Subject: South Asia Daily: Malala, Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace Prize; Pakistani Extremists Attack Iran; Air Strikes in Afghanistan at 2 Year High
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Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 08:46:27 -0400 (EDT)

Malala, Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace Prize; Pakistani Extremists Attack Iran; Air Strikes in Afghanistan at 2 Year High

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Malala, Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace Prize; Pakistani Extremists Attack Iran; Air Strikes in Afghanistan at 2 Year High

Malala, Satyarthi Win Nobel Peace Prize; Pakistani Extremists Attack Iran; Air Strikes in Afghanistan at 2 Year High

   <p>  <b>India  and Pakistan</b>  </p><br><p>  <i>Bonus  Read: "I Am Malala," Daud Khattak (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUncPop6O9LSBGAbb80 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">South  Asia</a>)</i>  </p><br><p>  <i>Malala,  Satyarthi win Nobel Peace Prize</i>  </p><br><p>  Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakistani  schoolgirl now living in England, became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner  on Friday, after the prize was awarded to her and India's Kailash Satyarthi for  work they have done on children's rights (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUncPop6O9LSBQA8d00 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">AP</a>,  <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUncPop6O9LSBbA629f style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NYT</a>,  <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUncPop6O9LSBmAb900 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">BBC</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSBwA9f76 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">DAWN</a>,  <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSB6A298b style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Economic  Times</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSCAA0b92 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Indian  Express</a>). Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland announced the award,  stating: "The Nobel Committee regards it as an important point for a Hindu and  a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education  and against extremism."   </p><br><p>  Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif  congratulated Malala saying: "She is (the) pride of Pakistan. She has made her  countrymen proud. Her achievement is unparalleled and unequalled. Girls and  boys of the world should take the lead from her struggle and commitment" (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSCLA1aad style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>).  Malala has long been an advocate for children's rights, despite being the  target of an October 2012 attack during which she was shot in Pakistan by the  Taliban. Malala is Pakistan's second Nobel laureate and first Nobel Peace Prize  winner. Pakistan's first Nobel laureate was Abdus Salam, who won the physics  prize along with American Steven Weinberg in 1979.   </p><br><p>  Satyarthi, the Indian Nobel winner, founded the  Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), which works to end human  trafficking. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee recognized his work for  maintaining the traditions of Mahatma Gandhi, and "focusing on the grave  exploitation of children for financial gain." Prime Minister Narendra Modi  -- <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VBmmo8PoNTz3Nsx4A13eb style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">@narendramodi</a>&nbsp;--  congratulated Satyarthi, and tweeted: "Congratulations to Shri Kailash  Satyarthi on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The entire nation is proud of  his momentous achievement." Modi, also congratulated Malala, and tweeted: "Malala  Yousafzai's life is a journey of immense grit &amp; courage. I congratulate her  on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize."  </p><br><p>  <i>Decline in firing on Indo-Pakistan border</i>  </p><br><p>  After days of cross-border firing, there was silence along the  Indo-Pakistan border on Friday, a day after both sides exchanged verbal warnings (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSCbA279f style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">The Nation</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSCmA5da2 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank"> NDTV</a>). While Indian military  officials claim there have been over 110 ceasefire violations by Pakistan so  far this year, Pakistani military officials claim there have been 227  violations by India (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSCxA5621 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Livemint</a>). The continuous firings  in the past week resulted in the death of nine Pakistani and eight Indian  civilians.  </p><br><p>  Sharif chaired a meeting with the National Security Committee on Friday, and condemned the  unprovoked firing from across the border (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSC3Abff4 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Dawn</a>). Sharif condemned the  loss of innocent lives, and called on India to halt the firing on the border.  Modi announced a compensation on Friday for the nearly 30,000 Kashmiris displaced by the recent firing. A  statement from the prime minister's office on Friday said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has  directed that people who have been displaced from the border villages of Jammu  and Kashmir due to dastardly acts of shelling by Pakistan over the last few  days, be suitably compensated" (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSDBA8c9d style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Economic Times</a>).  </p><br><p>  India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the two countries  were partitioned in 1947, and two of them were over Kashmir. Both countries  claim Kashmir in its entirety, and the dispute has been a flashpoint between  India and Pakistan for more than 60 years. Although New Delhi and Islamabad  agreed to a truce in 2003, ceasefire violations have continued across the  borders.  </p><br><p>  <i>-- David Sterman, Neeli  Shah, and Jameel Khan</i>  </p><br><p>  <b>Pakistan</b>  </p><br><p>  <i>Pakistani  extremists increase attacks on Iran</i>  </p><br><p>  Pakistani Sunni extremists have increased their  attacks on Iranian border posts, according to a report on Thursday by the <i>New York Times'</i>&nbsp; Thomas Erdbrink (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSDMA45ba style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NYT</a>).  