Afghanistan
Biden: Al Qaeda Chief Zawahiri Killed in US Drone Strike in Kabul: Tolo News
US President Joe Biden in a live address said: “Justice has been delivered” in US strike killing al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri; “this terrorist leader is no more.” He confirmed reports that began hours earlier about the attack. Click here to read…
Tashkent Mtg Participants Show Readiness to Engage With Kabul: Tolo News
Attending a session held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the acting foreign minister said the Tashkent International conference was a good opportunity for engagement between the international community and Afghanistan. Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi urged countries to accredit Islamic Emirate diplomats in order to create official engagement. Click here to read…
Joint Committee for Preventing Border Skirmishes to be Formed by Iran & Taliban: The Khaama Press
Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan, stated that a meeting was held with Iranian representatives and the Ministry of Defense of the Taliban government, announcing the formation of a joint committee to prevent border clashes. Click here to read…
Bangladesh
Rise in remittance, dip in imports: Some breathing space for now: The Daily Star
The country’s economy has got a welcome respite from the ongoing volatility, thanks to a rise in remittance inflow and decrease in imports last month.Imports in July fell by 31 percent to $5.50 billion from $7.96 billion a month ago while remittance went up by 14 percent to $2.09 billion from $1.83 billion, shows Bangladesh Bank data.
Bangabandhu Mobile Railway Museum starts nationwide displaying: Dhaka Tribune
The “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Mobile Rail Museum”’ has started its journey on the tracks on Monday, to convey the ideals and struggles of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the people of Bangladesh. Click here to read…
Bangladesh receives ‘International Peace Award’: Dhaka Tribune
Bangladesh has received “International Peace Award ” as one of the founding member of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation. The foundation on Monday handed over the award over the award comprising of a crest and a letter to Mosud Mannan, ambassador of Bangladesh to Turkey accredited to Georgia. Click here to read…
PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina to inaugurate Maitree Power Project in Bangladesh: Hindustan Times
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are expected to jointly inaugurate the 1320 MegaWatt Maitree Super Thermal Power Station when the latter visits India for a three-day visit in the first week of September. Touted to be Bangladesh’s largest power plant, the coal-fired station is being set up by Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between India’s NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board. The project is worth USD 1.5 billion. Click here to read…
Bhutan
Is Bhutan’s economy headed for a similar economic crisis like Sri Lanka? – The Statesman
After the economic crisis of Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s name has been doing the rounds in the list f troubled economies. However, the latest entry in the list of economies facing acute crisis, is that of Bhutan. The import of non-essential goods could be discouraged and even restricted to control the widening trade deficit and protect the depleting foreign currency reserve. Click here to read…
Army Chief meets Bhutan King in Thimphu; focus on further boosting enduring strategic ties – The Hindu
Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande has met Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and other top civil and military leaders of Bhutan with a focus on further boosting enduring strategic ties. Click here to read…
ADB approves $10m loan to help Bhutan buy COVID-19 vaccines – Devidiscourse
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $10 million loan to help the Government of Bhutan purchase safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19. The project is part of ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) launched in December 2020 to offer vaccine-related support to ADB developing member countries. Click here to read…
Maldives
Maldives President Ibrahim Solih meets EAM Jaishankar in Delhi – Times of India
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on August 01 met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in Delhi. President Solih is on a 4-day official visit to India. Click here to read…
Maldives confirms 183 new Covid-19 cases – Raajje
This was revealed by the Health Protection Agency ((HPA) in its latest figures publicized on Monday. As such, statistics revealed that between July 24 – 30, a total of 183 new Covid-19 infections were confirmed nationwide, including 33 from the Greater Malé Region, 85 from residential islands outside of the capital and 65 reported from others including industrial islands, liveaboard vessels and resorts. Click here to read…
Male Connectivity Project: India-Maldives mega infrastructure push – WIONews
In a major boost to ties between India and Maldives, the ground-breaking ceremony of the Maldives biggest infrastructure project will be held today in New Delhi. Maldives President is in New Delhi on a four-day visit. Click here to read…
Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Extends State of Emergency – The Irrawaddy
Myanmar’s military government has extended a state of emergency by six months, state media said Monday, with the junta chief saying elections could only take place when the conflict-wracked country was “stable and peaceful”. Click here to read…
Role Of External Powers In Keeping The Myanmar Military In Power – Analysis – Eurasia Review
