epubdos : Afghanistan
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO:
SCA & Staff
DATE:
Monday, January 27, 2025 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Taliban ambassador warns Rubio against bounty threat over Americans detained in Afghanistan (AP)
AP [1/27/2025 3:55 AM, Staff, 456K, Negative]
A Taliban ambassador on Monday warned the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio against making threats after saying he would place bounties on Afghanistan’s rulers for their continued detention of U.S. nationals.

A prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan last week freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure, Khan Muhammad.

The deal to release Ryan Corbett and William McKenty was brokered by Joe Biden ‘s administration before he left office. But two more Americans, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, remain in Taliban custody. The Taliban have not revealed how many foreigners are behind bars.

“Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported,” Rubio said in a post on X Saturday. “If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on (Osama) bin Laden.”

The Taliban’s ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, said it was the policy of the Afghan government to resolve issues peacefully through dialogue, and he fired a warning shot at Rubio.

“In the face of pressure and aggression, the jihad (struggle) of the Afghan nation in recent decades is a lesson that everyone should learn from.”

The Taliban fought U.S. and NATO forces for two decades, eventually returning to power in August 2021 amid a deadly and chaotic withdrawal of foreign troops. Shaheen was part of the Taliban’s negotiating team in Doha to secure a peace deal for Afghanistan.

He said the recent release of another foreigner, Canadian David Lavery, from an Afghan jail had been achieved through mediation by the “friendly country of Qatar” and positive interactions with the Taliban government on such cases.

Earlier Monday, Canada’s foreign minister, Melanie Joly, said she had spoken with Lavery upon his arrival in Qatar.

“He is in good spirits,” Joly wrote on X, thanking Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for helping facilitate Lavery’s release.
Rubio Threatens Bounties On Taliban Leaders Over Detained Americans (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/26/2025 12:53 AM, Shaun Tandon, 9355K, Negative]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened bounties on the heads of Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders, sharply escalating the tone as he said more Americans may be detained in the country than previously thought.

The threat comes days after the Afghan Taliban government and the US swapped prisoners in one of the final acts of former president Joe Biden.

The new top US diplomat issued the harsh warning via social media on Saturday, in a rhetorical style strikingly similar to his boss, President Donald Trump.

"Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported," Rubio wrote on X.

"If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on bin Laden," he said, referring to the al-Qaeda leader killed by US forces in 2011.

Rubio did not describe who the other Americans may be, but there have long been accounts of missing Americans whose cases were not formally taken up by the US government as wrongful detentions.

In the deal with the Biden administration, the Taliban freed the best-known American detained in Afghanistan, Ryan Corbett, who had been living with his family in the country and was seized in August 2022.

Also freed was William McKenty, an American about whom little information has been released.

The United States in turn freed Khan Mohammed, who was serving a life sentence in a California prison.

Mohammed was convicted of trafficking heroin and opium into the United States and was accused of seeking rockets to kill US troops in Afghanistan.

The United States offered a bounty of $25 million for information leading to the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden shortly after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, with Congress later authorizing the secretary of state to offer up to $50 million.

No one is believed to have collected the bounty for bin Laden, who was killed in a US raid in Pakistan.

Trump is known for brandishing threats in his speeches and on social media. But he is also a critic of US military interventions overseas and in his second inaugural address Monday said he aspired to be a "peacemaker."

In his first term, the Trump administration broke a then-taboo and negotiated directly with the Taliban -- with Trump even proposing a summit with the then-insurgents at the Camp David presidential retreat -- as he brokered a deal to pull US troops and end America’s longest war.

Biden carried out the agreement, with the Western-backed government swiftly collapsing and the Taliban retaking power in August 2021 just after US troops left.

The scenes of chaos in Kabul brought strong criticism of Biden, especially when 13 American troops and scores of Afghans died in a suicide bombing at the city’s airport.

The Biden administration had low-level contacts with Taliban government representatives but made little headway.

Some members of Trump’s Republican Party criticized even the limited US engagements with the Taliban government and especially the humanitarian assistance authorized by the Biden administration, which insisted the money was for urgent needs in the impoverished country and never routed through the Taliban.

Rubio on Friday froze nearly all US aid around the world.

No country has officially recognized the Taliban government, which has imposed severe restrictions on women and girls under its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Thursday said he was seeking arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders over the persecution of women.
They Were Waiting for Flights. Then Trump Closed a Door for Afghan Allies. (New York Times)
New York Times [1/25/2025 4:14 PM, David Zucchino and Zia ur-Rehman, 831K, Neutral]
Nasir, a legal adviser to the Afghan Air Force during the war, helped approve airstrikes against Taliban fighters. He is still in Afghanistan, where he has lived in hiding since the Taliban takeover in 2021 while awaiting approval to resettle in the United States.

He had passed background checks and needed only a medical exam to finish the process, he said. But this past week, he and tens of thousands of other Afghans found their paths to the United States blocked by an executive action signed by President Trump.

The order suspended a resettlement program that brings thousands of legal refugees to the country each year. Among the many now in limbo are Afghans who assisted the American war effort and are seeking a new start and a sense of security in the United States.

Nasir, a former lieutenant colonel who asked that his full name not be used, wrote in a text message that Mr. Trump had “not only disregarded the interests of Afghans in this decision, but also failed to consider the interests of the United States.”

“How can the world and America’s allies rely on the U.S. government?” he added.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, in place since 1980, allows legal immigration for vetted people who have fled their home countries because of persecution, war or other threats. In suspending the program, Mr. Trump said that continuing it would burden communities that were not equipped to handle refugees.

Mr. Trump’s order, titled, “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” takes effect on Monday. It says that the secretary of state and the homeland security secretary may admit refugees on a case-by-case basis, but only if they determine that it is “in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.”

The order does not specify when the suspension will end, saying that it will continue “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.”

At least 40,000 Afghans were pursuing resettlement in the United States before the order was issued on Monday and refugee flights were halted the next day, according to #AfghanEvac, a coalition of 250 groups working to help Afghans immigrate.

The suspension is particularly devastating for the 10,000 to 15,000 Afghans who, according to #AfghanEvac, had been fully vetted and were preparing for flights. It is also a severe blow to an estimated 200 active-duty U.S. service members who are trying to get their families out of Afghanistan.

A U.S. Army paratrooper at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, who asked to be identified by his code name, Mojo, said he had spent the past year helping his sister and her husband apply for refugee status to enter the United States from Afghanistan.

Mojo, 26, was an interpreter for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He said he joined the U.S. Army two years ago after leaving Afghanistan in 2021 under a program that grants visas to Afghans who directly served the U.S. military or government.

His sister and brother-in-law, both physicians, are in hiding, fearing retribution from the Taliban because of Mojo’s military service, he said. They recently completed the lengthy refugee vetting process and were approved to resettle in the United States, he said. All that remained was to arrange a flight out of Afghanistan.

“We were so close to bringing them to safety — and suddenly it all got shut down,” Mojo said by phone from Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, where he serves in the 82nd Airborne Division.

When his sister heard the news, Mojo said, “she started crying — and I started crying with her.”

Shawn VanDiver, the president of #AfghanEvac, called the executive order a betrayal of Afghans who supported the U.S. government or military.

“Everyone is frozen in place — it’s heartbreaking,” he said in a phone interview.

Among those thrust into uncertainty are former members of the Afghan military and security forces, as well as judges and lawyers involved in prosecutions of Taliban members. Some of the judges and lawyers are women, who have been persecuted by the Taliban.

Mr. VanDiver said that suspending the resettlement program did not address the problem of illegal entry by migrants at the southern U.S. border — a focus of Mr. Trump’s campaign. Individuals in the program cannot apply by themselves, but must be referred by U.S. government agencies or designated nongovernmental partners.

“Failing to protect our Afghan allies sends a dangerous message to the world: that U.S. commitments are conditional and temporary,” Mr. VanDiver said.

Hundreds of thousands of the Afghans who fled after the Taliban takeover landed in neighboring Pakistan. Large numbers live in the capital, Islamabad, where they have pursued resettlement in the United States and other Western countries through the embassies and refugee agencies there.

Many fear that they will be deported back to Afghanistan now that their pathway to the United States has been cut off. Pakistan has already expelled hundreds of thousands of Afghans because of rising tensions with the Taliban.

“For three years, we endured relentless harassment from Pakistani authorities,” said Ihsan Ullah Ahmedzai, a journalist who worked with U.S.-funded media outlets in Kabul, the Afghan capital, before fleeing to Islamabad in 2021. “But we remained hopeful that we would soon leave for the United States,” he added.

That optimism is now gone. “Trump’s order felt like a bombshell,” Mr. Ahmedzai said. “It shattered our hopes and left us vulnerable to danger once again.”

Noor Habiba, who worked with a U.S.-funded women’s rights group in Kabul before fleeing with her husband and two daughters to Islamabad, said she had hoped until now to make it to the United States in February or March.

“We cannot go back to Afghanistan,” Ms. Habiba said. “There is nothing left for women to live for under Taliban rule.”

Advocates for immigrants are worried that Afghans already in the United States could also be at risk. Migrants allowed into the country under Biden administration programs could be deported quickly with powers that Mr. Trump is giving to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times.

After the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Biden administration began a program allowing 76,000 evacuated Afghans to enter the United States for humanitarian reasons, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

As of 2023, more than 90,000 Afghans had settled in the United States, according to Mustafa Babak, an Emerson Collective fellow who is a resettlement expert.

The number of refugees from Afghanistan and other countries admitted under the U.S. resettlement program has fluctuated wildly under Democratic and Republican administrations.

Under President Barack Obama, 85,000 refugees were admitted in total in 2016. In 2020, the last year of Mr. Trump’s first term, the number reached a low of 11,000. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. revived the program, admitting 100,000 refugees last year, the most in three decades.

The program requires applicants to undergo a demanding screening process that includes background checks by the F.B.I. and other agencies, biometric screenings, medical exams, interviews and multiple security reviews.

Zahra, a U.S. Army sergeant, said that five immediate family members who are in hiding in Afghanistan had made it partway through that process when the executive order froze them in place.

She said she had come to the United States from Afghanistan on an academic scholarship in 2016. She enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2021, she said.

“My family is very stressed,” Zahra, 30, who asked that her full name not be published, said in a text message. “We have been hanging to the little hope we had been given.”

She added, “This pause on evacuation flights takes that little hope away and leaves them with a future full of uncertainty.”

Mojo, the U.S. Army paratrooper, said he had feared that Mr. Trump would block resettlement of other refugees, but had believed that he would exempt Afghan allies because of their support of the U.S. mission.

“I still have hope” for an exemption, he said. “I mean, he is my commander in chief.”
Flights halted for Afghans approved for special US visas, advocate and official say (Reuters)
Reuters [1/25/2025 8:31 PM, Jonathan Landay, 48128K, Neutral]
President Donald Trump’s foreign aid pause has forced a suspension of flights for more than 40,000 Afghans approved for special U.S. visas and at risk of Taliban retribution, a leading advocate and a U.S. official said on Saturday.

Most of those stranded are in Afghanistan and the rest are in Pakistan, Qatar and Albania, said Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, the main coalition of veterans and advocacy groups working with the U.S. government to evacuate and resettle Afghans who worked for the United States during the 20-year war.

The stoppage was triggered by Trump’s order to halt foreign development aid for 90 days pending a review of efficiencies and consistency with his "America First" foreign policy.

Experts and advocacy groups say the foreign aid pause has led to chaos in U.S. and international aid operations and halted nutrition, health, vaccination and other programs.

The order also triggered a suspension by the State Department of funds for groups that help Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to find housing, schools and jobs in the U.S.

Trump promised an immigration crackdown during his victorious 2024 reelection campaign.

VanDiver said he does not believe that the flight suspension was intentional.

"We think it was a mistake," he said.

He said he hoped the administration would grant exemptions to the orders for Afghans approved for SIVs because they worked for the U.S. government during the war that ended in the final U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

"They fought alongside us. They bled alongside us," said VanDiver, who added that tens of thousands of other Afghans are waiting for SIV applications to be processed.

The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Reports by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan say the Taliban have detained, tortured and killed former soldiers and officials of the prior U.S.-backed government. The Taliban issued a general amnesty for former troops and government officials and deny the allegations.

The flight suspension has stranded more than 40,000 Afghans, including SIV holders who have been waiting to fly to the U.S. from visa processing centers in Qatar and Albania, said VanDiver and the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

That number also includes Afghans approved for SIVs who have been waiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan to be put on U.S.-funded flights to the Doha and Tirana processing centers to receive their visas, they said.

Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. on SIVs or as refugees since the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal.

In a separate executive order that he signed hours after his inauguration on Monday, Trump suspended all U.S. refugee resettlement programs.

