Afghanistan
Reactions Continue at National, Int’l Levels over School Attacks: Tolo News
Reactions continue at national and international levels in response to the explosions that targeted a school and an education center in Dasht-e-Barchi area in the west of Kabul. Click here to read…
US Announces $48 Million in Aid for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan: The Khaama Press
The United States embassy in Pakistan announced $48 million in aid for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the hosting community as part of the pledges the country made. Click here to read…
Bangladesh
Germany envoy unhappy with BNP ‘quoting’ him- The Daily Star
German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Troster yesterday said he is unhappy about what the BNP told media about his meeting with the party’s leaders on March 17. Click here to read…
People laugh when BNP talks about democracy- The Daily Star
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said people of the country laugh when leaders of BNP, which was born undemocratically, talk about democracy. Click here to read…
Peaceful coexistence an uplifting sight- The Daily Star
The US is heartened to see Bangladeshis from different faiths peacefully coexisting, but there are some elements that try to create divisions and conflicts, said US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain yesterday. Click here to read…
Empower river commission- The Daily Star
Though parliament has been passing many bills, they did not bother to enact the NRCC law, alleged Mujibor Rahman Hawlader, former chairman of National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), yesterday. Click here to read…
Dr Kamal, Manna now tagging with BNP-Jamaat to oust AL govt: PM- The Daily Star
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said a group of political parties joined hands with the BNP-Jamaat alliance to try to oust her government and push the country into an era of darkness again. Click here to read…
Bhutan
Bhutan expressed interest adopting Delhi govt’s EMC framework, says Manish Sisodia- India Today
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia stated on Tuesday that Bhutan has shown a keen interest in adopting the Delhi government’s Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC) framework in its schools. Click here to read…
Assam to move SC for Aadhaar cards to persons whose biometrics locked for NRC- Hindustan Times
The cabinet also decided to give a plot of 5 ‘bighas’ at Dimoria in Sonapur (on the outskirts of Guwahati) to Bhutan government to set up an office of the royal Bhutanese consulate general. Click here to read…
Maldives
Police ask to remove ‘IndiaOut’ banners hung from Male’ City buildings: The Sun
As part of the Opposition Coalition’s campaign against the presence of the Indian military in Maldives, member parties PPM and PNC have been working t hang large banners reading ‘India Out’ from buildings in Male’ City. Click here to read…
India, Maldives unveil sea navigation chart: Tribune India
India and Maldives have jointly unveiled the first-ever navigation chart. It helps ships to understand the maritime topography of Maldives Exclusive Economic zones, water depths and which areas to avoid. Click here to read…
Russia asks Maldives to provide assurance of service for Russian flights: The Sun
A letter signed by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency’s Head Alexander Neradko which was sent to the Maldivian Civil Aviation Authority underscored that many countries had closed off their air space to Russian flights through sanctions. Click here to read…
Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Issues Emergency Alert Amid Resistance Attacks – The Irrawaddy
Myanmar’s military regime has issued an “emergency alert” to all of its units across the country that defectors say means the junta is preparing for resistance attacks. Former army captain Lin Htet Aung, who has defected to the resistance, told The Irrawaddy that the regime’s alert was made by phone to all units on TuesdayClick here to read…
Two Myanmar Junta Loyalists Defend Military Dictator – The Irrawaddy
U Thein Nyunt and U Khin Maung Swe, who are on the military regime’s governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC), have reaffirmed their allegiance to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing with their new year’s greetings. Click here to read…
Resistance Groups Reports Over 30 Myanmar Junta Deaths – The Irrawaddy
More than 30 Myanmar junta soldiers were killed in two ambushes in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, on Monday, a resistance group claimed. The Myanmar Royal Dragon Army (MRDA) said it twice ambushed around 100 regime soldiers approaching a village in Pale. Click here to read…
Myanmar military government denies rumors of fuel shortages – KTAR
Myanmar’s military government has denied the country is suffering from a shortage of fuel after rumors about low supplies of gasoline and diesel led to panic buying and long queues at service stations in several cities. Click here to read…
Arakan Army Grows Up Quickly – BNI Online
Written by Gaung — On April 10, 2009, 26 young people took a solemn oath to pursue a daunting dream on Ja Du Kaung Hill near Laiza, Kachin State, close to the Chinese border in northern Myanmar, where the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) ethnic armed group is headquartered. Click here to read…
Three Brotherhood Alliance backs Bamar People’s Liberation Army – BNI Online
The Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA) has received the support of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of ethnic armed groups that includes the Arakan Army. Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the BPLA’s founding, noted a message sent to the anti-regime armed group by the Three Brotherhood Alliance on April 17Click here to read…
Nepal
‘Facilitate tourists’- The Himalayan Times
Tourism entrepreneurs have drawn the government’s attention to the need to facilitate the arrival of foreign tourists. Click here to read…
Five-party alliance for safeguarding democracy: Paudel- The Himalayan Times
Senior leader of Nepali Congress Ramchandra Paudel has said that the five-party alliance was formed to safeguard democracy and institutionalise changes. Click here to read…
Lower revenue collection raises questions about health of economy- The Kathmandu Post
Tax authorities have failed to meet the revenue collection target in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, raising the question if internal economic activities have also slumped along with worsening indicators of the external sector of the economy. Click here to read…
Power shortage in India hits supply to Nepal. Firms in east face outages- The Kathmandu Post
Nepal’s reliance on India for electricity has continued even as the country has been exploring options to export power to the southern neighbour. But lately, supply from the south has stopped during the night, leading to disruption of power to industrial firms in certain regions. Click here to read…
Pakistan
Dollar shows no mercy for rupee, gains Rs1.48: Dawn
The US dollar on Wednesday continued taking big strides to reach the level it had attained against the local currency in the first week of this month amid a deepening political crisis. Click here to read…
IMF sets tough terms for bailout revival: The Express Tribune
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has set out five major conditions for the revival of $6 billion bailout package, including reversal of fuel subsidies and withdrawal of the tax amnesty scheme, the new finance minister, Miftah Ismail, said on Wednesday.
Click here to read…
Cabinet decides committee to review ECL: The News
The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the formation of a four-member committee comprising federal ministers Ayaz Sadiq, Azam Nazir Tarar, Naveed Qamar and Murtaza Mehmood, to review the Exit Control List issues. Click here to read…
Sri Lanka
Key Step to Unlock Sri Lanka Emergency Aid Up to 20 Days Away: Bloomberg
Sri Lanka may take nearly three weeks to appoint advisers to guide an overhaul of its debt, according to the country’s finance chief, a move seen as key to unlock emergency funds needed to ease its worsening economic crisis. Click here to read…
The constitutional amendment proposed by Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa amid protests: Indian Express
One person was killed and 13 others wounded after police opened fire at a group of people protesting against the government in Sri Lanka on Tuesday (April 19). Seeing the likely chances of protests spreading across the country. Click here to read…
Sri Lanka Talks Centered Around Loan Recast, Finance Minister Says: Bloomberg
Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ali Sabry discusses the government’s efforts to fight the worsening economic crisis. Sabry is in Washington with other officials seeking emergency funds during the so-called spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Click here to read…
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis exposes gaps in renewable energy push: Eco-Business
In debt-burdened Sri Lanka, fuel shortages are forcing some people to use firewood – raising fears about the nation’s forests as well as questions about its plans to switch to clean energy including solar. Click here to read…