SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Thursday, November 7, 2024 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Grand jury indicts Afghan national in OKC federal court over alleged Election Day plot (The Oklahoman)
The Oklahoman [11/6/2024 8:46 PM, Nolan Clay, 60726K, Negative]
The Afghan national accused of an Election Day terrorism plot now faces three felonies that have a total maximum punishment of 55 years in federal prison.Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was arrested Oct. 7.A grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday in Oklahoma City federal court charging him with the three offenses.He is charged in the first count with conspiring to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization. He is charged in the second count with attempting to provide that support. He is charged in the third count with receiving and conspiring to receive firearms and ammunition to commit terrorism.He originally had faced two felony counts. His court-appointed attorney questioned the validity of those counts at a preliminary hearing Oct. 17 but has not spoken to the media.Grand jurors specifically alleged Tawhedi conspired with others since June to provide to ISIS services, money and personnel that included himself. They also alleged he received two AK-47 rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition on Oct. 7 to commit terrorism.He and his brother-in-law were arrested after purchasing the rifles and ammunition during a meeting at a rural Oklahoma location, the FBI revealed Oct. 8 in a court affidavit.Tawhedi admitted after his arrest that he and his brother-in-law bought the guns to commit an attack on Election Day "targeting large gatherings of people," according to the affidavit. He said he and his brother-in-law expected to die in the Nov. 5 attack and be martyrs.Tawhedi was living with his wife and 1-year-old daughter at an apartment in south Oklahoma City and had been working as an auto mechanic. He arrived in the United States in 2021 and moved to Oklahoma last December.The brother-in-law has not been identified by the FBI because he is a juvenile. The boy was living at a house in Moore with his parents and siblings. Any prosecution of him in federal court would be done under strict secrecy unless he is charged eventually as an adult.Tawhedi is married to the boy’s sister.The indictment did not identify the alleged target. The FBI has said Tawhedi on July 25 used his Google account to access webcams for the White House and Washington Monument.The indictment did reveal that Tawhedi also is known by the last name Azizi.The alleged plot heightened tensions about the election, and there was an incident Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.Police reported Austin Olson, 27, of Westland, Michigan, was arrested after a flare gun and a flame torch were found in his jacket during the screening process to enter the Capitol Visitor Center. Police also reported finding gasoline in a liquor bottle and a drinking container in his backpack.Olson was charged Wednesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., with unlawful activities.Olson "stated that he was here to send a message to Congress and the torch and flare gun found in his possession were to ‘light up the message in fire,’" a U.S. Capitol Police supervisory special agent reported in a court affidavit. Village meeting held ahead of arrival of Afghans (BBC)
BBC [11/7/2024 5:05 AM, Harry Parkhill, 60726K, Neutral]
A public meeting has been held in a Lincolnshire village ahead of the resettlment of hundreds of people from Afghanistan in the next few weeks.The Afghans, who worked with UK armed forces in Afghanistan, are being homed in the UK to avoid persecution by the Taliban.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said about 200 Afghans, including families, would be housed at Beckingham Camp.A meeting was held at Beckingham Village Hall on 6 November to provide residents with more detail.The MoD said the first Afghans could start to arrive by mid November and the camp should be at capacity by early December.It added the camp would be a transitory site so, when some Afghans move on, others may replace them.Paul MacGregor, who lives very close to Beckingham Camp, said before the meeting he had concerns about safety and security in his rural home."My concern was would we have a contact number if anything was to arise in order to rectify any potential situations," he said."But I’ve left this meeting very happy with what’s happening."Mark Iles, who served as an Army reservist in Afghanistan, said he went to the meeting to share his experiences working alongside Afghan interpreters in the war."I feel we do owe them a debt of gratitude," he said."I couldn’t have done that job without the help of the interpreter and I think many soldiers who served there would say the same."The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition.More than 15,000 people were evacuated from the Afghan capital Kabul to the UK during two weeks in August 2021.These included British nationals, as well as more than 6,000 Afghans identified as being at risk from the Taliban including female politicians, members of the LGBT community, women’s rights activists and judges.In the years since the initial evacuation, many Afghans who worked with UK forces relocated to Pakistan to escape from the Taliban.The UK government’s resettlement programme is helping some of those settle in the UK. Pakistan
Hundreds Hospitalized in Pakistan’s Largest Province as Pollution Worsens (New York Times)
New York Times [11/7/2024 2:53 AM, Yan Zhuang and Qasim Nauman, 831K, Negative]
The authorities in Pakistan’s largest province told half the work force to stay at home and extended school closures for another week as record-breaking smog choked the region and strained hospitals.“This is a critical situation,” Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in Punjab Province, which includes Lahore, said at a news conference on Wednesday. New measures aimed at fighting the heavy smog will affect more than 70 million people in four divisions of the province.Lahore, home to 13 million people and the country’s second-largest city, recorded an Air Quality Index of over 1,000 on Sunday morning, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. Anything above 301 on the index is considered a hazardous situation that can cause severe eye and throat irritation and serious heart and lung conditions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers anything beyond 500 as off the charts.
Sunday was the first time the index for Lahore exceeded 1,000, prompting the authorities to close all primary schools for a week. On Wednesday, the city recorded a reading of 1,165.
Lahore regularly tops the list of the world’s most polluted cities, according to IQAir, which last year ranked Pakistan among the four countries with the worst air pollution on earth. The World Bank has said that air pollution shortens the average life expectancy of Pakistanis by 4.3 years and leads to economic losses equivalent to about 6.5 percent of the economy.
On Tuesday, more than 900 people were admitted to hospitals with respiratory problems, Ms. Aurangzeb said, adding, “If you don’t want to become one of them, for God’s sake, stay at home.”
Additional measures announced on Wednesday included advising residents to wear face masks in public spaces until the end of January. More schools, now up to 12th grade, were told to close and switch to online learning until Nov. 17.
In Lahore, half of all workers have been directed to work from home, and the authorities urged residents to stay indoors.
Officials have also cracked down on the use of cars, with the police in Punjab Province announcing on Tuesday that they had impounded 521 vehicles they said were excessively polluting the air. And Punjab’s Environment Protection Department said on Wednesday that 12 kilns used for making bricks were torn down as part of the government’s anti-smog measures.
The poor air quality was expected to remain for another 10 days, Ms. Aurangzeb said on Wednesday. Pakistan’s Air Pollution Sends Hundreds of People to Hospital (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/7/2024 1:57 AM, Kamran Haider, 27782K, Negative]
More than 900 people have been admitted to hospital in a single day in the Pakistani megacity of Lahore due to air pollution, the local government said.Children and elderly people were among those who had to urgently see a doctor for respiratory conditions and throat infections, senior provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said at a press conference on Wednesday.Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital, registers hazardous air pollution during the winter season, when slower wind currents are compounded by smoke from field clearing and urban emissions. The Swiss monitor IQAir on Thursday placed Lahore first among the world’s most polluted cities with an air quality index of 710, which is double the level seen in New Delhi and compared to safe levels of up to 50. The minister said the index touched 1,100 earlier in the week, prompting authorities to close schools, enforcing mask wearing and requesting that offices run at a reduced capacity, with half of the staff working from home. The restriction will be in place for the coming ten days, after which the government will reassess the situation. Pakistan’s Punjab Province Shuts Schools In Smog Hit Main Cities: Minister (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [11/6/2024 8:13 AM, Staff, 88008K, Negative]
Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab on Wednesday ordered schools closed in smog hit main cities, shifting them to online learning until November 17, a minister said, as the country battled record air pollution."Looking at the predicted air wind and air quality index we are closing all higher secondary schools," said Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in Punjab during a press conference in Lahore.The decision will affect millions of children in cities that are among the largest of Pakistan, including the Punjab’s provincial capital Lahore.For days, some of provinces cities have been enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.The minister said on Wednesday the air quality index (AQI), which measures a range of pollutants, spiked above 1,000 –- well above the level of 300 considered ‘dangerous’ – according to data from IQAir."This morning’s AQI crossed 1,100," Aurangzeb said."I appeal citizens, that for god’s sake don’t come out of your houses," she said adding that wearing a face mask was made mandatory in affected cities.She also announced that half of the staff in public and private offices will work remotely. Pakistan Authorities Tighten Grip on Power With Controversial Legal Changes (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [11/7/2024 12:01 AM, Saeed Shah, 810K, Negative]
Pakistan’s government is taking the country in an increasingly authoritarian direction in a bid to fend off any challenge from the party of jailed opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, political experts and government critics said.
New legislation in recent days has consolidated the government’s power after a shock election result earlier this year in which candidates backed by the country’s former prime minister took the most seats. Government officials have said the new laws are meant to bring stability, and accuse Khan, whose party has called repeated protest rallies over his imprisonment, of spreading chaos.The coalition government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, last month curbed the powers of the courts. This month it tabled a new law allowing for the detention of people who have committed no crime. X, the platform formerly called Twitter, which was used by Khan’s party to dispute the election, was banned days after the vote and remains blocked in the country.
This week, the government rushed through Parliament a law to extend the term of the army chief from three years to five years, while also allowing for a five-year extension. The current army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, who was due to step down next year, could now serve until 2032. The post is widely seen as the country’s most powerful office.
