Afghanistan

Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan resigns – India Today

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Wednesday resigned from his post, citing personal reasons. “After serving close to three years as Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, I have requested the government that the time has come for me to move on and focus on my personal pursuits – family, books, and agriculture/environment,” he tweeted. Click here to read…

Afghanistan resumes passport distribution after 5-month hiatus – AA

Afghanistan Wednesday resumed distributing passports five months after service problems were suspended due to “technical problems.” According to the Passport General Directorate, the technical problems have been resolved and the distribution of passports will resume. Afghans who went to directorate branches formed long lines to get new passports. Earlier, the Taliban interim administration had announced that it would resume passport distribution across the country on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Foreign Minister calls for promotion of peace, harmony across nation – The Print

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday called for promotion of peace and harmony across nations and stressed the need for inculcating a mindset of respect towards others at an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation in Delhi. “We have been promoting cultural peace across nations… If we inculcate a mindset of respect for others irrespective of religion, colour, we can hope to have sustainable peace across nations,” the minister said. Momen called for an end to violence, war and terror in regions and nations, and said if there is peace there will not be millions of refugees like the Rohingyas, who are being provided shelter by Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Anti-Russia sanctions by the West hit Global South, including Bangladesh: Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen – The Hindu

Countries that have been unleashing sanctions against each other after the beginning of the Ukraine war never consulted Dhaka, even though Bangladesh is among those nations “hit hardest” by the economic fallout of the crisis, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said. Mr. Momen spoke to The Hindu hours after arriving in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that began on Wednesday evening with a conversation and dinner among the delegations of the participating countries. He reiterated that there was an urgent requirement to maintain open channels of dialogue at both regional and global levels so that less developed countries are not left alone to deal with the unpredictable scenarios of the contemporary world order. Click here to read…

Talks needed, open minds too – Daily Star

In recent days, several media reports have focused on the possibility of talks between the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP over holding an inclusive national election. Those reports read the ruling party may take an initiative to bring the BNP to the table for ensuring the latter’s participation in the national election, slated for January next year, to make it acceptable to all. But the BNP is currently busy waging a simultaneous movement with like-minded parties to press home the demand for an election-time caretaker government and resignation of the incumbent government. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Bhutan strategises to promote tourism – Kuensel

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has come up with a marketing strategy to promote Bhutan abroad. It consists of raising awareness in media, engagement with international B2B (travel agents) and webinars, travel and trade events, advertising and digital marketing campaigns, domestic industry engagement and existing and new market activations. Officials of DoT said that social media is also part of the strategy and they have several big influencers from Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom coming to Bhutan. Click here to read…

Duty-free shops begin selling gold to tourists – Kuensel

Tourists visiting Bhutan can purchase gold from the Bhutan Duty-Free shops in Phuentsholing and Thimphu. The shops started selling gold on March 1. In Thimphu, tourists can purchase the gold from the duty-free shop at Chubachu and in Phuentsholing, the duty-free shop will be temporarily housed at the Bank of Bhutan office. The price of gold at the duty-free shops will be based on the global gold price. “However, products bought from a duty-free shop anywhere in the world are cheaper, which is the same in Bhutan. The same principle will also be applied to the sale of gold. Therefore, the gold bought from the Bhutan Duty-Free shops should be cheaper compared to the normal market,” Dorji Dhradhul said. Click here to read…

Handmade carpets an alternate source of income for women in Bhutan’s Cha-Ngar-Zam village. – ANI

Handmade carpets or dramtse dhen are an alternate source of income for women in Bhutan’s Zhemgang district’s Cha-Ngar-Zam village. A group of twelve women working in the Traditional Dremdhen Unit weave carpet of all sozes and designs. The traditional Drumdhen Unit not only generates profits but is also helping empower rural women. Click here to read…

Maldives

Former Maldives president gets 11 years for corruption, slapped with $3 million penalty – India Narrative

Former Maldivian president Abdullah Yameen, currently the opposition leader, has been asked to pay $1 million of laundered money and $2 million more related to corruption while dealing with a foreign company for resort development. The Criminal Court in the Maldives also sentenced Yameen to 11 years in prison over corruption and money laundering charges related to the leasing of Aarah island in Vaavu Atoll to a foreign party, according to the Maldivian media. Yameen is the leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Click here to read…

Myanmar

Indian State-owned firm sold artillery barrels to Myanmar: activists – The Hindu

An Indian State-owned arms manufacturer has shipped artillery barrels to military-ruled Myanmar, an activist group said Wednesday, warning they could be used by the junta in its crackdown on dissent. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the generals toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government two years ago, ending a brief democratic experiment and sparking mass protests. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta sentences nearly 2,400 people in February alone – RFA

Myanmar’s military junta sentenced almost 2,400 people to prison terms in February, more than doubling the number of prisoners it sentenced since taking power in the 2021 coup to nearly 4,700. Statistics from the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, or AAPP, showed that between the coup and Jan. 31, 2023, the junta had sentenced 2,299 people, but in February 2023 alone, it sentenced 2,384. Click here to read…

Malaysia’s Anwar says Asean cannot view Myanmar crisis as a ‘purely internal’ issue – SCMP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for new ways to persuade Myanmar’s ruling generals to resolve the civil conflict, as he revealed more than 200,000 refugees had fled Myanmar to his country. Anwar made the comment in Manila, where he was visiting as part of his first regional tour since taking office last November. Click here to read…

China, Myanmar Have Resumed Work on Railway Project, Report Says – The Diplomat

Earlier this week, the news magazine Frontier reported that a Chinese state company had quietly resumed preliminary work on a railway running from southern China to the Myanmar coast in Rakhine State. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal welcomes over 120,000 tourists in 2023, Indians top the list in Feb – Business Standard

Nepal has welcomed more than 1,20,000 tourists in the first two months of this year, the Himalayan nation’s tourism department said on Wednesday, with Indians accounting for the highest numbers of arrivals in February. Click here to read…

In Nepal game of political dice, Prachanda-Deuba & India are back while Oli out in the cold again – The Print

The wheels are turning in Nepali politics again, barely a couple of months since the elections threw up a new coalition government led by two Communist parties, one of whose leaders abandoned his pre-poll partner to become Prime Minister in alliance with the other. Click here to read…

Nepal welcomes investment in nationally prioritized sectors from China: ambassador – global Times

Nepal is a virgin land for investment and it welcomes investment from China in the nationally prioritized sectors including energy, agriculture, tourism, mines, mineral, infrastructure, and information and communication technology, said Nepali Ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha on Tuesday. “China is a trusted neighbor and reliable development partner of Nepal. China is not only the largest source of tourism for Nepal, but also one of our largest trade and investment partners,” he said. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan risks $18 bn fine for not completing Iran gas pipeline – Daiji World

Pakistan risks a fine of $18 billion for not completing the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project in the timeframe stipulated in the agreement, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed. The apex committee of the National Assembly (NA) met with Noor Alam Khan in the chair and deliberated on the non-utilisation of 332 billion PKR in gas infrastructure development cess, The Express Tribune reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan launches its first-ever digital census – The Hindu

Pakistan Wednesday launched its first-ever digital population and housing census, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying that it will help future planning and efficient utilisation of resources ahead of this year’s general elections. Click here to read…

Pakistan appoints envoy for Kartarpur to woo pilgrims – Tribune India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-large for Kartarpur Corridor as part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world, a government notification said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest IMF bailout plan – Aljazeera

Sri Lankan workers have gone on strike in defiance of a government ban to protest against a rescue plan for the bankrupt island nation, forcing the closure of some hospitals, banks and ports. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax hikes and spending cuts imposed to secure a sorely needed International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. About 40 trade unions, including government hospital staff and bank employees, stopped work on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Indonesia to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka to increase bilateral trade – Colombo Page

Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Dewi Gustina Tobing said her country would like to finalize a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Sri Lanka to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries. The Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday (28) to discuss issues including enhancing cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, and tourism. Click here to read…

Indian Navy Ship Sukanya departs after successful bilateral naval exercise with Sri Lanka Navy – Colombo Page

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sukanya which arrived in Colombo on 27th February 2023 on a three-day official visit, departed the island today (01st March) after successfully concluding bilateral naval exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy. At her departure, the ship conducted a naval exercise with SLNS Gajabahu of the Sri Lanka Navy and in the Passage Exercise (PASSEX), Replenishment at Sea (RAS) drills, formations and ship man oeuvres, communication exercises were conducted, the Navy said. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghan Assets Made $70 Million in Interest: Mehrabi – Tolo News

Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, Central Bank supreme council member and board member of the Afghan Trust Fund in Switzerland, said that the $3.5 billion fund–including $36 million and $34 million in interest–should be used for achieving monetary stability and reducing volatility in the Afghan currency exchange. Click here to read…

Taliban Seeks Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Approval after Appointing Envoy to Tehran – News18

The Iranian foreign ministry could hand over the administration of the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban, news agency Khaama Press reported citing an Afghan diplomat. The Khaama Press also said that the handover process will be completed in the next few days. The development comes shortly after the Taliban-run foreign ministry stated in a letter that Mohammad Afzal Haqqani has been appointed as a designated ambassador to Tehran. The letter said that Haqqani will be in charge of the diplomatic mission in Iran as the first secretary of the embassy. Click here to read…

Pakistan Reopens Border Crossing With Afghanistan That It Shut Over Shelter To Terrorists – Outlook

Pakistan on Saturday reopened a border crossing with Afghanistan that it closed earlier over a tussle with the Afghan Taliban over terrorism. Earlier, Pakistan closed the Torkham border for vehicular traffic for the last six days amidst bilateral tensions. It was opened on Saturday, allowing the movement of over 7,000 trucks stranded. Click here to read…

Afghan women launch Women’s Revolution in Kabul to fight for fundamental human rights – Devdiscourse