The Myanmar junta is losing on the military and economic fronts. And yet, it stays in power because the major regional and global powers either pussyfoot on it or support it in one way or another, experts on the country say. Click here to read…
Myanmar military charges eight Mrauk-U men with incitement – BNI Online
The Myanmar military has filed an incitement lawsuit against eight residents in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code at the Mrauk-U District Court, according to family members of the accused. Click here to read…
Three Brotherhood Alliance Condemns Regime Executions – BNI Online
The Three Brotherhood Alliance has criticised the execution of four political prisoners by the military regime, which threatens to further isolate them. “It is also totally against the ASEAN 5-point proposal…It is also against the path of national reconciliation proposed by the (ruling) State Administration Council (SAC),” said a 27 July joint statement by member groups, Palaung State Liberation Army/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA), United League of Arakan/Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. Click here to read…
Nepal
Nepal cenbank governor sees no need for IMF loan as tourism earnings rise – Reuters
Nepal sees no need to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a fresh loan as pressure on foreign exchange reserves is easing after a pick up in tourism, its central bank governor said on Monday. Click here to read…
Human trafficking in India and Nepal – NewsUS
With economic opportunities further dwindling after the pandemic, millions more are at risk of Human trafficking across the world. Up to 800,000 people are estimated to be trafficked within Asia each year. In South Asia, India and Nepal are two of the most affected countries. Click here to read…
Nepal’s tea sector sees trouble brewing as India mulls restrictions on imports – The Kathmandu Post
Nepali tea producers and traders have been concerned ever since India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce in June asked the Indian government to apply stringent requirements for the certificate of origin on tea imported from Nepal. Click here to read…
China wary of Indian influence in Nepal – Tribune India
Reports suggest that the Chinese are unhappy that Ambassador Hou Yanqui was unable to prevent Nepal PM Deuba from proposing the Millennium Challenge Corporation, though the Chinese did scuttle America’s State Partnership Programme. They claim the latter is also a military alliance that allows US troops to enter Nepal at will and use its facilities and infringes Nepal’s sovereignty.Click here to read…
Nepal becoming Dialogue Partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – SangriToday
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has given the status of Dialogue Partner to Nepal. It is being considered a sign of Nepal’s growing international identity. But many Nepalese diplomats believe that while strengthening ties with the new group, now Nepal will have to proceed more carefully in the diplomatic realm. Click here to read…
Pakistan
Imran issues fresh call for protest outside ECP office in Islamabad on August 4: Dawn
PTI chairman Imran Khan on Monday issued a call for a fresh protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Islamabad on Thursday (August 4) to demand Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja’s resignation. Click here to read…
Inflation jumps to 14-year high of 24.9pc: The News
Consumer price index (CPI) inflation rose to 24.93 per cent in July, whereas in July 2021, it was recorded at 8.4 per cent, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistic. That compares with a 21.3 per cent jump in June. This level was last seen in August 2008. Click here to read…
IK’s negligence led to foreign funding case: The News
Now that the PTI foreign funding verdict will be announced today (Tuesday), one needs to know what led Akbar S Babar, the founding member of the party, to file the foreign funding case in the Election Commission of Pakistan. Click here to read…
Taliban-brokered TTP talks end in deadlock: The Express Tribune
The talks between Pakistan and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have reached a deadlock as the militant group refused to budge from its demand for the reversal of the merger of erstwhile Fata with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Click here to read…
Sri Lanka
Closely monitoring ‘fast-moving situation’ in SL – UK: Daily Mirror
The UK government said that it is ‘closely monitoring the fast-moving situation, including the recent appointment of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as President’ in Sri Lanka. Click here to read…
Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ‘not accorded any privileges’ in S’pore: MFA: Daily Mirror
Singapore’s foreign minister said yesterday that former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not being accorded any privileges or immunity in Singapore. Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on July 14, a day after fleeing his crisis-ridden country via Maldives and following a popular uprising that forced him to resign as president. Click here to read…
Sampanthan, Wimal, Champika ready to join all-party govt.: The Island
TNA leader R Sampanthan, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa and Patali Champika Ranawaka have expressed their willingness to join an all-party government. Weerawansa and Ranawaka, in response to a letter by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, have written that they are willing to join an all-party government to save the country. Click here to read…
Agriculture Ministry urges govt. to halt rice imports: The Island
The Agriculture Ministry yesterday informed the Cabinet that there were enough rice stocks in the country, and rice imports had to be suspended. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that he requested the Cabinet to suspend the import of rice until December. Click here to read…