That order resulted in hundreds of Afghan refugees losing their seats on flights, including family members of active-duty Afghan American military personnel, former Afghan soldiers and unaccompanied children.
Trump aid freeze strands Afghan visa holders in Albania (Reuters)
Reuters [1/26/2025 11:07 AM, Fatos Bytyci and Florion Goga, 48128K, Neutral]
Ali Amini was just days from starting a new life in the United States when President Donald Trump halted aid for resettling Afghan refugees last week, a move that Amini worries could put his life in danger if forced to return home.

After processing in Albania, he had a flight booked for Tuesday and his bags were packed when Trump suspended state aid needed to transport tens of thousands of Afghans who have been granted visas.

"I don’t know if we will ever get on that plane and, if so, whether it will go to Kabul or the United States," Amini said from Shengjin, a coastal town in northern Albania where he is sheltering along with 300 compatriots.

Trump’s pause on foreign aid has led to the suspension of flights for over 40,000 Afghans approved for special U.S. visas and at risk of Taliban retribution, Shawn VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups, told Reuters on Saturday.

Amini arrived in Albania more than a month ago and had secured visas in Tirana, the capital, for his wife and three children, the youngest being six months old.

Following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, thousands who worked for the U.S. army or other organizations were processed in Albania and granted visas before travelling to the United States.

Upon hearing the news from Trump, Amini’s wife was moved to tears while their children have become anxious about the future.

After working as a locksmith for U.S. troops before their withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Amini lived in hiding for three years for fear of Taliban reprisals.

"If we return, they will kill us because, to the Taliban, we are essentially Americans and their number one enemies, as we worked shoulder to shoulder with the Americans.".

‘LAST PLANE”

Most of those affected by Trump’s decision are stranded in Afghanistan, with others in Pakistan, Qatar and Albania, VanDiver said.

The order also prompted the State Department to suspend funding for groups that assist Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) in finding housing, schools, and jobs in the U.S.

Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. with SIVs or as refugees since 2021. Trump’s victorious 2024 reelection campaign included promises of strict immigration policies.

In Shengjin, children play soccer and write their names in the sand on the beach, while their parents anxiously check phones for news. Among whispers, Trump’s name is mentioned.

Sadat, 27, arrived on Thursday after travelling from Kabul to Dubai, then Kuwait, Istanbul, and finally Tirana, with a group of about 130 people.

"My friends in Kabul tell me I am lucky, as that might have been the last plane with people like us," said Sadat, noting that he was informed on Saturday of a visa interview scheduled for the following week.

"Things are changing every hour, and the wait until next week feels like a lifetime. I am so worried," Sadat added.

Reports by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan indicate the Taliban have detained, tortured, and killed former soldiers and officials of the previous U.S.-backed government. The Taliban have issued a general amnesty for former troops and government officials but deny these allegations.

"We cannot return to Afghanistan because, for the Taliban, we are already in America and will be treated as spies," explained Sadat.

"Mr. Trump, do not send us to the butchers’ knives in Kabul," pleaded another Afghan, whose visa expires in two weeks.
Britain rules out resettling Afghans abandoned by Trump (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [1/26/2025 6:12 PM, Samaan Lateef, 24814K, Negative]
Britain has ruled out resettling hundreds of Afghan refugees left stranded after Donald Trump blocked all flights into the US.

More than 1,500 refugees cleared for entry into the US have been left in limbo in Pakistan after they fled the Taliban when they returned to power.

They have pleaded with Britain to open its doors so they can escape from Pakistan where they are facing harassment which they say is linked to rising tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Many of the refugees worked closely with US forces or Western agencies during the two-decade war in Afghanistan, leaving them vulnerable to Taliban retribution if they return home.

This crisis is compounded by the worsening conditions for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, where many face exploitation.

Hopes of reaching the US were dashed this week after President Trump suspended the US refugee admissions programmes and cancelled all refugee flights into the country as part of a wider crackdown on migration.

Masood Jan, who worked with the U.S. military through ANHAM FZCO in Kunduz and for the UK’s ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) as a private contractor said he had been scheduled to board a flight to the US this month.

"We are trapped," he told The Telegraph, from the garrison town of Rawalpindi in Pakistan.

"I cannot return to Afghanistan because the Taliban will kill me, and now the US has closed its doors. My only hope is the UK, where I pray we’ll be given a chance to start over.".

The Telegraph understands that British authorities are set to turn down their pleas for relocation.

Maissam Saee, 30, another refugee who assisted the US Army Corps of Engineers in Kabul, said: "I have a special immigration visa, but the ban seems to have put our future in limbo.

"The UK is our last hope. We risked everything to support the West, and now we’re left with nothing. I hope the British government will not turn its back on us.".

Saee, a graduate in business administration from Kabul University, has contacted his friend Zabiullah in London for help to get into the UK.

"I have heard English people have a human heart and my friend, who was living with me in Pakistan, landed in London last year," he said.

"Taliban have raided my house in Kabul multiple times, looking for me. If I go back, they will kill me for working for the US military," Saee added.

Jan recounted harrowing experiences in Kunduz, where he was twice arrested by the Taliban after their takeover.

"The first time, I gave them my car to secure my release. The second time, the Taliban were taking me to Pul-e-Charkhi prison when I paid $7,000 to escape," he said.

"To the Taliban, I am an enemy because I worked for the US and UK agencies. My life and my family’s lives are constantly at risk.".

Jan said refugees in Pakistan are forced to pay bribes to avoid being detained by police, and returned to their home country.

He said: "Pakistan doesn’t want us here, and Afghanistan is a death sentence. We have nowhere to go.

"We sacrificed our families for the Nato forces and worked for global peace but we are now being punished for it. We have been abandoned.".

The US resettled more than 180,000 Afghans following its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, but thousands remain in limbo, awaiting decisions on their resettlement applications.

Shawn VanDiver, the founder and president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of organisations that has been working to bring Afghan allies to safety since the end of the war in 2021, said the lives of these refugees hang in the balance.

"It sends a message to our allies around the world that we’re with you until it’s inconvenient, or with you until our administration changes," he said. "They need to be able to trust the word that our diplomats and our service members give to them.".

An open letter from #AfghanEvac to the Trump administration and leaders in Congress, which urged the continuation of resettling Afghan allies to the US, received more than 700 signatures, including more than 400 veterans, according to the organization.

The situation has also drawn warnings from international humanitarian organisations.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, recently cautioned against the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees.

"They are returning to a country devastated by unemployment, hunger, and human rights abuses—the very reasons they fled in the first place," he said.
US military personnel in Germany conclude support role in Afghan SIV program (Stars and Stripes)
Stars and Stripes [1/26/2025 10:03 AM, Lara Korte, 1129K, Neutral]
The last Afghan special immigrant visa applicants housed at Rhine Ordnance Barracks have departed, effectively ending the involvement of the U.S. military in Germany in their resettlement, according to an American advocate with knowledge of the situation.

The advocate, who was granted anonymity to speak about sensitive matters, said the Army base in the sprawling Kaiserslautern Military Community shed its role in the process before President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Afghan assistance efforts at ROB were winding down anyway, with a contract between the Pentagon and KBR Services, a U.S.-based firm that handles logistics and coordination for evacuating Afghans through Germany, due to expire Feb. 15.

In the wake of the Taliban’s 2021 return to power amid the withdrawal of American forces, the federal government and various advocacy groups have been working to give Afghan supporters of the U.S. forces during the war a path to immigrate legally.

That was accomplished through the SIV program. But because the U.S. lacks a diplomatic presence in Kabul, Afghans must first travel to third-party countries for processing before they can be granted new lives in America.

In addition to Germany, Albania and Qatar have also been used to evacuate Afghans.

Special immigrant visas are available to Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the nearly 20-year war in roles such as interpreters, drivers and advisers. Because of their former affiliation, they face an increased risk of retaliation from the Taliban.

In the initial stages of evacuation, after the U.S.-backed Afghan administration collapsed in the summer of 2021, both Ramstein Air Base and Rhine Ordnance Barracks were used as support sites for the applicants.

Resettlement work later was stopped at both installations but resumed solely at ROB in 2023.

Eligible Afghans were flown to Kaiserslautern and sheltered in containerized housing units along a stretch of the autobahn A6 until they were ready to depart, having secured their special immigrant visa.

The last Afghan SIV seeker at the base left sometime in early to mid-January, the American advocate said.

The State Department declined to answer questions about the recent SIV assistance efforts in Kaiserslautern, citing a need to protect the privacy of those involved.

Since 2021, the overall operation has resettled more than 180,000 Afghans, according to the State Department.

With Germany no longer playing a role in the process, the Philippines has joined the mix of third-party countries taking in Afghan SIV applicants.

But headwinds in Washington have added to the applicants’ travails.

A recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump halting foreign aid suspended the Afghan SIV program, according to #AfghanEvac, a nonprofit coalition spearheading the effort.

The order has stranded thousands of Afghan families abroad because the State Department can’t book flights for the SIV seekers, according to the group.

Also, services at third-country platforms have been halted, as have federal assistance to newly arrived SIV holders and support in finding housing and enrolling their children in school, the group said.
Iran’s foreign minister meets the Taliban in the first visit to Kabul in 8 years (AP)
AP [1/26/2025 8:57 AM, Staff, 2717K, Neutral]
Top Taliban officials met Iran’s foreign minister Sunday to discuss tensions along their shared border, the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran and water rights.

It was the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to the Afghan capital since 2017.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was committed to the return of some 3.5 million Afghan refugees and had no intention of interfering in its neighbor’s domestic politics, according to a statement from the Afghan government’s deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat.

He also called for the full implementation of the Helmand River water treaty, which envisions shared water resources, the statement said.

Acting Prime Minister Hassan Akhund asked Iran to treat Afghan refugees with respect and said it was not feasible to manage a large-scale repatriation within a short period. He also said incidents such as the execution of Afghans in Iran provoked public sentiment.

Araghchi also met Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.

Earlier Sunday, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Araghchi as saying he hoped for more economic ties and improved relations with Afghanistan, citing some "ups and downs.".

Iran doesn’t formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which seized power in 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country following two decades of war.

But Tehran maintains political and economic ties with Kabul and has allowed the Taliban to manage Afghanistan’s Embassy in Iran’s capital.
Iran, Afghanistan call for more ties in high-level Kabul talks (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/26/2025 11:35 AM, Staff, 57114K, Neutral]
Iran and Afghanistan called for increased cooperation during a trip to Kabul on Sunday by Tehran’s foreign minister, the highest-level Iranian official to visit the Afghan capital since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Taliban government Prime Minister Hassan Akhund during a one-day visit to discuss relations between the neighbouring countries that spar over issues including migration and water resources.

The two sides covered economic cooperation, the situation of Afghan migrants in Iran, border issues and water rights, an Afghan foreign ministry statement said.

Araghchi praised the countries’ economic, trade and political relations in his talks with Muttaqi, according to an Iranian statement, adding he hoped that "during this trip we will be able to further expand the ties in line with the national interests of both sides", emphasising security and economic arenas.

Muttaqi "expressed hope that (Araghchi’s) visit to Kabul would create further momentum in relations between the two countries and they would enter a new phase of bilateral relations", the Afghan foreign ministry said.

Many countries closed their embassies in Kabul or downgraded diplomatic relations after the Taliban takeover that ousted the US-backed government, but Iran has maintained active diplomatic ties with Afghanistan’s new rulers, though it has yet to officially recognise the Taliban government.

Several Iranian delegations have visited Afghanistan over the years, including a parliamentary delegation in August 2023 to discuss water rights.

Water and migration

Tensions between the countries have intensified in recent years over water resources and the construction of dams on the Helmand and Harirud rivers.

Araghchi said the issues of water and migration demanded expanded cooperation and called for the full implementation of bilateral water treaties, according to an Afghan foreign ministry statement.

Muttaqi said the region was suffering from climate change-induced drought and that Taliban authorities were "trying to ensure that water reaches both sides" of the Iran-Afghanistan border.

Muttaqi and Akhund also called for the situation of Afghan migrants in Iran to be improved and for their "dignified" return to Afghanistan.

Afghans returning from Iran have accused Iranian authorities of harassment, wrongful deportation and physical abuse.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran is repatriating illegal nationals to their country "in a respectful manner".

Iran shares more than 900 kilometres (560 miles) of border with Afghanistan, and the Islamic republic hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world -- mostly Afghans fleeing decades of war.

The flow of Afghan immigrants has increased since the Taliban took power.

Iranian media announced in September the building of a wall along more than 10 kilometres of the eastern border with Afghanistan, the main entry point for migrants.

Officials said at the time that additional methods to fortify the border including barbed wire and water-filled ditches to counter the "smuggling of fuel and goods, especially drugs", and to prevent "illegal immigration".
Afghan Taliban supporters rally against ICC arrest warrant requests (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/26/2025 4:58 AM, Staff, 63029K, Negative]
Some 200 Taliban supporters rallied in central Afghanistan on Sunday against the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders.

