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Pak Alienating Neighbors,
World Powers
(March 12, 2007)
Despite signs of souring
relations with Tehran and
strained relations with
Washington, Pakistan has
asserted that it will not
allow its territory to be
used by the U.S. for
anti-Iran operations.<More>
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Indo-Sino Tourism Expected
to Rise
(March 06, 2007)
Indian and Chinese tour
operators are offering
special tour packages and
expect a 15-20 per cent
jump in outbound travel.<More>
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China, Sri Lanka Deal to
Develop Hambantota
(March 05, 2007)
Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapakse visited
China and signed a
landmark deal allowing
Beijing to develop a
harbor, bunkering system,
and tank farm in
Hambantota district in a
"friendship city
relationship.<More>
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Tens of Thousands of
Maoists in UN Camps
(February 26, 2007)
U.N. officials revealed
that 30,852 former Maoist
rebels in Nepal registered
themselves in relief camps
and submitted 3,428
weapons as part of a peace
process to end conflict in
the Himalayan state.<More>
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Drug Control in Afghan
(February 26, 2007)
The Afghanistan Government
has launched a renewed
eradication campaign,
particularly in Halmand
Province which accounted
for 40 per cent of 2006's
opium yield of 6,725 tons,
to stem an estimated USD 3
billion economic
activity.<More>
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Tariff Cut Plans to ASEAN
Levels
(February 19, 2007)
The government is
reportedly planning to cut
peak customs tariff from
the present 12.5% to a
possible 10% in the
upcoming budget but senior
functionaries are
reportedly interested to
drop the tariff to ASEAN
levels of 6-7%.<More>
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Pak Interested to Close
Siachen
(February 19, 2007)
Pakistan Minister of State
for Information and
Broadcasting acknowledged
the futility of fighting
in "one of the highest
battlefields" where
neither side "has gained
anything" and indicated
willingness to find
closure to stalled talks
.<More>
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Nobel Laureate Yunus in
Politics
(February 19, 2007)
Nobel Laureate Mohammed
Yunus, founder of the
Grameen Bank of Bangladesh
and champion of poverty
allieviation and
sustainable development,
announced plans to enter
politics in Bangladesh to
help the nation overcome
the "terrible political
leadership."<More>
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BSF Wants No Habitation
on Bangla Border
(February 09, 2007)
The Border Security
Force (BSF) has proposed
a "no-habitation zone"
of 150 yards along the
long Indo-Bangla border
in West Bengal,
Meghalaya, and Tripura
so it can effectively
manage it and stop
illegal infiltration.<More>
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China's African Safari,
US Plans Military Center
(February 08, 2007)
Abandoned by European
colonists, used as pawns
by the US and Soviet
Union during the Cold
War, and ignored for the
last decade and a half,
Africa nations are back
in favor for engagement
because of Chinese
involvement in that
continent.<More>
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Pakistan, Turkey
Initiative on W Asia
(February 08, 2007)
Visiting Pakistan
President Pervez
Musharraf and Turkish
counterpart Ahmet Necdet
Sezer reveled plans to
work together to bring
peace to the West Asia
"and the Muslim world."<More>
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U.S. Aid to Nepal to
Continue
(February 08, 2007)
The U.S. will continue
to provide financial aid
to the interim Nepali
government even though
it has accommodated the
terrorists Maoists in
the administration.<More>
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19 Bangla Politicians
Jailed
(February 07, 2007)
The interim Bangladesh
government arrested
nineteen politicians and
sent them to jail for a
month on charges of
corruption and
anti-state activities.<More>
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Indo-Maldives
Cooperation on "Good
Terms"
(February 07, 2007)
Visiting Deputy
Education Minister Abdul
Mugsin Mohammed praised
India's co-operation at
"good terms" with his
country.<More>
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India, Bhutan Sign
Revised Friendship
Treaty
(February 07, 2007)
India and Bhutan will
sign an updated version
of the 57-year old
friendship treaty when
King Jigme Khesar
Namgyal Wangchuk visits
India on a six-day visit
that will grant Thimpu
more freedom in foreign
policy and military
procurement.<More>
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India, China Set up Hotline
(February 06, 2007)
When Chinese Foreign Minister
Li Zhaoxing visits India next
week, India and China have
decided to set up a hotline
between their foreign
ministers as part of a roadmap
to implement the 10-point
action plan to boost strategic
cooperation.<More>
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Bhutto to Return?
