Afghanistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh shuts down main Opposition newspaper – The Hindu

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

Bhutan

Committee yet to review barrage or PI dam option – Kuensel

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

Youth unemployment increases in 2022 – Kuensel

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

President Solih heads to Singapore on unofficial visit – Raajje

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

Myanmar

EU imposes new sanctions on Myanmar’s junta -AA

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

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

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

Opium farming has flourished under Myanmar’s junta – UCANews

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka’s great IMF lie – Himal

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

Afghanistan

Taliban Divided: Interior Min says Afghanistan in “intolerable” state, spokesperson rebuts – Firstpost

Haqqani’s comments came amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Last year in December, the hard-line group banned university education for women in Afghanistan, apart from other obscurantist moves to curb natural freedoms of the people Click here to read…

Taliban forces kill 3 Daesh members in raid on Kabul building – Arab News

Taliban intelligence forces killed three Daesh militants and arrested one in an overnight operation in the Afghan capital of Kabul, an official said Tuesday. The raid on a residential building targeted Daesh militants who organized recent attacks in the capital, said Khalil Hamraz, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for Afghanistan’s general director of intelligence. He called the target in the Karti Naw neighborhood an important Daesh hideout. Click here to read…

Feb.15 Marks 34th Anniversary of Soviet Withdrawal – Tolo News

Wednesday, 15 February 2023, marks the 34th anniversary of the withdrawal of the former Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Many of the survivors of the Soviet attacks said that Russian soldiers in Afghanistan committed mass killings. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

AL’s counter to BNP on streets raises fear of violence – New Age

The ruling Awami League’s recent tendency to announce a counter-programme on the same day as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s programme has put the country’s two major political parties on a collision course, raising fear of violence. Speaking with New Age, senior politicians, and political analysts said that these counter-political street programmes were a serious worry that may put people’s lives in danger in the coming days as the next general election drew closer. Click here to read…

Unit 1 of Rampal plant to resume power generation Wednesday – Dhaka Tribune

Unit-1 of the 1329MW Rampal coal-fired power plant will resume production from Wednesday, still under a test run that started in August before being discontinued last month. According to official sources, Unit-1, having 660MW capacity, was forced to shut down on January 14 due to shortage of coal supply. The authorities of the power plant were unable to open any letter of credit (LC) to import coal due to the dollar crisis. Click here to read…

Let’s not neglect jute any longer – Dhaka Tribune

It is very encouraging to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself comment on the state of the jute industry in Bangladesh, hitting the nail on the head when she proclaimed that despite being an environment-friendly agricultural product, jute did not get the expected attention and incentives like the RMG (readymade garments) industry. Click here to read…

Bhutan

FDI in the digital sector sees huge potential – Kuensel

Having failed to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) over the years, the FDI Policy is yet again on the government’s table for review. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the average FDI inflows to Bhutan have been less than USD 20 million a year since 2010, contributing less than 1 percent of the gross domestic product. Click here to read…

A Force of Change – Kuensel

Almost a decade after His Majesty’s address to a group of young de-suup trainees at the Military Training Center in Tencholing, Wangdue, the de-suup family today has grown from a few hundred to a formidable group of around 35,000. Click here to read…

Maldives

Latvian traveler caught smuggling drugs into Maldives – Raajje

A foreigner has been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that a traveler from Latvia, 49, was arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives by ingesting them. The arrest was made following an intel report received by the Police Intelligence Unit, by the efforts of officers from the Maldives Immigration and Maldives Customs Service. Click here to read…

UNICEF Representative presents Letter of Appointment to FM Shahid – Raajje

The new UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, Dr. Edward Addai has presented his Letter of Appointment to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Dr. Edward presented his Letter of Appointment to Minister Shahid on 14 February 2022. During the meeting held following the presentation, Minister Shahid and the Representative discussed the role of UNICEF in the Maldives. As such, discussions were held in areas on child protection, maternal and child heath, immunization, nutrition, pre and primary education and social inclusion. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar’s opposition opens foreign ministry office in US – RFA

Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government officially opened a shadow embassy in Washington on Monday, with a U.S. State Department official at the event using a speech to reject the legitimacy of elections planned by the military junta later this year. The so-called NUG has set up a government-in-exile after the military took power from a democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup. Click here to read…

No sales of arms to Myanmar for ‘a very long time’, says Singapore minister – Borneo Bulletin

Singapore has not sold military weapons to Myanmar for a very long time and has effected a ban on the sale of arms there, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan in Parliament yesterday. The minister was replying to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) Dennis Tap on recent assertions in the report of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar which stated that Singapore functions as a “strategic transit point for potentially significant volumes of items” including raw materials that contribute towards military production by the Myanmar military. Click here to read…

It’s Time for Myanmar’s Neighbors to Sideline the Military Junta – The Diplomat

Anyone still hoping for a political solution to Myanmar’s crisis should ask one question: is the military junta willing to be held accountable for its crimes? The definitive answer, demonstrated repeatedly by their mounting atrocities, is “no.” But without accountability for the crimes committed since the February 2021 coup, which include the burning of women and children alive, there can be no political solution to the country’s conflict. Click here to read…

Chinese crypto scams forcing Filipinos to work for them in Myanmar – Mizzima

Chinese criminals running cryptocurrency scams in Southeast Asia are targeting Filipinos to work for them because of their English-language and computer skills, a Philippine foreign ministry official said Monday. Filipinos were “prized” targets for scam networks operating in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, said Eduardo de Vega, acting undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read…

Nepal

“Differences Between Friends Can Be Resolved Through Talks”: Nepal Ex-PM – NDTV

Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who on Tuesday held an extensive meeting with visiting Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, said any kind of differences between Nepal and India can be sorted out through dialogue, a source close to the CPN-UML chairman said. Click here to read…

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completes his two day official visit to Nepal – NewsOnAir

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completed his two-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal. During his two days visit Foreign Secretary Kwatra called on the President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr. Bimala Rai Paudyal alongwith meeting other senior members of the Government of Nepal and other leaders. Click here to read…

Nepal King Rekindles Calls For Restoration Of Nepal’s Status As A ‘Hindu Kingdom’, Joins Protests Against Government – Swarajya Marg

The former King of Nepal Gyanendra Shah on Monday (13 February) joined a public campaign that seeks to reinstate Nepal’s status as a “Hindu Kingdom”. Notably, the campaign was launched on the day the Nepal government led by the Communist Party leader Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ declared a public holiday to mark 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Asked to condemn Moscow, but followed India’s example of ‘neutral’ stand in Russia-Ukraine War: Imran Khan – India TV

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that the former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had asked him to condemn Russia in its act of invading Ukraine, but he refused to do so citing India’s stand on the matter. Click here to read…

Govt turns to parliament after Alvi ‘refuses’ ordinance – Dawn

Despite its attempt to expedite pas­sage of fiscal measures mandated by the Internat­i­o­nal Monetary Fund (IMF), the government was forced to head to parliament on Tuesday after President Arif Alvi “adv­ised” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to take parliament into confidence over the Rs170 billion in new taxes that are being levied. Click here to read…

The economic woes of Pakistan and Sri Lanka have similar origin stories – Scroll

Economists ascribe Sri Lanka’s recent financial problems to a severe decline in tourism and remittances, as well as a substantial tax cut, but poor governance is atop the list of the factors that played havoc with the island nation’s economy, which relied heavily on tourism and remittances. Both these sources were hit badly by the Covid pandemic as the workers were laid off on a mass scale. Click here to read…

Pakistan nearly doubles gas prices to meet IMF bailout terms – Money Control

Cash-strapped Pakistan nearly doubled natural gas taxes Tuesday in an effort to comply with a long-stalled financial bailout, raising concerns that the hardship could pass to consumers in the impoverished south Asian country. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Turkey relations: What’s in it for Ankara? – DNA India

