REPORT

REPORT

Indian Navy chief to visit Israel next week after...


Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will visit Israel next week close on the heels of Israel signing two major defence contracts with India and Prime... More

China slams Pentagon report on overseas military bases


Beijing on Wednesday dismissed as ‘irresponsible’ an annual US Defense Department report that predicted China would expand its global military presence, building overseas bases in... More

India will choose Pranab’s successor as president on July...


With the term of President Pranab Mukherjee set to expire on July 24, the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday, June 7, announced the schedule for the presidential... More

Debris of Myanmar plane with over 100 on board...


Pieces of a Myanmar military plane which went missing with more than 100 soldiers and family members aboard were found in the Andaman Sea late... More

Army officer, 3 militants, civilian killed in Nagaland operation


An Army officer was killed and three soldiers were injured in an operation against a combined group of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)... More

After Maharashtra, farmer unrest rocks MP: 6 killed in...


As Maharashtra moved to contain an ongoing protest by farmers with a loan waiver, a similar protest in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh took a violent turn... More

US, India pitch for freedom of navigation in South China Sea irks China


US Defense Secretary James Mattis advocated freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. In response, Chinese... More

India to weather Qatar storm now


By severing ties with Qatar, the Saudi-led coalition has declared a diplomatic war with the Emirate. This will not just strain ties within the Gulf,... More

China welcomes Modi’s remark on Indo-Sino peaceful ties


China on Monday welcomed remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia regarding the status of India-China ties, and stressed that a positive relationship between... More

US doesn’t need India, China telling us what to...


The US does not need India, China and France telling it what to do on the issue of Paris Climate agreement, American Ambassador to the... More

Pakistan will not cut ties with Qatar: FO


Pakistan has no immediate plans to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, Foreign Office spokesperson said on Monday. The country “has no such plans,” the spokesperson, Nafees... More

China brings plane load of relief goods to Sri...


The Chinese Chartered flight carrying disaster relief goods landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 2 p.m. on 3 June, Saturday. The hand-over ceremony of relief... More

Hasina signals changes in proposed budget for FY2018


Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has hinted at changes in the budget proposed for FY2018. "We have proposed a budget, which will be discussed in parliament. If... More

Open to review of cattle slaughter notice: Environment Minister


May 23 notification not “to influence food habits, or affect slaughtering business”, the Union Environment Minister says. The government on Sunday said it was open to... More

Myanmar State Counselor meets with senior Chinese military official


Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi met with General Fang Fenghui, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff... More

Mattis seeks continuity in policy toward Asia


The Trump administration is aiming for continuity in Asia policy, sticking broadly with the approach its predecessors have taken by emphasizing diplomacy and cooperation with... More

China-Pak corridor a factor, 2-front war a reality: Northern...


The neutral role played by China's People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in previous wars between India and Pakistan can no longer be taken for granted since the China-Pakistan... More

Rangamati arson attacks: Over 400 sued, 4 more arrested


More than 400 people were sued today (03-06-2017) in connection with Friday’s arson attacks and vandalism in Longadu upazila of Rangamati, Bangladesh. Longadu police filed the... More

Not a single bullet fired in 40 years despite...


The world has increasingly become inter-connected and inter-dependent, a transformation that has made it necessary for India and China to cooperate on trade and investments... More

Rosatom to Engage Indian Experts in Bangladesh Rooppur NPP...


Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to engage Indian experts in the construction of the first Bangladeshi nuclear power plant (NPP) Rooppur, the company's CEO... More

India has 31% of world’s poor kids: report


Of the India’s 217 million children, nearly 50% endure multidimensional poverty, says Oxford survey About 31% of the world’s “multidimensionally poor” children live in India, according... More

COLUMN

Eid and the culture of the travelling classes

The local grocer asked me if I was going outside Dhaka for Eid. I replied that I was totally urban with no village home to visit and wish or means to pursue fun and shopping in Kolkata or Bangkok or elsewhere. He was disappointed as many of... More

Talent and sprit running wild

Precariously making the cut for the eighth and final spot on the ICC ODI rankings, Pakistan came into the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy tournament as rank underdogs. Routed by India in their very first match by a whopping 124 runs, almost everyone gave up on Pakistan. One... More

Better Late than Never

As they say, better late than never. One of the more positive moves of India's Modi government has also been one of its least publicised one. Perhaps because the move to ratify the UN TIR convention will not provide much domestic mileage. India has now ratified the... More

China looms larger than ever in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s top civilian leader – the State Counselor -- remains torn between Asia and the West. And a spat with the UN is pushing Myanmar increasingly into China’s arms. In the past month, the Lady – as she is commonly known -- has... More

The violent route to states’ reorganization in India

Although India has been a democracy with a plethora of institutions to solve political, social and economic problems through debate and discussion, significant domestic changes have come about, not through constitutional means, but through violence. Indian ruling classes, whether ethnic, linguistic or religious, have shown a consistent tendency... More

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Belt and Road helps Nepal diversify relations and expand trade ties

Despite a high amount of political pressure exerted by India, Nepal signed a Belt and Road initiative deal with China on May 12, three years after a preliminary agreement. It is believed that Nepal would... More

Dynamics of Afghan conflict

The United States has finally understood that it is not winning in Afghanistan and that it needs to forge a fresh strategy to attain its objectives. Its long-running objective has been to defeat the... More

Attack on Fakhrul sends ominous signal for politics

Having faced insulting comments and criticism from the ruling party, secretary general of the opposition BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had wanted to go and stand by the side of the suffering people of... More

A brilliant future for China-SL cooperation under the ‘Belt and Road’...

On 14 and 15 of May, The Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation was successfully held in Beijing. This international gathering brought together 29 heads of state and government, and 1,500 representatives... More

MOST POPULAR

READER'S VIEW

Reaction to “Behind Hasina’s RAW tirade”

David Bergman, British investigative journalist based in Bangladesh, commented on a recently published column of South Asian Monitor titled "SOUTHERN EYE: Behind Hasina’s RAW tirade" in his facebook profile. "This is a fascinating and detailed article... More

EID MUBARAK
South Asian Monitor wishes all its readers and well-wishers Eid Mubarak. May the joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr be filled with happiness and peace for you and your loved ones.

 

HOLIDAY NOTICE
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, South Asian Monitor will remain closed from June 24 to June 28. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.