SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Wednesday, February 12, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
5 people killed in a suicide bombing near a bank in northern Afghanistan (AP)
AP [2/11/2025 5:14 AM, Staff, 47097K]
A suicide bomber blew himself up near a bank in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing at least five people and wounding seven others, police said.
The attack happened near a branch of the Kabul Bank in Kunduz province, said Jumauddin Khaksar, a police spokesman. The dead included a guard at the bank.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and Khaksar said police were working to track down those who orchestrated the attack. Khaksar provided no further details.
Militants from the Afghan chapters of the Islamic State group have carried out bombings across Afghanistan, though suicide attacks have become rare since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew after 20 years of war.
The IS affiliate has also targeted minority Shiite Muslims, especially in Kabul.
The latest attack came two months after a suicide bombing in Kabul killed Khalil Haqqani, the Taliban refugee minister and two others. It was the most brazen attack on a member of the Taliban inner circle since they returned to power.
Pakistan
Global Funds Turn to Pakistan as 84% Stock Rally Set to Extend (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/11/2025 8:41 PM, Chiranjivi Chakraborty and Faseeh Mangi, 5.5M]
Some of the world’s top money managers are once again favoring Pakistan’s stocks after the market returns last year were among the best globally.
From BlackRock Inc. to Eaton Vance Corp., asset managers are warming up to the South Asian nation’s $50 billion market that handed investors 84% returns in 2024. Attractive valuations and a stabilizing economy have improved the outlook for local shares, with Intermarket Securities Ltd. predicting a gain of about 40% for the main KSE-100 Index this year.“You don’t have to stretch your imagination to make an investment case for Pakistan,” said Steven Quattry, New York-based portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. The rally has been supported by strong earnings growth, he said.
Pakistan’s stocks surged last year, helped by improving economic outlook and crucial loan deals with the International Monetary Fund. More recently, the nation’s current account balance has improved, and easing inflation spurred the central bank to cut rates.
The optimism is reflected in foreign fund allocations. The nation’s stocks had a 5% weight in BlackRock Frontiers Investment Trust as of December, marking a return for the money manager for the first time since March 2022. Eaton Vance also reentered the market in the June quarter following a brief exit.
Legal & General Investment Management Ltd. and Evli Fund Management Co. have also raised holdings, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The level of foreign investor interest at present is comparable to the peak years of 2014-2018, according to Mohammed Sohail, chief executive officer of Topline Securities Ltd.
Political Instability
Still, risks remain. The political environment is fragile, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan wielding power to mobilize nationwide protests from behind bars — unrest that threatens to derail economic activity.
Economic challenges also persist. The nation fell 6% short of its six-month tax collection target — a key condition for its $7 billion IMF loan — raising concerns about its ability to win the next tranche of the funding.
A downgrade in the nation’s status to frontier market status by FTSE Russell that took effect in September hurt sentiment, prompting foreigners to turn net sellers in the last three months of 2024.
Despite these headwinds, investors are bullish given the improving external finances. Foreign exchange reserves now cover more than two months of imports, inching closer to the IMF-prescribed levels. That’s an improvement from less than a month’s coverage before the IMF bailout in 2023.“If Pakistan can manage its current account deficit, which they should be able to, we can see a multi-year rally in the market,” said Ruchir Desai, a fund manager at Asia Frontier Capital Ltd. in Hong Kong. Pakistan sees economy on long-term recovery path under IMF programme (Reuters)
Reuters [2/12/2025 4:25 AM, Asif Shahzad, 5.2M]
Pakistan’s economy is on a path to long-term recovery, thanks to a stabilisation programme backed by the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, ahead of a first review of a $7-billion bailout set for early in March.
The comments came in Sharif’s meeting on Tuesday with Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 in Dubai, his office said in a statement.
Sharif underscored the progress made under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which has played a key role in stabilising Pakistan’s economy and set it on the path of long-term recovery, it added.
In a post on X, Georgieva said, "I am encouraged by their strong commitment to Pakistan’s IMF-supported reforms and support their decisive actions."
These would help pave the way to higher growth and more jobs for Pakistan’s youthful population, she added.
Ahead of the IMF review, the government and central bank have expressed confidence about meeting its targets, even as Pakistan struggles to navigate the recovery, following the bailout secured in September.
Tuesday’s meeting focused on the macroeconomic stability brought by the government’s reform agenda under the IMF programme and efforts to maintain fiscal discipline, Sharif’s office said.
He vowed to keep up the momentum for reform, particularly in areas such as taxes, energy efficiency and private sector development, it added.
A three-member IMF mission is separately in Pakistan for a an assessment under the EFF programme. India
Modi Hopes a White House Visit Will Keep India Out of Trump’s Cross Hairs (New York Times)
New York Times [2/12/2025 12:01 AM, Mujib Mashal, 831K]
As he prepared to go to Washington this week, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, spoke of building on the warm relations he shared with President Trump during his first term in the White House.
But Mr. Trump can be a fickle friend. So when Mr. Modi meets with him on Thursday, he is expected to bear offerings designed to ease emerging points of friction and preserve growing U.S.-India ties.
One major focus is trade. Indian officials have said that domestic companies are in talks to increase purchases of American energy supplies, particularly liquefied natural gas. The two leaders are also expected to discuss expanded spending on U.S. defense equipment and potentially announce new deals.
In addition, Mr. Modi can point to recent reductions in Indian tariffs on high-end American motorcycles — namely Harley-Davidsons — and the prospect of lower duties on goods like bourbon and pecans, which are produced mainly in Republican states.
These moves, though largely symbolic in some cases, are intended to placate Mr. Trump’s irritation over the American trade deficit with India and the high import duties that make India a difficult market to enter.
On another big source of tension, illegal immigration, Mr. Modi has already offered concessions. India accounts for the largest group of illegal migrants to the United States outside Latin America. The Indian government has made clear it will cooperate with Mr. Trump’s deportation drive, even as it caused a political headache for Mr. Modi last week.
The arrival of 100 shackled and handcuffed Indians on an American military plane, just days before Mr. Modi was to go to Washington, left his government scrambling to play down the episode and contain a domestic backlash.
India is acutely aware that the trade and immigration issues are a potential double whammy in Mr. Trump’s universe of preoccupations.
So far, while Mr. Trump has threatened even close allies with punitive tariffs over these issues, India has managed to stay out of his cross hairs. If any country can walk the tightrope of Mr. Trump’s hurricane-force return to power, India believes it is the one.
The two countries, the world’s largest democracies, have grown more closely aligned economically and geopolitically as they see a shared threat in an increasingly assertive China.
Mr. Modi will be the fourth world leader to meet with Mr. Trump since he took office about three weeks ago, after a visit to the White House by the Japanese prime minister and talks with the Israeli and Jordanian leaders over war in the Middle East.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi share much in common. Both are strongman leaders who hold largely transactional views of foreign policy, with a populist’s sense of what plays well with the base.
Even as Mr. Modi has shown a willingness to go along with Mr. Trump’s muscle-flexing, he is working to get what India needs out of the relationship. That is particularly true with Mr. Trump’s push to undo a range of Biden-era legal actions.
There has been speculation that the Justice Department could drop criminal charges of fraud and bribery against Gautam Adani, a billionaire ally of Mr. Modi.
India is also hoping to move on from U.S. legal actions related to accusations of an Indian government plot to assassinate an American citizen on U.S. soil.
Even during the Biden administration, officials took pains to deal with the assassination case largely privately, a sign of how important the countries’ trade and defense ties have become.
The relationship has enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, including among lawmakers who are now in Mr. Trump’s inner circle and view India as important in sharing the burden of containing China.
In addition to the “very close rapport” between Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi, Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary, has listed several areas of “convergence of interest” between the two nations.
Mr. Misri pointed to expanding technology and trade connections, as well as joint efforts on counterterrorism and on security in the Indo-Pacific region. He also highlighted the increasingly influential Indian diaspora in the United States, as well as the large numbers of Indian students studying there.
An important area of alignment that could help both leaders claim victories is defense cooperation, particularly weapons spending.
India is the world’s largest importer of military arms, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the global total, according to the Stockholm Institute of Peace Research.
For decades, cheap and reliable Russian equipment made up the bulk of India’s defense purchases. American equipment was expensive and out of reach because of longstanding U.S. suspicions over India’s ties to Russia.
U.S. defense sales to India now approach $25 billion a year, up from almost nothing in 2008. With India expected to spend more than $200 billion over the next decade to modernize its military, according to the Congressional Research Service, purchases from the United States are likely to only grow.
When Mr. Modi spoke with Mr. Trump by phone shortly after his inauguration last month, “the president emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment,” the White House said in a statement.
India, however, has been trying to move past simple purchases of U.S. equipment so that the deals generate much-needed jobs and industrial capacity at home.“If India is to become a net security provider in this part of the world, you have to build capacities as well,” said Ashok Malik, the India chair at the Asia Group and a former foreign policy adviser to the Modi government.
Some of the biggest deals in recent years have brought India into the development and production of equipment. In 2023, General Electric announced that it would jointly produce jet engines in India. In its final weeks, the Biden administration also announced that India would become “the first global producer” of Stryker combat vehicles.
Concrete steps on these deals, as well as finalizing other purchases — including of patrol and reconnaissance aircraft for the Indian Navy — could be among the announcements that follow Mr. Modi’s meeting with Mr. Trump.“All options are under discussion,” Sanjeev Kumar, India’s defense production secretary, said ahead of the trip. “We certainly wish to expedite the transactions with the U.S.” What Modi and India Can Offer Trump on Tariffs and Trade (New York Times)
New York Times [2/12/2025 1:54 AM, Alex Travelli, 831K]
The economic relationship between India and the United States is widely seen as good for both sides. Two-way trade is growing and, alone among Asian countries, India routinely trades more with the United States than it does with China, its neighbor and rival.
Yet under President Trump, trade is a point of friction. Like virtually all countries that do business with the United States, India runs a surplus: Last year it shipped about $87 billion worth of goods and imported $42 billion, adding $46 billion to America’s trade deficit.
Mr. Trump does not like those kinds of figures. He has railed against countries that sell more to the United States than they buy. Cue his furious imposition of tariffs on both allies and foes, provoking threats of retaliation and unsettling global commerce.
During his first term, President Trump called India “the tariff king.” He pointed to Indian duties as high as 100 percent on some American goods. He was particularly focused on a tariff he said was blocking Harley-Davidson from exporting more motorcycles. When India’s trade officials reduced that tariff, Mr. Trump paraphrased them: “ ‘We want to keep your president happy.’ Isn’t that nice?”
