Magazine

Addressing the Russian public ahead of the anniversary of the war with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is suspending its participation in the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the United States. It is also known as 'New Start Nuclear Treaty'.

However, after Putin's statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry has made it clear that according to the treaty, the restriction on the number of war-ready nuclear missiles and weapons will continue to be followed by Russia.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that this decision has been taken in order to "preserve to a certain extent the traceability of our nuclear sites and its stability".

There is worldwide talk of suspending Russia's participation from this treaty. It is being said that this is the last nuclear agreement between the two nuclear superpowers and if it ends, both the countries will 'end arm control' on each other.

What is New START nuclear treaty?

The agreement was signed in 2010 by the then US President Barack Obama and the then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Under the New Start Nuclear Treaty, the number of missiles that will be in ready condition in America and Russia has been fixed. Russia and America have 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.

According to this agreement, Russia and the US can keep a maximum of 1550 nuclear missiles, 700 long-range missiles and bombers in an absolutely ready condition.

Both countries can make 18 visits to each other's nuclear site in a year to ensure that no country is violating the agreement.

This treaty started in the year 2011 and in the year 2021 it was extended for another five years. That is, the existing treaty is valid till 2026.

Nuclear site visits between the two countries were suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The US and Russia were to meet in Egypt in November 2022 to resume nuclear site visits, but Russia postponed the meeting. Now a new date has not been fixed for this meeting from both the countries.

What will be the impact of Russia's withdrawal from the New Start nuclear treaty?

However, Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that it will follow the rule of the treaty in which the number of missiles in the ready condition of both countries has been determined. But Russia's suspension of the treaty will probably make it difficult for the US to find out whether Russia is following the agreement or not.

Russia has already canceled nuclear site visits between the two countries. Experts believe that it will be a big danger if Putin goes ahead and stops the transaction of data of missile weapons prepared between the two countries.

John Eroth, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said in an interview with The Washington Post that the move was "purely symbolic".

John Eroth believes that Putin's announcement is a way to put pressure on US President Joe Biden, who is standing with Ukraine against Russia. John Eroth said, "Biden is talking about ending the war and Russia is trying to show him what is possible."

Speaking to the British newspaper Guardian, Andrey Baklitsky, senior researcher at the Center for Arms Control and Strategic Weapons Program at the Institute for Disarmament Research at the United Nations, said, "The suspension of the treaty was a big deal, the suspension of the agreement is not the same as taking yourself out of it. But in fact, it may happen in the future."

Andrey Baklitsky said, "Russia may remain in this treaty till 2026 but it is certain that it will adopt a tough attitude towards America. Responsibilities determined under the terms of this treaty may also change.''

Japan has said that in view of the threats from China and Russia, it will manufacture cruise missiles and high-velocity ballistic missiles on a large scale. It will be part of Japan's military expansion.

This information has been given in the annual budget of the Ministry of Defense of Japan. Under this other military weapons will also be developed. These also include the development of hypersonic weapons.

This decision is completely different from Japan's policy of military construction so far. Japan has limited its military capabilities and weapons development for decades.

In its budget, the Defense Ministry has drawn special attention to the fact that China is threatening the use of unilateral power. In this, North Korea has also been described as a threat.

Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned China's ongoing military exercises near Taiwan and called it a 'big problem'. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has also considered China's aggressive attitude to be a major threat to Japan's regional peace and security.

After five Chinese missiles that fell in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, it is also being raised that if something happens to Taiwan, Japan will also be affected by it.

Security has been a divisive issue in Japan. After losing the Second World War, Japan adopted a pacifist constitution at the behest of the US, and the US in return took responsibility for Japan's security.

Under Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, it may never use military power to settle its dispute with any country.

This year's monsoon rains in Pakistan have caused the most destructive floods in most people's memories.

Some provinces have received more than five times the average rainfall since June.

The climate change minister has called it a 'climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions'.

More than 1,100 people have died, and hundreds of thousands are homeless.

Can Pakistan cope with the resulting humanitarian crisis?

Presenter: Rob Matheson

Guests:

Dawar Butt - Environment policy analyst

Sara Hayat - Lawyer specialising in climate change policy

Peter Ophoff - Head of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Pakistan

After two years of relative peace, fighting has returned to the Libyan capital.