(February 06, 2007)
Former Pakistan Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto in a self-exile
in the United Kingdom is
reportedly planning to return
to Pakistan in October or
November of this year to
challenge the army's rule.<More>
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SLG Invites, TNA Declines
(February 06, 2007)
The Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapakse invited the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) and later the
Tamil National Alliance (TNA)
for talks on power sharing;
but his peppered invitation
was spurned by the TNA asking
it to deal with the LTTE
directly.<More>
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Pak Mulls Emergency
Option
(February 05, 2007)
Pakistan President
Pervez Musharraf is
considering an option to
postpone elections by
declaring emergency.<More>
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Jintao Travels to Africa
Again
(January 31 , 2007)
Chinese President Hu
Jintao is traveling to
Africa again that the
African Development Bank
(ADB) says is focused on
trade and to strengthen
bonds with ignored
nations and population
and making “Africa one
of the major areas of
attention.â€<More>
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SLG Criticized for
Military Emphasis
(January 31 , 2007)
As donor nations pledged
large sums of money to
help civil-war torn Sri
Lanka, donor nations
also criticized the
government’s
overemphasis on military
option and widespread
skepticism over the
recent splitting of the
Opposition for political
gain.<More>
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IPI Agreement Closer to
Reality
(January 31 , 2007)
As US-Iran relations
nosedived over
accusations of meddling
over Iraq and Tehran’s
nuclear program, India,
Pakistan, and Iran
seemed to have agreed on
a price to transport
natural gas to India
over the
Iran-Pakistan-India
pipeline project.<More>
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US Plans Large Afghan Package
(January 29, 2007)
The US President George Bush
is reportedly seeking
Congressional approval for
another USD 7-8 billion for
security, reconstruction, and
counter-offensive operations
including training and
policing operations against a
resurgent Taliban.<More>
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Karuna Group Destabilizing,
SLG Colludes
(January 25, 2007)
Annoyed by selective leaks of
an internal document by the
Sri Lankan Government (SLG),
donor nations outed the report
blaming the SLG-supported
Karuna faction as a major
destabilizing factor and the
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also
blamed the government for
“willful blindness.â€<More>
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Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors, US
Warns
(January 24, 2007)
In an apparent retaliation
against UN sanctions imposed
last month on its
controversial nuclear program,
Iran barred 38 UN nuclear
inspectors from entering the
country and the US upped the
ante saying that rapprochement
with Iran was “not possible.â€<More>
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Nepal King Public Appearance
(January 24, 2007)
Since being sidelined by the
Seven Party Alliance (SPA),
Nepali King Gyanendra made his
first appearance in connection
with a Hindu festival Vasanta
Panchami but government
officials and politicians who
traditionally the attend the
festivities remained aloof.<More>
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Personality-Neutral Relations
with Iran
(January 23, 2007)
In an act of militant defiance
in response to the second US
aircraft carrier USS John C.
Stennis into the Persian Gulf,
Iran tested short range Zalzal
and Fajr-5 missiles ostensibly
to evaluate “defensive and
fighting capabilities of the
missiles.†<More>
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SLG, LTTE Criticized for Child
Soldiers
(January 22, 2007)
As the Sri Lankan Army (SLA),
helped by Israeli and
Pakistani mercenaries, claimed
success to take a key town in
the East, a UN report has
criticized the insurgent
groups, the government, and
their sponsored militia of
abducted conscription of
children.<More>
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Bangla CEC Quits, Elections
Cancelled
(January 22, 2007)
Bangladesh’s controversial
Chief Election Commission M.A.
