Afghanistan

Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Settle New Electricity Agreement Amid Winter Shortages – The Diplomat

Under the new agreement, Uzbekistan will supply Afghanistan with 450 megawatts of electricity during the winter as both countries suffer from outages. Perhaps the first foreign official to arrive in Tashkent in 2023 was the Taliban’s Acting Energy and Water Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansour, who traveled north on January 1 and returned to Kabul the next day with an agreement on the export of electricity to Afghanistan from Uzbekistan. Click here to read…

ISKP Possess a Major Threat to Taliban’s Authority in Afghanistan: Report – Republic World

The regional affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Khorasan Province is engaged in a power tussle with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Taliban is ironically seeking international support in order to contain terrorism and improve its record pertaining to human rights, the Afghan Diaspora Network reported. As per reports, ISKP aims to threaten the Taliban’s efforts to establish diplomatic relations with international organizations such as the United Nations and various NGOs in the region. Click here to read…

Pakistan announces new restrictions on transit of Afghan commodities – Devdiscourse

Pakistan has imposed new restrictions on the transit of Afghan commodities, the Joint Chamber of Afghanistan-Pakistan Commerce on Monday said, Tolo News reported. The new restrictions announced by Islamabad will create hurdles for traders to transfer their products through Karachi port. Najibullah Safi, head of the Joint Chamber, said that the Pakistan government has increased the invoice of commodities, including tyres, electric devices, medicines and oil and sugar. As per the news report, Afghanistan imports its commodities from China, Indonesia, India and European nations through Karachi port. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Adani Godda Power Plant: Bangladesh likely to get 750MW by March – The Daily Star

Bangladesh will start getting electricity from India’s Adani Godda Power Plant in March, said Nasrul Hamid, the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources. According to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed between Bangladesh Power Development Board and Adani Power (Jharkhand) Ltd on the import of 1,600MW electricity, the first unit of the power plant (750MW) was supposed to be in operation on January 5 last year. Click here to read…

Bangladesh to import 1 lakh tonnes of rice from India, Singapore –New Age

The government is going to procure 1 lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice to bolster the supply chain of the country’s main staple food against the backdrop of high inflation. Two suppliers — one each from India and Singapore —have been selected by the food ministry through international tenders for supplying the amount of rice equally – 50,000 tonnes from per supplier – at a total estimated cost of Tk 423 crore, said the food ministry officials. Click here to read…

India eyes Bangladesh as market for range of military hardware – Hindustan Times

During recent visits to India, Bangladesh Air Force personnel visited facilities where such aircraft are maintained, the people said. Bangladesh Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, toured facilities in Chandigarh and Mumbai during a visit to India in December 2021Click here to read…

Bhutan

Hand to mouth if not poor – Kuensel Online

The poverty analysis report found out that 80,614 Bhutanese are poor or living below the poverty line of Nu 6,204 per person per month. At 12.4 percent, the poverty rate is a cause of concern. It is high and comes at a time when the country is said to be making rapid progress to graduate from the club of least developed countries to a middle-income level country by the end of this year. Although the criteria for graduation are Gross National Income per capita, Human Assets Index and Economic Vulnerability Index – meeting at least two of the thresholds in two consecutive triennial reviews, poverty is included among the last mile challenges identified with education and health. Click here to read…

Maldives

Three China airlines announce plans to resume Maldives flight routes – Edition

Three airlines from China have announced their plans to resume flight routes to the Maldives. Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) revealed that Hong Kong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Beijing Capital have announced their plans to resume flights once more. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines has already acquired flight slots from January 1 through the end of March. The airline is expected to operate three weekly flights. Click here to read…

Maldives economy bounces back to pre-COVID-19 levels – Avas

The Maldives’ economy has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has announced. The minister’s announcement comes as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a statement after a staff visit to the Maldives that the Maldives’ economy is growing rapidly. Minister Ameer Sunday said the economy was brought back to pre-COVID-19 levels due to the strong measures taken to overcome the pandemic and the results of the government’s economic policy. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar junta marks Independence Day with show of force in military-built capital – Channel News Asia