This week, when Mr. Trump sits down in Washington with Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, tariffs are expected to be a topic of conversation again. Here’s what you need to know about the trading relationship between India and the United States.
Is India really taking advantage of American trade?
India’s trade surplus with the United States has been growing under Mr. Modi, who took office in 2014. What had been about $20 billion to $24 billion annually shot up to $33 billion in 2021. But importantly, back-and-forth trade between the two has been growing at a similar rate: As a percentage of the total, the surplus has stayed nearly steady.
India has a complicated list of tariffs. There are hundreds of categories taxed at different rates, which can change wildly from year to year. That is a legacy from India’s colonial era, when Britain used trade practices in exploiting its resources.
Since 1990, when India oriented its economy more to world trade and investment, the average tariff rate has fallen, from 125 percent to below 5 percent on most goods imported from the United States.
Unlike most Asian countries, India has its own trade deficit to worry about. The United States has the world’s biggest, at $1.2 trillion, but that amounts to less than 4 percent of its economy. Richard Rossow, who follows India at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, pointed out that India, which depends on imports for most of its fuel needs, runs a deficit worth between 8 and 12 percent most years. That has driven down the value of India’s currency, the rupee, to painful levels.
What does India trade with America?
Most of what these two countries trade falls under the category of oil and petrochemicals, or that of gems. In both cases, the United States ships vast quantities of raw or semi-processed material to India, where refineries or gem-cutters process them in their workshops. In some cases, the finished goods go right back to the United States.
Other important parts of their economic relationship include the trade in services, including financial investment and high-end professional work that is being done for American companies by staff sitting in India. But Mr. Trump has focused on trade in goods.
What could India do to satisfy Trump?
That leaves only a bit of wiggle room for the two leaders. “Going back to the first Trump administration, getting India to buy more U.S. hydrocarbons was top of the list, along with defense items,” Mr. Rossow said. Last week, Mr. Trump claimed a victory after meeting with Japan’s prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, saying he had agreed to import more liquefied natural gas.
India has spent between $1.5 billion and $4 billion on American defense imports in recent years, and would have trouble taking on expensive new systems, like fighter jets. It has outstanding orders from Russian and French suppliers. Still, weapons and gas, which India’s national government can buy on its own, hold promise as a way to tamp down the trade imbalance.
There is some room for India to make offerings on tariffs. American producers of bourbon and pecans are hoping that Mr. Trump might knock down trade barriers keeping them from Indian consumers. Similar restrictions on poultry and California almonds have already been eased. Indian demand for such goods is minimal, but in trade negotiations, a lower tariff is a lower tariff.
Then, of course, there is Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson. The company’s heavyweight bikes are hit by 50 percent tariffs on their way to India, though as of May 1, that will lower to 30 percent after a recent change by Mr. Modi’s government. Since 2020, Harley had exported only a few hundred bikes a year to India. Last year, it teamed up with a local manufacturer, devised a model that retails for around $3,000, and sold more than 14,000. But none of them counted as imports. Modi Returns to US With Lost Clout as Stock, Economic Boom Fades (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/11/2025 4:14 PM, Chiranjivi Chakraborty and Henry Ren, 5.5M]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces a tougher challenge this time in pitching the country as an attractive investment destination for President Donald Trump and US investors.
The climate around Indian financial assets has shifted dramatically since Modi last visited the US nearly two years ago. Then, he touted the nation’s booming economy, soaring stock markets, and its potential to rival China as the world’s factory. Now, his case is harder to make.
Modi’s visit comes as foreigners have pulled $21 billion from Indian shares since the end of September, the rupee has hit fresh lows, and the nation’s $4.1 trillion stock market is Asia’s worst performer this year among the region’s major economies. Trump’s threats of reciprocal tariffs are only making matters worse.“PM Modi’s visit to Washington comes at a pivotal time” for India’s markets, said Vikas Pershad, a portfolio manager at M&G Investments Singapore Pte. While the country is more insulated than its peers to trade tensions, “clarity on tariff directions would help ease investor concerns,” he said.
The need to reignite investor interest in India has never been greater. China’s growing technological prowess, underscored by DeepSeek’s rise, is accelerating a rotation to North Asian markets, particularly among US funds.
India, in contrast, is set for its weakest economic growth since the pandemic, and its shares remain more expensive than any other emerging market in Asia despite the recent correction. Meanwhile, the rupee has gone from being one of the best performing in emerging Asia to among the worst so far this year.
That’s not to say Modi doesn’t have much to showcase. The nation is still the world’s fastest-growing large economy, with a rising base of wealthy consumers. A record personal income tax cut this month is expected to boost spending, while the government has also pledged more than 11 trillion rupees ($128 billion) in fiscal 2026 to upgrade infrastructure.“A weaker outlook for India is not the strong supportive factor originally hoped for,” Ian Hui, global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management said in a note Tuesday. Still, the strategist believes “near-term prospects are improving,” he wrote, adding that “India still remains promising despite a loss in near-term momentum.”
Reviving that potential hinges on the recovery corporate earnings. Profits for NSE Nifty 50 firms have seen downgrades for two straight quarters, with more expected as Trump’s trade policies raise business costs.
As Modi prepares to engage with Trump, expectations are higher this time. Securing exemptions from tariffs is key to restoring confidence among investors concerned about further disruptions.“Modi’s trip to the US will not have a material impact unless it brings reasonable certainty that the Trump administration will not target India for its lop-sided import tariffs,” said Kunjal Gala, head of global emerging markets at Federated Hermes Ltd. Modi and Trump’s friendly rapport may be tested as Indian prime minister visits Washington (AP)
AP [2/12/2025 5:34 AM, Ashok Sharma and Josh Boak, 57114K]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longstanding bonhomie with President Donald Trump could be tested as the Indian leader kicks off a visit to Washington on Wednesday, eager to avoid tariffs that have been slapped on others and threats of further taxes and imports.India, a key strategic partner of the United States, has so far been spared any new tariffs, and the two leaders have cultivated a personal relationship. Modi — a nationalist criticized over India’s democratic backsliding — has welcomed Trump’s return to the White House, seeking to reset India’s relationship with the West over his refusal to condemn Russia for its war on Ukraine.But Trump has repeatedly referred to India as a “tariff king” and pressed the South Asian country on the deportation of migrants. In response, New Delhi has shown a willingness to lower its own tariffs on U.S. products, accept Indian citizens back and buy American oil.But as tariff threats loom, the question remains how much a good rapport between two leaders matters and how far India will go to cut a deal.Body language will be closely watchedModi had established a good working relationship with Trump during his first term in office, and the two can build on the areas of convergence and “minimize areas of friction without conceding on core areas of national interest,” says Meera Shankar, India’s former ambassador to the U.S.“Most other partners have their reciprocal lists ready from the word go, because it’s a point of leverage when you negotiate,” Shankar added, expressing hope that India “will find the right balance between firmness and flexibility” on the tariffs issue.Modi — boosted by his ruling Hindu nationalist party’s victory in the high-stakes state legislature election last weekend in India’s federal territory, including New Delhi — said before leaving for Washington that the visit was an “opportunity to build upon” collaboration during Trump’s first term and “deepen our partnership” in areas such as technology, trade, defense and energy.What has Trump saidSpeaking with Modi in January, Trump emphasized the importance of India buying more American-made military gear and weapons, as well as reducing the trade imbalance. Last year, the U.S. imported $50 billion more in goods than it sold to India.A readout from the White House at the time said Trump “emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship.”Earlier this month, India accepted the return of 104 migrants brought back on a U.S. military plane, the first such flight to the country as part of a crackdown ordered by the Trump administration.Also, Modi’s government lowered some high tariffs, including on some Harley-Davidson motorcycles, from 50% to 40%. In 2023, India had dropped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. almonds, apples, chickpeas, lentils, and walnuts.“Another thing we can expect is that Modi would offer to purchase more American (natural) gas to narrow the U.S. trade deficit,” said Lisa Curtis, director of the Indo-Pacific security program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. “This will help a little bit.”Concerns over ChinaIndia is seen as integral to the U.S. strategy of containing China in the Indo-Pacific and is to host a summit of a group of countries known as the Quad — made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia — later this year.But India will likely have to recalibrate its stand in case of a Washington-Beijing thaw under Trump.“Trump’s outreach to China will complicate India’s ability to cultivate the American desire to use India as a proxy against China without actually ever becoming one,” said Happymon Jacob, founder of the New Delhi-based Council for Strategic and Defense Research.India turned the page with China and in December agreed to work toward a solution to their long-running border dispute in the Himalayas after a military standoff that began with a deadly clash in 2020.“Even a tactical accommodation between the U.S. and China has implications for India,” Shankar said.Defense deals on the agenda?The U.S. is India’s largest trade partner, with a trade deficit of $50 billion in India’s favor. The Indo-U.S. goods and services trade totaled around $190.1 billion in 2023. According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, the U.S. exports to India were worth nearly $70 billion and imports $120 billion.India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, but the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies, and New Delhi has been looking more toward the U.S., Israel, Britain, and others.A recently struck deal will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.Since 2008, India has contracted over $20 billion worth of U.S.-origin defense equipment.“For India, that could also be an area where we see some synergies with the U.S.,” Shankar said, adding that Trump will likely seek to persuade India to buy more defense equipment.Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said Modi’s visit will be a good time to advance Indo-U.S. ties.“India’s diplomatic skills will be tested, so the general goodwill that exists between Trump and Modi should be translated into concrete outcomes,” Mohan said. Trade, tariffs and visas to dominate Trump-Modi talks (BBC)
BBC [2/11/2025 7:08 PM, Michael Kugelman, 76163K]
When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington and meets President Donald Trump later this week, there will be some warm hugs and shared laughs. But that will not be all.
Trump and Modi have developed a strong personal rapport over the years, marked by high-profile meetings and joint appearances.
Since their first meeting in Washington in 2017, their bond has grown through other events, including joint appearances at massive rallies in Houston and Ahmedabad. Their chemistry stems from shared worldviews and politics and a mutual strategic focus on countering China, a concern that has also strengthened the broader US-India partnership.
Not surprisingly, Trump has often criticised India, but he has never criticised Modi.
And so, during Modi’s visit, the two leaders will probably spend time mapping out next steps in the US-India strategic partnership, which is already in a good place.
Modi will reportedly meet several members of Trump’s cabinet, as well as US business leaders and members of the Indian-American community.
He may also meet SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk. Modi, keen to scale up India’s burgeoning electric vehicles sector, would be happy if Musk opened a Tesla factory in India.
And yet the Trump-Modi conviviality and heady talk of strategic partnership may mask a sobering reality: during Modi’s visit, the relationship’s transactional side will come into sharp relief with each leader, especially Trump, armed with an array of demands.
