A study that claimed the Indian subcontinent might be the place where the earliest human-to-human novel coronavirus transmission occurred was withdrawn from the preprint platform of the medical journal The Lancet, Global Times reported recently
What Trade Patterns Reveal About South Asia’s Economic Future
One of the most striking features of South Asian trade is how little the region trades internally. Intra-regional trade within South Asia remains among the lowest in the world relative to geographic proximity. Political tensions — especially between India and Pakistan — have prevented the emergence of a deeply integrated regional production system comparable to ASEAN or the European Union. This is a major missed opportunity.
The West Asia Conflict: Challenging Times for Indian Economy
Scarcity of cooking fuel is pushing people, particularly across South Asia, toward hunger. Livelihoods have been lost among the large unorganised labour force while thousands of self-employed street vendors, smaller restaurants and eateries are being forced to close shop, facing a scary, insecure future. For middle class households across India, everyday snacks like the samosa or dosa have become scarce because of shortage and high prices of cooking gas cylinders.
New EU Medicines Law Could Impact FTA With India
India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic medicines and APIs to Europe. If the EU begins favouring “Made in EU” pharmaceutical production through procurement preferences, subsidies or state aid, Indian drug manufacturers could face reduced access to EU public procurement contracts and tougher supply-chain resilience requirements.
Caught in Geopolitical Quagmire, West Asia Crisis Looms Large Over Indian Supply and Demand Metrics
India’s pharma export market has been affected as India supplies medicines to more than 200 countries. Supply chain interruption not only hurts Indian producers but also creates medicine scarcity in the US, UK, and African markets that highly depend on Indian generics. From the logistics end, re-routing of cargo away from conflict-ridden corridors such as the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz has increased freight insurance premiums, distressing Indian exporters who function on lean cost structures.
More on Geoeconomics, Trade and Development
Chinese, Pakistani fighter planes in war games
China is carrying out joint air force exercises with Pakistan in Sindh in response to what is widely seen as the Indo-Pacific Quad exercises in which the Indian Navy participated recently
China again bails out Pakistan to pay Saudi debt
China has again bailed out Pakistan as it agrees to immediately provide $1.5 billion financing line to repay the $2 billion Saudi Arabia debt, sources told The Express Tribune
'Check the account book', Chinese envoy counters Maldives’ speaker
The Chinese envoy to the Maldives refuted Speaker Mohammad Nasheed who claimed on Friday that the Maldives will need to repay $15 million- in the next 14 days to Chinese banks
Ill-equipped Nepal security personnel patrolling Hilsa border with China
A border outpost (BOP) of the Armed Police Force was established in Hilsa five months ago, and security personnel have been patrolling the border area since
Pakistan, China air exercise Shaheen IX underway
Pakistan-China Joint Air Exercise ‘Shaheen-IX’ is underway at a PAF’s operational base since December 8th, officials said
‘Maldives needs breathing space,’Speaker Nasheed hits out at Chinese loans
The Maldives’ speaker Mohammad Nasheed on Friday came down heavily on the Chinese banks for not deferring the country’s loan installments at a time when the Maldives is facing the biggest ever downfall in its economy
Maldives seeks foreign ministers-level dialogue, resumption of flights with China
The Maldives expressed its “keen interest” to seek foreign ministers-level dialogue with China in a virtual meeting that took place on Thursday between the representatives of the two nations at the level of director-general
'India-China ties badly damaged due to Beijing's dishonesty'
India has acknowledged that India-China relations are significantly damaged and has also blamed "Beijing's dishonesty" as the reason for massive troop deployment along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh
Pakistani exports to China witness 30% increase
Pakistan’s exports to China increased by 30% year-on-year in November 2020, improving trade balance between the two countries
Maldives, China to hold high-level talks tomorrow
The Maldives and China will hold a director-general level bilateral consultation on Thursday where the two nations would discuss, post-pandemic economic recovery, tourism among other issues to enhance the bilateral cooperation
China delayed loan to Sri Lanka expressway for 4.5 years: ex-minister
China delayed a loan for an expressway to Kandy for 4.5 years through the building contract was awarded to a Chinese contractor was re-confirmed during his time, former Sri Lanka Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said
'CPEC is a transformational project for Pakistan'
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood has described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a transformational project, adding that there was a complete national consensus on CPEC's indispensability for the country's development efforts
India to deploy high-speed boats at Pangong Lake to thwart Chinese incursions
India will deploy boats with enhanced capabilities, including anti-ramming features, at Pangong Lake at eastern Ladakh, one of the border locations witnessing a dispute with China
China border situation sensitive, need for wider access highway, says Indian government to Supreme Court
India's Ministry of Defence, seeking expansion of road width in the Char Dham Highway project in Uttarakhand state, told the Supreme Court that situation on the ground at the India-China border has changed significantly this year and it has become imperative that men and equipment should move swiftly from army stations to the frontier