The rally followed the announcement by the ICC on Thursday that chief prosecutor Karim Khan was seeking arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani over the persecution of women.

The Taliban government has imposed a raft of restrictions on women and girls, which the United Nations has described as "gender apartheid", since sweeping back to power in 2021.

Demonstrators in Ghazni city condemned Khan’s move, chanting slogans that included "Death to America" and "long live the Islamic Emirate" -- the Taliban authorities’ name for their government.

"We have gathered here to show the West that their decision is cruel and rejected by Afghans," said Ghazni resident Noorulhaq Omar.

"It will never be accepted because the Afghan nation will sacrifice their life for their emir," he said, referring to Akhundzada.

Hamidullah Nisar, Ghazni province’s head of the information and culture department, joined residents at the rally.

"We totally reject what the ICC has said against the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, and we want them to take back their words," he said.

Most demonstrations have been suppressed in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, with the exception of those by the authorities’ supporters.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government dismissed Khan’s arrest warrant requests on Friday as "politically motivated".

Rights groups and activists have praised the ICC move.
Canadian Ex-soldier Detained By Afghan Taliban Govt Freed (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/26/2025 8:00 PM, Staff, 2717K, Neutral]
A Canadian ex-soldier detained by the Taliban government in Afghanistan was freed on Sunday after over two months of imprisonment in a deal brokered by Qatar, a source with knowledge of the release told AFP.

David Lavery was detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul in November 2024 and had made headlines three years earlier helping in the evacuation of Afghans during the withdrawal of US and allied forces from the country.

"Lavery has been released from Afghanistan and is now in Doha, Qatar," the source said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, adding his freedom "was secured following a request from the Canadian government to Qatar."

"Qatari mediators coordinated with senior Canadian officials and utilised their contacts in Afghanistan to dispatch a medical team to Kabul to assess Lavery’s condition and provide care, while also facilitating contact between Lavery and his family," the source said.

"Following a breakthrough in the talks, Mr Lavery (is) in Doha now united with his family. He underwent a medical assessment upon his arrival," the source added.

"I just spoke with David Lavery upon his safe arrival in Qatar from Afghanistan," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a post on X.

"He is in good spirits," she added, thanking Qatar for helping to obtain his release.

In 2021, Lavery helped an estimated 100 Afghans flee Kabul during the chaotic withdrawal of US and allied forces.

He spent decades in the Canadian military and is said to have been a key member of its elite Joint Task Force 2 special operations unit.

More recently, Lavery has reportedly operated a private security firm in Kabul.

The former soldier’s release follows the liberation last week by the Taliban government of two US citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, another deal brokered by Qatar.

Ryan Corbett, who had been detained in 2022, and William McKenty were released in exchange for Khan Mohammed, who was convicted of narco-terrorism by a US court.

The Afghan foreign ministry said Mohammed was "an Afghan fighter" who had been "imprisoned in America."

At least two other US citizens are believed to remain in detention in Afghanistan, former airline mechanic George Glezmann and naturalized American Mahmood Habibi.

Gas-rich Qatar hosted Taliban representatives during years of peace talks with the United States leading up to the 2021 withdrawal and in recent years has hosted rounds of Afghan dialogue which the Taliban authorities joined in June 2024.
Pakistan
Taliban conditionally agree to allow Afghan girls to study in Pakistan (VOA)
VOA [1/25/2025 11:23 AM, Ayaz Gul, 2717K, Neutral]
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan reportedly have agreed to allow female students to pursue higher education in Pakistan, provided that their male guardians also are granted visas to accompany them, according to officials privy to the understanding.

The revelation comes as hundreds of Afghan students took entrance examinations on Saturday to secure admission to graduate, postgraduate and Ph.D. programs in Pakistani universities.

Officials reported that Afghan refugees living in Pakistan attended designated centers in the cities of Peshawar and Quetta to take their exams, while students in Afghanistan are scheduled to participate online over the next few days.

Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, announced in the lead-up to the tests that nearly 21,000 Afghan candidates, including more than 5,000 females, had submitted their applications for the upcoming summer academic sessions. His office reported "a significant turnout" of Afghan students at the designated test centers on Saturday but did not provide specific numbers.

The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan is conducting entrance tests to select up to 2,000 Afghan students, with one-third of the selected candidates being female.

Pakistan expressed its "profound gratitude" to the Kabul government "for agreeing to allow successful female candidates to pursue their education, provided that their mahrams [chaperones] are granted visas to accompany them," said a government official in Islamabad, requesting anonymity due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly with the media.

The official stated that visas would be issued to chaperones "to allow them to accompany female students, as mandated by Afghan law," to study in Pakistani institutions.

The Taliban did not immediately comment on Pakistani assertions that they would let Afghan girls pursue higher education in the neighboring country.

Pakistan offers fully funded scholarships to thousands of students from its war-ravaged, poverty-stricken neighbor. The program for female students was halted, however, after the hardline Taliban regained power in 2021 and banned girls’ education past the sixth grade. They also prohibited Afghan women from traveling or flying without a chaperone.

The Higher Education Commission website states that the scholarship program is designed to foster stronger ties with Afghanistan by providing high-quality education to Afghan students in diverse fields, including medicine, engineering, agriculture, management and computer science.

The entrance examinations for Afghan students come amid bilateral tensions that have escalated lately over allegations that anti-Pakistan armed groups are using Afghan territory to launch cross-border terrorist attacks. The Taliban deny claims of allowing or sheltering foreign militants that threaten neighboring countries.

After assuming office last month, Sadiq visited Afghanistan, where he held extensive talks with Taliban leaders on ways to stabilize bilateral political, security and trade cooperation. He described his meetings with de facto Afghan officials as productive but did not elaborate.

The envoy, while addressing a gathering of Afghan and Pakistani civil society and trade representatives in Islamabad this week, said the two countries are collaborating closely to reduce tensions and enhance economic ties and trade. In addition, he said they are trying to strengthen people-to-people connections through cooperation in education and other sectors.

Since sweeping back to power 3½ years ago, the Taliban have instituted sweeping restrictions on Afghan women, barring most of them from seeking public and private sector employment and requiring they cover their faces in public.

The United Nations has labeled the curbs as "gender apartheid" and persistently demanded their reversal. The Taliban defend their governance as being in line with Islamic law, or Sharia, and Afghan culture, rejecting criticism and calls for reversing their policies.
World Bank Urges Pakistan to Double Investment to Boost Growth (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [1/26/2025 2:13 AM, Kamran Haider, 21617K, Positive]
Pakistan must simplify regulations and make its economic outlook predictable to attract more investment and significantly spur growth, according to a senior official from the World Bank.

The South Asian country can see its annual growth rate accelerate to as much as 8% if it doubles investment and better utilizes its assets and human capital, Martin Raiser, the bank’s vice president for South Asia, said in an interview in Islamabad on Friday.

“If you invest 12% of gross domestic product, don’t expect miracles,” he said. “You’re not going to grow. It’s as simple as that.”

Pakistan’s average investment-to-GDP ratio has fallen below 15% in recent years, the lowest in the region, data from the finance Ministry show. The country’s economy is forecast to grow 3% this year, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The Washington-based lender last week approved a 10-year partnership framework for Pakistan, which, Raiser says, is meant to help the government make the country’s business climate more stable.

Pakistan’s economy has faced successive boom-and-bust cycles after imbalanced and unsustainable fiscal policies caused funding shortages for critical sectors, including health and education, with almost half of government revenue being spent on debt repayment and defense. The nation of 240 million people ranks lower in the World Bank’s Human Capital Index than other South Asian countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif aims to achieve growth of 3.6% by the end of June after dodging economic default last year with external help. As part of the International Monetary Fund’s three-year loan program, he has pledged to raise government revenue and plug financial leaks by restructuring and privatizing state-owned enterprises.

Increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio to 15% is “eminently doable” by slashing exemptions that protect “some special interests” and cracking down on tax evasion and digitalizing the collection system, Raiser said.
Pakistani court sentences 4 people to death for blasphemy (AP)
AP [1/25/2025 5:45 AM, Asim Tanveer, 33392K, Negative]
A Pakistani court Saturday sentenced four people to death for blasphemy, allegedly because they posted sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the Quran. Their lawyer said appeal preparations are underway.

Under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or its religious figures can be sentenced to death. Authorities have yet to carry out such a penalty, although the accusation of blasphemy and opposition to the law can incite mob violence or reprisals.

Judge Tariq Ayub in the city of Rawalpindi declared that blasphemy, disrespect to holy figures, and desecration of the Quran were unforgivable offenses and left no room for leniency.

Along with the death sentences, the judge imposed collective fines of 4.6 million rupees (around $16,500) and handed down jail terms to each of the four should a higher court overturn their death sentences.

The men’s lawyer, Manzoor Rahmani, criticized the court’s decision and investigating authorities’ lack of evidence.

"The doubts and uncertainties that arise in such cases are ignored by the courts, likely due to the fear of religious backlash and potential mob violence against the judge if the accused is acquitted," said Rahmani. "We are preparing our appeals against the decision and will go to the High Court.".

Anti-blasphemy measures introduced in Pakistan in the 1980s made it illegal to insult Islam. Since then, people have been accused of insulting the religion, desecrating its texts, or writing offensive remarks on the walls of mosques. Critics of the law say it is used to settle personal disputes.
India
India, a big source of illegal migration, hopes to navigate the Trump storm (New York Times)
New York Times [1/26/2025 3:21 AM, Suhasini Raj, 3238K, Neutral]
The family arrived at the ornately carved temple in western India bearing a special sweet of dried milk and clarified butter. It was a desperate offering for their son’s safety: He had just crossed into the United States, only days before President Trump took office promising a fierce crackdown on illegal immigration.

In their village in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the markers of migration are everywhere. Plaques on buildings trumpet donations from Indians in America. Houses sit locked and empty, their owners now in the United States — many legally, many not.

Mr. Trump’s threats of mass deportations of illegal immigrants have raised the loudest alarms in countries closer to the United States, like in Mexico and Central America. But the fear and uncertainty — and the potential for political repercussions — are also rippling through India.

India is one of the top sources of illegal immigration to the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. As of 2022, more than 700,000 undocumented Indians were living in the United States, the center estimates, making them the third-largest group, behind Mexicans and Salvadorans.

Some Indians arrive legally and overstay their visas. Others cross the borders without authorization: In 2023 alone, about 90,000 Indians were arrested as they tried to enter the United States illegally, according to U.S. government data.

India’s government, which has expanded defense, technology and trade ties with the United States, has expressed confidence that it is better positioned than most to weather the global reckoning with another “America First” administration. Mr. Modi has a bond with Mr. Trump, calling him “my dear friend” as he congratulated him on taking office for a second time.

Nevertheless, there are signs that India is trying to keep Mr. Trump on its good side by cooperating with his clampdown on illegal migration.

Indian news outlets reported this past week that the government had been working with the new administration to take back 18,000 Indian illegal immigrants who are under so-called final removal orders.

According to those reports, India’s goal is to protect its legal pathways for immigration to the United States, like skilled-worker visas, and avoid the punitive tariffs Mr. Trump has threatened to impose over illegal migration. Helping his administration could also spare India the embarrassment of being caught up in the publicity of Mr. Trump’s crackdown.

Indian officials would not confirm the specifics of the news reports to The New York Times. But they noted that deportations from the United States to India were not new — more than 1,000 Indians were sent back last year — and said that they were working with the Trump administration.

“Our position is that we are against illegal migration,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesman for India’s Foreign Ministry. “We have been engaging with U.S. authorities on curbing illegal immigration, with the view of creating more avenues for legal migration from India to the U.S.”

Those legal routes — namely, H-1B visas for skilled workers and visas for students — have been a subject of heated debate among Mr. Trump’s supporters. Elon Musk and other tech moguls say the H-1B visas are needed to recruit the best talent to the United States. More nationalist voices say the jobs filled by those visa holders should go to Americans.

The State Department said the Trump administration was working with India to “address concerns related to irregular migration.” The new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, held his first bilateral meeting on Tuesday with India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar — an indication of the growing importance of the U.S.-India relationship.

The intensified focus on migration is politically sensitive in India.

Mr. Modi, the country’s most powerful leader in decades, has cast himself as a driving force behind economic growth that he says will eventually make India a developed nation. But his own home state, Gujarat, once hailed as an economic miracle under his leadership, is one of India’s largest sources of illegal migration to the United States, according to police officials.

Though Washington is looking to India as an alternative to China in global industrial dominance, its uneven economy — by some measures, one of the most unequal in the world — still impels large numbers of Indians to take enormous risks to make it to the United States.

In the Mehsana district of Gujarat, almost every family has a member in the United States, legally or illegally. Some return only for annual visits to see aunts and uncles. Mehsana is frequently in the news, with reports of its migrants dying while trying to climb a border wall into the United States, reach its shores by boat or make their way over the frozen northern border during winter.