According to one of the organizers, Donya Safi, the movement aimed to “protect the basic rights of citizens, particularly women, as access to basic rights is a serious requirement for the citizens.” We started this campaign to fight the injustice and inequity against women, reported Amu TV, according to Khaama Press. Click here to read…

Enrollment Drops By 70% in Universities, Educational Centers – Tolo News

The union of universities and educational centers said that the recent restrictions on female education has severely affected the universities. The media director of the union, Mohammad Karim Nasiri, said that the number of participants has dropped by 70 percent. “If we speak generally, enrollment has dropped from 60 to 70 percent in the universities. Prior to this many people were registering,” he said. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Severe dollar crisis hobbles Bangladesh businesses – Aljazeera

There is a severe shortage of greenbacks in Bangladesh due to its dwindling foreign reserves and a sharp drop in the value of its taka currency against the dollar. In the past six months, Bangladesh’s foreign reserves have dropped below $32bn from $39bn while the value of the taka has fallen by 27 percent from 84 to the dollar to 107. Click here to read…

Russia thanks Bangladesh for abstaining in UNGA on Ukraine resolution – India Today

Russia on Saturday thanked Bangladesh for abstaining from voting in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that underscored the need to reach “comprehensive and lasting peace” in Ukraine, days after Moscow protested Dhaka’s decision not to allow the docking of Russian ships under Western sanctions. Click here to read…

US, India, and the election in Bangladesh – Daily Star

In recent months, there have been quite a few visits from countries that are deemed to have the potential to wield significant influence on Bangladesh politics, especially around elections. A number of top US officials visited Bangladesh for talks with government officials, civil society members and senior journalists over the last few years. The Indian foreign secretary visited on February 15. The Chinese foreign minister, on his way to Africa, stopped by in Dhaka in January for a brief meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart at the airport. Usually, newly appointed Chinese foreign ministers begin their stint with a tour of Africa. This time, however, the minister seemed to consider Bangladesh important enough for a brief stopover on his first trip abroad. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India pledges to invest Rs 2 billion in Bhutan’s Gyalsung Infra Project – Economic Times

On Saturday, the first tranche of the grant that was presented will be used for the DeSuung for Gyalsung (DFG) programme as a special India-Bhutan Friendship Project. The DFG seeks to engage about 11,000 DeSuups in the Gyalsung infrastructure construction project through a hybrid skilling and on-the-job training program over the next two years. Click here to read…

To Woo Indian Tourists, Bhutan to Sell Gold at Duty-Free Rates – the Wire

According to the latest prices, 10 grams of 24-carat gold in India costs Rs 57, 490 while it costs around Rs 40,200 in Bhutan. However, tourists will have to pay the sustainable development fee and stay at least one night at a hotel certified by Bhutan’s department of tourism. Click here to read…

Bhutanese economy, moving forward – Kuensel

The Water Male Tiger Year 2022 was challenging for the Bhutanese economy. As the economy was getting better from the headwinds from two years of the pandemic, the new variant of Omicron threatened the economy once again at the beginning of last year. This was followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on March 24 last year marking one year as of yesterday. This dimmed the global economy including Bhutan’s forecast, coupled with the persistent inflation, particularly for food and energy. Click here to read…

Bhutan to implement “Health in all policies” strategy to ensure public well-being – ANI

‘policies”>health in all policies’ is an approach where impacts on health are considered in all decision-making and across all sectors and policies, the Bhutan live reported. according to the centres for disease control and prevention of Bhutan, the approach considers potential health outcomes when making policy decisions about transportation, education, housing and other areas that affect communities. Click here to read…

Impact of War in Ukraine: Perspective from Bhutan – Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Its economic lifeline dependent on India, Bhutan is vulnerable to any repercussion the war has on its immediate neighbour. The shortage of fuel was the first of these repercussions, causing long lines of motor vehicles to form at fuel stations even as the government sought to allay public concerns. India’s announcement of halting its wheat exports created fear of a potential shortage of food. At the same time, Bhutan’s close relations with India and the latter’s strategic relations with Russia made for a delicate situation. Eventually, Bhutan learned some invaluable lessons. Click here to read…

Maldives

MATI launches two books to commemorate Golden Jubilee of Maldives tourism – Raajje

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) has launched two books to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Maldives Tourism. The books were launched at the 33rd Annual General Meeting of MATI held at Kurumba Maldives on 19th February 2023. Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom, Chairman of MATI, Mohamed Umar Maniku, Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem, Secretary General of MATI, Ahmed Nazeer, CEO and MD of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed took part in the launching ceremony. Click here to read…

Maldives-UAE discuss ways to strengthen defense cooperation – Raajje

Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have explored expanding defense cooperation. Maldives Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has met with the UAE’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei. She met with the UAE’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, on the margins of the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX 2023) on Friday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Japan to ‘Appropriately Handle’ Project Benefiting Myanmar’s Military – HRW

During a televised parliamentary budget session on Wednesday, February 22, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will “appropriately handle” a development aid project in Myanmar that is benefiting the country’s abusive military. Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese foreign minister, echoed the prime minister’s public pledge to take appropriate action. Click here to read…

Myanmar continues to be in FATF Black List; UAE, Turkiye in Grey List – India Today

Myanmar along with Iran and North Korea continue to be on the ‘Black List’ of the FATF with the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering on Friday terming the three countries as “high-risk jurisdictions”. In a statement, issued after the second plenary of the FATF in Paris under the presidency of T Raja Kumar of Singapore, the Financial Action Task Force also said the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Jordan, South Africa and 20 other nations will be in its ‘Grey List’ and they will be under increased monitoring. Pakistan was removed from the ‘Grey List’ in October last year. Click here to read…

No Myanmar refugees involved in drugs trafficking in Mizoram, says minister Lalchamliana – Times of India

None of the Myanmarese refugees in Mizoram have been found to be involved in drugs and narcotics trafficking to date, home minister Lalchamliana said on Saturday. Lalchamliana said barring 10 or 20 people, 31,050 displaced Myanmar nationals taking refuge in the state have been profiled and temporary identity cards have been issued to them. Click here to read…

Nepal

‘Prachanda’ government in danger in Nepal: 4 ministers including deputy-PM resign – Sangri Today

Four ministers of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), including Deputy Prime Minister Rajendra Singh Lingden, have resigned from Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s government formed two months ago in Nepal. Actually, Prachanda’s government has announced going out of the coalition and supporting Ramchandra Poudel of the opposition party Nepali Congress for the post of President. Angered by this, the RPP ministers decided to quit the government on Saturday. Click here to read…

Nepal reports lowest growth in 7 years in Q1 – Dajji World

23 fiscal year which began in mid-July 2022, the lowest year-on-year growth in the past seven years, the National Statistics Office (NSO) has reported. The country logged a growth of 3 per cent over the same period of the 2021-22 fiscal year and has targeted an 8-per cent growth for the current fiscal year, Xinhua news agency reported. Click here to read…

China’s ambassador steps up political engagements ahead of crucial presidential elections in Nepal – Dajji World

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, has stepped up his high-level political engagements in Kathmandu as political parties in parliament stepped up their dialogues on who should be elected the next president of the country. Nepal is electing its new president on March 9 and political parties in parliament will have to file their nominations by February 25. Ahead of nominations for the crucial presidential elections, parties have started their internal debates to see potential nominees. Click here to read…

A potential debt trap in Nepal – Devi Discourse

The risk here is that a country’s national debt could become too high when Nepal needs heavy investment in quality infrastructure. When that happens, spending without proper calculation of income or direct contribution to the national output can be disastrous. As a result, increased interest payments can divert funds from other much-needed government projects, or there is a less private investment because of high-interest rates. Budgets are tightened and confidence in the economy weakens. For the fiscal year 2022–2023, Nepal’s government is only permitted to raise a maximum of 256 billion Nepalese Rupees (about USD 2 billion) in internal loans. The decision to limit external borrowing comes at a time when several countries, including Sri Lanka, were facing debt distress. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan govt halts clearance of bills, salaries amidst economic crisis – Deccan Herald

The cash-strapped Pakistan government has directed the accountant general to cease the clearing of bills, including salaries, owing to the current economic crisis, according to a media report on Saturday. The Ministry of Finance and Revenue also instructed the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) to halt the clearing of all the bills of the federal ministries/divisions and attached departments until further notice, The News International quoted official sources as saying. Click here to read…

Imran faces 36 cases in ECP, Lahore & Islamabad – The Express Tribune

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan faces a whopping number of 36 cases currently pending against him in various courts of Islamabad, Lahore and in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). These include disqualification, pre-arrest bail, criminal proceedings, protective bail and defamation cases. One case pertains to terrorism as well and the PTI chief is yet to be granted pre-arrest bail in that one. Click here to read…

Pakistan economic crisis: Now country’s healthcare system gets hit, medicines supply deteriorate – Mint

Amid Pakistan’s external debt servicing obligation for the ongoing fiscal year 2022-23 rovers over $23 billion, of which $6 billion has been repaid and $4 billion rolled over, reports are arriving that country’s healthcare system has been badly hit and its struggling for essential medicines. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s Weekly Inflation Crosses 40 Percent For 1st Time In 5 Months – NDTV

Consumer prices rose significantly in the outgoing week on the back of onions, chicken, eggs, rice, cigarettes and fuel, official data showed on Friday, driving the weekly inflation to over 40 per cent for the first time in over five months, the Dawn reported. Though week-on-week inflation eased slightly, it still remained high as bananas, chicken, sugar, cooking oil, gas and cigarettes became costlier, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. Click here to read…