Dozens of people have been killed in street battles between rival militias in central Tripoli.

The armed groups are divided between those who support the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, and those who back a rival parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Is there a way out of the chaos?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Salah ElBakkoush - Former adviser to Libya's High Council of State

Jason Pack - President, Libya-Analysis LLC

Mansour el Kikhia - Professor of Politics, University of Texas at San Antonio

Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi has criticized the normalization of relations between some Arab countries and Israel and has also warned Israel about it.

Ibrahim Raisi spoke of relations between Arab and Israel countries during a military parade in Tehran on Iran's National Army Day.

He warned Israel there, saying, "If Israel wants to normalize relations with some countries, then it knows that its smallest actions are not hidden from us."

"If they make a mistake, we will directly strike the heart of the Jewish regime, and the power of our army will not allow them to sit in peace."

According to Iranian media, the military parade took place after a gap of two years due to the Corona epidemic, which was organized in the presence of senior Iranian leaders and military officials.

New weapons and equipment of the army were also displayed in it. During this, Ibrahim Raisi also praised Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

The enmity between Iran and Israel is well known

Iran does not recognize Israel. Whereas Israel has also said many times that it will not tolerate nuclear-powered Iran. Donald Trump ended the nuclear deal between Iran and the West. But since Joe Biden became president, efforts were on to implement the nuclear deal anew.

In March 2022, these talks were also canceled because Iran wanted the US to remove the Revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of its foreign terrorist organization, but this issue could not be resolved and the talks also stopped.

Iran has repeatedly alleged that Israel has attacked its nuclear bases and killed Iranian nuclear scientists. Israel neither denies nor confirms these allegations.

At the same time, undeclared conflicts at sea between Israel and Iran also come to the fore, in which there are mysterious attacks on ships.

Israel has been expressing its concerns about Iran's nuclear program. Israel suspects that Iran is building nuclear weapons, which Iran has denied.

Iran's eyes on Israel and Gulf countries close

In recent years, many Gulf countries have come closer to Israel. Just in March 2022, a big conference of four Arab countries was organized in Israel, in which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also arrived to attend.

The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt participated in the conference. This was the first time that Israel had organized a meeting of senior officials from so many Arab countries.

Such a meeting and close is also being seen as a new regional alliance against Iran in the Middle East. It is also being said that the meeting has also made it clear that now Arab countries are ready to increase relations with Israel without resolving the issue of Palestine dispute.

According to reports in the Israeli media, at the end of the meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told that a "regional arrangement" for protection from drone and missile attacks, sea attacks among all the countries participating in the conference. There was a discussion. Yaer Lapid was referring to Iran or its allies.

Actually, all these countries have been raising questions about Iran's activities.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have also always been suspicious of Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner cited one of the reasons for this in his report, writing, "They are cautious about Iran because Iran has created a network of powerful proxy militia groups in the Middle East in violation of international sanctions."

In such a situation, Iran is openly expressing its hostile relations with Israel, as well as giving a signal to the Arab countries about its stand by targeting Israel.

However, on National Army Day, Ibrahim Raisi said, "Our strategy is not to attack but to defend."

"Iran's military has made good use of the sanctions opportunity to further strengthen itself and our military industry is in the best shape possible," he added.

There is no official response from the United States so far on the $ 400 billion Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Plan for 25 years between China and Iran.

But analysts say that this step will prove to be an important 'game changer' not only for the region but in the global economic system.

There is uneasiness in Pakistan over the fact that now China is turning to Iran. But Pakistan's diplomats and analysts, who have a keen eye on the issue, have categorically dismissed this suspicion.

He says that the recent China and Iran Economic Cooperation Agreement will not be an alternative to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but will strengthen it.

Iran's helplessness and China's need

According to experts, Tehran has tried to make itself a powerful country for the new global situation by collaborating with China on long-term economic, infrastructure construction and security issues.

But while doing so, on the one hand Iran may face new sanctions from the US, on the other hand this agreement can save it from the continuous sanctions of the US.

