PAKISTAN
Army warns of 'stronger response' in case of any 'misadventure' by India: Dawn
August 9, 2019
The Army's media wing on Friday dismissed a statement made by the Indian Chinar corps commander — in which he accused Pakistan of being "involved in disrupting the peace in Kashmir Valley" — as "usual blatant lies". Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, during an interaction with reporters, was asked if he thought Pakistan would "increase their attempts to try and spoil the law and order situation in the Valley".Click here to read...
AFGHANISTAN
Timely Election A Red Line For IEC: Officia: Tolo
August 9, 2019
A senior official of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Thursday said that timely presidential election is a redline for the electoral body and that all preparations are in full swing for the polls which have been scheduled for September 28. Head of the IEC secretariat, Habib-Ur-Rahman Nang said voter list has been prepared in hard and electronic copies and that this would prevent fraud by 90 percent. According to him, at least 19,000 biometric devices have been sent to the commission by the Central Statistics Organization where they were kept following last year’s parliamentary elections. Click here to read...
BANGLADESH
Red alert issued in Sundarbans ahead of Eid: Dhaka Tribune
August 9, 2019
Leave of all the officials and employees of different stations and patrol outposts has been cancelled. The forest department has issued a red alert in the Sundarbans ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to protect the wildlife of the world heritage site. Leave of all the officials and employees of different stations and patrol outposts has been cancelled, Sundarbans West Forest Department Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) M Bashirul Al Mamun said at a meeting on Friday. Their leave has been rescinded to ensure smooth patrolling in the forest during the Eid vacation. He said the decision was taken to constitute special teams to strengthen patrol, with the aim to stop deer poaching, illegal felling of trees and fishing using poison. Click here to read...
Myanmar
Australian Publisher Jailed for 13 Years in Myanmar Over Drugs: News18
August 9, 2019
A Myanmar court on Wednesday sentenced a veteran Australian media publisher to 13 years in jail after a police raid uncovered a stash of drugs at his home last year. Ross Dunkley, 60, has long had links with the media industry across Southeast Asia, co-founding English language newspaper The Myanmar Times when the country was in the tight grip of a military dictatorship. Click here to read...
Sri Lanka
Ex-Wartime Defence Chief Gotabhaya Rajapakse To Run For Sri Lanka President: NDTV
August 9, 2019
Sri Lanka's former defence secretary, who faces trials at home and in the US for alleged corruption and murder, will enter this year's presidential race, loyalists said Thursday. They said Gotabhaya Rajapakse, 70, who served in the cabinet when his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was president for nearly a decade until 2015, will stand for the newly formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party. Click here to read...
Bhutan
Flash flood causes major damage in Punatsangchhu: Kuensel
August 9, 2019
A flash flood from Phangdurongchu in Jarigang, Wangduephodrang on the night of August 6 caused massive damages in the locality. Sources in Wangduephodrang say the flash flood caused the small stream to swell around 9:30pm and brought a lot of debris, which partially blocked the main course of Punatsangchhu and diverted the river to the highway. With about 700mts of the Tsirang-Wangdue highway completely submerged under Punatsangchhu between Zawakha and Kamichu, the road is closed for traffic. Click here to read...
Nepal
World’s Indigenous Peoples Day observed in capital today: The Himalayan Times
August 9, 2019
People from various indigenous communities of the country observed the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by organising a peaceful protest rally from Bhrikuti Mandap (Bwojyaa Khya in Nepal Bhasa) to Maitighar Mandala (Fibwa Khya) today. This day, in the previous years, was marked by organising various programmes and an event in Tundikhel (Ti Khyo). However, this year the indigenous group held a rally as a sign of protest showcasing their dissatisfaction with the state for not creating an inclusive environment. Click here to read...
China
Economic Watch: China's foreign trade expands steadily amid mounting challenges: Xinhuanet
August 9, 2019<
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China's foreign trade maintained steady expansion in the first seven months of this year amid mounting domestic and external challenges. China's trade of goods rose 4.2 percent year on year in the January-July period to 17.41 trillion yuan (about 2.49 trillion U.S. dollars), data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed Thursday. Click here to read...
Labeling China 'currency manipulator' unreasonable: China Daily
August 9, 2019
China will not revise its foreign exchange policies, as the United States labeling it "a currency manipulator" is unreasonable and unlikely to get support from multilateral mechanisms, according to Chinese officials and analysts. Click here to read...
