Afghanistan

Contract for Extraction of Amu Darya Oil Signed with CPEIC: Tolo News

The contract for the extraction of oil from the Amu Darya basin was signed with a Chinese company, the CPEIC, on Thursday. The contract was signed at a ceremony in which senior members of the Islamic Emirate and the Chinese ambassador in Kabul Wang Yi participated. Speaking to the ceremony, the acting minister of mines and petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, said the first three years will be exploratory and that in this period more than $540 million will be invested. Click here to read…

Talking to Terrorist, Militant Groups, not an Option: Pakistani Interior Minister: The Khaama Press

Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented rise in terror activities throughout the country in the recent past, believe to have been planned and operated by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) based in Afghanistan.The common belief is that TTP has an ideological connection with the Afghan Taliban, the group currently ruling Afghanistan. Pakistani Taliban have conducted more than 100 terror attacks across Pakistan after their months-long ceasefire with the Pakistani government ended on November 28. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Hydropower imports from Nepal, Bhutan: Bangladesh for ‘visible’ Indian cooperation – The Daily Star

State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has sought “visible Indian cooperation” for importing hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan.He joined a bilateral meeting on electricity cooperation between Bangladesh and India in New Delhi on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Envoy: Indian companies to help manufacture agro machinery in Bangladesh – Dhaka Tribune

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma yesterday said steps will be taken so that Indian companies can set up factories and produce agricultural machinery in Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Kashi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh: Everything you need to know about world’s longest river cruise – Times of India

The river cruise from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, billed as the world’s longest, will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13. The luxury cruise with foreign tourists will cover around 3,200 km of 27 river systems including Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra and West Coast Canal in India in a span of 50 daysClick here to read…

Bhutan

Concerned but not shocked! – Kuensel Online

In the latest barrier to access to information, public servants could face disciplinary or even criminal sanctions if they share official information, even if the information is non-confidential in nature without authorisation from superiors. This was the new year’s gift from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in the form of its model public service code of conduct launched on December 30. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives welcomes Chinese decision to ease travel restrictions

The Government of the Republic of Maldives has welcomed the announcement made by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to end the Covid-19 restrictions for travelers. The Government of China announced that the Covid-19 restrictions for travelers announced in the country will be dissolved starting from 8 January 2023. The Government of China will re-open the country to those with work and study visas, or seeking to visit family, and will no longer implement quarantine measures. However, travelers going to China will require a negative test result within 48 hours of departure. Click here to read…

Myanmar

‘No guarantee’ that 7,012 prisoners released by Myanmar junta are truly free – jurist.org

Myanmar state broadcaster MRTV reported Wednesday that 7,012 prisoners, including political detainees, will be released by the military-controlled government of Myanmar in commemoration of the nation’s independence day. But a JURIST correspondent in Myanmar doubts that the announcement signals a positive trend for the junta. “We can’t expect much improvement because they do that [release prisoners] for show,” she told JURIST Thursday. Click here to read…

Min Aung Hlaing’s Mania for the Presidency Is Alive and Well—and May Soon Bear Fruit – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar military regime chief Min Aung Hlaing’s mania for the presidency is increasingly unchecked and, infuriatingly for the Myanmar people, grows more visible with each passing day. In recent days, they have cringed at the sight of the coup leader dressed in presidential attire handing out decorations to those who have earned his favor, at commemorations of New Year and the country’s 75th Independence Day. Then, he attended a grand military review, putting on airs and posing as the country’s legitimate president. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta sentences teacher to death on murder, terror charges – Myanmar Now

A junta-controlled court sentenced a primary school teacher to death last Friday for his alleged role in the killing of a suspected military informant in Ayeyarwady Region’s Myan Aung Township more than a year ago, according to sources. Kaung Khant Kyaw, 25, was sentenced after being found guilty of murder and terrorism in connection with the shooting death of Win Myint Aung, also known as Gyat Gyi, in the Myan Aung village of Thapyay Kone in October 2021. Click here to read…