The long-standing US sanctions on Iran have brought it so close to China. This is why Iran has agreed to sell oil to China at a lower price than global rates. So that its oil sales can continue uninterrupted and the national treasury can get a reliable source of income.

Experts say that the documents of the agreement have not been revealed yet. But the information that has been received suggests that Iran's fragile economy can help bring economic stability to $ 400 billion projects over the next 25 years.

In return, China will be able to purchase oil, gas and petro-chemical products from Iran at a discounted rate. In addition, China will also invest in Iran's financial, transportation and telecommunications sectors.

Under this agreement, for the first time in Iran's history, the two countries will collaborate in state, security and military matters through joint training exercises, weapons modernization and joint intelligence.

According to the agreement reached between the two countries, five thousand soldiers of the People's Liberation Army of China will also be stationed in Iran. But keep in mind that there are also protests in Iran, in which former President of Iran Ahmadinejad is at the forefront.

It is also speculated that perhaps Iran may be an ideal candidate to adopt China's new digital currency, the E-RMB, which has weakened the power to ignore and approve the dollar.

Remember that Iran is not currently connected to the global financial and banking system SWIFT and is not dealing with Iran.

CPEC - Plus

According to Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, President of the Pakistan-China Institute, the Iran-China strategic agreement is a good step for the region and also positive for Pakistan's interests, as it will strengthen regional economic cooperation, centered on Pakistan.

Mushahid Hussain hoped that it would help strengthen Gwadar Port's role in bringing stability to Balochistan and promoting regional cooperation with China, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian countries.

He further stated that it was unfortunate that India did not renew the IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India Pipeline) due to US pressure (when David Mulford was the US Ambassador to India on January 25, 2006). Instead opted for a nuclear deal with the US. India had removed the then minister Mani Shankar Aiyar who was a supporter of IPI.

Rejecting uneasiness about CPEC in Pakistan, Mushahid Hussain said that the Iran-China agreement would make CPEC more meaningful. Because both of these agreements are not for competition or rivalry, but both are aimed at strategic cooperation with China.

'Preparing to compete with world power'

Says India's famous defense analyst Praveen Sahni, "I think it would be wrong to see this agreement in the context of regional tensions in the Persian Gulf." China has always avoided supporting or opposing anyone in the Iran-Saudi rivalry. The main reason for China's increasing presence in the Persian Gulf is its economic affairs.''

He says that China and Saudi Arabia also signed major economic deals a year ago. But this new agreement of China with Iran reveals another important point. That is, instead of singlehanding Tehran, US sanctions have pushed it even further into China's camp. Therefore, the importance of this agreement is not only important for the region, but it also appears to be preparing to compete with the world power.

Says Praveen Sahni, "More details of the agreement are not currently available, so it cannot be compared to CPEC." Nevertheless, the major difference is that the basic interests of both the parties are connected. China needs oil, which it will get from Iran at cheaper rates.''

"In return, Iran wants to invest in its economic, oil production, infrastructure and trade, which China will provide," says Praveen Sahni. There is economic cooperation in China-Iran relations, which is not the case with China and Pakistan. What kind of role will this difference play, at the moment nothing can be said about it.''

According to him, "Iran has the resources that China desperately needs, that is, hydrocarbons." Pakistan has no such wealth. Therefore, in terms of economic matters, relations between Pakistan and China are very different from relations between China and Iran.''

According to Praveen Sahni, however, there has been much discussion on whether the corridor based on Pakistan, Iran, Central Asia will lead to economic development and improvement in the region.

Says Praveen Sahni, "It may be a long-term plan, but there is no possibility of its benefits in the short term. Iran and Pakistan do not manufacture industrial products that Central Asian countries import, nor do Pakistan and Iran are major markets for Central Asian exports.''

He said that there is such infrastructure from China to Central Asia as well as Europe, due to which there is a network of roads and railways. He says that "it is difficult to see how the new routes of China, Pakistan and Iran, will be able to be an alternative to these old paths".

Praveen further said that the project of building Chabahar port of Iran was initiated by India because India had to use Afghanistan's mineral resources and make them better by utilizing Iran's industrial capacity.

