Afghanistan

Main Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing closed, residents report gunfire – Deccan Herald

Taliban authorities have closed the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, an Afghan official said on Monday, and residents in the area reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point. A Taliban provincial information official said the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass, was closed for all trade and travellers. “The Pakistan side hadn’t committed to their promises, they have promised to create facilities for transit, sick people and passengers,” said Siddiqullah Quraishi, the head of the Afghan province of Nangahar’s information department, as the reason for the closure. Click here to read…

China to become Afghanistan’s second-largest trade partner in 2023 – The Print

China’s trade with Afghanistan has been growing fast and it may become the second-largest trading nation with Afghanistan in 2023 after Pakistan, a situation that bodes well for the continuation of the CPEC part of the Belt & Road Initiative into Afghanistan, as per Silk Road Briefing (SRB). Click here to read…

Donor organisations suspend budget for at least 40 COVID-19 hospitals in Afghanistan, says Health Minister – Firstpost

Donor organisations have suspended the budget for at least 40 COVID-19 hospitals in Afghanistan over the past 18 months after political developments in the country, said Health Minister Qalandar Ebad. According to a report in Tolo News, Ebad added, “The suspension of the budget and restrictions on health projects have affected health services in Afghanistan.” Click here to read…

The Future of the Belt and Road Initiative in Afghanistan: Obstacles, Opportunities, and The Taliban’s Perspective – Silk Road Briefing

China has also considered Afghanistan’s membership and participation in the BRI with a delegation from Afghanistan participating in its forum in 2017. Afghan delegations have also been participating in Russian economic and trade development forums. However, despite some agreements in including Afghanistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), no progress has currently been made regarding China’s economic presence through the BRI in the country. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Youth Delegation Corner inaugurated, alumni portal launched in Dhaka – NewsOnAir

Bangladesh Youth Delegation is an International Youth Exchange programme between the governments of India and Bangladesh. It aims to promote cultural exchange, leadership development, and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. Since its inception, nearly 800 Bangladeshi youth selected under the BYD programme, have visited India to participate in various activities that promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries. Click here to read…

Japan to provide grant aid for 2 projects in Bangladesh – New Age

Bangladesh and Japan on Monday signed the exchange of notes on the Japanese grant Aad for two projects. One is to provide the grant for the ‘Project for Improvement of Equipment for Technical Education’ – up to JPY 997 million, approximately USD7.7 million. Another is to provide an additional grant for the costs of the development of the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management, the augmented grant of which is up to JPY 2,762 million, about USD 21 million. Click here to read…

Bangladesh shuts down main Opposition newspaper – The Hindu

The only newspaper of Bangladesh’s main Opposition party halted printing on Monday after a government suspension order was upheld, stoking fears about media freedom in the South Asian nation. Campaigners and foreign governments including the U.S. have long expressed worries about efforts by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to silence criticism and what they see as creeping authoritarianism. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Committee yet to review barrage or PI dam option – Kuensel

The committee of experts from Bhutan and India, which was supposed to review and present its recommendations on the proposal to build a barrage at the 1,200MW Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project (PI) by January-end was only formed around that time. Click here to read…

Youth unemployment increases in 2022 – Kuensel

The youth unemployment rate in 2022 is estimated at 28.6 percent which is an increase by 7.7 points compared to 20.9 percent in 2021, according to the Labour Force Survey Report, 2022. Of the 101,170 youth population, 8,496 youth were unemployed and actively seeking work. Click here to read…

President Solih heads to Singapore on unofficial visit – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has left to Singapore on an unofficial visit. The Maldivian leader departed on the unofficial visit from Velana International Airport (VIA) on Monday. His last unofficial trip to Singapore was in October 2022. The president had made four previous trips to Singapore in 2022, the first being from February 10 – 15 and the second being from February 23 – March 6. Click here to read…

Myanmar

EU imposes new sanctions on Myanmar’s junta -AA

The European Union adopted its sixth sanctions package Monday against the military junta in Myanmar for human rights violations. EU foreign ministers approved “restrictive measures against nine persons and seven entities in view of the continuing escalation of violence, grave human rights violations and threats to the peace, security and stability in Myanmar,” the Council of the European Union, an EU institution representing member states, said in a statement. Click here to read…

Over 100 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Four Days of Resistance Attacks – Irrawaddy

At least 106 Myanmar junta troops were killed in four days of attacks as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) escalated their attacks on regime targets across the country. In one case, a PDF couple was arrested and killed by junta troops a day before their wedding in Magwe. Incidents were reported in Mandalay, Sagaing, Magwe, Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Kayah and Mon states. The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs. Some military casualty figures could not be independently verified. Click here to read…

Opium farming has flourished under Myanmar’s junta – UCANews

Everything in Myanmar is in the worst-ever state. The Southeast Asian nation has a broken economy and a broken society. To add salt to the wound, it is home to more than 1.3 million displaced people. But when it comes to narcotics, Myanmar still holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s second-largest producer of opium, a key source of many psycho-tropical substances such as heroin, morphine and codeine. Despite the chaos, social unrest, and civil war, the army-ruled nation managed to increase opium cultivation last year. Click here to read…

Nepal

India donates 20 kidney dialysis machines to Nepal – The Economic Times

India on Monday handed over the first tranche of the 200 kidney dialysis machines to the Government of Nepal as part of its effort to develop the health infrastructure in the Himalayan nation. Click here to read…

Late Gen. Bipin Rawat honoured in Nepal, bell in his name placed inside revered temple – India Narrative

In commemoration of India’s late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, a bell has been placed at Nepal’s revered Shree Muktinath Temple. The bell named “Bipin Bell,” has been installed at the revered Hindu temple in Mustang district during the visit of four former Indian army chiefs namely Gen VN Sharma, Gen JJ Singh, Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen Dalbir Suhag. Click here to read…

Assessment of India’s Approach to Nepal – Indian Defence Review

As per International Monetary Fund, India is fastest growing economy in the world. Indian economy is crossing Chinese economy that will grow just by 5.2% in 2023. Economy and security are the two faces of the same coin. In other words, both affect each other, and most importantly both have the potential to transform the regional and international polity and economy. Economic growth and military might both determine any country’s stature in international system of states. Click here to read…

Maoists cotton to Congress, as Dahal, Oli size each other up – The Kathmandu Post

Even with just four days to go for the filing of nominations for the presidential election, the CPN (Maoist Centre) is still keeping its cards close to its chest. There have been no clear indications about whom it will support as the new head of state, even though the party seems to be inching closer to the Nepali Congress on the issue. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Dialogue with India ‘need of Pakistan’: Former Pak Army spokesperson – India Today

Dialogue is a need of Pakistan, the former chief of the country’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Athar Abbas, said. “The way forward is not just the state apparatus, because if you leave it [solely] to the security establishment, there will be no move forward. It will be like taking one step forward and two steps backwards,” he added. Click here to read…

Section 144 imposed in Lahore for 7 days citing terror threats: Mint

The caretaker government of Punjab province in Pakistan imposed Section 144 in Lahore for seven days, citing terror threats amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protest and rallies, ARY News reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s elite in trouble amid bankruptcy as IMF tells Shehbaz Sharif govt to tax only the rich – Firstpost

Pakistan last week increased prices of commodities that are now weighing on people of the cash-strapped country. Concerned about poor in the bankrupt South Asian nation, IMF said that the Shehbaz Sharif government to tax its high earners and ensure that only poor get the subsidies. Click here to read…

Imran gets preventive bail from arrest in 1 case, Lahore HC disposes plea in 2nd – Hindustan Times

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has secured preventive bail from arrest by the Lahore high court till March 3 in a case pertaining to protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan office, Geo TV reported. The second plea was disposed of by the high court after Khan’s counsel withdrew the petition, Dawn reported. Click here to read…

Cash-starved Pakistan’s current account deficit shrinks 90% to $0.24 billion in January – The Economic Times

“Current Account Deficit (CAD) recorded USD 0.2 billion in Jan 2023 against a deficit of USD 2.5 billion in Jan 2022,” the central bank said in a brief statement on Twitter. The decrease in the deficit is also 16.55 per cent lower than December when the SBP announced that the deficit was USD 0.29 billion. Click here to read…

Pakistan Covid Scam: Amid bankruptcy, 2 of 4 billion rupees of corona relief fund vanish without trace – Firstpost

In a major embarrassment for the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistani government, a recent inquiry has revealed financial discrepancies in the allocation of and expenditure on medical resources in the Corona Relief Fund (CRF). This comes amid looming fears of a default as the country is going through a severe economic crisis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Ranil govt. faces mounting pressure for ‘attempt to postpone’ polls in Sri Lanka – The Hindu

Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing mounting pressure from the political Opposition and civil society over his government’s apparent attempts to postpone local government polls, scheduled in early March, citing the lack of funds. Click here to read…

Sri Lankans attacked Tamil Nadu fishermen: CM Stalin tells Centre – India Today

Sri Lankans assaulted Indian fishermen, took away their catch and equipment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin apprised the Centre on Monday and urged that the matter be taken up with Sri Lanka to ensure action against assailants and prevent recurrence of such attacks. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s great IMF lie – Himal

Sri Lanka has been subject to a great lie: the IMF solution! For close to a year now, the country has been implementing the International Monetary Fund’s recommendations with complete obedience. The sudden devaluation of the Sri Lankan rupee, a drastic increase in interest rates, the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and severe cuts to state expenditure all amount to harsh austerity measures. The consequence is economic devastation as the country sinks into a depression. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

‘Efforts Continue to Resume World Bank Projects in Afghanistan’: MoF – Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Finance said that efforts are being made to resume World Bank projects in Afghanistan following David Malpas, the president of the World Bank, announcing that he will leave his position in June. The World Bank supports programs in Afghanistan in the areas of health, agriculture, rural development, and other sectors, the ministry said, adding that the bank has begun working on a number of these projects. Click here to read…

Taliban replacing civil laws with Islamic ones – Devdiscourse

Afghanistan’s new rulers- Taliban have launched a “purification” campaign across the country to replace civil laws with Islamic ones, writes Susannah George in The Washington Post When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the group quickly launched what officials called a “purification” campaign aimed at stripping the country of civil laws and institutions to build an entirely Islamic society. Click here to read…

Taliban aims to create special economic zones out of abandoned foreign outposts -Firstpost

The Taliban administration will move ahead with plans to turn former foreign military bases into special economic zones for businesses, the acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs said in a statement on Sunday. The acting commerce minister had told Reuters in December that his ministry was working on the plan for former American bases and would submit it to both the economic committee led by acting deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and to the cabinet for approval. Click here to read…

FM Bilawal warns terrorism will go beyond Pakistan if Afghanistan doesn’t act against militant groups – Dawn

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said that it would not take much time for terrorism to go to other places beyond Pakistan if the interim Afghan government did not demonstrate the “will and capacity” to take on militant groups operating from its territory. Click here to read…

After Temporary Suspension, What’s Next for the Trans-Afghan Railway? – The Diplomat

A temporary suspension of the transit of freight wagons from the Galaba railway station in the city of Termez, Uzbekistan to the Hairatan railway station in Afghanistan just across the river was lifted on February 10. A few days later a new agreement was signed between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh to procure 100 electric buses from India this year: Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader – NewsOnAir

The government of Bangladesh has requested India to supply 100 electric buses for use in Dhaka and Chattogram this year. The request was made during a meeting between the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Dr. Binoy Geogre and Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at his office on Sunday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue 2023 – Gov.UK

The second Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 19 February 2023. Both countries agreed to convene the Dialogue annually and its Joint Working Group (JWG) regularly. The JWG would cover a broad range of trade and investment issues, including mutual barriers to market access and trade, with an agenda agreed between the UK and Bangladesh in advance. Both countries underscored the importance of the Dialogue and agreed to enhance the bilateral trading partnership to increase mutual prosperity ahead of and after Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. Click here to read…

