SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Wednesday, July 24, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Taliban lament lack of support despite victory against illicit Afghan drugs (VOA)
VOA [7/23/2024 3:34 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
Afghanistan’s Taliban claimed Tuesday that their crackdown on illegal drug production in the country has helped address a major global challenge but expressed frustration at the ongoing lack of international support in response.Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told a national labor conference in Kabul that his country used to be the world’s largest opium-poppy producer. It was detrimental and smuggled to the entire world and resulted in more than four million Afghans becoming drug addicts in the past two decades, he said.“The illegal production of drugs has ceased. The addicts are now in need of medical treatment while the farmers need livelihoods and employment,” Muttaqi said in his televised speech.He noted that their counternarcotics campaign has led to immense economic pressures and severe hardships for Afghans reeling from the effects of years of war and natural disasters in the impoverished country.“Regrettably, the international community has failed to fulfill its responsibility in this matter. Instead, they have imposed sanctions on Afghan trade, travel, and banking sectors in breach of the universal fundamental human rights,” the chief Taliban diplomat said.The Taliban banned opium poppy cultivation and production in Afghanistan in April 2022, eight months after the fundamentalist group reclaimed power. The South Asian nation supplied about 80% of the global illegal opiate demand and 95% of Europe’s heroin in 2022, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.The UNODC noted in its 2024 World Drug Report that the drug ban has reduced opium production in Afghanistan by 95%, severely impacting the livelihoods of farmers and necessitating urgent humanitarian aid.Muttaqi complained Tuesday that Afghanistan had been ignored in international conferences aimed at discussing solutions and steps to tackle calamities stemming from climate change.Afghanistan is listed among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, even though it accounts for less than 1% of global carbon emissions. It has lately experienced unusually heavy rains, flash flooding, and worsening droughts, killing hundreds of Afghans, destroying livelihoods, and fueling hunger in a country where U.N. agencies say millions of people need urgent humanitarian aid.However, the country remains largely a global pariah because of the Taliban’s curbs on women’s access to education and work. No country has formally recognized the de facto Afghan government.The isolation has deterred foreign governments from engaging in formal financial dealings with Kabul and excluded Afghanistan from global climate change meetings, depriving it of much-needed foreign funding to battle climate change.Muttaqi recounted the Taliban’s security gains, saying they have effectively countered the Islamic State-orchestrated threat of terrorism in the country, established nationwide peace, and ended corruption.‘Absurd’ demands
“It’s absurd that the world demands action on drug control, security, and preventing Afghan territory misuse but offers zero cooperation,” Muttaqi said. He argued that international collaboration would help his administration create employment opportunities in Afghanistan that would deter its citizens from seeking to migrate to other countries and causing problems for them.In early July, the United Nations hosted an international conference in Doha, where delegates discussed Afghan private-sector investment possibilities, how to build on the progress made in curbing illegal drug production, and women’s human rights.“Running through all the discussions was the deep international concern about the ongoing and serious restrictions on women and girls,” Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.N. under-secretary-general who presided over the two-day sessions in Qatar’s capital, told a post-meeting news conference.“Afghanistan cannot return to the international fold or fully develop economically and socially if it is deprived of the contributions and potential of half its population,” she said.The Taliban has rejected criticism of their governance as an interference in internal Afghan matters. They maintain their regulations are aligned with Islamic law and local culture.Girls ages 12 and older are not allowed to attend school beyond the sixth grade, and many women are barred from Afghan public and private sector jobs.According to a recent U.N. Development Program report, the Afghan economy has contracted by 27%, leading to economic stagnation since the Taliban takeover. The report noted that sectors such as finance have “basically collapsed,” and there are no major sources of economic activity such as exports or public expenditure, leaving small and medium enterprises and farmers “as the lifeblood of the faltering economy.” Pakistan
US Allocates $101 Million To Boost Democracy, Counter Terrorism in Pakistan (The Media Line)
The Media Line [7/24/2024 4:46 AM, Arshad Mehmood, 1530K, Positive]
The United States plans to allocate $101 million in fiscal year 2025 to strengthen democracy in Pakistan, address the threat of terrorism, and reduce Islamabad’s reliance on China.Donald Lu, the US Department of State Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, presented a written budget request to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.Speaking to a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives, Lu emphasized that this funding should be utilized to strengthen democracy and civil society in Pakistan, combat terrorism and violent extremism, stabilize the country’s economy, and reduce its dependency on China.He highlighted that the funds will support economic reforms and debt management efforts in Pakistan.Lu further said, “We are engaged in a significant struggle in South and Central Asia.” This effort aims to counter China, combat Russian and Chinese disinformation, and prevent terrorist groups from threatening our security. We are grateful for the resources Congress has provided for this work.”Referring to US primacies, US Department of State Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lowe said, “Our priority is to build a partnership in the Indo-Pacific. China is trying to establish a military and commercial foothold in the Indian Ocean.”
“Our most effective strategy to counter a strong China is to show that we have something better to offer: better growth opportunities, better trade deals, and better solutions to their security challenges,” he added.A subcommittee of the US House of Representatives was informed that “Congress’s various concerns about Afghanistan have been addressed, leading to a reduction in US aid.”The President has requested a budget of $104 million for Afghanistan, which represents a 12 percent decrease from fiscal year 2023.A key goal of this budget is to support Afghan women, girls, and minority groups whose human rights continue to be restricted by the Taliban.Donald Lu emphasized that US administrative controls and restrictions on aid to Afghanistan are among the strictest globally. No US or foreign aid is provided to or through the Taliban. Pakistani Islamist Leader Opposes Military Operation To Root Out Militants (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/23/2024 10:46 AM, Tahir Khan, 1530K, Negative]
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the largest Islamist party in Pakistan, has voiced his opposition to a planned operation by the military to root out militants along the Afghan border.In an interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal on July 22, the controversial cleric called for peace talks between Pakistan and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the most lethal militant group waging war against Islamabad.The comments from Rehman, the head of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, came as militant violence has surged across the predominately Muslim nation of some 240 million people.A high-profile bomb-and-gun attack on a military base in the northwestern city of Bannu on July 15 killed 10 government security personnel.But residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the northwestern province that has been the scene of devastating military operations that uprooted millions of people and killed thousands of civilians in the past, have protested against any new military operations in the region."People are not ready to suffer yet again," Rehman, who hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Radio Mashaal. "We have been through bitter times."Thousands of people waving white flags and calling for peace rallied in Bannu on July 19 calling for an end to military operations in the region. The demonstration turned violent and security forces fired on protesters, killing one person.Since then, thousands of people have been participating in a sit-in protest in Bannu."The voices in Bannu are the voices of all the residents of Pakhtunkhwa," Rehman said.Islamabad earlier this year said the military would launch a new offensive to combat militants along the Afghan border, without offering details.Pakistani military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif on July 22 said the planned operation would be a "comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign" that would not displace locals.But those comments have done little to quell the concerns of protesters and locals who fear for their lives and livelihoods in any new military offensive.Since 2003, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in major counterterrorism offensives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where more than 6 million people have been displaced. The province was a former stronghold of the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, and Al-Qaeda."People are ready to be buried in the ruins of their homes," Rehman said. "But they do not want to be humiliated again."Peace ProspectsThe TTP has intensified its deadly insurgency against Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul.Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan militants of sheltering the TTP, with which it has close ideological and organizational ties. Kabul has rejected the claim, and ties between Pakistan and the Taliban, which have been close allies for decades, have plummeted.In January, the 71-year-old Rehman visited Afghanistan to repair ties. During his stay in Kabul, he met with Taliban officials, including its reclusive chief, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, and TTP leaders.In his interview with Radio Mashaal, Rehman said he presented a plan to resolve the conflict between Islamabad and the TTP with the mediation of the Afghan Taliban."But our [security] establishment and rulers are so incompetent that they didn’t accept that solution," said Rehman.Rehman said a peace deal was the only way to end the TTP’s 17-year insurgency against Islamabad.In 2022, the Afghan Taliban brokered yearlong peace talks between the TTP and Islamabad. But the talks broke down and the TTP resumed its attacks.Rehman has courted controversy for his support of the Afghan Taliban.A JUI-F-led coalition governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between 2002-2007. Critics blame the party for sheltering the Afghan Taliban whose presence in the region led to the emergence of the TTP. Many Afghan Taliban leaders were educated in Islamic seminaries run by JUI-F leaders. India
India Defense Budget Drops As Government Focuses on Jobs (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/23/2024 8:13 AM, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, 27296K, Negative]
India left its defense budget for the current fiscal year largely unchanged, while still spending more on military equipment in the face of rising geopolitical turmoil in the region.The government allocated 6.24 trillion rupees ($74.3 billion) for defense in the year through March 2025, largely unchanged from a revised budget of 6.21 trillion rupees in the previous financial year. The figures include spending on salaries, pensions and military equipment, making the defense expenditure the largest category in the government’s budget.While India is among the world’s top five defense spenders, most of the funds go toward paying the salaries for its over 1.4 million-strong military as well as pensions for retired soldiers. Last year, the South Asian country spent 1.42 trillion rupees — more than a quarter of the defense budget — on pensions, according to the country’s parliament. India will spend a similar amount this year.Despite the curb on the overall defense budget, the military will spend more on new equipment: 1.72 trillion rupees in the current fiscal year compared with a revised 1.57 trillion last year. The spending curb comes at a time of geopolitical turmoil and as India’s relations with two of its neighbors — Pakistan and China — remain fraught. The military has long list of new equipment it wants to buy, including long range unmanned aerial vehicles from the US, fighter jets for navy, submarines to replace aging Soviet-era boats. India’s defense expenditure is less than a third of China’s defense spending, which is estimated to be $231.36 billion, according to figures from the state-owned Global Times.“Allocation for new systems and platforms falls short especially because western and northern borders are still unstable and the Indo-Pacific is militarizing,” said Laxman Kumar Behera, who teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Special Centre for National Security Studies in New Delhi. India should consider a road map for defense modernization like it has for other sectors to lock in a certain amount annually in the budget, he added. Modi Faces Backlash From States After Allies Get Budget Aid (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/24/2024 1:53 AM, Swati Gupta, 5.5M, Neutral]
Opposition-controlled states in India slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after it allocated billions of dollars of funds to two of his allies in this year’s budget.
M.K. Stalin, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, called the budget a “great betrayal” to his state, saying it didn’t allocate any specific funds to the province despite its significant contribution to the overall economy. He said the budget showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party was settling “electoral scores” by satisfying the demands of its coalition partners while ignoring the rest of the country, local media reported.
The BJP lost its majority in the parliament after recent elections and formed a government with regional parties in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. In Tuesday’s budget, the finance minister announced 150 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) of funding through multilateral agencies to Andhra Pradesh for the current financial year, with additional amounts in future years. Bihar would be allocated funds for roads, medical colleges and a railways, the minister said.
Opposition-controlled states, including Kerala and Karnataka, said the budget allocations were discriminatory. Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the budget took steps to “constrain the finances of states, which poses a significant challenge to our autonomy and development.”
