PAKISTAN
Govt report blames PTM MNAs for North Waziristan incident: Dawn
May 31, 2019
An internal government document has pinned blame on two PTM-affiliated parliamentarians for instigating protesters at a military check post in North Waziristan that led to the death of 13 of them besides a soldier and causing injuries to 25 others. The two-page Special Situation Report, titled “Clash and Casualties in North Waziristan District” and submitted to the government by the deputy commissioner of North Waziristan on May 28, provides by far the most detailed account of the incident at a military check post in Kharqamar on Sunday. Click here to read...
AFGHANISTAN
Moscow Meeting Wrapped Up With A Joint Statement: Tolo
May 31, 2019
The two-day meeting between Afghan politicians and Taliban members in Moscow was concluded on Thursday with a joint statement issued by the delegates. The two sides held discussions on the Afghan peace on May 28 and 29 and on Thursday issued a statement that highlights the discussed issues. The statement says that important issues which are knotted with Afghan people’s destiny were discussed and ways to achieve peace and stability were sought. “Both sides discussed the continuation of intra-Afghan talks, ceasefire, the release of prisoners, protection of civilians, foreign troop withdrawal, end of the "foreigners' interference", the perseverance of national sovereignty, and women rights,” the statement reads. Click here to read...
NEPAL
Dahal brings up agreement with Oli again, leading to suspicion among party members: Kathmandu Post
May 31, 2019
A recent remark by Nepal Communist Party Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal regarding an agreement with Prime Minister and another co-chair KP Sharma Oli is leading some within the ruling party to wonder if a potential powerplay is brewing. In a televised interview broadcast on Wednesday on Prime Television, Dahal brought up the five-point agreement signed between him and Oli a day before the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and the CPN-UML to form the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). The fourth point of the agreement states that the co-chairs will lead the government for equal periods of time. Click here to read...
PM Modi may visit Sri Lanka along with Maldives: Livemint
May 31, 2019
Prime Minister Narendra Modi could make a short visit to Sri Lanka on his way to or back from the Maldives in early June, during his first visit overseas in his second term. While his visit to the Maldives would underline the primacy of neighbours and India’s neighbourhood in foreign policy during Modi’s second term in office, the brief stop in Colombo is expected to convey India’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings in April. The attacks on several churches and luxury hotels by radicalised Sri Lankans inspired by the Islamic State killed over 250 people. Click here to read...
CHINA
Taking China-India ties to new heights: China Daily
May 31, 2019
Starting his second term in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a second China-India informal summit in Varanasi later this year. Varanasi is not only a culturally important city for Indians and one of the oldest cities in the world but also the constituency that elected Modi to parliament. Click here to read...
China’s manufacturing index drops into negative territory in May as economic pressures mount: South China Morning Post
May 31, 2019
China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index fell further in May, suggesting the economy is continuing to slow amid the escalating trade war with the United States. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of sentiment among factory operators, fell to 49.4 in May, a decrease on April’s performance of 50.1, and well below the median expectations of a poll of Bloomberg analysts, which had predicted a drop to 49.9. A reading of below 50 means that the activity in the sector is contracting. Click here to read...
