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BEIJING: Two Chinese astronauts went on a spacewalk Saturday from a new space station that is due to be completed later this year. Cai Xuzhe and Chen Dong installed pumps, a handle to open the hatch door from outside in an emergency, and a foot-stop to fix an astronaut’s feet to a robotic arm, state media said. China is building its own space station after being excluded by the US from the International Space Station because its military runs the country’s space program. American officials see a host of strategic challenges from China’s space ambitions, in an echo of the US-Soviet rivalry that prompted the race to the moon in the 1960s. The latest spacewalk was the second during a six-month mission that will oversee the completion of the space station. The first of two laboratories, a 23-ton module, was added to the station in July and the other is to be sent up later this year. The third member of the crew, Liu Yang, supported the other two from inside during the spacewalk. Liu and Chen conducted the first spacewalk about two weeks ago. They will be joined by three more astronauts near the end of their mission in what will be the first time the station has six people on board. China became the third nation to send a person into space in 2003, following the former Soviet Union and the United States. It has sent rovers to the moon and Mars and brought lunar samples back to Earth.

WASHINGTON: President Vladimir Putin’s threat to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine if Russian “territorial integrity” is threatened has sparked deep discussion in the West as to how it would respond. “Those who are trying to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the wind can also turn in their direction,” Putin said, adding: “This is not a bluff.” However analysts aren’t convinced the Russian president is willing to be the first to unleash nuclear weapons since the US bombed Japan in 1945. AFP spoke with several experts and officials about the possible scenarios that could arise should Russia carry out a nuclear attack.

Analysts say Moscow would likely deploy one or more “tactical” or battlefield nuclear bombs. These are small weapons, ranging from 0.3 kilotons to 100 kilotons of explosive power, compared to the 1.2 megatons of the largest US strategic warhead or the 58 megaton bomb Russia tested in 1961. Tactical bombs are designed to have a limited impact on the battlefield, compared to strategic nuclear weapons which are designed to fight and win all-out wars. But “small” and “limited” are relative: The atom bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 to devastating effect was just 15 kilotons.

Analysts say Russia’s goal in using a tactical nuclear bomb in Ukraine would be to frighten it into surrender or submission to negotiations, and to divide the country’s Western backers. Mark Cancian, a military expert with the CSIS International Security Program in Washington, said Russia would not likely use nuclear weapons on the front lines. Capturing 20 miles (32 kilometers) of territory could require 20 small nuclear bombs — small gains for the huge risks of introducing nuclear weapons and nuclear fallout. “Just using one will not be enough,” Cancian said. Moscow could instead send a strong message and avoid significant casualties by detonating a nuclear bomb over water, or exploding one high over Ukraine to generate an electromagnetic pulse that would knock out electronic equipment. Or Putin could opt for greater destruction and death: attacking a Ukraine military base, or hitting an urban center like Kyiv, generating mass casualties and possibly killing the country’s political leadership. Such scenarios “would likely be designed to split the NATO alliance and global consensus against Putin,” Jon Wolfsthal, a former white House nuclear policy expert, wrote Friday on Substack. But “it is unclear if it would succeed, and could just as easily be seen as desperation as resolve,” he said.

The West has remained ambiguous on how it would respond to a tactical nuclear strike, and the choices are complicated. The United States and NATO do not want to appear weak in front of an implicit nuclear threat.

But they also would want to avoid the possibility that the war in Ukraine — not a NATO member — could escalate into a much broader, devastating global nuclear war. Experts say the West would have no option but to respond, and that a response should come from NATO as a group, rather than the United States alone. Any response should “ensure both that Putin’s military situation did not improve from such a strike, and that his political, economic and personal position suffered as a result,” said Wolfsthal. The United States has positioned about 100 of its own tactical nuclear weapons in NATO countries and could respond in kind against Russian forces. That would demonstrate resolve and remind Moscow of the danger of its actions, according to Matthew Kroenig of the Atlantic Council. However, he said, “it might also provoke a Russian nuclear reprisal, raising the risk of a larger nuclear exchange and further humanitarian disaster.” Another risk is that some NATO members might reject a nuclear response, serving Putin’s aims of weakening the alliance.

