Afghanistan

4 IS-Khorasan Commanders ‘wanted’ In India Eliminated In Shootouts In Pak & Afghanistan – Republic World

At least four Islamic State [IS] Khorasan commanders “wanted” in India have been shot down by unknown gunmen in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area of Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan. The four wanted IS-K commanders, from the Islamic State’s [ISIS] Central Asian province who were killed have been identified as—Syed Noor Shalobar, Syed Khalid Raza, Ejaz Ahmed Ahangar alias Abu Usman al-Kashmiri and Bashir Ahmed Peer alias Imtiaz Alam. “Khorasan” refers to Asia’s region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click here to read…

Pakistan releases 147 imprisoned Afghan refugees – Devdiscourse

A total of 147 Afghan refugees imprisoned in Pakistan for not obtaining residency, were freed and allowed to return to Afghanistan on Sunday, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported. According to Khaama Press, children and women are among those who have been released, and a prisoner’s body has also been transferred, according to local officials for refugees in Kandahar. Click here to read…

Taliban govt annuls divorces, forces women to return to abusive husbands – Business Standard

In a fresh blow to the women in Afghanistan, couple of days ahead of International Women’s Day, reports by AFP, suggest that the Taliban regime is forcing women to go back to their abusive husbands. They are being forced to return to their husbands they had divorced. The AFP talked about an Afghani woman, Marwa, a domestic abuse victim. She was one of a small number of women who, under the previous US-backed government, were granted legal separation in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Public Universities Open, Female Students Not Admitted – Tolo News

Universities in the cold areas of the country started classes on Monday with the absence of female students. In December of last year, the Ministry of Higher Education announced that the female students are suspended from going to universities until further notice. “Based on the leadership of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Emirate on Hout 15 (1402 solar yar/ March 6), the lessons began in all universities. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

The fiery call for freedom – Daily Star

Suhrawardy Udyan, or what was known as Ramna Race Course back in the day, is closely linked with Bangladesh’s history. It was where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with a sense of passion, a vigour for democracy, and an anticipation for change, made the most iconic declaration of his life on March 7, 1971, and subsequently etched his name in the history books unlike any before or after him. He showed his political guile, moved people with his captivating voice, and in a matter of 19 minutes, went from being the leader of the Awami League to the country’s greatest national asset. Click here to read…

How Rohingya camps are turning into crime zones – Dhaka Tribune

At least 11 rogue armed groups, including Myanmar’s Arakan Salvation Army (Arsa), are active in the refugee camps. They are allegedly engaged in drug trading, kidnapping, infighting, extortion and rapes, according to a report by the Ministry of Defence. The report was placed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on February 15. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan looks beyond LDC graduation – Kuensel

Bhutan sought partners who want to collaborate and invest in the country once it graduates the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group at the summit of the LDC in Doha last week. The fifth United Nations conference on the LDC was preceded by the summit of the LDC, on March 4. The heads of government and the heads of delegation of the LDCs exchanged their views on how they can collectively address shared challenges and come up with meaningful solutions. Click here to read…

Will 13th Plan realise Zhemgang’s ecotourism dream – Kuensel

Zhemgang dzongkhag administration is preparing development plans to promote community-based ecotourism for the upcoming 13th Five-Year Plan. While the dzongkhag has rich culture and biodiversity, issues with accessibility and other infrastructure prevented it from realising its full potential mainly community-based ecotourism business for both international and local tourists. Click here to read…

Lifeline in human-elephant conflict hotspot in Assam’s Nagrijuli along India-Bhutan border – Northeast Now

“It is our lifeline. But for this solar-powered fence, the life and livelihood of over 10000 people living across eleven villages in our area would have been perennially in peril as it was before this 18-kilometre-long fencing came into being,” says Bhim Bahadur Chetri overlooking, across the fence, the now-barren bed of Bornadi River that flows down from Bhutan hills to rejuvenate land and life in Nagrijuli area in Assam’s Baksa district. Click here to read…

Need political consensus to bolster Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal connectivity – EastMojo

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) subregional initiative, which was endorsed way back in 1997 to strengthen the region’s pursuit of trade and economic integration, has still a long way to go. The subregion houses more than one-fifth of the world’s total population. Countries in the subregion share a common heritage, history, and linguistic, cultural and social ties. The subregion has immense potential for economic growth and significant untapped economic potential for intra-regional trade. Click here to read…

Maldives

Is the Maldives an example of Asian democracy in the current world challenges? – MEM

The political situation in the Maldives has been tumultuous from 2008 to 2022, with power shifting back and forth among various players within the Maldivian Democratic Party. Recently, the former President Nasheed has come to realise that even his closest childhood friend and current President, Ibrahim Solih, is out to get him. Solih government’s arrested Nasheed’s brother in an attempt to silence him from being critical of his presidency, but Nasheed has stood firm. Click here to read…

Pres. Solih reaffirms Maldives’ unwavering support to Palestine – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Maldives to the State of Palestine in their quest to achieve their legitimate right to self-determination. The Maldivian President on Sunday, met with the Palestinian President on the sidelines of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Speaking at the meeting, President Solih reaffirmed the strong support and unwavering commitment of the government and the people of the Maldives to the people and the government of the State of Palestine in their quest to achieve their legitimate right to self-determination. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Hope is rare now in Myanmar’, UN Human Rights Council hears – UN

“Hope is rare now in Myanmar,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Türk said, calling for robust support for its citizens under fire. “The disregard and contempt for human life and human rights that are continuously demonstrated by the military, constitute an outrage to the conscience of humanity,” he said. The latest report, covering the period between 1 February 2022 to 23 January this year, details a number of incidents in which thousands were detained, hundreds of houses were burned, and dozens of people, including children, were killed by shelling and military raids. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Losing More Than One Soldier Per Day: Kayah Resistance – Irrawaddy

Junta troops lost an average of more than one soldier per day in clashes with resistance forces in Kayah State in February, according to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF). In February, a total of 45 regime soldiers were killed and 16 wounded in 35 clashes with resistance forces including KNDF across Kayah State and neighboring townships in southern Shan State. Click here to read…

