Afghanistan
Taliban Says They Seek to Establish an ‘Inclusive Govt’: Tolo News
A Taliban official told TOLOnews that the results of their discussions with Afghan politicians and representatives from the international community about forming an “inclusive government” will be made public soon. Sources close to Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah said that Amir Khan Motaqi, a senior member of the Taliban leadership, in a meeting with Afghan politicians on Monday pledged to establish an inclusive government. Mutaqi met with Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah on Monday. Click here to read...
Taliban Pledges Safety for Diplomats, Tells Media to Continue: Tolo News
At a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they do not have enmity toward anyone and based on their leader's orders they have pardoned everyone. Mujahid said that soon they will reach a settlement through which an Islamic government will be established in the country. Mujahid said that Kabul security is improving day by day as their forces have been stationed in various places. He said the security of foreign embassies is important to them and they pledge that the embassies will be completely safe.Click here to read...
UK plans to resettle 20,000 Afghans: The Khaama Press
The government of the United Kingdom has announced that it will welcome up to 20,000 people as the Taliban takeover the Afghan capital Kabul. The new plan is on top of the one that already exists for the Afghan interpreters and others who have worked for British troops in the past two decades in Afghanistan.The promise to resettle Afghan refugees comes amid chaos in Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as thousands of men, women, and children have gathered in the airport to flee the country.Click here to read...
Women protest in Taliban’s Kabul, the city is yet fully come to normal: The Khaama Press
A number of women gathered in Police District 10 of Kabul demanding a share in the upcoming government. The women asked power holders not to be forgotten in the upcoming regime. The women though did not name the Taliban directly; this is apparently a rare move in Afghanistan where the Taliban are grappling control of nearly the entire country. Earlier, a number of youngsters had also gathered in Kunar province demanding the Taliban to let the Afghan government flag fly over the country. For the same plea, there is a vast campaign on social media demanding the Afghanistan Islamic Emirate to maintain the Afghan flag while others suggest a joint flag of both.Click here to read...
Torkham Pass Opens, Trucks Loaded With Goods Enter Afghanistan: Tolo News
Hundreds of vehicles loaded with goods crossed Torkham pass on Monday after it was closed by Pakistan the day before, Reuters reported on Tuesday. "The vehicles that arrived here last night were stranded for the last three, four days. When the gate opened yesterday, a lot of vehicles arrived here and trade boomed,” said Hazrat Omar, a trader. Pakistan closed the Torkham pass on Sunday as the Afghan side came under Taliban control. Click here to read...
Bangladesh
Bangladesh to stay alert about Afghan-trained terrorists- Daily Star
“Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said yesterday that Bangladesh will remain alert about Afghan-trained terrorists, although they were "identified and uprooted". While talking to journalists at an event at the Foreign Service Academy, he reiterated that there was no scope for Bangladesh to give temporary shelter to people from Afghanistan as requested by the US.”Click here to read...
PM says her main goal is to fulfill Bangabandhu’s dream of building Sonar Bangla- The Independent
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said her prime goal is to build a happy and prosperous Bangladesh and uplift the people by transforming the tragedy of August 15 into a source of power. “Inshallah, Bangladesh will become a developed and prosperous Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) free of hunger and poverty as dreamt by my father. Inshallah, that dream will be implemented,” she said.”Click here to read...
Govt officials to face dope test, says the home minister- The Independent
“Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday said the government officials and employees will be brought under dope test in a year and action will be taken against those who would test positive. “The government has made dope test mandatory for government jobs in a bid to discourage use of drugs and many proposals are on line,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.”Click here to read...
Bodies of 11 Rohingya boat escapees from Bhasan Char recovered- The Independent
“The bodies of 11 Rohingyas out of more than 40 who tried to escape by boat from Bhasan Char have been recovered, according to naval police officials. The engine-boat on which Rohingya men, women with children were trying to flee from Noakhali’s Bhasanchar drowned in the deep-sea Friday night.”Click here to read...
Bangladesh bans passenger flights from 11 countries- Observer
“Bangladesh's civil aviation regulator has imposed restrictions on international passenger flights from 11 countries as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries across the world. Malaysia, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Libya and Mongolia are the 11 countries under Group- A, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has said, reports UNB.”Click here to read...
Bangladesh- India flight operation to resume Aug 20: FM- The Independent
“Flight operation between Bangladesh and India will resume on August 20 under the air bubble arrangement. “It will start on August 20,” said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, adding that there is so much demand, especially from Bangladeshi patients and so both countries agreed to resume the flight operations.”Click here to read...
Bhutan
Youth discuss agriculture in Bhutan Dialogues- Kuensel
“Need for diverse food in the Bhutanese diet, challenges in pursuing entrepreneurship and the need to minimise food waste were among the many issues discussed at the 40th session of Bhutan Dialogues, a meeting of youth and farmers, held in Punakha on August 13.” Click here to read...