China, Iran, Uzbekistan come to Pakistan’s rescue from economic crisis – Mint

Amid this unstable economic situation, Iran is promoting trade with Pakistan, while China has granted a new $700 million loan to the country. This week, Pakistan has received a new $700 million loan from China to help shore up its foreign exchange reserves, in another step to help the South Asian nation recover from an economic crisis, according to Reuters. Iran has established six border markets to promote trade with crisis-hit Pakistan, said Iranian Consul General Hasan Noorain as quoted by pkrevenue. Uzbekistan has also inked a $1 billion deal to increase bilateral trade with Pakistan at the 8th meeting of the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Inter-governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) held in Tashkent on Friday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India & Sri Lanka review defence & security cooperation at annual defence dialogue – Economic Times

Top defence officials of India and Sri Lanka have held the seventh edition of their annual dialogue during which the two sides reviewed the bilateral defence and security cooperation and identified new avenues for engagement. The two-day meeting of the 7th edition of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) between India and Sri Lanka, which began in New Delhi on Thursday was chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan opposition-led protest march comes under police tear gas water cannon attack – The Week

Sri Lankan police on Sunday fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a protest march organised by the country’s main opposition coalition here against the delay in local body polls. The Election Commission on Friday formally announced that the local body elections would not be held on March 9 as planned, and a fresh date will be notified on March 3. 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

Days After Peshawar Blast, Pak Teams to Ask Afghan Taliban to ‘Rein in’ TTP – The Wire

Days after the January 30 suicide bomb attack at Peshawar which killed 100 people, Dawn has reported that Pakistan will ask the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban government to rein in militants in the country. Click here to read…

Two injured in blast in Afghanistan capital Kabul – Big News Network

Taliban-ruled government’s security official reported that a blast took place in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul’s ‘Pashtunistan Square,’ and injured two civilians, Khaama Press reported. On Saturday evening, an explosion took place which was caused by the magnetic mine placed in a Toyota ‘Hilux’ vehicle, said Khalid Zadran, Taliban’s appointed spokesperson for the Kabul police Command. Click here to read…

Qatar Sends Envoy To Afghan Capital To Meet With Taliban – Radio Free Europe

An envoy for Qatar’s foreign minister visited the Afghan capital on February 5 and met with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, according to an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement. The visit comes after the Taliban administration placed restrictions on women’s education and NGO work, which Qatar labelled “deeply concerning” amid widespread international criticism. Click here to read…

Biden to Extend Executive Order Regarding Afghanistan – Tolo News

US President Joe Biden indicated to US Congress he is extending the executive order for the “national emergency with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the potential for a deepening economic collapse in Afghanistan.” The Islamic Emirate called on Washington to not politicalize the issue of Afghanistan’s assets and to immediately release them. Click here to read…

Taliban Say Want To Partake In Multilateral Meeting On Afghanistan In Moscow Next Week – Urdu Point

A representative of the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) should take part in a meeting of secretaries of the security councils on the Afghan issue, scheduled to take place in Moscow next week, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh asks Pakistan to apologise for 1971 atrocities – Wion

Bangladesh has asked Pakistan to apologise for atrocities committed by its forces in 1971. The matter came up during the meeting between Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in Sri Lanka where the ministers were present to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the island nation. Click here to read…

Bangladesh scraps parboiled rice G2G import deals with Indian co-op agencies – THB

Bangladesh has cancelled its orders to import two lakh tonnes of parboiled rice from two Indian cooperative agencies through government-to-government (G2G) deals after having kept them in “abeyance” for a few weeks. Trade sources said Bangladesh, which began dragging its feet after getting a couple of offers offering the rice at lower prices, has returned the “bid bonds” submitted by the two cooperative agencies during negotiations. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh Cooperation and Connectivity are still win-win – Dhaka Tribune

There is no question that Bangladesh would benefit from a more robust and assertive regional foreign policy. But while its interests are naturally not in lock-steps with India’s, there is still plenty of meat on the bilateral partnership bone for both countries. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Funding the FAM tour – Kuensel Online

Elections can be an expensive affair and the new political parties know it well. Having to introduce their party, president and candidates to the voters, new political parties are allowed familiarisation (FAM) tour in all the 20 dzongkhags. The two new political parties Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa (DTT) had been to more than a dozen dzongkhags. Click here to read…

Bhutan on course of graduating from Least Developed Countries status by June 2023: Reports – India Blooms

To graduate the status, countries are expected to follow a smooth transition strategy. Macroeconomic stability, product space diversification, and disaster resilience are some of the parameters recommended for inclusion in Bhutan’s transition strategy, reports ANI. Click here to read…

How an Indo-Bhutan Border Market Has Moved Beyond Narratives of Conflict and Security – The Wire

Local trade dynamics and shared inter-dependence of resources among local communities at the border markets hold important lessons for engendering cooperation and the benefits of peaceful, stable and open (yet regulated) borders. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives tourist arrivals increase by 30 percent in January – Edition.mv

The tourist arrivals to the Maldives increased by 30.9 percent in January, the Ministry of Tourism reported. According to the ministry’s recent statistics, the total number of tourist arrivals stood at 178,159 by the end of the review date on February 1. In January 2023, the total tourist arrivals reached 172,536 which is a 30.9 percent increase compared to the 131,762 arrivals in the same month last year. Click here to read…

Maldives remains in the same position on the corruption index – Edition.mv

The Maldives’ efforts against corruption remained unchanged, according to last year’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The country ranked 85th out of 185 countries with 40 points on the CPI. The measure is calculated based on the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, the Varieties of Democracy Project and the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA). Click here to read…

Myanmar

Indonesia pushes for implementation of Myanmar peace plan, resumption of COC talks – The Jakarta Post

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat wrapped up in Jakarta on Saturday, with a proposal from Indonesia to implement a five-point peace plan for Myanmar and to resume negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Click here to read…

‘Rice diplomacy’ between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – The News Mill

Bangladesh has offered over $40 a tonne more to Indian co-operatives to import 2.5 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice in a government-to-government deal compared with prices quoted by the private trade in a global import tender. The import deal will be through NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and Kendriya Bhandar in two tranches with Dhaka getting rice at $443 and $443.5 a tonne each, according to media report. Click here to read…

Uncertainty weighs on Myanmar’s economy, says World Bank – Mizzima

Call it a double-whammy. When assessing the current dire state of the Myanmar economy, two factors stand out. Firstly, close to three years of response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw a combination of lockdowns, social distancing, masking and travel restrictions hammer the economy, particularly small to medium businesses, and the livelihood of day workers. Secondly, the 2021 military coup and its aftermath rattled people’s daily lives and added to the uncertainty. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal-China to meet on cross-border transmission line in two weeks – Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China are scheduled to hold another round of discussions later this month on the development of a cross-border transmission line between the two countries. A Joint Technical Group comprising representatives of the Nepal Electricity Authority and the State Grid Corporation of China had previously held two rounds of talks in China and Nepal, respectively, on the issue before the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

A peek into the Nepali economy during the pandemic – Kathmandu Post

Anyone who reads on Nepali economy must be familiar with Sujeev Shakya and his writings. The founder and CEO of the Nepal-based international management consulting and advisory firm, Beed Management, has been writing economic columns for over two decades. He has also published several books on the topic including Unleashing Nepal, Unleashing The Vajra, Arthat Arthatantra (It’s the Economy) and Arthat Pariwartan (It’s the Change). Click here to read…

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Urpilainen to visit Nepal – Kathmandu Post

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Wednesday for an official visit to meet Nepali leaders and launch several EU actions in the country. “I look forward to presenting our Global Gateway strategy, the EU’s positive offer to partners to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.” Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pervez Musharraf, Former Military Ruler of Pakistan, Dies at 79 – The New York Times

Pervez Musharraf, the onetime military ruler of a nuclear-armed Pakistan who promised critical support for Washington’s campaign against Al Qaeda after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but faced growing resistance at home in a land seething with anti-Western passions, died on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was 79. Click here to read…

Seven injured in two Quetta attacks – Dawn

Seven people were injured in two terrorist attacks, one of them said to be a suicide bombing, on Sunday. The first incident took place near the Police Lines on Gulistan Road and the other on Mano Jan Road. Five people, including an office-bearer of the Civil Secretariat Staff Association, suffered injuries in the first attack. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue, extends support to separatists – Hindustan Times

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue on the occasion of what they call ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, a propaganda tool against India by expressing support for separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also used the occasion to issue anti-India statement claiming that New Delhi has “opened a new chapter in suppressing” people of Kashmir. Click here to read…

Pakistan economic crisis: IMF places new bailout conditions, PM says they are beyond wildest dreams – Indian Express

The first round of technical talks between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a cash-strapped Pakistan concluded on Friday, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif terming the IMF bailout conditions as something “beyond our wildest dreams”. Stating that IMF is giving a “tough time” to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his team, the Pakistan PM on Friday hinted that harsh measures have to be taken to revive the stalled loan programmeClick here to read…

Army chief lands in UK on five-day visit – Dawn

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Muneer arrived here on Saturday on a five-day visit. The COAS will attend meetings on defence-related issues, being held between February 5 and 9. Gen Muneer is in London to attend a conference at Wilton Park, an executive agency created by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to foster open dialogue between governments. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India delivers fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at Presidential Secretariat premises under Economic Assistance Scheme of Indian government. NewsOnAIR

India delivered fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat premises, this morning as Sri Lanka celebrated its 75th Independence Day yesterday, February 4. High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over the buses to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland had bagged the contract for supplying 500 buses to the Sri Lanka Transport Board, of which 75 buses were already delivered to the Island nation earlier this year. The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by the Export-Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government. Click here to read…

India leads internationally in canvassing support for Sri Lanka, says Lankan envoy – The Print

“India’s neighbourhood policy clearly was demonstrated last year when the Sri Lankan economy headed into crisis. India moved in very quickly. Early in 2022, India realized that Sri Lanka was going to have a very serious balance of payments problem. Sri Lankan government and the Indian government discussed that and together worked on a strategy over the last year. India supported us with nearly USD 4 billion, USD 3.9 billion dollars of funding and it was done without any conditions, done without any strings attached,” said the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. Click here to read…

