YANGON A judge in Myanmar declared that a witness who said two Reuters reporters accused of possessing state secrets were framed by police was credible, dealing a blow to the prosecution in what has become a landmark press freedom case. In what defense lawyers said was a key ruling in favour of the two reporters,…
Read moreSUBIR BHAUMIK / DELHI Panellists from neighbouring countries at a regional policy dialogue welcomed the Wuhan informal summit between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. The speakers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan said the normalisation of relations between the two Asian giants augurs well for smaller neighbours. The regional policy…
Read moreNAYPYIDAW Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi received a UN Security Council delegation in the highest–level diplomatic visit since the start of the Rohingya crisis, which will include a brief tour of violence–hit Rakhine state. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of mainly Buddhist Myanmar, has been pilloried overseas for her failure to speak up for…
Read moreCARLOS H. CONDE | Filipino journalists will spend World Press Freedom Day on May 3 under government attack. New draft regulations issued by the Philippine House of Representatives would allow Congress to ban reporters who “besmirch” the reputation of lawmakers from covering the national legislature. Journalists and some members of Congress have denounced the proposed rule…
Read moreYANGON Thousands of people have fled renewed fighting between Myanmar’s army and ethnic insurgents in the country’s remote north, report suggests, as a long–simmering conflict intensifies. More than 4,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar’s northernmost state of Kachin near the border with China in the last three weeks, Mark Cutts, the head of the…
Read moreSRIKANTH KONDAPALLI The expected eight–hour–long informal interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in the picturesque Wuhan has attracted global and national attention. The expectations are high, with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj suggesting the subjects include “over–arching” bilateral and international issues. As this is an “informal meeting”, the outcomes would be sketchy…
Read moreSYED BASHIR | Now for the first time in last four years, BNP has admitted that the ‘fugitive’ and convicted eldest son of Begum Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman has submitted his passport to the UK Home Office and is staying there on cover of a political asylum in London. And with this admission coming into light, a long…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the “bold and courageous” leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s remarkable success in socio–economic development. His appreciation came during a 30–minute meeting with visiting Road Transport and Bridges Minister of Bangladesh Obaidul Quader at his official residence in Delhi. Modi was accompanied by National…
Read morePrime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in China’s Wuhan city from 27 to 28 April for a “heart–to–heart” chat to explore a new paradigm for India–China ties and find ways to address the contentious issues like the border dispute. Conceived on the lines of the ice–breaking visit undertaken…
Read moreLOOKEAST REPORT The ‘fugitive’ and convicted eldest son of Begum Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman has surrendered his green passport to Bangladesh High Commission in London. Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs, Shahriar Alam disclosed the news at a reception organised by the UK unit of the Awami League, in London. The 72–year–old three–time former prime…
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