epubdos : Afghanistan
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO:
SCA & Staff
DATE:
Thursday, June 20, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Taliban accuse UN human rights expert on Afghanistan of undermining Doha meeting (VOA)
VOA [6/19/2024 3:25 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Neutral]
Afghanistan’s Taliban have labeled the latest United Nations report on alleged human rights violations as an attempt to “tarnish perceptions” in the lead-up to this month’s international meeting to discuss the crisis-ridden country.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, emphasized Wednesday the need for “constructive and positive engagement” between their government and the international community.

His response came a day after Richard Bennett, the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, alleged that the Taliban’s “pattern of systematic violations of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights” has intensified.

Bennett presented his hard-hitting report on Tuesday to a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, demanding that those responsible for Afghan human rights abuses be held to account.

“Some members of the United Nations, particularly the report by Richard Bennett, are attempting to tarnish perceptions ahead of the upcoming Doha meeting,” Mujahid stated. “Unfortunately, certain individuals within the United Nations are constantly trying to present a distorted image of Afghanistan and overshadow significant progress with a few limited issues,” he added.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called a two-day conference of international envoys on Afghanistan in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on June 30.

The Taliban will attend for the first time in what will be the third meeting hosted by the Gulf state since Guterres initiated the process over a year ago. The U.N.-led dialogue is aimed at establishing a coherent and unified global approach to engagement with the de facto Afghan government, which has yet to be formally recognized by the world.

Bennett said Tuesday it is essential that Afghan civil society, including women human rights defenders, meaningfully participate in the third Doha meeting and that women’s and girls’ rights be addressed both directly and within thematic discussions.

"It is hoped that reality will be understood, and a constructive stance will be adopted,” Mujahid said Wednesday.

Human rights groups have criticized the U.N. for inviting the Taliban to the Doha huddle rather than holding them accountable for “crimes” against Afghan women and girls. They also have expressed concerns that, unlike the previous two Doha meetings, Afghan civil society and human rights activists would be kept from the upcoming session under pressure from the Taliban.

On Tuesday, Farhan Haq, the U.N. deputy spokesperson, defended the decision to invite the Taliban to the third Doha conference. He would not say, however, whether Afghan civil society representatives will have a session with representatives of the de facto government.

“At this stage, the arrangements for the conference are still ongoing," Haq told a news conference in New York.

“This is a key concern, and we want to make sure that the rightful role of women in society is respected in Afghanistan, as it needs to be everywhere in the world,” he said when asked whether the U.N. would support Bennett’s call for the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” to be codified as a crime against humanity.

“Well, I just want to underscore that we treat them as the de facto authorities on the ground. They are not treated as the recognized government of Afghanistan,” Haq explained when asked whether the U.N. would follow Bennett’s advice not to treat the Taliban as a legitimate government or allow them to dictate the terms of the U.N.-hosted meetings.

Guterres did not invite the Taliban to the first Doha meeting in May 2023, and the de facto Afghan rulers refused to join the second in February unless their delegates could be accepted as the sole representatives of Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry announced on Sunday that it has decided to send its delegation to the third Doha meeting after two months of discussions with the U.N. regarding the agenda and participation list. “If there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision, which we will share with all sides at that time,” it stated.

The Taliban returned to power in Kabul almost three years ago, imposing sweeping retractions on Afghan women’s rights and freedom of movement in line with their harsh interpretation of Islam.

Girls aged 12 and older are banned from attending secondary school, and women are prohibited from working in public and private sectors, including the U.N., except for Afghan health care and a few other departments. Females are not allowed to travel long distances by road or air unless accompanied by a male relative, and they are banned from visiting public places such as parks, gyms and bathhouses.

The Taliban dismiss international criticism of their governance and calls for reversing curbs on women as an interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
UN expert condemns Taliban ‘crimes’ against Afghan women, girls (VOA)
VOA [6/18/2024 12:01 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
The United Nations human rights expert for Afghanistan warned Tuesday against sidelining the rights and voices of women at an upcoming international meeting with the country’s fundamentalist Taliban leaders.

The special rapporteur, Richard Bennett, issued the warning while presenting his latest report on the Taliban’s allegedly intensifying rights violations against Afghan women and girls to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“Following extensive research, consultation, and analysis, it finds that the Taliban’s institutionalized system of gender oppression established and enforced through its violations of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights is widespread and systematic and appears to constitute an attack on the entire civilian population, amounting to crimes against humanity,” Bennett reported.

"The gravity and scale of the crimes can’t be overstated. We have a collective responsibility to challenge and dismantle this appalling system and to hold those responsible to account,” said the U.N. expert.

Bennett shared his findings as the U.N. prepares to host a two-day meeting of international envoys on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, commencing June 30. The Taliban will attend for the first time what will be the third Doha conference since U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the process more than a year ago.

Afghan civil society groups and representatives reportedly have not been invited to the third Doha huddle, even though they attended the second this past February. The Taliban refused to join those discussions unless their delegates could be accepted as the sole representatives of Afghanistan.

Guterres rejected the Taliban’s demands in a post-meeting news conference. The U.N. has stated that the Doha process is aimed at developing a coherent and unified world approach to engagement with the Taliban.

Bennett said Tuesday the upcoming meeting presents an important opportunity to affirm that civil society, including women, are "meaningful participants" and that women’s rights are central to discussions.

“The Taliban are not recognized as a government and should not be treated as such. They must not be allowed to dictate the terms of U.N.-hosted meetings,” Bennett said.

“Failure to learn the lessons of the past and sidelining human rights could have devastating and long-lasting consequences,” he added. “The Taliban’s institutionalization of its system of gender oppression should shock the conscience of humanity.”

The Taliban have dismissed international criticism of their governance, including restrictions on women’s access to education and employment, saying their policies are aligned with Afghan culture and their harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

On Sunday, the Taliban’s foreign ministry spokespersons formally confirmed that its delegation would attend the third Doha conference.

“The agenda and participation list of the upcoming Doha meeting shared with the Islamic Emirate after two months of discussions with the U.N., it was decided in principle to participate in the said meeting,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi said. He used the official title of their men-only government, which is yet to be recognized by the world.

“If there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision, which we will share with all sides at that time,” Balkhi cautioned.

Bennett urged the international community to use an “all-tools approach” centered on justice and accountability, incorporating human rights and women’s voices in political processes and diplomatic engagement while dealing with the Taliban.

“It’s incumbent on us all to take decisive action to stand with Afghan women and girls, hold the perpetrators accountable, and restore dignity, equality, and justice for all.”

The Taliban stormed back to power in Afghanistan almost three years ago, banning girls ages 12 and older from attending secondary school. They have also barred women from working in public and private sectors, including the U.N, except for Afghan health care and a few other departments.

Women are not allowed to travel long distances by road or air unless accompanied by a male relative and are banned from visiting public places such as parks, gyms, and bathhouses.

The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 led to the worsening of economic and humanitarian conditions in the impoverished country of more than 40 million people, which is reeling from years of war and the devastation of natural disasters.
‘Systematic Discrimination’: Taliban’s Drastic Cut In Salaries Of Female State Employees Triggers Anger (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/18/2024 9:58 AM, Abubakar Siddique, 1530K, Negative]
Shugufta, an elementary school teacher, earned around $300 per month under the previous Western-backed Afghan government.

But after the Taliban seized power in 2021, the extremist group cut the salaries of female government employees by half.

Despite her lower income, Shugufta was relieved to work as the country grappled with an economic meltdown after the Taliban takeover.

The hard-line Islamist group has barred thousands of women employed by the previous government from returning to their jobs. Only women whose jobs cannot be done by men according to the militants’ strict interpretation of Shari’a law -- including doctors, nurses, and teachers -- have been permitted to work.

But in a major blow, the Taliban-led government last week issued a decree that set the monthly salaries of all female government employees at 5,000 afghanis, or around $70, regardless of their job, qualifications, or experience.

For many women, that means a drop of up to 75 percent in their wages at a time when Afghanistan is grappling with mass unemployment and rising poverty.

"It is impossible to live on this income," Shugufta’s mother, Saliha, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. "Our financial problems have skyrocketed."

The decision has been condemned by Afghan and international rights activists, who said the move illustrated the Taliban’s discrimination against women.

Female state employees, some of whom are sole breadwinners, said they will struggle to feed their families.

The Taliban’s decision came ahead of Eid al-Adha on June 17, one of the biggest holidays of the Islamic calendar.

"The Taliban didn’t listen to our pleas to pay us our full salaries this month," said Muzhda, a female government employee from the western city of Herat.

Muzhda told Radio Azadi that she did not know how she would be able to afford rent, food, and medicine for her family, who depend on her income.

Afghanistan has been gripped by the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Millions of Afghans are on the verge of starvation, according to the United Nations.

Nazifa Haqpal, a British-based Afghan researcher, said the Taliban’s decision to halve the salaries of female public workers "constitutes systematic discrimination."

"Women who work in government institutions and important fields like medicine are earning less while their male colleagues are receiving a higher salary," she told Radio Azadi.

Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said the "discriminatory and profoundly arbitrary decision further deepens the erosion of human rights in Afghanistan."

In a June 13 statement, he called on the Taliban to "rescind all laws, instructions, edicts, and other measures that discriminate against women and girls."

During its nearly three years in power, the militant group has severely curtailed women and girls’ appearances, freedom of movement, and right to work and study.

Saji Behgam, an Afghan women’s rights activist, said the Taliban’s decision will cripple women-led households, including widows.

"Where should these women go?" she told Radio Azadi. "Should they just commit suicide?"
How the Taliban adds to Afghanistan’s woes when it comes to climate-fueled disasters (NPR)
NPR [6/18/2024 9:18 AM, Ruchi Kumar, 11K, Negative]
“I lost two of my sons who drowned. I also lost over 400 livestock and my entire crops of wheat and corn,” says Haji Ghulam, a 43-year-old farmer in Afghanistan’s northern province of Baghlan. “These floods have ruined us.”

Since March, flash floods have inundated several parts of Afghanistan, reaching disastrous levels in May. Ghulam’s sons were among the 347 people killed in Baghlan province, while more than 5,000 families have been displaced, according to the Afghan Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation.

In other western and northern provinces, the U.N. has documented more than 60,000 people affected in a span of roughly two weeks, from May 8 to 20. There are reports of significant damage to thousands of acres of farmland and livestock as well as the destruction of more than 15,000 homes, prompting the World Health Organization to warn of potential epidemiological outbreaks.

Afghanistan was one of three countries whose natural disasters were assessed in a new report, released this month, from World Weather Attribution. The other two: Iran and Pakistan. This trio was selected because of the severe humanitarian impacts they’ve suffered due to flooding, drought and heat, says Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London

Of the three, she says, Afghanistan has a more difficult time addressing the crisis for a variety of reasons: the sanctions against the Taliban government have put a huge dent in international aid and the country has one of the world’s highest number of internally displaced people due to internal conflict as well as climate-related disasters – nearly 6 million. “When you are living in a camp, you are much more exposed to the impact of flash floods,” Otto notes.

The report from the team of climate scientists notes that “April-May rainfall in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan has become about 25% heavier in the last 40 years, increasing the risk of devastating flash floods.”

“This year’s floods were unprecedented,” says Hedayatullah Hamdard, a Taliban official who is director of the National Disaster Management Agency in Baghlan province. “Our teams are working with the help of other organizations and NGOs to help rescue people and also provide for their needs.”

Hamdard said the floods had even wreaked havoc on some of the infrastructure designed to prevent them. “The floods were so strong that they have destroyed canals and small dams that were used to direct excess rainwater,” he says,

Even as the Taliban government in Afghanistan and international NGOs scramble to support flood victims, climate experts warn that the disasters are far from over. Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns have escalated climate-related crises, and Afghanistan is not equipped to deal with the looming catastrophes.

With the dwindling of international support after the Taliban takeover, critical climate adaptation projects have suffered.

“Almost 95% of the previous climate adaptation projects -- approximately worth $826 million -- have been suspended, including irrigation projects, renewable energy and others that can help Afghans cope with climate shocks,” says Assem Mayar, an expert in water resource management who is from Afghanistan and is now on staff at Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research.

