Philippines To Leave The BRI And Became The Another Latest Country

Many countries have recently announced to leave and exit from the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative [BRI]. The Philippines left the BRI and became the latest country. It could be another blow for China for its "Project of the Century." The project is estimated to be around $1 trillion.

Philippines Out of BRI Project [Credit-Asia Globe]

The Philippines statement came a few days after Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted leaders of 23 countries for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. The Forum aimed to instill fresh life and energy into the ambitious infrastructure,e plan which has slow down fordue to many reasons.

The Philippines to Leave/Exit BRI is Another Blow:

According to a report by Asia Times, the Philippines Department of Transportation has declared the "full termination" of all three big infrastructure projects with China in favor of Japan and other Western rivals.

BRI Forum In China [Credit-The Cradle]

The Philippines government clearly stated that in consideration of economic and political factors, all its key investment initiatives with China have been terminated. China has/shares uneasy relations with its South China Sea neighbors, like the Philippines.

According to analysts, the long-standing dispute between China and the Philippines could be the major reason for this decision because a few days back, the Chinese ship hit the Philippines Coast Guard vessel.

According to the Philippines Transport Minister Batista's statement in Manila during the European Investors Forum, "We have three projects that won't be funded by the Chinese government anymore. We can't wait forever, and it seems like China is not that interested anymore."

 

Philippines Leave the Three Big Projects of BRI [Credit-Devdiscourse]

The Philippines is now looking towards traditional investment partners like Japan, South Korea, the US, and the European Union for alternative moves.

Controversy With Belt and Road Initiative [BRI]:

The latest development is yet another challenge for President Xi Jinping. He organized the BRI Forum last month in China to convince the world to bet on the massive infrastructure project. BRI is considered the "Brainchild" of President Xi.

A few days back, Italy, the lonely G7 member country, quit out from the BRI project. According to the Italian authority, we will withdraw our participation by the end of this year because the project failed to meet its expectations.

Italy Quits BRI Project [Credit-Study IQ IAS]

According to experts and a report by Bloomberg, overall BRI activity has come down about 40% from its peak in 2018. The reasons behind the slowdown were the economic crisis in China and the debt woes of the participating nations. 

Countries find irresponsible lender behavior in China. Many countries have seen an example of Sri Lanka and the growing situation in many African countries. Moreover, the Chinese move to disengage and disrupt ties with the US made the BRI a divisive phenomenon.

Stand taken by the Philippines to leave the BRI not only has geopolitical considerations but bigger consequences like the ailing infrastructure plan, Chinese economic slowdown, and debt trap fears.

Thanks and Regards

Read Also Joe Biden Instinct IMEEC Could be The Reason for Hamas-Israel attack

Read More

Sunil Mittal OneWeb Satellite Service Ready To Cover Country From Next Month

Chairman of Bharti Airtel confirmed that Sunil Mittal's OneWeb Satellite communication service is ready to connect all parts of the country from next month. It is also called India's own Starlink Broadband service.

Sunil Mittal's OneWeb Constellation [Credit-Youtube]

The chairman was speaking at the inaugural session of the India Mobile Congress 2023. Sunil Mittal said 5G service was launched last year and Airtel has covered the entire country with a vast covering of 5,000 towns and cities along with 20,000 villages to date.

Sunil Mittal OneWeb Constellation and Eutelsat:

Mr. Mittal said that Airtel with the help of Universal Services Obligation Fund has been connecting rural and remote areas with broadband networks. Now 'One Web satellite services' technology is available to connect all parts of the country.

According to chairman Sunil Mittal at the congress session, “OneWeb constellation is ready to serve the globe and is ready to serve the country. Anybody, anywhere in the country, in remote parts or in difficult areas , wherever they are located can be connected from next month.” 

Sunil Mittal and One Web [Credit-ET]

According to Airtel reports, OneWeb has been now merged with Eutelsat. It will operate commercially as Eutelsat OneWeb with its center of operations in London. Bharti Airtel Enterprises is the largest shareholder of the merged entity with a 21.2 percent share.

