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China’s Belt and Road construction in Southeast Asia

Posted on by SAT News Desk

By: Phidel Vineles, RSIS

Southeast Asia is an important strategic partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The region serves as a key link in the BRI’s Maritime Silk Road, which aims to connect China’s coast to South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. But criticisms of the BRI highlight some of the risks of participation. Southeast Asian countries should address these risks by persuading China to adopt multilateral rules that broaden participation in the BRI, including by leveraging ASEAN’s potential role.

According to a 2018 study by Oxford Economics and the CIMB ASEAN Research Institute, BRI projects in ASEAN countries amount to more than US$739 billion. Indonesia is home to the highest BRI investment total amounting to US$171 billion, followed by Vietnam (US$152 billion), Cambodia (US$104 billion), Malaysia (US$98.5 billion), Singapore (US$70.1 billion), Laos (US$48 billion), Brunei (US$36 billion), Myanmar (US$27.2 billion), Thailand (US$24 billion) and the Philippines (US$9.4 billion).

In April 2019, China hosted the second Belt and Road Forum which was attended by 37 heads of state, government and international organisations. During the Forum, President Xi Jinping said the BRI will adopt multilateral rules and international best practices in implementing the projects.

Xi’s apparent willingness to multilateralise the BRI is necessary to prevent projects in Southeast Asia from being exposed to operational risks, policy risks and project cancellations and to address criticisms of its lack of transparency and inclusivity.

In Laos, for example, locals complain that the labour force on the 414-kilometre BRI railway project, which will link its capital Vientiane to the China-Laos border, is mainly provided by Chinese nationals. This echoes the criticisms of BRI in some other countries which have similar complaints.

The promised BRI Debt Sustainability Framework is laudable for aiming to help allay growing concerns that the BRI is exposing its stakeholders to debt traps. In 2018, Myanmar’s Planning and Finance Minister, Soe Win, wanted to ‘lean’ down a China-led special economic zone project in Kyaukpyu, which was estimated to be worth US$10 billion.

China is also establishing a panel of international mediators from BRI countries to resolve cross-border disputes arising from BRI projects. This initiative is important, since a wide range of contracts and deals are already in place between China and ASEAN member states.

If President Xi is willing to multilateralise the BRI, some ASEAN countries have the opportunity to play important roles in improving the provision of mutual benefits.

Singapore has the potential to be a financial and third-country partnership hub within the BRI. According to Enterprise Singapore, 60 per cent of project finance transactions across ASEAN are led by Singapore-based banks. Moreover, Singapore is well regarded for its transparent business dealings and for being one of the largest offshore Renminbi centres. This puts it in an ideal position for Renminbi trade and investment-related flows. Some local banks have also signed MOUs with Chinese banks to cooperate in cross-border financing.

Some Singaporean firms are already proactive in BRI projects in other ASEAN countries. For example, Surbana Jurong is involved in master-planning for the Kyaukpyu Special Economic Zone and Port in Myanmar. Meanwhile, BRI Connect serves as a platform to facilitate communication within and between BRI projects and to promote Singapore as a regional infrastructure and financial hub. The platform is building a business community around the BRI into which Singaporean firms can tap as partners for BRI projects.

Singapore can also be a dispute resolution hub. In January this year, Singapore and China inked an agreement to establish an international panel of mediators to handle disputes that might arise from the multi-billion-dollar BRI projects. The agreement was signed between the Singapore International Mediation Centre and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Malaysia too plays an important role in helping the BRI achieve its goal of building a ‘community of common destiny’. This was demonstrated when Malaysia successfully renegotiated the controversial East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), reducing the project’s price tag by about a third. Under the new agreement signed in April between Malaysia and China, the 640-kilometre and 20-station ECRL will cost US$16.7 million per kilometre, compared with US$23.2 million previously. This success has shown that going back to the negotiating table can help partner countries come up with more equitable deals.

ASEAN countries can also diversify their participation in BRI projects. For example, Myanmar is becoming an increasingly vital node in China’s Digital Silk Road due to its strategic location between South and Southeast Asia. In 2018, China’s Huawei began working with Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications to deploy 5G broadband services in Myanmar within five years.