Not rebooting economy through ‘painkillers’, says Sri Lanka president – Wion

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickermesinghe said on Sunday (February 5) that he is repairing debt-ridden South Asian nations economy by tackling ‘root cause’ and not just by administering ‘painkillers. He asserted that systemic change and national unity along with economic reforms were needed to bring prosperity back to the country. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban welcome India’s funds announcement for Afghanistan in Budget 2023-24 – Wion News

Taliban welcomed the Indian announcement for Afghanistan in the Union Budget 2023-24, which was presented on Wednesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. New Delhi announced a development assistance of Rs 200 crore ($24.3 million) for the country in the budget, which was the same amount announced in last year’s budget as well. Click here to read…

Leaked Documents Show Qatar Bribed Prominent Leaders a Month before the Collapse of Afghanistan – The Khaama Press

Italian TG1 News Network has revealed an investigative report showing that Qatar had paid Ashraf Ghani, Marshal Dostum, and Atta Mohammad Noor $110, $ 51, and $61 Million, respectively, not to fight against Taliban fighters. The Italian state-run network has recently published three documents that indicate the receipt of bribes to the prominent leaders of Afghanistan a month before the collapse of the previous government in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Pak expects sincere coop from Afghanistan to address terrorism: FO – Pakistan Observer

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Pakistan expected “sincere cooperation” from the interim Afghan government to address the “challenge of terrorism”. The remarks came a day after Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Pakistan should not put the blame for the Peshawar suicide bombing on Kabul. Click here to read…

Denmark to grant asylum status to Afghan women ‘solely based on gender’ – First Post

Denmark has announced that it will grant asylum to all Afghan women owing to their worsening condition in the Taliban-ruled nation. Flygtningenævnet, the Danish Refugee Appeals Board stated that asylum status will be granted to all female applicants “solely based on their gender”. Citing a report from the European Union’s Agency for Asylum, the appeals board said that asylum status would be given to women as the “accumulation of various measures introduced by the Taliban affect the rights and freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan.” Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh gets $476m IMF loan as first instalment – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh has received the first instalment of $476 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) out of the $4.7 billion loan package. The disbursed amount has already been added to the country’s foreign exchange reserves and it currently stands at $32.69 billion, up from $32.19 billion a day earlier, Bangladesh Bank Spokesperson Md Mezbaul Haque told Dhaka Tribune. IMF approved Bangladesh’s $4.7 billion loan proposal during a board meeting on Monday. Bangladesh will get the remaining amount in six equal instalments of $704 million each. The country will get around $3.3 billion under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and about $1.4 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), according to an IMF press release issued on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh wants revision of 2017 power purchase deal with Adani Power – TBS

Bangladesh has sought revision of a 2017 power purchase agreement with Adani Power Ltd as the price for the coal-generated electricity appeared too expensive, officials said in Dhaka on Thursday. “We have communicated with the Indian company seeking revision of the agreement,” an official of the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDC) told PTI on the condition of anonymity and without elaborating on the matter. Media reports suggested that the “high coal price” to be purchased for the Adani plant at India’s Jharkhand emerged as the key factor for the dispute. Click here to read…

Govt restricts entry of 69 US-sanctioned Russian ships – New Age

The Bangladesh government has instructed the authorities concerned not to allow any of the 69 mother vessels of seven Russian companies sanctioned by the United States to enter the country’s ports. The Mercantile Marine Office, Chattogram, issued a circular to this effect on January 16, mentioning the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) ship identification numbers so that they were not allowed to avail of any services, including certification, renewal, refuelling, and insurance, in Bangladesh territory. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Exporters seek solution to West Bengal’s Suvidha system hindering exports – Kuensel Online

Bhutanese exporting to Bangladesh via India are facing inconveniences in exporting after West Bengal’s government implemented the online web-based vehicles facilitation system, ‘Suvidha’ app. On January 4, the West Bengal government revised the fee for the Suvidha system from the uniform rate of INR 2,000 to INR 10,000 for non-perishable goods, INR 5,000 for boulders and INR 3,000 for perishable goods at the Changrabandha land custom station (LCS). Click here to read…

No improvement for Bhutan on corruption index – Kuensel Online

Bhutan scored 68 points consecutively for the fifth year in a row and has been ranked 25 for the second consecutive year in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2022 released on January 31. Bhutan is among 124 countries that have stagnant scores and has been consecutively placed in sixth position in the Asia and Pacific Region for the past 10 years. Click here to read…

Cabinet approves Nu 65M sovereign guarantee for BLDCL – Kuensel Online

The Cabinet approved the provision of a sovereign guarantee to Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation Limited (BLDCL) in availing loan amount of Nu 65 million (M) for the automated poultry processing line project. The Cabinet directed the approval of borrowing to the finance ministry on January 30 after the Finance Ministry proposed a sovereign guarantee on January 12. Click here to read…

Maldives

Indian tourists experience the best of Maldives – Dajji World

Maldives has become the latest destination in South Asia to join Mastercard’s coveted Priceless program, a carefully curated list of destinations that offer exclusive experiences to its cardholders from around the world. The program is expected to bolster Maldives’ tourism industry while showcasing the unique and authentic experiences that the country can offer to a global audience. Click here to read…

India Budget 2023: Increase in funds for Maldives, Bhutan, support for Afghanistan continues – WION News

The Government of India has allocated Rs 2,400 crore for Bhutan, a slight increase compared to last year of Rs 2,266 crore, and Rs 400 crore to the Maldives. India has been involved in a number of infrastructure projects in the Maldives, including the Greater Malé Connectivity Project. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Indonesia should lead the way in helping Myanmar’ pro-democratic movement – The Jakarta Post

Those were two of the main conclusions that an International Parliamentary Inquiry (IPI) into the global response to the crisis in Myanmar, organized by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), reached in a report published in November. The report laid bare the many inadequacies of the international community on Myanmar, in particular how it has hidden behind ASEAN, despite the regional bloc’s evident fecklessness in managing the issue so far. Little has changed since the report came out. Click here to read…

After extension of emergency, Myanmar declares martial law in 37 towns – Business Standard

Myanmar’s State Administration Council has declared martial law in 37 towns of four regions and four states in the Southeast Asian country. According to the council’s orders issued Thursday night, the 37 towns are 11 from Sagaing region, seven from Chin state, five each from Magway and Bago regions, four from Kayah state, two each from Taninthayi region and Kayin state and one from Mon state respectively, Xinhua news agency reported. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta participation cancelled at ASEAN tourism meeting – Myanmar Now

Indonesia appears to have halted a Myanmar military council official’s planned attendance at a tourism conference to be held by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this week in Yogyakarta. The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), slated to be hosted in the Indonesian city from February 2-5, comes shortly after Indonesia assumed chairmanship of the regional bloc for the year 2023. Click here to read…

ASEAN foreign ministers to meet in Indonesia under shadow of Myanmar crisis – Business Standard

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are meeting in Indonesia’s capital Friday for talks bound to be dominated by the deteriorating situation in Myanmar despite an agenda focused on food and energy security and cooperation in finance and health. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal not included in Chinese govt’s tourist destinations list – My Republica

China is not only a friendly country of Nepal but also a neighboring country. China has been interested in Nepal’s internal and international affairs, but China has neglected the development of tourism here, which is linked to Nepal’s economic development. Click here to read…

RSP urged to defer decision on quitting – The Himalayan Times

The Rabi Lamichhane-led Rastriya Swatantra Party will wait for two days before deciding whether or not it should leave the government over home portfolio. RSP Spokesperson Mukul Dhakal told mediapersons after his party’s central committee met parliamentary party lawmakers that Lamichhane received calls from Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair Rajendra Lingden during the meeting requesting him to wait for two days before decide on withdrawing support to the government. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves drop to $3.09b – The Express Tribune

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank decreased by 16.1% to $3.09 billion in the week ending Jan 27, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday, which analysts said covers less than three weeks of imports. The country is locked in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release much-needed money under a stalled bailout programme. Click here to read…

Terror surge provides govt opportunity to negotiate with arch-rivals – Dawn

In a move that is being seen as a significant development amid rising political temperatures in the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday convened a multi-party conference (MPC) to discuss “important challenges” being faced by Pakistan. According to an announcement by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the MPC will be held in Islamabad on Feb 7, for which an invitation has also been extended to PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan. Click here to read…

Operation underway to tackle TTP in Punjab-KP border area – Dawn

The Punjab police on Wednesday morning launched a grand counterterrorism operat­ion in the highly complex and inac­cessible hilly areas of Mian­wali district, hours after some heavily equipped militants of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan (TTP) attacked a police station in the area in the dead of the night. Click here to read…

Time to amend water treaty with Pakistan – Deccan Herald

India’s frustration with Pakistan’s obstructionist approach has culminated in its notification to Islamabad calling for negotiations to amend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960, gives India control over the waters of the eastern rivers—the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, and Pakistan control over the western rivers—the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. While the IWT has survived upheavals in bilateral relations, including wars, it has in recent decades seen the two sides pointing accusing fingers at each other. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

EU to Provide EURO 18 mn to upgrade social security – Daily News

European Union has decided to provide Euros 18 million for a programme to improve the social security system in Sri Lanka, Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said. State Minister Semasinghe said focus has also been made on making the welfare programme more efficient.He added that a comprehensive discussion was held on Wednesday with a delegation of the European Union (Sri Lanka and the Maldives) with the aim of identifying areas to upgrade the social security system in Sri Lanka. Click here to read…

Indian minister V. Muraleedharan to attend Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations in Colombo – Wion

Minister of state in India’s Ministry of External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will be representing India at Sri Lanka’s Independence day celebrations on Saturday. Sri Lanka this year marks its 75th National Independence celebrations. The island-nation in India’s south will be focusing on new reformist program for the next 25 years. The main ceremony of the National Independence Day celebrations will take place at the Galle Face Green led by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. During the country’s independence celebrations, special commemorative stamps will be released, including of first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s powerful Buddhist clergy opposes full implementation of 13A to grant political autonomy to Tamils – The Print