Assessing Possible Military Developments in Myanmar This Year – Irrawaddy

Human rights campaigner Igor Blazevic asks security analyst Anthony Davis about the state of the civil and armed opposition to the junta, and the condition of the Myanmar military after two years of trying to contain the armed uprising. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal’s New PM Dahal Switches Partners – The Diplomat

On February 27, the Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew its support for the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. The CPN-UML ministers resigned en masse, bringing down the curtain on the seven-party coalition government that was formed in Nepal barely two months ago. To start with, this was a coalition of strange bedfellows, with parties with opposing agendas and ideologies coming together. Their lust for power was their common agenda. Click here to read…

CPN objects to SC order to register case against PM Prachanda – The Telegraph

Nepal’s ruling CPN (Maoist Center) on Sunday objected to the Supreme Court’s order to its administration to register writ petitions against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” for claiming responsibility for 5,000 deaths during the decade-long insurgency in the country. In a press statement, party’s General Secretary Dev Gurung said that the order passed by the joint bench of justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal on Friday has drawn serious attention of the CPN (Maoist Center). Click here to read…

Political instability, funds crunch cripple capital spending – The Kathmandu Post

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal didn’t have enough time to listen to the private sector representatives in a consultative meeting on the country’s economy on Sunday. Dahal himself had organised the meeting at the finance ministry as he has also been looking after the finance portfolio following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel last week. Click here to read…

Pakistan

More trouble for former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, court junks his plea on arrest warrant – The Tribune

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Monday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s plea for suspending the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him in the Toshakhana case. After a dramatic Sunday when the police could not find the former Pakistan PM at his home while his opponents alleged that he had fled to a neighbour’s house, Khan contended that a private complaint against him did not merit an arrest warrant. Click here to read…

Pakistan: Govt takes ARY News off air for airing Imran Khan’s speech – Firstpost

The private ARY TV news channel was taken off air on Monday for broadcasting Imran Khan’s speeches a day earlier. The move came hours after Pakistan’s media regulator banned broadcasts of the ousted prime minister’s speeches. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Sunday night banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live and recorded speeches of the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician after Islamabad police failed to arrest him. Click here to read…

Pakistan has to give assurances on financing BOP deficit: IMF – The Economic Times

Pakistan will be required to give an assurance that its balance of payments deficit is fully financed for the remaining period of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the lender’s resident representative said. The external financing is one of the last in a string of prior actions the lender wants Islamabad to complete before it clears funding stalled since late last year, Esther Perez Ruiz told Reuters in an e-mailed response on Monday. Click here to read…

9 Cops Killed As Suicide Bomber Rams Into Police Van In Southwest Pakistan – Times Now

A suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle rammed into a police truck in Pakistan’s restive southwest, killing at least nine policemen and wounding seven, officials said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place on a bridge in the district of Sibi in Baluchistan province, but Baluch separatists and local militants have been blamed for previous such attacks. Click here to read…

Fazl rejects SC verdict on Punjab, KP elections issue – Dawn

Pakistan Democra­tic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday severely criticised the judiciary for its decisions regarding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for postponement of the elections owing to the prevailing economic crisis and fragile security situation in the country. “Today we are asked that it is a Constitution’s requirement to hold elections [in Punjab and KP] within 90 days, but the same Supreme Court had given Gen Pervez Musharraf three years’ time to hold polls,” said the Maulana at a news conference. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka gets fresh China assurances to wrap up IMF deal – Economy Next

Sri Lanka has received fresh financial assurances from China on debt re-structuring on the parameters required by the International Monetary Fund, sources with knowledge of the matter said. China earlier sent a letter to Sri Lanka saying they are giving a moratorium till the end of the year but did not mention the parameters of an IMF debt sustainability analysis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to hold election after getting Treasury’s guarantee on funds – Business

Sri Lanka’s election commission on Monday said that the new date for the cash-strapped country’s local election will be announced after receiving a guarantee from the Treasury on the funds required to hold it. The local body polls scheduled for March 9 were postponed due to a plethora of reasons linked to the country’s current economic crisis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka reiterates rejection of UNHRC resolution 51/1 – Colombo Page

Sri Lanka has reiterated to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) its position that it rejects the Resolution 51/1 which was passed by the Council last year. Addressing the 52nd Regular Session of the UNHRC last Friday, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, Himalee Arunatilaka said a “series of unhelpful resolutions” had been adopted by the HRC, the latest being Resolution 51/1, without Sri Lanka’s consent as the country concerned. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s woes with cannabis legalization – Himalmag

Some propose legalising marijuana production to ease Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Yet, any move to legalise marijuana cultivation in Sri Lanka will have to overcome a long history of prohibition, social stigma and criminalisationClick here to read…

Afghanistan

Top Kashmir jihad commander who led Indian suicide bombers in Afghan IS attacks believed killed – The Print

Kashmir-born jihad commander Ejaz Ahmad Ahanger — alleged to have led an Islamic State cell responsible for a series of suicide attacks by Indian nationals in Kabul and Jalalabad — is believed to have been killed in southern Afghanistan, intelligence officials, as well as members of his family, have told ThePrint. Click here to read…

Thousands of trucks stuck as Taliban shut key Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing – Deccan Herald

A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained closed for a third day, with thousands of goods vehicles stuck and businesses facing losses as officials from both sides try to broker a solution. Taliban authorities on Sunday closed Torkham, the main point of transit for travellers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Massive blast hits Kabul mosque, sparks tension in Afghanistan – Firstpost

Afghanistan’s capital Kabul was shaken by yet another explosion on Tuesday. A blast took place near the Ziyarat Mazjid Abul Fazl Shrine in central Kabul. According to media reports, there has been no information about casualties or possible damages from the explosion yet. Click here to read…

