SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO: | SCA & Staff |
DATE: | Friday, January 10, 2025 6:30 AM ET |
Afghanistan
Taliban delays secret prisoner swap to please Trump (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [1/10/2025 1:42 AM, Connor Stringer and Akhtar Makoii, Neutral]
A secret Guantanamo Bay prisoner swap has been stalled by Taliban officials wanting to curry favour with Donald Trump.
Afghan government officials are discussing delaying the exchange until the president-elect takes office later this month, sources told The Telegraph.
The Biden administration is in talks with the Taliban to swap Americans detained in Afghanistan for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, an alleged associate of Osama bin Laden who is one of the last remaining Guantanamo prisoners.“The deal is almost done but there are some top officials in Kandahar who are against it at this moment,” a senior Taliban official said.“They argue that any deal with Biden will be in vain as he is leaving and want to keep it for Trump.”
It comes as Mr Biden is moving to shut down Guantanamo Bay, freeing a number of detainees and the US moving towards a controversial plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged orchestrator of 9/11.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban deputy foreign minister, described the president-elect this week as “decisive and courageous” and called for “friendly” relations with the United States.“Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate’s field, is open. If they want to become friends, we will shake hands and be friends,” he said.
He added: “We ask Mr Trump that if he wants to have good relations with Afghanistan and solve the problems, we hope he takes some positive steps, comes forward, and we will also go forward [to him].”
Mr Biden’s administration is seeking the return of three Americans seized in 2022 – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi – in exchange for Afghani.
Mr Corbett and Mr Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022 a year after the Taliban seized Kabul amid the chaotic US troop withdrawal. Glezmann was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.
The negotiations with the Taliban came as a number of other prisoners were freed from the base on Cuba. In a secret operation in the early hours of Monday, 11 Yemeni detainees were freed from Guantanamo Bay and sent to Oman after being held for two decades without charge.
Biden’s final push
The latest prisoner release leaves just 15 people in the military-run camp, which at its peak held almost 800 Muslim men who had been captured by the US in the aftermath of 9/11.
Mr Biden has cut the population of Guantanamo down from 40, much of which has happened in an extraordinary push in his last weeks in office.
Now, international deal-making and court battles are deciding the future of the few remaining inside the naval base, which has housed some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists.
During his first term, Mr Trump signed an executive order to keep the gates of Guantanamo open, reversing Barack Obama’s policy to close the infamous site, known for its use of torture techniques.
The efforts to wind down the number of detainees culminated last year when Mohammed struck a plea deal that would spare him and two co-defendants the risk of the death penalty.
Mohammed and co-defendants Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty to 2,976 murder charges in exchange for life sentences.
Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, has fought unsuccessfully since Aug 2 to throw out the plea agreement negotiated and approved by his department.
The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to block the plea deal. Absent a stay from that court or some other intervention, Mohammed is due to enter his guilty plea Friday.
But with the highest profile case on the cusp of jail and the cells of Guantanamo empty, the future of the internationally feared training camp is uncertain.
Arian Sharifi, a lecturer and chairman of the master in public policy programme at Princeton University’s School of Public and international affairs, said: “Mr Biden has been talking about shutting down Guantanamo Bay since he took office, and there are two primary reasons for this.“First, it is largely a political move. When he withdrew US forces from Afghanistan, the narrative was that the war on terror had ended. Closing Guantanamo Bay fits into that broader goal of wrapping up everything associated with it.“Second, closing Guantanamo Bay holds significant symbolic value for Mr Biden. Transferring detainees to Oman, less than two weeks before the end of his presidency, is part of this symbolism.“These prisoners were not found guilty of any charges, so Biden likely saw this as a way to leave a lasting mark before exiting office.”‘The original sin’
George W Bush’s decision to hold foreigners taken into custody overseas as part of the country’s war on terror, left the administration scrambling for somewhere to imprison and judge the hundreds it swept up.
As the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, it looked offshore, to a swath of Cuba leased by the US Navy for a century.
The first prisoners would arrive in 2002 blindfolded, shackled and wearing the distinctive orange jumpsuit.
The decision to open the prison strained US law. Dick Cheney, Mr Bush’s vice-president, called the detainees at Guantanamo “the worst of the worst” and defended creating the military commission.
The other choices were to try the men in the United States, where they would have all the rights afforded them by the US Constitution, or kill them, Mr Cheney later explained.
A 2008 Supreme Court ruling dictated US handling of the Guantanamo detainees did in fact have to abide by the US Constitution.
As the war waged on, the military response succeeded in greatly reducing the ability of al-Qaeda and later the Islamic State group to stage mass attacks abroad.
But security successes were shadowed by the human and financial tolls of those wars, by the torture of the detainees in their first years in US custody and their long imprisonment without charge.
Legal experts often call the early torture the “original sin” of Guantanamo prosecutions, clouding prospects of any trials.
Rights groups have calculated Guantanamo’s annual costs at upward of $540 million (£439 million) around $36 million per detainee at the current population of 15.
Six of the 15 remaining detainees were never charged and rights groups are pushing Mr Biden to release all of them before he leaves office.
Omar Samad, the former Afghan ambassador to Canada and France and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said: “It’s not uncommon for a US president, during their final days in office, to make decisions about Guantanamo and release a few prisoners.“This timing is strategic – there’s typically less public and political scrutiny, and outgoing presidents like Mr Biden aren’t held accountable in the same way, as there’s no time left for significant backlash.”
Guantanamo under Trump
It’s not clear how Mr Trump would handle Guantanamo in his second term. Pete Hegseth, his pick for defence secretary, has previously called for its gates to remain open.
He has also argued that the length of the military commission proceedings makes the US look “unserious” and sends extremists the message they can “lawyer up and be just fine”.“Trump and his team have a fundamentally different perspective on al-Qaeda, terrorism, and radical Islamists,” Mr Sharifi said.“They are expected to adopt a much stricter stance. Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to intensify the war on terror.“In such a scenario, not only would Guantanamo remain open, but more people could potentially be detained and sent there.” Afghanistan faces a complex set of challenges in 2025 — here’s what you need to know (The Hill – opinion)
The Hill [1/9/2025 10:00 AM, James Durso, 57114K, Negative]
The year just ended was a tumultuous one for Afghanistan, marked by many significant events that will continue to challenge the country in 2025.
ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) carried out at least 19 terrorist attacks, targeting Hazara and Shia civilians, Sufi adherents, foreign nationals and Taliban officials. One notable incident was the assassination of Khalil Rahman Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader and brother of the late Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network.
The United Nations (U.N.) reported rising insecurity in 2024, and recorded 8,650 security incidents between November 2023 and November 2024. The U.N. noted that 156 civilians were killed and 426 others injured, many of these incidents attributed to ISIS-K.
Hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated, with Pakistan conducting airstrikes on Afghan territory in response to attacks by the Pakistani Taliban. The Afghan Taliban rounded out the year by attacking "several points" in Pakistan in retaliation for the strikes.The Taliban faced internal divisions and security challenges. Criticism within the Taliban leadership, particularly regarding policies on women’s rights and medical education, highlighted growing fractures within the group, presenting the world with the situation where Sirajuddin Haqqani is now considered moderate.
Despite global diplomatic efforts, including summits in Doha, Moscow and Tehran, the Taliban failed to secure global recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The U.N. Security Council meeting in December 2024 revealed sharp differences among permanent members on how to engage with the Taliban.
In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the future removal of the Taliban from the official list of terrorist organizations. And in February 2024, Chinese leader Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of the Taliban’s official envoy to Beijing.
Though the West expects the Taliban to modify their policies to secure legitimacy, recognition by Russia and China may prompt Afghanistan’s neighbors in Iran and the Central Asian republics to recognize the Taliban, reasoning that they are "neighbors forever" and must establish a modus vivendi.
Armed opposition groups such as the National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front carried out numerous attacks against the Taliban. The U.N. documented multiple instances of human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings of military personnel and officials of the ousted Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains one of the most severe in the world, with 28 million people depending on aid to survive. The country’s economy has contracted by almost one-third in the aftermath of August 2021, leading to widespread unemployment, poverty and food insecurity.
Despite international efforts, including the U.S. provision of up to $8 billion in aid to Kabul since August 2021, some Taliban policies, including restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment, continue to exacerbate the crisis.
Challenges for Afghanistan in 2025 include continuing human rights violations, economic instability and food insecurity; climate-related natural disasters; and regional political dynamics. Despite improved security, significant challenges persist due to 45 years of conflict.
According to the U.N., almost half of the population — around 22.9 million people — will require humanitarian assistance due to limited access to basic services and chronic needs. This includes widespread food insecurity, with 14.8 million people facing acute food insecurity.
The economy, which previously subsisted on foreign aid and opium poppy cultivation, has contracted significantly since the Taliban takeover in 2021, with widespread unemployment, underemployment, household debt and poverty affecting around 48 percent of the population. Though the U.N. recently reported "The Afghan economy showed some signs of recovery," the financial system remains isolated, and development funding is drastically reduced.
Afghanistan is also experiencing its fifth consecutive year of drought, with earthquakes, floods and landslides exacerbating humanitarian needs.
A La Niña episode in 2025 could lead to further drought-like conditions, as well as reduced snowfall and rainfall. This will worsen food insecurity, with one-third of the Afghan population acutely food insecure. Drought will affect crop and pasture productivity, leading to higher food prices and increased economic hardship.
Years of over-extraction, inadequate water resource management and insufficient groundwater recharge have led to a severe water crisis. This affects agriculture and access to clean water for millions of people.
The Qosh Tepa irrigation canal will divert up to 20 percent of the flow of the Amu Darya river, increasing tensions with downstream, water-starved Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the latter of which has pledged to send a technical team to assist with the construction methods that will cause "excessive water loss and soil salinization," according to the Center for the National Interest.
The Taliban will be challenged to support regional connectivity projects, including the Trans-Afghan Railway Project that will connect Central Asia to Afghanistan to Pakistan; the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline; and the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan high-voltage power transmission line.
Key to regional integration is improved relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which means resolving the disputes over the shared border, and the status of 1.45 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
After NATO left Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan expected to reap an influential role in Afghanistan’s future, but instead got attacks by the Pakistani Taliban from its bases in Afghanistan. Pakistan retaliated and the Afghan Taliban retaliated back. After the latest round of fighting in December 2024, the Taliban announced it wished to de-escalate but that a Pakistani response would cause "measured retaliation.".
It is time for diplomacy, which will be difficult given the Taliban’s need to manage a complicated internal situation caused by the presence of ISIS-K, al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban. And there’s no saying what the incoming Trump administration will do, but it will probably maintain a non-intervention policy. The Taliban appeared to welcome Trump’s return when an Islamic Emirate spokesman said Kabul hoped the incoming administration "will take realistic steps toward concrete progress in relations between the two countries and both nations will be able to open a new chapter of relations.". I Served With Matthew Livelsberger in Afghanistan. He Awed Us (Newsweek – opinion)
Newsweek [1/9/2025 10:02 AM, Nathan Lowry, 56005K, Neutral]
Matt didn’t look like the pictures in the news.
We first met in the winter of 2017 in a metal Quonset hut in the Afghan desert. The first thing I noticed about Matt was his beard: Like the other special operations forces, Matt and his team enjoyed relaxed grooming standards.After nearly four months, that had translated into a flowing blonde beard that nearly reached his chest. Along with his tall frame, he could have been mistaken for Thor in drab olive camouflage.
I was new to southern Afghanistan, where Marines had been redeployed in 2017 to stem Taliban advances on Helmand Province.
Before the 300-strong Marine contingent returned, the Afghan government had relied on U.S. Army Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) teams like Matt’s to repeatedly deploy to hold the Taliban at bay.
The Marines that preceded me had developed a close relationship with Matt’s ODA team. As Marines targeted Taliban foot soldiers with drones and strafing gun runs on the dusty, pockmarked roads during the day, Matt’s ODA team paired with Afghan special operations forces to target Taliban mid-level leaders in their operation centers—colloquially known as "watoks"—as they retired for the evening.
