DEFENCE

• 4th edition of joint military exercisebetween India and Japan.
• Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships made port call at Kochi.
• 4th edition of joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army.
• Indian Naval Ship to participate in NAVDEX 23 and IDEX 23 in UAE.
• Operation Dost.
• Raksha Mantri telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence to discusses ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation.
• IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.
• 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.
• 7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi.
• Indian Air Force participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII in UAE.
• Indian Air Force contingent participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior with the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan

• Taliban “disapproved” Russia’s terror charges against Afghanistan.

Pakistan

• Security forces foiled an attack in Baluchistan and eliminated eight terrorists.
• CTD killed six TTP terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Govt of India bans JKGF as a terrorist group under the UA (P) Act.
• Police arrested three HM terrorists from Kulgam.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Two policemen attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.
• Police arrested two Maoists, involved in several incidents, from Hyderabad.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• NIA Special Court, Delhi, convicted a terrorist in the espionage case.
• NIA Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted a terrorist in the “IS Jaipur” case.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• “Cannot stop movement,” said pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh.
• NIA busted the Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people across the eight States.
• Govt of India banned KTF as a terrorist organisation under the UA (P) Act.

DEFENCE

4th edition of joint military exercise between India and Japan.

The 4th edition of joint military exercise, “EX DHARMA GUARDIAN”, between India and Japan is being conducted at Camp Imazu in Shiga province, Japan from 17 February to 02 March 2023. The scope of this exercise covers platoon level joint training on operations in jungle and semi urban/urban terrain. Troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and an Infantry Regiment from the Middle Army of the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) are participating in the exercise this year to share experiences gained during operations in order to enhance inter-operability in planning & execution.

The joint exercise will enable the two armies to share best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting tactical operations under a UN Mandate, in addition to developing inter-operability, bonhomie, camaraderie and friendship between the two armies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships made port call at Kochi.

Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) Ships Uraga and Awaji made port call at Kochi from 14 -16 Feb 23. The ship’s crew visited professional training schools and ship of Southern Naval Command. During the visit, they were familiarised with various training facilities and activities undertaken at the Training Command of the Indian Navy. Presently, the ship is on her passage to Bahrain.
For more information: Click here to read…

4th edition of joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army.

The 4th edition of joint military exercise ‘DUSTLIK’ between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army commenced today in Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand). 45 Soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army are participating in this exercise which is aimed at promoting positive relations between both the armies. The Indian Army contingent comprises of troops from an Infantry Battalion from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in November 2019. The 14 days long joint exercise would focus on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenario under UN mandate and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and culminate with a validation exercise.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Naval Ship to participate in NAVDEX 23 and IDEX 23 in UAE.

Indian Naval Ship Sumedha arrived at Abu Dhabi, UAE on 20 Feb 2023 to participate in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defence Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defence Exhibition), scheduled from 20 to 24 Feb 2023. The ship’s participation in two leading regional naval and defence exhibitions will showcase the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building.
For more information: Click here to read…

Operation Dost

The Indian disaster relief team, comprising 99 personnel of Indian Army Field Hospital and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) returned back on February 20 2023 after putting in a stupendous effort to provide medical relief to disaster victims in Hatya Province of Turkey hit by earthquake. The Indian Army Field Hospital has treated 3604 casualties, providing emergency medical care and performing 04 x major surgeries, 63 x minor surgeries, 343 minor procedures including 87 x POP applications for fixing fractures.

The Indian Army Field Hospital comprising of various Specialist Medical Officers and Paramedics, established their Hospital at Iskenderun, Hatay Province, Turkey on 08 Feb 2023, which included a fully functional OT and Trauma Care Centre. The Specialists include Medical Specialist, Surgical Specialists, Anaesthetists, Orthopaedicians, Maxillofacial Surgeon and Community Medicine Specialist for rendering medical assistance to earthquake victims. Beside this, a Lady Medical Officer has also been sent for rendering medical care to female patients/casualties. In addition, the Indian Army Field Hospital provided dental treatment to 242 patients, carrying out 283 precautionary X-rays on trauma victims. 14 x patients were admitted and 97 x patients detained and treated. 1159 Lab investigations were carried out on the cases reported for treatment. Replenishment to the Field Hospital has been provided by Indian Army in the form of Medical and Surgical bricks as well as Orthopaedic equipment.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri (RM) telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence to discusses ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation.

The RM held a telephonic conversation with UK Secretary of State for Defence Mr Ben Wallace on February 21, 2023. The conversation was cordial, positive and focused on future growth of the bilateral defence relationship. Both Ministers discussed a wide range of defence and security issues, including regional developments and the Indo-Pacific.

The Ministers briefly reviewed their ongoing defence cooperation and expressed satisfaction at their bilateral military-to-military engagements. They also discussed ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation and identified a few potential areas of cooperation. The Raksha Mantri suggested that UK companies should become part of India’s growth story and participate in co-development and co-production in India.
Reference: Click here to read…

IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.

In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed a MoU on 21 Feb 2023 with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles. The MoU signed aims to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.
For more information: Click here to read…

26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

The 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 22 February 2023 in person in Beijing. This was the first WMCC meeting since the 14th meeting held in July 2019, to be held in person. Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in an open and constructive manner, which would help in restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in Western Sector and create conditions for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. To achieve this objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next (18th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.
For more information:
Click here to read…s

7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi.

7th Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Sri Lanka was held in New Delhi on February 23, 2023. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. During the meeting, the ongoing defence cooperation activities between the two countries were reviewed, with both sides agreeing to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises. In the context of training, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to avail maximum benefits from each other’s experience and capacities.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Air Force participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII in UAE.

An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of 110 Air Warriors has arrived at Al Dhafra airbase of United Arab Emirates for participating in Exercise Desert Flag VIII. The IAF would be participating with five LCA Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. This is the first occasion when the LCA Tejas shall participate in an international flying exercise outside India.
Exercise Desert Flag is a multilateral air exercise in which Air Forces from UAE, France, Kuwait, Australia, UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, Republic of Korea, and USA would also be participating. The exercise is scheduled from 27 Feb 23 to 17 Mar 23. The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.
Reference: Click here to read…

Indian Air Force contingent participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior with the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom.

An Indian Air Force contingent comprising 145 Air Warriors departed Air Force Station Jamnagar today for participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom. The exercise is scheduled from 06 Mar 23 to 24 Mar 23.

The Exercise Cobra Warrior is a multilateral Air exercise in which Air Forces from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, United States of America and Singapore would also be participating alongside Royal Air Force and IAF. The IAF is participating in the exercise this year with five Mirage 2000 fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III and an IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft. The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Afghanistan

Taliban “disapproved” Russia’s terror charges against Afghanistan.

On 15 February 2023, Taliban’s Foreign Minister (FM)— Amir Khan Muttaqi questioned Russia’s ‘baseless’ allegations that thousands of Islamic State (IS) terrorists have gathered in northern Afghanistan and threatening the stability of the Central Asian Region (CAR). In a televised speech in Kabul, Taliban’s FM Muttaqi said, “How come thousands of such people (referring to IS) are concentrated in one place and still no one can see them or is aware of them? Everyone is welcome here, see the situation with their own eyes and discuss with us if they have any concerns to share. But levelling baseless allegations to malign and add to the sufferings of this nation reeling from decades of war must come to an end.”

Taliban’s response to the statement made by Russia’s Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)— Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, regarding extremist groups gaining a foothold in Afghanistan, turning to be the biggest threat to stability in the region. “Wilayat Khurasan or Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) is the Afghan branch of the IS and has some 6,500 strength— up to 4,000 of whom are gathered in the [Afghan] provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, and Takhar along Tajikistan’s southern border,” Russia’s official media quoted Sidorov.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan

Security forces foiled an attack in Baluchistan and eliminated eight terrorists.

Pakistan’s security forces, on 22 February 2023, eliminated eight terrorists and foiled an attack on a security forces’ convoy in Kech in Baluchistan. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the alerted troops foiled the attack without losing soldiers’ life and also hunted fleeting terrorists using ground and aviation resources. On 23 February, security forces identified a suspected hideout of terrorists in Mazaaband range and launched a counter-terrorism (CT) operation. In a gun-battle with terrorists, security forces eliminated eight terrorists and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition.
For more information: Click here to read…

CTD killed six TTP terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On 23 February 2023, the counter-terrorism department (CTD) killed six Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in a joint operation with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Lakki Marwat police. According to the statement released by Lakki Marwat police, intelligence inputs revealed that terrorists were planning to attack the Abbas police check post, which led to a gun-battle. In the gun battle with terrorists, security forces eliminated six TTP terrorists.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Govt of India bans JKGF as a terrorist group under the UA (P) Act.