Myanmar troops and weaponry paraded through the military-built capital Naypyidaw to mark the country’s Independence Day on Wednesday (Jan 4), days after the junta jailed democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi for 33 years. Swathes of the Southeast Asian country have been engulfed by fighting between junta troops and anti-coup rebels since the military seized power almost two years ago. Click here to read…

Myanmar Crisis among Indonesia’s Challenges as ASEAN Chair – The Irrawaddy

Over the course of 25 years of democratic transformation that followed the Suharto era, whenever Indonesia served as the ASEAN chair, new ideas and plans seemed to mushroom. The ASEAN Charter and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) are the latest examples of the ways in which Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, has sought to shape the future of the regional organization, of which Jakarta is one of the founding fathers. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Prepares for Name Change as End of Emergency Rule Looms – The Irrawaddy

Two years of emergency rule declared by Myanmar’s military after seizing power from an elected civilian government will end on Jan. 31. The expiry of emergency rule prompts the question of whether the military regime will hand power back to acting president U Myint Swe. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will no doubt make moves to maintain the military’s grip on power ahead of its plan for a so-called election in August. According to sources in Naypyitaw, the regime is likely to form a “transition council” in which U Myint Swe will play a role. Click here to read…

Nepal

Indian Agnipath Scheme And Its Nepalese Conundrum – News18

Now that the new government has been formed in Nepal with Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, it will shape the national policies in days to come including the direction of the bilateral relationship with India. One of the policies will include accepting the Agnipath scheme as a new model of recruitment. India is principally right to extend the same terms and conditions to Nepalese citizens for recruitment, as has been done for Indian citizens without any caste, creed, or religious and regional considerations. The current prime minister of Nepal, having been part of Maoist ideology, has to be much more sensitive before a decision is taken in this regard. Click here to read…

Nepal-China: Border is open, not the trade – The Annapurna Express

After nearly three years of disturbances, China on Dec 28 opened the Rasuwagadi border point even for exports of Nepali goods in line with the end of China’s ‘Zero Covid’ policy. Chinese officials in Kathmandu have said more two-way trade routes will be opened in 2023. “The two-way trade at the Pulan/Yari port will resume in early 2023. This will provide an opportunity for Nepali exporters to export more goods to China,” said Wang Xin, Charge de Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu addressing the inauguration program of Pokhara Regional International Airport on Sunday. Click here to read…

Nepal Telecom postpones 5G trials, says there aren’t enough devices – RCRWireless

State-owned Nepal Telecom has postponed its 5G trial by several weeks, citing a dearth of compatible mobile devices. Specifically, the carrier will conduct its trial using the 2.6 GHz airwaves that it obtained from telecom regulator Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). But, according to Nepal Telecom, not enough devices in the country support this frequency. Click here to read…

Nepali farmers line up to sell paddy while imports surge – The Kathmandu Post

As per Birgunj Customs, Rs5.25 billion worth of Indian paddy entered Nepal between November 21 and December 30. Nepali farmers endured a chemical fertiliser shortage during the paddy transplantation period in June. They began harvesting their crops in November, and now they are facing another hardship—selling them. Nepali farmers are expected to harvest 5.48 million tonnes of paddy this fiscal year, which is 7 percent more than last year, despite a crippling shortage of chemical fertiliser during the key transplantation period in the monsoon. Click here to read…

CPN (US) to intensify process of unifying leftists – The Himalayan

Deputy General Secretary and Head of Propaganda Department Jagannath Khatiwada informed that the party’s Politburo meeting today gave responsibility to the party’s central secretariat to take concrete initiatives on left-wing unity, cooperation and building a front. The party has become a prisoner of indecision regarding the government. The standing committee and politburo meeting that was held for four days failed to form any opinion about the government. Instead, it became a prisoner of indecision and handed over the responsibility to the secretariat. Click here to read…

