Ahmedabad, Jan 11 (IANS) Rwanda’s High Commissioner, Jacqueline Mukangira, lauded the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference on Sunday and underlined the warm and growing ties between India and Rwanda. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2018 visit to Kigali, where he presented 200 Gir cows to economically vulnerable families, she expressed deep appreciation for the gesture.She noted that Rwanda’s President has visited India five times and attended the 2017 Vibrant Gujarat Summit, reflec…
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New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) Bangladesh is facing a major economic problem as rising debt repayments, much of them linked to Chinese loans, squeeze public finances and limit policy choices. Senior officials now openly acknowledge that the country has fallen into a debt trap like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, according to a report in the London-based ‘Asian Lite’ newspaper.Chairman of Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue M Abdur Rahman Khan said at a seminar recently that the country “has already fall…
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The sharp decline in Pakistan’s exports and the damage caused to the agricultural sector due to the floods are expected to pull down the country’s growth rate to below the IMF’s estimate, according to an article in the Pakistani media.The article in the Business Recorder by eminent Pakistani economist Hafiz Pasha points out that the country’s exports have plunged by as much as 14.5 per cent in November 2025 and by 6.2 per cent in the first five months. In particul…
Colombia, Jan 6 (IANS) Sri Lanka recorded its highest number of foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, with tourism earnings reaching new annual records despite disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, said the country’s foreign minister at a media briefing.Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath on Monday said Sri Lanka received more than 2.36 million foreign tourists during the year, the highest number recorded in a single calendar year.Tourism revenue totalled 3.2 b…
Chennai, Jan 6 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP, on Tuesday, alleged large-scale financial and administrative irregularities in the implementation of the World Bank-funded RIGHTS project, a flagship disability welfare programme of the state government. In a statement, A.N.S. Prasad, party spokesperson, claimed that more than Rs 100 crore may have been misused through inflated administrative expenses and alleged muster roll manipulation, and demanded an independent judicial inquiry.The RIGHTS project, with …
New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) In view of the increased dependence of Dhaka on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China, it is no wonder that Bangladesh is slipping into a debt trap the way Sri Lanka had, a new report has warned, saying that Dhaka is now paying the price of accepting Chinese loans, but refusing to learn.Bangladesh has gone the same way as its South Asian neighbours like Sri Lanka, according to a report in Asian News Post.Following unsustainable borrowings from China, in 2022, Colomb…
Washington, Jan 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relying on India’s vast consumer base to cushion the economy as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs put pressure on trade ties between New Delhi and Washington, according to a major financial daily.The strategy is showing early signs of success, allowing India to hold its ground in negotiations even after the US imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent in 2025, among the highest applied to any American trading partner, according to a repor…
Kathmandu, Jan 1 (IANS) Nepal received over 1.15 million foreign tourists in 2025, a slight rise compared to 2024, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said on Thursday. The Himalayan country welcomed 1,158,459 foreign tourists in 2025, compared to 1,147,548 in 2024, registering an increase of just one per cent, according to the NTB.Despite the marginal rise in foreign tourist arrivals, the recovery failed to match pre-Covid levels. Nepal had welcomed 1,197,191 foreign tourists in 2019, before the pand…
New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) It was a year of uncertainty for Bangladesh, marked with violence, arson, religious bigotry, and killings as the transitional caretaker administration led by a Nobel laureate watched helplessly.Even as the return of a Zia family scion brought hopes — at least for a section — in the beleaguered country, an explosion the day before reminded Dhaka of the bitter truth. Since the August 2024 uprising, Bangladesh has slid from a hopeful democratic and economic reset into a v…
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad’s warning that Pakistan’s growth model is “unsustainable” for a population of 250 million comes at a time when business cycles in the country shorten, and each recovery is weaker than the one before, a report said on Saturday. The report from European Times said that the comment came at a time when Pakistan is suffocating under soaring poverty, historic unemployment, and a prolonged phase of stabilisation that has crushed ho…