Afghanistan

Taliban kill top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan – The Hindu

Taliban forces killed a top Islamic State commander who allegedly planned attacks against diplomatic missions in Afghanistan’s capital, a government official said. Violence in Afghanistan dramatically dipped after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. But in the past year, security has worsened, with a spate of mass casualty attacks claimed by Islamic State’s regional chapter. Click here to read…

Taliban releases Iran border guard, moves into Afghanistan’s Embassy in Tehran – Al-Monitor

An Iranian border guard was released by the Taliban on Monday after being detained on the Afghanistan-Iran border. The guard was searching a vehicle for contraband on the Iran-Afghanistan border when the driver fled and drove the vehicle into Afghan territory while the guard was still inside. Afghan border forces detained the guard along with the other vehicle occupants but then released the guard, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Holds Major Place in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy – Business World

India’s choice of Bangladesh as the only South Asian invitee demonstrates the esteem with which it approaches its immediate eastern neighbour and presumably the best friend in the neighbourhood, while, other countries that have been invited to the G20 meeting are Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, Oman and the UAEClick here to read…

Capacity building programme for 40 civil servants from Bangladesh begins – The Print

A capacity-building programme for 40 civil servants from Bangladesh commenced at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie on Tuesday, according to an official statement. The NCGG is dedicated to promoting collaboration and learning among civil servants in India and neighbouring countries, in line with the ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) philosophy espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it said. Click here to read…

Hasan: China does not interfere in Bangladesh politics – Dhaka Tribune

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said China is a development partner of Bangladesh and it wants to be a partner in future too for materializing the dream of a developed nation by 2041 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “China is a development partner of Bangladesh. And they want to be a development partner in future also to materialize the dream of a developed nation by 2041 under the dynamic leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They didn’t poke nose in the politics of Bangladesh and don’t want to do it in future too,” he said. Click here to read…

Bangladesh: Infinite possibilities, limited utilization – TBS

By ensuring expatriate investment in Bangladesh, it is possible to change the economy of the country. That is because their investments, unlike foreign investments, will always remain in the country. Be it a profit or a loss, it will stay in BangladeshClick here to read…

Bhutan

India’s aim to open doors to foreign universities to benefit Bhutanese students – India Blooms

India is going to open its doors to foreign universities and this is likely to help Bhutanese students who aim to study abroad without bearing the huge cost of going away to far-off nations. These institutes will conduct undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, post-doctoral and other programmes and award degrees, diplomas and certificates in all disciplines, on a standalone basis, with the prior approval of the UGC, reports The Bhutan Live. Click here to read…

Maldives

Ambassador of Sweden to Maldives calls on State Minister Khaleel – Raajje

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Jan Thesleff has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday. At the meeting, State Minister Khaleel welcomed Ambassador Thesleff and congratulated him on presenting credentials as the Non-Resident Ambassador from Sweden to Maldives. Click here to read…

Discussions held to further increase collaboration between Maldives and Seychelles – Raajje

The High Commissioner of Seychelles met with the Maldivian State Minister on Monday. During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Minister congratulated the High Commissioner on his appointment as the non-resident High Commissioner of Seychelles to the Maldives and reflected on the close and friendly relations between the Maldives and Seychelles that has existed for several decades. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Drugged, abducted: Myanmar woman gang-raped in Delhi – New Indian Express

A refugee woman, who is a native of Myanmar, was allegedly gang-raped by four people in the national capital, official sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the heinous crime was reported from the Kalindi Kunj area of southeast Delhi. The victim woman, in her complaint to the police, alleged that she had come to visit someone in south-east Delhi area and that an unidentified auto driver allegedly drugged and abducted her and then took her to some secluded place. Click here to read…

Myanmar military gets new aviation fuel supplies despite abuses – Aljazeera

Amnesty International, Global Witness and advocacy group Burma Campaign UK said on Wednesday they had identified more companies involved in aviation fuel transactions, following up on an investigation into the aviation fuel supply chain last year that found supplies for civilian aviation were being diverted to the military. Click here to read…