Fresh batch of USD 40 mln in cash aid reaches Afghanistan – United News of India

A fresh batch of 40 million U.S. dollars in cash that came as humanitarian aid reached the cash-strapped and war-torn Afghanistan on Tuesday, a statement of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank said. This is the fourth batch of cash as humanitarian aid arrived in Afghanistan since Feb. 9 as part of the international community’s support to help the economically impoverished country to enhance its foreign exchange reserve. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh demands Bangla be adopted as UN’s official language – BS

A senior Bangladesh minister on Tuesday exhorted the United Nations to formally adopt Bangla as one of its official languages, on the day when the country celebrated the Language Martyrs Day to commemorate the pioneers of the Bengali language movement. The UN has six official languages — English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly held last year, it adopted Bangla, Hindi and Urdu as the non-official languages following an India-sponsored resolution. Click here to read…

Russia summons Bangladesh envoy over sanctioned ships dispute – Reuters

Russia summoned the ambassador of Bangladesh on Tuesday to protest over Dhaka’s decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports. Bangladesh earlier this month banned dozens of Russian ships that have fallen under Western sanctions from entering its territorial waters, citing the need to comply with the restrictions. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it had told Bangladesh’s ambassador in Moscow that the move was not in line with “traditionally friendly bilateral relations and may adversely affect the prospects for cooperation in various fields”.Click here to read…

Why Did Bangladesh’s Kuki Chin Flee to India’s Northeast? – The Diplomat

Since November last year, over 200 Kuki Chin people have fled their homes in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts to take shelter in the Indian state of Mizoram. The Kuki Chin have ethnic ties with the Mizos in India and were fleeing military operations by the Bangladesh security forces in the restive CHT. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India supporting Bhutan in efforts to establish digital infrastructure – ANI

The relations between India, and Bhutan are touching new heights as the India has been consistently supporting Bhutan in its efforts to establish a digital infrastructure, The Bhutan Live reported. The Indian government recently announced that it is going to help Bhutan in building its third international internet gateway. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives holds first strategic dialogue between the Maldives and UK – Raajje

The First Strategic Dialogue between the Maldives and the United Kingdom (UK) at the Senior Officials level has been held in Maldives. The First Strategic Dialogue between the Maldives and UK was held in a hybrid format, on 20 February. Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the discussions of the dialogue focused on thematic areas including economic and trade cooperation, security cooperation, governance, democracy, human rights and rule of law, environment and climate change, higher education, visas and immigration and regional and international cooperation. Following the discussions, the two countries agreed to establish Maldives-UK working group on maritime security and a working group on trade. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed to formalize the Ocean Country Partnership Program under the UK’s Blue Planet Fund. Click here to read…

Myanmar

At Least 30 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Clashes in Yedashe – Irrawaddy

At least 30 junta military troops were killed in clashes with resistance fighters in Yedashe Township, Bago Region on Feb. 16, according to the Taungoo District Battalion of the People’s Defense Force (PDF) and residents. A combined force of Taungoo District Battalion 3501’s companies 4 and 6, under the PDF of the National Unity Government, launched an attack on a junta military column near Zayit Yoe Kone Village at around 9 a.m. on Feb. 16. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Delivers State Honors—Whether Recipients Want Them or Not – Irrawaddy

Junta-appointed chief ministers and military commanders have been hand-delivering honorary titles bestowed on citizens by junta boss Min Aung Hlaing after the recipients failed to show up in Naypyitaw last month to accept the awards personally.While many of the title recipients are junta loyalists, some were honored posthumously, and some, it seems, unwillingly. Click here to read…

Challenges to India–Myanmar relations and their impact on the Act East Policy – The Sangaie Express

In the early 1990s, as the global economy was expanding, India’s ‘Look East Policy’ (LEP) signalled a strategic change in its international outlook from the Cold War era. This involved a renewed foreign policy (‘Act East Policy’ (AEP) push to deepen interactions with the Southeast Asian region. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bloc, established in 1967, has become a global economic powerhouse in the 21st century and India, for its part, views itself as a key trading and investment partner in this region. It thus places great importance on maintaining a cordial relationship with Myanmar, which serves as a key gateway to Southeast Asia. Click here to read…

Nepal

Oli’s offer has Madhav Nepal dreaming of Sheetal Niwas – The Kathmandu Post

Former prime minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Kumar Nepal suddenly finds himself thrust to the spotlight following news reports that CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has proposed Nepal as a possible presidential candidate. Nepal is also eager to run for the President in a vote scheduled for March 9, but the question remains whether the political parties will agree to make him their ‘consensus candidate’ for the top job. Click here to read…

Access tunnel of 140 MW Tanahun hydro project built – The Kathmandu Post

Tanahun hydropower project has built the access tunnel as a part of its first phase of infrastructure construction. The 140-megawatt project is being constructed in Damauli. According to the project, the tunnel is 436-metre-long with a 7-metre diameter of entrance. Rajabhai Shilpakar, project chief, said that the tunnel will facilitate transporting construction materials and equipment to the upper side of the proposed dam construction area. In the first phase, a 140-metre-tall dam will be built. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Top Hizb commander Bashir Ahmad Peer shot dead in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi – The Tribune

In a major setback to the Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, the launching commander of the outfit Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam was killed on Monday in Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Peer was killed on Monday evening after an assailant shot at him from point-blank range outside a shop in Rawalpindi. Click here to read…

Pakistan, ready to sell US embassy property, can cover imports only for 3 more weeks – Mint

Islamabad now intends to raise money by selling a property associated with its embassy in Washington. As of December 2022, for a building that formerly housed the defence section of the nation’s embassy in the US capital, Pakistan received three offers. Click here to read…

Pakistan Nears IMF Bailout Pact After Tax Plan Approved – Bloomberg

Pakistan is inching closer to reviving a $6.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund after the parliament approved on Monday the plan to roll out higher taxes. An agreement is expected to be finalized within three days after most issues were resolved, ARY News reported, citing Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, secretary at the finance ministry. A bill that will increase the general levy to 18% from 17% and boost tax on imports of luxury items such as mobile phones to 25% from 17% was approved by the parliament. Click here to read…