Pakistan

TTP challenges Pakistan’s sovereignty, declares own government – First Post

In a direct challenge to the sovereignty of the Pakistan government and the country’s military establishment led by the Pakistan Army, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – also known as the Pakistan Taliban – has announced the formation of its own government in northern Pakistan and has even declared the formation of various ministries. “Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has announced its new appointments dividing the outfit into various ministries, Defence, Judiciary, Information, Political affairs, Economic Affairs, Education, a fatwa issuing authority, Intelligence and a department for construction,” the TTP said in a statement as quoted by its mouthpiece The Khorasan Diary (TKD) publication. Click here to read…

Two Pakistan intelligence officers gunned down in Punjab province – Al Jazeera

No one has claimed responsibility for killing the officers, who were known for arresting members of the Pakistani Taliban and other armed groups. They were also known for their expertise in investigating and solving complicated cases, including gun and bomb attacks in Pakistan. Click here to read…

India-Kabul Ties: As Taliban & Pakistan Draw Swords, Can Delhi Maintain Stand? – The Quint

Certainly, growing Pakistan-Taliban animosity is good news for India. But it should tread carefully. When others were rushing to establish ties with the Taliban, India held back. Now, as International disenchantment with the Taliban grows, India should carefully calibrate its moves and desist from any unilateral actions vis-à-vis the militant group. Click here to read…

Pakistan shuts markets in evenings under energy conservation plan – The Indian Express

Pakistan government has ordered all malls and markets to close by 8:30 p.m, among other measures in a new energy conservation plan. The defence minister said this on Tuesday, as the country grapples with an economic crisis. The country’s foreign exchange reserve levels barely cover a month’s worth of imports, most of which are accounted for by energy purchases from abroad, with funds expected under an International Monetary Fund programme having been delayed. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka moving in right direction, top UN official says – ADA

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Assistant Administrator and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja has applauded the plans that are underway for Sri Lanka’s social and political development. Click here to read…

Funding election under prevailing economic situation, a problem – Daily Mirror

Total state revenue is hardly sufficient to pay salaries and pensions of public servants and interest on Govt. loans; Allocation of Rs. 10 billion to the Election Commission from the interim budget 2022 cannot be brought forward to 2023; the government has no intention whatsoever to postpone LG polls as suggested by the opposition, the aragalaya and trade unionsClick here to read…

How did loss-making Sri Lankan, CPC pay bonuses? Daily News

President calls for explanation from Chairmen; CPC spends Rs. 1,200 million on bonuses; Each SriLankan employee got Rs.100, 000; Sri Lankan spends Rs.580 million on bonuses; some big wigs get more than Rs. one million as bonus. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is Candidate for UN Human Rights Council: Faiq: Tolo News

The Chargé d’Affaires of the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, said that Afghanistan is a candidate for membership in the UN Human Rights Council. Faiq said that 14 countries including Afghanistan have been nominated to be selected for membership in the OHCHR. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate Leader Meets with Provincial Intelligence Heads: Tolo News

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the Islamic Emirate leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada met with officials of the general intelligence department and provincial intelligence heads. According to a statement issued by Mujahid, Akhundzada ordered the officials to protect the rights, culture, religion and property of the citizens. Click here to read…

Earthquake of Magnitude 4.9 Shakes Northern Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The provincial capital of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, Mazar-e-Sharif, was jolted by an earthquake that had a moderately strong Richter magnitude of 4.9, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to the USGS, the US scientific agency that provides information on natural hazards, the earthquake shook Mazar-e-Sharif at around noon on Tuesday, October 11. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Shahriar: Bangladesh elected UNHRC member because of experience with rights issues: Dhaka Tribune

In a video message, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said the UN member states voted for Bangladesh with an expectation that it will be able to help with its experience in dealing with human rights issues. Click here to read…