Migration to the United States has traditionally been a status symbol among Gujaratis. Families who have no members in the United States have trouble matching their children in marriages, said Jagdish, 55, a worker at the local college in the village of Jasalpur whose son and daughter-in-law are in the United States illegally.

Jagdish, who asked that his last name not be used, said his son had spent five months in Mexico waiting to cross the border five years ago. Upon entering the United States, he was jailed for three months before being released. He now works at a cafe there, and his wife joined him last year.

It cost the family more than $70,000 to get them to the United States — a mix of “hard-earned money, my life’s savings” and loans, Jagdish said.

“I don’t buy new clothes, I have cut down on fruits and milk,” he said. “I need to repay the loans.”

Outside the village temple, a husband and wife who run a Subway franchise in the United States, where they have lived for two decades, were on their once-a-year visit. The husband, Rajanikant Patel, tried to offer some reassurance about Mr. Trump, couched in the “no one knows” air that characterizes much talk about the new administration.

“Trump will do what he has to do,” Mr. Patel said. “But Trump needs people to work there. We are laborers there. It’s such a huge country. Who will work and manage there?”

Indians began moving to the United States in large numbers in the 1960s, when India was among the world’s poorest nations and American immigration policy was easing.

The pull is strong even today, with India now the world’s fifth-largest economy. Given its immense inequality, economic growth has not necessarily translated into better services or higher standards of living for most.

“The quality of life here and there cannot be compared,” said Mr. Patel’s wife, Nila Ben.

Immigration consultants said they had seen a decline in visitors as word spread that it was becoming harder to enter the United States, a tightening that began during the Biden administration and that Mr. Trump is moving to drastically increase.

Varun Sharma, the director of an immigration consultancy, said about half of his potential clients inquired about illegal routes into the United States. He politely turns them down, he said.

Many undocumented immigrants now come from the new middle class. In some cases, Indians who arrive on student visas stay past the expiration date. In other cases, migrants first fly to a third country on a visitor’s visa, then slowly make their way to the United States by land or sea.

Vishnu Bhai Patel, a lemon trader from a nearby village, said he hoped that Mr. Trump “shows some leniency for divided families like mine — half of the family is here and half there.” He said he hoped that his daughter, who is studying engineering in the United States, could stay on after graduating and then invite him to come legally, too.

“My dream is for her to never come back,” he said.
US: Tahawwur Rana can be sent to India over Mumbai attack (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [1/25/2025 5:11 AM, Tanika Godbole and Dmytro Hubenko, 13448K, Negative]
The US Supreme Court cleared the extradition of terror convict Tahawwur Rana, who is wanted by India.

The Canadian national of Pakistani origin is wanted by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.

"This is a big victory for India because Tahawwur Rana is the person who knows many details of the criminal conspiracy behind the terror attack in Mumbai," lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was the public prosecutor in the Mumbai attacks case told local media.

He added that it would reveal more information about Pakistan’s involvement in the attack.

Who is Rana?

Born in Pakistan in 1961, Rana is a former military doctor who served in the Pakistani Army. He moved to Canada in 1997 and became an immigration service businessman. After gaining Canadian citizenship in 2001, Rana moved to Chicago in order to expand the reach of his immigration consultancy business.

He was detained in the US less than a year after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

After a lengthy trial, Rana was sentenced in the United States in 2013 to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist plot in Denmark and providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist organization operating in Pakistan that was responsible for the Mumbai terror strikes.

The plot in Denmark included a gruesome plan to behead employees of Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, and dump their heads on the streets of Copenhagen.

Parallel to his imprisonment in the US, Rana was fighting an extradition effort launched by India After losing legal battles in lower and federal US courts against extradition, he filed a petition to the US Supreme Court. His review petition was denied by the court on January 21. This was his last appeal against extradition to India.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks

On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered India’s financial capital Mumbai from the Arabian Sea using boats. They used guns and bombs in one of the worst attacks on the city.

They laid siege in the southern part of the city for more than 60 hours, attacking various landmark locations such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal Hotel, Nariman House, the Cama and Albless Hospital, Metro Cinema and Leopold Cafe.

A total of 175 people died in the attacks, including three Germans and six Americans.

The attack was orchestrated by the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Only one of the attackers, Ajmal Kasab, survived. He was the source of a lot of intelligence gathered by Indian agencies on the attacks. After a trial and conviction, in November 2012, he was hung to death at the Yerawada jail in Pune.

The 26/11 attacks put a further strain on relations between India and Pakistan. New Delhi accused Islamabad of not doing enough to control terrorism within the country.

What are the charges against Rana?

Rana is known for his close ties with Pakistani American David Headley, one of the main architects of the attack.

He is accused of providing the blueprint that helped plan the attack, helping Headley in his travels, and assisting other LeT members during the attack.

He has been charged with several crimes in India, including criminal conspiracy and waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India.

Rana was arrested in October 2009 and convicted in 2011 in the US. India filed for his extradition in 2019.

Apart from 26/11 attacks, he is also accused of planning attacks on the National Defence College and a Jewish outreach center in Mumbai.
China and India should commit to mutual understanding, Chinese foreign minister says (Reuters)
Reuters [1/27/2025 2:22 AM, Liz Lee, Ethan Wang, and Yukun Zhang, 5.2M, Neutral]
China and India should work in the same direction, explore more substantive measures and commit to mutual understanding, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Beijing on Monday.

Their meeting was the latest between the two Asian powers following an agreement in October seeking to ease tension on their disputed frontier.

China and India should commit to "mutual support and mutual achievement" rather than "suspicion" and "alienation," Wang said during the two officials’ meeting, according to the Chinese foreign ministry’s readout.

Relations between China and India had been strained following a military clash on their border in 2020.

Ties have improved over the past four months with several high-level meetings, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia in October.

In December, Wang and India’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, agreed to seek ways to manage their border issue and step up efforts to build trust, at their second meeting in less than five months.

Paving the way for those talks was an agreement in October to disengage troops at two key face-off points on the countries’ largely undemarcated western Himalayan frontier in Ladakh - a turning point in their dispute that included scheduled patrols of the disputed area.
India celebrates Republic Day with Indonesian president as chief guest (AP)
AP [1/26/2025 5:53 AM, Staff, 1286K, Positive]
India celebrated its 76th Republic Day on Sunday with a colorful parade displaying its military might and cultural diversity on a boulevard in the heart of country’s capital. Indonesian president was the guest of honor.

Tens of thousands of people lined the road on a cold Sunday morning to watch the long parade to mark the anniversary of the official adoption of India’s Constitution on Jan. 26, 1950, nearly three years after independence from British colonial rule.

Soldiers from India’s military and paramilitary, along with their bands, marched as the country’s leaders and other guests watched. Various floats displayed India’s cultural diversity with one showcasing the Maha Kumbh festival, the ongoing massive Hindu festival touted as the world’s largest religious gathering.

The parade took place on Rajpath Avenue, built by India’s former British rulers and lined by huge lawns, canals and rows of trees. The avenue was redeveloped as part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Indian independence and renamed Kartavayapath, or the Boulevard of Duty, in 2022.

Visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the event as the chief guest and was flanked by India’s president and prime minister. A 342-member band and marching contingent from the Indonesian National Armed Forces joined the parade, the first time the ASEAN country’s troops have joined any foreign parade.

India traditionally invites foreign leaders to witness the spectacle. French President Emmanuel Macron was the guest of honor last year and former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015. Ten Southeast Asian leaders watched the parade in 2018.

Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president and the leader of the country’s independence struggle, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebration in 1950.

Thousands of men and women in colorful costumes played marches, performed traditional dances and pulled motorbike stunts during the 90-minute parade. It also showcased India’s domestically built defense equipment and military systems, including tanks, infantry combat vehicles, radar systems and missile systems.

Some 5,000 artists, carrying traditional props like spears, swords and drums, performed over 40 dance forms from different parts of India in a cultural performance that lasted about 10 minutes. The parade ended with a fly-past by air force fighters, including Rafale jets, transport planes and helicopters.

The parade was broadcast live by television networks. Republic Day parades also took place in state capitals and other cities across India amid massive security arrangements.

In Srinagar, the main city of disputed Kashmir, armed police and soldiers patrolled as regional officials celebrated Republic Day. Hundreds of people braved winter chills to witness the parade amid additional security, with police and soldiers checking vehicles and frisking pedestrians.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989.
Indonesia, India sign wide range of agreements, including on health and security (Reuters)
Reuters [1/25/2025 5:22 AM, Stefanno Sulaiman, 48128K, Positive]
Indonesia and India signed a wide range of agreements on Saturday covering culture, health, maritime, security and digital sectors.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of India’s Republic Day celebrations on Sunday.

President Prabowo said his government will accelerate its economic partnership with India and prioritise the cooperation over the long term.

"We discussed many key sectors of common interest in which we would like to accelerate the level of cooperation," Prabowo said in a press conference after the signing ceremony.

Prabowo also thanked India for its support of Indonesia through the process of becoming a member of BRICS, saying the bloc of emerging market economies "will be beneficial for global stability and regional cooperation".

Speaking before Prabowo’s remarks, Prime Minister Modi said the two countries will work together in defence manufacturing and improving supply chains.

"We also decided to cooperate on issues such as maritime security, cybersecurity, counter terrorism and de-radicalisation," Modi said.
India Probes Mystery Illness After 17 Die: Reports (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/25/2025 5:55 AM, Staff, 9355K, Negative]
Authorities in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir were investigating a mysterious disease that has claimed the lives of 17 people, local media reports said on Saturday.

The deaths, including those of 13 children, have occurred in the remote village of Badhaal in Jammu’s Rajouri area since early December.

The village was declared a containment zone earlier this week with around 230 people quarantined, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported.

All of the fatalities had damage to the brain and nervous system, Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, who heads Rajouri’s government medical college, said.

"The winter vacations have also been cancelled to deal with the medical alert situation," PTI quoted Bhatia as saying.

The victims were members of three related families.

The federal government has launched an investigation with health minister Jitendra Singh saying an initial probe suggested the deaths were "not due to any infection, virus or bacteria but rather a toxin".

"There is a long series of toxins being tested. I believe a solution will be found soon. Additionally, if there was any mischief or malicious activity, that is also being investigated," PTI quoted Singh as saying.

In a separate medical incident, authorities in the western city of Pune recorded at least 73 cases of a rare nerve disorder.

Those infected with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) include 26 women and 14 of the patients are on ventilator support, PTI quoted an official as saying.

In GBS, a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, according to the World Health Organization.

The syndrome can impact nerves that control muscle movement which may lead to muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs of arms and those infected can face trouble swallowing and breathing.
NSB
Legal team files UN complaint over jailed Bangladeshi journalists (VOA)
VOA [1/24/2025 5:15 PM, Liam Scott, 2717K, Negative]
Amid the political chaos in Bangladesh in August that included the ouster of the country’s prime minister, journalists Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed were arrested at an airport in the capital, Dhaka, while attempting to travel to Paris.

More than 150 days have passed since then, and the married couple remains jailed in the South Asian country on accusations that their legal team rejects as politically motivated.

"This is a particularly absurd example of using the law to target critics, but unfortunately, it’s still resulting in them remaining in prison," human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who is leading the couple’s international legal team, told VOA.

The international legal team representing the journalists filed a complaint Wednesday with the United Nations over their detention, which analysts say underscores broader challenges facing journalists in Bangladesh.

Massive student-led protests erupted in Bangladesh in June 2024 and ultimately led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing to India. She had led the country since 2009.

About 870 people died in the protests, according to the health ministry led by interim Bangladesh government. While covering the violent demonstrations, several journalists were attacked, and two were killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Many of journalists who have been targeted were viewed as pro-Hasina.

Rupa and Ahmed are among four journalists viewed as pro-Hasina who were still jailed in Bangladesh as of early December, according to CPJ. Rupa and Ahmed both worked at the Ekattor TV channel, which was considered pro-Hasina, and were critical of the protests, according to the Coalition for Women in Journalism.

Police claimed Rupa and Ahmed had incited Hasina’s former government to kill protesters. The reporters were arrested in connection with the murder case of a garment worker who died during a demonstration in early August in Dhaka.

Bangladeshi journalist Khairuzzaman Kamal, who previously worked with Rupa and is friends with Ahmed, said they are good journalists.

"They maintain their professional ethics very much," said Kamal, of the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum journalist association.

But other analysts say that, like many journalists in Bangladesh, they were pro-Hasina — but that doesn’t mean they should be imprisoned on politically motivated charges.

Even though Bangladesh has experienced significant media growth over the past 20 years, a lack of openness surrounding ownership and political affiliation has raised questions about editorial independence and threatened trust in the media, according to media reports.

Gallagher, who is based in London, said the case against her clients is an example of retaliatory lawfare, which is when governments use and abuse the law to target critics.

