SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Wednesday, April 23, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Four Czech Troops to Stand Trial Over 2018 Death of Afghan Soldier (Reuters)
Reuters [4/22/2025 1:01 PM, Jan Lopatka, 24727K]
Four Czech soldiers will face trial for alleged crimes related to the death of an Afghan soldier after he was detained and interrogated in 2018, Czech prosecutors said on Tuesday.
The Czech state attorney’s office said in a statement that four members of the 601st special operations forces group would stand trial on charges including extortion, insubordination, violation of guard duty obligations and failure to provide aid.
It did not identify the four, who could face life sentences if convicted.
The Czech Defence Ministry declined to comment to Reuters. An attorney representing three of the accused was not immediately available for comment.
Czech public radio reported on its website that the accusations relate to the death of 19-year old Wahidullah Khan after he was detained by Afghan forces over an attack on troops at the Shindand base in western Afghanistan in 2018 in which one Czech soldier was killed and two injured.
The New York Times first reported the incident in 2018. It said Khan had been beaten after being taken into custody by U.S. and Czech troops, was unconscious when he was returned to Afghan troops the same day and died shortly afterwards. It said U.S. and Czech troops were being investigated over the incident.
The Czech army operated in Afghanistan from 2002 until 2021. Its troops were deployed there as part of the U.N.-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) set up to assist the Afghan government in securing the country and training Afghan National Security Forces.Czech troops were also part of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission established after ISAF was disbanded. Pakistan
After a year of hostility, Pakistan and Afghanistan seek diplomatic reboot (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [4/22/2025 4:14 PM, Abid Hussain, 18.2M]
When Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar landed in Kabul on April 19 for a daylong visit, it marked the first major trip by a senior Pakistani official to Afghanistan since February 2023.
Dar’s visit came just days after senior military and intelligence officials from both countries had met in Kabul for the first time since January 2024.
These meetings follow months of strained relations between the neighbours amid frequent border skirmishes, Pakistan’s decision to expel Afghan refugees, and repeated border closures that have disrupted business and trade.
Dar’s trip, say analysts, signals a willingness from both sides to reset ties through diplomacy.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dar met Afghanistan’s interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. The two leaders held discussions on “security, trade, transit, connectivity, and people-to-people contacts”.
The statement from the Afghan Foreign Ministry, however, did not mention security concerns and focused on issues such as “situation of Afghan refugees, political relations, economic cooperation, trade, transit, large-scale joint projects, and other matters of mutual interest.”
At a news conference in Kabul following his meeting with Muttaqi, Dar said Pakistan has invited Afghan officials to Islamabad and called for open communication channels to resolve disputes between the two countries.“We have requested our hosts that we have to work together for the progress, betterment and peace and security of the region. For that, neither will we allow anyone to use our soil to conduct illicit activities in Afghanistan, nor will you allow anyone to use your soil,” Dar said.
Security concerns after 2021
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the United States withdrew its troops, Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in violent attacks, particularly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the southwestern province of Balochistan, both of which share borders with Afghanistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly alleged that Afghan soil is being used by armed groups, especially the Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, to launch attacks across the porous border.
Pakistan Taliban, founded in 2007, is ideologically aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan but operates independently. The Taliban has repeatedly rejected allegations that it allows its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan, and has consistently denied any ties with the TTP.
Data from the Pak Institute For Peace Studies, an Islamabad-based conflict research organisation, shows that Pakistan experienced 521 attacks in 2024, a 70 percent increase from the previous year.
These incidents claimed 852 lives, a 23 percent rise, with 358 of those killed being law enforcement personnel. Most of the violence occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Once seen as a benefactor of the Taliban, Pakistan has cited the uptick in violence as the main reason for its crackdown on hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in the country for decades.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, welcoming several waves of displaced people as conflict continued in the country.
Following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US invasion of Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans returned home. However, the Taliban’s dramatic return to power in August 2021 prompted another wave of displacement, with between 600,000 and 800,000 people seeking refuge in Pakistan.
Since the expulsion programme began in November 2023, nearly one million Afghan nationals have been forced to return, with the Pakistani government declaring that it would continue its repatriation drive.
Global rights organisations, as well as the Afghan government, have urged Pakistan to reconsider the decision and ensure the dignity of those being deported.
Revival of diplomatic ties?
Despite rising hostilities between the two countries, including Pakistani air attacks on Afghan soil in December that killed at least 46 people, analysts see Dar’s visit as “significant” and suggestive of a broader resumption of dialogue.
Iftikhar Firdous, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a portal that tracks regional security issues, pointed out that this was the highest-level visit from Pakistan to Kabul since former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s trip in November 2020.“The visit by Dar included discussions on security, ease of business for traders, and continued conversations on cross-border issues,” Firdous told Al Jazeera.
The Islamabad-based analyst added that the recent meeting between military and intelligence officials indicates that backchannel efforts to resurrect diplomacy were under way even before Dar’s trip.“It was not a start, but instead a culmination of the agenda to re-engage with Afghanistan and break the ice,” he said.
Amina Khan, director of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), said both sides appear to be looking for ways to accommodate each other’s concerns.“For Pakistan, it is security, and for Kabul, it is trade. However, since both are intertwined, a comprehensive bilateral approach is needed. This trip appears to have initiated a dialogue. One will have to see if both sides can maintain the positive momentum,” she told Al Jazeera.
Khan added that Pakistan recognises the importance of Afghanistan to its own stability.“Pakistan realises that, in order to achieve this, workable ties with Kabul are paramount, but at the same time it is pivotal for Kabul to address Pakistan’s security concerns emanating from the TTP,” she said.
A United Nations report [PDF] published in February concluded that the Taliban continued to provide logistical, operational and financial support to the TTP. It added that the armed group has set up new training centres in border regions near Pakistan.
In response, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Afghan government spokesperson, denied the allegation, calling it a “regular slander” against the country.“The stance of the UN is misused. We call on the countries who are members of the UNSC but have good relations with Afghanistan to not allow the reputation of the organization to be harmed,” Mujahid said in February.
On the same page?
Khan of ISSI said the Taliban faces its own challenges while dealing with armed groups like the Pakistan Taliban.“Pakistan understands the limitations of the Afghan Taliban in taking action against the TTP, who may very well join the ranks of so-called ISIS [ISIL] and take up arms against the government,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has stressed that the Afghan government is unhappy about the eviction of hundreds of thousands of Afghans by Pakistan.
Raising the issue of their forced repatriation in the meeting with Dar, Minister Muttaqi stressed the need for humane treatment and urged Pakistani authorities to protect the rights of Afghan nationals currently residing in Pakistan or returning from there.
The Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement, meanwhile, focused on the country’s security concerns.“The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the paramount importance of addressing all pertinent issues, particularly those related to security and border management, in order to fully realise the potential for regional trade and connectivity,” the ministry’s statement read.
Still, Khan, the analyst, said she believes that Dar’s visit has broken the ice. Now, the key will be to “remain engaged” and pursue a holistic approach to bilateral relations, she said.“While security is a crucial aspect, it should not be the sole focus. Other aspects, such as diplomatic, economic, and cultural cooperation, must also be considered to build a balanced and sustainable partnership,” Khan said. Gunmen kill 2 security officials assigned to protect polio workers in southwest Pakistan (AP)
AP [4/23/2025 5:49 AM, Staff, 3531K]
Gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot and killed two security officials assigned to protect polio workers in restive southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday before fleeing the scene, police said.The attack occurred in a residential area of Mastung, a district in Balochistan, according to Mohammad Arif, a local police official. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.The health workers, who were vaccinating children in a nearby street, were unharmed, the official said.Shahid Rind, a government spokesman in Balochistan, denounced the attack, which came two days after Pakistan launched a weeklong nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 45 million children from polio.According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the potentially fatal, paralyzing virus hasn’t been stopped.Police and health workers are often attacked by militants who falsely claim that vaccination efforts are part of a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.Pakistan saw a surge in polio cases last year, with 74 reported cases compared to just one in 2021. The South Asian country reported just six cases since January.Since the 1990s, more than 200 polio workers and the police assigned to protect them have been killed in attacks. India
JD Vance Sees an India That America Can Work With (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [4/22/2025 11:51 AM, Shan Li, 126906K]
On his first trip to India, Vice President JD Vance dined with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced progress toward a bilateral trade deal between the two countries and compared New Delhi favorably with Western capitals.
"There’s a vitality to India, a sense of infinite possibility," Vance said in a speech during a four-day visit with his Indian-American wife Usha Vance and their three children. "It’s a striking contrast with too many in the West, where some in our leadership class seem stricken by self doubt and even fear of the future.".
Vance said the relationship between the U.S. and India would define the 21st century. The South Asian nation’s pride in its history and culture, he said, contrasted with Western countries that took on the "same bland, secular, universal values.".
Conversely, during his first visit to Europe after taking office, the vice president excoriated the continent’s leaders, accusing them of repressing free speech and ignoring the will of voters on issues such as mass migration.
Under Modi, India has promoted its Hindu-majority identity, and critics say the rights of India’s religious minorities, including its large Muslim population, have eroded during the hard-right leader’s more than decade in power.
India and the U.S. have grown closer in recent years as trade partners and defense allies to counter an increasingly expansionist China. New Delhi is scrambling to cement an early trade agreement with the U.S., which is its largest trade partner, before a 90-day pause on high tariffs announced by the Trump administration expires in July. The so-called reciprocal tariffs would levy duties of 26% on Indian exports. President Trump in the past has called India a "tariff king.".
The U.S. and India announced they had agreed to broad terms of negotiation for a potential bilateral trade deal, following Vance’s meeting with Modi on Monday evening. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the U.S. would seek increased market access, lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and a "robust set of additional commitments.".
During Modi’s visit to Washington, D.C. in February, the Indian leader and Trump said they aimed to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, a nearly fourfold increase from current levels. So far, neither side has disclosed details about what they are asking for—or offering.
In a report in March, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative outlined numerous nuisances limiting U.S. trade with India apart from high tariffs. These include technical or quality measures that hold up or limit exports, and compliance inspections that disrupt business. The report also noted that India subjects foreign e-commerce firms to different rules than homegrown competitors when it comes to what they can sell on their platforms.