Most of the suspended projects were being implemented jointly with the previous government of Afghanistan, but the international community is reluctant to pursue similar partnerships with the Taliban, which has a history of restricting women’s rights and freedoms.

“Afghanistan still receives some amount from EU and U.N. projects, but this is less than 10% of the previous aid,” Mayar says. “It has left Afghans weaker, vulnerable and more exposed to the hazards of climate events.”

IMC has also experienced a drop in funding, especially for its climate projects in Afghanistan. "Because of the sanctions, some donors are reluctant to put funding in, let’s say, constructing water systems, which is sometimes considered development activities and not humanitarian assistance,” Kassas explains. The sanctions allow funding only for humanitarian projects.

In addition to decreased funding and a loss of technical support, the the country has experienced a massive brain drain since the Taliban takeover, with all kinds of losses that affect climate crises: disaster management professionals, researchers and trained rescue personnel.

Combined, these shortfalls have exacerbated the toll of disasters, says specialists who focus on Afghanistan.

“The [previous] government was often under enormous public and media pressure in such situations, but now nobody [in Afghanistan] dares to criticize Taliban for their poor disaster management and response,” says Najibullah Sadid, a water resources and climate scientist at the University of Stuttgart. And while the previous government was far from capable in dealing with disasters, Sadid says, they “were more prepared with human and capital resources than the current authority.”

In earlier floods, survivors could be rescued by military and security personnel, says Sadid. He notes that Afghanistan no longer has fully functioning air capabilities.

Sadid points out another challenge: “There are very few local flood response units that can reach people in the early hours of the event, which is critical to saving lives.”

Aside from the statements by Hedayatullah Hamdard of the National Disaster Management Agency, officials in Kabul, including staff of the National Environmental Protection Agency, did not reply to NPR requests for additional comment.

A call for help

As the country braces for more predicted floods in the coming weeks, scientists and experts are urging the international community to step up and support vulnerable Afghans.

“The international community bears also the responsibility for climate shocks in Afghanistan,” Sadid says. “The longer we wait for an ideal government in Kabul, the worse the condition will get, and the outcomes of these climate disasters will accumulate for the future.” Both Sadid and Mayar suggested channeling the funds directly to Afghans — cash aid to families, support for local communities to build and maintain canals -- bypassing the Taliban where feasible.

Mayar likened climate change to a virus that can spread quickly through an entire community. “While the stronger can resist long enough and even recover from its impact, it will kill those who are weakest first,” he says. “Afghans are the weakest members of the global community.”

‘‘We feel a sense of dread’

Despite being on the front lines, awareness about climate change remains very low among Afghans. Ghulam, the farmer, doesn’t know much about it, but he has noticed a significant drop in his crop yields over the years. Sometimes it’s less than half of what it was two decades ago. “But these changes are from God’s side,” he says, defeatedly.

Ghulam says that the village that was once his home, his ancestral land and the birthplace of his 10 children, now lies in ruins. Although he has received financial support from the Taliban government to compensate for his loss, Ghulam is unsure if he will be able to fully recover from this trauma.

“We are afraid to rebuild here,” he says, urging the government to relocate him and other affected families to safer regions. “Every time the sky turns dark again, we feel a sense of dread that maybe there is another storm coming that will take away what it missed the first time.”
Pakistan
Afghan refugees’ problems in Pakistan compounded by fear of deportation (VOA)
VOA [6/19/2024 6:50 PM, Roshan Noorzai and Muska Safi, 4032K, Negative]
Every morning, Zakira prepares Afghan dumplings known as mantu and waits for her sons Arsalan, 12, and Alyan, 10, to return from school when they take the mantu to the nearby streets to sell.

"As refugees in Pakistan, this is how we earn a living," said 38-year-old Zakira, who goes by her first name, adding that her husband, a laborer, "can’t often find a job."

Zakira, a teacher, told VOA she can’t find a job in Pakistan because of her refugee status, and that is why her children work.

"It is difficult to see them selling food on the street instead of playing like other kids," she said. "But how will we pay the bills if they don’t work?"

Zakira and her husband hold Afghan citizen cards issued in 2017 by Pakistan to Afghan refugees. More than 800,000 of the 3.1 million Afghan refugees have the cards.

"There are no benefits in having these cards, as no one would give me a job with it," Zakira said.

Another 1.35 million are registered as Afghan refugees, while more than 800,000 Afghans in Pakistan are undocumented.

Around 600,000 new arrivals were in the country before the Pakistani government started deporting undocumented Afghan refugees.

Deportations started last year

Pakistan began deporting undocumented Afghan refugees last September. According to the United Nations, about 575,000 refugees were returned, of whom 89% were undocumented.

Many of the documented refugees are also afraid, as local media reported in March that the government of Pakistan was preparing for the repatriation of Afghan citizen cardholders.

Loqman Jalal, 27, who was born in Pakistan and holds a citizen card, told VOA that Afghan refugees, whether documented or undocumented, fear deportation.

"There is fear that in the second phase, Pakistan will deport refugees holding ACC and then PoR [proof of registration] holders," said Jalal, a father of three who is concerned about their future.

In April, Pakistan extended the proof of registration cards for Afghan refugees to June 30.

The U.N., however, said an extension of three months would not lessen the uncertainty the Afghan refugees are facing in Pakistan.

Jalal said that the uncertainty makes it difficult for Afghan refugees in Pakistan "to live a normal life."

"Everything changed for us after the regime change [Taliban’s takeover] in Afghanistan. We face many problems including the possibility of being deported," he said.

In May, the U.N. said it assisted the return of 18,700 refugees from Pakistan in the first quarter of 2024, a 14-fold increase from the same period in 2023.

"Fear of arrest/deportation, abuse by police or state authorities related to the proof of registration cards extension in Pakistan, no added protection value of the PoR card, and night raids" were some of the reasons, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Sophie Jambazishvili, a senior protection officer for UNHCR in Kabul, told VOA that individuals with PoR cards, UNHRC asylum-seeker certificate holders and ACC holders were included among the refugees forcibly deported to Afghanistan.

"We have seen quite a variety of individuals with different legal backgrounds," Jambazishvili said about those deported by Pakistani authorities.

She said that Pakistan has not started the second phase of deportations, which will include the ACC holders.

"I have to say that we thought that would start. Thankfully, it has not yet fully been implemented," she said.

‘Nothing left in Afghanistan’

Many refugees, including Zakira, fear that Pakistan will start deporting registered refugees.

She said that after living for decades in Pakistan, they have "nothing left in Afghanistan."

"I am sad for my children. If deported, I don’t know what would happen to them."
Pakistani Journalists Hold Protest After Funeral For Colleague Killed By Gunmen (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/19/2024 1:36 PM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Reporters in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province protested on June 19 after a fellow journalist was shot and killed by unidentified armed men.

The protest took place after the funeral for the journalist, Khalil Afridi, who worked for Pashto-language Khyber TV. He also served twice as president of the local press club in Landi Kotal, a Pakistani town near Torkham. In addition to working as a journalist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Afridi was a civil society activist.

More than 1,000 people from the area and other members of the community were present for Afridi’s funeral in Landi Kotal.

Shams Mohmand, the head of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Association, told reporters after the funeral that the association would hold another demonstration on June 21 at Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber Gate) to demand the safety and security of journalists.

Police said Afridi was killed on June 18 at around 10 p.m. local time when his car was stopped by hooded armed men who opened fire. Afridi died at the scene, while a friend who was also in the car, was injured, police officer Sajid Afridi, who is not related to the victim, told RFE/RL.

Police said Afridi and his friend had gone to a flood site and were attacked on their way home. No one has claimed responsibility for his death.

His family and officials said gunmen had been threatening him for a long time, and his family said he had been attacked by gunmen in the past. Afridi’s family said someone planted a bomb under his car on November 24, 2017. It failed to detonate, but on the same day he and four other journalists were arrested by the militia forces and held against their will for a few days.

Domestic and international media watchdogs have called Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

The Freedom Network, a nongovernmental organization working for media freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan, said in its annual report on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, that there had been an increase in threats to journalists and media in the country.

The report said that four journalists were killed in Pakistan between May 2023 and April 2024, adding that their deaths were among 104 cases of violence against journalists and media workers in Pakistan during the period.

The government has repeatedly insisted that there is a free media in the country and that all citizens have the right to freedom of expression.

The government passed a law in 2021 on the protection of journalists, under which the government is to take appropriate measures against all forms of harassment, violence, and abuse of reporters and media workers.
India
India and US to Strengthen High Technology Cooperation (VOA)
VOA [6/18/2024 6:54 AM, Anjana Pasricha, 4032K, Neutral]
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his third term in office, India and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation in high technology areas during a visit by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to New Delhi.

Sullivan met Modi, the Indian foreign minister and his Indian counterpart during the visit that reaffirmed both countries will pursue closer ties.

“India is committed to further strengthen the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership for global good,” Modi wrote on X after meeting Sullivan on Monday.

The main focus of Sullivan’s visit was to hold discussion with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on a landmark initiative launched by the two countries in January last year to collaborate more closely in high-technology areas including defense, semiconductors, 5G wireless networks and artificial intelligence.

The initiative, launched with an eye to countering China, marks a significant push in tightening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

“The visit by Sullivan in the early days of Modi’s new administration signals that the U.S. wants to maintain the momentum in the high technology partnership between the two countries,” according to Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.

A joint fact sheet by the two countries following Sullivan’s meeting with Doval said that they launched a new strategic semiconductor partnership between U.S. and Indian companies for precision-guided ammunition and other national security-focused electronics platforms.

They also agreed to co-invest in a lithium resource project in South America and a rare earths deposit in Africa "to diversify critical mineral supply chains" and discussed possible co-production of land warfare systems, according to the fact sheet.

Growing the domestic defense manufacturing sector remains a top focus for the Modi administration as it looks to lower its dependence on imported arms. Although India has diversified its imports of military equipment, it is still heavily reliant on Russia.

For India, the technology initiative is a top priority as it looks to strengthen the country’s security and build its capabilities in high technology areas.

“India wants to become one of the leading countries in cutting edge technologies and it is of great benefit for New Delhi to partner the U.S. which is the leader in these areas,” said Joshi. “The idea is to get into co-production, co-development, innovation and attract American companies to set up bases here.”

Sullivan also met Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar, who has been retained as the external affairs minister in Modi’s new administration, signaling a continuation in the country’s foreign policy. “Confident that India-US strategic partnership will continue to advance strongly in our new term," Jaishankar wrote on X.

In Washington, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters Monday that India and the U.S. “share a unique bond of friendship and Mr. Sullivan’s trip to India will further deepen the already strong U.S.-India partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

New Delhi’s ties with Washington have expanded in recent years amid mutual concerns in both countries about an assertive China -- India’s military standoff with Beijing along their disputed Himalayan borders remains unresolved four years after a clash between their troops.

As Sullivan visited India, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, charged with trying to hire a hitman to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in the U.S., appeared in court in New York Monday following his extradition from the Czech Republic. The alleged plan was foiled.

Allegations by U.S. prosecutors of the involvement of an Indian government official in the plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, have raised concerns about a strain in bilateral ties.

The U.S. allegations followed accusations leveled by Canada in September of involvement of Indian nationals in the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader.

India, which views Sikh separatist groups overseas as security threats, has denied its involvement in both the killing in Canada and the alleged plot in the U.S. But it said it has set up an inquiry committee to examine the information provided by Washington.

Analysts in New Delhi say ties are unlikely to be adversely impacted by the alleged murder plot. “The U.S. is quite pragmatic on these matters. They are continuing to stress that ties with India are important, so I don’t think a failed conspiracy will derail ties,” Joshi said.
US, India vow to increase defense, trade ties (The Hill)
The Hill [6/18/2024 11:54 AM, Sarah Fortinsky, 18752K, Neutral]
The United States and India committed to increasing cooperation with each other on technology and defense innovation and said they would take steps to reduce “long-standing barriers” to bilateral strategic trade, according to a joint fact sheet released Monday.

