Tag Archives: Japan

VIF News Digest: National Security – Defence Studies & Terrorism, 16-28 February 2023

DEFENCE

  • 4th edition of joint military exercisebetween India and Japan.
  • Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships made port call at Kochi.
  • 4th edition of joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army.
  • Indian Naval Ship to participate in NAVDEX 23 and IDEX 23 in UAE.
  • Operation Dost.
  • Raksha Mantri telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence to discusses ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation.
  • IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.
  • 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.
  • 7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi.
  • Indian Air Force participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII in UAE.
  • Indian Air Force contingent participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior with the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan
  • Taliban “disapproved” Russia’s terror charges against Afghanistan.
Pakistan
  • Security forces foiled an attack in Baluchistan and eliminated eight terrorists.
  • CTD killed six TTP terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
  • Govt of India bans JKGF as a terrorist group under the UA (P) Act.
  • Police arrested three HM terrorists from Kulgam.
Left-Wing Extremism
  • Two policemen attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.
  • Police arrested two Maoists, involved in several incidents, from Hyderabad.
Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)
  • NIA Special Court, Delhi, convicted a terrorist in the espionage case.
  • NIA Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted a terrorist in the “IS Jaipur” case.
Khalistan-inspired Extremism
  • “Cannot stop movement,” said pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh.
  • NIA busted the Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people across the eight States.
  • Govt of India banned KTF as a terrorist organisation under the UA (P) Act.

DEFENCE

4th edition of joint military exercise between India and Japan.

The 4th edition of joint military exercise, “EX DHARMA GUARDIAN”, between India and Japan is being conducted at Camp Imazu in Shiga province, Japan from 17 February to 02 March 2023. The scope of this exercise covers platoon level joint training on operations in jungle and semi urban/urban terrain. Troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and an Infantry Regiment from the Middle Army of the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) are participating in the exercise this year to share experiences gained during operations in order to enhance inter-operability in planning & execution.

The joint exercise will enable the two armies to share best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting tactical operations under a UN Mandate, in addition to developing inter-operability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two armies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships made port call at Kochi.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Uraga and Awaji made port call at Kochi from 14 -16 Feb 23. The ship’s crew visited professional training schools and ship of Southern Naval Command. During the visit, they were familiarised with various training facilities and activities undertaken at the Training Command of the Indian Navy. Presently, the ship is on her passage to Bahrain.
For more information: Click here to read…

4th edition of joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army.

The 4th edition of joint military exercise ‘DUSTLIK’ between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army commenced today in Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand). 45 Soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army are participating in this exercise which is aimed at promoting positive relations between both the armies. The Indian Army contingent comprises of troops from an Infantry Battalion from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in November 2019. The 14 days long joint exercise would focus on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenario under UN mandate and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and culminate with a validation exercise.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Naval Ship to participate in NAVDEX 23 and IDEX 23 in UAE.

Indian Naval Ship Sumedha arrived at Abu Dhabi, UAE on 20 Feb 2023 to participate in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defence Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defence Exhibition), scheduled from 20 to 24 Feb 2023. The ship’s participation in two leading regional naval and defence exhibitions will showcase the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building.
For more information: Click here to read…

Operation Dost

The Indian disaster relief team, comprising 99 personnel of Indian Army Field Hospital and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) returned back on February 20 2023 after putting in a stupendous effort to provide medical relief to disaster victims in Hatya Province of Turkey hit by earthquake. The Indian Army Field Hospital has treated 3604 casualties, providing emergency medical care and performing 04 x major surgeries, 63 x minor surgeries, 343 minor procedures including 87 x POP applications for fixing fractures.

The Indian Army Field Hospital comprising of various Specialist Medical Officers and Paramedics, established their Hospital at Iskenderun, Hatay Province, Turkey on 08 Feb 2023, which included a fully functional OT and Trauma Care Centre. The Specialists include Medical Specialist, Surgical Specialists, Anaesthetists, Orthopaedicians, Maxillofacial Surgeon and Community Medicine Specialist for rendering medical assistance to earthquake victims. Beside this, a Lady Medical Officer has also been sent for rendering medical care to female patients/casualties. In addition, the Indian Army Field Hospital provided dental treatment to 242 patients, carrying out 283 precautionary X-rays on trauma victims. 14 x patients were admitted and 97 x patients detained and treated. 1159 Lab investigations were carried out on the cases reported for treatment. Replenishment to the Field Hospital has been provided by Indian Army in the form of Medical and Surgical bricks as well as Orthopaedic equipment.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri (RM) telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence to discusses ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation.

The RM held a telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence Mr Ben Wallace on February 21, 2023. The conversation was cordial, positive and focused on future growth of the bilateral defence relationship. Both Ministers discussed a wide range of defence and security issues, including regional developments and the Indo-Pacific.

The Ministers briefly reviewed their ongoing defence cooperation and expressed satisfaction at their bilateral military-to-military engagements. They also discussed ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation and identified a few potential areas of cooperation. The Raksha Mantri suggested that UK companies should become part of India’s growth story and participate in co-development and co-production in India.
Reference: Click here to read…

IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.

In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles. The MoU signed aims to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.
For more information: Click here to read…

26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

The 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 22 February 2023 in person in Beijing. This was the first WMCC meeting since the 14th meeting held in July 2019, to be held in person. Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and constructive manner, which would help in restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in Western Sector and create conditions for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. To achieve this objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next (18th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.
For more information:
Click here to read…s

7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi.

7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi on February 23, 2023. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. During the meeting, the ongoing defence cooperation activities between the two countries were reviewed, with both sides agreeing to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises. In the context of training, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to avail maximum benefits from each other’s experience and capacities.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Air Force participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII in UAE.

An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of 110 Air Warriors has arrived at Al Dhafra airbase of United Arab Emirates for participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII. The IAF would be participating with five LCA Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. This is the first occasion when the LCA Tejas shall participate in an international flying exercise outside India.
Exercise Desert Flag is a multilateral air exercise in which Air Forces from UAE, France, Kuwait, Australia, UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, Republic of Korea, and USA would also be participating. The exercise is scheduled from 27 Feb 23 to 17 Mar 23. The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.
Reference: Click here to read…

Indian Air Force contingent participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior with the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom.

An Indian Air Force contingent comprising 145 Air Warriors departed Air Force Station Jamnagar today for participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom. The exercise is scheduled from 06 Mar 23 to 24 Mar 23.

The Exercise Cobra Warrior is a multilateral Air exercise in which Air Forces from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, United States of America and Singapore would also be participating alongside Royal Air Force and IAF. The IAF is participating in the exercise this year with five Mirage 2000 fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III and an IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft. The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan
Taliban “disapproved” Russia’s terror charges against Afghanistan.

On 15 February 2023, Taliban’s Foreign Minister (FM)— Amir Khan Muttaqi questioned Russia’s ‘baseless’ allegations that thousands of Islamic State (IS) terrorists have gathered in northern Afghanistan and threatening the stability of the Central Asian Region (CAR). In a televised speech in Kabul, Taliban’s FM Muttaqi said, “How come thousands of such people (referring to IS) are concentrated in one place and still no one can see them or is aware of them? Everyone is welcome here, see the situation with their own eyes and discuss with us if they have any concerns to share. But levelling baseless allegations to malign and add to the sufferings of this nation reeling from decades of war must come to an end.”

Taliban’s response to the statement made by Russia’s Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)— Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, regarding extremist groups gaining a foothold in Afghanistan, turning to be the biggest threat to stability in the region. “Wilayat Khurasan or Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) is the Afghan branch of the IS and has some 6,500 strength— up to 4,000 of whom are gathered in the [Afghan] provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Takhar along Tajikistan’s southern border,” Russia’s official media quoted Sidorov.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan
Security forces foiled an attack in Baluchistan and eliminated eight terrorists.

