Author: Tim Norman

The government of Bangladesh is expecting to secure funds amounting to $800 million for two specific projects, following the presentation of the New Development Bank (NDB) Bill-2023 in the Jatiya Sangsad. This was disclosed by Minister Anisul Huq, who presented the bill on behalf of Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal. The NDB, an initiative of the BRICS bloc that expanded to include Bangladesh in 2021, has financed over 80 projects across its original member nations, with funding exceeding $30 billion. The proposed law is aimed at securing funds from this lending arm of the BRICS bloc. The bill also emphasized…

Paris (08/11 – 75) Sri Lanka’s economic and political crisis of 2022 left the country bankrupt. Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as President of Sri Lanka in July 2022 when the country was in the middle of its worst economic and political crisis since independence in 1948. His predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had been forced out of power after facing mass protests prompted by 12-hour power cuts and persistent fuel and food shortages. The nation was bankrupt.Wickremesinghe brought in the International Monetary Fund and has focused on reaching macroeconomic stability and driving tough but much-needed structural reforms. Today, as Sri Lanka embarks…

MALE, Maldives — The president-elect of the Maldives said he will stick to his campaign promise to remove Indian military personnel stationed in the archipelago state, promising he would initiate the process. Mohamed Muiz told his supporters gathered Monday night at a celebration of his election victory that he wouldn’t stand for a foreign military staying in the Maldives against the will of its citizens. “The people have told us that they don’t want foreign military here,” he said. It’s a serious blow to India in its geopolitical rivalry with China in the India Ocean region, where the Maldives’ presidential runoff…

This was stated by spokesperson for the hospital Dr Abdul Jabbar Bhutto while talking to Dawn, after an event held in connection with World Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Patients came with different illnesses, injuries and trauma. They were treated in the emergency department and then referred for surgeries or sent to the wards,” he said. He said that 63 new house officers were inducted through written test held under the supervision of head invigilator along with team of 26 invigilators including consultants, specialists and senior registrars. “Overall 302 candidate appeared in the test and next day result compiled and displayed…

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 21 (ANI): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has paid PKR220 million (approx. 789000 USD) to the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for a two-day fuel supply, ARY News reported on Saturday. As per ARY News, PIA disbursed the fuel payment worth PKR 220 million to the PSO for Saturday and Sunday. The fuel payment issue between the airline and the PSO has been resolved and the flight schedule will be returned to normal. The PIA spokesperson said that the airline has paid Rs500 million so far to the PSO for the provision of fuel, adding that the national flag…

After days of media headlines gleefully following the India-Canada spat on a daily basis, calling out India and its ‘machinations‘ in Pakistan, its Interior Minister seems to have decided to take a larger step further. He alleged that two deadly suicide bombings recently are the handiwork of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Such a statement would be hilarious at one level, given that Pakistan has antagonised everyone on all its borders and has no lack of enemies, including within its own soil. But the tragedy to the people is intense. More than 60 lie dead, and that too in…

ISLAMABAD: The prediction by a Dutch research organisation of a powerful tremor that may hit Pakistan soon has not only taken social media by storm, but even authorities seem to be taking it seriously. But even as the scientific community insisted that it was not possible to predict earthquakes this way, Iranian media reports suggest that the prediction is being taken seriously across the border as well. The Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGS) of the Netherlands, made a prediction of a powerful earthquake along the Chaman fault line, in Balochistan. SSGS’s methodology involves monitoring fluctuations in atmospheric electric charge near…

After several decades of sustained progress, Bangladesh is looking to step up its economic model to ensure sustainable and smooth graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status – with support from UNCTAD and its global partners. The joint report entitled “Production Transformation Policy Review (PTPR) of Bangladesh”, launched on 12 September, explores ways to support the nation’s aspiration to exit the LDC category in 2026 and become a high-income nation through industrialisation by 2041. It also highlights the country’s assets, including its strategic geo-location and the government’s commitment to diversifying the economy. The report launched in the country’s capital Dhaka comes…

Sri Lanka finally allowed a Chinese warship to make a port of call in Colombo for replenishment on Thursday despite India’s initial resistance, Daily Mirror learns. The navy said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warship HAI YANG 24 HAO arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit Thursday. ‘The 129 metre-long ship which arrived in Colombo is manned by a crew of 138 and it is commanded by Commander Jin Xin. The Chinese authorities sought permission for it earlier, but Sri Lanka delayed permission because of resistance from India. India and China are geopolitical rivals competing for…

MANILA, Philippines — Prices of rice are expected to drop after the Philippines received lower export quotations from Vietnam and the government continues talks with India, another top rice exporting country, to procure the staple. In a statement released by Malacañang yesterday, Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said Vietnamese exporters have quoted rice prices that are $30 to $40 lower to Filipino private traders following a meeting at the Palace. The DA, concurrently headed by President Marcos, will also work with the government of India to allow export of rice to the country on humanitarian grounds, Panganiban…