Leaders of the opposition alliance said they would hold a protest at the parliament on Wednesday. Rahul Gandhi, who leads India’s opposition in parliament, on Tuesday said Modi’s budget was full of “hollow promises” aimed at appeasing allies with promises that come at a cost to everyday Indians. India’s budget reflects new power realities of Modi’s fickle coalition (Reuters)
Reuters [7/23/2024 9:49 AM, Krishna N. Das, Aftab Ahmed and Shivangi Acharya, 42991K, Neutral]
For a politician not known to easily make concessions, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s budget on Tuesday was a successful early test of his ability to run a fickle coalition after a shock poll result last month, but it came at a cost.Modi has been forced to rely on allies to run a government for the first time in his career, having earlier delivered thumping majorities for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally and in his native Gujarat state.Boosted by a record dividend from the central bank, Modi allocated more than $5 billion for infrastructure and other projects in the home states of two key allies, cheering them but prompting the opposition to call it an attempt to "bribe" the coalition and undermine other regions.Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), now an ally but which in 2018 pulled out of the Modi government because the then budget did not mention any special assistance for the state, said it was "extremely delighted and grateful" to Modi for the latest budget and that it was a "red letter day" for the state.Another ally, Janata Dal (United) of the poor eastern state of Bihar which was with the opposition as late as January, said there were so many announcements for the state that "some are calling it a Bihari budget"."We are happy with the budget," Janata Dal General Secretary Kishan Chand Tyagi told Reuters. "This will help Bihar become self-reliant, poverty-free, develop and plug migration."He said what party boss Nitish Kumar had expected "has been fulfilled to a great extent".Modi had prevailed over the allies in his cabinet appointments, with the BJP retaining all key portfolios, but the partners have been more demanding in other areas.Both have sought more than $10 billion more over the next two years, according to documents seen by Reuters and party sources.POLITICAL COMMITMENTAnalysts said the additional funds for the two states would not be a problem - the budget plans overall spending of $576 billion this fiscal year - but the concern was that other states would also raise similar demands, leading to diversion of funds from other areas."The downside is here you are allocating not because of need - which is usually measured by some objective indicator - but because of political commitment," said Pronab Sen, formerly a government adviser and India’s chief statistician."The question is how do you evaluate it? How do you find equality among states?"Opposition-run states like West Bengal, Punjab and Kerala have already said the budget overlooked them. Kerala said it had asked for a "special package" of 240 billion rupees ($2.87 billion) from the budget but that did not happen."This budget is mainly for the (ruling) coalition - its strengthening and longevity," Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal told reporters. "The question of federalism is very important. Every state should get their due share."Lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee, a senior figure of All India Trinamool Congress that rules West Bengal, said on social media: "Instead of tackling urgent issues like unemployment, rising prices and growing inflation, the BJP has crafted a budget to bribe its coalition partners and buy time before the government IMPLODES!"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters after the budget that the "intention is not to leave out any state"."No state is going to be left out just because I have not named each and every state in my budget speech," she said, having mentioned Bihar and Andhra about five times each.The budget also unveiled spending of billions of dollars to create new jobs and address rural distress - two key issues in the recent elections - but the rupee slipped to record lows as raising tax rates for capital gains from equity investments and on equity derivative trades hurt market sentiment. India’s Finance Minister backs increasing Chinese direct investment (Reuters)
Reuters [7/23/2024 9:18 AM, Sarita Chaganti Singh and Nikunj Ohri, 42991K, Negative]
India’s Finance Minister has backed her economic adviser’s suggestion to allow more Chinese investment in the country, after flows were disrupted by New Delhi’s increasingly strained ties with Beijing since 2020.On Monday Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran said New Delhi should focus on Foreign Direct Investments from China to boost India’s exports to the U.S., and other western countries and help keep India’s growing trade deficit with Beijing in check.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the adviser’s office works at an "arm’s distance" but "that doesn’t mean I am disowning the suggestion," becoming the first minister to back such a move.India tightened its scrutiny of investments from Chinese companies and halted major projects since 2020, as relations between the two nuclear giants soured after clashes on their largely undemarcated Himalayan frontier left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.Western countries are looking for alternative import avenues to reduce their reliance on China in global manufacturing and supply chains, and India should aim to benefit from it, the adviser’s report had said.A senior Indian official told Reuters in January that investment curbs could be lifted if the border between the nuclear-armed Asian giants remains peaceful.However, diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border issues have remained unsuccessful.Along with investments scrutiny, India has also virtually blocked visas for all Chinese nationals since 2020, but it is considering easing them for Chinese technicians, as it had hindered investments worth billions of dollars.India’s net FDI inflow dropped by 62.17% to $10.58 billion in 2023-24 (FY24), a 17-year-low, from $27.98 billion the previous year, central bank data showed. Decoding Newly Appointed Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s Visit to Bhutan (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/23/2024 9:23 AM, Rishi Gupta, 1156K, Positive]
India’s ex-deputy national security advisor (NSA) and newly appointed foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, was on a two-day visit to Bhutan from July 19-20. His visit to Thimphu came on his fourth day in office as the foreign secretary, reflecting Bhutan’s strategic primacy in India’s ongoing border conflict with China.Misri is among India’s most experienced diplomats. He served as India’s ambassador to China for two years (2019-20) – a period marked by heightened tensions with China, including a major violent clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020. As the deputy NSA, a key position in India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Misri is believed to have played a vital role in India’s border talks with China. Now, as the foreign secretary, Misri will have more public visibility and engagement than he did during his NSCS stint, and Bhutan will provide a vital kickstart to his new role. With his extensive diplomatic experience in China, Misri’s visit to Bhutan highlights the Modi administration’s increasing focus on securing northern borders. Misri’s visit to Bhutan comes four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in March 2024. Amid high-voltage campaigns for crucial parliamentary elections in April and May 2024, Modi’s last-minute visit to Bhutan indicated New Delhi’s quest to engage with the newly elected Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. One of the critical reasons that Modi squeezed in a visit to Bhutan – despite India’s Election Code of Conduct in place, limiting his external engagements – was to deepen India’s bond with Tobgay, who is seen as closer to Delhi than his predecessor, Lotay Tshering. Under Tshering’s tenure (2018 to 2023), Bhutan engaged in multiple rounds of border talks with China. During this period, several high-level Bhutanese and Chinese delegations met both in China and Bhutan to negotiate and discuss boundary issues. One significant meeting was the 12th Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the China-Bhutan Boundary Issues, held in Thimphu from May 24-25, 2023. These talks underscored the ongoing efforts by both Bhutan and China to address and resolve their border disputes through diplomatic dialogue.These bilateral talks reportedly created a sense of alienation in Delhi, which was not party to the discussions despite being at the forefront of defending Bhutan against People’s Liberation Army (PLA) incursions. New Delhi was also concerned about China’s regular emphasis on forging diplomatic ties with Bhutan.The timing of Misri’s visit is noteworthy. Just last week, Modi was on a two-day visit to Russia. Despite mounting pressure from the West, Modi’s visit to Russia was primarily focused on counterbalancing China. Against the “no-limits alliance” between Russia and China, Modi seems to have revived historical ties with Russia.While India intends to continue trade with Russia in energy and defense, New Delhi also looked at President Vladimir Putin as a reliable mediator in case China makes unilateral military moves at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).Taken together, the two visits complement India’s comprehensive strategy to counter China’s threat. Misri’s Bhutan visit provided a closer look at the PLA’s deployment in the Himalayas, especially in tri-junctions such as Doklam connecting China, Bhutan, and India. Modi’s visit to Russia was more focused on material and messaging.Bhutan is in a critical geographical location, as its long border with Tibet provides India with an important military buffer. In 2017, India took a stand against the PLA and its aggressive infrastructure building in the Doklam trijunction – an area of 100 square kilometers comprising a valley and a plateau at the junction of India, Bhutan, and China. This region is crucial, as it is a contested area between Thimphu and Beijing. Had India not intervened in 2017, the PLA would have extended their reach dangerously close to India’s Siliguri Corridor – a narrow stretch of land just 20 kilometers wide that links the rest of India with its northeastern region. The corridor serves as a critical lifeline connecting India’s two geographies for the movement of people, army and goods. For India, Bhutan is an indispensable ally in countering China’s territorial ambitions. Therefore, Misri’s visit showcased India’s focus on China.Besides the strategic considerations, the key highlights of Misri’s Bhutan visit included his meetings with Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Foreign Affairs Minister D.N. Dhungyel. These engagements included discussions of China, strengthened diplomatic ties, Indian development assistance, and the inauguration of infrastructure built through Indian aid. Misri co-chaired the third India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks for Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP) with his Bhutanese counterpart Pema Choden. Notably, India is Bhutan’s key economic, development, and trade partner. India has been contributing to Bhutan’s five-year plans since the 1950s and accommodates additional requests from time to time. The joint statement released during Misri’s visit to Bhutan emphasized the people-to-people ties and strong bonds of friendship shared by the two countries. The two parties have agreed to hold the fourth Development Cooperation Talks in Delhi on a mutually agreed date. Visits like Misri’s are essential to maintaining continuity in India’s “Neighborhood First Policy,” a cornerstone of the Modi administration’s foreign strategy in engaging with neighboring countries. Bhutan, in particular, is a critical ally for India in ensuring regional stability and monitoring China’s maneuvers in the Himalayas. The strategic partnership with Bhutan not only reinforces mutual security interests but also counters China’s territorial ambitions, making these diplomatic engagements vital for both nations. David Lammy arrives in India for trade talks (BBC)
BBC [7/24/2024 2:57 AM, James Landale, 65.5M, Neutral]
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has arrived in India for talks with ministers and business leaders.
The visit is being billed as an attempt to reset Britain’s relationship with the country and the Global South.
Mr Lammy has called India “an indispensable partner” in the government’s efforts to grow the economy and tackle climate change.
With the country’s economy soon to be the third largest in the world, the new Labour government is eager to secure a free trade agreement.
Just three week’s old, Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has set its sight on India early. If Labour wants growth, British firms will need to do more business in the country.
Talks about a free trade agreement with India have been stalled for months, following negotiations over the last two years.
In March, India signed a free trade agreement with Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are all non-European Union states.
The foreign secretary said reinforcing the UK’s commitment to secure a deal would be a floor, not a ceiling, to Britain’s ambitions.
Last year, sources from the former Conservative government said trade talks with India were reaching their "final but trickier" stages.
A trade deal with India has long been seen in government as one of the biggest prizes of all deals the UK could strike with other nations following Brexit.
Earlier this month, Mr Lammy’s first foreign trip as a cabinet member saw him meeting with various European leaders across the continent in an effort to improve relations between the UK and the EU.
But this latest trip is about more than economics.
India sees itself as a key player in the Global South and Mr Lammy said he wanted to reset Britain’s relations with these developing countries.