Bangladesh will get to pick new SAARC secretary general – The Kathmandu Post

Ending months-long confusion and speculation, seven of eight member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), barring Afghanistan, have agreed to nominate a new secretary general of the regional grouping from Bangladesh. With the incumbent general secretary, Esala Ruwan Weerakoon of Sri Lanka, set to complete his term in March 2023, there was a confusion as to who would replace him, because as per the alphabetic order it is Afghanistan’s turn to nominate a new secretary general. Click here to read…

Bhutan

RMA encourages inward remittance inflow – Kuensel

Bhutan’s inward remittances have become an important contributor to the country’s foreign currency reserves in recent years. From January 2016 to December 2022, the economy received a total of USD 439.27 million (M) in remittances, according to the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA). Its contribution to convertible currency inflow in the country was 14 percent as of November last year. Click here to read…

Govt. revises foreign currency reserves requirement – Kuensel

The government has revised foreign currency reserve to meet the 12 months of essential imports. This comes after the Cabinet endorsed the revision of the essential import value of 2017 on February 13 upon the recommendations submitted by the independent review committee. Click here to read…

Bhutan must not let China gain foothold – The Tribune

Considering the historical and geopolitical backdrop, the Bhutan Government should not allow China to open an embassy in Thimphu. That one act, however well-meaning and bona fide, may ruin sovereign Bhutan, like Tibet in 1950, and also cause a cartographic upheaval in India’s neighbourhood, thereby paving the way for the possible creation of ‘Greater Burma’, ‘Greater China’ and ‘Greater Nepal’ in the east. Click here to read…

Maldives

Rift in the ruling political party of Maldives must worry India – News Drum

President Solih retains the ticket for the nest presidential candidate. However, Nasheed maintains distance. If it continues, the Pro-Chinese opposition alliance, which is quite frail, may take advantage. Click here to read…

IS module ‘received funds from Maldives – Economic Times

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet said the Islamic State (IS) inspired module run by Mohammad Mohsin Ahmad, a native of Patna, received funds from Maldives to further ISIS activities. It said the funds were routed through bitcoin exchange Wazir X to Syria via another account in Canara Bank. A person identified as Afsha wired money to Ahmad in US dollars on December 7, 2021, and the funds were transferred using bitcoins to Syria after ten days, it said. Click here to read…

Discussions held on visa exemption agreement between Maldives, Mongolia – Raajje

Discussions have been held on the signing of a visa exemption agreement between Maldives and Mongolia. This was done during a courtesy call Ambassador of Mongolia to the Maldives Ganbold Dambajav paid on Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid on Sunday. Dambajav presented his Letter of Credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as the newly appointed Ambassador of Mongolia to Maldives on Sunday. Following the credentials ceremony, the new Mongolian Ambassador paid a courtesy call on FM Shahid where he expressed commitment to work to continue working closely in the multilateral arena. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Once Myanmar Road Is Complete, Imphal to Bangkok by Road in 16-18 Hours: CM N Biren Singh – Outlook

Once the Asian Highway project in Myanmar is complete, a person can reach from Imphal to Bangkok by road in 16-18 hours, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said on Friday, stating that the Northeastern state is the gateway of India for South East Asian countries. Addressing the CII-organised B-20 conference here, Singh said plans are afoot to start international flights from Imphal to Mandalay in Myanmar and Bangkok in Thailand. “Manipur has the perfect setting for the implementation of the country’s Act East Policy,” he said. Click here to read…

India wary of instability in Myanmar – Tribune

THERE are not many countries that opt to employ their air power against their own citizens. Pakistan has had no qualms about using its air force against terror elements in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). According to British media reports, the Myanmar air force recently carried out a MiG-29 airstrike on Camp Victoria, the military headquarters of the Chin National Army, near the Mizoram border. Indian government sources have categorically stated that no bombing took place over Indian territory. India’s concern amid the unstable situation in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021, and the standoff between pro-democracy forces and the military junta is the large number of Myanmar rebel elements (50,000 by one account) fleeing to Mizoram. Click here to read…

Chin Resistance: Myanmar Junta Trying to Retake Thantlang – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta is attempting to seize back Thantlang with daily airstrikes, according to the Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF). “Since we seized the town’s police station jets have dropped bombs every day,” said Salai Htet Ni, the CNF’s spokesman. He said at least 20 bombs were dropped by two jet fighters and also attacked with Mi-35 helicopters on Thursday. Two resistance fighters were killed and four injured, the spokesman said. However, he said junta troops could not attack the town on the ground and CNA troops were in control of the town. Click here to read…

Nepal

As Dahal, Oli spar over presidential candidate, Congress sees chance to revive its old alliance – The Kathmandu Post

With the crucial presidential election scheduled early next month, candid talks and serious bargaining are going on between major parties, particularly the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center). Meanwhile, Congress leaders have reportedly met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and offered to revive their pre-election alliance after the presidential election slated for March 9. Click here to read…

Rastriya Swatantra Party not to join government immediately – The Kathmandu Post

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided not to join the government immediately. A joint meeting of the central committee and parliamentary party held at its central office in Basundhara on Monday took the decision to this effect. Click here to read…

The economic crisis in Nepal: Is it going to be the next Sri Lanka? – ORF

For quite some time, the economy of Nepal is taking a downward turn. The previous government under Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and the present government under Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ adopted certain measures to revitalise the economy. Click here to read…

India, Nepal agree to add 200 MW to Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line – Business Standard

Nepal and India have inked an agreement to increase the power import and export capacity through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line from 600 megawatts to 800 megawatts, authorities here said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Dialogue with India on levels other than military ‘need of Pakistan’, says former DG ISPR Athar Abbas – Dawn

Former Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General (retd) Athar Abbas, said on Sunday that dialogue with India on levels other than the security establishment’s is “a need of Pakistan”. He made the remarks during a panel discussion — titled Search for peace and security among neighbours — on the final day of the 14th Karachi Literature Festival held at Karachi’s Beach Luxury Hotel. Click here to read…

Pakistan President Alvi slammed for allegedly pressuring Election Commission to announce poll dates – The Hindu

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has come under scathing attack from ministers of the ruling coalition for allegedly acting on former premier Imran Khan’s advice to put pressure on the country’s electoral watchdog to announce poll dates for provincial assemblies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Click here to read…

Inflation surges to nearly 40 per cent in crisis-hit Pakistan – The Economic Times

Pakistan is trying hard to contain inflation in the last few weeks, but with little success. The recent hike in inflation comes even as the Pakistan government imposed new taxes and increased petroleum prices to fulfill the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before releasing USD 1.1 billion dollars under an already agreed USD 7 billion deal. Click here to read…

At least four killed as Pakistani Taliban militants storm police HQ in Karachi – The Guardian

Militants launched a deadly suicide attack on the police headquarters of Pakistan’s largest city on Friday, with the sound of gunfire and explosions rocking the heart of Karachi for several hours. Two police officers, a ranger and a civilian were killed and 14 others wounded, said Murtaza Wahab, a government spokesman in Sindh province, where Karachi is located. Two suicide bombers were killed and at least one blew himself up after entering the police building, officials said. Click here to read…

Pakistan sent back same relief goods to earthquake-hit Turkey it received in 2022: Report – Business Today

A Pakistan-based journalist said that recently Islamabad had sent C-130 planes with relief supplies and rescue personnel to the quake-hit areas of Turkey. The relief materials sent by Pakistan were the ones that Turkey sent to the Sindh province when the region was hit by floods in 2022. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: The looming question of police powers under 13A – ORF

Any discourse on power devolution for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka ends up in a deadlock, invariably on the question of ‘police powers’ for the provinces. It has already been guaranteed under the India-facilitated Thirteenth Amendment to the nation’s Constitution, which was incorporated in 1987 but has not been enforced. All of it only went on to show that police powers as per the Indian scheme, and adopted in 13A is neither diarchic nor dysfunctional, as is being made out to be. Instead, it is a vibrant arrangement, with the dynamism of democracy working full throttle and ensuring that neither the rider nor the mount is derailed – now, or ever. Click here to read…

Germany raises the red flag – Daily Mirror

Germany has raised the red flag on multiple issues with Sri Lanka, particularly the import ban and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Germans have also sought Sri Lanka’s support for a resolution at the United Nations against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some German companies operating in Sri Lanka have warned that they will be compelled to consider withdrawing from the country if the import ban continues. Sri Lanka has slapped an import ban on several items owing to the shortage of US dollars, but Germany has urged the Government to relax the ban. Click here to read…

Pali and Buddhist Uni. will be converted to an international centre of Buddhist studies – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he has given his consent to several requests made by the Maha Nayaka Theras of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters, during a discussion held yesterday (19) between the Sanga Committee members and the President at the President’s House in Kandy. The President stated that he will urgently work to appoint a competent authority to the Pali and Buddhist University and to turn it into an “International Centre of Buddhist Studies”. This proposal made by the Sangha Committee members is essential and will definitely be implemented to raise the quality of Piriven education. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

US weapons left in Afghanistan are becoming a new threat to Pakistan and India | OPINION – India Today

Approximately, $7 billion of military equipment the US transferred to Afghan Defense Forces over 16 years was left behind in Afghanistan after the US completed its withdrawal from the country in August 2021. This equipment went into the hands of Afghan Taliban and TTP. Click here to read…

Ruling Taliban display rare division in public over bans in Afghanistan – Economic Times

In recent months, the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has appeared to take a stronger hand in directing policy. In particular, it was on his orders that the Taliban government banned women and girls from universities and schools after the sixth grade. Click here to read…

China, Iran call on Afghanistan to end restrictions on women – Indian Express

China and Iran have urged mutual neighbor Afghanistan to end restrictions on women’s work and education. The call came in a joint statement Thursday issued at the close of a visit to Beijing by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during which the two sides affirmed close economic and political ties and their rejection of Western standards of human rights and democracy. Click here to read…

The Taliban are digging an enormous canal – The Economist

Taliban officials have started talking up a new canal under construction in the arid north of Afghanistan. A video recently posted on YouTube shows shiny diggers roaring over sand dunes and workers from different ethnic groups toiling together. The Islamist regime says some 5,500 people are working around the clock on the project, using over 3,300 bits of machinery. Click here to read…

Afghanistan Protected Against Pakistan Economic Crisis: Official – Baaghi TV

The Afghan Ministry of Economics said that the current government is working so that Afghanistan does not suffer more from the economic problems in Pakistan. “Every kind of political, economic, and security crisis in the region can affect Afghanistan’s political and economic situation, but management, planning, and policymaking in Afghanistan has caused it to not be affected much by the economic problems of its neighbors, including Pakistan,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh sanctions to remain until police reform: US – New Age

The United States will not lift sanctions on an elite Bangladesh police unit accused of extrajudicial killings until it is reformed, a top US envoy visiting the country has said. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet visited Bangladesh this week and he discussed security cooperation with government representatives in Dhaka. Click here to read…

We want peace, but ready to repel external attacks: PM – Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the armed forces are being developed appropriately to give a fitting reply if the country comes under attack by external forces. “If external forces attack, we have to face that. For that we have to build up appropriate armed forces and accordingly we have taken various steps,” she said while addressing the 10th Tigers’ Reunion of the East Bengal Regiment at Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA). Click here to read…

AL, BNP take to city streets today – Daily Star

The Awami League and its associate bodies will hold programmes across the capital today, countering the BNP’s pre-scheduled road march.Dhaka’s north and south units of the BNP will bring out processions around 2:30pm to press home its 10 demands that include the next national election under a non-partisan caretaker government.On the other hand, the ruling AL will hold programmes at 3:00pm and 4:00pm protesting “terror and anarchy of the BNP”.Click here to read…