LNG: European thirst for natural gas puts Bangladesh in dark: Dhaka Tribune

European countries have already bought more liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2022 than in any year previously. The surge in demand followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with various European governments rushing to end their dependence on Russian energy as quickly as possible. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan To Launch Its First-Ever International Snowman Race – News18

Bhutan is all set for its first-ever international Snowman Race which is touted to be one of the high-altitude ultra-marathons. The event is geared to being on October 13 and will conclude on 17 in the Land of Thunderbolt. The event will witness 25 athletes of which nine are hailing from Bhutan, who will compete across five days to cover a distance of 203 kilometres as they travel across an oxygen-sparse average of 14,800 ft. The race will start from Gasa Dzong and will finish at Chamkhar, Bumthang. Click here to read…

Maldives

Suspected drug lord arrested upon arrival in the Maldives – Avas

A suspect believed to be one of the most notorious drug lords of the Maldives, Arshad Khalid, 28, of Alora, S. Hoadedhdhoo, has been arrested. At the time, the state charged him due to links to nine kilograms of drugs and MVR 4.2 million that were seized by the police. Late last year, the police seized 119 kg of drugs in another drug operation, linked him to the drugs, and attempted to arrest him. However, he had already left the country by then. Click here to read…

Myanmar

More Than 40 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Two Days of Resistance Attacks – the Irrawaddy

Over 40 Myanmar junta forces were reportedly killed in the last two days as People’s Defense Force (PDF) groups continued to attack regime targets in Sagaing, Magwe, Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions and Chin State. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Jails and Files Cases Against Journalists – the Irrawaddy

Myanmar junta’s media crackdown has continued with one journalist being sentenced to three years in jail for incitement while two charges were filed against an editor last week. Detained political columnist U Sithu Aung Myint was sentenced to three years in prison with labor by a special court inside Insein Prison in Yangon on October 5 for alleged incitement under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Uses Japan-Donated Ships to Transport Troops in Rakhine: HRW – the Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime used ships donated by Japan for civilian use to transport troops in war-torn northern Rakhine State, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. The rights watchdog called on the Japanese government to suspend non-humanitarian aid to Myanmar and sanction junta officials linked with serious human rights violations. Click here to read…

Nepal

‘Govt committed to providing citizenship to NRNs’ – the Himalayan Times

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said the incumbent government was committed to providing citizenship to Non-Resident Nepalis as per the constitutional provision.At a programme organised by the Non Resident Nepalis Association on the occasion of its establishment day here today, Home Minister Khand recalled that the bill on citizenship had not been authenticated by the president though the bill was passed twice by the federal Parliament. He added that the bill was passed with the purpose of granting citizenship to all Nepali citizens and also to give citizenship to the NRNs as per the constitution. Click here to read…

Government to utilise knowledge of elderly – The Himalayan Times

The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens has invited applications from eligible non-governmental organisations to receive grants for construction and operation of senior citizens’ meeting centre.According to the notice published on it website, the MoWCSC said the applications along with required documents should be submitted to the ministry before October-end. The MoWCSC said the NGOs would be selected on the basis of provisions mentioned in the Senior Citizens’ Meeting Centre Grant Procedure, 2022. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Stage set for major reshuffle in top military brass: Dawn

The promoted generals, according to ISPR, are Maj Gen Inam Haider Malik, Maj Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Maj Gen Nauman Zakria, Maj Gen Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, Maj Gen Ayman Bilal Safdar, Maj Gen Ahsan Gulrez, Maj Gen Syed Aamer Raza, Maj Gen Shahid Imtiaz, Maj Gen Mohammad Munir Afsar, Maj General Babar Iftikhar, Maj Gen Yousaf Jamal, and Maj Gen Kashif Nazir. Click here to read…

Editorial: Much-needed probe: Dawn

Last evening, there were several tweets from the president’s official Twitter handle to ‘clarify’ that there was no change in his views on the matter, that he very much had suspicions about a conspiracy. In the TV interview, he said he had already requested the Supreme Court to launch an inquiry and while he did not expect any “smoking gun”, he believed it should take “circumstantial evidence” into account. He also asserted on air that he was impartial in his role as president and that his affiliation with the PTI — of which he is one of the founders — was in the past. Click here to read…

Civilian, democratically elected govt main interlocutor of Pak-US: Ned Price: The News

The US appreciates the longstanding cooperation with Pakistan, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday. He said Pakistan and the US governments share common interests in many areas.