With political instability in Europe and the US, the government is looking to improve relations with other allies and that includes a country Mr Lammy calls the emerging superpower of the 21st century. India Says Houthi Sea-Drone Strikes Require Armed-Guards Review (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/23/2024 10:21 AM, Alex Longley, 27296K, Negative]
India said the shipping industry needs to review the training being provided to armed guards because of an increased threat to commercial vessels from seaborne drones in the Red Sea.After the Houthis sank a vessel with a waterborne explosive device last month, several other ships have faced similar threats. In two instances when armed guards fired at unmanned explosive-laden ships last week, the drone-boats ultimately exploded.India’s Directorate General of Shipping said in a notice on its website that the recent spate of sea-drone attacks has raised the question of how effective some private security providers are.The sinking of a bulk commodity carrier last month “underscores the need for a comprehensive review of security protocols and on-board armed security personnel qualifications to ensure they are commensurate with the evolving nature of maritime threats in high risk areas,” it said. India Loses Warship After Fire and Capsize (Newsweek)
Newsweek [7/23/2024 12:03 PM, John Feng, 50452K, Negative]
The Indian military has ordered an investigation into the partial sinking of a naval ship after the vessel caught fire and capsized in port on Sunday.The blaze on board the 410-foot guided missile frigate INS Brahmaputra, the lead ship of its class, was brought under control by the following morning, but at least one junior sailor remained missing as of Tuesday, India’s defense officials said.An Indian navy statement carried by local news outlets said the fire broke out while the Brahmaputra was undergoing refit and maintenance at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard on the country’s west coast."Despite all efforts, the ship could not be brought to an upright position. The ship continued to list further alongside her berth and is presently resting on one side," the service said.Social media images shared to X (formerly Twitter) around the time of the incident showed flames and plumes of dark smoke rising from the docked warship.The following day, pictures showed the frigate partially submerged on its port side.India’s navy chief, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, visited the site of the accident on Tuesday and ordered a review. His deputy, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, said the missing sailor was "seen coming out of the ship," but his later whereabouts were unknown.The Indian navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment out of hours.The Brahmaputra was launched 30 years ago and commissioned in 2000 as a multirole ship equipped for air defense and surface warfare. It can launch and recover helicopters with anti-submarine capabilities.While the 5,300-ton naval vessel was rendered inoperable, it was still unclear whether the accident would knock it out of commission for good.In 2016, the Brahmaputra-class frigate INS Betwa tipped onto its port side while being refloated in dry dock at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, killing two and injuring 15 sailors. The ship was refloated three months later.In 2013, at the same shipyard, a fire and explosion on board the Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhurakshak resulted the deaths of 18 crew and the loss of the boat.The latest blow to New Delhi comes as India’s navy grows its role as a security contributor, most recently by helping to protect commercial ships from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.Amid growing strategic competition with China, India was also among the first sea powers to adopt the Indo-Pacific moniker, a defense planning concept that treats the expansive Indian and Pacific oceans as one theater. Surge in attacks brings fear to calmer parts of Kashmir (BBC)
BBC [7/23/2024 4:44 PM, Auqib Javeed, 65502K, Negative]
On 9 June, Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir saw one of its deadliest attacks in years.Nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and more than 30 people were injured after militants opened fire on a bus that was making its way to a shrine in the region.The firing that took place in Reasi - one of 10 districts in Jammu - is among numerous attacks on the army and civilians in the region in recent months.Violence is not new to the scenic region, but a recent trend has worried experts - the centre of militant activity seems to be shifting from Kashmir Valley to the relatively less-affected Jammu area.The Himalayan region of Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan. Since 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars and a limited conflict over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim but only partly control.An armed insurgency against Delhi’s rule in the Indian-administered region since 1989 has claimed thousands of lives.The Indian government says that violence has reduced since 2019, when it revoked a constitutional provision that gave the region special autonomy.But there seems to be a sharp uptick in violence in recent months, particularly in Jammu, stoking fears of militancy returning to that region.Since 2021, there have been 33 militant-related attacks in Jammu, according to official data. In 2024 alone, the region has seen eight attacks, in which 11 soldiers have been killed and 18 injured. Civilian deaths in Jammu in the first six months of this year were 12, the same number as the whole of 2023.The attacks occurred in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and other areas of the Jammu division. Like the Kashmir valley, Jammu too is near the Line of Control, the de facto border with Pakistan. Delhi has accused Islamabad of supplying militants with weapons, drugs, and money via drones. Pakistan has not officially responded to these allegations.Experts say the recent spate of attacks in Jammu suggests that militant activity has spread deeper into the federal territory.One reason, some say, could be the high concentration of security forces and intelligence activity in the valley, which may have forced militants to move southwards. Others think it is a deliberate attempt to divert the army’s attention from other strategic areas in Jammu and Kashmir.Since the insurgency began, the valley has been the epicentre of the conflict. Militancy had spilled over into Jammu in the late 1990s, but the region has been relatively calm since 2002.So, the rise in militant activity in Jammu since 2021 (two years after India scrapped the region’s special status) and the back-to-back strikes in the past few months have deeply unsettled the entire security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir.Reports indicate that militants, armed with sophisticated assault rifles and well-trained in jungle warfare, have been using the forests and treacherous terrain of Jammu to hide from the security forces.The attacks took place in areas of the Jammu province where the terrain is tough and road connectivity is poor, making it hard for security forces to reach the spot on time.Retired Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa, father of a soldier who was killed in Doda last week, told reporters that his son had called him before leaving for the search operation and that his team had been preparing to undertake a six to seven-hour trek to reach the location.Shesh Paul Vaid, a former police chief who had been involved in anti-insurgency operations in the valley, believes that the spike in militant attacks in Jammu is a ploy to “divert attention” from Kashmir.He also attributes the spurt in violence to a "well-thought-out policy" by China and Pakistan to stretch out India’s armed forces.Like Pakistan, China too shares a disputed border with India in the Himalayan region. Known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), it falls close to Ladakh, a mountainous territory to the east of Jammu and Kashmir.According to reports, India’s stand-off with China in the Ladakh region since 2020 has compelled it to send additional troops to the cold desert. These forces were reportedly pulled out from Jammu, leaving the region vulnerable to militant activities.For long, India’s strategic community has feared the prospect of a two-front war along its northern and western borders. Experts believe that any military collusion between Pakistan and China will stretch India’s defences.“The thinning of troops [in Jammu] is making an impact. The militants are taking advantage of it,” said Lt Gen Deependra Singh Hooda, a former military commander.Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, an army spokesperson in Jammu, told the BBC that the army had been conducting a series of “joint and co-ordinated operations” with police to eliminate “foreign terrorists”. He added that a number of measures had been taken to enhance synergy between various security agencies in the region.Some experts also point out that India’s intelligence network in Jammu is less developed than in Kashmir due to its relative calm and fewer incidents of violence since 2002.Political analyst Zafar Choudhary says for the past three decades, counter-insurgency specialists have been stationed in Kashmir and not in Jammu.“They [forces] have understood the terrain and topography of the Kashmir valley over the years, [but] not much of Jammu,” he says. India’s strategic railway bridge closes the gap to Kashmir (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [7/23/2024 10:23 PM, Parvaiz Bukhari, 85570K, Neutral]
Soaring high across a gorge in the rugged Himalayas, a newly finished bridge will soon help India entrench control of disputed Kashmir and meet a rising strategic threat from China.The Chenab Rail Bridge, the highest of its kind in the world, has been hailed as a feat of engineering linking the restive Kashmir valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time.But its completion has sparked concern among some in a territory with a long history of opposing Indian rule, already home to a permanent garrison of more than 500,000 soldiers.India’s military brass say the strategic benefits of the bridge to New Delhi cannot be understated."The train to Kashmir will be pivotal in peace and in wartime," General Deependra Singh Hooda, a retired former chief of India’s northern military command, told AFP.Muslim-majority Kashmir is at the centre of a bitter rivalry between India and Pakistan, divided between them since independence from British rule in 1947, and the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought wars over it.Rebel groups have also waged a 35-year-long insurgency demanding independence for the territory or its merger with Pakistan.The new bridge "will facilitate the movement of army personnel coming and going in larger numbers than was previously possible", said Noor Ahmad Baba, a politics professor at the Central University of Kashmir.But, as well as soldiers, the bridge will "facilitate movement" of ordinary people and goods, he told AFP.That has prompted unease among some in Kashmir who believe easier access will bring a surge of outsiders coming to buy land and settle.Previously tight rules on land ownership were lifted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government cancelled Kashmir’s partial autonomy in 2019."If the intent is to browbeat the Kashmiri consciousness of its linguistic, cultural and intellectual identity, or to put muscular nationalism on display, the impact will be negative," historian Sidiq Wahid told AFP.India Railways calls the $24 million bridge "arguably the biggest civil engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history".It is hoped to boost economic development and trade, cutting the cost of moving goods.But Hooda, the retired general, said the bridge’s most important consequence would be revolutionising logistics in Ladakh, the icy region bordering China.India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia, and their 3,500-kilometre (2,200-mile) shared frontier has been a perennial source of tension.Their troops clashed in 2020, killing at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, and forces from both sides today face off across contested high-altitude borderlands."Everything from a needle to the biggest military equipment... has to be sent by road and stocked up in Ladakh for six months every year before the roads close for winter," Hooda told AFP.Now all that can be transported by train, easing what Indian military experts call the "world’s biggest military logistics exercise" -- supplying Ladakh through snowbound passes.The project will buttress several other road tunnel projects under way that will connect Kashmir and Ladakh, not far from India’s frontiers with China and Pakistan.The 1,315-metre-long steel and concrete bridge connects two mountains with an arch 359 metres above the cool waters of the Chenab River.Trains are ready to run and only await an expected ribbon cutting from Modi.The 272-kilometre railway begins in the garrison city of Udhampur, headquarters of the army’s northern command, and runs through the region’s capital Srinagar.It terminates a kilometre higher in altitude in Baramulla, a gateway trade town near the Line of Control with Pakistan.When the road is open, it is twice the distance and takes a day of driving.The railway cost an estimated $3.9 billion and has been an immense undertaking, with construction beginning nearly three decades ago.While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe bridge in China.Describing India’s new bridge as a "marvel", its deputy chief designer R.R. Mallick, said the experience of designing and building it "has become a holy book for our engineers". NSB
An Unbending Leader’s Crackdown Rains Carnage on Bangladesh (New York Times)
New York Times [7/24/2024 1:42 AM, Mujib Mashal, 831K, Negative]
For those watching from outside, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh presents a compelling story. She is among the world’s longest-serving female heads of government, a secular Muslim in colorful saris who has fought Islamic militancy, lifted millions out of poverty and deftly kept both India and China at her side.
But this seeming success has come at a heavy cost. Over the past 15 years, Ms. Hasina has deeply entrenched her authority and divided this nation of 170 million people. Those who kissed the ring were rewarded with patronage, power and impunity. Dissenters were met with crackdowns, endless legal entanglement and imprisonment.
The sustained protests that have convulsed Bangladesh this month are a backlash against Ms. Hasina’s formula for power: absolute, disconnected and entitled. Her bloody crackdown, which has left at least 150 people dead, has created the biggest challenge ever to her dominance, just months after she steamrolled to a fourth consecutive term as prime minister.
It is a crisis largely of her own making, analysts said. The student-led protests started as a peaceful expression of opposition to quotas that reserve sought-after government jobs for specific groups. The violent response to the protests by government security forces and vigilantes from Ms. Hasina’s party sent the country to the verge of anarchy. A curfew has been imposed. The military patrols the streets, with helicopters often circling above. The internet is blocked, and phone calls are severely restricted.
Even in a country with an ample history of deadly political violence, Ms. Hasina’s crackdown has led to what diplomats and analysts have called atrocities that are unprecedented in Bangladesh in recent decades. To many Bangladeshis, a line has now been crossed, and anger at the sheer carnage seems unlikely to diminish soon.Diplomats and officials say that the count of at least 150 dead is a conservative one. Local newspapers have tallied the deaths at closer to 200, and student protest leaders say the toll is most likely several times that. Hundreds have been swept into jails in Dhaka alone.
Sending In the Troops
Ms. Hasina, 76, has deployed every force at her service onto the streets, including a feared paramilitary unit whose leaders have in the past faced international sanctions over allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.
The army, which was once prone to staging coups but has been brought to heel by Ms. Hasina, has also been on the streets, mixing with law enforcement agencies that have been accused by Ms. Hasina’s opponents of becoming an overzealous extension of her power.
To protest the brutal response, a group of foreign ambassadors met with Bangladesh’s foreign minister. They expressed concern that Bangladesh’s security forces had deployed helicopters and vehicles belonging to United Nations peacekeepers in their crackdown on the student protesters, one senior diplomat aware of the discussions said.
On Tuesday, the capital city, Dhaka, remained short of crucial supplies, as the curfew hampered the transport of goods. Prices of some essentials, particularly vegetables, have nearly doubled. People lined up outside electricity and gas offices, as the internet shutdown prevented them from reloading their prepaid meters.
The communications blackout — which the government claims is intended to stop the spread of disinformation — has covered up the extent of the slaughter. Grainy cellphone footage that has managed to emerge shows security officers aiming and firing at protesters, or dumping bodies nonchalantly on the road.
At the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, an overcrowded public facility, journalists saw extensive evidence of the brutality. At least 39 people have been admitted with injuries to their eyes, from pellet guns or rubber bullets. Doctors said at least half of them were in danger of losing sight in one or both eyes.“This is a plainly immoral agenda — they’re shooting students, children, point-blank in the streets,” said Naomi Hossain, a scholar of Bangladesh at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. “People are horrified, absolutely horrified.”