Abdul Moiz Jaferii, a lawyer and senior member of the new opposition party Awaam Pakistan, said that the country had been deprived of an independent judiciary, which was the only institution that could have challenged the legitimacy of the current setup. The courts could also have freed Khan, who has been in prison for more than a year. “I think we are closer to a Middle Eastern situation, perhaps an Egyptian model experiment, than we ever have been in supposedly democratic times,” said Jaferii. “You have the skeletons of institutions and systems that still stand. But whether there’s any life in them or not is quite debatable.”
The nuclear-armed South Asian country has previously been ruled by four military dictators. It is currently enjoying its longest period of democracy, with elected governments since 2008. But in recent years the military has reasserted itself, while still maintaining a civilian administration.
Political instability in Pakistan kicked off in 2017 after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif fell out with the army and was removed from office. Khan came to power with the help of the military, according to politicians from both main parties, but he soon clashed with the army and was himself dismissed in 2022 in a no-confidence motion.
Since his ouster, Khan has been locked in a confrontation with the military over the role it has in the country’s affairs. The military denies political interference.
Constitutional amendments passed in late October handed power to appoint senior judges to committees on which the government has a majority. Government representatives then used the power to appoint a new chief justice of the Supreme Court, passing over two more senior judges. On Tuesday, a committee picked the head of a new bench in the Supreme Court that will hear constitutional cases.
The amendments came after courts overturned all of Khan’s convictions, issued in trials carried out while he is in prison. The government said the changes were needed because the courts were usurping the right of elected representatives to make decisions on a wide range of issues.“If things have been constitutionalized, have been regulated, so that all institutions work within their proper constitutional roles, then that’s for the betterment of the nation,” said Rana Sanaullah Khan, a cabinet minister and the adviser to the prime minister on political and public affairs.
When it comes to the law extending the army chief’s term, some lawyers say it potentially allows for multiple extensions, meaning the current chief could serve indefinitely. Others dispute that reading; Rana Sanaullah Khan, the government adviser, said he thought a single five-term would be “sufficient” for Munir.
The administration said it acted to end the kind of speculation that has paralyzed past governments over whether the army chief would be given another term. The military, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, said earlier this year that it favors no political party.
An antiterrorism law tabled this month in Parliament would allow the authorities to detain someone on “reasonable suspicion” for up to six months. Many opposition politicians have been charged with terrorism offenses over the last couple of years. “This is tantamount to legalizing enforced disappearances,” said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent organization.
The government said the law is needed to tackle terrorism, with Pakistan facing a deteriorating security situation and a surge of attacks on police and army personnel.
The legal moves bolster the position of a government that had looked shaky after the elections in February. Khan’s opposition party said rigging in the election robbed it of even more seats, an allegation denied by the government.
In a message from jail posted on Wednesday by his social-media team, Khan said the country was under the control of a mafia that is using “every dirty tactic to extend their hold on power, which neither the constitution, nor the law, or even political ethics and morality, allows.”
Political analysts see little prospect now of Khan being freed. The government has said that it intends to put him on trial in a military court for the protests that erupted after his arrest last year.
The government has said the economy is on firmer ground. A bailout from the International Monetary Fund was secured in September and inflation fell from nearly 40% last year to 7% in October. Yet growth remains anemic, and poverty is growing.“We have reached a stage where we can say with confidence that we are out of the woods,” said Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the defense minister. “We just hope now that somehow the economy, which is still a huge challenge, improves.” Pakistan upends judiciary with eye on imprisoned ex-PM Khan (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [11/6/2024 8:27 PM, Adnan Aamir, 2376K, Neutral]
Pakistan’s government has taken unprecedented steps to exert control over the country’s top court in a move that analysts warn is sure to plunge the country deeper into political crisis.Late last month, Islamabad amended the constitution to let it handpick Pakistan’s next chief justice, upending decades of convention that handed the top job to the country’s next most senior judge. The changes also gave the government greater control over other Supreme Court appointments. Mansoor Ali Shah was set to take the role after Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa retired in the last week of October.But senior government officials worried the independent-minded Shah would free popular ex-leader Imran Khan from prison and order a probe of February elections, which could see Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif booted from power, multiple government sources told Nikkei Asia. The military-backed government ultimately chose Yahya Afridi, a 59-year-old former chief justice of the regional high court in Peshawar, to be Pakistan’s top judge for a three-year term, pushing Shah out of the way."The government has reduced the judiciary’s influence and weakened its role," said Asad Toor, an Islamabad-based political analyst who specializes in judicial matters. "If a previously powerful judiciary could not secure Imran Khan’s release, a weaker judiciary certainly cannot. ... [Now] there will likely be a race among judges to gain favor with the government in hopes of becoming Chief Justice, further weakening the judiciary."Khan, a cricket star turned politician, was booted from the prime minister’s office after a no-confidence motion in 2022 and jailed the following year on a raft of charges, including corruption and abuse of power. The 72-year-old Khan, who remains popular, has dismissed the charges against him as politically motivated. He’s been acquitted in a number of cases but remains in prison.Since his jailing, Pakistan has been paralyzed by a political crisis that has seen multiple mass protests by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its supporters.The calls for his freedom have heaped pressure on Sharif’s government as it grapples with a weak economy that forced it to accept a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year. Tahir Naeem Malik, a professor of international relations at the National University of Modern Languages Islamabad, told Nikkei that the constitutional amendment gives the government strong leverage over the judiciary, and signals that it is now politicians, not the courts, holding the key to Khan’s release.Previously, the judiciary had been seen as off-limits to government interference. Military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s sacking of a chief justice in 2007 exploded into a mass lawyers’ protest that ultimately restored the judge to his position -- and strengthened the courts."Since 2007, the judiciary had emerged as a significant institution, gradually increasing its powers, which has now been checked," Malik said, adding that Khan and his PTI are unlikely to win favorable court rulings in the future. "The current regime in Pakistan follows a model of political exclusion, and with the relief that PTI was receiving from the judiciary, the government feared that political exclusion might not be fully achievable. That is why the government has taken control of the appointment of judges and the chief justice," he added.But squeezing the court could prolong rather than shorten Pakistan’s political crisis, said Malik, who added that the country saw military dictatorships in the past sack judges to unsuccessfully maintain control. "The political crisis will not end just by taking control of the judiciary," he told Nikkei, adding that there were strong signs that lawyers were organizing to protest the constitutional amendment. The amendment’s rushed passing could also have severe implications for Pakistan’s waning democracy, warned political commentator Cyril Almeida."Pakistan is in a post-democracy phase," he said. "All the while, the military will remain in the background, calling the shots. 4 security officers and 2 schoolchildren killed in bomb and mortar attacks in northwest Pakistan (AP)
AP [11/7/2024 1:54 AM, Staff, 31638K, Negative]
A roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying security forces in restive northwestern Pakistan, killing four officers and wounding five others, officials said Thursday, and the same day two schoolchildren were killed when a mortar exploded near them elsewhere in the northwest.
The roadside bombing happened Wednesday in South Waziristan district, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, local police officer Dilawar Khan said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, has stepped up its assaults in the region since its ally the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
Later the same day, a mortar fired by insurgents landed near a road in the Tirah valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, killing two schoolchildren who was going to school on foot, police said.
The Pakistani military has launched dozens of operations against the Pakistani Taliban and other insurgents in South Waziristan and other former tribal regions nearby, but the militants continue to carry out frequent attacks.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Chinese ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad to brief him about an investigation into an attack Tuesday in which a guard shot and wounded two Chinese nationals at a textile mill in the port city of Karachi, allegedly over a private dispute.