Pakistan’s security forces, on 22 February 2023, eliminated eight terrorists and foiled an attack on a security forces’ convoy in Kech in Baluchistan. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the alerted troops foiled the attack without losing soldiers’ life and also hunted fleeting terrorists using ground and aviation resources. On 23 February, security forces identified a suspected hideout of terrorists in Mazaaband range and launched a counter-terrorism (CT) operation. In a gun-battle with terrorists, security forces eliminated eight terrorists and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition.
For more information: Click here to read…

CTD killed six TTP terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On 23 February 2023, the counter-terrorism department (CTD) killed six Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in a joint operation with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Lakki Marwat police. According to the statement released by Lakki Marwat police, intelligence inputs revealed that terrorists were planning to attack the Abbas police check post, which led to a gun-battle. In the gun battle with terrorists, security forces eliminated six TTP terrorists.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
Govt of India bans JKGF as a terrorist group under the UA (P) Act.

On 17 February 2023, the Govt of India (GoI) proscribed Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF) as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A]. “JKGF has been found involved in infiltration attempts, drug-weapon trafficking, and carrying out terror attacks in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The JKGF operatives are drawn from other Islamic terrorist organisations such as, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM), Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI)”, read the statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). With this declaration, there are 44 terrorist organisations under the I Schedule of the Act.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested three HM terrorists from Kulgam.

In a joint operation on 17 February 2023, police forces from PS Hatipora and PS Behibagh arrested three Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorists from Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Acting on specific inputs, the joint team operated and established a Naka at Dadekoot in Alamganj crossing. Upon the arrival at the Naka, police teams arrested all three terrorists and recovered a pistol, two pistol magazines, and 13 live pistol rounds from their possession.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism
Two policemen attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.

On 20 February 2023, Maoists attacked and killed two Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) policemen in Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. The incident took place within the limits of Bortalab police station near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested two Maoists, involved in several incidents, from Hyderabad.

On 20 February 2023, Gadchiroli police arrested two Maoists— Madhukar Chinanna Kodape and his wife— Jamani Mangalu Punam, involved in various violent activities, from Hyderabad. The duo, reportedly left the CPI (Maoist) cadre in 2006 and, since then been evading arrest.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)
NIA Special Court, Delhi, convicted a terrorist in an espionage case.

On 23 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Delhi, convicted Mohammad Parvez under Sections 120B, 420, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A].

The case— RC-21/2017/NIA/DLI pertains to the conspiracy hatched by foreign intelligence agencies to obtain information from defence personnel posted in sensitive border areas of Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted a terrorist in “IS Jaipur” case.
On 20 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted Mohammed Sirajuddin under Sections 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A] for 07 years of Rigorous Imprisonment with fine.

The case— RC-5/2016/NIA/DLI pertains to disseminating Islamic State (IS) ideology and luring others over social media platforms to join the proscribed terror organisation for carrying out terror activities in Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism
“Cannot stop movement,” said pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh.

On 20 February 2023, the self-styled pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh said that the “Khalistan movement could not be stopped from flourishing and if Home Minister desired to stop it, let him fulfil his desire.” Earlier, in a TV interview, Home Minister Amit Shah remarked that a close watch was being maintained on Khalistan activities and that the Government of India would not let it flourish.

Amritpal Singh also lead a group— “Waris Panjab De”- set up by late actor-activist—Deep Sidhu. Deep Sidhu died in a road accident in February 2022. On several platforms, Amritpal Singh has been advocating secession and separatism, along with the establishment of Khalistan. Click here to read…

NIA busted Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people across the eight States.

In nationwide search operations, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) busted Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people, including associates of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and Goldy Brar. The raids were carried out in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh (MP).

One of the associates— Khokhar was arrested from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. He was in direct contact with Arsh Dala in Canada, looked after the recruitment, and received funds from him for carrying out terror-related activities. The NIA investigations have so far revealed that many criminals, who were leading gangsters in Bharat, had fled to countries like Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia and were planning their terror and criminal acts from there, in association with criminals lodged in jails in different states. These gangs were carrying out targeted killings and earning cash for their nefarious activities through smuggling drugs, weapons, hawala and extortions.
For more information: Click here to read…

Govt of India banned KTF as a terrorist organisation under the UA (P) Act.

On 17 February 2023, the Government of India (GoI) proscribed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A], and also notified Khalistani terrorist— Harwinder Singh Sandhu aka “Rinda” as a terrorist.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification, Rinda has been associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and is presently based in Pakistan. With this announcement, there are 54 designated terrorists under the IV Schedule of the UA (P) Act.
For more information: Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 21 February 2023

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…

Neighborhood News Digest – 15 February 2023

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…

Neighborhood News Digest – 10 February 2023

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…

Neighborhood News Digest – 09 February 2023

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…

VIF News Digest: National Security – Defence Studies & Terrorism, 01-15 January 2023

DEFENCE

  • 63rd National Defence College (NDC) Course commences.
  • India and Pakistan exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities.
  • Exchange of list of prisoners between India and Pakistan.
  • DRDO celebrates its 65th Foundation Day.
  • RM calls upon other Ministries, State Governments and private sector to provide new opportunities to Agniveer.
  • Raksha Mantri reviews operational preparedness of Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair.
  • IAF & Japan Air Self Defence Force set to exercise jointly in Japan.
  • Roundtable conference for Aero India 2023.
  • Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approves Acceptance of Necessity (AON) worth Rs 4,276 crore.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa
Somalia
  • The Somali government and al-Shabaab denied peace talks as the Somalian President called on terrorists to surrender.
  • Twin car bombings killed more than 20 people in central Somalia.
Nigeria
  • Nigerian security forces killed 30 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
Afghanistan
  • Taliban claimed to kill 08 IS terrorists and arrested several others in a raid in Nimroz province.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
  • MHA designated HM operative Asif Maqbool Dar as a “terrorist” under UA(P) Act.
  • Two children were killed in an explosion in the Rajouri district.
  • MHA designated LeT and JeM’s proxy groups as “terrorist organisations”.
Left-Wing Extremism
  • “Bharat will be free from Maoist menace by 2024”: Home Minister Amit Shah.
  • Key Maoist leader eliminated in anti-Naxal operation on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.
  • Security forces arrested two Maoists OGWs from Telangana.
  • Eight Maoists surrendered before the police in Jharkhand.
Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)
  • UP ATS arrested a terrorist from Saharanpur for radicalising youth.
Khalistan-inspired Extremism
  • Khalistan sympathisers’ graffiti the walls of a Hindu temple with hatred messages in Australia.
  • Canada-based Arshdeep Singh Gill was designated a terrorist under the UA(P) Act over Khalistan-inspired activities.

DEFENCE

Value of indigenous defence production.

The value of indigenous defence production for Financial Years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 are Rs 84,643 crore and Rs 94,846 crore respectively. To achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and realise the goal of ‘Make in India’, Government of India has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh and other in Tamil Nadu.
For more information: Click here to read…

63rd National Defence College (NDC) Course commences.

The 63rd National Defence College (NDC) Course commenced on January 02, 2023 with Commandant NDC and the Course Participants laying wreaths at the National War Memorial, as a mark of respect to the fallen soldiers. The Course is focused on National Security & Strategy, along with strands of Governance, Technology, History, and Economics. It is represented by 41 Officers from Indian Army, 07 from Indian Navy, 13 from Indian Air Force, 19 from Civil Services, and 40 officers from 30 Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs).
For more information: Click here to read…

India and Pakistan exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities.

India and Pakistan exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities, covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan. The Agreement, which was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991 provides, inter alia, that India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year. This is the 32nd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on 01 January 1992.
For more information: Click here to read…

Exchange of list of prisoners between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, such lists are exchanged every year on 01 January and 01 July. India shared lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 Pakistani fishermen currently in Indian custody. Similarly, Pakistan has shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 654 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians.

