h5>Afghanistan

NRC Chief Urges West to Engage with Islamic Emirate: Tolo News

Jan Egeland, head of Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC, urged the West to engage with the Islamic Emirate. Egeland made the remarks in a special interview with TOLOnews. He pointed out to the recent decision of the Islamic Emirate regarding the ban on women from going to schools, universities and work, saying that such decision would affect Kabul relations with the international community.”I am sure we will find a solution. We found the solution in the past. We never left Afghanistan. The western forces did, the western diplomats did. I am also asking the western diplomats to engage more with the Taliban but again I don’t think it is gonna be in Doha then because what is said in Doha, is not what decided in Kabul and Kandahar,” Egeland said. Click here to read…

Delivering Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan to Continue: UN: The Khaama Press

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are committed to the delivery of life-saving services to the people of Afghanistan during these difficult times, a UN envoy for Afghanistan said on Thursday. In a media briefing, in New York, on Thursday, Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan said, despite the Taliban-run administration’s decision to ban women from working in non-governmental organizations, the UN and its partners will deliver the much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan during these tough times. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is an important country in South Asia: new Chinese envoy – New Age

Newly appointed ambassador of China to Bangladesh Yao Wen has described Bangladesh as the ‘Pearl of the Bay of Bengal, an important country in South Asia and a rapidly emerging economy’. ‘Bangladesh is playing an irreplaceable role in regional and international affairs,’ said the ambassador who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday evening to serve as the 16th ambassador of China to BangladeshClick here to read…

Bangladesh bars Russian vessel under US sanction from entering its territory – New Age

A Russian ship carrying a consignment for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project has been barred from entering Bangladeshi territory due to the sanctions of the United States on it. The incident surfaced at a time when the US and Russia were apparently engaged in a debate over the political developments in Bangladesh. Click here to read…

When will border killings stop? – Dhaka Tribune

There is no questioning the deep ties and friendship India and Bangladesh share, and have always shared, since our inception as a nation. There is no denying that India’s assistance during our Liberation War was the catalyst that helped us become a free nation. However, despite ties between the two countries remaining as strong as ever, it is disheartening to see just the alarming regularity with which we hear news of some Bangladeshi being shot at along the border. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Ramp up the surveillance systems – Kuensel Online

In the face of rising Covid-19 cases in the region, the Ministry of Health has advised the government and the public to step up safety measures. This is an important warning. We have gone through some difficult times. Lockdown is never a convenient measure, as we have experienced. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives taking precautions after threat to Indian High Commission: MEA

The government of Maldives has taken “swift action” after an Opposition leader called for an arson attack on the Indian High Commission in Male, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Maldives President In Sri Lanka On Private Visit

Prior to his departure the President kicked off his campaign for the upcoming presidential primary of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). He even met with the press after a long hiatus and answered numerous questions. Both President Solih and MDP leader and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed are running in the primary. The election is believed to be causing even deeper divisions within the party. Click here to read…

Myanmar

UNICEF Myanmar Humanitarian Situation Report No. 11, December 2022 – Relief Web

The number of people displaced nationally, including those in protracted situations, has continued to rise, exceeding 1.5 million as of 26 December 2022. UNICEF reached over 2.7 million children aged 6–59 months with support to the vitamin A supplementation campaign. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta supporters protest outside US and UK embassies – Mizzima

Supporters of the Myanmar junta held protests against the United States’ (US) ratification of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) outside the Yangon US embassy on University Avenue and the UK embassy on Strand Road. The 2022 Burma Act was part of the 2023 NDAA that was ratified into law by US President Biden on 23 December 2022. Click here to read…

Nepal

UML Chair Oli holding talks with Madhav Nepal – Khabarhub

In a bid to narrow down differences, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Nepal are holding a meeting on Friday. However, the time and place have not been decided yet. According to sources, the two leaders are meeting on Friday where they would discuss power-sharing and party unity. Click here to read…

Excited to work with new government in Nepal: India – The Hindu

India is “excited” about working with the new government in Nepal, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. “Our PM congratulated Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The Nepalese PM also responded and said he wants friendly relations. He talked about natural affinity. Both our countries have unique bilateral relations. We hope to work together with the new government of Nepal. We are excited to work with the new government,” Mr. Bagchi said. Click here to read…

US funds for Tibetans in India, Nepal – Tribune India

The US budget-2023, passed by the Congress last week, has a provision of USD 11 million for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and Tibetan communities living in India and Nepal. The budget has made available “not less than $8,000,000” for programmes to promote and preserve Tibetan culture and language for Tibetan communities residing in India and Nepal and “not less than $3,000,000” for programmes to strengthen the capacity of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). Click here to read…

Chinese reactions to Nepal’s election result – ORF Online

Despite the “communist victory” in Nepal, there seem to be some apprehensions within Chinese strategic circles about the stability of this new coalition government. Either due to the havoc wreaked by the ongoing COVID crisis or confounded by the complexity of Nepali politics, the Chinese reaction to Nepal’s election results, as evident from the debates and discussions in the Chinese internet circles, has been rather muted. Click here to read…

Nepal expresses satisfaction over SJVN hydro projects – Devdiscourse

Matters related to the development of hydropower in Nepal were also deliberated in the meeting, the statement.SJVN said its CMD is on an official visit to Nepal to review the execution of 900 MW Arun-3, 669 MW Lower Arun 490 MW Arun-4 hydro projects.The CMD also briefed the Deputy Prime Minister about the measures taken by his company to mitigate the impact of the global pandemic on the construction activities of the Arun-3 Project. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Presidential ordinance likely to bring mini-budget: The Express Tribune

Sources in the Ministry of Finance told The Express Tribune that it has been decided, in principle, to impose 1% to 3% import duties to raise around Rs60 billion in additional revenues. However, these duties might be imposed as a levy, which would keep the money outside the federal divisible pool and would not be distributed under the National Finance Commission Award. Due to its non-tax nature, the levy would also not be counted as part of the Federal Board of Revenue collection.
Click here to read…

Geneva moot to take up plight of flood-hit people: The Express Tribune

The prime minister expressed these views as he chaired a review meeting on the Resilient Pakistan Conference to be held in Geneva next month.
The premier said hundreds of lives and billions of dollars had been lost this year due to flash floods in Pakistan. He vowed to make every possible effort to accommodate the flood-struck population. Click here to read…

National Security Committee meets today: The News

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday (today) to discuss the security matters.The NSC meeting has been convened at the PM House, which would be attended by the defence minister, interior minister, foreign minister and finance minister as well as military chiefs, local media reported quoting sources. Click here to read…

Rising inflation, gas shortage, snap polls: PTI holds countrywide protest from today: The News

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced Thursday it would start a country-wide protest movement starting tomorrow (Friday) as the party seeks to force the coalition government into early elections. The PTI has been repeatedly calling for snap elections since ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster in April as it refuses to go back to the National Assembly and keeps on stressing that “early polls” are the only solution to the country’s ongoing crisis, reported local media. But the government has ruled out staging early polls and has told the PTI that given the current situation — floods, census, and new delimitation — the elections cannot be held before October. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

IS member connected with Sri Lanka Easter bomber held for links with Coimbatore blast suspects: NIA – Hindustan Times

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a member of terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) who was in touch with the mastermind of 2019 Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka, for his alleged links with suspects in the October 23 blast in Tamil Nadu’s CoimbatoreClick here to read…

Bankrupt Sri Lanka enters New Year with no clarity on bailout – Strait Times

Sri Lanka will hobble into 2023 with old problems it had hoped not to carry over into the New Year. The bankrupt country is nearing its deadline of end-December to get the bilateral approvals necessary for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with little good news. Click here to read…

Let’s unpack the query in ‘Tamil National Question’ – Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called all parties to get together and solve what he calls the ‘ethnic-problem’ that has remained ‘unresolved’ for decades. Meanwhile, parties that claim to represent ‘Tamil interests’ have put forward a set of demands: a) stop ‘land grabs in the Northern and Eastern Provinces by armed forces the state institutions while releasing all lands so acquired earlier by them in those two provinces, b) hold provincial council elections forthwith after implementing all provisions in the Constitutions and other laws in respect of power devolution, and c) implement power devolution under a federal framework through a new Constitution are the three demands. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

UN Official Urges Islamic Emirate to Lift Ban on Female Staff at NGOs: Tolo News

The UN deputy humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, Fran Equiza, in a meeting with Acting Minister of Public Health Qalandar Ibad called for “the Taliban ban on women working for NGOs and international NGOs to be lifted in its entirety.” “The ban will impact millions of the most vulnerable Afghans,” the UN official said. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in a phone call reaffirmed the importance of guaranteeing women’s rights and their full and equal participation in all aspects of life, a statement of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said.
Click here to read…

Pakistan faces disappointment on bilateral deals with the new regime in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

Recent events on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border make it clear that Pakistan’s decades old Afghanistan policy has failed. On 11 December 2022, Taliban forces in Afghanistan shelled a town just across the border in Pakistan, killing seven Pakistani civilians. Pakistan retaliated, killing one Taliban fighter and injuring ten Afghans. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “unprovoked shelling” by Afghan forces. On 15 December, the two sides exchanged artillery fire across the border, killing at least one Pakistani civilian and wounding 15 others. Both countries are today on the verge of war! These developments signal a turn in ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan and signals Pakistan’s loss of control over the Afghan Taliban, which is today a government in power. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

