- Manal
The integration of power grids and usage of all waterways throughout South Asia, especially those in Nepal, has been constantly impeded by political and social issues among the countries. However, in order for South Asia to meet the energy demand of tripling its energy production in the next 20 years, the fantastic geology of South Asia must be taken advantage of and used to create hydroelectric power. Click here to read more.
- Manal
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As written in the Al-Jazeera article, "Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for an early election to seek a third term in office amid growing criticism of his wide-ranging powers.The move on Thursday, two years before his current term expires, is seen as an attempt by Rajapaksa to prevent an expected loss of public support if an election were held according to schedule." Click here to read more!
- Manal Yesterday, Shukria Barakzaia, an advocate for women's rights, was targetted in a suicide attack that ended up killing 3 people. The target was a convoy of MPs headed to parliament. Click here to read more.
- Manal In recent news, the Indian army has unusually apologized for two deaths it caused in the contentious India-controlled region of Kashmir. The army said that the car the two boys were traveling in was mistaken for holding terrorists. Click here to read more. Additionally, Pakistan has arrested 43 people in connection to last Tuesday's killing of a Christian couple over allegations of blasphemy and desecration of the Qu'ran. These allegations have historically been used to settle personal scores. Click here to read more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a historical speech today at Madison Square Garden, New York, to a crowd of around 20,000 people mainly made up of Indian-Americans. Check out a live blog of his speech here. Also, see the video of his speech below! (speech starts around 1:24) - Nitya
Links to information: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/09/28/live-blog-indias-narendra-modi-speaks-at-madison-square-garden/ A lot is currently going on in South Asia, so I thought I would consolidate it all into one post. In India: Arvind Kejriwal was released from jail because he consented and turned in the bail bond. If he had not done so, he would have been required to remain in jail until at least June 6th. Click here to read more. Furthermore, Indians have been getting arrested due to their expression of anti-Modi sentiments. For example, an MBA student in India was arrested because he sent an anti-Modi message on WhatsApp. Click here to read more. In Pakistan: A group of Sikhs protested on the property of Pakistan's parliament on Friday, claiming that sacrilegious acts had been committed against their places of worship and holy books. Click here to read more. A day before Narendra Modi's inauguration, in an act of cordiality, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for the release of 151 arrested Indian fisherman. Click here to read more. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, attended Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony. This was the first time a Pakistani prime minister was invited to the swearing-in ceremony of an Indian prime minister. In fact, many leaders from the South Asia region came to the ceremony, representing the countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, and the Maldives. It was the first time leaders from all of the countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation received invitations. Click here to read more. Also, Sharif and Modi met a day after the inauguration. Click here to read more. In Afghanistan: An Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan was attacked on Friday. None of the consulate staff were injured. Click here to read more. It is not certain which group carried out the attack, however Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai blamed Lakshar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group based in Pakistan that has demonstrated anti-India intentions, for the attack. Click here to read more. Obama intends to maintain a military presence of 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Click here to read more. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (left) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) - Nitya
Links to information: http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/election-2014/arvind-kejriwal-to-remain-in-jail-till-june-6-529548?curl=1401078624 http://www.ndtv.com/elections/article/election-2014/arvind-kejriwal-submits-personal-bond-released-from-tihar-jail-531517?curl=1401239335 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/MBA-student-arrested-for-anti-Modi-message/articleshow/35610877.cms http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2014/05/sikhs-protest-pakistan-parliament-grounds-201452311207256179.html http://tribune.com.pk/story/712405/sikh-protesters-storm-through-parliament-gates/ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pakistan-frees-151-indian-fishermen-ahead-of-sharifs-delhi-visit/article6046261.ece http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27567393 http://www.firstpost.com/india/live-pak-pm-nawaz-sharif-arrives-for-modis-swearing-in-1542045.html http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/24/world/asia/pakistan-india-prime-minister/ http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/26/world/asia/india-modi-inauguration/?hpt=hp_t3 http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/in-meeting-with-nawaz-sharif-pm-narendra-modi-raises-terror-26-11-trial-531341?curl=1401232442 http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/ http://time.com/110032/gunmen-attack-indian-consulate-in-afghanistan/ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/hamid-karzai-blames-pakistan-based-let-for-attack-on-indian-consulate-in-afganistan/articleshow/35644252.cms http://m.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-to-leave-9800-us-troops-in-afghanistan-senior-official-says/2014/05/27/57f37e72-e5b2-11e3-a86b-362fd5443d19_story.html http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/27/obama-plans-to-keep-800-us-troops-in-afghanistan-after-2014-official-says/ Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal added BJP leader Nitin Gadkari's name to the AAP list of "India's most corrupt" and was subsequently sued by Gadkari for defamation. Kejriwal was jailed because he refused to pay the bail bond. I find it disappointing that India's government, which took pride in holding the world's largest democratic election, does not even protect the freedom of speech. Click here to read more. Links to information:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-27499151?OCID=fbbbcindia http://time.com/107295/arvind-kejriwal-judicial-custody/ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Street-drama-back-after-Arvind-Kejriwal-opts-for-jail-over-bail-in-libel-case/articleshow/35446515.cms - Nitya Congratulations to Narendra Modi for winning a huge victory in India's Lok Sabha elections! Check out this article from the Washington Post which thoroughly discusses the economic and social implications for India under Modi's leadership. Also, take a look at this video of Modi's victory speech! - Nitya
An estimated seven million Afghans lined up on Saturday and ignored the looming danger of Taliban violence (5th April) to cast their votes in the nation’s momentous presidential election.
It was reported that in the earlier part of the day, a roadside bomb killed two policemen and injured two others in the city of Qalat. Another four voters were also wounded in an explosion that occurred in the south-eastern province of Logar. According to election commission chief Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, an unexpectedly high proportion of the eligible voting population registered its vote—around 58 per cent of 12 million eligible voters. The Taliban, a terrorist outfit that dominated Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, threatened to derail the election and labeled it a US-supported and orchestrated fraud. It had warned civilians that if they voted, they would be targeted by the Taliban. There are eight candidates standing for the election and it seems that this election will be Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of leadership in recent times, as Hamid Karzai leaves the presidency after more than 12 years. Haji Ramazan, a voter standing in line at a polling center in Kabul said, “I am here to vote and I am not afraid of any attacks. This is my right, and no one can stop me.” Around 350, 000 Afghan troopers were stationed at polling centers and Kabul, the capital, had been sealed from the rest of the country through roadblocks and checkpoints. Although the election is expected to run more smoothly than the last presidential election in 2009, it could still take until October for a winner to be announced at a period when foreign troops prepare to leave the country. A prolonged election would not leave enough time to seal the pact between Kabul and Washington to keep 10,000 US troops in the country beyond 2014 after a majority of the American force has already pulled out. Although Karzai rejected the agreement, the election’s three top competitors—former foreign ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmay Rassoul, and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani – have said they will sign it. Without the agreement, there is an imminent threat from the Taliban against the Kabul government that weak Afghan forces may struggle to curb. According to Western diplomats, although Karzai’s departure is a turning-point for Afghanistan, none of his would-be successors would bring radical change. - Shobhita Narain Today, Indians in the world's largest democracy start going to the polls to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha, or the lower house of India's legislature. The party with the majority representation in Lok Sabha is responsible for electing India's prime minister. Links to information and diagram:
http://zeenews.india.com/news/general-elections-2014/general-elections-2014-voting-begins-monday-from-northeast_922696.html http://thediplomat.com/2014/03/how-indias-national-elections-work/ http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/04/world/infographic-india-by-the-numbers/?hpt=hp_t3 - Nitya |