Amid massive spike, Pakistan bans TV coverage of terror attacks – Firstpost

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned TV channels across the country from covering terror attacks as it “creates panic and unwarranted chaos among the viewers not only in the country but also Pakistanis living abroad.” The latest order by Pakistan’s electronic media regulatory body comes in continuation to the earlier ones asking TV channels to adhere to the provisions of the PEMRA Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015, Geo News reported. Click here to read…

For Pakistan to find way out, nobody reaches difficult situation without cause: EAM Jaishankar – The Economic Times

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that Pakistan’s future will be largely determined by its own actions and choices and it is for the neighbouring country to find a way out of its economic troubles. In an exclusive interview with ANI, the minister referred to India’s assistance to Sri Lanka during the economic crisis faced by the island country and said it is a very different relationship. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

‘No money to print ballot papers’: Bankrupt Sri Lanka to postpone local elections, Opposition cries foul – Times Now

The March 9 vote was meant to be a key test of support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in July after months of protests over a dire economic crisis. According to a court submission by the Election Commission, the treasury has refused to fund the printing of ballot papers, fuel or police protection for polling booths. Click here to read…
Courts can rule on election date, but cannot save the economy – Daily Mirror
Courts can rule on election date, but cannot save the economy, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said addressing a business and legal forum in Kandy. “Although political parties can go to courts to decide when the election should be held, the economy cannot be saved by courts,” President Wickremesinghe said, stating that the responsibility of saving the country’s economy falls on the Parliament. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh shuts down main Opposition newspaper – The Hindu

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

Bhutan

Committee yet to review barrage or PI dam option – Kuensel

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

Youth unemployment increases in 2022 – Kuensel

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

President Solih heads to Singapore on unofficial visit – Raajje

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

Myanmar

EU imposes new sanctions on Myanmar’s junta -AA

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

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

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

Opium farming has flourished under Myanmar’s junta – UCANews

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka’s great IMF lie – Himal

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

Afghanistan

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

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

Taliban replacing civil laws with Islamic ones – Devdiscourse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

RMA encourages inward remittance inflow – Kuensel

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

Govt. revises foreign currency reserves requirement – Kuensel

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

Bhutan must not let China gain foothold – The Tribune

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

Maldives

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

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

IS module ‘received funds from Maldives – Economic Times

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

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

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

Myanmar

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

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

India wary of instability in Myanmar – Tribune

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

Chin Resistance: Myanmar Junta Trying to Retake Thantlang – Irrawaddy

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

Germany raises the red flag – Daily Mirror

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

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

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

Afghanistan

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

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

Dollars Smuggled From Pakistan Provide Lifeline for the Taliban – Bloomberg

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maldives

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

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

Myanmar

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

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

10 Myanmar immigrants held in Manipur – Times of India

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

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

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

Afghanistan

30 pc decline in imports from Afghanistan via Attari ICP – The Tribune

The decline of 30 per cent in the imports from Afghanistan through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari can be attributed to clashes between Pakistan forces and Taliban fighters on the international border being shared between Afghanistan and Pakistan besides floods in Afghanistan. The trade through Attari-Wagah route dipped as the import from Afghanistan registered a fall of Rs 1,018 c in 2022 (from January 1 to December 31) in comparison to the previous corresponding period (2021). Click here to read…

Dozens of people killed as cold wave sweeps Afghanistan – Al Jazeera

At least 70 people and tens of thousands of cattle have died due to freezing temperatures across Afghanistan, the country’s Ministry of Disaster Management confirmed with Al Jazeera as Afghans reel from a spell of cold weather amid a humanitarian crisis. The ministry said on Wednesday that 70 people and 70,000 cattle have died in the past week. Click here to read…

Qatar Emphasizes Need for Engagement with Islamic Emirate – Tolo News

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani emphasized the need for continued engagement with the Islamic Emirate as he addressed a panel discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Al Thani criticized a number of the recent actions the current government took but said that engagement with the Islamic Emirate was the only way to bring change in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

A deepened friendship between the US and Bangladesh – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh and the US have shared historical experiences. Both nations share a strong belief in democracy and have endured bloody wars to gain their independence. The democratic process is ongoing. The US have witnessed heinous acts of violence and racism. The American people are openly and honestly discussing these concerns, and they are speaking up forcefully to make changes in society and hold lawmakers responsible. Click here to read…

Bangladesh Sents Back Consignment From Embargoed Russian Ship – Marine Insight

On Tuesday, January 17, Bangladesh sent away a Russian ship carrying supplies for their Rooppur nuclear power plant, an incident which has left Russia dissatisfied. The move was made because of the US embargo on the Ursa Major ship. According to international laws, a country that allows embargoed vessels to dock at ports also faces embargo charges. The ship was slated to dock on Dec 24. However, the US government alerted Bangladesh on Dec 22 about its embargo status, which was relayed to the Russian Ambassador Alexander Mantitsky by Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry’s Maritime Affairs Secretary Khorshed Alam. Click here to read…

‘PM Hasina should get Nobel prize for hosting Rohingyas’ – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel prize for her humanitarian and responsible policy in hosting the Rohingyas, the speakers said during a discussion Wednesday. They were addressing the discussion “Rohingya’s: Victims of Genocide and Looking for Answers” organised by the Entrepreneurship Economics Program of the Dhaka School of Economics. The speakers also urged the international community to play a strong role in the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Sea ‘a graveyard’ as number of Rohingya fleeing Bangladesh by boat soars

The number of Rohingya refugees taking dangerous sea journeys in the hope of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia has surged by 360%, the UN has announced after hundreds of refugees were left stranded at the end of last year. Rohingya in Bangladesh refugee camps have warned that human smugglers have ramped up operations and are constantly searching for people to fill boats from Myanmar and Bangladesh headed for Malaysia, where people believe they can live more freely. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Foreign Secretary in Thimphu days after China-Bhutan border talks – The Tribune

