Afghanistan
Taliban Members Meet Political Leaders in Kabul: Tolo News
Anas Haqqani, a member of the Taliban's political office, and other Taliban members met with former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in Kabul on Wednesday, sources said. The meeting took place at the house of Abdullah Abdullah, according to the sources, but details on what was discussed are not yet available. The Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday.
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Afghan President’s first message in exile, “politics failed in Afghanistan”: The Khaama Press
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appeared in a video clip from Saudi Arabia for the first time after he left the country on Sunday, August 15. He said that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces were not defeated but the politics of the Afghan government, the Taliban, and international partners. Ashraf Ghani said that he was not willing to escape Afghanistan but the plot of his assassination made his security team take him out of the country.
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Ghani: Taliban Should Provide Plans, Not Slogans: Tolo News
President Ashraf Ghani, while visiting Paktika province on Saturday, said at a gathering that the Taliban should provide their plans instead of sticking to slogans, but he insisted that the peace negotiations will succeed. Ghani vowed to build Paktika as he has "built the whole of Afghanistan." “If you (the Taliban) don’t have a plan and if you are making slogans, no one will be convinced… Is there anyone who will be convinced by slogans? We challenge them. They should come to accept being an Afghan and Muslim,” Ghani said.
Kabul airport opens to civilian air traffic: CENTCOM: The Khaama Press
The US has said that Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is secure and now open to all civilian air traffic. A statement by CENTCOM reads that the US is now taking control of the airport to ensure the reinforcement of US military and evacuation of US nationals and their Afghan colleagues. Commander of CENTCOM General Frank McKenzie who is senior US commander in the region has met with senior members of the Taliban in Doha and cautioned them against meddling in the evacuation and reinforcement process.
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Two killed several wounded for flying non-Taliban flag: The Khaama Press
Tens of people protested in eastern Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province for flying Afghanistan’s-black, red, green-colored- flag which led to violence between them and the Taliban fighters. Eyewitnesses said that the Taliban fighters launched indiscriminate fires at protesters during which two were killed and several more wounded. Protesters are asking the Taliban to let the flag fly throughout the country and do not change it with the new one-colored white. Local residents in Jalalabad city said that the Taliban have also beaten two local journalists as they wanted to cover the protest.
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Biden Administration Freezes Billions in Afghan Reserves: Report: Tolo News
Quoting two people familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Biden administration on Sunday froze Afghan government reserves held in US bank accounts, blocking the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars held in US institutions. The Afghanistan Central Bank held $9.4 billion in reserve assets as of April, according to the International Monetary Fund, which amounts to roughly one-third of the country’s annual economic output. The vast majority of those reserves are not currently held in Afghanistan, one of the people familiar with the matter said as quoted by the Post.
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Bangladesh
Bangladesh imposes new restriction on air travel from Malaysia, 10 other countries- The Daily Star
“The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has imposed new restrictions on air travel from 11 countries. The countries are Malaysia, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Libya and Mongolia. CAAB announced this in its latest circular issued late last night. Bangladeshi citizens who have completed full doze of Covid-19 vaccine before 14 days of travel date can enter Bangladesh from these 11 countries categorised as Group-A.”
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PM for reopening educational institutes soon- The Independent
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to reopen the educational institutions as early as possible taking into consideration Covid-19 infections and the vaccination situation in the country. The Premier gave the directive during a meeting with secretaries from different ministries and divisions, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing journalists at the secretariat here today.”
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Israeli phone-hacking firm Cellebrite to stop sales to Bangladesh- Daily Tribune
“Israeli phone-hacking firm Cellebrite has decided to stop selling its technology to Bangladesh in a decision likely influenced by the company's plan to go public this year, reports Israeli daily Haaretz. The newspaper said Cellebrite’s hardware was reportedly used by a paramilitary unit accused of extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances of civilians and journalists in Bangladesh.”