PM Hasina: Metro rail a unique milestone for Dhaka – Dhaka Tribune

After completing the giant Padma Bridge and the Bangabandhu tunnel this year, the government will now inaugurate a part of Bangladesh’s first-ever elevated metro rail on Wednesday as another feather in its cap. The Awami League has taken detailed preparations to make this historic moment memorable with the presence of a vast crowd along the streets from Diabari to Agargaon.Click here to read…

Minister: Delhi has assured Dhaka of smooth supply of essentials – Dhaka Tribune

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday said that India has assured Bangladesh of uninterrupted supply of essential goods round the year as New Delhi is setting an annual quota of exports to its immediate neighbor. The quota will be set up after reviewing export data of India’s essential commodities to Bangladesh in recent years, he said in a press briefing on his recent India tour at his ministry. He said Bangladesh imports rice, wheat, onion, garlic, ginger, pulse and many other essential items from India. Sometimes India suspends export of those goods, but this time India has assured that the supply will remain uninterrupted, he said. Click here to read…

HCA signed, €609 million in loans approved by France’s AFP for Bangladesh – Dhaka Tribune

In 2022, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the government of Bangladesh signed a host country agreement for the establishment of AFD activities in Bangladesh, a successful outcome of years of negotiations between the French and Bangladesh governments. This was a crucial step which came after 10 years of operation and over 20 projects financed in the country, said a media release on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Bhutan

NC elections in early 2023 – Kuensel online

The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) has notified that the National Council (NC) elections for the fourth Parliament will be conducted in early 2023. The tenure of the current National Council members end on May 9, next year. The ECB also said that the familiarisation tour of the political parties and candidates would be allowed only until January 31, 2023. All political parties and candidates who are on their familiarisation tour must comply with this announcement. Click here to read…

Credit growth improves by 9.2 percent – Kuensel Online

With the re-opening of the economy, the total credit growth of financial institutions (FIs) saw an increase by 9.2 percent as of September this year from the same month last year, the Royal Monetary Authority figures show. The total loan disbursement from FIs to customers amounted to Nu 191.96 billion (B) as of September this year. It saw an increase of Nu 16.17B from September last year. Click here to read…

Nu 108.7M forgone from duty-free entitlement tax – Kuensel Online

The government last year forswore Nu 108.7M from the taxes from the duty-free entitlement, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). From next year, the duty-free quota privilege will be given only to diplomats governed by the international laws, conventions and covenants ratified by the parliament of Bhutan and International employees governed by the Bilateral and multilateral agreement signed by the government of Bhutan. Click here to read…

Maldives

Rail Vikas Nigam shares jump 5% on bagging Rs 1,545 crore contract in Maldives – Business Today

Shares of Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) surged 4.96 per cent in Wednesday’s trade after receiving an appointment letter as project implementation agency for the UTF Harbor project in Maldives. The order for this strategic project was placed by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The project cost stood at Rs 1,544.60 crore and it has to be completed within 24 months. Click here to read…

Team from India studies technical specifications for India-Maldives power transmission grid – Live Mint

The union power ministry on Tuesday said that a technical team from India has visited Maldives to study the technical specifications for interconnection of a power transmission grid between the two countries. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Political turmoil in Afghanistan, Myanmar impacting Indian projects – Business Standard

India-backed projects have suffered setbacks in Afghanistan and faced numerous challenges in Myanmar due to the current political and security situations in these countries, the Ministry of External Affairs has informed a parliamentary panel. Click here to read…

China-aided national theatre renovation project handed over to Myanmar – Xinhua

The China-aided renovation project of the National Theatre of Yangon was officially handed over to the Myanmar government here on Tuesday. The renovation project, which was carried out with the assistance from China, began in August 2019 and was completed in November 2022. The upgrading work has made the theatre a modernized one of higher standards. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai said that the National Theatre of Yangon is the largest of its kind in Myanmar, whose construction was completed with the assistance from the Chinese government in 1990. Click here to read…

Nepal

India’s policy hurts power export prospects of Nepal – The Kathmandu Post

In a move that will make hydroelectricity generated by Indian projects cheaper than that produced by Nepal, India’s power ministry starting earlier this month removed the inter-state transmission charges for new Indian hydropower projects. The ministry on December 2 issued the order to waive Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges on the transmission of electricity generated by new hydropower projects. The waiver is already available to solar and wind power projects. Click here to read…

President summons parliament session from January 9 – The Kathmandu Post

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called for the session of the Federal Parliament on January 9. The session has been called at 1:00 pm according to Article 93 (1) of the constitution, informed Office of the President on Tuesday. The meeting of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly is going to be held for the first time after the November 20 polls. There are 12 lawmakers from different political parties while four are independent. Click here to read…

China nudges Nepal to expedite BRI projects as Prachanda becomes new PM – Business Standard

A day after Maoist party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda was appointed as Nepals new prime minister, China on Monday said that it looks forward to working with the new government to push projects under the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Congratulating Prachanda on his appointment, Mao Ning, the official spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, has said that China wants to pursue projects under the Belt and Road cooperation. Click here to read…

Not Against India, Will Forget Old Disputes, Says Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ – ABP News Online

The newly appointed Prime Minister vowed to strengthen Nepal’s relations with India. “We want good relations with India,” he said. “I am not against India, will forget the old disputes and move forward,” said Prachanda. “According to the mandate given, the government has been formed in the country. The public wanted everyone to work together, and that’s why they formed the government together. Our government will complete its term. Work will be done according to the constitution,” said PM Prachanda while talking to senior news anchor Dibang. Click here to read…

Chinese arrive for rail feasibility study – The Kathmandu Post

A day after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s assumption of office, a six-member Chinese technical team landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday to carry out a feasibility study of the Nepal-China cross-border railway. Dahal, the CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman, heads a coalition of two biggest leftist parties and others. The China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group will carry out the feasibility study via a Chinese government grant. Click here to read…

Pakistan

No other option but to implement IMF deal: PM: The Express Tribune

He said the coalition government never wanted to transfer the burden of price hikes. In the past, the PTI government blatantly breached the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Meanwhile, the prime minister said that they had devised a plan to immediately convert all the federal government entities’ buildings to solar power by April next year in order to slash a huge chunk out of the country’s costly fuel import bill hovering around $27 billion. Click here to read…

Road, railway connectivity with CARs discussed: The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said road and railway connectivity projects between Pakistan and Central Asian states will not only bring the trade communities together, but also usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in the region.The premier said this during a meeting with a high-level delegation from Uzbekistan led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Investment and Foreign Trade Khodjaev Jamshid Abdukhakimovich in Islamabad. Click here to read…

Gold outshines market, gives over 40pc return in 2022: report: The News

Gold was the top-performing asset class in 2022 with a return of more than 40 percent, followed by one-year dollar-denominated Naya Pakistan Certificate (NPC), and the US currency, a local brokerage report stated on Tuesday. The NPC remained on second with a return of up to 36 percent and the holders of the US dollar in cash were listed on third with 28 percent return. Topline Securities presented the report on asset classes that were widely followed by local investors and savers in 2022. “These asset classes provided better returns compared to estimated average consumer price index inflation of 20 percent in outgoing calendar year 2022,” the brokerage said in a client note. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Not the correct time for LG polls: PUNP – Daily News

Patriotic United National Party (PUNP) General Secretary Sugath Hewapathirana stated that it is inappropriate to hold a Local Government election now as the economic situation in the country is not stable yet. He said that it is inappropriate to spend Rs.10 billion for an election at this time. He said that it is not appropriate to spend such a large amount of money to hold an election, leaving aside the sufferings of the entire country, who have been greatly affected by the severe economic downturn that the country has faced. He also said that this will give the people an opportunity to recognize who are the political parties and leaders who are working for their own greedy goals by urging for an election setting aside the hardships faced by the people. Click here to read…

Can Sri Lanka drive itself from bankruptcy to prosperity in 2023? DailyFT

Converting the bankrupt nation to solvency will be a challenging task for Sri Lanka in 2023. If this is not done quickly, the goal of making Sri Lanka a rich country by 2048 will be an elusive one…Click here to read…

Increase in requests for dual citizenship in Sri Lanka – Adaderana

Requests have reportedly been made by 5,401 individuals to the Department of Immigration and Emigration for obtaining dual citizenship in the year 2021. The Department of Immigration and Emigration pointed out that the majority of them are residents of Australia, which is numerically 1,621 individuals. Meanwhile, dual citizenship requests have been made by 885 individuals from the United Kingdom, 795 from the United States, 371 from Canada and several others from countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, France and Denmark. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Deputy Minister Reiterates Commitment to Fight Drugs: Tolo News

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

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

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

Bangladesh

Senior ministers sound alarm over foreign interference – Dhaka Tribune

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

Hydropower revenue to drop by 4 percent – Kuensel online

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

Maldives

Cambodia eyes rice sales to Maldives – Phnompenh Post

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

Myanmar

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

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

Myanmar Junta’s Worst Massacres of 2022 – The Irrawaddy

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

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

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

A parlous path ahead for Rabi Lamichhane – The Kathmandu Post

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

Finance minister inherits a troubled economy again – The Kathmandu Post

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

Pakistan

Shehbaz renews pledge to crush terrorism menace: Dawn

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

Distribution of dry rations at Abhayagiriya – Daily Mirror

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

Afghanistan

Islamic Emirate’s Ban on Women’s Jobs Faces Widespread Reactions: Tolo News

The Ministry of Economy in a statement on Saturday ordered all national and international non-government organizations to suspend their female staff members until the next announcement. The announcement of the Islamic Emirate faced widespread reactions at national and international levels. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a tweet expressed deep concerns about the Islamic Emirate decision’s ban on women’s jobs and said “this decision could be devastating for the Afghan people, women are central to humanitarian operations around the world.” Click here to read…

