Domestic Politics
Afghanistan finds itself in yet another political crisis as both Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah were sworn in as president in separate ceremonies. Ghani was declared the winner of the September 2019 election by the country's election commission, but Abdullah dismissed the result and both the leaders declared themselves as the winner. [The Diplomat]
Former Union Minister and youth icon of Congress party, Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigned from the party along with 22 members of legislative assembly. As per reports, Scindia is expected to join the BJP soon. This has caused turmoil in Madhya Pradesh as the resignations have lowered the majority needed for the BJP to form government in the assembly. [The Indian Express]
Following the US withdrawal deal and peace talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesperson stated that the government will gradually release 5,000 Taliban prisoners should violence recede. [The Hindu]
International Relations
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary event, scheduled for March 17, has been postponed as Bangladesh confirmed its first three cases of the coronavirus. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was slated to attend the event, ahead of which massive protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have been held in Dhaka. [The Indian Express]
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi opposed a security role for India in Afghanistan and also the presence of militant organizations like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the country. While addressing the Senate, Qureshi said that Pakistan wishes to resolve its issues with Afghanistan bilaterally. [The Hindu]
Economy
Nepal's Minister of State for Industry, Commerca and Supplies, Motilal Dugad, is hopeful that India will resume importing refined palm oil from Nepal following his meeting with India's Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Hardeep Singh Puri. India imposed restrictions on all refined palm oil imports on January 8 following Malaysia's criticism of India's Kashmir policy and the CAA. [The Kathmandu Post]
Health
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in India rose to 62. The Health Ministry stated that it is using the combination of two drugs, Lopinavir and Ritonavir, which are primarily used for HIV treatment. [The Hindu]
Gender
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for the inclusion of women in Afghanistan-Taliban peace talks. [The Hindu]
Image Source: Global Village Space