Meanwhile, past big-ticket Indian purchases of U.S. goods—from Boeing airplanes for civilian airlines to GE engines for domestic military production—have faced delays.
Vance said on Tuesday the U.S. plans to increase co-production of defense equipment with India, boost energy exports to India and help New Delhi explore its own offshore natural-gas and critical-mineral supplies. He urged India to buy more American ethanol.
"This administration recognizes that cheap dependable energy is an essential part of making things," Vance said. It’s "an essential part of economic independence for both of our nations.".
He also raised a liability law that has deterred U.S. companies from investing in nuclear power plants in India. India officials have signaled in recent weeks they plan to amend the law, which presently holds suppliers responsible for accidents at power plants they take part in building.
Vance’s remarks offered further reassurance to Indian officials and policy experts who have seen opportunities for India arising from the tariffs unleashed on Trump’s "Liberation Day." If the reciprocal tariffs are eventually applied at the announced rates, India faces far lower tariffs than China or even Vietnam. The U.S. trade deficit with India stood at nearly $46 billion in 2024.
The U.S. vice president also offered a warning in case the two countries fail to cooperate.
"I also believe that if we fail to work together successfully, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all of humanity," he said.
At the end of his speech, Vance said that his three children—ages 3, 5 and 7—have taken a great liking to only two of the world leaders they have met so far: Trump and Modi.
When Vance first met Modi at an artificial-intelligence conference in Paris in February, the prime minister made a point of wishing his son Vivek a happy fifth birthday and bringing him a present.
"The great thing about kids is they are brutally honest," Vance said. "Our kids just like him.". Vance Calls for New Era of US-India Ties as Trade Talks Advance (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [4/22/2025 9:18 AM, Akayla Gardner and Dan Strumpf, 3973K]
Vice President JD Vance called for a new era of collaboration between India and the US, positioning the South Asian nation as a key partner of the Trump administration at a time when it is resetting relationships with allies around the world.In remarks delivered during a four-day trip to India, Vance pushed for stronger ties between New Delhi and Washington across a range of areas from energy to defense. He also highlighted the progress the two sides have made on a bilateral trade deal that they aim to seal by fall of this year.“This is very much a win-win partnership,” Vance said in Jaipur on Tuesday. “The future of the 21st century is going to be determined by the strength of the United States and India partnership.”While Vance highlighted trade, defense, energy and technology as areas of cooperation in his speech, he also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to continue efforts to lower trade barriers and purchase more American goods.The remarks are the among the clearest signs to date that India is a priority for President Donald Trump’s administration at a time when it is cultivating new partners and pushing aside old ones. Vance lavished praise on Modi and pledged that the Trump administration would not treat India with “condescension” and as a source of cheap labor — attitudes he said were shown by past US leaders. Vance also said the India-US relationship was a two-way street, calling on the Modi government to buy more American military equipment, and talked up the potential of American F-35 warplanes to strengthen the Indian Air Force.“Americans want further access to Indian markets,” Vance said in his speech, which was hosted by the Rajasthan International Centre. “This is a great place to do business and we want to give our people more access to this country and Indians.”The vice president and his family are on a high-profile trip that underscores India’s importance among countries seeking trade talks with the US. Vance’s speech comes a day after a one-on-one meeting with Modi during which the two sides made “significant progress” toward a bilateral trade deal, according to the White House.While urging India to cooperate more on energy with the US, Vance said the world’s fastest-growing major economy will be “able to build more, make more and grow more, but at much lower energy costs.”Change of toneTuesday’s speech marked a shift in tone for the vice president, who has gained a reputation as an anti-globalist and an enforcer of Trump’s America-first philosophy. During previous overseas speeches, Vance blasted European leaders for what he described as their departure from free speech and other fundamental democratic values. A leaked Signal chat about a strike on Houthi targets in Yemen, in which he lamented “bailing out Europe again,” further underscored Vance’s disdain for European allies.On his India visit, Vance has so far projected a softer, more diplomatic image. In his remarks Tuesday, he repeatedly praised the dynamism of India and its people and culture. In video footage released by Modi’s office, the prime minister could be seen warmly interacting with Vance’s children and giving the second family a personal tour of his property.“In the past, Washington approached Prime Minister Modi with an attitude of preachiness,” he said, adding that “prior administrations saw India as a source of low-cost labor.”Vance has also used his visit — along with a preceding trip to Italy — to highlight his personal back-story along with that of his family. During his speech in India, Vance spoke at length about the values instilled by his family during his childhood in Ohio. His wife Usha is the first Indian-American second lady, and the family visited a Hindu temple shortly after their arrival in New Delhi on Monday. Vance calls for greater ties with India, hails progress on trade talks (AP)
AP [4/22/2025 4:45 PM, Rajesh Roy and Sheikh Saaliq, 3531K]
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday called for enhanced engagement with India and said the South Asian country should buy more defense equipment and energy from the U.S. and allow Washington greater access to its market, lending momentum to an expected bilateral trade deal.
Vance, on a four-day visit to India, said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made progress on trade talks during their discussions on Monday, and confirmed that both sides had finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation — a vital step towards setting the road map for the final agreement.
India and the U.S. hope to seal a bilateral trade agreement this year and have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. If achieved, the trade deal could significantly enhance economic ties between both countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties as well.
"I believe there is much that India and America can accomplish together," Vance said at an event in the western city of Jaipur, where he, his wife Usha Vance and their three children were on a sightseeing tour.
Vance’s first visit to New Delhi came amid the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s partially-paused tariff program against most countries, including India. Earlier this month, Trump announced a 90-day pause in which imports from most countries would face a baseline 10% tax so that there was time to hold talks and possibly structure broader deals.
The trade negotiations are especially urgent for India and could help New Delhi avoid sharp U.S. tariffs. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has portrayed its strategy of tariffs as forcing negotiations that could limit the reach and influence of China, the world’s dominant manufacturer and New Delhi’s main rival in the region.
At the event, Vance sought to assuage fears over Trump’s tariff decisions and said his administration was seeking to rebalance global trade so that the U.S., with friends like India, can build a better future. He said that trade relations must be based on fairness.
"I come here with a simple message," Vance said. The Trump administration "seeks trade partners on the basis of fairness and shared national interest. We want to build relationships with our foreign partners who respect their workers.".
Vance said that he was in India to strengthen ties between both nations, and criticized previous governments for looking at New Delhi as a cheap source of labor.
"I believe that if India and the United States work together successfully, we are going to see a 21st century that is prosperous and peaceful," he said, adding that if this didn’t happen, it would mean a "dark time for all humanity.".
Washington has long sought to develop a deeper partnership with New Delhi, which is seen as a bulwark against China. Modi has established a good working relationship with Trump, and the two leaders are likely to further boost cooperation between their countries.
Modi was also among the first leaders to visit the U.S. and hold talks with Trump that kickstarted a negotiation process to minimize the possible fallout of Trump’s tariffs. The two leaders also said they planned to grow their defense partnership.
India is a close partner of the U.S. and is part of the Quad, which is made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expansion in the region. It is also a major defense partner of the U.S., a status only enjoyed by some of the closest allies of Washington.
In line with Trump’s push for supplying more military equipment to India, Vance said Washington was seeking greater collaboration with New Delhi for the sale of advanced military gear, as well as coproduction. He also pitched Washington’s fifth-generation stealth fighter to India.
"F-35 will help protect your people like never before," he said.
Over the past several decades, India has been largely dependent on Russian weapons, fighters and military equipment, but has gradually started diversifying its purchase basket from countries such as the U.S., France and the U.K.
In recent years, India has embedded advanced American jets, helicopters, missiles and other equipment into its armed forces and the two countries have announced plans to sign a 10-year framework later this year to further strengthen the defense partnership. Vance warns of ‘very dark time’ without close US-India ties (Reuters)
Reuters [4/22/2025 11:54 AM, Rupam Jain, 41523K]
The United States wants to sell more energy and defence equipment to India to build closer ties, Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly as talks over a trade deal progress.
Visiting the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur, Vance hailed what he called India’s vitality over the "sameness and flatness" of some Western nations. His remarks followed criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump of steep Indian tariffs on cars, farm goods and other products.
The rebalancing of global trade because of Trump’s tariff actions is "going to produce great benefits for the people of India," Vance said.
India is trying to position itself as a manufacturing base of choice for the world as China faces high U.S. duties.
"If India and the United States work together successfully, we’re going to see a 21st century that is prosperous and peaceful," Vance told an audience of a few hundred students, traders, government officials and politicians in Jaipur.
"But I also believe that if we fail to work together successfully, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all of humanity.".
He said it would be natural for India to buy more defence equipment from the United States, including Lockheed Martin’s (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jets, as the two countries do regular military exercises.
"We, of course, want to collaborate more," he said. "We want to work together more, and we want your nation to buy more of our military equipment.".
He said the U.S. wanted to sell more energy to India and also help it explore its own resources, including offshore natural gas reserves and critical mineral supplies. Nuclear energy is also an important area of focus for both sides.‘SPECIAL PERSON’
Vance is on a mostly personal, four-day visit to India along with his wife, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and their three children.
India is seeking an early trade deal with the U.S. - its largest trading partner - before the end of a 90-day pause on the steep tariffs announced by Trump’s administration.
"Prime Minister Modi is a tough negotiator. He drives a hard bargain," Vance said to laughter from the audience.
India, the world’s fastest-growing big economy, hopes to "positively conclude" the first part of a trade pact by autumn, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in San Francisco on Monday.
Vance said he and Modi, who hosted Vance’s family for dinner at his home on Monday, had made good progress on trade talks and confirmed that the two sides had finalised the terms of reference for the trade negotiation.
"It sets a roadmap toward a final deal between our nations," he said.
Vance has criticised some foreign leaders but was effusive in his praise for Modi, who went to see Vance’s family on the birthday of Vance’s second son while both leaders were in France for an AI conference in February.