"The intellectual hoops you have to jump through to claim that journalism in itself may have contributed to a mindset, which may have contributed to an attack, which may have contributed to a death is just legally nonsensical," Gallagher said.

Kamal agreed. "It is a fabricated murder case against them because they are journalists," the journalist said.

By filing a complaint with the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Gallagher said she hopes the group will determine that Rupa and Ahmed’s jailings are arbitrary.

"What we’re seeing here is entirely unjust imprisonment without due process," she added.

Bangladesh’s Embassy in Washington, U.N. office in Geneva, and Foreign Ministry did not reply to VOA’s emails requesting comment.

Press freedom threatened

Press freedom has been under threat for years in Bangladesh, according to watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders.

Hasina’s government was long accused of using severe tools, such as intimidating family members of exiled journalists, and harsh laws to stifle dissent and repress the media. In her last year in power, Bangladesh fell to 165th place out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, the country’s worst ranking ever.

"It was very clear during Hasina’s 15 years of rule in Bangladesh that the media was under tight control for a long time, and journalists have been constantly targeted because of their reporting," Beh Lih Yi, CPJ Asia program coordinator, told VOA.

Mubashar Hasan, a fellow at the University of Oslo, agreed. Hasan, who researches authoritarianism and press freedom in Bangladesh, told VOA that for years it was risky for journalists to report critically on issues involving the military and the prime minister’s office.

"There were no-go places for their journalism," Hasan said.

After Hasina resigned in early August, Bangladesh formed an interim government led by politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus.

In an October interview with the country’s largest paper, Prothom Alo, Yunus appeared to advocate for press freedom.

"Write as you please. Criticize," he said. "Unless you write, how will we know what is happening or not happening?".

And in a November interview with the Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, Yunus recognized that the murder accusations against journalists without evidence were unfair, saying, "This was hurriedly done, following the old laws and practices." More than 140 journalists have faced these accusations, according to Reporters Without Borders.

The interim government’s stated commitment to defend press freedom is a good sign for the future, Beh said. But in practice, the forms of repression facing journalists have merely changed shape under the interim government.

Four journalists are still in jail, and in November, demonstrators attacked the offices of two major newspapers. Authorities have also frozen the bank accounts of several journalists, and the interim government canceled press accreditations for more than 160 reporters.

"What we are very alarmed by is even though the interim government has pledged to reform, what is happening does not actually reflect that commitment," Beh said. "They must not adopt the previous regime’s playbook by using the law to target critics or by using the previous regime’s playbook to settle old scores.".
Bangladesh hires Big Four audit firms to review ‘robbed’ banks (Financial Times)
Financial Times [1/25/2025 4:14 PM, John Reed, 14.8M, Neutral]
Bangladesh’s central bank has hired Big Four accountancy firms EY, Deloitte and KPMG to conduct an “asset quality review” of banks it claims lost $17bn to businesspeople close to the regime of former leader Sheikh Hasina, bank governor Ahsan Mansur has said.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mansur said the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit had also formed 11 joint investigation teams to track down and reclaim assets it believes were bought with the funds siphoned out of the banks and to help to prosecute those responsible.

Mansur, who was appointed central bank governor by interim national leader Muhammad Yunus after Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August, said the investigations would look at 10 leading Bangladeshi businesses as well as the ousted former leader and her relatives.

The governor said the three international accountancy firms had already begun work on the asset quality review. “We will determine how much assets are performing, who’s not performing, who took that asset, and simultaneously we will do a forensic audit,” he said.

KPMG confirmed its Sri Lanka firm had been contracted to support the review. EY and Deloitte did not respond to a request for comment.

Mansur, a former IMF official, has been tasked with helping to stabilise Bangladesh’s economy and beginning the process of recovering what he estimates is at least Tk2tn ($16.4bn) “robbed” from banks during the 15 years when Hasina and her Awami League party were in power.

In an interview in October, Mansur told the Financial Times that several leading banks had been taken over with the help of the country’s military intelligence agency, in some cases “at gunpoint”.

He said the asset quality review was looking at six banks, in which five had shares held by S Alam, a conglomerate headed by Singapore-based Bangladeshi tycoon Mohammed Saiful Alam.

“As part of that investigation, the old MDs of these banks have been asked to take leaves of absence so that quality is unhindered and the asset review is not interfered with,” Mansur said.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission this month filed a case against several people, including two of Alam’s sons, charging them with embezzling Tk11.3bn in the form of loans. A Dhaka court ordered the seizure of several properties in connection with the case.

Alam’s lawyers Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan told the FT that he and investors in the conglomerate had “committed no wrongdoing, and they are prepared to commence legal proceedings to protect their investments in Bangladesh, if necessary”.

Quinn Emanuel said Alam and the group’s investors “welcome transparency and the application of international standards”, but that Mansur’s position was conflicted as the principal driver of the Yunus government’s task force on banking sector reforms.

Alam’s lawyers, who last month wrote to Yunus warning they were prepared to launch international arbitration if they could not solve their dispute with Dhaka, said accusations of money laundering, and any other allegations, against the businessman and his family were “baseless”.

The Yunus government has enlisted international help in its efforts to trace and reclaim money it claims was taken out of the country, including from the UK’s International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre and the US Treasury. The Treasury is offering Yunus’s advisers technical assistance as Bangladesh prepares to make formal requests for legal assistance from other countries.

Bangladesh’s interim leaders have welcomed the resignation this month as UK City minister of Tulip Siddiq, a Labour party member of parliament who is Hasina’s niece, which they believe will draw attention to their broader drive to reclaim missing money.

Siddiq stepped down after she was named in two ongoing ACC corruption probes in Bangladesh and faced allegations that she had benefited from properties linked to her aunt’s Awami League

A spokesperson for Siddiq said this month that no evidence had been presented for the allegations against her and that she “totally denies the claims”.

Mansur said public pressure had forced Siddiq’s resignation.

“We are encouraged by the response from the international community,” he said. “Politicians are aware of it and hopefully they will be under public pressure at home to support this cause.”
Rubbish roads: Nepal explores paving with plastic (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/25/2025 2:18 AM, Paavan Mathema, 63029K, Neutral]
Cars speeding along a smooth, black-coloured street in Nepal’s Pokhara are also driving over heaps of discarded plastic, transformed into an ingredient in road construction.

Nepal’s urban areas generate about 5,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, according to the World Bank, of which 13 percent is plastic waste dumped in landfills.

While high-value plastics, like bottles, are absorbed by the recycling industry, low-value plastics -- such as multi-layered packaging -- pose a significant challenge because they don’t fit into a single recycling category.

For a group of young Nepali entrepreneurs, the vast accumulation of this low-value plastic waste presented an opportunity.

"A plastic road can use even low-value plastics," said Bimal Bastola, founder of Green Road Waste Management, the organisation leading the initiative in Nepal.

"We saw scope for such plastics to be utilised as a raw material, partially substituting bitumen in road construction."

Discarded packages of noodles, biscuits and other snacks move along a conveyor belt at their trash-sorting centre.

The divided plastic is then put into machines to be shredded into fine pieces.

Since the early 2000s, neighbouring India has been leading the world in building a network of plastic roads, even making the usage of plastic waste mandatory in roads near large cities in 2015.

A growing number of countries are experimenting with it, including nearby Bhutan and Bangladesh.

In traditional road construction, bitumen is the binding material, a tarry oil product mixed directly with hot aggregates before paving a road.

The plastic road method, however, first coats the aggregates with shredded plastic before adding bitumen.

"This method reduces the need for fresh raw materials, lowers costs, prevents water infiltration and increases road lifespan," Bastola said.

Studies show that roads paved with plastic waste can be twice as durable as normal roads.

Globally, only nine percent of plastic waste is recycled, while 19 percent is incinerated, and nearly half ends up in controlled landfills, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Left unchecked, the production of synthetic polymers -- the building blocks of plastics -— is expected to reach about 1.2 billion tonnes annually by 2060.

The plastic that accumulates in the environment is non-biodegradable, takes hundreds of years to decompose and breaks down into tiny microscopic particles.

And while Nepal banned single-use plastic bags thinner than 40 microns, that ban is not strictly implemented.

For Bastola, increasing plastic road construction is key to making the recycling of low-value plastics economically viable.

His organisation says about two tonnes of shredded plastic is used to build a kilometre of road.

So far, the organisation has completed about 10 projects totalling a little over 1.5 kilometres (one mile).

"It is happening at a small scale, we need to scale up," Bastola said. "We have to make government-level projects and we are trying to work closely with the department of roads."

A pilot project is planned this year in the capital Kathmandu at a major intersection.

"Nepal is keen on testing this technology through pilot projects," said Arjun Nepal, an engineer with the Kathmandu road department.

"But to take it forward, we need government-led standards to ensure quality."

The World Bank says life cycle analyses of plastic roads are limited and it is still not clear what environmental impacts -- if any -- recycled plastics may have when used in road construction.

"While initial anecdotes and pilot studies show promise, further research is needed to measure emissions during production, evaluate microplastic release over time and determine how these roads behave once they are decommissioned," said Valerie Hickey, global director of the World Bank’s climate change group.

Despite these concerns, environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar said that plastic roads present an important opportunity for Nepal.

"It is a low-hanging fruit to address two problems simultaneously -- the need for strong roads and the management of plastic waste -- for a developing country like Nepal," he said.
Sri Lanka Ex-president’s Son Issued Travel Ban In Corruption Case (Agence France-Presse)
Agence France-Presse [1/27/2025 5:11 AM, Staff, 1.4M, Neutral]
The son of Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was banned Monday from leaving the island nation following his arrest for alleged money laundering.

The case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa dates back years, but has received renewed impetus since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake -- who has vowed to fight endemic corruption -- won a landslide election victory.

Several members of the powerful Rajapaksa family and close associates have been charged with an array of offences over the years, including corruption and even murder -- all of which are still pending in the courts.

A former junior naval officer, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 36, was hit with the travel ban after police said he was unable to explain the sources of income used to purchase a home while his father was in power from 2005 to 2015.

He was arrested and spent two days in detention before being released Monday by a magistrate in Colombo on a bond of 100 million rupees ($344,000).

Yoshitha had told investigators that he raised money to buy the property by selling a small bag of gems his grand-aunt had given him.

She was unable to recall how she acquired the precious stones when asked.

He was arrested in 2016 on a separate money laundering charge related to his purchase of a television network. Both cases have sat dormant for years.

His older brother Namal, a lawmaker in Sri Lanka’s parliament, also faces separate money laundering charges which have not yet gone to trial.

Dissanayake came to power in September 2024 after pledging to expedite the pending criminal cases and bring back stolen assets allegedly stashed abroad.

Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters in Colombo over the weekend that the new government was providing more resources to the criminal investigations department to speed up prosecution.

"This is not a political witch hunt, but people voted us in to ensure that these dragging cases are concluded," Jayatissa said.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger brother Gotabaya became president in 2019 but was forced out of office in 2022 after a popular revolt, sparked by a ruinous economic crisis.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa also faces corruption charges over military procurements when he was a top defence official during Mahinda’s presidency at the tail end of Sri Lanka’s civil war.
Central Asia
Chevron to Increase Output at Huge Oil Field in Kazakhstan (New York Times)
New York Times [1/24/2025 4:14 PM, Stanley Reed, 831K, Neutral]
Chevron said Friday that it had completed an expansion at its Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan intended to increase production this year to around one million barrels a day, approaching 1 percent of global supplies.

Chevron, which recently moved its headquarters from near San Francisco to Houston, continues to plow money into oil production, shrugging off concerns that demand will weaken as consumers shift to electric vehicles and cleaner energy.

“We know that the global demand for oil is going to continue to grow,” Clay Neff, president of Chevron international exploration and production, said in an interview.

Tengiz, one of the world’s most prolific oil fields, has been producing oil for around 30 years. Yet crews operating on the scrubby plains where wild horses roam are about to ramp up output by around 40 percent. The first additional barrels are now coming through, Chevron said in a news release.

“It’s quite a remarkable oil field and one that will produce for decades to come,” Mr. Neff said.

The additional production will add oil to a global market that some analysts say will struggle to accommodate more production this year, potentially weighing on prices, which are now about $79 a barrel for Brent crude, the international benchmark. Kazakhstan is a member of the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC Plus oil cartel, which has pressured Kazakhstan to curb its output.

At the same time, President Trump is exhorting operators in the United States as well as OPEC to pump more oil to bring down prices.

Tengiz is crucial for Chevron’s financial performance. Mr. Neff forecast that, assuming oil prices of $60 a barrel, it will generate Chevron $4 billion in 2025 and $5 billion in 2026 in free cash flow.

The oil field is operated by a joint venture that is 50 percent owned by Chevron. ExxonMobil, the American energy giant; Lukoil, a Russian company; and Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas are also partners in the venture, known as Tengizchevroil.