The statement, approved by both governments, comes as national security adviser Jake Sullivan travels to India this week for the first high-profile meeting between officials in the two countries since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won reelection earlier this month.

Sullivan met with Ajit Doval, Indian national security adviser, Monday in New Delhi to co-chair the second meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which they announced in 2022.

The statement touted progress on “deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors including space, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy.”

“Our work also continues to be anchored in a shared commitment to ensuring that technology is designed, developed and deployed in a manner consistent with our democratic values and respect for universal human rights, as well as a recognition that the future security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific will hinge on the strength of the U.S.-India partnership,” according to the joint statement.

Sullivan and Doval said that going forward the countries will focus their technology innovation on “co-production, co-development, and research and development (R&D) opportunities” and will enhance coordination with other “like-minded nations.”

They said in the coming months they will “take concrete action” to “address long-standing barriers to bilateral strategic trade, technology, and industrial cooperation, including in the commercial and civil space sector.”

Without naming countries specifically, the top national security officials said they would work to “prevent the leakage of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern.”

The trip comes as President Biden seeks to build on strategic ties between the countries, especially since Modi won his third term in office. The two countries identify China as a shared economic threat in the region.

“The friendship between our nations is only growing as we unlock a shared future of unlimited potential,” Biden said in a statement after Modi won the election, congratulating him on the win.

Modi, in turn, thanked his “friend President Joe Biden,” adding at the time he deeply values “his warm words of felicitations and his appreciation for the Indian democracy.”

The relationship between the two countries faced a potential stress test recently, after the U.S. government accused an unidentified Indian government official of hiring Indian national Nikhil Gupta to orchestrate a plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader on American soil. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is also a U.S. citizen, is a vocal critic of the Indian government, which considers him a terrorist.

The assassination plot was foiled by U.S. officials, and Gupta was arrested last year in Prague. On Friday, Gupta was extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States to face charges of murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek said Monday.

A group of Democratic senators on Monday urged the State Department to increase pressure on the Indian government in response to “credible allegations” that it was involved in the assassination plot. They called for “strong diplomatic response to ensure that all of those who were involved are held accountable.”
Biden’s awkward week with India draws scrutiny — and possible solutions (Politico)
Politico [6/18/2024 5:40 PM, Matt Berg, 18.9M, Neutral]
The Biden administration is strengthening ties with New Delhi this week, which has drawn some scrutiny from lawmakers as a trial involving an alleged murder-for-hire plot linked to an Indian official plays out in the United States.

On Monday and Tuesday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other U.S. officials visited India to shore up ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on emerging technology. At the same time, the court case — stemming from an alleged foiled assassination plot on American soil — is underway in the United States.

In November, U.S. prosecutors alleged that an Indian security official directed a plan to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City. The suspect was extradited to the U.S. this week and pleaded not guilty on Monday. So far, the Biden administration has not taken steps to punish India, despite subsequent reports further implicating the Indian government in the scheme.

The inaction is likely because Washington has attempted to grow closer to India in the past few years, viewing New Delhi as a crucial counterbalance to China and Russia, experts say.

“Strategic imperatives loom large, given a strong shared interest in countering China, so the administration will proceed cautiously,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. “I don’t anticipate any punishment or even consideration of punishment for now.”

The U.S. wouldn’t be making defense agreements with India if it were “considering significant options related to the assassination attempt,” said Rick Rossow, chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But there’s an obscure law the Biden administration could invoke that would uphold military consequences for India and other countries that conduct nefarious plots on American soil.

If President Joe Biden wanted to send a strong warning to India without damaging ties, experts say, he could use Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act. That prohibits U.S. arms sales to countries determined to be “engaged in a consistent pattern of acts of intimidation or harassment directed against individuals in the United States.”

There’s little precedent around implementing the law, even though it’s been on the books for decades, said John Chappell, an adviser on legal and policy issues at the Center for Civilians in Conflict. Last year, a Government Accountability Office report found no indication that the law has ever been applied or even considered in the past.

“The scenario that could be most damaging for the relationship, including impacts on arms sales, is if India tries another extrajudicial killing on U.S. soil,” Kugelman added. “It’s a scenario that’s low likelihood but high risk for the relationship.”

Lawmakers and analysts aren’t calling on the White House to immediately halt arms sales to India. After all, the law calls for shipments to stop if there’s a consistent pattern of behavior — not a single assassination plot.

But going forward, the U.S. should explicitly notify every purchaser of American arms about the law, which would effectively send the message: “Do not let us catch you doing any of the following ever again,” said a person close to the matter, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic.

On Monday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and four other senators called for a “strong diplomatic response” from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and requested a briefing with the Biden administration on their talks with India about the matter.

While tightening ties with India is important, “that doesn’t mean you don’t apply your own laws when there’s been an attempt to assassinate a U.S. citizen,” Van Hollen told

But there are no signs the White House wants to use the lesser-known law. The Biden administration has maintained that India is taking the matter seriously and is investigating, and stands firm that the U.S. expects accountability.

Warning India of the law might cause some tension at first, the person close to the matter said. In the long run, however, it would pay dividends for the White House in preventing future plots from going unpunished.

“The only reason any country tries to kill people in the United States is that they think they can get away with it,” the person said.
Nancy Pelosi Meets With Dalai Lama, Despite China’s Criticism (New York Times)
New York Times [6/18/2024 4:14 PM, Mujib Mashal and Hari Kumar, 831K, Neutral]
A high-level U.S. congressional delegation, including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with the Dalai Lama at his Indian home on Wednesday, a visit that was condemned in advance by China’s government, which considers the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader a separatist.

The delegation, led by Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, arrived on Tuesday in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has lived since the 1960s. The delegation visited the offices of the Tibetan government in exile, which is pushing for autonomy for Tibet within China.

The trip comes days after Congress passed a bill with bipartisan support that urged China to start dialogue with Tibetan leaders to find a solution to the longstanding conflict.

China’s criticism of the visit was immediate and unsurprising. Its leaders consider the government in exile illegal and regard any support for the cause of autonomy for Tibet, which they call Xizang, as interference in internal Chinese matters.

“We urge the U.S. side to fully recognize the anti-China separatist nature of the Dalai group, honor the commitments the U.S. has made to China on issues related to Xizang, stop sending the wrong signal to the world,” the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement on Tuesday night.

At a public function on Wednesday after the meeting with the Dalai Lama, Mr. McCaul said Chinese officials had sent the delegation a letter “warning us not to come here.” He said the United States stood with Tibet in what he called its right to self-determination. “America, the beautiful, will support Tibet to remain a powerful force as always,” he said.

U.S. officials have often met with the Dalai Lama, 88. Ms. Pelosi’s presence in the delegation, however, brought reminders of her 2022 trip to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its territory, when she was still speaker of the House.

That contentious visit, which raised fears within the Biden administration of further deteriorating an already frosty relationship with Beijing, led to a sharp response from China, including trade restrictions on Taiwan and military exercises near the island.

The visit to India also comes as Washington and New Delhi deepen their relationship, motivated in part by the perception of a shared Chinese threat. Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, is in New Delhi this week, holding multiple rounds of talks with Indian officials on expanding defense and technology cooperation.

Those extensive discussions, coming weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term in office, indicate how much Washington prioritizes the relationship with India, with American officials increasingly speaking of New Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing.

Tenzin Lekshay, a spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administration, the government in exile, said that Tibet’s situation should not be seen through “the lens of increasing rivalry between the U.S. and China,” but as a reminder of how the Tibetan way of life “is facing an existential threat” as China assimilates the region.

“We do hope that leaders of the free world will stand for the Tibet cause, particularly stressing the Chinese leadership to reinstall the dialogue to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict,” Mr. Lekshay said.
US lawmakers meet with Dalai Lama in India’s Dharamshala, sparking anger from China (AP)
AP [6/19/2024 6:01 AM, Ashwini Bhatia and Krutika Pathi, 31180K, Neutral]
A bipartisan United States congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama Wednesday at his residence in India’s Dharamshala, sparking anger from China which views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist.

This comes as Washington and Beijing have recently restarted talks after several years of turmoil that began after the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods under the Trump administration. Relations at the time deteriorated even more following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising military tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The high-level delegation, led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul and including Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arrived Tuesday at the hillside town, which the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has made his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. There, they met with officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile, which wants more autonomy for Tibet.

Beijing doesn’t recognize said administration and hasn’t held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.

After meeting the spiritual leader on Wednesday, the seven U.S. lawmakers addressed hundreds who had gathered at a monastery just outside the 88-year-old Dalai Lama’s residence, waving American and Tibetan flags.

They told the crowd that a key focus of their visit was to underscore the Resolve Tibet Act, passed by the U.S. Congress last week, and aims to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials with the hopes of finding a peaceful resolution between Tibet and Beijing. The bill should now be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into a law.

Pelosi said the bill is “a message to the Chinese government that we have clarity in our thinking and our understanding of this issue of the freedom of Tibet,” eliciting applause.

McCaul, the Republican representative, said it reaffirmed American support for the Tibetan right to self-determination. “Just this week our delegation received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party, warning us not to come here... but we did not let the CCP intimidate us for we are here today,” he said as people cheered.

However, the visit and newly passed bill have triggered swift backlash from Beijing.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, urged Washington on Tuesday not to support Tibetan independence and said the White House “must not sign the bill into law,” or China will take “resolute measures,” without elaborating on what they may be.

“It’s known by all that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion,” Lin added, urging the U.S. side to “have no contact with the Dalai group in any form, and stop sending the wrong signal to the world.”

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has a history of engaging with U.S. officials, including American presidents — from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama — except for Donald Trump. He has yet to meet Biden since he took office in 2021.

The Dalai Lama is expected to travel to the U.S. on Thursday for medical treatment for his knees, but it is unclear if he will meet any officials while there.

Meanwhile, Beijing has repeatedly asked the U.S. not to interfere with Tibetan affairs and has argued that the people of Tibet have enjoyed social stability and economic growth under its rule.

While India considers Tibet to be part of China, it hosts Tibetan exiles.
Biden Can’t Ignore India Murder Plot in US, Top Democrat Says (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [6/19/2024 12:50 AM, Iain Marlow and Eric Martin, 27296K, Neutral]
The Biden administration shouldn’t prioritize its geopolitical relationship with India above insisting Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold accountable those behind an alleged plot to assassinate an American citizen on US soil, a top Democratic senator said.

“It would be a huge mistake if the Biden administration let this slide,” Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview on Tuesday. “We need to apply our law — obviously — to our adversaries. But also we need to apply our standards and principles and laws to our friends and partners. Otherwise, we’d lose credibility.”

Van Hollen’s criticism of this facet of the US-India relationship is rare among President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats. He has also been outspoken in his disapproval of the administration’s policy toward Israel.

US prosecutors accused an Indian government agent last year of directing a plot to assassinate the American — a Sikh activist in New York, Gurpatwant Singh Pannum, who’s been labeled a terrorist by New Delhi. Prosecutors alleged that plan was part of a broader Indian effort to target critics abroad, including the murder of a Canadian Sikh activist earlier that year.

The Biden administration and Modi’s government have downplayed the allegations, saying they don’t threaten their relationship, which is central to US efforts in Asia to counter China, Washington’s main strategic rival.

The senator’s criticism comes as the US and India continue to deepen their partnership. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in New Delhi this week holding talks with Indian officials and Modi on expanding cooperation between the two on everything from semiconductor chips to defense manufacturing and cooperation. It’s the first high-level visit to India by a US official since Modi won a third term earlier this month.

India’s government has largely denied the allegations of its involvement in targeting Sikh separatists, but announced an investigation into the American case. In March, senior Indian officials told Bloomberg that India’s investigation found that rogue operatives not authorized by the government were involved in the plot.

A congressional aide previously said that senators would not see an Indian investigation that blamed “rogue” operatives as credible.