TTP Threat, Rings Alarm for Pakistan: The Khaama Presss

With the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan in August 2021, the dynamic of TTP operations has changed in Pakistani tribal areas and other major cities to a great extent. Afghan Taliban, TTP’s ideological twin brother’s success in neighboring Afghanistan gave them extra momentum and energy to expand their operations across Pakistan. Since the beginning of the year, the TTP has conducted hundreds of attacks mostly targeting police and army headquarters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, and Quetta Balochistan in Particular. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina re-elected as AL president, Quader as general secretary – Dhaka Tribune

The ruling Awami League announced its new central committee with minor changes at its 22nd National Council on Saturday afternoon. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected as party president for the 10th time, while Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader was elected general secretary for a hattrick of terms. Click here to read…

AL rank and file confused who’s top joint GS – Daily Star

Among the ruling Awami League rank and file, confusion reigned about who actually tops the list of joint general secretaries. The official website of AL uploaded the names of leaders of the full-fledged committee around 10:30pm on Saturday, putting Hasan as the number one joint general secretary. However, an hour later, the list was pulled down from the website. Only the names of Sheikh Hasina and Obaidul Quader remained there. This created a confusion among the party rank and file. Click here to read…

More exchanges between Bangladesh, China media emphasized – New Age

Bangladesh’s relations with China, one of the major development and trading partners of the country, are growing with each passing day, speakers said at a function. Enhanced contacts and exchange between the media of the two countries are needed as the media can play an important role in strengthening cultural and economic ties, they said. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Growing import a growing concern – Kuensel online

It took less than a month for the unemployed guide to switch his career. Within three months he has become a licensed importer and his trial business of importing instant noodles and coffee, seaweed, and ready-to-eat meals is doing well. The guide is among the many in the import business, also called as “container business,” making quick money – bringing in goods ranging from instant noodles to furniture and furnishings from as far as China, South Korea, and Indonesia. There is money in the import business. However, it is leaving a huge impact on the country. Click here to read…

Former Bhutan king warned India about China: R&AW ex-chief A.S. Dulat -The Hindu

Bhutan’s then king Jigme Singye Wangchuck warned India of pressures from China in 1999, writes former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat in his latest book. Mr. Dulat says the former King’s words were “prophetic” about India-China tensions in Doklam in 2017 and the build-up of infrastructure by China that has followed. He also says that New Delhi’s “muscular policy” on a range of issues, including the situation in Kashmir, and tough foreign policy in the neighbourhood led to “failures”. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives former president Yameen gets 11-year jail term – Business Recorder

The Maldives criminal court on Sunday sentenced former president Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison and fined him $5 million after finding him guilty of corruption and money laundering charges related to receiving kickbacks from a private company. Yameen has denied any wrongdoing. He lost power in 2018 but has been declared presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of the Maldives for an election due in 2023. Click here to read…

Maldives leader held for threatening attack on Indian Mission – Tribune India

Abbas Adil Riza who, in a tweet, had encouraged an arson attack on the Indian High Commission in Male. The arrest came on a day when his party colleague and former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a court for corruption. The developments come ahead of the presidential elections in Maldives next year. Pro- China Yameen has in the past few days made several anti-India remarks. Click here to read…

Myanmar

China-funded mobile clinic provides healthcare services in Kyaukphyu of Myanmar – Xinhua

The China-funded Kyaukphyu Anargat (Future) Mobile Clinic project in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state entered its final stage in late December, already providing free healthcare service to over 1,500 villagers. U Kyaw Win, 54, from Kyaukphyu Township’s Shauk Chaung Village, is one of the hundreds of villagers who benefited from free healthcare and medicines from the mobile clinic. Click here to read…

New Sittwe port for Indo-Myanmar direct trade will open for Indo-Myanmar trade – Mizzima

The Military Council-appointed Rakhine State government Chief Minister Dr Aung Kyaw Min said in his opening address on the 48th Rakhine State Day that one of the Indo-Myanmar friendship projects, the Sittwe port, would be opened soon for direct trade between India and Myanmar. This Kaladan multi-modal transit transport (KMTT) project would be beneficial not only for Myanmar but also for Rakhine State development, he said. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta says UN resolution aimed at destabilizing country – LaPrensalatina

Myanmar’s military junta has rejected the resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday demanding an immediate end to violence and release of all political prisoners, accusing the global body of trying to “destabilize” the country. Myanmar’s foreign ministry said in a statement late on Friday that the resolution – approved on Wednesday with 12 votes in favor and three abstentions (China, Russia and India) – includes “several intrusive elements on Myanmar’s internal affairs that contravene the principles and purposesof the United Nations.” Click here to read…

Nepal

Dahal becomes prime minister again, Oli the new kingmaker – The Kathmandu Post

Sher Bahadur Deuba, a veteran of manoeuvring hung parliaments to his advantage, got outfoxed on Sunday afternoon by his bete noire, KP Sharma Oli. Not only did Oli succeed in getting Pushpa Kamal Dahal anointed as the prime minister, a move which weaned Dahal away from the Congress-led alliance, he also now gets to have his own candidate for the head of the state and the Speaker of the House of Representatives along with plum ministries and a majority of the provincial chief ministers. Until Sunday afternoon, a Nepali Congress-led coalition led by Deuba was the favourite to form the next federal government. The Oli masterstroke means that he will now get to pull the strings of power. Click here to read…

Indian Workers Attacked Along Nepal Border In Uttarakhand; Defence Minister Intervenes – Republic World

In Dharchula, a safety wall is being created along the Kali river that flows between India and Nepal. It has been learned that some elements are against the construction of the wall and are furiously throwing stones in order to stop the work at the location. Calling Nepal a friend, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for negotiations with the neighbouring country saying, “Nepal is our friend, if there is any dispute, we will solve it together.” Also, Indian officials will be taking up the matter with their Nepalese counterparts if such incidents occur in the future. Click here to read…

Modi congratulates Prachanda on being elected Nepal’s PM – Economic Times

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” on Sunday on being elected as the new leader of Nepal and said he looks forward to working with him to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries. Click here to read…

No respite for national economy with more instability in store – The Kathmandu Post

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has launched a ‘Save the Economy’ campaign in the face of worsening economic indicators. Although the indicators of the external sector have improved due to the strict import control measures, industrialists complain of a sharp decline in demand for goods and services, which has forced them to cut down on the operations of their businesses and factories.https://kathmandupost.com/money/2022/12/26/no-respite-for-national-economy-with-more-instability-in-store” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Pakistan

Editorial: Troubles lurking around every corner: Dawn

In the outgoing year, the people came around to an unprecedented price growth amid the country’s consistently deteriorating balance of payments crisis exacerbated by devastating summer floods and ongoing political uncertainty.Next year we could see inflation entrenched further and the economy trek toward a deeper recession as the politically embattled coalition led by the PML-N struggles to revive its sour relationship with the International Monetary Fund for the resumption of its loan programme to overcome its dollar liquidity crisis. Click here to read…

US embassy restricts staff movement in Islamabad: The Express Tribune

A statement issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad said the US government staff prohibited from visiting the private hotel in the federal capital due to possible attack.The US government is aware of information that unidentified individuals are possibly plotting to attack Americans at the private hotel in Islamabad “sometime during the holidays”, the statement added. Click here to read…

Govt again advises Imran to return to NA: The Express Tribune

As PTI chief Imran Khan remains adamant about playing hardball to force early polls, the government has again advised the former prime minister to return to the National Assembly to put forth his demands and lead a “healthy opposition” against the ruling coalition for negotiations. Click here to read…

News analysis: Country needs vision to break through economic trap: The News

As finance minister Ishaq Dar publicly defied the IMF earlier this month and overlooked tough economic conditions across Pakistan, a wider crisis continued with no signs of abating any time soon. The minister is presiding over Pakistan’s fast worsening economic turmoil driven by stagnation, far above target inflation, a balance of payments crisis and widespread uncertainty to name matters proverbially at the tip of the iceberg. And his recent promise of returning the Rupee versus US Dollar exchange rate to below Rs200 to a Dollar is already lost. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Manic weather across the country – Daily Mirror

Heavy rain was experienced yesterday all over the country disrupting civilian life. The worst affected were the central hills that had been hit by floods and earth slips due to the torrential rains experienced from Saturday midnight (24) that continued unabated yesterday. The Police said the central hills had been shrouded with a thick mist and warned the drivers to be cautious of fog that prevented visibility. Click here to read…

President Ranil’s initiative to resolve Tamil national question – Daily Mirror

Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader and Colombo District MP, Mano Ganesan received a telephone call from Ranil Wickremesinghe on 19 July 2022. Recalling the telephone conversation, Mano Ganesan told me “Ranil spoke as if he had already been elected President. He told me of his intention to resolve the Tamil National Question. He also told me of his plans to address the socio -economic issues of the North-Eastern and Up Country Tamils. He also spoke about the economic upliftment of their areas. Ranil seemed very convincing then” Click here to read…

Chinese infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka may have contributed to the country’s crisis: Report – The Print

According to the report, “A port city that dominates Colombo’s seafront was built on a 269-hectare patch of land reclaimed from the sea. It was to become a thriving business and financial hub, but it is virtually deserted.” An international airport commissioned at Sri Lanka’s Mattala city almost a decade ago is called the “emptiest airport in the world.” Both these projects funded by China are seen as “white elephants” that have significantly contributed to Sri Lanka’s debt. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Reactions Continue to Closure of Universities for Women: Tolo News