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra reached Thimphu on Wednesday on a three-day visit. Kwatra will hold talks with his counterpart Pema Choden, besides calling on the country’s top leadership. He will also co-chair the 4th India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks. India is Bhutan’s largest benefactor and had earmarked $282 million for its development during 2022-23. The focus of the visit is expected to be on boosting cooperation in the hydropower sector, defence ties and reviewing the situation in the strategically sensitive Doklam tri-junction. Click here to read…

Maldives

India, Maldives must together ensure regional security: EAM S Jaishankar – The Tribune

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached the Maldives on Wednesday as part of his two-leg overseas tour and with his counterpart Abdullah Shahid reviewed India’s ambitious development projects in the island that will far surpass earlier Chinese efforts at building infrastructure there. After the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion, Jaishankar said it was one of the most anticipated projects. He said at a press conference that another equally ambitious project, the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), would become an “economic corridor”. Click here to read…

India announces 100 million Maldivian Rufiyaa for community development projects in Maldives – News on Air

Dr. Jaishankar held discussions with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on strengthening India-Maldives cooperation and took stock of ongoing development projects financed by India in Maldives. He said the MoUs and agreements are a reaffirmation of a strong developmental partnership between the two countries. He expressed happiness on witnessing an MoU between Maldivian National University and Kochi University of Science & Technology. The minister said India has handed over two sea ambulances to help the MALDIVES NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE (MNDF). He also said India has completed 23 out of 45 impactful community development projects. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Leaked Memo Shows Resistance Growing Beyond Control – Irrawaddy

Leaked minutes from a top-level “counterterrorism” meeting led by Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Soe Htut show the junta is at its wit’s end after failing to drum up public support to crush the shadow National Unity Government (NUG). Click here to read…

Kokang: Caught Between Myanmar and China – Irrawaddy

One of the most unexpected developments in the struggle against Myanmar’s latest military dictatorship is the support for the resistance that has come from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). An ethnic armed organization (EAO), the MNDAA is based in Kokang in the far northeastern corner of Shan State in eastern Myanmar. More than 90 per cent of Kokang’s population of approximately 150,000 people are ethnic Chinese of Yunnan descent, and the region’s cultural, personal and even political ties with China have always been strong. Click here to read…

Singapore doesn’t authorise transfer of arms to Myanmar, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Print

Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or “items with potential military application” to Myanmar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, rebutting a report which claimed it functions as a “strategic transit point” for items that “feed” the junta’s weapon production. Click here to read…

Nepal

India stealing a march on China on rail connectivity with Nepal? – Kathmandu Post

As a Chinese technical team started a feasibility study for the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway, India has almost completed a detailed feasibility study for the Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway project, officials at the Department of Railways said. The two projects highlight the geopolitical rivalry between the two neighbouring giants who are competing for influence in Nepal. Click here to read…

Ghimire and Neupane in the House Speaker race – Kathmandu Post

Dev Raj Ghimire of the CPN-UML and Ishwari Neupane of the Nepali Congress have on Wednesday filed nominations for the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The election is scheduled for Thursday morning. Neupane’s candidacy was proposed by Congress lawmaker Bishwa Prakash Sharma and was seconded by Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist). The Congress and the Unified Socialist, both of which had voted for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a floor test in Parliament on January 10, had earlier decided to field their own candidate against the ruling alliance’s candidate for Speaker. Click here to read…

Rastriya Swatantra Party goes against its own policy as it picks plum Cabinet posts – KathmanduPost

The party has disregarded its own commitment to cutting the costs of legislatures and the executive, cutting off unnecessary positions, as they bargained for, and heartily accepted the deputy prime minister and state minister in the power sharing. The party’s change in tone and action, soon after emerging as the fourth largest force in the Parliament from its first foray into parliamentary politics, is now widely criticised by political commentators and experts. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Rice can’t cushion fall – Island

The prospect of having to face an election always fills an unpopular regime with horror and has a sobering effect on self-important politicians intoxicated with power. The SLPP-UNP government has awakened to the fact that many people are starving, and something needs to be done urgently to help them. It has decided to provide 10 kilos of rice each, free of charge, to two million families per month for a period of two months. Technically, the proposed handout amounts to an election bribe in all but name, for the Cabinet decision thereon came after the Election Commission (EC) had initiated the process of conducting the local government (LG) elections. But only those with a callous disregard for the suffering of the poor will be able to bring themselves to oppose the distribution of free rice irrespective of the government’s ulterior motive. Click here to read…

China opposes Dalai Lama’s planned visit to Sri Lanka – Devdiscourse

China on Tuesday opposed a suggested visit by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka, saying the bankrupt island nation must safeguard the bilateral relationship. A top Chinese embassy official here met the powerful Buddhist prelates in the central town of Kandy to express opposition to the visit for which no dates have been fixed yet, a statement from the embassy said. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka hopes for ‘good news’ from Jaishankar’s two-day visit starting Thursday – Devdiscourse

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s two-day visit here starting Thursday is anticipated with much hope given Sri Lanka’s crucial negotiations with the IMF to secure a USD 2.9 billion bridge loan for a bailout to come out of the economic crisis. His visit comes two days after President Ranil Wickremesinghe Tuesday announced in Parliament a breakthrough in talks with India to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt, saying the discussions have been successful. Click here to read…

Govt. goes ahead with Election Expenses Bill despite Opposition’s objections – Daily News

The government decided yesterday (18) to present the Bill to regulate election expenses, which discloses parties giving money for election campaigns, despite the Opposition’s objections. Although agreement was not expressed by the Opposition during a special meeting held at the Parliament premises with the participation of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, representatives of the ruling party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Maithripala Sirisena under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was announced that the Act will be presented. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Deputy Minister Reiterates Commitment to Fight Drugs: Tolo News

The deputy minister of counter-narcotics, Abdulhaq Akundzada, said the commitment to fight drugs and said alcoholic beverages, as well as a number of illicit drugs, are brought to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia. Akhundzada asked the countries to prevent the trafficking of drugs to Afghanistan. “If the narcotics are being trafficked to Iran, Pakistan and Central Asian countries or anywhere else, we will prevent it. We have arrested many of them. Click here to read…