Bhutan

125 aspiring NC candidates register with ECB – Kuensel

There could be fewer candidates vying for a seat at the National Council (NC) in the upcoming elections than 2018 going by the record of registered candidates with the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB). The ECB has registered 125 aspiring National Council (NC) candidates including nine female candidates from all dzongkhags as of yesterday. In 2018, there were 177 aspiring candidates including eight female candidates. Click here to read…

Bhutan Airlines loses Nu 150M in the first quarter – Kuensel

The winter holidays have come to an end and intake in universities in Australia ending in March means bad news and business for the airlines. Passengers travelling out for a vacation to Bangkok and those going to Australia have kept the business alive, but the traffic is expected to decline as schools reopen in the country and admission for the spring semester closes in March. Click here to read…

Capital budget use slows in first half of fiscal year – Kuensel

The country has spent Nu 9.9 billion (B) as capital expenditure in the first half of the fiscal year 2022-23, according to the budget performance report for the second quarter of the fiscal year. This makes up about 24 percent of the total capital budget for the fiscal year, which has been revised to Nu 41.83B. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives can adapt to sea-level rise. Here’s how – Down to Earth

Low-lying island countries like the Maldives have been experimenting with raising the height of such islands to cope with sea-level rise and a new study showed that these efforts are efficient. Using simple engineering techniques to elevate islands threatened by submergence and creating new islands entirely where people can be moved to can help small island nations like the Maldives, according to a report by researchers from the University of Southampton, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and TEDI-London, along with Maldivian scientists. Click here to read…

Two Years Later: The Campaign to Protect Maldives’ Waves – Save the Waves

It has been two years since Save The Waves and local partners launched the “Save Our Waves Maldives” campaign. Our fight to reverse the ongoing damage to the famous wave of Chickens continues while also advocating for the protection for all of Maldives’ treasured surf spots, which are under constant attack from coastal development and infrastructure. Chickens Surf Break in The MaldivesThe campaign has two primary goals: the first is to restore the wave at Chickens and the second is to create legal protection for Maldives surf ecosystems across the island chain. Click here to read…

Myanmar

China, Myanmar to promote economic cooperation in post-pandemic era – The Star

China’s Yunnan provincial department of commerce and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) held a meeting here on Wednesday (Feb 15) to promote economic and trade cooperation. Speaking at the meeting, UMFCCI President U Aye Win (pic) said that it is a timely meeting to promote the economic and trade cooperation between Myanmar and China’s Yunnan province, adding it will assist Myanmar’s economic development and private business sector development. Click here to read…

Civilians Resort to Suicide as Myanmar Junta Steps Up Attacks – The Irrawaddy

At least four people in Sagaing Region’s Kantbalu District have killed themselves over the past year due to mental trauma caused by junta raids, according to local sources. Junta troops and affiliated Pyu Saw Htee militias have subjected locals to frequent raids in the past year, detaining and torturing residents, abducting them for ransom, making death threats, and torching their homes. Click here to read…

Myanmar plans to sell gold to Japan – The Star

Myanmar is planning to sell gold to Japan, said U Myo Myint, chairman of the Yangon Region Gold Entrepreneurs Association. “Now a Japanese company inquired to buy gold from Myanmar. We are also planning to export,” U Myo Myint said. During 2017 and 2018, gold was sold to Japan, but it had to be stopped due to the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. “It has been exported before. It was stopped because of Covid-19. Now they are asking about price and market situation,” U Myo Myint continued. Click here to read…

Nepal

India, Nepal jointly inaugurate two Dharchula International Suspension bridges – The Print

District Magistrate Pithoragarh Reena Joshi and District Magistrate Darchula, Nepal Dirghraj Upadhyay jointly inaugurated two Dharchula International Suspension bridges in the border area Dharchula of Pithoragarh district. Click here to read…

Nepal plane crash: Investigators suspect human error in preliminary report. Details here – live Mint

A preliminary probe report in the Yeti Airlines crash that killed 71 people, including five Indians suspect human error behind the deadly crash. Yeti Airlines flight 692 lost thrust and fell after the propellers of both engines went into a feathered position. The flight had taken off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on 15 January, crashed on the Seti River gorge between the old airport and the new airport in the resort city of Pokhara. As per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the state investigating an accident or incident must produce a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident. Click here to read…

Pakistan

TTP rejects UNSC report, says it has no presence in Afghanistan, slams Pakistan govt – News Vibes of India

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) tonight rejected a report of the UN Security Council (UNSC) which has suggested that the outfit has presence in Afghanistan and blamed the “duplicitous policy of the government of Pakistan” for such a “biased” view. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves rise above $3bn – Dawn

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank rose by $276 million to $3.2 billion in the week ending on February 10, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday. According to the state bank, net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $5.5bn, bringing the country’s total liquid foreign reserves to $8.7bn. Click here to read…

Pakistan, Polish entities ink MoU for supply of defence equipment to Ukraine – Economic Times

Poland is going beyond just being a transit state for transfer of Pakistani arms to Ukraine, with a Polish entity signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Pakistani company for supply of defence equipment to Kyiv. Some other Pakistani and Polish companies are also involved in transfer of the equipment, while a Canadian firm is acting as an intermediary. Click here to read…

US Concerned About Debt Owed To China By Cash-Strapped Pakistan – NDTV

The United States is concerned about debt owed to China by Pakistan and other countries, US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad as the country dealt with an economic crisis. Pakistan, historically a close ally of Washington, has become increasingly close to China, which has provided billions in loans and is Islamabad’s largest single creditor. Click here to read…

Is China and Pakistan’s ‘iron brotherhood’ crumbling? – Times of India

For years, China and Pakistan have been tom-tomming their ever-tightening geopolitical embrace to the entire world. With Pakistan at the centre of its Belt and Road ambition, China has pumped billions of dollars worth of investment into the country and has extended diplomatic support to Islamabad at every global platform – directly or indirectly. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka economic crisis: Power prices hiked by 66%; aims to gain IMF support – Business Today

Sri Lanka in the midst of an economic crisis, is hiking up prices as it aims to persuade the International Monetary Fund to lend it a helping hand. Sri Lanka hiked up prices of power by 66 per cent, following an increase in electricity prices by 75 per cent last year. The country’s inflation was above 54 per cent on-year in January and income taxes as high as 36 per cent. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s Local Elections Are a Major Threat to the Ruling Class – The Wire

Two themes dominate the political debate in Sri Lanka at present: managing the economic crisis through restructuring sovereign debt and the local government elections announced for March 2023. Click here to read…

Constitutional reforms within unitary system – Daily News

The obstinate refusal by the Tamil political parties to give up federal demand, which every sane opinion labelled as a ‘non-starter’ has deadlocked the recent attempts to find a lasting solution to the minority demands for devolution. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan remains primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia: UN report – The Hindu

Afghanistan remains the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia, with groups such as ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enjoying greater freedom of movement in the country owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy, a UN report has said. Click here to read…

‘India, Iran, China missions in Kabul facing terror risk’ – Hindustan Times

The embassies of India, China, and Iran in Kabul face the threat of attack by the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), which has strengthened its capacity faster than anticipated and positioned itself as the primary rival to the Taliban setup in Afghanistan, according to assessments by several countries. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan resumes operations on Afghanistan railroad after dispute – Eurasianet

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on an Uzbek-operated railroad that runs on Afghan territory, allowing the full resumption of vital cargo and aid deliveries after a short hiatus. That will come as a relief to Kabul, since the deal resolves a dispute over the railroad Afghanistan uses to receive around half of its imports and much of its humanitarian aid. Click here to read…

ISIS Is the Common Enemy Of Afghanistan, International Community: Khalilzad – Menafn

Zalmay Khalilzad, Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation says that ISIS is the common enemy of Afghanistan and the International Community. The Afghan-American diplomat on Twitter said that cooperation against ISIS (Daesh) can be an important part of future relations. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

FS Kwatra calls on PM Hasina, reaffirms India’s support for deeper economic partnership with Bangladesh – Economic Times

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday called on Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which he reaffirmed India’s support for wider and deeper development and economic partnership with her country. They also agreed to maintain close engagement in the context of Bangladesh’s participation as a Guest Country during India’s G20 Presidency. Click here to read…

Bangladesh seeks US support for RAB’s capacity building – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday sought US support for increased capacity of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while visiting US state department Counsellor Derek Chollet acknowledged improvement in performance of the Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime police unit. Click here to read…

‘We hope China will help repatriate Rohingyas’ – The Daily Star

State Minister for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman yesterday expressed hope that China will help to repatriate Rohingya people. Enamur made the comments after a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the ministry’s office at Bangladesh Secretariat. “We hope China will play an important role in repatriating forcefully displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar,” said Enamur. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India to help Bangladesh import hydropower from Nepal, Bhutan: FS – United News of Bangladesh

India has assured Bangladesh of extending its cooperation for importing hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen Wednesday. Talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, he said they also discussed the “practical problem” in terms of transmission lines inside Bangladesh as there is a need for expanding the transmission network and boosting its capacity. Click here to read…

More bans likely to save dwindling foreign exchange reserves – Kuensel

To save the plummeting country’s foreign exchange reserves, it is likely the government will add more items to the import ban list and monetary measures. In addition to the continuation of the moratorium on vehicle import, the finance ministry has proposed to the Cabinet, a phase-II moratorium to suspend construction loans and put a ban on the import of furniture, processed meat and food items, junk foods, alcohol, and LED television. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives Non-Resident Ambassador presents credentials to President of Finland – Raajje

Aishath Shaan Shakir has presented her credentials as the Non-Resident Ambassador of Maldives to the Federal Republic of Germany. The Maldivian Ambassador to Germany and the Kingdom of Norway as well, Shaan presented her Letter of Credence to President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Young leaders are the strength and future of Maldives – Raajje

The young leaders of today are the strength and future of the country, says First Lady Fazna Ahmed. She said this in her remarks at the virtual opening of the 2nd Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) and the Big Six Movement on Wednesday. As such, she urged the society to pay attention to the growth and development of girl guides and young leaders. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar: Supreme Court Rejects Aung San Suu Kyi’s Appeal On Corruption Charges – Eurasia Review

Myanmar’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal of two corruption charges, sources close to the court told Radio Free Asia. Suu Kyi, 77, was sentenced by a military junta court in October to three years in Naypyidaw Prison for two corruption cases that involved charges of accepting money from Maung Weik, a businessman linked to the military. Click here to read…

Four Myanmar Parties Register for Junta Election – The Irrawaddy

The USDP, FDP and MPD were among 34 parties that met military chief Min Aung Hlaing ahead of the 2020 general election. The party leaders sought the commander-in-chief’s assurance that he would intervene if voting was deemed unfair. They also called for then UEC chairman U Hla Thein to be replaced, saying they do not trust him because he was appointed by the National League for Democracy (NLD). Click here to read…

Kinship across border: How Nagas helped their Myanmar brethren – East Mojo

February marked the second anniversary of the Myanmar coup but on February 2, 2023, residents of Chiu Village, also known as Solo, a Myanmar Naga settlement adjacent to the Indian border in Noklak district of Nagaland were not thinking about any protests. Instead, they watched as a fire caused by a solar panel malfunction gutted over 70 houses and a Morung. Click here to read…

Nepal

Demand to make Nepal a ‘Hindu Nation’ intensifies again, millions of people gathered – News Track Live

The demand to make our neighboring country Nepal a Hindu nation once again has started intensifying and this campaign has also got the support of the country’s former Maharaja Gyanendra Shah. Former king Gyanendra Shah on Monday (February 13) joined an important campaign related to the restoration of the former status of the Hindu state. This was Gyanendra Shah’s first political presence after the end of the monarchy in Nepal. Significantly, this campaign has been launched on a day when the violent Maoist-turned-PM Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Nepal government declared a public holiday in the country to mark the completion of 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to visit India on first foreign trip as Nepal PM soon: Reports – Economic Times