The Government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel, and fishermen along with their boats, from Pakistan’s custody. In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 631 Indian fishermen and 02 Indian civilian prisoners, who have completed their sentence and whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to Pakistan. In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to the remaining 30 fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners in Pakistan’s custody, who are believed to be Indian.
For more information: Click here to read…

DRDO celebrates its 65th Foundation Day.

The 65th Foundation Day of the Organisation, was celebrated on 1st January 2023. The DRDO Chairman stated that several systems developed by DRDO have been delivered, inducted or handed over to the users. Dr Kamat added that the Acceptance of Necessity (AON) has also been accorded by the Defence Procurement Boards and Defence Acquisitions Council for induction of several DRDO developed systems. Some of the notable systems include: Sarang ESM system, Light Tank, Tactical Advance Range Augmentation (TARA) kit, Long Range Guided Bomb (LRGB)-Gaurav, Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR), Air surveillance radar for NGMV, Low Level Transportable Radar (LLTR) -Ashwini, New Generation Anti-radiation Missile (NGARM), Pralay, Guided Extended Range Rocket Ammunition for Pinaka, Self-Propelled Mine Burier, Infantry Combat Vehicle-Command, Anti-Personnel Fragmentation Mine ‘Ulk’, Infantry Floating Foot Bridge, Bridge Laying Tank (BLT) T-72 and ACADA.

The DRDO Chairman said that it is expected that most of the systems under trials will be handed over to the users in the coming year. He summarised that five CCS programmes worth Rs 26,000 crore and 55 other projects worth Rs 11,000 crore were sanctioned in 2022. 32 previously sanctioned projects were successfully completed. Some other flagship programmes such as Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are also under consideration for approval by CCS.

He brought out that in the past year, DRDO has signed 145 ToTs. Towards IP protection, 160 patents were filed and 100 have been granted during 2022. The fund limit under Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme was enhanced to Rs 50 crore from Rs 10 crore per project. This will enable DRDO to support industry for development of more complex technologies. He mentioned that MoU was also signed between Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation and TDF to work jointly on advanced naval technologies. In addition, he mentioned that the 4th version of Dare to Dream contest has been launched by the Raksha Mantri. He informed that DRDO has now established a total of 15 DRDO-Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs). Currently, 867 projects are on-going with academia at a cost of Rs 1,183 crore.
For more information: Click here to read…

RM calls upon other Ministries, State Governments and private sector to provide new opportunities to Agniveer.

During the event, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) and all the three Services signed/exchanged MoUs/ Agreements with various stakeholders to facilitate continued education of Agniveers while serving in the Armed Forces and award of appropriate skill certificates in accordance with their expertise/experience. Under these MoUs with National Institute of Open School (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), suitable 12th Class certificates and Bachelor’s degree will be awarded to the Agniveers respectively.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri (RM) reviews operational preparedness of Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair.

RM reviewed the operational preparedness of Andaman & Nicobar Command and infrastructure development at operational areas during his visit to the Headquarters of the only operational joint services command of the country in Port Blair on January 05, 2023. Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Lieutenant General Ajai Singh briefed the RM about the geo-strategic potential of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the role they can play towards enhancing India’s influence and support to military operations in the area.
For more information: Click here to read…

IAF & Japan Air Self Defence Force set to exercise jointly in Japan.

To promote Air Defence cooperation between the countries, India and Japan are all set to hold the joint Air Exercise, ‘Veer Guardian-2023’ involving the Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) at Hyakuri Air Base, Japan from 12 January 2023 to 26 January 2023. The Indian contingent participating in the air exercise will include four Su-30 MKI, two C-17 & one IL-78 aircraft, while the JASDF will be participating with four F-2 & four F-15 aircraft.
For more information: Click here to read…

Roundtable conference for Aero India 2023.

Raksha Mantri chaired, in New Delhi on January 09, 2023, the Ambassadors’ Roundtable conference for the forthcoming Aero India 2023. The reach-out event, organised by Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, was attended by Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Chargé d’affaires and Defence Attachés of over 80 countries. The Raksha Mantri invited the representatives from across the world to attend Asia’s largest and 14th Aero show – Aero India-2023 – which will be held in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 13-17, 2023. He urged them to encourage their respective defence and aerospace companies to attend the global event.

Recalling the success of Aero India 2021, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that the last edition had witnessed unprecedented attendance of over 600 exhibitors physically and another 108 virtually. He added that the event saw the participation of 63 countries and around 3,000 Business-2-Business meetings were held. He also elaborated on the huge success of DefExpo 2022 which witnessed unparalleled participation of over 1,340 exhibitors, businesses, investors, start-ups, MSMEs, Armed Forces and delegates from several countries. He asserted that the conclusion of 451 Memoranda of Understanding, Transfer of Technology agreements, product launches and orders to domestic businesses, worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore, etc. attest to the success of the DefExpo.
For more information: Click here to read…

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approves Acceptance of Necessity (AON) worth Rs 4,276 crore.

A meeting of Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held on January 10, 2023 and accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals, amounting to Rs 4,276 crore. All the three proposals – two of the Indian Army and one of the Indian Navy – are under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

The DAC accorded AoN for procurement of HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, launchers and associated support equipment which will be integrated to the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The DAC also accorded AoN for procurement of VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system under design and development by DRDO. Further, the DAC granted approval for procurement of Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships & Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) for Indian Navy.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa
Somalia
The Somali government and al-Shabaab denied peace talks as the Somalian President called on terrorists to surrender.

On 07 January 2023, the Somali government and the al-Shabaab group denied having peace talks, where President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called “brainwashed” terrorists to surrender to the government. “We are not negotiating with the al-Shabaab terror group. However, individuals who wish to give up arms and leave the group will undergo a process to defect and be eligible for government amnesty,” said National Security Adviser— Hussein Sheikh Ali. On 06 January 2023, Somali President called on the al-Shabaab terrorists to leave the terrorist ideology before it was too late.

Al-Shabaab, too, denied any talks with the Somali government. “I can confirm that there are not and can be no talks between the government and us,” said an al-Shabaab terrorist.
For more information: Click here to read…

Twin car bombings killed more than 20 people in central Somalia.

More than 20 people were killed, and 30 more were injured in twin car explosions by al-Shabaab on 05 January 2023 in the Mahas neighbourhood of Central Somalia. Mumin Mohamed Halane, the District Commissioner of Mahas, claimed that the first bomb went off in front of his house, and the second device was aimed at a lawmaker’s residence. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the incident and said it resulted in the deaths of 87 persons, including military officers.
For more information: Click here to read…

Nigeria
Nigerian security forces killed 30 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

On 01 January 2023, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) carried out air strikes on four Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa forest in Borno State and eliminated 30 Boko Haram terrorists, including three commanders. The targeted camps included Bula Jitoye, Halka Kojoy, Halka Alai, and Bulamaye in Bama Local Council.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan
Taliban claimed to kill 08 IS terrorists and arrested several others in a raid in Nimroz province.

On 04 January 2023, the Taliban carried out raids at various locations in Nimroz province and killed eight Islamic State (IS)/IS-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) terrorists in a spate of attacks in Kabul city. “The raids in the capital city and western Nimroz province targeted IS members who organised recent terror attacks on Kabul’s Longan Hotel, Pakistan’s Embassy, and the military airport. Eight IS terrorists, including foreign nationals, were killed, whereas seven others were arrested in the raids,” said Taliban spokesman— Zabihullah Mujahid.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir
MHA designated HM operative Asif Maqbool Dar as a “terrorist” under UA(P) Act.

On 07 January 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a notification designating Hizb ul-Mujahideen (HM) operative— Asif Maqbool Dar as a “terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, [UA(P)A]. Currently, Dar is based in Saudi Arabia.

Per the notification, Dar is involved in instigating the youth from Kashmir to use social media platforms for terrorist activities. He is also accused of conspiring terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and other major cities.
For more information: Click here to read…

Two children were killed in an explosion in the Rajouri district.

