The Press Roundup

 

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaI6FJZ8aKvHuAImSF2o            https://wa.me/c/923554754711

The Press Roundup

Curated Summary of What Matters

February 22, 2024 (Thursday)

Is Europe ready to defend itself? (The Economist)

• Russia is becoming more dangerous, and Europe needs to raise defense spending, restore military traditions, restructure arms industries, and prepare for a possible war.
• The murder of Alexei Navalny highlights the ruthlessness and violence of Vladimir Putin.
• Russia is winning in Ukraine and has put its economy on a war footing, spending 7.1% of GDP on defense.
• Within three to five years, Denmark's defense minister believes that Putin could be ready to take on NATO, potentially launching hybrid operations against one of the Baltic states.
• Western deterrence is weakening as the Russian threat grows.

India Boosts Naval Power: BrahMos Missile Deal Worth Rs 19,000 Crore Approved (One India)

• The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved a procurement worth over Rs 20,000 crore for the Indian Navy, which includes the purchase of 200 BrahMos-ER supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on the Navy's warships. The procurement will be carried out in phases until 2030.
• BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is responsible for supplying the BrahMos missiles.
• The BrahMos missile is renowned as the most lethal supersonic cruise missile globally and has demonstrated exceptional accuracy in targeting both sea and land-based objectives. It can be launched from stationary or moving maritime platforms and is integrated into the forefront of the Indian Navy's surface combat platforms.
• The missile has exhibited remarkable speed, precision, and formidable firepower, swiftly eliminating enemy targets in various sea-to-sea or sea-to-land scenarios.

Internet: Pakistan’s new political battleground (Aljazeera)

• Internet disruptions in Pakistan have raised concerns about the rule of law and the country's digital economy expansion.
• Pakistan has a history of internet disruptions during periods of political turmoil, with instances of social media platforms being blocked and blackout periods.
• The disruptions have affected mobile networks and social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
• The disruptions have occurred without any warning or explanation from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, the regulator for telecom and internet services.
• Pakistan ranks third in the world for imposing nationwide internet restrictions.

Putin Has Already Lost (The New York Times)

• Time seems to favor President Vladimir Putin in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine running low on weaponry and ammunition and American military assistance in doubt.
• Some experts argue that Ukraine should seek a political settlement with Moscow, even if it means sacrificing territory.
• However, the author argues that despite the challenges, Putin's war has ultimately failed. War is not just about killing people and destroying things, but about achieving specific political ends.
• Even if Russia retains all the Ukrainian land it currently holds, Ukraine's leaders and citizens, particularly the younger generation, have decided that their future lies with the West, not Russia.

Taiwan says it has not stepped up military deployments on frontline islands (Asia One)

• Taiwan's defense ministry stated that there have been no increases in military deployments on frontline islands facing China, and there is nothing unusual in the military situation around Taiwan.
• China's coast guard has begun regular patrols around the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands following the deaths of two Chinese nationals who tried to flee Taiwan's coast guard after entering prohibited waters.
• Taiwan's defense ministry is not intervening in the situation around Kinmen to avoid further escalation in tensions but is making plans with the coast guard for possible "new scenarios."
• The US State Department is closely monitoring Beijing's actions and has urged restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo.

Businessmen seek changes to Af-Pak Transit Trade Agreement (The Express Tribune)

• Businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade have suggested amendments to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) 2010 through consultation with stakeholders.
• A delegation of businessmen, led by Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, visited the office of Director General Transit Trade, Wajid Ali, to discuss the suggested amendments.
• The businessmen highlighted the lacunas in APTTA 2010, which have resulted in a shift of 70% of transit trade from Karachi port to Bandar Abbas in Iran.
• They demanded the revival of Goods in Transit to Afghanistan (GITA) service through lost cargo via train between Peshawar to Karachi and from Karachi to Chaman. They also urged for the repeal of SRO 121 to allow GITA services through containers and lost cargo.
• The Ministry of Commerce imposed a ban on 14 items of Afghan transit trade in October 2023, which constitutes around 212 items in a larger context. The businessmen called for the revocation of this ban and the revival of the old insurance guarantee system.
• The businessmen expressed concerns about the illegal import of items, including petroleum production and food items, from Iran, and called for measures to stop this. They believe that the restrictions on Pak-Afghan transit trade are hurting commerce in the region.

US charges Japanese crime boss over alleged trafficking of nuclear materials to Iran (Sky News)

• Takeshi Ebisawa, the leader of a Japanese crime syndicate, has been charged by US authorities with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar for use in Iranian nuclear weapons.
• Ebisawa and his co-defendant, Somphop Singhasiri, allegedly trafficked in drugs, weapons, and nuclear material, offering uranium and weapons-grade plutonium to Iran for nuclear weapons.
• The nuclear materials were transported from Myanmar to Thailand to an undercover DEA agent posing as a narcotics and weapons trafficker. The materials came from an unidentified leader of an "ethnic insurgent group" in Myanmar who had been mining uranium.
• Ebisawa had proposed selling uranium to buy deadly weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, from an Iranian general.
• The defendants were initially charged with international narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses in 2022. A superseding indictment contained the latest charges. They will be arraigned in federal court in Manhattan.

Centre approves proposal to ramp up radar coverage along Indo-China border (India Today)

• The Indian government has approved a project worth Rs 6,000 crore to install high-power radars along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to monitor the activities of the Chinese Air Force. The radars will be manufactured by Larsen Toubro and deployed in the Ladakh sector to improve radar coverage in the mountainous region.
• The new radars are specifically meant to monitor Chinese Air Force activities in the Ladakh sector, where the Chinese Air Force has been probing Indian responses to its violations. The Indian Air Force has responded by scrambling its fighter jets to the Demchok sector.
• Another project approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security is the purchase of Close-in Weapon Systems, which will be deployed to provide protection to vital assets and locations.