Aziz resigned citing a
“rapidly changed†political
landscape and visibly resigned
President Iajuddin Ahmed
accepted the resignation and
called off the elections.<More>
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Nepal Maoists Start
Disarmament
(January 20, 2007)
About 350 combatants including
150 women handed over their
arms to UN officials as part
of a deal that granted them a
1/3rd of Parliament seats and
a Deputy Prime Minister post
so they can work on elections
in June.<More>
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India-Sino Border Talks Resume
(January 20, 2007)
Special Representatives of
India and China resumed the
border settlement talks into
the 9th round but as usual
refused to divulge details of
deliberations but are
apparently still working on
the April 2005 “political
parameters†and “guiding
principles.â€<More>
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China Tries to Curb
Export Growth
(January 18, 2007)
Aiming to better
strained relationship
with the US and the EU
over out-of-control
trade surplus, Beijing
is trying to adopt new
polices to cut its
export growth to avoid a
potentially disastrous
“political†problem.<More>
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“Progress†in Indo-Pak
Talks
(January 17, 2007)
Urging analysts to take
a “holistic view of
relations with
Pakistan,†Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
guardedly said the 3
year old peace process
was making “progressâ€
but acknowledged that it
was “premature†to
conclude to claim
success. <More>
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Maoist Join Nepali
Government
(January 17, 2007)
In a landmark event,
Nepal’s Maoist
insurgents gave up
violence and joined the
interim government and
assumed “responsibility
to conduct the elections
for the constituent
assembly†as part of a
peace deal with
mainstream political
parties. <More>
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ASEAN Terror & Economic Plans
(January 16, 2007)
Anxious to remain competitive
against China and India, Southeast
nations met in Philippines created
a rules-based foundation for
cooperation on economic,
political, and terrorism policies
along the lines of the European
Union, but disagreed on Myanmar. <More>
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New Govt in Bangladesh
(January 16, 2007)
In a dramatic move, bowing to
international pressure President
President Iajuddin Ahmed resigned
his position of caretaker prime
minister paving way for former
Bangladesh central bank governor
Fakhruddin Ahmed to take over the
government.<More>
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Gender Imbalance in China
(January 16, 2007)
Thanks to its one-child policy
introduced in 1970s, the Chinese
Government acknowledged that it in
less than 30 million more men of
marriageable men than women
resulting from a hard choice
parents had to make to prefer male
children.<More>
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UN Withdraws Aid for
Bangla Poll
(January 11, 2007)
As tens of thousands of
troops take up positions
to stop the opposition
blockade of a
discredited poll on the
22nd, the United Nations
said that it withdrawing
assistance in the
upcoming poll and that
it was “concerned†about
the future of democracy
in that country.<More>
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Israel-China Sign New
Treaties
(January 11, 2007)
Visiting Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert and
Chinese Premier Web
Jiabao signed three
agreements covering
cultural exchange,
export of Israeli citrus
fruit, and sale of water
purification technology
to China.<More>
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Olmert Seeks China’s Help on
Iran
(January 10, 2007)
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert is visiting China and
is expected to lobby Beijing
to take a tougher stand
against Tehran’s controversial
nuclear program especially if
the recent sanctions on Iran
would not influence its
behavior.<More>
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Mush Wants Support to Fight Terror
(January 09, 2007)
State-run television reported that Pakistan President
Pervez Musharraf has called his nation to support his
policy stopping militants from using the nation as
recruitment ground for suicide members to be used by
terrorist groups for attacks world-over.<More>
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Bangladesh in Turmoil
(January 08, 2007)
Bangladesh police fired tear gas and charged with batons
on demonstrators in Dhaka to break up opposition
blockades for the second day trying to force a delay in
elections scheduled January 22.<More>
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Bangla Polls Dubious
(January 05, 2007)
After indicating their participation in the January 22
polls, the 14-party opposition led by former Prime
Minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina have now
decided to boycott the elections alleging that it was
“stage-managed.â€<More>
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UN Calls for Ceasefire in Lanka
(January 05, 2007)
A top UN official appealed to the Sri Lankan Government
(SLG) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to
stop their fighting as the citizens “continue to suffer
deeply†and the recent civilian death from SLG air
attack is causing “deepest concern.â€<More>
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No SLMM in Combat Areas
(January 03, 2007)
As the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) withdrew
from combat areas in the North and East, the Sri Lankan
Air Force (SLAF) raid killed 15 civilians (including 4
children), wounded dozens, and destroyed all but 5
houses in Northern coast near Mannar.<More>
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Diplomatic Curb in Pak
(January 03, 2007)
Pakistan has instituted travel curbs on Indian diplomats
where they need to seek advanced permission from
authorities for travel to Murree (a hill station) and
Rawalpindi (a twin city to Islamabad) but no official
announcement has been made.<More>
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Tehran Defiant on Sanctions
(December 28, 2006)
For the first time, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad acknowledged its nuclear weapons program
when dismissing the UNSC resolution imposing limited
sanctions against Tehran as a “piece of torn paperâ€