Police in the Czech Republic this week extradited an Indian suspect wanted by the US for involvement in the alleged plot. The suspect, Nikhil Gupta, on Monday pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to charges of conspiring to kill Pannun, according to media reports.
India approves $9-billion port to boost trade with Europe (Reuters)
Reuters [6/19/2024 12:11 PM, Shivam Patel, 42991K, Positive]
India’s cabinet approved development on Wednesday of a new deep-water port that the government said will be a crucial part of a plan to connect the Asian country with Europe by sea and rail links through the Middle East.

The Vadhavan port will be built on India’s western coast, about 150 km (93 miles) from financial capital Mumbai, for 762 billion Indian rupees ($9.14 billion), Information Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.

The port will include terminals to accommodate "mega vessels" and terminals for petroleum, automobiles and other imports, with annual capacity of 298 million metric tons, Vaishnaw said. He added that the first of two phases of construction is expected to be completed by 2029.

"This will be an integral part of (the) India-Middle East corridor," Vaishnaw said, referring to the plan announced in September on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi.

"This will be a major multiplier of economic activity in the future."
India reports over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases over summer (Reuters)
Reuters [6/19/2024 11:19 AM, Shivam Patel and Tora Agarwala, 85570K, Negative]
India recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases this summer as a prolonged heatwave killed more than 100 people across the country, while parts of its northeast grappled with floods from heavy rain, authorities said.

Billions across Asia are grappling with extreme heat this summer in a trend scientists say has been worsened by human-driven climate change, with temperatures in north India soaring to almost 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in one of the longest heatwave spells recorded.

Birds fell from the skies due to extreme heat and hospitals reported an inflow of heat-affected patients as both day and night time temperatures peaked in recent weeks since the start of summer in March.

The health ministry ordered federal and state institutions to ensure "immediate attention" to patients, while hospitals in the capital Delhi, which is also facing a water shortage, were directed make more beds available.

A health ministry official said there were more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and at least 110 confirmed deaths between March 1 and June 18, when northwest and eastern India recorded twice the usual number of heatwave days.

The weather office has forecast above normal temperatures for this month too, as authorities say Indian cities have become "heat traps" due to unbalanced growth.

"During the ongoing heatwave, most bird rescue calls that we receive are due to birds falling from the skies," said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of non-profit Wildlife SOS.

"In the past two weeks, Wildlife SOS has been receiving more than 35-40 rescue calls daily, in and around Delhi-National Capital Region. Most of the calls include bird rescue requests."

Separately, floods and landslides triggered by incessant rain in the northeastern state of Assam killed at least six people on Tuesday night, officials said.

"A landslide buried a woman and her three daughters alive," a state disaster management official, Siju Das, said by telephone.

"Their house was on a slope, and they died on the spot around midnight," he said, adding that the bodies were retrieved after a three-hour search operation by rescuers.

"A three-year-old was killed too."

In Assam, more than 160,000 people were affected, with waters surpassing the danger level in the Kopili, one of the largest tributaries of the Brahmaputra, which ranks among India’s biggest rivers.

More than 30 people in the state have died since the end of May in floods and landslides brought by heavy rain, officials said.
India shuns China’s calls to resume passenger flights after 4 years, officials say (Reuters)
Reuters [6/20/2024 4:35 AM, Krishn Kaushik, Aditi Shah and Lisa Barrington, 42991K, Neutral]
China is pressing India to restart direct passenger flights after a four-year halt, but New Delhi is resisting as a border dispute continues to weigh on ties between the world’s two most populous countries, officials said.

India-China relations have been tense since the biggest military confrontation in decades on their disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers in June 2020. Thousands of troops remain mobilised on each side.

Since the clash, India has made it difficult for Chinese companies to invest, banned hundreds of popular apps and severed passenger routes, although direct cargo flights still operate between the Asian giants.

Direct flights would benefit both economies, but the stakes are higher for China, where a recovery in overseas travel after the COVID-19 pandemic is lagging, while India’s aviation sector booms.

Several times over the past year or so, China’s government and airlines have asked India’s civil aviation authorities to re-establish direct air links, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, with one saying China considers this a "big issue".

"We hope the Indian side will work with China in the same direction for the early resumption of direct flights," China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters in a statement last week, adding that resuming flights would be in both countries’ interests.

But a senior Indian official familiar with India-China bilateral developments said of Beijing’s desire to resume flights: "Unless there is peace and tranquillity on the border, the rest of the relationship cannot move forward."

Indian airlines are holding discussions with New Delhi, while Chinese carriers are talking to their government about resuming direct routes, CEO Pieter Elbers of Indigo (INGL.NS), opens new tab, India’s largest airline, told Reuters.

India’s external affairs and civil aviation ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

Beijing has repeatedly protested India’s ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses since 2020. Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi told India’s government this year that "confidence building" measures were needed as component suppliers were wary about setting up in India, citing compliance and visa issues.

‘BEYOND OUR LEVEL’

Direct India-China flights peaked in December 2019, with a total of 539 scheduled flights by the likes of IndiGo, Air India, China Southern (600029.SS), opens new tab, China Eastern (600115.SS), opens new tab, Air China (601111.SS), opens new tab and Shandong Airlines, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

Chinese carriers scheduled 371 of those flights, more than double the 168 by India’s airlines.

Flights were halted four months later as the pandemic escalated. Except for a smattering of COVID repatriation flights, they have not resumed even though India lifted COVID restrictions on international air routes a year later and China lifted all COVID travel measures in early 2023.

Travellers must now change planes either in Hong Kong, which has a separate aviation regulator and border controls from the rest of China, or in hubs like Dubai or Singapore.

This has lengthened the India-China journey from less than six hours to upwards of 10, handing business - including lucrative through traffic to the United States - to carriers like Emirates, Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), opens new tab and Cathay Pacific (0293.HK), opens new tab.

The recovery in Chinese overseas travel is lagging due to rising costs and difficulties in securing visas for the world’s top spenders on international tourism and airlines.

Indigo’s Elbers said a recent interview in Dubai, "When the time is right and the governments come to a mutual understanding of how to move forward, we’ll assess the market."

IndiGo flies seven times a week on the Delhi-Hong Kong route, where passengers can connect to mainland China.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said direct India-China flights "would seem to be a huge potential market" but for now there are factors at play "beyond our level".
China fears spark Indian race for cobalt in contested ocean waters (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [6/19/2024 4:14 PM, Rejimon Kuttappan, 20.9M, Neutral]
India is scrambling to secure rights to explore a cobalt-rich underwater mountain in the middle of the Indian Ocean but its bid has come up against competing claims at a time when Sri Lanka, too, is looking to mine the region for precious minerals.

The urgency behind India’s application comes from fears over China’s presence in the Indian Ocean, at a time when the world’s second-largest economy already dominates the global cobalt supply chain, Indian officials and analysts told Al Jazeera.

Cobalt is a critical mineral widely used in electric vehicles and batteries and is seen as a vital element in the green energy transition.

In January, India had approached the Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority, seeking approval to explore the cobalt-rich Afanasy Nikitin Seamount, which is in the central Indian Ocean, east of the Maldives and about 1,350 km (850 miles) from the Indian coast. Formed in 1994, the ISA is an autonomous international organisation mandated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to regulate economic activity on the seabed.

India also paid a $500,000 fee to the ISA to consider its application, in which it spelled out its desire to conduct extensive geophysical, geological, biological, oceanographic and environmental studies in the proposed area over 15 years. The seamount consists of 150 blocks spread over 3,000sq km (1,158 sq miles).

But while evaluating India’s application, the ISA found that Afanasy Nikitin Seamount lies entirely within an area also claimed by another country as lying within the boundaries of its continental shelf, according to a note shared by the organisation with Al Jazeera. Though the ISA did not name this other country in its response to India, experts believe Sri Lanka is the nation the seabed authority was referring to. A country’s continental shelf is the edge of its landmass beneath the ocean.

According to a note shared by the ISA with Al Jazeera, the seabed authority sought a response from India to its finding of the competing territorial claims. But on March 12, India said it would not be able to respond in time for the ISA to consider its comments during the ISA’s 29th Session of the Legal and Technical Commission, which is considering the application.

As a result, the ISA note states that India’s application has been “put on hold”. The ISA is expected to review the application again once India responds.

Sri Lanka’s claim

Usually, a country’s continental shelf extends up to 200 nautical miles (370km) from its shore, marking out an exclusive economic zone which only that nation can exploit for economic purposes, even though ships of other countries can pass through unimpeded.

But coastal nations can appeal to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) arguing that the outer limits of their continental shelves extend beyond 200 nautical miles.

That is what Sri Lanka did in 2009, applying for an extension of the limits of its continental shelf from 200 nautical miles to a much larger area. The CLCS is yet to decide on Sri Lanka’s claim but if it is accepted, the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount would fall within Sri Lanka’s nautical boundaries.

The CLCS, which is tasked with examining claims by nations to extended continental shelf boundaries, has in the past accepted such requests: Pakistan, Australia and Norway have rights over maritime territories that stretch beyond 200 nautical miles from their shores, for instance.

In 2010, India responded to Sri Lanka’s submission before the CLCS, without objecting to its smaller neighbour’s claims. But in 2022, it changed its position to argue that Sri Lanka’s claims would harm India’s interests. India requested the commission not to “consider and qualify” the submission made by Sri Lanka.

Al Jazeera sought comments from the governments of India and Sri Lanka on their competing claims, but has not received any response.

Chinese presence

But it is not Sri Lanka that New Delhi is most concerned about, say analysts.

A senior maritime law expert said that India’s move appears to be driven more by a desire to establish a foothold in the area to deter any Chinese presence than by any immediate exploration aims.

“India’s claim is not aimed at starting exploration immediately but at establishing its presence and stake before China enters the picture,” said the maritime expert, who is now a senior official in the Indian judiciary, and requested anonymity because of his position.

According to the ISA, China, Germany and South Korea currently have contracts for deep-sea exploration in different parts of the Indian Ocean.

Nikhilesh Nedumgattunmal, an assistant professor of maritime law at Dr Ambedkar Law University in Chennai, India, said the location of the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount – far outside the exclusive economic zones of any country – made India’s case before the ISA strong. “India has the right to seek exploration permission from the ISA,” he told Al Jazeera.

What’s at stake?

KV Thomas, a retired scientist from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, India, echoed the assessment of the senior judiciary official on China being a key factor behind India’s decision.

Thomas said that India’s deep-sea mining initiatives are at a nascent stage. Yet, in recent years, the country has demonstrated its ambition.

In 2021, it launched a Deep Ocean Mission to explore deep sea resources, with an allocation of $500m for a five-year period.

In 2023, the Indian government said that under the Deep Ocean Mission, it was developing a crewed deep sea mining submersible, which would carry out “exploratory mining of polymetallic nodules from the sea bed”. Polymetallic nodules, also called manganese nodules, are rock concretions that serve as vital sources of critical minerals, including cobalt.

At the moment, China controls 70 percent of the world’s cobalt and 60 percent of its lithium and manganese – other critical minerals – according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. But India, which has set a deadline of 2070 to get to net-zero emissions, needs access to these minerals to fuel its clean energy economy.
Illegally brewed liquor kills at least 34 with dozens hospitalized in southern India (AP)
AP [6/20/2024 2:38 AM, Staff, 456K, Negative]
At least 34 people have died and dozens hospitalized after drinking illegally brewed liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, local media reported on Thursday.

The state’s chief minister M K Stalin said the 34 died after consuming liquor that was tainted with methanol, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

The incident occurred in the state’s Kallakurichi district, where more than 100 people are being treated in various hospitals, top district official M S Prasanth said. He added that the number of those who are in critical condition keeps changing, suggesting that the death toll could rise.

Ambulances, doctors and specialists from nearby areas were deployed to the district.

Government officials earlier said several people who were vomiting and had stomach pain were admitted to hospitals Wednesday, triggering a police investigation.

Later that day, Stalin, the chief minister, said in a post on social media platform X that those involved in the crime have been arrested, and action has also been taken against officials who failed to prevent it. “Such crimes that ruin the society will be suppressed with an iron fist,” he added.

Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, where the poor cannot afford licensed brands from government-run shops. The illicit liquor, which is often spiked with chemicals such as pesticides to increase potency, has also become a hugely profitable industry as bootleggers pay no taxes and sell enormous quantities of their product to the poor at a cheap rate.

In 2022, more than 30 people died in eastern India’s Bihar state after allegedly drinking tainted liquor sold without authorization. Earlier that same year, at least 28 died from drinking altered liquor in Gujarat state. And in 2020, at least 120 people died after drinking tainted liquor in India’s northern Punjab state.
India Could Help the U.S. to Tech Victory Over China (Wall Street Journal – opinion)
Wall Street Journal [6/19/2024 4:20 PM, Sadanand Dhume, 810K, Neutral]
Can India help the U.S. win its race against China for technological dominance? The Biden administration seems to think so. Following national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi, the White House on Monday released an ambitious fact sheet listing current and proposed areas of U.S.-India cooperation on “critical and emerging” technologies, including semiconductors, fighter jet engines, space flight, telecommunications, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

The statement doesn’t mention China. But shared concerns about Beijing’s ambitions underpin the effort, the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, which was launched last January. “To put it bluntly and boldly, it’s first and foremost about derisking and diversification from China,” Rudra Chaudhuri, the director of Carnegie India, says in a phone interview.

Those concerns are well-founded. Over the past four decades, China has transformed itself into a science and technology powerhouse. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, China leads the U.S. in research in 53 out of 64 critical and emerging technologies, including advanced aircraft engines, electric batteries, machine learning and synthetic biology.

In the Leiden global university science rankings, Chinese universities occupy 10 of the top 20 spots, while only five U.S. universities make the top 20. China in 2020 graduated 1.4 million engineers, seven times as many as graduated from U.S. institutions the same year.

Chinese tech companies, including CATL (electric batteries), BYD (electric vehicles) and Huawei (telecommunications), have global reach and global ambitions. “The old science world order, dominated by America, Europe and Japan, is coming to an end,” the Economist magazine declared recently.

Much of the U.S. response to China’s challenge depends on coordination with technologically advanced allies in Western Europe and East Asia. The U.S., for instance, is working with the Netherlands, home to the semiconductor chip manufacturing machine maker ASML, to ensure that the West retains its technological edge.

At first glance, India seems an unlikely technology partner. It counts only one university in Leiden’s top 200. It spends a fraction of what China and the U.S. spend on research and development. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, India’s government and private sector combined spent less on research and development than Huawei or Microsoft alone spent on R&D in 2021. Among the top 100 tech companies by market capitalization, not one is Indian; 58 are American, and nine Chinese. The Netherlands, with 1/80th of India’s population, has five companies in the top 100.

Yet Washington sees value in strengthening bilateral cooperation. In a phone interview, Sameer Lalwani, a scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace, outlined three broad reasons. First, if the U.S. aligns its tech standards with India, it will become harder for Chinese companies to break into the Indian market and the so-called global south more broadly.

Second, the U.S. seeks to harness Indian tech talent. For decades, many of India’s best scientists have made a beeline for the U.S. But several factors make India’s domestic ecosystem worth engaging with as well, including the country’s vast pool of engineers, homegrown success in space exploration and digital infrastructure for electronic payments, and a burgeoning tech startup scene.

Third, the U.S. believes that technology collaboration will boost Indian military capabilities and deepen trust necessary for military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. GE Aerospace and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics are negotiating to co-produce fighter jet engines that will enable India to deter Chinese border incursions. American MQ-9 drones in India’s arsenal could easily mesh with U.S. tracking of Chinese naval vessels in the Indian Ocean. Carnegie’s Mr. Chaudhuri says that using India as a manufacturing base for military equipment could enable the U.S. to export arms more cheaply to parts of Asia and Africa.

Optimism isn’t entirely unwarranted. In recent years, India has signaled that it wants to belong to a U.S.-aligned technology bloc. It has barred Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks and participated in the U.S.-led “rip and replace” program, which removes suspect Chinese equipment from U.S. communications infrastructure. Apple subcontractors Foxconn and Pegatron have invested in India, and the Modi government is encouraging Tesla to follow suit.

India’s military maintains historically close ties with Russia, but the importance of that relationship has declined sharply. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that only 36% of Indian arms imports between 2019 and 2023 were from Russia, down from 76% a decade earlier. Russia’s growing dependence on China will likely accelerate India’s quest to seek more reliable partners in the West.

Still, there’s no guarantee that the U.S.-India tech initiative will succeed. India expects the U.S. to treat it like an ally by waiving export controls on sensitive technologies, but critics in Washington point out that New Delhi doesn’t always behave like an ally. They point to India’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an alleged Indian assassination plot against a New York-based Sikh separatist, and the Modi government’s clampdown on domestic critics. Mr. Lalwani of the U.S. Institute of Peace says Washington’s bet on New Delhi is based on the belief that “India is a positive international actor.” For the new tech collaboration to achieve its potential, India will need to reassure skeptics that its future lies with the democratic world.
NSB
Landslides kill 10 in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh (Reuters)
Reuters [6/19/2024 11:32 AM, Ruma Paul, 42991K, Negative]
At least 10 people, including eight Rohingya Muslims, were killed and several others injured on Wednesday after heavy monsoon rains triggered landslides in refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, officials said.

People died in landslides at four separate places in the early hours of Wednesday, Mohammad Shamsud Douza, a senior Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said after days of heavy rain as the monsoon season began.

He said children and women are among the dead.

More than 1 million Rohingya live in crowded camps in the border district of Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement, after fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar in 2017.

The Bangladesh weather office said it expected heavy rains to continue for the next few days.
Rohingya refugees mostly live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets, often on steep, bare hills.

"We are facing a terrible situation in the camps due to the rain, even the narrow paths are so slippery and dangerous," Rohingya refugee Mohammed Kamal said.

Torrential rain and the onrush of upstream water from India also left hundreds of thousands of people marooned in the northeastern region of Bangladesh, still recovering from a cyclone that hit the country’s coastal belt in the southern part late last month.

More than 500,000 people have been affected by the flood in the northeastern districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj, with water levels surpassing danger levels at six points along four rivers in the region, officials said.

Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen on Wednesday instructed medical professionals and officials to take appropriate action to combat the outbreak of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases in the flood-affected region.

He said hospitals should have enough saline and medication on hand to combat diarrhoea and water-borne illness epidemics and keep adequate anti-venom to handle snakebite cases.
Emergency supplies sent to cyclone-hit Bangladesh (BBC)
BBC [6/20/2024 1:15 AM, Staff, 65.5M, Positive]
Emergency supplies have been sent to people in Bangladesh after a cyclone battered parts of the country and caused severe flooding.

Cornish charity ShelterBox said more than 1.75 million people had been affected across the south of the country, and more than 170,000 homes had been damaged.

Response teams have been distributing corrugated iron sheeting, timber, bamboo, rope and fixings to help people make emergency shelters.

At least 16 people died after the cyclone crashed into coastal parts of India and southern Bangladesh in May.

‘Begin to recover’

The region was hit by strong gales, torrential rain and tidal surges that left low-lying areas flooded.

Jonty Ellaby, part of ShelterBox’s emergency response team in Bangladesh, said: "Shelter is a fundamental human right and is a fundamental thing people need in order to live a life.

"By providing people with four walls and a roof they are protected from everything, they can restore the family unit, they can begin to build their livelihoods and begin to recover as a family."

Emergency response manager Dave Raybould added: “Homes here are typically made from mud bricks, timber, or bamboo and people have been left with very little and without the resources to repair or replace what they had.

"Many families are living out in the open by the side of the road, and so our focus is on making sure people have what they need to build emergency shelters."
Sri Lanka loses 10 percent of its doctors amid exodus after economic crisis (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [6/20/2024 12:00 AM, Saroj Pathirana, 20.9M, Negative]
The bullying from a senior health official was bad enough. A sense of betrayal by government authorities during COVID-19 made it worse. But the economic crisis that pummelled Sri Lanka in the wake of the pandemic was the breaking point for Lahiru Prabodha Gamage.

The 35-year-old Sri Lankan doctor left Sri Lanka in January 2023 to take up a job in the United Kingdom, after working in a government hospital in the remote town of Hatton, 120km (75 miles) east of the capital Colombo, for six years. He is now a senior house officer for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS).

It wasn’t an easy decision. “I really love my country. That will never change,” Gamage told Al Jazeera. “But no matter how much money I earned, I had to pay back huge loans.” And with prices soaring as the economy collapsed – inflation touched a record 73 percent in late 2022 – Gamage felt he had no choice but to leave.

He is not alone. According to the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), the biggest trade union of government doctors in Sri Lanka, more than 1,700 doctors have left the country over the last two years, primarily for economic reasons. They constitute nearly 10 percent of doctors on the island.

The effects on the country’s already fragile healthcare system are visible. In April last year, all emergency surgeries were suspended for several weeks in the District General Hospital in Embilipitiya, about 200km (120 miles) south of Colombo, after two anaesthesiologists there left the country. As a temporary measure, another anaesthesiologist from a nearby hospital was moved there, but she has since also left for overseas training.

The paediatric ward at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, about 200km (120 miles) northeast of Colombo, has also been forced to temporarily close down after all three paediatricians working at the hospital migrated. The GMOA has warned Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana that nearly 100 rural hospitals are on the verge of closing down as a result of doctors leaving the country.

All of this could have been averted, say doctors.

Missing: money and respect

Gamage’s basic salary was 64,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($213). With overtime payment added, it came to about 220,000 rupees ($730).

“I had to maintain my car, pay for food and rented accommodation, pay the loans and look after my parents,” he recalled. “After all of this, I was only left with 20,000 rupees [$67], so if you go to a party, that’s it. All done.”

But a sense of disrespect from government authorities added to his frustration.

While working as a junior doctor in a remote village, Gamage organised health camps after the shifts. Along with another doctor, he created a contact tracing app during the COVID-19 pandemic. But instead of appreciating their efforts, he says, the government of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa offered a contract to a private company.

“We did a presentation to the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force. They carefully listened and made notes about our app. Sometime later, we suddenly heard that our app – with some faults – has been produced by a private company.”

Eranda Ranasinghe Arachchi, a cardiologist at a national hospital in Colombo, listed three factors that shaped his decision to leave the country. He now works in Northern Ireland.

“Number one factor is basically, obviously, for financial reasons. Number two is better working conditions. Number three is building a better future,” the 35-year-old told Al Jazeera.

He said he felt a lack of respect from society at large, especially after the struggles of the pandemic.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were so stretched but did our best to save as many lives as possible,” Ranasinghe Arachchi said. “There were times that, like many other doctors, I didn’t go home for several days due to the heavy workload and the fear of spreading the infection to my elderly parents at home.”

Sri Lanka’s economy slipped into an unprecedented crisis soon after the pandemic, with people forced to wait in queues for hours for food, medicine, fuel and many other essential items. Doctors were no exception.

But when the GMOA made a request for a special fuel quota for doctors, public opposition erupted. “Several days, I myself stayed in the queues for hours but obviously we could’ve spent that time treating a patient – but many people were in no mood to listen,” Ranasinghe Arachchi told Al Jazeera.

A better future

The spiralling inflation, unpayable foreign debt and shortages of fuel, medicine and food sparked nationwide protests that culminated in the removal of Rajapaksa from office in July 2022. Gotabaya and his brothers, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, were all found guilty of the financial mismanagement that hobbled the nation’s economy by the country’s Supreme Court in November 2023.

But Ranasinghe Arachchi, the eldest of three siblings with retired parents to look after, could not afford to wait until then.

He left Sri Lanka in August 2022.

“While I was a middle-grade doctor in Sri Lanka, I earned about 400 pounds [$508] a month. A similar kind of a doctor would earn at least 3,000 pounds [$3,800] a month in a country like the UK,” he said. And because of the breakneck inflation in Sri Lanka at the time, expenses in his home country and the UK were almost the same, he said.