Delhi knows Trump well. Many of Modi’s current cabinet ministers also served during his previous term, which overlapped with part of the first Trump administration. That familiarity has been on display since Trump’s inauguration last month: Delhi has publicly signalled its willingness to lower tariffs, take back undocumented Indian immigrants and buy American oil.
It has already lowered some tariffs and taken back 104 undocumented Indians, with the first plane arriving in India last week. These pre-emptive steps are meant to prevent Trump from making specific demands of India and to reduce the likelihood of tensions with the new Trump administration.
Still, Trump may ask Modi to make additional tariff reductions, to further chip away at a US goods and services trade deficit with India that has approached $46bn , external(£37.10bn) in recent years. But an obstacle could become an opportunity: Modi may call on Trump to enter into bilateral talks on an economic partnership accord meant to reduce tariffs on both sides.
In recent years, Delhi has shown a growing willingness to pursue trade deals. The Trump administration may prove to be a more willing interlocutor than the Biden administration, which imposed heavy environmental and labour-related conditions on new trade agreements.
Trump may also ask Modi to take back more undocumented Indians. Given that some estimates put the number at more than 700,000, external - the third-largest such group in the US - this will be a difficult and delicate issue for Delhi to navigate.
Last week, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told parliament that the government was working with the US to ensure Indian citizens were not mistreated while being deported after reports of them being shackled sparked anger.
Trump may also call on Modi to buy more American oil.
In 2021, India was the top destination, external for American oil exports, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine brought major changes in global oil markets and prompted Delhi to ramp up imports of cheap oil from close partner Russia. The price point will determine how much oil India is willing to buy from the US.
Modi may also come with his own energy ask: invest in Indian nuclear energy. Delhi is amending, external its nuclear liability law and has announced a new nuclear energy mission, in an attempt to sharpen international interest in the fuel.
India aims to meet half its energy requirements through renewable energy by 2030. Asking Trump to invest in nuclear fuel amounts to a potential happy medium: it is cleaner than fossil fuels, but far removed from the solar and wind power that may not strike the Trump administration as an attractive investment.
Technology will probably be discussed as well.
This was a fast-growing space for bilateral relations in the Biden era, thanks to the 2022 implementation of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, external (iCET), which both sides view as a new cornerstone for strategic partnership. iCET is meant to be directly overseen by the two national security advisers - to avoid getting bogged down in bureaucracy - which means they must each be personally invested in it.
Modi will likely seek assurances from Trump and his National Security Adviser Mike Waltz that they remain committed to this. Given Washington’s focus on countering China by making India a bigger part of tech global supply chains, they probably will.
Also on the tech co-operation front, Modi may make a pitch for Trump to maintain the H-1B visa regime. These visas for highly skilled foreign workers, heavily criticised by some influential Trump supporters, external, have been awarded to large numbers of Indian tech employees in the US.
Other countries may also come up during Modi’s conversations in Washington. Iran could loom especially large.
Delhi is partnering with Tehran to develop a port in Chabahar city - part of a broader Indian strategy to strengthen connectivity links with Central Asia, via Iran and Afghanistan. But last week, the US administration released a presidential memorandum, external outlining Trump’s "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran, which hints at removing sanctions waivers for those conducting commercial activities in Chabahar. Modi may seek clarity on what this means for Delhi.
Trump may also gauge Modi’s position on a big foreign policy priority: ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Delhi has a strong interest in these wars winding down. Modi’s position on the war in Ukraine - calling for an end to the conflict without criticising Putin or Russia - echoes that of Trump.
India’s special relationship with Russia and close ties with Israel may prompt Trump to see if Modi would want to play a third-party mediator role as well. Modi would probably be comfortable doing so only if the parties are receptive to outside mediation.
But despite some potentially delicate discussions this week, both leaders will want to maintain a positive tone.
In that regard, the Indo-Pacific Quad will be just what the doctor ordered.
Trump strongly backs this group which consists of the US, India, Japan and Australia and focuses on countering Beijing.
In his first term, Trump elevated the Quad’s annual meetings to the foreign minister level and Biden elevated them further to the leaders’ level.
India is scheduled to host this year’s Quad meeting and Modi may invite Trump to Delhi to attend this.
Trump reportedly is not a big fan, external of international travel but India is a trip he will probably be keen to make - to deepen his personal relationship with Modi and to advance a multifaceted bilateral partnership that extends well beyond the transactionalism that will carry the day in Washington this week. Modi heads to US in mission to dodge a tit-for-tat tariff battle (The Guardian)
The Guardian [2/11/2025 10:30 PM, Penelope MacRae, 82995K]
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is heading to Washington for high-stakes talks in an attempt to avoid a trade war with Donald Trump.
India is considering tariff cuts in at least a dozen sectors in the hope of dodging US tariffs that would pile more pressure on its already slowing economy.
Wednesday’s meeting will test the much-hyped "bromance" between Trump and Modi, in which they exchanged bear hugs and effusive compliments during the president’s first term. Trump has called Modi "the nicest human being", while the Indian prime minister has referred to the president as his "dear friend." Both are populists who rose to power on waves of anti-establishment ardour and nationalism.
The Indian foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, told reporters that the fact the prime minister had been invited to visit the US "within barely three weeks of the new administration taking office, shows the importance of the India-US partnership".Trump has not held back his frustration over India’s high tariffs, labelling the country a "very big abuser" and accusing it of blocking US imports.
Modi’s two-day visit comes shortly after Trump announced a 25% tariff on global steel and aluminium imports into the US. Calling the tariffs "the first of many", the president indicated there could be levies on cars, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other goods. He is planning a system of "reciprocal tariffs", saying: "If they charge us, we charge them.".
The metal tariffs have rattled India’s steel and aluminium industries, which export good worth billions of dollars to the US each year. The Indian Steel Association said on Tuesday the steel tariff was "expected to slash exports to the US by 85%".
In an effort to pre-empt punitive trade action, in its budget last week the Indian government cut duties on a range of goods, including high-end motorcycles such as Harley-Davidsons. It is also considering tariff cuts on other products, including electronics, medical and surgical equipment, chemicals, dish antennae and wood pulp, many of which originate in the US.
Bilateral trade has been growing steadily, surpassing $118bn (£95bn) in the last financial year, with India running a $32bn trade surplus. Trump says he wants a relationship that is more "fair" while India says it is open to discussing a limited trade deal to address US concerns about market access.
Trump has urged Modi to buy more US defence and energy products, with India presenting a lucrative market as the world’s largest arms importer. Nuclear energy, including small and modular reactors, is also on the agenda, as India seeks to expand its clean energy sources to meet decarbonisation targets. Reports suggest India is already in talks to buy combat vehicles and finalise a fighter jet engine deal.
Another significant issue is Trump’s crackdown on illegal migration. The president says Modi has assured him India "will do what’s right" on the matter.
The US last week deported 104 Indian migrants and plans to return many more. Images of deportees in shackles during a 42-hour military flight prompted public anger in India, with a senior Indian government official responding that "this kind of treatment can perhaps be avoided". Discussions are expected to focus on managing the return of hundreds of other Indian nationals to be deported.
Modi will also push for expanding H-1B visas, which are vital for the Indian IT workforce in the US. Importantly for Modi, Trump has expressed support for the H-1B visa programme, which brings skilled foreign workers to the tech sector. Elon Musk has backed the H-1B visa scheme, saying it drives innovation but, highlighting the ideological divide among key figures in Trump’s orbit, Steve Bannon and other Maga voices argue that H-1B visas siphon jobs and undermine American workers.
Modi has framed his visit as an opportunity to build on the successes of the US-India partnership, in particular in technology, defence, energy, and supply chains. But his immediate mission is to keep trade relations from spiralling into a damaging tit-for-tat tariff battle. Indian PM Modi, US VP Vance discuss ‘diversifying’ India’s energy sourcing (Reuters)
Reuters [2/11/2025 6:27 PM, Kanishka Singh, 48128K]
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on Tuesday about how the United States can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in U.S. nuclear technology, the White House said.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The meeting between Vance and Modi in Paris on Tuesday, where they were both attending an artificial intelligence summit, came ahead of the prime minister’s U.S. visit later this week in which topics like trade, investment, technology and immigration are expected to be discussed.
Earlier this month, India proposed to amend its nuclear liability law to boost foreign and private investments in the much-guarded sector. Analysts say Washington has for years seen India as a counter to China’s rising global influence.
KEY QUOTE
Modi and Vance "discussed topics of mutual interest, including how the United States can assist India in diversifying its energy sourcing through investments in clean, reliable U.S. nuclear technology," the White House said in a statement.
In a post on X, Modi said he and Vance "had a great conversation on various subjects.".
CONTEXT
Strict liabilities under India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, had hampered implementation of an India-U.S. nuclear deal that envisaged participation of U.S. power plant makers such as General Electric and Westinghouse.
RECENT CALL AND TRUMP COMMENTS
Modi and Donald Trump spoke late in January after the U.S. president took office. The White House said that in that phone call Trump had stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship.
Republican Trump and right-wing Hindu nationalist Modi enjoyed warm relations in Trump’s first term, but during his campaign for re-election Trump called India a "very big abuser" on trade. Trump also threatened the BRICS group of nations, of which India is part, with tariffs if they did not accept his demand of committing to not create a new currency.
India is considering tariff cuts in at least a dozen sectors to boost U.S. exports in line with New Delhi’s domestic production plans, government officials say. Modi may also propose increased U.S. energy and defense imports. US coal exports to India expected to rise due to China tariffs (Reuters)
Reuters [2/11/2025 11:01 AM, Sethuraman N R and Sudarshan Varadhan, 5.2M]
The United States is expected to boost coal exports to India after China imposed tariffs on energy imports from the U.S., five industry officials said, potentially eroding Australia and Russia’s market shares in the Indian market.
China’s Finance Ministry last week said it would impose levies of 15% on imports of U.S. coal, which the officials said could push U.S. miners to ship to India - the world’s second-largest coal importer behind China.
"Three U.S. cargoes that were supposed to go to China have landed in India and around 10 more cargoes are waiting. These are huge capesizes and that could further drag down prices," Vasudev Pamnani, director at India’s I-Energy Natural Resources, said.
"More U.S. coal imports could have an impact on Australia," Pamnani told the Coaltrans India conference on Monday.
In volume terms, the U.S. accounts for a small part of Chinese imports of coal, but the value of coking coal shipments - used mainly by steelmakers - rose by nearly a third to $1.84 billion in 2024.