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s plan to fully implement India-backed 13th Amendment to grant political autonomy to the minority Tamils received a blow on Thursday as the powerful Buddhist clergy expressed strong opposition to the move, claiming it challenges the unitary nature of the country. The four chief prelates of the main Buddhist sects handed over a letter to Wickremesinghe in the central town of Kandy. The letter charges that Wickremesinghe’s plan had created dissent in the country as the move challenges Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Afghanistan Exported $1.7 Billion Worth of Goods Over Past 10 Months – Tolo News

The office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy said that over the past 10 months, the nation’s exports have topped $1.7 billion and that revenue from this has been collected. The office of the deputy Prime Minister said that despite all the difficulties, including the freezing of the nation’s assets and sanctions on the banking industry, the value of the Afghani currency has been maintained against other currencies. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan and Russia explore trade route through Afghanistan – Prensa Latina News

Uzbekistan and Russia analyzed the possibility of setting up a new trade route to the countries of Southeast and South Asia via Afghanistan, the Ministry of Transportation reported. The two governments exchanged views on the potential of the Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan multimodal corridor connecting Russia with Southeast and South Asia, the source said. Click here to read…

Iran to inaugurate trade center in Afghanistan next month – Mehr News Agency

An Iranian trade center is scheduled to be opened in Afghanistan next month, Deputy Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi announced on Tuesday. Referring to the $1.5 billion worth of trade between Iran and Afghanistan in the first 9 months of the current Iranian year (starting from March 21), Mousavi expressed hope that with the opening of Iran’s trade center in Afghanistan, the level of Tehran-Kabul relations will be enhanced. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

69 officials punished by Election Commission over irregularities – Dhaka Tribune

For their involvement in numerous offences, including unethical activities and National Identity Card (NID) forgery, the Election Commission (EC) meted out different punishments to 69 officials and employees. There were 25 first-grade officials among them, including a deputy secretary and a regional election officer. Three second-grade officers were among the 69. The list also included 25 third-grade and 16 fourth-grade officials. Departmental proceedings were started against these 69 between 2018 and 2022. Several of them were sacked, while some were demoted. Many others will not get an increment for one-three years. Others were let off with a warning. Click here to read…

‘Peace remains elusive without CHT accord’ – Daily Star

It is not possible to establish peace in the rest of the country keeping the Chittagong Hill Tracts in an uproar, said speakers at a rally in Chattogram yesterday. The implementation of the CHT Peace Accord is a must to establish peace in the hills, they said in the divisional solidarity rally, organised by CHT Peace Accord Implementation Movement, to mark 25 years of the accord’s signing, in front of Chattogram Jela Parishad Bhaban. Click here to read…

Experts: Fake news threatening human rights, democracy – Dhaka Tribune

Fake news, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech have become more widespread and dangerous with the growth of social media, and experts have called for these insidious threats to be addressed. The high prevalence of fake news is having an impact on democracy, freedom of expression and human rights across the globe, the speakers said on Tuesday at an international seminar at a Dhaka hotel. The event, titled “Fake News: A Threat to Human Rights and Democracy”, was hosted by Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP). Click here to read…

Bangladesh orders 191 ‘anti-State’ news sites blocked – The Hindu

The Bangladesh government has ordered the closure of 191 websites it accuses of publishing “anti-state news”, stoking concerns about media freedom in the South Asian country. Information Minister Hasan Mahmud told Parliament on Monday that the government has instructed the telecoms regulator to close the domains following “reports from intelligence agencies”. He said the sites, which were not named, were “conducting activities that spread confusion among the public”.Click here to read…

Bhutan

Nuns get training in leadership, management skills in Bhutan – ANI

The Bhutan Nuns Foundation recently organised a 10-day capacity-building training programme to educate and empower the country’s nuns, so that they could become agents of change and contribute to society, The Bhutan Live reported. The report further quoted the foundation saying that the nuns rarely get training opportunities due to which their knowledge remains under-utilised. Click here to read…

India Announces Support To Bhutan To Establish Third International Internet Gateway – Republic World

The Embassy of India in Bhutan revealed on Tuesday that the Indian government has announced its support to Bhutan for the establishment of the third international internet gateway. On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Thimphu released a statement and stated that the Indian government will be facilitating a “concessional rate to bring down the cost of operations of the gateway.” The consulate also announced that the initiative is a part of the expanding India-Bhutan digital partnership. Click here to read…

BTP holds first General Assembly – Kuensel Online

At the first general assembly of the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), the party revealed four more candidates after declaring the party president’s profile. The assembly took place at the Royal Institute of Management’s (RIM) multipurpose hall in Semtokha, Thimphu. President Dasho Pem Tshewang offered the new candidates Tashi Khadhars after introducing them to the people. Click here to read…

Maldives

Discussions held on enhancing Maldives-Poland cooperation in tourism, trade – Raajje

Discussions have been held on enhancing cooperation in tourism and trade between the governments of Maldives and Poland. This was done during a farewell call non-resident Ambassador of Poland Adam Burakowski paid on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday. During the meeting held at the President’s Office, the Maldivian leader conveyed greetings and good wishes to Ambassador Burakowski. He went on to express sincere gratitude for the remarkable services rendered under his leadership as the ambassador. The meeting saw President Solih and Ambassador Burakowski expressing keen interest to work closely to discuss matters of mutual interest, especially to enhance and strengthen the existing cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels. Click here to read…

32 percent increase in tourist arrivals – Avas

The Maldives’ tourism has grown by 32.5 percent this year compared to the same period last year. According to the statistics released by the Tourism Ministry, 155,886 tourists arrived in the Maldives as of the 28th of this month. This is a 32.5 percent increase over the same period last year. One hundred seventeen thousand six hundred eight tourists arrived in the Maldives during the same period in 2022. Statistics show that the largest number of tourists visiting the Maldives comes from Russia. Click here to read…

MDP Primary: Nasheed admits defeat – Avas

Parliament Speaker and leader of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘s President, Mohamed Nasheed, has admitted defeat in the party’s Presidential Primary.
Nasheed contested against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in MDP’s presidential primary on Saturday. President Solih received 61 percent with 24,572 votes, against Nasheed’s 15,631 votes — 31 percent. Nasheed did not comment on President Solih’s apparent victory on the day of the election or the day after. Click here to read…

Myanmar

As Myanmar crisis simmers on, sentiments stay in favour of refugees in Mizoram – Indian Express

The Myanmar military’s bombing of Camp Victoria, a key rebel hideout on the Indo-Myanmar border, last week, underlines the continuing instability caused by the nearly two-year coup in the neighbouring country. The unrest also continues to spill over across the border to the northeastern state of Mizoram. Since the coup began in February 2021, thousands of Myanmarese nationals, caught in the crossfire between the Myanmarese Army and pro-democracy rebel forces, have crossed the border and entered India. Click here to read…

Australia targets Myanmar, Iran with economic sanctions – AP News

Australia on Wednesday announced targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against “individuals responsible for egregious human rights abuses” in Myanmar two years after a military junta seized power in the Southeast Asian country. The Myanmar sanctions target 16 members of the military’s governing regime and two military-controlled entities, the government said. Click here to read…

US, allies hit Myanmar with sanctions on coup anniversary – DW

Marking Wednesday’s two-year anniversary of Myanmar’s military coup, the US and its allies announced further sanctions on the country. Washington, along with Canada and the United Kingdom and Australia on Tuesday imposed sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises, energy officials and others, as per a statement by the US Treasury Department. The statement said this was the first time the US had targeted Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) officials, the managing director and deputy managing director. It is the country’s single largest revenue-generating state-owned enterprise. Click here to read…

Nepal

USA to invest over $1 billion in Nepal over next 5 years – Economic Times

The United States of America will invest over $1 billion in Nepal over the next five years in green energy, electrification of the country, small and medium enterprises, women-led businesses and other sectors. The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, US, Victoria Nuland said, “The United States plan to invest over $1 billion in Nepal over the next 5 years in everything from green energy, and electrification of this country to small and medium-sized enterprise particularly investing in the women-led business.” Click here to read…

Nepal ranks 110th in Corruption Perceptions Index – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal has been ranked in 110th position out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index. According to Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, an annual flagship publication of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption group based in Berlin, made public on Tuesday, Nepal made a slight improvement by climbing seven positions in the global rankings. Nepal was ranked in the 117th position in 2021. Click here to read…

‘Lamichhane cannot get ministry back’– The Himalayan

Senior Advocate Mithilesh Kumar Singh said that as per Article 78 (4) Rabi Lamichhane cannot become a minister as the SC invalidated his election to the House of Representatives and the same ought to be interpreted as his defeat. Click here to read…

In deep economic crisis, Nepal may just sail through – Firstpost

The economy in Nepal which was on the path of recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic has further been hit by the Ukraine crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the global economic impact of the war in Ukraine is exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and impacting Nepal’s import-reliant economy, increasing inflation, and decreasing international reserves. Click here to read…

Samantha Power Visiting Nepal: USAID Administrator – The Mirage

Administrator Samantha Power will travel to Kathmandu, Nepal in early February. While there, Administrator Power will meet with civil society leaders, community groups, students, businesses, and government officials to discuss Nepal’s efforts and achievements in becoming a more democratic, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient country. Click here to read…

Pakistan

US envoy, Pakistan officials discuss Afghan Taliban ban on women – The Express Tribune