Nepal

Controversy in Nepal over China’s BRI project – The Statesman

A controversy has erupted in Nepal over Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu unilaterally declared that the Pokhara International Airport is a “flagship project of China-Nepal BRI cooperation”. At a time when Nepali and Chinese officials themselves admitted that not a single project under the BRI, the multi-billion dollar flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been signed in Nepal under the BRI framework, a recent announcement made by the Chinese side in Kathmandu has courted a huge controversy. Click here to read…

Trust vote: Hectic parleys in Nepal – The Tribune

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has intensified negotiations with other parties to secure the required majority votes ahead of a vote of confidence in Parliament next week. The Prachanda-led coalition requires at least 138 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives to survive the vote of confidence. Prachanda claims that he has the support of 169 lawmakers. Click here to read…

PM Dahal directs supplies secretary to cut fuel prices – The Kathmandu Post

The prime minister summoned Toya Narayan Gyawali, commerce and supplies secretary, to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and directed him to cut fuel prices, citing a price drop in the international market and revised pricelist of the Indian Oil Corporation. PM Dahal instructed the secretary to lower the fuel prices to provide relief to consumers. Click here to read…

Pakistan

PM steps in to break deadlock with IMF: The Express Tribune

In a bid to break the deadlock, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday made a telephonic call to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and urged her to relax conditions regarding increase in energy prices and imposition of more taxes. Click here to read…

Parvez Elahi distances himself from JIT probe into Imran Khan Attack: The News

Informed sources said that from the constitution of a JIT and all those assisting it, the Chief Minister has not interfered and let the PTI leaders appoint their choice officers as its members. From the very beginning, the Chief Minister did not agree with Imran Khan’s nominations of those who he alleged were behind an attempt on his life. A senior PMLQ source, when approached, sounded upset with the “conspiracy theories” of PTI. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India to support Sri Lanka uplift dairy sector – Daily News

A meeting took place between Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (04).The discussions focussed on raising national milk production and providing necessary technical support to the production of liquid milk in Sri Lanka together with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India and Amul Milk Company. Click here to read…

No action from govt. on most pressing concerns of Tamils, says TNA – The Hindu

Citing the “lack of any action” by the government on Tamils’ urgent demands, Sri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said it would “rethink” its decision to engage in talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, unless his government reports “actual progress” at the next scheduled discussion on January 10. Click here to read…

Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Sri Lanka this month – Daily Mirror

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is slated to visit Sri Lanka this month for two days for bilateral talks, Daily Mirror learns. However, the final dates of the visit are still being worked out. This is his first visit to Sri Lanka after President Ranil Wickremesinghe took office in July, last year. During the crisis period, Sri Lanka and India had made key engagements and framed a four-point package including a line of credit to import food, medicines and fuel. India has already extended US $ 4 billion finance assistance in terms of loans, deferment of payments and currency swap arrangements. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Islamic Emirate Rejects US Official’s Remarks on Its Commitments: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate rejected the remarks by US State Department spokesman Ned Price and said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to all its promises.The deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Bilal Karimi, said there is no evidence to show that Afghan soil will be used against any other count“All territory of the country is controlled by the Islamic Emirate and there is no evidence to show that there is any action from our country towards other countries and their activities,” Karimi said. Click here to read…

TTP Threatens Top Pakistani Leadership Weeks after Ending Ceasefire: The Khaama Press

Pakistani Taliban warned the country’s main ruling parties of “concrete action” for “declaring war” against it, according to sources, months after the group ended ceasefire. A statement released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, on Wednesday explicitly named Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Sharif is the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which along with Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are the main coalition partners in the government. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

High Commissioner Pranay Verma calls on Bangladesh I&B Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud – NewsOnAIR

Talking to the media after the meeting, High Commissioner Pranay Verma said that they discussed a wide range of issues including those related to the Information and Broadcasting sector. He said that Information and Broadcasting Ministries of both sides play a very important role through the exchange of media including film and television. Click here to read…

Bangladesh: Hindu activist Rakesh Roy sentenced to 7 years in jail over ‘blasphemy’ case, Roy says he was framed – OpIndia

Rakesh Roy, a Bangladeshi Hindu and the organising secretary of Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, was sentenced to a rigorous seven-year prison term by Sylhet Cyber Tribunal judge Abu Kashem. In addition to serving a prison sentence, a fine of Taka 1 Lakh has also been imposed on him. Click here to read…