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26 BNP activists placed in police remand- New Age
“A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed 26 ‘activists’ of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on a two-day police remand in a case filed over their clash with the police at Chandrima Udyan in Dhaka on Tuesday. The police produced 47 arrested BNP ‘activists’ before the court seeking a five-day remand each. After the hearing, additional chief metropolitan magistrate Tofazzal Hossain placed 26 ‘activists’ on two-day remand each while 21 others were sent to jail, said court general recording officer sub-inspector Jalaluddin.”
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1.72 crore registrants await first dose Covid jab in Bangladesh- New Age
“Over 1.72 crore people in Bangladesh, who have completed registrations on the Surokkha app for receiving Covid vaccine, await text messages mentioning a date for receiving the first dose. The government has administered about 1.58 crore doses among the recipients of the first dose from among 3.3 crore registrants till August 17, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.”
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Bangladesh, Japan to sign MoU for feasibility study on Mitsubishi factory- Financial Express
“Bangladesh and Japan will soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to carry out a feasibility study towards setting up a manufacturing factory for Mitsubishi cars here in Bangladesh. The process for signing the MoU is now at the final stage and is expected to be signed during the current month, said Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun during a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh ITO Naoki at the ministry on Wednesday.”
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Biman resumes flights to India from 22 Aug- Prothom Alo
“Biman Bangladesh Airlines will resume its flights to India under the air bubble arrangement from 22 August. Flights on the Dhaka-Delhi route will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays while flights on the Dhaka-Kolkata route will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, a Biman's press release said Wednesday.”
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PM warns against corruption by public servants- The Good Morning
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said public servants will face tough punishment if anyone indulges in corruption. “As we are providing various facilities, we will not tolerate any corruption,” she said. The prime minister said this while speaking at a meeting with all secretaries of the public service. Held at the NEC auditorium, the Prime Minister joined it from her official residence Ganobhaban. She said the government wants to build a skilled, pro-service oriented and accountable administration which will accelerate the development of the country.”
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Bhutan
RMA launches e-Commerce portal for Bhutanese products- Kuensel
“The Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) yesterday launched the national e-commerce portal to enhance access to the international market for “Made in Bhutan” products.”
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B-KIND to recognise impacts of climate change and find adaption methods- Kuensel
“Tarayana Foundation yesterday launched a programme to document and research the impacts of climate change faced by Bhutanese communities and find adaption strategies in consultation with policy-makers to benefit the communities.”
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Deputy Chief of Police (Crime) terminated with benefits- Kuensel
“The Deputy Chief of Police (DCoP) for crime, Colonel Dorji Wangchuk, was terminated with benefits in June this year. He was initially suspended in the beginning of the year after police investigation into the conspiracy case and ongoing sedition case by Khandu Wangmo revealed that he had tampered evidence in a harassment case. It was learnt that defendant Khandu Wangmo had called a former army officer to her house and made him make threatening calls to her then boyfriend, who is also a colonel, in 2016.”
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Excess doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to be sent to Thailand- Business Bhutan
“There are around 170,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine left in the stock after inoculating more than 95% of the total population in the country.”
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Maldives
British QC to represent Maldives ex-pres. in investigation into attack on his life - Raajje
Former President and current Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Mohamed Nasheed has appointed a British QC to join the criminal investigation into the terrorist attack targeting him. The People’s Majlis Secretariat issued a press release on Wednesday, revealing the appointment of Kirsty Brimelow QC of Droughty Street Chambers London, to represent the speaker who was targeted in an assassination attempt on May 6, in the heart of Maldives populous capital, Malé City.
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Maldives Covid-19 case tally pushed to 79,525 with 106 new cases - Raajje
Maldives Covid-19 total case count has been pushed to 79,525 with 106 additional infections confirmed on Wednesday. As such, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported 78 new cases from outlying atolls, 16 from the Covid-19 epicenter Malé City and the remaining 12 from operational resorts. These cases were confirmed through 5,333 samples tested between 6pm Tuesday and 6pm Wednesday.