Usually, this meant a nighttime insert into a nearby field using helicopters, swift raids to capture or kill fighters in the mud compounds on the objective, and a hasty extract before Taliban forces could mount reinforcements.
We worked closely with Matt, who was an 18F Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant, to develop compounds of interest for Matt’s team to strike.
But at the end of the day, the targets were Matt’s decision. It was his responsibility to decide who lived or died.
As an 18F, Matt would go out on each raid, write his team’s intelligence reports, grab a few hours of sleep and then begin planning the next operation. Matt’s understanding of the Helmand terrain and intelligence operations was unparalleled but he didn’t have the manpower or resources that a larger military unit enjoyed.
So every few weeks, he visited our postage stamp compound. He would amble around our operations center, ducking under the plywood overhangs while discussing drone coverage and communications intercepts with our intelligence specialists.
He awed us—most of us were on our first deployment to Afghanistan and Matt had served in combat multiple times and had fought the Taliban on the ground. Most of us had just seen them as we conducted air strikes through grainy ISR feeds.
Matt was eager to teach but despite his experience, was just as willing to learn from our Marines who could explain how the Taliban communicated or discuss the source coverage of our Taliban spies.
Then he would leave our compound, don his body armor and night vision goggles, and go out on the objective as we watched from the relative safety of our compound in the desert.
After one successful raid we collaborated on, he sent a message to us: "that was a good one, let’s find more like those." And so we did. And he went back out again. Night after night, week after week.
Several months into my deployment, Matt and his team returned home in February 2018. A new team replaced his. Business continued as usual: Violence without purpose.
The Taliban lobbed rockets at our base and the ODA team we were co-located with—we responded with air strikes.
After they targeted our Afghan partner checkpoints in the evening, we targeted them with HIMARs rockets during the day. And the new ODA team increased their operational tempo in a national campaign effort to pressure the Taliban into negotiating.
A three-day national ceasefire brought hope in June, but continued fighting in July dashed reconciliation efforts with the Taliban. In August 2018 during a night raid in northern Helmand, a member of the new ODA team, Reymund Transfiguracion, died in an IED strike after rushing to save a wounded Afghan soldier.
The compound had been booby-trapped. Yet the ODAs kept going on raids, week after week.
In October 2018, I prepared to come home: Despite all of the air strikes and rockets we fired (and the vehicle-borne IEDs, ambushes and insider attacks the Taliban attempted) nothing had changed.
Our deployment had been eleven months, long enough for yet another ODA team to rotate into Helmand. After one deployment, I was dispirited and jaded. I was done with Afghanistan and the Marine Corps.
As I monitored chat and emails in our intelligence operations center days before leaving, I saw a familiar name sending plans for upcoming operations in southern Afghanistan: "MLivelsberger.".
Matt had rotated back into Afghanistan after a brief reprieve.
I was elated at first— if anyone could turn the tide in southern Afghanistan it would be men like Matt and his team, who knew Helmand intimately and were willing to risk everything with their Afghan partners at night, week after week.
But as I boarded the plane to return home, I also mourned for Matt and his teammates: I knew they would keep fighting until the war was over or until it killed them. Pakistan
U.S. sanctions on Pakistan could tilt region’s power balance toward India (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [1/9/2025 10:00 PM, Adnan Aamir, 1286K, Positive]
The recent U.S. sanctions on Pakistani entities contributing to long-range missile programs are motivated by Washington’s Indo-Pacific security strategy, analysts say, but could result in tilting the power balance in South Asia in favor of India.In mid-December, the U.S. State Department sanctioned one government agency and three private companies involved in Pakistan’s long-range missile development program.Washington said the National Development Complex (NDC) in Islamabad has worked to acquire items such as special vehicle chassis to be used as launch support equipment for ballistic missiles and missile testing equipment. The three private companies have all supplied the NDC with a range of such equipment at various times.Those under sanctions cannot work with companies linked to the U.S., and their assets in the U.S. are frozen. They would basically be blocked from the global financial system as well.Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at Wilson Center in Washington, told Nikkei Asia, "The U.S. is likely trying to convey to Pakistan that it feels its questions and concerns about its ballistic missile program haven’t been properly acknowledged and addressed."Earlier in September, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry, as well as three Chinese and one Pakistani companies for procuring equipment for testing Pakistani rocket motors used in ballistic missiles. Despite these moves, Kugelman explained that Washington is not satisfied with the current situation.Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement after the U.S. announced the sanctions calling the decision "unfortunate and biased." It said, "Such policies have dangerous implications for the strategic stability of our region and beyond." The statement continued, "We also regret the imposition of sanctions on private commercial entities. Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever."Ayesha Siddiqa, a senior fellow with the Department of War Studies, at King’s College London, said that in theory, these sanctions will benefit India, the arch-rival of Pakistan. "Given its current economic condition, Pakistan is not in a position to compete with India on the strategic front amid these sanctions," she told Nikkei.The two countries have fought four wars since 1948, and Pakistan’s ballistic missile program is driven by its strategic compulsion to maintain a credible minimum deterrence against India.Qamar Cheema, executive director of Sanober Institute, an Islamabad-based think tank, said that U.S. sanctions are part of preferential treatment given to New Delhi. "Recent developments, such as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s statement about missile cooperation with India, have further highlighted the imbalance, which Pakistan has long highlighted," he told Nikkei.For example, the U.S. did not openly criticize India’s successful hypersonic missile test in November."The sanctions on Pakistan’s government entity, NDC, are most critical as no company around the world, which is connected with the global financial system, can do business with it anymore," said Siddiq, who was previously director of naval research for the Pakistan Navy.Muhammad Shoaib, an assistant professor at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, said, "Even minor acquisitions by Pakistan [for missile development] will be highlighted and tightly monitored. These sanctions will also discourage the sellers of spare parts from doing business with Pakistan as they will face the wrath of the U.S. if they do."Pakistan is expected to focus more on improving its indigenous capabilities to ensure self-reliance in defense and missile programs to deal with the fallout of the sanctions, according to experts."These sanctions are likely to persist, with little chance of removal under [Donald] Trump’s administration, leaving little room for policy relaxation toward Pakistan," Siddiqa said.Experts see these sanctions as being driven by the U.S. Indo-Pacific security strategy, which focuses on strengthening alliances and partnerships to promote a free and secure region in order to counter China."Pakistan’s Shaheen-3 missile with a range of 2,750 kilometers targets areas such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, key locations for Indo-Pacific and U.S. strategic interests. This capability threatens U.S. interests in the region," Siddiqa told Nikkei.The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located 1,200 kilometers away from mainland India, at the southeastern edge of the Bay of Bengal. They can be used for a retaliatory strike against Pakistan by India in case of war.Cheema of the Sanober Institute agrees with Siddiqa. "The motivations behind the U.S. concerns over Pakistan’s missile program seem to stem from its broader regional interests rather than any direct threat to the United States itself," he said.U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said that Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missiles are capable of reaching targets far beyond South Asia, potentially even the U.S.Finer’s statement was surprising for many analysts as Islamabad has never envisaged attacking U.S. interests though its missiles.Shoaib of Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad said that the statement from Finer does not fit well with ground realities and ignores the stated policy objectives of Pakistan. "Pakistan does not seek missile systems that can target the U.S.," he told Nikkei. Militants kidnap 16 government employees in northwest Pakistan (VOA)
VOA [1/9/2025 5:42 PM, Ayaz Gul, 2717K, Negative]
Police and security officials in northwestern Pakistan said Thursday that militants have abducted at least 16 government workers and set unclear demands for their release.
The group of civilian hostages are employees of a mining project related to the state-run Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in the militancy-hit Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.The men were commuting to work on a minibus when they were ambushed and taken hostage at gunpoint, area police officer Mohammad Ijaz said. The kidnappers then set the vehicle on fire before fleeing with the captives.
The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, reportedly took responsibility for the kidnapping and released a video featuring the kidnapped workers.
Some of the hostages were seen urging authorities to ensure their safe release by complying with the militant demands but did not elaborate further. VOA could not independently verify the militant claims or the authenticity of the video.
Police reported hours later that an ongoing search operation freed eight of the hostages and efforts were underway to secure the release of the rest. The operation left three of the freed men injured, with one of them in "critical condition," said police officials, without sharing further details.
Officials say the PAEC is tasked with promoting and conducting research on the peaceful applications of atomic energy in agriculture, medicine, industry, and development projects related to nuclear power stations and electric power generation.
Several districts, including Lakki Marwat in the Pakistani province bordering Afghanistan, routinely experience TTP attacks targeting security forces and government officials.
Thursday’s kidnapping came a day after heavily armed separatist militants in Pakistan’s sparsely populated southwestern Balochistan province briefly seized a government office, robbed a bank, and vandalized a police station in a remote district.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, claimed responsibility for staging the attack that officials said did not cause casualties.
The natural resources-rich, largest Pakistani province has experienced a spike in BLA-led insurgent attacks in recent months. The insurgents claim to be fighting for the independence of Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan.
Islamabad claims that TTP and Baloch insurgents operate from safe havens in Afghanistan, and their attacks have intensified since the Islamist Taliban took power in the neighboring country in 2021.
However, the de facto authorities in Kabul deny the existence of foreign militant groups within their borders, asserting that they do not allow anyone to threaten neighboring countries from Afghan soil.
The TTP is designated as a global terrorist organization by the United Nations. Recent U.N. security assessments have described the TTP as the "largest terrorist" group in Afghanistan, with up to 6,000 fighters. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai to attend girls’ education summit in Pakistan (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/10/2025 1:33 AM, Staff, 1.4M, Positive]
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai will attend a summit on girls’ education hosted by her native Pakistan, where she was nearly killed by militants as a schoolgirl.
Yousafzai was evacuated from the country in 2012 after being shot by the Pakistan Taliban, who were enraged by her activism, and she has returned to the country only a handful of times since.
A spokesperson for the Malala Fund charity confirmed Yousafzai will attend the conference in person.
"I am excited to join Muslim leaders from around the world for a critical conference on girls’ education," she said Friday in a post on X.
"On Sunday, I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school, and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls."
Pakistan’s neighbour Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls and women are banned from going to school and university.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban government has imposed an austere version of Islamic law which the United Nations has called "gender apartheid".
Girls are only allowed to attend primary school, while women are largely restricted to working in segregated environments in health or education.
The Taliban administration claims that Islamic law "guarantees" the rights of Afghan men and women.
The two-day summit will be held in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday, focusing on girls’ education in Muslim communities.
It will be inaugurated by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and bring together ministers and ambassadors from 44 countries as well as representatives from the UN and World Bank.
The summit will confirm "the shared commitment of (the) Muslim community to empower girls through education", according to a government statement.
Yousafzai became a household name when she was attacked in 2012 by Pakistani Taliban militants on a school bus in the remote Swat valley near the border with Afghanistan.
Militancy led by the Pakistani Taliban erupted in the region as the war between the Afghan Taliban and NATO forces raged across the border.
She was evacuated to the United Kingdom and went on to become a global advocate for girls’ education and the youngest ever Nobel Peace prize winner at the age of 17. State-run Pakistan International Airlines resumes direct flights to Europe after EU lifts ban (AP)
AP [1/10/2025 3:31 AM, Staff, 456K, Neutral]
State-run Pakistan International Airlines resumed direct flights to Europe on Friday following a decision by the European Union’s aviation safety agency to lift a four-year ban over safety standards, officials said.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif inaugurated the twice-a-week flights to Paris and vowed that PIA will expand its operations to other European countries soon.
The flight from Islamabad was fully booked with more than 300 passengers, the airline said.
Asif said in a speech that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency had imposed the ban on PIA’s operations to Europe because of an “irresponsible statement” by a former aviation minister.
The curb on PIA was imposed in 2020 after 97 people died when a PIA plane crashed in Karachi in southern Pakistan. Then-Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said an investigation into the crash found that nearly a third of Pakistani pilots had cheated on their pilot’s exams. A government probe later concluded that the crash was caused by pilot error.