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, who visited Pakistan on January 30-31, discussed terrorism and Afghan Taliban’s ban on girls education with top officials including army chief General Syed Asim Munir. In a tweet from his official handle on Tuesday, the US envoy appreciated Pakistan’s hospitality over two days of productive meetings related to Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Pakistan blames ‘security lapse’ for Peshawar mosque blast, 100 dead – The Hindu
Pakistani authorities scrambled Tuesday to determine how a suicide bomber was able to carry out one of the country’s deadliest militant attacks in years, unleashing an explosion in a crowded mosque inside a highly secured police compound in the city of Peshawar. The death toll from the blast climbed to 100. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s corruption perception score falls to worst level in 10 years – Dawn

Although Pakistan managed to maintain its ranking in Transparency International’s Corru­ption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2022, its overall score fell to the lowest level since 2012. According to the report released on Monday, Pakistan ranked 140 out of 180 countries — a position unchanged from 2021. However, its overall CPI score fell to 27 out of 100. Last year, the score was 28 out of 100. Click here to read…

TTP attack on Mianwali police station ‘repulsed’ – Dawn

A day after a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar claimed over 100 lives, a police station in Mianwali came under a gun attack by a group of heavily armed militants be­longing to banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan (TTP) on Tuesday night. However, police clai­med late at night the attack had been repulsed. Click here to read…

North-west Pakistan in grip of deadly Taliban resurgence – The Guardian

The seemingly uncontrollable resurgence of the TTP in Pakistan had been forewarned by many observers since the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2020, after they seized control from the US-backed government and imposed brutal Islamic rule on the country. The triumph of the Taliban in Afghanistan was celebrated in Islamabad including by the then prime minister, Imran Khan, who said the country had broken from “the shackles of slavery”. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Useful meeting, says Jaishankar after reviewing ties with Sri Lankan envoy – Hindustan Times

External affairs minister Jaishankar said in a tweet that he had a “useful meeting” with Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda and reviewed his recent visit to Lanka and “taking the understandings forward”. The Sri Lankan high commission said in a statement that Moragoda met the external affairs minister to review the current status of the relations between Sri Lanka and India, and to discuss the “way forward and follow-up action, emanating” from Jaishankar’s recent visit to Colombo. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka Is Calm Again. That Doesn’t Mean Things Are Any Better – New York Times

On the surface, calm has returned to Sri Lanka since the South Asian nation plunged into political chaos and virtual bankruptcy last summer. Gone are the fuel lines that snaked for blocks; a seaside expanse that had been the site of a monthslong protest encampment was resplendent over the holidays with Christmas lights and carnival rides. But underneath, the island nation’s economy remains on a ventilator, with the government yet to secure a way out of crushing debt. Sri Lankans have become resigned to a sad reality: pared-down meals, shrunken incomes and reduced expectations. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s ex-President Sirisena apologises for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings – The Hindu

Sri Lanka’s former President Maithripala Sirisena on January 31 extended an apology to the country’s minority Catholic community for the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians. His apology came weeks after the Supreme Court on January 12 ordered him to pay LKR 100 million (roughly ₹2.2 crores) as compensation to the victims. His failure to pay the victims would send him to jail on contempt of court charges. Mr. Sirisena, the Sri Lankan President from 2015 to 2019, also said he would contest the next presidential election due in 2024. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Russia Turns To Taliban For Weapons; Reports Claim After Iran & N.Korea, Moscow Eyes US Arms In Afghanistan – The EurAsian Times

With no western support for the upkeep of this weaponry, it may be easier for the Taliban to decide on sending them over to Moscow. According to the Kremlin officials cited by the British media report, Putin wants to supply his soldiers in Ukraine with these Western weapons. The General SVR channel alleges: “Putin is overseeing negotiations with the Taliban to recognize the Taliban government. In return, the Russian leadership is offering a major arms and military equipment swap.” Click here to read…

Afghanistan: Taliban to set new rules on women’s aid work, UN says – BBC News

Taliban ministers have told a senior UN official they plan to draw up new guidelines to allow Afghan women to work in some humanitarian operations. Martin Griffiths told the BBC he had received “encouraging responses” from a wide range of Taliban ministers during talks in Kabul, even if last month’s edict banning Afghan women working for NGOs is not reversed. Click here to read…

AK Doval expected to visit Moscow in February for Afghanistan dialogue – Economic Times

National security advisor AK Doval is expected to visit Moscow next month for a regional dialogue on Afghanistan. Doval will also hold con,.n rights situation. India hosted this dialogue in 2021 followed by Tajikistan in 2022. Last month, India also hosted Central Asian NSAs with a special focus on Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Afghanistan’s Kamal Khan Dam and the Helmand River Treaty – The Diplomat

The opening of the Kamal Khan Dam in March 2021 reignited an old dispute between Iran and Afghanistan over the allocation of water in the Helmand River. The river is considered to be one of Afghanistan’s natural lifelines. It’s the country’s longest and runs into Hamoun Lake, which lies on the border between the two neighbors. Neither the Helmand River Treaty nor customary international law denies Afghanistan the right to construct dams over the Helmand River. Click here to read…

Twenty terrorist groups ‘with foreign objectives’ operating in Afghanistan– The National News

Twenty extremist groups are entrenched in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan with eyes on targets abroad, a security expert has said. In a chilling warning to the international community, Arian Sharifi suggested the landlocked country has become a breeding ground for terrorists looking to establish or re-establish themselves. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s seaports: Securing domestic and regional economic Interests – Hindustan Times

Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies globally. Over 90% of the country’s international trade is through the ports of Chattogram and Mongla, which also provide the neighbouring countries an access to the sea for trade and connectivity. This paper seeks to assess the significance of the two seaports in advancing Bangladesh’s domestic trade development, and their role in facilitating maritime commerce in the Bay of Bengal region. Click here to read…

PM Hasina: Govt preparing to hold free, fair election – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said her government is taking all kinds of preparations to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner. “The next election will be free and fair, and we are taking all kinds of preparations,” she said when the outgoing Swiss ambassador, Nathalie Chuard, called on her at her parliament office. Click here to read…

BNP to stage road marches on 4 days in Dhaka – New Age

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday announced that it would observe a road march programme in the capital on four days to demand the ‘restoration of democracy’ as part of its ongoing anti-government movement. BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the demonstration event in a press conference at the Naya Paltan BNP central office in the capital. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India committed to its unique partnership with Bhutan, says PM Modi – the Print

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked his Bhutan counterpart Lotay Tshering for his warm wishes on the Republic Day and said India is committed to its unique partnership with the neighbour. “Thank you @PMBhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering for your warm wishes! India is committed to its unique partnership with Bhutan for the progress and prosperity of both our nations,” PM Modi said in a tweet. Click here to read…

Are China and Bhutan talks on resolving border dispute a headache for India? – Wion News

Bhutan may emerge as a fresh reason for disputes between neighbours India and China, the latest geopolitical developments indicate. Media reports have mentioned that Beijing has been infesting settlements of villages across the disputed regions, even though China promised to attempt to settle border disputes with Bhutan. Click here to read…

Bhutan could borrow Nu 7.39B more as non-hydro debt this FY – Kuensel

With the country’s non-hydro debt recording at Nu 73.22 billion(B) as of December last year, the government has an opportunity to borrow an additional Nu 7.39B in fiscal year 2022-23. This is because the Public Debt Policy 2016 prescribes that the non-hydro external debt should not exceed 35 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) during a five-year plan period. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan Rupee Slumps To Record Low, Crisis-Hit Nation Seeks Bailout – NDTV

Pakistan’s currency fell to a record low of ₹ 255 against the US dollar on Thursday, according to local media reports. The tumble comes after the cash-strapped government relaxed its grip on the exchange rate to win much-needed loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Pakistan’s money exchange companies removed the limit on the dollar-rupee rate from Wednesday, and said they will let the local currency drop slowly in the open market. Click here to read…

No backchannel diplomacy between Pakistan and India: Khar – Dawn

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said on Thursday that ever since the incumbent government came to power, there has been no backchannel diplomacy going on between Pakistan and India “untold to the rest of the world”. “At this moment, there is no such thing under way,” she said during a Senate session. Click here to read…

IMF mission to visit bankrupt Pakistan to discuss bailout program – Times Now

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will travel to Pakistan later this month to discuss the ninth review of the nation’s ongoing funding program, which it has stalled, the lender’s resident representative announced on Thursday, as the cash-strapped country’s economy is in disarray. The IMF provided Pakistan with a $6 billion bailout in 2019, which was increased by an additional $1 billion in 2018. Click here to read…

Pakistan poll panel announces April elections in two provinces – AlJazeera

Pakistan’s election commission has set final election dates for two provinces whose assemblies were dissolved earlier this month as part of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s bid to force early national polls. Provincial votes have historically been conducted alongside national elections, but Pakistan’s constitution also says new polls must be held in a province within 90 days of the dissolution of its assembly. Click here to read…

Russia’s Kabulov Meets Pakistan’s Khar, Discusses Afghanistan – Tolo News

Russian special envoy Zamir Kabulov met with Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, and discussed regional issues including Afghan peace and security, a Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Pakistan’s Khar said that Afghanistan due to its location has an important role in achieving its full potential in socio-economic development and regional connectivity and urged the international community to continue extending assistance and support. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives welcomed more than 133,000 tourists by Thursday – Raajje

More than 133,000 tourists have been welcomed so far in January. This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism in its latest daily statistics, publicized on Wednesday. Since the new year began, Maldives welcomed a total of 133,000 visitors by Wednesday, which according to the ministry is an increase of 28.8 percent from the 103,236 arrivals recorded in the same period last year, and a significant increase from the 70,614 arrivals recorded in 2021. Click here to read…

Ali Faiz appointed new High Commissioner of Maldives to Sri Lanka – Raajje

A new Maldivian high commissioner has been appointed to Sri Lanka. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the appointment on Wednesday. Appointed as the new High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is Ali Faiz. His letter of credence was handed to him during a ceremony held at the President’s Office. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar opium farming booming after coup: UN – Mizzima

