Afghanistan
Panjshir: Massoud Wants to Talk But Ready to Fight: Tolo News
In a statement to Reuters, Ahmad Massoud, the son of Afghanistan’s late National Hero Ahmad Shah Massoud, said he will never hand over Panjshir province to anyone, even as the Taliban increases its forces near the mountainous valley in northern Afghanistan. Massoud said he hoped for negotiations to resolve the issues, but he is ready for war if the negotiations fail.
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Religious scholars to lead upcoming government in Afghanistan: Taliban: The Khaama Press
The Taliban talks about forging an inclusive government at a time when there is yet to be seen any progress in this regard and Afghanistan is still an incomplete political vacuum. In a gathering in Kabul, Taliban said that their 20 years of struggle (Jihad) should not go in vain and religious scholars should take the lead and be the core of the upcoming government in Afghanistan.
Turkey Reports Influx of Afghan Refugees: Tolo News
The Turkish government said that the number of Afghan refugees crossing the nation’s borders has significantly increased over the past few weeks. Authorities in Turkey said that most of the Afghan refugees are fleeing the recent developments in Afghanistan. The Turkish army said that they are monitoring their borders from the air and ground.
Afghanistan trade with Pakistan increases by 50% after Taliban takeover: The Khaama Press
The trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has risen by 50% in the past week as the Taliban now hold control over Afghanistan’s borders and dry ports. Deputy of the chamber Khan Jan Alokozai said that because of the closure of banks the problems in the transit sector are still visible but the experts of Afghanistan and imports of Pakistan have seen a rise.
Taliban on the way to take over the only defiant province: The Khaama Press
The Taliban said that their fighters are heading towards Panjshir province, the only anti-Taliban outpost which is yet to be surrendered or toppled. They said that the fighters have seen no resistance on the way to Panjshir province and are now getting closer ever to the spot.
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Bangladesh
Over 4,100 polls by Dec!- Daily Star
Amidst the fear of Covid-19, Bangladesh is set to hold 4,100 polls by December, including City Corporation, Municipal, District Councils and Union Parishad.
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PM orders speeding up vaccination of industrial workers, families- The Independent
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the officials to cover industrial workers under the Vaccination programme. An increasing industrial footprint of Bangladesh has seen demand for industrial workers. To ensure their safe return to work, a dedicated mechanism has been directed to be designed.
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Jute sector buoyant on good prices, high exports- Dhaka Tribune
Despite the hurdles prompted by the Covid-19, the jute farmers are hoping for bright spots in the export market. The domestic market is already seeing high cash returns in Jute.
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Korea keen to invest in Bangladesh- New Age
The Korean envoy to Bangladesh has conveyed the interest of the Korean Companies, including Samsung, Hyundai and few others willing to invest in Bangladesh. It was conveyed during an exchange meeting between the Korean envoy and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority executive chairman.
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Bangladeshi Taka loses value against US dollar- Financial Express
In the last few months, Bangladesh Toka has seen a low value against the US dollar. The US dollar is quoted to be at Tk 85.15 on Monday.
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Bhutan
Royal Bhutan Army’s First Batch of Women Recruits Ready to Be Engaged in Combat
Roles- News Live
The Royal Bhutan Army is set to welcome the first batch of 150 women who have completed their training at the Military Training Center in Bhutan. It will be for the first time that women officers will be inducted into combat operations.
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Villagers better at Covid-19 surveillance- Kuensel
The bordering towns are concerned about the eventual breakout of the Covid-19. Hence, the village level officers hold talks with villagers to improve medical services and increase surveillance and precaution.
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Bhutan offers 150,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand- Bhutan Times
After sending a batch of Covid-19 vaccines to Nepal, Bhutan Government has supplies 150,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to Thailand. The royal government is sending surplus vaccines to needy countries.
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Efforts continue with Pfizer and Moderna to secure additional vaccines for children- Bhutan Times
The government makes every effort to procure a second dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children between 12 and 17. The government is in talks with the United States.
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Maldives
China appoints new ambassador to the Maldives - Avas
China has appointed a new Ambassador to the Maldives. China's new ambassador to the Maldives is Her Excellency Wang Lixin. The ambassador posted a tweet on Sunday announcing her arrival in the Maldives and said she was looking forward to working with the government and people of the Maldives.
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Only one in five journalists unbothered by safety in the Maldives - Raajje
A research report on impunity for crimes against journalists in the Maldives recently unveiled a number of findings of the Maldives Journalist Association, in support of International Federation of Journalists (ITF). The report sheds light on the history of violence and impunity for crimes against media officials in the island nation, and also brings to light, some important findings on journalists’ perceptions on threats they could possibly encounter, and continues to face.