Will Myanmar Follow Through This Time On Its ‘Rohingya Repatriation Promise’? – Eurasia Review

Local media reported that on February 9, 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 and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Since the military’s taking over power in 2020, this is the biggest step forward for Rohingya repatriation. Click here to read…

Japan to provide additional $60M in humanitarian aid to Myanmar – AA

Japan on Tuesday announced that it will provide additional $60.3 million in humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. In response to the rapid increase in the need for humanitarian assistance due to the deteriorating situation since last year, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Tokyo will provide additional humanitarian assistance totaling $60.3 million to the Southeast Asian nation. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal PM to reshuffle Cabinet after three allies pull out: Top developments so far – Indian Express

Nepal Parliament’s second largest party CPN-UML on Monday withdrew its support to PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” government, resulting in a political imbroglio ahead of the presidential polls. “A high-level meeting of the party held under the leadership of party chief K P Sharma Oli on Monday decided to quit the government and withdraw the party’s support to the Prachanda-led government,” Bishnu Rijal, deputy chief of the party’s central publicity committee, told PTI. Click here to read…

Nepal’s political turmoil puts Indian Neighborhood at risk – Asiana Times

Apart from Bhutan, a hermit kingdom, and Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh, the region around India is engulfed in political and economic unrest, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal facing a difficult path to recovery while Burma and Afghanistan are essentially failed nations. Click here to read…

IMF reaches staff-level agreement with Nepal for $52 million financing – Devi Discourse

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Nepal to release $52 million out of a $375.8 million bailout package, the global lender said in a statement on Tuesday. The funds to be released under the first and second reviews of an extended credit facility, subject to an approval from the IMF executive board, will take the total support to the Himalayan nation to $156.6 million, the IMF said. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan court orders non-bailable arrest of Imran Khan in Toshakhana case – Hindustan Times

A Pakistani court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as the cricket star-turned-politician called on his supporters to keep up protests amid a roiling political crisis. The court in the capital Islamabad that ordered the former premier’s arrest said Khan had skipped a hearing on charges of selling state gifts and concealing his assets. Judge Zafar Iqbal’s order came on a day of political drama in Pakistan, as three other courts on Tuesday ruled Khan was immune from arrest on separate charges relating to allegations of terrorism, attempted murder against a rival politician, and graft. Click here to read…

Pakistan has no food for its poor but purchases weapons, shows report –Business Standard

While Pakistan’s citizens are queuing up for wheat flour, pulses and medicines, the Generals have usurped a major part of the Budget for new weapons, reported Afghan Diaspora Network (ADN). The army, responsible for much of what is horribly wrong in Pakistan, cannot deny that it has fattened up on what has been snatched from the people. Click here to read…

South Korean investments in Pakistan suffer losses due to eco crisis – The Economic Times

Senior officials from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) and the local chamber of Korean investors have alleged that the failure to open letters of credit for raw material imports in Pakistan was causing Korean firms to lose millions of dollars in sales, according to experts who track Korean business interests in Pakistan. Click here to read…

Moody’s slashes Pakistan’s rating to Caa3 – The Economic Times
Global ratings agency Moody’s cut Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating to ‘Caa3’ from ‘Caa1’ on Tuesday, over the country’s increasingly fragile liquidity and external position. Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves are far less than necessary to cover its imports and external debt obligations over the immediate and medium term, Moody’s noted. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to visit India – Daily News

Foreign Affairs Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry, PC will make an official visit to India from March 2 to 4, 2023 to attend the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geo-economics which will be held in New Delhi. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Indian External Affairs Ministry. The Minister is scheduled to participate in two special panel discussions on the topics “Healing a Divided World” and “Bytes of Promise: How can Technology Lift Communities” which will be held on March 3, 2023 during the above conference. Click here to read…

Indian High Commission calls on Sri Lankan government to investigate recent attacks on Indian fishermen – The Print

Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka has strongly raised the issue of recent attacks on Indian fishermen with Sri Lankan authorities. Indian High Commission has called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate the matter and ensure that use of force and violence in any form is not used against the fishermen. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan govt. bans strikes ahead of mass protest announced by unions – The Hindu

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared public transport services “essential”, in a move that outlaws strike action by those working in the sector. The announcement came days ahead of a mass protest announced by worker unions against the steep rise in taxes and living costs. Click here to read…

New UNP led alliance to be formed with breakaway SJB group – Daily News

A new alliance led by the United National Party (UNP) will be formed in a couple of weeks with a breakaway group of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Lands and Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. He was speaking at a meeting with the Badulla District candidates, who are contesting the Local Government Elections from the UNP ticket, at Riverside Hotel in Badulla. The event was presided over by UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardena. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Envoys of Over 10 Countries Discuss Afghanistan at Moscow Format: Tolo News

Representatives and officials from more than 10 countries exchanged views on the Afghan situation in the “Moscow Format” meeting on Afghanistan that began on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Doha Office Says Gaining Recognition Takes Time: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate’s Political Office in Qatar said it considers the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community to be a process that will take time, and that efforts are ongoing to achieve recognition. Click here to read…

SIGAR Assesses Factors Behind the Collapse of Afghan Gov’t: The Khaama Press

The US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a recent report assessed the underlying factors behind the collapse of former Afghan government in 2021, listing at least nine factors that led to Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Russia’s Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan Opens without Taliban: The Khaama Press

Sputnik reported that there are 11 countries represented at this meeting, including Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. At a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the discussion will center on the military-political, socioeconomic, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as well as coordinating measures to bolster regional security. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Lavrov’s Dhaka visit: Dhaka to focus on food, energy supply, Rohingya crisis – The Daily Star

Lavrov will visit Bangladesh to attend the 22nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting on November 23-24 to be held at Hotel InterContinental at the invitation of Bangladesh, the current chair of IORA. Lavrov, who happily accept the invitation, will also be meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, officials have confirmed. International relations analysts said Russia faces global isolation. The UN General Assembly has adopted several resolutions since March this year demanding end to the war, territorial integrity of Ukraine and Russia’s reparation for the damages caused by attacks in Ukraine…Bangladesh has abstained from voting in two UNGA resolutions and voted for Ukraine in one…The US and European Union are Bangladesh’s major export destinations and they are supporting Bangladesh in the Rohingya crisis, politically and financially. Click here to read….

Bangladesh seeks Singaporean investment to become ‘connectivity hub’ – The Daily Star

Decribing Singapore as a “connectivity hub” for distribution of services as well as trade, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam yesterday shared the aspirations of Bangladesh to emerge as a facilitator of regional connectivity for the land locked countries and regions of South Asia. Highlighting the need for more investment in infrastructure development, including sea ports and air ports, he sought more Singaporean investments to facilitate Bangladesh’s transition as a regional connectivity and manufacturing hub. Click here to read…

Shahriar Alam: Dhaka, Tokyo relations to be strengthened through PM-level talks – Dhaka Tribune

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Wednesday expressed his optimism that Bangladesh-Japan relations would further be strengthened through the upcoming prime ministers-level meeting in Tokyo. The prime minister is scheduled to pay the official visit to Japan from November 29 to December 1 at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. Click here to read…

Dhaka to warn diplomats against commenting on internal matters – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh will warn diplomats stationed in Dhaka against making remarks on the country’s internal matters, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque has said. “We will not tolerate any ambassador’s interference; they will be cautioned again,” the minister said while responding to questions from reporters in Meherpur on Wednesday morning. “Bangladesh is a sovereign nation; we liberated this country through a bloody war. We will not make any concessions when it comes to maintaining the dignity of our country.” The minister’s comments came in light of Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki’s statement on Monday that he had heard about “ballot stuffing” and that some police officers had stuffed ballot boxes the night before the last general election, which was something he had never heard about happening in any other country. Click here to read…