Bangladesh reiterates call for Rohingya repatriation – New Age

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the next election would be held as per country’s constitution and there was no problem if foreign observers came to monitor elections. ‘The next election will be held as per the constitution,’ prime minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted her as saying while briefing reporters after four MPs of the British All-Party Parliamentary Group called on her at Prime Minister’s Office. Click here to read…

Bhutan

NBR allows imports from Bhutan through Akhaura land port – The Business Standard

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has released a new list of importable products which allows the import of all products from Bhutan (except potatoes and yarn) through Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria. A few new products have been added to the list published on Wednesday. The newly added products include marble chips, sesame, fly ash and a few other things. Click here to read…

India-Bhutan relationship: A testimony of friendship and camaraderie – The Print

The relationship between India and Bhutan is based on the pillars of trust, goodwill and mutual understanding. The two neighbours have a close civilisational, cultural and economic relationship that dates back centuries. Bhutan considers India as gyagar, meaning the holy land, as Buddhism originated in India, which is the religion followed by the majority of BhutaneseClick here to read…

Maldives

Research conducted on connecting India and Maldives to a single grid – Avas

India’s Power Ministry said in its annual summary published on December 27 that a team from India had visited the Maldives to conduct research under the ‘One World, One Sun, One Grid’ initiative to interconnect India’s power grid with other countries’ power grids. The team researched ways to link India and the Maldives in one grid via the islands of Lakshadweep. Click here to read…

Maldives welcomes 1.67 million tourists in 2022 – Raajje

Maldives Immigration has disclosed that the Maldives welcomed 1.67 million tourist in 2022. According to the statistics publicized by Maldives Immigration, 184،051 tourists were welcomed to the Maldives in December 2022. Looking at the monthly statistics publicized by the Ministry of Tourism, 131,764 tourists were welcomed during January, 149,008 tourist arrivals during February, 150,739 tourists welcomed during March and 145,280 tourists welcomed during April. 125,522 tourists were welcomed during May followed by 110,889 tourists in June and 133,561 tourists welcomed during July. In August, Maldives welcomed 131,862 tourists, followed by 111,986 in September. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar allocates 170 billion kyat for small and medium enterprises – Mizzima

Military junta’s Deputy Union Minister of Planning and Finance Maung Maung Win said that his government granted allocation of 170 billion kyat for establishing a MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Development Fund from its supplementary budget for 2022-23 financial year. Click here to read…

Myanmar’s Military Junta Takes Step Toward Controversial Election – The Diplomat

Speaking during a ceremony in Naypyidaw yesterday marking the 75th anniversary of Myanmar’s independence from Great Britain, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing urged the Myanmar people and the wider world to support the election. He described it as an important step toward what the military establishment refers to as “the genuine, discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system.” Click here to read…

Myanmar junta marks 75th year of independence with show of force in Naypyitaw – Mizzima

Myanmar troops and weaponry paraded through the military-built capital Naypyidaw to mark the country’s Independence Day Wednesday, 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. The junta, which recently wrapped up a series of closed-court trials of Aung San Suu Kyi, says it is preparing for fresh elections later this year that the United States has said would be a “sham.” Click here to read…

Nepal

Dahal meets Nepal seeking support for vote of confidence – The Kathmandu Post

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting with CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal on Wednesday. During the meeting the prime minister sought the support of the Unified Socialist for the upcoming vote of confidence. The party has 10 members in the 275-member House of Representatives. Earlier, the Unified Socialist, which had decided to unify the party with Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Centre) after the elections, had remained undecided on whether to join the Dahal-led ruling coalition. But Dahal had been insisting that the party come on board. Click here to read…

Nepal villagers again pelt stones on Indian side of Kali river in Uttarakhand – Hindustan Times

Villagers from Nepal have again pelted stones on the Indian side at the Indo-Nepal border in the Dharchula area of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, officials said on Wednesday. The incident occurred when labourers on the Indian side were building an embankment on the Indian side of Kali river, which acts as the border between Nepal and India, on Tuesday evening. Click here to read…