Taliban (IEA) Bans Two Female Training Centers in Kabul & Hera: The Khaama Press

Authorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan closed two educational centers in Kabul and Herat accommodating more than 1200 female students.Roya Mahboob, the Founder of the Afghan Girls Robotic Team tweeted on Monday that the Taliban authorities forcibly shut the education centers in Herat and Kabul. More than a thousand female students were taking pieces training in business, Robotics, coding, and Information Communications Technology. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Senior ministers sound alarm over foreign interference – Dhaka Tribune

Momen said that other countries do not need to give prescriptions to Bangladesh on democracy and human rights, as both are deeply rooted in Bangladesh’s DNA. He said the current government is committed to holding free, fair, transparent, and inclusive elections under the independent Election Commission. The foreign minister also said Bangladesh welcomes constructive suggestions from foreign friends. Click here to read…

Mongla port upgrade: Tk 6,014 crore deal inked with Indian firm – Daily Star

The Mongla Port Authority (MPA) and Egis India today signed the related agreement for the “Upgradation of Mongla port” project, at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital. Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of the MPA, and Laurent Germain, chief executive officer of Egis India, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties.
Of the estimated Tk 6,014 crore project, the government will finance Tk 1,555 crore from its own coffer while India will provide Tk 4,459 crore as assistance under its third line of credit. The project is scheduled to be complete by July 30, 2024. Click here to read…

Bangladesh, ADB ink deals worth $627mn for development, climate projects – Business Standard

The ADB said it will provide about $278 million in loan for the Third Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility– Tranche 2, and $100 million for the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (BRT-Gazipur). Meanwhile, the bank will also give about $246 million in loan for the Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project and a grant of $4 million for the Coastal Towns Climate Resilience ProjectClick here to read…

Bhutan

Hydropower revenue to drop by 4 percent – Kuensel online

The overall hydropower generation of Druk Green Power Corporation’s (DGPC) power plants for the year was forecast to be around 6,914 Gigawatt hours (GWh) with expected revenue of Nu 11.51 billion (B). This, according to the DGPC, would be a decrease of about 4 percent or Nu 497.54 million (M) from last year. In 2021, the country generated Nu 12B from electricity. As of November this year, the DGPC’s power plants generated 6,919.12GWh of electricity, less by 34.68GWh compared to the same month last year. The country generated 6,953.8GWh of electricity as of the same month last year. Click here to read…

Maldives

Cambodia eyes rice sales to Maldives – Phnompenh Post

Cambodia plans to begin the formal export of milled rice to the archipelago nation of Maldives, a month after its Phka Rumduol jasmine variety was crowned as the “World’s Best Rice” for a fifth time, as part of a campaign to raise the profile of the local grain on the regional and international stages. At a ceremony marking the beginning of work to revamp the 95.27km National Road 41 on the morning of December 26, Prime Minister Hun Sen revealed that he would visit the Maldives next month to discuss milled-rice sales as well as stepping up tourism ties. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar court to deliver final verdicts this week in Suu Kyi trials – Reuters

A court in military-ruled Myanmar will deliver its final verdicts in cases against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, said a source familiar her trials, wrapping up marathon proceedings that have been condemned in the West as a sham. Suu Kyi, 77, was arrested when the military seized power on Feb. 1 last year in a coup that ended a decade of tentative democracy and plunged the country into chaos. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta’s Worst Massacres of 2022 – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s regime has stepped up atrocities during 2022, including arbitrary killings and the torturing of civilians, burning people alive and using civilians as human shields. Arson attacks, the looting of homes, shelling and airstrikes on residential areas and sexual violence have also increased this year. Click here to read…

Manipur to beef up security along Myanmar border: CM Biren Singh – Dajji World

The Manipur government would strengthen the security in the state’s border areas along with Myanmar by setting up more outposts to curb illegal peddling of drugs, exotic wildlife, various contraband besides cross-border crimes, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday. Click here to read…

Nepal

Prime minister settled, all eyes on President and Speaker race – The Kathmandu Post

With the CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal becoming prime minister with the backing of the second largest party, the CPN-UML, the latter is set to get two other major positions—the President and the Speaker. After Dahal decided to join the UML camp following Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s refusal to allow him to lead the government for the first half of the next five-year term, the new coalition of seven parties will now distribute among themselves 35 constitutional positions including the President, Vice-President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly chair and vice-chair, chief ministers, speakers, deputy speakers and provincial chiefs of seven provinces. Click here to read…

Explained: How Prachanda Outsmarted Sher Bahadur Deuba To Be Nepal’s PM, What It Means For India? – Outlook

The surprise development of Prachanda becoming the Nepal’s Prime Minister may not bode well for India-Nepal ties as he and Oli have had some run-ins with New Delhi previously over territorial issues. Prachanda is seen as pro-China. He has in the past said a new understanding with India needed to be developed on the basis of a “changed scenario” in Nepal and after addressing all outstanding issues, like revision of the 1950 Friendship Treaty and resolving Kalapani and Susta border disputes. Click here to read…

A parlous path ahead for Rabi Lamichhane – The Kathmandu Post

Rastriya Swatantra Party president Rabi Lamichhane took the oath of office and secrecy as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister at the Sheetal Niwas on Monday—a remarkable turn of events for a person who was running a TV show until six months ago. The Rastriya Swatantra Party—which Lamichhane formed after resigning from his TV job in June just five months prior to the November 20 elections—emerged as the fourth-largest force in the House of Representatives (HoR) in its first-ever elections. The party won 20 federal seats. Its head has now bagged a coveted ministry, becoming one of the country’s most influential leaders. Click here to read…

Finance minister inherits a troubled economy again – The Kathmandu Post

Amid rumours that Bishnu Poudel is becoming the new finance minister, the share market began to make upward moves from Monday morning. As the market closed, the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index rose by 56.88 points, appearing to welcome Poudel’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister in the new Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Shehbaz renews pledge to crush terrorism menace: Dawn