Nepal and India have discussed the possibility of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” visiting New Delhi on his first foreign trip after assuming power in December last year, according to a media report on Wednesday. Prachanda discussed his intention to visit India during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday, officials said. Click here to read…

Creating a paper device to improve public health in Nepal – Nature.com

While working on his PhD at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in early 2010, Basant Giri worked with a microfluidic chip, a device half the size of a credit card that can channel the flow of a tiny amount of fluid for early cancer screening. Giri found that these minuscule devices could detect cancer biomarkers using 100-fold lower sample volumes than those required by conventional, bulky laboratory equipment. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pak Hikes Fuel Prices To Historic High With Effect From Today. Details Here – NDTV

Hours after unleashing a tax-loaded mini-budget, Pakistan on Wednesday night hiked up the prices of petrol and gas to a historic high in a bid to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for unlocking the critical loan tranche, reported Geo News. The petrol price has been increased to 272 rupees per litre after an increase of 22.20 rupees, a press release from the Finance Division read, noting that the surge has taken place due to the rupee’s devaluation against the dollar. Click here to read…

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in H1 2023, says Moody’s economist – Times of India

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in the first half of 2023 before trending lower, and a bailout from the International Monetary Fund alone is unlikely to put the economy back on track, a senior economist with Moody’s Analytics told Reuters. Click here to read…

Fitch downgrades Pakistan’s rating; warns default a ‘real possibility’ – India Today

The beleaguered Pakistani economy faces substantial credit risks with “critically low levels” of foreign exchange reserves, New York-based global ratings agency Fitch said on Tuesday, warning that a default is a “real possibility.” Fitch downgraded Pakistan’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) to ‘CCC-’ from ‘CCC+’, citing further worsening in liquidity and policy risks. Click here to read…

Pakistan court cancels bail of ex-PM Imran Khan in Election Commission protest case – The Hindu

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Wednesday rejected the bail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for failing to attend the court hearing of a case linked to protests outside the election commission, a ruling which could lead to his arrest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists staged a protest after Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case last year. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

China silent on debt reduction targets for Sri Lanka to get IMF bailout loan – Economic Times

China on Wednesday said it supports debt-trapped Sri Lanka’s efforts to get the much-needed IMF bailout facility but parried questions on reports that it will not follow the global lender’s debt reduction targets for it to clear the relief package. Last month, China gave Sri Lanka the financing assurances required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock a USD 2.9 billion bailout package for the country, days after India strongly backed the island nation’s efforts to secure the loan from the global lender to recover from its worst-ever economic crisis. China’s EXIM Bank has issued a letter granting Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on repayment and agreeing with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Click here to read…

The Geopolitics of Sri Lanka’s Energy Crisis – Diplomat

Two top foreign officials visited Sri Lanka within a fortnight spanning late January and early February. The optics of these tightly choreographed events may have obscured the nuts-and-bolts objectives sought by the United States and India. As Quad members, the two powers are on the same page in their bid to counter China’s influence the region. With Sri Lanka going through its worst-ever economic crisis and on its knees for an IMF bailout, diplomatic interactions with such visitors take place in the shadow of a glaring power imbalance. Click here to read…

Defence co-operation with Sri Lanka explored at Aero India – Economy Next

Sri Lanka’s State Minister for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon at an aviation confab has brought out the potential for greater defence co-operation between the two countries, India’s embassy in Colombo said. Forums like Aero India can be used for defence cooperation through joint ventures, co-development and production whilst investing in research and development, the High Commission quoted Minister Tennakoon as saying.Minister Tennakoon had been accompanied by a business delegation from Sri Lanka to identify avenues for greater cooperation. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Sri Lanka underline strong defence ties – Island

Sri Lankan Defence leadership has stressed the importance of maintaining existing strong military-to-military cooperation and expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s unstinted support in the past.The following is the text of statement issued by Pakistan High Commission in Colombo after the five-day visit undertaken by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI (M), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Pakistan. It was his maiden overseas visit after his appointment as CJCSC. He arrived in Sri Lanka on 9th Feb on special invitation of his counterpart General Shavendra Silva, and was accorded a red carpet reception and a traditional welcome upon his arrival at BIA. During his stay, General Sahir called on the President of Sri Lanka, Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Commanders of Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Air Force. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban Divided: Interior Min says Afghanistan in “intolerable” state, spokesperson rebuts – Firstpost

Haqqani’s comments came amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Last year in December, the hard-line group banned university education for women in Afghanistan, apart from other obscurantist moves to curb natural freedoms of the people Click here to read…

Taliban forces kill 3 Daesh members in raid on Kabul building – Arab News

Taliban intelligence forces killed three Daesh militants and arrested one in an overnight operation in the Afghan capital of Kabul, an official said Tuesday. The raid on a residential building targeted Daesh militants who organized recent attacks in the capital, said Khalil Hamraz, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for Afghanistan’s general director of intelligence. He called the target in the Karti Naw neighborhood an important Daesh hideout. Click here to read…

Feb.15 Marks 34th Anniversary of Soviet Withdrawal – Tolo News

Wednesday, 15 February 2023, marks the 34th anniversary of the withdrawal of the former Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Many of the survivors of the Soviet attacks said that Russian soldiers in Afghanistan committed mass killings. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

AL’s counter to BNP on streets raises fear of violence – New Age

The ruling Awami League’s recent tendency to announce a counter-programme on the same day as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s programme has put the country’s two major political parties on a collision course, raising fear of violence. Speaking with New Age, senior politicians, and political analysts said that these counter-political street programmes were a serious worry that may put people’s lives in danger in the coming days as the next general election drew closer. Click here to read…

Unit 1 of Rampal plant to resume power generation Wednesday – Dhaka Tribune

Unit-1 of the 1329MW Rampal coal-fired power plant will resume production from Wednesday, still under a test run that started in August before being discontinued last month. According to official sources, Unit-1, having 660MW capacity, was forced to shut down on January 14 due to shortage of coal supply. The authorities of the power plant were unable to open any letter of credit (LC) to import coal due to the dollar crisis. Click here to read…

Let’s not neglect jute any longer – Dhaka Tribune

It is very encouraging to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself comment on the state of the jute industry in Bangladesh, hitting the nail on the head when she proclaimed that despite being an environment-friendly agricultural product, jute did not get the expected attention and incentives like the RMG (readymade garments) industry. Click here to read…

Bhutan

FDI in the digital sector sees huge potential – Kuensel

Having failed to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) over the years, the FDI Policy is yet again on the government’s table for review. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the average FDI inflows to Bhutan have been less than USD 20 million a year since 2010, contributing less than 1 percent of the gross domestic product. Click here to read…

A Force of Change – Kuensel

Almost a decade after His Majesty’s address to a group of young de-suup trainees at the Military Training Center in Tencholing, Wangdue, the de-suup family today has grown from a few hundred to a formidable group of around 35,000. Click here to read…

Maldives

Latvian traveler caught smuggling drugs into Maldives – Raajje

A foreigner has been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that a traveler from Latvia, 49, was arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives by ingesting them. The arrest was made following an intel report received by the Police Intelligence Unit, by the efforts of officers from the Maldives Immigration and Maldives Customs Service. Click here to read…

UNICEF Representative presents Letter of Appointment to FM Shahid – Raajje

The new UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, Dr. Edward Addai has presented his Letter of Appointment to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Dr. Edward presented his Letter of Appointment to Minister Shahid on 14 February 2022. During the meeting held following the presentation, Minister Shahid and the Representative discussed the role of UNICEF in the Maldives. As such, discussions were held in areas on child protection, maternal and child heath, immunization, nutrition, pre and primary education and social inclusion. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar’s opposition opens foreign ministry office in US – RFA

Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government officially opened a shadow embassy in Washington on Monday, with a U.S. State Department official at the event using a speech to reject the legitimacy of elections planned by the military junta later this year. The so-called NUG has set up a government-in-exile after the military took power from a democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup. Click here to read…

No sales of arms to Myanmar for ‘a very long time’, says Singapore minister – Borneo Bulletin

Singapore has not sold military weapons to Myanmar for a very long time and has effected a ban on the sale of arms there, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan in Parliament yesterday. The minister was replying to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) Dennis Tap on recent assertions in the report of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar which stated that Singapore functions as a “strategic transit point for potentially significant volumes of items” including raw materials that contribute towards military production by the Myanmar military. Click here to read…

It’s Time for Myanmar’s Neighbors to Sideline the Military Junta – The Diplomat

Anyone still hoping for a political solution to Myanmar’s crisis should ask one question: is the military junta willing to be held accountable for its crimes? The definitive answer, demonstrated repeatedly by their mounting atrocities, is “no.” But without accountability for the crimes committed since the February 2021 coup, which include the burning of women and children alive, there can be no political solution to the country’s conflict. Click here to read…

Chinese crypto scams forcing Filipinos to work for them in Myanmar – Mizzima

Chinese criminals running cryptocurrency scams in Southeast Asia are targeting Filipinos to work for them because of their English-language and computer skills, a Philippine foreign ministry official said Monday. Filipinos were “prized” targets for scam networks operating in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, said Eduardo de Vega, acting undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read…

Nepal

“Differences Between Friends Can Be Resolved Through Talks”: Nepal Ex-PM – NDTV

Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who on Tuesday held an extensive meeting with visiting Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, said any kind of differences between Nepal and India can be sorted out through dialogue, a source close to the CPN-UML chairman said. Click here to read…

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completes his two day official visit to Nepal – NewsOnAir

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completed his two-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal. During his two days visit Foreign Secretary Kwatra called on the President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr. Bimala Rai Paudyal alongwith meeting other senior members of the Government of Nepal and other leaders. Click here to read…

Nepal King Rekindles Calls For Restoration Of Nepal’s Status As A ‘Hindu Kingdom’, Joins Protests Against Government – Swarajya Marg

The former King of Nepal Gyanendra Shah on Monday (13 February) joined a public campaign that seeks to reinstate Nepal’s status as a “Hindu Kingdom”. Notably, the campaign was launched on the day the Nepal government led by the Communist Party leader Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ declared a public holiday to mark 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Asked to condemn Moscow, but followed India’s example of ‘neutral’ stand in Russia-Ukraine War: Imran Khan – India TV

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that the former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had asked him to condemn Russia in its act of invading Ukraine, but he refused to do so citing India’s stand on the matter. Click here to read…

Govt turns to parliament after Alvi ‘refuses’ ordinance – Dawn

Despite its attempt to expedite pas­sage of fiscal measures mandated by the Internat­i­o­nal Monetary Fund (IMF), the government was forced to head to parliament on Tuesday after President Arif Alvi “adv­ised” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to take parliament into confidence over the Rs170 billion in new taxes that are being levied. Click here to read…

The economic woes of Pakistan and Sri Lanka have similar origin stories – Scroll

Economists ascribe Sri Lanka’s recent financial problems to a severe decline in tourism and remittances, as well as a substantial tax cut, but poor governance is atop the list of the factors that played havoc with the island nation’s economy, which relied heavily on tourism and remittances. Both these sources were hit badly by the Covid pandemic as the workers were laid off on a mass scale. Click here to read…

Pakistan nearly doubles gas prices to meet IMF bailout terms – Money Control

Cash-strapped Pakistan nearly doubled natural gas taxes Tuesday in an effort to comply with a long-stalled financial bailout, raising concerns that the hardship could pass to consumers in the impoverished south Asian country. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Turkey relations: What’s in it for Ankara? – DNA India