Sunil Mittal 'OneWeb satellite services' has completed its constellation of over 618 low earth orbit satellites. The Eutelsat OneWeb would allow to offer broadband internet services from space in every corner of the world.

Regards and Thanks

Also Read

Elon Musk Got Node for Human Brain Implant Trials

Elon Musk Named Son 'Chandrasekhar' Revealed at AI Summit

Read More

Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal Showed A Path For Palestine-Resolution

 

Saudi Arabia Prince Turki Al Faisal suggested a path for Palestine resolution and slammed both Hamas and Israel, saying that there are "no heroes in this conflict, only victims." Faisal was the country's former intelligence chief for 22 years and Ambassador to the US and the UK. 

Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal [Credit-Arab News]

Turki Al Faisal's tone at America's Rice University in Houston took a move forward and cited the example of India's Independence movement. The speech was shared widely on social media.

Jews and Hindus Share the Same Dichotomy of Religious Intolerance 

Indication of New-Era in Arabian Policy Towards Israel-Palestine Conflict: 

Turki Al Faisal showed a path for Palestine resolutions and said that all occupied and oppressed people have a right to resist their occupation, even militarily. The Prince led the Saudi intelligence agency Al Mukhabarat Al 'Ammah for over two decades.

Turki Al Faisal [Credit-Arab News]

The Prince insisted "I do not support the military option in Palestine. I prefer the other option: civil insurrection and disobedience. It brought down the British empire in India and the Soviet empire in eastern Europe." 

The Prince's speech, unusually frank for a senior member of the Saudi royal family, was widely acknowledged as the clearest indicator yet of the Saudi Arabia leadership's thinking on the situation.

Turk Al Faisal Slammed Both Hamas & Israel:

He slammed both parties for incarnating inhuman behavior. The Prince said Hamas' acts went against Islamic injunctions not to harm civilians. He also accused Israel of "indiscriminate bombing on innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza" and the "indiscriminate arrest of Palestinian children, women and men in the West Bank".

Turki Al Faisal Condemned Western Politicians' Stand Over The Issue:

He took a stern stand issue with the US media's use of the phrase "unprovoked attack" and said, "What more provocation is required.. than what Israel has done to the Palestinian people for three-quarters of a century?"

H.H. Turki Al Faisal Delivering Speech [Credit-The Times of Israel]

He condemned Western politicians for "shedding tears when Israelis are killed by Palestinians", but refusing to "even express sorrow when Israelis kill Palestinians".

Stand of India About the Israel-Palestine Conflict:

However, India strongly condemned the terrorist and inhuman acts of Hamas but always supported dialogue diplomacy to resolve any dispute at the international level. India has favored a two-state solution at the UN many times since 1948. India enjoys a good relationship with both countries. 

Although, India has had diplomatic relations with Palestine since independence it officially engaged with Israel after 1990. Today India is one of the strategic partners of Israel. Israelis always support India during all wars against Pakistan with arms and ammunition.  

This balanced approach emphasizes the suffering of all parties involved and calls for global attention towards a lasting solution. In a conflict marked by deep divisions, Prince Turki's comments are a testament to balance and dignified diplomacy and showed a better path to resolve the longstanding issue.

Thanks and Regards

Read More

Israel-Hamas Conflict Turned Into War

Read More

A Major Shift in Pakistan's Policy Backing For The Afghan Taliban

In a major change, Pakistan's policy backing for the Afghan Taliban government is turned down. Pakistan was the first country to recognize the Taliban and extend its support at internal as well as international levels. 

Pak Will Not Back More Afghan Taliban [Credit-Shutterstock]

According to media reports, Pakistan has decided not to support or extend any assistance to Kabul after it failed to neutralize the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan [TTP] terror group.