Clearly, given the ground situation in Afghanistan, it was like a 'distant drumming'. Afghanistan's economy is not large enough for India to build a major road or railway infrastructure for the India-Afghanistan trade corridor through Iran.

He further said that Pakistan has tried its best to stay away from Iran-Saudi confrontation in the Persian Gulf and so has India.

Says Praveen, "Both sides have economic interests in this confrontation, but at the same time, there are internal issues related to this confrontation. Therefore, it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain a balance between all the sides over time. Especially when the United States decides in the next few years that it needs to increase further pressure on Iran. I don't think there is any other option than to maintain a realistic balance.''

'America pushes Pakistan and Iran towards China'

Iqbal Ahmed Khan, former Pakistan ambassador and professor of diplomacy and international relations at Lahore University of Management Sciences, says China's investment plan with Iran is part of its $ 8 trillion BRI projects, one of which is CPEC.

According to former Ambassador Iqbal Ahmed Khan, it is not correct to compare China's investment in Iran to CPEC. Because both of these are Chinese investments and both will be helpful to each other and the three countries will benefit from it.

He says, "Both China and Iran are friends of Pakistan, so Pakistan wants the project to succeed."

Iqbal Ahmed Khan further said that China's investment in Iran is not at the cost of Pakistan, so it should not be considered "zero-sum game".

On the question whether Pakistan and China will be able to bear the burden of US sanctions on Iran. Iqbal Ahmed Khan said that the main reason for China's investment in Pakistan and Iran is, in fact, the sanctions imposed by the US or attempts to ignore these countries.

He says, "Both Pakistan and Iran have been sidelined by the US, due to which we had to look for another way. Pakistan decided to make the most of its political and geographical location. On one side is China and on the other side is Iran. However, if Pakistan is a friend of China, it does not mean that Pakistan is hostile to America, but China has asked Pakistan to improve its relations with both America and India many times. However, America should also realize this.

Iqbal Ahmed Khan said that Pakistan will gladly cooperate with Iran, but Pakistan will also try to make Iran like it a member of Shanghai Cooperation Council.

"China's cooperation with Iran will directly benefit Pakistan," he says. Oil from Iran, which currently reaches China after covering 13 thousand miles. He will reach China by a safe passage of 150 miles through Pakistan.''

He said that China's investments in Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and other Asian countries and its investment in economic and trade infrastructure, from the Atlantic Ocean to the regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, are tangible signs of shifting the world's power.

Pakistan and Iran have an important role in this process of global change. There is also the role of US sanctions in this process of change, which is pushing these countries to the other side.''

'Iran Agreement and CPEC are natural partners'

Fatima Raza, a global affairs specialist at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, says that although the energy and infrastructure features in both projects are similar, the interests of the parties involved are different in many ways.

However, Fatima Raza said that the China-Iran agreement is a natural partnership agreement between the two countries, which could also further expand the prospects of CPEC.

Fatima Raza further said that for each party, comparing the two presents a different picture. "Both these projects provide an extraordinary opportunity for Pakistan to succeed, as it becomes a natural route for Iranian oil to reach China."

Fatima Raza said, "For China, it means a project like CPEC, which seeks to consolidate the impact of its expansion in the region, which will create trouble for US interests in the region."

Fatima Raza says the deal will help Iran meet its financial needs, which it desperately needs.

Fatima Raza said, "Both deals reinforce each other in their nature rather than being competitive, but its success depends on the parties utilizing their full potential."

'Impact on overall geo-political balance of Gulf and region'

Osama al-Sharif, an analyst at Arab News, wrote that the 25-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between China and Iran would have a long-term impact on the overall geopolitical-political balance of the Gulf and region.

The agreement has been signed at a time when relations between Beijing and Washington are very tense.

The deal gave Tehran a strong position on Iran's nuclear deal with the West, renegotiation and efforts to expand it.

According to Osama al-Sharif, the agreement would provide China with the opportunity to deploy 5 thousand security and military personnel on Iranian soil, which would prove to be a regional game changer.

Prior to China, Tehran signed a 10-year cooperation agreement with Moscow in 2001, particularly in the nuclear sector, which has since been extended twice.

