure, we will guarantee that unity amongst ourselves."

Since Britain left the EU on January 31, each side has urged the other to make concessions to unlock a trade deal before Britain’s transition period for leaving the bloc and EU single market ends on Dec. 31.

If the two sides fail to reach a deal, the five-year Brexit divorce will end in disorder. A no-deal exit is the nightmare scenario for businesses and investors.

For Pakistan, as the UK is the third most important destination of its exports owing to GSP Plus Pakistan enjoys, products of Pakistan’s export interest are entitled to duty free treatment. Given the confusion surrounding Brexit, the impact on the country’s exports is unclear. While some exporters are optimistic or indifferent, others see dark clouds looming ahead.