A Traumatic History
Ms. Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s charismatic founding leader, who was killed in 1975 in a military coup along with most of his young family. His killing, just years after he had led a separatist war against Pakistan in response to persecution of ethnic Bengalis, inaugurated a violent Bangladeshi political culture marked by coups, counter-coups and assassinations.
Ms. Hasina, who was 28, and a sister were abroad at the time and survived the massacre. Her trauma became the driving force of her politics. Even today, four decades later, her public remarks are infused with her fixation on vengeance against the political heirs to the coup plotters.
She has helped grant her followers a monopoly over the legacy of independence, and by extension the country’s fortunes. Dissenters are still branded an extension of old forces of treason and extremism. When Ms. Hasina is accused of repressing her political opponents, she replies by saying that they resorted to worse when they were in power.
Opposition parties were not necessarily the instigators of the recent protests, but they are jumping in now, adding to the chaos and violence. Ms. Hasina’s crackdown has given them an opening after she had bogged them down with legal actions and made them silent through fear.
The upheaval could prove dangerous to Ms. Hasina in two ways: It has focused attention on widespread economic distress as well as her own overreach.
Ms. Hasina’s economic success story had already been unraveling. The country’s reliance on garment exports seemed to have reached its limit, and the government has struggled to find alternative sources of growth. The disruptions of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine also delivered blows, causing energy and food prices to soar and foreign reserves to plummet.
In this environment of economic anxiety, government jobs remained a coveted, stable option for mobility. There was already a feeling among young people that the path to those jobs was rigged, with reports that entrance exams had been leaked. But what sent them into the streets was the fact that half of those jobs were carved out for quotas that they saw as nothing short of political patronage.
Those quotas had been in place for much of Bangladesh’s history. The largest goes to the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in the 1970s war for independence, whom Ms. Hasina has increasingly redefined to mean her own supporters.
Protests had forced Ms. Hasina to abolish the system in 2018 and replace it with one based on merit. But the courts — long seen as loyal to Ms. Hasina — reinstated the old system this summer. She was widely seen as wanting the quotas returned to reward her support base, a group she could not otherwise offer much because of the economic crunch.
When students began protesting, she described them as descendants of the “razakar,” a term that has essentially come to mean traitors during the war of independence. That enraged the protesters and served as a cue to Ms. Hasina’s supporters to attack them, analysts said. Violence and chaos followed, including attacks by crowds on the national state television building, on new subway lines and on police vehicles.
Ms. Hasina’s ministers and advisers say the state has acted only to protect infrastructure and maintain rule of law, and they have promised an inquiry into the deaths. On Sunday, the country’s Supreme Court reduced the number of government jobs reserved for war veterans. In the end, though, Ms. Hasina’s political fate may rest on whether the military remains firmly on her side, or hedges its bets as it has in the past.
For their part, the protesters are dispersed for the moment but have vowed to reassemble if their demands are not met. Some factions say the movement is no longer about the quotas — it is about justice for those killed. One group has put out a nine-point list of demands, which includes an apology from Ms. Hasina and resignations by some of her lieutenants.
Nahid Islam, a protest leader who said he had been blindfolded and tortured by law enforcement agents, said that the demonstrators would not negotiate until the communications blackout was lifted and law enforcement officers left campuses.
If those demands are met, Mr. Islam said from a hospital where he was being treated for wounds, “we can sit for discussion about the next moves of our movement.” Bangladesh crawls back to normalcy after violent clashes that killed nearly 200 people (AP)
AP [7/24/2024 3:56 AM, Julhas Alam, 456K, Neutral]
Bangladesh was crawling back to normalcy with limited internet and office hours Wednesday after more than a week of chaos over student protests involving government job quotas. Nearly 200 deaths were reported in just over a week of violence.
Most of the country remained without internet, but thousands of cars were on the streets of the capital after authorities relaxed a curfew for seven hours.
Offices and banks opened for a few hours Wednesday while authorities restored broadband internet in some areas in Dhaka and the second-largest city of Chattogram. Authorities said the curfew would continue in Dhaka and elsewhere until the situation improves.
Since July 16, at least 197 people have been killed in violence, the leading Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily reported Wednesday. The Associated Press could not confirm the death toll from any official sources.
Schools and other educational institutions have remained shut until further notice.
Clashes have occurred since July 15 between the police and mainly student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. The chaos became deadly after the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and right wing Jamaat-e-Islami party extended their support to the protests. While violence spread across the country, many government establishments were also under attack in Dhaka.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court ordered that 1971 war veterans’ quota to be cut to 5%. Thus, 93% of civil service jobs will be merit-based while the remaining 2% reserved for members of ethnic minorities as well as transgender and disabled people.
On Tuesday, the government issued a circular, accepting a Supreme Court verdict that reformed the quota system for the government jobs. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed the verdict and said it was ready to implement the verdict.
The protesters took time to respond to Sunday’s verdict, and on Tuesday they said that the Supreme Court verdict and the subsequent government circular were in favor of the protesters, but the government should answer for the bloodshed and deaths involving the protests.The protests have posed the most serious challenge to Bangladesh’s government since Hasina won a fourth consecutive term in January elections that the main opposition groups boycotted. Universities have been closed, the internet has been shut off and the government has ordered people to stay at home.
Protesters had argued the quota system was discriminatory and benefited supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and wanted it replaced by a merit-based system. Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans who fought, who died and the women who were raped and tortured in 1971 deserve the highest respect regardless of political affiliation.
The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fueling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the country’s national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures.
On Wednesday, the government relaxed the curfew from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and opened offices and banks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. while garment factories that export mainly to Western countries also opened. Some major roads in Dhaka were clogged with traffic.
Law Minister Anisul Huq has repeatedly said that the violence became grave as the armed cadres of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and right wing Jamaat-e-Islami joined the protests and attacked many government installations including the headquarters of the state-run Bangladesh Television, two toll plazas of a flyover and an expressway, two stations of metro rail in Dhaka. Hundreds government-owned vehicles were also torched.
The headquarters of the main opposition party was raided and sealed off. Police said they recovered sticks and iron rods and locally made weapons from the opposition party’s headquarters in Dhaka.
Bu Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the main opposition, rejected the allegations and blamed the government for the huge number of deaths.
On Tuesday night, authorities restored only broadband internet service partially in Dhaka and Chattogram after six days, said Zunaid Ahmed Palak, junior minister for Information Communication Technology.
He blamed the protesters, calling them miscreants, for the days of internet outage as a main data center was set on fire and fiber optic connections were cut. He said the internet would gradually be restored across the country, but for now corporate businesses, banks, diplomatic zones and some other areas would get internet.
This comes after a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order was installed days earlier and military personnel could be seen patrolling the capital and other areas. Authorities said about 27,000 soldiers were deployed across the country to assist in the civil administration maintain law and order.
Hasina has been holding a series of meetings with the chiefs of the three wings of the military, top business leaders and political partners when she said the curfew was imposed to restore normalcy. She also blamed the opposition for the violence and said the perpetrators would not be spared.
The U.S. Embassy had described the situation Sunday as volatile and unpredictable, adding that guns, tear gas and other weapons have been used in the vicinity of the embassy. They urged Americans to be vigilant, avoid large crowds and reconsider travel plans. Bangladesh partially restores telecommunication services as protests taper off (Reuters)
Reuters [7/23/2024 11:47 PM, Ruma Paul, 5.2M, Neutral]
Bangladesh partially restored telecommunication services on Wednesday although internet connection was slow and social media remained suspended, days after deadly protests against reservations for government jobs killed almost 150 people.
The country has mostly been calm since Sunday when the Supreme Court scaled down reservations for various categories to 7%, overruling a high court verdict reinstating a 56% quota in government jobs that had been scrapped in 2018.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government said on Tuesday that it would heed the Supreme Court ruling.
As demonstrations against the quotas - which included a 30% reservation for family members of freedom fighters from the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan - tapered off, the government started easing the curfew imposed last week.
Restrictions will be relaxed for seven hours on Wednesday and offices will also be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., officials said.
Residents of the capital Dhaka could be seen out on the streets on Wednesday morning as they made their way to their offices, with public buses also plying in some places - in sharp contrast to the violent clashes in the city last week.
Protesting students have given the government a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to fulfil four other conditions of an eight-point list of demands, and said they will announce next steps once that ends on Thursday.
"We want the government to meet our four-point demand, including restoration of internet, withdrawal of police from campuses, and opening universities (which have been closed for a week)," protest coordinator Nahid Islam said.
The South Asian nation of 170 million was rocked by protests since the high court verdict last month, which left less than half of state jobs open on merit in a country where about 32 million young people are out of work or education.
Demonstrations intensified after Hasina refused to meet the protesters’ demands and instead labelled them "razakar" - a term used for those who collaborated with the Pakistani army during the war.
Hasina this week blamed her political opponents for the violence and said the curfew would be lifted "whenever the situation gets better".
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has denied any role in the violence.