Three devastating earthquakes struck Turkey’s South-eastern region bordering Syria in the early hours of 06 February 23. The widespread destruction and ensuing loss of life have, as expected in any major disaster of this magnitude, overwhelmed the country. The World community responded swiftly and immediate for HADR operations, given the intensity of envisaged damage, both to property and life. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s too responded to the request by Turkey soon after. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka envoy meets Indian ministers seeking support for economic recovery – Hindustan Times

Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda on Tuesday met with union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss India’s support for his country’s economic recovery, including through the expansion of bilateral trade and use of the rupee for trade settlement. Click here to read…

Protests against Wickremesinghe sweep Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated provinces – Peoples Dispatch – Peoples Dispatch

On February 11, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and students of Jaffna University in Sri Lanka staged a protest against a musical event organized by the secretariat of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Jaffna as part of Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence day celebrations. At least 18 protestors, including Selvarajah Kajendren, Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the TNPF, were arrested at the protest. They were later released on bail. Click here to read…

Japan to grant 5 bn yen to Sri Lanka for public health sector fuel purchases – Economy Next

Cabinet spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the weekly cabinet press briefing on Tuesday February 14 that 35 million US dollar-worth grant is to be made under Japan’s Economic and Social Developmenet Programme so that Sri Lanka may continue essential and urgent health services uninterrupted. Click here to read…

Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum successfully held in Sri Lanka – Daily FT

Amidst the changing global dynamics, with the intention of strengthening socioeconomic relations between Russia and Sri Lanka, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) recently organised a four-day program, Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum (23-27 Jan.), which heralded fruitful outcomes for both nations. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Putin Says Afghan Humanitarian Condition Has ‘Deteriorated’ – Tolo News

Russian President Vladmir Putin pointed out that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated, with “four million” Afghans needing urgent emergency assistance. The fifth multilateral meeting of security envoys was held on Wednesday in Moscow. The meeting lasted for two days. Click here to read…

ISIL-K threatened to launch terrorist attacks against Indian embassy in Afghanistan: UN report – India Today

The ISIL-K have threatened to launch terrorist attacks against the embassies of India, Iran and China in Afghanistan and by targeting them, the terror group sought to undermine the relationship between the Taliban and the UN member states in the Central and South Asia region, according to a UN report. Click here to read…

$40 million in cash as humanitarian aid reaches Afghanistan – India Blooms

A fresh batch of $40 million in cash as humanitarian aid reached the cash-strapped and war-torn Afghanistan on Wednesday, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank, said in a statement on Thursday. This is the second batch of cash as humanitarian aid arrived in Afghanistan since Jan. 14 as part of the international community’s support to help the economically impoverished country to enhance its foreign exchange reserve. Click here to read…

India-Russia to implement Strategic Partnership as country remains an important stakeholder in Afghanistan: NSA – Financial Express

Ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in the first week of March, NSA Ajit Doval is on a two day visit to Moscow and called on President Vladimir Putin. He also participated in the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/National Security Advisers on Afghanistan, he also called on President Vladimir Putin. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM seeks more Japanese investment in various sectors in Bangladesh – New Age

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the Japanese investors to come up with robust investment in Bangladesh’s various sectors as Japan Bank for International Cooperation governor Nobumitsu Hayashi paid a courtesy call on her. ‘Japan is a trusted partner of Bangladesh,’ PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam quoted her as saying while briefing the newsmen after the meeting at the premier’s official Ganabhaban residence in the city. Click here to read…

Saudi businesses interested to invest in Bangladesh – TBS

The businesses of Saudi Arabia is very much interested to invest in Bangladesh as a high-profile delegation of the Kingdom, led by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud, would take part in the Bangladesh Business Summit in March next. Click here to read…

Sugar exports at 2.7 mn tonnes in FY23 so far; Bangladesh top market: AISTA – Business Standard

India has exported 27.83 lakh tonnes of sugar till February 9 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, with Bangladesh and Indonesia being the top markets, trade body AISTA said on Thursday. The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. The government has allowed export of 60 lakh tonnes till May of the 2022-23 marketing year. According to AISTA, mills have exported a total of 27,83,536 tonnes of sugar from October 1, 2022 to February 9 this year. Click here to read…

Bhutan

RMA revises foreign exchange quota to limit misuse – Kuensel

To curb the thriving informal foreign exchange market, the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA), has revised the foreign exchange quota from February 6 this year. An official from the authority said that their study found an increase in the drawings of convertible currencies (USD) and Indian Rupee (INR) by travellers abroad. “The authority is doubtful of the misuse of the quota.” Click here to read…

Indo-Bhutan relationship touching new heights – The Sentinel

India and Bhutan’s relationship is climbing to a new height as New Delhi has been proactively supporting Bhutan in its efforts to establish a digital infrastructure, The Bhutan Live reported. On January 31, the Indian government announced its help for the development of Bhutan’s third international internet gateway. Click here to read…

Maldives

The Maldives: geopolitics of Chinese tourism – Lowy Institute

As 2023 kicks off with China reopening its borders, the Maldives is holding its breath in anticipation of a returning influx of Chinese tourists. But 2023 is also a presidential election year and like any other country, the Maldives is not immune to geopolitics. With a presidential election set for September, Maldivian candidates need to balance the economy and Beijing. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Anwar urges Thailand to step up on Myanmar crisis – Jakarta Post

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim asked Thailand on Thursday to play a bigger role in bringing stability to coup-hit Myanmar, as diplomatic efforts to bring peace there flounder. Anwar held his first bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha since the former won office late last year. The Thai government has faced international criticism for maintaining normalised ties with Myanmar’s junta and for downplaying alleged atrocities in its neighbour since the country was plunged into chaos following a putsch two years ago. “There’s very little we can do except to continue this so-called constructive engagement with the Myanmar junta,” Anwar told reporters. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta: Rohingya Repatriations Planned – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta says it is working to bring back Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine State for Bangladesh following the military’s supposed counter-insurgency operations in 2017.Junta leaders, including International Cooperation Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Border Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Thet Thet Khaing and Immigration and Population Minister U Myint Kyaing, visited Maungdaw on the Bangladesh border on Sunday and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Click here to read…

10 Myanmar migrant workers arrested in Manipur, India – BN

Regional police arrested 10 Myanmar nationals in Churachandpur District in the Indian state of Manipur. Manipur police arrested Myanmar handloom workers in Vaal area of New Lanka on February 5th. “Last night, the Manipur police raided the handloom factory and arrested about 10 people. Now, no one dares to stay in their own homes and hide in the forest,” said a Myanmar handloom worker in Manipur. Click here to read…

Nepal

Indian foreign secretary visiting Nepal on Monday – The Kathmandu Post

After two back-to-back visits from the United States in a short span of time, it now appears to be New Delhi’s turn to engage with the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is arriving in Kathmandu on Monday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal. Click here to read…

‘Political instability’: Nepal PM ‘Prachanda’ rules out review of Constitution – India Today

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” on Thursday ruled out the review of the country’s Constitution, warning that such a move may lead to “political instability.” Prachanda made these comments at an event organised here to present the preliminary findings of a study on electoral reforms in Nepal. Click here to read…

Biden now invites PM Prachanda for conference amid growing US-China rivalry in Nepal – India Narrative

The United States has invited Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda to the Summit for Democracy to be hosted by President Joe Biden in late March. Samantha Power, administrator of the USAID, who paid a visit to Kathmandu on Tuesday and Wednesday, told a media briefing that Prachanda has been invited to the second Summit for Democracy which is taking place on March 29 and 30 both virtually and physically. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan, IMF fail to reach staff-level pact on bailout package: Report – Hindustan Times

The deadlock persists between Pakistan and International Monetary Fund as the two sides have failed to reach the staff-level agreement to unlock the USD 1.1 billion loan tranche after 10 days of “tough” talks, The News International reported. The development comes as negotiations, which took place between IMF and Pakistan from January 31 to February 9, concluded in Islamabad. The IMF’s mission had arrived in Islamabad to hold talks with Pakistani authorities. Click here to read…

Pakistan Skips Russia-hosted Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan – VOA News

Pakistan confirmed Thursday that it skipped this week’s Russia-hosted multilateral consultations on Afghanistan, suggesting there are other forums in which it can more effectively contribute to the Afghan peace process. Regional countries, including China, India, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan were invited to Wednesday’s security adviser-level meeting in Moscow. Click here to read…

Fuel stations across Pakistan run dry as hoarding, black market sale takes over: Report – Times Now News

Only a few days back, reports of long ques at fuel stations in Pakistan came out indicating how fast the country’s economy was taking a tumble, and to make matter worse, fuel stations in the country are now reportedly shutting down after running out of fuel. Click here to read…

A safe decision? Pakistan to give travel passes to nationality holders in Afghanistan – Firstpost

Authorities in Pakistan’s North Waziristan have announced to issue special cards to Pakistani nationality holders staying in the border areas of Afghanistan in order to facilitate their hassle-free cross-border movement. This comes amid reports of massive spike in terror activities and smuggling of millions of dollars into Afghanistan from Pakistan on a daily basis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

IMF Insists on Creditor Assurances to Unlock $2.9 Billion Sri Lanka Bailout – Bloomberg

The International Monetary Fund said its approval for a $2.9 billion loan to bail out crisis-riddled Sri Lanka will depend on the island nation securing assurances on debt relief from its bilateral creditors. “Sri Lanka continues to engage with official bilateral creditors to obtain financing assurances and also continues to advance domestic reforms,” an IMF spokesperson said in a statement on the progress of its Extended Fund Facility to the South Asian nation. Click here to read…

In final stages of negotiations with IMF on bailout package: Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe – The Print

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said Sri Lanka was in the final stages of negotiations with the IMF on the much-awaited USD 2.9 billion bailout package that could help the debt-trapped island nation recover from the unprecedented economic crisis. Wickremesinghe also said that his government was having “direct discussions” with Beijing to restructure the country’s debts with China. Click here to read…

Japan asks Sri Lanka to make efforts to regain trust of Japanese companies – Daily Mirror

Japan stressed the need for Sri Lanka to make efforts to regain the trust of Japanese companies and to resolve the issues and concerns of Japanese companies in Sri Lanka for revitalization of their economic activities in Sri Lanka, according to the Japanese embassy in Colombo. Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs Takei Shunsuke who was in Sri Lanka to attend the Independence Day celebration made this point when he had talks with Foreign Minister Ali SabryClick here to read…

Afghanistan

Regional Security Officials Meet in Moscow, Discuss Afghanistan – Tolo News

The fifth multilateral meeting of security envoys was held on Wednesday in Moscow, during which they discussed the situation in Afghanistan and in the region. The Russian News Agency TASS reported that the Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that Washington intends to continue its geopolitical experiments, including in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Click here to read…

India to always stand by Afghans, says Ajit Doval at Moscow meeting – The Tribune

“India is and will remain an important stakeholder in Afghanistan. We have always stood by people of Afghanistan and will always support collective efforts to help Afghan people build a prosperous and vibrant nation once again,” said Doval while participating in the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/ National Security Advisers on Afghanistan in Moscow on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Afghanistan: Taliban ‘desperate’ for resumption of flights to India – Firstpost

With the global community yet to recognise the current regime in Kabul, the Afghan Taliban is reportedly desperate for flights to resume between India and Afghanistan. According to a Hindustan Times report, the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan are optimistic that India will agree to resume direct flights between New Delhi and Kandahar. Click here to read…

Taliban Tighten Currency Controls After Dollar Smuggling Report – Bloomberg

The Taliban imposed fresh restrictions on people carrying foreign currency out of Afghanistan via a rare directive from the prime minister’s office after a report that millions of dollars were being smuggled in each day from Pakistan, shoring up its battered economy. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Awami League wants to see no unopposed MPs in next parliament – Dhaka Tribune

Awami League President and Prime Minister President Sheikh Hasina has called upon party lawmakers to take massive preparations for a participatory and representative election, regardless of whether the opposition BNP and its allies participate in it. Click here to read…