Thromde works on drinking water master plan- Kuensel
“Thimphu Thromde is conducting a geographic information study (GIS) to develop the Thimphu Drinking Water Master Plan. The plan is expected to help improve water distribution, tapping sources and interconnectivity of sources in line with future changes in demand for water according to new settlements and population density.”Click here to read...
Three Bhutanese in Afghanistan safe- BBS
“As the Taliban takes over Afghanistan, many countries are evacuating their citizens to safety. According to sources, there are still three Bhutanese in Afghanistan. They are working for the United Nations and are reported to be safe.”Click here to read...
Maldives
Maldives undecided on recognising Taliban - The Edition
The Maldivian government has not yet made a decision on accepting the Taliban, who have taken over the Afghanistan government after USA troops withdrawal from the nation. USA has had their army in Afghanistan for 20 years but shortly after their withdrawal Taliban gained the control and toppled the government on Sunday. President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani had fled the nation and the Presidential Palace is now under Taliban control.Click here to read...
Nasheed meets with Foreign Minister - Avas
Speaker of the Parliament and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has met with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. This is the Speaker's first meeting with a cabinet minister since he was targeted in an IED attack last May. Nasheed, who is currently in the United Kingdom, posted a picture of him with the minister in tweet posted on Tuesday. In his tweet, Nasheed said he was delighted to meet his friend and UNGA President, and said it was his first time meeting a cabinet minister since the attack.Click here to read...
Saudi Arabia and Maldives discuss relations - Arab News
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Tuesday received a phone call from his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid to discuss bilateral relations and ways of developing and strengthening them in various fields. The two ministers also discussed aspects of enhancing joint coordination in regional and international issues, in addition to many issues of common interestClick here to read...
Maldives Signs Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, MCAA-CbC, MCAA-CRS - Bloomberg Tax
The Maldivian Inland Revenue Authority Aug. 12 issued Press Release No. (PR)220-MTRS/PRIV/2021/02, announcing the signing of three agreements. The press release includes: 1) the Aug. 11 signing of the 2011 Amended Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters; and 2) the Aug. 12 signing of the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) on the exchange of Country-by-Country (CbC) reports, and the MCAA on the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information under the common reporting standard (CRS).Click here to read...
Myanmar
Hollow Diplomacy: Backlash at ASEAN’s Response to the Myanmar Crisis - Global Risk Insights
As violence between anti-coup protesters and the Tatmadaw regime in Myanmar worsens, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, remains uniquely situated to navigate towards a return to democracy. Their policy of ‘non-interference’, however, restricts the extent to which they can engage the crisis directly. The international attention and responsibility that ASEAN has accrued, with backing from international organisations and countries like the US, poses a risk to their credibility. If they cannot overcome their diplomatic limitations, ASEAN risks appearing ill-equipped to maintain regional peace and security.Click here to read...
OP-ED: Is ARSA a threat to Bangladesh? - Dhaka Tribune
Early this month, on information that members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) were holding a secret meeting in a mosque in a Rohingya camp, the Armed Police Battalion raided the site. When the raid occurred at Chakmarkul Rohingya Block-3 camp, Amtala mosque, the members escaped the dragnet. The police seized 72 pairs of sandals as evidence of the botched meeting. The ARSA members are mostly recruits from among the Rohingya refugees. They mostly raise funds from the Rohingya living in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.Click here to read...
Rohingya to give first testimony in push for Myanmar army probe - Strait Times
Rohingya refugees expelled from Myanmar in a bloody crackdown are to testify in court for the first time on Tuesday (Aug 17) to urge a full judicial investigation into allegations of war crimes committed against them. The witnesses will testify remotely to a court in Argentina, which is considering invoking the principle of "universal jurisdiction" to bring a case against Myanmar's leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity. The legal premise holds that some acts - including war crimes and crimes against humanity - are so horrific they are not specific to one nation and can be tried anywhere.Click here to read...
Karennis hit by war and pandemic in urgent need of aid, says rebel group - Myanmar Now
The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) has called on local and international aid groups to provide urgent help to tens of thousands of people affected by both fighting and surging Covid-19 cases in Kayah (Karenni) State. Junta troops have been raiding villages to break into homes and loot property, while also hampering local efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the state, the group said in a statement on Friday. Click here to read...
Civilian Fighters, KIA Troops Kill Six Myanmar Junta Soldiers in Mandalay Region - The Irrawaddy
Six junta soldiers were killed and many others wounded by civilian resistance fighters in Mandalay Region’s Mogoke Township on Monday. In the morning, civilian resistance fighters of the People’s Defense Force-Mogoke and troops from the ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) ambushed the troops from the military’s Battalion 148 near Ho Weit Village in the east of the township.