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Minister Shahid meets with President-Designate of COP26 - Avas
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid, met with the President-Designate of COP26, Alok Sharma, on Tuesday. During the meeting, Minister Shahid discussed the priority areas he intends to put forward in delivering his Presidency of Hope as the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Minister Shahid also briefed him on the preparations that are underway in the Maldives for COP26.
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Myanmar
China, India and Russia Donate COVID-19 Vaccines to Myanmar Military - The Irrawaddy
Myanmar’s military has received over 400,000 COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese, Indian and Russian armed forces, with more jabs from China in the pipeline, according to the military regime’s spokesperson. “The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will give another 400,000 doses next week,” said Major-General Zaw Min Tun on Monday.
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Some 1,500 soldiers have deserted Myanmar army since coup: media-La Prensa Latina Media
Around 1,500 soldiers have defected from Myanmar’s military since the Feb. 1 coup and have joined the troops created by the political opposition to fight the military junta, according to a captain who defected. Lin Htet Aung, who left the military ranks in April, told Myanmar Now that soldiers are now defecting faster and in greater numbers.
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Karenni Army Marks Anniversary With Vow to ‘Fight to The End’ Against Myanmar Military - RFA
The ethnic Karenni Army (KA) marked the 73rd anniversary of its founding Tuesday vowing to “fight to the end” to rid Myanmar of its military dictatorship and create a federal union with like-minded groups in the multi-ethnic country. The KA is one of at least 16 ethnic armed organizations thought to be active in Myanmar, a country of 54 million people with 135 official ethnic groups. The insurgent groups control territory along Myanmar’s borders with Bangladesh, China, India, and Thailand. Their histories – and grievances with the national military – stretch back to when the then Burma gained independence from British colonial rule in 1948.
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Military arrests leader of Mandalay protest alliance - Myanmar Now
A youth leader from the Mandalay Protest Alliance Force, was arrested by the junta’s forces while driving near Mandalay University at around 5pm on Monday. Plainclothes soldiers, arriving in domestic vehicles, stopped a motorbike driven by activist Kyaw Thiha—who is in his 20s—beat him, and took him with them at gunpoint, according to an eyewitness.
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Bangladesh’s Bhasan Char Project: An Example For World To Deal With Refugees? – Eurasia review
The whole world saw the Rohingya refugee’s influx towards Bangladesh in 20217. The Rohingya people have been displaced from their homeland (Rakhine in Myanmar) by the Myanmar military Junta regime. Then, Rohingyas take shelter in Cox’s bazar area in Bangladesh. Bangladesh gives them shelter temporarily based on humanitarian ground. But this temporal assistance has brought disaster for Bangladesh.
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Bangladesh recovers 11 bodies from capsized Rohingya boat - La Prensa Latina Media
Bangladeshi authorities said Wednesday they had recovered the bodies of 11 Rohingyas who tried to escape by boat from Bhasan Char island in the Bay of Bengal while 16 people are still missing. The boat, carrying 41 people on board, sank in the sea around 2:30 am on Saturday as the refugees attempted to flee the island, which is prone to monsoon floods and cyclones.
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Nepal
33 pc JSP-N lawmakers sign petition to split party- The Himalayan
“The Mahantha Thakur-Rajendra Mahato faction of the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal today applied for registering a new party, Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal (Democratic), at the Election Commission.”
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UML, JSP-N factions form new parties- The Himalayan
“The CPN-UML and the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal split today after the government amended the Political Party Act through an ordinance lowering threshold for splitting political parties.The faction of UML led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal applied for registration of a new party, CPN-UML Socialist, at the Election Commission.”
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Thakur registers JSPN (Democratic) at EC on Wednesday- The Himalayan
“Mahanta Thakur on Wednesday has registered a new political party at the Election Commission (EC) under the name Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal (Democratic).Thakur-led JSP (Democratic) has also formed a 24-member Central working committee under the chairmanship of Mahanta Thakur while mentioning Rajendra Mahato as the party's senior leader.”