China has frequently demanded better security for its nationals who are in Pakistan to work for Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. An unknown number of Chinese people are also working at factories in the country. India
Trump Victory Gives Modi Chance to Reset India’s Image With West (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/6/2024 9:58 PM, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Dan Strumpf, and Ruchi Bhatia, 27782K, Positive]
Few leaders in Asia are more happy to see Donald Trump heading back to the White House than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Modi became one of the first major leaders to congratulate Trump on his “historic” win in Tuesday’s election, posting his message alongside photos of the two men holding hands at a rally of thousands of supporters in Houston five years ago. He quickly followed that up with a phone call. Trump’s return gives Modi a chance to bolster India’s image with the US and its allies, which have increased scrutiny recently on the nation’s close ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and its role in violence against Sikh activists in the US and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year alleged that Indian government agents have been involved in killing dissidents living abroad, and cases are now making their way through US and Canadian courts. Officials in New Delhi, who asked not to be identified, expect a new Trump administration to be less stringent in demanding accountability from India’s government for its alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings in Canada and the US. The Biden administration had been pushing India to probe and prosecute the officials allegedly involved. India has officially denied orchestrating any assassinations.Analysts and officials believe that the US under Trump will continue a years-long effort to cultivate India as a strategic partner against a more assertive Beijing, an effort that has won India big new investments from US companies like Apple Inc.“Trump will continue to view China as the greatest geopolitical challenge and, in that equation, India’s long-term value as a strategic partner for the United States will be unchallenged,” said Irfan Nooruddin, a professor of Indian politics at Georgetown University. “While military co-operation will continue with Trump, the question really is whether the good relations will spill over to the benefit of the broader Indian economy and trade.”Trade WarsOfficials in New Delhi warn that while overall ties may improve, India could see new trade headaches under Trump and reduced cooperation on formerly key areas like technology sharing and defense. Trump has described Modi as the “nicest human being” while also quickly criticizing India for being the “biggest charger” of tariffs.The US is now India’s biggest trade partner with two-way trade of $119.7 billion in the past fiscal year, up more than a third in five years. The US’s trade deficit with India has steadily widened over the years as it shifted imports away from China. Trump’s plan to impose a 20% import tariff on all countries, and a 60% duty on goods from China could cost India 0.1% of its gross domestic product by 2028, according to estimates from Bloomberg Economics.An outsized US tariff on Chinese goods may help to drive more trade to countries like India, but there could be negative spillovers too. Officials in New Delhi said they’ll monitor closely if China begins dumping cheap goods in India. If that happens, officials aren’t ruling out imposing higher duties on Chinese goods in response. New Delhi’s other concern is cooperation in defense and critical technologies. The two countries in August agreed to advance co-production projects on an array of high-tech equipment, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and ground mobility systems. The two sides are also working on a cooperation initiative around “critical and emerging technologies” announced by Modi and Biden last year. Both efforts could face new challenges given Trump’s protectionist tendencies.“President Trump may not be as open to sharing technology or let jobs move from US to India,” said Meera Shankar, a former Indian envoy to the US.Russian TiesTrump’s return makes it easier for India to continue balancing its close links with Russia, which supplies India with cheap oil and military equipment, while keeping US relations on track. Modi has come under pressure from Ukraine and the US for his ties with Putin.“India would find it easier to navigate its longstanding Russia relationship if President Trump were to negotiate a settlement to end the Ukraine war,” Shankar said.To be sure, India-US ties have strengthened under both Republican and Democratic administrations, and India diplomats believe that Trump’s hawkish stance on China will ensure that engagement with India will continue.“He’s been a president before. We all know what are the policies he stands for,” India’s Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran told CNBC TV18. “I don’t see major discontinuity or dislocation from the Indian perspective.” Trump wasn’t always easy to deal with for India during his first term. In 2019, he pulled India’s designation as a developing nation, a status that had allowed the South Asian country to export thousands of products duty-free to the US. India retaliated by imposing higher tariffs on several products from the US.In a second term, he could push hard for tax breaks and lower import duties for American companies like Tesla Inc. and Harley Davidson Inc., Indian officials said. He’s previously cited India’s high import tariffs as a hindrance to Harley Davidson’s expansion.Another worry for India: Trump’s push for tighter immigration limits. Indians are the largest recipients of H-1B visas to the US, widely issued to workers in the tech sector. Trump issued limits on H-1B visas during his first term, and is widely expect to tighten immigration to the US during his second.“There are two issues in particular that I think he’s going to focus on that could make life difficult for the Indians,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “One is the whole question of trade, tariffs and market access. And the second is immigration.” Trump-Modi Bromance 2.0 Under Test (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/6/2024 11:53 PM, Menaka Doshi, 27782K, Positive]
We’ve been here before. Two alpha males, one in the White House, the other in 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, sharing mutual admiration over strongman leadership and nationalistic politics while being backed by billionaires.Except this time it’s different.Donald Trump’s return as US President may consolidate India’s geopolitical position, but his economic policies could slow growth and imperil a fifth of its exports — especially phones and back-office services, the two shiny new spots in India’s growth story.Trump’s second act is powered by a near-trifecta win supporting an aggressive agenda on tariffs, tax and immigration.The decisive victory has Trump and his allies claiming a mandate to do what he wants, having had the benefit of four previous years in office to understand how to get it done, said Bloomberg’s Derek Wallbank.The US wants a more powerful India as a counterweight to China and Trump counts Narendra Modi as one of his friends on the world stage. New Delhi will find itself in a more favorable position than a lot of other places on the map, said Singapore-based Wallbank, managing editor of breaking news in south Asia.Yet, Trump’s “transactional and mercantilist” approach to trade will test India, warned Ajay Chhibber, distinguished visiting scholar at the Institute for International Economic Policy, George Washington University. “Trump doesn’t distinguish between foes and allies on trade issues,” he said.The US rivals China as India’s largest trading partner ($118.3 billion in FY2023-24) and is the only large country with which India has a trade surplus, led by exports of drug formulations, phones, diamonds, refined petroleum products and IT and business services (GCCs).It is also the largest source of foreign portfolio investment and the third-largest source of foreign direct investment to India.So, what impact will Trump 2.0 have on the fifth-largest economy in the world?Trump’s tariffs on US imports could cut both ways.A 60% tariff on Chinese goods could make Indian exports more competitive unless the Trump administration also targets the Chinese inputs on which India’s engineering and electronics goods exports rely on.A 10% tax on all imports to the US would hurt India’s competitiveness only if the US produced the same goods (and services maybe) cheaper.That said, Trump has more than once called out India’s high tariffs, raising fears of specific anti-India levies that could hurt growth.Smarter heads may prevail, according to Mark Linscott, senior advisor for trade policy at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum and former US trade negotiator.Given the negative impact Trump’s tariff plan will likely have on global growth, Linscott expects the president-elect’s trade advisors will seek to pivot from across-the-board US tariffs and retaliatory responses to new trade agreements.“There is a scenario in which a Trump administration prioritizes negotiating an agreement with India that could provide some relief compared to other trading partners,” Linscott said, citing the US-Japan agreement in 2020.It may also cover services exports, but he doubts it would result in more H1B visas for companies like TCS and Infosys. India already receives over 70% of all such visas. So visa uncertainty may remain unresolved for a long time.A US corporate tax cut may roil investment flows to India.Trump plans to slash the corporate tax rate to 15%. India’s higher 25% rate (plus surcharge) may further diminish its appeal to US multinationals at a time when foreign direct investment flows to India have already slowed.India’s uncompetitiveness is not solely tax related, hence the Modi government is unlikely to cut corporate tax again, said Akhilesh Ranjan, advisor at Price Waterhouse & Co. Nor does he expect any extension of the 15% tax rate for new manufacturing units — an incentive introduced in 2019 that expires this year.It didn’t draw much investment, he said. Instead, the government may have to consider more targeted incentives (besides the Production-Linked Incentive scheme) to draw US investors to infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy and data centers, said Ranjan, who’s a former member of the government’s direct tax department.Lower tax rates would boost US corporate earnings and stock prices, drawing away portfolio funds too, which are already down to a trickle in India this year.On the subject of taxes, expect the global tax deal, crafted by the OECD and championed by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, to soon become history. Trump is unlikely to back the two-pillar deal that advocates a reallocation of corporate profits to market jurisdictions and a global minimum tax rate. Maybe the UN-led tax treaty framework, which India has been leaning toward, will work better, Ranjan said.The trade and fund-flow outcomes will affect India’s economic growth.As will dollar volatility and potentially higher-for-longer US interest rates resulting from a greater US fiscal deficit.Yet, India will face a “limited impact” versus other Asian countries because of its more domestically oriented economy, according to a Barclays report.On the other hand, India may benefit from lower crude prices as Trump intends to “drill, baby, drill.” Also, his pledge to broker a swift end to Russia’s war on Ukraine may eventually smoothen passage for more Russian crude supply while easing India off the tightrope it’s walked between Putin and the West.The India-US technology partnership may deepen.From space to semiconductors, other areas of bilateral cooperation may get a boost from Trump and his tech-tycoon backers.They will also push for less regulation of AI and a broader legitimization of crypto currencies, the effects of which India is unlikely to escape.India will also have to be watchful of the collateral impact of Trump’s climate skepticism and how that shapes the international market from EVs to solar.In summary, it’s not clear yet if India will share in the glory of the “golden age of America” Trump promises, or be eclipsed by it. Kashmir legislature passes resolution asking India to restore its partial autonomy (AP)
AP [11/6/2024 5:57 AM, Staff, 88008K, Neutral]
Indian-controlled Kashmir ‘s regional legislature passed a resolution on Wednesday demanding the federal government restore the disputed region’s semi-autonomy that was scrapped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration in 2019.The assembly passed the nonbinding resolution by a majority vote to noisy scenes in the house.“This assembly calls upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir for restoration of special status,” the resolution read.Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which has 29 members in the 90-seat assembly, rejected the resolution. It requires the approval of Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha, New Delhi’s appointed top administrator in Kashmir.The National Conference party, which sponsored the resolution, came to power last month in the region’s first vote in a decade and the first since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government scrapped its semi-autonomy. The federal government also downgraded and divided the former state into two centrally governed union territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir.The move — which largely resonated in India and among Modi supporters — was mostly opposed in Kashmir, including by the National Conference, as an assault on its identity and autonomy. Many fear it would pave the way for demographic changes in the region, which has since been on edge with civil liberties were curbed and media freedoms restricted.The region continues to remain a “union territory” — directly controlled by the federal government with India’s Parliament as its main legislator.India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. The nuclear-armed rivals have fought two of their three wars over the territory since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.Modi and his powerful home minister, Amit Shah, have repeatedly stated that the region’s statehood will be restored after the election, without specifying a timeline. However, they vowed to block any move aimed at undoing the 2019 changes. Kashmir assembly passes resolution asking India to restore special status (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [11/6/2024 7:24 AM, Staff, 25768K, Neutral]
The legislative assembly in Indian-administered Kashmir has passed a resolution demanding the restoration of partial autonomy.The resolution, passed on Wednesday, comes a month after the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won a regional election last month with promises to return self-rule to the disputed Muslim-majority territory.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government cancelled Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, and the territory has been ruled by a governor appointed by New Delhi since.“This assembly calls upon the government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir for restoration of special status,” the resolution, passed by a majority vote in the 90-member assembly, read.It added that it “reaffirms the importance of the special and constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.The 29 members of BJP in the legislative body opposed the non-binding resolution, which requires approval from the federally appointed governor.They said the resolution carried no weight as the parliament had scrapped the special status, and they shouted Hindu nationalist slogans.Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their partition at the end of British rule in 1947, and both countries claim full ownership of the territory.Tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels have been killed in the territory during decades of unrest that shows no sign of stopping.In one of the latest spates of violence, gunmen killed seven people working on a strategic tunnel project near the resort town of Sonamarg last month.Police claim that rebels fighting against Indian rule in the territory were responsible for the “terror attack”.Many Kashmiris support the goal of uniting the territory, but India has branded such aspirations “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism”. India should join China-backed Asian trade bloc, government think tank CEO says (Reuters)
Reuters [11/7/2024 2:23 AM, Nikunj Ohri, 37270K, Positive]
India should join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a top official at a government think tank said on Thursday, years after the country decided to walk out of the China-backed Asian trade bloc.