Recent attacks include a car bomb that killed a senior officer and prompted  Iranian calls for Pakistan to control its borders, as well as an ambush on Tuesday  that killed three police officers. A separate attack in September involved a  1000-pound car bomb, which was followed by a convoy of armed men in pick up  trucks who attacked an Iranian base. According to Iranian Brig. Gen. Mohammad  Pakpur, that attack was only repelled after a long firefight and the arrival of  reinforcements by helicopter. Esma'il Kowsari, an Iranian lawmaker, stated: "The  Pakistani government has practically no control over the border areas, and if  they really cannot control the common border, they should tell us so that we ourselves  can take action."  </p><br><p>  <i>Kidnapped  engineers freed</i>  </p><br><p>  Two Pakistani engineers who had been kidnapped  in Afghanistan in September were freed on Thursday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSDWA75f9 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">ET</a>).  The engineers had been working in construction in Jawzjan province. The  provincial police chief, Faqir Muhammad Jawzjani, said that local elders had  helped free the two men, and that the Taliban were not involved. Jawzjani suggested  that a ransom was paid though the construction company the engineers worked for  denied his claim. Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also said the  Taliban had not kidnapped the engineers.  </p><br><p>  <b>Afghanistan</b>  </p><br><p>  <i>Bonus  Read: "Afghanistan's New First Lady," Aarya Nijat (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSDhA9da5 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">South  Asia</a>)</i>  </p><br><p>  <i>Air  strikes hit two-year high</i>  </p><br><p>  In August, the monthly number of American air  strikes in Afghanistan hit its highest number in two years (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSDrAbd7c style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Boston  Globe</a>, <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSD2A35ef style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Navy  Times</a>). The United States conducted strikes at nearly triple the average  rate since January. According to U.S. Central Command, there were 436 'weapons  releases' in August compared to an average of about 150 for the past seven  months. ISAF spokesman Army Lt. Col. Chris Belcher attributed the rise in  strikes to increased fighting during the warmer "fighting season" and to the  Afghan National Security Forces' (ANSF) increased role on the ground as  American forces withdraw. According to Belcher, as the ANSF takes more of a  leading role, "we expect to see a corresponding increase in airstrikes in  support of their operations."   </p><br><p>  <i>Afghanistan  announces Ebola screening at airports</i>  </p><br><p>  Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health  announced on Thursday that it has deployed teams to screen for Ebola at the  country's airports (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSD_A2782 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Pajhwok</a>).  The ministry's deputy director of health services, Dr. Najia Tariq, stated: "Our  teams will monitor flights landing at airports to ensure the virus does not  reach the country." Tariq also said that pamphlets on the disease are being  distributed to Afghan hajj pilgrims.  </p><br><p>  <i>Shelling  from Pakistan slows</i>  </p><br><p>  Shelling from Pakistan into Afghanistan's Kunar  province has slowed since the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement with  the United States, Shujaul Mulk Jalala, the provincial governor, told  Afghanistan's <i>Pajhwok Afghan News</i> on  Thursday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSEIA85f2 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Pajhwok</a>).  Jalala noted, however, that the shelling had not stopped and claimed that 156  rockets had been fired into Kunar from Pakistan in the last ten days. The  cross-border shelling has been a recurring source of tension between the two  countries.  </p><br><p>  <i>--  David Sterman</i>  </p><br><p>  <b>India</b>  </p><br><p>  <i>Indian govt to track its employees' attendance</i>  </p><br><p>  The Indian government has introduced a new electronic surveillance  system to track the punctuality of government officials, who are known to take  frequent tea breaks and show up late for work, according to news reports on Friday (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSEVA10b1 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">Indian Express</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSEfA21f3 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank"> Livemint</a>). Biometric attendance  terminals have been installed in government buildings, and employees are  checked in through their fingerprints and a unique identification number. The <a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSEnA3a2e style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">website</a>, which keeps track of the  government employees' attendance, is publicly available, and allows users to  see a real-time chart of how many government employees are present at work.  </p><br><p>  So far, over 50,000 employees have registered on the site, and  around 10,000 more are expected to join this month. Speaking about the project,  Shefali Sushil Dash, the project coordinator of the National Informatics  Center, the agency responsible for e-government initiatives, said: "It all  started with the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] giving the idea" (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSEyA10e8 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NDTV</a>). During the election  campaign earlier this year, Modi had pledged to change the work culture in  government offices.  </p><br><p>  <i>India prepares for cyclone Hudhud</i>  </p><br><p>  Indian authorities on Friday stocked up on rations and planned evacuations as  a powerful cyclone named Hudhud (the name of a bird) heads for the southeastern  coast of India (<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSE9Aef82 style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank">NDTV</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSFIAdd7f style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank"> BBC</a>,<a href="http://link.foreignpolicy.com/5253172ac16bcfa46f6bd4c71w36h.14d0/VDfUnsPop6O9LSFSA04ac style="font-weight:bold;color:#ea1414" target="blank"> Times of India</a>). The Indian  Meteorological Department said that the center of the storm was expected to hit  the city of Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke  to the chief ministers of Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, where the  cyclone is expected to hit on Sunday. Cyclones are common in eastern India; last year, as many as  500,000 people were evacuated and 53 people were killed when Cyclone Phailin  swept through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.  </p><br><p>  <i>--  Neeli Shah and Jameel Khan</i>  </p><br><p>  <i>Edited  by Peter Bergen</i>  </p><br> 

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