Deteriorating Afghan-Pak Relations:

The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamabad will no longer extend any "special privileges" to the Afghan Taliban government. This shows that the relations between both countries are deteriorating and a major shift in Pakistan's policy backing for the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan has been accusing the Afghan Taliban of backing the TTP because the Pakistan Taliban has ideological linkages with them. It was established in 2007 under an umbrella group of several militant outfits. 

Deteriorating Afghan-Pak Relations [Credit-ChiniMandi]

The main objective of TTP is to impose the strict brand of Islam across Pakistan. Pakistan had hoped that the Afghan Taliban would not have allowed TTP to operate from their soil. Taliban has refused every time and called Pakistan to maintain its home and don't blame Afghan. This phenomenon apparently leads to straining ties. 

Official sources told the newspaper on Wednesday that Pakistan's goodwill gestures and assistance to the Afghan Taliban were taken for granted after it returned to power in August 2021. Now Pakistan sees that the chances of the Afghan Taliban government getting international recognition have become far slimmer. 

The stance of Pakistan Towards Afghan Taliban in The Past:

However, Pakistan has faced criticism from inside and outside the country for backing the Afghan Taliban as the new ruler in Kabul. But Pakistan defended its approach and insisted the Afghan Taliban is the reality and urged the international community and stakeholders, especially Western countries, to engage.

Now Pakistan is accusing the Afghan Taliban government of harboring "our enemies." So it decided not to provide any privileges to the Taliban. A high-level delegation from Pakistan, including the defense minister and the inter-service intelligence [ISI] director general, visited Kabul in February.

The Afghan Taliban government again insisted on Wednesday that the country's soil was not being used by militants to attack other countries, and said that Pakistan's security problems were internal matter. 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid [Credit-Reuters]

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid responded to claims of the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, "We would like to say that the way the Islamic Emirate wants peace and stability in Afghanistan, it wants peace in Pakistan as well."

He further added that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not responsible for maintaining peace in Pakistan. They should solve their domestic problems on their own and not blame Afghanistan for their inefficiencies.

It seems that Pakistan has fed up with the double-speak of Kabul and made a strategic decision in Pakistan's policy backing for the Afghan Taliban. According to the analysts, Pakistan usually follows the same path when India accuses them of terror activities. Now it is forced to eat the fruits that they have seeded in the past.  

Thanks and Regards

Read Also Khalistan Separatist Movement, History, and Major Incidents

Joe Biden Instinct IMEEC Could be The Reason for Hamas-Israel attack

Read More

Historic Puja Celebrations at Sharda Peeth Temple in Kashmir Valley

Another historic move, the puja celebration at Sharda Temple in Kashmir, has been added in Jammu and Kashmir state after the abrogation of articles 370 and 35A. Sharad Navratri Puja is held in the newly built Sharda Temple at Near Loc Teetwal, Kupwara after 75 Years in north Kashmir.

Sharda Peeth Temple at LoC Kashmir [Credit-X]

The celebrations took place for the first time in 75 years after the partition of India in 1947. The tribal militants in 1947 destroyed the temple and gurdwara. Devotees participated in the event in large gatherings. Locals also embraced the celebration.

Temple and Gurdwara Reopen at Same Venue after 1947:

Many devotees from all over the country participated in the historic puja celebrations at Shrada Peeth Temple and Gurudwara. Swami Govindananda Saraswati of Hampi reached here with his followers on a rath yatra from Kishkinda, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman in Karnataka.

Sharda Temple [Credit-Bharat Marg]

Some Kashmiri pandit pilgrims were also present here, notable amongst them being A K Raina, a renowned theatre personality who has acted in Kashmir Files movie.

Head of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir, Ravinder Pandita said,

"It was yet again a historical moment to perform Navratri puja at Sharda temple LoC first time after partition. The temple and Gurudwara that used to exist here were burnt down in tribal raids in 1947 and a new temple and gurudwara has come up on the same piece of land on the same pattern, that was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 23 March, this year.”

Home Minister Amit Shah also tweeted and said it is a matter of profound spiritual significance that the Shardiya Navaratri Puja resound in the shrine.