On 17 February 2023, the Govt of India (GoI) proscribed Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF) as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A]. “JKGF has been found involved in infiltration attempts, drug-weapon trafficking, and carrying out terror attacks in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The JKGF operatives are drawn from other Islamic terrorist organisations such as, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM), Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI)”, read the statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). With this declaration, there are 44 terrorist organisations under the I Schedule of the Act.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested three HM terrorists from Kulgam.

In a joint operation on 17 February 2023, police forces from PS Hatipora and PS Behibagh arrested three Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorists from Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Acting on specific inputs, the joint team operated and established a Naka at Dadekoot in Alamganj crossing. Upon the arrival at the Naka, police teams arrested all three terrorists and recovered a pistol, two pistol magazines, and 13 live pistol rounds from their possession.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

Two policemen attained Veergati in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh.

On 20 February 2023, Maoists attacked and killed two Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) policemen in Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. The incident took place within the limits of Bortalab police station near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.
For more information: Click here to read…

Police arrested two Maoists, involved in several incidents, from Hyderabad.

On 20 February 2023, Gadchiroli police arrested two Maoists— Madhukar Chinanna Kodape and his wife— Jamani Mangalu Punam, involved in various violent activities, from Hyderabad. The duo, reportedly left the CPI (Maoist) cadre in 2006 and, since then been evading arrest.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

NIA Special Court, Delhi, convicted a terrorist in an espionage case.

On 23 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Delhi, convicted Mohammad Parvez under Sections 120B, 420, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A].

The case— RC-21/2017/NIA/DLI pertains to the conspiracy hatched by foreign intelligence agencies to obtain information from defence personnel posted in sensitive border areas of Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted a terrorist in “IS Jaipur” case.
On 20 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Rajasthan, convicted Mohammed Sirajuddin under Sections 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A] for 07 years of Rigorous Imprisonment with fine.

The case— RC-5/2016/NIA/DLI pertains to disseminating Islamic State (IS) ideology and luring others over social media platforms to join the proscribed terror organisation for carrying out terror activities in Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

“Cannot stop movement,” said pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh.

On 20 February 2023, the self-styled pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh said that the “Khalistan movement could not be stopped from flourishing and if Home Minister desired to stop it, let him fulfil his desire.” Earlier, in a TV interview, Home Minister Amit Shah remarked that a close watch was being maintained on Khalistan activities and that the Government of India would not let it flourish.

Amritpal Singh also lead a group— “Waris Panjab De”- set up by late actor-activist—Deep Sidhu. Deep Sidhu died in a road accident in February 2022. On several platforms, Amritpal Singh has been advocating secession and separatism, along with the establishment of Khalistan. Click here to read…

NIA busted Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people across the eight States.

In nationwide search operations, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) busted Khalistan-gangster network and arrested six people, including associates of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and Goldy Brar. The raids were carried out in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh (MP).

One of the associates— Khokhar was arrested from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. He was in direct contact with Arsh Dala in Canada, looked after the recruitment, and received funds from him for carrying out terror-related activities. The NIA investigations have so far revealed that many criminals, who were leading gangsters in Bharat, had fled to countries like Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia and were planning their terror and criminal acts from there, in association with criminals lodged in jails in different states. These gangs were carrying out targeted killings and earning cash for their nefarious activities through smuggling drugs, weapons, hawala and extortions.
For more information: Click here to read…

Govt of India banned KTF as a terrorist organisation under the UA (P) Act.

On 17 February 2023, the Government of India (GoI) proscribed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A], and also notified Khalistani terrorist— Harwinder Singh Sandhu aka “Rinda” as a terrorist.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification, Rinda has been associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and is presently based in Pakistan. With this announcement, there are 54 designated terrorists under the IV Schedule of the UA (P) Act.
For more information: 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 remains primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia: UN report – The Hindu

Afghanistan remains the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia, with groups such as ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enjoying greater freedom of movement in the country owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy, a UN report has said. Click here to read…

‘India, Iran, China missions in Kabul facing terror risk’ – Hindustan Times

The embassies of India, China, and Iran in Kabul face the threat of attack by the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), which has strengthened its capacity faster than anticipated and positioned itself as the primary rival to the Taliban setup in Afghanistan, according to assessments by several countries. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan resumes operations on Afghanistan railroad after dispute – Eurasianet

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on an Uzbek-operated railroad that runs on Afghan territory, allowing the full resumption of vital cargo and aid deliveries after a short hiatus. That will come as a relief to Kabul, since the deal resolves a dispute over the railroad Afghanistan uses to receive around half of its imports and much of its humanitarian aid. Click here to read…

ISIS Is the Common Enemy Of Afghanistan, International Community: Khalilzad – Menafn

Zalmay Khalilzad, Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation says that ISIS is the common enemy of Afghanistan and the International Community. The Afghan-American diplomat on Twitter said that cooperation against ISIS (Daesh) can be an important part of future relations. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

FS Kwatra calls on PM Hasina, reaffirms India’s support for deeper economic partnership with Bangladesh – Economic Times

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday called on Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which he reaffirmed India’s support for wider and deeper development and economic partnership with her country. They also agreed to maintain close engagement in the context of Bangladesh’s participation as a Guest Country during India’s G20 Presidency. Click here to read…

Bangladesh seeks US support for RAB’s capacity building – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday sought US support for increased capacity of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while visiting US state department Counsellor Derek Chollet acknowledged improvement in performance of the Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime police unit. Click here to read…

‘We hope China will help repatriate Rohingyas’ – The Daily Star

State Minister for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman yesterday expressed hope that China will help to repatriate Rohingya people. Enamur made the comments after a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the ministry’s office at Bangladesh Secretariat. “We hope China will play an important role in repatriating forcefully displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar,” said Enamur. Click here to read…

Bhutan

India to help Bangladesh import hydropower from Nepal, Bhutan: FS – United News of Bangladesh

India has assured Bangladesh of extending its cooperation for importing hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen Wednesday. Talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, he said they also discussed the “practical problem” in terms of transmission lines inside Bangladesh as there is a need for expanding the transmission network and boosting its capacity. Click here to read…

More bans likely to save dwindling foreign exchange reserves – Kuensel

To save the plummeting country’s foreign exchange reserves, it is likely the government will add more items to the import ban list and monetary measures. In addition to the continuation of the moratorium on vehicle import, the finance ministry has proposed to the Cabinet, a phase-II moratorium to suspend construction loans and put a ban on the import of furniture, processed meat and food items, junk foods, alcohol, and LED television. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives Non-Resident Ambassador presents credentials to President of Finland – Raajje

Aishath Shaan Shakir has presented her credentials as the Non-Resident Ambassador of Maldives to the Federal Republic of Germany. The Maldivian Ambassador to Germany and the Kingdom of Norway as well, Shaan presented her Letter of Credence to President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Young leaders are the strength and future of Maldives – Raajje

The young leaders of today are the strength and future of the country, says First Lady Fazna Ahmed. She said this in her remarks at the virtual opening of the 2nd Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) and the Big Six Movement on Wednesday. As such, she urged the society to pay attention to the growth and development of girl guides and young leaders. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar: Supreme Court Rejects Aung San Suu Kyi’s Appeal On Corruption Charges – Eurasia Review

Myanmar’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal of two corruption charges, sources close to the court told Radio Free Asia. Suu Kyi, 77, was sentenced by a military junta court in October to three years in Naypyidaw Prison for two corruption cases that involved charges of accepting money from Maung Weik, a businessman linked to the military. Click here to read…

Four Myanmar Parties Register for Junta Election – The Irrawaddy

The USDP, FDP and MPD were among 34 parties that met military chief Min Aung Hlaing ahead of the 2020 general election. The party leaders sought the commander-in-chief’s assurance that he would intervene if voting was deemed unfair. They also called for then UEC chairman U Hla Thein to be replaced, saying they do not trust him because he was appointed by the National League for Democracy (NLD). Click here to read…

Kinship across border: How Nagas helped their Myanmar brethren – East Mojo

February marked the second anniversary of the Myanmar coup but on February 2, 2023, residents of Chiu Village, also known as Solo, a Myanmar Naga settlement adjacent to the Indian border in Noklak district of Nagaland were not thinking about any protests. Instead, they watched as a fire caused by a solar panel malfunction gutted over 70 houses and a Morung. Click here to read…