"I think he’s a special person," Vance said. "In the past, Washington approached Prime Minister Modi with an attitude of prejudice or even one of condescension. And, as I told Prime Minister Modi last night, he’s got approval ratings that would make me jealous.". Vance says US wants India to buy more of its defense equipment, energy (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [4/22/2025 11:52 AM, Kiran Sharma, 1191K]
U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a strong pitch on Tuesday for further deepening bilateral ties with India, saying his country is willing to sell more defense equipment and energy to the South Asian nation."In India, America has a friend, and we seek to strengthen the warm bonds our great nations already share," Vance said in a speech at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, the capital of the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan. He praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the welcome extended to his family and for the prime minister’s leadership qualities many times during the address.Vance arrived in the country on Monday with his wife, Usha, whose parents were born in India, and their three children on a four-day visit. He met with Modi that evening.Pointing to both countries’ aim of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by the end of the decade, Vance said he was encouraged by everything the two sides are doing to achieve this goal."As many of you are aware, both of our governments are hard at work on a trade agreement built on shared priorities, like creating new jobs, building durable supply chains, and achieving prosperity for our workers," he said, adding that he and Modi made "very good progress" on all of these points in their meeting.Vance announced that the U.S. and India "have officially finalized the terms of reference" for the trade negotiations and said: "I believe this is a vital step toward realizing President [Donald] Trump’s and Prime Minister Modi’s vision because it sets a road map toward a final deal between our nations."The Trump administration originally said in early April that goods from India would face a 27% "reciprocal" tariff. But it later revised this to 26%, days before a 90-day pause came into effect for all targeted countries except China.On areas where the U.S. and India could work together, Vance said the first was "to protect our nations; second, to build great things; and finally, to innovate the cutting-edge technologies both our countries will need in the years to come."On defense, he said, the U.S. enjoys one of the closest relationships in the world with India. "America does more military exercises with India than we do with any other nation on Earth," he said.He further said the U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) initiative that Trump and Modi announced in February during the Indian leader’s visit to Washington would "lay the foundation for even closer collaboration between our countries.""From Javelins [portable antitank guided missiles] to Stryker combat vehicles, our nations will co-produce many of the munitions and equipment that we’ll need to deter foreign aggressors," Vance said. "Not because we seek war, but because we seek peace, and we believe the best path to peace is through mutual strength."Touching upon the Quad grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., he said "it’s fitting" that India will host this year’s Quad summit in the fall."Our interests in a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific are in full alignment," Vance said. "Both of us know that the region must remain safe from any hostile powers that seek to dominate it" -- a thinly veiled reference to China’s growing influence in the region.The U.S. also wants India to "buy more of our military equipment, which, of course we believe is the best in class," Vance said. "American fifth-generation F-35s [fighter jets], for example, would give the Indian Air Force the ability to defend your airspace and protect your people like never before."Vance also advocated strengthening energy ties between the two countries, saying: "We believe your nation will benefit from American energy exports and expanding those exports -- you’ll be able to build more, make more and grow more but at much lower energy costs.""And one suggestion I have is, maybe consider dropping some of the nontariff barriers for American access to the Indian market," he said, adding that he talked about this with Modi as well."And look, President Trump and I know that Prime Minister Modi is a tough negotiator," Vance said. "He drives a hard bargain. That’s one of the reasons why we respect him," he said, drawing loud applause."And we don’t blame Prime Minister Modi for fighting for India’s industry, but we do blame American leaders of the past for failing to do the same for our workers, and we believe that we can fix that to the mutual benefit of both the United States and India," he said.Vance said the two nations have much to gain by investing in one another: "Americans want further access to Indian markets. ... And Indians, we believe, will thrive from greater commerce from United States. This is very much a win-win partnership."Toward the end of his nearly 30-minute speech, Vance said the future of the 21st century will be determined by the strength of the U.S.-India partnership."I believe that if India and the United States work together successfully, we are going to see a 21st century that is prosperous and peaceful," he said. "But I also believe that if we fail to work together successfully, the 21st century could be a very dark time for all of humanity." Vance’s visit to India shows Trump is rebuilding ties (The Hill – opinion)
The Hill [4/22/2025 10:00 AM, Brahma Chellaney, 12829K]
President Trump’s return to the White House is reshaping America’s foreign policy with a nationalist, protectionist edge. Although this shift has frayed relationships with some traditional allies — especially in Europe, whose importance for U.S. policy appears to be eroding — the dynamics in Asia tell a different story.
American ties with key Asian partners such as Japan and South Korea remain steady. And Washington is rebuilding a once-strained relationship with India, the world’s largest democracy and an increasingly pivotal power in the Indo-Pacific.
President Joe Biden failed to grasp the long-term strategic significance of the U.S.-India partnership. His administration prioritized outreach to China, resumed indulgence of Pakistan, welcomed the overthrow of an India-friendly government in Bangladesh and stayed largely silent on Chinese encroachments on Indian borderlands, which triggered a tense Sino-Indian military standoff that has still not been fully resolved. These moves, coupled with ideological posturing, brought bilateral ties to a low point.
The change in administration, however, has opened the door for a course correction. Both nations are now working to reestablish mutual respect and trust. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India this week — accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, their children and senior administration officials — signals a new chapter in the relationship.In a sign of renewed counterterrorism cooperation, the FBI last week arrested a Sikh militant accused of involvement in multiple terrorist attacks in India. Meanwhile, India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, has committed to liberalizing trade with the U.S., following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s White House visit in February. Modi, notably, was among the first world leaders to meet Trump after his return to office.
India’s appeal to American businesses is rising, especially as China’s economy falters and its demographic decline deepens. Long before the U.S. rekindled its trade war with Beijing, India’s massive consumer market was emerging as a vital alternative.
During Modi’s visit, he and Trump set an ambitious goal: more than doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion. The first phase of a U.S.-India trade agreement, expected to be finalized before Trump’s visit to India in the fall for the Quad grouping summit, is likely to see India slash tariffs on a wide range of American imports.
The Biden-era drift is clearly being reversed. Washington has cast Vance’s India trip as a key diplomatic mission aimed at strengthening strategic and economic ties with a nation that, like the U.S., views China as its principal adversary.
A robust India is key to maintaining a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, where China seeks regional hegemony. The first Trump administration recognized India’s central role by giving the country pride of place in its "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy.
Indeed, U.S.-India relations flourished in Trump’s first term. In 2019, Trump joined Modi at a massive rally in Houston attended by 50,000 Indian Americans and numerous U.S. lawmakers. The following year, Trump addressed more than 100,000 people at a rally in Ahmedabad, India — still the largest audience for any American president, at home or abroad. "America loves India, America respects India and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people," Trump declared.
The personal rapport between Trump and Modi — both unapologetic nationalists — has proven durable. That relationship is now instrumental not only in restoring bilateral ties but also in nudging India to reduce its relatively high tariffs. Although India cut some tariffs ahead of Modi’s February visit, Trump responded with a 27 percent tariff hike on Indian goods earlier this month as part of his global tariff campaign, before announcing a 90-day pause on all "reciprocal tariffs" to allow negotiations to proceed.
Trade remains a flashpoint. Trump’s "America First" agenda often collides with Modi’s "Make in India" initiative. At their joint White House news conference, Modi even borrowed from Trump’s own slogan, vowing to "Make India Great Again.".
Still, tensions that flared under Biden are beginning to ease. The arrest of the Sikh militant followed a Trump-Modi joint statement pledging "decisive action" against elements that "threaten public and diplomatic safety and security, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both nations.".
For the U.S. and India to coordinate effectively to keep the Indo-Pacific "free and open," they must reconcile their policies toward India’s neighborhood. The divergence was stark under Biden, whose administration aided military-backed regimes in Pakistan and Bangladesh while trying to oust Myanmar’s junta — moves that undercut regional stability. The Trump administration is now reviewing these policies with an eye toward coherence and consistency.
Vance’s visit, following a similar trip by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, underscores that the U.S.-India relationship is already bouncing back. Vance’s discussions with Modi are expected to deepen cooperation in areas ranging from strategic technology to defense interoperability, with both sides welcoming the "significant progress" toward a trade deal.
There is also a personal dimension to Vance’s diplomacy. His wife, the first Hindu second lady in American history, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. The Indian American community — one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous immigrant groups in the U.S. — commands outsized influence, boasting the highest median household income among all ethnic groups.
Looking ahead, a potential Trump-brokered end to the Ukraine war would allow the U.S. to shift focus toward the Indo-Pacific, further energizing its partnership with India. This pivot would accelerate U.S.-India collaboration on critical and emerging technologies and enhance interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces, especially in naval and air operations.
Trump’s return to power is not merely restoring the U.S.-India relationship — it is revitalizing it with fresh urgency, grounded in mutual interests and shared concerns. As the Indo-Pacific becomes the epicenter of global power competition, the world’s oldest and largest democracies are once again aligning their strategies and rediscovering their common cause. At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir (New York Times)
New York Times [4/22/2025 4:14 PM, Anupreeta Das, Suhasini Raj, and Showkat Nanda, 831K]
Militants opened fire on a group of tourists in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least two dozen and injuring many more, according to government officials and local media reports.
The attack took place in a picturesque Himalayan district of pine-covered hills and valleys that is popular with Indian travelers and that locals often call a “mini Switzerland.” It was the worst assault against civilians in the restive region in years, said Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, as the region is officially known.
In a social media post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned what he called a “terror attack” and said that “those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice.” Mr. Modi planned to return early from a visit to Saudi Arabia. President Trump said in a post that “the United States stands strong with India against Terrorism.”
No official death toll has been released, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. India and Pakistan have each laid claim to the region since war broke out following the nations’ partition in 1947, and border skirmishes have long created instability.
The assault occurred just a few miles from the town of Pahalgam in the Baisaran Valley, which is accessible only by foot or on horseback. The 20-minute hike through brush opens on to lush green meadows that are often carpeted by flowers in the summer, making it a big tourist draw.On Tuesday afternoon, as a group of visitors enjoyed the scenery, gunmen suddenly began firing indiscriminately from behind bushes, said Binu Bhai, 57, who was shot in both his arms and legs and was being treated at a hospital.
He said he saw around a dozen dead bodies on the ground as he was rescued by local residents. The bodies of injured or dead tourists were brought down from the hills on horseback and all-terrain vehicles, according to eyewitness accounts.