Fakhrul, Abbas get permanent bail – Daily Star

The High Court yesterday granted permanent bail to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas in a case filed over last year’s December 7 clash between police and BNP men in Nayapaltan. The HC bench of Justice Md Salim and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan delivered the verdict holding the final hearing on a bail petition filed by them. Click here to read…

IMF Loans and the Post-Truth Politics in Bangladesh – Geopolitics

Finally, on Jan 30, 2023, Bangladesh successfully secured loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). For the last seven months since July 2022, intense negotiations took place which also became a political scoop for Bangladesh’s political parties. Oppositions and pressure groups resorted to mass persuasion using rhetoric and ‘charlatan’ predictions and analysis to decrease citizens’ confidence in the incumbent government. For a while, they were successful in creating skepticism about whether Bangladesh would get the loans or not. Such skepticism also induced unnecessary alarm, stress, confusion, and uncertainty, and created friction in the country. Looking back at that rhetoric, and half-cooked predictions, it seems there is a ‘post-truth’ politics at play in Bangladesh regarding the IMF loan. Click here to read…

Who killed democracy in Bangladesh? – Daily Star

The minister (Obaidul Quader) has cited the “peaceful atmosphere” that prevailed during the polling on February 1. Indeed, it was very peaceful. When fewer than 20 percent of voters turn up to vote, it is bound to be peaceful. When the opposition voters are told not to bother to come to the polling stations, it is bound to be “peaceful.” When an opposition candidate goes into hiding, unable to withstand the pressure on him, peace is bound to follow. The recent by-polls represent the state of democracy in our country fairly accurately. The near-empty polling booths, if nothing, displays a lack of trust; in fact, it demonstrates people’s apathy towards elections and voting. Most voters feel it is an exercise in futility under the present circumstances, the results a forgone conclusion. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Agriculture sector contributes the least to the economy – Kuensel

Agriculture sector employs nearly half of the country’s workforce. However, it is the least productive sector in the country. According to the Royal Monetary Authority’s (RMA) recent annual report, the agriculture sector employed 158,511 persons, equivalent to 49.2 percent of the total labour force in 2021. Click here to read…

India: EAM S. Jaishankar meets National Assembly Speaker of Bhutan Wangchuk Namgyel – Georgia Online

The External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar, met with the Bhutanese National Assembly Speaker, Wangchuk Namgyel, in Delhi. The officials, at the meeting, discussed ways to strengthen the economic cooperation and concerns of the youth of both nations. The Indian official met with the 13-member delegation of Namgyel while praising the kind of relations the two nations bear with each other. Click here to read…

Five from Bhutan among IRS officers training in Bengaluru – Times of India

The 74th IRS batch has 43 officers in addition to five Bhutan-origin civil servants who shared their experience of learning in India. They said the IRS syllabus offered them a chance at knowledge enhancement. They got to learn about land, sea and air trade, unlike in their land-locked country. Click here to read…

3.5 million tourists will be welcomed annually by 2028 – Pres. Solih – Raajje

The President made the statement in his Presidential Address on Monday. In his address, President Solih described the past three years as the most challenging years the Maldivian economy has faced. As such, he noted that the Covid-19 pandemic brought a complete halt to the Maldivian economy. The President stated that the administration can show results based on mathematical results on the work done and what remains to be done. He said that data demonstrate how well the Maldivian economy is doing. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Manipur governor calls for combating anti-social activities from Myanmar – North East Now

Inspecting the Indo-Myanmar border at Kasom Khullen sub-divisional headquarters in Kamjong district of Manipur, governor La Ganesan, on Wednesday, called for combating the issues of illegal migration, smuggling of drugs, weapons, sneaking insurgents, etc that are being perpetrated from neighboring countries into Indian territory. Click here to read…

Chevron exits Myanmar upstream sector – Upstream Online

US supermajor Chevron has agreed to sell its significant stake in the producing Yadana gas field offshore Myanmar to Canada’s MTI Energy, prompting Justice for Myanmar to call for Canadian and UK sanctions on state-owned Myanma Oil & Gas Enterprise (MOGE). Chevon confirmed to Upstream it has agreed to sell its 41.1% stake in the Yadana gas project to Et Martem Holdings, a subsidiary of MTI Energy. Click here to read…

Anti-junta forces retreat after holding strategic river village for several days – Myanmar Now

Resistance forces in northern Sagaing Region’s Homalin Township withdrew on Saturday from a strategically important village that they captured and held for several days last week, according to sources. Shwe Pyi Aye Myothit, located on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River some 30km southwest of the town of Homalin, fell to an alliance of anti-junta groups on February 1. It remained under their control for the next three days, despite multiple counterattacks from the military and its militia allies. Click here to read…

Nepal

How Nepal Regenerated Its Forests – Earth Observatory

Today, community forests occupy nearly 2.3 million hectares—about a third of Nepal’s forest cover—and are managed by over 22,000 community forest groups comprising 3 million households. A 2016 United Nations report on the state of forests around the world found that three countries with the most annual gain in tree cover between 2010 and 2015 were the Philippines (with an annual growth rate of 3.3 percent), Chile (1.8 percent), and Lao PDR (0.9 percent). Within community forests of Kābhrepalāñchok and Sindhupālchok, forest growth between 2010 and 2015 was 1.84 percent. Click here to read…

Nepal opens high-level dialogue with defence minister’s visit to India – India Narrative

In a bid to further deepen bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries, Nepal’s Defence Minister Hari Prasad Upreti will be paying an official visit to India next week, officials said here on Tuesday. Upreti is visiting New Delhi from February 13 to 17 at the official invitation of his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh. This is the maiden foreign visit of the defence minister after he assumed the office on January 17. Upreti’s visit will mark the first high-level exchange between Nepal and India after the Prachanda government took office following elections. Click here to read…

Key Ally Quits Government in Nepal – The Diplomat

On February 6, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) decided to quit the coalition government led by Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Center (CPN-MC) supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The party lasted barely a month in the government. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan Navy invites 110 countries for ‘Exercise Aman’; only 7 bother to send ships – Times Now

Exercise Aman, for the Pakistan Navy, is a prestigious moment. It is its biggest exercise and though it’s to begin on February 10, of the 110 countries invited, only seven have bothered to send ships or submarines. The four-day biannual exercise appears to be another sign of Pakistan’s increasing isolation and participation appears to be going down. This year only seven countries have sent ships– the United States of America, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Italy, and Japan. Click here to read…

Turkey insults Pakistan, refuses to host PM Shehbaz Sharif – Firstpost

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif announced his visit to Ankara to show solidarity with Turkey. He did not think that the country which is currently facing a natural disaster, resources should not be spent on VIP visits. In such a situation, Turkey itself refused to host Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. Click here to read…

12 TTP militants killed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – The Hindu

Pakistan’s security forces gunned down 12 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants on February 8 in the country’s restive northwest, police said, as the government stepped up its offensive against outlawed groups following a spike in terror attacks. Click here to read…

Pakistan at beginning of worst economic crisis since country’s formation: Report – Economic Times

Pakistan is currently at the beginning of the worst economic crisis since the country’s formation in 1947, Geo-politik reported. According to Geo-politik, Pakistan has taken fourteen loans from the IMF thus far, but ironically none of them has ever been completed. This, therefore, raises serious questions about the capacity and capability of the Pakistan state to get out of this dead-end. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

“I will respect the country” – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivering the Government’s Policy Statement yesterday requested everyone not to be prisoners of the past, but think about the future. “Let’s unite consensually and move forward democratically to support the recovery of the nation from the current crisisClick here to read…

Swiss government provides funds through UNICEF to support services for children In Sri Lanka – Colombo Page

The Government of Switzerland has contributed Swiss Francs (CHF) 500,000 (approximately Rs. 199 million) through UNICEF to meet the urgent needs of children impacted by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. With this funding, UNICEF will procure essential medical supplies, including medicines for treatment of illnesses and complications among children and women. In education, the funds will help children in disadvantaged schools continue learning and support catch-up classes to recover learning loss, including by providing transport allowance to teachers and daily snacks to students. Click here to read…

Japanese State Minister of Foreign affairs visits Port of Colombo – Daily News

Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs TAKEI Shunsuke visited the Port of Colombo learn about the ongoing developments in the Port of Colombo. During the visit the Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs also met the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) – Keith D. Bernard and other higher officials at the main control tower of the Port. The Chairman of SLPA explained to the Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the progress of the developments of the East Container Terminal (ECT), the West Container Terminal and the North Port Development Project. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Turkiye, UAE to reduce missions in Afghanistan over ‘security concerns’ – Middle East Monitor

The embassies of Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Afghanistan intend to trim down their missions due to security concerns, after international employees reported receiving threatening letters from unknown parties, Sputnik reported. Click here to read…

Afghanistan announces aid for quake-hit Turkey and Syria – Pakistan Observer

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Tuesday announced AFN 15 million (approx. $166,000 USD) in humanitarian aid for people affected by recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Of the total, AFN 10 million (approx. $111,000) will be for Turkey, and AFN 5 million (approx. $55,000) will be for Syria. Click here to read…

6 million people in Afghanistan face famine risk: UN – The Print

As Afghanistan continues to face the worst humanitarian crisis amid ongoing political chaos, the United Nations (UN) warned that two-thirds of Afghans are facing severe hunger and are in urgent need of aid, with six million facing the risk of famine, TOLOnews reported on Monday. Click here to read…

Afghanistan: Taliban issuing gun licenses to traders, businessmen as abductions soar – Firstpost

The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan have decided to provide gun licenses to traders in the capital Kabul. The Taliban’s security department in Kabul has announced that businessmen in Afghanistan’s capital will be provided with security and gun licences. According to a report by Tolo News, the Taliban arrived at the decision after a series of meetings with traders in Kabul. Click here to read…

Pakistan: Peshawar Bombing Planned In Afghanistan, Foreign Intelligence Agency Funded It, Say Investigators – Outlook

The suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Peshawar was planned in Afghanistan and the terror plot was funded by a foreign intelligence agency, according to Pakistani investigators on the case. A suide bomber struck a mosque in high-security Police Lines area of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on January 30. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh seeks new terms for Adani coal electricity deal – Washington Post

Bangladeshi officials are seeking a discount on electricity purchased from the power company owned by Gautam Adani, according to a stock exchange filing that was made public on Tuesday, in the latest sign of mounting scrutiny of the Indian billionaire’s dealings. Click here to read…

Political trajectory of Bangladesh – New Age

As regards to parliamentary elections, it is almost certain that ruling party candidates will make it to parliament even without competing for people’s votes. Today, nomination from and loyalty to the ruling party are more important than the support and confidence of the electorate. Hence, once electoral candidates of the ruling party become members of parliament or ministers, they remain beholden to the party, not to the people of their constituency or the country; and they serve the interests of the former, not the latter. Click here to read…

The Constitutionality of 15th Amendment – The Daily Star

In 1996, the BNP-led government passed the 13th Amendment to the constitution, allowing the formation of the neutral caretaker government (NCG). The amendment represented a “political settlement” as the then Awami League-led coalition of parties demanded such a system, and BNP, after much resistance, accepted it. It not only allowed a peaceful transfer of power, but also provided equal opportunity to major political parties. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Current account deficit to widen to Nu 75.63B in June this year – Kuensel

Bhutan’s current account deficit (CAD) is estimated to deteriorate further by 19.3 percent to Nu 75.63 billion (B) in June this year from Nu 63.4B in the same month the previous year. These figures are based on the Macro-economic Framework Coordination Technical Committee of the finance ministry. Click here to read…

Bhutan to add more solar capacity to reduce reliance on imports – minister – Reuters