The RCEP is the world’s largest trade bloc backed by China and groups 15 Asia-Pacific economies, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In 2019, India decided to not join the bloc, on the grounds that the deal would hurt its farmers, businesses, workers and consumers.
"India should be a part of RCEP and CPTPP and become a member," said B V R Subrahmanyam, the CEO of NITI Aayog, a public policy think tank for the government. He said that joining the trade blocs will help India boost its manufacturing base and exports by small and medium firms that constitute 40% of the country’s exports.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between 11 countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
The CPTPP was signed by the countries in March 2018 and went into effect in December that year.
He also said India has not benefited much from global companies’ efforts to build factories outside China because of India’s high tariffs.
In recent years, many companies have adopted a "China Plus One" strategy to build new manufacturing units outside the People’s Republic.
"I don’t think we have captured the China plus one opportunity as much as we could have," he said.
"Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, have probably benefited more from China plus one than we have.".
India’s goods exports during April-September 2024 rose by 1.02% from a year earlier to $213.22 billion. India-China border dispute: Can the peace last? (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [11/6/2024 8:12 AM, Murali Krishnan, 16637K, Neutral]
India and China recently pulled back each other’s troops from two face-off points on their contested high-altitude border. The move came days after the two nuclear-armed neighbors struck a deal on military patrols that aims to end a four-year standoff that has strained ties.
The agreement was reached shortly before a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan at the end of October.
After their talks, both Modi and Xi made pledges to improve bilateral relations and praised the recent progress towards solving territorial disputes in the Himalayas.
It signaled a potential thaw between the two Asian giants since border clashes between their troops in 2020, which killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
China and India, the world’s two most populous nations, are intense rivals and have accused each other of trying to seize territory along their de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Just a ‘first step’
Security experts in India welcomed the latest deal to de-escalate tensions,but say there is a need to renew efforts to find a permanent solution to the border dispute.
"Disengagement is the very first step. If and once completed at all points, it will be a confidence-building measure (CBM). De-escalation and de-induction are the next two major phases in this process and formal CBMs can only be decided after that," Jayadeva Ranade, president of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy in New Delhi, told DW.
"In the absence of trust, peace will be fragile. Beijing has also reiterated its ambitious agenda, which does not calm the apprehensions of the world," he added.
Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, president of Mantraya, an independent research forum, said both New Delhi and Beijing should engage in a serious dialogue to find ways to demarcate their disputed border.
She also pointed to other problems plaguing the bilateral relationship: "The border standoff is just one of several issues India has with China. Beijing needs to be attentive to New Delhi’s concerns regarding Pakistan-supported terrorism, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade imbalances, and other related matters.".
Despite the latest border disengagement deal, D’Souza said there is "a lingering sense of mistrust towards China" in New Delhi. She noted that it will continue to cast a shadow over bilateral ties.
"China’s global ambitions and its strategy to increase its influence in India’s neighborhood and the Indian Ocean will consistently pose challenges for India," the expert said.
"Both countries must work towards establishing a mechanism that allows for mutual growth through competition while avoiding conflicts. Until that occurs, achieving peace with China will remain an unfinished project," she added.
Rebuilding trust possible?
India’s Foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar this week highlighted how the recent troop pullback marks significant progress between the two sides.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that managing bilateral ties in the long term poses a challenge as it involves establishing an equilibrium in the disputed border areas.
"After the withdrawal of both countries on the LAC, we have to see in which direction we can move forward. We feel that the withdrawal from the LAC is a welcome step. This opens the possibility that other steps can also be taken," Jaishankar said on the sidelines of the India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue in Canberra.
S K Chatterji, a former Indian army official and defense strategist, said that from a military standpoint, "CBMs must include weekly meetings at the battalion commanders’ level, a total ban on carriage of firearms and even sticks at the borders.".
"The three Ds formula that the Indians have proposed, involving disengagement (currently in progress), de-escalation and finally de-induction of formations brought into the zone from other places, could build trust on both sides," Chatterji, who previously commanded a regiment in the high-altitude region, told DW.
"All told, it is doubtful if the armies on both sides will trust each other for a long time to come. Military-to-military interaction through exercises and visits could accelerate the process of building trust.".
How to maintain peace?
While vigilance across the boundary remains a priority as both nations work through friction points and consider establishing buffer zones in crucial areas, transparency is also important in managing public sentiment and reducing nationalistic pressures, say experts.
"What China and India have right now is not peace, it is the lack of hostilities. Troops have disengaged from eyeball-to-eyeball deployments but they remain in the combat zones," Atul Kumar, a China expert and fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, told DW."Therefore, unless de-escalation and de-induction of troops is complete, both India and China cannot discuss how to maintain peace.".
Both countries have reached multiple agreements in the past aimed at maintaining peace and stability along their disputed border but they have failed, Kumar said.
"Therefore, a pact on paper has minimal value and both states need to find a way to institutionalize the mechanism to restore and maintain peace. What steps would be necessary to achieve that remains unknown but both sides are trying to find ways and methods," he added.
Kumar stressed that the latest border deal presents an opportunity for both sides to de-escalate the tensions.
"The meetings and discussions to further resolve conflictual issues are about to begin. If not a resolution, China and India need to find a practical compromise to coexist together and prevent conflicts from emerging," he said. India raids offices of sellers using Amazon, Flipkart platforms, sources say (Reuters)
Reuters [11/7/2024 3:17 AM, Nikunj Ohri, 37270K, Positive]
India’s financial crime agency has raided offices of some sellers operating on the platforms of Amazon (AMZN.O) and Flipkart, majority-owned by Walmart (WMT.N), as part of an investigation into alleged violations of foreign investment rules by the e-commerce companies, two government sources said on Thursday. Germany’s Pivot to India (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [11/6/2024 10:28 AM, Muhammad Murad, 1198K, Positive]
India is Germany’s democratic partner for stability and security, according to the recently issued document "Focus on India." The document was published by the German government prior to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to India along with his cabinet ministers from October 24-26 to attend the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).
This document shows Germany’s growing interest in India, one of the fastest growing economies and the most populous country in the world. Moreover, the timing is also significant as last year, Germany issued its first comprehensive strategy on China using the buzzword "de-risking" instead of "decoupling," indicating that it did not want to sever ties between both economies but rather reduce its one-sided dependency on China. Germany’s "Strategy on China" document indicated its defensive posture as it emphasized that Beijing’s growing closeness with Russia had security implications for Germany and Europe as a whole.
Berlin’s focus on New Delhi is part of its pragmatic foreign policy. Germany wants to make the most of India’s economic, technological, and skilled labor potential to face its geoeconomic challenges. This document also indicates Germany’s willingness to bolster its ties with India in areas such as trade, climate change, security, and foreign policy.
Germany is faced with slow GDP growth partly owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ensuing EU and U.S. sanctions on Russia, followed by German firms’ disengagement from Russian trade and investment. Moreover, Germany’s sluggish economy is also linked to its aging population and labor shortages along with the stalled digitalization of its economy. In such a situation, Germany wants to take advantage of India’s strength in innovation and technology. That is why, during the German chancellor’s recent visit to India – his third since taking office – both countries reached 27 agreements focusing on defense, research, renewable energy, and migration of skilled workers.
In addition to this, in order to attract more workers from India, Scholz also pledged to increase the number of visas issued to skilled workers from India. Modi said that the German government has decided to increase the number of visas for skilled Indian citizens from 20,000 to 90,000, which he predicted would give new pace to Germany’s economic growth.
According to official German estimates, Germany will face a shortage of 7 million workers by the year 2035 due to its aging population. In order to fill this shortage, Germany needs more qualified workers who can help counterbalance of its aging population and the simultaneous declining birthrate. In this context, Germany’s Labor Minister Hubertus Heil said that Germany requires more qualified skilled workers along with more economic dynamism. He further said that the situation in India is opposite to that of Germany, as it adds approximately 1 million new workers to its labor force every month. Therefore, there is a policy shift to increase the flow of skilled workers from India to the German labor market.
As per the Federal Labor Ministry statistics, by February 2024, there were approximately 137,000 Indians employed in skilled worker positions in Germany, which is roughly 23,000 more than the previous year. Germany’s federal cabinet has revealed that it is taking measures to lure still more skilled workers from India to enter the German labor market. To attract more international workers, Germany has recently introduced the Chancenkarte (German for Opportunity Card). Furthermore, it has also changed its nationality laws allowing dual nationality and reducing the number of years required to become a German citizen. However, the latter has no effect on Indian citizens, as their government does not allow dual citizenship.