Several countries in the region have evacuated citizens from the violence-hit nation over the last few days, including India and Malaysia. Bangladeshi students allege police tortured them after protests crackdown (The Guardian)
The Guardian [7/23/2024 12:25 PM, Redwan Ahmed and Hannah Ellis-Petersen, 86157K, Negative]
Student activists in Bangladesh have alleged they were abducted and tortured during a violent police crackdown on the protests that have swept the country and led to the arrest of thousands of political opponents and government critics.Nahid Islam, a Dhaka University student and one of the main organisers of the protest movement, which has been fighting against “discriminatory” quotas for government jobs, said he was picked up by police late last week, tortured and left unconscious on the side of the road.Islam alleged that more than 20 officers who identified themselves as police arrived at 3am on Saturday and put him inside a car, where he was blindfolded and handcuffed. He said several other student protest organisers were also picked up by police, with four still reported missing.“They took me somewhere I couldn’t recognise and then put me in a room where they started to question me and later torture me, first mentally and then physically,” said Islam. “They kept asking me: why are we protesting, who is behind this, what is our agenda, why we are not at talks with the government.”The protests began on university campuses in early July, led by students outraged at the re-introduction of quotas for government jobs, which reserve 30% for the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 Bangladesh independence war.With the country suffering an economic downturn and high youth unemployment, government jobs are widely seen as the most secure form of employment. However, the quota system, widely deemed to “unfair”, means they are rarely granted on merit.While the demonstrations began peacefully, they began to turn violent last week after pro-government groups were accused of attacking the protesters with weapons and police began to use teargas, rubber bullets and stun grenades.The crackdown led to violence across the country as student protesters fought back against the riot police, often armed only with crude weapons, and university campuses became war zones. Police were accused by witnesses of firing live ammunition at protesters and have been blamed for a large numbers of deaths. Unofficial figures have put the death toll at more than 150, while thousands are thought to have been injured.On Sunday, the supreme court overturned the ruling and scaled back the quotas, meaning only 5% will now go to descendants of freedom fighters. It has led to a pause in the protests and violence, although the country is still under an internet and social media blackout and a strict curfew, with the military patrolling the streets and police granted powers to “shoot on site”.This week, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, sought to place the blame for the unrest – some of the worst the country has seen under her government – on the opposition Bangladesh National party (BNP), which has faced a crackdown under her rule.In a meeting broadcast on Monday, Hasina claimed to have deployed police and paramilitary forces to “protect” the students and called the violence “the attacks of the militants”.About 2,000 people have so far been arrested, mostly members and the top leadership of the BNP along with several student organisers, as Hasina’s government is accused of trying to shift the blame for the violence and fatalities away from state agencies. A BNP spokesperson said that about 1,500 party members had been detained.Islam described how once he was in police detention, officers began a game of mental torture, threatening to create fake charges against him, label him as a terrorist and “disappear” him so his family would not know his whereabouts.Then, he alleged, the physical abuse began. “They used metal rods and started beating on my joints, on my shoulders and particularly on my left leg. That leg has the most severe injuries. At some point I fell unconscious to the unbearable pain.” He said that when he awoke he found himself lying by the roadside in the capital, Dhaka.Islam was disparaging of Hasina’s claims she tried to have a dialogue with the students, alleging that the authorities instead resorted to violence to try to shut them down, a widely documented tactic deployed by her government against critics over her 15 years in power.He was among the organisers who said that the protests had not shut down after Monday’s supreme court verdict, but were on pause as they waited for the government to respond to several of their demands, including for the new reduced quota to be affirmed by parliament and for compensation be given to families of those killed in the violence.Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Hasib al-Islam, another student organiser, said students were extending their ultimatum to the government for another 48 hours, during which time they would hold off all further protest.Al-Islam said: “In this time we demand the authorities restore the internet in the country, withdraw the curfew, reopen the universities and ensure the safety of the students and the protesters, including the safe return of the four protest coordinators who allegedly are missing.”The Bangladeshi Nobel peace rize laureate, Muhammad Yunus, urged “world leaders and the United Nations to do everything within their powers to end the violence”, adding that “young people are being killed at random every day”. In Bangladesh, protests are no longer about the quota system (Al Jazeera – opinion)
Al Jazeera [7/23/2024 8:10 AM, Shahidul Alam, 20871K, Negative]
It has been more than 10 days now since the start of the protests against a government job quota system. Students and youth across the country have been demonstrating against what they see as an unfair policy favouring a certain group – children of “freedom fighters” in the Bangladesh war of independence. But after the government unleashed unprecedented violence, the protests have gone beyond the demand for cancellation of the quota system.A list of demands by students has been circulated in an underground press release.1) The prime minister must accept responsibility for the mass killings of students and publicly apologise.2) The home minister and the road, transport and bridges minister [the latter is also the secretary general of the Awami League], must resign from their [cabinet] positions and the party.3) Police officers present in the sites where students were killed must be sacked.4) Vice Chancellors of Dhaka, Jahangirnagar and Rajshahi universities must resign.5) The police and goons who attacked the students and those who instigated the attacks must be arrested.6) Families of the killed and injured must be compensated.7) Bangladesh Chhatra League [BCL, the pro-government student wing, which is, effectively, the government’s vigilante force] must be banned from student politics and a student union established.8) All educational institutions and halls of residences must be reopened.9) Guarantees must be provided that no academic or administrative harassment of protesters will take place.That Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina publicly apologises for her disparaging comments about the protesters may seem a minor issue, but will surely be the sticking point.This prime minister is not the apologising kind, regardless of what she does. Regardless of the allegations that she has rigged elections, regardless of the fact that corruption has been at an all-time high during her tenure, regardless of the fact that more than 100 students and other protesters have been murdered by her goons and the security forces, regardless of the fact that she has deemed all those who oppose her views to be “razakars” (collaborators of the Pakistani occupation army in 1971).There is certainly not anyone in the negotiating camp who would have the temerity to even suggest such a course for the prime minister. There is a Bangla saying, “You only have one head on your neck.”The ministers do the heavy lifting. They control the muscles in the streets and “manage” things when resistance brews. The ministers are high-ups in the party, and apart from the difficulty of finding suitable replacements, discarding them would send out the wrong message within the party.Vice chancellors and proctors having to resign is an easy one. These are discardable minions. The perks are attractive and there are many to fill the ranks. The police being dumped is not as easy, as they provide some of the muscle, but “friendly fire” does take place.Compensation is not an issue. State coffers are there to be pillaged and public funds being dispensed at party behest is a common enough practice.The demand to ban BCL and associated student organisations in Dhaka, Jahangirnagar and Rajshahi universities is a sticking point, as they are the ones who keep the student body in check and are the party cadre called upon when there is any sign of rebellion. It is a vigilante group that can kill, kidnap or disappear at party command. For a government that lacks legitimacy, these are the foot soldiers who terrorise and are essential parts of the coercive machinery.Educational institutions being reopened is an issue. Students have traditionally been the initiators of protests. With such simmering discontent, this would be dangerous, particularly if the local muscle power was clipped. The return of independent thinking is something all tyrants fear. The cessation of harassment is easy to implement on paper. It is difficult to prove and can be done at many levels. Removing the official charges will leave all unofficial modes intact.Of all these demands, the apology is the least innocuous, but perhaps the most significant. It will dent the aura of invincibility the tyrant exudes. She has never apologised for anything.Not for her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman setting up the Rakkhi Bahini, the paramilitary force which rained terror on the country. Not his setting up of Baksal, the one-party system where all other parties and all newspapers, except the four approved ones, were banned. Not the numerous extrajudicial killings and disappearances and the liturgy of corruption by people in her patronage during her own tenure.An apology to protesting students, while simple, would be a chink in her armour she would be loathe to reveal.Ironically, her father and the Awami League led the resistance against the Pakistani army during the genocide of 1971. The revolutionaries have now become our new occupiers. They insist Bangladesh is still a “democracy”.By now, the body count is impossible to verify. I try to piece things together from as many firsthand reports as I can. Many of the bodies have a single, precisely targeted bullet hole. Pellets are aimed at the eyes.International news, out of touch as the internet has been shut down and mobile connectivity severely throttled, say deaths are more than 100. Those monitoring feel that these numbers are a significant underestimate of the dead and missing. Government news report even fewer.Staff at city hospitals are less tight-lipped and can give reasonably accurate figures, but not all bodies go to hospital morgues. An older hospital in Dhaka did report more than 200 bodies being brought in. The injured who die on the way to the hospital are not generally admitted. Families prefer to take the body home rather than hand them over to the police. Bodies are also being disappeared.Police and postmortem reports, when available, fail to mention bullet wounds. The body of my former student Priyo was among the missing ones, but we were eventually able to locate him. A friend took him back to his home in Rangpur to be buried. Constant monitoring and checking by activists resulted in the bullet wound being mentioned in his case, though a deliberate mistake in his name in the hospital’s release order that was overseen by a police officer attempted to complicate things. Fortunately, it was rectified in the nick of time.Getting the news out has become extremely difficult. This piece is going out through a complicated route. I have deleted all digital traces to protect the intermediaries.The entire internet network has been brought down; a junior information technology minister has said that this is due to the “unstable situation”.Helicopters fly low, beaming searchlights downwards. There have been reports of shots fired at people. Tear gas and stun grenade shells become lethal when dropped from a height.A student talks of a body lying on the empty flyover being dragged off by the police. A friend talks of an unmarked car spraying bullets at the crowd as it speeds past. She was lucky. The shooter was firing from a window on the other side. A mother grieves over her three-year-old senselessly killed.A gory report of a human brain congealed on a tarmac is a first for me. The curfew has resulted in rubbish being piled up on the streets. The brain will be there for people to see, perhaps deliberately.The raid at 2:20 earlier this morning in the flat across the street was also in commando fashion. The video footage is blurry, but one can only see segments of the huge contingent of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), heavily armed police and others in plainclothes. They eventually walked out with one person, perhaps an opposition leader.Armoured personnel carriers prowl the streets. Orders to shoot on sight have not quelled the anger and people are still coming onto the streets despite the curfew. There is the other side of the story. Reports of policemen being lynched and offices being set on fire are some of the violent responses to the government-led brutality.Then there is the impact of the protests on the average person, as most working-class Bangladeshis live day-to-day. Their daily earnings feed their families. As a prime minister, who desperately clings on to a position she does not legitimately have the right to, and a public, who have been tormented enough, to battle it out, they are the ones who starve.Private TV channels vie with the state-owned BTV and churn out government propaganda. As I watch members of the public complain on one, I am unable to forget all the average people I spoke to – the rickshaw drivers, and even fruit sellers with perishable goods – who expressed solidarity with the students. Their immediate suffering, though painful, is something they are willing to accept.She has to go, they say. In Bangladesh, frequent floods leave government playing catch-up (Reuters)
Reuters [7/23/2024 10:31 PM, Md. Tahmid Zami, 85570K, Neutral]
Junayed Ahmed had bought cows to sacrifice and was looking forward to celebrating Eid-al-Adha with his parents in the city of Sylhet in eastern Bangladesh. But then rain started pelting down, the river Surma began to rise and his house was flooded."With knee-deep water in our single-story house and its yard, we just had to postpone the important ritual," said the 25-year-old mechanic. Monsoon rains are to be expected in this part of northeastern Bangladesh, and the government has improved its ability to deal with any resulting floods, but as climate change accelerates, authorities seem trapped in a relentless game of catch-up.Climate change has led to a four-fold increase in rainfall levels during the monsoon season in Bangladesh and northeast India, according to a 2023 study published in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society."Rain does not follow the calendar anymore and we see sudden, unprecedented downpours that leave us with no preparation time," said Farzana Raihan, professor of environmental science at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet.In June, when Eid-al-Adha is celebrated, torrential rains - up to 240mm in just one week in some northeastern districts - combined with upstream water from India to trigger flash floods that left more than 2 million people stranded.Bangladesh, a low-lying country where floodplains cover more than 80% of the land, is also still recovering from a cyclone that hit its southern coastal belt in May.Since flash floods killed around 140 people two years ago, the government has tried to boost its preparedness - it has strengthened its warning systems, arranged more shelters for people, and prepared better aid distribution.Working with international and local development organisations, the government set up stronger, more localised weather forecasting systems that issued timely warnings, said Jyotiraj Patra, programme director at Concern Worldwide, which has been working with the government on flood response.His organisation alerted 10,000 households and provided cash assistance to 1,120 vulnerable households during the June floods.Thanks to that early alert, more than 50,000 people were able to take refuge in upgraded flood shelters."There is strong evidence that early warnings save lives," Patra said.FRAYED RESILIENCEBut even if lives were saved this time, the floods took a heavy toll on the livelihoods of some vulnerable groups, including the fish farmers of the Sylhet region.Thousands of fish ponds, mostly used to farm carp, were flooded with financial losses reaching 1.34 billion Taka ($11.45 million), according to the Divisional Fisheries Department.As well as destroyed livelihoods, the floods affected people’s health, with children being particularly vulnerable.The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said more than 772,000 children were in urgent need of assistance after last month’s floods and faced heightened risks of drowning, malnutrition, deadly waterborne diseases, the trauma of displacement, and potential abuse in overpopulated shelters.Mohammad Paplu Miah, who works for the international development organisation BRAC delivering aid to those affected by the floods, said his two-year-old son got bad diarrhoea during the last flood in 2022."We went from one hospital to another wading through floodwater and everyone refused to admit my son as the hospitals were flooded - until we found one that could provide him with saline and saved his life," he said.Floods also affect children’s education - more than 800 schools in the Sylhet district were flooded in June and another 500 were used as flood shelters. In July, dozens of schools were submerged in the northern Kurigram district.TOO MUCH PLASTIC, NOT ENOUGH DATAPatra from Concern Worldwide said there was a need for more fine-grained data to identify those most at risk from floods. He said since flooding in the northeast was particularly linked to rainfall and river systems in India, there should also be more data-sharing between the two countries.Raihan, of Shahjalal university, said authorities also needed to look at why rivers like the Surma and Kushiyara, on the India-Bangladesh border, burst their banks and were unable to channel heavy rainfall."Sedimentation and plastic waste hamper the water flow in these rivers that are rarely dredged," she said.The unplanned expansion of built-up areas has also blocked water bodies so that even a few metres rise in water levels can submerge entire sections of Sylhet city, she added."We need a proper mapping of the flood risk hotspots and to align the way we build homes and cities in these flood-prone zones," she added.Such measures might come too late for those already affected - people like mechanic Ahmed - but they would at least offer hope that future climate change-related events might not cause such destruction.Ahmed was forced to spend 700,000 Taka (nearly $6,000) - the family’s entire savings - to rebuild their house after the 2022 flood only to see it damaged again just two years later."What’s the use of rebuilding, if we face the same losses year after year?" he asked. 18 People Killed In Plane Crash in Nepal (New York Times)
New York Times [7/23/2024 4:04 AM, Bhadra Sharma and Yan Zhuang, 831K, Negative]
A small plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday, killing 18 people on board, officials said.
