Afghanistan

Afghans Yet to Reach Hoped-For Peace: Karzai- Tolo News

The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that the Afghans have yet to reach the peace which they have hoped for, hinting that an enduring peace will be ensured when every Afghan is included in decision-making about their country. Click here to read…

Afghanistan, Pakistan agrees one free movement of trucks- The Khaama Press

Advisor of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razzak Dawood said that during a meeting between Afghan and Pakistani officials it was decided that trucks of the two countries will be crossing the crossing points for free. Click here to read…

FM Mottaqi calls on China’s ambassador to Kabul- The Khaama Press

Chief spokesperson and Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Zabiullah Mujahid said that acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Amir khan Mottaqi met with China’s ambassador to Kabul Wang Yu on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

Hasina thanks Modi for rescuing Bangladeshis from Ukraine- Asian Age

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rescuing her country’s nationals under ‘Operation Ganga,’ alongside the stranded Indian nationals who were being evacuated from war-hit Ukraine. Click here to read…

Nepal, India, Bangladesh ‘agree’ to open transport routes in six months: Kathmandu post

A meeting of three countries on the BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement on March 7-8 in New Delhi, where Bhutan participated as an observer, decided to go ahead with the plan to open the route(s) as pilot operation. Click here to read…

Food crisis grows as spiralling prices spark export bans- Daily Star

A global food crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalated on Wednesday as Indonesia tightened curbs on palm oil exports, adding to a growing list of key producing countries seeking to keep vital food supplies within their borders. Click here to read…

Wait for response to ‘economic war’- Daily Star

Russia tells US; French minister says world heading for 1973-type energy shock. Click here to read…

Russian-backed RT channel disappears from Bangladesh- Dhaka Tribune

Cable operators in the dark over why channel is no longer available. Click here to read…

Bangladesh reports no crossfire deaths in 90 days- Dhaka Tribune

The US sanctions may have a role to play in stopping extrajudicial killings in the country, says former NHRC chairman. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Transitioning from red buildings to red flats- Kuensel

If a person from an apartment in a building test positive for Covid-19, the whole building will not be cordoned off hereafter. Only the unit would be closed, referred to as a red flat. Click here to read…

Tigers threaten survival of the last yak herders in Chhumey Gewog, Bumthang- BBS

Livestock depredation by predators has become quite rampant in Chungphel chiwog of Chhumey Gewog, Bumthang in recent years. Of late, tigers have killed several yaks and cattle in the chiwog. Our reporter in Bumthang visited the only family in the chiwog who raises yak and saw for himself the menace brought by the predators. Click here to read…

Maldives

At Maldives meet, NSA Ajit Doval calls for the roadmap for Colombo Security Conclave: Hindustan Times

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said members of the Colombo Security Conclave, a grouping of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, remain vulnerable to trafficking, organised crime and maritime terrorism. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Iran and Pakistan mustn’t provide weapons to the Myanmar Junta – Pakistan Today

The USA and other nations, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, have already announced banning military exports to Myanmar. Even the UNO has been urging all countries to impose an arms embargo. Click here to read…

Narcotics From Myanmar Still Flowing Into India’s Northeast Despite Crackdown – The Irrawaddy

Narcotics from Myanmar continue to be smuggled into India’s frontier Northeast region despite a crackdown over the past several months. The clampdown in Assam, a centrally located state in the region, has gathered steam since May last year. It is one of the Indian states worst affected by drugs. Click here to read…

Mizoram Provided More Than Rs 380 Lakhs For Humanitarian Aid To Myanmar Refugees: State Home Minister – Lalchamliana – NorthEast Today

The Mizoram Government have provided more than Rs 380 lakhs as humanitarian aid to assist the Myanmar refugees, who have escaped the war-torn nation, following a fatal conflict with the military junta. Click here to read…

Progressive Voice urges UN to find ways to prosecute grave crimes in Myanmar – Mizzima

Campaigning organisation Progressive Voice has called on the United Nation’s (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) to explore all possible routes to seek accountability for Myanmar through the establishment of a jurisdiction for atrocity crimes mandated by the UN. Click here to read…

Myanmar army accused of burning civilian homes in retaliation for roadside guerrilla attacks – Myanmar Now

Twelve homes were burnt down this weekend in a village near the site of a recent assault by resistance forces on a Myanmar army convoy travelling through Sagaing Region’s Htigyaing Township. Click here to read…

Nepal

Russia-Ukraine conflict likely to exacerbate economic woes of Nepal- Himalaya

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict will likely exacerbate the economic woes of Nepal as the spiralling oil and commodities prices in the international market will further widen the country’s burgeoning trade deficit. Click here to read…

NC refutes Nepal’s view on poll alliance- Himalaya

CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal today said that the ruling coalition partners had agreed to contest the upcoming local polls on the basis of the current coalition. Click here to read…

Planned visit from the north after MCC pact’s passage piques curiosity- Kathmandu Post

Chinese foreign minister set to travel to Nepal, most likely on March 26-27, amid Beijing’s reservations about Kathmandu’s nod to the Washington grant. Click here to read…

Talks underway with other political parties to forge consensus on Citizenship Act amendment: Minister Khand- Republica

Minister for Home Affairs, Bal Krishna Khand, has said that the government has been taking initiative to take the amendment of Nepal Citizenship Act-2063 to a conclusion with consensus. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

India, Sri Lanka explore slew of maritime security agreements for Indian Ocean Region: The Economic Times

Eyeing to secure its strategic interests in the Southern Indian Ocean region amid China’s growing inroads, New Delhi is exploring with Colombo a slew of maritime security agreements. Click here to read…

Reform Sri Lanka’s Draconian Abortion Law: Human Righ Watch

Sri Lanka has among the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, so Justice Minister Ali Sabry’s recent call for parliament to consider legalizing abortion in cases of rape is a significant development. Click here to read…

Pakistan

Capital-heats-up-as-anti-pti-bloc-makes-its-move- Dawn

Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, whose party is a key ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at the Centre and Punjab, along with a federal minister met PPP leader and former president Asif Zardari at the latter’s residence and discussed political situation, a day after Mr Hussain had met Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad. Click here to read…

(Editorial) Establishments-role- Dawn

Given the military’s long-standing sway over Pakistan politics and influence on virtually every political party, including many posturing as anti-establishment outfits, this is not surprising. So far, the PTI leadership has maintained that the ‘security establishment is with Pakistan’, insisting that it stands with the government in these difficult times. Click here to read…

Budget deficit to touch record Rs4.3tr- The Express Tribune

The federal government will miss its budget deficit target by Rs318 billion and could book, for the first time in history, over Rs4.3 trillion deficit in the current fiscal year, the finance ministry informed the federal cabinet. Click here to read…