During his recent visit to India, Scholz also supported increased arms cooperation with New Delhi. The German chancellor and his counterpart, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, agreed to back increased industry-level cooperation in the area of defense, with the main focus on co-development and co-production of defense equipment and platforms coupled with technological cooperation in the defense sector. During the first six months of 2024, India was the third-largest recipient of German arms. Germany approved armed licenses worth 153.75 million euros for India.
There is growing military cooperation between Germany and India owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China’s rising demonstrations of its military might, and the tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, which have incentivized both countries to augment military cooperation. A true alliance in this regard is very unlikely due to India’s historic ties with Russia and Germany’s heightened security situation due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the chances of significant defense partnership in the near future cannot be ruled out.
Germany’s pivot to India is a result of the growing geopolitical as well as geoeconomic rivalry between Beijing and the West, mainly Washington. China is not only Germany’s largest import partner but also its fourth-largest export destination. However, due to post-COVID inflation, the goods trade balance between Germany and China has turned negative. Due to this trend, German businesses are shifting their focus to India to reduce their dependence on China. India is increasingly becoming significant for German firms.
This doesn’t mean that German businesses will take their businesses out of China in the short term. But it is probable that they will explore other markets, mainly that of India, in case of a widening fissure between China and the West along with the EU’s trade barriers with China.
According to the German-Indian Business Outlook Survey 2024, German firms want to relocate to India mainly due to the low labor costs, political stability, and qualified skilled workers. However, at the same, they cite bureaucratic hurdles, corruption, and a complicated tax system as the main challenges of relocating to India. Nevertheless, India presents a huge market to the German businesses, which might be a trade-off for their relocation.
Germany’s pivot toward India is mainly driven by trade, technology, and a need for skilled workers. India offers a vast labor market alongside a rapidly growing economy, particularly when Germany deals with demographic challenges and economic slowdown. As a result, India becomes not only a potential geoeconomic partner but also a significant geopolitical ally in the Asia-Pacific region for Germany. NSB
Bangladesh Devises Payment Plan to Avert Adani Power’s Cuts (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [11/6/2024 7:29 AM, Arun Devnath and Sanjai P R, 1784K, Negative]
Bangladesh is creating a "dynamic payment plan" for all electricity providers, including Adani Power Ltd., the power ministry chief said, as it races to stave off further blackouts after the Indian company halved supply.
The plan can help avert further cuts from the Gautam Adani-led firm a day before Adani Power was expected to stop supplying electricity altogether.
"Payments will be based on the availability of resources and competing needs, irrespective of individual parties and without discrimination," Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, the head of Bangladesh’s power ministry, said in an interview to Bloomberg News.
Bangladesh, which is recovering from a violent change of regime, paid $97 million to Adani Power last month and opened a letter of credit worth $170 million, according to Khan. "We established an order of priority, given the shortage that we have, so then we allocated it," he said.
Adani Power, which halved the electricity supply to India’s neighboring nation last week as past dues crossed $850 million, expects a new letter of credit by Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. This will help allay lender concerns around the company’s ability to service liabilities on this power plant.
A representative for Adani Group didn’t immediately respond to requests for further information.
There may not be any need for drastic steps like cutting the power supply since the Bangladesh administration is working to clear dues, the people said.
The ports-to-power conglomerate has been ratcheting up pressure in recent days, first by reducing the supply and then planning to cut the nation off entirely from Nov. 7 unless progress was made on repayments for the electricity it provides from its 1,600 megawatt coal-fired plant in India’s Jharkhand state.
Staving Off Blackouts
The power-deficit nation of roughly 174 million people needs to tackle its unpaid dues and stave off more blackouts amid billions of dollars in arrears. The interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus, is battling an energy and foreign reserve crisis after weeks of bloody protests overthrew Sheikh Hasina’s government earlier this year.
The tussle also underscores the geopolitical risks for the Adani Group as the Indian conglomerate expands overseas. The Yunus-led administration is also not pleased with how the issue has blown up in the media.
"Whatever was said was shocking and unfortunate. We have never said that we are going to pay more or less, because it all depends on the availability of resources," Khan said, adding the government was committed to paying as much as it was able and when it could.
Adani Power’s move last week exacerbated electricity deficit in Bangladesh, which relies on the company for 10% of its power needs.
In an Oct. 28 letter, the company had cautioned Bangladesh Power Development Board that it will start "suspending power supply" without a revised letter of credit or if its dues remain unpaid by Oct. 31 — a warning it followed through by reducing the supplies by half.
Playing Down
Adani Power said in the letter that it was facing working capital strains and had difficulties paying coal suppliers and other vendors.
Khan played down the impact of the reduction in electricity supplies from Adani since last week. "There shouldn’t be any hype about it," he said.
The resource allocation for repaying past dues to various electricity providers will be based on economic considerations and availability.
"We ascertain their needs and then fund them as needed and as possible, not because of fear," Khan said. Bangladesh interim government revokes credentials of 50 journalists (VOA)
VOA [11/6/2024 12:50 PM, Jocelyn Mintz, 4566K, Negative]
The Bangladesh government has revoked the press credentials of dozens of journalists in a move that critics call an "alarming" form of censorship.
The interim Information Ministry in the past week scrapped the accreditation of over 50 journalists.
Over 20 senior journalists had their credentials revoked on October 30, and another 30 suffered the same fate on Sunday, local media reported.
Some of those affected include Zafar Wazed, former director-general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh; former press minister Shaban Mahmud; and journalists at outlets including ATN News, Ekattor TV, and The Dhaka Times, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Some media watchdogs said journalists who were supportive of the ousted Awami League political party appear to have been mainly affected.
The Awami League government fell in August after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after 15 years of power. Since then, an interim government has been formed under Nobel-laureate Muhammad Yusuf to prepare the country for new elections.
In response to a query for comment, the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, after publication, directed VOA to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ministry did not immediately respond to VOA’s email sent Wednesday.
The revoking of press credentials should be protested because of its "chilling" effect on other journalists in the country and around the world, Celia Mercier of Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, told VOA in an email.
"Such decisions threaten the growth of opposition media," she said. "This will encourage self-censorship, and critical space in media will shrink.".
Media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists also condemned the action, saying on social media, "The interim authorities must safeguard press freedom during this critical period of the country’s political transition.".
Hasina’s fall was prompted by student-led mass protests over proposed changes in university admissions policies and a deadly response by security forces. During the unrest, five journalists were killed, and others were beaten and fired at.
Reporters at the time told VOA they were being threatened for their coverage.
The country currently ranks 165 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best environment. RSF, which compiles the index, described the country as a "hostile" environment for journalists, where editors often avoid challenging the government.
During the last months of Hasina’s rule, "draconian" laws for journalists emerged in the country, according to RSF.
Her government introduced the Cyber Security Act in January, which allows authorities to imprison journalists for up to 14 years for publishing content that goes against the prime minister and the party in power. Spread of dengue fever in Bangladesh worries medics (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [11/7/2024 3:03 AM, Sheikh Sabiha Alam, 88008K, Negative]
Bangladesh is struggling to tamp down a surge in dengue cases as climate change turns the disease into a year-round crisis, leaving some paediatric wards packed with children squeezed two to a bed.
The Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue -- identifiable by its black and white striped legs -- breeds in stagnant pools, and cases once slowed after the monsoon rains faded.
"Normally, around this time, we would expect the flow of patients to ebb," said Fazlul Haque, walking through a ward crowded with dengue patients at Dhaka’s Shaheed Sohrawardi Medical College.
"For the last three weeks, the number of dengue cases has been increasing".
"We get dengue patients almost every month," said Sabina Tabassum Anika, the doctor running the children’s dengue ward.
"With cases higher than previous months, we’re assigning two children to each hospital bed to accommodate them.".
Last month, Bangladesh recorded 134 deaths from dengue, the deadliest month this year, taking the total in 2024 to 326.
Cases are lower than last year, when more than 1,000 died, but dengue deaths are now being recorded nearly every month, medics say.
More than 65,000 cases had been recorded at the start of November. Severe cases can trigger bleeding, internally or from the mouth and nose.
The World Health Organisation has warned of the "alarming" spread of the virus, with reported cases worldwide approximately doubling each year since 2021.
More than 12.3 million cases, including more than 7,900 deaths, were reported in the first eight months of 2024.
Sheikh Daud Adnan, from the Communicable Disease Control (CDC), said efforts should be made to destroy larval sites.
"Too often, we delay and act only after an outbreak", Adnan said.
"People still don’t fully believe that dengue can strike any time of the year, often mistaking it for a seasonal fever.". Central Asia
Central Asian Leaders Swift to Send Congratulatory Notes to Trump (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [11/6/2024 10:18 AM, Catherine Putz, 1198K, Positive]
As it became clear early on November 6 that former U.S. President Donald Trump would return to the White House as the United States’ 47th president – the first felon to win the office – congratulations poured in from across the world, including the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
Whether Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris had won, the congratulations would roll in much the same. But the messages do provide a glimpse as to what the Central Asian states wish to see from the next U.S. administration and how they aim to position themselves.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s office issued a brief statement of congratulations. "The head of state expressed confidence in the progressive development of bilateral cooperation in the areas of security, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and investment," it read, highlighting Kazakhstan’s priorities in the relationship. "The President of Kazakhstan wished Donald Trump success in his work for the benefit of the prosperity of the American people and ensuring global stability and security.".