As the country reels from multiple incidents of terrorism, claimed by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) over the past few days, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday vowed to eradicate militants across the country amid criticism by his predecessor Imran Khan, who grilled the government over a steep rise in militancy during its eight-month stint.
Addressing a gathering in Dera Ismail Khan, PM Shehbaz said that with the help of provincial governments and security forces, the government will eliminate terrorism in all its forms. Click here to read…

Rs2.2 trillion spent on interest and defence: The Express Tribune

Sources in the Ministry of Finance told The ExpressTribune that during July-November period of the current fiscal year, there was an alarming increase of 83% in the interest cost on the Rs50 trillion federal government debt stock. The Ministry of Finance paid nearly Rs1.7 trillion in the interest cost, up by Rs763 billion or 83%, according to the sources. Similarly, excluding military pensions and expenses on the armed forces development programme, Rs517 billion was spent on defence in five months. It was Rs112 billion or nearly 28% more than the previous fiscal year, according to the sources. Click here to read…

Security advisory: Saudi Arabia, Australia ask citizens in Pakistan to limit movement: The News

In the wake of recent terror incidents in the country, the Saudi embassy has issued a security alert for its citizens in Pakistan, advising them to remain careful and limit their movement. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka PM urges new envoys to promote foreign investment, exports, tourism – Colombo Page

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena meeting with a group of new envoys on Monday noted that the economic diplomacy rather than traditional diplomacy has gained priority in the world and emphasized the importance of innovative diplomacy that promotes investment attraction, exports and tourism. Newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to 16 countries participated in a special discussion held with the Prime Minister at Temple Trees. Click here to read…

We face the repercussion of handing over the country to politicians: Prelate – Daily Mirror

What we are experiencing now is the consequence of handing over everything in the country to politicians, the Chairman of the National Movement for the Protection of the Nation Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said. “We have never heard of an era where the people of our country are suffering as much as they do these days,” he lamented. “Now I am hearing several opinions being discussed about the issues in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the country. “The Government should not do that. It will be creating more national problems at a time when people are worried over their next meals,” he said. Click here to read…

Distribution of dry rations at Abhayagiriya – Daily Mirror

Arrangements have been made to distribute 50,000 parcels of dry rations among needy families by the China Buddhist Association and Fa-Xien Charity Trust with the participation of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Acting Chinese Ambassador Hu Wei in the presence of Atamasthanadhipathi Ven Pallegama Hemaratana, Chief Incumbent Abhayagiriya Temple Ven Dr Kallanchiye Ratanasiri on Tuesday (27) at 1.30 pm at the Abhayagiriya premises in Anuradhapura. The event is organized by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the China Sri Lanka Buddhist Friendship Association. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Clashes Occur Across Durand Line at Spin Boldak: Tolo News

Clashes between the forces of the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan military happened along the Durand Line in Spin Boldak port, a spokesman told TOLOnews. Haji Zaid, a spokesman for Kandahar governors, said that one member of the Islamic Emirate was killed and 10 others were wounded in the clashes. Meanwhile, a source from Chaman on the other side of the Durand Line told TOLOnews that one Pakistani forces member was wounded in the fightingClick here to read…

Indonesia, Qatar Host Conference Supporting Women’s Education: Tolo News

The International Conference on Afghan Women’s Education, co-chaired by Indonesia and Qatar, was convened in Bali, Indonesia on 8 December 2022.
At the International Conference on Afghan Women’s Education, representatives from more than 30 countries stressed the need of supporting women’s education in Afghanistan. The foreign minister of Pakistan, who attended the conference, said that his country supports women’s access to education, saying an investment in female education is an investment in the future of the nation. Click here to read…

Drought and Lack of Water, a Major Concern in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The problem of lack of water caused by continued drought over the past couple of years in Afghanistan is a huge concern on different fronts. Providing clean and safe water for the people has been a great challenge, particularly, with climate change which is an addition to the existing problem. “The problem of lack of water is serious and UNICEF would help Afghanistan in addressing the problem. Bringing clean, safe water to 9 million people the following year is a priority for the organization,” Salam Al-Janabi, UNICEF Afghanistan spokesperson, said. Click here to read…

Afghan FM Meets with Ambassador of Japan Discussing Aid and Economy: The Khaama Press

Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign affairs minister, met with Takashi Okada, the Japanese ambassador, in the Afghan capital to discuss aid to Afghanistan and the resurrection of the Afghan economy.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, announced in a string of tweets on Sunday, December 11, that the leadership of the ministry visited the Japanese envoy in a constructive meeting. The Japanese diplomat, according to the ministry’s statement, said that his country is in dialogue with the international community to set the stage for the reconstruction of the Afghan economy. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh on razor’s edge: Why India must wake up to the looming economic crisis and political instability to its east – Indian Express

So routine are protests and violence in Bangladesh that treating the ongoing crackdown against Sheikh Hasina’s opponents as anything but election-generated noise could seem a stretch. From the latest deaths of opposition activists in police firing, and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanding a “caretaker” administration that could ensure electoral transparency, to an angry Hasina vowing to never let “arson terrorists” come to power — this is quintessential Bangladeshi politics. Even Western criticism, visible in a recent ambassadorial joint statement asking for free, fair, and peaceful elections, and Indian and Chinese silences, are not novel. Click here to read…

Awami League remains unmoved over BNP MPs’ resignation – Dhaka Tribune

Terming the BNP lawmakers’ decision to resign from Parliament a mistake, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said that the House would not sit idle without the seven of them. Several other senior leaders reacted to the BNP’s move a day after the party conducted its 10th and last divisional rally, and declared 10-point charter for demands that included the dissolution of Parliament and holding the next election under a non-party government. Click here to read…