The pilot of the Saurya Airlines flight was the only survivor, the local police said.
The plane took off shortly after 11 a.m. from Tribhuvan International Airport and was headed toward Pokhara, Nepal’s second biggest city and a Himalayan tourist destination, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement,
It crashed suddenly just after takeoff, the statement said, adding that the cause was not immediately clear and that there would be an investigation. Plane slips off runway and crashes at Kathmandu airport, killing 18 (Washington Post)
Washington Post [7/24/2024 4:26 AM, Sangam Prasai and Maham Javaid, 6.9M, Negative]
A plane slipped off a runway and crashed during takeoff here on Wednesday morning, killing everyone on board except the pilot, according to Nepali police.
Rescue teams recovered 18 bodies after the Saurya Airlines passenger plane, carrying airline maintenance workers and one international passenger, crashed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, Dan Bahadur Karki, deputy inspector general of the Nepal Police, told The Washington Post.
The pilot has been admitted to a hospital, he said, adding that “his condition is stable.”
The Bombardier CRJ 200 plane was flying for maintenance to Pokhara, a resort town that is a 25-minute flight west of Kathmandu, a spokesperson for Tribhuvan International Airport, said. The airport has been temporarily shut down.
The nationality of the international passenger was not provided. Nepal plane crash at Kathmandu airport kills 18 (Reuters)
Reuters [7/24/2024 4:20 AM, Staff, 5.2M, Neutral]
At least 18 people were killed when a regional passenger plane belonging to Nepal’s Saurya Airlines crashed and caught fire while taking off from the capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, officials said.
The plane, carrying two crew members and 17 technicians, was going for regular maintenance to Nepal’s new Pokhara airport, which opened last January and is equipped with aircraft maintenance hangars, they said.
"Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital," said Tej Bahadur Poudyal, the spokesman for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport.
Television visuals showed fire fighters trying to put out the blaze and thick black smoke rising into the sky. They also showed the plane flying a little above the runway and then tilting before it crashed.
Other visuals showed rescue workers rummaging through the charred remains of the plane, strewn in lush green fields. Bodies were carried to ambulances on stretchers as local residents looked on, the television showed.
The airport was closed temporarily, officials said.
A Saurya Airlines official said the plane was a 50-seater CRJ200 aircraft.
According to Flight Radar 24 flight tracking, Saurya currently operates two CRJ-200 regional jets, a programme that was owned by Canada’s Bombardier but which was bought by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020.
Saurya says it has another CRJ200 in its fleet, but it has not flown for a long time.
Bombardier referred questions about the incident to Canada-based MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ), which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Established in 2014, Saurya says on its website that it has introduced the "jet experience" on Nepal’s domestic routes and that it flies to five destinations.
Nepal has been criticised for a poor air safety record, and nearly 350 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in the Himalayan country since 2000.
The deadliest incident occurred in 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus crashed into a hillside while approaching Kathmandu, killing 167 people.
Most recently, at least 72 people were killed in a Yeti airlines crash in January 2023 that was later attributed to the pilots mistakenly cutting off power. Nepal poised for closer ties with China under new prime minister (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [7/23/2024 2:57 PM, Satoshi Iwaki, 2042K, Positive]
The return of K.P. Sharma Oli as Nepal’s prime minister may usher in an era of closer economic and military ties with China amid frayed relations with India.Oli -- who heads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or UML -- won a majority in a lower house vote of confidence and officially became prime minister on Sunday. This marks Oli’s fourth time in the role, including a stint as interim prime minister.Ousted predecessor Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a vote of confidence on July 12. Oli’s UML had left the governing coalition led by Dahal’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), the nation’s third-largest political party.Oli returned as prime minister by forming a new coalition with the Nepali Congress, the largest opposition party.Nepal transitioned to a parliamentary republic in 2008 after abolishing a 239-year-old monarchy. Political instability has since persisted, with more than 10 changes of leadership.In foreign affairs, the South Asian country has long taken a stance of nonaligned neutrality but has in many ways been caught between powerful neighbors India and China.Nepal had maintained close ties with India based on their shared Hindu culture. Residents near the border could travel between the countries without passports.In 2015, India called for the rights of Indian residents to be clearly stated in Nepal’s new constitution. Nepal did not grant this request, straining relations.India imposed an economic blockade on Nepal that September, cutting off such supplies as oil and medicine. Oli, who was prime minister at the time, took an anti-India stance. An agreement was signed with China to allow cross-border transportation using Chinese ports, drawing backlash from India.Oli has long supported China’s Belt and Road infrastructure-building initiative, and India fears that Nepal will sign a concrete project plan with China in the future.A $300 million airport in central Nepal’s Pokhara received both funding and construction workers from China. It opened in 2023 but is little used.The situation resembles that of the international port built in southern Sri Lanka’s Hambantota. Large-scale infrastructure projects developed with Chinese funds run the risk of a "debt trap" where the host country loses its interest in exchange for support."Oli has always been pro-China for a decade or so," said Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, associate fellow with the strategic studies program at the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. "It is quite obvious that there is a strong relationship between his party and the Communist Party of China."COVID-19 hit Nepal’s tourism industry hard, further boosting China’s political influence.Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently moved to strengthen defense cooperation with India’s neighbors, such as Nepal and the Maldives. A Chinese military delegation visited Nepal this March to discuss bilateral defense cooperation and the regional security situation.The Nepalese government decided in May to include a map showing disputed border areas with India as its own territory on new banknotes. India has grown increasingly wary of a Nepal that is more assertive with the backing of the Chinese military."India ... has actively tried to counter China and Chinese projects" in Nepal, said Shivamurthy, who sees India "trying to maintain a working relationship with the government" of Nepal. Sri Lanka Cuts Rate to Bolster Growth While Price Gains Slow (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/23/2024 11:01 PM, Anusha Ondaatjie, 27296K, Positive]
Sri Lanka’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rates to spur growth as inflation held below the monetary authority’s target.The Central Bank of Sri Lanka reduced the standing lending facility rate by 25 basis points to 9.25%. Only four of the 17 economists surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted the decision, with four others expecting a half-point cut and the rest penciling in a hold. The deposit facility rate was lowered to 8.25%.“The Board considered the need to signal the continuation of the eased monetary policy stance, thereby inducing a further reduction in market lending rates to support economic activity, amidst a benign inflation outlook,” the central bank said in a statement on Wednesday.Weak demand is preventing inflation from exceeding the central bank’s 5% target this year, providing space for policymakers to cut rates and support the recovery from an unprecedented economic crisis in 2022. Inflation is likely to remain below target of “by a sizable margin” for the next several months before aligning with the goal over the medium term, the central bank said. Nevertheless, the economic outlook is getting brighter. The South Asian island struck a deal to restructure $12.6 billion of bonds with its commercial creditors, bringing the nation closer to completing its debt overhaul that allows it to tap more funding from a $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. The government had already inked debt restructuring deals with official creditors, including China, India and the Paris Club as well as with the holders of its local debt.Sri Lanka is due to set the date for the presidential elections before mid-October. The distribution of the growth dividend, jobs and the impact of price gains on households are likely to be key issues for voters. Central Asia
Kazakh President Refuses To Pardon Jailed Former PM Masimov (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/23/2024 10:25 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has agreed with the presidential commission on clemencies to reject a pardon request filed by Karim Masimov, a once-powerful politician who was prime minister twice and is now serving 18 years in prison on charges of high treason and attempting to seize power during unrest in 2022.The Informburo.kz website said on July 23 that it received a statement from the presidential administration saying that Toqaev’s final decision had been delivered to Masimov.Masimov officially asked Toqaev for clemency in March.Last month, the presidential commission on clemencies said that it had decided to reject Masimov’s request and recommended Toqaev not pardon him.Officials said at the time that despite the appeal, Masimov still faced charges of bribe taking and money laundering, which were then under investigation.Masimov, a close ally of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, was jailed in April 2023 over his role in the deadly events that followed unprecedented anti-government protests in the former Soviet republic in January 2022.The unrest began in the southwestern town of Zhanaozen over a sudden fuel price hike. But the demonstrations, buffeted by anger over corruption, political stagnation, and widespread injustice, quickly grew.Much of the protesters’ ire appeared directed at Nazarbaev, who ruled Kazakhstan from 1989 until March 2019, when he handed over power to Toqaev.However, Nazarbaev was widely believed to remain in control behind the scenes.The protests were violently dispersed by police and military personnel, including troops of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization whom Toqaev invited into the country, claiming that "20,000 extremists who were trained in terrorist camps abroad" had attacked Almaty.The authorities have provided no evidence backing Toqaev’s claim about foreign terrorists.Masimov was the head of Kazakhstan’s Committee for National Security when the protests took place. What Explains the Declining Reputation of Higher Education in Uzbekistan? (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/23/2024 8:33 AM, Niginakhon Saida, 1156K, Neutral]
Demand for public tertiary education in Uzbekistan is slowly declining. This trend is partly due to the increasing number of local and international private universities along with opportunities to study abroad, and partly due to the diminishing prestige of a university degree among the youth.“Higher education in Uzbekistan was better ten years ago,” said 26-year-old Eldor from Samarkand, who decided to drop out of his master’s program at a public university despite the full scholarship he had been awarded. He explained his decision by citing the low quality of education and a lack of job prospects for graduates.
“Demand for university graduates used to be high so 90-95 percent of students knew what to do after graduation. Now, many do not understand what they want from their degree or what to do after university,” Eldor said. “For them, higher education institutions have become a store that issues diplomas. The quality of education has decreased and interest in higher education among young people is also decreasing.”The term abiturient refers to individuals who have applied or are about to apply for university admission but have not yet become a student. Entrance exams are arranged once in a year only and students are selected based on the highest scores earned by abiturients. On July 14, entrance exams for state universities began. This year, there was a record low number of applicants – 894,279 and 10 percent of them were denied seats in the exam for various reasons. To compare, in 2020, over 1.4 million applicants were registered. Over the past decade, the admission rate has increased from 9.6 percent in 2015 to 18.7 percent last year.Decreasing interest in traditional public tertiary education can be explained by a couple of factors. After the government change in 2016, the new administration’s reforms significantly impacted the education system. The number of higher education institutions in Uzbekistan surged dramatically within a few years. In 2016, there were only 77 higher education institutions. Over the next seven years, this number soared to 213 – a whopping 176.6 percent increase. This growth was achieved by establishing new public universities and branches of existing universities in new cities. Additionally, private universities were permitted, and many international universities opened campuses in Uzbekistan. Currently, there are 116 public universities, 67 private institutions, and 30 campuses of foreign universities.“Interest in higher education has decreased because it is easy to enroll. The large number of private universities leads to the idea that a university degree is easily attainable,” said Oybek Omonov, a 20-year-old graphic designer from Tashkent. Not only has the number of universities increased, but in 2017 correspondence studies and evening classes were also introduced. In correspondence studies (sirtqi ta’lim), students attend classes for a couple of weeks per semester only and are expected to self-study for the rest of the time. The reputations of both, as well as demand for their graduates, are low.“I did not get what I wanted from university studies,” continued Oybek, explaining why he dropped out of his correspondence studies at Tashkent State University of Economics, which was once recognized as one of the top regional universities in Central Asia. “I think it’s better to work on myself now and become a top specialist in my field in four years than to struggle finding a job after university.”
