Afghanistan
Efforts to Start Afghanistan Contact Group Halted by Regional Discord-Tolo News
The Express Tribune reported that the process of establishing a regional contact group for Afghanistan has come to a standstill due to differences among countries. “This group was envisioned to include Afghanistan's immediate neighbors and other relevant stakeholders. However, Pakistan's objection to India's participation in the proposed regional group has led to a deadlock, according to diplomatic sources,” the report reads. Click here to read...
23 Former Government Officials Return Through Contact Commission Last Month-Tolo News
The Contact Commission with Personalities of the Islamic Emirate has reported that more than twenty former government members returned to the country over the past month. Ahmadullah Wasiq, the spokesperson for this commission, provided details stating that among the returnees was also a Hindu citizen. He assured that efforts to facilitate the return of some former government members are ongoing. Click here to read...
Installation of 80,000 security cameras in Kabul-The Khaama Press
The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has declared the installation of eighty thousand security cameras in Kabul city to prevent criminal incidents. Abdul Matin Qaneh, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of the Taliban, stated on Sunday, April 14th, that these cameras have been installed at intersections, crowded areas, and key points. Click here to read...
India welcomes Taliban’s gesture to return properties of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan-The Khaama Press
India has welcomed the Taliban’s move to “return the properties and lands of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan.” According to a report by The Times of India on Friday, Ranjit Singh, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, stated, “If the Taliban have decided to return the properties and lands to citizens who belong to the Hindu and Sikh communities in Afghanistan, we see this as a positive development.” Click here to read...
Bangladesh
BNP real source of communalism: Quader - The Daily Star
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP cannot tolerate Bangalees' culture as the party is the real source of communalism and also the patrons of militancy. Click here to read...
9 more Myanmar border guards enter Bangladesh – The Daily Star
At least nine members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) took shelter in Bangladesh this morning amid the ongoing conflict between the junta force and Arakan Army in Rakhine state. Click here to read...
BNP on Pohela Boishakh raises concerns about political, cultural aggression – Dhaka Tribune
During Pohela Boishakh celebrations marking the Bangla New Year, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday voiced concerns about what he described as both “political and cultural aggression” in Bangladesh. Click here to read...
No man’s land: Enclave dwellers stuck in a limbo - The Times of India
Enclave dwellers in India face long-standing land ownership issues post the 2015 exchange with Bangladesh, impacting their legal status and election dynamics. Click here to read...
Bhutan
A new vision for Bhutan - Daiji World
Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has a new vision for the country, to make it an economic hub for South Asia, pointing out that small countries like Bhutan are not trapped by legacy and can innovate swiftly to implement plans that other countries might hesitate to pursue. Click here to read...
Bhutan to host sustainable finance conference to protect tigers - Kuensel Online
The roar for conservation grows louder as the Tiger Conservation Coalition unveils its ambitious agenda: a groundbreaking Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference. With a goal of raising USD 1 billion, this initiative seeks to not only bolster tiger conservation efforts but also foster community resilience, enabling harmonious coexistence with these majestic predators. The conference will be held in Bhutan between April 22 and 23. Bhutan’s tiger population has shown promising growth, with an estimated 131 tigers recorded in 2023, marking a significant 27 percent increase from the count in 2015. Click here to read...
Maldives
Chinese company to build fish factories in three atolls – Adhadhu
The government has signed a MoU, on April 14, with a Chinese company to build fish factories in Dhaalu atoll, Gaafu Dhaalu atoll and Lhaviyani atoll. The project was awarded to Dongfang Electric International Corporation of China. Under the MoU signed, facilities for fish landing, processing and storage will be established in the three islands. Click here to read...
Second batch of Indian military personnel leaves Maldives: President Muizzu – The Hindu
President Mohamed Muizzu stated that, the second batch of Indian military personnel manning a helicopter gifted by India to the Maldives has left the island nation, as demanded by him. Under an agreement between Maldives and India in February, New Delhi agreed to replace the Indian military personnel stationed in Maldives to oversee the operations of the military aircraft the country has gifted with trained civilians also from India. He further stated that, there is only one platform left. As the two countries have already signed, they [the remaining Indian military personnel] will also be recalled ahead of May 10. They will leave. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Myanmar rebels say they have repelled junta push to take back border town - Asia One
A resistance group fighting Myanmar's military rule said on April 14 that its fighters repelled an attempt by junta troops to advance on the key town of Myawaddy along the Thai border that was seized by the rebels last week. Reinforcements of junta forces have been trying to advance on Myawaddy for days, but were pushed back in a battle about 40km away, said Saw Taw Nee, a spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU), in an interview. Click here to read...
The Fall Of Myawaddy: Myanmar’s Gateway To Thailand And The World - OWP
Karen ethnic rebels have made a critical breakthrough in the ongoing civil war in Myanmar by seizing control of Myawaddy, a vital trading town near the Thai border. This victory represents a turning point in the resistance movement against military rule. In Myanmar’s lawless border regions, the town is also home to several compounds that make up billion-dollar online scam factories and serve as an important trading hub. The fall of Myawaddy, therefore, highlights the growing strength of opposition efforts and presents a serious threat to the military junta’s hold on power. Thousands of people have fled to neighbouring Thailand out of fear of military retaliation. Approximately 120,000 people are reportedly being detained in compounds throughout Myanmar, according to the UN. Click here to read...