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Will endorse candidates who support parliamentary system: Nasheed - Avas
Speaker of the Parliament and leader of main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed has said he will back candidates who support a parliamentary system in the party's upcoming National Council election. Nasheed's tweet comes at a time when a petition is being signed calling for a constitutional referendum to switch the country's presidential system to a parliamentary system.
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World Tourism Day events to be held in Addu City - Avas
Senior Policy Director at Tourism Ministry, Ibrahim Faruhad said several events will be held to celebrate World Tourism Day marked on September 27. This year's events will be held in southernmost Addu City, he said. The ministry hopes to conduct an event in every islands of Addu City despite budgetary concerns.
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Myanmar
Myanmar Regime Delays Trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Until September - The Irrawaddy
The legal defense team of deposed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted President U Win Myint said they would ask for permission to meet their two clients, after their trials were delayed again until early September. The lawyers have not met the pair for six weeks, since their trials were suspended due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
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Myanmar’s Anti-Junta Resistance Inflicting Rising Casualties: Report - The Diplomat
According to a report in The Irrawaddy, which cited a representative from the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Gangaw township, the casualties stemmed from two incidents. The first took place on August 19, when a vehicle carrying junta soldiers, one of a convoy of six, triggered a landmine planted by the civilian resistance on the Gangaw-Kale Highway. At least 20 soldiers were killed in the explosion and many others were injured, according to The Irrawaddy.
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Yangon: junta seizes radios to silence shadow government broadcasts - Asia News
Myanmar's military junta is confiscating all radios and restricting their import after the shadow government set up its own radio channel. Some members of the National League for Democracy (Aung San Suu Kyi's party ousted in the Feb. 1 coup) who formed the Government of National Unity on Aug. 20 launched their first broadcast, which will now air daily for 30 minutes at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
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Myanmar’s Ousted MPs Condemn ASEAN for Inviting Junta to Parliamentary Summit - The Irrawaddy
Myanmar’s committee of ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) parliamentarians has condemned ASEAN for excluding it from the regional body’s Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and inviting a junta representative as an observer instead. On Saturday, representatives from ASEAN’s parliaments convened for the 42nd assembly in Brunei. The meeting lasts until Wednesday.
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Myanmar Regime Soldiers Commit Arbitrary Killings, Looting During Raids - The Irrawaddy
Myanmar junta forces are continuing their wave of arbitrary killing and looting across the country, even as regime casualties mount as civilian fighters step up their armed resistance to the junta. Almost 1,010 people have been killed by the regime since the junta’s February 1 coup, as of Saturday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Over 7,400 people, including elected government leaders, have been detained by the junta or face arrest warrants.
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Rohingya in Western Myanmar Starving as Aid Blocked - The Irrawaddy
Rohingya communities in villages and displacement camps in Sittwe and Buthidaung townships in Rakhine State say they have been facing food shortages for more than three months. Displacement camps holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in the west of Sittwe have received no relief aid since June, Khaung Dokka camp manager U Maung Maung Tin told The Irrawaddy.
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Need to Counter China Will Make It Hard for Asian Powers to Shun Myanmar Junta -The Irrawaddy
For the time being, Western policy makers appear to be biding their time and playing it safe by outsourcing all the dilemmas surrounding the Myanmar issue to ASEAN—which they must know full well is a nonstarter because of the political and diplomatic impotence of the bloc. But sooner or later, the West will have to do something in order to defend its geopolitical interests in the region. And that “something” will depend on what happens next in China-Myanmar relations. Policies could also be determined by the outcome of ongoing internal upheavals in Myanmar. If worst comes to worst, the region could even end up having a failed state in its midst.
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US Vice President’s Visit to SE Asia Sends Signals to ASEAN - The Irrawaddy
US Vice President Kamala Harris has picked the two outstanding US allies in ASEAN for her first visit to the Southeast Asian region beginning on Sunday. From the US perspective, these two countries are considered vital allies based on what they are willing to do to augment their strategic value for Washington’s objectives especially in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
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Magnitude 4.7 earthquake strikes near Myitkyina, Myitkyinā District, Kachin State, Myanmar (Burma) - Volcano Discovery
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported a magnitude 4.7 quake in Myanmar (Burma) near Myitkyina, Myitkyinā District, Kachin State, only 18 minutes ago. The earthquake hit in the morning on Tuesday 24 August 2021 at 8:15 am local time at a shallow depth of 10 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
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Nepal
Third-fronters meet Oli in bid to avert UML split- The Himalaya
Yogesh Bhattarai, belonging to the Madhav Kumar Nepal Fraction of the CPN-UML, took a last-minute U-turn and reached out to KP Oli to remain in the party and 14 other expelled lawmakers if the understanding and charges were withdrawn.
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149 more Afghan evacuees land in Nepal- The Himalaya
In an ongoing evacuation process to bring back Nepalese citizens in Afghanistan, 149 more Nepali nationals reached Kathmandu on Monday.