Aligning the BRI with other development and infrastructure initiatives could help BRI projects become more sustainable. In 2017, for example, China and Vietnam signed an agreement to promote connectivity between BRI projects and infrastructure in Vietnam through the ‘Two Corridors, One Belt’ project.

In the second Belt and Road Forum in April, observers saw the possibility of a ‘BRI 2.0’ — an improved version of the BRI — emerging. Since China has pledged to reform this strategic initiative, ASEAN member states can play important supporting roles by multilateralising the BRI. Key areas include financial connectivity, third-party collaboration, mediation, negotiations and project sustainability.

Phidel Vineles is a Senior Analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

A version of this article was first published here by RSIS.

Nepal raises visa fee on the eve of the Visit Nepal Year 2020

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Jagan Karki, London— On the eve of the Visit Nepal Year 2020, Nepal government has raised visa fees for foreign tourists. The new tariff will come into effect from July 17, 2019–  first day of the new fiscal year, officials said.

According to the Immigration Department, the tourist visa fee has gone up from $5 to  $35.

While the tourist visa fee for 15 days (multiple entries) has been raised by $5 to $30, the tourist visa fee for 30 days (multiple entries) has been raised to $50 from $40, The Himalayan Times daily reported.

Similarly, the tourist visa fee for 90 days (multiple entries) has been raised by $35 to $125, it said

The Department of Immigration has also raised the visa extension fee for foreign tourists.

“As per the department, the visa extension fee (within valid visa period) has been raised to $3 per day from $2 per day.

Similarly, visa extension fee (with multiple entries) has been raised to an additional $25 from an additional $20,” the report said.

As per the Nepalese Immigration, No Visa Fee is charged from Chinese Nationals for a Tourist visa (other than Chinese Nationals are, however, required to pay visa fee). Similarly, Indian nationals do not require a visa to enter Nepal.  Indian Nationals traveling to Nepal by air must possess any one of the following documents:  Passport or Election Commission Card.

Travel trade entrepreneurs have, however, criticized the government’s decision.

“Nepal should give extra incentive instead of hiking tourist visa fee on the eve of the Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign,” Navin Gurung, a tourism expert based in the UK, told www.southasiatime.com. “Nepal must improve tourism infrastructure in order to attract more tourists. I see the main problem with food and hygiene, cleanliness and transportation, among others. These must be improved.”

Photo: Navin Gurung, Gurung along with tourists while promoting sports tourism in Pokhara.

Department of Immigration officials said that the change in visa fee structure was minor and the fee structure would be revised again after the completion of the Visit Nepal Year 2020, The Himalayan Times report said.

Earlier this week a tourism promotion campaign in London Underground was criticized in social media for publishing the picture of a Buddhist temple of Thailand while promoting the Visit Nepal Year campaign.

Photo by: Walkinggio, Dutch hiking enthusiast

Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian flights for fifth time

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PTI— For the fifth time, Pakistan extended its airspace ban along its eastern border with India till July 26, the country’s civil aviation authority announced Friday.

Pakistan fully closed its airspace on February 26 after the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist training camp in Balakot following the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir.

However, in March, it partially opened its airspace but kept its ban for the Indian flights.

“Pakistani airspace will be closed until July 26 along its eastern border with India. The Panjgoor airspace will remain open for overflying transit flights from the western side as Air India had already been using that airspace,” the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a notice.

A CAA official told PTI that the Pakistan government will review whether to open its space for Indian flights or not on July 26.

“However, this issue is a bilateral one and no progress will be made till both Islamabad and New Delhi decide it mutually,” he said.

Last month, Pakistan gave special permission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace for his official trip to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

However Prime Minister Modi’s VVIP aircraft avoided flying over Pakistan. Earlier, Pakistan had allowed India’s former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly though Pakistani airspace to participate in the meeting of SCO foreign ministers in Bishkek on May 21.

India aviation industry has suffered huge losses due to the airspace ban by Pakistan.

On Thursday, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament that due to the closure of Pakistan airspace, Air India had to spend an extra Rs430 crore on longer routes.