The tourists had come from several Indian states, though not all of their identities have been released.
Adil Chapri, a taxi driver, said tourists had begun swarming to the Himalayan region just as temperatures soared in the rest of the country. There was a “mad rush” when he drove to Baisaran to drop some tourists off, Mr. Chapri said.
He said that a hotelier friend of his had told him after the attack that guides who offer pony rides to tourists asked him not to send any more tourists their way.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir. India has long accused Pakistan of fomenting separatist violence in the Muslim-majority region. Scores of civilians, including Hindu pilgrims, have been killed by militant groups over the decades.
The bloodshed has declined in recent years, after Mr. Modi revoked Kashmir’s special status as a semiautonomous region in 2019 and his government began directly administering the territory from New Delhi.
The Indian government has ruled Kashmir with a heavy hand, keeping order with a huge security presence and for years suspending democracy in the region.
Domestic tourism to Kashmir has flourished as the Modi government has promoted visits to the region, part of an effort to develop Kashmir and project an image of stability there. The number of tourists jumped nearly 30 percent from around 17 million in 2018 to 22 million in 2023, according to government figures.
Amit Shah, India’s minister for home affairs, reached Srinagar, the regional capital, late on Tuesday evening to meet with security officials and conduct a review.
Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, called for an investigation into potential security lapses. “Ensuring visitor safety is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks,” Ms. Mufti posted on X. Other political leaders from around the country too weighed in with their condolences.
Vice President JD Vance, who is on a four-day tour of India with his wife, Usha Vance, and their three children, wrote on social media that “our thoughts and prayers are with” the Indian people as “they mourn this horrific attack.” Slaughter of Civilians in Kashmir Shatters an Illusion of Calm (New York Times)
New York Times [4/23/2025 4:19 AM, Mujib Mashal, 831K]
After bringing the troubled region of Kashmir under harsh control in recent years, India’s government justified its heavy-handed approach with one consistent message: The deadly militancy that had rocked the Himalayan territory for decades was finally in check.
That illusion was shattered on Tuesday, as militants emerged from a densely forested area to slaughter tourists who were enjoying a picnic spot in a particularly picturesque valley near the town of Pahalgam. The attack left at least 26 civilians dead and over a dozen wounded.
As officials rush to make sense of the major security lapse in what is one of the world’s most militarized zones, there is growing concern in New Delhi that the pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to respond decisively could once again raise the specter of cross-border conflict with neighboring Pakistan.
India and Pakistan have each laid claim to Kashmir since the end of British colonial rule partitioned India into two, carving out Pakistan as an independent nation. Kashmir, where Muslims are a majority, has found itself split between the two, with each country administering a part of it while laying claim to its whole.
India squarely blames Pakistan for harboring and supporting militants behind attacks like the one on Tuesday. In 2019, a militant attack that killed dozens of Indian security personnel resulted in an air battle between the two nuclear-armed nations that stopped just short of all-out war.“The whole idea, I think, behind this attack was to sort of puncture that narrative that, you know, everything is fine,” said D.S. Hooda, a retired Indian army general who led Indian’s northern command based in Kashmir. “The government will be under tremendous pressure to react.”
General Hooda said the fact that the victims were civilians, and that witness accounts in Indian media suggested Hindus had been singled out by the militants, had only added to the pressure. A list of the victims circulating online, which was verified by local officials in Kashmir, showed that 25 of the 26 killed were Hindus.
The targeting of Hindus by militants in the 1990s forced an exodus of the minority community from the region. In the apparently targeted killings on Tuesday, many saw reminders that region still remains unsafe, particularly for the Hindu minority, despite the government’s claim of a return to normalcy.
Videos and images of the carnage flooded Indian media after the attack, showing tourists who were taking in the vast beauty one hour lying in pools of blood the next. One viral image showed a young woman in a beige jacket visibly distraught, kneeling down next to the lifeless body of a man.
The attack struck as Vice President JD Vance and his family were in India on a four-day visit. In a condolence message on social media, Mr. Vance described the assault as a “devastating terrorist attack.”
Mr. Modi, who was on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, cut his trip short and returned home. He will chair a cabinet security meeting later on Wednesday, Indian news media reported.
Schools were shut in much of Kashmir on Wednesday, and security was tightened, with military helicopters surveilling the valley where the terror was unleashed. Tourists were also rushing to leave the region, as airlines added additional flights.“It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam,” Omar Abdullah, Kashmir’s top elected official, said. “But at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave.”
Amit Shah, India’s home minister, who arrived in Kashmir in the hours after the attack, met with the surviving victims and paid his respects to those killed in front of rows of coffins draped in white.“The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared,” Mr. Shah said.
In recent years, Mr. Modi had taken a two-pronged approach to managing Kashmir: ignore and isolate a Pakistan that was already teetering because of its own domestic problems, and tighten security at home.
In 2019, Mr. Modi stripped Kashmir of the semi-autonomy it had enjoyed, and dissolved its local democracy to bring it under direct rule from New Delhi. While small-scale attacks against civilians continued, Mr. Modi’s officials were increasingly projecting that their strategy was working. Kashmir had turned a page, they said, and it could focus on development. The main indicator of progress was the rising number of tourists pouring into the beautiful valley from different parts of the country.
The mass-casualty attack on Tuesday has exposed the limits of that strategy. Gunmen launch rare attack on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir (Washington Post)
Washington Post [4/22/2025 12:39 PM, Shams Irfan and Karishma Mehrotra, 31735K]
A large number of tourists were killed or wounded Tuesday after suspected militants opened fire in a popular mountain town in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to officials in the region.The death toll was still unclear late Tuesday, with estimates in local media outlets ranging from 20 to 27 and no official count provided.Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote on X that “the death toll is still being ascertained” but went on to describe the attack as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”The Indian government has recently sought to showcase Kashmir’s newfound stability and rising tourism numbers, and has cracked down harshly on dissent in the Muslim-majority enclave, but it has been unable to fully stamp out separatist violence.The attack occurred during a visit to India by Vice President JD Vance, who was on a sightseeing trip to Jaipur on Tuesday, a day after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.Modi wrote on X that “those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice.”
“They will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed,” he wrote. “Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.”Visitors were snapping photos and riding ponies in the meadows of Pahalgam, known here as “mini-Switzerland,” when assailants emerged from the nearby forest and fired indiscriminately, according to local media reports.Rescue efforts were complicated by the remote terrain, witnesses said, which is accessible only on foot or horseback.Abdul Waheed, a worker in the town who rushed to the scene when he heard about the attack, said he saw many bodies lying in the grass: “It was hard to tell if they were alive or dead. I could see women and kids crying.”Unable to evacuate people by car, he helped ferry the injured on makeshift stretchers and on horseback to the nearest hospital, about 25 minutes away.“I came home and have not left since,” he said. “Like everyone else, I feel scared.”India and Pakistan both administer parts of Kashmir but claim the entire territory. For decades, armed insurgents have resisted Indian rule — some groups support full independence, while others seek to merge with Pakistan. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.In 2019, the Indian government revoked Kashmir’s semiautonomous status and imposed sweeping security measures, which it credits with a reduction in political violence. Rights groups have documented serious abuses by Indian security forces, including arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings.Last year, elections were held in Kashmir, and many in the region are now clamoring for statehood.Tuesday’s sudden violence comes at a politically sensitive moment for New Delhi. Modi is expected to inaugurate a multibillion-dollar railway project soon that will connect the Kashmir Valley with mainland India — an effort billed as a boon for tourism and economic development.The return of tourists to the area has been hailed by the government as a sign of renewed stability, and foot traffic peaks in places such as Pahalgam and Gulmarg during the summer months. In July, Pahalgam will begin to serve as a base camp for an annual Hindu pilgrimage. Kashmir Attack Leaves 25 Dead in Indian Tourist Spot (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [4/22/2025 1:57 PM, Aakash Hassan and Shan Li, 810K]
Suspected militants opened fire in a popular tourist valley in the Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 25 people and injuring 15 more in one of the worst attacks on civilians in recent years, according to government officials.At least two gunmen opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley, a scenic meadow nestled in the hills of Pahalgam about 55 miles south of the lake city of Srinagar, two police officials said. The mountainous region of Kashmir draws thousands of Indian visitors daily, particularly during the summer as people seek respite from the intense heat farther south.
Police said that most of the dead were Indian tourists who had reached the remote valley on foot or horseback, and at least two of the dead were foreigners, according to government officials. The attackers fled immediately after the assault.“Needless to say, this attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” the region’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, wrote in a post on X.
Kashmir remains one of the most militarized regions globally, claimed in entirety by both India and Pakistan, although each controls only portions of the territory. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought several wars over the disputed region.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began a state visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, condemned the attack and expressed prayers for the injured. “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed,” he said in a post on X.
A militant group identifying itself as “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility for the attack in a social-media message. The group cited anger over the settlement of more than 85,000 people whom it called “outsiders” and said were driving a “demographic change” in the region.
Graphic footage circulated by locals on social media captured the aftermath of the attack, showing wounded tourists lying in pools of blood as their relatives cried out desperately for help. With no road access to the remote valley, helicopters were dispatched to airlift the injured to safety.
In response to the attack, Indian army and paramilitary personnel were deployed to the area to launch a manhunt for the assailants. In recent years, militant groups have intensified their assaults on security forces operating in Kashmir’s rugged mountainous and forested terrains. Militants kill at least 26 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir (AP)
AP [4/22/2025 11:39 PM, Aijaz Hussain, 890K]
Gunmen shot and killed at least 26 tourists Tuesday at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said in what appeared to be a major shift in a regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared.
Police blamed militants fighting against Indian rule for the attack in Baisaran meadow, some 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam. At least three dozen people were wounded, many of them seriously, according to two senior police officers.
"This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years," Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.
The two officers said at least four militants fired at dozens of tourists from close range. Most of the killed tourists were Indian, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy.
At least 24 bodies were collected in the aftermath of the attack and two people died while being taken for medical treatment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers.
