Afghanistan
World Bank Approves Shift to Channel IDA Funds to Afg Humanitarian Aid-Tolo News
The World Bank Group said on Thursday that its executive board endorsed a new approach to aiding Afghanistan that will deploy some $300 million from the bank's International Development Association fund for poor countries through United Nations agencies and other international organizations. Click here to read...
Azerbaijan to Open Embassy in Kabul for First Time: MoFA- Tolo News
The Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate said that the ambassador of Azerbaijan gave a document to acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressing Azerbaijan's intent to open an embassy in Kabul. Click here to read...
Afghan women’s grassroots voices absent in UN-led talks, say women’s Rights –The Khama Press
Afghan women’s rights advocates have voiced their apprehensions regarding the selection process of civil society representatives and activists to participate in the UN-led meeting in Doha concerning Afghanistan. Click here to read...
Afghan-American Critiques US Afghan Strategy, Modi Upbeat on Economy at ET Summit-The Khama Press
During the prestigious ET Global Business Summit in New Delhi, Afghan-American humanitarian Safi Rauf offered a critical perspective on the US government’s handling of the Afghan crisis. Click here to read...
Bangladesh
Democracy Index: Bangladesh slips two notches – The Daily Star
Bangladesh has slipped two notches in the latest global democracy ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Now, it ranked 75th in the world. Click here to read...
Dedicated leaders, first-timers dominate AL nominations – Dhaka Tribune
While finalizing the list of candidates for the reserved women’s seats in the 12th Parliament, the ruling Awami League prioritized career politicians and members of the party’s familiar leaders, mostly given the contributions of their fathers or relatives to the party and the Liberation War. Click here to read...
Bhutan
EU funds empower Bhutanese CSO – Kuensel
An initiative aimed at bolstering Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country, European Union funded project was launched yesterday at Terma Linca in Thimphu. Click here to read...
Swiss investors show interest in FDI for gliding services – Kuensel
A group of Swiss investors has expressed interest in introducing gliding services as a foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunity in Bhutan. Click here to read...
Maldives
Hearings in impeachment rule amendment case to begin on Feb 25 – Sun Online
The Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearings on February 25, in the petition filed by the Attorney General’s Office contesting an amendment to the Parliament’s standing orders, which lowered the votes required to impeach the president and vice president. Click here to read...
Minister Muthalib: A well wisher to the nation wouldn't have executed Gulhifalhu agreement – Sun Online
Infrastructure Minister Dr. Mohamed Muthalib has described the agreement executed with respect to Gulhifalhu reclamation project as “something people who wished well for the nation would not have done”. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Infamous Myanmar Militia Leaves Trail of Death And Destruction in Magwe Region – The Irrawaddy
Ten men from three villages in Magwe Region were arrested and shot dead on Wednesday morning after the villages were raided by junta troops and a regime-supported militia notorious for torture, public execution and other acts of extreme inhumanity. Click here to read...
DPM MoFA UM discusses advancing international cooperation with diplomats – The Global New Light of Myanmar
Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Than Swe presided over a meeting on advancing international cooperation with ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and consuls-general, who were temporarily brought back to Myanmar, yesterday. Click here to read...
Nepal
India signs agreement with Nepal for UPI integration: List of countries accepting UPI payments – India TV
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) have inked the Terms of Reference for integrating the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India with the National Payments Interface (NPI) of Nepal, aiming to streamline cross-border remittances. Click here to read...
Seven years is not a long time for federalism’s institutionalisation, EU envoy says – The Kathmandu Post
At a time when some sections of Nepali society have expressed reservation over the federal set up in the country, Ambassador of the Delegation of European Union in Nepal Veronique Lorenzo has said six-seven years is not a long time for the institutionalisation of federalism. Click here to read...
Pakistan
PTI nominates PM and CMs, announces protest movement-The Express Tribune
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has put forward its nominations for key political positions, with acting Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan slated for prime minister, Mian Aslam Iqbal for Punjab chief minister, Salar Khan for Balochistan chief minister, and Aqib Ullah Khan for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly speaker. Click here to read...
Fazl interview makes jaw-dropping claims-The Express Tribune
Feeling left out of the government race following the inconclusive vote on Feb 8 in which his party showed poorly, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday accused former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-director general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed of orchestrating the downfall of the PTI government led by Imran Khan in 2022. Click here to read...
Murad likely to be Sindh CM again- The Express Tribune
The PPP has not officially decided yet who the party’s next Sindh chief minister would be but sources told The Express Tribune that Syed Murad Ali Shah, who was holding this coveted position until the caretaker set-up took over for the general elections, was a strong candidate. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
President, parliament clash heightens with judiciary coming into play - Daily Mirror Online
The crisis involving the Executive and the Legislature has heightened to a new level with the judiciary also coming into play over the Constitutional Council’s (CC) rejection of appointment of Court of Appeal President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne as a Supreme Court judge and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informing President Ranil Wickremesinghe that the lack of majority support resulted in the stalemate. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka to host first-ever Chinese marathon in May– Daily Mirror Online
Sri Lanka will host the first-ever Chinese marathon this May, where over 2000-3000 Chinese athletes will arrive under the ‘Ni Hao Zhong Guo’ programme, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Chairman Shirantha Peiris announced. Click here to read...