Three devastating earthquakes struck Turkey’s South-eastern region bordering Syria in the early hours of 06 February 23. The widespread destruction and ensuing loss of life have, as expected in any major disaster of this magnitude, overwhelmed the country. The World community responded swiftly and immediate for HADR operations, given the intensity of envisaged damage, both to property and life. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s too responded to the request by Turkey soon after. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka envoy meets Indian ministers seeking support for economic recovery – Hindustan Times

Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda on Tuesday met with union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss India’s support for his country’s economic recovery, including through the expansion of bilateral trade and use of the rupee for trade settlement. Click here to read…

Protests against Wickremesinghe sweep Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated provinces – Peoples Dispatch – Peoples Dispatch

On February 11, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and students of Jaffna University in Sri Lanka staged a protest against a musical event organized by the secretariat of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Jaffna as part of Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence day celebrations. At least 18 protestors, including Selvarajah Kajendren, Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the TNPF, were arrested at the protest. They were later released on bail. Click here to read…

Japan to grant 5 bn yen to Sri Lanka for public health sector fuel purchases – Economy Next

Cabinet spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the weekly cabinet press briefing on Tuesday February 14 that 35 million US dollar-worth grant is to be made under Japan’s Economic and Social Developmenet Programme so that Sri Lanka may continue essential and urgent health services uninterrupted. Click here to read…

Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum successfully held in Sri Lanka – Daily FT

Amidst the changing global dynamics, with the intention of strengthening socioeconomic relations between Russia and Sri Lanka, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) recently organised a four-day program, Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum (23-27 Jan.), which heralded fruitful outcomes for both nations. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Taliban forces raid IS hideout in Kabul – India Blooms

“The security forces attacked an important hideout of the IS in Kartai Naw locality of Police District 8 on Monday evening, killing several insurgents,” Mujahid said in his twitter account. Since the operation site is at a residential area, the operation was carried out slowly and carefully to protect the locals, the chief spokesman said. Click here to read…

Differences emerge in Taliban leadership as interior minister makes public criticism – Arab News

Major differences have emerged within the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan, experts said on Monday, after a senior official described the country’s situation as “intolerable” over the weekend. Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is in the spotlight following a critical comment on the current situation in Afghanistan during a public event on Saturday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Opposition Protests in Bangladesh Threaten Bilateral Relations with India – South Asian Voices

Large-scale protests have rocked Bangladesh’s major cities like Faridpur, Rajshahi, and Dhaka in recent months. Amid rising energy and fuel prices, Bangladeshis have mounted significant pressure on the current Awami-led government. National and international media outlets have attributed these protests to opposition forces led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami aiming to reassert their influence. Despite historic ties with the Awami League, the time is ripe for India to amend its approach to Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Bangladesh bars Russian ships from its maritime territory after US sanctions – BD News

The Bangladesh government has imposed restrictions barring the entry of 69 Russian ships into its maritime waters in line with US and EU sanctions. This means that Russian vessels will not be able to bring in shipments of imports, stop for fuelling, anchor in the area, or even use sea routes. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh Foreign Secretary level meeting to take place on Wednesday – India Blooms

India and Bangladesh are scheduled to hold Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Wednesday, which will review the ongoing cooperation between the two countries apart from the issues of mutual interests. Click here to read…

Greater energy cooperation will benefit both India and Bangladesh – The Daily Star

In the near future, Bangladesh needs to transition from conventional energy sources to ensure its energy security and long-term sustainability. Following the Ukraine crisis, energy security has become a major concern for developing and least-developed countries. In this context, cross-border energy cooperation and revitalizing the idea of the power corridor could perhaps help Bangladesh to mitigate its energy crisis. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Social Media Platforms Are A Way For Locals To Earn Money – The Watch Dog News