"We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," India’s home minister, Amit Shah, wrote on social media. He arrived in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and convened a meeting with top security officials.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cutting short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and returning to New Delhi early Wednesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and stressed that "attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s top religious cleric, said on social media that "such violence is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir, which welcomes visitors with love and warmth.".
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting India, called it a "devastating terrorist attack." He added on social media: "Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack.".
U.S. President Donald Trump noted on social media the "deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against terrorism." Other global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, condemned the attack.
"The United States stands with India," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X.
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir but both claim the territory in its entirety.
Kashmir has seen a spate of targeted killings of Hindus, including immigrant workers from Indian states, after New Delhi ended the region’s semi-autonomyin 2019 and drastically curbed dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms.
Tensions have been simmering as India has intensified its counterinsurgency operations. But despite tourists flocking to Kashmir in huge numbers for its Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, they have not been targeted.
The region has drawn millions of visitors who enjoy a strange peace kept by ubiquitous security checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrolling soldiers. New Delhi has vigorously pushed tourism and claimed it as a sign of normalcy returning.The meadow in Pahalgam is a popular destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists every day.
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, while condemning the attack, said Modi’s government should take accountability instead of making "hollow claims on the situation being normal" in the region.
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.
In March 2000, at least 35 civilians were shot and killed in a southern village in Kashmir while then-U.S. President Bill Clinton was visiting India. It was the region’s deadliest attack in the past couple of decades.
Violence has ebbed in recent times in the Kashmir Valley, the heart of anti-India rebellion. Fighting between government forces and rebels has largely shifted to remote areas of Jammu region, including Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua, where Indian troops have faced deadly attacks. Attack on tourists in India’s Kashmir kills 26, injures 17, police say (Reuters)
Reuters [4/23/2025 12:08 AM, Fayaz Bukhari, 62527K]
Twenty-six people were killed and 17 were injured when suspected militants opened fire at tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory, police said on Wednesday, the worst such attack in the country in nearly two decades.The attack took place on Tuesday in the popular destination of Pahalgam in the scenic, Himalayan federal territory that has seen a resurgence in mass tourism as insurgent violence waned in recent years.It was the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings in which more than 160 people were killed.Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to New Delhi on Wednesday morning. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also cutting short her visit to the United States and Peru "to be with our people in this difficult and tragic time", her ministry said.The attack occurred in an off-the-road meadow and the dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.A little-known militant group, the "Kashmir Resistance," claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media message. It expressed discontent that more than 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled in the region, spurring a "demographic change".On Wednesday, over a dozen local organisations called for a shutdown in the federal territory to protest against the attack on tourists, whose rising numbers have helped the local economy.Many schools also suspended classes for the day in protest.Airlines were operating extra flights from Srinagar, the summer capital of the territory, as visitors were rushing out of the region, officials said.Militant violence has afflicted the Himalayan region, claimed in full but ruled in part by both India and Pakistan, since an anti-Indian insurgency began in 1989. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, although violence has tapered off in recent years.India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019, splitting the state into two federally administered territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The move allowed local authorities to issue domicile rights to outsiders, allowing them to get jobs and buy land in the territory.That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region. The dispute has spurred bitter animosity and military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Attacks targeting tourists in Kashmir have been rare. The last deadly incident took place in June 2024 when at least nine people were killed and 33 injured after a militant attack caused a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims to plunge into a deep gorge. Trump: Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir, US supports India (Reuters)
Reuters [4/22/2025 1:12 PM, Costas Pitas and Doina Chiacu, 126906K]
India has the full support of the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday after suspected militants opened fire on tourists in India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory, killing at least 20 people.
"Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir. The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism. We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies," Trump said on Truth Social. Trump extends ‘deepest sympathies’ after gunmen kill 20 in India’s Kashmir region (FOX News)
FOX News [4/22/2025 2:27 PM, Danielle Wallace, 52868K]
President Donald Trump extended his "deepest sympathies" on Tuesday after gunmen reportedly killed at least 20 people in India’s Kashmir region.
"Deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir," Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. "The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism. We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies. Our hearts are with you all!".
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump had been briefed by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on the matter.Trump will speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "as soon as he possibly can to express his heartfelt condolences for those lost," Leavitt said at Tuesday’s White House briefing. "And our prayers are with those injured in our nation’s support for our ally, India. These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission. So we’ll give you a readout of that call later this afternoon.".
Leavitt said the press may hear from Trump directly later Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting coincided with Vice President JD Vance and his family’s visit to India.
Vance met with Modi on Monday and delivered a speech on strengthening the economic partnership between their two nations in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur earlier Tuesday.
"Usha and I extend our condolences to the victims of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India," the vice president wrote on X after the attack. "Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack.".
Indian police said gunmen shot dead at least 20 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir in what appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared.
Modi said he strongly condemned "the terror attack" in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and offered condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.
"I pray that the injured recover at the earliest," Modi wrote on X. "All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.".
The country’s police also described the incident as a "terror attack" and blamed militants fighting against Indian rule.
"This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years," Omar Abdullah, the region’s top elected official, wrote on social media.
Two senior police officers said at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range, according to the Associated Press. The officers said at least three dozen others were injured, many in serious condition.
Most of the tourists killed were Indian, the officers reportedly told the AP on condition of anonymity, in keeping with departmental policy.
Officials collected at least 20 bodies in Baisaran meadow, some three miles from the disputed region’s resort town of Pahalgam.
The meadow in Pahalgam is a popular destination, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and dotted with pine forests. It is visited by hundreds of tourists every day as Kashmir, known for Himalayan foothills and exquisitely decorated houseboats, has become a major domestic tourist destination. It has drawn millions of visitors who enjoy a strange peace kept by ubiquitous security checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrolling soldiers.
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers.
"We will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences," India’s home minister, Amit Shah, wrote on social media. He arrived in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir, and convened a meeting with top security officials. He said Modi, on an official visit in Saudi Arabia, has been briefed.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance politician and Kashmir’s top religious cleric, condemned what he described as a "cowardly attack on tourists," writing on social media that "such violence is unacceptable and against the ethos of Kashmir which welcomes visitors with love and warmth.". Saudi Arabia, India Agree to Set Up Two Oil Refineries (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [4/22/2025 6:12 PM, Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Sherif Tarek, 16228K]
Saudi Arabia and India agreed to deepen energy ties and pursue closer cooperation in areas like tourism and technology as the countries seek to strengthen relations at a time of turbulence for the global economy.An accord was reached to establish two oil refineries in India through a joint venture between the countries, India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan said in a briefing, without giving more details.The developments come after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Jeddah on Tuesday night. India’s leader departed shortly after, rather than staying in the kingdom until Wednesday, following one of the worst attacks on civilians in India’s northern Jammu and Kashmir region in years.India and Saudi Arabia’s leaders met as both countries look to support their economies in the face of wide-ranging US tariff policies that threaten to stunt growth. India is already facing its slowest economic expansion in four years and Saudi Arabia is forecast to come under renewed pressure from subdued oil prices.Deeper ties would stand to bolster stability and energy security for both and follow on years of flirtation between the G-20 nations on partnerships for everything from oil to agriculture and technology.Saudi Crown Prince MBS had in 2019 pledged $100 billion of investments in India, but only about $10 billion of that has materialized. State-owned oil behemoth Saudi Aramco has also long sought entry into India’s refining sector with little success.A plan to jointly build a mega complex in western India, for example, hasn’t come to fruition due to challenges over land and a proposal for a stake in Reliance Industries Ltd.’s mega refinery in Gujarat failed to fructify on valuation issues.It’s unclear if Aramco will be involved in the refineries mentioned by India’s envoy to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.Saudi Arabia, the de-facto leader of the OPEC+ producer group, was once India’s largest oil supplier but has seen its share of the market decline as imports from Russia and Iraq increase.Ahead of his visit, Modi had said the two sides are exploring joint projects in refineries and petrochemicals, according to comments he made to Arab News. Saudi Arabia, India agree to boost cooperation in energy and defence (Reuters)
Reuters [4/23/2025 3:25 AM, Nayera Abdallah, 5.2M]
Saudi Arabia and India agreed to boost cooperation in supplies of crude and liquefied petroleum gas, according to a joint statement reported by the Saudi state news agency on Wednesday following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top exporters of petroleum to India. Modi met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before cutting short his visit and returning to New Delhi after an attack on India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory which killed 26 people, the worst attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings.
The two countries also agreed to deepen their defence ties and improve their cooperation in defence manufacturing, along with agreements in agriculture and food security.
"The two countries welcomed the excellent cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism and terror financing," the joint statement said. IMF cuts India’s growth forecast amid tariff uncertainty (Reuters)
Reuters [4/22/2025 10:26 AM, Aftab Ahmed, 126906K]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday cut its economic growth forecast for India for the current fiscal year, citing increased trade tensions and global uncertainty.
The IMF lowered its forecast for the South Asian country to 6.2% from the 6.5% it had forecast in January for the fiscal year that started on April 1.
"For India, the growth outlook is relatively more stable at 6.2% in 2025 supported by private consumption, particularly in rural areas," the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook report, where it slashed its forecasts for growth for most countries, citing the impact of U.S. tariffs.
For India, it said it was cutting its forecast due to "higher levels of trade tensions and global uncertainty.". Big Oil Is Offshoring Its Prized Engineering Jobs to India (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [4/22/2025 5:30 AM, Collin Eaton, 810K]
Competition for engineering and geologist jobs in the oil-and-gas sector was already fierce—and that was before President Trump’s tariff blitz sparked fears about a global recession that sent oil prices tumbling.
Chevron, BP and other oil companies are offshoring more specialized white-collar positions and related work to lower-cost labor pools in countries such as India, while cutting thousands of jobs elsewhere.
The shift, alongside a string of mergers and cost-cutting, has thinned the companies’ ranks of skilled U.S. workers. It has also disrupted the industry’s pecking order, which for decades has been topped by specialized engineers whose positions were more insulated during oil busts.
Chevron CVX 2.67%increase; green up pointing triangle said in February that it would cut as many as roughly 8,000 jobs, or 20% of its global workforce, by the end of next year. That decision has prompted angst at its global headquarters in Houston, where many of its higher-paid skilled workers are based.