Malcolm Roberts, chief marketing officer at the biggest U.S. coal miner Peabody Energy (BTU.N) said on a conference call with analysts last week that more U.S. coal could go to India and more Australian coal to China as a result of the tariffs.
Australia was the dominant coking coal supplier to India in the last decade, accounting for about 80% of all such shipments. Its share dwindled to 62% in 2024, as supplies from the United States as well as Russia and Mozambique helped India to diversify.
Australia could now regain some share in China - its main market where it made up over two-thirds of coking coal imports before China announced an unofficial ban on such imports in 2021. Mongolia and Russia are currently the biggest exporters of coking coal to China.
The U.S. accounted for 9% of the coking coal market in China in 2024, while Australia made up 8% of all such imports, Chinese customs data shows. India’s oil minister says ‘we play by the rules,’ as markets weigh U.S. energy sanctions (CNBC)
CNBC [2/11/2025 5:00 PM, Ruxandra Iordache and Lee Ying Shan, 36472K]
India will cooperate with international sanctions, the country’s oil minister told CNBC on Tuesday, as markets eye future U.S. policy under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
"We play by the rules. If there is an international sanction, which is anchored, we would not want to go around it or anything," India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah on the sidelines of the annual India Energy Week conference.
"On Russia, yes, there was a price cap, and we adhered strictly to the price cap. Going forward, if there are issues, we will address them.".
India’s refiners have been snapping up discounted Russian oil since Western and G7 energy sanctions barred many consumers from Moscow’s supplies, in an effort to whittle down Russia’s war coffers after its invasion of Ukraine. Countries not subject to the measures have been able to use insurance and shipping providers to facilitate the acquisition and transport of Russian crude procured under a price threshold.
New Delhi has repeatedly defended its purchases as a matter of national interest.
"There is no sanctioned country, first of all. It’s a lot of misrepresentation that’s taking place. Today, Europe still buys 25% of its gas from Russia. They buy other critical energy from there. So there’s no sanction," the energy minister said Tuesday.
He also signaled that the government of Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, had endorsed India’s bolstered intake of Russian oil.
"I’ve had a chat with the Americans, the previous administration. They said, please buy as much as you like. Just make sure that you buy it within the price cap. And that’s what we did," Puri said. CNBC has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
India met about 88% of its oil needs via imports between April and November 2024, little changed from a year earlier, official data showed. As of January, about 40% of those imports came from Russia, data from trade intelligence firm Kpler suggests.
In 2021, Russian oil accounted for just 12% of the country’s oil imports by volume. By 2024, that share had surged to over 37%, according to Kpler data.
Sanctions in focus
The U.S. has been key in shaping global energy policy through sanctions over the past decade. In January, the U.S. imposed sweeping measures targeting Russia’s energy firms and the operators of vessels transporting oil — a move that analysts believe will make it harder for buyers like India to continue importing cheap Russian crude.
Investors have been waiting to see whether the newly installed Trump will pursue a ramp-up or relaxation of U.S. energy restrictions — critical to markets because the U.S. dollar denominates crude and oil product commodities.
Trump imposed sanctions affecting the Iranian and Venezuelan energy sectors during his first mandate and has taken an "America First" approach that could further incentivize domestic output — amid questions over the impact that threatened U.S. tariffs could have on global supply elsewhere.
Puri signaled his country would not be adverse to additional acquisitions of U.S. volumes. "If Americans are putting in more energy onto the global market, somebody asked me: ‘Are you going to buy more? I said: ‘I’d be surprised if we don’t.’ Because it’s in the natural flow," he added.
The sanctions and trade developments are coinciding with a period when India’s oil consumption growth has outpaced that of China, contributing to 25% of the global increase in oil consumption.
"I am convinced that geopolitical tensions need to be managed," Puri said Tuesday, noting current characterizations of supply-demand fundamentals in the oil market are "depending on whom you’re talking to and depending on where they stand on the equation," as producers or consumers.
"A country like India, with a robust demand and a current consumption of 5.5 million barrels [per day] has a contribution to make in terms of which way the market goes. And we… we plan to use that leverage," the oil minister added. India wants to embrace nuclear power. To do it, it’ll need a lot of time and money (AP)
AP [2/11/2025 10:10 PM, Sibi Arasu, 47097K]
India wants more nuclear power, has pledged over $2 billion toward research and will change laws to boost investment to do it.
The pledges were made by India’s finance minister earlier this month as part of a plan to expand electricity generation and reduce emissions. Nuclear power is a way to make electricity that doesn’t emit planet-warming gases, although it does create radioactive waste. India is one of the world’s biggest emitters of planet-heating gases and over 75% of its power is still generated by burning fossil fuels, mostly coal. India wants to install 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047 — enough to power nearly 60 million Indian homes a year.
Energy experts say that for the world to move away from carbon-polluting fuels like coal, oil and gas, sources like nuclear that don’t rely on the sun and the wind — which aren’t always available — are needed. But some are skeptical about India’s ambitions as the country’s nuclear sector is still very small, and negative public perceptions about the industry remain.
To grow the sector, Shayak Sengupta, a senior research associate at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, said the new Trump administration’s desire to reconfigure trade could be beneficial. India’s nuclear growth plan provides "ample opportunity" for U.S. exports, as the nuclear power sector there is much more mature, and companies are working on developments in the technology, like smaller and cheaper nuclear reactors. India is also investing in small reactors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s is set to meet President Trump on Wednesday. The pair are expected to discuss nuclear power, among other topics, according to India’s oil minister.
Nuclear power is around three times as expensive as solar energy in India and can take up to six years to install as opposed to similar amounts of solar that usually take less than a year. Newer small modular reactors are cheaper and faster to build, but they also make less electricity.
India has managed to double the amount of nuclear power installed in the country in the last decade, but it still makes up just 3% of its electricity.
Still, "the first challenge remains convincing the public to let the projects get deployed in their vicinity," said Ruchita Shah, an energy analyst at the climate think-tank, Ember. Local communities have protested at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern India and at proposed nuclear sites in the western state of Maharashtra in the last decade, citing security and environmental concerns.
But for investors and governments, "the level of interest (in nuclear power) now is the highest it’s been since the oil crises in the 1970s," said Brent Wanner, head of the power sector unit at the International Energy Agency. That’s because it’s reliable and clean, he said.
The IEA found that 63 nuclear reactors are currently under construction globally, the most since 1990.
Wanner said governments are critical in getting nuclear power projects underway and India’s plan "very positive" for the nuclear industry.
Even with its eye on nuclear, India shouldn’t forget about other sources of energy that don’t emit greenhouse gases, said Madhura Joshi, from the climate think tank E3G.
"Solar, other renewables and storage can come up much faster and quicker," Joshi said, delivering "the immediate solutions that are needed.". Russia offers India its most advanced Su-57 stealth fighter jet (Reuters)
Reuters [2/11/2025 10:54 AM, Shivam Patel and Abhijith Ganapavaram, 48128K]
Russia has offered to make its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet Sukhoi Su-57 in India for the Indian Air Force, a Russian and an Indian official said on Tuesday, as Moscow looks to boost defence ties with New Delhi.
Russia has for decades been the main weapons supplier to India, the world’s biggest arms importer, and its fighter jets are part of India’s military fleet. But Moscow’s ability in recent years to export has been hobbled by the war in Ukraine, making New Delhi look westward.
A spokesperson for Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport told reporters the fighter jet could go into production as early as this year if the Indian government accepts its offer.
India’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Russian industry source and an Indian official said an informal offer had been made by Russia in talks with officials of the Indian government and state-owned planemaker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HIAE.NS).
The move comes as the Indian Air Force is keen to shore up its fighter squadrons, which have fallen to 31 from a target of 42, at a time when rival China is expanding its own air force.
Making the aircraft in India, with a full transfer of technology, will ensure that production and maintenance will not be affected by Western sanctions on Russia, the Rosoboronexport spokesperson told reporters on the sidelines of the Aero India aerospace exhibition in the southern city of Bengaluru. He declined to share his name.
He said the jet could be produced with enhancements to the Indian production line of the Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft, 260 of which are in the Indian Air Force’s fleet.
Both the Su-57 and rival Lockheed Martin’s (LMT.N) F-35 Lightning II, a fifth generation stealth fighter jet of the U.S., were on display at the Aero India exhibition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been stressing the need to make India a global manufacturing hub and boost domestic defence production in order to achieve self reliance.
Despite being touted as a Russian fifth-generation fighter aircraft to rival its U.S. equivalent, the Su-57 was plagued by development delays and a crash in 2019. According to its manufacturer, serial production of the aircraft began in 2022.
Last year, Russia flew the SU-57, to Zhuhai in China for its first air show abroad, in an apparent message to the West about China-Russia cooperation. ArcelorMittal Considers Moving Support Activities to India to Cut Costs (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal [2/11/2025 10:33 AM, Adria Calatayud, 810K]
ArcelorMittal MT said it is looking at the possibility of moving some business-support activities to India from Europe to cut costs in the face of a challenging backdrop for the European steel industry.
The Luxembourg-based steelmaker said Tuesday that it discussed the proposal at a meeting with its European works council, a body representing employees, as part of its efforts to address major issues that the company said threaten the future of steelmaking on the continent.
The move comes after the company said as recently as Monday that urgent support was needed to bolster the competitiveness and sustainability of European steelmaking and to protect the industry from what ArcelorMittal called unfair trade practices. The company said the industry is contending with significant excess global capacity, subdued demand in Europe and record-high imports.
ArcelorMittal said it is exploring options to optimize business processes and to cut costs not directly related to steel production. Under the plan, it would centralize certain business-support activities by extending a hub in India, it said.“No steel manufacturing will be moved to India from Europe as part of this initiative,” the company said.
The proposal is one element of the company’s response to the crisis, it said. The US and India—a Partnership for Economic Growth (Newsweek – opinion)
Newsweek [2/11/2025 1:35 PM, Kumar Mangalam Birla, 56005K]
Indian investment in the United States is a critical driver of economic growth, job creation, and industrial revitalization. As the chairman of Aditya Birla Group, the largest Indian investor in the U.S., I have seen firsthand how Indian companies are contributing to American prosperity. With India emerging as a global economic powerhouse, and the U.S. seeking to strengthen domestic manufacturing and supply chains, there has never been a better time to deepen Indo-U.S. economic ties.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing trade and investment ties between the two countries. High-level discussions will focus on key areas such as defense collaboration, advanced technology partnerships, and expanding trade agreements that benefit American businesses.
As one of the first foreign leaders to visit President Donald Trump post-inauguration, Prime Minister Modi’s arrival is well timed to deepen our strategic partnership and encourage increased Indian investment in the U.S. With both nations prioritizing supply chain resilience and manufacturing expansion, this visit can accelerate initiatives that directly contribute to job creation and industrial growth across multiple sectors.
