A new parliament is being elected in Pakistan. Prior to the vote, these are the major stakeholders.
- On Thursday, Pakistan will hold elections to create a new parliament. The National Assembly, the lower chamber of parliament, has 266 seats up for grabs, with an additional 70 seats set aside for women and minorities. Not surprisingly, 44 political parties are fighting for a piece of these seats.
- However, in a nation where military coups have overthrown civilian governments and where the army has controlled for half of its 76-year history, the decision-making power has frequently rested with the established elites.
read more: https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-elections-key-players-1a598d0e6b897f4c90deff495b6c09e7
Amid the Gaza War, Itochu of Japan will cease working with Elbit of Israel.
- In the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Itochu Corp.'s aviation division will terminate its strategic partnership with Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems by the end of February, an executive from the Japanese trading house announced on Monday.
- Tsuyoshi Hachimura, the chief financial officer of Itochu, stated that the company intends to terminate the partnership following the World Court's decision last month to order Israel to stop "genocide" against Palestinians and increase aid to civilians.
read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/japans-itochu-to-end-cooperation-with-israels-elbit-amid-gaza-war/
India and the UAE will sign a bilateral investment treaty to advance their economic relations.
- During a high-profile visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai on February 13–14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, bringing India and the UAE's economies closer together.
- UAE is India's seventh-largest trading partner and the country's third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Bharat.
- To put the BIT in context, the UAE became the only nation with which India has both a CEPA and BIT when the Modi cabinet approved the pact on February 1. Even though they don't have a BIT, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore have a CEPA with India.
Philippines will increase its military presence on Taiwan-facing islands
- To strengthen Manila's capacity for territorial defence, the chief of defence for the Philippines has directed the military to increase the number of soldiers stationed at the northernmost islands close to Taiwan.
- During his visit to naval installations in Taiwan on Tuesday, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also advocated for the construction of additional structures on the isolated Batanes islands, which are less than 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the country, according to the Philippine navy.
According to the IMF, Asia will propel global development in 2023.
- Amid the generally depressing backdrop of the world economy's slow recovery, Asia and the Pacific region represents a relative bright light.
- The region will provide around 70% of worldwide growth this year, as the Chart of the Week illustrates. This is a far higher percentage than in previous years.
read more: https://apac.news/asia-will-be-2023s-global-growth-driver-says-imf/
Pakistan rocked by deadly blasts day before general elections, over 20 killed.
- A day before parliamentary elections two bombs were exploded at the election office of an independent candidate in the Balochistan province of pakistan. The blasts have resulted in 22 deaths and over two dozen injuries.
- The election commissioner has asked the chief secretary and inspector general of balochistan to take action against those behind the attacks.
read more: https://www.read.ht/RsqC
Chinese Warships ‘Threaten’ Japan’s Aircraft To ‘Get Out’ Of Senkaku Airspace; Tokyo Names China As Enemy For The 1st Time
- The senkaku island, claimed by China but controlled by Japan, has been getting warnings from the china coast Guard warships since last month. There are concerns that Japan's self defense Forces planes may breach Chinese territorial airspace known as Diaoyu in China.
- Chinese military warships have previously asked Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force planes to depart the area close to the Senkaku Islands.
- Tokyo has refuted the claims by stating such warnings are totally unacceptable without making a public move.
read more:https://www.eurasiantimes.com/china-warns-japanese-planes-to-get/
Maldives at high risk of foreign debt distress, warns IMF amid Male’s growing ties with China
- The international monetary fund has warned that Maldives is at a high risk of debt distress after Male borrowed heavily from China and shifted the alliance from India under president Mohamed Muizzu.
- Muizzu assumed power last year after defeating pro india president Ibrahim Mohamed Sulih.he made his first international trip to beijing after assuming office and thanked china for its selfless assistance for development funds.
read more:
Sri Lanka debt restructuring makes slow progress even with 1.6% growth rate in Q3 of 2023
- Ranil Wickremesinghe, president of Sri lanka, gave a speech on the 6th of February hinting that the restructuring of the country’s debt might take longer than expected even though there's a signal towards the positive shift in a cash -stripped economy with a surplus.
- Delivering the ‘Statement of Government Policy’ on the first day of the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the finalization of debt restructuring could be completed by the first half of the year, which is going beyond the earlier anticipation for it to be completed within the first quarter.
read more:
China, U.S. hold economic talks as trade issues heat up on the campaign trail
- Chinese and US officials had talks on monday and tuesday regarding their economies and addressing their concerts.
- There are reports that if Donald Trump wins the presidential elections he would raise tariffs and this has shaken the investor sentiment in china.
Indonesian rebels say they're ready to free a New Zealand pilot taken hostage a year ago
- A rebel faction in Indonesia's Papua, led by Egianus Kogoya, has ordered the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, kidnapped a year ago.
- The TPNPB central command cited human rights concerns and pledged to return Mehrtens through UN channels.
Trapped orcas escape from drift ice near Japan
- A pod of killer whales, trapped by drift ice near Japan's northern island, seems to have escaped successfully. Officials responded after a fisherman spotted them off Hokkaido.
- Drone footage showed the stranded orcas close together, prompting public concern and calls for help. However, officials reported the whales appeared to have moved away, likely finding gaps in the ice to escape. Some showed signs of bleeding from attempts to break free.
Read more ; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68226423
A Chinese anti-fraud app, the National Anti-Fraud Centre, is under scrutiny for its potential use in monitoring Tibetans.
- While primarily aimed at preventing scams, the app's capabilities include accessing texts, call logs, and photos, raising concerns about surveillance.
- Reports suggest Tibetans are being compelled to download it, raising human rights concerns amidst China's increased surveillance efforts in politically sensitive regions like Tibet.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-68213529
Chinese travellers stranded as winter storms throw Lunar New Year travel into chaos
- Blizzards and freezing rain disrupt Lunar New Year travel in China, leaving millions stranded amid cancelled flights and trains.
- The festival marks the busiest travel period in China, with many workers making their only trip home all year.
- Efforts are underway to clear roads and restore transportation services amidst the challenging conditions.
Japan, Italy Agree on Security Cooperation; Meloni Takes Up G7
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni affirmed close cooperation for the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Italy in June. They agreed on a director general-level meeting in March to deepen security collaboration
- This marks Italy's first prime ministerial visit to Japan since 2015. They pledged to build on Japan's G7 presidency outcomes, emphasizing the rule of law. Both leaders also discussed defence and security cooperation, including joint naval exercises and a joint fighter aircraft development project.
- They expressed support for Ukraine and vowed to address China's assertive actions and Middle East issues.
News bits proofread by:
Simron Saha (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Drafted by:
Poulina Banerjee (B.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
Neha Singh (M.A. I.R., 1st Year)
Aditya Raj (B.A. I.R., 1st Year)
Published by:
Alithia Clemency Paul (M.A. I.R., 2nd Year)