The historic event signifies not only the return of peace in the valley but also the rekindling of our nation's spiritual and cultural flame. Kashmir was known for its deep-rooted spiritual aspirations, like Kashmiri Pandit and Sufiyana culture.

Thanks and Regards

Read More

Khalistan Separatist Movement, History, and Major Incidents

The Khalistan Separatist Movement:

The khalistan separatist movement routinely grasps people's attention worldwide, especially in the South-Asian region. It is a Sikh separatist movement active in foreign lands, like Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia backed by Pakistan Interservices Intelligence Agency [ISI]. 

Khalistan Movement [Credit-Usanas]

Khalistan is a term of two words Khalis + Stan, which stands for 'pure +land' or 'free+ land.' It is also called 'the land of the Khalsa.'

Khalistanis want a separate homeland based on ethno-religious identity. They wanted to create an independent nation-state to be carved out from Indian Punjab. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups and also include region of Pakistan.

The Khalistan Separatist Movement and Its History:

The Khalistan movement has a history back to pre-independence India. The British Imperial Government wanted to divide the Hindu and Sikh communities based on religious practices like Hindu and Muslim, and the government was successful there. 

Khalistan Map [Credit-The Express]

However, the Khalistan movement emerged in the 1940s but gained momentum in the 1970s. One major reason is the Sikh community was the most active and martyred community during the Indian Indepenadnce movement. However, it was also the worst affected community during the partition of India.

The Emergence of the Khalistan Separatist Movement:

The khalistan movement emerged again and gained momentum in the decade of 1970 after adopting the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. The resolution was adopted by the Shiromani Akali Dal [SAD], a political party that represents the Sikh community. 

Khalistan Separatists [Credit-The Washington Post]

The resolution demanded the creation of a federal structure in India just like more autonomy for Punjab. The extremist faction under the Babbar Khalsa and the Khalistan Liberation Force [KLF] wanted to achieve their goal by resorting to violence and terrorism.  

The Major incidents that fueled the Khalistani Separatist movement:

The Khalistan Liberation Force wanted to create a Khalistan state with violent means. They started attacking the big-profile figures of the Hindu and different sects of the Sikh community, like Lala Jagat Narayana and Nirankaris. The Governments of Punjab and India imploded to start taking tough actions.

Major Incidents of Khalistan Movements [Credit-Study IQ]

1). The Anadpur Sahib Resolution [1973] demanded the radical devolution of power and further autonomy to Punjab.

2). Akali Dal and Jarnail Singh Bhinranwale joined hands in 1982 to implement the resolution "the Dharam Yudh Morcha."

3). The killing of six Hindu bus passengers incident in October 1983 after which emergency rule was imposed. 

4). The year 1984 from 1 January to 1 June saw 775 cases of violence that resulted in 298 killings.

5). Operation Blue Star [June 1984] when the Indian Army cracked down heavily on militarised [Kharku] khalistani supporters to vacate the Golden Temple.

6). The assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi [October 1984] in her house by personal security [Sikh] guards.

7). The riots all over India, especially in Delhi, after the Prime Minister's assassination.

However, the Khalistani movement has lost its credibility in India and abroad as well. But some secessionist groups with the help of an anti-India agenda try to fuel it, like Referendum by Sikh for Justice.  

Thanks and Regards

Also Read;

Joe Biden Instinct IMEEC Could be The Reason for Hamas-Israel attack

A Major Shift in Pakistan Policy Towards Backing Afghan Taliban

Read More

Jews and Hindus Share the Dichotomy of Religious Intolerance !

The world occasionally sees that Jews and Hindus share the dichotomy of religious intolerance. In 1938, the countries of the world got together to decide a meeting about the Jews on the shores of Lake Evian in France. Everyone refused to take the Jews. America made a couple of concessions but did little. Canada said clearly no. 