Nepal

Demand to make Nepal a ‘Hindu Nation’ intensifies again, millions of people gathered – News Track Live

The demand to make our neighboring country Nepal a Hindu nation once again has started intensifying and this campaign has also got the support of the country’s former Maharaja Gyanendra Shah. Former king Gyanendra Shah on Monday (February 13) joined an important campaign related to the restoration of the former status of the Hindu state. This was Gyanendra Shah’s first political presence after the end of the monarchy in Nepal. Significantly, this campaign has been launched on a day when the violent Maoist-turned-PM Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Nepal government declared a public holiday in the country to mark the completion of 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to visit India on first foreign trip as Nepal PM soon: Reports – Economic Times

Nepal and India have discussed the possibility of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” visiting New Delhi on his first foreign trip after assuming power in December last year, according to a media report on Wednesday. Prachanda discussed his intention to visit India during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday, officials said. Click here to read…

Creating a paper device to improve public health in Nepal – Nature.com

While working on his PhD at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in early 2010, Basant Giri worked with a microfluidic chip, a device half the size of a credit card that can channel the flow of a tiny amount of fluid for early cancer screening. Giri found that these minuscule devices could detect cancer biomarkers using 100-fold lower sample volumes than those required by conventional, bulky laboratory equipment. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pak Hikes Fuel Prices To Historic High With Effect From Today. Details Here – NDTV

Hours after unleashing a tax-loaded mini-budget, Pakistan on Wednesday night hiked up the prices of petrol and gas to a historic high in a bid to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for unlocking the critical loan tranche, reported Geo News. The petrol price has been increased to 272 rupees per litre after an increase of 22.20 rupees, a press release from the Finance Division read, noting that the surge has taken place due to the rupee’s devaluation against the dollar. Click here to read…

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in H1 2023, says Moody’s economist – Times of India

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in the first half of 2023 before trending lower, and a bailout from the International Monetary Fund alone is unlikely to put the economy back on track, a senior economist with Moody’s Analytics told Reuters. Click here to read…

Fitch downgrades Pakistan’s rating; warns default a ‘real possibility’ – India Today

The beleaguered Pakistani economy faces substantial credit risks with “critically low levels” of foreign exchange reserves, New York-based global ratings agency Fitch said on Tuesday, warning that a default is a “real possibility.” Fitch downgraded Pakistan’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) to ‘CCC-’ from ‘CCC+’, citing further worsening in liquidity and policy risks. Click here to read…

Pakistan court cancels bail of ex-PM Imran Khan in Election Commission protest case – The Hindu

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Wednesday rejected the bail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for failing to attend the court hearing of a case linked to protests outside the election commission, a ruling which could lead to his arrest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists staged a protest after Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case last year. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

China silent on debt reduction targets for Sri Lanka to get IMF bailout loan – Economic Times

China on Wednesday said it supports debt-trapped Sri Lanka’s efforts to get the much-needed IMF bailout facility but parried questions on reports that it will not follow the global lender’s debt reduction targets for it to clear the relief package. Last month, China gave Sri Lanka the financing assurances required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock a USD 2.9 billion bailout package for the country, days after India strongly backed the island nation’s efforts to secure the loan from the global lender to recover from its worst-ever economic crisis. China’s EXIM Bank has issued a letter granting Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on repayment and agreeing with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Click here to read…

The Geopolitics of Sri Lanka’s Energy Crisis – Diplomat

Two top foreign officials visited Sri Lanka within a fortnight spanning late January and early February. The optics of these tightly choreographed events may have obscured the nuts-and-bolts objectives sought by the United States and India. As Quad members, the two powers are on the same page in their bid to counter China’s influence the region. With Sri Lanka going through its worst-ever economic crisis and on its knees for an IMF bailout, diplomatic interactions with such visitors take place in the shadow of a glaring power imbalance. Click here to read…

Defence co-operation with Sri Lanka explored at Aero India – Economy Next

Sri Lanka’s State Minister for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon at an aviation confab has brought out the potential for greater defence co-operation between the two countries, India’s embassy in Colombo said. Forums like Aero India can be used for defence cooperation through joint ventures, co-development and production whilst investing in research and development, the High Commission quoted Minister Tennakoon as saying.Minister Tennakoon had been accompanied by a business delegation from Sri Lanka to identify avenues for greater cooperation. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Sri Lanka underline strong defence ties – Island

Sri Lankan Defence leadership has stressed the importance of maintaining existing strong military-to-military cooperation and expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s unstinted support in the past.The following is the text of statement issued by Pakistan High Commission in Colombo after the five-day visit undertaken by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI (M), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Pakistan. It was his maiden overseas visit after his appointment as CJCSC. He arrived in Sri Lanka on 9th Feb on special invitation of his counterpart General Shavendra Silva, and was accorded a red carpet reception and a traditional welcome upon his arrival at BIA. During his stay, General Sahir called on the President of Sri Lanka, Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Commanders of Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Air Force. 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

Taliban Discuss Restoration of Historical Sites with UNESCO – The Khaama Press

Mawlavi Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information of Afghanistan met with Brendan Cassar, UNESCO Culture Program Officer on Monday to discuss the restoration of historical sites. During the meeting, Mr. Azizi shared his concerns with Brendan about restoring historical sites and ancient reservoirs in some provinces of the country, which are on the verge of collapse. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan to Supply Electricity Amid Energy Crisis in Afghanistan – The Khaama Press

The Ministry of Energy and Water announced that Uzbekistan has assured to resume supplying electricity to Afghanistan after weeks of complete blackout. Authorities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan have acknowledged that they will resume supplying power to Afghanistan from January 25 onward according to the Ministry of Energy and Water. Reportedly, the power supply stopped on January 14 due to extreme cold, causing problems in the gas supply to thermal power plants (TPPs), which run on this type of fuel and provide 90% of electricity generation in the country. Click here to read…

Guterres Calls on ‘Taliban’ to Reverse Ban on Female Access to Education – Tolo News

On UNESCO’s International Day of Education, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the “Taliban to reverse the outrageous and self-defeating ban on access to secondary and higher education for girls & women in Afghanistan.” Schools for female students in grade 6-12 have remained closed for nearly one and a half years. Last month, the Ministry of Higher Education announced that female students are banned from going to university. Click here to read…

Lithium: China’s Afghanistan design – The New Indian

Provinces like Nangarhar, Badakhshan, Nuristan and Kunar were the centres of smuggling syndicates. Gemstones like lapis lazuli, talc powder, copper, iron and coal along with poppy (heroin), were some of the main items that were extracted illegally, smuggled into Pakistan, and then exported to China and other countries under the Pakistani name. Click here to read…

7th ‘Kindness Train’ carrying aid from Turkey arrives in Afghanistan – Pakistan Observer

The seventh “Kindness Train” that departed from Ankara with the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reached Afghanistan’s Herat province on Monday. Sinan Ilhan, Turkey’s consulate general to Herat, welcomed the train with AFAD and Turkish Red Crescent officials. AFAD officials told Anadolu Agency the train carried over 500 tons of humanitarian aid, which would be distributed to families in need in various provinces over the next few days. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Keep economy in mind – Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the deputy commissioners to cut their use of public funds and rein in non-essential projects. She asked them to keep the global economic situation in mind and take measures to increase food production to be ready for a possible food crisis. Click here to read…

Protest Programmes: BNP plans to get back momentum – Daily Star

Fearing that their programmes are losing steam, top BNP leaders are considering new programmes that would bring back the pace to the movement for national election under a non-partisan interim administration. Excitement among the activists peaked ahead of BNP’s December 10 rally in Dhaka, leaders said, adding that their plan now is to revive that momentum through different programmes in February. Click here to read…

Big Powers Battle for Influence in Bangladesh – Diplomat

Bangladesh is emerging as an important site of big power competition. The country has witnessed a flurry of visits from U.S. and Chinese officials in recent weeks. Since it emerged as an independent country in 1971, Bangladesh’s foreign policy has been based on “friendship to all and malice to none.” This strategy has worked well for the country. However, increasingly, the big powers are pressuring Dhaka to take sides in their rivalries. Click here to read…

Bhutan

BKP deregisters with ECB – Kuensel

One of the oldest political party, Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) has deregistered as a political party with the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB). The ECB notified that BKP stands deregistered as a political party and its name has been removed from the register of political parties maintained with the ECB, yesterday. Click here to read…