Bhutan Users are being drawn to social media sites like Tik Tok & YouTube due to their gaining popularity. These users are currently growing in recognition on a national and international scale. According to Bhutan Live, these platforms are providing Bhutanese citizens with new economic opportunities. Click here to read…

Bhutan’s Paro drafts by-law in its quest to become waste-free – DeviDiscourse

Bhutan’s Paro town’s district Waste Management Committee has drafted a by-law to achieve its target of becoming a waste-free district in the next few years, The Bhutan Live reported. Consultation and familiarization meetings on the draft by-law were held with the district’s local leaders, institutions, and regional offices, recently, according to The Bhutan Live. The by-law will also be put up in the upcoming Duzongkhag Tshogd for endorsement. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives NOC secretary general emphasises anti-doping education importance after WADA visit – Inside the Games

WADA’s Asia and Oceania office manager Kenny Lee Kyu Hwan and programme development manager of National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) relations Cui Ying travelled to Malé for the South Asian RADO member country representative meeting. South Asian RADO manager Hussain Mohamed joined Lee and Cui on their visit to the MOC. Click here to read…

New Record: Highest-ever single-day arrivals with over 8,000 tourists – Edition.mv

The Maldives on Saturday recorded its highest-ever single-day arrival with over 8,000 tourists visiting the country. In January of this year, the daily average of arrivals was 5,566, and so far in February, it is 6,190. The total number of tourist arrivals from February 1–11 is 68,085, which is a 35.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022. Click here to read…

Myanmar

The civil war in Myanmar: No end in sight – Brookings

The second anniversary of the February 2021 coup d’état in Myanmar has just passed, and the abysmal state of armed conflict, insurgency, chaos, and anarchy has only been deteriorating. Despite the repeated calls by regional organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and by the United Nations to stop the violence, protect human rights, and respect the democratic process, the Burmese military junta has demonstrated no appetite for political concessions or negotiation with the resistance movement.Click here to read…

Myanmar’s arrested environmental activism – East Asia Forum

In the two years since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar’s natural environment has deteriorated as the embryonic legal and regulatory regime that was emerging during the decade of political and economic reforms has unravelled. Gold mining has significantly increased, particularly in Kachin and Shan States, causing extensive social and environmental problems. The military has issued new mining permits while informal or illegal mining has also proliferated, causing deforestation, erosion and flooding while also damaging fisheries by polluting waterways with toxic sediment. Click here to read…

Chevron Exits Myanmar After Finalizing Sale of Yadana Stake – The Diplomat

The U.S. oil major Chevron announced on Friday that it would finally cut its ties with military-ruled Myanmar, after agreeing to sell its assets in the country. According to a report by Reuters, the firm said it had agreed to sell for an undisclosed amount its 41.1 percent interest in the Yadana offshore gas field to a subsidiary of the Canadian company MTI. Click here to read…

Nepal

Former monarch joins campaign to reinstate Nepal as ‘Hindu State’ – Indian Express

In a symbolic but significant political move, former Nepal king Gyanendra Shah on Monday joined a public campaign that envisages restoration of Nepal’s earlier status of a “Hindu Kingdom”. The campaign was launched on a day the Nepal government led by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ declared a public holiday to mark 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Kwatra meets top Nepal leadership – Tribune India

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday interacted with the entire top leadership of Nepal, including President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda whom he invited for an official visit to India, Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal and his counterpart Bharatraj Paudyal. Kawtra’s visit follows that of several high-level officials from the US State Department as both Foreign Offices recover from the political shock of incumbent PM and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba having been deprived of the PM’s chair due to an alliance between the country’s two major communist parties. Click here to read…

Prachanda-Oli rift set to jolt Nepal again – Hans India

Never the best of allies, the growing rift between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is sending shockwaves in the ruling communist-led seven party alliance. The Prachanda government is also challenged by smaller aspirational parties including the youth-oriented Rastriya Swantantra Party (RSP) and Madhesi parties. Besides the Nepali Congress which has the highest number of the seats in parliament is making incremental gains, putting it in pole position to play the kingmaker role, exploiting the rift in Nepal’s communist camp. Click here to read…