Pakistan earlier indicated that it may lift the airspace ban along its eastern border with India imposed on February 27 to reciprocate India’s decision to remove all restrictions on all air routes in its airspace.

Pakistan’s Aviation Secretary Shahrukh Nusrat said,” The Indian government had asked us to open the airspace. We conveyed our concerns that first India must withdraw its fighter planes placed forward.”

He said Pakistan was ready to open its airspace provided India de-escalates.

Over three dozen killed in monsoon rains in South Asia

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Kathmandu: Floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 40 people across South Asia in the last two days, officials said Saturday.

The monsoon, which lasts from June to September, causes widespread death and destruction across South Asia each year.

A man and his daughter struggle to leave a flooded area following torrential rains in Kathmandu, Nepal. Source: AA

In Nepal, 30 people have died in floods and landslides after heavy rains hit the country’s eastern region and the southern plains.

Bishwaraj Pokharel, spokesperson for Nepal Police, added that another 11 people were injured and 15 others reported missing.

 

 

 

 

Three of the victims were killed when a wall collapsed in the capital Kathmandu.

“Our first priority is life saving rescue and all our resources have been deployed,” Home Ministry official Umakanta Adhikari told AFP.

Police used boats to bring people to safety as rivers swelled, inundating their settlements, while parents were seen wading across chest-high waters carrying children on their shoulders.

 

A carry a child through flood area at Kalanki in the capital during a heavy rainfall on Friday. July 12 2019. PHOTO/SANJOG MANANDHAR

Nepal’s weather department issued a high alert for the southern Sapta Koshi river on Saturday and sent SMS warnings to people in the area.

In neighbouring India 11 deaths have been recorded in the northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, officials said Friday.

Monsoon floods have inundated 21 districts in Assam, affecting thousands, officials said Friday.

In Bangladesh aid groups were providing rations to Rohingya refugees in the southeast of the country with the UN World Food Programme saying Friday that two people including a child had died.

Last year, more than 1,200 people were been killed across South Asia in monsoon storms with India’s Kerala suffering its worst floods in nearly 100 years.

AFP

 

Nepalese women taking the lead on cardamom trade

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Cardamom, one of the world’s most valuable spices, has become a key source of livelihood for women in Nepal according to a new report by the World Bank.

Home-based female workers have taken on a critical role in cardamom production in the country and are also taking the lead in nurturing and harvesting the crop, the report said.

Supporting female-centric institutions involved in its production and supply chains will help build their capacity and ability to negotiate better in the global marketplace, it stated.

The World Bank study, Understanding the Role of Women Home-Based Workers in Value Chains of Large Cardamom and Allo in Nepal, examined women’s entrepreneurship in the large cardamom value chain.

Released this month, it found that women workers play a key part in production and take the lead in growing and harvesting before the spice enters the market and is exported to neighbouring India.

The study, undertaken in the eastern hills of Taplejung, Nepal, discovered that large cardamom production is a critical source of livelihood generation for a majority of women who work from home.

“Nepal can provide a platform for the neighbouring countries growing this highly valued spice – Bhutanand India – to enlarge the pie and seek new markets in South East Asia, while propagating this Eastern Himalayan region as a ‘spice corridor’,” said Dr Usha Jha, a member of Nepal’s National Planning Commission.

The Himalayan spice grows extensively in the hills of Nepal, the world’s leading producer, and the new research comes after a World Bank study last year which concluded that the cash crop enjoys a lucrative market and has improved the lives of thousands of women.

However, since 2015 the price of cardamom – which is affected by global market fluctuations – has been in decline. Women workers in Taplejung warn that they are faced with problems such as crop disease and lack of water, and many of them lack access to markets and credit facilities.

Faris H. Hadad Zervos, the World Bank’s country manager for Nepal, said: “Putting in place a system of gender-disaggregated and gender-specific data collection; introducing women-friendly technology and tools for production and processing; and supporting women’s institution building for skill enhancement and marketing will go a long way in ensuring effective and appropriate returns to investment in the cardamom industry.”