The ban caused a loss of nearly $150 million a year in revenue for PIA, officials say.
Meanwhile, the first international flight was scheduled to depart from Gwadar, a new airport in southwestern Pakistan, later Friday. The Chinese-funded airport was inaugurated by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in October.
The airport, Pakistan’s largest, is located in restive southwestern Balochistan province and is part of a massive investment by Beijing that links a deep seaport and airport on the Arabian Sea by road with China. Gas explosion traps 12 workers after coal mine collapses in southwest Pakistan (AP)
AP [1/10/2025 4:32 AM, Staff, 456K, Negative]
At least 12 miners remain trapped after a methane gas explosion caused a mine to collapse in a remote area of southwest Pakistan, officials said Friday as authorities launched an operation to rescue the miners.
Abdul Ghani, a mines inspector, said the blast happened on Thursday night in Singidi, a town in Balochistan province. He said rescuers have been carefully removing debris from the mine as part of a rescue effort. None of the miners have been reached yet, he added.
Shahid Rind, a Balochistan government spokesman, said all available resources are being used in the rescue operation. An investigation has also been ordered to determine the cause of the collapse, he said in a statement.
Safety standards can be poor in the coal mining industry, leading to accidents and fatalities in recent years.
On Thursday, Pakistani security forces rescued at least eight of 16 mine workers who had been kidnapped by local militants.
In neighboring India’s northeastern Assam state, hopes are fading as the search resumed for a fifth day on Friday for several people trapped in a flooded coal mine.
At least nine miners became trapped on Monday morning after water gushed in from a nearby unused mine in the Umrangso area, in Dima Hasao district, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of the state capital, Guwahati. On Wednesday, army divers retrieved the body of a miner.“There has been no success after army divers” found the victim as the “ill-fated mine is flooded, with water level not receding despite efforts to pump out the water,” said Kaushik Rai, a local government minister. Will Trump Intervene to Get Pakistan’s Imran Khan Freed? (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [1/9/2025 7:21 AM, Umair Jamal, 857K, Neutral]
Pakistan is buzzing with speculation over the likely position that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20, could take vis-à-vis imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
A section of Pakistan, particularly workers of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), believe that Trump may intervene to secure Khan’s release. This speculation is also prevalent among social media channels and overseas supporters of the party, especially those living in the United States who have been lobbying for their imprisoned leader. They hope to persuade the U.S. government to pressure Pakistani authorities to release Khan from prison.
In 2023, a court sentenced Khan to three years in jail for illegally selling state gifts. In addition, the former Pakistani prime minister faces anti-terrorism charges related to the violence following his arrest in May 2023.
The PTI’s leadership abroad is optimistic. They point out that there was exceptional camaraderie between Trump during his first term in office and Khan; the two leaders connected on a personal level. They argue that this rapport could prompt Trump to engage actively in efforts to get Khan freed from prison.
The speculation has gained momentum with Trump’s newly appointed envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, expressing support for the imprisoned PTI leader. Grenell tweeted "Release Imran Khan" on November 26, coinciding with a clampdown by authorities on PTI protesters marching toward Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
In a recent statement, Grenell, a controversial figure known for making offensive and bizarre remarks, asserted that the United States had a stronger relationship with Pakistan during the Trump administration, particularly during Khan’s leadership.
These comments have gained traction, fueled by fake AI-generated images circulating on social media that depict Trump holding banners advocating for Khan’s release.
These developments seem to have unsettled government officials in Pakistan.
Talal Chaudhry, a senator of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, responded to Grenell’s remarks by stating that the government’s position is "very clear: this is our internal matter." He dismissed any possibility of Khan being released based on such statements, insisting that Imran Khan is facing charges of corruption and constitutional violations.
Similarly, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif downplayed Grenell’s recent posts in support of Khan, emphasizing that the government did not expect the remarks to have any repercussions once Trump took office on January 20.
"I don’t think there is any pressure involved," Asif stated in an interview when asked about potential U.S. pressure regarding Khan’s release after Grenell’s appointment.
"In American politics, there are different considerations that different people and parties have and according to that they express their views, but as far as government to government relations go, their expression or interpretation through any tweets, or such statements, is far-fetched … I don’t think there will be any repercussions of [Grenell’s tweets] at any level," Asif continued.
While the PTI may hope and lobby for U.S. intervention behind the scenes to secure their leader’s release, the history of Pakistan-U.S. relations indicates that such interventions rarely occur or succeed for various reasons.
For one thing, the warm personal equation between Trump and Khan notwithstanding, relations between the United States and Pakistan largely lacked substance during their tenures at the helm.
Initially, ties were strained when Trump announced a halt to U.S. assistance for Pakistan, including the Coalition Support Funds. For more than half of Trump’s term, there was no U.S. ambassador in Islamabad. However, after Trump decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, relations improved as Washington sought Pakistan’s assistance to facilitate talks with the Taliban and to reach an agreement in Doha.
In addition, the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan militaries has often helped mitigate pressures that political leaders in Washington might exert, even during times of strained diplomatic ties. Pakistan’s relationship with the U.S. is also deeply embedded in the bureaucratic and defense institutions of the U.S., making it resilient to shifts in political sentiment or lobbying from activists of any party.
Trump has threatened to impose high tariffs on a range of countries, including China, India, and the United States’ European allies. This could have negative implications for the U.S. economy, triggering challenges for Trump 2.0.
Consequently, it seems unlikely that he will have the time or inclination to invest in supporting Khan, especially given the minimal U.S. interest in Pakistan at present.
It is also puzzling why the United States would consider supporting a leader who has previously built his political narrative and gained popularity by criticizing Washington for its perceived role in his ouster in 2022. In fact, Khan’s narrative may have contributed to the growing unpopularity of the U.S. in Pakistan.
Furthermore, it would be irrational for the U.S. to compromise its relationship with the Pakistani state, particularly the military – an ally with a proven track record – to back a politically volatile and unpredictable figure like Khan.
The U.S. State Department has made it clear that decisions regarding legal action against Pakistan’s former prime minister will be determined by Pakistani courts. A spokesperson stated, "We do not comment on Congressional correspondence… legal proceedings against the former prime minister are matters for the Pakistani courts to decide.".
While PTI supporters may speculate about a potential Trump intervention for Imran Khan’s release, such negotiations between the U.S. and Pakistan, or an official position reflecting that, are very unlikely. India
India holds highest-level talks with Taliban over security concerns, trade and aid (The Independent)
The Independent [1/9/2025 6:43 AM, Arpan Rai, 57769K, Neutral]
India discussed diplomatic relations, security concerns, and humanitarian aid with Afghanistan at its highest-level talks with the Taliban on Wednesday in Dubai.
Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri met with the group’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as the two sides discussed expanding bilateral ties, with an increased focus on India’s security concerns, boost in trade through the Chabahar Port in Iran, and Indian investments in several development projects inside Afghanistan.
"Today, foreign secretary Vikram Misri had a meeting with the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai. The two sides discussed various issues pertaining to bilateral relations as well as regional developments," India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
Previously, India has only sent officials at the joint secretary level to Kabul to engage with the former militant group which now holds power in Afghanistan. However, Wednesday’s engagement of delegations from both sides marked India’s first ever such high-level talks with the Taliban leaders since the collapse of the Nato-led administration in Afghanistan in August 2021.
"The Afghan side underlined its sensitivities to India’s security concerns," the Indian foreign ministry said, adding that New Delhi and Kabul have agreed to "remain in touch and continue regular contacts at various levels".
India will now also be considering engaging in development projects in Afghanistan.
"Foreign secretary underlined India’s historic friendship with the Afghan people and the strong people to people contacts between the two countries. In this context, he conveyed India’s readiness to respond to the urgent developmental needs of the Afghan people," the statement read.Additionally, Delhi has also pledged a fresh tranche of humanitarian aid to the war-battered country.
According to the foreign ministry, India has so far dispatched several shipments consisting of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, 300 tonnes of medicines, 27 tonnes of earthquake relief aid, 40,000 litres of pesticides, 100 million polio doses, 1.5 million doses of COVID Vaccine, 11,000 units of hygiene kits for the drug de-addiction programme, 500 units of winter clothing and 1.2 tonnes of stationery kits among other aid.
Shortly after, the Taliban called India its "significant regional and economic partner", marking its growing alliance with the nuclear-capable Asian capital. Upon signing projects, India will join the ranks of China and Russia in aiding development projects on Afghan soil.
"In line with Afghanistan’s balanced and economy-focused foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate aims to strengthen political and economic ties with India as a significant regional and economic partner," the statement from Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said.
The Taliban-run regime in Afghanistan is seeking international recognition but is denied so far due to its harsh edicts banning the education and work of girls and women.
No foreign government, including India, officially recognises the Taliban administration. India has a small "technical mission" in Kabul to engage the regional partner in trade, aid and medical support and has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan under the Taliban.
Experts have said that by extending a diplomatic hand, India is covering the long and short of its requirements to sustain ties with Afghanistan as it befits New Delhi’s policy in the wake of realisation around the world that Taliban is here to stay for good or for bad.
Amar Sinha, the former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan said: "India is covering at least the developmental security aspects, the humanitarian aspects of the relationship, much more than the political. India’s policy, if you look back also, has been guided by this basic thought that India has always stood behind the regimes in Kabul.".
India also conveyed its security concerns against Isis and several other terror groups to the current leaders of Afghanistan.
"We have to first stop many terror groups that can fish in troubled water and establish their training centres in Afghan territory, as it used to happen in the past. When we say India security concerns, we are mainly looking at the anti-India terror groups that are probably in the region and could be emboldened in the coming days," he told The Independent.
"We also need to coordinate with them to keep an eye on how the ISKP (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) is evolving because that also is a potential threat. From India’s perspective, it is important that the weapons left behind by Americans don’t fall in the wrong hands," he added. India readies for mammoth Hindu festival of 400 million pilgrims (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/9/2025 10:37 PM, Arunabh Saikia, 63029K, Positive]
The world’s largest gathering of humanity begins in India on Monday with the opening of the Kumbh Mela, a six-week Hindu festival organisers expect to attract up to 400 million pilgrims.
Organisers say the scale of preparations for the Kumbh Mela is akin to setting up a temporary country from scratch -- in this case, one more populous than the United States and Canada combined.
"Some 350 to 400 million devotees are going to visit the mela, so you can imagine the scale of preparations," festival spokesman Vivek Chaturvedi said.
Around 150,000 toilets have been built and a network of community kitchens can each feed up to 50,000 people at the same time.
Festival organisers expect to attract up to 400 million pilgrims to Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
Another 68,000 LED light poles have been erected for a gathering so large that its bright lights can be seen from space.
Authorities and the police have also set up a network of "lost and found" centres and an accompanying phone app to help pilgrims lost in the immense crowd "to reunite with their families".
India is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people, and so is used to large crowds.
The last celebration at the site, the "ardh" or half Kumbh Mela in 2019, attracted 240 million pilgrims, according to India’s government.
That compares to an estimated 1.8 million Muslims who take part in the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
The government calls the Kumbh Mela a "vibrant blend of cultures, traditions, and languages, showcasing a ‘mini-India’ where millions come together without formal invitations".