Pakistan

US, Pakistan talks to enhance defence ties – Dawn

Pakistan and the United States began their defence talks in Washington on Monday to enhance coordination on strategic issues and explore various options for ramping up bilateral military and security ties. The four-day talks, ending on Feb 16, is a second round of the Pakistan-US Mid-Level Defence Dialogue. The first round was held in Pakistan in January 2021. Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Mohammad Saeed is leading the inter-agency delegation that reached Washington on Sunday. Click here to read…

Pakistan orders embassies to NOT issue visas to Afghan nationals – First Post

Amid deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Islamabad’s Foreign Office has ordered its embassies in European countries to not issue visas to Afghan citizens until further orders. This came after the alleged visa scandal of the issuance of Pakistani visas to 1,600 Afghan nationals on fake residential cards of Sweden, ARY News reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan set for tax hikes in return for massive IMF bailout – The Hindu

The dire outlook from economists and political analysts comes after the International Monetary Fund delayed the release of a crucial $1.1 billion portion of a 2019 deal worth $6 billion, on hold since December over Pakistan’s failure to meet the terms. The latest round of the talks between Pakistan and the IMF concluded on Friday with the Fund recommending steps including imposing new taxes. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka junks Prabhakaran is alive claim by Tamil Nadu leader – Deccan Herald

Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran, in an attempt to keep the Sri Lankan Tamils issue boiling in Tamil Nadu and to remain relevant, on Monday claimed that Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founding chief of once-dreaded LTTE, was alive and that a “conducive atmosphere” prevails now for him to appear. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka opposition leader lambasts govt for tax policy, interest rates, utility tariff hike – Economy Next

Sri Lanka opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has criticised the cash-strapped government’s tax policy, cost-reflective utility tariffs and the Central Bank’s decision to maintain interest rates at their current level, proposing that stolen money be recovered to increase state revenue. Click here to read…

Indo-Sri Lankan relations since independence: a checkered history – News In Asia

India-Sri Lanka relations are undoubtedly at their best now, thanks to India’s timely and generous assistance to the financially-beleaguered southern neighbor. But in the past 75 years or more, bilateral relations have been troubled more often than not. Therefore, the million-dollar question now is: Will India’s help during the ongoing financial crisis stabilize the relationship and put it on a growth trajectory for a change? Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Uzbekistan Halts Power Supply to Afghanistan: DABS – Tolo News

The country’s power distributor, Da Afghanistan Bereshna Sherkat, said on Sunday that the imported electricity from Uzbekistan has been disconnected due to technical issues. DABS official Safiullah Ahmadzai said that Islamic Emirate officials are negotiating with Uzbekistan officials about the reconnection of power supply to the country. He said to address the lack of electricity in Kabul, the company has activated the Tarakhil thermal power station. Click here to read…

Former woman MP shot dead in Afghanistan – The Tribune

A former Afghan female lawmaker who refused to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover was shot dead along with her bodyguard by unidentified assailants in Kabul late Saturday night. This is the first time a lawmaker from the previous administration has been killed in the city since the takeover. Mursal Nabizada (32), extremely critical of the Taliban’s policies, was elected MP under the previous western-backed government from a constituency in Nangarhar district, considered the base of the Islamic State (IS). Click here to read…

Afghan bank’s cash remarks ‘misleading, unhelpful’ says UN – Devdiscourse

The United Nations (UN) mission in Afghanistan has slammed the Taliban-controlled central bank for making what it described as “misleading and unhelpful” remarks about cash destined for humanitarian work in the ravaged country. “CLARIFICATION 1-Cash shipped to #Afghanistan by the UN is placed in UN accounts in a private bank. It is used by UN agencies to support its humanitarian work 2-Announcements by non-UN entities about UN fund shipments are misleading & unhelpful,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh pins hopes on nuclear energy as its way out of power cuts and rising fuel prices – Scroll