“I got into Sign Language’s Pedagogy program at Tashkent State Pedagogical University for evening studies,” recounted Shahzoda Azizova from Kashkadarya, who also decided against finishing her studies. “The study fee was unjustifiably high and the prospect of finding a well-paying job after graduation was low. In the regions, deaf schools operate only in the centers, and even there it is very difficult to get a job.”She also noted problems with her program. “Because it was evening studies, classes were sometimes not held,” Azizova said. “Moreover, they were more concerned about students’ uniforms and notes taken in lectures rather than their knowledge.”Corruption in the higher education system causes widespread frustration, too. Dr. Azamat Akbarov, CEO of the Silk Road Research Academy, categorized this corruption into two levels. At the lower level, corruption permeates the educational process, including admissions, entrance exams, and study exams. For instance, local news outlets frequently report on people being arrested for accepting bribes to admit applicants into state universities. At the higher level, corruption involves inspections, accreditation, allocation of quotas for universities, and funding of educational institutions.Witnessing injustice on many levels cheapens the value of education in the eyes of ordinary students.“After school, I was admitted to the most prestigious college (a pre-university education institution) in my field of interest,” said Sardor Soib, 24, who currently works in the IT department of a local mobile operator company in Tashkent. The college’s principal, he noted to demonstrate the apparent prestige of the school, was also a senator in the Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan’s parliament.
“But in practice all this meant nothing. We witnessed corruption, paper pushing, and different treatment for the rich and for ordinary students at an ‘elite’ institution. After that, I decided not to continue with traditional education and did not even apply to a university.”Study and living expenses present another obstacle for many who want a college degree. From 2019, students pay either a study fee only, or pay a higher fee but receive a monthly allowance. The lowest tuition fee nationwide is set at public universities for pedagogy, mathematics, and science majors – at 6.3 million Uzbek soms ($500) a year.Private universities, however, are accessible only to those from families with substantial incomes. While the average annual tuition ranges from $3,000 to $5,000, studying medicine at Central Asian University, for example, costs $8,000 per year.“The study fee at public universities is reasonable, especially given it is not flat for all majors,” said Eldor. “However, the fees at campuses of international universities, where students have to pay $3,000-$4,000 per year, is not justified. For Uzbekistan, given how much average families earn, there should be a $1,500 cap.” Anything more than that, he said, was profiteering. At the same time, government scholarships have significantly decreased. A decade ago, in 2015, the government supported 33 percent of new students with scholarships. Students did not pay a tuition fee and were given a monthly allowance. Last year, only 18.4 percent of freshmen started their studies without a worry of paying the bills. Correspondence and evening study students do not receive any scholarships. They are not offered a place at student dormitories nor can they get a study loan from the 2024-2025 academic year onwards. Tashkent is increasingly packed with students as the majority of universities (at least 40 percent) are located in the capital city. When newcomers cannot find an affordable place to stay, many drop their studies and return to their home regions.Another wave of diversion from public universities is due to study abroad opportunities. The number of youth who choose this path has drastically increased – from 28,100 in 2015 to 109,945 in 2021. Most of them study in neighboring Kyrgyzstan (38,857 in 2022), Kazakhstan (9,571 in 2022), Tajikistan (over 5,000 in 2023) and in Russia (48,700 in 2023) or South Korea (12,000 in 2023). The sudden increase in the number of university graduates has decreased demand for them in the job market. Just three years ago, in 2021, there were slightly over half a million students countrywide. As of 2024, their number has reached to over 1.3 million. This is the result of rapid changes with a focus on quantity rather than quality of education.
“Higher education is already devalued among young people,” concludes Eldor. “In the field of economics, accounting, [and] information communication technologies, for example, a college diploma is not required. A person with 2-6 months of course studies and work experience is more valued in the labor market than a university graduate with no experience and no solid knowledge.”Tashkent stopped issuing licenses to private universities from 2023. Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation Kungirotboy Sharipov explained that this measure was taken to prevent the proliferation of low-quality graduates and reduce the number of unemployed college alumni. Five private universities have already had their licenses taken away. Sharipov also mentioned that 20 public universities are set to be closed because only 5-10 percent of their graduates have been able to find employment.University degrees have not lost all their value yet. For many, particularly those from rural areas, a college degree is still one of the few avenues to improve their lives. However, unlike a decade ago when demand was high and supply limited, a college diploma no longer guarantees employment and the youth are skeptical of its necessity. ‘Don’t Even Whisper In Your Language’: Russian Course For Central Asians Lays Down Strict Rules (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/23/2024 4:01 PM, Babktygul Chynybaeva, 1530K, Negative]
A Russian agency is pushing new rules of conduct on Central Asian migrants that severely restrict usage of their native languages and warn them about praying in public and sacrificing animals for religious purposes.Central Asian migrants are told about the strict rules and code of behavior in a 70-minute course created by Russia’s Federal Agency of Ethnic Affairs (FADN) in seminars in certain parts of the country.It includes for them to have mandatory knowledge of the Russian language and the country’s migration laws, not to use their native language when they talk about Russians, and not to whistle at members of the opposite sex. The course also tells them "not to even whisper" in public using their mother tongue, Kommersant reported.Moreover, the common Central Asian practice of addressing people as "brother" or "sister" is said to be unacceptable when referring to Russians.Along with the language and behavioral restrictions, there are also religious limitations. The slaughtering of animals for religious worship in public will also be prohibited.In addition, the lecture -- which includes 11 animated videos with a character named Timur -- also includes a history lesson in which the migrants are told that "Central Asia’s development was significantly funded by the budget of the Soviet Union."Lecturers are also supposed to tell the migrants about the possibility of "obtaining Russian citizenship in a simplified manner" by serving in the Russian military. Warnings about consorting with extremists or people involved in terrorist activities are also given.While such behavioral regulations have not yet been made into law, some analysts told Kommersant that this "adaptation course" could become mandatory for all migrants seeking long-term residence, employment, and citizenship in Russia.Stanislav Bedkin, the deputy head of the FADN, said the course was successfully tested in four Russian regions, including Moscow. After some refinements, he said the updated course was sent out to all of the country’s regions.‘It Will Increase Corruption’Many Kyrgyz migrants in Russia only became aware of these suggested rules from online news reports. Asan, who has spent the last seven years working in Russia, says he considering going back to Kyrgyzstan or trying to go to the United States because of his concern over the reported new regulations."The laws here are changing every day. Let’s see what will happen.... They can’t fine you [yet] for speaking in Kyrgyz," he told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.Kyrgyz migrant Maksat -- whose family name was also withheld for security reasons -- thinks the new rules will increase corruption among Russian police."They will make money from migrants for something that doesn’t exist," he said. "It will increase corruption [among law enforcement]. Migrants will suffer as usual. We will remain silent as if we are in a totalitarian regime."The course has already been implemented in at least the Kaliningrad, Moscow, Perm, Yakutia, and Krasnodar regions, Kommersant reports.A representative from Kyrgyzstan’s Migrant Ministry in Russia told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service that "the new rules on the behavior of migrants are only a proposal," and the whole course is currently being studied by Kyrgyz officials.Kyrgyz lawyer Erlanbek Toktosunov, who works in Russia, agrees with the requirement for migrants to know Russian laws. But he says most of the migrants from Central Asia seeking jobs in Russia come from rural regions and don’t speak Russian."Ordinary people from the rural regions of Central Asia go [to Russia] to make a living but most of them don’t speak Russian well and they are just going to work as street sweepers or in construction," Toktosunov told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service.Could Russia Survive Without Its Migrants?According to the Russian Interior Ministry, approximately 10.5 million labor migrants -- primarily from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan -- work in Russia.Central Asia has for many years been the main source of cheap labor for Russia, crucially filling gaps in a workforce that is experiencing shortages due to the needs of the military since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.While top Russian officials are well aware of the country’s labor deficit and its negative economic impact, some regions are imposing restrictions on the employment of migrants.Some 18 regions have or are in the process of legislating a ban on migrants from jobs such as taxi driving, selling alcohol and tobacco, and working in catering and financial services. Most of these restrictions came about after the Crocus City Hall terror attack near Moscow in March that resulted in 145 deaths.Anti-migrant sentiment in Russia has been high ever since the attack, leading countries like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to warn their citizens against traveling to Russia.Since Crocus, many would-be migrants have been held in detention upon arrival in Russia and many refused entry -- despite having valid documents -- and sent back to their home countries.Even before the terror attack, migrants were often subject to cases of discrimination in Russia.Each year, Russian authorities employ extensive anti-migrant campaigns in which they conduct sweeping raids on mosques, businesses employing Central Asians, and migrant gathering places.Despite such difficulties, many Central Asians have little choice but to continue working in Russia.Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are among the poorest countries in Central Asia and the remittances from citizens of those countries working in Russia account for nearly half of those countries’ GDP. Twitter
Afghanistan
Suhail Shaheen@suhailshaheen1
[7/23/2024 2:48 PM, 732.8K followers, 41 retweets, 288 likes]
Today in Doha, I met Ambssador of Japan to Afghanistan,Kuromiya Takayoshi and discussed with him bilateral relations, ban on poppy cultivation,alterntive projects for farmers,treatment of addicts & support for prvate sector. It was a fruitful meeting and will meet from to time.
Natiq Malikzada@natiqmalikzada
[7/23/2024 6:20 AM, 40.1K followers, 25 retweets, 65 likes]
An interesting piece by Amrullah Saleh about Joe Biden’s trip to Afghanistan and a dinner banquet with Karzai Biden, having been elected as Vp under President Obama, visited Afghanistan (AFG) before his inauguration. At the time, I was the Director General of National Security in Afghanistan. A dinner was organized for him at the Arg (Presidential Palace). While I don’t remember the exact date of the dinner, Biden arrived in AFG on January 10, 2009. I believe he had meetings with American military officials before his meeting with Karzai. Almost the entire Afghanistan cabinet was present at the dinner. Biden was accompanied by several individuals, including @LindseyGrahamSC.
President Karzai, welcomed Biden. The focus of the gathering shifted to the situation in AFG. Biden made some harsh remarks. He stated, "Mr. Karzai, you seem to consider our presence as free and perpetual. If necessary, we will do whatever we want. We have an ally named Pakistan (PAK), which is fifty-two times more important and better than AFG." I don’t know where Biden got this fifty-two times calculation from, but in this meeting, President Karzai expected his cabinet to stand by him and for him to have the final word. While various members spoke, none delivered the clear and courageous words that Karzai anticipated. I was the only one who spoke plainly, but I don’t wish to delve into my personal history here.
With visible frustration and anger on his face, Karzai did what a patriot should do. Biden had placed his napkin next to his salad plate in a gesture of protest, seemingly unwilling to eat AFG food. Karzai cleared his throat and, once again welcoming Biden, delivered his message as follows:
"Mr. Biden, whether we or our country matter to you is not very important. Our country is fifty-two thousand times more important to us than PAK is to you. Afghanistan was not born with your arrival, nor will it die with your departure. Your words confirm my longstanding belief that you will never abandon your hidden compromises and expediencies with PAK. You are well aware that the real terrorists are the Pakistani military and intelligence, and you unjustly test your strength on our people. Your power doesn’t reach Pakistan, so you’ve come here under the guise of fighting terrorism to create chaos. The terrorist group is named the Quetta Shura. Your military has yet to drop a single bomb on Quetta. Mullah Omar and his associates sip green tea in homes provided by the ISI while you search for them in Kandahar. Terrorists have clear bases in Miramshah and conduct business in Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Do you believe such an extensive Taliban network in PAK operates without the Pakistani military’s knowledge? Do you think we will accept that you don’t have all this evidence? Your words clarify that our shared interests are minimal, if not non-existent. We are indebted to your aid, but that gratitude does not mean we will sacrifice our pride and history. This behavior is better suited to those incidental to history, not to a nation with a rich past. Read our history. Our current poverty is due to the misuse and false slogans of the 1980s. The corruption you mention stems from your presence and actions. Account for the money given to my government, not the funds distributed independently within your network and then recorded as our expenses. The corruption lies in your methods of expenditure and operation. Expecting me to confront my people over corruption while the biggest offenders roam freely and above the law is illogical. You are in our homeland, in our home. It’s just as well you didn’t eat the salad; Afghanistan vegetables are beautiful and colorful, but they can cause stomach aches."