The closure of universities for women has faced continuous reactions within and outside the country. On Thursday morning, dozens of female students held a protest near the Kabul University in the west of Kabul, calling for women and girls’ access to education and work. The European Union in a statement called the decision another violation of international obligations and said it constitutes an institutionalized and systematic “discrimination against women and girls.” Click here to read…

Ukraine’s Zelensky Urges U.S. Congress for More Military Support: The Khaama Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky jetted to Washington, DC, for talks with his American counterpart President Joe Biden and top-ranking American authorities face-to-face for the first time since his country came under Russian invasion in February. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.S. Congress that aid to Ukraine was an investment in democracy and “not charity” as he invoked American battles against the Nazis in World War Two to press for more assistance for his country’s war effort. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Shahriar, Sherman talk polls, security of US embassy personnel: Dhaka Tribune

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke on the phone with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Shahriar Alam on Thursday. The two discussed strengthening US-Bangladesh relations, the importance of holding free and fair elections, and the safety and security of US embassy personnel, according to US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Monday said there is nothing to worry about when it comes to the security of foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Export prices up by over 7 percent in the third quarter: Kuensel

The export prices of goods rose by 7.29 percent in the third quarter (July to September) this year compared to the figure in the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Bureau’s report released yesterday. This means, if the price of the exported goods was Nu 100 in the third quarter of last year, the exporters had sold it at Nu 107.29 in the same quarter this year. However, an increase in the export prices was outweighed by a higher increase in import prices. The import prices or inflation recorded an increase of 18.54 percent in the quarter. Click here to read…

Maldives

Tariff on fish exports will be eliminated within two months: Nasheed: Avas

Parliament Speaker and President of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed, has said the duty imposed on Maldivian fish products exported to the UK will be eliminated within the next two months.

Nasheed, who is currently abroad, made the announcement via a tweet on Wednesday night.
In his tweet, Nasheed said his close acquaintances in the UK government had assured that the duty on fish imported from the Maldives to the UK would be cut within the next two months at the latest. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Thailand hosts Myanmar junta figures in talks, key ASEAN nations skip: Reuters

Thailand hosted regional talks on Thursday to discuss the crisis in army-run Myanmar including rare international appearances by junta ministers, but several key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations did not attend despite invitations. Foreign ministers of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam’s deputy foreign minister joined the talks hosted by Thailand’s foreign minister, according to Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Punjab governor de-notifies CM: The Express Tribune

A notification issued by the Governor House after midnight said that Chief Minister Elahi ceased to hold the office immediately while the provincial cabinet stood dissolved. However, it added that Elahi would continue under Article 133 of the Constitution until a new chief minister was elected by the provincial assembly. “I am satisfied that he [Chief Minister Elahi] does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Punjab Assembly and, therefore, ceases to hold his office with immediate effect,” the governor said in his order. “In consequence of the above, the provincial cabinet stands dissolved forthwith,” the order added. Click here to read…

Banned TTP is Pakistan’s red line, Bilawal tells Afghan Taliban: The News

Speaking to the media at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, Bilawal Bhutto said: “We will not ignore if we find out that Taliban are not stopping the TTP.” Expressing his concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the country due to rising TTP attacks from the Afghan soil, Bilawal said if the Taliban carry out operations against the extremists, Pakistan will provide help, if needed. He said that there was no new agreement on cooperation with the US for anti-terrorism. “We urge to release frozen funds for the Afghan people not for the Taliban. They [Taliban] promised with the US and the world to take action against the extremist groups,” said Bilawal. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Finance Minisry to hand over customs confiscated vehicles to police: Daily Mirror

Necessary arrangements have been made to hand over the vehicles confiscated by Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) to be used for raids by the Sri Lanka Police Department, including drug prevention, State Finance Minister Ranjith Siambalapitiya said. He said this while participating in an inspection visit on Monday (20) at the Hambantota port premises to monitor the relevant vehicles currently parked at the port. He mentioned that some vehicles confiscated due to illegal importation have been at the port for about seven years. 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…

NATIONAL

Tata Power’s IT infrastructure suffered a cyber-attack; critical systems were not disrupted

On 14 October 2022, Tata Power announced that their IT infrastructure dealt with a cyber-attack and some systems were impacted. The cyber-attack targeted its IT infrastructure, but the critical systems have not been disrupted. “The Company has taken steps to retrieve and restore the systems. All critical operational systems are functioning; however, as a measure of abundant precaution, restricted access and preventive checks have been put in place for employee and customer-facing portals and touchpoints,” said Tata Power’s spokesperson.

India’s Power Minister R K Singh informed the Press in April 2022 that Chinese hackers had twice failed to target electricity distribution centres near Ladakh. A Chinese state-sponsored hacking group targeted at least seven Indian State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs) responsible for real-time grid control and electricity dispatch near the disputed India-China border in Ladakh.^[1]

CERT-In and Power-CSIRT jointly organised a cyber security exercise— “PowerEX-2022”.

On 12 October 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Power-CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Teams in the Power sector) jointly organised a cyber security exercise— PowerEX-2022 and invited 193 Power sector utilities. The objective of the exercise was to “Recognise, Analyse and Respond to cyber incidents in IT and OT (Operational Technology) Systems”.

CERT-In hosted PowerEX-2022 on its exercise simulation platform with the theme “Defending Cyber-Induced Disruption in IT & OT Infrastructure.” The cyber security exercise involved over 350 officials from various Power sectors.^[2]

CBI-led ‘Operation Chakra’ dismantled cybercrime networks operating in India.

In a joint operation— ‘Operation Chakra’ launched in collaboration with State police, Interpol, and various agencies of other nations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dismantled cyber-crime networks operating in India and arrested 16 cyber-criminals. Acting upon the inputs shared by the Interpol, the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Australian Federal Police (AFP), the CBI, in coordination with State police, carried out search operations at 115 locations across India.

Out of 115 locations, the CBI carried out searches at 87 locations, including 16 States, whereas 28 locations were searched by various State police, including 02 locations by Assam police, 04 locations by Andaman & Nicobar Police, 03 locations by Chandigarh police, 05 places by Delhi police, 12 locations by Karnataka police, and 02 locations by Punjab police. “The operation intends to dismantle the infrastructure of these international cyber-crime gangs in India and bring these perpetrators to justice. India’s fight against transnational organised cyber-crime has thus achieved a major milestone,” read the statement released by the CBI.

During the searches, the CBI unearthed 02 Call Centres in Pune & Ahmedabad and recovered cash worth ₹ 1.8 crores (approx.) and 1.5 kg gold (approx.).^[3]

For a free, open, trustworthy, and accountable internet, the Government of India (GoI) announced amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

While addressing the media members on 28 October 2022, the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology— Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that protecting the Constitutional rights of Indian citizens is a must and that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a trustee of the rights of citizens and Digital Nagriks. The minister addressed the media members about the amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified these amendments aimed at protecting the rights of Digital Nagriks as part of a significant push toward an Open, Safe, Trusted, and Accountable Internet. It also strengthens due diligence requirements while holding accountable social media and other intermediaries. They were notified in light of complaints about the intermediaries’ actions or inactions on user complaints about objectionable content or the suspension of their accounts. Intermediaries will now be expected to ensure that no content is uploaded that intentionally communicates misinformation or information that is patently false or untrue, entrusting intermediaries with significant responsibility. The rules also make it clear that the intermediary must respect the rights guaranteed to Indian citizens under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Indian Constitution. ^[4]

The amended rules are hosted on the Ministry’s website and are available at: Click here to read…

UNCTC adopted the Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes.

On 29 October 2022, the Delhi Declaration on the use of the Internet and other technologies for terrorist objectives was unanimously endorsed by the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (UNCTC). According to the proclamation, one of the biggest challenges to global peace and security is terrorism, in all of its expressions and forms. As one of the essential takeaways, India now intends to carry out the recommendations based on the three Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) special meeting themes. These include:

• Threats and opportunities related to new payment technologies and fundraising methods,
• Countering terrorist exploitation of ICT and emerging technologies, and
• Threats posed by terrorist misuse of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).

As a result of terror infiltration on its soil from neighbouring Pakistan, India reaffirmed its commitment to combat terrorism in collaboration with key global players at the summit. Terrorists have stepped up their use of the internet and other IC technologies, including social media platforms. India also recognised the risks and difficulties of financial technology developments, like crowdfunding platforms, being misused to fund terrorism.^[5]

INTERNATIONAL

Cyber-attack on Chile’s astronomical observatory raised concerns about the security of space tech.

On 29 October 2022, the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA), a Chilean astronomical observatory, was the victim of a cyber-attack and had to halt operations. The attack had affected the observatory’s computer systems and targeted its public website. The attack did not affect ALMA’s scientific data or antennas, but it prevented space observations and limited access to its email servers. Around 66 Radio Telescopes (RTs) make up the ALMA observatory, which is estimated to be worth USD 1.4 billion. These RTs can record high-definition (HD) photos of the extremely faint radio waves generated by far-off celestial objects that are 13 billion light years away.

“Beating one of the world’s most powerful observatories offline demonstrates that cyber-attackers are dogged in their pursuit to disrupt, run reconnaissance efforts, or lift valuable data or IP addresses,” said Josh Lospinoso, the CEO of a cyber security firm— Shift5. Space is another frontier for cyber-attacks, with hackers targeting the space industry for geopolitical and militaristic reasons.^[6]

A cyber-attack disrupted Bulgarian government websites over ‘betrayal to Russia’.

According to Bulgaria’s Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev, on 15 October 2022, pro-Russian hackers carried out a ‘large-scale’ DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack on Bulgarian government websites. The websites of the Presidential Administration, the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry, and the Constitutional Court were all taken down by the DDoS attack.