“We value our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan. There are a number of areas where our interests are aligned,” he said, addressing a press briefing at the State Department in Washington. Click here to read…

Unemployment, inflation to rise: IMF: The News

Without incorporating the impact of recent floods, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kept Pakistan’s GDP growth projection at 3.5 percent for the current fiscal year 2022-23 against 6 percent growth achieved in the last financial year. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

President’s office strikes at Bandula, says SL will remain ’middle income’: Daily Mirror

Contradicting Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardane, President’s Media Division (PMD) said Sri Lanka will remain a middle-income country.
The PMD said in a statment that the government is pursuing a “reverse graduation” policy for a limited period of time. Click here to read…

Import, Export Control Act to be submitted to parliament for approval: Daily Mirror

The regulations under the Import and Export Control Act will be submitted for parliament approval in due course after Cabinet nod for the same was given this week. Approval for the gazette issued in September will be sought to pave the way for migrant workers to import electrical vehicles. The allowance is made by the government as a means to encourage Sri Lankans working overseas to remit foreign earnings via legal and formal channels into the country. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Uzbekistan President Suggests Forming Intl Group to Coordinate with Kabul: Tolo News

Speaking at the 6th CICA Summit Astana 2022, the president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, suggested the establishment of an international group to arrange and coordinate with the Afghan authorities. Click here to read…

Ministry Says Media Law is Essential, Urges Its Approval Be Expedited: Tolo News

The head of publications in the Ministry of Information and Culture said he considers the mass media law to be a necessity and that this law should be approved as soon as possible. The head of publications added that in a meeting of the Media Violations Commission there have been violations by eleven media outlets. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh defends latest UN resolution vote against Russia: Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh on Wednesday voted in favour of a UN resolution that condemned Russia’s “illegal” annexation of four Ukrainian regions last month, at the 11th emergency special session of the UNGA on the Russia-Ukraine war. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Local growers worried as Centre decides to import areca from Bhutan – The Hindu

Areca growers of Malnad region are up in arms over the recent Central government decision to import green arecanuts from Bhutan. The unconditional consent to import 17,000 metric tons of arecanuts will bring down the price in the local market, they fear. Growers, who are already facing difficulties due to yellow-leaf disease and leaf spot disease, that brought down the yield significantly in many parts of the region, are planning protests against the move. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has called for a protest march in Shivamogga on October 14 on this issue. Click here to read…

Bhutan brings business back to Jaigaon – Telegraph India

The reopening of Bhutan’s land borders with India after a gap of two-and-a-half years has made Jaigaon — that sits on the international border — a bustling town once again. After March 2020, when the Himalayan kingdom had closed its land borders for passenger movement because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy in Jaigaon took a hit as the town had flourished because of demand from Bhutan. Click here to read…

Maldives

Fitch Revises the Maldives’ Outlook to Negative; Affirms at ‘B-‘ – Fitch Ratings

The Outlook revision reflects our assessment that tightening global financial conditions are intensifying the Maldives’ external liquidity strains, even though tourism has made a remarkable recovery to pre-pandemic levels. A sharp decline in foreign-exchange buffers, if sustained, could complicate the government’s external debt-servicing and maintenance of the currency peg to the US dollar. Click here to read…

Maldives wins a seat at the UN Human Rights Council – Raajje

Maldives won in the voting held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. The election saw 17 countries competing for 14 vacant seats. The Maldives competed in the Group of Asia-Pacific States, for one of the 4 vacant seats. The Maldives won with 154 votes, out of a total of 189 votes cast. Along with the Maldives, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan also won seats in the Asia-Pacific Group. Click here to read…