The venture is also vital to Kazakhstan: It brought in 58 percent of government tax revenue paid by oil companies in 2023, according to a report by Kazenergy, a trade group.

Operating Tengiz is tricky because lethal hydrogen sulfide gas must be removed from the oil. Still, the field’s enormous output keeps costs low.

The bill for this expansion is likely to be as much as $49 billion, Chevron estimates. The construction, which included a new harbor on the Caspian Sea, has been going on for around a decade. At its peak, around 90,000 people were involved.

During the expansion, Chevron has navigated hazards including the blowback from Russia’s war in Ukraine, disruption from the coronavirus pandemic and unrest in Kazakhstan in 2022 that led to neighboring Russia sending in troops.

Managing relations with Russia remains essential for the project. Equipment for the expansion was shipped through Russia and most of oil is sent by pipeline to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea for export, giving Moscow a potential chokehold.
Buoyed by Trump’s promises, Uzbeks seek closer ties to US (VOA)
VOA [1/25/2025 2:23 AM, Navbahor Imamova, 2717K, Positive]
Uzbekistan is expected to push to deepen relations with the United States in the coming year, a position that is broadly popular among Uzbeks across the country, VOA found during a recent reporting trip.

With more than 37 million people, Uzbekistan, Washington’s strategic partner in Central Asia, accounts for more than half of the population of the region, which includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

"I understand that the U.S. prefers dealing with us in the C5+1 format — five republics plus Uncle Sam — but we want more bilateral attention, at least for now," said Sherbek Artikov, a young Uzbek hoping to study political science in America.

Artikov is aware that many of his fellow Uzbeks are often denied U.S. visas and that hundreds of them have been deported since 2019 as undocumented immigrants. Yet, he remains optimistic: "I believe over time, Washington will see that Uzbeks are not only reliable strategic partners but also hardworking, compassionate people — both as migrants and visitors.".

In recent conversations with a VOA reporter traveling across Tashkent, Ferghana, Bukhara, Samarkand and Surkhandarya, most Uzbeks expressed enthusiasm about U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. They hoped his administration would foster stronger connections with the people of Uzbekistan, not just its government.

From journalists and activists to entrepreneurs and educators, they want Trump to fulfill his promises to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

"We are a peaceful region, despite the continuous turmoil in neighboring Afghanistan, but these conflicts deeply trouble us," said Zuhra Amonova, an English teacher in Bukhara.

Calls for new approach

As relations between Washington and Central Asian nations have evolved, there have been some calls by American experts for creating a new diplomatic approach, shifting the U.S. government away from grouping the countries with South Asian nations and instead aligning them more with the Caucasus.

Veteran bureaucrats who have worked with these regions at the State Department and the Pentagon told VOA that Washington’s view of this part of the world has increasingly been seen through a Russian lens since the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.

Ikboljon Qoraboyev, a professor at Maqsut Narikbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, says the Central Asia-Caucasus proposal reflects the region’s crucial role between China and Russia and the growing significance of the Middle Corridor, a transit route across the Caspian Sea that carries goods westward to European markets.

"Central Asian policymakers may welcome the change, as their previous alignment with South Asia felt misaligned with their identity," Qoraboyev told VOA. "But U.S. policymakers must recognize each country’s distinct interests, rather than relying solely on regional frameworks.".

Like many experts VOA spoke to, he points out that Central Asian governments are eager for closer ties with the U.S., seeking investment, political support, development aid and expanded educational and technological exchanges.

These are among the key factors in the policy recommendations by Eric Rudenshiold, a former official in the White House, Congress and USAID and now a senior fellow at the Caspian Policy Center.

"Successful U.S. engagement in the Trans-Caspian region will preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Caucasus and Central Asia," Rudenshiold said at a forum in Washington ahead of the inauguration.

He emphasized that such an approach would benefit the U.S. while creating opportunities in energy development, trade and connectivity.

Rudenshiold believes that promoting American values in this way could spur economic and political reforms in the region and shape democratic institutions.

"The Trans-Caspian region is becoming a vital geopolitical and economic crossroads, important to U.S. interests as it counters Russia’s restrictions on the region’s gas, oil and uranium supplies and China’s efforts to control next-generation energy," he wrote in a strategic brief.

Washington needs security agreements and closer partnerships in the region, Rudenshiold argued, "due to shared concerns over renewed terrorist threats and its geostrategic location bordering Russia, China, Afghanistan and Iran.".

Leaders encourage Trump visit

In congratulatory messages to Trump, regional leaders have invited him to visit. No U.S. president has ever toured Central Asia and the Caucasus.

In a letter to Trump, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev wrote that his country "deeply values and appreciates the U.S. policy of consistently supporting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our nation.".

He credited Trump’s first term for renewing the strategic partnership, adding: "We are committed to further developing our long-term cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.".

The Trump administration has yet to outline its priorities in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Rudenshiold and his center are pressing to appoint a special representative for these regions.

Javlon Vakhabov, Uzbekistan’s former ambassador to the U.S. and Canada who now heads the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent, also advocates for deeper political dialogue.

"In an era of global uncertainty, Central Asia seeks to collectively champion its interests on the international stage and coordinate efforts to address shared challenges," Vakhabov told VOA. "A high-level U.S. visit to Uzbekistan would underscore the region’s importance.".

Vakhabov sees great potential in the Middle Corridor, where secondary routes via Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan could strengthen supply chains and diversify transportation lines.

He highlights the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway, "which will reduce delivery times from 35 days to just three and cut shipping costs by two-thirds.".

Vakhabov agrees with Rudenshiold that U.S. support for such initiatives would enhance regional stability and attract more American businesses. Touting Uzbekistan’s natural resources, he underlines that collaboration on essential minerals and rare earth elements could help the U.S. strengthen "defense, manufacturing and technological competitiveness.".

Some yearn to learn

The U.S. has a long history of cooperation with Central Asian countries on counterterrorism and border security. Vakhabov recommends expanding that cooperation "since they serve common interests.".

The Human Rights Watch 2025 annual report describes Central Asia as a region where autocratic regimes systematically violate freedoms, reforms are stalled or superficial, and security forces hold significant power, undermining the rule of law.

Uzbeks interviewed by VOA this winter expressed mixed views on the U.S. role in promoting justice and freedom, but most admired its democratic system.

"We need to grasp how democracy works in practice," said Dilrabo Zaripova, a small-business owner in Samarkand. "From what we saw in this U.S. presidential election, it requires a strong will and commitment. I don’t think we’re there yet. But having close ties with America would help us learn from its resilience and complex experience.".
Indo-Pacific
China’s Large and Mysterious Dam Project Is Alarming Neighbors and Experts (New York Times)
New York Times [1/27/2025 12:01 AM, Tiffany May, Isabelle Qian, and Suhasini Raj, 831K, Neutral]
Step aside, Three Gorges Dam. China’s latest colossal infrastructure project, if completed, will be the world’s largest hydropower dam, high up in the Tibetan plateau on the border with India.

China says the Motuo Hydropower Station it is building in Tibet is key to its effort to meet clean energy targets. Beijing also sees infrastructure projects as a way to stimulate the sluggish Chinese economy and create jobs.

But this project has raised concerns among environmentalists and China’s neighbors — in part, because Beijing has said so little about it.

The area where the dam is being built is prone to earthquakes. The Tibetan river being dammed, the Yarlung Tsangpo, flows into neighboring India as the Brahmaputra and into Bangladesh as the Jamuna, raising concerns in those countries about water security.

What’s known about the project?

China announced in late December that the government had approved construction of the Motuo project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo, but it has released few details about it. That includes the cost of the project, where the money will come from, what companies are involved and how many people are likely to be displaced.

What is known is that the dam will be in Medog County in Tibet, in a steep canyon where the river makes a horseshoe turn known as the Great Bend, then falls about 6,500 feet over roughly 30 miles.

By harnessing the kinetic energy of that drop, the hydropower station could generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year, the state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, or PowerChina, estimated in 2020. That would be triple the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s biggest, which cost China about $34 billion to build.

China has not disclosed which company is building the dam, but some analysts say PowerChina, the country’s largest builder of hydropower infrastructure, is most likely involved. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Experts say construction in the Great Bend, a 500-meter-deep canyon with no roads, would probably take a decade because of the technical challenges.

Even the dam’s basic design is unknown.

According to Fan Xiao, a senior engineer at the Sichuan Bureau of Geology who spoke to The New York Times, one proposal, which he saw as a likely approach, involved building a dam near the top of the Great Bend and diverting the water through enormous tunnels drilled into the canyon.

China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, has promised that the country’s carbon emissions will peak around 2030 as it replaces coal with renewable sources of energy. The ruling Communist Party, which uses massive public works projects to showcase its engineering prowess, has for years studied ways to tap into the power of the Yarlung Tsangpo.

Are there environmental risks?

The same forces that created the Great Bend pose risks to the dam China is building on it. The Tibetan plateau was formed by a collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates millions of years ago. To this day, the Indian plate is still slowly moving toward the Eurasian one, which is why the Himalayas are regularly hit by earthquakes.

Such seismic events threaten the safety of dams. Chinese officials said cracks appeared on five hydropower dams in Tibet after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near the city of Shigatse this month, killing more than 120 people.

Even if the Motuo dam is built well enough to withstand an earthquake, the landslides and mudflows resulting from quakes are difficult to contain and can kill people living nearby. Experts say the massive excavation involved in dam construction could make such disasters more likely.

What about the people living there?

It is hard to know how the project is being received by Tibetans and members of other, smaller ethnic groups who live in the area. Tibet is tightly restricted by the Communist Party, which has encouraged Han Chinese people to move to the plateau and strictly controlled the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibet is open to foreigners only by permit, and it is usually off-limits to foreign journalists.

In the past, Tibetans have held protests against hydropower dam projects that threatened to displace them, including a demonstration last year in Sichuan Province, according to a news report.

The Motuo dam project is expected to bring more changes to Medog, which was once China’s most remote county. The government has built highways into the region that have drawn tourists and adventure travelers in recent years, according to Matthew Akester, a Tibet researcher based in India.

Now, people will have to be relocated to make way for the dam, which may require farmlands and towns to be submerged. It is unclear how many people could be affected. Medog has a population of 15,000.

Tibet, which is vast but sparsely populated, does not need a lot of energy, and the dam’s estimated capacity would also exceed what neighboring provinces require, Mr. Fan said. Nearby Sichuan and Yunnan have many hydropower plants, producing more energy than the region needs. And sending the power over long distances to other parts of China would be expensive.

How are India and Bangladesh reacting?

The dam could affect people living downstream in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, as well as in Bangladesh. If the dam trapped sediment, that would make the soil along the river downstream less fertile and erode riverbanks and coastlines in India, said Dr. Kalyan Rudra, a professor of river science and the chairman of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, a government body.

Scientists in India and Bangladesh have asked China to share details of its plans so they can better assess the project’s risks. Indian diplomats have also urged Beijing to ensure that the project will not harm downstream states. China says it has taken measures to prevent negative consequences for its neighbors.

China’s secrecy is fueling mistrust, said Genevieve Donnellon-May, a researcher at the U.K.-based Oxford Global Society who studies water policy and environmental conflict. “Without Beijing releasing hydrological data and detailed plans for the dam, India and Bangladesh are left in the dark, so it’s harder to prepare to mitigate any potential impacts from it,” she said.

Both China and India have accused each other of trying to exert control over water resources for strategic or economic gain — what some experts and officials call “hydro-hegemony.” The dam could be seen as a way of projecting Chinese power near the disputed border with India, including in Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as its territory.

Because it is upstream, “China can make decisions that directly affect the water flow downstream, raising fears in India,” Ms. Donnellon-May said.

Some officials in India have proposed building a large dam in a tributary of the Brahmaputra to store water and counter any reduction in flow that the Tibet dam might cause. But Dr. Rudra of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board said such a dam could cause the same problems with soil fertility and erosion.
India voices alarm over China’s plans to build world’s largest dam in Tibet (Financial Times)
Financial Times [1/26/2025 7:35 PM, Andres Schipani, Joe Leahy, and Rachel Millard, 14.8M, Neutral]
India has voiced concern about Beijing’s plan to build a dam in Tibet that is three times larger than China’s Three Gorges, currently the world’s largest hydropower facility.

The hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, announced last month, is part of a network of dams being built across Tibet as China aims to increase the renewable energy share of its power consumption to 33 per cent this year from 28.8 per cent in 2020.

“It is a mega project with a lot of ecological disturbances and it does not take into account the interests of the lower riparian states,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry, this month.

The row comes as the two sides attempt to repair relations following deadly border clashes in 2020. Last October, New Delhi and Beijing reached a deal to resolve a military stand-off and agreed to military patrols along their disputed Himalayan border.

India fears that the dam, located in seismic Tibet, could spur floods and water scarcity downstream, while giving China the upper hand in any potential stand-off between the nuclear-armed neighbours, analysts said.