Steep decline in winter tourist arrivals – Kuensel

DoT officials said that tourism has declined owing to the pandemic which resulted in arrivals being low. “The introduction of the new Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) and other changes in the tourism strategy has contributed to a drop in arrival numbers,” a DoT official shared. The department added that there are other existing issues for the decline. “One factor is Bhutan’s ability to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic. We only communicated the reopening of Bhutan’s border along with the new tourism strategy only two weeks prior, which was, unfortunately, a late notice,” he said. Click here to read…

Maldives

Maldives welcomes Czechia for adopting gov’t strategy for Gender Equality 2021-2030 Raajje

The government of Maldives has welcomed the Czech Republic for adopting the Government Strategy for Gender Equality 2021-2030. This was done during the 42nd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which commenced at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Monday. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Opium production booming in Myanmar after the coup: report The Globe and Mail

Economic instability and armed conflict have left farmers in parts of the country “little option” but to start growing the drug, undoing years of work to reduce opium production in Myanmar’s border areas, said Jeremy Douglas, Bangkok-based regional representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Click here to read…

A Human Rights Organization Is Filing a Case In Germany Against The Myanmar Army – Globe Echo

A human rights organization and 16 people from Myanmar filed a “criminal complaint” in Germany to demand the punishment of Myanmar army generals for allegations of their involvement in “genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity”, after the seizure of power in 2021, and during a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims in 2017. Click here to read…

Thai military’s close ties with Myanmar junta compromising ASEAN efforts to resolve crisis – ThaiPBSWorld

Thailand’s lenient stance as well as the close ties between its armed forces and the Myanmar military — also known as Tatmadaw — would undermine the efforts of ASEAN and the international community to ease the ongoing crisis in that country, according to many independent observers. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal: Man tries to self-immolate in front of federal parliament building – Free Press Journal

The man was identified as Prem Prasad Acharya. “The 37-year-old has been identified as Prem Prasad Acharya from Illam District. He has been shifted to a hospital in Kirtipur.” Dinesh Raj Mainali, SP of Metropolitan Police Complex Kathmandu told ANI over the phone. Click here to read…

Another earthquake in Nepal, tremors felt in Delhi-NCR – Times of India

Tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR at 2.28pm on Tuesday due to a moderate earthquake of 5.8 magnitude on Richter scale, National Centre for Seismology said. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Pakistan’s nationwide power cuts highlight escalating economic crisis – The Washington Post

Three weeks ago, Pakistani authorities ordered all markets, restaurants and shopping malls to close early, part of an emergency plan to conserve energy as the country of 220 million struggled to make overdue payments on energy imports and stave off a full-fledged economic collapse. But the measures were too little, too late. On Monday morning, the country’s overburdened electrical system collapsed in a rolling wave of blackouts that began in the desert provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh but quickly spread to nearly the entire country, including the densely crowded cities of Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Click here to read…

US ‘prevented’ South Asia nuclear war in 2019, claims Pompeo – Dawn

Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has revealed that India and Pakistan came close to nuclear war in 2019 following the Balakot airstrike, and that US intervention helped prevent an escalation, the Press Trust of India and AFP reported. In Feb 2019, India launched airstrikes inside Pakistani territory after blaming a militant group for a suicide bombing that killed 41 paramilitary soldiers in Indian-held Kashmir. Pakistan then shot down an Indian warplane, capturing the pilot. Click here to read…

Outages to continue until nuclear plants restored to full capacity – Dawn

Federal Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir Khan has said the government has ordered an audit to identify weaknesses in transmission system across the country and would soon introduce new technologies and practices to ensure power breakdowns are geographically contained and have ‘blackstart’ facility for quick recovery of the entire national grid. Click here to read…

US Help Won’t Solve Pakistan’s Terrorism Problems – The Diplomat

It could be argued that the United States, Europe, and other countries and international organizations were already helping Pakistan improve governance, infrastructure, economy, and counterterrorism capacities in the newly merged districts (NMD), the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). So long as Pakistan lacks the political will to root out terrorism on its western borderlands, any international efforts would be in vain. Until Pakistan’s policy elite and civil society demonstrate a serious commitment and consensus, foreign investment in governance and policing system alone would fall short of eliminating terrorism and violent extremism in the country. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

President tells UNP to prepare for an election – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the United National Party (UNP) yesterday (24) to prepare for an election. The President made this announcement when the Management Board of the United National Party met at the President’s Office in Colombo under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. United National Party General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said the President instructed the United National Party officials to continue the election work. The President has informed all UNP officials to go to Sirikotha party headquarters and engage in election activities. Click here to read…

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka: Key takeaways – Indian Express

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Sri Lanka, after his visit to the Maldives, conveyed 1) glad tidings, 2) a much delayed invitation, and 3) two strong messages on India’s expectations of its nearest Indian Ocean neighbour. Taken together, the three provide an understanding of how Delhi views its relations with Colombo. Click here to read…

IMF confirms receipt of India’s financing assurances for Sri Lanka – The Hindu

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed receiving India’s written financing assurance in support of Sri Lanka’s economic revival, Reuters news agency reported, while Sri Lanka has expressed hope of completing talks on debt restructuring in six months’ time. Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Uzbekistan NSA: It is Important Afghanistan Not Be Isolated: Tolo News

Uzbekistan National Security Advisor Victor Mohammadov said that it is “important” to not allow Afghanistan to be Isolated or to leave it on its own. He made the remarks at the first India-Central Asia Meeting of the National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils. “Afghanistan is one of the important factors of security and steady development of Central Asia and South Asia,” he said. “It is important that we do not allow Afghanistan to be isolated and leave it on its own to deal with the social, economic, and humanitarian crisis. It is important… because this will lead to increasing poverty in the region which we are already feeling ourselves. Click here to read…

Amiri Visits Indonesia for Intl Conference on Afghan Women’s Education: Tolo News

The US special envoy for Afghanistan women and human rights has begun a trip to Indonesia, Switzerland and Turkey from December 5-12, the US Department of State said in a statement. “Special Envoy Amiri will participate in the International Conference for Afghan Women’s Education co-hosted by the Governments of Indonesia and Qatar to support Afghan women and girls’ access to education,” the statement reads. This comes as students called on the caretaker government to provide educational opportunities for them. Click here to read…

Kazakhstan Inks Agreement to Manage Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif Railway: The Khaama Press

The Afghan officials signed management of the Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway with a Kazakhstani company named Mansour Fatih, after months of discussion on the topic. The company will manage technical issues for the railway, getting paid over $4.1 million annually, according to sources. According to Bakht Rahman Sharafat, the acting head of Afghanistan Railway Authority, the current leadership will pay only about 25% of what the previous Uzbekistan company would receive for the service. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Dhaka, Delhi agree on security, border management to strengthen cooperation – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh and India on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to further deepen and strengthen mutual cooperation in the security and border-related issues. The outcome came as the 18th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on security and border management between Bangladesh and India was held on December 5-6, according to a media statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. The Indian delegation was led by Piyush Goyal, additional secretary, Indian Ministry of Home Affairs while Bangladesh delegation was led by AK Mukhlesur Rahman, additional secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. Click here to read…

Awami League, BNP at odds over Dec 10 rally – Dhaka Tribune

Tension over the BNP’s December 10 rally in Dhaka mounted high on Tuesday as the opposition party once again failed to reach an agreement with the government and law enforcement agencies on the venue of its rally. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources said the BNP must hold the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, as it has been given permission to use the venue. However, the BNP leaders are adamant that they will not hold the rally there, although mentioning that they are open to other options. Click here to read…

What Bangladesh must do now as a global climate leader? – Daily Star

In Bangladesh, we have an opportunity to lead the other LDCs by taking forward the proposal to set up a National Mechanism for Loss and Damage (NMLD) as a public-private partnership under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as the ministries of disaster management, finance, and planning. Together with private sector actors such as insurance companies, civil society and researchers, Bangladesh is in a position to become a pioneer in developing a national-level mechanism to deal with the inevitable losses and damages caused by climate change. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Not a good season for orange exporters – Kuensel Online

Mandarin orange farmers and exporters in the country could likely face a difficult season this year if Bangladesh decides not to import. As a measure to save its dwindling foreign currency exchange reserves, Bangladesh has restricted many import categories. In the case of mandarin oranges, one of the most exported cash crops from Bhutan, Bangladesh importers have not yet been able to provide Letter of Credits (LC) without which exporters in Phuentsholing have not been able to export. Click here to read…

