Category: South Asia

ISLAMABAD, August 16, 2008 (AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief dashed to Pakistan for talks with the government over its plans to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, a senior official in Islamabad said Saturday.“If the president resigns, the coalition government will look into the (amnesty) subject,” he told AFP. The visit of Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz […]

DHAKA, August 9, 2008 (AFP) – Bangladesh’s military-backed government is close to freeing ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, a minister said Saturday, as part of an apparent deal to secure her party’s participation in December general elections.Last year the government tried to force both Sheikh Hasina and Zia into exile as part of an effort to […]

Aug 8, 2008 (LBO) – Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ratified a new constitution that ushers in key reforms and allows multi-party elections in the Indian Ocean republic. “Today we have witnessed a special moment where (the) Maldives has embraced a constitution that will usher in a liberal and modern democracy into the country, and […]

August 07, 2008 (AFP) – India said there had been serious security lapses during a visit to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh despite the island nation’s promise of “ultimate security.” The Sri Lankan bodyguard assigned to protect Singh did not turn up during a regional summit last weekend, while the motorcade for India’s […]

August 06, 2008 (LBO) – Maldives is set to ratify a new constitution this week which will bring multi-party democracy the Indian Ocean tourist paradise, but the archipelago’s politics are already tainted with allegations of bribery amid fears of a constitutional crisis.Under that, an Elections Commission must be formed within 30 days, a Supreme Court […]

DHAKA, 2008 (AFP) – Bangladesh is pursuing bilateral free trade deals with three neighbouring countries following the collapse of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks for a global agreement, an official said Monday. If successful, the WTO’s so-called Doha round of talks would have reaped huge financial benefits for Bangladesh, giving the impoverished country a massive […]

Aug 04, 2008 (LBO) – A South Asian ‘food bank’ to counter rising prices and perceived ‘shortages’ would be housed in Bangladesh, a Sri Lankan official said at the conclusion of a meeting of an eight nation regional grouping in Colombo.The food bank will have contributions from each country according to the size of its […]

August 3, 2008 (LBO) – Bhutan and Bangladesh, tried to fan the flame of free trade in South Asia as dismantling trade barriers went off the agenda, when leaders of seven nations that make up a South Asian regional grouping met in Colombo.The agenda of the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) was dominated […]

August 3, 2008 (AFP) – South Asian leaders will push for anti-terror measures and greater food security as they wrap up a summit Sunday, but efforts to boost cooperation remain hampered by tensions between India and Pakistan. The prime ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of the eight-nation regional summit, grabbing headlines […]

August 3, 2008 (LBO) – The landlocked kingdom of Bhutan offered tax concessions to host a planned South Asia Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) development fund, at a meeting of the seven nation grouping’s leaders in Colombo.The SAARC development fund is to have a 300 million dollar initial capital which will be used to fund […]

Aug 03, 2008 (LBO) – Bhutan will host the secretariat of a South Asian regional fund that has already collected 307 million dollars in commitments at a summit meeting of regional leaders, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama said. But 300 million dollars of seed capital is tiny compared to the capital needs of the […]

Aug 03, 2008 (LBO) – South Asian telecommunications regulators should quickly move to bring down overseas telephone tariffs, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama said at the conclusion of a regional leaders’ meeting.Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa raised the issue of cheaper call charges during his opening speech at the summit meeting of the South […]