Myanmar

The Dominance Of The Myanmar Military Is Under Challenge Now – Eurasia Review

The Myanmar military seized power in a coup by toppling democratically elected government in February 1, 2021. In 2020 election, National League for Democracy had a landslide victory and was preparing to lead the democratic government for the second time in Myanmar’s recent history. People spontaneously came out to protest against military takeover. Myanmar is currently in a state of civil war and the army is desperate to control the conflict and has increased the level of torture and oppression on the people. Click here to read…

Challenges Await New Contractor as India Rejigs Plan for Completion of Kaladan Project in Myanmar – The Irrawaddy

The Indian government has fine-tuned plans to complete the delayed Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, considered crucial for New Delhi’s ambitious Act East Policy. A corpus of 17.8 billion rupees (US$216.32 million) has been earmarked for completion of the stalled project in Myanmar’s troubled Chin State contiguous to the Indian border state of Mizoram. The estimated cost will be adjusted owing to fluctuations or change in the availability of essential commodities required for the project. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal votes in favour of UN resolution to condemn referendums in Ukraine – Kathmandu Post

Nepal on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of four Ukrainian areas by conducting a referendum within Ukraine, at the United Nations General Assembly. According to the United Nations news, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums” in regions within Ukraine’s internationally-recognized borders, and demands it reverses its annexation declaration. Click here to read…

Major changes unlikely in Nepal-China ties during Xi’s third term – Kathmandu Post

The 20th plenum of the Chinese Communist Party scheduled to begin on October 16 in Beijing is expected to give a third presidential term to the incumbent, Xi Jinping. Over 2,292 party delegates will also select the CPC’s Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) as well as a new Cabinet for the next five years. Click here to read…

Pakistan

IMF team due in November for next review: Dawn

The Inter¬national Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday that it would send a team to Pakistan early next month to start the process for the next review of their current programme. Click here to read…

US sees China, not Russia, as ‘biggest geopolitical challenge’: Dawn

The 48-page document, released on Wednesday evening, does mention terrorism and other geo-strategic threats in the South and Central Asian region, but unlike the recent past, it does not name Pakistan as an ally needed to tackle those threats. Pakistan was also absent from the 2021 strategy paper. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

SL to set up climate change Uni – President Wickremesinghe: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka is to set up a climate change university soon, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Speaking during an interview with Leader TV, the President said he will send former Maldivian President Mohamed Bashir as his convoy together with advisor on Climate Change Erik Solheim to a number of countries to get support from.various nations for the proposed university and to minimise effects of climate change. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Imposing Sanctions Does Not Benefit Kabul, Washington: Islamic Emirate: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate reacted to the new sanctions imposed by the US on the members of the Islamic Emirate, saying that such sanctions do not benefit Kabul and Washington. The US Department of State announced on Tuesday new restrictions on the “issuance of visas for the current or former Taliban members, members of non-state security groups, and other individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, repressing women and girls in Afghanistan through restrictive policies and violence Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Indian President: Dhaka, Delhi connectivity improved with Maitri Setu on Feni River: Dhaka Tribune

President of India Droupadi Murmu has said that connectivity between Bangladesh and India has increased with the construction of Maitri Setu over Feni River. At the same time, she said, it has become convenient for entrepreneurs of India’s Tripura state to use the ports of Chittagong and Ashuganj. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India looking forward to expanding cooperation: Sitharaman tells Bhutan FM: Business Standard

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Bhutan counterpart Lyonpo Namgay Tshering in Washington on Wednesday and expressed India’s wish to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries including hydropower, COVID-19 assistance, among other issues. Click here to read…

Maldives

The Maldives wins UN Human Rights Council seat: Avas

The Maldives has won a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council at the elections held Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Tuesday’s election saw 17 countries competing for 14 vacant seats. The Maldives competed in the Group of Asia-Pacific States, for one of the 4 vacant seats. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Former Myanmar army general Shwe Mann dissolves his political party: Myanmar Now