Religious Emblems [Credit-Alamy]

All the countries of Europe and South America said no. Australia said they were a white country and did not want to import a racial problem. The Communist USSR neither participated in the meeting nor refused to take in any Jews either. The Jews were on their own, left to die at the hands of Adolf Hitler.

Irony of the Jewish & Hindu Community:

Christianity is the biggest religion in the world, with nearly 2.4 billion followers. Next comes Islam, with roughly 2 billion. Another 1.5 billion people live in Communist states. Mind you the number of Jews has never been more than 15 million.

These three forces do not agree with each other a whole lot except that each one of them has spent several centuries persecuting and trying to wipe out the Jews. But there are 1.2 billion Hindus who are exceptions. 

How the struggles of the Hindus could be similar to those of the Jews:

Anti-Relation of Christianity and Judaism:

When talking about anti-Semitism, the first name that comes to mind is Adolf Hitler. Nazis get the idea of packing the Jews into ghettos and wearing yellow stars? The Popes had ordered the Jews to be kept in a ghetto and wear yellow hats for over 300 years.

Judaism & Christianity Religious Symbols [Credit-Vecteezy]

The 1930s and 1940s saw a wave of anti-Semitism across Europe. After the Catholic Party voted for Hitler to become dictator of Germany in 1933, the Vatican quickly signed an accord with the Nazi regime. 

A network of fascist states came up on the continent, with close ties to the Catholic Church and the Nazi regime: Petain in France, Franco in Spain, Salazar in Portugal, and Tiso in Slovakia. Some of them even survived the Second World War and lasted well into the 1960s and 1970s, such as in Spain and Portugal.

Joe Biden Instinct IMEEC Could be The Reason for Hamas-Israel Attack

Forced Evacuation History of Islam and Judaism:

Everyone could have seen the animated map of Israel since 1948. It seems to show Israel grabbing more and more land, leaving nothing for the Palestinians. That animated map is simply everywhere because of the propaganda.

Judaism and Islam Religious Symbols [Credit-Vector Stock]

It does not tell you that the Arab countries forced their Jewish populations to escape to Israel. Once upon a time, Egypt had 80,000 Jews. At last count in 2022, there were just 3 Jews left in the country. Libya used to have 20,000 Jews, today they have none and the story continues.

Israel-Hamas Conflict Turned Into War 

Conflicts Between Communism and Judaism:

Theoretically, the Marxists reject all religions but it is deeply rooted against Jews. Marx himself believed in the stereotype of the Jew as greedy and self-interested. “Money is the jealous God of Israel,” he wrote in a viciously anti-Semitic essay that he called “On the Jewish question.”

Judaism and Communism Symbols [Credit-Symbols.Com]

The relationship between Communism and Jews has always been full of ironies. In the Christian world, they often worried that Communism was a “Jewish plot” as Max was a Jew. The Communists also worried that there was a global Jewish plot against them and called it “Jewish cosmopolitanism.” In the 1950s, the Communists held show trials in Czechoslovakia against “cosmopolitans” and executed all of them. 

The India-US 2+2 Strategic Dialogue and Deepening Relationship

Hinduism and Judaism Dichotomy of Religious Intolerance:

The similarities between Hinduphobia and anti-Semitism do not end here. The trio-world does not like to talk about what happened (and is happening) to Hindus in say Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh. 

Judaism and Hinduism [Credit-Adobe Stock]

The tune is the same like they do not talk about the Jews who have been forced out of everywhere else in the Middle East. Generations of persecution led many prominent Jewish intellectuals to reject their identity and agree with the stereotypes forced on them.

The terms “cosmopolitanist” and “globalist” are often used as dog whistles for anti-Semitism even today. The popular cultural perception is that Hindus are regressive and superstitious. This propaganda has been very effective in making Hindus reject their own identity rather than see it as an attack on them.

Organizers and practitioners of such activities must be publicly shamed as in the Harvard University case. Students who participated lost job offers and scholarships. Such collective action stops injustices from going unnoticed.

Thanks and Regards

Read More