Killnet, a pro-Russian hacking group, claimed responsibility for the attack and wrote on its official group on the Telegram app that “the government of Bulgaria is sentenced to network collapse and shame. It was a punishment for betrayal to Russia and the supply of weapons to Ukraine.” Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Killnet group has been active. Numerous government networks in Europe, including those in Romania, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Finland, and Latvia, were among the dozens of targets the group previously targeted. Although the DDoS attack on the Bulgarian websites had no lasting effects and no private information was exposed, it still sparked a significant response from Bulgarian government officials. The Prosecutor-General Geshev described it as “a severe issue” and “an attack on the state of Bulgaria.”^[7]

Chinese cyber-espionage group “WIP19” targeted telecoms and IT service providers in West Asia and Asia.

According to the reports of a cyber security firm— SentinelOne, a new Chinese cyber-espionage group identified as WIP19 has been targeting telecoms and IT service providers based in West Asia and Asia by using stolen certificates to sign several malicious components. To date, the APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) group WIP19 uses malware families such as ScreenCap, SQLMaggie, and a credential dumper. “The stolen certificate was used to sign all of the threat actor’s credential harvesting tools, including a password dumper that relied on open-source code to load an SSP to LSASS and dump the process.

WIP19 was also observed loading a keylogger and a screen recorder using DLL search order hijacking. The keylogger primarily targets the victim’s browser to collect credentials and other sensitive data,” read the statement released by SentinelOne. The backdoor was masked as a legitimate DLL registered to the MSSQL Server in SQLMaggie attacks to provide the attackers with control over the server machine and to perform network reconnaissance.^[8]

Turkey’s new law against disinformation raised deep concerns over free speech.

On 13 October 2022, the Turkish parliament adopted a new law proposed by President Tayyip Erdogan, which would jail journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading ‘disinformation’. In parliament, President Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP) and its allies MHP voted to approve the bill, whereas MPs in opposition and media rights activists opposed it.

Article 29 of the law state that “those who spread false information online about Turkey’s security to create fear and disturb public order will face a prison sentence of one to three years.”^[9] However, the law did not define the nature of false or misleading information.

Turkey ‘secretly’ assisted Pakistan in establishing a cyber army against India and the US.

According to Nordic Monitor’s findings, Pakistan established a cyber army with the assistance of Turkey in order to influence public opinion and the views of Muslims living in South/South-East Asia, attack India and the United States (US), and undermine criticism levelled against Pakistan establishment. Further, the findings revealed that the proposal to form such an army was raised during private talks between visiting Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and his Pakistani counterpart— former Minister of State for Interior— Shehryar Khan Afridi, on 17 December 2018. On the same day, Minister of State for Interior— Afridi met former Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who later green-lighted the project.

According to sources acquainted with the project, the covert activity was disguised under the bilateral agreement on cooperation against cyber-crime, whereas in reality, it was against perceived influence operations pursued by India, the US, and other foreign countries. Responding to Pakistan’s request to set up the cyber army, Turkey sent five police chiefs from various departments in the Security General Directorate (Emniyet). The five-member team spent months in Pakistan getting the project off the ground and eventually finishing it. The cooperation has since continued under successive governments, with Turkey training approximately 6,000 Pakistani police officers for this and other related projects.^[10]

Japan and Australia strengthen their security pact in response to China’s threat.

On 22October 2022, Japan and Australia signed a new bilateral agreement covering military, intelligence, and cyber security cooperation. The agreement also referred to cooperation in resisting economic coercion and disinformation, which China is widely accused of. The bilateral agreement is the first of its kind where Japan signed with any country other than the United States (US). The agreement covers military interoperability, intelligence, cyber security, operations in space, law-enforcement, logistics and protecting telecommunications. “This new declaration…will chart the direction of our security and defence cooperation in the next 10 years,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.^[11]

Endnotes :

^[1] Greig, Jonathan. “Indian energy company Tata Power announces cyberattack affecting IT infrastructure”, The Record, 14 October 2022, accessed on 02 November 2022, available from: https://therecord.media/indian-energy-company-tata-power-announces-cyberattack-affecting-it-infrastructure/
^[2] “CERT-In and Power-CSIRTs jointly conduct Cyber Security Exercise ‘PowerEX-2022”, Press Information Bureau- Ministry of Electronics & IT, 13 October 2022, accessed on 01 November 2022, available from: https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1867348
^[3] “Press Release”, Central Bureau of Investigation, 04 October 2022, accessed on 02 November 2022, available from: https://cbi.gov.in/press-detail/NTI3Ng==
^[4] “Press Release”, Ministry of Electronics and IT, 29 October 2022, accessed on 01 November 2022, available from: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1871840
^[5] “Press Release”, Ministry of External Affairs, 29 October 2022, accessed on 01 November 2022, available from: https://mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35840/Delhi_Declaration_on_countering_the_use_of_new_and_emerging_technologies_for_terrorist_purposes ; Majeed, Zaini. “UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Adopts Delhi Declaration; Key Takeaways Here”, Republic World, 29 October 2022, accessed on 01 November 2022, available from: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/united-nations-counter-terrorism-committee-adopts-delhi-declaration-articleshow.html
^[6] Antoniuk, Daryna. “cyberattack on observatory in Chile raises concerns about security of space tech”, The Record, 07 November 2022, accessed on 10 November 2022, available from: https://therecord.media/cyberattack-on-observatory-in-chile-raises-concerns-about-security-of-space-tech/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email ; “Chilean astronomical observatory hit by cyberattack”, SC Media, 08 November 2022, accessed on 10 November 2022, available from: https://www.scmagazine.com/brief/breach/chilean-astronomical-observatory-hit-by-cyberattack
^[7] Antoniuk, Daryna. “cyberattack disrupts Bulgarian government websites over ‘betrayel to Russia’”, The Record, 18 October 2022, accessed on 02 November 2022, available from: https://therecord.media/cyberattack-disrupts-bulgarian-government-websites-over-betrayal-to-russia/
^[8] Arghire, Ionut. “New Chinese cyberespionage group WIP19 targets telecos, IT service providers”, SecurityWeek, 13 October 2022, accessed on 09 November 2022, available from: https://www.securityweek.com/new-chinese-cyberespionage-group-wip19-targets-telcos-it-service-providers
^[9] “Turkey’s parliament adopts media law jailing those spreading ‘disinformation’”, Reuters, 14 October 2022, accessed on 08 November 2022, available from: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/law-that-would-jail-those-spreading-disinformation-progresses-turkey-2022-10-13/
^[10] Bozkurt, Abdullah. “Turkey helped Pakistan set up a secret cyber army for influence operation against US, India”, Nordic Monitor, 24 October 2022, accessed on 31 October 2022, available from: https://nordicmonitor.com/2022/10/turkey-helped-pakistan-set-up-a-secret-cyber-army-for-influence-operation-against-us-india/
^[11] “Japan, Australia upgrade security pact against China threat”, CNBC, 23 October 2022, accessed on 16 November 2022, available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/23/japan-australia-upgrade-security-pact-against-china-threat.html

DEFENCE

• MoD organises interaction with Indian defence industry on reservation for Ex-Agniveers in corporate jobs.
• Indian Coast Guard helicopter squadron commissioned in Chennai.
• Joint Exercise Agni Warrior with Singapore Armed Forces.
• Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia.
• Industries have been supported under the TDF (Technology Development Fund) scheme.
• Space Defence Mission.
• International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh.
• Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs).
• Dare to Dream Contests.
• Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff to Sri Lanka.
• 6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22”.
• 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI”.
• The last batch of Rafales of the IAF landed in India.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

• Security forces killed at least 15 al-Shabaab terrorists in CT operation in Mogadishu.

Afghanistan

• IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on the ‘Chinese’ Hotel in Kabul.
• At least 07 people killed in roadside blast in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Pakistan

• “US withdrawl from Afghanistan supported TTP’s activities in Pakistan,” Report of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior.
• Security forces foiled an infiltration from Afghanistan and killed four IS-KP terrorists.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• A grenade explosion occurred outside a police station in Jammu.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Security forces recovered huge cache of arms and explosives from a Maoist hideout in Maharashtra.
• 35 Maoists surrendered in Andhra Pradesh.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• Bharat and US agreed on concerted action against terrorist networks, including LeT and JeM.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• TarnTaran bomb blasts accused extradited from Austria to Bharat and arrested by the NIA in Delhi.
• NIA arrested absconding terrorist involved in ‘Ludhiana Court’ bomb blast case.

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)

• NIA Special Court convicted two FICN traffickers.

DEFENCE

MoD organises interaction with Indian defence industry on reservation for Ex-Agniveers in corporate jobs.

An interaction session was organised by Ministry of Defence on November 30, 2022 with the Indian Defence Industry under the aegis of Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers to seek opportunities for gainful employment of Ex-Agniveers under the Corporate Recruitment Plan of the companies. The session was chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane. Senior executives from major Indian defence industry houses including L&T, Adani Defence Ltd, Tata Advanced System Ltd, Ashok Leyland and others participated in the discussion. The senior executives of the companies conveyed their unstinted support and commitment in the endeavour and expressed their eagerness to deploy the Ex-Agniveers once the first batch completes its term with the Armed Forces. They assured that suitable provisions shall be made in their recruitment policies for reservations for Agniveers based on the available skill sets. Certain suggestions were also considered regarding bridging the skills learnt by Agniveers with the requirements of the industry.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Coast Guard helicopter squadron commissioned in Chennai.