From: https://www.publicfinanceinternational.org

Monsoon rains kill 17 in Nepal, 11 in India

Posted on by SAT News Desk

New Delhi (AFP) — At least 17 people have been killed across Nepal after torrential monsoon rains induced floods and landslides, officials said Friday.

In neighbouring northeastern India the death toll rose to 11, with six dead in Assam and another five in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said.

Heavy rains since Thursday have hit several districts in Nepal, especially in the country’s eastern region and the southern plains.

According to figures released by Nepal’s police, a further seven people have been injured and seven others reported missing.

Three were killed when a wall collapsed in the capital Kathmandu.

“Local authorities and our security officials are all working to rescue people and bring them to safety. Helicopters are on standby if needed,” Home Ministry official Umakanta Adhikari told AFP.

Nepal’s weather department warned Thursday that heavy rains were expected to continue for two days, and advised people to stay alert.

Nearly 150 people died last year in Nepal during the rainy season, which typically begins in late June and lasts until the end of August.

In the northeastern Indian state of Assam monsoon floods have now inundated 21 districts, affecting thousands, officials said Friday.

In Bangladesh aid groups were providing rations to Rohingya refugees in the southeast of the country with the UN World Food Programme saying Friday that two people including a child had died.

Nepal Airlines becomes top carrier to bring most number of tourists into the country

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RSS, KATHMANDU : The national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has topped the list of the airlines carrying the most number of tourists into the country.

According to Nepal Tourism Statistics 2018 released by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation today, NAC stands in the lead position among the five major airlines carrying more travelers to Nepal.

The Airlines had come in the second position the previous year following Jet Airways of India. Jet Airways came second in 2018. The airlines company has however shut down its service this year following a financial crisis. Qatar was third while Fly Dubai and Air India were joint fourth in the same year.

During the year, the NC carried 493,170 passengers, covering 11.7 per cent of the international air service market. It has been flying to three destinations in India, with a total of eight destinations in six countries. Likewise, the year 2018 saw the highest number of tourist arrival from neighbors India and China.

India stood first with 194,323 tourists followed by China with 153,633 tourists visiting Nepal. The United States of America came third, Sri Lanka fourth and the United Kingdom fourth. A total of 1.173 million tourists visited Nepal in 2018, which is a rise by 24.77 per cent compared to 2017. Though the number of tourists arrival has increased their duration of stay is found to have declined on an average. The average stay of tourists in Nepal in 2018 was 12.4 days against 12.6 days in 2017.

ICC World Cup final among England and New Zealand, Is cricket coming home?

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London — The 2019 Cricket World Cup final takes place this weekend when England take on New Zealand.

An eight wicket victory over Australia on Thursday saw the hosts reach the final for the first time in 27 years.

New Zealand wait for them after their own comprehensive victory over India this week.

Considering the firepower the hosts possess, many current and former players have said it is England’s World Cup to lose, a trophy they have not been able to lift despite making the final in 1979, 1987 and 1992.

When and where is the final? 

The two winners will meet in the World Cup final at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s, on Sunday, July 14.

The 2019 final will be available to watch on free-to-air television with Channel 4 picking up rights for Sunday’s showdown.

Their broadcast will begin at 9am on Sunday on Channel 4 – switching to More4 at 1:15pm to make way for the British Grand Prix.

Cricket coverage returns to Channel 4 once the F1 finishes.

England have beaten New Zealand, India and Australia in their last three matches and produced their best display of the tournament last time out.

World Cup Final Odds (per Oddschecker)

England: 2-7

New Zealand: 11-4

That’s why lots of people are getting very excited and asking “Is cricket coming home?”

“Targeted For Rights Work,” Says Lawyer Indira Jaising After CBI Raids

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New Delhi: Senior lawyers Indira Jaising and her husband Anand Grover were raided on Thursday by the CBI, which has accused them of violating a law on foreign funding, NDTV reported.

Raids started at around 5 am at the home of Indira Jaising in Delhi’s Nizamuddin and the offices of Anand Grover’s NGO Lawyers Collective in Delhi and Mumbai. The CBI had earlier filed a case against Anand Grover and Lawyers Collective for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or the FCRA.