Two children were killed in an explosion on 02 January 2023, and four others were injured in the Dangri village of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Another IED (Improvised Explosive Device) was recovered from the same area and defused by security forces. To track down terrorists involved in the attack, security forces intensified the Cordon-And-Search Operation (CASO) by inducting security personnel, including drones and sniffer dogs were deployed.
For more information: Click here to read…

MHA designated LeT and JeM’s proxy groups as “terrorist organisations”.

In a notification released on 05 January 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s— The Resistance Front (TRF) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)’s— People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) as terrorist organisations. “PAFF was involved in terror acts and is regularly issuing threats to security forces, political leaders, civilians working in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) from other states and is involved, along with other organisations, in conspiring pro-actively physically and in social media to undertake violent terrorist acts and Jammu-Kashmir and other major cities in Bharat,” read the MHA notification.

The MHA also declared Mohammed Amin and TRF commander— Shiekh Sajjad Gul terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. Khubaib is a launching commander of LeT and plays a key role in reviving and accelerating terror activities in the Jammu region.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism
“Bharat will be free from Maoist menace by 2024”: Home Minister Amit Shah.

Addressing a public meeting organised by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in Korba, Chhattisgarh, on 07 January 2023, the Union Home Minister— Amit Shah, said, “we are now on the verge of making Naxal-affected areas free from the menace. Our (BJP) efforts are to ensure that the country is free from the Naxal problem by 2024.” As per the strategy, youths who used to take up arms will be provided employment, roads, water, telephone, and electricity in remote areas to assist them in joining the mainstream of society.
For more information: Click here to read…

Key Maoist leader eliminated in anti-Naxal operation on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.

On 11 January 2023, security forces engaged in a gun battle with Maoists and killed a top leader— Madvi Hidma, on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. According to a communique from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of the Chhattisgarh sector, CRPF’s COBRA battalion carried out the operation. Hidma’s killing will be a jolt to the Maoist organisation. Being a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoist, Hidma was an expert in guerrilla warfare. Hidma was a prime suspect in an attack carried out in April 2021 in which 22 security personnel attained Veergati (fell in the battle).
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces arrested two Maoist OGWs from Telangana.

On 05 January 2023, the joint team of CRPF personnel and Charla police arrested two Maoist Over-Ground Workers (OGWs)/couriers— P Sammaiah (35 years old) and Satyaveni (33 years old) during a vehicle checking drive at Mandal headquarters town of Charla in Bhadradri Kothagudem district in Telangana.

Security forces recovered a bundle of 200-metre wire, ten pressure cookers, some explosive ingredients, and a tractor-trolley. According to police, for the last two years, the duo supplied essential commodities and explosive materials to Maoists operating in Chhattisgarh.
For more information: Click here to read…

Eight Maoists surrendered before the police in Jharkhand.

On 04 January 2023, eight Maoists of the Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoist, including three women, surrendered before security forces in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The surrendered Maoists were facing charges of murder, and rioting, besides other cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967.

“The Jharkhand government has vowed to make the state free of Naxalites. The surrender and rehabilitation policy has a positive impact. The Naxals are surrendering due to the CPI(Maoist)’s internal oppression, environment of fear, and increased police raids. Today, eight Maoists, including three women members of CPI(Maoist), who worked directly under the Central Committee member Misir Besra, surrendered,” said Inspector-General (IG) Operations— Amol Homkar.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)
UP ATS arrested a terrorist from Saharanpur for radicalising youth.

On 30 December 2022, Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Azharuddin from Saharanpur for his alleged involvement in radicalising youth through videos and terrorist literature. Azharuddin was detained for interrogation on the inputs from Lukmaan, a terrorist affiliated with al-Qa’ida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and later was arrested. Lukman was arrested on 26 September 2022.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism
Khalistan sympathisers’ graffiti the walls of a Hindu temple with hatred messages in Australia.

On 12 January 2023, Khalistan sympathisers graffiti the walls of a Hindu temple— BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, with pro-Khalistan and anti-Bharat slogans in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park. The BAPS Swaminarayan temple released a statement condemning the act. “We are deeply saddened by these acts of vandalism and hate. We offer our prayers for peace and harmony,” read the statement.

On the incident, the Liberal MP for the Northern Metropolitan Region— Evan Mulholland, said that this vandalism is deeply distressing for victoria’s peaceful Hindu community.
For more information: Click here to read…

Canada-based Arshdeep Singh Gill was designated as a terrorist under the UA(P) Act over Khalistan-inspired activities.

On 09 January 2023, the Government of India (GoI) designated Canada-based Arshdeep Singh Gill as a terrorist for his association with the Khalistan-inspired movement. Gill has been declared a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A]. According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Gill is closely associated with Harshdeep Singh Nijjar, chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
For more information: Click here to read…

VIF Cyber Review: December 2022

NATIONAL

Minister for Electronics and IT launched ‘Stay Safe Online’ campaign & ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance’ as part of Bharat’s G20 Presidency.

On 28 December 2022, the Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Communications and Railways— Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the ‘Stay Safe Online’ campaign and the ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance’ (G20-DIA). Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is the nodal ministry for the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) and has represented Bharat in numerous working groups and ministerial sessions during previous presidencies. In Bharat’s tenure of G20 Presidency, MeitY will focus on three areas— i) Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), ii) Cyber Security, and iii) Digital Skill Development (DSD).

Addressing the event, the Minister said, “Bharat [India] believes in the philosophy of inclusion. Bharat’s population scale and open source ‘public digital platforms’ such as UPI and Aadhaar have delivered economic and social inclusion and spurred innovation. The two campaigns launched today have the humanitarian way of thinking.”

The objective of the ‘Stay Safe Online’ campaign is to raise awareness among Internet users about how to stay safe while surfing the web. This campaign will make citizens of all ages, particularly children, students, women, senior citizens, the disabled, teachers, faculty, Central/State Government officials, and others, aware of the cyber risk and how to deal with it. To reach a wider audience, the campaign will be carried out in Hindi, English, and local languages. [1]

MoS for Electronics and IT held public consultation with over 200 stakeholders on the DPDP Bill 2022

On 23 December 2022, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship— Rajeev Chandrasekhar met over 200 stakeholders to discuss and deliberate on the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2022. Public consultations were open until 02 January 2023. The attendees included representatives from industry, think-tanks, law firms, consumer and citizen rights group. “Bill will act as a kinetic enabler for personal data protection while catalysing data led innovation and start-up ecosystem. Post the bill, the intermediaries will have to go for deep behavioural changes, and it will no longer be business as usual for them,” said MoS Chandrasekhar.

The stakeholders made numerous suggestions regarding various clauses of the Bill, such as the penalty regime for data fiduciaries, obtaining parental consent for children, cross-border data flows, and consent managers and how the government intends to regulate them, among many others. The Minister also clarified the deemed consent clause for government data access. [2]

“Bharat (India) will chart its own course on the future of Internet”: MoS Chandrasekhar

Speaking at a session at the India Global Forum held in Dubai, UAE, on 14 December 2022, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship— Rajeev Chandrasekhar said over 820 million Internet users deserve to have their own way to decide what kind of internet they want. “European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is considered a gold standard for privacy and data protection. But we [Bharat] would like to disagree. With more than 820 million internet users, we have the largest presence on global internet and deserve an opportunity to shape our own destiny. We will chart our own course and build a framework suitable for us,” said MoS Chandrasekhar.

On Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2022, the Minister said that “protecting the digital rights of our citizens is an obligation of the Government. But we do not see this as a binary at the expense of slowing down the ecosystem for innovation that exists in India (Bharat) and in partnerships with other countries. The Government would not strongly regulate the Internet but is committed to the principles of open, safe, trusted and accountable internet.” [3]

CERT-In issued advisory on multiple vulnerabilities in Apple iOS and iPdOS

On 15 December 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued an advisory on multiple vulnerabilities reported in Apple iOS and iPadOS which could allow remote attacker(s) to gain access to sensitive information, execute arbitrary code, spoof the UI, gain elevated privileges, bypass security restrictions or cause denial of service conditions on the targeted system. The vulnerabilities exists in the Accounts, Apple Mobile File Integrity, Core Services, GPU Services, among other components of Apple iOS and iPadOS.