The same day, the oil behemoth said it was “changing how and where work is performed” and would expand the use of global centers, such as one in India where it aims to add about 600 jobs by the end of this year. About half of Chevron’s nearly 40,000 employees are in the U.S.
That decision reflects a growing pool of skilled workers in India who are willing to do the same jobs for a fraction of the cost, along with advances in technology that enable remote working. Engineers there have long drawn salaries around a third or a fourth the size of their counterparts in the U.S., though pay is climbing thanks to rising demand for talent.“India seems a lot less distant,” said Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University who has advised companies on work setups and remote work. “Many managers have told me comments like, ‘Our remote operations are typically 90% as efficient, but 70% of the cost, so it’s a great deal for us.’ “
The new positions aren’t only traditional back-office jobs that U.S. companies have offshored for years. Chevron intends to hire engineers, geologists and environmental scientists in India as part of a $1 billion investment to develop an engineering and innovation hub near Bellandur, a suburb of Bengaluru, a spokesman said.
Hiring for skilled posts in the U.S., meanwhile, has slowed to a pace typically associated with an oil downturn, recruiters say. The slowdown is creating gaps in the résumés of experienced oil workers, forcing some to take pay cuts in new roles and dissuading recent college graduates from joining the industry.
Amanda Rico, a career adviser in Houston with Rico Editorial Services, said workers with advanced degrees are competing more fiercely for fewer jobs. Across the U.S., the number of oil-and-gas jobs has dropped almost 15% since mid-2019 to about 123,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Connor Cabaniss, a senior petroleum engineering student at the University of Texas, said he and some of his classmates have expanded their job searches across the oil-and-gas value chain because postelection uncertainty has led many oil-and-gas companies to slow their hiring.
Cabaniss, who is graduating in May, has had multiple interviews, but isn’t receiving as many calls in recent months. He is hopeful the cyclical business will turn around soon. “Even postelection, they still really don’t know what the market’s going to be like,” Cabaniss said.
Since Trump launched his tariff blitz in early April, U.S. oil prices have tumbled 12% to near $63 a barrel, a level that is expected to prompt some soul-searching in the industry. If prices remain near those levels for long, frackers will have to re-evaluate their spending levels.
Although Chevron and the other major oil companies are more cushioned than the smaller competitors, they are still likely to face pressure to curb or recalibrate their investments in long-term projects.
Like Chevron, Exxon Mobil XOM 2.80%increase; green up pointing triangle has also been expanding in India, with a tech hub that helps oversee work related to its Guyana project and other assets. Exxon has also invested in technology centers in China, Malaysia and Qatar. At the end of last year, its global head count was down about 19% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to regulatory filings.
European oil giants Shell, BP BP 4.71%increase; green up pointing triangle and TotalEnergies were early entrants to the job market in India, where they made investments in lubricants, gas and renewable energy. Together, they employ more than 21,000 in the country. BP recently said it plans to cut 4,700 jobs elsewhere.
The competition for engineers in India is so fierce that the oil companies are struggling to hire workers quickly and are known for luring experienced candidates from their rivals with higher pay.
Beyond its skilled workforce, India is an attractive growth market: Its natural-gas consumption is set to grow almost 60% by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. Trump recently touted a deal for India to buy more American fossil fuels after a White House meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The timing of the hiring slowdown in the U.S. is somewhat ironic because Trump’s trade war is meant to restore jobs and manufacturing. The president’s friends in the oil patch had expected his rollback of regulations to spur job growth in the sector.“Typically, that would have been a boom for the U.S.,” said Debbie Milks, chief operating officer of recruiting firm Brookwoods Group. “We’re not seeing that at all.” NSB
Bangladesh eyes Rohingya return, but hurdles remain (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [4/22/2025 4:14 PM, Arafatul Islam, 13.3M]
The head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has told Rohingya Muslims who fled from neighboring Myanmar that, "may we pray to Allah, that next Eid, you can celebrate in your own homes in Myanmar."
Bangladesh has been taking in fellow Muslims from Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state largely since a bloody 2017 army crackdown forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee their homeland.
Myanmar’s military junta has ruled since a February 2021 coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. Since then, fighting between ethnic rebel groups and the military has pushed more Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh currently hosts over 1 million Rohingya Muslims in sprawling refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and on the offshore island of Bhasan Char.
Myanmar’s government confirmed earlier this month that 180,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh are eligible to return to Myanmar. This followed talks between representatives of both nations in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
The 180,000 names were part of a list of 800,000 Rohingya that Bangladesh submitted to Myanmar in six batches between 2018 and 2020. Myanmar also indicated that the verification of others on the list is ongoing.
"While this is an important progress, it is not enough to start repatriation. Rohingyas have always insisted on a safe and dignified return," according to Azad Majumder, a press officer to the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim administration.
Majumder added that until Rakhine State is considered safe, "repatriation is unlikely to begin."
About 70,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2024 during a surge in fighting between the ruling junta and the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group, which wants more autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine people, a population that is accused of aiding the military in their expulsion of the Rohingya.
The AA is the well-armed military arm of the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political organization of the Buddhist people in western Rakhine state.
The AA and the ULA seek an autonomous region in Rakhine state inclusive of both Muslims and Buddhist Rakhine.
UN mulls Bangladesh-Myanmar humanitarian corridor
Last month, Yunus hosted UN chief Antonio Guterres, who traveled to Cox’s Bazar to witness the hardships faced by the Rohingya community, all of whom rely on humanitarian assistance.
Guterres said the UN is exploring the possibility of a humanitarian aid channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar."We need to intensify humanitarian aid inside Myanmar to create a condition for that return [of the Rohingya] to be successful," Guterres said during a press briefing in Dhaka during his visit.
He suggested that under the right circumstances, having a "humanitarian channel" from Bangladesh would facilitate the return of the Rohingya community, but said it would require "authorization and cooperation."
Asked if dialogue with the AA was essential for the repatriation of Rohingyas, Guterres said: "The Arakan Army is a reality in which we live."
He acknowledged that in the past relations with the AA have been difficult but said, "necessary dialogue must take place," noting that sanctions against the group would require UN Security Council approval, which could prove difficult to obtain.
"It’s essential to increase pressure from all the neighbors in order to guarantee that fighting ends and the way towards democracy finally established," Guterres said.
Khalilur Rahman, high representative on Rohingya issues for Bangladesh’s interim leader, confirmed that his government is engaged in dialogues with the AA.
"Under the 2018 bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar, verification has been ongoing," Khalilur Rahman told reporters in Dhaka earlier this month.
"While Rakhine is a sovereign region of Myanmar, we have also engaged in dialogue with the Arakan Army, which publicly affirmed in September that repatriating the Rohingya is a key position for them. They reiterated this stance unequivocally during our discussions."
"We believe arrangements can be made to return these 180,000 individuals," Rahman added. "While this won’t happen overnight, we are striving to expedite the process with all stakeholders involved."
Will refugees return to Rakhine under AA?
The Rohingya ethnic group faces discrimination and statelessness as they are denied citizenship and other rights in Myanmar.
John Quinley, director of Fortify Rights, an organization that investigates human rights violations, says that the Rohingya are unlikely to return without citizenship and equal rights — their core demands.
"Many Rohingya refugees don’t trust the Arakan Army who now controls the vast majority of Rakhine State," Quinley told DW.
"Rohingya are indigenous to Arakan known as Rakhine and should be able to return home," he added.
"That being said, there must be safety, restored citizenship rights, and accountability for ongoing crimes by the junta and Arakan Army," Quinley said.
"I worry that repatriating Rohingya now would be akin to refoulement. They are at real risk from both Arakan Army and Myanmar junta."
Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, suggested that if the Myanmar junta truly wants the refugees to return, it must make stronger commitments, including public assurances that it will not conduct airstrikes or use artillery on the Rohingya community.
"For the Rohingya or others to rebuild their lives in Arakan, they may need some form of permission or documentation from the Arakan Army while also requiring official citizenship from Myanmar," he told DW.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to build global consciousness on Rohingya repatriation, with the UN General Assembly backing a high-level conference on the plight of the community later this year. Sri Lanka’s economy to grow 3.5% in 2025 despite US tariff headwinds, World Bank says (Reuters)
Reuters [4/23/2025 3:31 AM, Uditha Jayasinghe, 5.2M]
Sri Lanka is on track to post growth of 3.5% this year, the World Bank said in its latest report on Wednesday, unchanged from its October forecast, but faces challenges from hefty U.S. tariffs and high poverty rates.
The island nation posted growth of 5% last year, rebounding from a far-reaching financial crisis sparked by a record dollar shortfall three years ago with support from a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
But the government is worried that tariffs of 44% imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which will affect about $3 billion of its exports, could hurt its economic recovery. It wants to engage with the U.S. to strengthen trade relations.
The World Bank said Sri Lanka’s medium-term growth prospects would hinge on continued macroeconomic stability, backing a flexible exchange rate, the need to reform loss-making state companies, and more investment in trade.
Household income, employment and overall welfare were still well below pre-crisis levels, and the poverty rate remained "alarmingly high" at 24.5% in 2024, with more people looking for work opportunities abroad, according to the report.
"While Sri Lanka’s economy is bouncing back stronger than expected, a significant portion of the population — about a third — remains in poverty or is at risk of falling back into poverty," David Sislen, World Bank division director for the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka said in a statement.
The World Bank projects that Sri Lanka’s growth will slow further to 3.1% next year, also unchanged from October’s projection.
Sri Lankan central bank and finance ministry officials are in Washington this week to meet with the International Monetary Fund to progress discussions on the fourth review of the IMF programme. Sri Lanka’s Poverty Alarmingly High: World Bank (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [4/23/2025 4:19 AM, Staff, 931K]
About a quarter of cash-strapped Sri Lanka’s population was living in poverty despite the economy making a "remarkable recovery" from its worst financial meltdown, the World Bank said on Wednesday.
The South Asian nation’s growth surpassed the Bank’s forecast of 4.4 percent, recording 5.0 percent in 2024 -- the first economic expansion since the 2022 crisis.