Click here to read...
Regime moves to put monks at checkpoints in Mandalay - Myanmar Now
A monastic regulatory body has agreed to allow the Myanmar junta to station Buddhist monks at checkpoints in Mandalay, according to monks in the country’s second-largest city. Mandalay Region’s Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee reached the decision following a meeting with regime authorities on August 13, the monks said.Click here to read...
Commanders instructed to avoid military altercations as civilians face host of challenges: AA chief - BNI Multimedia
The Arakan Army (AA) says it has instructed its commanders on the ground to avoid military problems in Arakan State at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic and the rainy season are making life difficult for the people. At the moment, lending a helping hand to the people is a priority and military conflicts will be avoided as much as possible, but military action will be considered if necessary, said AA chief Major-General Twan Mrat Naing in an interview with Arakkha Media on August 15.Click here to read...
Nepal
An ordinance that makes it more evident Deuba no different from Oli – Kathmandu Post
“The ordinance that the Deuba government has brought has the same objective as the one brought by the Oli government. The difference however, according to ministers familiar with it, is that the latest one seeks to change the provision of a political party split, reducing the requirement for numbers of members in the Central Committee and the Parliamentary Party.”Click here to read...
Oli expels 14 members of the Nepal faction as lawmakers- Kathmandu Post
“The CPN-UML has written to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, asking it to strip 14 lawmakers of the Madhav Nepal faction of their positions. Earlier in the day, a meeting of the UML’s Parliamentary Party had decided to expel Nepal and other 13 as members of the Parliament, accusing them of being involved in splitting the party.” Click here to read...
118 Nepalis Arrive Home From Afghanistan, 256 In Contact- Rising Nepal
“One hundred and eighteen Nepali nationals arrived Kathmandu on Tuesday while 256 individuals have registered their details in the web portal of the Department of Consular Services (DoCS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has informed that the Nepali migrant workers were brought to Nepal in coordination with the friendly nations. All of them are being managed at the Holding Centre managed by the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre (CCMC) in Samakhushi of Kathmandu Metropolis following their testing of COVID-19.” Click here to read...
Antics of MCC critics- Republica
“Given Nepal’s current situation, MCC or no MCC is not going to make any difference. The sky is not going to fall without the MCC, nor will we be having a heavenly ride with the MCC. Yet, the political forces in the opposition have found it to be a rallying cry.” Click here to read...
Govt Launches Customs Reform And Modernisation Plan- Rising Nepal
“The Ministry of Finance has made public the Sixth Customs Reform and Modernization Plan. Finance Minister Janardan Sharma unveiled the reform plan at a function held at the MoF on Tuesday. He also launched the annual report and recommendations of the Nepal Revenue Advisory Board (NRAB).” Click here to read...
Canada Helping Indian, Nepalese Security Contractors To Evacuate Afghanistan – PM Trudeau- The Eurasian Times
Canada is helping to evacuate a group of Nepalese and Indian security contractors who helped protect the Canadian embassy in Kabul, with some having been already airlifted to safety, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. Click here to read...
Can Nepal’s New Prime Minister Navigate Rough Political Seas?- The Diplomat
“Past experience, however, shows that prime ministers do not want to stay under the control of the party, while the party wants to maintain its hold over the government. This is the core problem for Nepal’s political stability, and in this tussle prime ministers often underestimate intra-party dynamics.” Click here to read...
Pakistan
Recognition of Taliban regime in Afghanistan will be a 'regional decision': Fawad Chaudhry: Dawn
Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said any recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan will be a "regional decision" taken after consultations with regional and international powers, as he stressed that Pakistan does not intend to take a "unilateral decision" in this regard.The minister made these remarks during a press briefing held to apprise the media of decisions taken by the federal cabinet.Discussing the evolving situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban's dramatic reclaiming of power in the war-torn countryClick here to read...
Johnson, Merkel call PM Imran on Afghan issue: Dawn
Prime Minister Khan on Tuesday received telephone calls from his British counterpart Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and they exchanged views on the latest situation in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Khan underscored the paramount importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for Pakistan and the region. He stressed that safety and security as well as protection of the rights of all Afghans was critically important. The prime minister underlined that an inclusive political settlement was the best way forward. He said Pakistan was reaching out to all Afghan leaders. Click here to read...
No country more desirous of peace in Afghanistan than Pakistan: PM Imran: The Express Tribune
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no other country is more desirous of peace and stability in Afghanistan than Pakistan amid an uncertain situation in the neighbouring country after the Taliban took control of Kabul.He made these remarks on Tuesday while speaking to a delegation of Afghan political leaders, who arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss the crisis in the war-torn country as the Taliban have seized Kabul. Click here to read...