Former general Thura Shwe Mann disbanded his political party on Wednesday morning, more than one-and-a-half years after Myanmar’s military coup and ahead of promises of a junta-controlled election allegedly taking place in August 2023. He announced in a statement that the central executive committee (CEC) members of the Union Betterment Party (UBP) had unanimously decided to dissolve the party, which he founded in April 2019 ahead of Myanmar’s general election in late 2020. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal votes in favour of UN resolution to condemn referendums in Ukraine: The Kathmandu Post

Nepal on Wednesday voted in favor of a resolution condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of four Ukrainian areas by conducting a referendum within Ukraine, at the United Nations General Assembly. Click here to read…

Pakistan

UN sees major gap between pledges and flood relief aid: Dawn

United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Julien Harneis said on Wednesday that aid pledges made by UN member states towards the 2022 flood response plan for Pakistan were not converting into commitment as quickly as they were a couple of weeks ago. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

SL abstains from UN vote condemning Russia’s ’annexation’ of parts of Ukraine: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka on Thursday abstained as the UN General Assembly voted to adopt a resolution condemning Russia’s “attempted illegal annexations” of the four Ukrainian regions following a “referendum”. The resolution, which declared that “attempted illegal annexation” of the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine have no validity under international law, was adopted by a 143-5 vote in the 193-member General Assembly. Thirty-five countries, including Sri Lanka, India, China and Pakistan abstained. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

The Future of Political Islam in North Africa

Political Islam is the means and instruments of global Islamic resurgence where through systematic implementation of the Shariah, Muslims will once again restore global leadership and moral sovereignty. The Arab Spring of 2011 which started in Tunisia, transformed North Africa, and spread across many Arab countries, was led by the Islamists with the goal of achieving political Islam in the region and beyond. It started well as entire North Africa particularly Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Libya swept away by Islamists. However, approximately a year later the counter revolution started in Egypt, followed by in Tunisia where Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Nahda respectively were ousted from power. With the electoral loss in Morocco in 2021 , now Islamists have lost power in entire North Africa. As these loses have put a serious question mark on the feasibility of the project “political Islam” in the region, India has lot to ponder over, including the seemingly improbable re-ascendance of political Islam in the region and its implication for country’s food, water and energy security.

NEWS

With Erdogan set for another tour, Turkey deepens ties with Africa

East Africa’s largest indoor arena in Rwanda; a national mosque in Ghana; an army base in Somalia; and an almost 400km-long railway project which would help give landlocked Ethiopia direct access to major trade routes through the port of Djibouti. These are just some of Turkey’s increasingly growing footprints across sub-Saharan Africa. Click here to read…

Cape Verde heads to polls in general election

Cape Verdeans are heading to the polls in their general election, with seven presidential candidates in the running. The two front-runners are Carlos Veiga and José Maria Neves – both of whom are former prime ministers. Click here to read…

The Gambia’s democratic transition is facing a litmus test

The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections will be the most consequential in The Gambia’s history. Click here to read…

Protesters demand military coup as crisis deepens

Opponents of Sudan’s transition to democracy took to the streets of Khartoum on Saturday to call on the army to take control of the country. Click here to read…

Polisario Front leader vows attacks on Morocco will continue

The leader of Western Sahara’s Polisario Front said that the independence-seeking Saharawi army will continue attacking Moroccan positions in the disputed northwestern African territory unless a United Nations-appointed envoy is given a clear mandate to deliver on a self-determination vote. Click here to read…

DR Congo to set up new national airline “Air Congo”

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is preparing to set up “in the coming days” a new national aviation company called “Air Congo”, DRC’s Ministry of Transport said Sunday. Click here to read…

Tanzania races to develop natural gas reserves

Tanzania is accelerating efforts to join the prestigious Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exporters club. After negotiations with oil companies stalled in 2019, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has restarted them. Click here to read…

Fespaco: Pomp and colour as Africa’s biggest film festival starts

The 27th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco) is under way in Burkina Faso’s capital. Click here to read…

Can African tech giant Jumia deliver on its promise?