"While the economy is recovering, many Sri Lankans are still struggling... the poverty rate remained alarmingly high at 24.5 percent in 2024," the Bank said in its latest update on the island.
"The labour market continues to struggle, leading to increased emigration as people look for opportunities abroad. Household incomes, employment and overall welfare remain well below pre-crisis levels."
The Bank said wages have yet to catch up to their 2019 levels. Since then, poverty -- measured by those earning less than $3.65 a day -- has doubled.
The Bank projected that growth would moderate in 2025 to 3.5 percent, partly due to global trade uncertainties triggered by the sharp increase in US tariffs.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt of $46 billion in April 2022 after running out of foreign exchange to finance imports such as food, fuel and medicines.
Months of protests over acute shortages of essentials led to the toppling of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
His successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, secured a $2.9 billion four-year bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund, cut subsidies and raised taxes to stabilise the economy.
The IMF warned earlier this month that Sri Lanka’s recovery could be undermined if punishing US tariffs were reinstated.
The United States is Sri Lanka’s largest single market, accounting for almost a quarter of its $12 billion in merchandise exports. The trade balance is heavily in favour of the small South Asian nation.
Washington imposed a 44 percent "reciprocal tariff" on the island nation before putting it on hold for 90 days.
Sri Lanka has not retaliated but instead has appealed for negotiations with Washington.
The leftist administration led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who came to power in September, has maintained many of the austerity measures of his predecessor and urged all parties to work together to formulate a negotiating strategy with Washington. Central Asia
China’s foreign minister to visit Kazakhstan and Brazil April 25-30 (Reuters)
Reuters [4/23/2025 3:44 AM, Ethan Wang, 5.2M]
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Kazakhstan and Brazil for meetings from April 25 to 30, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Wang will attend the Sixth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and hold the Second China-Kazakhstan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Kazakhstan.
He will also attend BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Brazil and a meeting of BRICS national security advisers and high representatives on national security. Uzbek Farmers Say They’re Being Forced To Surrender State Land To Chinese Firms (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [4/22/2025 6:32 PM, Sadriddin Ashur, 968K]
Farmers in Uzbekistan say the government is forcing them to surrender their land to Chinese businesses under the guise of state-backed development, taking thousands of hectares of fertile cotton and wheat fields out of the hands of locals.
Concerned over the fate of the lush lands of the Ferghana Valley, they told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that large patches of land have been taken into the state reserve and transferred to Chinese businessmen.
Official documents say the land transfers are voluntary. But dozens of accounts given to RFE/RL from those who signed over their land appear to describe a different reality: coercion, threats, and intimidation by Uzbek law enforcement officers acting on orders from local officials.
"The governor told me: ‘This is a presidential order. Either give up the land or go to jail,’" said one farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of reprisal for commenting publicly on the issue.
Creeping Influence?
Land transfers in the Ferghana Valley, which is shared between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, are the latest flashpoint in what is becoming an increasingly visible and volatile undercurrent across Central Asia -- a surge of anti-Chinese sentiment driven by land disputes, debt dependency, labor market tensions, and fears of creeping influence.
Under Uzbekistan’s Law on Farming, a farmer leases state land for 49 years. Neither the local government nor the prosecutor can take it away. According to the legislation, the land can only be seized by the state by court decision.
Farmers, though, say and seizures are being carried out based on a verbal order from Shuhrat Abdurahmonov, the head of the region.
"I did not want to give up my land and put up some resistance, but in response, the district governor called more than 20 police officers and the National Guard to the district administration building and ordered them to arrest me and my wife," a farmer from Qurgonteppa district told RFE/RL.
"That is why none of the farmers resist now; otherwise, they could be imprisoned. It is unlikely that any of us would be able to get out of there alive and well.".
Regional administrations failed to comment on the claims by farmers when contacted by RFE/RL.
Concerns over China taking over the use of large swaths of land extend beyond the farming community.
Beijing’s economic presence in Central Asia has grown rapidly in recent years under China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
As of early 2025, China is Uzbekistan’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching $12.5 billion. Over 3,400 Chinese firms operate in the country, surpassing even the number of Russian entities.
Similar patterns have emerged in other Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan.‘Economic Trap’
Chinese investments promise infrastructure, jobs, and technology. But experts warn of a darker side.
Uzbek political analyst Nargiza Muratalieva points out that Central Asian countries are increasingly falling into what she calls China’s "economic trap:" easy access to credit -- often with opaque terms -- that can eventually leave weaker states vulnerable to political pressure or asset forfeiture.
Muratalieva points out that Beijing gained over 1,100 square kilometers of land in Tajikistan in 2011 in exchange for debt relief, a clear example of the potential consequences of falling into this "trap.".
China is already the largest lender in Uzbekistan, with outstanding loans totaling $3.8 billion.
"The general characteristics of Chinese lending for all countries in the region are the ease of obtaining debts, their difficult repayment, as well as the lack of transparency of procedures and specific conditions," according to Muratalieva.
Debt repayments, land transfers, and rising Chinese economic control also feed local perceptions of "neocolonialism," especially when local communities are excluded from decision-making processes.
The harsh treatment of Uyghurs and other non-Han indigenous ethnic groups in China’s Xinjiang Province strikes a deep chord with Central Asians, who share linguistic, cultural, and religious ties with them.
Whether it’s propaganda or not, the fear that China could one day treat Kazakhs or Uzbeks the same way has further sown seeds of opposition to Beijing’s expanding presence.
"It turns out that the Chinese really like my land; they want to take the land from other farmers too. Naturally, we are against it, but the district governor, the prosecutor, and the police chief continue to put pressure on us," one farmer from Uzbekistan’s western Andijon region told RFE/RL.
"What worries us most is that they can subsequently seize our country and do to us the same as they did to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.". Twitter
Afghanistan
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[4/22/2025 2:33 PM, 5.7K followers, 46 retweets, 103 likes]
A delegation of exiled Afghan women is in South Africa, sharing powerful testimonies of life under Taliban rule. They’re calling for global solidarity to end gender apartheid and learn from South Africa’s fight against systemic oppression. #GenderApartheid #Afghanistan #Women
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[4/22/2025 1:00 PM, 5.7K followers, 18 retweets, 25 likes]
New restrictions on media in Afghanistan: following Kandahar and several other provinces, Bamiyan has become the fifteenth province to prohibit the broadcasting of videos and images of living beings. According to media reports,Taliban say this ban will be gradually implemented.
Jahanzeb Wesa@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[4/22/2025 4:21 AM, 5.7K followers, 17 retweets, 23 likes]
A group of brave women’s rights activists protested in Kabul against Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, work, & freedom. Despite the danger, they demanded justice and asked: why are world leaders and the UN still silent? Afghan women are fighting alone. #Afghanistan #WomensRights Pakistan
Government of Pakistan@GovtofPakistan
[4/22/2025 4:14 AM, 3.1M followers, 2 retweets, 5 likes]
Message of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on International Mother Earth Day Today, we join people around the world to celebrate our planet and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to its protection. Pakistan’s ongoing battles with floods, heatwaves, and water scarcity serve as stark reminders that the cost of inaction is far too great to ignore. As a result, building climate resilience has become a national priority. Let us recommit to our shared responsibility to safeguard the Earth from pollution and the growing threat of climate change.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[4/22/2025 11:25 PM, 219.1K followers, 63 retweets, 347 likes]
Pakistan’s border with India has been one of its calmest in recent years, thanks to the 4-year-old LoC truce and given cross-border violence and tensions with Afghanistan and to a lesser extent Iran. But after today’s attack, all bets are off with the LoC.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[4/22/2025 1:59 PM, 219.1K followers, 84 retweets, 776 likes]
There was always a sense, from the day it was finalized more than 4 years ago, that the latest India-Pakistan LoC truce could only do so much to shield the relationship from another eventual crisis, or conflict. After today’s tragedy, it faces its most serious test in 6 years. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[4/22/2025 9:01 AM, 107.7M followers, 39K retweets, 183K likes]
I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice...they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[4/22/2025 9:16 AM, 3.4M followers, 4.7K retweets, 34K likes]
Condemn the cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Rahul Gandhi@RahulGandhi
[4/22/2025 9:03 PM, 27.8M followers, 5.9K retweets, 35K likes]
Spoke with HM Amit Shah, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, and J&K PCC President Tariq Karra about the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. Received an update on the situation. The families of victims deserve justice and our fullest support.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[4/23/2025 12:00 AM, 219.1K followers, 37 retweets, 237 likes]
Initial public reactions from the Trump administration suggest it may not oppose an Indian retaliation. During the 2019 crisis, the first Trump administration intervened to push for de-escalation—albeit after India’s retaliatory strike, when the India-Pakistan dogfight ensued.
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[4/22/2025 11:38 PM, 219.1K followers, 85 retweets, 450 likes]
India will review potential kinetic responses to today’s attack. It may also consider possible non-military measures, such as:-Ending 2021 LoC truce-Suspending Indus Waters Treaty-Halting any discussions/info-sharing w/Pak (eg jailed fisherfolk)-Closing Attari-Wagah border
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[4/22/2025 10:58 AM, 219.1K followers, 321 retweets, 2.8K likes]
Devastating news from Kashmir-reports of a mass casualty terrorist attack that targeted Indian tourists. Based on initial estimates of casualties, this could be one of the worst attacks in the region in years.
Brahma Chellaney@Chellaney
[4/22/2025 10:43 AM, 271.9K followers, 33 retweets, 180 likes]
My column: Trump’s return to power is revitalizing the U.S.-India relationship with fresh urgency. A potential Trump-brokered end to the Ukraine war would allow the U.S. to shift focus toward the Indo-Pacific, further energizing its partnership with India. https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5259330-vances-visit-to-india-shows-trump-is-rebuilding-ties/
Brahma Chellaney@Chellaney
[4/22/2025 10:10 AM, 271.9K followers, 656 retweets, 3.1K likes]
The largest terrorist attack on civilians in recent years in India’s J&K while Vance is touring India fits with a pattern of Pakistan’s rogue ISI agency pressing its terrorist proxies into action during a high-profile India visit in order to draw significant media coverage and expose gaps in Indian security.