Govt urges pulses importers from Myanmar to use Rupee-Kyat direct payment system - financial Express
The government on Saturday asked importers from Myanmar to use the Rupee-Kyat trade mechanism for faster imports of pulses such as tur and urad. The importers have been asked to utilise the Rupee-Kyat direct payment system using Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA) through Punjab National Bank (PNB), according to an official statement. Click here to read...
Mizoram Governor meets acting Indian Ambassador to Myanmar - North East Now
In order to strengthen ties between Myanmar and India, the acting Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur paid a courtesy visit to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at the Raj Bhavan in Mizoram on Friday. According to reports, the meeting between the Mizoram Governor and Thakur is a step forward to enhance trade agreements between India and Myanmar. Click here to read...
Nepal
Escalating Middle East crisis threatens Nepali economy - Kathmandu Post
Remittance-dependent Nepal may face a dizzying sequence of shocks, particularly in the labour market, due to escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran's attack on Israel on Saturday, experts have warned. Reports show that Tehran has warned it will strike again with greater force if Israel or the US retaliates for the Iranian strike on Israel. The Iranian attack, which involved more than 300 drones and missiles, were carried out on Saturday night. Click here to read...
Helping Thy Neighbour: India Gifts 35 Ambulances, 66 School Buses to Nepal - News 18
At the handover ceremony, held at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava presented the keys to these essential vehicles in presence of Finance Minister of Nepal Barsha Man Pun. Srivastava said these gifts “symbolise India’s steadfast support for Nepal’s development journey, particularly in enhancing healthcare and education accessibility”. The Nepalese Finance Minister expressed gratitude for India’s ongoing development projects, “recognising their pivotal role in fostering bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people connectivity”, said a press statement from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Click here to read...
DG of Assam Rifles discusses bilateral military relations with Nepal Army chief - The Week
Lt Gen Pradeep Chandran Nair, Director General of Assam Rifles, Indian Army has met Nepal Army chief Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma and discussed ways to enhance bilateral military relations between the two nations. Lt Gen Nair called on Gen Sharma at the Nepal Army Headquarters to discuss furtherance in bilateral military relations between Nepal and India and bolstering army-to-army connect, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said in a post on X. The senior Indian Army officer, who arrived here on an official visit on April 8 also addressed a rally of Nepali-domiciled Gorkha ex-servicemen in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Dharan, a statement from the Indian Embassy said. Click here to read...
Pakistan
Opposition alliance’s ranks swelling, claims PTI-Dawn
PTI leader Omar Ayub said on Sunday that his party was in contact with other political forces to shore up the six-party opposition alliance to strengthen its bid to oust the incumbent government led by the PML-N. He said the alliance of six opposition parties, which had launched the Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), from Balochistan will be successful in ousting the incumbent government led by the PML-N, with the support of the people who had given their mandate to PTI in the Feb 8 elections. Click here to read...
Opposition kick-starts anti-govt campaign from Balochistan- Dawn
Launching a countrywide movement against the government from Pishin in Balochistan on Saturday, the central leaders of six opposition parties’ alliance underlined the need for a joint struggle for making Pakistan a true democratic state and restoring the rule of law and Constitution. Click here to read...
Accused in Sarabjit Singh attack case shot dead in Lahore-The Express Tribune
Amir Sarfaraz alias Amir Tamba, an accused involved in the murder of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat jail in 2013, has died during treatment for gunshot wounds in a hospital on Sunday. In 2013, Amir along with another suspect Mudassir had been accused of murdering Sarbajit Singh detained in Kot Lakhpat jail convicted for involvement in bombings in Lahore in the ‘90s. Click here to read...
Up to Rs 8.50 hike in fuel prices likely-Dawn
While the impact of the Middle East escalation is yet to materialise, the higher international market is estimated to push up the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by about Rs2.50 and Rs8.50 per litre, respectively on Monday (April 15) for the next fortnight, despite a decline in the import premium and a slightly improved exchange rate. Informed sources said the prices of petrol and HSD had increased in the international market by about $4 and $4.50 per barrel, respectively, during the last fortnight, before the latest escalation. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Navy brings ashore seized ICE, heroin worth Rs. 3.7 billion – Daily Mirror
The Sri Lanka Navy brought ashore the seized narcotics, including 179 kgs and 906 gms of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE) and 83 kgs and 582 gms of heroin, which were seized yesterday in the seas approximately 133 nautical miles (about 246 kms) off Dondra, south of Sri Lanka. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka hopes for productive talks at IMF, WB spring meetings – Daily Excelsior
Sri Lanka is looking forward to making progress in ending the ongoing debt restructuring negotiations at the IMF and the World Bank’s spring meetings scheduled to begin from Monday in Washington. Click here to read...
US President extends wishes for Sinhala and Tamil New Year – Daily Mirror
US President Joe Biden expressed heartfelt wishes to communities celebrating various cultural festivities worldwide including Sri Lankans. Click here to read...