An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron, was commissioned at ICG Air Station, Chennai on November 30, 2022. The commissioning of 840 Sqn (CG) will provide a major fillip to the abilities of Indian Coast Guard in the security sensitive waters off Tamil Nadu and Andhra region. A total of 16 ALH Mk-III aircraft have been inducted in the Indian Coast Guard in a phased manner and four of these aircraft are positioned in Chennai.
For more information: Click here to read…

Joint Exercise Agni Warrior with Singapore Armed Forces.

The 12th Edition of Exercise Agni Warrior, a bilateral exercise between the Singapore & Indian Army, which had commenced on 13 November 2022 concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali (Maharashtra) on 30 November 2022. Exercise Agni Warrior, involved showcasing joint firepower planning, execution and use of New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia.

The Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia from 08 to 10 December 2022. During the visit, the Vice Chief will take forward the excellent defence cooperation between India and Malaysia through multiple meetings with senior military and civilian leadership of the country. He will also witness various training activities of the ongoing joint ‘Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI’ and interact with the troops.
For more information: Click here to read…

Industries have been supported under the TDF (Technology Development Fund) scheme.

A total of 54 industries have been supported under the TDF scheme so far. A total no. of 04 technologies have been successfully developed under TDF Scheme. A total of 340 applications as Expression of Interest (EoI) have been received under TDF Scheme for the awarded projects so far. Total time taken for processing the application till award of the project is 06 months on an average for a normal case. It is a continuous process where payments are linked with the milestones achieved for the specific projects. It takes approximately 45 days for disbursement into the account of the company from the date of submission of bill.
For details of companies funded refer to: Click here to read…

Space Defence Mission.

Mission DefSpace was launched by the Prime Minister during DefExpo in October, 2022 with 75 Defence Space Challenges relevant to the end users. These challenges have been categorised into existing DDP initiatives of iDEX, Make-I and Make-2. Private Industries, including Start-ups, MSMEs and Individual Innovators, are eligible to apply. The challenges, classified into five buckets viz. Launch System, Satellite System, Communication & Payload System, Ground System and Software System, provide a holistic 3600 overview of space.
For more information: Click here to read…

International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh.

The Indian Navy delegation led by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and three warships of the Indian Navy participated in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh at Cox’s Bazar on 07 Dec 22. Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh reviewed the International Fleet comprising ships from Bangladesh Navy and eight ships from six foreign countries. With three ships, the Indian Navy contingent was the largest amongst the participating foreign navies in this IFR. The other five participating ships were from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and USA.
For more information: Click here to read…

Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs).

Government of India has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh and other in Tamil Nadu. 06 (six) nodes viz. Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow have been identified for developing Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). Similarly, 05 (five) nodes viz. Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli identified for developing Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC). Government intends to develop defence manufacturing ecosystem having conducive conditions including supply chain for giving push to production and testing & certification to create economies of scale and facilitate development of internationally competitive enterprises in the country.
As per the information received from Government of Uttar Pradesh for UPDIC, 105 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed with industries etc. worth potential investments of Rs 12,139 crore. Already, Rs 2,422 crore have been invested in UPDIC. Total 1,608 Hectare of land has been acquired for development of UPDIC. Further, as per the information received from Government of Tamil Nadu for TNDIC, arrangements have been made through Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) etc. for potential investment of Rs 11,794 crore by 53 industries. Rs 3,847 crore have already been invested in TNDIC. Total 910 Hectare of lands has been acquired for development of TNDIC.
Reference: Click here to read…

Dare to Dream Contests.

A total of 5,637 applications have been received under three Dare to Dream Contests to promote individual and start-ups for innovation in the area of Defence and Aerospace in last three years. A total of 52 individuals and 34 start-ups have been awarded under three Dare to Dream contests out of 5,637 applications received in last three years. A total of 07 projects have been sanctioned and awarded to start-ups of Dare to Dream contest winners so far.
DRDO has been launching Dare to Dream Contest every year since 2019 to bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals above 18 years and start-ups (recognised by DPIIT and with Indian founders) for innovative ideas in the field of Defence and Aerospace. The selection criteria for evaluation of the entries are completeness of proposal, scientific soundness, design completeness, merit, technological readiness level achieved and innovation. The selected individual/company are getting benefitted as DRDO supports them to realise awarded ideas into Prototype through Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.
For more information: Click here to read…

Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff to Sri Lanka.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval the Staff (CNS), will be visiting Sri Lanka from 13 to 16 December 2022. The CNS has been invited as the Chief Guest and Reviewing Officer for the Commissioning Parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, scheduled on 15 December 2022. During the visit, the CNS will undertake interactions with senior political and defence leadership of Sri Lanka. He would also be visiting other defence establishments of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and review progress of various bilateral defence cooperation activities.
For more information: Click here to read…

6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22”.

The 6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” is scheduled to be conducted at Umroi (Meghalaya) from 15 to 28 December 2022. Joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk, which was later upgraded to a company level exercise and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.
For more information: Click here to read…

16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI”.

The 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI” between India and Nepal will be conducted at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi (Nepal), from 16 – 29 December 2022. Exercise “SURYA KIRAN” is conducted annually between India and Nepal with the aim to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare & counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and HADR under UN mandate.
For more information: Click here to read…

The last batch of Rafales of the IAF landed in India.

The last of the 36 IAF Rafales landed in India after a quick en-route refuelling from a UAE Air Force tanker.
Reference: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on the ‘Chinese’ Hotel in Kabul.

On 12 December 2022, the Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) carried out an attack at Longan Hotel, popular with Chinese nationals, in Kabul. “The attack took around 02:30 pm local time, with residents in the area staying they heard a powerful explosion followed by gunfire,” Kabul police spokesman— Khalid Zadran. The attack came a day after China’s ambassador met the Afghan (Taliban) Deputy Foreign Minister to discuss security-related matters and sought more attention on the protection of its embassy.

Several bombings have taken place in Afghanistan in recent months, including an attack on the Pakistan embassy earlier this month and a suicide blast near the Russian embassy in September. Both attacks were claimed by the IS-KP.
For more information: Click here to read…

At least 07 people killed in roadside blast in Mazar-e-Sharif.

On 06 December 2022, at least 07 people killed in a roadside blast on a bus in Mazar-e-Sharif. “The bomb was placed in a cart by the roadside. It was detonated as the bus arrived,” said Asif Waziri from the Balkh police department in Mazar-e-Sharif. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, which comes amid repeated pledges from the Taliban to bring security to Afghanistan following decades of war.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan

“US withdrawl from Afghanistan supported TTP’s activities in Pakistan,” Report of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism (CT) authority in Islamabad informed country’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the United States’ withdrawl from Afghanistan stengthten Tehrik-e-Tailban Pakistan (TTP) activities. “It was also noted that strong public opposition to returning to Swat is a positive development,” read the briefing of CT authority to the interior committee. In November, TTP formally withdrew its ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, which was declared in June. The withdrawl of ceasefire was followed by series of terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces foiled an infiltration from Afghanistan and killed four IS-KP terrorists.

On 10 December 2022, Pakistan’s security forces foiled an infiltration attempt from Afghanistan and killed four Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) terrorists in a remote mountainous North Waziristan district near the Afghanistan border. In early December, IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, an attempt to assassinate the head of the embassy. According to Pakistani officials, Charge d’Affaires— Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escapted unhurt, but his security guard was shot. In the month of September, an IS-KP suicide bomber carried out an explosion at the entrace to the Russian Embassy in Kabul, in which six people were killed, including two members of the embassy staff.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

A grenade explosion occurred outside a police station in Jammu.

On 06 December 2022, a grenade attack took place outside a police station in Sidhra area of Jammu, Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). No casualty reported in the blast. A lever of the grenade is recovered from the explosion site. Later, police recovered a letter in which Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) offshoot— Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF), claimed responsibility for the attack. JKGF was formed post-Pulwama attack in 2019 to evade international scrutiny and carry out deadly attacks. JKGF comprises of terrorist from other groups— Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb ul-Mujahideen (HM), Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind (AGuH), and al-Badr.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

Security forces recovered huge cache of arms and explosives from a Maoist hideout in

Maharashtra.

On 13 December 2022, security forces comprising of Aurangabad police, Special Task Force (STF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a joint anti-Maoist operation and seized huge cache of arms, high grade explosives from Laduiya Pahar hills, falling under the Madanpur police station limits of Aurangabad districts in south Bihar.

“Security forces recovered 14 firearms, including INSAS, SLR, bolt action rifles and 9mm pistols, 21 cane bombs, pressure IDs 1,763 detonators, 1,000 meters of fuse wire, 21 pressure switches, 36 batteries and other items used in explosions. Most of the weapons were looted from police and paramilitaries in various attacks,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Kantesh Kumar Mishra.
For more information: Click here to read…

35 Maoists surrendered in Andhra Pradesh.

On 07 December 2022, at least 35 Maoists, including a woman, of Pedabayalu-Korukonda Area Committee surrendered before the district police. The woman Maoist— Killo Indu aka Bharathi (27 years-old) of Jadiguda village in Jamiguda panchayat of Pedabayalu, was involved in four major attacks. Police also recovered six wireless sets and five chargers, a country-made pistol, a 5kg of landmine, 100 meters of electrical wire, an olive green uniform cloth and other materials.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

Bharat and US agreed on concerted action against terrorist networks, including LeT and JeM.

During the 19th Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group (CTJWG) and the 5th session of the Designations Dialogue, held on 12-13 December in New Delhi, Bharat and the United States (US) agreed on the need for concerted action against terrorist group, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). For the CT meeting, Mahaveer Singhvi (Joint Secretary for CT, Ministry of External Affairs), and Timothy Betts (Acting Coordinator for CT, US State Department led their respective inter-agency/inter-departmental delegations.