Nepal to receive 1.5 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine – The Himalayan

Nepal is all set to receive 1.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines (for booster dose) from the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) next month. According to the government, the GAVI has confirmed dispense of such quantity of vaccine to Nepal on February 2. The vaccine will be arriving in the Himalayan Nation in the first week of February. Click here to read…

Sources: China-Nepal to meet on belt and road initiative– Wion News

China is keenly looking at increasing its stakes in South Asia and now Nepal is on its radar. Sources say a high-level Chinese delegation will be visiting Kathmandu next week, and the focus of their visit will be the belt and road initiative. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan banks on Saudi Arabia to avoid default: The Express Tribune

At a joint press conference with the government’s economic team, Dar showed his commitment to the IMF programme but at the same time stressed that he would not take any steps that would put a burden on the people. At the presser, Dar did not say categorically that the National Security Committee (NSC) clearly backed the IMF programme plan. Click here to read…

PTI’s white paper paints ‘bleak’ economic picture: The Express Tribune

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has painted a bleak picture of the economy as it released a white paper on the economic situation of the country, blaming the PML-N led coalition government of pushing the economy into a tailspin.The white paper, which was unveiled on Tuesday at a ceremony in Lahore, said inflation had increased by 45 per cent during the last eight months under the coalition government.The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the inflation monitor, rose by 24.5% in December compared to the same period of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Monday. Click here to read…

PMLN MPAs told to be in Lahore for assembly session: The News

These directions were passed to the party MPAs in a meeting held under the chair of Federal Interior Minister and party’s Punjab president Rana Sanaullah Khan here on Wednesday.The meeting discussed in detail the possibility that the CM of Punjab may try to take a vote of confidence during the assembly session called on January 9, 2023. The meeting also discussed the present numbers game. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka crisis: Parents forced to pick which child can go to school – BBC

Six months ago, Sri Lanka was in the eye of the storm for its worst economic crisis since independence. While calm has largely returned to the island nation, the full impact of mass unemployment and dramatic price rises is now visible among many families. Today Malki’s first day back at school and she wants to be spotless. But her siblings must stay at home – her family can only afford to send her. Click here to read…

UN assures crisis-hit Sri Lanka with financial, technical support – Siasat

UN Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja has assured Sri Lanka with UN’s financial and technical support as the South Asian island country attempted to recover from an economic crisis. Click here to read…

Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka on rise despite economic crisis – THBL

Sri Lanka received over 7,00,000 tourists in 2022 despite the ongoing economic and political situation in the island nation which is recovering from the worst economic crisis in decades. This marks a significant increase from the pandemic hit in 2021. In 2021, the tourist arrivals were under 195,000, according to Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Click here to read…

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

Restrictions on Banking System an Obstacle for Investors: ACCI: Tolo News

The business community said that restrictions on the banking system in Afghanistan have challenged investors, leaving them with many problems in their businesses. According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), withdrawals for investors have been restricted to the purchase of food and basic materials required for running their businesses. Withdrawals for decoration of offices, clothes, and other relevant materials are not processed, said ACCI officials. Click here to read…

Pakistan Delegation to Visit Afghanistan This Week: Tolo News

A delegation from Pakistan comprised of religious scholars and tribal elders is visiting Afghanistan this week, local officials in the Chaman area in Pakistan confirmed to TOLOnews. The visit is expected to discuss recent tensions raised between the Islamic Emirate and Pakistani forces along the Durand Line, according to some members of the delegation. “We are going to Afghanistan. Those in Afghanistan are our brothers. The same are the governor and other leaders. We talk to them because the (Spin Boldak-Chaman) crossing is closed often due to clashes,” said Sardar Barat, a member of the delegation.Click here to read…

UN Security Council Holds a Session on Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The UN Security Council held a session on Afghanistan today emphasizing the way forward through a more pluralistic polity, where all Afghans, especially women and minorities, could see themselves represented. In a briefing to the United Nation’s Security Council earlier today, the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva said the only war forward for Afghanistan is to form an inclusive government where everyone, particularly women and minorities could seem themselves represented. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Dhaka for increasing capacity of land ports on India-Bangladesh border – Dhaka Tribune

