Relation with Pakistan
- इमरान ने कहा– भारत से सीरीज मुमकिन नहीं; 33 साल पहले हमारे प्लेयर्स को भारत में बाउंड्री पर हेल्मेट लगाकर फील्डिंग करनी पड़ी थी
Key points:
- पाकिस्तान क्रिकेट बोर्ड के चीफ एग्जीक्युटिव वसीम खान के मुताबिक, अभी जिस तरह के हालात हैं उनसे नहीं लगता कि भारत और पाकिस्तान के बीच अगले 10 से 12 साल तक कोई द्विपक्षीय यानी बाइलेट्रल सीरीज होगी।
- शोएब अख्तर समेत कई पूर्व पाकिस्तानी खिलाड़ी दोनों देशों के बीच सीरीज पर जोर रहे हैं
- पाकिस्तान के प्रधानमंत्री इमरान खान ने कहा है कि फिलहाल भारत और पाकिस्तान के बीच क्रिकेट सीरीज संभव नहीं है
(Dainik Bhaskar, 18 August, 2020) News Link
Relation with Hongkong
Vande Bharat Mission: Air India flights to and from Hong Kong banned
Key points:
- Earlier on Monday, Air India had tweeted, “FlyAI: ImportantUpdate — Due to restrictions imposed by Hong Kong Authorities, AI 310/315, Delhi — Hong Kong — Delhi of August 18, 2020 stands postponed. Next update in this regard will be intimated soon. Passengers may please contact Air India Customer Care for assistance.”
- The Vande Bharat Mission started in early May to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to travel restrictions in wake of COVID-19 pandemic
(Economic times, 18 August, 2020) News Link
Relation with Bangladesh
China’s Teesta plans: Foreign Secretary likely to visit Bangladesh today.
Key points:
- Bangladesh is likely to receive a $1-billion assistance from China for an irrigation project on the Teesta which has been at the center of a water-sharing negotiation with India. The mega engineering project will help the river to maintain optimal levels during summer
- The decision was taken after the Teesta water-sharing agreement with India has failed to materialize, Bangladesh government sources told Eurasian review, an online publication. The issue has come to the forefront as Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, despite the COVID-19 threat, is expected to pay a day-long visit to Dhaka on Tuesday to deal with the emerging challenges in bilateral ties.
- “A massive project funded by China has been adopted for the management of the Teesta River and China has agreed to fund it. Hopefully, we can start the project by December, Jyoti Prasad Ghosh, an additional chief engineer at the Water Development Board, told news media in Bangladesh
(The Hindu, 18 August, 2020)News Link
- India negotiating with 13 countries to establish bilateral air bubble arrangements: Hardeep Singh Puri.
Key points:
- Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter, “We are now taking these efforts forward & are negotiating with 13 more countries to establish such arrangements.”
(Indian Express, 18 August, 2020)News Link
- Tripura Chakmas observe ‘Black Day’ against injustice against community in Bangladesh.
Key points:
- The Chakma community in Tripura on Monday observed a ‘Black Day’ to protest the occupation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh allegedly illegally by Pakistan in 1947 and the injustices meted out to their community after that.
- Two days after India’s Independence from the British rule, the Chittagong Hill Tract comprising 97.5% non-Muslim population was illegally awarded to erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) as per the mandate of Bengal boundary commission headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, said Chakma National Council of India (CNCI), a forum to raise voice for rights of the community.
- “The Chakmas became the biggest victim of Partition. Our community faced years of deprivation even after these years of independence. Like previous years, we have observed today as black day against this injustice,” said Aniruddha Chakma, vice president of CNCI, Tripura chapter. He claimed that inclusion of the Chittagong Hill Tract with India could be a solution to their problems.
(Hindustan times, 18 August, 2020) News Link
Relation with Malaysia
India criticizes Pakistan for hosting events on Kashmir with Mahathir, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Key points:
- Mahathir spoke at an event organized in Kuala Lumpur by the Pakistani mission last week to mark the first anniversary of the revocation of Kashmir’s special status and criticized India’s actions.
- India on Friday criticized Pakistan for giving a platform to former UN-designated terrorist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad to speak on the Kashmir issue through events organized by that country’s missions.
- Asked about Hekmatyar’s presence in the webinar organized by Pakistan, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said: “We have seen the media reports of the participation of the former UN-designated terrorist in an event organized by the government of Pakistan.
(Hindustan times, 18 August, 2020) News Link
Relation with Sri Lanka
India to closely monitor any move by Mahinda Rajapaksa that undermines security & economic interests.
Key points:
- India to closely monitor any move by Mahinda Rajapaksa that undermines security & economic interests.
- India, following the re-election of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the family’s consolidation of power, is keeping a close watch on any move by the regime to undermine Delhi’s security and economic interests in the island nation as well as the Indian Ocean Region.
- Indian envoy to Sri Lanka, Gopal Bagley, became the first foreign diplomat to call on the newly-elected PM to discuss future plans of cooperation. Indian naval base in Goa last week repaired a Sri Lankan air force plane, which had developed a snag, in what won huge praises in Colombo.
(Economic times, 18 August, 2020) News Link
Arise Bharat 