Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to attend a demonstration in Toronto in support of a separatist Sikh movement has once again damaged his country’s relations with India.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs denounced Trudeau’s actions and summoned the Canadian deputy high commissioner “with regard to the raising of separatist slogans on ‘Khalistan’ at an event which was being personally addressed by the Prime Minister of Canada”.

Analysts say Trudeau’s move shown “no appreciation of Indian concerns in Canada,” with the apparently ill-advised travel expected to further deter New Delhi from improving relations with Ottawa.

Relations between the two sides have deteriorated in recent months as a result of allegations by Trudeau’s administration that Indian intelligence agents were involved in the 2023 murder of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar was involved in the 1980s and early 1990s Khalistan movement, which sought to establish an independent Sikh nation in northern India’s Punjab state. Today, the activists are largely from the Punjabi overseas diaspora, many of whom have migrated in the North American country. India has often complained to Canada about the actions of Sikh hardliners.

India has frequently criticized Trudeau

According to The Times of India, Indian intelligence officials were particularly concerned about the presence of “Modi Wanted” posters purportedly placed at the Toronto rally by the secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in retaliation to Nijjar’s murder.

While India has frequently criticized Trudeau for failing to rein in Khalistani separatists and engaging in “vote bank politics” with the Punjabi diaspora, experts disagreed on whether the government overreacted in order to acquire votes in the ongoing Indian elections.

“There will be no immediate impact [on India from the rally], but the point is that there is no appreciation for Indian concerns in Canada as far as Trudeau’s party is concerned,” said Harsh Pant, a professor of international affairs at King’s College London.

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“What it means is that this will be a long-term problem.

“As long as Trudeau remains in office, there is no enthusiasm in India to move forward with major projects or improve relations. Trudeau has also made no indication that he intends to reset domestic politics.

The Khalistan movement has little resonance in India, especially Punjab, where it peaked in the 1980s and sparked a spike in separatist violence. In 1984, two of her Sikh bodyguards assassinated former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, six months after she ordered the siege of the Golden Temple in Punjab, Sikhism’s holiest shrine, to clear out terrorists.

“Trudeau knows the Khalistan issue is extremely damaging for Canada-Indian relations,” said Christopher Blackburn, a British political and security analyst, citing the 1985 bombing of an Air India flight by Canadian Sikh militants to highlight the sensitivity of the situation.

“Any prime minister must be careful about attending political rallies,” Blackburn was quoted as saying.

He said that Trudeau might have met with the community’s leaders in a controlled venue, such as a gurdwara (Sikh temple), to avoid “embarrassing spectacles.”

“Trudeau and his advisers are to blame.” “Canada and India need to come up with a joint mechanism for monitoring the Khalistani threat,” Blackburn added, implying that Ottawa should apologize to New Delhi for appearing to support “radical elements.”

But Manoj Joshi, a distinguished scholar at the Observer Research Foundation, believes India could have avoided reacting harshly to the matter. “The point is does this movement have any specific impact on India ?” Joshi stated.

“My assessment is it is probably aimed more at domestic political gains among the large electorate [in India],” said Mr. Singh.

He further stated that the reaction was intended to demonstrate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been “proactive against the Khalistan movement”.

According to public polls, Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are leading India’s seven-phase elections, which will run until June.

Source: SCMP

KABUL, Afghanistan Taliban – Yunis Safi, a Kabul businessman, understands how important it is to show off your phone if you want something done.

“In Afghanistan, your phone is your personality,” he remarked, beaming, his hands adorned with jewel-encrusted rings. One has an emerald, the other a large Russian diamond. “When you go to a meeting with the government, the better your phone, the more they respect you.”

Safi owns a phone business in the exclusive Shar-e-Naw area. An armed guard stands outside. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is now on store shelves, priced at $1,400. He has customers willing to part with this amount of money, which may surprise some, considering the country’s economic troubles and that more than half of the population relies on humanitarian help for survival.

Afghanistan’s finances were precarious even before the Taliban took power in 2021. The budget relied significantly on foreign help, and corruption was rampant. The seizure shattered Afghanistan’s economy, freezing billions of dollars in international finances and forcing tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans to flee the country with their money.

Phones, Islamic Books And Currency Exchange. Some Businesses Are Making Money Out Of Taliban Rule

Despite the terrible conditions, some businesses benefit under the Taliban administration. Women are relegated to customers, however, because authorities have forbidden them from most jobs, including retail. None of Safi’s 78 employees are female.

He has tapped into a varied client base, including those eager for the latest iPhone release and those who prefer simple devices. The latter account for the majority of his sales and range in price from $20 to $200.

The Taliban used to target phone towers and threaten telecom companies, accusing them of working with the United States and other international forces to detect insurgent movements via mobile phone signals. Now, they’re investing in 4G mobile networks.

The Communications Ministry reports that 2 million new SIM cards have been issued in the last two years, and subscriber numbers are increasing. Enayatullah Alokozai, a ministry official, stated that the government is investing $100 million in telecom and has completely rebuilt hundreds of towers.

There are 22.7 million active SIM cards in a country with a population of 41 million. Ten million are for phone calls, with the remainder for mobile internet.