Bilawal asks govt to establish contacts with new Taliban govt: The News
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said the government should not compromise on the issue of terrorism in the country and the National Action Plan (NAP) should be implemented in letter and spirit. He was addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House on Tuesday to inform the media about the PPP Central Executive Committee meeting deliberations on the Afghanistan situation. He said the fall of Kabul and Afghanistan had coincided with terrorism incidents in Dasu, Quetta and Karachi. Click here to read...
Willing to help Afghanistan achieve inclusive political settlement: COAS: The Express Tribune
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that Pakistan is willing to do everything possible to help achieve Afghanistan “all-inclusive settlement which is vital for regional peace and prosperity”.Gen Qamar made these remarks on Tuesday after a delegation of Afghan political leaders called on him, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday. Click here to read...
Foreign direct investment plunges by 38.7pc in July: Dawn
Foreign direct investment fell sharply by 38.7 per cent during the first month of the new fiscal FY22 compared to July FY21, following the declining trend noted in the previous fiscal year.The State Bank’s latest data issued on Tuesday showed that the country received only $90 million as FDI during July against an inflow $128.7m in the same month of the previous fiscal. The beginning of the new fiscal did not show any improvement against the trend dominated by the previous fiscal FY21 as it fell by 29 per cent: the country received $1.847bn in last fiscal year. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
$250M CURRENCY SWAP WITH BB: Sri Lanka gets the first tranche of $50m this week - The Daily Star
The central bank will lend $50 million to under-pressure Sri Lanka this week as part of Bangladesh's efforts to support the Island nation suffering from a foreign exchange crisis.
The credit under the first-ever loan to any country from Bangladesh will be given under the currency swap agreement inked by the BB and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on August 3. As per the deal, the BB will provide a total of $250 million to help prop up the island nation's fast-depleting foreign reserves and ease pressure on its exchange rate.
The financing will be given in three phases. The first tranche of the loan will be given this week, according to a top official of the central bank. The remaining two tranches will involve $100 million each.Click here to read...
SL monitoring Afghan situation in terms of immediate, mid and long term implications - Daily Mirror
Sri Lanka is closely monitoring the development in Afghanistan in terms of immediate, mid and long term implications and to bring down a group of 65 Sri Lankans now in Kabul, a day after the Taliban seized power of Afghanistan after 20 years, a senior defence official said. “We are closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan in terms of immediate, mid and long term implications that could bring about in the South Asian region, in particular Sri Lanka,” the official told Daily Mirror yesterday.
The official said that Sri Lanka’s immediate requirement was to bring down the Sri Lankans stranded in Afghanistan following the latest development there. When asked whether the Sri Lanka government was recognising the new Afghan ‘government’, the official said that Sri Lanka would decide on it after monitoring the situation prevailing there and the dealings between the international community and the new government.Click here to read...
Sri Lanka tourist sector links with Germany boost post-Covid positive impacts – Economy next
Sri Lanka’s tourist sector has linked up with Germany to improve eco-friendly and more ‘sustainable’ tourism which is increasingly valued by international travellers, industry officials said. Germany was among the top three or four source markets for tourism in Sri Lanka before the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Consumers are asking for more and more sustainable destinations and hotels to go towards,” C B Ramkumar, a member of Global Sustainable Tourism Council, an industry group said in a kick-off event backed by Friedrich Naumann Foundation of Freedom in Sri Lanka and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka).Click here to read...
Trade union warns of lockdown action as Sri Lanka loses another 171 lives – Economy next
As Sri Lanka confirmed a record 171 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday (17), a trade union threatened a 10-day self-imposed lockdown starting next Monday (23), while government and opposition MPs traded charges on who was to blame for the country’s worst public health crisis in recent times.
Declaring their intent to start a lockdown, Inter-Company Employees’ Union Chairman and former Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Wasantha Samarasinghe said Tuesday afternoon that, if the government doesn’t announce a “scientific lockdown” by Friday (20), their members in government and private sectors, estates and other sectors of the economy will go into a self-imposed lockdown next Monday onward.Click here to read...
3,609 COVID-19 patients detected - DailyFT
A total of 3,609 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 detections to 365,683. The rapid spread of COVID-19 in the country may be due to three main mutations to the Delta variant, State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Channa Jayasumana said in Parliament yesterday.
“Researchers have discovered that a few mutations of the Delta variant spreading in Sri Lanka have occurred. We are aware of three main mutations as of now. These are the spike mutations known as SA222V, SA701S, and SA1078S,” he said.
While inter-provincial travel has been banned and a quarantine curfew is being imposed from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily, the public is being urged to observe self-imposed restrictions, limiting movement as much as possible.Click here to read...