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday called for increasing the capacities of the land ports on the India-Bangladesh border. “India is a close friend and a major trading partner of Bangladesh. There is a huge demand for Bangladeshi products in the Indian market. Bangladesh is now able to export international quality products at relatively low prices. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the capacities of the land ports on the India-Bangladesh border,” he said. Click here to read…

Dhaka considering pros, cons of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said Bangladesh is looking into the “pros and cons” of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to determine if Bangladesh will benefit from joining it. “Recently, there has been debate about the Quad and Indo-Pacific Economic (Framework). To understand the issue, we have requested BIISS to look into it. I am thankful to them. They have submitted one report on it,” Momen saidClick here to read…

Iranian Deputy FM Ali Bagheri due Thursday – Dhaka Tribune

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani is scheduled to arrive here on Thursday morning to discuss bilateral and other issues of mutual interest with Bangladesh. In November, the Iranian said Foreign Office Consultation and meeting of Joint Economic Commission should be held at mutually convenient time to further strengthen relations in the field of trade, investment, economy, energy, chemical fertilizer and food security. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Import bill to hit over Nu 100B this year – Kuensel online

If the country imported Nu 30 billion (B) worth of goods in the last three months this year, the import bill would hit over Nu 120B. The total import bill at Nu 93.03B as of September this year already surpassed one-year’s import of Nu 90.23B in 2021. About 70 percent was imported from India. The value of exports, including electricity, stood at Nu 44.9B. Click here to read…

Maldives

India & Maldives hold 6th Joint Staff Talks in New Delhi – News On Air

The 6th Joint Staff Talks between India and the Maldives were held in New Delhi yesterday, December 20. The meeting was conducted in a friendly, warm and extremely cordial atmosphere. Discussions focused on the ongoing and new initiatives under the ambit of the existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanism of all three services and further strengthening the engagements. Click here to read…

Maldives Completes IMF Consultation for 2022 – Mirage News

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Maldives. Maldives’ economic activity rebounded strongly from the pandemic-induced contraction, supported by the authorities’ decisive policy measures. Real GDP growth recovered sharply to 37 percent in 2021 from the unprecedented contraction of 33.5 percent in 2020, as tourism activities bounced back. Inflation has risen but is contained due to price subsidies. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Two New Potential Game-Changers in Myanmar’s Crisis – The Irrawaddy

The bill recently passed by the US Congress, known broadly as the 2022 Burma Act, which allows the US government to provide technical support and non-military assistance to engage with groups opposing the military junta in Naypyitaw, combined with the arrival of incoming ASEAN chair Indonesia, could be a game-changer for the Myanmar crisis, which is soon to enter its third year. Click here to read…

Trial of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi enters final phase – Thai PBS World

A junta court will hear the final arguments in the 18-month-long trial of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi next week, a legal source said Tuesday, before reaching its final verdicts against the Nobel laureate. Suu Kyi has been a prisoner since the military toppled her government in February 2021, ending the Southeast Asian nation’s brief period of democracy. Click here to read…

IFC Divests from Yoma Bank After Myanmar Military Links Exposed – The Irrawaddy

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has divested from Yoma Bank after its business with military companies was exposed, according to activist group Justice For Myanmar (JFM). Divestment by the IFC, the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries, came after JFM revealed Yoma Bank’s dealings with the military and its conglomerates. Click here to read…

Nepal

Gagan Thapa lone challenger to Sher Bahadur Deuba – The Himalayan

Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa, who is from the Shekhar Koirala faction of the party, became the only opponent to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba in the contest for the parliamentary party leader. The NC will elect its parliamentary party leader tomorrow. Of the seven national political parties, the NC is the only party that will have to hold election to choose its parliamentary party leader. Other parties decided on their PP leader unanimously. Click here to read…

Nepal blacklists 16 Indian pharma cos – The Tribune

Nepal’s drug regulatory authority has blacklisted 16 Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Divya Pharmacy which manufactures yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali products, stating that they failed to comply with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) drug-manufacturing standards. In April and July this year, the department sent a team of drug inspectors to India to inspect the manufacturing facilities of pharmaceutical companies that had applied to supply their products to Nepal. Click here to read…