Answering a Russian nuclear attack in a more conventional military or diplomatic way, and supplying Ukraine with more lethal arms to attack Russia, could be more effective, experts say. “Russian nuclear use might provide an opening to convince countries that have so far been reluctant — such as India and possibly even China — to participate in escalating sanctions,” said Kroenig. In addition, the United States could offer Ukraine NATO aircraft, Patriot and THAAD anti-missile batteries, and ATACMS long-range missiles that could be used by Ukraine forces to strike deep inside Russia. “Whatever restrictions we have on Ukraine forces — and I think we have some restrictions — I think we take all of those off,” said Cancian.

NEW YORK CITY: The plight of women in Afghanistan under the Taliban is not only an issue of concern for the wider international community, “it should be an issue for the Muslim world” to address, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, told Arab News on Friday.

Since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021, following the withdrawal of Western troops from the country, two decades of progress in the rights of women to education, employment and empowerment have been dramatically rolled back. As a result there have been calls for the international community to increase pressure on the regime to reverse the trend.

Bhutto Zardari said that while Pakistan is waiting with the rest of the international community for “the interim Afghan regime” to keep its initial promise that girls would be allowed to attend school and gain a secondary education, the issue should also be one “for the Muslim Ummah” in particular.

“Because Islam is what first gave women their rights,” he said. “Islam is what guarantees women their rights to participate within society and their rights to education.

“So we expect, not only in Afghanistan but across the world, for women to not only be guaranteed these rights but also for these rights to be protected.”

Bhutto Zardari’s mother, Benazir Bhutto, was the first woman to lead a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country.

Naheed Farid, a women’s rights activist who in 2010 became the youngest-ever politician elected to Afghanistan’s parliament, this month urged world leaders to label the Taliban a “gender apartheid” regime.

Speaking to reporters in New York, she said: “Afghan women are experiencing one of the biggest human rights crises in the world, and in the history of human rights.

“What is happening in Afghanistan is gender apartheid. I’m not the first to say that. But the inaction of the international community and decision-makers at large makes it important for all of us to repeat this every time we can.”

Farid called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other multilateral bodies to create a dedicated platform for Afghan women to directly negotiate with the Taliban on issues of women’s rights and human rights.

Bhutto Zardari, who is currently chairperson of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers, told Arab News that “before our chairmanship expires” he plans to convene an event, under the auspices of the organization, to focus on the rights of women in Islam.

The minister also spoke about the visit this week of a Pakistani-American delegation to Israel, the second such visit after a similar one in May. The visits have sparked speculation that Pakistan might be turning the page in its relations with Israel, perhaps paving the way for normalization.

The group visiting Israel this week includes prominent Muslim-Americans, South Asian-Americans, and members of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council. The delegation had stated that its goal is “to continue the peacemaking efforts that started with the visit of the first delegation of interfaith leaders (and) help encourage Pakistan-Israel relations and Pakistan’s connection to the Abraham Accords.”

However, Bhutto Zardari said that the delegations have “nothing to do with the government” of Pakistan and that there are no official discussions taking place about Pakistran joining the Abraham Accords, a series of recent normalization agreements between Israel and a number of Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain.

“Let me reiterate: Absolutely not,” said Bhutto. “Pakistan’s position on the question of Palestine is clear and always has been.

“As far as these delegations are concerned, I believe that there’s some sort of international nongovernmental organizations that are sending people between countries or civilizations, as far as my information is concerned.

“It has nothing to do with the government … but each time some of these NGOs set up these interfaith or interconnected events it just so happens, because either some of the people going are dual citizens of Pakistan or have some sort of connection in Pakistan, it’s hyped up in social media as a component of our foreign policy, which it absolutely isn’t.”

DHAKA: Bangladeshi garment manufacturers are seeking to boost business with Gulf countries amid a sales slowdown in their traditional export destinations such as the US and EU.

The garment industry makes up more than 80 percent of the total exports of Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest supplier of clothes after China.

The country’s garment exports reached $42.6 billion during the July 2021-June 2022 fiscal year, with the EU accounting for 60 percent of this amount, and 20 percent going to the US, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

But amid a political crisis in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association says sales in these traditional markets have been dropping.

Garment exporters’ association eyes a $2 billion stake in the GCC market.

“We want to concentrate also on the Gulf markets to extend our business,” BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim told Arab News. “The Gulf market is right now captured by China, India, Pakistan. We want to be a part of it.”