“Participants also deliberated pressing counter-terrorism challenges, including countering terrorist financing, preventing and countering radicalisation, use of the internet for terrorist purposes, narco-trafficking and its linkages to terrorism and use of new and emerging technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Virtual Assets, and the Dark Web for terrorist purposes,” read the statement released by the MEA, Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

TarnTaran bomb blasts accused extradited from Austria to Bharat and arrested by the NIA in Delhi.

On 08 December 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Bikramjit Singh aka Bikkar Panjwar after his extradition by the counterpart of Linz, Austria in coordination with the INTERPOL. Bikramjit Singh, an accused of TarnTaran bomb blasts, was absconding in NIA case— RC-20/2019/NIA/DLI.

On 22 March 2021, on the strength of the NIA Special Court’s Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) and subsequent Red Corner Notice (RCN), Bikramjit Singh was detained in Linz, Austria. After the completion of legal proceedings, Linz Regional Court processed the extradition of Bikramjit Singh to Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA arrested absconding terrorist involved in ‘Ludhiana Court’ bomb blast case.

On 01 December 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested an absconding terrorist— Harpreet Singh aka Happy Malaysia, from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, upon his arrival from Malaysia.

The case— RC-01/22/NIA/DLI pertains to the bomb blast that took place in the Ludhiana Court premises. Investigation highlighted that Harpreet coordinated the delivery of the custom-made IEDs which had been sent from Pakistan.
For more information: Click here to read…

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)

NIA Special Court convicted two FICN traffickers.

On 30 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, convicted two Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)— i) Vinod Nishad aka Vinod Sahni, and ii) Mehfooz Shaikh aka Riyazuddin Shaikh in a FICN case— RC-17/2019/NIA//DLI. Both accused were convicted under Sections 489B, 489C and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced to the rigorous imprisonment for seven years and fine.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghan Traders Abroad Face Hurdles Investing in Afghanistan: Tolo News

Some Afghan traders living abroad said current problems caused by the banking system and international sanctions, as well as the closed girls’ schools, are causing obstacles to investment in Afghanistan. Obaidullah Sadar Khail, head of the Afghan trader council in the UAE, told TOLOnews in a special TV program that the problems in the banking system that began nine months ago have still not been solved. “The banking system is important for the traders and over the past nine months, this problem has not been solved,” he said. Click here to read…

Joint Committee Formed to Address Tensions along Durand Line: Tolo News

Afghan chargé d’affaires in Islamabad Sardar Ahmad Shakib said on Sunday that a joint committee has been formed to address issues between the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan along the Durand Line. The committee will address all borer problems from now on, he said. “Any tension that happens by any side needs to be solved through talks. The committee has been created by both sides to address issues,” Shakib added. Click here to read…

Pakistani Delegation of Ulema to Visit Afghanistan to Discuss Cross-Border Hostility: The Khaama Press

According to Pakistan’s Geo News, which cited Pakistani authorities, the four-member reconciliation delegation of Pakistan will visit the Afghan capital, Kabul, and Kandahar, to put an end to the clashes along the border amid news of the establishment of a joint committee to address the border tensions surface. The Afghan border forces fired indiscriminately and without provocation at the civilian area in Chaman city of Pakistan’s Balochistan, for the second time in five days, using heavy weapons.Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani premier, condemned the Afghan Border Forces’ “unprovoked shelling” of civilians in Pakistan’s Chaman district, in response to the first of the twin border clashes in a week and urged the Afghan side to make sure that such occurrences “not repeated again. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Experts: Bangladesh must prepare for hybrid warfare – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh needs to take protective measures and formulate a doctrine in order to address the growing threat of hybrid warfare amid the country’s technological advancement, said the speakers at a roundtable Sunday morningClick here to read…

Jamaat-e-Islami | Old party, new brand – The Hindu

In the backdrop of the protests led by the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), authorities in Dhaka arrested Jamaat-e-Islami’s ameer Shafiqur Rahman and his son Rafat Sadik Saifullah last week. The arrests were interpreted as a move to pre-empt Jamaat, the largest Islamist party in Bangladesh, from infusing critical mass to the protest rally set to be launched by BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Click here to read…

China biggest source of FDI for Bangladesh in FY22 – Dhaka Tribune

China has become the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) source of Bangladesh in terms of the gross flow of $940 million for FY22. It also ranked top in foreign investors with 104 investors at eight export-processing zones (EPZs), said Song Yang, economic and commercial counsellor of Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh on Saturday. Click here to read…

Bhutan

An uplifting moment – Kuensel online

As the year near its end, there is one special day all Bhutanese look forward to. December 17, our National Day is not only the most significant day for Bhutan, but a day where Bhutanese from all walks of life come together as a big family to celebrate with pride and joy. The gathering today at Changlimethang and in all the dzongkhags and beyond is an uplifting moment for all of us. Click here to read…

Tawang clash was a deliberate PLA operation – Sunday Guardian Live

The Chinese attempt to seize a post is not a simple face-off as it is being made in some quarters. The implications of the loss of the Yangtse post would have been very costly for India. It is to the credit of the Indian Army that they thwarted this attempt very professionally. Click here to read…

Recurrent budget cut for financial prudence: FM – Kuensel online

The government cut the recurrent expenditure from the last fiscal year 2021-22 to spend the limited domestic resources judiciously, Finance Minister Namgay Tshering said. About 40 to 50 percent of the budget was cut across all agencies in the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to the pre-pandemic. The finance ministry itself saw a cut in the budget by about 60 percent. Click here to read…

Maldives

Foreign Secretary attends Human Rights Day Event organized by UN

Maldives, HRCM – Raajje

Foreign Secretary Ahmed Latheef has attended an event organized jointly by the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM). The event, held to mark the Human Rights Day 2022, also commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) under the theme “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All.” The event saw Latheef delivering remarks, where he reaffirmed the Maldivian government’s commitment to the values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Click here to read…

Myanmar

SL Navy rescues 104 distressed Myanmar nationals – Sri Lanka Mirror

Sri Lanka Navy rescued 104 distressed Myanmar nationals aboard a passenger vessel in Sri Lanka’s waters about 3.5 nautical miles north of Veththalakerni early morning yesterday. The distressed vessel is reported to have trespassed into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters following a mechanical failure while it was carrying the passengers from Myanmar to Indonesia. Click here to read…

81 human trafficking cases prevented in Myanmar between 2020 and 2021 – The Star

Myanmar have prevented 81 cases of human trafficking, helping 840 people between 2020 and 2021, said Brigadier General Aung Htay Myint, head of the Transnational Crime Division. He revealed the information during the 5th inter-ministerial meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking – COMMIT, which took on via video link at the Myanmar Police Force headquarters, state-run newspapers reported. Click here to read…

EU supports WFP’s food insecurity efforts in Myanmar – Mizzima

The European Union (EU) has contributed EUR 6.5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) towards its humanitarian assistance in Myanmar, where some 15 million people are facing moderate or severe food insecurity, according to a recent press release. Click here to read…

China-Myanmar-Thailand Economic Corridor safe haven for drugs, online scams: Report – The Print

The China-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Economic Corridor along river Moei has become a safe haven for drugs, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and online casino scams, according to a report in Mekong News. The report says that most of the “unholy syndicates” along the tributary of the Salween river from Tachileik to Myawaddy, are controlled by people of Chinese origin but from different nationalities.Click here to read…

Nepal

President Bhandari calls upon parties to recommend PM by December 25 – The Khabarhub

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called upon the parties to recommend a name for the Prime Minister within 7 days from Sunday. According to a source in the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, the President called for the name of the Prime Minister to be recommended as per Article 76 (2) of the Constitution. As per the President’s notice, the political parties have to recommend the name of Prime Minister by 5 pm, December 25. Click here to read…

Maoist Centre to initiate govt formation process after swearing-in ceremony – Khabarhub

The Maoist Centre has decided to participate in the government formation process only after the House of Representatives (HoR) members are sworn in. The Maoist Centre came to the conclusion that it would be wise to initiate the government formation process only after the lawmakers were administered the oath of office. Maoist Centre’s leader Janardan Sharma said the leaders put their views to opt for the government formation process after the lawmakers are sworn in. Click here to read…

Pakistan

PDM mulls over options to avert dissolution of Punjab, KP assemblies: Dawn

The city remained a hub of political activities on Sunday aimed at preventing the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Zardari and ex-premier Chaudhry Shujaat met each other separately to find a way out of the ‘quagmire’ caused by PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement that the two legislatures would be dissolved on Friday. Click here to read…

FM Bilawal arrives in US capital today for talks: Dawn

As Foreign Min¬ister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrives in the American capital on Monday, he has a difficult mission: underlining the need for stronger ties with the United States without disturbing its close relationship with China. The foreign minister completed his four-day visit to the UN headquarters in New York on Friday and then went off-the-radar for the weekend, stirring wild speculations in the Pakistani American community. Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Washington and New York offered no explanation on his weekend engagements. Click here to read…

When under-fire Bajwa speaks…: The News

Sources close to General Bajwa said that the recently retired former Army Chief could not respond in public to what PTI chairman alleges against him because of some codal limitations but it is insisted what Khan mostly says about Bajwa is untrue. Bajwa is now the focused target of Imran Khan who not only sees Bajwa as the sole reason for all his failures in the government but also alleges that the general had removed his government as part of a US conspiracy. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