The Kumbh Mela, or "festival of the sacred pitcher", is held every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati rivers.Hindus believe that those who immerse themselves in the waters cleanse themselves of sin, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth and ultimately attaining salvation.Many pilgrims embrace a life of simplicity during the festival -- vowing non-violence, celibacy and the offering of alms -- and focusing on prayer and meditation.Santosh Mishra, 55, from a village near the holy Hindu city of Varanasi, said he and his neighbours were "super excited" for the fair to begin."The whole village will be going," Mishra told AFP. "It’s a great feeling when everyone takes a plunge in the river together."The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.Four drops of nectar were spilt during the battle and one landed at Prayagraj, where the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years.The other three fell on the cities of Nashik, Ujjain and Haridwar, where smaller festivals are held in intervening years.The exact date of each celebration is based on the astrological positions of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter.Ceremonies include the visually spectacular "aarti", when vast numbers of priests perform rituals holding flickering lamps.Devotees also float a sea of twinkling prayer lamps, crafted from baked flour, which glow with burning mustard oil or clarified butter.Monday marks the start of festivities, coinciding with the full moon, with celebrations culminating on February 26, the final holy bathing day.The mythic battle that undergirds the Kumbh Mela celebrations is mentioned in the Rig Veda, a sacred Hindu text written more than 3,000 years ago.The festival was also mentioned by Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar Hiuen Tsang, who attended in the seventh century.UNESCO lists the Kumbh Mela as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.It describes it as "the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth", saying it "plays a central spiritual role in the country, exerting a mesmeric influence on ordinary Indians". India, Indonesia Set for Travel ‘Bonanza’ as Middle Classes Grow (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [1/9/2025 9:42 PM, Patpicha Tanakasempipat, 21617K, Positive]
India, Indonesia and Vietnam are set for a tourism “bonanza” as their middle classes expand and grow wealthier, according to the deputy chief executive officer of hotel group Accor SA.“When there is good business, people get more wealthy, and then they consume and want to have fun, and that’s where we fit,” Jean-Jacques Morin said in an interview in Bangkok. “The way people consume has changed. Nowadays, people want services, not necessarily products. They want to have experiences, a trend that has been deeply accelerated by Covid.”With almost 6,000 hotels around the world and more than 45 brands ranging from budget chains like Ibis to the luxury Raffles and Banyan Tree resorts, Accor is aiming to expand its portfolio by 3%-4% this year, Morin said. Asia will likely account for about half those openings, he added.Southeast Asia, and India in particular, carry significant growth opportunities, Morin said. The “big tigers” like Singapore, Thailand and Japan will continue to perform well, along with upcoming markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia — Southeast Asia’s most populous country and biggest economy.Asia has seen a rather slow post-pandemic recovery compared to other parts of the world, held back by sluggish growth in its biggest economy, China. While Morin said he expects only “marginally positive” growth in revenue per room across Accor’s 700 hotels in China in the short term, he still believes it will bounce back in the years to come.Meanwhile, Morin expressed a bullish outlook on India. In 2023, Air India Ltd. and IndiGo placed record-breaking orders for 970 planes to ready for a domestic and international travel boom.“Look at the numbers,” said Morin. “The middle class is the most critical important driver of this industry. When you become a little bit more wealthy, you want to see the world.”And the rise of “Gen Z” tourists — people born around the turn of the millennium — will spark faster growth in boutique, design-driven hotels in coming years, he said. Younger tourists spend significantly more on food and drinks and like to go on so-called bleisure trips, where the line between leisure and business is blurred. Bengali-speaking Indians caught up in immigration crackdown (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [1/9/2025 9:18 AM, Murali Krishnan, 13448K, Negative]
Taslima Noor, 34, told DW that she has not slept for days since police in India’s capital, New Delhi, intensified their drive to detain Bangladeshis who they claim are in the country illegally.
"I have been working here for seven years, and I am fearful that the authorities will create trouble for my family," said Noor, who is a domestic worker.
Noor is from a Bengali-speaking region of Cooch Behar in the Indian state of West Bengal, near the border with Bangladesh.
Since the beginning of the year, nine Bangladeshis have been deported from India, reportedly as part of a broader drive to clamp down on irregular immigration within the city. A number of Bengali-speaking Indians told DW that they have also been caught up in the dragnet.
Abdul Quddus, a construction worker who is also from Cooch Behar and has been living in Delhi for over a decade, told DW that police personnel recently visited his house.
"I have all the requisite documentation to establish my Indian bona fides but have been questioned three times already," Quddus told DW.
A BJP-driven clampdown
So far, the police have already initiated deportation processes for more than 25 people, questioned over 5,000, and claimed to have dismantled a syndicate involved in facilitating irregular immigration and the issuance of fake identification documents."Four persons, including two Bangladeshi nationals and two Indian facilitators, who had been living here have been arrested," Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Kumar Jain said.
With elections for the Delhi Assembly scheduled for February, opponents of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party say the clampdown is politically motivated.
In return, the BJP and its allies have accused Delhi state’s governing Aam Aadmi Party of using people in India illegally as a voter base, an accusation the AAP refutes.
The BJP calls the crackdown a necessary measure to uphold national security and electoral integrity.
"This is a due process of law and that must begin somewhere," BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told DW.
"The right to have your vote counted in a clean election is the right of every citizen,"Vadakkan said. "It is worrisome when you have so many illegal migrants that can muddy the electoral process.".
Many politicians are also insisting that Bangladeshis working without authorization are taking away their jobs. However, despite the long history of cross-border movement between Bangladesh and India, little data exists regarding the number of migrants or their effect on employment.
Dangerous election narratives
With no real data available for immigration numbers, observers fear that the ongoing clampdown in Delhi will lead to broader tensions over immigration and citizenship rights.
"This electoral battle in Delhi is about creating a series of vote-catching narratives. Fanning anti-immigration sentiment is one of them," Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director of the Centre for Holistic Development, an organization that advocates for the rights of homeless people, told DW.
Aledia said the clampdown disproportionately affects people who are already marginalized and is leading to fears of wrongful detentions and deportations.
"There is a need for humane treatment of all individuals," Aledia said, regardless of their immigration status.".
Quddus, the construction worker from eastern India, said he hoped that the clampdown would end and that he and his neighbors would no longer have to live in constant fear.
"There is apprehension among the Bengali-speaking community," Quddus said, "especially about how the drive will impact our vulnerable population.". India Revises Trade Data After Error Calculating Gold Imports (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [1/9/2025 11:31 AM, Shruti Srivastava and Anup Roy, 21617K, Neutral]
India on Thursday said it has revised its trade data for precious metals after a detailed examination found that November gold imports witnessed an “unusual surge” owing to technical glitches.Gold imports for November were $9.84 billion, data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, a unit of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, showed. The published figures are about $5 billion, or a third, lower than what was previously reported in November.Based on the new figure, India’s trade deficit for November was $31.83 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations, compared with a previously reported $37.8 billion. The trade gap was driven by a four-fold increase in gold imports to a record $14.8 billion, from just $3.44 billion a year ago.While gold imports have risen steadily since the government cut duties on the precious metal to 6% from 15% in the July budget, the sharp spike had stumped analysts and raised questions about the accuracy of key data in one of the world’s major economies.The reconciliation exercise showed that “due to migration of data transmission mechanism” figures of precious metals needed revision, a government statement said. “However, owing to persistence of certain technical glitches, the migration is still not complete.” Bloomberg had reported earlier that officials had double-counted some gold imports, leading to an overestimation.For the April-November period, the DGCIS lowered gold imports by $11.7 billion — to $37.39 billion from $49.08 billion.“Revision has been done for trade figures from April to November,” the statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. “The revision is based on data that’s received late, amendments in the respective months and qualitative corrections wherever required.”The correction may offer relief to analysts who had been left confused by the earlier data. The figures had sparked debate as some economists attributed the surge to prosperity in rural areas following a healthy monsoon, while others thought it was a desperate attempt by Indians to look for a safe asset as the local currency tumbles. India Infrastructure Lender Plans Up to $4.7 Billion Fundraising (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [1/9/2025 7:00 PM, Saikat Das, 21617K, Positive]
India’s state-owned National Bank for Financing Infrastructure & Development is targeting its largest ever fundraising for the January-March period to back the nation’s ambitious growth push.The lender, which specializes in financing infrastructure projects, plans to raise as much as 400 billion rupees ($4.7 billion) from the local-debt market through a combination of bonds and loans in the quarter, said people familiar with the matter. NaBFID has already received approval from government-owned banks for some of the borrowing and proposed credit facilities will be mostly for longer-term tenors of 10 to 20 years, the people said asking not to be identified.NaBFID didn’t immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for comment. Set up in 2021 by an act of parliament, NaBFID sold about 89 billion rupees of bonds in 2024, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.Improving India’s infrastructure is a key goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government as his administration seeks to shore up growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding major economies. India needs $2.2 trillion of investment in infrastructure to increase the size of its economy to $7 trillion by 2030, Knight Frank said in a report in December.NaBFID’s financing plans could change depending on market conditions, the people said. NSB
European Investment Bank to boost funds for Bangladesh as it weathers political turmoil (AP)
AP [1/10/2025 1:31 AM, Julhas Alam, 456K, Neutral]
A senior official of the European Investment Bank says the regional lending agency is keen to double its funding for Bangladesh, but she expressed concern over human rights as the country endures a spell of political turmoil.
In an interview with The Associated Press, the bank’s Vice President Nicola Beer said the lending arm of the European Union will support reforms initiated by the interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus that has been running the country since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in mass protests in early August.
The 27-nation European Union is the largest destination for Bangladesh’s garment exports, a vital lifeline for millions of the country’s workers that earns the country more than $36 billion a year. The industry employs about 4 million workers, mostly women from rural areas.
Beer said the Luxemburg-based lending agency wants to double its fund portfolio for Bangladesh to 2 billion euros ($2.06 billion) while supporting the South Asian country’s democratic transition, rule of law and freedoms of expression.“Yes, of course, we are focusing on human rights, rule of law and freedom of expression,” she said. “In our discussions we always are very firm on these points that the freedom of expression, freedom of opinion ... are very important, and that this and all the following governments have really to make sure that these human and citizens rights are guaranteed.”
Hasina has been in exile in neighboring India since Aug. 5, when she fled the country. Yunus has promised to hold an election in December of this year or in the first half of 2026, depending on progress in reforms in various sectors.
Yunus is facing criticism over problems with law and order, rising commodity prices, treatment of minority groups and economic woes after many factories were shuttered due to labor protests or poor security. Economic growth fell to only 1.8% percent in the July-September quarter as student-led unrest disrupted business activities, according to a report released earlier this month by the Bureau of Statistics.
Beer said she appreciated reform measures taken by the Yunus-led government.“This is important from what I hear, especially from entrepreneurs, is that they are applauding this course of reforms, which is now on the table,” she said. “So, we as a bank (will) try to support because this is important for the economy here in Bangladesh, for investors … coming from outside or inside the country.”
In October, the World Bank slashed its forecast for the fiscal year that will end in June to 4%, citing “significant uncertainties following recent political turmoil.”
The European Investment Bank is involved in some major infrastructure development projects, mainly focused on green energy, safe water, communication and climate change.
Beer visited bank-funded projects and met with officials, including Yunus, during her three-day visit to Bangladesh.
