Afghanistan
UN’s Griffiths: Women, Girls Face ‘Alarming Rollback On Their Rights’: Tolo News
Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, while talking to CGTN TV said that the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan is regressing. “Women and girls are facing alarming rollback on their rights,” said Martin Griffiths. Click here to read…
Japan to Grant Refugee Status to 98 Afghan Nationals: The Khaama Press
Japan has reportedly granted refugee status to 98 Afghan nationals, including staff who worked at the Japanese embassy in Kabul and their families, who left Afghanistan last year, according to Japanese media citing government sources. Click here to read…
Bangladesh
Dhaka, Delhi eye positive results during PM Hasina’s visit: Dhaka Tribune
Former Indian foreign secretary and G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday said Bangladesh is a remarkable story in terms of growth and development. He highlighted the achievements and accomplishments made by the two countries over the last decade and shed light on future cooperation between the two countries as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to visit New Delhi September at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Click here to read…
President Hamid alerts against plastic usage to protect environment: Dhaka Tribune
President M Abdul Hamid on Tuesday urged everyone, including political leaders, district administration and civil society to remain alert in using plastic waste and polythene to protect the balance of the environment. Click here to read…
Bhutan
Foreign Secretary Kwatra meets Bhutan counterpart, discusses bilateral issues – The Print
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Tuesday met his counterpart from Bhutan Ambassador Pema Choden and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest. Click here to read…
WMO strengthens climate services delivery in Bhutan – Mirage News
WMO, with support from the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) Bhutan and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems in Asia and Africa (RIMES) has successfully completed the implementation of a project aimed at strengthening the capacity to provide climate services and support climate sensitive sectors in the remote, landlocked mountainous country. Click here to read…
Maldives
Ambassador Shaan presents credentials to President of Germany – Raajje
The Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to the Federal Republic of Germany, has presented her credentials. Ambassador Aishath Shaan Shakir presented her Letter of Credence to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier during an official ceremony held on Monday. Click here to read…
Team of Maldivian journalists head to India for training – Raajje
The Maldives Media Council revealed that the skill-building and training programme comes under an opportunity paved by the Indian government’s ITEC Programme. The initiative comes under the council’s efforts to advance the skills and pave progress for media houses of the island nation. Click here to read…
Myanmar
Myanmar: No Justice, No Freedom for Rohingya 5 Years On – HRW
Rohingya Muslims are still awaiting justice and protection of their rights five years after the Myanmar military began a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape, and arson in northern Rakhine State on August 25, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled to precarious, flood-prone camps in Bangladesh, while about 600,000 remain under oppressive rule in Myanmar. Click here to read…
UN faces heat over envoy’s trip to Myanmar – RFA
Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) and more than 850 civil society groups called on the United Nations to remove its appointed envoy to the country after her visit last week and demonstrate a “serious commitment” to resolving the nation’s worsening humanitarian crisis. Click here to read…
Devalued Kyat currency stops trade at Myanmar-China border – RFA
Myanmar merchants who trade goods across the border with China say their country’s kyat has depreciated so much relative to the Chinese yuan that they are no longer able to stay in business. The traders typically export agricultural and fisheries products to China and import Chinese consumer and industrial goods and food products to Myanmar. Click here to read…
As Myanmar Coup Intensifies Regional Human Trafficking, How Will China Respond – The Diplomat
Since the 2021 Myanmar coup, over 2,200 people have been killed by the military. The military doubled down on political repression by executing well-known political activists and burning villages with members participating in armed resistance. Click here to read…
Myanmar national among two held in major drug bust: Mizoram Police – The Print
The Special Narcotics Cell of the Mizoram Police seized 2.7 kilograms of heroin in the Kolasib district on Monday night and arrested two persons including a Myanmar national, police said on Tuesday. Click here to read…
Nepal
Country’s trade deficit narrows by 10.38pc – The Himalayan Times
The government’s decision to give continuity to the ban on import of non-essential items listed under 10 categories limited the country’s trade deficit to Rs 116.476 billion in the first month (mid-July to mid-August) of the current fiscal year 2022-23. Click here to read…
Nepal Government forms High-level Salary and Facilities Commission – Nepal 24 Hours
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on August 22 has constituted the commission under the convenorship of former Chief Secretary Leelamani Paudyal for carrying out necessary study for revising the salary, allowance, remuneration and facilities of government employees and workers, and recommend to the government. The commission has been asked to make the study and recommendation on the basis of the country’s economic condition and its spending capacity. Click here to read…
China’s zero-Covid policy turns Nepal border towns into ‘dead’ zones as trade routes dry up – SCMP
China’s zero-Covid policy is proving a major obstacle to the resumption of two-way trade with Nepal, with border closures causing a sharp decline in Nepalese exports to the world’s No 2 economy and losses for merchants. Click here to read…
Pakistan
Pakistan’s political turmoil echoes in US, UN corridors: Dawn
The political turmoil in Pakistan echoed far away in the United States as well, where the UN chief urged Islamabad to keep the legal process impartial while the State Depart¬ment underlined the need to follow “democratic, constitutional and legal” principles. Click here to read…
Pakistan seeks world aid to cope with flood emergency: Dawn
As massive floods across Pakistan have so far claimed at least 830 lives since July, the government on Tuesday decided to launch an international appeal seeking funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood-hit people and restoration of damaged infrastructure. Click here to read…
Pakistan explores debt rescheduling option: The Express Tribune
The government has explored an option to seek rescheduling of its external debt, as Pakistan faces a mammoth challenge to service over two-third or $66 billion of the total external public and publicly-guaranteed repayments in five years. Click here to read…
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s ousted president Rajapaksa may return home by early September:Sources: Economic Times
Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa may return home in about two weeks after fleeing a popular uprising in July, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, depending in part on arrangements to secure his safety.
Click here to read…
PTA, a must to tackle terrorism: Cabinet Spokesman: Daily Mirror
The government today said that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) sleuths are questioning several suspects including the convener of the IUSF Wasantha Mudalige detained under the provisions of Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to determine whether there was a conspiracy to topple the government.Click here to read…
Govt. slaps import ban on wide range of goods: Daily Mirror
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister, yesterday issued new regulations via an extraordinary gazette suspending the import of a plethora of items, with effect from August 23, 2022, until further notice. Click here to read…