When the meeting concluded, Karzai turned to the cabinet ministers and, with a hint of sarcasm, remarked, "Manhood and cowardice are determined in an instant. Go home, enjoy yourselves, and tomorrow, go to the US Embassy and tell them we do not share Karzai’s views."
Mahmoud Saikal@MahmoudSaikal
[7/22/2024 8:56 PM, 99.3K followers, 14 retweets, 39 likes]
Afghanistan has massive opium stockpiles despite Taliban ban: UN report | World News - Hindustan Times “Numerous Taliban figures are involved with & profit from continued drug trade, while the Haqqani Network maintains long-established middlemen” Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[7/23/2024 11:48 AM, 6.7M followers, 357 retweets, 1.2K likes]
I welcome the Beijing Declaration on the agreement between leading Palestinian groups to unite and form an interim unity government. I particularly applaud the People’s Republic of China for securing this important diplomatic success. For long the people of Palestine have seen nothing but pain and suffering. Today’s agreement ignites hope that lasting peace can be achieved. The world must stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and urge Israel to end its brazen violence that has destroyed Gaza and killed around 40,000 innocent Palestinians during the last ten months. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and reiterates its call for a two-state solution that creates an independent state of Palestine with pre-1967 borders and Al Quds as its capital. Unity among Palestinian factions is essential for a strong & effective voice for peace, justice & statehood. We stand with the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan@ForeignOfficePk
[7/23/2024 8:13 AM, 479.7K followers, 21 retweets, 59 likes]
The Third Round of Pakistan-Turkmenistan Bilateral Political Consultations was held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 led the Pakistan side. The Turkmenistan side was led by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov.
Ishaq Dar@MIshaqDar50
[7/23/2024 7:14 AM, 778K followers, 35 retweets, 68 likes]
Delighted to welcome Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan H. E. Rashid Meredov at @ForeignOfficePk today. We held comprehensive review of bilateral engagement and cooperation and discussed regional and global developments. Pakistan and Turkmenistan will further strengthen trade, investment and energy cooperation, and promote parliamentary exchanges, cultural relations and people-to-people contacts.
Madiha Afzal@MadihaAfzal
[7/23/2024 10:18 AM, 42.8K followers, 9 retweets, 68 likes]
PPP joins PML-N in filing a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict on PTI’s reserved seats. Self-preservation trumps democratic principles. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[7/23/2024 4:32 AM, 100.3M followers, 6.5K retweets, 28K likes]
The #BudgetForViksitBharat ensures inclusive growth, benefiting every segment of society and paving the way for a developed India. https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1vOxwrnzNkLJB
Rajnath Singh@rajnathsingh
[7/23/2024 4:11 AM, 24.2M followers, 574 retweets, 2.3K likes]
As far as the allocation to Ministry of Defence is concerned, I thank the Finance Minister for giving the highest allocation to the tune of Rs 6,21,940.85 Crore, which is 12.9 % of total Budget of GoI for FY 2024-25. The capital outlay of Rs 1,72,000 Crore will further strengthen the capabilities of Armed Forces. Earmarking of Rs, 1,05,518.43 Crore for domestic capital procurement will provide further impetus to Atmanibharta. I am pleased that Border Roads have been given 30% increase in allocation over the last budget under the capital head. This allocation of Rs 6,500 Crore to BRO will further accelerate our Border Infrastructure. To boost the startup ecosystem in Defence Industries, Rs 518 crore has been allocated to iDEX scheme to fund technological solutions given by startups, MSMEs and innovators. #BudgetForViksitBharat
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[7/23/2024 9:43 AM, 3.2M followers, 263 retweets, 1.3K likes]
Finance Minister @nsitharaman ji presented the budget of 5th largest economy in the world, the first of the NDA Government’s third term. 10 reasons why the world will appreciate it:
1 Firm focus on employment, skilling, MSMEs and middle class will help Farmers, Youth, Poor and Women in our pursuit of a Viksit Bharat.
2 Increasing productivity and resilience in agriculture: Support to climate resilient agriculture research, a new National Cooperative Policy, empowering farmers through Digital Public Infrastructure and boost to agri production in horticulture and oil seeds.
3 Employment & Skilling: Schemes for first timers, job creation in manufacturing, support to employers, participation of women in the workforce, skilling and education loans will help all stakeholders.
4 Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice: More economic opportunities for eastern India will make the region an engine to attain Viksit Bharat. Schemes for housing, banking, women-led development and tribal communities will aid in this regard.
5 Manufacturing & Services: Support for promotion of MSMEs including through credit & loans will help them grow and compete globally. Manufacturing and services will get a boost by aiding industrial parks, shipping, critical minerals mission, offshore mining and DPI.
6 Urban Development: A creative redevelopment of our cities with ‘Cities as Growth Hubs’. More infusion of resources for PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0, water supply & sanitation and support for modern street markets & weekly haats.
7 Energy Security: Push to energy transition, including support to private sector in nuclear energy, a dedicated policy for pump storage projects and support to small and medium industries in clean energy transition.
8 Resilient Infrastructure for a 21st Century India: All-weather connectivity to rural habitations, development of tourism corridors, irrigation and food mitigation initiatives and interest - free loans to states to support resource allocation. Investment in infrastructure by private sector will be promoted through viability gap funding and enabling policies and regulations.
9 Innovation, Research & Development: More push for Innovation, Research & Development through the Anusandhan National Research Fund. Venture capital fund for expanding the space economy by 5 times in the next 10 years.
10 Next Generation Reforms: For facilitating employment opportunities and sustaining high growth. Encapsulates economic policy framework, land & labour reforms, increased technology incorporation, simplifying process for FDI and ease of doing business. Together these would accelerate India’s progress and contribute to global growth.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[7/23/2024 6:01 AM, 3.2M followers, 284 retweets, 3.1K likes] Pleased to meet Chief Minister of Assam @himantabiswa in South Block today. Discussed Act East and BIMSTEC policies and how Assam can contribute to our Neighborhood First approach.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[7/23/2024 4:45 AM, 3.2M followers, 253 retweets, 2K likes]
Congratulate Finance Minister @nsitharaman for presenting a budget that advances the goal of a Viksit Bharat. It responds to the aspirations of the people who have given the NDA Government a third successive mandate. The 9 priorities highlighted by Finance Minister will contribute to India’s Comprehensive National Power. It will enhance our profile at the international stage. The Budget provides MEA resources to execute key policies including Neighbourhood First, Act East, Global South and facilities for Indians traveling abroad. #BudgetForViksitBharat
Rahul Gandhi@RahulGandhi
[7/23/2024 4:56 AM, 26.5M followers, 13K retweets, 47K likes] “Kursi Bachao” Budget.- Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states.- Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. - Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets. NSB
Awami League@albd1971
[7/23/2024 9:31 AM, 638.8K followers, 28 retweets, 87 likes]
Curfew Restrictions Further Eased In Bangladesh: In 4 districts, incl. #Dhaka, in the next 2 days, curfew shall only be in place from 5 pm to 10 am. In fact, offices and other establishments will remain open from 11 am to 3 pm. For other districts, local admin will decide needs. #Bangladesh #NewsUpdate
Awami League@albd1971
[7/23/2024 8:30 AM, 638.8K followers, 21 retweets, 65 likes]
Latest from Bangladesh on Protests and Violence: - Supreme Court verdict on quotas implemented via executive order - All deaths are regrettable. Govt to investigate all incidents of death: Information State Minister - All educational institutions to be opened as soon as possible: Education Minister - Curfew to be withdrawn as soon as things return to normal: Law Minister
#Bangladesh #QuotaReformMovement #QuotaMovement #News #NewsUpdate #BDNews #BangaldeshNews
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[7/23/2024 3:47 AM, 109K followers, 99 retweets, 106 likes]
The Vice President meets with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/31213 Maldives in USA@MDVinUSA
[7/23/2024 2:57 PM, 504 followers, 2 retweets, 1 like]
Ambassador @aghafoormohamed was pleased to meet with Ambassador Rebecca Gonzales, Director of the @StateDept Office of Foreign Missions (OFM), today. Their discussions reflected the strong ongoing relations between the Maldives and the US following the opening of embassies in their respective capitals.
Moosa Zameer@MoosaZameer
[7/23/2024 9:50 PM, 13.6K followers, 25 retweets, 31 likes]
Departing China after a successful Official Visit. Held productive talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on key infrastructure projects, economic collaboration, and fiscal reforms. Met with senior government officials and representatives from key Chinese companies. Delighted to have witnessed the signing of the Letters of Exchange on the Feasibility Study for the Redevelopment of Malé and Villimalé Roads Project. We are committed to enhance the longstanding partnership between our two nations.
Moosa Zameer@MoosaZameer
[7/23/2024 9:32 PM, 13.6K followers, 35 retweets, 48 likes]
It was a pleasure to meet His Excellency Wang Fukang, the former Ambassador of China to the Maldives. During our conversation, we reflected on his tenure in the Maldives, where he witnessed the construction of the iconic China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. This landmark project remains a testament to the strong and enduring relations between our two nations.
Moosa Zameer@MoosaZameer
[7/23/2024 5:54 AM, 13.6K followers, 79 retweets, 94 likes]
Had a fruitful meeting with Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) today, where we discussed key infrastructure projects. Delighted to have witnessed the signing of the Letter of Exchange on the Feasibility Study for the Redevelopment of Malé and Villimalé Roads Project, a key pledge of President Dr @MMuizzu’s Government.
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[7/23/2024 12:42 PM, 258.7K followers, 11 retweets, 56 likes]
Updates on Nepali students in Bangladesh: Today, 47 Nepali students arrived from Bangladesh via TIA. The Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka has been coordinating with relevant agencies to facilitate the travel of those students who are willing to come back to Nepal.
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[7/23/2024 12:42 PM, 258.7K followers, 7 retweets, 17 likes]
Till today, around 1400 students have arrived back from Bangladesh. @Arzuranadeuba @sewa_lamsal @gsbbhandari
M U M Ali Sabry@alisabrypc
[7/23/2024 4:07 AM, 5.9K followers, 10 retweets, 52 likes]
A joint Cabinet Paper presented by Ministers Ali Sabry, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe & Jeevan Thondaman apologising for the grievance caused to the Sri Lankan Muslim community due to the cremation of bodies during the Covid-19 pandemic, approved by the Cabinet - Cabinet spokesman-
Harsha de Silva@HarshadeSilvaMP
[7/23/2024 5:20 AM, 356.3K followers, 9 retweets, 49 likes]
The @PodujanaParty Gov of @RW_UNP is of the view that by submitting in @ParliamentLK COPF report on IVS GBS VFS visa matter I have breached their privilege and that I have committed an offence punishable by Supreme Court. I totally reject this allegation. Will respond accordingly
Shehan Semasinghe@ShehanSema
[7/23/2024 10:41 PM, 13.8K followers, 4 retweets, 20 likes]
Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves of USD 5.6 billion as of June 2024, including the swap facility from the People’s Bank of China, highlight the country’s efforts to stabilize the economy, manage external vulnerabilities and enhance confidence in the economy. The is pivotal in maintaining currency stability, supporting trade and investment, and ensuring the country can meet its international obligations. Additionally, continuous efforts are needed to sustain and grow reserves through sound economic policies and reforms. Central Asia
Leila Nazgul Seiitbek@l_seiitbek
[7/23/2024 11:40 AM, 3.6K followers, 4 retweets, 5 likes]
Supreme Court of Uzbekistan denied the revision appeal of Karakalpak lawyer and human rights defender Dauletmurat Tajimuratov. No surprise here. Nevertheless, frustrating.{End of Report} To subscribe to the SCA Morning Press Clips, please email SCA-PressOfficers@state.gov. Please do not reply directly to this email.