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said in a statement that he believes Trump’s "leadership experience and deep knowledge will create opportunities for further deepening comprehensive cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the United States of America, based on the principles of mutual respect." He added that through joint efforts "we will be able to successfully overcome the upcoming global challenges and raise our partnership to a new level for the sake of prosperity and the future of our peoples.".
Japarov concluded with a commitment of his own, "I assure you that I will make every effort to develop multi-vector cooperation, which opens up broad opportunities between the Kyrgyz Republic and the United States of America.".
(As of writing, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov had not yet issued congratulatory statements).
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev issued the longest and most detailed congratulatory statement so far.
Congratulating Trump on his "convincing victory," Mirziyoyev offered his interpretation of the win as confirmation that "the American people actively support your programs and plans aimed at strengthening the international authority and economic power of the United States, ensuring global development and prosperity, as an experienced and skillful politician.".
Mirziyoyev then turned to noting the United States’ "unwavering position… in supporting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, as well as the ongoing support provided to our large-scale reforms, which have become irreversible.".
The Uzbek president then pivoted to recalling his official visit to the White House in 2018. He was the first Uzbek leader to make such a visit to Washington since Islam Karimov in 2002.
Mirziyoyev’s note continued with his offering of support for "further expansion of regional cooperation within the framework of the C5+1 platform and the Central Asia-U.S. Trade and Investment Agreement." He went on to name an array of areas for cooperation: "political and diplomatic, trade and economic, banking and financial, energy, transport spheres, as well as in agriculture, digitalization, innovation, education and other areas with new projects.".
After a sentence regarding Afghanistan – "promoting its economic and social development will become an integral part of our cooperation" – Mirziyoyev invited Trump for an official visit to Uzbekistan.
To date, no sitting U.S. president has ever traveled to Central Asia.
In contrast, it appears that Mirziyoyev issued no such detailed message to then-President-elect Joe Biden upon his 2020 victory, instead the Uzbek president issued a one-sentence congratulatory message that coincided with Biden’s January 2021 inauguration.
Taken together, the three congratulatory notes provide a framework for how these Central Asian states view their relations with the United States and highlight their own domestic priorities. Notably, and predictably, any references to "human rights" or "democracy" are absent. These are not issue areas Trump has promoted as priorities, nor points of emphasis for Central Asian presidents. "Security," stability," and "prosperity," however, get top billing, as do laudatory platitudes, clearly aimed to stroke Trump’s ego.
As numerous commentators observed during Trump’s first term, from 2017-2021, the former and future president is rabidly susceptible to flattery. In August 2024, as the election loomed, H.R. McMaster – who served as Trump’s national security adviser from February 2017 to April 2018 – published a memoir. In an excerpt published by the Wall Street Journal McMaster remarked upon Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Putin, a ruthless former KGB operator, played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery.". Tajik Activist Reportedly Attempts Suicide In Germany To Protest Deportation (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [11/6/2024 11:44 AM, Staff, 1251K, Negative]
Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, The Insider investigative group reported on November 6, citing self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev.According to the report, German police officers found Ergashev lying in a pool of blood in a cell in a deportation center.Ergashev reportedly cut himself in the stomach, body, and arms, and had damaged his veins. He received hospital treatment and in spite of his condition, Ergashev was still scheduled to be deported to Tajikistan on November 6."Realizing that returning to Tajikistan means inevitable reprisals and brutal repression by the [Tajik President] Emomali Rahmon’s regime, Ergashev attempted to commit suicide," Gadoev told The Insider."Ergashev would prefer death than falling into the hands of the ‘butchers’ of a regime known for its ruthless reprisals against political opponents," Gadoev added.The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents.His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Rahmon’s visit to Germany in September 2023.An administrative court in the German town of Kleve ruled to deport Ergashev on October 28.Three days later, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the court decision saying that returning Ergashev to Tajikistan would violate international law prohibiting "refoulement" -- the practice of returning individuals to countries where they face the risk of torture or cruel, inhumane treatment.This principle is enshrined in various international treaties to which Germany is a signatory, it said.Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.Reports indicate that Shamsiddin has faced mistreatment while incarcerated.Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and applied for asylum on political grounds that same year.Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected.According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev’s commitment to opposition causes.The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24.A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return.Given Ergashev’s documented activism and participation in protests, he is seen by activists as a clear target for persecution by the Tajik authorities.HRW urged the German authorities to immediately suspend Ergashev’s deportation and conduct a thorough review of his protection needs, emphasizing that he should not be sent back to a country where he faces a serious risk of torture. Children Endure Hunger, Sexual Abuse In Turkmen Orphanages, Ex-Resident Says (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [11/7/2024 1:33 AM, Farangis Najibullah, 1251K, Negative]
Turkmenistan’s state media often describe the country’s orphanages as a safe and happy place that provides an idyllic childhood for its kids.
But 27-year-old Mahym, who grew up at an orphanage in the southeastern city of Mary, says the reality is anything but that.
Mahym, whose name has been changed in this report at her request, recalls going hungry and enduring physical and mental abuse at the hands of the staff in the state-run institution. She also said orphans are exploited as child labor in the cotton fields.
"There are all kinds of people working at the orphanage -- some were bad, some were good. But the head of the orphanage and some of the caregivers were just evil," she told RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service.
According to Mahym, caregivers would "ruthlessly" beat and bully the defenseless orphans, who had no one to complain to.
"When a child broke something or didn’t follow the caregivers’ instructions, they would yell, beat, and insult them," Mahym said. "In fact, all the caregivers would beat us regularly. They would often pinch my hips and breasts.".
No information is publicly available in the authoritarian Turkmenistan about the number of orphans in the care of government-run institutions.
State media often depicts immaculately dressed orphanage children posing for photos with top officials, including the president of the country, who pays a visit to the institutions or send them generous gifts to mark New Year’s or other occasions.
The children are sometimes shown on school trips, at concerts, or meeting celebrities.
But behind the closed doors and away from the cameras, orphans are bullied, threatened, and exploited, Mahym claims. Children are even deprived of a basic education, she adds.
"We would see teachers only once or twice a month. One teacher would teach several subjects," Mahym said. "Therefore, most of the children who grew up in orphanages are illiterate; they can’t read or write. The caregivers would often tell us we don’t need an education.".
Mahym also accuses the staff -- including cooks and caregivers -- at the Mary orphanage where she lived of taking home food that was allotted for children.
Children were only left with little more than boiled pasta, Mahym says, and that the only time the orphans would eat properly was when someone brought them food out of charity.
Sexual Exploitation, Child LaborIn one of her most damning accusations, Mahym claims she had witnessed some teenage girls at the orphanage being coerced into having sex with a law enforcement official.
Mahym did not elaborate on how widespread the alleged sexual exploitation was at her orphanage. But she says a female caregiver, who was hired in 2013, forced several girls to have sex with a police officer. Mahym says the policeman was the caregiver’s relative.
"She would select good-looking girls aged 15 to 17 and force them to sleep with [a policeman]," Mahym said. "She would beat those who didn’t obey.".
Authorities in Mary didn’t respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment. RFE/RL cannot independently confirm Mahym’s allegations, but several other Turkmen orphanage graduates have in the past spoken about abuses they are alleged to have endured or witnessed at the institutions.
Orphans above the age of 12 in Mary were routinely exploited as child labor to pick cotton for the state during the harvest season, Mahym claims.
"We would have lunch at the cotton field and would return to the orphanage in the evening," Mahym said. "Some caregivers would also force children to do chores at their homes.".
The Turkmen government has been widely criticized for forcing students, public- and private-sector employees, and soldiers to harvest cotton under the threat of punishment.
Getting Away With Abuse
Mahym says she believes orphanage staff in Turkmenistan get away with what she describes as the abuse of defenseless children who are too afraid to complain and don’t have anyone to stand up for them.
She tells the story of a childhood friend, Aisha, who began dating one of the orphanage boys and got pregnant at the age of 15. Aisha resisted the orphanage principal’s demands to have an abortion but suffered a miscarriage, Mahym says.
"There were rumors that the staff put abortion pills in Aisha’s food. After losing her child, Aisha began having psychological issues and was placed in a psychiatric hospital," Mahym said, adding that her friend subsequently died at the hospital.
"The principal and caregivers threatened us that if we told anyone about Aisha they would turn our lives into a living hell," Mahym said.
The orphanage children’s troubles continue even after they leave care when they turn 18, as the institutions don’t prepare them for independent life, Mahym says.
With no financial resources or a support system, orphanage graduates often fail to integrate into society. Some turn to crime.
By law, orphanage graduates in Turkmenistan are eligible for social housing, but many of them must wait several years for accommodation, according to a resident of Lebap Province who grew up in state care.
Instead, the authorities place female graduates in retirement homes and forcibly send the boys to the military as conscripts, the Lebap woman told RFE/RL earlier this year.