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow the attacker(s) gain access to sensitive information, execute arbitrary code, spoof the UI, and bypass security restrictions on the targeted system. [4]
As solutions, the advisory suggests users to apply appropriate software updates as mentioned in Apple’s security updates at: Click here to read…

Tata Group to invest USD 90 billion over 5 years into chip manufacturing in Bharat

In an interview with Nikkei Asia on 08 December 2022, the Tata Sons chairman— Natarajan Chandrasekaran informed the Tata Group plans to begin production of Semiconductors in Bharat in next few years, in order to make the country an essential part of global chip supply chains. Tata Group already have announced a semiconductor design and development partnership with Renesas Electronics, Japan, in June 2022.

According to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association, the semiconductor market will more than double to USD 64 billion between 2021 and 2026. The ongoing ‘disengagement’ between the United States and China in chip-related technology is causing major chipmakers to seek more diverse supply-chain locations. The Government of India and Tata Group are both looking to capitalise on this shift in order to position Bharat as a new semiconductor hub. The chairman also announced a USD 90 billion investment over the next five years as part of that effort. Aside from semiconductors, the company is in the process of launching new businesses such as electric vehicle (EV) and EV battery production, renewable energy production, and the development of ‘super apps’ that allow users to purchase goods and services ranging from groceries to financial products. [5]

Since 2018, stolen data of 6,00,000 Indians sold on Bot markets, claimed study by Nord VPN

According to the study conducted by one of the world’s largest VPN service providers— NordVPN, since 2018, around five million people worldwide, including 6,00,000 Indians, had their data stolen and sold on the Bot market. Bot markets are used by hackers to sell stolen data from victims’ devices with bot malware. The stolen data included user logins, cookies, digital fingerprints, screenshots and other information, with the average price for the digital identity of a person at ₹490 Indian rupees (USD 6.03/USD 1=₹81.14).

As reported by The Times of India, a week after the ransomware attack on AIIMS in November 2022, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) faced around 6,000 hacking attempts within 24 hours. [6]
Bharat’s cybersecurity rules have tightened in 2022, with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) requiring tech companies to report data breaches within six hours of noticing such incidents and to maintain IT and communications logs for six months. [7]

INTERNATIONAL

Hackers claimed to stole data from multiple electric utilities in a ransomware attack in the US

An unidentified group of hackers claimed to stole data belonging to multiple electric utilities of US government contractor, in a ransomware attack held in October 2022. In a memo distributed to power company executives in December 2022 by the North American Grid Regulator’s Cyber-Threat Sharing Centre, it is stated that while private investigators searched the Dark Web for stolen data, US Federal officials kept an eye on the incident for any potential wider effects on the US power sector.

An engineering firm— Sargent & Lundy, with offices in Chicago, was the target of the ransomware attack. The company has designed over 900 power plants and thousands of kilometres of power lines, and holds sensitive project data. According to the memo shared by the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Centre, there is no indication that the “model files” and “transmission data” that Sargent & Lundy used for utility projects, which were stolen, are available on the Dark Web. [8]

LockBit ransomware gang claimed cyber-attack on Port of Lisbon Administration

On 25 December 2022, LockBit ransomware gang carried out a cyber-attack on Port of Lisbon Administration (APL) and claimed to steal financial reports, audits, budgets, cargo information, ship logs, customer PII (personal identifiable information), and more. According to the statement released by APL, “cyber-attack did not impact the port’s operations. All safety protocols and response measures provided for this type of occurrence were quickly activated, the situation being monitored by the National Cybersecurity Center and the Judicial Police.”

The ransomware gang demanded the ransom of USD 15,00,000 and also gave the possibility to delay the publication of the data by 24 hours by paying USD 1,000. The LockBit gang is currently at the third version of their encryptor that powers the notorious RaaS (Ransomware as a Service) project, and one of the most prolific gangs of 2022. [9]

International Police shut down 48 DDoS-for-hire services, arrested 07 alleged administrators

The Europol, on 15 December 2022, announced that the International Police shut down around 48 popular websites, mainly Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS), that allowed paying users to launch DDoS attacks, and arrested seven alleged administrators of these websites. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the accused disguised their sites as services that could be used for network testing but actually sought money for conducting DDoS operations against educational institutions, government agencies, gaming platforms, and millions of individuals worldwide. DDoS function by flooding websites with spam traffic, rendering them inaccessible.

The Operation— “Power Off” operation was carried out by law enforcement authorities in the US, the UK, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands. According to the DOJ, the takedown occurred less than two weeks before the Christmas holiday, which normally results in a large rise in DDoS attacks across the gaming sector. [10]

US extended ban on military and surveillance tech sales to China

On 15 December 2022, the US administration extended a ban on commercial exports of advanced US technology that it said “aids Beijing’s military and hypersonic programs and enables Human Rights violations. The decisions come a month after US President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Bali to try to put a “floor” under the relationship’s downward spiral. The Chinese government has accused the US administration of abusing export regulations in order to wantonly hinder and handicap Chinese firms and keep its sci-fi hegemony.

The Entity List includes 36 Chinese firms that are effectively prohibited from getting US technology. All but one, a Chinese subsidiary based in Japan, are based in China. Significantly, 21 of the newly listed corporations are also subject to a new regulation— Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), which prohibits foreign companies from selling to Chinese entities anything manufactured with American technology or equipment. [11]

US National Cyber Director visited Japan to bolster digital cooperation

In December 2022, the United States’ National Cyber Director— Chris Inglis visited Japan to advise government officials posted there on strengthening cyber security defences. The visit was an effort to improve cyber security cooperation with a key alley (Japan) in Asia amid a strained relationship between the US and China. According to Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) and current director of the Centre on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CTI) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Biden administration wants to encourage all friendly nations to speed up their investments in cybersecurity. “Boosting cybersecurity collaboration with Japan is crucial for the US amid increasing cyber threats from China, North Korea, and Russia,” said Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative Program Assistant Jen Roberts. [12]

Endnotes :

[1] “Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launches ‘Stay Safe Online’ Campaign and ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance’ as part of India’s G20 Presidency”, Press Information Bureau- Ministry of Electronics and IT, 28 December 2022, accessed on 02 January 2023, available from: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1887114
[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Neighborhood News Digest – 09 January 2023

Bangladesh
US to keep working with Bangladesh in different areas: Biden – New Age

United States president Joe Biden has said that his country acknowledges their enduring partnership with Dhaka and termed Bangladesh’s economic growth in the past 50 years as a ‘remarkable story’. ‘I hope our nations will continue to work on democratic governance, climate change, refugees, and maritime security. We are invested in your success and support the ability of all Bangladeshis to freely participate in and contribute to their country’s development,’ he said. Click here to read…

US National Security Council delegation visits Rohingya camps – Daily Star

Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shamsuddouza Nayan told our Cox’s Bazar staff correspondent that a 10-member delegation visited various Rohingya camps located in Ukhiya upazila. Click here to read…

10 lakh Bangladeshis get Indian visas in 8 months last year – TBS

Over 10 lakh Bangladeshis received Indian visas, including 2.73 lakh medical visas, in eight months last year (from January to November) for travelling to the neighbouring country, according to the data provided by the Indian High Commission, Dhaka. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh pipeline: energy transport likely to start by Feb – Daily Star

The much-awaited 130-km India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL) for cross-border transportation of energy is likely to start by February, Indian officials were quoted as saying. The Rs 337.08 crore pipeline will carry fuel from state-owned Numaligarh Refinery Ltd’s (NRL) marketing terminal at Siliguri in West Bengal to the Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). Click here to read…

Bhutan
China lens on Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and India -Telegraph