‘People to determine who will rule Bangladesh; not external power, internal conspiracy’ – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not “bend down to any external pressure” or internal conspiracy to derail the nation from its constitutional path towards democracy and fundamental freedom, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam in unison on Sunday. They said the government is determined to hold the next parliamentary elections in a free, fair, transparent and participatory manner under the independent election commission. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Capital budget up by 5 percent in this FY: Kuensel Online

The capital budget for this fiscal year 2022-23 was revised by 4.79 percent to Nu 40.31 billion (B) as compared to the approved budget of Nu 38.47B. This, according to the finance ministry’s first quarter budget report, is an increase of Nu 1.84B. The fiscal year (the last year under the 12th five-year Plan) has allocated about 52 percent of the total budget as capital budget. It is more than the current expenditure, unlike in the past. Click here to read…

China threatens Bhutan for aligning with India: Report: ANI

China’s act of flaring up the territorial disputes can be the means to ‘punish’ Bhutan for aligning with India as Beijing assumed that Thimphu’s foreign policy for their country is influenced by New Delhi’s dominance and control, Epardafas.com reported citing scholars. Click here to read…

Maldives

RBI Signs Currency Swap Agreement with Maldives Monetary Authority – Adda

The Reserve Bank of India has signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to enable MMA to make drawals in multiple tranches up to a maximum of $200 million from the RBI. This agreement has been signed under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework. Click here to read…

EC initiates dissolution of DRP – Sun

Elections Commission (EC) has initiated the process of dissolving Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) due to failure to meet the 3,000-member requirement. EC’s chairman Fuad Thaufeeq told Sun on Sunday evening that DRP had been given three months’ notice to bring up membership numbers after the party’s membership fell below 3,000.“According to the law, we need to give three months’ notice to political parties that fail to meet the 3,000-member requirement, and take measures to dissolve the party if they fail to meet the membership mark during that period,” he said. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Follow ASEAN path on Myanmar, says Indonesian FM, after New Delhi engages military rulers – The Hindu

In comments to The Hindu about India’s decision to engage the Myanmar military government that came to power in February 2021 after deposing the elected National Unity Government (NUG) and jailing thousands of leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, Ms. Marsudi said that it could make the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) efforts towards democracy “less effective”. Instead, she urged India and other countries to follow the ASEAN “five point consensus” that calls for an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties. Click here to read…

Is China using Pakistan as its proxy to arm military rule in Myanmar? – Times of India

It is reported that Pakistan is looking forward to intense collaboration with China regarding the development of sub-warfare equipment. China is allowing Pakistan to maintain and overhaul Chinese-made equipment, thus letting Pakistan’s defence industries become a course of action for Chinese defence sales. It is alleged that Pakistan, enticed by China, has intensified military-industrial collaboration with the new regime in Myanmar, one of India’s critical neighbours to the East. It is reported that Myanmar is keen to advance its domestic arms industry with Pakistan-China combined sustenance even as it has developed a bilateral defence corporation with RussiaClick here to read…

Nepal

Dahal sees foreign hand in poll debacle: The Kathmandu Post

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday said foreign powers directly interfered in the November 20 federal and provincial elections and called the situation serious.This is the first time a top politician has publicly accused foreign powers of meddling in the recent elections. “We have seen many elections since joining the peace process [in 2006]. But never before had I seen this level of foreign meddling, when foreign forces meticulously decided whom to defeat and whom to elect,” said Dahal while addressing a meeting of the office bearers of the Press Centre Nepal, the press wing of his party, at Harisiddhi in Lalitpur. “All past elections were announced and conducted by Nepalis, but that was not the case this time. This is a very serious development.” Click here to read…

Editorial: Assessing the election results: The Kathmandu Post

Our general elections took place at a time of great turmoil in the international arena. The Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, bitter rivalry between China and the United States—all have cast a long shadow over South Asia. The world is coping with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising unemployment and skyrocketing food and energy prices. Nepal too is suffering from rising inflation, liquidity crunch, unemployment, loss of tourism revenue and public frustration over poor state response. Click here to read…

Pakistan

‘Unprovoked’ shelling by Afghan forces kills seven at Chaman: Dawn

At least seven people lost their lives and 16 others suffered injuries on Sunday in Chaman, which came under heavy gunfire and artillery shelling by Afghan border forces, the military’s media wing said. Pakistani troops retaliated against the “unprovoked and indiscriminate” fire, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, without giving details of any losses on the other side. Click here to read…

Imran wants ‘apolitical’ military to help stabilise economy: Dawn

Despite the former army chief stressing in his farewell address that the institution had decided to stay away from politics, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chair¬man Imran Khan on Sunday urged the establishment indirectly to facilitate early elections as he believed the country was fast heading towards a default. Click here to read…

OIC secretary general visits LoC: The News

The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, has said that Kashmir is the top priority of OIC agenda and he will submit a comprehensive assessment report on the human rights situation in Kashmir to member countries.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1019253-oic-secretary-general-visits-loc” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

IMF chief cites ‘fruitful exchange’ with China on SL debt issues – Daily News

A Reuters report said Georgieva, World Bank President David Malpass and other financial leaders met in person in China’s Anhui Province last week with officials from the People’s Bank of China, China’s Finance Ministry and its EXIM Bank and China Development Bank. Georgieva said the discussions touched on the common framework for debt treatment set up in late 2020 by China, the United States and other Group of 20 major economies, as well as some specific cases of countries seeking debt relief. Click here to read…

Shanakiyan Rasamanickam | An MP to watch in Sri Lanka – The Hindu

In the two years since he was first elected to Parliament, Sri Lankan legislator Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has won many fans within Sri Lanka, including from the Sinhalese majority. But his recent speech in Parliament, threatening to launch a “China go home” campaign, similar to the “Gota go home” people’s movement that dislodged the former President, made more heads turn. China was “forcing down” useless investments in Sri Lanka, China has “no democracy, no human rights,” he roared in the House. If China is truly a friend of Sri Lanka, it must restructure the bankrupt island’s debt and help the crisis-hit country access IMF support, the 32-year-old Opposition MP argued. Click here to read…