Afghanistan
US State Department plans to close Afghan Resettlement Office by April: Reuters-The Khaama Press
The U.S. State Department has directed the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to prepare for closure by April 2025. This decision could affect approximately 200,000 Afghan individuals, including family members of Afghan-American military personnel, children awaiting reunification, and those who assisted U.S. forces during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan. Click here to read...
Over 18,000 Afghans return to Afghanistan from Islamabad and Rawalpindi in January-The Khaama Press
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 18,000 Afghan nationals returned to Afghanistan from the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi between the beginning and end of January this year. Click here to read...
US Aid Cut May Shrink Afghan Economy by 7%-Tolo News
The Center for Global Development, in a newly published report, has stated that the suspension of US aid will have catastrophic consequences for poor countries, including Afghanistan. The report mentions that Afghanistan is one of eight countries most dependent on US aid. The Center for Global Development also stated that 35% of all foreign aid to Afghanistan was provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the suspension of this aid will result in a 7% reduction in Afghanistan's economic growth. Click here to read...
Bangladesh
New party by uprising activists launch likely on Feb 26 – The Daily Star
Student leaders who spearheaded the July uprising are gearing up to announce their political party with February 26 in mind as the possible date. They are considering the formal announcement at a rally on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. Click here to read...
AL must be eradicated, not just banned – The Daily Star
Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain yesterday said the Awami League must be eradicated politically and ideologically from Bangladesh. He said this must be done through a ban following legal and social processes, such as a truth commission or precedents from other countries. Click here to read...
Chhatra Dal: Anti-Discrimination Student Movement led the attack at Kuet – Dhaka Tribune
Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has accused the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) and Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir of initiating the recent attack at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) following the suspension of political activities. Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said that if ADSM leaders had not participated in the "initial" attack, such a conflict would never have escalated. Click here to read...
Bangladesh stresses on bringing down border killings to zero – Prothom Alo
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) made a strong call to India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to bring the border killing to zero for the sake of bilateral relations between two neighbours. The BGB said that trans-border criminals should be nabbed and brought to trial under existing laws. But shooting someone dead just because they are violating the border is not humane at all. The issue is very sensitive for Bangladesh. Click here to read...
Bhutan
India extends further support to Bhutan's Economic Stimulus Programme – Hans India
In yet another significant gesture highlighting the strong bonds of friendship and close people-to-people contacts, India on Wednesday handed over a cheque of 2.5 billion Bhutanese Ngultrum (Rs 250 crore) as the third tranche of Government of India's support of 15 billion Ngultrum (Rs 1500 crore) towards the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) launched by the Royal Government of Bhutan, last year. Click here to read...
Pakistan
COAS Asim Munir arrives in UK for high-level security talks-The Express Tribune
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has arrived in the United Kingdom for an official visit to attend the 7th Regional Stabilisation Conference at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The conference, a key platform for Pakistan-UK military dialogue, brings together senior policymakers, military officials, and experts from both countries to discuss regional security dynamics. Click here to read...
Finance minister briefs World Bank on economic outlook, reform agenda-The Express Tribune
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday presented Pakistan’s economic outlook and detailed his government’s reform agenda to a delegation from the World Bank (WB), highlighting ongoing efforts to restructure key sectors and promote fiscal discipline. The minister outlined structural reforms aimed at improving revenue mobilisation, implementing energy sector reforms, restructuring state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and advancing privatisation. Click here to read...
Pakistan Navy, Royal Saudi Naval Forces conclude joint 'Affaa Al Sahel VII' exercise-The Express Tribune
The joint bilateral training exercise "Affaa Al Sahel VII" between the Special Operations Forces (SOFs) of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) and the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Navy concluded on a high note in Karachi with an intense Final Test Exercise (FTX). Click here to read...
KP CM fears ‘foreign hand’ in Kurram-Dawn
Khyber Pakh¬tunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday claimed the months-long conflict in Kurram tribal district did not have anything to do with a land dispute, but was fomented by hostile powers who were supplying weapons and explosives to fuel sectarianism. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
EC agrees to hold LG polls at earliest date: Tilvin – Daily Mirror
The Elections Commission agreed to hold the Local Government elections at the earliest possible date, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said today. He told the media after meeting the Elections Commission officials that some opposition parties were attempting to get the LG polls postponed again and that it is against democracy. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka releases 12 fishers, two jailed for breach of IMBL – The New Indian Express
12 Indian fishermen were by a Sri Lankan court, and one fisherman was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, while another was jailed for one year and fined LKR 1.2 crore, on Wednesday. Click here to read...