She emphasized the importance of working on integrating the region in such areas as electricity grids that could link to hydropower projects in mountainous Nepal, for example.“I think we should discuss in the region to get more out of this interconnectivity, because this is a win-win situation, a win situation for Bangladesh, a win situation for the smaller neighbors like Bhutan and also Nepal or Myanmar. And it could be also a win situation for India,” she said. Bangladesh graft probe ensnares ex-PM Hasina’s niece, a U.K. minister (Nikkei Asia)
Nikkei Asia [1/9/2025 5:51 AM, Masum Billah, 1286K, Negative]
Bangladesh authorities have ordered the country’s banks to supply information about transactions linked to U.K. minister Tulip Siddiq, the niece of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina.The order for details about Siddiq -- whose job as City Minister involves battling financial corruption -- widens a graft probe that has also ensnared other members of Hasina’s extended family.Allegations that Hasina and her officials siphoned billions of dollars of state funds out of Bangladesh grew after she was deposed in a bloody, student-led uprising in August and fled to neighboring India.This week, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) issued its order following an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which accused Hasina and some of her relatives of embezzling about $5 billion from a Russian-funded nuclear power plant project.The South Asian country’s banks have been given five working days to supply information about transactions involving several of Hasina’s relatives, who also include Siddiq’s mother Sheikh Rehana and Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, according to a senior BFIU official. Rehana and Hasina are sisters."We have asked [for] the information to analyze and investigate the allegations," the official told Nikkei Asia, speaking on condition of anonymity.The anti-graft agency’s deputy director, Aktarul Islam, said multiple probes have been launched into the role relatives allegedly played in embezzling funds out of Bangladesh, including claims Hasina and her son laundered $300 million to the U.S., where he lives. He has denied any wrongdoing.The agency is also looking into allegations that Hasina’s relatives misappropriated about $1.75 billion from several mega projects initiated during her 15-year rule, including one aimed at supplying housing for homeless people."The allegation is that they siphoned this money out of the country over a period of time," Aktarul said.While it was "not possible to determine the exact amount laundered at this stage," the probe was likely to uncover the extent of the alleged corruption," said Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh."These details will emerge through investigation. With the current global anti-corruption system, it’s entirely possible to trace the transactions and uncover everything," he added."If the investigation proves that this large sum was laundered, as there is reason to believe, now is the right time to recover it. Although the process is complicated, it’s essential to begin."The investigations into irregularities at the $12.6 billion nuclear power plant project were initiated by Bangladeshi politician Bobby Hajjaj, a political rival of Hasina’s, who filed complaints with the corruption agency.Hajjaj told Nikkei that Siddiq and other relatives are "intricately connected" with Hasina’s "multiple criminal activities," but added that "Tulip Siddiq is largely involved in economic plunder."Siddiq has been under increasing pressure over British media reports about her use of properties linked to Hasina and Bangladesh’s longtime ruling Awami League party.She has denied wrongdoing and a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had "full confidence" in the Labour Party minister.This week, Siddiq referred herself to a British government standards watchdog and said: "I am clear that I have done nothing wrong."Hasina’s son also denied the allegations on social media, saying, "The corruption allegations made against my family and I are completely bogus."Bangladesh’s deposed ex-leader faces a string of allegations, including murder charges, over her security forces using deadly violence against protesters last summer. Hasina and former officials have also been accused of running secret prisons and committing extrajudicial killings.Dhaka has formally asked New Delhi to extradite her back to Bangladesh, but India has shown little willingness so far. Tulip Siddiq owes money to Bangladeshi taxpayer over ‘unlawful’ privileges, court papers claim (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [1/9/2025 8:00 PM, Neil Johnston, Samaan Lateef, and Nick Gutteridge, 24814K, Neutral]
Tulip Siddiq owes money to the Bangladeshi taxpayer after enjoying "unlawful" privileges provided by her aunt’s despotic regime, court documents claim.
The anti-corruption minister is accused of being part of a "special class" that enjoyed property, security and other benefits to the detriment of the Bangladeshi state, human rights lawyers have told the country’s High Court.
Ms Siddiq, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, is the niece of Sheikh Hasina, 77, the longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh who was ousted last year.
During her 15-year tenure, opponents were attacked, arrested and secretly imprisoned as the regime carried out extrajudicial killings.
Ms Siddiq is under mounting pressure over her ties to Sheikh Hasina and has referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics advisers over claims surrounding her use of properties linked to her aunt’s supporters in London.
Court papers obtained by The Telegraph show that human rights lawyers believe Ms Siddiq and her relatives directly benefited from her aunt’s regime.
A petition to the High Court in Dhaka in August is seeking for the taxpayer to recoup the costs of providing for Sheikh Hasina and her family under controversial security laws.
The legislation, from 2009 and 2021, was passed on the grounds that security was needed for the family and descendants of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh.
However, the petition by Mohammed Muniruzzaman, on behalf of the Human Rights Support Society, argues that the "special benefits" provided were illegal.
It states: "The benefits given to such specified individuals are over and above the benefits and rights available to ordinary citizens.
"The impugned Acts have created a separate class and provided benefits to this class without any legal justification.".
The petition argues that they were wrongly given privileges as a "birthright" and "solely on the basis of the fact they are descendants of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman".
Mr Muniruzzaman states that the benefits were "discriminatory" and that the respondents should be ordered to "repay the cost of the security, benefits and privileges availed under such unconstitutional legislation".
Ms Siddiq is listed as the 10th respondent, while her mother, aunt and other family members are also named in the document, which claims that the laws gave them "lifelong security/protection at all places".
It adds: "The respondent numbers five to 11 have been provided accommodation at the expense of the government, with the taxpayers’ money. This accommodation has been provided to them solely on the basis [that] they are descendants of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.".
The petition asks judges to "order the respondent numbers five to 12 to return to the state the properties and costs of the services, benefits, security and privileges provided to them from 2009 till the present date.".
The papers state that the respondents "obtained unconstitutional and unlawful properties, special privileges, benefits and security under" the law.
"The properties and costs of such unconstitutional and unlawful special privileges, benefits and security (which have been obtained on the taxpayers money) are liable to be returned to the state," it adds.
The petition also claims that security forces were required to collect intelligence to protect the family at the "taxpayers’ expense for which the people of Bangladesh do not derive any benefit". A law passed in 2021 allowed them to make arrests "without a warrant and fire upon" anyone threatening their safety, it claims.
The controversial laws have since been abolished by the country’s interim government.
It is the second court petition in Bangladesh which has accused Ms Siddiq of benefiting from her aunt’s regime.
Last month it emerged that the country’s anti-corruption commission was investigating after Bobby Hajjaj, a senior political opponent of Sheikh Hasina, accused Ms Siddiq of helping to broker a deal with Russia in 2013 that overinflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
Ms Siddiq insists she has "done nothing wrong" and has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus.
In a letter to Sir Laurie, Ms Siddiq wrote: "In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reporting, much of it inaccurate, about my financial affairs and my family’s links to the former government of Bangladesh.
"I am clear that I have done nothing wrong. However, for the avoidance of doubt, I would like you to independently establish the facts about these matters. I will obviously ensure you have all the information you need to do this.".
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has stood by his minister, whose constituency neighbours his own seat.
He said earlier this week he had "confidence" in Ms Siddiq and that she had "acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser".
However, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the list of questions facing Ms Siddiq was "now endless".
He added: "These latest reports raise fresh concerns about her connections with foreign actors and foreign influence, and raise serious issues regarding her wealth and properties, but they are not the first, and seemingly they won’t be the last.
"It is simply not appropriate for Keir Starmer to maintain her as his anti-corruption minister whilst she remains allegedly mired in corruption and sleaze. She should be stood down from the role until the full truth has emerged.". Bangladesh’s Fragile Progress Toward Freedom of Expression (The Diplomat – opinion)
The Diplomat [1/9/2025 6:44 AM, A K M Wahiduzzaman, 857K, Negative]
Khadijatul Kubra, a student at Jagannath University, once dreamed of a future shaped by the power of open dialogue and free expression. But those dreams were shattered when an online interview she conducted with a retired expatriate army officer drew the ire of the Bangladeshi government. The officer’s criticism of the administration landed Kubra in prison under the draconian Digital Security Act. For nearly 16 months, her academic journey was derailed, her freedom stripped away, and her voice silenced.
Kubra’s ordeal is not an isolated case. She is one of over a thousand citizens, journalists, and politicians who fell victim to oppressive laws like the Information and Communication Technology Act, the Digital Security Act, and the Cyber Security Act during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure as Bangladeshi prime minister. These laws suffocated free speech and created a climate of fear, eroding the foundations of Bangladesh’s democracy.
In the wake of Bangladesh’s July uprising, where citizens reclaimed their lost right to free speech, the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus promised to uphold democratic values and human rights.
However, the draft Cyber Security Ordinance, recently approved in principle by the Advisory Council, has raised serious concerns. It not only mirrors the repressive legal frameworks of previous administrations but also threatens to undermine the progress made toward a more open and democratic society.
The draft ordinance was approved without the involvement of all relevant stakeholders or adequate public discussion. This approach to drafting legislation is reminiscent of the authoritarian practices of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. The lack of transparency is troubling, particularly from an interim government that pledged to engage in inclusive governance.
Adding to the opacity, a special adviser assisting the Honorable Advisor of the Ministry of Information and Technology shared controversial provisions of the ordinance on social media through a personal account, even before its official approval and publication. This bypassed official channels for public disclosure and has sparked widespread discontent among stakeholders. Such unprofessional conduct demands accountability and raises questions about the government’s commitment to transparency.
The draft Cyber Security Ordinance offers little substantive difference from the repealed Digital Security Act, aside from minor changes and reduced penalties. Alarmingly, Subsections 1 and 2 of Section 8 grant the Director General of the National Cyber Security Agency unilateral authority to remove or block any information deemed a threat to national solidarity, security, defense, religious values, or public order. This centralized power creates a significant risk of discriminatory practices and abuse of authority to suppress dissent.
Moreover, the ordinance suggests that state law enforcement and government officials will now define and adjudicate matters of national solidarity and religious values. This effectively mirrors the oppressive legal frameworks of past regimes, offering little meaningful change in terms of safeguarding citizens’ rights.
The National Cyber Security Council, as outlined in the draft, remains dominated by government ministers, bureaucrats, and law enforcement officials. Provisions for warrantless arrests and the continuation of unresolved cases under the Digital Security Act and Cyber Security Act further perpetuate the repressive nature of prior laws.
Key definitions are conspicuously absent from the draft, leaving critical issues open to interpretation. For example, the ordinance fails to clearly define types of cybercrimes, online sexual harassment, cyberbullying, online grooming, and personal data. Furthermore, important aspects such as the non-liability of service providers, clear criteria for recognizing experts, and a comprehensive cybersecurity framework are missing. This lack of clarity could lead to arbitrary enforcement and legal uncertainty.
The drafters of the ordinance have conflated three distinct areas: cybersecurity, cybercrime, and content moderation. This conflation results in a confusing and misleading draft that lacks coherence and fails to address the specific needs of each domain. By blurring these boundaries, the ordinance risks creating more problems than it solves, potentially stifling innovation and legitimate online activity.
The draft ordinance also fails to align with recent global developments and best practices. It overlooks key frameworks such as the Global Digital Compact (GDC), announced at the United Nations Summit of the Future on September 22, and the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, adopted by the General Assembly on December 24 last year. By ignoring these critical international standards, the ordinance risks isolating Bangladesh from the global digital community and undermining its commitment to democratic values.