He wrote that two years ago I joined a naval exercise with Iran, Russia and China. This new agreement will allow China to set up bases in the Gulf region as well as in Central Asia.

In return, Iran will get China's technology and invest in its poor infrastructure.

The Chinese government has been strengthening its economic ties with other Gulf countries for years.

Beijing has signed cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and has good relations with Saudi Arabia.

Osama al-Sharif wrote, "The new agreement will increase the sense of danger in the capitals of the Arab countries of the Gulf." Because these countries see Iran as a major source of instability and its alliance with Beijing will further strengthen the line between Tehran and Qom.''

Also, according to Osama al-Sharif, Israel will also feel uneasy about China's move. Both Russia and China, who signed Iran's nuclear deal, supported Tehran's side and openly violated US sanctions.

Tension between USA and China increased

Alex Lantier, an analyst with the World Socialist Organization, writes that the terms of the Iran-China agreement have not been disclosed. But these signatures came at a time when the US refused to lift the restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump. At the same time, the differences between China and the United States came to the fore in the conference to be held in Alaska of China and America.

Speaking to the press before the summit began, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that China should accept Washington's "international order based on the rule" or else it would "have a more rigid and unstable world." Will have to face it.''

In Tehran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in response to a question that "relations between our two countries have now reached a strategic level and China is trying to promote wider relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.''

The signing of the roadmap for strategic cooperation between the two countries shows that Beijing will enhance relations to the highest level.

China resistance

According to the Chinese government news agency Global Times, the Chinese foreign minister told Iranian officials that "China will dominate domination and opposition to hooliganism, along with protecting international justice, as well as international norms with the people of Iran and other countries."

The agreement was first discussed in 2016 between Iran's Supreme Leader Syed Ali Khamenei and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

To deepen economic ties with the Middle East, China also offered Iran to cooperate in development with its BRI program.

The Tehran Times quoted Iran's Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarz Zadeh as saying that the agreement "clarifies the potential for cooperation between Iran and China, particularly in the fields of technology, industry, transportation and energy." The firms have built mass transit systems, railways and other important infrastructure in Iran.

In December 2020, amid speculation about the signing of the deal, Peter Berkowitz, director of the policy planning staff of the US State Department, condemned it.

He told the newspaper Al Arabia that if this agreement was reached, it would be bad news for the "free world". Iran sows the seeds of terrorism, death and destruction throughout the region. Empowering this country of the People's Republic of China will further increase the risk.

The jam has opened in Egypt's Suez Canal. After a lot of effort, the huge ship stuck there for a week could be removed from the path.

With the help of tug boats and dredgers, the 400-meter (1,300 ft) long 'Ever Given' ship was evacuated.

Hundreds of ships are waiting to pass through this canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

It is one of the busiest trade routes in the world.

Peter Berbersky, CEO of Boskalis, the company that helped remove the ship, said, "The Ever Given re-floated on Monday, March 29, 2021 at 15:05 local time. After which it was possible to reopen the route to the Suez Canal.''

Egyptian officials say it will take up to three days for all ships stranded due to the jam, but experts believe the impact on global shipping may take weeks or even months.

How was the ship finally evacuated?

On the morning of Tuesday, March 23, 2021, it was a difficult challenge for the rescue teams to evacuate the two-million-tonne vessel stuck amidst strong winds and sand storm.

The SMIT, an expert team in the evacuation of such vessels, arranged for 13 tug boats. Tug boats are small but powerful boats that can pull large ships from one place to another.

Dredgers were also called. Who dug out 30,000 cubic meters of mud and sand from under the ends of the ship.

When this did not happen, it was also thought that some cargo would have to be unloaded to lighten the ship. It was feared that some 18,000 containers may have to be removed.

But the high waves helped the tug boat and the dredger in their work, and on the morning of Monday, March 29, 2021, the stern (the ship's rear) was evacuated, then the massive ship stuck diagonally could be straightened to a great extent. A few hours later, Bo (the front of the ship) also escaped and the Ever Given was in a floating position, that is, it was completely evacuated.

The ship was then pulled to Great Bitter Lake, which lies between the two halves of the canal on the north side of the shipwreck. Safety check of the ship will be carried out here.