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Aided by Deuba ordinance, dissidents split two parties- Kathmandu Post
“An ordinance introduced by the Sher Bahadur Deuba government has led to splits in at least two parties, marking what observers say an unprecedented political event. After Madhav Kumar Nepal, a senior communist leader, applied for a new party—Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist (Samajbadi)—at the Election Commission, following the promulgation of the ordinance, the country’s largest political party, the CPN-UML, has split. The UML is led by KP Sharma Oli.”
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Asta Laxmi Shakya becomes first woman chief minister- Kathmandu Post
“CPN-UML Vice-chair Asta Laxmi Shakya has become the first woman chief minister of Nepal. Shakya was appointed as chief minister of Bagmati on Wednesday. Bagmati Province Chief Bishnu Prasai administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shakya amid a ceremony at the office of the Province Chief later in the evening.”
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Nepalis returning from Afghanistan stress swift rescue of fellow citizens- Kathmandu Post
“As many as 579 Nepalis were said to be working at the US embassy in Kabul. Officials say as per the records available to them, 60 Nepalis are working in the German embassy, 87 in the United Kingdom embassy and 62 in the Japanese embassy in Kabul. The government has called upon Nepalis to fill up a form if they want to be evacuated from Afghanistan. Nepalis in Afghanistan can also contact +977-9749326458 (Department of Consular Services) and +977-9749326459 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). They can also get in touch with the Nepali embassy in New Delhi at +91-8929601925.”
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Nepali enterprises urged to grab opportunity to participate in the South and Southeast Asia Commodity Expo in China's Yunnan- Republica
“The South and Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair (SSACEIF) 2021 is going to be held in Yunnan Province of China at the end of August. Under the theme "New Opportunities for New Development", the expo will have the participation of exhibitors and participants from different South and Southeast countries.”
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US provides additional support for urgent COVID-19 assistance in Nepal- The Republica
“United States Ambassador to Nepal, Randy W Berry, along with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Nepal Mission Director, Sepideh Keyvanshad, donated two liquid oxygen tanks to Bir Hospital and Paropakar Maternity Hospital in Kathmandu on Tuesday.”
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17.4% people under poverty line in Nepal: Govt data- Khabarhub
“The government has shown that the number of people living below the multi-dimensional poverty line in Nepal is still 4.98 million or 17.4 percent. The National Planning Commission, in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and with the participation of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UNICEF, released its National Multidimensional Poverty Statistics (MPI) report.”
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(Editorial) Deuba on Oli’s footsteps- The Khabarhub
“Governance should be based on principles, not partisan interests. With the intent of strengthening his government, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is bringing an ordinance to make it easier to split political parties. During the tenure of KP Oli, his predecessor at Singha Durbar, Deuba as the leader of the main opposition had principally opposed a similar ordinance. This act of hypocrisy suggests the new prime minister is no different from Oli, at least when it comes to misusing the PMO’s powers for personal gains. Moreover, such acts are a threat to our democratic process.”
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Pakistan
Cabinet to decide on recognising Taliban govt: Sheikh Rashid: Dawn
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet would decide on recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Speaking at a press conference, Mr Ahmed said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan. “We are advocates of peace and we will not allow our land to be used against any other country. At the same time, we will not allow any other’s land to be used against us,” he said.
Propaganda against Taliban proving false, says Qureshi: Dawn
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the propaganda by Ashraf Ghani’s ousted government against the Taliban has proved false as the insurgents have announced general amnesty and are not barring girls’ education. Addressing Hussainia Conference and talking to the media here on Wednesday, he said: “There was a fear that the Taliban would impose a ban on the education of girls, but it has not been happening.
