The Press Roundup

January 11, 2024 (Thursday)

Curated Summary

Pakistan terms Indian diplomat's claims on Balakot strike 'surprising' (The News)

• Pakistan has described former Indian diplomat Ajay Bisaria's claims about the 2019 Balakot strike as "surprising" and reflective of India's "fascist mentality".
• "Such a statement from a professional diplomat is surprising," said FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressing the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
• "The drama of Pulwama was staged for a political game. It reflects India's fascist mentality," she added.
• Baloch further said that the Balakot airstrike proved to be a nightmare for India, as Pakistan Air Force shot down Indian planes.
• A day ago, Bisaria — in his upcoming book 'The Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan' — noted that on the night of February 27, a day after the Balakot airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force, Pakistan feared an imminent attack from India.

Mayday: a storm is brewing over mastery of oceans (The Economist)

• Geopolitical tensions are deepening on the world's oceans, leading to a contested zone for the first time since the Cold War.
• The Red Sea is experiencing attacks on ships by Houthi militias, causing a significant reduction in container activity in the Suez Canal.
• The Black Sea is witnessing the presence of mines and crippled warships, with Ukraine aiming to remove the Russian navy from Crimea.
• The Baltic and North Seas are facing a shadow-war of pipeline and cable sabotage.
• Asia is witnessing a significant build-up of naval power, with China attempting to coerce Taiwan into unifying and the US seeking to deter a Chinese invasion.
• The world economy heavily relies on maritime trade, with approximately 80% of trade by volume and 50% by value being transported by a fleet of container ships, tankers, and freight vessels.

An influx of Chinese cars is terrifying West (The Economist)

• China's carmakers, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, are experiencing significant growth and success. Chinese EVs are becoming popular due to their snazzy, whizzy, and cheap features.
• China's car industry has seen a remarkable rise in recent years. In 2023, China claimed to have exported over 5 million cars, surpassing Japan's total exports. BYD, China's largest carmaker, sold 0.5 million EVs in the fourth quarter, outperforming Tesla.
• The success of Chinese cars should be celebrated rather than feared. The previous "China shock" that led to job losses and other negative consequences in the rich world should not be equated with the rise of Chinese carmakers.

'Still no endgame' as Blinken concludes latest Middle East tour (Aljazeera)

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent tour of the Middle East has raised questions about whether it was an act of diplomacy or damage control.
• Blinken visited Israel, the West Bank, Bahrain, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
• The focus of attention was on the US's support of Israel during its military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in a high number of Palestinian casualties.
• Analysts described Blinken's tour as an attempt at face-saving, as he tried to balance exerting influence over Israel while avoiding public criticism.
• There is concern that after three months of war, there is still no clear plan for ending the conflict.

Terrorism in Kashmir is changing. Look for lessons in an operation decades old (The Print)

Key takeaways from the provided sources on the changes in militancy scenario in Jammu and Kashmir:

• There have been significant but subtle changes in the militancy scenario of Jammu and Kashmir over the past couple of years, with a shift in modus operandi and geography. The centre of gravity has now moved south of the Pir Panjal after two decades.
• The changing pattern of militant actions suggests a focus on shock value rather than continuous pinpricks, resulting in sharp ambushes with disproportionate psychological impact.
• The Army's past operation, Operation Sarp Vinash, provides lessons for counter-terrorism strategy. It involved a large-scale pincer movement in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division, resulting in the killing of a significant number of terrorists.
• While the tactics adopted by militants today may differ from those used two decades ago, it is still important to study the patterns established by them and devise appropriate counter-strategies.

Five takeaways from DeSantis-Haley debate in Iowa (The Tribune)

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley engaged in a negative debate before the Iowa caucuses, with DeSantis portraying Haley as a "corporatist" Republican and Haley accusing DeSantis of lying.
• Former President Trump, who is a chief rival to DeSantis and Haley, participated in a town hall with Fox News during the debate.
• According to the Decision Desk HQ average, Trump is leading DeSantis and Haley by 35 points in Iowa, just a week before the Republican caucuses.
• It remains uncertain whether the debate will have a significant impact on the upcoming caucus.