Both Mahym and the former orphanage graduate from Lebap say they have decided to speak up about their experiences to turn the spotlight on the plight of Turkmen orphans in state care. Investigation Of Botched Assassination In Uzbekistan Reveals Chechen Link (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [11/6/2024 8:09 AM, Staff, 1251K, Neutral]
As Uzbeks went to the polls on October 27 to cast their votes in largely meaningless local and parliamentary elections, two grave-looking men appeared in a video discussing a high-profile shooting that had taken place in Tashkent the day before.They even claimed to be the men behind the triggers."Pranksters!" read one of the most popular comments under the post where the viral video appeared on Facebook.Or perhaps not.Uzbek authorities have said little publicly about their investigation into what they have called the attempted assassination of political heavyweight Komiljon Allamjanov, although they have confirmed the arrests of four men in connection with the incident.The local media has been gagged from reporting any information not released through official channels.But what RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service has learned from sources in Uzbek law enforcement suggests that the plot behind the botched hit is thickening.And for the moment, the narrative is swinging far too close to President Shavkat Mirziyoev’s ruling family for comfort.A Little Bit Of SeoulIn recent years, the 40-year-old Allamjonov has been both a political heavyweight and a publicly visible mentor to Mirziyoev’s daughter, Saida Mirziyoeva, who turned the same age as him this week.Mirziyoeva is regularly mentioned in conversations about her father’s long-term succession planning. Until recently, they were the two most important figures in Mirziyoev’s presidential administration besides Mirziyoev.At the end of September, in an appearance with Mirziyoeva, Allamjonov announced his exit from his position as head of the administration’s Information Policy Department, ostensibly to pursue projects in the private sector.Nobody really believed in those plans, including Allamjonov’s manifold enemies, who resented Allamjonov for his proximity to the Shavkat-Saida axis and because of his advocacy of liberalizing reforms early in Mirziyoev’s reign.Still, few observers of Tashkent’s gray political scene would have expected that pressure to culminate in whatever it was that happened on October 26, when a Land Rover carrying Allamjonov was hit with multiple bullets not far from his home in the Qibray region outside Tashkent. But back to the two men in the video, and specifically the one wearing the white T-shirt -- Shokhrukh Ahmedov.In the days after the incident, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service was able to obtain copies of two identity documents pertaining to Ahmedov, as well as confirmation from law enforcement that both he and the man that appeared alongside him were among the four arrested.The identity of the second man in the video has yet to be established, and the authorities have not named any suspects.According to a law enforcement source, after the shooters failed to hit either Allamjonov or his driver in the early hours of October 26, the two assailants who opened fire on the car with pistols escaped on electric scooters.They were then able to take a car to the eastern city of Ferghana, where they took refuge in a nightclub called Seoul before exiting through a back door.At some point prior to their arrest, they shot a video that was a truly muddled affair."We organized the attack on Allamjonov," says the man identifiable as Ahmedov."We are heading to the police to surrender," he adds. "We’ve decided to come out because deaths and other incidents occur in police custody. If anything happens [to us], the police will be responsible.""As you see, we are going [to the police] in good shape," Ahmedov’s colleague chimes in.Then Ahmedov throws his audience a curveball."The [news] being circulated about the assassination attempt on Komil Allamjonov, is, in fact, not an assassination [attempt]. This act was committed in the best interest of [Allamjonov].... We’ve done this only for the money. There were people who promised us money for this," he says.Chechen ConnectionsThat video subsequently went viral, bolstering rumors that Allamjonov might somehow have plotted his own near demise. Around that time, a man claiming to be a close relative of Ahmedov contacted RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service, pushing the same idea.But law enforcement sources of RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service say this popular theory is not being seriously considered and note that Ahmedov and his collaborators had very serious intentions.Those same sources say that in 2021, Ahmedov was arrested in Turkey and spent seven months in jail.The case that he was jailed in connection with was a well-reported one, although Ahmedov’s name only featured in Turkish press reports when the number of arrests rose from six to eight in November of that year.It concerned an alleged plot to assassinate Turkish-based critics of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Reports attributed their unexpected releases -- despite facing sentences of 15 to 20 years -- to Kadyrov’s personal intervention.Prior to that moment, from around 2019, Ahmedov had been working informally in Turkey as a debt collector. When he returned to Tashkent, he was not arrested and worked as a driver.The duo’s decision to park outside the Seoul nightclub in Ferghana, 240 kilometers from Uzbekistan’s capital, before entering the club and then fleeing, is another jarring development.For some time prior to the shooting, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service was reporting on a major standoff between Allamjonov and Mirziyoeva, on the one hand, and Otabek Umarov, the deputy head of Mirziyoev’s presidential security.Beyond his formal role, Umarov is the country’s most-followed Instagram blogger, a patron of Uzbek sports, and the husband of Mirziyoeva’s younger sister, Shahnoza.Like Allamjonov, Umarov has been the subject of multiple RFE/RL investigations focusing on allegations of corruption and conflicts of interest.This summer, sources told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service that Umarov and Allamjonov were in conflict over a secretive task force allegedly loyal to Umarov that was engaged in mob-style shakedowns of businessmen and political notables.The ‘Task Force’According to corporate documents, the Seoul nightclub in Ferghana is co-owned by sisters Yelena and Natalia Fen, whose family is connected to Umarov and Shahnoza Mirziyoeva in several ways.In comments to RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service last week, at least two sources confirmed that Natalia Fen and Shahnoza Mirziyoeva had a close friendship that included a time when they both lived in Seoul, where Natalia’s late father, Vitaliy Fen, served as Uzbekistan’s ambassador.After Mirziyoev came to power following long-ruling leader Islam Karimov’s death, Natalia Fen found employment in Uzbekistan’s Preschool Education Ministry, a newly introduced ministry where Shahnoza had a top post.There is no reason to suggest that any of this shows the Fens knew about the incident involving Allamjonov.But two law enforcement sources did suggest a connection between Natalia Fen’s common-law husband, Javlon Yunusov, and the man who sought refuge in the nightclub co-owned by Fen: Ahmedov.According to those sources, Ahmedov acted a personal bodyguard and driver for Yunusov, who they said is in turn a senior member of the "task force" that Umarov purportedly leads.RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service was unable to verify the information about Yunusov, who was also described as a key player in the pharmaceutical sector.All very dizzying, and at present, far from conclusive.But at this stage it would surely be worthwhile for a top official -- perhaps President Mirziyoev -- to clear the air.That would probably be the protocol in many authoritarian countries, let alone democratic ones.Not Uzbekistan, though, despite multiple sources in law enforcement insisting in conversations with RFE/RL that the case was under the head of state’s personal control.In fact, from a look at the top news among Uzbek media, you would barely know that a political heavyweight had narrowly avoided death. Twitter
Afghanistan
Abdul Qahar Balkhi@QaharBalkhi
[11/6/2024 11:46 AM, 249.7K followers, 93 retweets, 365 likes]
Statement regarding U.S. election results The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, In line with its balanced foreign policy, expresses hope that following the announcement of the U.S. election results, the incoming U.S. administration will adopt a
Abdul Qahar Balkhi@QaharBalkhi
[11/6/2024 11:46 AM, 249.7K followers, 8 retweets, 56 likes]
pragmatic approach to ensure tangible advancement in bilateral relations, allowing both nations to open a new chapter of relations grounded in mutual engagement. The Doha Agreement signed between the Islamic Emirate and America under President Trump’s administration lead
Abdul Qahar Balkhi@QaharBalkhi
[11/6/2024 11:46 AM, 249.7K followers, 8 retweets, 63 likes]
to the end of the twenty-year occupation. Furthermore, it is expected that Mr. Trump will assume a constructive role in ending the current conflicts in the region & globally, particularly the ongoing brutality & aggression in Gaza & Lebanon.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/6/2024 2:32 PM, 214.4K followers, 23 retweets, 176 likes]
In the next Trump administration, we may see a US willingness to go further in engaging w/the Taliban. And I can certainly envision him praising the Taliban for its operations against ISKP-something that’ll have his attention, given that he liked to claim credit for curbing IS.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[11/6/2024 3:10 PM, 244K followers, 72 retweets, 280 likes]
We fight for peace, we fight for coexistence, says Afghanistan’s resilient leader and former deputy speaker, Fawzia Koofi. Despite a Taliban attack that injured her and constant bullying from non-Taliban men, she stands strong, fighting for her country.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[11/6/2024 12:50 PM, 244K followers, 44 retweets, 198 likes]
Sami Sadat, former Afghan general and leader of the United Front, believes a Trump victory would end Taliban rule. He says Trump’s team sees the Doha deal as “invalid” and “useless,” and has promised a new strategy to help overthrow the Taliban. Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[11/6/2024 4:34 AM, 6.7M followers, 1.8K retweets, 7.5K likes]
Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term! I look forward to working closely with the incoming Administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-U.S. partnership. @realDonaldTrump
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[11/6/2024 8:32 AM, 20.9M followers, 38K retweets, 65K likes]
Congratulations on behalf of myself & PTI to @realDonaldTrump for winning the US Presidential Elections. The will of the American people held against all odds. President Elect Trump will be good for Pak-US relations based on mutual respect for democracy & human rights. We hope he will push for peace, human rights and democracy globally. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 9:44 PM, 103.4M followers, 3.7K retweets, 22K likes]
On this day, #OneRankOnePension (OROP) was implemented. This was a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of our veterans and ex-service personnel who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation. The decision to implement OROP was a significant step towards addressing this long-standing demand and reaffirming our nation’s gratitude to our heroes.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 9:44 PM, 103.4M followers, 720 retweets, 2.9K likes]
It would make you all happy that over the decade, lakhs of pensioners and pensioner families have benefitted from this landmark initiative. Beyond the numbers, OROP represents the government’s commitment to the well-being of our armed forces. We will always do everything possible to strengthen our armed forces and further the welfare of those who serve us. #OneRankOnePension
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 11:58 AM, 103.4M followers, 35K retweets, 283K likes]
Had a great conversation with my friend, President @realDonaldTrump, congratulating him on his spectacular victory. Looking forward to working closely together once again to further strengthen India-US relations across technology, defence, energy, space and several other sectors.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 9:01 AM, 103.4M followers, 7.6K retweets, 55K likes]
Today’s Cabinet decision on the infusion of equity of Rs. 10,700 crore in the Food Corporation of India will enhance its capacity to manage food procurement and distribution efficiently. It will also ensure better support for farmers and contribute to national food security. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2071133
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 9:00 AM, 103.4M followers, 6.5K retweets, 39K likes]
A big boost to making education more accessible. The Cabinet has approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to support youngsters with quality education. It is a significant step towards empowering the Yuva Shakti and building a brighter future for our nation. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2071131
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[11/6/2024 4:16 AM, 103.4M followers, 100K retweets, 657K likes]
Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.