The interim government has a unique opportunity to steer Bangladesh toward a more democratic and inclusive future. However, the current draft of the Cyber Security Ordinance risks squandering this potential by perpetuating the oppressive practices of the past. By engaging in transparent, inclusive, and accountable lawmaking, the government can uphold the democratic ideals for which the people of Bangladesh have fought so hard. Anything less would be a betrayal of their sacrifices and a step backward for the nation’s democratic progress. Nepal court orders bail for politician accused of fraud (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/9/2025 9:52 AM, Staff, 63029K, Negative]
A Nepal court on Thursday granted bail to a former deputy premier once seen as a rising political star after months in custody on fraud charges that his supporters say are politically motivated.Rabi Lamichhane, 50, faces charges of fraud and organised crime related to the alleged embezzlement of funds from a financial cooperative prior to his entry into politics, a case that has garnered national attention."The court has ordered bail of 6.5 million rupees ($47,300) for Rabi Lamichhane," Suraj Adhikari, information officer at the Kaski District Court, told AFP.Lamichhane, who rejects the charges, was arrested in October, triggering several protests by his supporters."The malice and vengeance of the two major ruling parties was clear in their ill-intent of amplifying the discredited charge of cooperatives fraud against Rabi Lamichhane," said lawmaker Swarnim Wagle of Lamichhane’s opposition Rastriya Swatantra Party."They wanted to dent his popularity and weaken the new political movement that RSP is. We are hopeful that he is a step closer to seeing justice eventually prevails," Wagle said.Lamichhane is well known for his career as a television host in the Himalayan republic, making his name as an anti-corruption crusader through aggressive interviews with public officials.He shot to political power in November 2022 with RSP, tapping into widespread discontent at Nepal’s elderly political leadership, becoming the deputy premier and interior minister.But he was sacked in January 2023, after Nepal’s top court barred him from office for failing to regain citizenship after giving up his US passport.He was suspended as a lawmaker in December. No, Sri Lanka’s Tamil question has not been resolved (Al Jazeera – opinion)
Al Jazeera [1/9/2025 12:38 PM, Mario Arulthas, 19588K, Neutral]“They’re trampling on our graves with their boots,” said Kavitha, a Tamil woman, as the torrential rain lashing our faces washed away her tears. Standing barefoot and ankle-deep in mud at the site of a former cemetery in Visuvamadu, Sri Lanka, she was lamenting the adjacent military base built on the graves of fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters, including that of her brother.The LTTE was an armed group dominant in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka that fought to establish an independent Tamil state for nearly three decades, until its definitive defeat and surrender to the Sri Lankan state in 2009. Through the war, the state bulldozed and repurposed many structures belonging to the LTTE, like the cemetery in which Kavitha’s brother was buried, as it recaptured territory from the armed group.On that wet late November day, Kavitha and thousands of others were at the former site of the LTTE cemetery to mark “Maaveerar Naal”- an annual event to commemorate LTTE fighters who died in the decades-long war. And this was not an isolated show of nationalist dedication. According to government figures, the scene at the Visuvamadu cemetery was replicated at more than 200 sites – including universities, places of worship and other former cemeteries – across the entire northeast of Sri Lanka, with tens of thousands in attendance.The level of interest in the 2024 Maaveerar Naal commemorations – equal if not higher than previous years – served as a strong rebuke to less-than-informed Sri Lanka observers who had declared the end of Tamil nationalism in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan elections held, two weeks earlier, on November 14.The National People’s Power (NPP), a left-wing Sinhala coalition, secured a landslide victory, winning 159 seats in Parliament – more than any other party in Sri Lankan history. Importantly, they also won all bar one of the Tamil-majority voting districts in the North-East, leading many outside observers to conclude Tamil dreams for autonomy and independence are fully abandoned.The real political situation in the claimed Tamil homeland, however, is much more nuanced.The NPP rode to power a nationwide wave of anti-establishment sentiment stemming from frustration with persistent economic failings and endemic corruption.The fall of the Rajapaksa family – who had dominated Sri Lankan politics since 2005 – has been stunning. They never received support from Tamils, who have accused former presidents and brothers Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa of genocide. However, in the Sinhala south, they were long perceived as heroes for winning the war against the LTTE.Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the presidency with a landslide just five years ago, in 2019. However, less than three years later, in 2022, he was deposed by a popular uprising in the Sinhala south. Since then, the family rapidly lost all political power in Sri Lanka. In the November 2024 election, their party managed to secure just three seats in Parliament.Gotabaya’s replacement didn’t bring the change that the public demanded either. As a result, this past November the NPP secured a victory that seemingly transcended deep-rooted ethnic divisions in the country. The left-wing coalition managed to win even the coveted Jaffna electoral district – a Tamil nationalist stronghold historically supportive of an independent Tamil state.This came as a shock to many watching Tamil politics from outside and led to some commentators heralding the beginning of the end of Tamil nationalism. Indeed, even some NPP officials themselves interpreted their victory in Jaffna as a rejection of “racism” by Tamils.However, equating the NPP victories in the North-East Province to a widespread rejection of Tamil nationalism is an obvious mistake rooted in laziness and a lack of serious engagement with Tamil politics common among external observers.Anyone with their finger on the pulse of the Tamil street can see the change in the population’s voting preferences in this election had nothing to do with any disillusionment with Tamil nationalism but everything to do with their frustrations with Tamil politicians. The poll results simply showed that Tamils, like every constituency, are pragmatic and take into account both economic interests and political preferences when they cast their vote.Many committed Tamil nationalists and supporters of independence voted for the NPP in the hope that it can deliver a better economy. Others simply wanted to punish established local politicians they perceived as corrupt and incompetent. Moves by the NPP to present itself as a coalition against corrupt political elites also helped move the Tamil vote. Their display at a popular Colombo hangout spot of luxury cars confiscated from various ministries, for example, was a yearned-for slap in the face of the elites. Their initial positive overtures towards Tamils, their messaging against racism and their promises to allow the Maaveerar Naal commemorations and repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, under which many Tamil nationalists are persecuted, all contributed towards their appeal in the North-East.Even Kavitha, a committed Tamil nationalist, admitted to having voted for the NPP. In our conversation at the Maaveerar Naal commemoration, she drew a clear line between her frustrations with the largest Tamil party ITAK, the need to address immediate economic needs, and her vote for the NPP.But the support for the NPP from Tamils like Kavitha is contingent, and already showing cracks. The continuing arrests of Tamils under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for partaking in Maaveerar Naal commemorations are causing frustration and anger. Meanwhile, the deadline for the removal of a military camp in a Tamil town, announced with much fanfare, passed without any indication of action. All this is sending a message to the already cynical Tamil electorate that positive overtures made during the campaign season were nothing but empty gestures.The NPP has never held power and therefore did not have the same baggage as the rulers of the past. This doesn’t mean the NPP does not have baggage. Their main constituent party – The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP, Peoples Liberation Front)- was also proscribed as a “terrorist group” due to their violent uprisings in the 1970s and again in the 1980s, which left tens of thousands of Sinhalese dead. They openly advocated against negotiations with the LTTE and played a significant part in the scuppering of the peace talks in the mid-2000s. While the leadership strikes a different tone now, their current actions indicate that they are either disingenuous or that they will find it difficult to overcome the chauvinist sentiments at the core of the party and their electorate. As has been proven time and time again, if a party in power is seen to be making concessions to the Tamils, this is mobilised against them by the opposition, which affects their performance in the following elections. All major Sinhala parties have engaged in this conduct, including the JVP.All this raises an important point about politics in Sri Lanka and Tamil nationalism. Sri Lanka’s nation-building project is fundamentally rooted in giving primacy to Sinhala Buddhism. Tamils were never accepted as equal citizens, pushed to the periphery through a Colombo-centric approach not only by the state, but also by an unimaginative Tamil elite. Leading Tamil politicians repeatedly conceded longstanding political demands for mere scraps, in return for membership in the Colombo elite. While historically these parties continued to gain support among Tamils, and this election is more likely to be a blip than a wholesale change, Tamil political energy cannot be read solely through electoral politics. Maaveerar Naal, and related memorialisation and protest activities rooted in Tamil nationalist practices are more accurate representations of the political imaginary anchored deep in the Tamil psyche.This Tamil Eelam-centric national life exists beyond the purview of not only the Sri Lankan state, but also Tamil politicians. It will continue to thrive, on and off the island, and pursue its aims through means outside the limitations placed on it by electoral politics. While this government now has the opportunity to take Tamil concerns seriously and address longstanding demands for self-rule, Tamils won’t hold their breath.In order to make progress on these issues, the NPP needs to make use of every day in their five-year term to work, methodically addressing Tamil demands. Low-hanging fruit includes the release of political prisoners, the repeal of the PTA and the release of land occupied by the military. Efforts to change the demographic makeup in the North-East Province through landgrabs, the building of Buddhist temples and the expansion of Sinhala settlements must also be halted at once. Relatives of those forcibly disappeared continue their protests and rejection of state mechanisms that have no recourse to judiciary mechanism. Their concerns must also be treated with seriousness – many have refused to hold last rites for their kin that were handed over to the security forces at the end of the war. Sri Lanka must disclose what it did with the thousands of Tamils it took into custody.Tamils have learned through repeated painful experiences that a political solution will not come from the state. It is because of this broken faith that Tamils look to the international community for justice and accountability. Disrupting this pattern will require that the new government take clear steps towards dismantling the ethnocratic nature of the state and delivering meaningful accountability. Without this, the country’s ongoing divisions will only persist. Central Asia
China aims to deepen Central Asia influence with new railway project (VOA)
VOA [1/9/2025 9:01 AM, William Yang, 2717K, Positive]
A major railway project connecting China and Central Asia is set to begin construction in July, after over two decades of negotiation.
Spanning more than 400 kilometers, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, or CKU, is planned to start in Kashgar City in China’s northwestern Xinjiang autonomous region, pass through the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, continue west through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and end in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan, according to Chinese state media.
Construction of the railway was stalled for more than 20 years by financing and technical issues and attempts by Russia and Kazakhstan to dissuade Beijing from funding the project, some regional observers told VOA.
However, analysts say regime changes in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan since 2016 and Russia’s Ukraine war have paved the way for the three countries to agree on starting the construction.
While Uzbekistan had been concerned with some of the issues that had come up with the project, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s government "is opening up to the project since it has been something that Uzbekistan has been planning for decades," said Temur Umarov, a Central Asia specialist at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, in Berlin.
He said Kyrgyzstan was "skeptical" about the CKU under the previous administration because some political elites benefited from Kyrgyzstan’s geographic advantage of being between China and other Central Asian countries that do not border China. These people would "sell some products from China to those Central Asian countries," he told VOA by phone.
"But the current Kyrgyz president, Sadyr Japarov, has talked about the project since his early days in office and it is one of the most important political projects to his presidency," Umarov added.
In addition to the Uzbek and Kyrgyz governments’ changing attitudes, other experts say the Ukraine war has prompted China and Central Asian countries to seek new transit routes to Europe.
Landlocked Central Asia’s trade mainly goes through Russia and most of China’s trade with Europe under its Belt and Road Initiative also goes through Russia, Edward Lemon, a China-Central Asia relations specialist at Texas A&M University, said.
"All three countries are seeking alternatives, including greater trade among themselves and other routes via Iran and the Middle Corridor across the Caspian Sea. The railway forms part of those routes," he told VOA in a written response.
The Middle Corridor refers to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route that starts in Turkey and passes through the Caucasus region, the Caspian Sea, Central Asia and Western China. It is the shortest route between western China and Europe.
The railway project is one of several railway projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, a global infrastructure project including more than 150 countries and 32 international organizations. In Southeast Asia, China is trying to build the Kunming–Singapore Railway, also known as the Pan-Asia Railway, which would include three routes linking Kunming to Singapore via Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia through connections with previously existing rail lines in those countries.
Under the current plan for CKU, China will build the Chinese section of the railway, and Uzbekistan will focus on upgrading its section. A joint venture authorized by the three countries, CKU Railway Co., will help finance and build the Kyrgyz section of the railway.
Leaders from China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan praised the project prospects last month.
During a Dec. 27 commencement ceremony in the Kyrgyz city of Jalalabad, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory letter that the CKU should be made into a "new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation" that would "contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people’s well-being in the region.".
Kyrgyzstan’s president, Sadyr Japarov, who attended the ceremony, described the project as "a strategic bridge" that will "strengthen inter-regional ties" and enhance Central Asia’s competitiveness as an international transport and transit hub.
In his remarks, read by Deputy Prime Minister for Trade and Investment Jamshid Khodjaev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said CKU would "further expand multifaceted cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership among our countries.".
Umarov said Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan could both benefit from the CKU.
"Uzbekistan used to rely on Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as the middlemen in trade with China but now with the railway, it would be much easier for them to export products to the Chinese market," he told VOA.
"Kyrgyzstan could use the project to resolve its domestic connectivity issues and this will lead to growing economic opportunities in the cities that the railway would go through," he added.
As for China, Umarov thinks the railway project could allow Beijing to "be more present in Central Asia from the trade and economic perspective, which is part of Beijing’s strategy to deepen relations with countries in the region.".
Some Chinese analysts say CKU could also play a crucial role in connecting Asia and Europe. Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China’s state-run tabloid Global Times that CKU "represents a significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation between Asia and Europe, as it will probably offer the shortest route for transporting goods from China to Europe and the Middle East via the China-Europe freight train.".
In addition to increasing presence in Central Asia, experts say China will try to use CKU to promote and advance the BRI, which has struggled to attract more countries.
"The current BRI projects in place are not doing well and some have been facing a lot of delays," said Niva Yau, an expert on China-Central Asia relations at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
"At such a time, signing on this project helps remind people what the BRI is about," she told VOA by phone, adding that the initiation of CKU also helps maintain China’s image as a provider to Central Asia.
Despite these benefits, Yau and Umarov both said there are still some problems facing construction of CKU. "They are building a railway across mountains that requires drilling of tunnels and sophisticated technologies that only China has domestically," Yau said.