Ramifications of the Tax Bill of Bhutan 2022 – Friedrich Naumann Foundation

The current parliament of Bhutan, the third in line, has in its eighth session introduced and endorsed the Tax Bill of Bhutan 2022 in a bid to address the shortage of foreign currency reserves, prioritize the local sector (whilst substituting potential imports with local products) and encompass amendments to laws pertaining to Custom Duty (CD), Sales Tax (ST) and Green Tax (GT). The proposal from the Finance Ministry is to increase taxes on goods that are harmful to health and the environment while reducing taxes on essential commodities. Click here to read…

Assam: Task force to deal with man-elephant conflict at Indo-Bhutan border formed – Northeast Now

The Dhansiri Forest Division Udalguri have taken up several measures to combat the acute man-elephant conflicts in the Indo-Bhutan border areas in the Udalguri district. According to reports, the department has formed special task forces to deal with the menace and drive away the herd of elephants descending into human habitation areas and paddy fields from the hills. Click here to read…

Maldives

Cabinet approves MoU with Maldives on immigration – Colombo Gazette

In the course of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives it has been proposed to establish a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in immigration matters between the two countries. Accordingly the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles to enter in to a Memorandum of Understanding to improve and strengthen cooperation in immigration matters between the two countries. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka plans deal with Maldives to tighten border controls – EconomyNext

Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had cleared a plan to enter into a deal with Maldives to counter illegal migration and tighten border controls. The Minister of Public Security had proposed to enter into memorandum of understanding agreement with Maldives immigration authorities to prevent “informal migration, human trafficking” and also tackle “blacklisted travelers”, a government statement said. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Online passport applications temporarily suspended – Mizzima

The Myanmar Passport Issuance Board announced on 4 December that the Online Booking System for obtaining a QR Code to apply for a passport will be temporarily suspended beginning 5 December. It said that the current system is being suspended so that it can be improved with the introduction of new technology that will allow people to make appointments easily and quickly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta and Pakistan Boost Military Ties – The Irrawaddy

Senior Pakistan defense official Colonel Imran Khan visited the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw last week to discuss military cooperation with the junta, according to sources familiar with his visit. Colonel Khan’s two-day visit from November 29 to December 1 is the latest sign of the growing defense ties between Islamabad and Naypyitaw. The military regime did not comment on the attaché’s visit and no details of what was discussed have emerged. Click here to read…

New narrative: NUG claims it controls 60% of Myanmar – Khmertimeskh

He condemned the Junta Government for its unwillingness to end the violence and rocking the country. Duwa Lashi La also called for Asean and other international communities to give them the same support they have been providing to Ukraine. The military, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlain, on February 1, last year launched a coup against the civilian government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, bringing the country into unrest and turmoil. Click here to read…

Russian Trade Delegation Signs Seven Agreements With Myanmar Junta – The Irrawaddy

A second Russian trade delegation in a month is visiting Naypyitaw to boost bilateral economic ties. After talks with Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing and his ministers, Russian economic development minister Maxim Reshetnikov met business owners and signed seven agreements. No details were provided by the junta but Russian state news agency Tass reported that a joint protocol on trade, disease control, education and science was signed. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Nawaz greenlights poll prep as ‘N’ pushes back plans to ‘save assembly’: Dawn

In an apparent effort to dispel the impression that the PML-N is ‘running away’ from elections in Punjab, and seemingly out of legal options to forestall a possible dissolution of the provincial assembly, the party’s supreme leader, Nawaz Sharif, has directed the PML-N’s provincial chief to begin homework for shortlisting suitable candidates for polls. However, party leaders insist they’re only preparing for the eventuality where the province goes to polls; they believe the ruling coalition in Punjab would not dissolve the legislature. Click here to read…

Editorial: Disquiet on the western front: Dawn

It is very difficult for Pakistan to be delinked from Afghanistan, because of reasons of geography and history. Yet a strategically mature and realistic policy is needed to manage relations cordially with Pakistan’s western neighbour. At a recent consultative dialogue in Islamabad, former generals, diplomats and other experts put their heads together to discuss the situation, made all the more critical following the banned TTP’s rescinding of the ceasefire with the state. There was wide consensus that a reorientation or reformulation of Pakistan’s Afghan policy was required. But the million-dollar question remains: how? Click here to read…

Govt snubs talk of economic emergency: The Express Tribune

The government ruled out on Tuesday the possibility of imposing an economic emergency in the country to deal with one of the worst crises in its history but said it was contemplating energy conservation measures to reduce the import bill. In a statement, the finance ministry said that the government remained committed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and the talks for starting the review under the programme are at an advanced stage.
Click here to read…

Environmental emergency imposed in Punjab: The News

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday imposed an environmental emergency in Lahore and other cities to reduce the smog, which has been declared a calamity. “There is a ban on burning crop residues across Punjab,” the CM said and ordered implementation of a plan designed to reduce smog. He said action should be taken to control the factors causing smog. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

President meets donor agencies for lengthy round table discussion – Daily News

The World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) representatives decided that a coordinated assistance programme supported by the multilateral financial institutions is required for Sri Lanka to recover from the economic crisis the country is currently facing. Click here to read…

Bilateral discussions – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the British High Commissioner, Japanese Ambassador, US Ambassador, Indian High Commissioner and Australian High Commissioner in Colombo and exchanged views on bilateral development cooperation. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan HC in Pakistan visits Karachi to further business ties – Daily News

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Vice Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama who visited Karachi to engage with the business communities and in promotional activities formally handed over the Commission of Appointment to Barrister-at-Law and Senior Partner Mandviwalla and Zafar Mehmood Mandviwalla appointing him as Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka for Hyderabad in Sindh Province. Click here to read…

Chinese FM expounds on right way for China, U.S. to develop relations in new era: Xinhuanet

September 23, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, making a keynote speech here on Thursday at the headquarters of Asia Society, expounded on the right way for China and the United States to develop relations in the new era. Click here to read…

Ringleader of ‘clique’ against Chinese Communist Party leadership faces life in jail: Reuters

September 23, 2022

China’s former Deputy Public Security Minister Sun Lijun, who had been denounced for “seriously damaging the unity of the party”, has been jailed for life, state media said on Friday, ahead of a key Communist Party congress. Sun, 53, was handed a suspended death sentence that will be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, with no possibility of parole, according to a state news agency Xinhua report of the Friday court sentencing. Click here to read…

Chinese defense ministry-aided military supplies handed over to Cambodia: China Military

September 23, 2022

A ceremony marking the handover of supplies provided by China’s Ministry of National Defense to its Cambodian counterpart was held at the Phnom Chumreay International Military Police Training Centre in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia on the morning of September 20, 2022. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Tea Banh attended the event and delivered speeches. Click here to read…

Chinese FM attends UN Security Council foreign ministers meeting on Ukraine: Xinhuanet

September 23, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended on Thursday the United Nations (UN) Security Council foreign ministers meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. Click here to read…

Boat sinks off Cambodia’s sea, over 20 Chinese missing: Xinhuanet

September 23, 2022

A boat carrying Chinese nationals sunk off southwestern Cambodia’s sea on Thursday evening, the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia confirmed on Friday. According to the Chinese embassy, they received a notification from the Cambodian Police Department on Thursday night, saying that the police found a sunken ship which used to have 41 Chinese citizens on board, with 18 having been rescued and the remaining 23 still missing. Two Cambodian crew members involved have been arrested. According to the rescued personnel, the people on board departed from Guangzhou, China on Sept. 11 and were in distress shortly after arriving in the waters of Preah Sihanouk province. Click here to read…

Chinese, Sri Lankan FMs meet on sidelines of UNGA session: Xinhuanet

September 24, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Sabry on Friday on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Click here to read…

Chinese FM attends BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting: Xinhuanet

September 24, 2022

The BRICS countries should prioritize the issue of development at the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and inject impetus into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Weibo chairman backs Chinese censors’ crackdown and promises ‘ecologically sound’ cyberspace: South China Morning Post

September 24, 2022

The chairman of the Chinese social media platform Weibo has pledged support for an ongoing crackdown on content posted online. Writing in a journal published by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator and censor, Cao Guowei said rules such as a real-name registration system, displaying users’ locations and the role of Weibo users in monitoring other accounts had all helped to clean up the platform. Click here to read…

China’s 3rd aircraft carrier starts mooring trials ahead of 10th anniversary of commissioning of the country’s first carrier: Global Times

September 24, 2022

China’s third aircraft carrier has started mooring trials, the country’s state broadcaster announced on Friday. This indicates smooth progress for the carrier’s construction and tests since its launch in June, analysts said. Click here to read…

China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan sign document of cooperation on joint railway project: Global Times