Opium poppy production in Myanmar ramped up dramatically following the 2021 military coup, the UN’s drugs office said Thursday, as political and economic turmoil drove farmers to cultivate the crop. The country’s economy has been paralysed following the military power grab in February 2021 and subsequent fighting between the junta and anti-coup rebels. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta plans poll with strict rules for political parties – Aljazeera

Myanmar’s military government took an early step toward holding parliamentary elections, but it did so by imposing strict rules on political parties that may make fair balloting difficult. The country has been under sanctions, including by the US and EU, since the coup in 2021 that toppled the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Click here to read…

China ‘exploited’ insecurity among tribal communities on India-Myanmar border: research paper – The hindu

China has “exploited” the sense of alienation and insecurity among tribal communities along the India-Myanmar border — who have been protesting against the fencing being undertaken along the border — in order to “cause insurgency and instability” in northeastern India, according to a research paper written by a police officer and submitted at a conference last week. It added that insurgents sourced their arms from China and brought them into India via Myanmar. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal plane crash: Singapore to analyse black boxes – Mid-Day

Singapore*s Transport Ministry will analyse black boxes recovered from the crash site of Yeti Airlines flight 691 at the request of the investigation authorities in Nepal, officials said. The flight smashed into a gorge on its final approach to the newly opened Pokhara International Airport on January 15, killing all 72 people on board. It was the country*s worst air crash in 30 years. The Transport Ministry*s (MOT) Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) will help retrieve and read the data from the plane*s flight recorders, said an MOT spokesperson in a statement on Thursday. Click here to read…

‘NC prefers consensus, not power sharing’ – The Himalayan Times

Nepali Congress Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said the party had decided to support the government led by CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal to establish national consensus. In his address to a press meet organised by Nepal Press Union, Banke, here today, spokesperson for the major opposition said the party had given vote of confidence to the government at the call of the prime minister and it was committed in its effort to cultivate the ground for national consensus rather than joining the government. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India’s timely help ensured Sri Lanka’s economic survival during crisis: Sri Lankan envoy Moragoda – The Hindu

India’s support to Sri Lanka during its economic crisis, that External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar underlined during his visit to Colombo last week has opened a new chapter in ties between the neighbours, says Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda. Click here to read…

China’s EXIM bank gives Sri Lanka debt extension – Daily Mirror

China’s Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) has provided Sri Lanka with a debt extension, China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, confirming a Reuters report earlier this week. EXIM offered Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on its debt and said it would support the country’s efforts to secure a $2.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters. Regional rivals China and India are the biggest bilateral lenders to Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people that is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan industries should prepare for the transition to the digital economy: President – Colombo Page

President Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that the industrial education and training opportunities in Sri Lanka should be improved by introducing modern technology required to surpass the new industrial technology and digital economy of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Reviewing engagement with Taliban on human rights violation in Afghanistan: US – The Print

The US is reviewing its approach and engagement with the Taliban regime in context of the slew of human rights violations taking place in Afghanistan, a top official in the Biden administration has said, emphasising that Washington is actively evaluating with its allies and partners to take the next appropriate steps towards it. Click here to read…

China inches closer to Afghanistan’s rare Earth reserves with new oil deal – India Today

Chinese Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC) signed a deal with Taliban-led Afghanistan in the capital city of Kabul. The acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum for the Taliban, Sheikh Shahabuddin Dilawar, on January 5 announced the deal in which the Chinese company would extract oil from the Amu Darya basin located in the northern part of Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Iran Seeks Commitment to Water Treaty – Tolo News

Iran has once again sought commitment from Afghanistan to the Helmand River Treaty signed between the two sides in 1973. Iran’s newly appointed ambassador to Kabul, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, in a meeting with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghanistan’s water resources should be managed to prevent waste and protect Iran’s water rights from it. In this meeting, Muttaqi assured the Iranian ambassador that Afghanistan is committed to the Helmand Water Treaty, said a foreign ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

BNP-Jamaat ‘clique’ conspiring ahead of polls: minister – Daily Star

BNP-Jamaat and the far left and right quarters are conspiring as the election inches closer, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque told parliament yesterday. In a scripted answer, the minister said a section of people are trying to create unrest. “Jamaat-BNP… the far left, far right, associated with it… have become active in conspiracy ahead of the election. They do not see the achievements of Awami League.” Click here to read…

Initiatives should be inclusive – Daily Star

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has opposed any regional or global initiative that is unilateral, exclusive, meant to create confrontation and against any country. “Any sort of initiative either by the US or other countries … they need to be open, inclusive. They should not be unilateral, exclusive or against any country,” said the newly appointed Chinese envoy after a meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at the ministry yesterday. Click here to read…

How the Bangladesh economy might fare in 2023 – TBS

Critical reforms in the taxation sector, banking sector, capital market, trade policy, and management of the exchange rate are long overdue. Such reforms, along with the faster and cost-effective implementation of some megaprojects and SEZs, are expected to make the economy more resilient. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Parties in search of female candidates – Kuensel

Women had taken part in politics, with some of them at the helm of governance and leading political parties as party president. However, even with studies showing widespread public acceptance of female politicians, women’s political participation remains low still. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives backs India for ’28-29 UNSC seat – Tribune India

As India seeks another term for two years at the UN Security Council, the Maldives has said it would support its candidature for a non-permanent seat for the 2028-29 term. “The Government of Maldives has decided to support India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the UNSC for the 2028-29 term. The decision was taken following Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar’s visit from January 18 and 19,” said the Maldives’ Foreign Ministry. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Indian Coast Guard evacuates injured Myanmar national from sea – New Indian Express

THE Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) advanced light helicopter on Monday evacuated an injured Myanmar national from a vessel of Singapore, about 80 nautical mile (148 km) east-northeast of Paradip. Motor tanker GB Venture had developed a mechanical snag and was anchored about 40.5 nautical mile south of Sagar. One crew member Than Htike Lwin sustained blunt abdominal trauma while carrying out maintenance of a hydraulic pipeline. Click here to read…

Myanmar: Japan’s Construction Aid Benefits Junta – HRW

Japan’s Yokogawa Bridge Corp. apparently transferred over US$1 million in 2022 to Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), which is owned by Myanmar’s abusive military, for a Japanese government development aid project, Human Rights Watch said today. Click here to read…

Myanmar plunges deeper into economic crisis – East Asia Forum

After nearly two years of military rule, Myanmar remains trapped in conflict, facing increasing political instability and a growing humanitarian crisis. While businesses and the labour market had already been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, post-coup instability has done even more damage to Myanmar’s economy. Click here to read…

Nepal

‘Snow-capped mountains turning black’ – The Himalayan Times

Until some years back, the mountainous ridges were seen with snow-capped during the winter season.There used to be a huge inflow of foreign tourists here to take joy of majestic beauty of the Himalayas and play with snow. But, the silver-like glittering mountains are now turning to be black rocks arguably due to the effects of climate change. Consequently, the popular tourism hotspots of Sindhupalchowk – Helambu and Panchpokhari – are losing their identity as the prime tourist destinations. Click here to read…

Banned Practice of Isolating Menstruating Women Still Prevails in Nepal – News18

Menstruation is a monthly occurrence for women. The process is biological and natural, but there’s a lot of taboo and stigma around it. These taboos have often restricted women to take part in various activities at home in India and some other Asian countries too. This has been going on for centuries. One such tradition is Chaupadi. It is a practice in Nepal that restricts women from taking part in any household activities during their periods. They are even not allowed to stay inside their house. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Hours after major outage hits Pakistan, govt says power restoration under way – Dawn

A massive power cut across Pakistan continued after night fell on Monday, affecting most of the country’s 220 million residents, including in the metropolises of Karachi and Lahore. Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir said on Monday night, more than 12 hours after the breakdown occurred, that officials had begun restoring electricity across the country. Click here to read…

Govt wary of IMF-mandated ‘tough decisions’ in an election year – Dawn

The government’s fear of losing popularity before the elections seems to be keeping Pakistan from finalising a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that could stabilise the economy. Official and diplomatic sources told Dawn on Monday that both sides were still discussing the seven demands that the IMF wants Pakistan to accept before it resumes economic assistance to the country. Click here to read…

Pakistan has no money to hold elections? 10 worrisome economic indicators – Mint

Amidst growing concerns of economic turmoil, Pakistan media has quoted Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Spokesperson, Hafiz Hamdullah indicating that if the situation does not improve the upcoming elections will be suspended. Pakistan’s foreign exchange reached a record low of $ 4.56 billion, which can cover only three weeks of imports, according to a Geo News report. Click here to read…

Govt chalks out strategy to tackle Rs1.64tr circular debt in gas sector – Geo News

The government has developed a comprehensive plan to address Rs 1,640 billion circular debt in the gas sector, reported The News. The plan includes securing dividends of Rs 800-850 billion from the two gas utilities, SNGPL and SSGCL, as well as increasing the tariff and adjusting existing slabs to protect lower income consumers from a rise in gas prices. In a bid to break the deadlock with the IMF, the government is working on a plan to remove the circular debt for the energy sector, electricity and gas, which has crossed Rs4.1 trillion figure. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

God won’t change your destiny until you change yourself – Daily Mirror

The leaders of the two ruling parties, the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for obvious reasons are arguing that the local government elections which are scheduled to be held on March 9 would not bring solutions to the economic issues that the country is currently faced with. Click here to read…

Is debt cancellation the way forward for Sri Lanka? – Aljazeera

More than 180 prominent economists and development experts from around the world have made a global appeal to Sri Lanka’s financial lenders to forgive its debt, even as other experts are not convinced it is the best way forward for the island nation. According to World Bank estimates, Sri Lanka has an external debt burden of more than $52bn as of December. Of that, nearly 40 percent is owed to private creditors, including financial institutions, while the rest is owed to bilateral creditors where China (52 percent), Japan (19 percent) and India (12 percent) are the largest ones. Click here to read…