What happened next?

A Marine source told Reuters on Monday, March 29, 2021
In the evening, the ships were heading south towards the Red Sea, while the leath agencies that served the canal said that the ships had started to come out of the Great Bitter Lake.

Some ships have already left the area. They decided to take an alternative, longer route around the southern tip of Africa.

These cargoes will definitely take more time to reach. When they arrive at the port, they may also get jammed there. The schedule of the ships coming in the next few days may also be disturbed.

According to a report by BBC Business Correspondent Theo Leggat, this may increase the cost of shipping goods to Europe.

Shipping group Marsk said, "Clearly, it will be investigated, because it has made a big impact and I think there will be some debate over what exactly happened there."

Mursk said, "What can we do so that it will never happen again?" It will be necessary for the Egyptian administration to see that the ships are always going out of the canal without any problem, because it is in their own interest.''

Great success

BBC Arabic correspondent Sally Nabil present at the port of Suez

The eviction of the Ever Given ship is considered a big success. Some experts have previously warned that it may take weeks to get the ship out. But high waves as well as specialist equipment helped in the rescue operation.

Now the administration has to deal with another challenge - jam. The head of the Suez Canal Authority said that they would be allowed to leave the first of the hundreds of ships stuck in the jam that would come first. However, some ships may be given priority due to cargo loaded on the ship.

The impact on global trade put the administration under tremendous pressure on the jam. For Egypt, this canal is not just a question of national pride, but it also strengthens the economy.

A few days ago I asked Osama Rabi, the head of the Suez Canal Authority, whether he was worried that some shipping companies would avoid sending such large ships through the canal in the future. In response to this, he said that there is no alternative to the Suez Canal, according to him that this route reaches it quickly and is safe. So here it is not only about time, but also about security.

What will happen to the ship now?

According to the managers of the ship's technical maintenance company, the ship will now undergo a thorough investigation in Great Bitter Lake.

Managers said that no pollution or cargo damage has been detected and preliminary investigations have revealed that there was no mechanical or engine failure behind the shipwreck.

It is reported that all 25 crew members of the Indian crew on board are safe. "Their hard work and tireless professionalism are being praised," say the managers.

There are many types of things in the ship, and it is believed that this item is worth billions of dollars.

A horrific fire broke out on Monday, March 29, 2021 at the Balonagan Refinery, one of Indonesia's largest oil refineries. Relief and rescue teams have to work hard to control the fire. This refinery in West Java province is owned by the state-run oil company, Pertemina.

According to local time the fire erupted around midnight around 12:45. The cause of the fire has not been known yet.

According to media reports, at least five people were injured in this fire. As a precaution, around 950 people have been evacuated from their homes and sent to safe places. Although some people are said to be missing.

TV footage and video posted on social media has also seen flames and smoke swings rising above the refinery on the morning of Monday, March 29, 2021.

News agency Reuters quoted a local media organization Metro TV as referring to a person. The man said, "We first felt a strong smell of oil like tearing the nose." After that we heard the sound of flames.''

According to the Regional Disaster Management Agency, five people have been hospitalized for treatment after being seriously injured and 15 with minor burns.

Catastrophic accident

BBC News Indonesia correspondent Jeromei Veeravan said, "The Balonagan Refinery is one of Indonesia's largest refineries. Its importance is because it supplies fuel and petrochemicals to the Greater Jakarta region.''

According to him, the question of how much this firefight will affect the factories along with the plastics and chemical business is arising. However, refinery owner Pertemina has told the people that the oil supply system is unaffected and it continues as before.

On the other hand, many people are asking how can such a disastrous event happen in a government refinery?

Kurtubi, a politician and a member of the Energy Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives, said in a TV interview that the Balonagan refinery operating since 1994 is relatively new compared to the other refineries at Partemina. He has demanded that the distance from the residential areas of all the oil refineries of the country be ascertained.

According to Jerome Veeravan, there is a demand for an in-depth investigation into the incident on social media. One person has asked, "Was there a tampering in the refinery or was it an accident?" Others are asking whether the standard operating procedure (SOP) was followed in the refinery. At the same time someone wrote, "The person who has a role in this case should be taken to court."