Shedding some of the subtleties known for its diplomatic approach, China under President Xi Jinping has made a series of uncharacteristically candid comments and in-depth reportage seeking to alert Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim against foreign forces trying to use them as geostrategic pawns, while sternly warning India against the United States’ moves termed “China containment”. Click here to read…

What’s brewing in Bhutan? Japan eyes sake production after symposium in Thimphu – Mainichi

Following a symposium on sake in Bhutan in late October, which was presented by a brewer from this east Japan prefecture, the industry sees a bright future for the production of its famed beverage in the south Asian country. Click here to read…

Melting glaciers of Tibet may impact regional security in S Asia: Report – Business Standard

Melting glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau can result in excess water in some places and shortages in others, says a report in Hamrakura, adding that the melting of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau could impact regional security. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives ends first week of 2023 with 37,209 tourist arrivals – Raajje

Maldives has welcomed more than 37,000 tourists during the first week of 2023. Statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism shows that Maldives has welcomed, 37,209 tourists between 01 January 2023 and 07 January 2023. As such, 4,625 tourists were welcomed on 01 January, followed by 6,487 tourists on 02 January and 6,232 tourists on 03 January. Click here to read…

“Maldives will not stop advocating for the rights of Palestine” – Raajje

Maldives will not stop advocating for the rights of Palestine, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives. The Ministry stated this in their statement made public, condemning the action of the Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on 03 January. Foreign Ministry’s statement went on to highlight that this action of the Israeli National Security Minister is against all the international laws and regulations and the agreements that have been signed. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar’s domestic fuel prices fall slightly – Mizzima

Domestic fuel prices in Myanmar were stable last week at around 2,100 kyat per liter and now it is learned that they fell slightly to below 2,000 kyat on 5 January. The fuel price fell by about 100 kyat per litre as per the reference price set by the Fuel Import, Storage and Distribution Supervisory Committee on 5 January. The reference petrol retail price for one week in Yangon starting from 5 January is 1,975 kyat per litre for 92 Ron and 2,045 kyat per litre for 95 Ron. Click here to read…

New hope for India-Myanmar transit Kaladan project with new consultant – New Indian Express

Hope of the completion of the last 109 km of Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport (KMMTT) project has been rekindled after IRCON was recently appointed at the Project Management Consultant (PMC). This ambitious project would link India and Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal. Click here to read…

ASEAN needs to look beyond Myanmar’s Five-Point Consensus – The Jakarta Post

Patience has its limits, even for ASEAN, famous or notorious, some argue, for its tardiness in taking action. The regional group must do something drastic soon in its dealing with Myanmar, the belligerent member which has defied its promise to end violence in the country. Failing that, the Myanmar issue is dragging the entire group down. Click here to read…

USDP chairperson meets 37 political parties in Naypyitaw – Mizzima

Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) chairperson Khin Yi held an informal meeting with 37 political parties on 5 January at the USDP headquarters in Naypyitaw. The pro-junta USDP chairperson Khin Yi had not yet held a meeting with other political organizations since he took over the party’s chairperson position, so he organized the meeting, said a central executive of the USDP. “One thing he [Khin Yi] said was to help the nation all around with the power of consolidation. This is his main point,” said National United Democratic (NUD) Party leader Sein Win, who attended the meeting. Click here to read…

Nepal
UML set to govern 3 provinces, Maoists 1, 3 CMs to be rotated – Kathmandu Post

According to a leader present at the meeting, the ruling coalition has decided to divide the chief ministers of the seven provinces—Province 1, Gandaki and Lumbini going to the UML and Karnali to the Maoist Centre. The two parties will head governments in Bagmati and Sudurpaschim by turns. As per the deal, the Maoist Centre will lead the Bagmati government in the first half of the five years, while the UML will lead the Sudurpaschim government first. Click here to read…

Nepal says it’s making efforts to activate SAARC – Economic Times

Nepal on Sunday said it was making efforts to activate the eight-member regional grouping SAARC, which has not been very effective since 2016. Speaking at a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee under the National Assembly, Secretary and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bharat Raj Paudel said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) could not be made effective due to the lack of consensus among all member states. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
India provides 75 buses to Sri Lanka to support public transport system – The Hindu

India has handed 75 passenger buses to Sri Lanka as part of its assistance towards strengthening public transport infrastructure in the cash-strapped country. As part of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, India has extended multi-pronged assistance to Sri Lanka to help the country tide over its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain in 1948. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to restart trade deal talks with India, China and Thailand, says official – DeccanHerald

Sri Lanka will restart negotiations on trade pacts with India, China and Thailand after a four-hear hiatus, an official said on Thursday, as the crisis-hit country races to seal deals to help it rebuild its economy. Click here to read…

Choking on politics – The News International

The vicious cycle in Sri Lanka started with a ‘currency crisis’ followed by devaluation, hyperinflation, fuel shortages, food shortages, loadshedding, medicine shortages followed by violent street protests and then troop deployment. The three things that take place in a ‘normal’ state are: politics, a security policy and an economic policy. We have become an ‘abnormal’ state in the sense that the only thing that takes place in our country is politics. Click here to read…

China: Daily Scan, December 23, 2022

China’s newest commodity exchange launches industrial silicon futures: Xinhuanet
December 22, 2022

The Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX), the youngest of China’s five major futures bourses, launched industrial silicon futures on Thursday, aiming to pursue green development and help promote the opening-up of the country’s market. Click here to read…

Land-sea trade corridor facilitates sugar import from India: Xinhuanet
December 22, 2022

A rail-sea intermodal train, carrying 265 tonnes of raw sugar from India, on Wednesday arrived in Lanzhou New Area, northwest China’s Gansu Province. It is the first time raw sugar from India has entered Gansu through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. Worth 150,000 U.S. dollars, the sugar, in 10 containers, will be processed and eventually used as an additive in food ingredients. Click here to read…

New platforms launched to enhance SCO health cooperation: Xinhuanet
December 22, 2022

A series of medical and health platforms were launched under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Thursday to provide members of the group with better health services. Click here to read…

Former senior Henan official stands trial for bribery: Xinhuanet

December 22, 2022

Gan Rongkun, a former senior official in central China’s Henan Province, stood trial for bribery on Thursday at the Intermediate People’s Court of Changzhou City in Jiangsu Province. Click here to read…

Joint Press Release of the 17th Round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting: China Military
December 22, 2022

The 17th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on 20th December 2022. Building on the progress made after the last meeting on 17th July 2022, the two sides exchanged views on the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in an open and constructive manner. They had a frank and in-depth discussion, keeping in line with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest which would help in restoration of peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations. Click here to read…

Zhejiang offers additional support for medical workers: China Daily
December 22, 2022

Zhejiang province will make an effort to improve the working conditions, salaries and benefits for medical personnel, a notice released by provincial authorities said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Multiple regions in China call for donations due to shortage of blood stock: Global Times
December 22, 2022

Multiple regions from the north to the south across China have recently called on more residents to actively donate blood under strict personal protection guidelines as they face a shortage of blood caused by many factors including the epidemic impact and prolonged cold weather, which have led to a sharp drop in blood donations. Click here to read…

China calls for collaboration of city hospitals and rural clinics to cope with COVID surge: Global Times
December 22, 2022

As the COVID-19 outbreak in China gradually sweeps into rural areas where medical systems are relatively weaker, governments and medical experts are calling for coordinated collaboration between big hospitals and grassroots medical institutes. They ask the latter to upgrade their capacity of treating patients as the grassroots hospitals are facing shortages of medicine and medical staff. Click here to read…

China sanctions two US individuals over illegal US sanctions on Xizang region: Global Times
December 23, 2022

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced sanctions on Yu Maochun, known as Miles Yu in the US, and Todd Stein as countermeasures to the illegal US sanctions of two Chinese officials on so-called human rights issues related to China’s Xizang region. Click here to read…

China urges caution as UN Security Council adopts first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years: Global Times
December 22, 2022