“There are fears of all kinds,” said Shivshankar Menon, India’s former national security adviser and chair of the Ashoka Centre for China Studies. “The geopolitics don’t help, obviously, because nobody trusts anybody in this.”

Tibet has a third of China’s hydroelectric power potential. The Yarlung Tsangpo — the world’s highest major waterway — is Tibet’s longest river, and is called Brahmaputra in India before it turns into the Jamuna in Bangladesh.

The 60-gigawatt dam on the Tibetan plateau’s rim lies near the border with the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, the eastern tip of India over which Beijing claims sovereignty and the two sides fought a war in 1962.

“India and Bangladesh are concerned that the dam would change the river’s natural flow, which could disrupt access to water for agriculture, drinking and other essential human needs,” said Neeraj Singh Manhas, an expert on transboundary rivers and water security in south Asia.

Barry Sautman, a political scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said China could argue, however, that Tibet was not the main source of water for the Brahmaputra. “Somewhere between 7 per cent and 30 per cent of the water comes from Tibet. The rest comes from rainfall [downstream],” said Sautman.

When it formally announced the dam on Christmas Day, Beijing said it would “bring more sense of gain, happiness and security to the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet”.

Chinese officials have dismissed concerns about the impact on environmental or downriver water supplies. ”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,” said China’s foreign ministry’s spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

Activists allege that the 193 hydropower projects built in Tibet since 2000 have led to serious environmental and human rights violations. China’s extensive dam-building projects in Tibet have previously attracted fierce opposition, such as around the Kamtok, or Gangtuo, hydroelectric power plant on the eastern Jinsha river.

“We are anticipating there would be a huge negative impact,” said Malik Fida Khan, executive director of Bangladesh’s Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, a government research centre.

India is also planning to build what would be the subcontinent’s largest dam, the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, with an output capacity of 11GW in Arunachal Pradesh.

Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, told Indian news agency PTI that this dam was aimed at “mitigating potential flood risks from water releases” because China was “unpredictable and can do anything”.

India’s dam project has also ignited opposition from local populations and concerns in Bangladesh.
What South Asian nations expect from Trump (VOA)
VOA [1/25/2025 2:41 PM, Masood Farivar, 2717K, Neutral]
As President Donald Trump’s second term gets underway, the contours of his administration’s South Asia policy are taking shape: India stands front and center, while other regional countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan prepare to be sidelined.

"With the exception of India, which is a large but special case, the other countries in South Asia, I think, are positioning themselves for somewhat less attention from Washington, somewhat less predictability, and somewhat more bilateral engagement operating through multilateral organizations or multilateral channels," said Joshua White, a former director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council who is now a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS.

India

The Trump administration’s regional priorities were on full display at the president’s inauguration Monday. While Bangladesh and Pakistan were relegated to sending their ambassadors to the event, India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, got a coveted front-row seat.

"It was very clear the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inauguration," Jaishankar said at a Wednesday news conference. "They’re clearly prioritizing the bilateral relationship."

While the Biden administration worked closely with India on a range of issues, including defense and technology, Indian officials see Trump’s return to office as an opportunity for expanded cooperation. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm relationship, forged during Trump’s first term, promises a deeper partnership, officials and experts say.

In October, Trump called Modi "a great friend" and "the nicest human being." Modi reciprocated in his congratulatory message, calling Trump a "dear friend" and pledging to work "closely together once again."

Beyond the rapport the two leaders share, India, South Asia’s largest country, is a strategic U.S. ally and a counterweight to China’s expanding influence in Asia. The U.S. is also India’s second-largest trading partner after China.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser, Mike Waltz, both China hawks and staunch India proponents, are expected to push for deeper bilateral engagement with New Delhi.

Underlying India’s importance, Rubio had his first bilateral meeting with Jaishankar.

"There was a very visible appetite to get this relationship moving, to do more, to raise the bar, to set bigger goals," Jaishankar said.

An early focus in the U.S.-India relationship: mass deportation of undocumented Indian immigrants.

India has identified 18,000 undocumented Indian migrants for repatriation to India, Bloomberg news reported this week, showing support for a Trump administration priority.

There are nearly 800,000 undocumented Indians living in the U.S., including tens of thousands who illegally entered the country under the Biden administration.

Jaishankar said India is opposed to illegal migration and open to the return of illegal migrants.

Yet challenges remain in the relationship. Visa delays experienced by Indian citizens "constrain the people-to-people interactions," he said.

Moreover, the Trump administration’s pivot to other geopolitical issues, from the war in Ukraine to the relationship with China, could overshadow relations with India, experts say.

"If they have anything significant to be anxious about, apart from the immigration questions, it will be that this administration will not be as attentive to South Asia as the last administration was," White said.

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used an optimistic tone on Trump’s inauguration day, pledging to work with the new president to strengthen the U.S.- Pakistan relationship.

"Over the years, our two great countries have worked together closely to pursue peace and prosperity in the region and beyond for our peoples & we shall continue to do so in the future," Sharif wrote on X Monday.

To engage with the new administration, Islamabad dispatched Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to Washington to meet with members of Trump’s foreign policy team as well as congressional leaders, a leading Pakistani newspaper called Dawn, reported Friday.

Yet U.S.-Pakistan ties remain strained. Early in his first term, Trump suspended most security aid to Pakistan, accusing it of harboring terrorism, before gradually resuming cooperation as his administration began to negotiate an agreement with Afghanistan’s Taliban.

Complicating the prospects for improved ties between Washington and Islamabad, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains in prison, with many members of Congress and some Trump advisers calling for his release.

Alluding to those calls, a Pakistani foreign office spokesperson cautioned Thursday against interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, even as he reiterated hopes for expanded bilateral ties.

"This is part of the principles on which interstate relations are shaped," the spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, said, according to Dawn.

Zamir Akram, a former Pakistan ambassador, noted that Washington tends to view Islamabad through its strategic alliance with China and tensions with India.

"So, this is a difficult environment that we’ll face," Akram said on a podcast hosted by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh presents another complex case in the Trump administration’s approach to South Asia.

Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last August, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus received a wide range of support from the Biden administration.

That support is now on the chopping block. Yunus, who has been critical of Trump in the past, nonetheless voiced cautious optimism about bilateral cooperation with the new U.S. administration.

In his congratulatory message to Trump, Yunus "expressed firm belief that both nations would work together to explore new avenues of cooperation," according to the Bangladesh foreign ministry.

The country’s two leading parties — the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League — urged continued U.S. support for Bangladeshi democracy and development.

"As a democratic country, I expect America and other democratic nations to support and cooperate in favor of democracy," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told VOA. "I believe the United States will assist in fostering democracy and development in our country."

But Mohammad A. Arafat, a member of the Awami League’s central executive committee and a former state minister, criticizing the Biden administration’s policy, urged a course correction.

"Unlike the Biden administration, which showed unwavering support for individuals like Dr. Yunus despite allegations of corruption, the Trump administration adopts a non-interventionist approach, refraining from interfering in other countries’ internal affairs," Arafat told VOA.
Twitter
Afghanistan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan
@MoFA_Afg
[1/24/2025 6:48 AM, 72.9K followers, 84 retweets, 197 likes]
IEA-MoFA Statement regarding allegations by prosecutor of "International Criminal Court" An arrest warrant sought by a "prosecutor" of the purported "court" for the Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Esteemed Amir-ul-Mu’mineen (HA) and the honorable Chief Justice

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan
@MoFA_Afg
[1/24/2025 6:48 AM, 72.9K followers, 4 retweets, 31 likes]
of the state, Sheikh Abdul Hakim Haqqani, is akin many other decisions of this institution devoid of just legal basis, duplicitous in nature and politically motivated. It is unfortunate that such baseless allegations are being levelled against the honorable leaders of the Islamic

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan
@MoFA_Afg
[1/24/2025 6:48 AM, 72.9K followers, 4 retweets, 33 likes]
Emirate at a time when Afghanistan enjoys nationwide peace, its people have breathed a sigh of relief, private prisons, kidnappings, islands of power and numerous other miseries and inhumane activities have been eradicated. Regrettably, this institution had turned a blind eye to

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan
@MoFA_Afg
[1/24/2025 6:48 AM, 72.9K followers, 5 retweets, 36 likes]
the war crimes & crimes against humanity committed by foreign forces & their domestic allies during their twenty-year occupation of Afghanistan. Such inappropriate behavior further erodes the already non-existent credibility of the said institution, and renders its status…

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan
@MoFA_Afg
[1/24/2025 6:48 AM, 72.9K followers, 3 retweets, 30 likes]
& decisions completely meaningless on international level. The said institution should end attempts of imposing a specific interpretation of human rights on the entire world while disregarding the religious & national values of peoples of the world.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad
@HafizZiaAhmad
[1/26/2025 1:39 AM, 107.1K followers, 51 retweets, 325 likes]
Breaking: Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Kabul and was received by IEA-Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to hold meeting for bilateral cooperation.

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[1/27/2025 1:35 AM, 247.4K followers, 5 retweets, 22 likes]
Afghans are indeed weary of war, but that doesn’t mean they will accept the rule of a fanatic group like the Taliban—who still believe women are less than animals and see themselves as God’s representatives, entitled to impose their medieval mindset on others.

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[1/26/2025 9:49 AM, 247.4K followers, 25 retweets, 112 likes]
As the U.S. threatens to put bounties on Taliban leaders, Iran’s foreign minister is in Kabul cozying up to the Taliban. Birds of a feather flock together.

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[1/26/2025 9:22 AM, 247.4K followers, 48 retweets, 183 likes]
Listening to Taliban chatter, they’re clearly rattled—cash halted, currency slipping, and bounties looming. With resistance attacks escalating, their desperation is showing.

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[1/25/2025 1:03 PM, 247.4K followers, 112 retweets, 423 likes]
For three years, Afghans—especially women—have been shouting that the Taliban are the same savages they always were, and the whole “Taliban 2.0” narrative was just a hoax. Finally, the world is starting to see the Taliban for what they truly are—criminals and mass murderers.

Heather Barr
@heatherbarr1
[1/25/2025 6:08 AM, 62.5K followers, 48 retweets, 174 likes]
Grateful for the chance to discuss what the recent International Criminal Court announcement means for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan—and globally. https://x.com/i/status/1882885900272554203

Nilofar Ayoubi
@NilofarAyoubi
[1/26/2025 7:00 PM, 68.7K followers, 7 retweets, 31 likes]
The Taliban abducted three former Afghan National Army members from Parwan and executed them in a field court. Unfortunately, the witch hunt for former members of the ANDSF and police has been conducted openly by the Taliban ever since they took control of Afghanistan, with no questions raised by the international community.

Jahanzeb Wisa
@Jahanzeb_Wesa
[1/25/2025 4:20 PM, 5.4K followers, 15 retweets, 33 likes]
16-year-old girl was married off just days before her exam, & each time she tried to go to school, her in-laws beat her. In many parts of Afghanistan, women are treated as domestic servants, enabling Taliban’s oppressive bans. We must fight for their education rights & freedom.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[1/24/2025 8:51 AM, 96.1K followers, 18 retweets, 24 likes]
#Afghanistan: Read Education activist @AziziRobina story on ban on 1.4 million girls right to education and call for global solidarity and action to hold the Taliban accountable. ‘Ignorance is no match for the power of knowledge and education’ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2025/01/ignorance-is-no-match-for-the-power-of-knowledge-and-education/

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[1/26/2025 9:15 AM, 96.1K followers, 16 retweets, 29 likes]
Urgent Action: The Taliban have arbitrarily arrested and detained filmmaker Sayed Rahim Saidi since July 2024. He has been denied fair trial, adequate healthcare and medicine as his health deteriorates. Saidi must be immediately and unconditionally released. Take action now: https://amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/8970/2025/en/ #FreeSaidi #Endcrackdownondissent

Madiha Afzal
@MadihaAfzal
[1/25/2025 11:40 AM, 43K followers, 12 likes]
The immediate pause on all US foreign aid is likely to be devastating to many around the world, including millions of Afghans who have had to depend on humanitarian assistance to simply survive after 2021.
Pakistan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan
@ForeignOfficePk
[1/25/2025 9:08 AM, 480.7K followers, 15 retweets, 27 likes]
Pakistan Navy assumes command of Multinational Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) frm Turkish Navy during CoC Ceremony held at Bahrain. Cdre Sohail Ahmad Azmie took command frm R/Adm Rustu Sezer. Cdre Sohail reaffirmed his team’s commitment to the purpose of CTF-151. Ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Pakistan to Bahrain, Ambassador of Turkiye to Bahrain, Cdr Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), V/Adm George M. Wikoff & reps of navies operating under the CMF.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan
@ForeignOfficePk
[1/25/2025 3:56 AM, 480.7K followers, 22 retweets, 49 likes]
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister , Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar@MishaqDar50 addressed the 12 Ambassadors and 9 Consuls General-designate. Congratulating them on their new assignments, the DPM/FM emphasised on promoting Pakistan’s national interests, especially through economic diplomacy, fostering bilateral ties and providing Pakistani diaspora with all assistance and facilitation. He stressed the primacy of promoting Pakistan at all levels to realise the true potential of the country.