The Rooppur nuclear plant is being built by Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation, using Russian technology and a Russian loan of $11.38 billion to be repaid over two decades from 2027. Click here to read…

Let’s talk the talk: Confronting Bangladesh’s national security threats – Dhaka Tribune

The discourse of national security takes place rarely, and even in such rare discourses, there is a deliberate effort to demilitarize it. It is often portrayed to the public and indoctrinated in academic settings that Bangladesh has no security threats. Therefore, all it needs to do is focus on economic development. Click here to read…

Cutting Extrajudicial Killings: US satisfied with Rab’s progress – Daily Star

Visiting US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu yesterday expressed satisfaction that Rab reduced extrajudicial killings since late 2021, when the US imposed sanctions on the forceClick here to read…

Bhutan

China, Bhutan agree to expedite negotiations to resolve border dispute – The Economic Times

China and Bhutan have reached a “positive consensus” to push forward the implementation of the agreement to expedite negotiations to settle their border dispute through a three-step roadmap. The 11th Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the China-Bhutan Boundary Issues was held in China’s Kunming city from January 10 to 13, according to a joint statement issued by both countries. Click here to read…

New Delhi hopes Bhutan will factor in Indian concerns on trijunction – The Economic Times

Following Bhutan-China expert group meeting in Kunming on boundary issues, India is hopeful that its concerns on the trijunction will be considered in the next round of Sino-Bhutanese consultations. Senior Indian officials visiting Thimphu, coinciding with the January 10-13 meeting in the Chinese city, underlined the special nature of Indo-Bhutanese ties, people in the know said. It is understood that various aspects of Bhutan-China talks were discussed. Click here to read…

Bhutanese economy to grow at 4.1 percent in current FY: World Bank – Kuensel Online

The World Bank forecast the Bhutanese economy to grow by 4.1 percent in the fiscal year 2022-23, in its report “Global Economic Prospects” report, released on January 10. The reopening of borders in September last year is expected to support growth in the industry and services sector, the Bank said. Bhutan’s growth has revised down by 0.6 percentage points from the World Bank’s June projection last year of 4.7 percent. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives Presidential Election to be held on Sept 9 – Avas

The Presidential Election will be held on September 9 this year. The date of the election was announced by the Elections Commission (EC) at a press conference at the Manhattan Business Hotel this morning. EC’s President, Fuwad Thawfeek, said if the election goes to a second round, the voting of the final round would be held on September 30. This year, 280,000 people are eligible to vote in the election, he said. Click here to read…

Cambodian PM arrives in the Maldives on official visit – Avas

The Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, arrived Sunday morning on an official visit to the Maldives at the invitation of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. This is the Cambodian Prime Minister’s first visit to the Maldives. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Local resistance, not foreigners, key to Myanmar’s future – Financial Review

Myanmar’s abject deterioration since the February 2021 military coup accelerated throughout 2022, with more violence, retribution and pain spread across the rapidly impoverishing country of 55 million people. The military regime spent the year trying to reinforce its positions on the battlefield and its claims to institutional legitimacy. It is failing on both fronts. Click here to read…

Global firms help Myanmar’s military make weapons, says report – BBC

Myanmar’s military is producing a vast range of weapons to use against its own people thanks to supplies from companies in at least 13 countries, former top UN officials say. The US, France, India and Japan are among those named, despite Western-led sanctions intended to isolate Myanmar. The report says the home-produced arms are used to carry out atrocities against those who oppose the military. Click here to read…

Myanmar shadow government raises $132m to oppose junta – Strait Times

Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government said it has raised more than US$100 million (S$132 million) to fund its democracy effort and topple the junta. About 45 per cent of the funds are from the sales of so-called Spring Revolution Special Treasury Bonds, according to Mr Tin Tun Naing, shadow minister for planning, finance and investment. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Airstrikes On Rebel Camps Spark Scare In Mizoram – Swarajya Marg

