NEW DELHI, 31 July 2021, (TON): The Indian state of Assam has advised its residents to avoid travelling to neighbouring Mizoram after six policemen were shot dead in a rare border clash between the two regions.

India's northeast has been a hotbed of ethnic tensions since independence in 1947 and borders between its seven states are not clearly defined.

Assam and Mizoram have been wrangling over their frontier for decades, but tensions erupted on Monday with six police shot dead and more than 60 injured.

"Given the critical situation, the people of Assam are advised not to travel to Mizoram," the travel advisory issued Thursday said. It recommended those already there "exercise utmost caution."

Both states have blamed each other for the violence. K. Vanlalvena, a Mizoram politician in India's upper house, stoked tensions on Wednesday when he was quoted by media as saying his state was ready for more violence.

MOGADISHU, 31 July 2021, (TON): At least four football players have been killed after a bomb hit their team bus in Somalia's southern port city of Kismayo, state-owned TV reports.

It added that 10 others were injured in the attack.

The report says the bus carrying the players was completely destroyed.

The team was heading to a stadium in Kismayo to play a match.

Radio Mogadishu said that government officials were expected at the stadium where a local league competition was scheduled to launch.

NAYPYITAW, 31 July 2021, (TON): Junta soldiers in the resistance stronghold of Kani Township in Sagaing have massacred at least 28 people this month, and locals fear there are more bodies yet to be uncovered.

Seven of the confirmed killings were discovered in a forest west of the village of Zee Pin Twin. The body of a captured resistance fighter was also brought back to the village after being found in the surrounding area.

All of the victims were male and wounds on their bodies indicated they had been mercilessly tortured before their deaths.

Another five bodies were found in the area later, said “a Kani-based activist, referencing local witnesses, though he was unable to offer further details.”

Soldiers have captured dozens in Kani in recent weeks, both civilians and fighters from the Monywa People’s Defence Force (MPDF). Myanmar Now spoke to a total of nine people who either found bodies in Kani this month or heard accounts from those who did. 

The bodies found around Zee Pin Twin were so badly mutilated that villagers have only been able to identify two of them, the activist said.

DHAKA, 31 July 2021, (TON): Bangladesh does not want any measures that promote integration of the Rohingyas into the local society.

This message was conveyed to the World Bank by the government after the former sought opinions on preparing a global Refugee Policy Review Framework.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told media "in a meeting with the World Bank and UN officials, we clearly stated that Rohingya repatriation is our only goal. We cannot allow freedom of movement or other privileges, including education and job, like those enjoyed by the Bangladeshis."

He said that the World Bank has sent a letter attaching a document that spoke of Rohingys' freedom of movement, birth certificate, privileges of education and job, and infrastructure.

"This document is not Bangladesh-specific, but we said we won't agree with these suggestions. We agreed to provide education to Rohingyas under Myanmar curriculum and language so that it becomes useful when they return to Myanmar. The World Bank and the UN have agreed."

Momen said “Bangladesh is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and it defines Rohingyas as forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens, not refugees. Myanmar has committed crimes against the Rohingyas and Bangladesh being a victim of the situation extend help.”

Some one million Rohingyas currently live in Bangladesh. Most of them had fled a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2017. Repatriation has not been possible over the years as Rohingyas denied returning, saying conditions in Rakhine were not safe and they had no guarantee of citizenship in Myanmar.

BERLIN, 31 July 2021, (TON): A week after severe flooding hit western Europe, devastating Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, German officials said Thursday they fear the 158 people still missing there may not be found.

The death toll from the floods has risen to at least 205 across the continent, while a total of at least 176 people remain accounted for. Belgium accounts for 32 deaths and 18 missing, according to its national crisis center.

In Germany, the hardest-hit country, entire towns were inundated by water, while train lines and roads were swept away by the flash floods, claiming at least 173 lives.

Germany's federal disaster relief organization said it was very unlikely that any more survivors would be found. Rescue services have continued to comb through towns ravaged by the floods in search for potential survivors. 

The vice president of Germany's federal agency for technical relief, Sabine Lackner, also told media that she did not expect emergency workers to find anymore survivors.