Bhutan will add around 300 to 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generation capacity in the next two to three years to reduce its dependency on electricity imports from India, the Himalayan kingdom’s minister for economic affairs said on Monday. Click here to read…

DGPC will take over the Kholongchhu project – Kuensel

Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) has asked for a loan from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), and other financial institutions of India to finance 600MW Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited (KHEL). Nu 4.5B was spent on the project so far. The project’s total cost is estimated at Nu 54.4B at the 2020 price level. Click here to read…

Bhutan’s parliamentary delegation calls on President – Mint

A Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. India is foraying into new avenues of bilateral cooperation with Bhutan such as space cooperation, smart agriculture, youth and sports, start-ups, renewable energy and digital development, to help the Royal Government of Bhutan realize its vision of prosperity for all. Click here to read…

India will always be a reliable friend to Bhutan: Om Birla to Bhutan National Assembly speaker – The Hindu

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on February 6 said India would always be a reliable friend to Bhutan while noting the ₹2,400-crore allocation for the neighbouring country in this year’s Union Budget during a meeting with a Bhutanese Parliamentary delegation. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives offers condolences following tragic loss of lives, massive destruction in the wake of earthquake in Turkey – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended condolences following the powerful earthquake in Turkey, which has resulted in the loss of many lives. In a Twitter post on Monday, the Maldivian leader expressed grief in hearing of the earthquake that shook Turkey. He extended sympathies and condolences to the families mourning the death of their loved ones. Click here to read…

Police assault 2 journalists covering political protest in the Maldives – Committee to Protect Journalists

Maldives authorities must swiftly investigate the recent assaults of journalists Hassan Shaheed and Ahmed Misbaah and ensure that members of the press can report on public events without fear of violence by police, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

New sanctions on Myanmar 2 years after military coup – the Malaysian Reserve

THE US and its allies Canada, the UK and Australia have imposed fresh sanctions on Myanmar, adding to pressure on the military regime, two years since it overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Jan 31 the US restrictions target six individuals and three entities linked to the junta’s efforts to generate revenue and procure arms, including senior leadership in its energy sector and its Air Force. Click here to read…

HURFOM wants Myanmar junta to face ICC having documented its abuses – Mizzima

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is calling for a referral of the Myanmar military to the International Criminal Court to ensure that there is an end to military rule. Whilst the new sanctions announced by the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom to mark the second anniversary of the February 2021 coup were welcome, according to HURFOM these actions came too little too late for the thousands of people killed by the Burma Army. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta makes plans for elections – Mizzima

The junta propaganda leader General Zaw Min Tun said that it is still too early to say whether the election will be held or not. It has been a controversial topic among the public. Some are wondering if the military junta is really going to back out of the elections because of the disapproval of the people, revolutionary forces and international organisations. But, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is committed to election preparations. Click here to read…

Nepal

Rs 38m worth of tea exported – The Himalayan Times

According to National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB), tea farming is done on around 27,500 hectares of land, with more than one-third of the total tea gardens located in Jhapa. Of the total 28 million kilograms of tea, Jhapa produces as much as 18 million kilograms, which is the highest in terms of district-wise production, Chief of NTCDB Indra Prasad Adhikari said. Click here to read…

Nepal launches National Pashmina Sector Export Strategy to increase to USD 75 million exports by 2026 – My Republica

The Government of Nepal today unveiled its National Pashmina Sector Export Strategy 2022-2026′, which is expected to enhance the supply capacities of the private sector and reconnect the sector with regional and global markets for more Himalayan Chyangra Pashmina exports. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf buried in Karachi; PM, prez, army chief did not attend funeral – Hindustan Times

Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was buried in his hometown of Karachi on Tuesday. Click here to read…

All Parties Conference on terrorism postponed for the second time – Dawn

The All Parties Conference (APC) — called by the incumbent government to discuss important security and economic challenges being faced by Pakistan — has been postponed for the second time this week. The multi-party moot was first slated for Feb 7 (today). However, in a tweet yesterday, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had rescheduled the conference to Feb 9, Thursday. She did not mention why the meeting was moved. Click here to read…

Putin snubs Pakistan; Russia declares ‘won’t do anything that impacts India ties’ – Hindustan Times

Russia has presented fresh proof of its close partnership with India. The Vladimir Putin administration has “strangled” its defence ties with Pakistan in favour of “friend” India. Denis Alipov, the Russian Ambassador to India, clarified in a statement that “Russia would never do anything detrimental to India.” The clarification came after Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would continue to support Pakistan in regular military contacts. On January 30, Pak Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto visited Moscow to intensify Islamabad’s defence and trade cooperation with Russia. Click here to read…

Debt reprofiling viable option for Pakistan under IMF watch: report – Business Recorder

Reprofiling of bilateral debt remains a viable option under the International Monetary Fund (IMF)‘s watch, according to a report by Arif Habib Limited, as Pakistan remains in talks with the Fund’s mission for the resumption of the stalled ninth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Click here to read…

Pakistan sets up relief fund for Turkey earthquake victims – The International News

In response to the deadly earthquake in Turkey that has claimed over 5,000 lives, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the establishment of a relief fund to help victims. After a plane load of relief goods and a rescue team from Pakistan reached Turkey, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb took to Twitter and said: “To help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey at this difficult hour, PM Shehbaz Sharif has decided to establish PM Relief Fund.” Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Paris Club creditors give assurances to back IMF bailout for Sri Lanka – Reuters

The Paris Club of creditors has given financing assurances to support the International Monetary Fund’s approval of an extended fund facility for Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan president’s office said on Tuesday. The assurances are crucial to unlocking a $2.9 billion deal from the IMF, which is still pending executive board approval. “Paris Club members as well as Hungary, Saudi Arabia and India continue to look forward to working together along with all bilateral creditors and to engage with other key stakeholders in order to proceed with a comparable debt restructuring as soon as possible,” the informal group of creditors said in a separate statement on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India the biggest friend of Sri Lanka: PM – Investing

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene on Tuesday called India as the biggest friend of Sri Lanka in the time of crisis. Addressing the Tata Tiscon Dealer Convention 2023, he called on Indian companies to invest further in Sri Lanka. Outlining the benefits of Indian investments in Sri Lanka, PM Gunawardene highlighted that 90 per cent of components used by Lanka Ashok Leyland (NS:ASOK) were indigenous. At the event, High Commissioner Gopal Baglay said that both the Indian government and Indian corporates are working to build relationships that are beneficial to the people within and beyond India, especially the neighbours, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy. Click here to read…

Thirteenth amendment to Sri Lankan Constitution, No lessons learnt in 75 years – The Leaflet

The political implication of not implementing a proper federalist policy is the Tamils in Sri Lanka losing their voice and rights, thereby being subjected to further marginalisation. Every self-respecting Tamil in India and across the world should ask for nothing less than a federal Sri Lanka. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Saudi diplomats leave Afghanistan, relocate to Pakistani capital -sources – The Print

Saudi diplomats have left Afghanistan for “training” and will return, the Taliban administration said on Monday, though three sources familiar with the matter said security concerns had contributed to their departure. Click here to read…

Dollars Smuggled From Pakistan Provide Lifeline for the Taliban – Bloomberg

Millions of dollars are being smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan every day, providing some support for the squeezed economy after the US and Europe denied the Taliban regime access to billions in foreign reserves. For Islamabad, the outflows are exacerbating a rapidly developing economic crisis. Click here to read…

Qatar Envoy Speaks with Kabul Officials About Economy, Girls’ Education – Tolo News

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, had discussions with the Islamic Emirate officials regarding politics, the economy, girls’ education, and women’s employment in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh could buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes in Feb-June – Reuters

Bangladesh will buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes between February and June if prices soften further, an energy adviser to the prime minister told Reuters on Monday, in a reversal of a government decision last year to halt spot purchases after prices spiked. “This is a high demand season for us. Ramadan is coming, this is also irrigation season, therefore, if market softens, we will buy 10-12 more spot LNG cargoes,” Bir Bikram Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on the sidelines of the India Energy WeekClick here to read…

Idols at 14 Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh: Report – Hindustan Times

As many as 14 Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by “unidentified miscreants” on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, sparking fear among locals. The incident took place in Baliadangi Upazila area, news agency ANI reported citing local media. Click here to read…

4 direct questions to Bangladesh Home Minister after 14 attacks on Hindu temples | Exclusive

India Today’s Shahidul Hasan Kokhon spoke to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to understand how he perceived the issue and his party’s stand on it. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bangladesh could buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes in Feb-June – Reuters

Bangladesh will buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes between February and June if prices soften further, an energy adviser to the prime minister told Reuters on Monday, in a reversal of a government decision last year to halt spot purchases after prices spiked. “This is a high demand season for us. Ramadan is coming, this is also irrigation season, therefore, if market softens, we will buy 10-12 more spot LNG cargoes,” Bir Bikram Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on the sidelines of the India Energy WeekClick here to read…

Idols at 14 Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh: Report – Hindustan Times

As many as 14 Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by “unidentified miscreants” on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, sparking fear among locals. The incident took place in Baliadangi Upazila area, news agency ANI reported citing local media. Click here to read…

4 direct questions to Bangladesh Home Minister after 14 attacks on Hindu temples | Exclusive

India Today’s Shahidul Hasan Kokhon spoke to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to understand how he perceived the issue and his party’s stand on it. Click here to read…

Maldives

Beyond Realpolitik: Enlisting the Maldives into the U.S. Indo-Pacific Vision – South Asian Voices

In February 2020, then-U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visited the Maldives to announce plans to open a resident U.S. embassy in the country. That same year, the United States also entered into a “Framework for Defense Cooperation” with the Maldives, committing both countries to uphold peace and security in the Indian Ocean and to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. While bilateral relations date back to 1966, this will mark the first time Washington will have resident diplomatic representation in the Maldives, symbolizing a growing mutual interest in strengthening relations. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Rewards Crony Arms Dealer With Palm Oil Plum – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime has permitted the US-sanctioned Htoo Group, owned by a notorious arms dealer, to import over US$5.4 million worth of palm oil per month, according to operators in the edible oil business. The Htoo Group of companies is owned by junta crony U Tay Za, who was sanctioned by the US last year for providing arms to Myanmar’s military. The group is currently led by his sons, who have also been targeted by US sanctions. Click here to read…

10 Myanmar immigrants held in Manipur – Times of India

At least 10 Myanmar nationals, including five women, were arrested from Churachandpur district on Sunday afternoon for crossing into the Indian territory illegally without any valid papers. The development took place after 80 illegal immigrants from Myanmar were arrested by a joint security team from Tengnoupal district last month. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal’s RSP quits coalition government, 3 ministers resign – The Telegraph

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the third largest member of the ruling coalition in Nepal, has quit the government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ after he denied reinstatement of the party’s chairperson Rabi Lamichhane to the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. Three ministers of the RSP on Sunday resigned after a joint meeting of the party’s central members and lawmakers decided to quit the government. Click here to read…

After Power, another senior US official is visiting Nepal – The Kathmandu Post

The Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power starts her two-day Nepal visit on Tuesday. And a week after her return, another senior official of the Biden administration is visiting Kathmandu, foreign ministry officials said. Click here to read…

Amid slump in power generation, NEA reduces supply to industrial sector – The Kathmandu Post

The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, the country’s largest power project with a capacity of 456 megawatts (MW), is currently producing just around 77MW of electricity. This, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is due to the reduced water level in the Tamakoshi river with the country seeing no winter rainfall. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Normalisation of India-China relations better for the world; weak Pakistan would not be better for the region, says Russian envoy – The Hindu

The sooner there is normalisation in India-China relations, the better it would be for the world, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said, adding that a weak Pakistan would not be better for the region, India or Afghanistan, and Russia would not do anything detrimental to India in its relations with Islamabad. Mr. Alipov acknowledged that India-Russia ties have been under stress for sometime in terms of economic ties, which had accelerated since last year due to the “tectonic geopolitical” shifts in Europe, referring to the war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Pakistan will lose moral ground on Kashmir if it gives recognition to Israel, says Imran Khan – The Print