September 24, 2022

Officials from China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a document of cooperation on a railway project during the 2022 annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), marking “phased progress” with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, according to a statement published by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on its official WeChat account on Friday. Click here to read…

People’s Daily urges delegates to 20th CPC National Congress to perform duties faithfully: Xinhuanet

September 25, 2022

An editorial to be published by the People’s Daily, a flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has congratulated the delegates to the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress on their election, and urged them to perform their duties faithfully. A total of 2,296 delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress were elected. They are carrying the expectations of the more than 96 million members and over 4.9 million primary-level organizations of the Party, as well as of the people of all ethnic groups, reads the editorial. Click here to read…

China EximBank increases loans to foreign trade industry: Xinhuanet

September 25, 2022

The Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank) offered 1.25 trillion yuan (about 178.78 billion U.S. dollars) in loans to the foreign trade industry in the first eight months of 2022, up 26.03 percent year on year. By the end of August, the bank’s outstanding loans to the foreign trade sector rose 18.23 percent compared with last year to reach 2.73 trillion yuanClick here to read…

Determined efforts to mitigate drought impact in parts of southern China: Xinhuanet

September 25, 2022

Faced with a prolonged drought in parts of southern China, government officials and residents are making efforts to ensure sufficient drinking water and grain production. China’s national observatory confirmed that severe drought has swept through the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including most parts of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, and southern Anhui and southeastern Hubei provinces. Click here to read…

English hours less than other major subjects, but won’t be de-emphasized at basic educational level: Global Times

September 25, 2022

As debate rages once again over whether primary and secondary schools in China should further reduce the weight of English language teaching, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) said foreign languages learning plays an important role in cultivating students’ international vision and cross-cultural communication skills, while stressing the importance of strengthening education that passes on traditional Chinese culture and reinforces culture confidence. Click here to read…

China’s first metaverse major set up at a Jiangsu university to train more talents in line with the needs of related sectors: Global Times

September 25, 2022

China’s first metaverse major was set up at a university in East China’s Jiangsu Province in the hope of training more talents in line with the needs of enterprises in metaverse-related sectors. The School of Artificial Intelligence (School of Future Technology) of Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology in Nanjing, Jiangsu, renamed its Information Engineering Department to Metaverse Engineering Department on Friday, becoming the first university department named after the metaverse in ChinaClick here to read…

China’s ‘Explorer 2’ research vessel ends scientific research and sea trial missions in the South China Sea: Global Times

September 25, 2022

China’s scientific research ship Explorer 2 and the 4,500-meter manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi (Deep-sea Warrior) returned to Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province on Sunday, after they smoothly completed the in-situ observation of deep-sea geology and sea trial tasks of domestic equipment in the South China Sea. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 235 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

September 26, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Sunday reported 235 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 154 were in Guizhou, the National Health Commission said in its Monday report. Altogether 597 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified. Click here to read…

All delegates to 20th CPC National Congress elected: Qiushi

September 26, 2022

A total of 2,296 delegates were elected to attend the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), an official statement said Sunday. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the delegates were elected in accordance with the Party Constitution, the CPC Central Committee’s requirements, adopting methods required by the CPC Central Committee, the statement said. Click here to read…

Chinese province explores path to common prosperity: Qiushi

September 26, 2022

At the crack of dawn on an autumn day, Lin Fang, 55, started harvesting water bamboo shoots, a seasonal vegetable. Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, Lin’s hometown Daji Township is in Jingning She Autonomous County, east China’s Zhejiang Province. Due to its remote location, the county had suffered poverty for a long time. Click here to read…

China makes significant progress in building aircraft carrier fleet in past decade: China Military

September 26, 2022

China has made significant progress in building its aircraft carrier fleet in the past decade since the first, the Liaoning, was commissioned on September 25, 2012. China refurbished the old Soviet model after purchasing it secondhand in 1999, making it the country’s first carrier. In the later years, the country independently built its own carrier, the Shandong, which uses ski-jump ramps to launch fighter aircraft. It was commissioned in 2019. Click here to read…

Party steps up fight against corruption: China Daily

September 26, 2022

Former vice-minister of public security Sun Lijun became on Friday the latest high-profile official to be punished for corruption after he received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes, manipulating the stock market and illegal possession of firearms. Click here to read…

China ready to work with G20 members in promoting WTO reform: Global Times

September 25, 2022

China is ready to work with other members of the G20 to actively participate in the reform of the WTO to promote a multilateral trading system and achieve the sustainable development goals, according to a senior Chinese commerce official. Click here to read…

People’s Daily urges delegates to 20th CPC National Congress to perform duties faithfully: People’s Daily

September 26, 2022

An editorial to be published by the People’s Daily, a flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has congratulated the delegates to the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress on their election, and urged them to perform their duties faithfully. A total of 2,296 delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress were elected. They are carrying the expectations of the more than 96 million members and over 4.9 million primary-level organizations of the Party, as well as of the people of all ethnic groups, reads the editorial. Click here to read…

Renminbi’s global use set to expand: People’s Daily

September 26, 2022

China’s renminbi is expected to continue its steady rise in global use and play a bigger part in safeguarding international financial stability, as the country further advances its financial opening-up while deepening trade and investment cooperation, experts said. Click here to read…

Weibo chairman backs Chinese censors’ crackdown and promises ‘ecologically sound’ cyberspace: South China Morning Post

September 24, 2022

The chairman of the Chinese social media platform Weibo has pledged support for an ongoing crackdown on content posted online. Writing in a journal published by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator and censor, Cao Guowei said rules such as a real-name registration system, displaying users’ locations and the role of Weibo users in monitoring other accounts had all helped to clean up the platform. Click here to read…

China to further optimize industrial chain for pharmaceutical sector: Xinhuanet

September 14 2022

China will shore up weak links in the industrial chain for the pharmaceutical sector, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday. A monitoring system for essential drugs in short supply has already been established, Zhou Jian, an official with the ministry told a press conference, adding that the supply of a total of 100 categories of the drugs has been secured. Click here to read…

China deliberates on updating cybersecurity law: Xinhuanet

September 14, 2022

China’s cyberspace regulator on Wednesday revealed a set of draft revisions to the country’s cybersecurity law to solicit public opinion. China’s cybersecurity law entered into force in 2017. It amended the Administrative Penalty Law and adopted the Data Security Law and the Law on Protection of Personal Information in 2021. Click here to read…

China Coast Guards in Zhejiang and Fujian brace for Typhoon Muifa: China Military

September 14, 2022

China has upgraded the typhoon alert to orange, the second-highest level, as Muifa, the 12th typhoon in this year, is expected to make landfall in the coastal areas between Wenling city and Zhoushan city in southeast China’s Zhejiang Province during the afternoon and night of September 14. The Zhejiang and Fujian Provincial Bureaus of China Coast Guard (CCG) have taken multiple precautionary measures to mitigate possible disasters. Click here to read…

Water discharged into Yangtze to fight drought: China Daily

September 14, 2022

The Ministry of Water Resources is discharging more water into the Yangtze River Basin from surrounding reservoirs, hoping to relieve the lingering drought in the major rice-producing area at a critical time for crop growth. Click here to read…

Widespread roll-out of new technologies promotes high-efficiency development of agriculture in China: People’s Daily

September 14, 2022

In the most recent past decade, China has witnessed the rapid development of its agricultural technologies. The contribution of scientific and technological progress to agriculture has reached over 61 percent. Besides, the overall level of mechanization in the plowing, sowing, and harvesting of crops has now exceeded 72 percent, while high-quality crop varieties have surpassed 96 percent of the total. Click here to read…

China poised to shake up economic leadership as reformers bow out: Reuters

September 14, 2022

China’s ruling Communist Party sets the stage next month for the biggest overhaul of its economic leadership in a decade, with a generation of reform-minded policymakers expected to step down amid worsening growth prospects. Click here to read…

China seen holding medium-term rate steady despite growing economic gloom: Reuters

September 14, 2022

China’s central bank is widely expected to pause its monetary easing efforts and keep the medium-term policy rate steady this month, a Reuters survey showed, as widening policy divergence with the Federal Reserve could put further pressure on the Chinese yuan and risk capital outflows. Click here to read…

China protests to International Atomic Energy Agency over Aukus nuclear safeguards: South China Morning Post

September 14, 2022

China has lodged a strong protest with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urging the nuclear watchdog not to back Australia’s plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through the Aukus pact with the United States and Britain. Click here to read…