Jon Danilowicz@JonFDanilowicz
[4/22/2025 1:01 PM, 15K followers, 15 retweets, 150 likes]
Today’s terrorist attack in Pahalgam on a group of tourists merits the strongest possible condemnation. There is no justification for this attack. The victims and their families deserve full support. The international community should help bring the perpetrators to justice. NSB
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[4/23/2025 1:49 AM, 147K followers, 9 retweets, 108 likes]
Qatar Foundation to Support Development of Facilities for Bangladeshi Women Athletes
DOHA, April 23: The Qatar Foundation has pledged support to develop sports facilities for Bangladeshi women athletes, in a move aimed at strengthening their capacity and supporting their careers, the Foundation’s executive head said on Tuesday.
Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, CEO of the Qatar Foundation, made the comments during a meeting with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the Earthna Summit in Doha. Four Bangladeshi national players—two from cricket and two from football—were also present at the meeting, where they shared their personal journeys and the challenges they’ve faced in pursuing sports careers in Bangladesh.
Sheikha Hind, a former top Qatari athlete and sister of the Emir, was visibly moved by their stories and expressed admiration for their resilience. The players highlighted the lack of basic facilities such as dormitories, gyms, and training centers for women athletes in Bangladesh. In response, Sheikha Hind said the Qatar Foundation will support the establishment of a dedicated foundation in Bangladesh to build and manage these facilities.
Professor Yunus affirmed that the foundation for women athletes would be set up soon and requested Qatar Foundation’s full support in developing dormitories, training fields, healthcare services, conference spaces, and accommodations for international guests. The Bangladeshi foundation will help conducting special short courses for sports girls from SAARC BIMSTEC ASEAN and Middle East countries and rural areas of Bangladesh, the Chief Adviser said. He also shared his vision to launch a social business fund aimed at helping retired athletes transition into entrepreneurship—an idea Sheikha Hind welcomed and expressed interest in supporting. Earlier, Professor Yunus also met with Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation and mother of the Emir. Their discussion covered various areas of cooperation between the two nations. Sheikha Moza expressed her interest in visiting Bangladesh in the near future.
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[4/22/2025 11:57 AM, 147K followers, 52 retweets, 594 likes]
Qatar to extend MoU with Bangladesh over LNG supply Doha, April 22, 2025: Qatar on Tuesday agreed to renew a recently expired Memorandum of Understanding on LNG supply for Bangladesh and work on technical details for a proposed land-based LNG terminal in Bangladesh. Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi made the promise when he called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the Earthna Summit in Doha. “We want to support Bangladesh as much as possible, and we will continue doing that,” Kaabi told the Chief Adviser.
Qatar and Bangladesh signed a Sell Purchase Agreement (LNG SPA) in September 2017 for 1.5-2.5 MTPA LNG imports for 15 years in a G2G process with Qatar Gas. Forty cargoes are being imported under this agreement annually. A second LNG SPA was signed in June 2023 for an additional 1.5 MTs of LNG annually for 15 years, with effect from January 2026. An MoU signed regarding the LNG SPA expired in January, prompting Qatari authorities to come up with a renewed pledge. “We will sign the MoU right away,” said the Qatari state minister, who insisted on a long-term partnership between the two countries and said that they were expecting the price of LNG to come down as the country was planning to double their production. “Long-term contracts are always the best solution for supply security,” he said.Chief Adviser Professor Yunus told the Qatari state minister that Bangladesh wants to explore its energy potential with the help of Qatar. “We need your help to reorganize our energy sector,” he said. Energy Adviser Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, who was present during the meeting, said that Bangladesh is planning to build a land-based LNG terminal with pipeline and supply of LNG and deliver R-LNG through construction of a pipeline under an umbrella in Matarbari Cox’s Bazar to upgrade energy infrastructure. He also informed us that the country was planning to raise the number of L
NG cargoes from Qatar, with the country’s LNG terminals currently able to handle 115 cargoes annually. During the meeting, the Qatari state minister said that they were also planning to increase urea fertilizer to Bangladesh. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud, SDG Affairs Secretary Lamiya Morshed, and Energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam were among others present.
Tshering Tobgay@tsheringtobgay
[4/23/2025 1:19 AM, 102.6K followers, 159 retweets, 1.1K likes]
Sending condolences & prayers to the victims & those affected by the horrific terrorist attack that happened in Pahalgam yesterday. Bhutan strongly condemns such brutal acts of terror & stands firmly with the Government & People of India in solidarity & friendship. @narendramodi
Tshering Tobgay@tsheringtobgay
[4/22/2025 10:53 AM, 102.6K followers, 1 retweet, 16 likes]
It was a pleasure meeting Ms. Karla Hershey, the outgoing @UN Resident Coordinator, to express my gratitude for her years of dedicated service and warm friendship. Truly appreciative of her support and the UN system’s enduring partnership with Bhutan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[4/23/2025 12:09 AM, 55.6K followers, 7 retweets, 6 likes]
Joint Secretary Mariyam Midhfa Naeem conducted a session at the Global Health Diplomacy Training Programme organized by @MoHmv in coordination with @WHOMaldives. The session briefed on formulating country positions and diplomatic conduct in international health settings.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives@MoFAmv
[4/22/2025 11:38 PM, 55.6K followers, 19 retweets, 16 likes]
Maldives called for stronger regional cooperation on urban development reflective of the needs of Small Island Developing States Press Release | https://t.ly/djnGA
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[4/23/2025 2:59 AM, 263.1K followers]
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the Department of State of the USA Ms. Nicole Ann Chulick called on Foreign Secretary Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai today. Both sides had a friendly discussion on the various aspects of Nepal-US relations, including ongoing bilateral cooperation in the meeting. @amritrai555 @krishnadhakal07
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[4/22/2025 9:27 PM, 263.1K followers, 446 retweets, 3K likes]
Nepal unequivocally condemns the barbaric terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and express our sincere wishes for the swift and full recovery of those injured. Nepal stands in steadfast solidarity with the Government and people of India in this time of sorrow. In line with our firm and principled position, Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes that such heinous acts of terrorism cannot and should not be justified on any ground. #KashmirTerroristAttack #PahalgamTerroristAttack
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[4/22/2025 3:29 AM, 263.1K followers, 9 retweets, 23 likes]
On the sidelines of the 81st session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), H. E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN OHRLLS) called on Hon. Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba at the UN Conference Centre, Bangkok today. During the call on, matters relating to Nepal’s graduation from LDC category, among others, were discussed. @Arzuranadeuba @amritrai555 @krishnadhakal07
K P Sharma Oli@kpsharmaoli
[4/22/2025 9:59 PM, 868.9K followers, 333 retweets, 2.6K likes]
Deepest condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.Nepal stands firmly with India & strongly condemn any & all acts of terrorism.Close coordination is established to verify reports of a Nepali national among the victims & will provide all necessary assistance.
MFA SriLanka@MFA_SriLanka
[4/22/2025 2:30 PM, 39.2K followers, 542 retweets, 5.5K likes]
Sri Lanka strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir today. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured. (1/2)
MFA SriLanka@MFA_SriLanka
[4/22/2025 2:30 PM, 39.2K followers, 42 retweets, 289 likes]
Sri Lanka stands in firm solidarity with the Government and people of India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to regional peace and security. (2/2)
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[4/23/2025 12:19 AM, 150K followers, 285 retweets, 1.8K likes]
I condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly terrorist attack in India. Our hearts are with the victims and their families. Sri Lanka always stands in solidarity with the people of India.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[4/22/2025 11:48 AM, 150K followers, 2 retweets, 92 likes]
Today, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated in the ‘Outcome is clear - Victory is ours!’ public rally in Moratuwa. Your presence and support have been vital in uniting our community and reinforcing our collective journey toward progress and renewal. Together, we stand for a brighter future!
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[4/22/2025 11:25 AM, 436.3K followers, 1 retweet, 29 likes]
Public meetings were held today by #SLPP candidates contesting the 2025 local government elections from the local council electoral areas of Wennappuwa, Nattandiya, Puttalam, Chilaw, and Anamaduwa in the Puttalam District. #LGE2025 #Puttalam #NRWayForward #NRGaminGamata
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[4/22/2025 11:41 PM, 436.3K followers, 4 likes]
Visited Al Rashidiya Arabic College and had a meaningful conversation with its Principal, Faizer Maulavi. Appreciate the role such institutions play in nurturing young minds and strengthening communities.
Namal Rajapaksa@RajapaksaNamal
[4/23/2025 12:15 AM, 436.3K followers, 5 retweets, 28 likes]
Deeply saddened by the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, J&K. My thoughts are with the victims’ families, and I pray for the swift recovery of the injured. We stand with the people and Government of India. As a region, we must unite and step up our efforts to counter terrorism and extremism in all its forms. #KashmirTerroristAttack #kashmirattack Central Asia
Emomali Rahmon@EmomaliRahmonTJ
[4/22/2025 9:39 AM, 3.4K followers, 2 retweets, 18 likes]
On April 22, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon met with Iran’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Iskandar Momini. They discussed bilateral ties, focusing on law enforcement and security cooperation. #Tajikistan #Iran #Security #MIA
Emomali Rahmon@EmomaliRahmonTJ
[4/22/2025 9:40 AM, 3.4K followers, 1 retweet, 3 likes]
The sides stressed boosting cooperation between their Interior Ministries, especially amid rising global tensions and security threats. #Tajikistan #Iran #Security #MIA
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[4/22/2025 11:39 AM, 216.1K followers, 2 retweets, 14 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev reviewed first-quarter results in the electrical industry and key tasks for the future. Plans envision expanding production and export markets, increasing localization, producing high value-added goods. Emphasis was placed on training skilled workers for modern technologies. Tasks were set for closer coordination with enterprises to quickly address issues in industrial and logistics chains and to explore new export opportunities.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[4/22/2025 9:30 AM, 216.1K followers, 12 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev reviewed progress in the #chemicalindustry and plans for its diversification. These include completing facilities for producing green hydrogen and cyanide salts, boosting digital integration, and enhancing energy efficiency. A new development program will be created, focusing on modern demands and high value-added production.{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.