“Because Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India, we do make statements on that. About Israel, it was the stated position of the founder of Pakistan and the situation is similar to what is happening in Kashmir,” he said, responding to a query about him not commenting about China’s atrocities towards Uyghur Muslims. Click here to read…

Split-up polls unaffordable, agree Punjab, KP governors – Dawn

Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Monday met his Punjab counterpart Balighur Rehman and caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and agreed that the country could not afford separate elections in current circumstances and, therefore, polls for national and provincial assemblies should be held later this year after the completion of the federal government’s tenure in August. Click here to read…

Analysis: How dependable is US offer of help with terror threat – Dawn

A SPIKE in terrorist attacks in Pakistan has once again forced the United States and its old — but not always close — ally to consider reviving their coordination against terrorism. “There are groups in Afghanistan that pose a threat to both of us, and it’s only appropriate that we coordinate our efforts to counter them,” Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Dawn. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan President Pledges Full Implementation of 13th Amendment – Diplomat

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the All-Party Leaders Conference on Reconciliation on January 27 that the Cabinet was agreeable to fully implementing the 13th amendment to the constitution. Wickremesinghe said that he is bound to implement the laws of the land. The 13th amendment, he pointed out, is part of the constitution. He reiterated this in his address to the nation on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. Click here to read…

Prez Wickremesinghe Assures To Fix Sri Lanka’s Debt-Ridden Economy – Business World

Amidst the ongoing financial crisis in Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday assured of fixing the debt-ridden country by treating the “root cause” of the malaise and not by administering “painkillers.” The president in his series of tweets suggested systematic change and national unity in conjunction with economic reforms can help the country to achieve prosperity. He further pointed out many of his decisions as unpopular. But this will not let any of my fellow citizens starve or die in queues, he added. Click here to read…

South Asian countries endorse SL’s proposal to set up climate change university – Daily News

Bhutan Education and Skills Development Minister Jai Bir Rai called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Temple Trees yesterday and held detailed discussions on bilateral relations, potential for investments and regional issues. The Prime Minister referred to the historic religious and cultural relations between the two countries and said the efforts must be made to enhance trade, investments and tourism. Minister Jai Bir Rai thanked Sri Lanka for providing scholarships to Bhutanese students to study medicine, engineering, information technology and other courses in premier universities. He also expressed willingness to send Bhutanese teachers and educationists to the South Asian Teacher Education Development Centre set up in Sri Lanka with assistance from UNESCO. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Days After Peshawar Blast, Pak Teams to Ask Afghan Taliban to ‘Rein in’ TTP – The Wire

Days after the January 30 suicide bomb attack at Peshawar which killed 100 people, Dawn has reported that Pakistan will ask the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban government to rein in militants in the country. Click here to read…

Two injured in blast in Afghanistan capital Kabul – Big News Network

Taliban-ruled government’s security official reported that a blast took place in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul’s ‘Pashtunistan Square,’ and injured two civilians, Khaama Press reported. On Saturday evening, an explosion took place which was caused by the magnetic mine placed in a Toyota ‘Hilux’ vehicle, said Khalid Zadran, Taliban’s appointed spokesperson for the Kabul police Command. Click here to read…

Qatar Sends Envoy To Afghan Capital To Meet With Taliban – Radio Free Europe

An envoy for Qatar’s foreign minister visited the Afghan capital on February 5 and met with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, according to an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement. The visit comes after the Taliban administration placed restrictions on women’s education and NGO work, which Qatar labelled “deeply concerning” amid widespread international criticism. Click here to read…

Biden to Extend Executive Order Regarding Afghanistan – Tolo News

US President Joe Biden indicated to US Congress he is extending the executive order for the “national emergency with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the potential for a deepening economic collapse in Afghanistan.” The Islamic Emirate called on Washington to not politicalize the issue of Afghanistan’s assets and to immediately release them. Click here to read…

Taliban Say Want To Partake In Multilateral Meeting On Afghanistan In Moscow Next Week – Urdu Point

A representative of the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) should take part in a meeting of secretaries of the security councils on the Afghan issue, scheduled to take place in Moscow next week, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh asks Pakistan to apologise for 1971 atrocities – Wion

Bangladesh has asked Pakistan to apologise for atrocities committed by its forces in 1971. The matter came up during the meeting between Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in Sri Lanka where the ministers were present to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the island nation. Click here to read…

Bangladesh scraps parboiled rice G2G import deals with Indian co-op agencies – THB

Bangladesh has cancelled its orders to import two lakh tonnes of parboiled rice from two Indian cooperative agencies through government-to-government (G2G) deals after having kept them in “abeyance” for a few weeks. Trade sources said Bangladesh, which began dragging its feet after getting a couple of offers offering the rice at lower prices, has returned the “bid bonds” submitted by the two cooperative agencies during negotiations. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh Cooperation and Connectivity are still win-win – Dhaka Tribune

There is no question that Bangladesh would benefit from a more robust and assertive regional foreign policy. But while its interests are naturally not in lock-steps with India’s, there is still plenty of meat on the bilateral partnership bone for both countries. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Funding the FAM tour – Kuensel Online

Elections can be an expensive affair and the new political parties know it well. Having to introduce their party, president and candidates to the voters, new political parties are allowed familiarisation (FAM) tour in all the 20 dzongkhags. The two new political parties Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa (DTT) had been to more than a dozen dzongkhags. Click here to read…

Bhutan on course of graduating from Least Developed Countries status by June 2023: Reports – India Blooms

To graduate the status, countries are expected to follow a smooth transition strategy. Macroeconomic stability, product space diversification, and disaster resilience are some of the parameters recommended for inclusion in Bhutan’s transition strategy, reports ANI. Click here to read…

How an Indo-Bhutan Border Market Has Moved Beyond Narratives of Conflict and Security – The Wire

Local trade dynamics and shared inter-dependence of resources among local communities at the border markets hold important lessons for engendering cooperation and the benefits of peaceful, stable and open (yet regulated) borders. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives tourist arrivals increase by 30 percent in January – Edition.mv

The tourist arrivals to the Maldives increased by 30.9 percent in January, the Ministry of Tourism reported. According to the ministry’s recent statistics, the total number of tourist arrivals stood at 178,159 by the end of the review date on February 1. In January 2023, the total tourist arrivals reached 172,536 which is a 30.9 percent increase compared to the 131,762 arrivals in the same month last year. Click here to read…

Maldives remains in the same position on the corruption index – Edition.mv

The Maldives’ efforts against corruption remained unchanged, according to last year’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The country ranked 85th out of 185 countries with 40 points on the CPI. The measure is calculated based on the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, the Varieties of Democracy Project and the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA). Click here to read…

Myanmar

Indonesia pushes for implementation of Myanmar peace plan, resumption of COC talks – The Jakarta Post

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat wrapped up in Jakarta on Saturday, with a proposal from Indonesia to implement a five-point peace plan for Myanmar and to resume negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Click here to read…

‘Rice diplomacy’ between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – The News Mill

Bangladesh has offered over $40 a tonne more to Indian co-operatives to import 2.5 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice in a government-to-government deal compared with prices quoted by the private trade in a global import tender. The import deal will be through NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and Kendriya Bhandar in two tranches with Dhaka getting rice at $443 and $443.5 a tonne each, according to media report. Click here to read…

Uncertainty weighs on Myanmar’s economy, says World Bank – Mizzima

Call it a double-whammy. When assessing the current dire state of the Myanmar economy, two factors stand out. Firstly, close to three years of response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw a combination of lockdowns, social distancing, masking and travel restrictions hammer the economy, particularly small to medium businesses, and the livelihood of day workers. Secondly, the 2021 military coup and its aftermath rattled people’s daily lives and added to the uncertainty. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal-China to meet on cross-border transmission line in two weeks – Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China are scheduled to hold another round of discussions later this month on the development of a cross-border transmission line between the two countries. A Joint Technical Group comprising representatives of the Nepal Electricity Authority and the State Grid Corporation of China had previously held two rounds of talks in China and Nepal, respectively, on the issue before the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

A peek into the Nepali economy during the pandemic – Kathmandu Post

Anyone who reads on Nepali economy must be familiar with Sujeev Shakya and his writings. The founder and CEO of the Nepal-based international management consulting and advisory firm, Beed Management, has been writing economic columns for over two decades. He has also published several books on the topic including Unleashing Nepal, Unleashing The Vajra, Arthat Arthatantra (It’s the Economy) and Arthat Pariwartan (It’s the Change). Click here to read…

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Urpilainen to visit Nepal – Kathmandu Post

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Wednesday for an official visit to meet Nepali leaders and launch several EU actions in the country. “I look forward to presenting our Global Gateway strategy, the EU’s positive offer to partners to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.” Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf, Former Military Ruler of Pakistan, Dies at 79 – The New York Times

Pervez Musharraf, the onetime military ruler of a nuclear-armed Pakistan who promised critical support for Washington’s campaign against Al Qaeda after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but faced growing resistance at home in a land seething with anti-Western passions, died on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was 79. Click here to read…

Seven injured in two Quetta attacks – Dawn

Seven people were injured in two terrorist attacks, one of them said to be a suicide bombing, on Sunday. The first incident took place near the Police Lines on Gulistan Road and the other on Mano Jan Road. Five people, including an office-bearer of the Civil Secretariat Staff Association, suffered injuries in the first attack. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue, extends support to separatists – Hindustan Times

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue on the occasion of what they call ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, a propaganda tool against India by expressing support for separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also used the occasion to issue anti-India statement claiming that New Delhi has “opened a new chapter in suppressing” people of Kashmir. Click here to read…

Pakistan economic crisis: IMF places new bailout conditions, PM says they are beyond wildest dreams – Indian Express

The first round of technical talks between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a cash-strapped Pakistan concluded on Friday, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif terming the IMF bailout conditions as something “beyond our wildest dreams”. Stating that IMF is giving a “tough time” to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his team, the Pakistan PM on Friday hinted that harsh measures have to be taken to revive the stalled loan programmeClick here to read…

Army chief lands in UK on five-day visit – Dawn

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Muneer arrived here on Saturday on a five-day visit. The COAS will attend meetings on defence-related issues, being held between February 5 and 9. Gen Muneer is in London to attend a conference at Wilton Park, an executive agency created by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to foster open dialogue between governments. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India delivers fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at Presidential Secretariat premises under Economic Assistance Scheme of Indian government. NewsOnAIR

India delivered fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat premises, this morning as Sri Lanka celebrated its 75th Independence Day yesterday, February 4. High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over the buses to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland had bagged the contract for supplying 500 buses to the Sri Lanka Transport Board, of which 75 buses were already delivered to the Island nation earlier this year. The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by the Export-Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government. Click here to read…

India leads internationally in canvassing support for Sri Lanka, says Lankan envoy – The Print

“India’s neighbourhood policy clearly was demonstrated last year when the Sri Lankan economy headed into crisis. India moved in very quickly. Early in 2022, India realized that Sri Lanka was going to have a very serious balance of payments problem. Sri Lankan government and the Indian government discussed that and together worked on a strategy over the last year. India supported us with nearly USD 4 billion, USD 3.9 billion dollars of funding and it was done without any conditions, done without any strings attached,” said the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. Click here to read…

Not rebooting economy through ‘painkillers’, says Sri Lanka president – Wion

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickermesinghe said on Sunday (February 5) that he is repairing debt-ridden South Asian nations economy by tackling ‘root cause’ and not just by administering ‘painkillers. He asserted that systemic change and national unity along with economic reforms were needed to bring prosperity back to the country. Click here to read…