DHAKA, 31 July 2021, (TON): Both sides agreed to accelerate cooperation in crucial areas, including Bangladesh’s reform efforts regarding ease of doing business

The World Bank has acknowledged Bangladesh’s remarkable economic development and growth, and reassured the global lender's continued support for this country's prosperity.

Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister, Salman Fazlur Rahman, met with World Bank’s Managing Director (Operations) Axel van Trotsenburg and other high-ranking officials at its global headquarters in Washington DC recently.

Rahman led the Bangladeshi delegation, which included Abdur Rouf Talukder, senior secretary, Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), secretary, Ministry of Commerce, secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, and chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to Trotsenburg, the World Bank Group was also represented by John F Gandolfo, acting vice president of economics and private sector development as well as treasurer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Bangladesh’s alternate executive director to the global financial institution.

In the meeting with the World Bank’s MD, Adviser Rahman highlighted Bangladesh’s unprecedented economic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterating that the country's economy was on a solid footing.

In particular, he underscored Bangladesh’s economic performance and the GDP growth of 5.24% despite the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Rahman recalled the continued financial assistance provided by the World Bank to Bangladesh and thanked the global lending body for its contribution.

DHAKA, 31 July 2021, (TON): According to a statement of the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC “Bangladesh and the United States are working on to enhance bilateral cooperation in energy and power generation sector.”

The statement read “Bangladesh prime minister's energy adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury participated in a roundtable discussion in this regard, organised by the US-Bangladesh Business Council, in Washington DC yesterday.”

Terming private sector cooperation on energy and power as the driving force behind Bangladesh-US bilateral relations, Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury called upon the US organisations to come forward with more contribution to the growth of this sector in Bangladesh.

He stressed on the Bangladesh government's willingness to partner with US private organisations in this regard, encouraging them to invest in oil and gas explorations, especially for off-shore exploration.

Dr Chowdhury also called upon the US organisations to explore the potential of nuclear power modular reactors in Bangladesh.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is working on regional power distribution cooperation with neighbouring India, Nepal and Bhutan, the PM's energy adviser said the US bodies may explore investment potentials to this end.

NAYPYITAW, 31 July 2021, (TON): The organisation’s spokesperson said that the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) attacked two Myanmar military bases in northern Shan State early Thursday afternoon.

KIA information officer Col Naw Bu told media that the Kachin forces fired heavy artillery at the junta’s military posts near two bridges: Nam Hkaing on the Union highway between Kutkai and Namphetka and Nam Paw, between Namphetka and Muse.

He added that the number of casualties was not yet confirmed.

Col Naw Bu said "fighting has broken out in many places these days. Fighting also broke out in the Mong Ko area.”

Nam Hkaing bridge is around 10 miles north of Kutkai and is a connecting point on the  Lashio-Muse section of the Union highway.

A woman staying in the Hokho internally displaced persons camp in Mong Yu Lay village near Nam Hkaing bridge said she heard the sound of artillery shells being fired for around one hour, beginning at 11am.

She said "because it was so close to us, we could hear the explosions. Out of fear, we did not dare to go out to see what was happening.”

According to a Kutkai resident “the junta’s military base near Kutkai town fired artillery shells back towards a base belonging to the KIA’s Battalion 9 under Brigade 6. Other Kutkai-based Myanmar military units joined the shelling.

The fighting took place in an area where the KIA’s ninth battalion is active. There have been frequent clashes between the KIA and the junta’s army along the Lashio-Muse highway.

Mong Ko has also seen frequent bouts of fighting between the ethnic Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Myanmar military.

By Aroussa Hafeez

The South Asian region has faced continuous security threats, poverty and many other challenges since long. The regional as well as external major powers try to attain hegemonic position over the small South Asian states.  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), an organization of South Asian nations was formed for promoting cooperation in political, social, cultural, economic and commercial fields in the region but the organization failed in achieving its objectives due to the perpetual negative role played by India and its rivalry with Pakistan. India is now turning to Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to center its foreign policy. BIMSTEC has served as an alternative for India where five SAARC countries minus Pakistan and Afghanistan, plus Thailand and Myanmar countries gather for regional cooperation. Albeit, apparently the aim behind formation of BIMSTEC was for the rapid economic development and progress in the region but India got a viable option to forge an effective regional group for its own strategic and economic interests.