According to Trade Ministry estimates, phone imports have increased. More than 1,584 tons of phones entered Afghanistan in 2022. Last year, it weighed 1,895 tons.

Safi said he had many Taliban customers, and the younger ones prefer iPhones. “Of course, they need smartphones. They use social media and enjoy making videos. The iPhone offers stronger security than Samsung. The camera’s resolution, CPU, and memory are all improved. Afghans use smartphones like everyone else.”

Safi has the iPhone 15 Pro Max, an Apple Watch Ultra, and three automobiles.

Business was difficult shortly after the Taliban took power, but it is improving, according to Safi. “The people buying the new release iPhones are the ones with relatives abroad sending money to Afghanistan.”

Phones, Islamic Books And Currency Exchange. Some Businesses Are Making Money Out Of Taliban Rule

Remittances are a lifeline, but less than half of what they were before the Taliban took power and the financial system collapsed.

At Kabul’s rowdy Shahzada Market, hundreds of money changers clutch stacks of the local currency, the Afghani, and noisily hawk their wares. They occupy every floor, stairwell, corner, and cranny.

According to Abdul Rahman Zirak, a senior official at the money exchange market, $10 million changes hands every day. The diaspora sends largely U.S. cash to family, which they convert for Afghani.

Before the Taliban took control, there were more ways to donate money to Afghanistan. However, there are no longer any linkages to SWIFT or international banking, which is one of the main reasons why business is brisk in the market, he said.

“The work of money exchangers has increased and strengthened,” he stated. “Money transfers come from Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia, Arab nations and other neighboring countries.”

Trade becomes extremely chaotic during the holidays. During the holy month of Ramadan, 20,000 people visited the market daily, and it took more than 90 minutes to enter, he claimed.

Our business may suffer if the restrictions are lifted and the assets are unfrozen. But I don’t see this happening. Many do not have bank accounts. Unemployment is rising, therefore people send money to Afghanistan. Our company will be needed for years to come.”

Irfanullah Arif, who owns Haqqani Books, a specialist retailer of Islamic manuscripts, is likewise pleased with his fortunes. His consumers are primarily religious school professors and pupils.

There are at least 20,000 madrasas in Afghanistan. The Taliban intends to build more. Last year, the supreme commander allegedly directed the recruiting of 100,000 madrassa teachers.

Phones, Islamic Books And Currency Exchange. Some Businesses Are Making Money Out Of Taliban Rule

While Arif’s business suffered, along with everyone else’s, from the chaos that followed the takeover, there was another cause. “All the students left the madrassas and went to work for the (Taliban) government,” Arif claimed.

The Taliban’s push for Islamic education has brought him some relief. Last year, he sold 25,000 textbooks.

Success, however, comes with a price. Arif imports everything, and the Taliban are just concerned with collecting revenue, even from Islamic literature.

Arif pays a tax of 170 Afghanis ($2.36) for a carton of 100 books, with a shipping cost of 500 Afghanis ($6.95). His bookstore’s taxes have increased under the Taliban administration.

“That’s why books are expensive in Afghanistan,” he sighed. “With the increase of madrassas, our trade has gone up, but so have the taxes.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Washington — Former President Donald Trump has purchased an extra $1.8 billion in shares of Trump Media, according to a regulatory filing this week.

Trump was granted an additional 36 million shares in the firm that controls his social media network, Truth Social, in exchange for the company’s stock meeting specific price targets. Based on Wednesday morning’s market price, this takes his overall holding to more than 114 million shares, valued at $5.7 billion.

Trump Awarded 36 Million More Trump Media Shares Worth $1.8 Billion After Hitting Price Benchmarks

Trump, the probable Republican presidential nominee, now owns almost two-thirds of the company’s outstanding shares.

Trump Media & Technology Group shares have risen sharply recently, closing Tuesday at $49.93. To get the new shares, Trump merely needs the stock to trade over $17.50 for 20 consecutive trading days.

Trump Media joined the Nasdaq after merging with Digital World Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). These mergers provide emerging companies with a faster and easier path to publicly listing their shares.

Trump Awarded 36 Million More Trump Media Shares Worth $1.8 Billion After Hitting Price Benchmarks

On March 26, the first day of trading following Trump Media’s merger with Digital World Acquisition, shares of the newly combined business reached nearly $80 apiece in intraday trading before closing at $57.99.

Less than a week after its glitzy stock market debut, Trump Media revealed that it lost roughly $58.2 million last year, sending its stock down more than 21%. The $50.5 million profit the company reported in 2022 was significantly lower than the 2023 losses, according to a regulatory filing.

Trump Awarded 36 Million More Trump Media Shares Worth $1.8 Billion After Hitting Price Benchmarks

The company’s shares fell to roughly $22 in the following weeks before recovering in mid-April.Truth Social was created in February 2022, one year after Trump was barred from major social media platforms such as Facebook and X, previously Twitter, following the January 6 revolt at the US Capitol. He has been reinstated to both but has remained with Truth Social.

Trump Media’s stock sank 8.6% to $45.64 in morning trading on Wednesday.

SOURCE – (AP)