Imran Khan
@ImranKhanPTI
[1/26/2025 1:58 AM, 21.1M followers, 11K retweets, 18K likes]
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Conversation with His Lawyers and the Media Team in Adiala Jail on January 25, 2025

“The government of ‘orderlies’ [subservient to the military establishment] is continuously avoiding the establishment of a judicial commission because they know that the events of May 9th (2023) were orchestrated by the establishment itself. They committed arson and tampered with the CCTV footage. They got me abducted from the court only because they anticipated a public reaction and sought to manipulate public emotions to achieve their nefarious objectives. A peaceful protest was turned into a false flag operation by planting their agents. Thousands of our leaders and workers were abducted and tortured under the guise of May 9th. The tactic was devised where our people were abducted and then forced into giving statements against PTI and leaving the party. 16 of our workers were martyred, and four were left disabled. Despite these injustices inflicted upon us, fake cases were filed against us. The entire drama of May 9th was staged to crush PTI and instill fear so people would abandon the party. However, the narrative of May 9th collapsed on February 8th (2024) when despite all restrictions, PTI clean swept the elections. The elections were postponed with the aim of using false propaganda to discredit PTI amongst the masses, but they failed. Similarly, November 26th (2024) was used to instill fear and stop peaceful protesters from raising their voices. Our call on November 26th was for the restoration of democratic values in the country, but the government and establishment stained their hands with blood by opening fire on innocent, unarmed protesters. November 26th was yet another attempt to crush PTI.

The puppet government has dealt a severe blow to democracy, stripping the public of their fundamental rights. The PECA Amendment Act is another link in this chain. First, the independent media was silenced — (journalist) Arshad Sharif was killed, (other) journalists were abducted and tortured, and social media was restricted. Now, the Form 47 (electoral fraud) government has passed a draconian law to stifle freedom of expression. Amendments to PECA laws were made to suppress political dissent, an act that deserves the strongest condemnation. Democracy cannot thrive without an independent judiciary, rule of law, and freedom of expression. This illegitimate assembly has done nothing but pass laws attacking democracy, such as the 26th Constitutional Amendment or the PECA Amendment Act. The 26th Amendment was aimed at extending the tenure of the Chief of Army Staff, and they feared that election fraud would be exposed if the judiciary remained independent. Judicial autonomy has been sacrificed for personal gains.

Prepare to observe a nationwide ‘Black Day’ on February 8th. Public mandate was stolen on this day, just like it was in 1971. People from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab should gather in Swabi for protests, while others must hold demonstrations in their respective cities. Overseas Pakistanis should also raise their voices across the globe on this day. Once again, I urge overseas Pakistanis to continue their boycott of foreign currency remittances. Sending money to this government strengthens the very hands that are tightening the noose around your necks.

We will engage with all political parties in Pakistan for the restoration of democracy. I direct my party to expedite communications with other parties for this purpose so the public can be freed from this dictatorship masquerading as democracy.

Ali Amin Gandapur faces immense pressure in governance as Chief Minister. Therefore, we have decided that Junaid Akbar Khan, a loyal and long-serving worker of PTI, will be appointed as President of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and organizational matters will be entrusted to him.”

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[1/26/2025 10:46 AM, 218.2K followers, 268 retweets, 770 likes]
“If the security is not improved, who would come and work in this environment?”-Strikingly blunt comments from Chinese official Wang Shengjie, perhaps to put more pressure on Islamabad to address Beijing’s long-running & growing security concerns in Pak. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/26/what-went-wrong-with-pakistans-dubai-inside-the-chinese-initiative-that-is-prompting-terror-attacks

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[1/26/2025 10:37 AM, 96.1K followers, 2.8K retweets, 5.1K likes]
PAKISTAN: “The latest amendment to the draconian Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) by the National Assembly will further tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape, if passed by both houses of Parliament." Read more: https://amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/01/pakistan-authorities-pass-bill-with-sweeping-controls-on-social-media/

Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
[1/26/2025 5:14 PM, 621.4K followers, 743 retweets, 2.3K likes]
In Pakistan, Imran Khan again asks his diaspora supporters not to send money to Pakistan. While Imran Khan was PM, despite COVID, Pakistan saw a big increase in its remittance from diaspora. After Imran’s overthrow by army-backed political coup, remittance has gone down.
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/26/2025 6:16 AM, 104.9M followers, 9.3K retweets, 55K likes]
Highlights from Kartavya Path, on this special Republic Day! https://x.com/i/status/1883473980222583132

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/26/2025 4:27 AM, 104.9M followers, 6.7K retweets, 39K likes]
Glimpses from the Republic Day Celebrations 2025… A vibrant display of India’s unity in diversity. The magnificent parade showcased cultural heritage and military prowess. The vibrant tableaux represented the rich traditions of our states.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/26/2025 9:04 PM, 104.9M followers, 10K retweets, 66K likes]
Happy Republic Day. Today, we celebrate 75 glorious years of being a Republic. We bow to all the great women and men who made our Constitution and ensured that our journey is rooted in democracy, dignity and unity. May this occasion strengthen our efforts towards preserving the ideals of our Constitution and working towards a stronger and prosperous India.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/25/2025 10:43 AM, 104.9M followers, 8.3K retweets, 60K likes]
Congratulations to all the Padma awardees! India is proud to honour and celebrate their extraordinary achievements. Their dedication and perseverance are truly motivating. Each awardee is synonymous with hardwork, passion and innovation, which has positively impacted countless lives. They teach us the value of striving for excellence and serving society selflessly. https://padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/notifications/PadmaAwards/2025.pdf

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/24/2025 10:00 PM, 104.9M followers, 3.8K retweets, 15K likes]
National Voters’ Day is about celebrating our vibrant democracy and empowering every citizen to exercise their right to vote. It highlights the importance of participation in shaping the nation’s future. We laud the ECI for their exemplary efforts in this regard. @ECISVEEP

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[1/24/2025 10:09 AM, 104.9M followers, 4.8K retweets, 30K likes]
As Republic Day approaches, interacted with NCC Cadets, NSS Volunteers, Tribal guests and Tableaux Artists taking part in the parade. We had the opportunity to discuss diverse issues including Swachhata, women empowerment, ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and more.

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[1/25/2025 10:47 PM, 3.3M followers, 436 retweets, 4K likes]
Proud to unfurl the national flag at home on our 76th Republic Day. Let’s commit ourselves to preserving the ideals of our Constitution and working towards a stronger & prosperous IN. #RepublicDay2025

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[1/24/2025 5:26 AM, 3.3M followers, 82 retweets, 678 likes]
Warm greetings on National Girl Child Day. We are proud of their accomplishments. Their empowerment is crucial to building a #ViksitBharat.

Jon Danilowicz
@JonFDanilowicz
[1/26/2025 9:02 AM, 12.5K followers, 10 retweets, 45 likes]
There is no doubt the United States and India will continue to build a stronger partnership during the Trump Administration. But this partnership need not come at the expense of India’s neighbors. All can benefit from the Quad’s commitment to a “free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”.

Sidhant Sibal
@sidhant
[1/27/2025 1:14 AM, 303.5K followers, 12 retweets, 51 likes]
Chinese Readout of Misri-Yi meet says, they discussed PM Modi, Chinese President Xi meet in Kazan, restarting practical cooperation, 75 yrs of establishing diplomatic ties, India extended support to China’s SCO Presidency
NSB
Jon Danilowicz
@JonFDanilowicz
[1/26/2025 6:04 PM, 12.5K followers, 12 retweets, 63 likes]
The disinformation from the defenders of Dhaka’s disgraced deposed dictator has been relentless today. First there was no coup. Second, Don Lu’s departure was part of a broader decision by the Trump Administration to replace political appointees. The pro-Hasina crowd is really getting desperate.

Jon Danilowicz
@JonFDanilowicz
[1/26/2025 12:52 PM, 12.5K followers, 12 retweets, 46 likes]
Amidst all the noise, it is helpful to step back and remember why and how the Hasina dictatorship came to an end, and Professor Yunus and his colleagues emerged to help lead the effort to create a new Bangladesh. With all the disinformation and mischaracterization, this interview from the World Economic Forum is very helpful in correcting the record. https://youtube.com/live/hDox3sCdqAY?si=SJVadNRXYSg_AFwO

Jon Danilowicz
@JonFDanilowicz
[1/26/2025 5:43 AM, 12.5K followers, 26 retweets, 170 likes]
The defenders of Bangladesh’s disgraced deposed dictator are gleeful today as they spin the U.S. global pause of foreign assistance programs for their ends. In so doing, they pretend that this is directed at Bangladesh’s interim government, when it clearly is not. They pretend I am somehow personally affected, which I clearly am not. And they claim that this is a result of their lobbying, when it clearly is not. As they take a victory lap, these propaganda accounts reveal themselves not to care at all about the people affected by this temporary pause. Following in the footsteps of their “hero” the disgraced deposed dictator they reveal that all they care about is their own selfish interest. As noted earlier, I understand the reason why the Trump Administration ordered this pause to ensure that assistance programs aligned with US policy objectives. While I agree that some changes in existing activities may make sense, for the sake of those in Bangladesh and elsewhere impacted by this decision I hope the review proceeds quickly. Next time you interact with a supporter of Bangladesh’s disgraced deposed dictator, ask them why they care so little about the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Ashok Swain
@ashoswai
[1/25/2025 1:55 PM, 621.4K followers, 67 retweets, 420 likes]
By not allowing Awami League to contest the election, the interim government will commit the same mistake that Hasina had committed in January 2024 election. It will not be stupidity but also the election will have no legitimacy. Bangladesh needs a free & fair election soon.

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[1/26/2025 2:18 AM, 111.8K followers, 109 retweets, 110 likes]
President Dr Muizzu shares a message on International Day of Clean Energy

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[1/25/2025 10:30 AM, 111.8K followers, 166 retweets, 174 likes]
First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed attends the Award Giving Ceremony for the “Visions of the Future” art competition, held to mark Broadcast Day 2024. At the ceremony, the First Lady spoke on the important role that broadcast media has been playing in closing the gap in this island nation. She applauded efforts to instil the importance of broadcast media in young minds #VisionsOfTheFuture #YouthArt #MaldivesArt #broadcomMV

The President’s Office, Maldives
@presidencymv
[1/24/2025 7:05 AM, 111.8K followers, 141 retweets, 157 likes]
Vice President Uz @HucenSembe inaugurates the 8th edition of the Food and Beverages Show at Central Park, Hulhumalé. Organised by @HIGHRISEint, the show will continue until January 26. Described as an incredible showcase of innovation and excellence in food and beverage, the F&BShow2025 will see exhibitions by local service providers punctuated by performances and promotions. #fnbshow #foodandbeverage #highrise

Anura Kumara Dissanayake
@anuradisanayake
[1/26/2025 11:26 AM, 144.8K followers, 7 retweets, 106 likes]
Joined the Tambuttegama Friendly Get-Together of the National People’s Power today (26). Grateful to everyone who continues to strengthen this journey of Renaissance. Together, we build a better future!

Anura Kumara Dissanayake
@anuradisanayake
[1/26/2025 6:51 AM, 144.8K followers, 6 retweets, 89 likes]
Today (26), at the Anuradhapura District Development Committee meeting, I emphasized strengthening the public service as a citizen’s right & a govt responsibility.
Key takeaways:
- Digitizing govt operations & improving data systems by June.
- Proposals for fair salary increases & pension reform in the budget.
- Addressing 30,000 vacancies in public service for efficient HR management.
- Focus on education, healthcare, agriculture & resolving the human-elephant conflict.
- Developing Anuradhapura as a global tourism hub through "City Branding."
- Launching "Clean Sri Lanka" for a better society.
Together, let’s build a brighter future for Anuradhapura & Sri Lanka!
Central Asia
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[1/26/2025 5:15 AM, 210.9K followers, 13 retweets, 53 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev held an informal meeting with President of #Kyrgyzstan @SadyrJaparov at the “Amirsoy” resort in Tashkent region. Sides agreed to develop joint projects for resort and recreational centers, leveraging the unique landscapes and natural diversity of both countries.

Navbahor Imamova
@Navbahor
[1/25/2025 9:50 AM, 24K followers, 2 retweets, 4 likes]
In recent conversations with VOA, most Uzbeks expressed enthusiasm about U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. They hoped his administration would foster stronger connections with the people of Uzbekistan, not just its government. https://www.voanews.com/a/excited-about-trump-s-promises-uzbeks-hopeful-for-closer-engagement/7949771.html

{End of Report}
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