Indira Jaising and Anand Grover are among the most prominent faces of public interest and civil rights litigation in India and have been involved in path-breaking cases linked to gender justice, gay rights, labour and health care.

The CBI’s First Information Report, filed on the basis of a Home Ministry complaint, does not name Indira Jaising as an accused but the ministry reportedly referred to her alleged role.

The CBI’s case refers to a period when Indira Jaising was Additional Solicitor General between 2009 and 2014. The expenses of her foreign trips at the time were from funds of the NGO without Home Ministry approval, according to the investigating agency.

The CBI also says Indira Jaising, at this time, received Rs. 96.60 lakh from Lawyers Collective without government permission.

Indira Jaising says there is no conflict of interest; the Additional Solicitor General is a public servant, not a government servant, so is not banned from receiving foreign contributions.

Anand Grover and his NGO have been accused of misusing foreign contributions and spending the funds for trips abroad. The Home Ministry said it noticed irregularities in 2010.

The CBI also alleges that both lawyers organised “paid dharnas” using foreign funds, such as one for the HIV-AIDS Bill in October 2009, on which they claim Rs 89,000 was spent.

Mr Grover was one of the key lawyers in the landmark case in which homosexuality was decriminalised by the Supreme Court.

Over 20 lawmakers have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning the raids. “We, the undersigned individuals strongly condemn the raids… This, latest in a long line of coercion and intimidation of Ms Jaising and Mr Grover, is nothing short of a brute show of intimidation as well as gross abuse of power,” the letter read.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also criticised the raids. “I strongly condemn CBI raids on well-known senior advocates @IJaising and Mr Anand Grover. Let the law take its own course but subjecting veterans who have all through their lives fought for upholding the rule of law and constitutional values is clear vendetta,” he tweeted.

 

SAARC has the potential to transform South Asia : PBIF

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Karachi — President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain has said that SAARC has the potential to transform South Asia, therefore, mutual mistrust and non-cooperation should not be allowed to undermine its potential, Business Record reported.

He said ineffectiveness of SAARC is dragging down the whole region and frustrating efforts to reduce poverty.

He noted with concern that tariff and non-tariff barriers by different countries has kept the level of integration low and cost of trade high which is contrary to the desire of people to have a peaceful, prosperous and secure future.

SAARC has been suffering from the Indian dream of regional dominance and its efforts to corner Pakistan, while trust deficit among the member states is having a negative impact on the economic cooperation and integration, he said.

He expressed that SAARC has always been dominated by political differences between India and Pakistan, barring the entire region from harnessing the benefits of a unified economy.

Mian Zahid Hussain said that the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa rightly said that Pakistan wants peace and integration in the region as it does not believe in zero-sum games.

He said that the CoAS has also pointed out that the countries cannot develop individually; it is the region which develops which indicates his desire for regional peace and prosperity. General Bajwa’s inclination must be taken seriously be all the member states of SAARC to climb the ladder of success as intra-regional trade accounts for about one percent of South Asia’s GDP, it accounts for almost 11pc of regional GDP in East Asia and the Pacific.

Compared to countries in East Asia, the average level of trade costs in South Asia is 20 percent higher; cost of trade between some South Asian economies is higher than the same country’s trading costs with Brazil.

Import starts from China-Nepal border Tatopani transit

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RSS —Goods imported from China have started entering Nepal through the Tatopani transit, the main border checkpoint with the northern neighbour.

The Tatopani transit has been brought into operation a month back after a long closure due to the damage caused by the Gorkha earthquake of 2015 and the delay in its reconstruction.

The transit was formally brought into operation on May 29 after remaining closed for four years.

But trade transactions could not be immediately started due to some logistical problems as the customs office had to be shifted to the newly constructed dry port site and it took time to make internal preparations and administrative management.

The import trade that began since last week has been gradually picking up through this transit.

“Goods and consignments have started entering Nepal from China,” customs officer Keshav Raj Oli said. He said imports have gradually increased after the customs started its transactions. According to him, 10 containers of goods that entered from China have already left for the capital, Kathmandu after customs checking and clearance.