Indian businesses have invested more than $40 billion in the U.S., generating nearly 425,000 American jobs. This is a significant increase from just $22 billion in 2020, which supported 125,000 jobs. These investments span multiple sectors, including manufacturing, steel, automotive, and technology—industries that are central to the U.S. economic agenda.
Novelis, an Aditya Birla Group subsidiary, has expanded U.S. operations, strengthening domestic aluminum production and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains. This directly supports the U.S.’ industrial policy objectives and the broader push for supply chain resilience.
The U.S. has long been a global leader in innovation, and Indian investment complements this strength by enhancing research, development, and industrial output. Indian companies operating in the U.S. are not just bringing capital; they are also creating advanced manufacturing hubs, supporting STEM education initiatives, and collaborating with American firms to drive technological advancements.
The Indo-U.S. economic relationship has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Trade between the two countries reached an estimated $191 billion in 2022, with U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in India increasing by 15 percent from 2021 to $51 billion. Indian investment in the U.S. underscores the commitment of Indian businesses to strengthening bilateral economic ties.
While trade between our counties continues to expand, there are opportunities to more closely align on beneficial agreements, particularly in areas such as high-tech manufacturing, clean energy, and defense. India’s recent review of import tariffs may also provide further openings for U.S. businesses to expand exports in key sectors, including luxury goods, solar technology, and chemicals.
India is now the most populous country in the world. The U.S. is the world’s largest economy. Our two nations must work together to advance shared economic interests. Indian investors are eager to partner with American firms and policymakers to further expand investment and job creation in the U.S.
The Trump administration has an opportunity to champion these investments by ensuring robust incentives for foreign direct investment, fostering pro-business policies, and strengthening supply chain partnerships. By doing so, the U.S. can attract even greater Indian capital, fortify its manufacturing base, and drive long-term economic competitiveness.
As two of the world’s largest democracies, the U.S. and India have an incredible opportunity to shape the future of global trade and innovation. A strong, collaborative approach will ensure economic prosperity that benefits American businesses, workers, and communities while reinforcing the U.S.’ strategic partnership with India. NSB
UN says former Bangladesh govt behind possible ‘crimes against humanity’ (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/12/2025 12:02 AM, Staff, 456K]
Bangladesh’s former government was behind systematic attacks and killings of protesters as it tried to hold onto power last year, the UN said Wednesday, warning the abuses could amount to "crimes against humanity".
Before prime minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution last August, her government cracked down on protesters and others, including "hundreds of extrajudicial killings", the United Nations said.
The UN rights office said it had "reasonable grounds to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, imprisonment and infliction of other inhumane acts have taken place."
These alleged crimes committed by the government, along with violent elements of her Awami League party and the Bangladeshi security and intelligence services, were part of "a widespread and systematic attack against protesters and other civilians," a UN report into the violence said.
Hasina, 77, who fled into exile in neighbouring India, has already defied an arrest warrant to face trial in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity.
Up to 1,400 killed
The rights office launched a fact-finding mission at the request of Bangladesh’s interim leader Mohammed Yunus, sending a team including human rights investigators, a forensics physician and a weapons expert to the country.
Yunus welcomed the report, saying he wanted to transform "Bangladesh into a country in which all its people can live in security and dignity".
Wednesday’s report is mainly based on more than 230 interviews with victims, witnesses, protest leaders, rights defenders and others, reviews of medical case files, and of photos, videos and other documents.
The team determined that security forces had supported Hasina’s government throughout the unrest, which began as protests against civil service job quotas and then escalated into wider calls for her to stand down.
The rights office said the former government had tried to suppress the protests with increasingly violent means.
It estimated that "as many as 1,400 people may have been killed" over a 45-day time period, while thousands were injured.
The vast majority of those killed "were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces", the rights office said, adding that children made up 12 to 13 percent of those killed.
The overall death toll given is far higher than the most recent estimate by Bangladesh’s interim government of 834 people killed.‘Rampant state violence’
"The brutal response was a calculated and well-coordinated strategy by the former government to hold onto power in the face of mass opposition," UN rights chief Volker Turk said.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe hundreds of extrajudicial killings, extensive arbitrary arrests and detentions, and torture, were carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of the political leadership and senior security officials as part of a strategy to suppress the protests."
Turk said the testimonies and evidence gathered by his office "paint a disturbing picture of rampant state violence and targeted killings".
The report also documented gender-based violence, including threats of rape aimed at deterring women from taking part in protests.
And the rights office said its team had determined that "police and other security forces killed and maimed children, and subjected them to arbitrary arrest, detention in inhumane conditions and torture."
The report also highlighted "lynchings and other serious retaliatory violence" against police and Awami league officials or supporters.
"Accountability and justice are essential for national healing and for the future of Bangladesh," Turk said.
He stressed that "the best way forward for Bangladesh is to face the horrific wrongs committed" during the period in question.
What was needed, he said, was "a comprehensive process of truth-telling, healing and accountability, and to redress the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure they can never happen again." Is Bangladesh plunging into political chaos once again? (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [2/11/2025 10:00 AM, Anupam Deb Kanunjna, 456K]
Police in Bangladesh have arrested more than 1,500 people since Saturday amid reports of mob violence across the country and a security crackdown.
The arrests came six months after Bangladesh’s embattled ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution.
The police action was part of Operation Devil Hunt, a joint initiative by army troops and police to target groups behind a series of violent incidents that have taken place in recent months, committed both by groups connected to the ousted premier and groups which opposed her.
On Monday, police took publisher Shatabdi Bhaba into protective custody after dozens of furious Islamist students surrounded his stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair in the capital, Dhaka, which was selling works by exiled feminist author Taslima Nasrin.
"They had been campaigning to vandalize the book stall," said Sanjana Mehran, who alongside Bhaba co-founded Sabyasachi Publishers, according to AFP news agency.
Interim leader condemns chaos
Secretary-general of the country’s powerful opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met the country’s interim leader, Muhammed Yunus, late on Monday to "raise concerns over the incidents that have swept across the country," reported the AFP.
The Office of the Chief Adviser also condemned the incident and warned of strict action to prevent any kind of chaos.
Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Chowdhury told reporters that Operation Devil Hunt would continue "until the devils are eliminated."
Political analyst Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman told DW that the interim government only makes statements, rather than preventing attacks or taking further action against perpetrators of the attacks.
"This is a huge failure for the Bangladesh government and a message that even after six months, the government has not been able to ensure good governance," Rahman said.
Nur Khan Liton, a human rights activist and member of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which was set up by the interim government, believes there may be a special political motive behind these incidents.
"This time," he told DW, "different forces worked together in the mass uprising." Khan said, "There were many small forces among them who basically believe in extremism."
He noted that these factors could impact the country’s journey towards democracy and the upcoming elections.
Rising political tensions
In September, the government initiated a joint operation by the police and army. Although many illegal weapons were recovered and arrests made, human rights concerns have surfaced.
In early February, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Bangladeshi human rights organization that documents attacks on minority communities, reported that 17 people had died in law enforcement custody during the first five months of the interim government. Among them was a leader of the BNP.
Nur Khan believes the crisis is worsening because the army is handling police work.
"The data shows that extrajudicial killings are increasing. This is a gross violation of human rights. We don’t expect this to happen under this government," he told DW.
Khan added that the army lacks experience in handling civilians, "leading to accusations of involvement in crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, house grabbing, and human trafficking."
In response to the growing concerns, Yunus asserted that the reports of rights violations were widely exaggerated, the AP news agency reported.
Fresh protests erupted last week, sparked by a live speech on social media from Hasina, who had taken refuge in India.
In response, protesters bulldozed the historic house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of Hasina’s Awami League and her father, who led the country’s war of independence.
Offices of the Awami League and allied parties in 35 districts, as well as the homes of leaders and activists, were also set on fire.
An attack occurred on the house of A.K.M. Mozammel Haque, the Awami government’s Minister for Liberation War Affairs, in Gazipur district near Dhaka, injuring several students in a counterattack by locals.
Government’s strict stance
The government announced Operation Devil Hunt on Saturday in response to the unrest.
"We are not conducting a drive against any political party or its leaders or activists. Our drive is against criminals and miscreants," said Nazmul Karim, the police commissioner of Gazipur.
Although the government did not provide specific information, Nur Khan claimed that most of the thousands arrested in the operation were Awami League leaders and activists.
He believes that "this does not seem to be an exception compared to the experience of such operations in the past" and doubts that such operations will restore order in the country.
The press wing of the chief advisor did not respond to a request for comment.
However, on Monday, advisor Mahfuz Alam hinted at the government’s strict stance in a Facebook post. He wrote, "If you support the uprising, stop mobbing, and if you engage in mob actions, you will also be treated as devils."
He further emphasized that the government will deal with the "so-called movements" and "mob activities" with a strong hand from now on. "Any attempt to render the state ineffective and failed will not be tolerated," he wrote. As Trump meets with India’s Modi, Bangladesh demands attention (The Hill – opinion)
The Hill [2/11/2025 12:30 PM, Brahma Chellaney, 16346K]
Bangladesh’s recent descent into lawlessness poses a foreign policy challenge for President Trump, especially because his predecessor supported last August’s regime change there.
The world’s most densely populated country (excluding microstates and mini-states) risks sliding into jihadist chaos, threatening regional and international security.
Bangladesh has also emerged as a sore point in U.S.-India relations, with the issue likely to figure in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions with Trump at the White House this week. New Delhi is smarting from the overthrow of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India-friendly government and the installation of a new military-chosen "interim" administration with ties to Islamists whom India sees as hostile.
The new regime is led by the 84-year-old Muhammad Yunus, who publicly lamented Trump’s 2016 election win as a "solar eclipse" and "black day." Yunus received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize after former President Bill Clinton lobbied for him, a fact the Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman acknowledged in his award ceremony speech.
Megadonor Alex Soros — who says that "Trump represents everything we don’t believe in" while vowing to "fight back" — has pledged continued support to the regime in Bangladesh, where he recently went by private jet to meet Yunus, despite the country’s downward spiral into violent jihadism. This was his second meeting with Yunus since September, when the two met in New York.
The lawlessness in Bangladesh was on stark display last week as regime supporters went on a rampage, setting ablaze or demolishing properties in a coordinated manner, including the national memorial to Hasina’s assassinated father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s charismatic founding leader. Mobs also looted and burned down Hasina’s private residence and the homes of several leaders of her Awami League party.