"We’re talking about a pathway in Kyrgyzstan, which does not even have [electricity] or waterways or any of those things. Various basic things have not even met the conditions yet," she added.
In addition to technical problems, Umarov said the project could make Kyrgyzstan overindebted to China.
Kyrgyzstan’s debt to China is about one-third of its gross domestic product "and relying more on Chinese investment on this big project will definitely be a big challenge for its economy," he told VOA.
Lemon said while China could boost its image in Central Asia through CKU, Russia may feel further excluded from the region once the project is completed.
"Central Asia’s dependence on Russia as a transit country for trade has been key to its leverage over the region. But in the end, as it is distracted with the war in Ukraine and in desperate need of allies in the region, there isn’t much [Russia] can really do about it," he told VOA. Tajikistan bets on giant dam to solve electricity crisis (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/9/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 1.4M, Neutral]
In a remote village in Tajikistan’s soaring mountains, Muslikhiddin Makhmudzoda relies on a mobile phone to light his modest home as his family spends another winter without electricity.
Makhmudzoda’s three children and wife were sitting huddled together to share the phone’s flashlight in their modest brick home.
A shortage of water needed to fuel hydroelectric plants has led to serious power outages in Tajikistan, a poor former Soviet republic nestled in the Central Asian mountains and surrounded by Afghanistan, China, and fellow ex-Soviet states Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The power crisis is only set to worsen, as Central Asia is hard-hit by climate change.
Amid chronic shortages, Tajikistan has promised it will end the power outages and has revived a Soviet-era mega-project to build the world’s highest dam.
Makhmudzoda’s family spend much of their day without power.
"We have electricity from 5:00 am to 8:00 am and then from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm", the 28-year-old said.
To cope with intermittent power supplies, the family resorts to using a charcoal stove for heating -- a risky choice, since many Tajiks die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year caused by such appliances.
Every year, the impoverished country’s state electricity company Barqi Tojik restricts power supplies starting in September to prevent the system’s collapse during the coldest months.
It says this is an "inevitable measure" as demand has skyrocketed.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the small country’s population has doubled to 10 million, with economic growth steady at around eight percent after decades of stagnation.‘Every centimetre counts’
The rationing is also due to falling water levels in reservoirs used to drive turbines in hydroelectric power plants, which provide 95 percent of Tajikistan’s electricity.
Authorities say "feeble rainfall" means that water levels in the country’s biggest river -- the Vakhsh -- are low.
"Every centimetre of water counts," Barqi Tojik has warned, urging Tajiks to pay their bills to renovate ageing infrastructure.
The average salary in Tajikistan hovers around $190 (180 euros) a month.
But the government is now promising that all these inconveniences will soon be a thing of the past thanks to the construction of a massive dam and plant.
Tajikistan has placed its bets on Rogun, planned to become the most powerful hydropower plant in Central Asia. It is set to have the highest dam in the world at 335 metres (1,100 feet).
When completed, the plant is intended to produce some 3,600 megawatts -- the equivalent of three nuclear power stations.‘Palace of light’
Tajikistan is reviving the colossal project, first planned by the Soviet authorities in 1976, before being abandoned due to the end of communist rule and then the Tajik civil war.
At the site, dozens of bulldozers go up and down the mountains and dozens of kilometres of underground tunnels are equipped with giant turbines.
Some 17,000 people are working on the site which lies west of the capital Dushanbe, in the foothills of the Pamir Mountains.
The site is already partially functioning but it is not known when construction will be finished.
Giant banners showing President Emomali Rahmon -- in power for 32 years -- hang over the construction site.
Rahmon has stressed the importance of the dam, calling it a "palace of light", the "pride of the Tajik nation" and the "construction project of the century".‘Altitude 1,100 metres’
Surrounded by giant machinery, engineer Zafar Buriyev said he was certain the dam would end power cuts.
"Once the construction at Rogun is finished, Tajikistan will completely come out of its electricity crisis," he told AFP.
He stood in what he called "the heart of the dam" in between giant peaks.
"By next summer, this area will be submerged and the water will reach an altitude of 1,100 metres and then eventually 1,300."
Authorities have said the plant will not only generate enough electricity to use domestically, but could supply other Central Asian countries -- and even nearby Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Water resources have long been a source of tension between Central Asian countries as they suffer shortages.
The plant’s technical director Murod Sadulloyev told AFP it will help "reinforce the unified energy system" in Central Asia -- a concept dating back to the USSR that enables the former Soviet republics to exchange water and electricity.
Tajikistan’s neighbours are also working to revive Soviet-era energy projects.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have pledged to build the Kambar-Ata hydroelectric power plant jointly in a mountainous area of Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan’s Rogun project has been criticised for its constantly rising cost -- currently more than $6 billion -- and its environmental impact, while information on Kambar-Ata has been classified as secret.
The Central Asian power plants are being built in the context of dire climatic realities.
According to the UN, Central Asia is "warming more rapidly than the global average". A tale of two Tajikistans: the macro and micro realities (EurasiaNet)
EurasiaNet [1/9/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 57.6K, Neutral]
From 30,000 feet, a recently released International Monetary Fund report suggests that Tajikistan’s economy is flying high. The on-the-ground picture of most citizens’ daily lives looks a lot bleaker.
In its Tajikistan: First Review Under the Policy Coordination Instrument, published on January 6, the IMF gives the Central Asian nation a favorable outlook. “Tajikistan is exposed to external geopolitical risks and climate challenges, but their potential impact is expected to be manageable in the near term,” the report states. “Economic growth is projected to moderate slightly to 6.7 percent for 2025, while the rate of inflation is expected to stay close to the central bank’s target of 6 (±2) percent.”
The report also says the government deficit is projected to be manageable, enabling a reduction of public debt. The IMF report goes on to urge the government to build more of an economic cushion for the economy. “Policies should aim to strengthen resilience against external shocks and address structural constraints to attaining more sustainable and inclusive growth,” it states. “Improving revenue mobilization and spending efficiency is critical to increasing space for development priorities.”
The IMF’s projections are consistent with those offered by other international financial institutions (IFIs), such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB).Tajikistan’s macro outlook contrasts sharply with its micro reality: the statistics tell only part of the story. Economic growth in Tajikistan so far has been far from inclusive. For example, per capita household income in Tajikistan rose 19 percent in 2022 (the last year for which data is available) over the previous year’s level, an impressive gain. But the average per capita income still only amounted to just under $864 in 2022, meaning Tajikistan remains Central Asia’s poorest state by a significant margin.
In addition, remittances from labor migrants working abroad comprise a major portion of most families’ incomes, an indicator that the domestic economy is in suboptimal condition, unemployment is widespread and what economic activity that is occurring benefits only a narrow segment of society.
Official IFI data suggests that roughly a quarter of Tajiks live in poverty. But a Tajik government report issued in the fall of 2024 offered hints that a much larger portion of the population is struggling to meet day-to-day needs. According to that report, the cost of living in Tajikistan is significantly outpacing the available income of many families.
Social data suggests that the quality of life for millions of Tajiks is poor. The World Bank, for instance, reported in 2023 that the country had the highest percentage of inhabitants, roughly 45 percent, lacking access to safe drinking water. Only about a quarter of the country’s rural population were served by “piped water supply services.”“Tajikistan’s water supply sector faces significant challenges due to decades of underinvestment and a lack of proper operation and maintenance,” the World Bank report noted. “According to estimates, Tajikistan will need a minimum investment of $800 million to ensure access to safe water supply services for the whole population by 2030.”
A World Bank report issued in 2024 cautioned that state-controlled companies had too large a role in the country’s economy. Watchdog groups rank the Tajik government as among the most repressive and corrupt in the world. “Wealth and authority are concentrated in the hands of [President Imomali] Rahmon and his family,” Freedom House noted in its most recent summary of Tajikistan in its annual Freedom of the World report.
Instead of investing in infrastructure that can benefit a broad swath of the population, Rahmon’s administration is focusing on developing a megaproject – the Rogun Dam – with IFI assistance. Tajik officials say the dam will improve the quality of life for all Tajiks by ensuring regular electricity supplies. But some watchdog groups say the massive facility has the potential to become a white elephant with the emergence of cheaper wind- and solar-power options.
To raise funds for Rogun construction, Tajik officials started selling Rogun shares to citizens. Many, in particular state-sector workers, report having been pressured to purchase shares. So far, shares worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been sold since the first offering in 2010. But according to an Asia-Plus report, investors have yet to see any dividend payout. Indo-Pacific
World’s largest dam to be built by China raises concerns in India, Bangladesh (VOA)
VOA [1/9/2025 11:40 AM, Anjana Pasricha, 2717K, Neutral]
China’s decision to build the world’s largest hydropower dam on a river that flows into India and Bangladesh has sparked concerns in both countries over the project’s potential impact on millions living downstream.
Beijing last month approved the super dam’s construction — a new potential flashpoint between India and Beijing — on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, which is known as the Brahmaputra River in India. The river plunges some 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) along a section called the "Great Bend" before entering India, offering huge potential to generate power.
China’s Xinhua news agency describes the development as "a safe project that prioritizes ecological protection" and says it would play a major role in meeting the country’s carbon neutrality goals.
But environmentalists in India have flagged concerns about the mega-project in an ecologically sensitive, mountainous region. They say harnessing the river could affect water flow in the country’s northeastern states and Bangladesh.
According to estimates, the planned project would dwarf China’s Three Gorges Dam — the world’s largest — and generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
India is urging China to ensure interests of downstream states aren’t harmed by activities upstream. "We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said last week.
Defending its plans, China says the decision to build the dam was made after rigorous scientific evaluation. "The project will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, geological conditions and the rights and interests related to water resources of downstream countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said earlier this week in response to India’s concerns.
Experts in India and Bangladesh, however, are raising questions about the project. "The region proposed for dam construction is highly susceptible to landslides and is located on a geological fault line that intersects the Yarlung Zangbo," said Y. Nithiyanandam, head of the Geospatial Research Programme at the Bengaluru-based Takshashila Institution.
"Planning a dam of this magnitude in such complex terrain poses significant risks to downstream regions of India and Bangladesh, especially in the event of a mishap or if there is alteration in the water flow.".
The recent earthquake in Tibet that killed at least 126 people has highlighted the region’s vulnerability to such natural disasters, he said. "This is a critical reminder to reassess the proposal for building a mega-dam in such an environment.".
The proposed project’s proximity to a heavily militarized border along India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state, which Beijing has renamed "South Tibet" and claims as its own, is another point of concern.Relations between India and China witnessed a thaw last October after both sides withdrew troops from two contested border areas. But analysts say a lingering mistrust underlies the project.
"The Indian government is on alert," Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday when asked about the Chinese project, according to the Press Trust of India.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Jaiswal said New Delhi had reiterated the need "for transparency and consultation with downstream countries.".
Some analysts say China’s failure to share details, such as environmental impact assessments about the project, exacerbate concerns.
"China acts unilaterally on issues related to trans-boundary rivers that originate in their territory. India, for example, has a treaty with Pakistan for common rivers that flow in both countries," said Srikanth Kondapalli, professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. "There are also questions as to why a dam is being built in a fragile area so close to an area that is contested between the two countries.".
Other analysts point to dams along the Mekong River, which flows from China into Southeast Asia. The dams have led to water scarcity in downstream countries, a fact that Beijing denies.
"When the river crosses two or three countries, it becomes important for them to have a joint look at the project and come to a joint conclusion about how it is to be managed," said Brigadier Arun Sahgal, senior fellow at the Delhi Policy Group. "It is especially important because, in this case, having a dam so close to the border creates a mutual vulnerability for both India and for China.".
India has also planned a dam on the Brahmaputra River that it hopes will help offset the impact of China’s hydropower project. "The Siang dam will be our counter to the Chinese mega-dam. This is a matter of national security," Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein told reporters on Monday.
China’s planned super dam has also raised worries in Bangladesh — where the river flows beyond India — that tens of thousands living along riverbanks could be affected if downstream flow is reduced.