Hearing begins at Hague on case against Israel for 'Genocide' in Gaza (The Week)

• The UN's International Court of Justice at Hague will hear South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
• South Africa alleges that Israel's actions include killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction.
• South Africa is requesting an emergency order asking Israel to suspend military action in Gaza.
• Colombia and Brazil have expressed their support for South Africa's case.
• Israel has denied the allegations, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog calling them atrocious and preposterous.
• Israel plans to present its case of using self-defense under humanitarian law in the International Court of Justice.

India doesn't want Pakistan in BRICS (Rediff.com)

• India is likely to resist Pakistan's bid to become a full-fledged member of BRICS because it wants to maintain the grouping for emerging market economies.
• Pakistan has sought Russia's help to become a member of BRICS during its presidency.
• India believes that Pakistan's inclusion in BRICS would dilute its character as a grouping for emerging market economies and political issues might creep in.
• Bilateral issues are not allowed to be discussed in BRICS forums.
• Russia, as the current president of BRICS, has expressed its intention to consider the inclusion of new partner countries in the BRICS agenda.

Maldives and China sign 20 agreements, vow greater cooperation on BRI (Scroll.in)

• Maldives and China signed 20 agreements, including one on accelerating cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, marking a significant step in bilateral relations between the two countries.
• The Belt and Road Initiative is a multitrillion-dollar infrastructure scheme launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, aiming to connect China with Asia and Europe.
• India has been critical of the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India sees it as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
• The agreement between Maldives and China comes amid a diplomatic row between Maldives and India over remarks made by three deputy ministers of Maldives about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media posts.
• Maldives and China also signed agreements on tourism cooperation, strengthening digital economy cooperation, and promoting investment cooperation in green development.
• Maldives owes China 1.37 billion, accounting for around 20% of its public debt, while its debt to India stands at 123 billion.

Defence secretary directs services chiefs to take actions against officers involved in Faizabad sit-in (Geo News)

• Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Hamooduz-Zaman Khan has written letters to the army, air, and naval chiefs to review the role of their officers in the 2017 Faizabad sit-in staged by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
• The letters direct the services chiefs to take action against the officers involved in the protest sit-in and send their written statements to the Faizabad inquiry commission.
• The inquiry commission was constituted by the caretaker federal government to implement the Supreme Court's 2019 Faizabad verdict.
• The commission is required to submit its report to the Supreme Court on January 22.
• Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has recorded his statement before the Faizabad sit-in commission, denying allegations of conspiring against the government.
• The commission has the power to summon anyone, including former army chiefs, prime ministers, and chief justices.

To track drones, India to install over 2000 CCTV cameras along Pakistan Border (The Indian Express)

• Punjab Police is installing over 2,000 CCTV cameras with face detection software and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at 585 locations in various villages along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
• The cameras will be installed a few kilometers from the border, in border areas including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar Rural, Batala, and Gurdaspur.
• A total of 2,367 CCTV cameras will be installed, including 1,882 Bullet Cameras, 333 ANPR cameras, and 152 PTZ cameras.
• The maximum number of camera installations will be in Ferozepur (130), followed by Tarn Taran (123) and Amritsar (119).
• The face recognition software used with the CCTV cameras will be able to restore face images from face privacy masking.
• The surveillance system will involve setting up IP-based outdoor surveillance cameras, with video surveillance data stored at defined locations and monitored at police stations and district headquarters.

Ukraine's Zelensky rules out ceasefire with Russia, says Moscow will use it to rearm (The Globe and Mail)

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out a ceasefire in the war with Russia, stating that it would only give Russia an opportunity to rearm and regroup before overwhelming Kyiv's troops.
• Both sides in the conflict are in need of replenishing their weapons and ammunition after 22 months of fighting, with a focus on artillery shells, missiles, and drones for long-range strikes.
• Zelensky has expressed concerns about Russia acquiring artillery shells and missiles from North Korea and drones from Iran.
• Ukraine is seeking more support from its allies, including better weapons and air defense systems to protect against Russian aerial attacks.
• The flow of support from Western allies has slowed, causing alarm among Ukrainians who fear standing alone against Russia.
• Zelensky has received pledges of support from Baltic countries, including Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, who are among Ukraine's staunchest supporters.
• The Baltic countries, which regained independence in 1991 and joined NATO in 2004, are concerned about the possibility of being targeted by Russia.
• Recent attacks in Ukraine, including a missile hitting a hotel in Kharkiv, highlight the need for further weapons supplies to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.