Meanwhile, Gamage has managed to settle some of his debts over the past few months.

“Within one year, I have paid back a 1.5 million rupee [$4,630] loan, but if I was in Sri Lanka, I couldn’t have imagined that,” he said.

As patients and hospitals face the consequences, the GMOA – the doctors’ trade union – has submitted a series of recommendations to the government to try and stanch the bleeding of medical professionals.

“What they [doctors] believe is their salary is highly inadequate and the service they render to the country is highly undervalued. This is the major issue that we have identified,” Hansamal Weerasooriya, executive committee member of the GMOA, told Al Jazeera.

The absence of a proper career development system and the lack of any incentives for doctors working in remote parts of the country also contributes to their disenchantment, Weerasooriya said.

More deep-seated social prejudices also affect some doctors. “In Sri Lanka, with ego-driven, hierarchy-driven system, some doctors wouldn’t even sit together or eat together with nurses,” said Gamage. “But here in the UK, they never judge anybody. So this judgmental mindset really hurts your feelings.”

“I was fed up with the system.”

Still, if things improve enough – inflation is down dramatically – some doctors would be willing to return to Sri Lanka.

“I have been to many countries during a small period of time. And I find there’s no other country like Sri Lanka,” said Ranasinghe Arachchi. “If the country’s condition becomes better, and if our work is well recognised and if we are paid well enough, I’m really pretty much happy to come back.”

Yet, Ranasinghe Arachchi does not see all of that happening anytime soon. For now, Northern Ireland is where home will have to be.
Central Asia
Kazakh critic of Astana government clings to life following apparent hit job (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [6/19/2024 4:14 PM, Almaz Kumenov, 57.6K, Neutral]
A prominent Kazakh émigré social media influencer and an outspoken critic of government policies in Kazakhstan was seriously wounded in an apparent hit job, which occurred near the man’s home in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The victim’s wife has characterized the incident as an assassination attempt.

Aidos Sadykov, who operates a YouTube channel called Base, remained in intensive care in a Kyiv hospital on June 19, a day after being shot in the head.

Sadykov was driving into the courtyard of his apartment building on the afternoon of June 18 when a man brandishing a pistol approached the car and shot him in the driver’s seat, according to Sadykov’s wife, Natalya, who was also in the car at the time. Ukrainian police published a photo of a dark-colored vehicle with a broken window on the driver’s side, announcing that the search for the attacker was continuing.

In an interview for Radio Azattyk, the Kazakh service of RFE/RL, Sadykova said she is convinced the attempt was politically motivated.

“We on the Base channel constantly fought, first with the regime of [the president Nursultan] Nazarbayev, and then with the regime of [Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev. Yesterday morning we released a video ... which alleged that Tokayev had become a puppet of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and about agents of Russian influence,” Sadykova said.

The Sadykovs for years have been publishing information and documentation sharply critical of the behavior of top officials in Kazakhstan on their YouTube channel. They left Kazakhstan and resettled in Ukraine in 2014, fearing that if they remained in their homeland, they would face politically motivated retribution for their activities. Last October, Kazakh authorities placed the Sadykovs on a wanted list, alleging that the pair had engaged in criminally unlawful conduct by “inciting social hatred.”

Tokayev on June 19 condemned the attack, calling it a “serious incident.” He went on to say “all conflicts and disagreements in our society” should be addressed lawfully and “in accordance with basic international norms.” He also said Kazakh authorities were ready to provide assistance to Ukraine “to assist in identifying” the perpetrators.

Political observers in Kazakhstan offered varying opinions about the motivation and ramifications of the attempted murder.

Political scientist Dimash Alzhanov, known for voicing views critical of the government, said news of the attack sends a “a signal to the whole [of Kazakh] society.” If it was meant to have a chilling effect on the Kazakh émigré community, the incident may end up having the opposite than intended effect, he suggested.

“This is a harmful practice that will only make society more angry and create deeper rifts in it,” Alzhanov wrote on his Facebook page. “You can disagree with your opponents and critics, but it is extremely stupid and cowardly to destroy them.”

Another political scientist, Gaziz Abishev, whose opinions often align with those expressed by officials, said Sadykov’s YouTube channel did not exert much influence on domestic opinion, thus it would make little sense for officials to be involved in any plot to kill the influencer, all the more so given that the Sadykovs have refugee status in Ukraine.

“Such sabotage operations on the territory of another country are a hostile step, a gross violation of international ethical standards, the observance of which Kazakhstan closely monitors. The damage from such actions would be much greater than the illusory benefit from the assassination attempt,” Abishev wrote on his Telegram channel.
Kazakh Opposition Activist’s Wife Says Kyiv Shooting ‘Professional’ (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/19/2024 8:12 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
Self-exiled Kazakh journalist Natalya Sadyqova says the shooting of her husband in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, appears to be a "professional" operation that came hours after the couple issued a video critical of President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and his "pro-Russian" politics.

Aidos Sadyqov, a noted Kazakh opposition activist and journalist, is currently in intensive care fighting for his life after he was shot by an unknown attacker while driving a car near an apartment block in Kyiv’s Shevchenko district on June 18.

Sadyqova, who was also in the vehicle but was unharmed, said the bullet hit her husband in the temple and that he remains in a "very serious condition" after brain surgery.

Sadyqova told RFE/RL in an interview on June 19 that she saw the shooter’s face. She gave no further details as an official investigation is under way.

"The only thing I can say -- he was a professional killer. We were driving by the courtyard. He shot at a moving object. He fired a single shot and hit his target. It was a very professional man, a hitman who was hired to kill Aidos," Sadyqova said.

Sadyqova added that the chief of Ukraine’s National Police Ivan Vyhivskiy, who was among the police officers who arrived at the crime scene right after the attack, promised to keep the investigation of the attack under special control.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General’s Office has said an investigation on the "attempted murder of a journalist, a citizen of Kazakhstan," is under way, but has given no further details.

Toqaev said on June 19 that he had sent questions on the case to Ukraine via diplomatic channels, and that Kazakhstan is ready to participate in any investigation "to help find the truth."

The couple, along with their family, moved to Kyiv in 2014 after Kazakh authorities launched a case against Sadyqova, who worked as a journalist for the independent Respublika newspaper at the time. She was accused of slander.

Sadyqov used to lead a branch of the opposition Azat Social Democratic Party in his native Aqtobe region in Kazakhstan’s northwest until 2010.

He later headed a group that was a major force to create a union defending the rights of Kazakh workers at the Chinese-owned CNPC-Aktobemunaygaz oil company.

Sadyqova said in the June 19 interview with RFE/RL that hours before the attack, she and her husband had issued a new video titled Toqaev Is Putin’s Puppet on their Base YouTube channel.

The video criticizes Toqaev’s "pro-Russian politics" and looks at the activities of Russian oligarchs and agents of influence in Kazakhstan, some of whom obtained Kazakh citizenship after Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

She said Toqaev stands to be a beneficiary of the shooting "because the Kazakh opposition has been fully cleansed."

She did not present any evidence that connected Toqaev in any way to the shooting.
Astana authorities to probe operations of sanctioned Kazakh company (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [6/18/2024 4:14 PM, Almaz Kumenov, 57.6K, Neutral]
A Kazakh company is among the latest targets of US sanctions designed to impede Russia’s ability to wage war in Ukraine.

The United States announced sanctions on June 12 against more than 300 individuals and entities from Russia and other countries that “support [the Kremlin’s] military efforts and avoid sanctions.” The list includes KBR Technologies LLP, an entity registered in May 2022 in the northern Kazakh city of Petropavlovsk near the border with Russia.

“Today’s actions strike at [Russia’s] remaining avenues for international materials and equipment, including their reliance on critical supplies from third countries,” the US statement quoted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as saying.

According to the Treasury Department, KBR Technologies made hundreds of illicit deliveries of components and other goods via Belarus to Russian entities that manufacture finished electronic products, including those with military applications.

An investigation conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that from April to August 2023 alone, $2.5 million worth of high-tech equipment was sent to Russia by KBR Technologies.

The new list of sanctions also includes several entities located in Kyrgyzstan that acted as intermediaries in the purchase and transit of prohibited goods.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other officials have repeatedly stated that Kazakhstan complies with US sanctions against Russia. But journalistic investigations have shown that the country has been used as a conduit for Russian sanctions-busting activity.

Kazakh authorities have promised to conduct a probe in KBR Technologies’ operations. Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baybazarov downplayed the impact of the sanctions against the Kazakh entity on the broader economy. “On the scale of our country, this is an insignificant impact. One specific company was hit,” he said. “There will be no effect of secondary sanctions.”
Kyrgyzstan: Environmentalists raise alarm about resumption of uranium mining (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [6/18/2024 4:14 PM, Ayzirek Imanaliyeva, 57.6K, Neutral]
Environmental activists in Kyrgyzstan are worried about the rising potential for a disaster following the parliament’s decision to resume uranium mining after a five-year hiatus.

The Kyrgyz parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, earlier in June approved a government bill to lift a ban on the mining of uranium and thorium that had been in place since 2019. The new rules will go into effect after the law is signed by President Sadyr Japarov, as is widely expected soon.

In pushing for a resumption of mining, the government contended that uranium production could supply a much needed financial infusion for the Kyrgyz economy, which has struggled to overcome disruption caused by the Covid pandemic and Russian sanctions. Japarov has stated the resumption of mining could create a $2 billion windfall for state coffers.

“We must continue to do any work that will provide even a small economic benefit to the state. Let’s at least in the next 10 years reach the level of neighboring countries,” Japarov has said.

While casting mining as an economic imperative, the country’s leadership has promised to use new technologies in the development of deposits to safeguard operations and maintain “strict environmental standards.”

Kyrgyzstan has a number of known uranium deposits that have not been exploited since the ban went into effect. Some of the largest deposits are found in environmentally sensitive areas, including adjacent to Lake Issyk-Kul, which is widely viewed by citizens as “the pearl of Kyrgyzstan.”

That lifting of the mining ban is seen by some environmentalists as paving the way for a nuclear power plant in the Central Asian state. Officials are moving forward with efforts to build a reactor with the help of the Russian state-run entity, Rosatom. Kyrgyz officials have confirmed interest in building a Small Modular Reactor that could supply power for about 1 million citizens. Kyrgyzstan’s interest in nuclear energy is an outgrowth of global warming and climate change, which is inhibiting the country’s main generator of electricity, hydropower.

The government’s embrace of uranium mining and nuclear power has environmentalists on edge. The prospect of a nuclear reactor operating in a country prone to earthquakes is unsettling to many. Beyond the threats posed by a natural calamity, Kyrgyzstan’s poor safety record in containing the toxic consequences of mining for precious metals, including gold and uranium, is another major concern. Popular protests against environmental contamination, after all, were what prompted the government to press pause on uranium mining back in 2019.

In May of this year, a group of Kyrgyzstani activists appealed to the Ministry of Environment, warning that the resumption of uranium mining could exacerbate already existing environmental challenges. “They are citing figures of up to $2 billion in profits from [uranium mining], but no one is saying what the cost of restoring the destroyed lands will be,” the activists wrote.

Fears of new hazards and accidents aren’t unjustified. On June 1, an accident in the Dzhumgal district of the Naryn Region saw a Rosatom truck careen into a river. The vehicle was involved in an ongoing operation to clean up uranium tailings. Officials at the Emergency Situations Ministry said the truck in question was empty at the time of the accident. But footage circulating on the Internet appeared to contradict official accounts, seeming to show black sludge had spilled from the truck into the river.

According to a report published in April by the Reuters news agency, reservoirs with large volumes of uranium tailings are contained by unstable dams. The dams experienced significant damage from landslides in 2017. Another such landslide or earthquake could cause the structures to fail “threatening a possible Chernobyl-scale nuclear disaster,” according to the Reuters report. Toxic waste could spread across the river network that supplies water for agricultural lands in the FerghanaValley, encompassing Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Surprise Acquittals: Is Kyrgyzstan’s Hard-Line Leader Going Soft? (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/18/2024 11:37 AM, Chris Rickleton, 1530K, Negative]
Of all the joyous scenes that followed the surprise acquittals of 22 defendants accused in one of Kyrgyzstan’s highest profile political trials to date, one stood out.