Nepal makes over Rs11 billion selling power to India – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal earned over Rs11 billion by selling excess power to India from early June to this week, the Nepal Electricity Authority said on Monday. The high income suggests electricity has emerged as a major export item. In early November last year, India had for the first time allowed Nepal to sell electricity in the Indian market via a competitive bidding process. But after exporting for a few weeks, Nepal stopped selling power to India in December amid reduction in power generation in the dry season. Exports resumed this year with the start of monsoon in early June. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Punjab on the brink of another constitutional crisis: Dawn

Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan on Tuesday termed “illegal, against the provisions of the Constitution and thus stand disposed of” the Punjab governor’s orders directing Chief Minister Parvez Elahi to seek a vote of confidence in a special assembly session to show he still commands a majority. In his two-page ruling, the speaker maintained that the governor’s orders were not in accordance with Article 54(3) and Article 127. “The house is in session since Oct 23, 2022, and under Article 54(3) and 127. No fresh session can be convened unless and until the current one ends,” the order read. Click here to read…

Editorial: An audacious attack: Dawn

WE are witnessing the rapid unravelling of Pakistan’s anti-terrorism policy, and can expect an escalating human and material cost. On Sunday, in their most audacious attack yet since late November when they called off their tenuous ceasefire with the government, 33 TTP militants detained inside the Bannu Counter-Terrorism Department centre managed to overpower their interrogators and take a number of law-enforcement personnel hostage. Click here to read…

Pakistan identifies $8.2b flood funding gap: The Express Tribune

The $8.2 billion gap appeared too large to be filled in the Geneva conference amid low response to the UN’s $816 million emergency appeal, high risks of Pakistan’s sovereign default, and possible derailment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme because of imprudent economic policies. The planning ministry has finalised the resilient, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction framework, dubbed as 4RF, showing a financing gap of $8.2 billion. The framework has been developed with the help of the Asian Development Bank, European Union, UN Development Programme, and World Bank Group. Click here to read…

‘Pakistan in a fix on Afghan strategy’: The Express Tribune

Background discussions with the people dealing with the matter told The Express Tribune that despite apparent friction in ties with Kabul, Pakistan has no option but to seek engagement with the Afghan Taliban regime. The incidents of the last few weeks have put Pakistan’s relationship with the Afghan Taliban in jeopardy. Islamabad was already upset over Kabul’s failure to tackle the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the border clashes in Chaman further deepened the crisis. Click here to read…

IMF asks for passing on Rs65bn burden to power consumers: The News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to pass on Rs65 billion to consumers of electricity which has been deferred in the shape of Fuel Price Adjustments (FPA) during the peak of last summer season. Out of the total outstanding amount of Rs65 billion on account of deferment of FPA in the electricity bills in the current fiscal year, the government has agreed with the IMF that Rs 55billion would be passed on to consumers and that would be recovered through bills. The remaining Rs10 billion would be absorbed through allocation of subsidy amount. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Unity between Indian Ocean, Asian and African countries vital to face global problems: President – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that in order to face the global problems that may arise in the future, there should be unity between the Indian Ocean as well as Asian and African countries. The President said that since the impact of the Ukraine-Russia war may be felt in the future, the country should also work towards self-sufficiency by establishing food security. Click here to read…

9 Sri Lankans arrested in Tamil Nadu for attempt to revive LTTE: NIA – Hindustan Times

NIA has registered at least four cases since last year to probe conspiracy by several LTTE cadres based in India and Sri Lanka to revive the activities of the banned outfit by indulging in arms smuggling, ferrying of drugs and using hawala for transfer of funds. Click here to read…

China’s promised rice donation delivered – Daily News

The Chinese Embassy in Colombo yesterday said that one million kilograms (10,000 metric tonnes) of rice donation promised by China have all been delivered to Sri Lanka with the last 1,000 MT reaching Colombo on Monday. The Embassy said that the donation of this rice stock will help support nutrition and studies of over one million students in 7,900 schools across the country. Click here to read…