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Deuba’s fifth term: Six weeks go by with 17 ministries still under him
Since the formation of the new Government on July 13, Prime Minister Deuba is holding more than 16 ministries as no understanding is reached among the coalition partners on allotting the portfolios.
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Lumbini Chief Minister KC wins trust vote- Republica
The newly appointed Chief Minister KP KC of the Lumbini Province managed to win the trust vote in the provincial assembly. Earlier, the UML led government had collapsed this month.
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Japan Covid-19 vaccine donation to Nepal: Final lot arrives in Kathmandu- Online Khabar
Japan had promised Nepal to donate 1.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, and on Monday, the last lot of the vaccines arrived.
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Pakistan
IMF’s historic funding takes effect, $2.7bn for Pakistan: Dawn
The enhanced funding of $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), approved on Monday, aims to mitigate the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already killed 4.44 million people and infected more than 212 million across the globe. The total amount of $650 billion will be distributed among member states in accordance with their quota of the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The break-up can bring about $2.7 billion to Pakistan, diplomatic sources say. In December 2019, the IMF approved a 39-month, $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan
PM Imran asks provinces to introduce same syllabus in schools: Dawn
While chairing a review meeting on the implementation of single national curriculum, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the provinces to ensure implementation of uniform national curriculum and finalise their preparations for Dubai Expo, beginning in October, to highlight the immense investment opportunities Pakistan offers in tourism and other sectors.
Pakistan working on interim setup acceptable to all in Afghanistan: Qureshi: The Express Tribune
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Qureshi said that Pakistan desired lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and was working on an inclusive interim arrangement that had wider acceptability. He stated, “I have shared [Pakistan's intentions] with many foreign ministers and they are in sync with us," he said and added that Pakistan playing a critical role in these challenging times.
China ready to work with Pakistan to deal with threat of terrorism: The Express Tribune
Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Wang Wenbin during his regular briefing held in Beijing on Monday stated that China would continue to work with Pakistan to deal with the threat of terrorism and protect the safety of Chinese people and personnel in Pakistan,
Inclusion of all ethnic groups in Afghan govt must for stability: Fawad: The News
During an interview with the BBC, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that Pakistan wants an all-inclusive government in Afghanistan and that the country believes stability in Kabul can only come by including all ethnic groups on board as it is ethnically divided.
PML-N rejects EVMs, PMDA, terms them unconstitutional: The News
Secretary Information Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Marriyum Aurangzeb said her party had rejected Imran Khan's Election Voting Machines (EVMs) and the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), both being unconstitutional. She said the EVMs were an instrument to rig the elections at a mass scale and the PMDA was a tool to make sure that the rigging remained hidden.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka lauds India's 'continuous support' to combat COVID; USD 15 million offer to enhance religious tourism - TNIE
Sri Lanka's newly-appointed foreign minister G L Peiris on Monday appreciated India's "continuous support" for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic and also the USD 15 million offer to preserve and promote Buddhist cultural sites in the island nation.
Govt. moots deal for crude oil imports with UAE - The Morning
The Government is looking into the possibility of importing crude oil and mineral oil products from the UAE under a long-term loan base, as a solution to the foreign exchange crisis, Sri Lanka is facing. This was brought up at a meeting held yesterday (23) between Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila and UAE Diplomatic Mission to Sri Lanka Acting Head Saif Yousif Al Naqbi.
Foreign Minister highlights Sri Lanka’s wide-ranging cooperation with Russia in meeting with the Russian Ambassador - MFA
The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Sri Lanka Yuri B. Materiy paid a courtesy call on the newly appointed Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris on Friday 20 August at the Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Peiris underscored the importance of Sri Lanka’s longstanding friendship and wide-ranging cooperation with Russia, and expressed appreciation for Russia’s support to Sri Lanka on issues of principle and relevance in multilateral fora. The Foreign Minister’s sentiments were reciprocated by Ambassador Materiy who congratulated Foreign Minister Peiris on his appointment, and reiterated Russia’s interest in further expanding bilateral relations in multiple sectors including trade, investment and tourism, energy, science and technology, defence and counter-terrorism.
4,355 more test positive for COVID-19 - Daily FT
Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 394,355 with 4,355 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. This is the second consecutive day where daily COVID-19 detections have exceeded 4,000. The patients detected yesterday include 4,353 persons from the New Year cluster and two overseas arrivals. According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 14,716 PCR tests were carried out yesterday.
Sri Lanka seeks IMF assistance - The Island
The cash-strapped government has sought the IMF intervention to address the financial crisis caused by the country’s vital foreign exchange sources dwindling by a big margin in the wake of the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
When The Island asked an authoritative source whether he had facilitated government efforts to secure IMF intervention to address the rapidly deteriorating economic situation, he said that he hoped the Finance Minister would consider all options.