It was the sight of Azimbek Beknazarov, a former prosecutor-general known as “the bulldozer,” being hoisted into the air and carried away from the courtroom by his supporters like a victorious football star.

Beknazarov is a man who symbolizes political life in Central Asia’s most unrest-prone country: in and out of government, constantly maneuvering, jailed more than once.

The regime of President Sadyr Japarov -- another former inmate -- was supposed to be the one that threw away the key.

After all, Beknazarov is now 67 and prosecutors had demanded 20-year sentences for the defendants for allegedly using their opposition to a Kyrgyz-Uzbek border deal to plan an overthrow of the government.

Instead, nearly two years since their arrests, they were all let off the hook.

“If I had been the judge, I would have imposed some kind of punishment on the organizers. At least a fine or probation,” Japarov grumbled in an interview with state media on June 15, the day after the court’s decision.

“At least a fine,” for allegedly trying to overthrow the government?

Has Kyrgyzstan’s hard-line president gone soft or is something else happening here?

Japarov has insisted he had no bearing on the closed court’s decision.

But judicial independence in Kyrgyzstan is a rare thing, especially in cases as important as this one.

Might Japarov and his allies have instead decided that they have too many political prisoners?

Breaking Precedents, Making Concessions

The words Kempir-Abad are now synonymous with the trial that concluded last week and an intensifying crackdown on dissent under Japarov.

But it is also the name of a reservoir that figured prominently in negotiations between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan for a historic border deal.

Uzbekistan had long drawn water from Kempir-Abad anyway, but under the terms of the deal, the larger Central Asian country secured greater rights over the body of water, which is entirely located inside Kyrgyz territory.

This move caused dissatisfaction in southern Kyrgyzstan, something that a number of Bishkek-based politicians and activists later seized on, forming an ad hoc group known as the Kempir-Abad Defense Committee.

The arrests began to fly almost immediately after the group was formed in October 2022, and the pretrial investigation dragged on and on.

Beknazarov and seven others were kept in jail right up until the verdict.

Five of the six women activists in the group were held for months on end in conditions that appeared to take a heavy toll on their health.

The other woman, Rita Karasartova, was only released in June of last year.

For Kyrgyz regimes, politicians like Beknazarov have long been fair game.

A prominent figure in the revolutions of 2005 and 2010, the trial would likely not have garnered the attention it did had it just been him and other perceived dilettantes in the dock.

But the long-term detentions for female civil society leaders set a new precedent and showed that the government would take extreme measures to suppress dissent whenever it wanted to.

Speaking immediately after the verdict, another of those women, former Constitutional Court judge turned NGO founder Klara Sooronkulova, was more sober than many of her co- defendants.

“A case was illegally brought against us and we suffered as a result. In this regard, we have the right to sue the state and receive compensation,” she said.

“But the court decision has not yet entered into force. The Prosecutor-General’s Office asked to sentence us to 20 years and it can still appeal the verdict.”

If Japarov’s comments on the trial’s outcome are anything to go by, it seems unlikely that investigators will be held to account for what lawyers of the defendants called fabricated charges and what the judge reportedly termed a lack of evidence in the case.

On the other hand, the president knows only too well that an abundance of jailed critics can be risky, and that past Kyrgyz leaders have suffered for failing to keep the doors of political repression revolving.

Charge, Jail, Acquit?

One of those was Sooronbai Jeenbekov, Kyrgyzstan’s fifth president, who inherited political prisoners from his predecessor, Almazbek Atambaev, before adding a few of his own, including Atambaev.

But when protests erupted over disputed parliamentary elections in 2020 Jeenbekov was weakened, while demand for the release of prominent politicians on the part of jostling factions and protesters on the street saw his position become untenable.

In the tussle that followed, Atambaev-era political prisoner Sadyr Japarov made a bid for power, shrugging off a hostage-taking conviction to complete a remarkable “prison to the presidency” rise.

And he has seemingly fine-tuned the state’s strategies for dealing with dissenters.

Under president number six, the charge, jail, acquit sequence was seen even before this trial.

The arrest of blogger Yryskeldi Jekshenaliev in August 2022 on charges of making public calls for mass disorder and violence shocked the public, mostly because he was only 19 years old at the time of his arrest.

But on the heels of the arrests of the Kempir-Abad group, he was released into house arrest and eventually cleared of wrongdoing in December 2023 -- having spent more than a year sweating a potential seven-year jail sentence.

Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov was acquitted from charges of drug possession and illegal border crossing in September 2022.

In that trial, the presiding judge saw fit to admonish security services for their handling of his case.

But there have been no reports of the relevant officers being punished for their shortcomings, and a subsequent charge of “document fraud” stuck, seeing Temirov convicted and bizarrely deported from the country of his birth, to Russia, where he held citizenship.

Now it is 11 of Temirov’s current and former colleagues from the Temirov Live media outlet who are in the dock, after the journalists from Temirov Live and its affiliate, Ait Ait Dese, were arrested in January raids and accused of calling for mass riots.

Of the defendants whose trial began on June 6, four remain in pretrial detention, with the remainder under house arrest.

In April, the Kyrgyz Ombudsman’s Institute said that prison guards had physically attacked one of the defendants, Bolot Temirov’s wife and colleague Makhabat Tajibek-kyzy, in the Bishkek facility where she is being held.

In May, prosecutors said that they had decided not to open a case into the alleged attack on her, despite pictures of her with bruises. Officials claim she got those from a fall.
Tajik Parliament’s Upper Chamber Approves Bill Banning Hijab (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [6/19/2024 12:10 PM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
The Tajik parliament’s upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli, approved a bill on June 19 banning "alien garments" and children’s celebrations for two major Islamic holidays -- Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, known as idgardak. The bill, approved on May 8 by the lower chamber, the Majlisi Namoyandagon, mostly targets the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and other traditional items of Islamic clothing, which started coming to the Central Asian nation in recent years from the Middle East and have been associated with Islamic extremists by officials. The bill sparked controversy among the mostly Muslim population of the tightly controlled former Soviet republic, which borders Afghanistan.
How Central Asia Approaches Repatriation and Reintegration From Middle East War Zones (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [6/18/2024 8:21 AM, Alouddin Komilov, 1156K, Positive]
A June 2023 report by the UNICEF estimates around 40,000 members from more than 80 nations journeyed to Syria and Iraq to support the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) and other extremist organizations between 2011 and 2016. While some may have joined willingly, others, including relatives of foreign terrorist fighters, may have been deceived or pressured into participation. Following the defeat of the Islamic State in 2019, numerous men, women, and children remain in camps and detention centers in northeastern Syria and Iraq, facing complex challenges in terms of humanitarian aid, security, and human rights.

To address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters to global peace and security, the United Nations Security Council, through resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017), urged member states to create and execute specific and comprehensive plans for the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters and their families in compliance with international law. This was further emphasized in the Eighth Review of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (UNGCTS) (A/RES/77/298), where the General Assembly acknowledged the significance of enhancing international cooperation, promoting information sharing, and establishing risk assessments and counter-terrorism strategies that consider age and gender aspects.

Central Asian nations have seized the initiative to tackle this challenge, emerging as worldwide pioneers in repatriating and reintegrating their citizens. By March 2024, over 2,100 individuals had been repatriated to the region through humanitarian missions orchestrated by Central Asian countries. Notably, Kazakhstan welcomed back 754 of its people, Kyrgyzstan 511, Tajikistan 334, and Uzbekistan 531.

Upon their return, repatriated individuals, primarily women and children, have undergone a rehabilitation process followed by tailored initiatives to support their peaceful reintegration into families and communities. Each country has established its own program and gathered expertise in this area, the sharing of which on a regional scale would be beneficial for all stakeholders. Given the ongoing repatriation efforts of Central Asian states, it is crucial to enhance coordination among regional experts to simplify procedures, particularly in intricate criminal cases.

In light of these circumstances, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed creating a Regional Expert Council comprising leading specialists from Central Asian nations under the guidance of the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The primary objective of this Regional Expert Council is to enhance regional and national initiatives for the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals returning from conflict zones and formulate strategies to combat terrorism. This proposal was put forth during the high-level international conference “Regional Cooperation of the Countries of Central Asia within the Framework of the Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy” held on March 3-4, 2022, in Tashkent.

To translate these initiatives into action, Tashkent convened the inaugural meeting of the Regional Expert Council for Central Asia on the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees on May 15-16, 2024.

Uzbekistan was among the first nations to take proactive steps to repatriate its citizens from conflict zones. It recognized the importance of addressing the challenges faced by these individuals, mostly women and children, upon their return. Through the five phases of Operation Mehr, 531 individuals, including 381 children, from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan were successfully repatriated to Uzbekistan.

At the UNOCT’s Third High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States (HLC) in June 2023, two Uzbek nationals, a mother and daughter returnee, repatriated from the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria provided moving testimonies of their experiences. The initiative, applauded by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, served as a powerful sign of support for his call to member states to expedite repatriation for those from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq.

Upon repatriation, the Uzbek government ensured that these individuals received comprehensive support to reintegrate into society successfully. This encompassed access to educational, medical, and social programs vital for their rehabilitation and integration. Moreover, the government offered practical assistance to foster self-sufficiency and economic stability. Some returnees received complimentary housing and low-interest loans, crucial for securing their livelihoods. Others were equipped to establish personal businesses, such as small bakeries and sewing operations, further supporting their journey to rebuild their lives. Social aid was also extended to facilitate a seamless return to their communities.

The Inauguration of the Regional Expert Council

The inaugural meeting of the Regional Expert Council, supported by UNOCT, represents a significant step forward in enforcing global and regional anti-terrorism measures. The event was a direct outcome of the U.N. resolution “Enhancing regional and international partnerships to promote peace, security, and sustainable growth in the Central Asian region,” which was approved in June 2018 after being proposed by Tashkent. It also builds on discussions initiated during the high-level symposium “Central Asia – a shared past and a collective future” held in Samarkand in November 2017.

The gathering convened a diverse array of attendees, including deputy foreign affairs ministers from Central Asia, high-ranking dignitaries representing international bodies like the U.N., OSCE, and UNRCCA, and specialists focused on the rehabilitation and reintegration of repatriates.

The main focus of the discussions revolved around Uzbekistan’s updated strategy for countering terrorism, highlighting the significance of preventive, spiritual, and educational initiatives along with administrative and legal measures. This strategy, as outlined in Uzbekistan’s National Strategy for Combating Extremism and Terrorism for 2021-2026, adopts a comprehensive approach that includes social, legal, and material support for victims of terrorism, including repatriates.

The occasion also held a regional workshop intending to exchange insights and best practices in rehabilitation and reintegration among various Central Asian nations. The workshop primarily concentrated on fostering collaboration between national governments and civil society organizations, rehabilitation and reintegration schemes with a focus on specific genders and age groups, access to essential services, the role of local communities and religious leaders, bolstering regional and national initiatives, and establishing an informal regional network.

The meeting echoed the Joint Action Plan to Implement the U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia and strived to craft a holistic, focused rehabilitation initiative and secure enduring civil society engagement in the reintegration journey. By employing a collaborative and multi-dimensional strategy, the gathering aimed to strengthen the region’s capability to tackle the intricate hurdles arising from the reentry of individuals from conflict zones.

Through various resolutions and assessments, the United Nations has stressed the need for comprehensive approaches involving the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of these individuals in compliance with international law. Central Asian nations, particularly Uzbekistan, have stood out for their efforts in repatriating and reintegrating their citizens, paying particular attention to women and children, who constitute a notable portion of the returnees.