World must support Afghanistan economically, nation-building: PM: The Express Tribune
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan is closely following developments in Afghanistan and in touch with regional and international partners. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), the premier expressed these remarks during a telephone call from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday. The statement said that PM Imran stressed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is critically important for Pakistan and the region
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Pakistan brought Taliban to negotiations with US: Sh Rashid: The News
Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Wednesday said no country can ignore Pakistan as Islamabad convinced the Taliban to hold dialogue with the US. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that due to the diplomatic efforts of Pakistan, the United States of America and the Afghan Taliban sat on a negotiation table. Pakistan’s efforts for peace process in Afghanistan would be remembered long, he remarked.
Stable Afghanistan critical for regional peace, Qureshi tells Chinese FM: The Express Tribune
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, said that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. The foreign minister reiterated that Pakistan has supported the Afghan peace process with the utmost effort during the call with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
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Sri Lanka
PM Rajapaksa phones Karzai - Ceylon Today
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (18), phoned former Afghanistan President Karzai Hamid to inquire about the developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country after 20 years.
In a Tweet, the Prime Minister said he called him to inquire about the ongoing developments unfolding in his country and reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s continued support to the People of Afghanistan. Karzai visited Sri Lanka in March 2014 and spoke of the security situation in Afghanistan at that time.
Swiss connecting Sri Lanka with Europe again - DailyFT
Swiss International Airlines, from 4 November, will start two weekly flights operated by leading Swiss leisure airline Edelweiss between Colombo and Zurich for business and private travel. Customers departing to Zurich will have access to Lufthansa Group’s vast European network with excellent flight connections to almost every other European country.
LX 8065 (operated by Edelweiss) will depart from Colombo at 10:05 a.m./12:50 p.m., with arrival in Zurich at 4:40 p.m./7:15 p.m. Departure from Colombo will be on Thursday/Saturday. LX8064 (operated by Edelweiss) will depart Zurich at 5:50 p.m./8:55 p.m., with arrival in Colombo at 8:20 a.m./11:20 a.m. Departure from Zurich will be on Friday/Sunday.
Sri Lanka central bank raises overnight rate 50bp, SRR up as forex reserves run low - Economynext
Sri Lanka’s central bank has raised an overnight rate by 50 basis points to 6.0 per cent at its monetary policy meeting in August, as it runs out of foreign reserves due to liquidity injected through ceiling Treasuries yields which act as a de facto policy rate. The statutory reserve ratio has also been raised by 2.00 per cent to 4.00 per cent from September 01. The interbank market is already short due to reserve outflows.
Sri Lanka’s central bank which is running a pegged exchange rate (called flexible exchange rate) operates as if it was running a floating regime, creating frequent currency crises, due to conflicting anchors (also targeting an inflation index) classical economists have shown.
Chinese Sinopharm jabbed Sri Lankans face visa uncertainty - Economynext
Sri Lankans vaccinated with China-made Sinopharm who have concerns about visa approvals from countries that have requested other vaccines for travellers, have no clear solution as yet, a minister said.
But authorities are offering a choice of vaccines for those students who are not yet vaccinated and those who have secured jobs abroad. Already 9.48 million Sri Lankans have received Sinopharm as the first dose and over 4 million have received both doses.
3,676 persons test positive for COVID-19, highest number detected in a day - DailyFT
Health authorities stated that 3,676 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, raising the country’s total detections to 369,359. This is the highest number of COVID-19 patients detected in a day, with 3,623 cases detected on 19 May and 3,609 cases detected on Tuesday. The patients detected yesterday include 3,660 persons from the New Year cluster and 16 overseas arrivals.
In total, 262,918 patients from the New Year cluster have been detected. The Prisons cluster, which is also currently active, has 7,980 patients. The country’s imported cases consist of 6,699 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners. This includes the patients detected on Tuesday, of which 3,550 persons were from the New Year cluster, 54 Sri Lankan overseas arrivals, and five persons from the Prisons cluster.