A BBC correspondent has reported that people living near the refinery, following safety standards during the Corona era, have been evacuated from their homes and sent to different camps as a precautionary measure.

Veeravan quoted Pertemina as saying that the cause of the fire has not been ascertained but the incident occurred during heavy rains and lightning.

No effect on oil supply

At a press conference on Monday, March 29, 2021, the company stated that the fire had not damaged the refinery's processing capabilities, so operations could return to normal within the next five days.

Reuters was quoted by Pertemina CEO Nikki Vidyavati as saying that the fire was on refinery tanks. This has not caused any damage to the processing plant. The company said that it is closing its refinery and the flow of oil is being controlled to prevent this fire from spreading further.

The Balonagan Refinery is 225 kilometers east of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Located in 340 hectares, the refinery has a processing capacity of 1,25,000 barrels per day.

According to officials, the container ship stranded in the Suez Canal has been removed from shore. The ship was stranded in the Suez Canal from 23 March 2021.

According to the Suez Canal Authority, the direction of the 400 meter long 'Ever Given' ship has been corrected by 80%.

Accordingly, the work of removing the boat will be resumed from Monday.

The 'Ever Given' disrupted one of the world's busiest trade routes, causing the rest of the ship to return and lead to lengthy traffic.

After this success in the rescue of the stranded ship, hope is raised that the jam on the canal may open in a few hours. Nearly $ 9.6 billion worth of goods originates from this waterway every day.

According to the news agency Reuters, tugboats have been used to remove the ship.

According to the Suez Canal Authority, the ship's rear, which was previously four meters from the coast, is now 102 meters. The authority said that efforts have now begun to make the ship in a fully floatable condition.

According to officials, the work of removing the ship will start at 11:30 pm local time after the waves arise.

When the ship is removed, 367 ships waiting there will find their way. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabi told Egypt's Extra News on Sunday, 28 March 2021, that they included a number of cargo ships, oil tankers and ships carrying ANG or LPG gas.

The 400-meter-long Avar Given ship was caught diagonally in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, 23 March 2021 amid strong winds. Because of this, there was a situation of traffic jams on this shortest ship route between Europe and Asia.

After failing for several days to evacuate the ship, on Sunday, March 28, 2021, the Canal Administration began preparations to remove about 20,000 containers from the ship to reduce the weight.

There are reports that a cargo vessel stranded in the Suez Canal has been evacuated.

The video posted on social media on Monday, March 29, 2021 can be seen that the passage of the canal is open due to the rear end of the Ever Given ship.

At the same time, news agency Reuters has written that according to InchCap Shipping Services, this huge ship stuck in the Suez Canal for about a week has now started to float again and work is going on to make it in a running condition.

Inchcap, which provides global maritime services, said on Twitter, "The ship started to float again at 4.30 am local time and is now in full operation.

The ship-tracking service vessel finder has changed the status of the ship on its website and has now written that the ship is on the way.

The 400-meter-long Avar Given ship was caught diagonally in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, 23 March 2021 amid strong winds. Because of this, there was a situation of traffic jams on this shortest ship route between Europe and Asia.

At least 369 ships were waiting for the canal to open. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chairman Osama Rabi told Egyptian Extra News on Sunday, 28 March 2021, that there were several cargo ships, oil tankers and ships carrying ANG or LPG gas.

Egyptian Lath Agencies, which provide transit services in Suez, tweeted that the ship has been partially re-floated, pending official confirmation from the Suez Canal Authority.

At the same time, according to Reuters, the price of crude oil has come down after the news of the ship started to float again.

The Suez Canal Authority had earlier said in one of its statements that the work of towing the ship has been resumed. On Sunday, 28 March 2021, teams trying to evacuate had speeded up their work.

After a long effort through tugboats and dredgers, a great success has been achieved in getting the ship out.

After failing to evacuate the ship for several days, on Sunday, March 28, 2021, the Canal Administration began preparations to remove about 20,000 containers from the ship to lose weight.

Experts had previously told the BBC that special equipment had to be used in such operations, such as a crane that would have to reach up to 60 meters (200 ft), which could take weeks.