Anatomy of sovereign insolvency of Sri Lanka – Daily FT

The purpose of this essay is to highlight the specific blunders by successive Governors of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and members of the Monetary Board since 2006 that has led to the current crisis, and hold them accountable for their actions and/or inactions over a period of 16 years (July 2006-April 2022). Authority and power come with accountability and responsibility. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Aid Chief Says NRC Cannot Work without Women: Tolo News

The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugees Council, Jan Egeland, said on Monday that without female staff, they cannot work and will not work in Afghanistan. Egeland arrived in Kabul on Sunday to meet with the Islamic Emirate’s officials about the ban on women aid workers. “I am here in Afghanistan to meet Taliban leaders and try to find a way to get out of the current ban on our female workers, which is paralyzing all our humanitarian work in Afghanistan,” he said. Click here to read…

United Nations provide clarification on the cash shipments to Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan has distributed a press release providing clarification on the cash shipments to Afghanistan. The statement read that The United Nations transported cash to Afghanistan for use by UN agencies. The UN uses the money to carry out its missions in Afghanistan, mainly to provide life-saving humanitarian aid to the many millions of Afghans in need. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Bangladesh, US discuss defence cooperation – New Age

Bangladesh and the United States on Monday discussed defence cooperation, Indo-Pacific Strategy, development cooperation, maritime safety and security, strengthening capacities of law enforcing agencies and cyber security. The two sides also discussed different bilateral issues of mutual interests and priorities, particularly in the sectors of humanitarian assistance, Rohingya repatriation and resettlement. Click here to read…

Chinese FM lands in Dhaka for stopover – Daily Star

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang landed in Dhaka at 2:00am today for a two-hour stopover on his way to five African countries. “The Chinese foreign minister will have the stopover from 1:00am as the plane carrying him will refuel at the Dhaka airport,” a foreign ministry official said. Qin, who was Chinese ambassador to the US, will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt from January 9 to 16. Click here to read…

After getting out of jail, Fakhrul vows to intensify movement – Daily Star

Soon after getting out of jail today, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir took a fresh vow to intensify the ongoing movement to oust the government and restore democracy and people’s voting rights. “The more they repress us, the more people will burst into anger and defeat them through a movement,” he said. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India-Led Hydro Project Handed Over to Bhutan – NEBM

Bhutan is the world’s first and only, carbon-negative country thanks to its focus on clean energy and environmental protection. India has immensely supported the government to make the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project a reality which was handed over in December 2022. The North-Eastern states of India are similar to Bhutan in resources and topography and will benefit from gaining a perspective of the pros and cons of hydropower generation.Click here to read…

Indian tour operators to help promote Bhutan as a high-end destination – Kuensel

While the concern was that the Sustainable Development Fee of Nu 1,200 imposed on tourists from India would restrict tourists from the neighbouring country, a group of 36 tour operators from India had better ideas, in line with the tourism policy. The group during a recent visit committed to promote Bhutan as a quality tourism destination by bringing quality tourists. They appreciated the policy and wanted to help Bhutan fulfill the policy of high-value, low-volume tourism. Click here to read…

All Powers Combined: Why It’s Time for An India-Bangladesh-Bhutan-Nepal Regional Electricity Grid – Swarajya

2023 will be a difficult year for the world economy, is more or less certain. For the first time since the end of the Cold War; the US, Europe and one-time growth engine China, are together entering a recessionary phase. 2023 will be tough. Time for Bangladesh and Nepal to expand energy trade with India, to survive the double attack of low export opportunities and high import bills. Click here to read…

Maldives

Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas: India saved us from COVID, says Maldives minister – New Indian

Maldives deputy minister speaks to The New Indian at Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention. He speaks on several facets of India-Maldives relationship. Minister Saudulla Ahmed thanks India for helping Maldives during Covid crisis. ‘India has helped Maldives in sectors of health, education and infrastructure development’. Ahmed seeks New Delhi’s help to develop aviation, IT and construction sectors in Maldives. Click here to read…

Covid-19 caseload continues to drop across Maldives – Raajje

Maldives continues to confirm low numbers of weekly Covid-19 cases. This was revealed by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in its latest figures publicized on Monday. As such, over the past week, Maldives confirmed nine new Covid-19 infections out of which just two were detected from the Greater Malé Region and seven were reported from others including industrial islands, liveaboard vessels and resorts. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar junta keeps border gates with China closed following COVID-19 surge – Mizzima

China opened three border gates to Myanmar on 8 January, but Myanmar refused to open the gates on its side of the border, despite announcing that it would. The Chinese Embassy in Yangon said that the three border gates on the Myanmar border in China’s Ruili City in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, opposite Muse in Myanmar’s Shan north, would be opened at 8:00 a.m. on 8 January, after having been closed for the last three years. Click here to read…

Myanmar jails 112 Rohingya who tried to leave country – Aljazeera

Myanmar has jailed 112 people, including 12 children, from the minority Rohingya after they were caught attempting to leave the country. The court in Bogale in the southern Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar sentenced the group on January 6, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Tuesday, citing local police. Click here to read…

Pro-Junta Militias Forcing Myanmar Voters to Attend Election Propaganda Sessions – The Irrawaddy

Pro-regime militias are forcing voters in Sagaing and Mandalay regions to attend election campaign meetings where junta administrators are canvassing for the military’s proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), local sources say. Pyu Saw Htee militias have reportedly been forcing households in Shwebo and Kantbalu districts, Sagaing, and Mandalay’s Myingyan district to attend meetings on the so-called election that the junta plans to hold in August. One person per household is required to attend the meetings, where junta officials are canvassing for the USDP. Click here to read…

With Eye on Poll, Myanmar Military-Allied USDP Meets Charities, Social Groups – The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar military regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has met with some pro-junta social organizations and charities in Yangon ahead of a so-called election the junta plans to hold in August. Since he was installed as the chair of the military-backed party in October last year, Khin Yi, a former brigadier general and a henchman of successive juntas, has been doing his job, making moves to solidify the USDP’s position ahead of the planned poll. Click here to read…

Nepal

China’s new envoy vows to further enhance bilateral ties with Nepal – Business Standard

China is willing to work with Nepal to stay true to their original aspirations, join forces to seek common development and build a closer community with a shared future in the new era, the new Chinese ambassador here said on Sunday. Ambassador Chen Song, one of the senior diplomats in China, also vowed to work to write a new chapter of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Chen was appointed as ambassador to Nepal in November. However, Chen’s arrival in Nepal was delayed after he and his wife got infected with Covid-19. Click here to read…

Ruling parties commit to bring back territories – Kathmandu Post

The ruling alliance has promised to play an effective role to bring back territories. According to the ruling coalition’s common minimum programme document unveiled on Monday, the government will try to bring back the territories of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulek that are currently under India. Click here to read…

Nepal PM set to take vote of confidence in parliament, parties remain undecided – The Print

Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda is set to test the floor of parliament on Tuesday amid the uncertainty whether the parties on board will vote for him or not. Prachanda last month broke off a democratic-communist alliance forging another alliance with CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) and five other parties along with 2 other independent lawmakers. Click here to read…

Pakistan

$10.7b pledged as Pakistan races against time: The Express Tribune

Pakistan on Monday said that donors had so far committed $10.7 billion to help it recover from last year’s devastating floods at the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan which was co-hosted by the government of Pakistan and the United Nations in Geneva. Click here to read…

Skyrocketing prices making flour inaccessible: The News

The highly subsidised 10 and 20kg flour bags in Punjab province are still short in supply despite issuance of wheat to mills in sizeable quantity. The price of 15kg bag went through the roof as it is available at around Rs133 per kg or over Rs2000 per bag. The whole wheat flour on the other hand soared to Rs150 per kg in the province. Click here to read…

Talks with IMF end without ‘breakthrough’: The Express Tribune

The purpose of the meeting was to reach a consensus on the measures that would ensure the negotiations for the 9th programme review. But surprisingly, the finance ministry tweeted that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and IMF Mission Chief Nathan Porter “discussed challenges to regional economies in the wake of climate change”. Sources from Geneva told The Express Tribune that Pakistan would have to take certain measures before the IMF sent a staff-level mission. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced that the IMF team would visit Pakistan in three days for programme negotiations – a deadline that has already passed. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

SL welcomes over 20,000 tourists in first week of Jan. – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka continues to maintain the momentum in tourist arrivals witnessed over the last few weeks, as it welcomed over 20,000 international visitors in the first seven days of the New Year. The provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority showed that for the January 01-07 period, a total of 20,875 tourists entered the country. When compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the arrivals were up by a marginal 1.6 percent. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka out of intensive care, but still in the trauma ward – East Asia Forum

If there’s a silver lining to the hard years ahead for Sri Lanka, it is to be found in the hope that its elites will never allow a repeat of the abysmal policymaking that its people are now paying for with their economic livelihoods. Click here to read…

Indian envoy highlights strengthening connectivity with India, SL for benefit of both countries – Daily Mirror

Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay stressed the importance of strengthening connectivity with India for enhancing pilgrimages, tourism, trade and economic benefits for the people of both countries. The High Commissioner highlighted that India has executed projects of over USD 1 billion in the Railways sector under 5 Indian LOCs. In addition, projects of about USD 180 million are either ongoing or in pipeline under existing LOCs. He underscored the importance of modernization of Railways in enhancing mobility of goods and services in Sri Lanka thereby boosting economic activity. He stated that India will work with Sri Lanka to introduce green and sustainable transport solutions. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

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

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

US National Security Council delegation visits Rohingya camps – Daily Star

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maldives

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

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

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

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

Myanmar

Myanmar’s domestic fuel prices fall slightly – Mizzima

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

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

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

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

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

USDP chairperson meets 37 political parties in Naypyitaw – Mizzima

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

Nepal

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka

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

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

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

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

Choking on politics – The News International

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