Afghanistan

Taliban kill top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan – The Hindu

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh: Infinite possibilities, limited utilization – TBS

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

Bhutan

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

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

Maldives

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

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

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

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

Myanmar

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

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

Myanmar military gets new aviation fuel supplies despite abuses – Aljazeera

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

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

Local media reported that on February 9, Junta leaders, including International Cooperation Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Border Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr Thet Thet Khaing and Immigration and Population Minister U Myint Kyaing, visited Maungdaw on the Bangladesh border and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Since the military’s taking over power in 2020, this is the biggest step forward for Rohingya repatriation. Click here to read…

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

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to visit India – Daily News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

US National Security Council delegation visits Rohingya camps – Daily Star

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maldives

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

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

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

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

Myanmar

Myanmar’s domestic fuel prices fall slightly – Mizzima

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

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

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

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

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

USDP chairperson meets 37 political parties in Naypyitaw – Mizzima

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

Choking on politics – The News International

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