Currently, Bangladeshi garment exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia are worth $228 million and $128 million respectively.

Azim estimated that the South Asian nation could increase exports significantly, expanding also to other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“Out of the $11.2 billion apparel market in the GCC market, we can grab $2 billion initially,” he said. “The Gulf is not far from us. We are exporting to the US, European markets. We can reach the Gulf and the (delivery) time will be shorter.”

But before that happens, the industry will need to diversify its portfolio — which has been focused on the production of jeans and shirts — to adjust to demand in the Middle East.

Azim was confident that Bangladeshi producers would be up to the task.

“We have resources, we have capacity built up in our country. We can serve,” he said. “Over the last 30 years, we have built up our capacities. So, whatever continues, we can supply.”

The current market circumstances in the Gulf, where imports have been increasing for the past years, could offer an opportunity to Bangladesh, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue in Dhaka, told Arab News.

“This will be an increasing market and there will be opportunities for Bangladesh to get into the market, but we need supply-side diversity and we also need to raise our competitiveness,” he said.

As about 2.5 million Bangladeshi expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, and another 700,000 in the UAE, they could in the beginning become the key target market and then help to introduce Bangladeshi products to the region.

“This can be a captive market for us,” Rahman said. “But obviously it will require a lot of effort on the part of Bangladesh as well because the market in the GCC is quite wide-ranging. They import a lot of apparel.”

NEW YORK: Burkina Faso’s coup leader-turned-president defended his military takeover on Friday, though he acknowledged it was “perhaps reprehensible” and inconsistent with the UN’s values. Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba said the overthrow of the democratically elected president in January was “necessary and indispensable.” “It was, above all, an issue of survival for our nation,” he said. That’s even if it was “perhaps reprehensible in terms of the principles held dear by the United Nations and the international community as a whole.” Burkina Faso’s coup came in the wake of similar takeovers in Mali and in Guinea, heightening fears of a rollback of democracy in West Africa. None of the juntas has committed to a date for new elections. Many in Burkina Faso, however, supported the military takeover, frustrated with the previous government’s inability to stem extremist violence that has killed thousands and displaced at least 2 million. Yet the violence has failed to wane in the months since Lt. Col.  Damiba took over. Earlier this month, he also took over the position of defense minister after dismissing a brigadier general from the post. The Burkina Faso leader said on Friday that his transitional government will remain in power for almost two more years despite calls from West African neighbors for a quicker return to democratic rule. But Lt. Col. Damiba gave no precise date for the holding of new elections in his speech to the UN General Assembly. He warned, however, that the insurgency embroiling Burkina Faso has security risks for the rest of the world too emphasizing that Europe “is the closest continent to Africa.” “No precautions or prevention measures will prevent terrorism from crossing the Atlantic if the Sahel is abandoned,” Damiba said. “Nothing at all will be able to stop the youth in the Sahel countries and its surroundings from giving in to the temptation of perilous immigration to Europe through the Sahara and the Mediterranean if these youth no longer have any hope by staying at home.”

BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday it was terrible that Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody in Tehran last week after being arrested for wearing “unsuitable attire.” “I am also saddened by the victims of the Iran protests by courageous women,” Scholz tweeted. “No matter where in the world, women must be able to live in self-determination — without having to fear for their lives.” Protesters across Iran continued to clash violently with security forces following the death of Amini, as Iranian state TV suggested the death toll from the unrest could be as high as 26. Iranian authorities have imposed tough and targeted restrictions on the use of the internet in a bid to impede protesters gathering and prevent images of crackdowns on their demonstrations reaching the outside world, observers say. Activists have expressed alarm that the restrictions, also affecting Instagram which until now has remained unblocked in Iran and is hugely popular, could allow the authorities to carry out repression “under the cover of darkness.” The protests erupted a week ago over the death in Tehran of Mahsa Amini. Internet access monitor Netblocks described the access cuts as the most “severe internet restrictions” in Iran since the deadly crackdown on protests in November 2019, when the country experienced an unprecedented near-complete internet shutdown. It says that mobile data networks have been cut — although there are signs of a return to connectivity — and there have been severe regional restrictions of access to Instagram and WhatsApp. “It’s significantly different to what we saw in November 2019. It’s not as near total and complete as it was back then but more sporadic,” said Mahsa Alimardani, senior Iran researcher for freedom of expression group Article 19.