Author: EchoAsiaNews

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Iva Petrova, began meetings on Monday with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb as part of the third review of Pakistan’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review of the $1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The discussions mark the start of the formal review process, with the IMF assessing Pakistan’s fiscal performance for the first half of the current financial year. The agenda includes a detailed evaluation of the budget outlook for the ongoing fiscal year and the economic impact of recent floods. The government…

Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. said a landmark U.S. crypto market structure bill, widely referred to as the Clarity Act, could be approved by mid‑2026 and act as a major catalyst for digital asset markets in the second half of the year, even amid current weak sentiment in cryptocurrencies. The proposed legislation, which has already cleared the House and is under discussion in the Senate, aims to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets by clarifying jurisdiction between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ending “regulation by enforcement,” promoting token classification, and encouraging…

Greenland’s vote in the upcoming Danish parliamentary election on March 24 is emerging as a key barometer of public sentiment on independence and ties with Denmark, with implications for Arctic geopolitics. The semi‑autonomous territory of Greenland, which sends a small number of seats to the Danish Folketing, is politically divided between advocates of a gradual, pragmatic path toward eventual independence and those pushing for a faster break from Copenhagen. Analysts say the election results could signal how Greenlanders view their future relationship with Denmark amid heightened international attention. Greenland’s governing coalition, led by the Demokraatit party, favors maintaining strong ties…

An Indian television network, ABP News, was briefly taken off its regular transmission after its broadcast feed was hacked and manipulated to air pro‑Pakistan slogans and unauthorized content, according to monitoring of the channel’s broadcast. The intrusion replaced normal programming with pro‑Pakistan slogans and segments of military‑related footage, including excerpts from a speech by Pakistan’s army leadership, before regular transmission was restored. The incident, reported on March 2, 2026, marks an unusual breach of a major Indian news outlet’s broadcast signal, raising concerns about media infrastructure security and cross‑border digital tensions at a time of volatile geopolitical relations in the region. Details about…

In a closed briefing to U.S. congressional staff, senior Pentagon officials confirmed that there was no credible intelligence indicating that Iran planned to launch a first strike against U.S. forces or interests prior to the recent U.S.-Israeli military operations. The disclosure challenges part of the public rationale previously offered by the Trump administration for initiating the offensive. While officials acknowledged that Iran’s ballistic missile programs and proxy forces present a broader regional threat, they emphasized that there was no specific evidence of an imminent Iranian attack on U.S. personnel or bases. The announcement comes in the context of the most…

Britain’s Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone strike just after midnight local time on Monday, March 2, 2026, officials confirmed, in a rare direct attack on a Western military installation amid escalating Middle East tensions. No casualties were reported and only limited material damage was caused, according to the UK Ministry of Defence and Cypriot authorities. The incident triggered a security alert, with personnel on the base instructed to shelter in place and a Cyprus national security council convened to monitor developments. Explosions and sirens were heard near Limassol, and British forces…

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners emerged as the biggest winner at the 2026 Actor Awards on Sunday, sweeping top honours and strengthening its position as a frontrunner for the upcoming 98th Academy Awards. The ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards and held at the Shrine Auditorium, recognised outstanding performances in film and television as voted by members of SAG‑AFTRA. The supernatural thriller Sinners captured the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award and saw Michael B. Jordan take home Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his dual portrayal of twin brothers in the…

The United States Embassy and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore on Monday cancelled all US visa and American Citizen Services appointments scheduled for March 2, citing ongoing protest activity and security concerns across the country. The missions advised US nationals to monitor local news and follow safety precautions as the situation evolves. In a security alert issued on March 1, the mission said it was tracking reports of demonstrations outside the US Consulate General in Lahore and violent protests at the US Consulate in Karachi, as well as calls for further demonstrations at the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US…

Russia’s manufacturing sector continued to contract in February, but the pace of decline eased for the second month in a row, according to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data released on Monday. The S&P Global PMI for Russian manufacturing rose slightly to 49.5 in February from 49.4 in January, remaining below the 50 mark that separates contraction from expansion but signalling a slower rate of downturn. The stabilization was supported by a modest improvement in new orders, which firms reported as steadier compared with previous months, although demand conditions across the sector remained subdued. Output continued to fall, extending…

Israeli forces launched air and military strikes across Lebanon on Monday after the Iran‑backed militant group Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in strikes by United States and Israel earlier in the weekend, marking a significant escalation of hostilities across the wider Middle East. The Israeli military said it had widened its operations to strike Hezbollah targets across Lebanon after projectiles fired from Lebanese territory triggered the latest round of combat. Explosions were reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, as Israeli strikes hit areas where…