Still four containers full of goods are waiting for their turn at the inland container depot for customs checking and clearance.

IRANIAN ARMED BOATS TRY TO SEIZE BRITISH TANKER

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Three Iranian vessels tried to block a British-owned tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but backed off when confronted by a Royal Navy warship, Britain said on Thursday.

According to Jerusalem Post “HMS Montrose was forced to position herself between the Iranian vessels and British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to the Iranian vessels, which then turned away,” a British government spokesman said in a statement. It urged Iran to “de-escalate the situation in the region.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied involvement but also cautioned both the United States and Britain that they would “strongly regret” the UK Royal Marines’ detention of one of the Islamic republic’s own tankers off Gibraltar last week, AFP reported

The Gibraltar police brushed aside the warning and announced the arrest on Thursday of both the Indian captain and officer of the seized Iranian tanker.

And President Donald Trump raised the US pressure by tweeting on Wednesday that sanctions against Iran over its stepped-up nuclear activities would be “increased substantially” soon.

The rapid chain of events further complicates Britain and other European allies’ efforts to salvage a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran from which Washington pulled out more than a year ago.

The UK defence ministry said three Iranian boats tried to “impede the passage” a commercial vessel called British Heritage. The 274-metre (899-foot) tanker is owned by the British energy giant BP and can carry a million barrels of oil.

“We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to de-escalate the situation in the region,” a Downing Street spokesman said.

The Times newspaper reported that Britain is now considering whether to send other naval resources to the Gulf.

Sky News said the transport ministry had issued new guidance to all British-flagged commercial ships in recent days to go to a heightened state of security in the area.

– ‘Turned away’ –

The UK defence ministry said that “three Iranian vessels attempted to impede the passage of a commercial vessel, British Heritage, through the Strait of Hormuz”.

“HMS Montrose was forced to position herself between the Iranian vessels and British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to the Iranian vessels, which then turned away,” the ministry statement said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — a vast and powerful security organisation that the United States blames for staging several tanker attacks since May — denied trying to seize or impede the UK tanker.

“There has been no confrontation in the last 24 hours with any foreign vessels,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

UK defence sources told British media that the Revolutionary Guards boats attempt to first stop and then divert the supertanker towards the Iranian shore.

The UK warship then trained its guns on the Iranian boats and delivered a “cease and desist” message by radio.

CNN reported that a US surveillance aircraft captured video footage of the episode from above.

– ‘Path of diplomacy open’ –

The incident adds further fuel to a volatile mix of brinkmanship and sabre rattling in a region already unsettled by the Trump administration’s nuclear standoff with Tehran.

Revolutionary Guards deputy commander Ali Fadavi called Britain’s seizure of Iran’s tanker “stupidity… a trait the American president has in spades, and the British to some extent”.

“If the enemy had made the smallest assessment they wouldn’t have done this act,” Fadavi said.

Officials in Gibraltar — a British overseas territory on Spain’s southern tip — said the cargo was believed to be destined for Syria.

Damascus is subject to EU sanctions while the United States has its own sets of trade restrictions on Iranian oil.

Iran has increased uranium enrichment in response to the Trump administration’s decision last year to pull out of a controversial nuclear agreement world powers signed after a decade of talks with Tehran.

It surpassed one limit set in that deal a month ago and breached a second one on Monday.

– Compliance ‘without delay’ –

Britain and other European nations have been trying to preserve the deal by setting up their own independent trade mechanism that evades US sanctions on Tehran.

But Iran’s decision to push ahead with higher enrichment is putting the European strategy under strain.

European parties to the agreement issued a tough joint statement on Tuesday saying Iran must return to full compliance “without delay”.

Fellow deal sponsors Russia and China lay the blame for the confrontation on the United States.

“This is Washington’s deliberate, premeditated course to exacerbate tensions,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Tehran is also frustrated by the perceived failure of the remaining parties to the deal to keep their promises and provide relief from the US sanctions.