Bhutan

RBI provides an additional currency swap facility of USD 200M to RMA – Kuensel online

RBI and RMA signed an agreement to extend the validity of the Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement signed on January 31, 2020 and also to provide additional swap support to Bhutan, yesterday. This agreement enables the RMA to avail an additional swap amount of up to USD 200M or equivalent in Nu 16.57B from the RBI. This support of USD 200M INR equivalent is in addition to the existing currency swap support of USD 200M INR equivalent extended by the RBI. This agreement was facilitated by the government of India at the request of the government of Bhutan. The agreement will be valid till June 30, 2023. Click here to read…

Japan, Bhutan sign technical cooperation project on digital health – Kuensel online

To improve healthcare services, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a record of discussions in Thimphu for implementation of the project “Strengthening government capacity for using digital technology and data” yesterday. Representatives from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), which will implement the project, attended the signing ceremony. Click here to read…

Bhutan at risk of dropping to Tier 3 of Trafficking in Persons Report – Kuensel online

Since 2020 Bhutan was ranked on Tier 2 Watch List in the Trafficking in Persons Report. This means that the country is not fully compliant but making significant efforts to be compliant to eliminate the severe forms, nature and scope of trafficking. The ranking also risks the country losing loans or aid from multinational financial institutions, according to Home Minister Ugyen Dorji who introduced the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) to the members of the National Council (NC) on November 14. Click here to read…

Maldives

New type of drug smuggled into Maldives – The Edition

Maldives Customs Service seized a new type of drug smuggled into Maldives. Customs found the drug; methorphan while inspecting a box posted through courier from Bahrain. Officials claim that after finding a suspicious substances within the package, they conducted a more thorough investigation. The substance found inside the package were inspected on September 17 and had tested positive for Methorphan, according to Customs. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar releases ex-U.K. ambassador, Australian aide to Suu Kyi from prison

Myanmar’s junta released four foreign prisoners including an Australian aide to Aung San Suu Kyi and a former British ambassador to the Southeast Asian country, according to state media, in what authorities described as an amnesty to mark a national holiday on Thursday. The military government, which took power in a 2021 coup that deposed Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, will free Australian economist Sean Turnell, Briton Vicky Bowman, Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota and American Kyaw Htay Oo, the state-run MRTV News channel said. The four will reportedly be deported. Click here to read…

Detained Japanese documentary-maker to return from Myanmar, sources say – Japan Times

A Japanese documentary filmmaker detained in July in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, was set to return to Japan Thursday after being released, according to sources familiar with the matter. Toru Kubota was sentenced last month to a total of 10 years in prison for violating the immigration law and for sedition and electronic communications-related violations. Click here to read…

Myanmar Will Not Hold an ‘Election’ in August 2023 – The Irrawaddy

An election is understood to mean “a formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a political office or other position.” Myanmar’s junta has claimed it will organize an ‘election’ for August 2023. Don’t call it what it isn’t. The junta’s event, whatever it is and looks like, will in no way be an election. If analysts, media, and diplomats use the term ‘election’, the onus is on them to justify and prove why and how exactly it wasn’t legitimate when in fact it wasn’t even what happened. Click here to read…

Vice President Harris Heads to Asia, Will Discuss Myanmar, South China Sea Disputes – VOA News

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Thailand this week to promote U.S. economic interests at a regional summit and discuss concerns over an ongoing military crackdown in Myanmar. Harris will deliver remarks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a gathering that includes 21 members who push for increasing economic integration and prosperity. Click here to read…

B’desh intelligence officer shot dead by Rohingya drug smugglers on Myanmar border – Hindu Post

An Bangladesh Air Force officer, working at the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), was killed in a gunfight with drug traffickers along the Myanmar border in Bandarban’s Naikkhyangchhari, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on Tuesday. RAB constable Sohail Barua, who was injured in the firing, has been admitted to the Neurosurgery Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital DMCH and has already undergone head surgery, he added. Click here to read…

