Colombo, Aug 9 (IANS) Economic engagement with China cannot be sustained through shortcuts or opacity, a report in Sri Lanka’s leading newspaper highlighted citing the crisis surrounding the “bold venture” with BYD to bring electric vehicles into the island nation. “When Sri Lanka announced a partnership with China’s BYD to bring electric vehicles into the country, it was heralded as a double victory: a leap toward green mobility and a symbol of deepening economic ties with Beijing. Today, that …

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India on Saturday welcomed the forthcoming summit between the United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that is scheduled to take place in Alaska on August 15. “India welcomes the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska on 15th August 2025. This meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace. As Prime Mini…

Beijing, Aug 9 (IANS) China’s Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood-control emergency response on Saturday for five provincial-level regions, as heavy to torrential rains are predicted to sweep across vast parts of the country in the coming days. From August 9 to 11, intense rainfall is expected to batter Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Anhui, and Gansu, where the alert was already in place, with some areas facing extreme downpours.The downpours may cause sharp water …

Moscow, Aug 9 (IANS) A gas-air mixture explosion rocked a brick building in Sterlitamak, Russia’s Bashkortostan Republic, on Saturday, injuring 36 people, said Alexei Kuznetsov, aide to Russia’s Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko. “As of now, 36 people have been injured, 22 of whom have been hospitalised, with the exact number still being determined,” the regional investigators’ statement said.Earlier reports noted that 27 people were hospitalised after the explosion at the Bashkir Soda Company…

Beijing, Aug 9 (IANS) Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for all-out efforts to search for people missing in mountain torrents in Yuzhong County of northwest China’s Gansu Province, when directing emergency response work at the disaster site. Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, left for the county on Friday evening to guide on-site search and rescue and emergency response work. He visited the hardest-hit villages of Mal…

Islamabad, Aug 9 (IANS) The US-Pakistan mineral deal faces strong opposition from the Baloch community, with local leaders like Mir Yar Baloch labelling it as a “strategic mistake” , a report cited on Saturday. He warned that the deal would embolden Pakistan’s military and intelligence services and deepen the marginalisation of the people of Balochistan.”When Pakistan signed its minerals and mining deal with the United States, officials in Islamabad may have considered it an economic breakthroug…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Muhammad Yunus, the caretaker of the interim government in Bangladesh, has assured that an election in his country would be held next year. With plenty of uncertainty over the Awami League on whether it could contest or not, it is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the frontrunner.The BNP wanted an election before December 2025, but the interim government has said that it would require time until next April, as there are some reforms to be implemented. Howev…

Washington, Aug 9 (IANS) India’s rejection of economic coercion by the US through the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on key Indian exports sends a strong message to other developing countries facing the challenges of globalisation and weaponisation of trade, a report cited on Saturday.The firm stance taken by India underscores its commitment to economic sovereignty, at the cost of short-term gains.”The way India has adopted a protectionist approach is more than economic prudence — it is a …

Dhaka, Aug 9 (IANS) A B M Abdus Sattar, Private Secretary to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia, has accused several interim government advisors of engaging in rampant corruption, alleging that no key appointments or transfers in the country take place without their involvement. Sattar made the allegations during a seminar titled ‘Expectations of the July Mass Uprising and Public Administration of the Future’ organised by the Bangladesh Administrative Service Associat…

Moscow, Aug 9 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on India is both “unfair and unworkable”, especially when Europe remains the world’s largest importer of Russian energy in dollars and the biggest contributor to Russian revenues, a report in Britain’s leading newspaper has cited. “It’s not just Trump’s hypocrisy that has the Indians up in arms – it’s the unfairness of being punished for breaking no laws. Russian oil exports are not sanctioned by the EU or the US, but the…