meant to “scare Iranians.â€<More>
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Indo-Pak MoU on Power Devolution
(December 28, 2006)
India and Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to share and learn from experiences of both
nations on devolution of power to grass-root levels
hoping that these low-hanging fruits will pave way for
lasting peace.<More>
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Bangla Polls On
(December 26, 2006)
After objecting bitterly about election planning
irregularities and breach of Constitution, Awami League
led 14-party opposition is reportedly decided to contest
in parliamentary election scheduled January 22 next
year.<More>
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Iran Sanctions, Shaky Azeri Relations
(December 25, 2006)
After inviting UNSC sanctions and losing civic level
elections, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sought
to upgrade his souring domestic popularity by escalating
tirades against the West and called President Bush "the
most hated person" in the world.<More>
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Maoists Block Envoy Designate to India
(December 25, 2006)
Nepali Maoists and political groups supporting them said
that they will block Prime Minister Girija Prasad
Koirala’s envoy designate for India, an obscure retired
diminutive woman who is also a niece of the PM claiming
that the decision was taken without consulting them.<More>
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Talks with Afghan Taliban
(December 23, 2006)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is reportedly ready for
talks with the Taliban operating in his country hopeful
of including them in governance but not the Pakistani
counterpart but only if they terminate links with
Pakistan as that nation is trying to “enslaveâ€
Afghanistan.<More>
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Indo-Pak Joint Sir Creek Survey
(December 23, 2006)
In the two days talks over Sri Creek beginning this
weekend, India and Pakistan are working out a mechanism
for the 2nd survey of Sir Creek targeted for completion
next March to enable an easy and conflict free
demarcation of the maritime zone.<More>
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Indo-Sino Glacier Expedition
(December 23, 2006)
For the very first time, India and China will jointly
survey up to the sources of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej,
which is the largest water reservoir in the world
outside the Polar region, and collect data that could be
used for modeling climatic changes over glaciers.<More>
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Riots in Bangladesh
(December 23, 2006)
The general strike called by the 14-party opposition led
by Awami League (AL) trying to force electoral reforms
turned violent with the army and police fighting running
battles with civilians leaving 25 people wounded in
Dhaka and 100 in other areas.<More>
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No Shortcuts in Kashmir
(December 21, 2006)
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf proposed a “four
point solution†to resolve the Kashmir dispute that
includes Indian troop withdrawal, self-governance for
Kashmiris, joint supervision by the three sides, and
maintaining current borders in exchange for giving up
claim to Kashmir.<More>
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Maoists Protest Envoy Nominations
(December 21, 2006)
After reaching a landmark deal with the political
parties that would essentially nullify any powers to
King Gnanendra, albeit temporarily, Nepali Maoist
guerrillas called for a nationwide strike to protest
against the government’s nomination of new ambassadors
to 13 foreign capitals.<More>
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New King in Bhutan
(December 21, 2006)
Bhutan King Jigme Singye Wangchuck stepped aside and
made his son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck the new
ruler of the secluded mountainous nation inspiring hope
that the new King will transform the nation into a
parliamentary democracy.<More>
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The Iran Problem for US
(December 20, 2006)
As Tehran civic polls brought in moderate and reformist
opponents of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s
to power, US policy makers are increasingly concerned
about developments and statements from Iran and
especially about their nuclear program.<More>
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4 Advisers Quit in Bangla
(December 18, 2006)
Four members of Council of Advisers of
President-cum-Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed resigned
protesting that there was “no situation†that “warranted
an army deployment†of the Army ahead of the general
election.<More>
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Nepal Close to Deal
(December 15, 2006)
Nepal’s ruling coalition and Maoists guerrillas say
that they are close to an understanding on an interim
constitution and power-sharing even as a new poll showed
that the Nepalese overwhelmingly wanted the marginalized
King Gnanendra in power.<More>
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Pak Emergent Defense Player
(December 13, 2006)
With nuclear-test imposed sanctions being
lifted and being conferred a major non-NATO
ally status Pakistan is being viewed as a
serious emergent buyer as it now has access
to weapons, aircraft, and missiles. Its
export in the USD 3 trillion arms market is
only USD 200 million but is expected to grow.<More>
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Citizens in Crossfire
(December 11, 2006)
Thousands of civilians took shelter in schools and
Buddhist temples after wayward artillery fire wounded
dozens and killed and wounded many soldiers, rebels, and
civilians and the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and rebels
trading charges on who was responsible.<More>
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Bangla Army Deployed
(December 11, 2006)
Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed ordered the army to
aid civil administration to deal with broad based
blockade of cities by a 14-party opposition led by the
Awami League but also “to avert any unwarranted
situation on the eve of the coming general election.<More>
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