Nepal

Exports may fall slightly after LDC graduation, report says – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal will be stepping into uncharted territory after it is inducted into the company of middle-income developing countries in 2026, and exporters are beginning to worry about the higher tariffs and stricter rules of origin provisions that will follow. Being a least developed country (LDC) meant Nepal got preferential treatment; but after 2026, it will have to hold its own. And the thought disconcerts many. Click here to read…

Nepal closes Uttarakhand border for three days ahead of polls – Times Now

The Nepal-India border will be closed for three days in advance of the federal and provincial assembly elections in the Himalayan nation on November 20. A meeting of Nepalese and Indian security officials in Rupandehi on Saturday decided to beef up border security and seal the border for three days beginning November 18Click here to read…

‘

Shape up, or ship out’—why Nepal’s young politicians are challenging an ageing establishment – The Print

The current crop of top leaders is quite exceptional in that each has allied with their opponent in the past. Chances are that if neither the Nepali Congress-led coalition—led by Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist politician Pushpa Kamal Dahal, or Prachanda—nor the United Marxist Leninist (UML) party of K.P. Oli and Madhesi leader Upendra Yadav’s grouping get a majority, then one or the other weak link in any of the chains may snap and new chains may be created. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Default risk soars amid political turmoil, delay in IMF talks: Dawn

The country’s default risk as measured by five-year credit-default swaps (CDS) — insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default — rose sharply overnight amid political turmoil and uncertainty about talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Click here to read…

Pakistan floods ‘10th costliest disaster’ in a decade: Dawn

THE calamitous Pakistan floods of 2022 were the tenth most expensive climate disaster to have buffeted a nation over the last decade, according to risk modelling firm RMS. The floods inflicted an estimated loss of $3 billion on the country, caused over 1,700 deaths and displaced eight million people. Click here to read…

PTI ‘steps back’ from next COAS appointment issue: The Express Tribune

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday indicated that his party has now taken a ‘hands-off’ approach to the imminent appointment of a new army chief, saying that it has “taken a step back” on the matter. Click here to read…

Govt lambastes Imran for selling Toshakhana gifts: The Express Tribune

As PTI chief Imran Khan faces fresh allegations of unlawfully selling state gifts, volley after volley of statements from the ruling coalition called out the former prime minister for the abuse of Toshakhana, hinting that criminal proceedings would be initiated as per the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka abstains from UN vote seeking Russian reparations to Ukraine – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law by its invasion of Ukraine and requiring Moscow to pay reparations to Kyiv for damages, loss and injury resulting from the war. The draft resolution, ‘Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine’, introduced by Ukraine was adopted Monday in the 193-member UN General Assembly by a recorded vote of 94 in favour, 14 against and 73 abstentions, including by India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Those voting against the resolution were Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia and SyriaClick here to read…

President directs immediate implementation of FTA with Singapore – Daily FT

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday instructed the relevant officials to implement the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) immediately. He issued these instructions during the discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on the implementation of the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. The existing problems in this regard were discussed at length and the President highlighted the need to provide quick solutions to all the existing problems. Click here to read…

Special Envoy of South Korean Foreign Minister pays courtesy call on Speaker – Daily News

Special Envoy of South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Han Dongman and his delegation paid a courtesy call on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana on Tuesday. Dongman whilst thanking the Speaker for being a host during the visit of South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-Seug, extended an invitation to him to visit South Korea in 2023. During the cordial discussion between them focusing on several matters of mutual interests, the Speaker expressed the intentions of the Government to encourage electric cars and renewable energy sources as a policy. Dongman acknowledging that the world is heading towards renewable energy and environmentally friendly methods stated that the two nations could look into future prospects on the matter in future. Further discussions also looked at future investment opportunities and increasing the quota for Sri Lankans who wish to be employed in South Korea. Click here to read…