In a sign of regime complicity in the attacks, security forces stood by and watched quietly as mobs ran amok, including storming the memorial museum, where the country’s independence was proclaimed in 1971. The attackers, after failing to burn down the memorial with the fire they lit, brought excavators and manually tore down the memorial over two days, prompting Islamist celebrations at the site with an Islamic State banner. Only after the various attacks were over did Yunus appeal for calm.
The razing of the memorial museum, which was originally the founding leader’s residence and where he and much of his family were murdered in a 1975 predawn army coup, could help advance the current regime’s effort to redefine or erase key aspects of Bangladesh’s history. In fact, this was the second assault on the memorial since the regime change, with the first attack leaving it partially damaged and without family archives owing to looting and arson.
Last week’s spate of attacks across the nation showed why the regime, as Bangladeshi media highlighted, is struggling to restore law and order or reverse the downturn in a once-booming economy, which, under Hasina’s secular government, lifted millions of people out of poverty. Now, as foreign reserves plummet and foreign debt spirals upward, the country is seeking international bailouts.
Since its first coup in 1975, which led to more military interventions and counter-coups, Bangladesh has remained trapped in a cycle of violence and deadly retributions. The military-backed ouster of Hasina — the "iron lady" who kept both the military and Islamist movements in check, but who lurched toward authoritarianism — followed weeks of student-led, Islamist-dominated violent protests.
After police fired on rioting protesters, mobs captured dozens of policemen, beating them to death and hanging the bodies of some from bridges. A total of 858 people reportedly died in what the Yunus regime and its supporters have called a "revolution." The military used the violence to pack Hasina off to neighboring India before she could even resign.
Violence, however, has only escalated under the Yunus administration, especially against political opponents, religious and ethnic minorities, and anyone seen as a critic of the regime. Just days before the American election in November, Trump posted, "I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.".
Islamist violence has gained ground largely because Yunus has lifted bans on jihadist groups with links to terrorism and freed violence-glorifying Islamist leaders. Hundreds of Islamists have escaped from prisons. Extremist groups — including Hizb ut-Tahrir, proscribed by several Western governments as an international terrorist threat — now operate freely in Bangladesh, from demolishing shrines of minorities to staging anti-Trump marches.
In fact, a dysfunctional Bangladesh is becoming a mirror image of its old nemesis, Pakistan, from which it seceded following a bloody war of liberation that left up to 3 million civilians dead in a genocide led by the Pakistani military.
Given the country’s porous borders, the current violence and chaos in Bangladesh affect India’s security. Already home to millions of illegally settled Bangladeshis, India faces growing pressure on its borders from those seeking to flee religious or political persecution in Bangladesh. Fearing infiltration by freed terrorists, India has sought to tighten border security. A lawless Bangladesh is also not in America’s interest.
As Trump seeks to build on his rapport with Modi to restore America’s fraying relationship with India, a shift away from the Biden policy of mollycoddling the Yunus regime could help ease Indian security concerns. If the U.S.-India strategic partnership is to advance a stable balance of power in Asia, the two powers must work in sync with one another in India’s own neighborhood to help build mutual trust. Central Asia
US Energy Department offers fresh figures on Caspian Basin energy reserves & production (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [2/11/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K]
A new US Department of Energy survey provides updated data on oil & natural gas production in the CaspianBasin. It shows that four regional states – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – collectively account for 3 percent of global energy production.
The Regional Analysis Brief: Caspian Sea additionally provides an overview of regional coal production, power generation and energy export routes, as well as a breakdown of regional refinery operations.
Azerbaijan possesses oil reserves in 2025 of about 7 billion barrels and gas reserves of about 60 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), according to the US Energy Department report. Virtually all production is generated offshore. Oil production has fallen from nearly 1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2010 to an estimated 600,000 b/d currently. Natural gas production, meanwhile, achieved a record high in 2023 (the last year for which data is available), totaling 1.3 Tcf. Azerbaijan is maximizing gas production to meet ambitious EU supply commitments.
Kazakhstan’s proven oil reserves topped 30 billion barrels in 2025 and gas reserves were pegged at 85 Tcf. About 1.5 million b/d of crude oil and 400,000 b/d of petroleum liquid fuels were extracted in 2024. The country produced 1 Tcf of natural gas, most of which was used for domestic consumption. About a third of the gas extracted “was reinjected to increase oil production,” according to the Energy Department survey, which adds that “natural gas produced at [the] Tengiz and Kashagan [fields] generally is high in sulfur and so, requires special handling and additional expense to process.”
Turkmenistan possesses the world’s fifth highest proven natural gas reserves, 400 Tcf in 2025, the report states. Dry natural gas production reached 3.0 Tcf in 2023, the highest annual total since records started being kept in 1992. Most exports presently head east to China, but Ashgabat is looking to expand export options, including southward via a trans-Afghanistan route. The Energy Department highlights an obstacle to expanding Turkmen gas exports to Europe. “High methane emissions from its oil and natural gas fields threaten Turkmenistan’s prospects to enter the European natural gas market via a potential Trans Caspian Pipeline,” it notes. Turkmen oil reserves are comparatively minor, totaling 600 million barrels, with annual production reaching 275,000 b/d in 2024.
Like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan’s oil reserves are relatively negligible at 594 million barrels, with production of 63,000 b/d in 2024, about one-third the level of the country’s peak production 25 years ago. Proven Uzbek gas reserves are 65 Tcf, with production reaching 1.5 Tcf in 2023. Uzbekistan is the only one of the four states covered in the Energy Department report that cannot meet its own energy consumption needs.
Kazakhstan is the eighth leading coal producer in the world and the only major producer among the four Caspian states surveyed. About 130 million short tons of coal were extracted in Kazakhstan in 2023, with almost 40 million tons exported. Most of the extracted coal, including exports, was used for electricity generation. Coal is additionally “a major energy source for the mining and smelting industries,” the report states. Kazakhstan lawmakers propose Russian-style ‘foreign agent’ law (Reuters)
Reuters [2/12/2025 5:15 AM, Tamara Vaal, 48128K]
Kazakhstani lawmakers on Wednesday proposed that the country adopt a law restricting "foreign agents", an apparent move to emulate Russia in adopting a measure used to clamp down on government critics.The People’s Party, a left-wing opposition party seen as ultimately loyal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, proposed the legislation, with one of its parliamentary deputies saying that it would safeguard Kazakhstan’s sovereignty.Neither the ruling Amanat party nor Kazakhstan’s government immediately commented on the proposal.Details of the proposed law were not immediately available, but similar laws in other former Soviet states have required organisations or individuals receiving funding from abroad to declare themselves foreign agents, often submitting to onerous financial checks.Russia first introduced its law on foreign agents in 2012, and has steadily widened its provisions to clamp down on criticism of Kremlin policy.Georgia forced through a similar law last year, despite mass protests against it.Oil and gas rich Kazakhstan has been governed in an authoritarian style since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, though Tokayev has loosened some controls since taking over from longtime predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019. Turkey to Start Importing Natural Gas From Turkmenistan in March (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [2/11/2025 7:23 AM, Zulfugar Agayev, 21617K]
Turkey will import its first natural gas from Turkmenistan from March 1, according to Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.The countries reached a deal that will “strengthen the natural gas supply security of our country and our region while furthering the strategic cooperation between the two countries,” Bayraktar said on X, without giving details on volumes.The start of supply follows a preliminary agreementlast year between the two nations. Turkey, which saw increased domestic demand for natural gas last year, imports more than a third of its needs from Russia.The gas will be moved into Turkey via Iran, which already has swap agreements in place with Iraq and Azerbaijan. Those deals allow Iran to take Turkmen supply at the border and then send the equivalent volume of its own production to those buyers.Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan, discussed natural gas supplies to Turkey by phone with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, state news agency Turkmenistan Today reported.According to Bayraktar, the agreement was signed between Turkey’s state-owned Boru Hatlari Ile Petrol Tasima AS, or Botas, and Turkmenistan’s state producer Turkmengaz. Turkmenistan reaches deal with Turkey to ship natural gas via Iran (AP)
AP [2/11/2025 11:05 AM, Staff, 33392K]
Turkmenistan has struck a deal to ship natural gas to Turkey via Iran, a government daily reported Tuesday.
The official daily Neutral Tyrkmenistan said that Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the chairman of the country’s People’s Council, welcomed the deal in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Berdymukhamedov said it was a major development in the regional energy cooperation.
Gas supplies under the contract that was signed between the state-run Turkmengas company and Turkey’s state-owned BOTAS will begin on March 1.
"With this agreement, which we have been working on for many years, we will strengthen the natural gas supply security of our country and our region, while furthering the strategic cooperation between the two countries," Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a statement.
Turkey imports gas via pipelines from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
Last year, Turkmenistan signed a contract with Iran for 10 billion cubic meters (353 billion cubic feet) of natural gas to be shipped on to Iraq.
The ex-Soviet Central Asian country relies heavily on the export of its vast natural gas reserves. China is the nation’s main customer for gas and Turkmenistan also is working on a pipeline to supply gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Uzbek court jails 10 people for attempted killing of ex-presidential spokesperson (Reuters)
Reuters [2/12/2025 5:03 AM, Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov, 48128K]
A military court in Uzbekistan sentenced 10 defendants to lengthy prison terms for the attempted murder of the former presidential press secretary, the country’s supreme court press service said on Wednesday.The failed attack on former presidential spokesperson Komil Allamjonov’s car in October last year sparked rumours of a power struggle in the country of 37 million people, amid scant information from the authorities.The statement named only five of the 10 defendants, who received prison sentences of between seven and 23 years. A senior security services officer and a top interior ministry official were among those sentenced.The statement said nothing about why Allamjonov was targeted, or who was behind the plot.Uzbekistan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Its current President Shavkat Mirziyoyev replaced long-serving President Islam Karimov after his death in 2016 and positioned himself as a reformer, opening its economy to the outside world and easing some of the tight political controls of his predecessor.Weeks before the murder attempt, Allamjonov, a political figure with close ties to the presidential family, announced that he was leaving his post to go into business.The month after the incident, Mirziyoyev sacked the defence minister, the head of the State Security Service and several high-ranking officials, which some Uzbek media linked to the attempt against Allamjonov’s life.The case also attracted attention in Russia after Uzbek authorities issued an arrest warrant for two Russian citizens of Chechen origin, and independent Uzbek media suggested that the influential Russian region may have been involved.In a comment on his Telegram channel, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov denied any involvement in the case, saying: "If I had planned it, I would have got it done." Indo-Pacific
How pause in US foreign aid is impacting South, Central Asia (VOA)
VOA [2/11/2025 7:37 PM, Masood Farivar, 2717K]
In Kabul, Afghanistan, a major midwifery program — girls’ only higher education option — has closed.