IMF says China agrees to form global sovereign debt ’roundtable’ – Daily News

Chinese officials have agreed to form a global sovereign debt “roundtable” that would include a wide variety of stakeholders, including private sector creditors, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday. Georgieva told an event hosted by the IMF that she was feeling “a bit more optimistic” about the prospects for dealing with major debt issues facing low- and middle-income countries after high-level meetings with Chinese authorities last week. The IMF chief said last week she had a “fruitful exchange” with her Chinese counterparts on the need to accelerate debt relief for countries like Zambia and Sri Lanka, adding that she saw “space for a platform for more systematic engagement on debt issues, where China can play an active role”. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to use Indian rupee for international trade, more countries aim to follow – WION

Days after the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said that it was awaiting the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to designate Indian Rupee (INR) as a foreign currency in Sri Lanka, reports have emerged saying banks from India’s neighbouring island nation have opened special rupee trading accounts, called Vostro accounts. Sri Lanka had requested the RBI to facilitate and promote trade and tourism in the SAARC region. Click here to read…

New Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe promoted Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed him as the 25th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from December 18 with the retirement of former Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne.Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera was accorded a Guard of Honour in accordance with Naval traditions, at the Navy Headquarters yesterday, Vice Admiral Perera a proud product of the Royal College, Colombo joined the Si Lanka Navy in the Executive Branch in 1987 as an Officer Cadet of the fifth intake of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

‘Majority of Displaced Populations in Afghanistan’ Are Women: UN: Tolo News

The UN Women in Afghanistan said that “women make-up the majority of the displaced populations in Afghanistan. The inability to exercise property rights or seek legal help means women in informal settlements live every day in fear of being evicted.” “Women and girls are affected by negative coping mechanisms due to lack of food. Women are forced to sell their assets to buy food, or, in most extreme cases, families have to sell their girls for marriage,” UN women in Afghanistan said on Twitter. .Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Japan considers Rohingya resettlement – The Daily Star

Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki has said his country was considering resettlement of some Rohinyas to Japan as Bangladesh tries to ease its load of over a million of refugees who fled their homes in Myanmar to evade persecution. “Japan has received the request about third country resettlement [of Rohingyas] from your [Bangladesh] government. UNHCR here is also advising us to consider the possibility [to take Rohingyas to Japan],” the outgoing envoy told BSS, ahead of leaving Dhaka ending his tenure. .Click here to read…

Distorting History: Jamaat just won’t stop trying – The Daily Star

In yet another blatant attempt to distort history, Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday said Indian forces were behind the killings of intellectuals at the fag end of the Liberation War. At a virtual discussion to mark the Martyred Intellectuals Day, Jamaat leaders said the intellectuals were killed so that the country could not stand without the support of a neighbouring country. .Click here to read…

US envoy forced to cut short visit to Shaheen Bagh – Dhaka Tribune

The US envoy was visiting the residence of Sanjida Islam, the coordinator of Mayer Dak, an organization of relatives of missing persons. Sanjida is also the sister of missing BNP leader Sajedul Islam. According to media reports, the US envoy had been at the residence for about a half an hour when the members of another organization called Mayer Kanna began gathering outside. Mayer Kanna is an organization of families of army personnel who fell victim to killings and disappearances when Zia was in power in 1977. In response to the gathering crowd, the ambassador’s security detail asked him to leave the premises immediately. The US envoy hurriedly left the area with a police escort. .Click here to read…

Bhutan

Satellite pics of new bridge, expanding villages signal permanent Chinese occupation in Doklam – India Today

The Doklam faceoff at the India-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction triggered a show of strength from both sides. The Chinese are still holding on to the territory in Bhutan which is not to India’s liking. China has beefed up infrastructure across the borders, built tunnels to store heavy armaments and doubled its strength near the borders since the faceoff ended, according to intelligence reports. .Click here to read…

Fiscal deficit expected to drop to 5 percent by June, FM says – Kuensel Online

Bhutan’s fiscal deficit would drop below 5 percent from 11.01 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year, Finance Minister Namgay Tshering said. This means that the fiscal deficit will narrow below Nu 10.4 billion (B) from this year September’s fiscal deficit of Nu 22.89B. A fiscal deficit arises when the government expenditure exceeds its revenue and it needs to be filled with borrowings. .Click here to read…

Maldives

Now expatriates from Maldives can send remittance to Bangladesh instantly – The Business Standard

Bangladeshi expatriates in Maldives will now be able to send remittances back home from Commercial Bank of Maldives to bKash accounts instantly. To facilitate this convenience, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Bangladesh, Commercial Bank of Maldives and bKash have recently signed an agreement. This service will further widen the opportunity of instant remittance transfer through secured and legal channel, reads a press release. With the launching of “Bangla eRemit” platform, the service has been inaugurated on Sunday (11 December) at the head office of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Bangladesh. .Click here to read…

Myanmar

Could ‘Rice Diplomacy’ bolster Myanmar-Bangladesh ties – Modern Diplomacy

Without food, a nation could face turmoil and financial ruin. The agricultural sector is one of the most crucial and strategically vital for a nation to survive. There are numerous things the Bangladeshi government can do to keep rice in supply, but one of the most common is to import it. This import policy has many drawbacks because Bangladesh is known as an agricultural nation or a nation where the majority of workers are employed in agriculture, but despite this, Bangladesh still imports rice. .Click here to read…

India losing territory due to faulty border pillars: BJP MP from Manipur – The Hindu

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member from Manipur said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that India was losing territory along the Manipur-Myanmar border due to faulty border pillars and demanded that the issue be taken up diplomatically with the neighbouring country.Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Snubs Pro-Regime Armed Groups’ Call for Peace Talks – The Irrawaddy

Seven ethnic armed organizations, which are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), have failed to arrange an informal meeting with Myanmar’s regime. The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), New Mon State Party, Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council (KPC), Arakan Liberation Party, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and Lahu Democratic Union on December 7 proposed a meeting with Lieutenant General Yar Pyae, chairman of the regime’s National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal resumes buying power from India amid drop in domestic production – The Kathmandu Post

As domestic power production slumped along with the arrival of winter, the Nepal Electricity Authority has resumed buying power from India. “We restarted importing power from India starting late last week,” said Suresh Bhatarai, spokesperson of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). “Domestic power plants are producing just around 1000MW, lower than the peak domestic demands.” Click here to read…

Election Commission unveils final result of parliamentary elections – The Himalayan

The Election Commission of Nepal here today published the final result of the parliamentary elections held on November 20 this year.The Commission made public the results of the elections held under First-Past-The-Post and Proportional Representation systems. The final published result will be presented to President Bidya Devi Bhandari on coming Thursday, the Commission said. Click here to read…

Only 91 women in 275-member Nepal Parliament: Election Commission – The Hindu

There are only 91 women lawmakers in the 275-member Nepal Parliament, the Election Commission said on Wednesday, lower than the 33% reservation mandated for women by the Constitution. Out of 275 newly elected members in HoR, 184 are men and 91 are women, which constitutes only 31.10% representation for women, the Election Commission said. Women candidates fared slightly better in Provincial Assemblies though, registering 36.36% by clinching 200 out of the 550 seats. Click here to read…

Nepal partners up with Saudi Arabia for economic prosperity – My Republica

Through Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, a strategic framework was discussed to reduce Nepal’s dependence on Saudi Arabia’s oil, diversify Nepal’s economy and help develop public service sectors such as education and health. Under this vision, a high-level visit between Nepal and Saudi Arabia is planned to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Alvi’s mediation fails to heal govt-PTI rift: The Express Tribune

As PTI chief Imran Khan dials up the resolve to dissolve assemblies, the ruling coalition is hoping quiet negotiations with the former ruling party can take the sting out of the burgeoning peril before the window of opportunity closes.However, despite the rare talks, neither side showed any appetite to thaw tensions on the ‘sticking point’ — early elections — as the political temperature continues to rise up. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka expects up to $8 bn more in loans, asset restructuring: Minister – Daily News

Sri Lanka is expecting loans of up to $5 billion next year from multilateral agencies besides a deal with the IMF, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told Reuters, adding that the government could raise up to $3 billion through the restructuring of state assets. “Apart from what we get from the IMF, we are looking at all others, the multilaterals put together another $4 to $5 billion …,”Sabry said in an interview on Wednesday. “The President is interested in restructuring some of the (state) institutions, so through that if we can raise $2 to $3 billion, our treasury and reserves become strengthened.” Click here to read…

Discusses ways to enhance cooperation at Parliamentary level – Daily News

Sri Lanka and India sought ways and means to enhance cooperation at Parliamentary level, when Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda met with the Chairman of the Committee on External Affairs of the Indian Parliament, Shri P. P. Chaudhary on December 13 in New Delhi…The discussion focused on how to enhance interactions between the two Parliaments through exchanges of committees and friendship groups. High Commissioner Moragoda’s meeting with the Chairman was held in keeping with the objective, ‘Enhance cooperation at Parliamentary level; boost Parliamentary diplomacy’, stipulated in the ‘Integrated Country Strategy for Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions in India 2021/2023’ policy roadmap of the High Commission. Click here to read…

A political breakthrough – Daily News

The collective Opposition had hoped that, with many factions of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) going their separate ways, there was an opportunity to harness that dissent into a majority vote against the Government during the Budget debate. That however did not materialise. …The Budget was endorsed with 123 votes for and 80 against, a tally similar to the vote on the Second Reading. With the passage of the Budget in Parliament now concluded, President Wickremesinghe and his Government have been quick to shift their focus to two other important matters: a final resolution of the ethnic issue and conducting Local Government (LG) elections throughout the country. Click here to read…