India has now turned its focus towards BIMSTEC and is using it as an option of pursuing regional interests and strategic goals. BIMSTEC, after its creation has gathered more favors from India as compare to SAARC, and undoubtedly, it has been due to India’s rivalry with Pakistan. As India is trying to build its sphere of influence and desires to play a hegemonic role over smaller countries, it is striving to materialize its Look East policy and Act East policy. India is all busy in trying to be regional dominant, which also cause an acute sense of insecurity in it. The Bay of Bengal region has been on radar of India along with powers from outside the region because of its emerging strategic and economic importance.

Today, the increasing significance of BIMSTEC in India’s foreign policy is mainly due to the Bay of Bengal, which can be the medium of trade and connectivity.  Moreover, China’s growing influence in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its strengthening ties with South Asian countries cause deeper stress for India. BIMSTEC provides a chance for India to build maritime identities. Its security interests are also based on geostrategic positions of south Asian members of BIMSTEC, who can help to limit the expanding influence of China in the region. All the seven members of BIMSTEC hold a unique position in India’s diplomatic interests and it is the only platform which connects India to three main regions from South, East and North.

According to a report of India Ministry of External Affairs, there are 14 priority areas for cooperation in BIMSTEC out of which, India is the lead country in four areas. Although there are not much achievements from the BIMSTEC but the aim of India is clear. The last summit of BIMSTEC took place in Katmandu, Nepal in August, 2017 which was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other leaders of BIMSTEC member countries. Next summit was scheduled for January, 2020 but postponed to August, 2021 due to COVID, now again Sri Lanka, which is the chair of the grouping, has proposed holding the BIMSTEC summit in early December, 2021. Earlier, the BIMSTEC foreign minister’s meeting took place virtually on April 1^st, 2021, in which agenda for the leaders meeting was discussed. In 2019, BIMSTEC member countries head of governments and states were invited to India for PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony for the second term whereas top SAARC leaders were witnessed during the first term oath taking ceremony of PM Modi.

From last few years, there is a strong surge for regionalism. As SAARC has been given less or no importance by India because SAARC never provided India another hegemonic platform. Also, another important reason is that the interaction and regional cooperation of SAARC countries on Kashmir issue could also be a setback for India and it could possibly dim its perspective of Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s enemy construct against Pakistan has inevitably resulted in mistrust and suspicion which has not let SAARC to be an effective forum. The smaller South Asian states have also underlined and needed regional cooperation because of the fast changing international environment and formed BIMSTEC but it is just another tactic of India to isolate Pakistan and counter China. India fears that the alliance of neighbor countries with China or Pakistan is a threat to its strategic as well as economic interests. However, India needs to realize that projection of soft power can much easily win the trust of neighboring countries rather than adopting hegemon behavior.

DUBAI, 30 July 2021, (TON): Qatar's emir approved laws for the Gulf Arab state's first legislative election in October, when Qataris will elect two-thirds of the advisory Shura Council.

The election, plans for which were first approved in a 2003 constitutional referendum, is being held before the capital Doha hosting the World Cup soccer tournament next year.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will continue to appoint 15 members of the 45-seat Shura Council which, according to one of the new laws, will have legislative authority and approve general state policies and the budget.

It will also exercise control over the executive, except for bodies setting defence, security, economic and investment policy.

Like other Gulf states, Qatar bans political parties although it already holds municipal polls.

It has sought to burnish its image, including by improving migrant workers' rights, following allegations of labour abuse and a boycott imposed by fellow Arab states in 2017. Saudi Arabia and its allies in January agreed to end the row.

The electoral law approved states that citizens aged 18 and over, and whose grandfather was born in Qatar, can vote in districts in which their tribe or family reside. Thirty electoral districts will each choose one representative.

Candidates must be of Qatari origin and at least 30 years old. The law caps campaign spending at 2 million riyals ($550,000). Foreign funding is criminalised with a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to 10 million riyals.