It could not have got off to a much better start for Jumia’s historic stock market listing. The hoopla on the day it became the first Africa-focussed tech firm to list on the New York Stock Exchange was massive. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

MoS V. Muraleedharan to visit Sudan and South Sudan

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan will pay an official visit to the Republic of the Sudan on October 18 – 19, 2021 and to the Republic of South Sudan on October 20 – 22, 2021. This will be his first visit to both the countries. Click here to read…

Indian exporters to explore wider opportunities for business with Mauritius

Indian businesses will get a chance to explore wider prospects of trade and investment opportunities in Mauritius, in the post Covid-19 scenario, during a virtual interaction to be held this week with the Indo-Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and officials from the Consulate of Mauritius in India. Click here to read…

KGK Group expands its footprint in Angola, further benefitting the region’s diamond industry

The KGK Group debuted in Angola by establishing a cutting-edge diamond manufacturing unit in Luanda in 2019. In continuation to its three years of operational success, now the group is proud to launch its new diamond manufacturing facility in Saurimo. Click here to read…

Gravita India opens doors of new aluminium plant in Mozambique

Gravita India’s subsidiary in Mozambique has started commercial production of aluminium from a new recycling plant with an annual capacity of around 4 000 tonnes. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

Another Day, Another Coup in West Africa

In the early morning of Sunday, heavy gunfire was heard near Guinea’s presidential palace, in capital Conakry, prompting fear of instability. This was followed by social media updates, where people of Guinea saw their President Mr. Condé being held in custody by some men in military attire. And then the leader of the group, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the head of Guinea’s special forces, appeared on television to announce that he has staged a coup and urged the armed forces to back him. Thereupon, the constitution, government and all institutions were dissolved with an announcement that a new “union” government would be formed in weeks. Click here to read

Latest News in Africa

Islamists Thrashed by Liberal Parties in Morocco election

Morocco’s moderate Islamist party suffered major losses in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, a stinging setback in one of the last countries where Islamists had risen to power after the Arab Spring protests. Click here to read

Kenya removed from piracy red list

The global shipping industry has removed Kenya maritime waters within the Indian Ocean from the piracy red list, 12 years after it was designated a high-risk area (HRA). The move will save Kenya and East Africa millions of shillings in insurance and other security expenses, and could open up Kenya’s ports for more business. Click here to read

Protests and Repression in eSwatini Intensify

Since protests broke out in June, the police, military and security forces in eSwatini have killed at least 70 protesters and injured many more. eSwatini is the last feudal dictatorship in Africa, a system described by the current king, 53-year-old Mswati III, as a monarchical democracy, giving prominence to the monarchy and all power vested on him and his parasitic family. Click here to read

In Zimbabwe, Late President Mugabe Book Set to Be Launched

A book that discusses the life of Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe, published by the Richard Mahomva led Leader for Africa Network (LAN) is set to be launched virtually by the SAPES Trust. The book will be titled ‘ Remembering Robert Mugabe- Politics, Legacy and Death’. Click here to read

ONGC is Exploring Some Stakes of Woodside Oil in Senegal

India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corp. is exploring a purchase of a significant minority stake in the $4 billion-plus Sangomar oil project off the coast of Senegal from Woodside Petroleum Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter. Click here to read

Nigeria struggles to find buyers for Oil Exports

Nigeria has sent a signal that the recovery in global oil demand still has some way to go, with volumes for next month’s loading struggling to find a home, even among its main customers. Nigeria has sent a signal that the recovery in global oil demand still has some way to go, with volumes for next month’s loading struggling to find a home, even among its main customers. Click here to read

Mauritius ex-PM flown to India for Covid treatment

Mauritius former PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam flew to Delhi on Wednesday (September 8) on a charter for urgent Covid treatment at AIIMS. His condition is learnt to be serious. Click here to read