HRH Prince Charles presents medals to 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles

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London — As the prince, who is also Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, chatted with soldiers and their friends and family, trombones and pipes could be heard as the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas played out.

Photo : PA

Heir to the throne Charles visited the troops at Sir John Moore Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, to hand out operation medals following the regiment’s recent tour of Afghanistan, Press Association reported.

Charles – who was presented with the large Mala in the regimental colours of black, red and rifle green – also met the soldiers’ families.

He used a large kuri – a traditional Nepalese knife and the symbol of the Gurkhas – to cut a birthday cake decorated in the same colours.

The prince received a royal salute as the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.

Ambassador of Nepal to the U.K. Dr. Durga Bahadur Subedi was also present on the ceremony.

Major General Gez Strickland, colonel of The Royal Gurkha Rifles, said: “The Prince of Wales has been an ardent supporter of the regiment for the last 25 years.

“It was fantastic to have him join the wider regimental family in celebration of our silver jubilee and continued success on operations.”

Lieutenant colonel Chris Conroy, the commanding officer, said: “It is great to be home after six months’ hard deployment over an Afghan winter.”

He praised the prince, saying: “He is a great supporter of The Royal Gurkha Rifles and we are very much in his debt.”

In a foreword for a book commemorating 25 years of the regiment, Charles
praised the 1st Battalion for “maintaining the traditions and standards of its forebears” and for “building a reputation of its own”.  —PA

Workers of Bangladeshi heritage are paid least in the U.K.

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London — Workers of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage have the lowest median hourly pay of any ethnic group, in the latter case earning 20.1% less than white British workers, the first official statisticson the subject show, the Guardian reported.

The analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows significant gaps remain even when education and occupation are taken into account, particularly for those born outside the UK.

London, which has the highest proportion of people classified as being in an ethnic minority group, had the largest pay gap between white and ethnic minority groups, at 21.7%.

The median pay of white British workers last year was £12.03 an hour compared with £9.60 for people of Bangladeshi ethnicity and £10.00 for those of Pakistani ethnicity – groups that also had the lowest employment rates: 58.2% for Pakistanis and 54.9% for Bangladeshis.

 

Ezyhaul raises $16 mn, plans to expand in South Asia

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PTI—  Singapore-headquartered logistics-tech startup Ezyhaul said it has raised USD 16 million in funding that it will use to expand to new markets in South Asia and drive further technological innovation.

The company, which has presence in India and Thailand as well, did not disclose the names of the investors who participated in the series B round.

Founded in Singapore in April 2016, Ezyhaul focuses on improving efficiencies in the highly fragmented USD 150 billion-road freight industry in South Asia.

“In the past 12 months, Ezyhaul has grown more than 900 per cent after successfully completing its USD 5 million series A fundraise in 2018.

Ezyhaul has since taken the time to reinforce its presence in South Asia, included expanding its operations in India and Thailand, and with also integrating a cross border solution that currently stretches from China to Singapore,” a statement said.

Nepal SC stays govt move to roll back pesticide testing on vegetables, fruits

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Kathmandu (PTI) — Nepal’s Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the government’s move of rolling back its earlier decision to check for permitted levels of pesticides in vegetables and fruits imported from India.
A single bench of Justice Anandamohan Bhattarai issued the ruling, ordering the government not to backtrack on its previous decision to conduct pesticide residue tests on vegetables and fruits imported from India.
On July 4, the government decided to put on hold its earlier decision made on June 17 to conduct test of imported vegetables and fruits at the custom points to ascertain levels of pesticide residue.
The government said that it had put on hold the decision to test pesticides in Indian vegetables and fruits as there are no sufficient facilities to conduct such tests. However, the decision courted controversy from different quarters including lawmakers of the ruling and Opposition parties.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by two advocates at the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the government for rolling back its earlier decision.
The two advocates claimed that the government’s decision had put fundamental rights of Nepali citizens – including consumer rights and right to health – at risk.
On June 17, the Nepal government had instructed its border authorities to test the level of pesticide before allowing Indian vegetables and fruits. Following the instructions, hundreds of trucks have been stuck at various border points.

Nepal highly depends on fruits and vegetables imported from India.