"There would be a huge negative impact in Bangladesh," said Malik Fida Khan, executive director of the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services in Dhaka.
"If there is an obstruction in the flow of the river, it could create water scarcity as well as the flow of nutrient-rich sediment, creating an ecological imbalance," he said. "Riverbank erosion could increase, and this will impact the lives of marginal communities as well as other economic activities in the area.". Twitter
Afghanistan
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 3:24 PM, 247.4K followers, 350 retweets, 1.2K likes]
I love cricket and grew up playing it. I supported Afghanistan’s rise from Division 5 to their first World Cup, back when we followed matches through scorecards. Unfortunately, the team has now become a Taliban propaganda tool and should be boycotted. Here’s why:
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 3:28 PM, 247.4K followers, 27 retweets, 161 likes]
Afghan cricket stars have stayed silent about the Taliban’s ban on women in sports, including dismantling the women’s cricket team. Even though the ICC requires a women’s team, no cricketer spoke up when it was disbanded.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 3:30 PM, 247.4K followers, 25 retweets, 157 likes]
The Taliban knows the team’s massive appeal, especially among Pashtun youth, and exploits it. Players have posed for photos with Haqqani network leaders and attended their private parties and dinners. The Haqqanis are responsible for many suicide bombings targeting civilians.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 3:41 PM, 247.4K followers, 50 retweets, 148 likes]
On August 15, the day the Taliban returned and 20 million Afghan women lost their basic rights, team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and other cricketers released congratulatory messages, celebrating it as “Independence Day.”
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 4:14 PM, 247.4K followers, 14 retweets, 108 likes]
Some argue the team shouldn’t be political, yet when the notorious Haqqani minister was killed, the captain and other players called him a “martyr” and released a message of condolences. The Haqqanis are behind many suicide bombings, killing hundreds of civilians.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 4:18 PM, 247.4K followers, 26 retweets, 113 likes]
When Australia boycotted matches against Afghanistan to protest the Taliban’s women’s rights violations, it should have been a wake-up call. Instead of addressing women’s rights, the players followed the Taliban narrative and criticized Australia’s decision.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 4:43 PM, 247.4K followers, 13 retweets, 99 likes] After Australia’s ban, I told The Guardian that the Taliban is using the team to whitewash their crimes. I hoped other countries would follow—and luckily, they did. England also canceled scheduled matches.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 4:56 PM, 247.4K followers, 18 retweets, 100 likes]
Some argue the team represents our national tricolor flag on international stages. Not true. It’s the ICC that uses the tricolor because they don’t recognize the Taliban. In domestic leagues, not a single player or spectator has upheld the Afghan tricolor—it’s all Talibanistan.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 5:30 PM, 247.4K followers, 13 retweets, 86 likes]
We never expected the cricket stars to take up arms and fight the Taliban. They have wealth, influence, and millions of followers, yet they choose to be complicit in the Taliban narrative instead of standing up for justice and Afghan sportswomen.
Habib Khan@HabibKhanT
[1/9/2025 3:24 PM, 247.4K followers, 11 retweets, 87 likes]
Cricket may bring joy to millions of Afghans, but at what cost? A few hours of entertainment? It comes at the price of normalizing the Taliban and whitewashing their crimes. Pakistan
Imran Khan@ImranKhanPTI
[1/9/2025 4:27 AM, 21M followers, 14K retweets, 23K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Important Conversation with Legal Team and Representatives of Media at Adiala Jail, January 8, 2025“Today marks six weeks since the November 26th Tragedy, and many of our people are still missing. These individuals disappeared from D-Chowk in Islamabad, not from some remote tribal area. The government has neither produced them in court nor taken any serious measures to recover them. This clearly reflects the government’s lack of seriousness regarding our demands and the negotiation process. We have formed a committee, led by Senior Lawyer Qazi Anwar, on the issue of missing persons.
We strongly demand a transparent and independent investigation into November 26th massacre, where live ammunition was fired on our people, martyring 14 and injuring 64. Instead of conducting investigations, the victims are being harassed. For instance, our 17-year-old worker, Anees Shehzad Satti, from Kotli Sattian, was martyred, and his grieving family was harassed to withdraw their case. This is similar to May 9th (2023) when bullets were fired at us, 16 of our people were martyred, and unarmed, peaceful citizens were labeled terrorists. The sanctity of their homes was desecrated, innocent people were unjustly imprisoned, and their lives were devastated. My residence was also vandalized. A transparent judicial commission to inquire into the tragedies of May 9th and November 26th is imperative. I will not let this matter be forgotten until the victims get justice!
My demands are legitimate and justified, but the government is not taking them seriously. I am not allowed to meet members of my party, which is my legal right. If the government does not form a judicial commission until the next meeting, we will discontinue the negotiation process.
I strongly condemn the campaign against Bushra Begum. Everything she’s doing is for my sake. Distractions like the Sangjani rumors are created to divert attention from the real issues. I commend Bushra Begum for reaching D-Square with party workers and supporters. I urge members of my party to raise the issue of our missing persons at every platform.
There was a plan to impose a ten-year dictatorship in Pakistan, of which two years have already passed. Judges or police officers who become a party to oppression are rewarded with promotions here. Judge Humayun Dilawar, who gave an illegal verdict against me was promoted, while judges from Rawalpindi and Sargodha, who gave fair decisions, were dismissed. Such actions have obliterated merit and rule of law in the country.
Economic progress in the country can never happen as long as the current fascist system is in place. Economic prosperity requires investment, which is impossible without institutions adhering to their boundaries and responsibilities as defined by the Constitution. Surging terrorism in the country is causing irreparable damage to the confidence of the investors. Tragically, those responsible for countering terrorism are using all their resources and energy to corner our party. It is time to rise above personal egos and temporary gains and focus on the decency and prosperity of the country”
Hamid Mir@HamidMirPAK
[1/9/2025 11:59 PM, 8.5M followers, 11 retweets, 57 likes]
Donald Bloom revealed that Pakistan’s exports to the U.S grow steadily,reaching more than $6 billion in just the first 10 months of 2024. U.S. companies want to do business here. In 2024, U.S companies provided jobs to more than 120,000 Pakistanis. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2521120/redefining-us-pakistan-relations
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[1/9/2025 1:25 PM, 217.3K followers, 141 retweets, 551 likes]
Today, the TTP abducted 17 people working on a mining project linked to Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission (8 reportedly were rescued). This comes soon after the TTP warned it will start targeting companies run by the military. Pakistan’s security crisis keeps getting worse. India
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[1/9/2025 7:56 AM, 104.6M followers, 3.4K retweets, 20K likes]
The exhibition at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025 programme featured different aspects of India’s history, heritage, cultural connect and more…
Narendra Modi@narendramodi[1/9/2025 7:55 AM, 104.6M followers, 3.3K retweets, 18K likes]
Today, on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, I attended the PBD programme in Bhubaneswar. It is commendable how Odisha is emerging as a vibrant destination for such global events.
Narendra Modi@narendramodi
[1/9/2025 6:30 AM, 104.6M followers, 3.2K retweets, 12K likes]
The Genome India Project marks a defining moment in the country’s biotechnology landscape. My best wishes to those associated with the project.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[1/10/2025 2:13 AM, 3.3M followers, 33 retweets, 235 likes]
Pleased to meet young scholars from Harvard & MIT on an India familiarization tour today on the sidelines of #PravasiBharatiyaDivas2025. Spoke to them about the transformation underway in India, our foreign policy choices, Pravasis and our global image.
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[1/10/2025 1:38 AM, 3.3M followers, 34 retweets, 220 likes]
Delighted to participate in the #PravasiBharatiyaDivas panel on ‘Diaspora Divas: Celebrating woman’s leadership and influence - Nari Shakti’ today. The moderator, eminent ISRO scientist Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava and the Pravasi panelists are truly exceptional role models. Highlighted the Nari Shakti transformation underway in India over the last decade. Do watch https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1gqxvNyXBakxB
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[1/9/2025 12:26 PM, 3.3M followers, 147 retweets, 871 likes]
Witnessed a scintillating performance curated by @iccr_hq this evening at #PBD2025. It vividly brought out how Bharat relates to the world, with the diaspora as a living bridge. #PravasiBharatiyaDivas2025
Dr. S. Jaishankar@DrSJaishankar
[1/9/2025 7:31 AM, 3.3M followers, 94 retweets, 835 likes]
Great to meet our #PBD delegation from USA. #PravasiBharatiyaDiwas2025 #Odisha
Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman
[1/9/2025 9:09 AM, 217.3K followers, 2 retweets, 14 likes]
Indian EAM Jaishankar recently traveled to the US, and US NSA Sullivan was in India earlier this week. What might explain this flurry of high-level US-India diplomacy in the final days of the Biden administration? This week for @ForeignPolicy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/08/india-us-sullivan-trip-diplomacy-biden-trump-modi/ Michael Kugelman@MichaelKugelman[1/9/2025 1:16 PM, 217.3K followers, 1 retweet, 10 likes]
A flurry of final-hour, high-level diplomacy highlights the depth of the U.S.-India partnership—as well as some shakiness as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office for a second time. https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/08/india-us-sullivan-trip-diplomacy-biden-trump-modi/
Richard Rossow@RichardRossow
[1/9/2025 8:33 AM, 29.7K followers, 156 retweets, 491 likes]
A half-year into Modi 3.0, and no progress on the 30 reforms we track as part of our Reforms Scorecard. The slowest start of his three terms. Lots to do- GST improvements, land-labor-legal reforms, more.
Richard Rossow@RichardRossow
[1/8/2025 9:55 AM, 29.7K followers, 1 retweet, 2 likes]
Indian, Maldivian defense ministers hold talks in Delhi. Engagements starting off strong in 2025 after a sometimes-rocky 2024. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2091162 NSB
Tarique Rahman@trahmanbnp
[1/9/2025 2:20 PM, 73.6K followers, 125 retweets, 1.2K likes]
I am deeply grateful to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, for graciously providing transportation and logistics for my mother, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia. On behalf of my family and the people of Bangladesh, I extend our heartfelt thanks for this support. We look forward to fostering lasting, multifaceted ties between Bangladesh and Qatar.
Jon Danilowicz@JonFDanilowicz
[1/9/2025 11:25 AM, 11.4K followers, 18 retweets, 92 likes]
I applaud @RepRoKhanna for reaching out to @ChiefAdviserGoB and having an open discussion of his concerns and the challenges facing Bangladesh. I hope more members of congress engage constructively and visit Bangladesh to see the situation with their own eyes.
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[1/9/2025 5:10 AM, 111.7K followers, 132 retweets, 142 likes]
President Dr @MMuizzu visited fishing vessels at Kooddoo and engaged directly with the fishermen onboard. The fishermen expressed their satisfaction with the Government’s fulfillment of its pledge to ensure payments within 48 hours, highlighting its positive impact on their livelihoods.
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[1/9/2025 10:27 AM, 111.7K followers, 88 retweets, 89 likes]
The President meets with members of GA. Dhevvadhoo Island Council and WDC
The President’s Office, Maldives@presidencymv
[1/9/2025 10:41 AM, 111.7K followers, 88 retweets, 91 likes]
President concludes Huvadhu Atoll visit and returns to Male’
MOFA of Nepal@MofaNepal
[1/10/2025 3:13 AM, 261.1K followers, 4 retweets, 7 likes]
H. E. Mr. Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Nepal paid a courtesy call on Foreign Secretary @amritrai555 today. Bilateral matters pertaining to strengthening Nepal-India relations were discussed during the meeting. @krishnadhakal07
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[1/10/2025 3:29 AM, 144K followers, 2 retweets, 17 likes]
I appointed High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake as the new Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption! This is a crucial step in strengthening our fight against corruption.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake@anuradisanayake
[1/9/2025 6:42 AM, 144K followers, 8 retweets, 115 likes]
This morning (09), two newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal, Mr. K.M.S. Disanayake and Mr. R.P. Hettiarachchi, took their oaths before me at the Presidential Secretariat. Congratulations to both on their new roles! Central Asia
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