Across Pakistan, dozens of development programs have ground to a halt.
In Bangladesh, a health research center has laid off more than 1,000 employees.
The fallout comes two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration suspended foreign aid amid a widespread review, leaving thousands of development programs in limbo.
"I’m in shock," said a student at the USAID-funded midwifery school in Kabul, speaking anonymously. "This was the last remaining option for girls to receive an education and get a job.".
"People keep calling and asking, ‘When is the program going to restart?’" said the head of a USAID-backed education nonprofit in Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The freeze follows a Jan. 20 executive order issued by Trump that suspended all foreign aid pending a 30-day review.
The president said the review was necessary because "the United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests, and in many cases, antithetical to American values." The executive order said the current setup "serves to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries" that undermine "harmonious" international relations.
Now, U.S. government agencies involved in delivering foreign assistance must decide by April 30 to keep, change or end their foreign aid programs.
The aid suspension marks a sharp break with decades of U.S. foreign policy. Historically, the U.S. has been the world’s biggest foreign aid donor, with $68 billion in aid in 2023.
The offices of USAID, the lead foreign aid agency, remain closed. Although the State Department has issued a broad exemption to "lifesaving" humanitarian programs such as emergency food distribution in Afghanistan, most programs on the ground remain closed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has taken over as acting head of USAID, said that while he backs foreign assistance, "every dollar" spent on foreign assistance must advance U.S. national interest.
"We are not walking away from foreign aid," Rubio told Scott Jennings on Sirius XM Patriot 125 on Monday. "We are walking away from foreign aid that’s dumb, that’s stupid, that wastes American taxpayer money.".
USAID is recognized globally as a premier development agency, but critics at home and abroad have long accused it of throwing American taxpayer money into wasteful projects.
To highlight this, the White House last week issued a list of USAID programs involving "waste and abuse," including $1.5 million "to advance diversity, equity and inclusion" in Serbia; $47,000 for a "transgender opera" in Colombia; and $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt.
Foreign aid defenders acknowledge the waste, but they argue these projects represent a fraction of the $68 billion U.S. aid program.
South Asia
Though U.S. aid to South and Central Asian nations has declined recently, the region still gets billions annually, with Afghanistan the largest regional recipient.
The country, which received $1.3 billion in 2023, now faces a wave of program shutdowns. While emergency humanitarian aid continues after a brief interruption, development programs from child and maternal health to education have stopped.
The impact has been wide-ranging. The United Nations Population Fund has frozen all U.S.-backed programs in Afghanistan, potentially leaving more than 9 million people cut off from health services, according to regional director, Pio Smith.
The UNFPA, which Republicans have long accused of promoting coercive family planning practices, relies on U.S. assistance for almost a third of its humanitarian operations. The agency, which denies the charge, is likely to lose all that support, impacting its work across the region.
Education is another casualty of the aid suspension in Afghanistan. The American University of Afghanistan, established in 2006 with a USAID grant and now operating out of Qatar, has reportedly suspended classes. A university spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, the Asian University for Women is scrambling to keep hundreds of Afghan students after U.S. funding dried up. To cover the funding shortfall, the university has launched a $7 million appeal.
"We cannot and will not send these students back to an uncertain and oppressive future," the university said in a statement.
Bangladesh, despite its $437 billion economy, is also feeling the pinch. The country is a U.S. ally and South Asia’s largest recipient of U.S. aid after Afghanistan, with more than $500 million supporting a wide range of programs from emergency food assistance to fighting tuberculosis and pandemic influenza.
In Pakistan, more than three dozen USAID-funded projects have reportedly shut down in recent days. A burns and plastic surgery center in the northwestern city of Peshawar, built with a $15 million USAID grant, faces an uncertain future.
"At the moment, I don’t know what’s going to happen to the whole program, but I’m hopeful that the program will move forward," Dr. Tahmeedullah, the center’s director, said in an interview.
Central Asia
In Central Asia, where five former Soviet republics received about $235 million in 2023, nearly every USAID-funded program and initiative has been stopped, according to local news reports.
"From what I’ve gathered, all types of programs and initiatives have been suspended as of now," said Alisher Khamidov, a Kyrgyzstan-based consultant who follows USAID projects in the region.
The suspensions include critical health initiatives such as USAID’s $18 million-$20 million "TB-Free" programs in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, both launched in 2023.
"This five-year project has special significance for Uzbekistan as it was one of the few projects tackling TB in the country," Khamidov said in an interview last week with VOA.
In a statement, a State Department spokesperson said, "We are reviewing all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda.".
USAID has poured billions of dollars into many regional development programs since the early 1990s, including initiatives to promote democratization and civil society. Those efforts, however, represent a fraction of the total aid. Today, the agency is largely focused on agriculture and health projects, according to Khamidov.
Across the region, USAID programs have long faced allegations of waste and abuse, with numerous examples uncovered by the agency’s own inspector general.
Nowhere has the alleged abuse been starker than in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been accused of siphoning of millions of dollars in U.S. aid funneled through U.N. agencies.
Some Taliban opponents have welcomed the aid freeze, arguing that it could force the group to accede to international demands. Others, such as former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, say it could level the political playing field in the country.
"The dismantling of USAID clears the path for the rise of genuine leaders in Afghanistan," Saleh wrote on X.
Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, says a multibillion-dollar program can inevitably lead to waste and abuse. He told VOA that foreign aid can showcase U.S. goodwill but also cause diplomatic friction over policy and cultural issues.
Clark said that though the aid pause should have been less abrupt, a thorough review of the program is necessary.
"It makes sense to stop as a new administration comes in and reassess where the money is going, where it’s being allocated," he said. Twitter
Afghanistan
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/11/2025 11:30 AM, 247.5K followers, 181 retweets, 412 likes]
According to the UN, over 600 women die per 100,000 live births in Afghanistan, nearly three times the global average. This is a direct result of the Taliban’s misogynistic policies. Women are banned from studying medicine and even midwifery.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[2/11/2025 11:00 AM, 247.5K followers, 11 retweets, 28 likes]
Today’s ISKP bombing at Kabul Bank in Kunduz, targeting the Taliban, killed dozens, including civilians—mirroring the Taliban’s 2011 attack on the same bank. ISKP is now using the Taliban’s own terror tactics against them.
Milan Vaishnav@MilanV
[2/11/2025 9:30 AM, 44K followers, 2 retweets, 1 like]
Which countries are most affected by U.S. aid cuts? Of the 26 poorest countries in the world, there are 8 in which over one-fifth of total assistance comes from USAID—South Sudan, Somalia, DRC, Liberia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Uganda & Ethiopia. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/which-countries-are-most-exposed-us-aid-cuts-and-what-other-providers-can-do
Yalda Hakim@SkyYaldaHakim
[2/11/2025 12:28 PM, 217.6K followers, 80 retweets, 214 likes]
1242 days since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school. 782 days since the Taliban banned women from going to university. #LetAfghanGirlsLearn Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[2/12/2025 12:33 AM, 6.7M followers, 125 retweets, 352 likes]
It was a pleasure to meet @KGeorgieva, we discussed Pakistan’s economic progress and the ongoing reforms. Also reaffirmed our shared commitment to achieving sustainable growth and financial stability. We appreciate IMF’s continued support as Pakistan transitions from macroeconomic stability to a path of sustained economic growth and prosperity.
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[2/12/2025 12:13 AM, 6.7M followers, 148 retweets, 413 likes]
It was a pleasure to address and be part of the World Government Summit, a platform bringing together global leaders, experts, and visionaries to shape strategies for a sustainable future, foster collaboration, and drive progress for our communities. #WGS2025
Shehbaz Sharif@CMShehbaz
[2/11/2025 11:59 AM, 6.7M followers, 202 retweets, 867 likes]
Had the pleasure of meeting H.E. Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka, on the margins of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. We discussed key aspects of Pakistan-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, especially in the areas of trade, education, religious tourism and sports. We agreed on the need for frequent high-level exchanges, and to explore new opportunities, while consolidating existing areas for enhanced cooperation. @anuradisanayake
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/11/2025 7:59 AM, 21.1M followers, 11K retweets, 18K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Conversation with Lawyers and Media at Adiala Jail - February 10, 2025 “I applaud the public for their participation in the nationwide protests on February 8th, including in Punjab, Sindh, and Swabi. Despite this era of blatant fascism, people continue to respond to my call, breaking the shackles of fear, proving that the nation is now determined to attain genuine sovereignty at any cost. The fraudulent, subservient government is fearful. Raids were conducted across the country, and individuals were subjected to violence. Under the pretext of cricket, we were denied permission to hold a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, which clearly indicates the panic and desperation of this worthless government.
My letter to the Army Chief was written with the sincere intentions for the betterment of the country. This is my nation, and I am deeply concerned about its future. I would like to address the DG ISPR and state that the reputation of the military is being completely ruined. While you claim to be uninvolved in politics, every citizen is aware that the country’s affairs are being controlled by the Army Chief. Individuals like Mohsin Naqvi, who have never even contested a councilor’s election, have been imposed upon the nation, wielding authority over everything from cricket to internal and external affairs.
Repression and fascism are rampant in the country. The 26th Constitutional Amendment has effectively dismantled the Supreme Court’s independence. Justice Qazi Faez Isa was the most biased and shameless Chief Justice in history, surpassing even Justice Munir in his misdeeds. During his tenure, democracy was trampled upon and human rights were grossly violated, yet instead of taking action against this injustice, he facilitated every illegal move. Rule of law and human rights have been severely compromised. Sham elections were carried out and the people were deprived of their mandate. The Chief Election Commissioner and Qazi Faez Isa served as facilitators of the establishment, and in the process, betrayed their offices and the nation. As a result, a forged parliament, a fraudulent prime minister, and a phony president have been installed.
What Qazi Faez Isa was being used for is now being done by the Constitutional Bench. The country has been reduced to a banana republic. Judges are supposed to hear both sides of an argument, but, one-sided decisions are being handed down here.
I would like to send a special message to Justice Yahya Afridi: Given the state of law and human rights in the country, you should take a stand against this injustice and become an honorable part of history, rather than playing a disgraceful role like Qazi Faez Isa.
Voices of media and social media have been silenced through the draconian amendments to the PECA law. State of the internet in the country is evident to all. The economy has suffered a loss of $1.7 billion. The country is experiencing a rapid brain drain, with 1.7 million people having moved abroad. Economic devastation and unemployment have left the entire nation distressed.