China’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Zhang Jun stressed that the UN Security Council must always act with extra caution while making explanatory statement after abstaining from voting on the council’s first-ever resolution on Myanmar on Wednesday, which demanded an end to violence and urged the military junta to release all political prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Click here to read…

PLA Navy’s carrier Liaoning ramps up aircraft sortie training in West Pacific: Global Times
December 22, 2022

The aircraft carrier Liaoning of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly hosted about 130 aircraft sorties in four days after it entered the West Pacific for far sea drills last week, more than twice as intensive as the exercises held in the same region in May, displaying the carrier’s high level of combat readiness, analysts said on Thursday. Click here to read…

China, India agree to work out mutually acceptable resolution of remaining issues in LAC Western Sector: Global Times
December 22, 2022

China and India have agreed to work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in the Western Sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at the earliest by staying in close contact and maintaining dialogue through military and diplomatic channels. Click here to read…

Tencent rolls out mini program to help with drug sharing amid shortages: Global Times
December 22, 2022

Chinese tech giant Tencent rolled out a new mini program on its WeChat platform aimed at helping people share their surplus medicine as the recent Omicron infection flare-ups have pushed up demand for analgesics and antipyretics. Click here to read…

China’s Ministry of Finance allocates over 5b yuan of natural disaster relief funds amid cold waves: Global Times
December 22, 2022

China’s Ministry of Finance, together with the Ministry of Emergency Management, allocated 5.48 billion yuan ($784.6 million) of central natural disaster relief funds to ensure a safe and warm winter for people affected by natural disasters, according to an announcement by the ministry on Thursday. Click here to read…

State Council appoints, removes officials: People’s Daily
December 22, 2022

The State Council, China’s cabinet, announced the appointment and removal of officials Wednesday. Wang Jiayi was appointed vice minister of education, replacing Zheng Fuzhi.
Zheng was also removed from his post of the National Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Education. Click here to read…

Top Shanghai pandemic expert slammed as ‘irresponsible’ for saying Covid is on its way out of China: South China Morning Post
December 22, 2022

Noted Shanghai infectious diseases expert Zhang Wenhong’s optimistic forecast that the Covid-19 pandemic would soon end in China has been slammed as ill-founded and “irresponsible” by one of the country’s senior scientists. “Yesterday, a doctor made some irresponsible comments,” noted neurobiologist Rao Yi said in a post on WeChat, a social media platform. “The fact is nobody can say with certainty today in which direction the Covid pandemic would go,” Rao wrote on Sunday. “Nobody can rule out the possibility that the virus will be with us forever, or that an explosion of cases will happen thrice a year with varying degrees of severity.” Click here to read…

BioNTech-Fosun mRNA COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Beijing, available for German nationals living in China: Global Times
December 23, 2022

About 11,500 doses of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine co-developed by German-based BioNTech and China’s Fosun Pharma have arrived in Beijing and are expected to be made available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu to provide vaccination for German nationals living in China, news site Thepaper reported on Thursday. Click here to read…

China’s first domestically produced S-300C helicopter delivered: People’s Daily
December 23, 2022

China’s first domestically produced S-300C helicopter was successfully delivered to a customer on Tuesday, National Business Daily reported on Thursday. As one of the most popular training machines in the world, S-300C is mainly used in pilot training and low altitude tourism. Click here to read…

China shoots to fifth place in robot density rankings: People’s Daily
December 23, 2022

China’s massive investment in industrial robotics has put the country higher in global rankings in terms of robot density, surpassing the United States for the first time and marking a significant improvement in the country’s industrial automation level, an industry report said. Click here to read…

Senate committee asks automakers about supply chain links to China: Kyodo
December 23, 2022

A Senate committee on Thursday asked major automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. about whether their supply chains have links with China’s Xinjiang region, in the latest U.S. effort to tackle the issue of forced labor. Click here to read…

China likely seeing 1m cases, 5,000 deaths per day: Taipei Times
December 23, 2022

China is likely experiencing 1 million new COVID-19 cases and 5,000 deaths from the virus every day, as it grapples with what is expected to be the biggest outbreak of the disease the world has ever seen, a new analysis showed. However, the situation could get even worse for the country of 1.4 billion people. The number of daily cases might rise to 3.7 million next month, UK-based Airfinity Ltd said. Click here to read…

Japan to investigate secret Chinese police stations: Taipei Times
December 23, 2022

Japanese authorities are investigating a report from a human rights group that China has set up police offices in Japan, a top government spokesperson said yesterday, following similar checks by European countries, the US and Canada. Click here to read…

Amid China’s coronavirus crisis, Beijing draws doctors and staff from provinces to ease overwhelmed hospitals: South China Morning Post
December 23, 2022

China has sent hundreds of healthcare workers, some specialising in critical care, to the capital Beijing to ease the burden at heavily strained hospitals amid a tsunami of infections.
At least 500 doctors and nurses from Shandong province in eastern China and dozens from neighbouring Jiangsu have been sent to hospitals across the city – despite manpower shortages in their home hospitals – to help battle the worst Covid-19 wave Beijing has seen in the past three years. Click here to read…

Morgues overwhelmed: why China’s new Covid crisis is all of its own making: South China Morning Post
December 23, 2022

Inside an overcrowded Beijing hospital struggling with Covid surge in China. Since Beijing’s sudden U-turn on ending the zero-Covid policy more than two weeks ago, Chinese officials and state media have struggled to put a positive spin on the decision. They have argued that the draconian coronavirus controls – which have isolated the country from the rest of the world over the past three years – won the population of 1.4 billion valuable, life-saving time. They have also tried to reshape public perception of the virus – until last month labelled serious and deadly in the official narrative to justify zero-Covid – by stressing that the latest Omicron variants may be highly contagious but the symptoms they cause are mild. Click here to read…

Top Shanghai pandemic expert slammed as ‘irresponsible’ for saying Covid is on its way out of China: South China Morning Post
December 22, 2022

Noted Shanghai infectious diseases expert Zhang Wenhong’s optimistic forecast that the Covid-19 pandemic would soon end in China has been slammed as ill-founded and “irresponsible” by one of the country’s senior scientists. “Yesterday, a doctor made some irresponsible comments,” noted neurobiologist Rao Yi said in a post on WeChat, a social media platform. “The fact is nobody can say with certainty today in which direction the Covid pandemic would go,” Rao wrote on Sunday. “Nobody can rule out the possibility that the virus will be with us forever, or that an explosion of cases will happen thrice a year with varying degrees of severity.” Click here to read…

Xinjiang opens first high plateau airport: Xinhuanet
December 23, 2022

A passenger aircraft on Friday morning arrived in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, marking the inauguration of the region’s first high plateau airport. Click here to read…

Shanghai residents pool medical resources: China Daily
December 23, 2022

Several district governments in Shanghai have been encouraging residents to share their surplus medication with neighbors in light of the temporary shortage of fever medicine in the city. Click here to read…

China hospital data absent from WHO’s latest COVID reports, raising concern: Reuters
December 23, 2022

The World Health Organization has received no data from China on new COVID-19 hospitalisations since Beijing lifted its zero-COVID policy, prompting some health experts to question whether it might be hiding information on the extent of its outbreak. Click here to read…

Blinken cites need for all countries including China to share COVID information: Reuters
December 23, 2022

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday emphasized the need for all countries, including China, to share information on their experiences with COVID-19, at a time when some experts have started raising questions about Beijing’s official hospitalization and casualty figures. Click here to read…

China lacked a ‘zero COVID’ exit plan. Its people are paying the price: Reuters
December 23, 2022

At the public hospital in Shanghai where Nora, a 30-year-old doctor, works, tension has spiraled since China relaxed its stringent zero-COVID policy on Dec. 7.