Tejasvi Surya@Tejasvi_Surya
[11/6/2024 7:59 AM, 1.3M followers, 802 retweets, 5K likes]
Grateful to PM Shri @narendramodi Ji for expediting approvals for Namma Metro’s Green Line from Nagasandra to Madavara. Today, along with DCM Shri @DKShivakumar, took the trial metro run to Madavara & oversaw preparations for tomorrow’s opening. Operations on the line are all set to begin tomorrow from 5 am. Also thank Union Minster of Housing and Urban Affairs Shri @mlkhattar Ji for his swift intervention.
Tejasvi Surya@Tejasvi_Surya
[11/7/2024 2:41 AM, 1.3M followers, 23 retweets, 158 likes]
Today, I joined JPC Chairperson Sri @jagdambikapalmp in Hubballi to meet with local farmer delegations who are adversely impacted by recent Waqf Board claims on their ancestral lands. The farmers expressed concern that their land was designated as Waqf property without prior notice or due process. The JPC has been actively meeting with all stakeholders to understand all aspects of the existing law & the proposed amendments. We will also be meeting farmers from Vijayapura and Belagavi next.
Rahul Gandhi@RahulGandhi
[11/7/2024 3:07 AM, 27.2M followers, 933 retweets, 2.6K likes]
I am pro-Jobs, pro-Business, pro-Innovation, pro-Competition. I am anti-Monopoly. Our economy will thrive when there is free and fair space for all businesses.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/6/2024 2:20 PM, 214.4K followers, 28 retweets, 194 likes]
Many expect Trump won’t make as much of a fuss about rights issues in India. Generally true, but I don’t think his administration will ease up on the murder-for-hire allegation. Something as serious like that on US soil & in his birth city-it’ll remain a bilateral tension point.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/6/2024 1:53 PM, 214.4K followers, 127 retweets, 1K likes]
Modi was one of the first to congratulate Trump & one of the first to have a call with the president-elect. US-India ties could face a few bumps (mainly on the trade side) w/Trump back in office, but their chemistry and political/ideological convergences will be a stabilizer. NSB
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[11/6/2024 8:06 AM, 134.3K followers, 133 retweets, 1.4K likes]
Warm congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on receiving a strong endorsement as the 47th President of the United States of America. I look forward to engaging with your administration in realizing common objectives of our relations that are beneficial to the people of Sri Lanka and the United States.
Tarique Rahman@trahmanbnp
[11/6/2024 9:21 AM, 67K followers, 169 retweets, 1.8K likes]
Congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on his electoral victory. We look to a future of strengthened ties and collaboration between our two nations. This victory demonstrates America’s robust democratic processes. The people of Bangladesh are eager to move forward with their own free and fair elections, and cement our shared commitment to democratic values and fundamental freedoms.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[11/6/2024 9:29 AM, 214.4K followers, 11 retweets, 74 likes]
Given the importance Yunus attributes to ties w/the US, I’m not surprised he issued this statement, even w/any misgivings he may have about Trump. The biggest hesitations about the current US-BD relationship will come from the US side, not the BD side. But it’s all surmountable.
Tshering Tobgay@tsheringtobgay
[11/6/2024 11:46 PM, 100.1K followers, 21 retweets, 280 likes]
Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on your resounding victory and re-election as President of the United States. I look forward to building on the strong ties between Bhutan and the US in the years ahead.
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[11/7/2024 1:40 AM, 110.7K followers, 81 retweets, 78 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu inaugurates project to establish fuel storage in all atolls. Ensuring the availability of fuel at base rates via @stoplc has been a key commitment of the current administration.
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[11/6/2024 11:18 PM, 110.7K followers, 93 retweets, 101 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu inaugurates the National Teacher Training Programme, a key initiative to elevate education quality by enhancing teacher training.
Dr Mohamed Muizzu@MMuizzu
[11/6/2024 4:03 AM, 87.6K followers, 426 retweets, 593 likes]
Warm congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your electoral victory. The Maldives and the United States share a strong partnership based on mutual respect, goodwill, and understanding. I look forward to strengthening our cooperation, address mutual challenges and work towards advancing global peace and prosperity.
K P Sharma Oli@kpsharmaoli[11/6/2024 10:41 AM, 860.7K followers, 79 retweets, 700 likes]
Congratulations, President-elect @realDonaldTrump on becoming the 47th President of the United States! Your return to office marks a historic chapter in American history. We look forward to deepening our relations under your leadership, fostering mutual prosperity & cooperation.
Karu Jayasuriya@KaruOnline
[11/7/2024 3:14 AM, 53.7K followers, 1 like]
The acquittal of Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen of fabricated charges reveals the depth of racialised hate campaigns for political gain. This injustice demands accountability to prevent such misuse of power. Kudos to the police for upholding the truth through diligent investigation. Central Asia
MFA Kazakhstan@MFA_KZ
[11/6/2024 10:10 AM, 56.5K followers, 10 retweets, 33 likes]
Kazakhstan Successfully Concludes its Chairmanship of the OTS. The Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu summarized Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the OTS and highlighted the growing and unifying role of the Organization on the international stage. https://gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/878576?lang=en
MFA Tajikistan@MOFA_Tajikistan
[11/7/2024 12:46 AM, 5K followers, 3 likes]
Dushanbe Counter-Terrorism Process High-Level Conference https://mfa.tj/en/main/view/16089/dushanbe-counter-terrorism-process-high-level-conference
MFA Tajikistan@MOFA_Tajikistan
[11/6/2024 12:13 AM, 5K followers, 2 retweets, 2 likes]
Meeting with the President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute https://mfa.tj/en/main/view/16087/meeting-with-the-president-of-the-assembly-and-chair-of-the-council-of-the-global-green-growth-institute
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[11/6/2024 8:11 AM, 203.6K followers, 17 retweets, 51 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev has extended warm congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump, reaffirming #Uzbekistan’s commitment to deepening the strategic partnership with the #US. In his letter, he emphasized shared goals for enhanced cooperation across trade, security, and regional stability, marking a new chapter in UZ-US relations.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[11/6/2024 8:05 AM, 203.6K followers, 18 retweets, 92 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev addressed the @Turkic_States Summit in #Bishkek. Vital initiatives were put forward, including creating new economic opportunities, expanding investment cooperation through introduction of flexible financial instruments. Importance of development of transport corridors, wide introduction of digital technologies, and joint response to environmental issues was also stressed.
Bakhtiyor Saidov@FM_Saidov
[11/6/2024 8:34 AM, 12.5K followers, 13 retweets, 55 likes]
During the Organization of @Turkic_States’s Summit @President_Uz H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev among others put forward the following initiatives aimed at further advancing close cooperation within the Organization:- adopt the Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship, and Fraternity of the #Turkic States;- develop specific treaties and agreements on the elimination of customs and non-tariff barriers;- organize a Turkic Investment Forum;- sign a multilateral Agreement on e-document workflow;- hold an International Logistics Conference in cooperation with the Alliance of Logistics Centers and Freight Carriers of Turkic states;- develop a Digital Turkic World concept;- host the first meeting of the Turkic Ecological Council in #Uzbekistan in 2025.
On the sidelines of the Summit, 🇺🇿 President H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a productive meeting with Prime Minister H.E. @PM_ViktorOrban and discussed further boosting the relations of strategic partnership and multifaceted cooperation between our two nations.
Joanna Lillis@joannalillis
[11/6/2024 5:41 AM, 29.2K followers, 3 retweets, 3 likes]
Speaking at the Organisation of Turkic States summit, #Uzbekistan president Mirziyoyev condemns an "unjust war" with "destructive attacks" against civilians - he’s talking about #Gaza, but doesn’t mention #Ukraine
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[11/6/2024 12:42 PM, 23.8K followers, 1 retweet, 4 likes]
Uzbekistan closely followed the 🇺🇸 presidential campaign, yesterday’s election, and the outcome. Throughout this year, we @AmerikaOvozi /VOA Uzbek have had regular live and recorded connections with the Uzbek media. They enjoy discussing American politics. Overnight and this morning, talked with/shared content four outlets.{End of Report} To subscribe to the SCA Morning Press Clips, please email SCA-PressOfficers@state.gov. Please do not reply directly to this email.