We demanded commissions be formed to investigate May 9th (2023) and November 26th (2024) because we knew that negotiations were a mere facade. Forming a commission on the events of February 8th (2024) was way out of their league. Had their intentions been sincere, they would have established commissions on May 9th and November 26th to uncover the truth, as these were matters related to human rights violations that required immediate action. However, nothing was done. The establishment murdered unarmed civilians on November 26th when they ordered opening fire on them. 1/2
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[2/11/2025 7:59 AM, 21.1M followers, 3.3K retweets, 4.3K likes]
The country’s most notorious money launderers have been imposed as rulers upon the nation. Intelligence agencies kept informing us for 30 years about how these two families looted the country. They themselves showed us files on the Surrey Palace and Mayfair flats. NAB was set to recover Rs 1,100 billion, and during our tenure, we successfully recovered Rs 480 billion because we were serious about accountability. In contrast, in the previous 17 years, only Rs 80–90 billion had been recovered. However, amendments were made to NAB laws to dismiss all corruption cases against these two families. Cases involving Maqsood Chaprasi, Mayfair properties, One Hyde Park bribery, and the Omni Group were all closed. At first, we were informed about their corruption, yet now, through rigging, they have been imposed on us simply because their expertise lies in appeasing the establishment. The military has destroyed its own credibility by installing faces that the public has rejected, creating resentment among the masses. This fraudulent system can only survive through crushing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and keeping our people unjustly incarcerated, ensuring that the puppet government remains in place and the electoral fraud is not revealed. Any survey will reveal the growing chasm between the public and the military. Where democracy flourishes, progress follows. The examples of East and West Germany are before us. East Germany suffered under dictatorship, while West Germany thrived under democracy. After 50 years, the world witnessed how democracy propelled West Germany’s development. The Soviet Union is another example—it was progressing rapidly in the 1970s, but within 15 to 20 years, authoritarianism and policies akin to abducting voices of dissent led to its downfall, while the United States surged ahead.” 2/2
Javlon Vakhabov@JavlonVakhabov
[2/11/2025 8:16 AM, 6.1K followers, 1 retweet, 1 like]
Busy day in Islamabad. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with the leaders of top-notch Pakistani think tanks represented by Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (@ISSIslamabad), Ambassador Jauhar Saleem (@JauharSaleem), President of the Institute of Regional Studies (@IRSIslamabad), and Dr. Farhat Asif (@FarhatAkram), President of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (@IPDS_Pakistan). We had an open and frank discussion on some of the most pressing issues our two countries face in broadening Uzbekistan - Pakistan bilaterals and making Central Asia and South Asia more secure, more connected, and more resilient. As our organizations ink Memoranda of Understanding on furthering research collaboration and exchange of experts, I have very high expectations for these signed agreements, and eager to take feasible steps to implement them. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/11/2025 12:57 PM, 105.2M followers, 13K retweets, 116K likes]
Had a wonderful meeting with US @VP @JDVance and his family. We had a great conversation on various subjects. Delighted to join them in celebrating the joyous birthday of their son, Vivek!
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/11/2025 8:51 AM, 105.2M followers, 5.5K retweets, 33K likes]
Nations are coming together to shape the future of AI—collaborating to ensure innovation is inclusive and transformative. We will keep working to make AI a force for progress and prosperity. Here are some more glimpses from the AI Action Summit in Paris.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[2/11/2025 8:48 AM, 105.2M followers, 4.2K retweets, 42K likes]
Happy to have met @UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres in Paris. @antonioguterres
Narendra Modi@narendramodi[2/11/2025 6:41 AM, 105.2M followers, 4.7K retweets, 30K likes]
The AI Action Summit in Paris is a commendable effort to bring together world leaders, policy makers, thinkers, innovators and youngsters to have meaningful conversations around AI.
President of India@rashtrapatibhvn
[2/11/2025 8:17 AM, 26.4M followers, 201 retweets, 1.2K likes]
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated an International conference on ‘Innovation in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions – A Way Forward’ on Unani Day in New Delhi. The President said that today, India is leading the world in terms of education, research, healthcare, and the production of medicines in the Unani system. She expressed confidence that the new generations in Unani medical science will strengthen the ancient heritage of knowledge and experience.
Milan Vaishnav@MilanV
[2/12/2025 2:56 AM, 44K followers, 3 retweets, 4 likes]
Over the past 25 years, to borrow a phrase coined by my colleague Ashley J. Tellis, the U.S. has pursued a policy of ‘strategic altruism’ regarding India. Now, in an interesting twist, India might have to engage in a bit of strategic altruism of its own. https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/everything-is-give-and-take-with-trump/20250212.htm Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[2/11/2025 10:53 PM, 218.4K followers, 3 retweets, 5 likes]
Trump-Modi conviviality and heady talk of strategic partnership may mask a sobering reality: During Modi’s upcoming US visit, the relationship’s transactional side will come into sharp relief. My analysis for @BBCNews previewing Modi’s trip to Washington: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj91d3jkpvlo
Tanvi Madan@tanvi_madan
[2/11/2025 2:34 PM, 90.9K followers, 3 retweets, 10 likes]
IAF chief "‘totally understands’ the problems rel. to the supply of GE engines from the USA for the Tejas..but there are many other unfulfilled promises. ‘I was promised, when I come here in Feb, I will see 11 Mk-1As ready minus the engines...But not a single (one) is ready’" 1/
Tanvi Madan@tanvi_madan
[2/11/2025 2:34 PM, 90.9K followers, 1 like]
2/ Source: "Aero India 2025 | IAF chief pulls up HAL for ‘poor track record’ on timely aircraft delivery, says ‘agency is not in mission mode’" https://www.deccanherald.com/india/aero-india-2025-iaf-chief-pulls-up-hal-for-poor-track-record-on-timely-aircraft-delivery-says-agency-is-not-in-mission-mode-3400834
Tanvi Madan@tanvi_madan
[2/10/2025 9:39 AM, 90.9K followers, 11 retweets, 55 likes]Been calls in India for Modi to criticize Trump deportation approach, & criticism that he will give US too much. But- GOI will not publicly criticize Trump- Modi will give something to try & get something- That something might be specific or it might be strategic
More below 1/
Tanvi Madan@tanvi_madan
[2/11/2025 9:41 AM, 90.9K followers, 3 retweets, 8 likes]
2/ Articles on India and the Trump admin....- how India approached Trump 1.0: https://tinyurl.com/56kdzpt7- India’s likely approach to Trump 2.0 (invest, adapt, insulate): https://tinyurl.com/4yfky6wb- Trump admin debates that’ll affect India NSB
Sabria Chowdhury Balland@sabriaballand
[2/11/2025 4:47 PM, 7.8K followers]
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus conveyed to the US envoy in Dhaka that he has called for "reconciliation" in #Bangladeshi society, urging people to "break the cycle of retribution" and to create the grounds for peace and harmony in the country. https://tbsnews.net/foreign-policy
Sultan Mohammed Zakaria@smzakaria
[2/11/2025 3:20 AM, 6.9K followers, 11 retweets, 29 likes]
#Bangladesh: A UN Fact-Finding Mission Reportedly Implicates Sheikh Hasina in the July Massacre A UN Fact-Finding Mission investigating Bangladesh’s July massacre and political violence during July-August 2024 has reportedly concluded that former Prime Minister of the country #SheikhHasina personally ordered security forces to open fire on unarmed protesters—killing and wounding thousands of young demonstrators. Having engaged with Geneva-based staff working in parallel with the mission, I can attest to the rigorous and independent nature of their investigation. Now, if their findings hold, my friends in the Awami League must ask themselves a critical question: Must you continue to follow and stand by a fugitive leader responsible for the heinous and worst crimes committed in the country’s history against our nation’s young people? And if the party and Sheikh Hasina remain inseparable and indistinguishable, as it increasingly appears, should you continue to rally your support for this entity? NB: Sheikh Hasina is now openly calling for armed resistance against Bangladeshi authorities. Bangladesh must ask India a fundamental question: Is this the choice they wish to make—offering sanctuary to a fugitive who is actively inciting violence against a sovereign nation’s institutions? If this eventually the choice they want to make, India should be reminded that, historically, such adventurism wasn’t a one-way street and didn’t bode well for the people in the region.
Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh@ChiefAdviserGoB
[2/11/2025 6:18 AM, 80.9K followers, 20 retweets, 259 likes]
US Chargé d’affaires to Bangladesh Tracey Jacobson on Tuesday called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna. #Bangladesh #ChiefAdviser
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/11/2025 11:31 AM, 112.1K followers, 142 retweets, 151 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu officially inaugurates the Judicial Year 2025. The ceremony included the official recognition of a long-serving judge for the honourable retirement from service and featured a video presentation showcasing developments within the judicial sector.
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[2/11/2025 10:33 AM, 112.1K followers, 114 retweets, 113 likes]
Maldives renews the MoU signed between the Government of the UAE and the Government of Maldives On Experience Exchange on Government Development and Modernisation https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/33080
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[2/11/2025 11:25 AM, 145.4K followers, 19 retweets, 174 likes]
I had a productive meeting with Pakistan’s PM @CMShehbaz today (11). He extended his congratulations on our government’s recent political milestone. We discussed strengthening bilateral trade, diversifying markets, and enhancing tourism. I also shared insights on Sri Lanka’s transparent and reform-driven economic policies, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable growth and regional cooperation. Central Asia
Emomali Rahmon@EmomaliRahmonTJ
[2/12/2025 3:21 AM, 3.3K followers, 1 retweet]
On February 11, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, signed the laws adopted and approved by the Majlisi namoyandagon and the Majlisi milli Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. https://president.tj/event/news/498
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service@president_uz
[2/11/2025 8:58 AM, 211.8K followers, 2 retweets, 17 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev received members of the International Advisory Council comprising Alfred Gusenbauer, Aleksander Kwasniewski and Štefan Füle. Discussions centered on reforms in New #Uzbekistan, EU cooperation, and the upcoming “EU-Central Asia” summit, with a focus on global best practices, investment attraction and industry modernization.
Saida Mirziyoyeva@SMirziyoyeva
[2/11/2025 9:53 AM, 21.5K followers, 4 retweets, 71 likes]
At the Forum of Women Scientists of Uzbekistan, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. With 48% of scientists in Uzbekistan being women, their impact is undeniable! Together, we’re shaping a future where science drives progress, peace, and prosperity.
Navbahor Imamova@Navbahor
[2/11/2025 10:59 AM, 24.1K followers, 4 retweets, 6 likes]
In Uzbekistan, where labor export is a major reality, some lawmakers are urging the government to launch programs that teach Uzbek migrant workers in Russia English, German, Japanese, and other languages. They see no future for their compatriots in Russia and hope these migrants can seek opportunities in Europe and Asia. Clearly, they see no future for them at home either.{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.