Author: EchoAsiaNews

Pakistan is preparing to make a significant external debt repayment of about $1.3 billion in April 2026, covering both principal and interest on an international Eurobond that is maturing, officials said, in a move that underscores ongoing pressure on the country’s external finances ahead of crucial International Monetary Fund (IMF) negotiations. The debt service obligation comes as the government continues efforts to strengthen its Net International Reserves (NIR) position and satisfy the conditions of Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme. An IMF review mission is due to arrive later this month and will hold talks in Karachi and Islamabad…

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it is on track to spend about $50 billion by the end of the decade (2030) to help expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the “Global South”, a term for developing, emerging and lower-income countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere. The company made the declaration at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, a major global technology gathering drawing executives from leading AI firms and world leaders The initiative is pitched as an effort to address widening global disparities in AI adoption. Microsoft has said that, outside wealthy nations, many…

Dozens of film industry figures have sharply criticised the Berlin International Film Festival for what they describe as its silence and “anti-Palestinian racism” over the ongoing war in Gaza, according to an open letter published on Tuesday. The letter, signed by 81 actors, directors and filmmakers, including Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, was published in Variety and condemned the festival’s refusal to take a clear stance against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The signatories, all alumni of the festival, also known as the Berlinale, accused the event of failing to show moral leadership on an issue they view as a…

The United Nations has raised serious alarm over newly released files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, warning that the scale, systematic nature, and transnational reach of abuse detailed in the documents could amount to crimes against humanity. Independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said that the allegations outlined in documents released by the US Justice Department point to a deeply entrenched global network that systematically exploited women and girls. In a statement, they called for a full, independent, and impartial investigation into the breadth of crimes and how they were allowed to persist. The experts…

The Indian rupee is expected to open largely unchanged on Wednesday, confined within a tight trading band as mild weakness in other Asian currencies weighed on sentiment, while consistent intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acted as a backstop for the currency. According to one-month non-deliverable forwards, the rupee is forecast to trade around 90.66–90.70 against the U.S. dollar, close to its previous session’s close of 90.6725. The RBI has been actively intervening in the forex market, buying dollars at around 90.70–90.80 levels to absorb excess demand and prevent the rupee from sliding toward the psychologically sensitive 91…

The United States and Iran have begun a second round of high-stakes nuclear negotiations in Geneva, aimed at resolving their long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme, amid intense regional tensions and the threat of military conflict if diplomacy fails. The discussions, held indirectly with mediation by Oman, saw U.S. special envoys including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner engage with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Both sides emerged from Tuesday’s talks indicating progress on broad “guiding principles”, but stressed that a definitive agreement remains distant. Iran’s foreign minister acknowledged advances toward shared objectives but said a final deal was not imminent.…

India’s much-anticipated AI Impact Summit 2026, billed as a major global gathering on artificial intelligence, was marred by logistical chaos and organizational lapses on its opening day, drawing strong criticism from participants and political figures alike. The five-day event, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, was intended to showcase India’s technological leadership and host global leaders and industry executives. However, attendees reported long queues, overcrowded halls and confusion over entry procedures, with many forced to wait for hours before gaining access to sessions. Several delegates also shared complaints on social media about last-minute security closures that left…

The multi-party opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) has decided to continue its sit-in protest at Parliament House in Islamabad, sources said on Tuesday, as jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s health concerns dominate the political discourse. During a meeting at Parliament House led by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, members resolved to maintain the protest until Imran Khan’s personal physicians and family are allowed access to him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Some PTI members had earlier suggested ending the sit-in based on a medical report, but the alliance agreed to continue its actions for now. Lawmakers from both…

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus stepped down on Monday in a nationally televised address, formally handing over power to an elected government following last week’s general elections. The 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate said the interim administration was concluding its mandate after overseeing a political transition triggered by the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Hasina’s government was toppled by a student-led uprising, after which she fled to India. Yunus returned from self-imposed exile days later to assume charge as “chief adviser” and steer the country toward elections. Congratulating the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on its…

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the most serious and sustained efforts among political figures to secure the release of jailed Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Speaking to a private television channel, Gandapur said he had previously conveyed the same view within party circles but was now stating it publicly. “Mohsin Naqvi made vigorous efforts to resolve the issue. He made more efforts than anyone else to ensure his release,” he said, referring to Khan’s continued incarceration since August 2023. Gandapur further claimed that Naqvi spoke in…