Airstrikes by Myanmar’s ruling junta on the headquarters of the Chin National Front (CNF), the political wing of the rebel Chin National Army (CNA), earlier this week has caused a scare in neighbouring Mizoram. Fighter jets of the Myanmar Air Force dropped bombs on the CNF headquarters at Mount Victoria in Chin province of that country, killing five CNF members and injuring scores of others, on Tuesday (10 January) and Wednesday (11 January). Click here to read…

Nepal

68 dead in Nepal’s worst domestic air disaster – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal saw its worst domestic air disaster on Sunday morning when Yeti Airlines flight NYT 691 from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed a few minutes before landing at the new international airport. The plane carried 72 persons, including passengers and crew, and 68 had been confirmed dead as of Sunday evening, the country’s civil aviation regulator said in a statement. Rescue efforts have been suspended for Sunday. Click here to read…

Govt forms panel to probe plane crash- The Himalayan Times

The government has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate Yeti Airlines plane crash near Pokhara Regional International Airport today. An emergency Cabinet meeting held today decided to form a panel under former government secretary Nagendra Ghimire to investigate the accident and submit its report within 45 days, said government Spokesperson and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel. Click here to read…

Kerung border reopening brings little joy to traders – The Kathmandu Post

Nepali traders had cheered when China allowed two-way trade to resume at the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border last month, but they are finding out that the joy may have been premature. Beijing has declared that exports from Nepal will be allowed to pass only on a fortnightly basis. Imports to Nepal, however, are permitted to pass daily, officials said. “For now, China has allowed 14 goods carriers to cross the border every fortnight,” Narayan Prasad Bhandari, chief of the Rasuwa Customs Office, told the Post. Click here to read…

Nepal PM Prachanda says he will visit India soon – The Hindu

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that he will visit India soon on his first foreign trip after assuming the top executive post of the country for the third time. However, the Nepal government is yet to officially announce the Prime Minister’s visit to India. The date and itinerary of the visit are yet to be finalised. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Embarrassing to ask for more loans: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif – OpIndia

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said that it is becoming very embarrassing for him to ask for further loans from other countries. Pakistan, which is perennially in an economic crunch, is once again getting bailed out by other countries like Saudi Arabia. The Pakistan PM thanked Saudi Arabia for their support but at the same time, mentioned that it is not a solution as the loans would have to be returnedClick here to read…

Oil dips, but hovers near 2023 highs on China demand optimism – Dawn

Oil prices dipped in early Asian trade on Monday, but held close to the highest levels since the start of the year on optimism that China’s reopening will lift fuel demand at the world’s top crude importer. Brent crude fell 36 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $84.92 a barrel by 0116 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $79.65 a barrel, down 21 cents, or 0.3pc amid thin trade during a US public holiday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

HC Moragoda meets Gujarat State Governor, Chief Minister – Daily News

The High Commissioner congratulated the Chief Minister on his resounding victory at the recently concluded assembly elections in Gujarat. The discussion focused on the interactions between the State of Gujarat and Sri Lanka in multiple spheres and particularly in the tourism sector. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to cut army by half after financial crisis – Deccan Herald

Bankrupt Sri Lanka will drastically slash its military, the defence ministry said Friday, as the government works to overhaul its shambolic finances after an unprecedented economicClick here to read…

We are discussing problems of Tamil people, says Sri Lankan President on Pongal festival – The Print

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday said his government is discussing problems of the North and the Tamil people, in a step towards reconciling the island nation that has suffered three decades of war and insurgency. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

Concerned but not shocked! – Kuensel Online

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

Maldives

Maldives welcomes Chinese decision to ease travel restrictions

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

Myanmar

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nepal

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

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

Trust vote: Hectic parleys in Nepal – The Tribune

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

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

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

Pakistan

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

India to support Sri Lanka uplift dairy sector – Daily News

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

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

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

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

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