Patients quarrel with doctors to access drugs that are in short supply, like cough medicines and pain killers. Medics are overloaded; infected staff continue to work because of a scarcity of personnel. Click here to read…

China’s stretched health system braces for peak in COVID infections: Reuters
December 23, 2022

China is expecting a peak in COVID-19 infections within a week, a health official said, with authorities predicting extra strain on the country’s health system even as they downplay the disease’s severity and continue to report no new deaths. Click here to read…

China sanctions two US individuals over illegal US sanctions on Xizang region: Global Times
December 23, 2022

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced sanctions on Yu Maochun, known as Miles Yu in the US, and Todd Stein as countermeasures to the illegal US sanctions of two Chinese officials on so-called human rights issues related to China’s Xizang region. Click here to read…

China: Daily Scan, December 21, 2022

Senior CPC official calls for promoting national reunification, rejuvenation: Xinhuanet
December 20, 2022

A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has pledged to unite Taiwan compatriots to jointly promote national reunification and rejuvenation. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks in a letter to congratulate the convening of the 2022 annual conference of the summit for entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and its general secretary Xi Jinping. Click here to read…

China-donated aid distributed among 6,000 families in Afghanistan: Xinhuanet
December 20, 2022

Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid to 6,000 needy families in the western Herat province, provincial director for Natural Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mohammad Hashim Khalid said Tuesday. Click here to read…

China adds more cities to pilot programs list for service opening up: Xinhuanet
December 20, 2022

China’s State Council said Tuesday that it has allowed a further six cities to launch comprehensive pilot programs for opening up the service sector. The six cities — Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Chengdu — can carry out the pilot programs for a period of three years, starting from the date when their plans for the programs were approved, according to the State Council. Click here to read…

China producing 60 million COVID-19 antigen test kits daily: Xinhuanet
December 20, 2022

China’s daily output of antigen test kits has hit around 60 million units, as the country steps up output of anti-COVID-19 medical supplies. The figures were shared by Huang Guo, deputy director of the National Medical Products Administration, at a press conference on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Major highway tunnel completed in Tibet: China Daily
December 20, 2022

A tunnel connecting Tsokha and Jinling townships in Penba county, Tibet autonomous region, was completed on Saturday after four years of construction. The tunnel is located on Shargongla in the county, where altitudes soar to 5,200 meters above sea level. The mountain is steep and in 2000 was connected with nothing but rough vehicle roads. Click here to read…

China identifies over 130 sublineages of Omicron: China Daily
December 20, 2022

China has detected over 130 sublineages of Omicron in the past three months, including the highly watched BQ.1 and XBB strains, but their pathogenicity remains unchanged, an expert said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

HKSAR chief to begin duty report in Beijing with border reopening, economic recovery topping agenda: Global Times
December 20, 2022

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will travel to Beijing from Wednesday to Saturday to deliver his annual work report, which will also be his first duty visit since he became leader of the HKSAR government.
Click here to read…

Deaths from other or underlying diseases not classified as COVID-related deaths: epidemiologist: Global Times
December 20, 2022

China’s top epidemiologist said at a press conference on Tuesday that the deaths of COVID-19 patients due to underlying diseases, which is the main cause of their deaths, are not counted as deaths from Omicron infections.
Click here to read…

Leading respiratory expert predicts Beijing facing spike in severe COVID-19 cases over coming fortnight, urges city to expand ICUs: Global Times
December 20, 2022

Beijing may experience a spike in severe COVID-19 cases over the next fortnight, a leading Chinese respiratory expert warned, urging medical institutions to expand intensive care units (ICUs) and boost medical resources to address the impending wave of infections.
Click here to read…

Chinese pharmaceutical firms operate at full capacity to address cold medicine shortage: Global Times
December 20, 2022

Many Chinese pharmaceutical companies are operating at full capacity to meet rocketing demand for cold and fever medicines, and thanks to various measures taken by the government and firms, the shortages are easing, according to industry insiders on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Belt and Road News Network Second Council Meeting held in Beijing: People’s Daily
December 20, 2022

The Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) Second Council Meeting was held on Dec. 19 in Beijing. Representatives of 38 council members of the BRNN from 23 countries took part in the meeting online or offline. Click here to read…

U.S. monitoring rising COVID rates in China – White House: Reuters
December 20, 2022

The Biden administration is closely monitoring the rising rates of COVID infections in China in the wake of relaxed rules, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a call with reporters on Tuesday. Kirby said the administration is watching the potential impact on U.S. companies and supply chains although the administration has worked to build up resiliency to mitigate any economic impact. Click here to read…

World Bank cuts China growth outlook on COVID, property woes: Reuters
December 20, 2022

The World Bank has cut its China growth outlook for this year and next, citing the impact of the abrupt loosening of strict COVID-19 containment measures and persistent property sector weakness. The Washington-based lender, in a report released on Tuesday, said it expected China’s economy to grow 2.7% in 2022, before recovering to 4.3% in 2023 as it reopens following the worst of the pandemic. Click here to read…

China urges those with mild COVID symptoms to return to work: Kyodo
December 20, 2022

Chinese authorities have called on those with mild COVID symptoms to return to work, in a radical shift from previous strict restrictions, as the world’s second-largest economy promotes the resumption of business activities and hospitals suffer from manpower shortages amid a surge in the virus. Click here to read…

China says it will only count Covid deaths from respiratory failure in official toll: South China Morning Post
December 20, 2022

China’s National Health Commission has clarified that only Covid-19 patients who die from respiratory failure will be counted towards the official death toll after this week reporting the first deaths since the easing of pandemic controls. Many elderly had other chronic illnesses and very few people died directly from respiratory failure caused by the coronavirus, experts from the NHC said. Click here to read…

China should go easy on zero-Covid violators now that rules have eased, former top court judge says: South China Morning Post
December 20, 2022

Those who might have violated China’s Covid-19 restrictions earlier should be let off now that zero-Covid rules have been eased, a former top court judge has said. Huang Yingsheng, one-time criminal cases judge at the Supreme People’s Court, said even though the pandemic was nearing its end, many amends related to its handling remained to be made – especially in the legal field. Click here to read…

China to work with Australia to promote strategic partnership, says Xi Jinping: Reuters
December 21, 2022

China’s President Xi Jinping said he will work with Australia to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday. “I attach great importance to the development of China-Australia relations and am willing to work with the Australian side,” Xi said in a report from CCTV. Click here to read…

Japan warns of China’s COVID situation, cuts view on factory output: Reuters
December 21, 2022

Japan will pay close attention to the COVID-19 situation in China, in addition to risks from a global economic slowdown, price hikes and supply constraints, according to its monthly report for December. The economic report from the Cabinet Office comes as Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, wrestles with sluggish global growth and high import costs that have weighed on its exports and manufacturing activity. Click here to read…

China imposes national security review on data, merger deals involving foreign capital as Beijing tightens cross-border information flow: South China Morning Post
December 21, 2022

Chinese authorities will impose a strict review of data processing, cross-border data transfers, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities involving foreign capital that could affect national security, as Beijing moves to safeguard what it considers as sensitive information. That approach forms part of new policy guidelines released on Monday by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council, the country’s cabinet. The guidelines aim to boost the country’s data market, while addressing issues such as data rights and trading profit distribution. Click here to read…

Xi says China, Germany partners of dialogue, development, cooperation, and for handling global challenges: Xinhuanet
December 21, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China and Germany have always been partners of dialogue, development and cooperation, as well as partners for handling global challenges. Xi made the remarks during his phone talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Click here to read…

New policy mix to propel turnaround in China’s economy: Qiushi
December 21, 2022

With a new policy mix unveiled at a meeting last week, China, the world’s second-largest economy, is ramping up efforts to ensure an overall recovery next year despite the looming shadow of a global economic recession. Click here to read…

Construction of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in full swing: Qiushi
December 21, 2022

As another important regional development strategy, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in southwest China is glittering under the spotlight of “coordinated regional development” highlighted in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 3,049 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet
December 21, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 3,049 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Wednesday. A total of 1,953 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the mainland on Tuesday, said the commission in its daily report. Click here to read…