India should push for relocating WHO headquarters to New Delhi
This is a time when India should fashion itself as a new global health hub and provide global leadership in health. Pushing a new agenda for the WHO’s relocation from Geneva to India would make immense sense, writes Ram Krishna Sinha for South Asia Monitor
South Asia’s rubber farmers hit hard by COVID-19
From Bangladesh to India and to Sri Lanka, the natural rubbers producers are getting squeezed under lockdowns and social distancing. It is sounding the death knell of the region’s rubber economy, writes K S Nayar for South Asia Monitor
Future challenge of banks: Bringing digital banking to the last man standing
Banks are generally very traditional in nature even though all the banks and financial institutions are going digital. Traditional nature change is again a challenge. The lockdown has come as a blessing in disguise as the changeover to digital systems can now pick pace, as it becomes the need of the day, writes Ashim Kumar Goswami for South Asia Monitor
Have Nepal's communists made it China’s proxy?
Indian policy towards Nepal has been lackadaisical. Belief of mutual Hindu traditions should be viewed in the context of power in Nepal lying with the communists for whom religion is anathema, writes Lt Gen P. C. Katoch (retd) for South Asia Monitor
Lockdown 5.0: In exit plan, hopes for Metro, malls, restaurants opening
Three days ahead of completing 68-day countrywide lockdown, the government is learnt to have come up with a roadmap of an exit plan from the crisis in its fourth extension of the restrictions 5.0…
Pakistani dissident leader appeals to US Congress to table bill for free Balochistan, Sindh
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has appealed to the US Congress to table a bill for the independence of Balochistan and Sindh from Pakistan on the same lines as they…
Bangladesh reports 2,523 new virus cases, a daily record; deaths hit 582
Bangladesh has reported a record 2,523 new coronavirus cases in a day, bringing the tally of infections to 42,844
Sri Lankan president underscores need for unconditional budget support from international lenders
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appealed to bilateral and multilateral lenders to assist developing and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka unconditionally focusing on human…
170 new cases take Nepal’s COVID-19 tally to 1,212
Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population on Friday confirmed that 170 people have tested positive for Covid-19, taking the nationwide tally to 1,212
May sees a spike in COVID-19 cases in Bhutan
After recording the biggest jump of five new cases within 24 hours on May 14 and three cases each on May 22, 24 and yesterday, Bhutan today has 31 COVID-19 positive cases, one of the lowest in the…
Delay in intra-Afghan talks threatens peace process
An inordinate delay in the intra-Afghan talks has threatened the Afghanistan peace process that was set in motion after a landmark agreement between the US and Taliban signed three months ago
Virus restrictions rolled back in islands
Restrictive measures on islands across the Maldives, apart from capital Male, due to COVID-19 have been relaxed. The easements were provided under strict instructions by the authorities to…
170 stranded Indian nationals leave Sri Lanka in a special Air India flight
A total of 170 Indian nationals stranded in Sri Lanka were flown out of the country in a special Air India flight and were subject to medical screening and emigration formalities
New waterways linking Northeast India, Bangladesh to start in three months
New waterways between Tripura and Bangladesh would start within three months and it would boost trade and numerous economic activities, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said on Friday
Shifting UN summit makes sense, but nations vow 'clean resilient recovery'
With Britain announcing new dates the already deferred crucial climate UN talks, known as the COP26, until November 2021 owing to coronavirus pandemic, climate experts on Friday said shifting the…
Trump says Modi not in 'good mood' about China
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not pleased with the Xi Jinping regime over the ongoing border conflict while reiterating his offer of mediation between…