China’s top procuratorate orders arrest of former Yunnan political advisor: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) has announced its decision to arrest Huang Yi, a former senior political advisor in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, for suspected bribe-taking. Click here to read…

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday presided over a State Council executive meeting, which made decisions on multiple economic issues. The country will further extend the tax and fee deferrals for manufacturing firms as part of the stepped-up support for enterprises to navigate hardships, according to the meeting. Click here to read…

China to double down on stabilizing foreign trade, foreign investment to consolidate foundation of economic recovery: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

China will take further measures to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment, with a view to consolidating the foundation of economic recovery, according to the decision made at the State Council’s Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Chinese, Uzbek state news agencies ink cooperation agreement: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

President of China’s Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua and Abdusaid Kuchimov, director general of the National News Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) inked a cooperation agreement earlier this week. Fu expressed his confidence in successful cooperation between Xinhua and the UzA. Click here to read…

Xi arrives in Uzbekistan for state visit, SCO summit: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Wednesday evening to pay a state visit to Uzbekistan and attend the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Click here to read…

China to have 220 national hi-tech zones by 2025: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

China has established 173 national hi-tech zones so far and will raise the number to 220 by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), according to the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 126 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

September 15 2022

The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 126 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 84 in Sichuan and nine in Tibet, according to the National Health Commission’s report Thursday. A total of 823 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified. Click here to read…

Crackdown intensified on new addictive substances, illegal drugs: China Daily

September 15, 2022

Authorities have intensified their crackdown on new addictive substances and emerging drug-related problems, anti-drug officials said on Wednesday. The traditional and new drug problems have intertwined with each other, and the number of new types of drugs and new forms of crime are increasing, featuring anesthetic and psychotropic drugs to substitute for narcotics or taking multiple narcotics at the same time, said Zhao Zhongchen, deputy director of the narcotics control bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. Click here to read…

China mulls increased penalties, employment ban on internet violators to better safeguard cybersecurity: Global Times

September 15, 2022

China’s top cyberspace regulator on Wednesday proposed a series of amendments to the country’s cybersecurity law including raising penalty and an employment ban on internet operators who violated the law to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations in cyberspace and safeguard national security. Click here to read…

China, Kazakhstan to jointly crack down on the ‘three evil forces,’ resolutely oppose interference by external forces: Global Times

September 15, 2022

China and Kazakhstan will continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning national sovereignty, stand ready to jointly crack down on the “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism and resolutely oppose interference by external forces, according to a joint statement on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kazakhstan issued during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Digitalization leads to better life of Chinese people: People’s Daily

September 15, 2022

Navigation apps that show real-time traffic information and estimated travel time, virtual fitting room that helps you get the best clothes you want when you shop online, and virtual museums where you can get close to valuable cultural relics at home… These scenarios have already become a part of the daily life of the Chinese people. Click here to read…

Russia says its navy in joint patrols with China in Pacific: Reuters

September 15, 2022

The Russian and Chinese navies are holding joint patrols in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday, deepening military and diplomatic ties between Moscow and Beijing when their relations with the West have soured. Click here to read…

Taiwan hosts lawmakers to push China sanctions: Taipei Times

September 15, 2022

Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim on Tuesday hosted dozens of international lawmakers who back sanctions on China for aggression toward Taiwan, a show of support for Taipei amid military pressure from Beijing. Click here to read…

Whistle-blower says Twitter had a Chinese agent: Taipei Times

September 15, 2022

Twitter Inc’s former head of security on Tuesday told the US Congress that there was “at least one agent” from China’s intelligence service on Twitter’s payroll and that the company knowingly allowed India to add agents to the company roster as well, potentially giving those nations access to sensitive data about users. Click here to read…

Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam embrace China’s games and films, but stay on guard for a ‘cultural invasion’: South China Morning Post

September 15, 2022

In Taiwan, people are flocking online to play Identity V, a mobile “horror” game developed by Chinese company NetEase. In Vietnam, made-in-China films like Journey to the West, My Fair Princess and Shanghai Bund are essential viewing on television. Across Asia, Chinese media and entertainment exports are gaining popularity due to cultural links, rising production quality and fair prices. Click here to read…

Spokesperson denounces proposed U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement: Xinhuanet

August 18, 2022

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday voiced resolute opposition to the negotiation of any agreement of official nature or with implications of sovereignty between the United States and China’s Taiwan region. Click here to read…

Rallying national support for Tibet testifies to China’s institutional strengths: Qiushi

August 19, 2022

China’s unswerving drive to rally national support for the Tibet Autonomous Region has helped transform a once poor, backward old Tibet into a new Tibet featuring economic prosperity and happiness of its people over the 71 years since the region’s peaceful liberation in 1951. Click here to read…

China, Uzbekistan pledge more robust, solid intergovernmental cooperation: Xinhuanet

August 19, 2022

China and Uzbekistan on Thursday pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields and boost bilateral relations. The two sides on Thursday held the sixth meeting of the China-Uzbekistan intergovernmental cooperation committee via video link. The meeting was co-chaired by Guo Shengkun, who is the committee’s Chinese chairman, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee; and Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who is the Uzbek chairman of the cooperation committee. Click here to read…

Xi Jinping calls for further endeavor and responsibility for revitalization of Northeast China, development of Liaoning Province: Xinhuanet

August 19, 2022

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, president of the People’s Republic of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an inspection tour of Liaoning Province in recent days. He required the province to implement the Party Central Committee’s decisions and plans, uphold the underlying principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, balance COVID-19 control and economic and social development, and coordinate development and security. Xi also called for thorough implementation of the new development philosophy, resolutely promoting high-quality development, making solid progress in achieving common prosperity, and stepping up efforts to modernize the governance system and capacity. He required that Party building must be furthered with strict discipline, and local Party committees and governments must shoulder greater responsibility and make further endeavors in revitalizing Northeast China in the new era, strive to open a new chapter in the revitalization and development of Liaoning, and set the stage with concrete action to welcome the 20th CPC National Congress. Click here to read…

Rallying national support for Tibet testifies to China’s institutional strengths: Qiushi

August 19, 2022

China’s unswerving drive to rally national support for the Tibet Autonomous Region has helped transform a once poor, backward old Tibet into a new Tibet featuring economic prosperity and happiness of its people over the 71 years since the region’s peaceful liberation in 1951. Click here to read…

Collaborative system to expedite birth benefits: China Daily

August 20, 2022

The State Council has approved the establishment of an interministerial joint collaboration system on improving China’s birth rate policies in the latest move to harness multi-sector efforts to fully implement measures aimed at encouraging births, according to a circular released on Friday. Click here to read…

China to step up support for people in difficulty to effectively meet basic living needs: Xinhuanet

August 20, 2022

China will make greater efforts to secure the basic livelihood of the people in hardship and meet their basic living needs, according to the decision made at the State Council’s Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday. The meeting noted that having basic living needs met is a key concern of the people and the due responsibility of governments at all levels. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the number of people in difficulty has seen an increase. Click here to read…

Chinese vice premier urges greater efforts to boost employment: Xinhuanet

August 20, 2022

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Friday urged greater efforts to create new jobs while keeping existing jobs, in order to further bolster employment. Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said at a teleconference that measures must be taken to expand new job openings and actively support flexible employment through various channels. Click here to read…

Six members of HK secessionist organization promoting ‘uprising’ plead guilty to conspiracy to subvert state power: Global Times

August 20, 2022

Six members of a Hong Kong secessionist organization pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to subvert state power” in Hong Kong on Saturday. Legal experts said the case marked the first time that minors have pleaded guilty to the crime of subversion of state power under the national security law for Hong Kong, which delivers a message of deterrence to those who intend to endanger national security, especially the young in Hong Kong. Click here to read…

Chinese embassy in Solomons encourages bilateral biz deals, dismisses ‘debt trap’ as West’s ‘narrative trap’: Global Times

August 20, 2022

The Chinese government encourages and supports competent and reputable Chinese enterprises to engage in foreign exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands said in a statement on a reported cooperation project between Huawei and the island country, dismissing Western media’s malicious interpretation of the project. Click here to read…

China sentences tycoon Xiao Jianhua to 13 years, fines his company $8.1 billion: Reuters

August 20, 2022

A Shanghai court on Friday sentenced Chinese-Canadian billionaire Xiao Jianhua, not seen in public since 2017, to 13 years in jail and fined his Tomorrow Holdings conglomerate 55.03 billion yuan ($8.1 billion), a record in China. Xiao and Tomorrow Holdings were charged with illegally siphoning away public deposits, betraying the use of entrusted property, and the illegal use of funds and bribery, the Shanghai First Intermediate Court said. Click here to read…