Uzbekistan’s proactive stance has resulted in the development of tailored rehabilitation schemes and substantial aid to support reintegration efforts, including education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

The inaugural gathering of the Regional Expert Council represented a crucial stride in implementing global and regional counterterrorism frameworks. It illustrates a comprehensive strategy that addresses the immediate needs of returnees and integrates preventive measures against extremism. By fostering a collaborative atmosphere, these initiatives strengthen regional security, contribute to the global fight against terrorism, and ensure the humane treatment and successful reintegration of conflict-affected individuals. This all-encompassing approach serves as a model for regional and international counter-terrorism endeavors.
Twitter
Afghanistan
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett
@SR_Afghanistan
[6/18/2024 8:46 AM, 39.7K followers, 176 retweets, 300 likes]
Today, I told the @UN_HRC Taliban’s institutionalized system of gender oppression is widespread and systematic, and appears to constitute an attack on the entire civilian population which may amount to crimes against humanity. Read my latest report here https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5580-situation-human-rights-afghanistan-report-special-rapporteur

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett
@SR_Afghanistan
[6/18/2024 10:02 AM, 39.7K followers, 86 retweets, 158 likes] At @UN_HRC, I emphasized the importance of meaningful participation of civil society & women in Doha meetings and that women’s rights are central to discussions. Principled, human rights-centred approach is vital for credibility&sustainability. More here https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/afghanistan-all-tools-approach-needed-end-systematic-gender-oppression-says

Shaharzad Akbar
@ShaharzadAkbar
[6/19/2024 7:18 AM, 175K followers, 50 retweets, 84 likes]
What could UN member states do for women of Afghanistan? For one, they could bring an International Court of Justice case regarding the Taliban’s failure to apply CEDAW, to which Afghanistan is party. Why is no one doing this?

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[6/18/2024 11:53 AM, 79.8K followers, 39 retweets, 142 likes]
The Doha III talks are hypocritical. You cannot discuss any country without including a single representative from 50% of the population. Women. The UN touts women’s involvement and rights, yet its Secretary-General facilitates talks completely on the Taliban’s terms. Thread:

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[6/18/2024 11:53 AM, 79.8K followers, 4 retweets, 21 likes]
2/The Taliban, who were once considered a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S., now threaten to walk out if women are mentioned at all. Their influence over the Doha talks exemplifies a shocking amount of power that they hold over the UN/member states.

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[6/18/2024 11:53 AM, 79.8K followers, 5 retweets, 23 likes]
3/ What does this mean for the future of women’s rights in crisis regions, or even in the ‘West’? A regime can twist the arm of the most powerful countries of the world, and attempt to delegitimize the framework of universal human rights. This should should terrify everyone.

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[6/18/2024 11:53 AM, 79.8K followers, 7 retweets, 23 likes]
4/ Boycott the Doha III talks. If your country is attending, hold them accountable for engaging with a regime that denies women’s existence. This isn’t just a discussion; it’s criminal and will cause irreversible damage to every woman’s rights across this planet.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[6/18/2024 4:25 PM, 81.2K followers, 40 retweets, 74 likes]
Afghanistan: The Taliban’s involvement in what may constitute the crime against humanity of gender persecution. The UN Human Rights Council should take action to further accountability. #HRC56 @amnesty welcomes the report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan and reiterates the need for a concerted approach by the international community to urgently address the Taliban’s “institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls” in the country. https://amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/8182/2024/en/
Pakistan
Hamid Mir
@HamidMirPAK
[6/18/2024 3:22 PM, 8.5M followers, 1.3K retweets, 3.5K likes]
Six Pakistani journalists have been killed in the first six months of 2024. Muhammad Siddique Mengal(Balochistan) Ishfaq Sial(Punjab), Jam Saghir Ahmad Lar(Punjab) Nasrullah Gadani (Sindh) Kamran Dawar(KPK) and Khalil Jibran( KPK) @RSF_inter @CPJAsia
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 11:38 AM, 99M followers, 3.1K retweets, 15K likes]
The Cabinet decision to approve a funding scheme for 1 GW offshore wind projects off the coasts of Gujarat & Tamil Nadu will enhance our renewable energy capacity, reduce CO2 emissions and create numerous jobs. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2026699

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 11:37 AM, 99M followers, 2.9K retweets, 15K likes]
Today’s Cabinet decision on developing a major port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra will boost economic progress and also create employment opportunities at a large scale. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2026695

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 3:26 AM, 99M followers, 7.7K retweets, 48K likes]
Today, we are inaugurating the new campus of Nalanda University. It is a reiteration of our commitment to encourage learning, research and innovation. It is also an effort to draw the best scholars from the world to come and pursue their education in our country.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 2:42 AM, 99M followers, 20K retweets, 137K likes]
Visiting the excavated remains of Nalanda was exemplary. It was an opportunity to be at one of the greatest seats of learning in the ancient world. This site offers a profound glimpse into the scholarly past that once thrived here. Nalanda has created an intellectual spirit that continues to thrive in our nation.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 2:08 AM, 99M followers, 6.5K retweets, 25K likes]
Nalanda is a symbol of India’s academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. Speaking at inauguration of the new campus of the Nalanda University in Bihar. https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1yNxaZZOkEjKj

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/18/2024 1:13 AM, 99M followers, 8.4K retweets, 60K likes]
Reviewed the progress at the Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Kashi. This stadium and sports complex will greatly help the youth of Kashi.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/19/2024 12:23 PM, 99M followers, 10K retweets, 89K likes]
I prayed at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for the progress of India and the prosperity of 140 crore Indians. May the blessings of Mahadev always remain upon us and may everyone be happy as well as healthy.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[6/18/2024 11:32 AM, 99M followers, 10K retweets, 79K likes]
Witnessing the Ganga Aarti in Kashi is a mesmerizing experience. The beauty of the sacred Ganga, brightness and devotion all around make it special.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:29 AM, 3.2M followers, 295 retweets, 2.8K likes]
Landed in Colombo for my first visit in the new term. Thank Minister of State @TharakaBalasur1 and Governor of Eastern province @S_Thondaman for the warm welcome. Look forward to my meetings with the leadership. Sri Lanka is central to our Neighborhood First and SAGAR policies.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:54 AM, 3.2M followers, 511 retweets, 4.2K likes]
Pleasure to meet with the bipartisan US Congressional delegation led by @RepMcCaul. Thank @SpeakerPelosi, @RepGregoryMeeks, @RepMMM, @NMalliotakis, @RepBera and @RepMcGovern for joining. Appreciate their strong and continued support for the 🇮🇳 🇺🇸 strategic partnership.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 3.2M followers, 82 retweets, 522 likes]
Important decisions at the second Cabinet meeting of the new term:
Approval of National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme.
Would address shortage of trained forensic manpower, alleviate pendency of forensic laboratories. Will aid the criminal justice system.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 3.2M followers, 3 retweets, 26 likes]
Development of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi.
Developed as a green airport, will offer a glimpse of the vast cultural heritage of the city.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 3.2M followers, 4 retweets, 48 likes]
Approval of scheme for implementation of Offshore Wind Energy Projects.
Aims to set up first ever offshore wind energy projects including installation and commissioning of 1 GW offshore wind projects, 500 MW each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 3.2M followers, 13 retweets, 114 likes]
Approval of development of an all-Weather Greenfield deepdraft Major Port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra.
Aligned with the objectives of PM Gati Shakti program, will further economic activity and increase employment opportunities for around 1 million, thereby contributing to the local economy. https://x.com/pib_india/status/1803456837163082049?s=46&t=2N6X7TX2JO0EMlbL5d523g

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 3.2M followers, 15 retweets, 115 likes]
Approval of Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Kharif Crops The highest absolute increase over the previous year has been recommended for oilseeds and pulses. Will ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/19/2024 12:32 PM, 210.4K followers, 2 retweets, 12 likes]
I recently hosted a discussion on the implications of India’s elections with a terrific panel of @TheWilsonCenter @WC_IndoPacific fellows, past and present: @NeetiNair @AjayVerghese Ajay Shankar of @teriin and Venkat Lokanathan, formerly with India’s NSC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5wSaOhD6xY&t=12s

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[6/19/2024 11:21 AM, 210.4K followers, 16 retweets, 59 likes]
I’m quoted here by @mattberg33 on how US allegations of an Indian extrajudicial killing attempt on US soil may impact US-India relations, including future arms sales. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/18/bidens-india-scrutiny-possible-solutions-00164012

Sadanand Dhume
@dhume
[6/19/2024 5:35 AM, 172.3K followers, 35 retweets, 113 likes]
At first glance, India seems an unlikely technology partner for the U.S. But Washington hopes India will help it win the contest with China to dominate the future. [My take] v @WSJopinion https://www.wsj.com/articles/india-could-help-the-u-s-to-tech-victory-over-china-dd624fe6?st=fh50csrzixjgtzj&reflink=mobilewebshare_permalink
NSB
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives
@MoFAmv
[6/18/2024 12:12 PM, 54.2K followers, 22 retweets, 29 likes]
Maldives to Participate in the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council Press Release | https://t.ly/09eLz

MFA SriLanka
@MFA_SriLanka
[6/20/2024 1:48 AM, 38.2K followers, 6 retweets, 10 likes]
External Affairs Minister of #India @DrSJaishankar who is on an official visit to #SriLanka was received on arrival at the airport this morning by State Minister of Foreign Affairs @TharakaBalasur1. #DiplomacyLK #lka

MFA SriLanka
@MFA_SriLanka
[6/19/2024 7:02 AM, 38.2K followers, 6 retweets, 7 likes]
Sri Lanka and China successfully conclude the 13th Round of Diplomatic Consultations in Beijing More: https://mfa.gov.lk/diplomatic-consultations-in-beijing/ #DiplomacyLK #lka

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[6/18/2024 6:41 AM, 356.7K followers, 14 retweets, 98 likes]
Pleased President @RW_UNP promised to amend the @IMFNews agreement taking in to consideration @sjbsrilanka n others strong objection to the proposed imputed rent tax. Will he now exclude “owner occupied houses” from the tax. Btw no other political party even brought this up.

Namal Rajapaksa
@RajapaksaNamal
[6/19/2024 9:38 AM, 436.7K followers, 2 retweets, 16 likes]
Along with President Hon. @PresRajapaksa and Party Founder @RealBRajapaksa, planning ahead with our women parliamentarians and local government bodies representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Women’s Front. #SLPP #WomenInLeadership

Namal Rajapaksa
@RajapaksaNamal
[6/19/2024 9:38 AM, 436.7K followers, 2 retweets, 8 likes]
Great meeting with SLPP trade union leaders today. We discussed key political issues and strategies to enhance worker welfare and economic growth. Together, we will strengthen our party and lead our nation to prosperity. #SLPP

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[6/19/2024 5:41 AM, 81.2K followers, 7 retweets, 17 likes]
Sri Lanka: We welcome the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court decision today to discharge comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya from the case filed against her for comments made during a stand-up comedy show that were allegedly disrespectful of Buddhism. We reiterate, the right to freedom of expression applies to information and ideas of all kinds including those that may be deeply offensive. Sri Lankan authorities must ensure that all laws, policies and practices aimed at combatting advocacy of hatred are drafted and applied in a strict manner so that they do not lead to unjustified restrictions of freedom of expression. Authorities must end this culture of weaponising laws to crackdown on freedom of expression.
Central Asia
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[6/20/2024 12:51 AM, 191.6K followers, 1 retweet, 6 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev has reviewed the plans for the development of the #jewelry industry. Discussions included measures to increase exports and support manufacturers, including a zero customs duty rate on exports of jewelry. It was noted that special jewelry centers are being established in the country to stimulate the entire industry, including production and sales.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[6/20/2024 12:16 AM, 191.6K followers, 8 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev reviewed new proposals for improving preschool and school education. It is noteworthy that an advanced teacher certification system has been introduced, which has already enhanced the qualifications of more than 50,000 teachers. Based on the initiative of the Head of State, the National Institute of Pedagogy Education is being established, which will facilitate the integration of educational institutions with local communities, ensuring further development of the country’s educational system.

Zhao Xing
@ChinaEmbKabul
[6/19/2024 9:21 AM, 28.5K followers, 7 retweets, 41 likes]
I met with Uzbekistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Shadmanov Yadgarkhoja and exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between China and Uzbekistan on Afghan issues.

{End of Report}
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