Link India and Japan are once again engaging with Sri Lanka in a developmental investment to construct a deep water port in Colombo, previously put on hold in 2019 due to union and fair pay upheavals. Sri Lanka will hold a majority share of the port, while Japan and India will hold partial ownership as well. The establishment of the… Read more »
Link Several days ago, a Kyrgyz referendum to limit or expand the power of the President closed, finding promising results for the executive. The Central Asian state’s latest leader, President Sadyr Japarov, came into power last Fall in a shockingly nonviolent fashion. Although he and his supporters have called it a “third revolution” for Kyrgyzstan, the transfer of power was… Read more »
Link Last week, Bangladesh moved their second group of Burmese Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island off the coast of mainland, equipped with shelter and enough infrastructure for a sustainable and safe society. However, several human rights groups alongside the United Nations have voiced concerns over the condition of the island: it’s very susceptible to disaster during monsoon season, having… Read more »
Link: https://iwpr.net/global-voices/syria-female-prisoners-speak-out In the state of Syria, there is an amount of discrimination against female prisoners both outside and inside the prison. Former detainee Rana Al-Agha was arrested during an ambush arranged by a state security agent. She described how during her imprisonment, she was psychologically tortured and pressured by having to view officers torture people right in front of… Read more »
Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/6/sudan-says-it-signed-abraham-accords-with-us Sudan signed the “Abraham accords” with the United States despite the signing being rejected by Sudan’s political parties in October. When the Sudanese government decided it would normalize its relations with Israel, the Sudanese political parties rejected the plan.. Officials stated they would form an opposition front against the agreement if it went through. This signing came two… Read more »
Link The government of Afghanistan and Taliban leadership continue peace talks initiated in September, with the procedure whereby negotiations are to be made having been outlined this December. The goal of the Afghan government is to draw a ceasefire and a disarmament of Taliban security forces, while the Taliban seeks foremost the ousting of imposing foreign powers and recovering old… Read more »
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-army-to-gain-control-of-60-billion-belt-road-projects/articleshow/79720962.cms The Pakistani army has recently taken control over the $60 billion Chinese-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Last year, Pakistan created the CPEC Authority (CPECA) to take majority control over execution of CPEC projects. The civilian government criticized the CPECA as they believed it overstepped its role and infringed upon the role of the state, and eventually the CPECA ordinance expired…. Read more »
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/79980513.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cpp Towards the end of December, Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari announced the dissolution of the Parliament, resulting in protests and political turmoil in Kathmandu calling the act unconstitutional. The president called for the dissolution at request of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the head of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli has been accused of corruption,… Read more »
Article: https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/planned-chinese-dam-along-south-asian-river-triggers-concerns-india-bangladesh Analysis: China has announced plans to build a superdam on the Yarlung Zangbo River that runs through both India and Bangladesh. This had led to concerns among these countries that utilize the river. Bangladesh is reliant on the supply of freshwater to their communities. In addition, Bangladesh fears any disturbance to the flow of the river. Currently, the… Read more »
Article: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangladesh-bhutan-sign-preferential-trade-deal/2067458 Analysis: This past Sunday, Bangladesh and Bhutan signed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) as a method of improving bilateral trade. The two have a long history of positive relations. In 1971, Bhutan was the first country to publicly acknowledge the sovereignty of Bangladesh. Ceremoniously, this PTA marks the 50 year anniversary of these diplomatic ties. The importance of… Read more »