Shanghai’s Lingang releases major policies to attract talent, foster major industrial clusters: Global Times

August 21, 2022

Shanghai’s Lingang New Area announced a talent cultivation project over the weekend that plans to create 180,000 jobs in three years with preferential housing policies for certain talents, as the major economic pilot area aims for greater, high-tech development after remarkable achievement over the past three years. Click here to read…

China begins shipment of high-speed trains to Indonesia: Xinhuanet

August 21, 2022

A high-speed electric passenger train and an inspection train, customized for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway in Indonesia, left the port of Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province on Sunday. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 360 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

August 22, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Sunday reported 360 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 232 were in Hainan Province, the National Health Commission said Monday.
Altogether 1,464 local asymptomatic carriers were newly identified on Sunday, including 535 in Hainan and 494 in Tibet Autonomous Region, said the commission in its report. Click here to read…

26 dead, 5 missing in flash floods in Qinghai: China Daily

August 22, 2022

The search for people missing after a mountain flood triggered by heavy rainfall on Wednesday night is still ongoing in Datong Hui and Tu autonomous county in Qinghai province. As of 4 pm Sunday, 26 people had been confirmed dead, five were still missing and 23 previously listed as missing had been found safe, according to the county government. Click here to read…

Tightened epidemic controls applied to train travel: China Daily

August 22, 2022

Tailored, stricter epidemic control protocols are being implemented on trains to prevent the spread of COVID-19 via the railway network amid a recent surge in cases, the national railway operator, China State Railway Group, said on Saturday. The measures came after more than 30 passengers aboard a train from Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, to Beijing on Aug 17 tested positive. The train, the Z22, made 10 stops during the 40-plus hour journey. Click here to read…

More than 20 Chinese universities postpone new semester to stop COVID-19: People’s Daily

August 22, 2022

More than 20 colleges and universities across China have moved to postpone the starting dates of the new semester, in a move that public health experts say is necessary to stop the spread of the COVID-19, as many places across the country are combating sporadic outbreaks. Click here to read…

China cuts benchmark lending rate amid economic downturn fears: Kyodo

August 22, 2022

China’s central bank cut its benchmark lending rate Monday for the first time in seven months to shore up the country’s slowing economy amid restrictions under its radical “zero-COVID” policy to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak and a property market slump.
The People’s Bank of China said it had lowered the one-year loan prime rate by 0.05 percentage point to 3.65 percent. The central bank also said it had reduced the five-year loan prime rate — the benchmark mortgage interest rate — by 0.15 point to 4.30 percent, the first cut since May. Click here to read…

KMT group might meet with Chinese officials: Taipei Times

August 22, 2022

A delegation to China led by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia sparked controversy over the weekend amid speculation that they might meet with top Chinese officials today. Click here to read…

China voices firm opposition to agreements with sovereignty implications between U.S., Taiwan region: Xinhuanet

June 2, 2022

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Thursday expressed firm opposition to the discussion and signing of any agreement with implications of sovereignty or of official nature between the United States and China’s Taiwan region. Click here to read…

China’s doors open to more foreign investment: Xinhuanet

June 2, 2022

Foreign investors are welcome to further expand their businesses in China and share the benefits brought by China’s development, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng made the statement when addressing questions concerning U.S. online retailer Amazon’s recent announcement that it will close its Kindle eBook store in China. Click here to read…

China to further shore up industrial economy: Xinhuanet

June 2, 2022

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Thursday pledged to strengthen support for the industrial economy despite mounting downward pressure, as part of efforts to stabilize the country’s economic fundamentals. Click here to read…

Former senior Hainan official given suspended death sentence: Xinhuanet

June 2, 2022

Tong Daochi, a former senior official of south China’s Hainan Province, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Thursday at the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in south China’s Guangdong Province. Click here to read…

Senior Liaoning provincial legislator under probe: Xinhuanet

June 2, 2022

Sun Guoxiang, a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress, has been put under investigation for suspected severe violations of Party disciplines and laws, an official statement said Thursday. Click here to read…

China to accelerate integration of rural e-commerce, express delivery systems: Quishi

June 2, 2022

China has issued a circular on speeding up the integration of rural e-commerce and express delivery systems to better link production and consumption between urban and rural areas. Click here to read…

CCG vessels patrol territorial waters surrounding Diaoyu Islands: China Military

June 2, 2022

The China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, led by Vessel 2301, patrolled within China’s territorial waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands on Thursday, according to a statement released by the CCG’s official Weibo account on June 2, 2022. Click here to read…

China kicks off construction of most advanced large unmanned ship: Global Times

June 02, 2022

China has started to build the country’s most advanced large unmanned ship, the vessel’s manufacturer announced on Wednesday. Led by the No.716 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), the large unmanned ship project had a ceremony to celebrate the start of its construction on Tuesday, according to a WeChat post released by the institute on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Chinese Foreign Ministry hits back at Blinken, urging US to focus on own domestic problems: Global Times

June 2, 2022

In response to the latest remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who sees China posing great challenges to the so-called rule-based international order, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson refuted those claims and urged the US to reflect on what the international order that people want rather than a US-led hegemony and groundless containment of other countries’ legitimate rights. Click here to read…

China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway to start construction in 2023: Kyrgyz President tells local media: Global Times

June 2, 2022

While China has kept running more than 1,000 China-Europe Railway Express trains for 24 months in row, with more new routes being constantly added, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, which has been in the planning for two decades, has finally received a significant boost. Once completed, the new route will further shorten the transport distance from China to Europe and to the Middle East. Click here to read…

China fires policy ammunition to support economic stabilization, with more intensive central govt meetings: Global Times

June 2, 2022

As the Chinese economy has been facing unprecedented challenges in the wake of geopolitical tensions and the domestic Omicron resurgence, the State Council and a slew of ministries under the country’s cabinet have convened key economy-stimulating meetings more frequently with intensive supportive policies since late March, with a barrage of central government meetings focusing on economic stabilization and recovery. Click here to read…

Chief procurator of Shanghai under investigation: People’s Daily

June 2, 2022

Zhang Bencai, the chief procurator of the Shanghai People’s Procuratorate in east China, is under investigation for suspected disciplinary and legal violations, according to an official statement on Wednesday. Click here to read…

China’s premier seeks export growth amid weak economy under COVID-19: Kyodo

June 2, 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged government officials to take steps to expand exports, as the world’s second-biggest economy has become sluggish due largely to its radical “zero-COVID” policy, sources close to the matter said Thursday. Click here to read…

China ‘firmly’ opposes U.S.-Taiwan trade initiative: Reuters

June 2, 2022

China “firmly” opposes a new trade initiative between Taiwan and the United States, the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday, a plan the government in Taipei says is a recognition of the key position the island plays in global supply chains. Click here to read…

Samoan PM frowns on China’s rush deal: Taipei Times

June 3, 2022

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has suggested it was unreasonable for China to expect a Pacific trade and security deal to be rushed through this week, as she warmly welcomed the new Australian government’s climate policy. Click here to read…

China’s draft cybersecurity rules pose risks for financial firms, lobby group warns: Reuters

June 3, 2022

China’s proposed cybersecurity rules for financial firms could pose risks to operations of western companies by making their data vulnerable to hacking, among other things, a leading lobby group has said in a letter seen by Reuters. Click here to read…

China economy: companies ‘extremely cautious’ as uncertainty hangs over business environment: South China Morning Post

June 3, 2022

Lockdowns, travel restrictions and inconsistent coronavirus controls between regions: uncertainty is haunting China’s economy, with no end in sight. There are few signs that Beijing has an exit strategy from its zero-Covid policy – at least not before the all-important 20th national congress in the second half of the year, experts say. So far, opening up measures have been piecemeal and made against a backdrop of heightened rhetoric on self-reliance and nationalism, which are fuelling concerns among foreign companies that China is turning inward. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 20 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

June 3, 2022

The Chinese mainland Thursday reported 20 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including eight each in Beijing and Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Friday. Click here to read…

Rescue underway after earthquake hits China’s Sichuan: Xinhuanet

June 3, 2022

People affected by an earthquake that on Wednesday rattled the city of Ya’an, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, have begun to return to their normal lives after comprehensive rescue efforts. Click here to read…

Epidemic waning, but cases are still popping up: China Daily

June 3, 2022

The domestic COVID-19 epidemic is trending downward overall, but sporadic cases are still appearing in Beijing and Shanghai as the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday starts on Friday, according to authorities. Click here to read…