Four South Asian countries - Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan - are among 35 abstentions as the U.N. General Assembly voted at an emergency session Wednesday on Ukraine issue. The vote on the “Aggression against Ukraine” resolution was 141-5, with 35 abstentions. Read:UN Assembly votes to demand that Russia stop war in Ukraine The abstentions included China, as expected, but also some surprises from usual Russian allies Cuba and Nicaragua, reports AP. And the United Arab Emirates, which abstained on Friday’s similar Security Council resolution, this time voted “yes.” Only Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea joined Russia in opposing the measure.

The United Arab Emirates has extended a suspension for those travelling from India and several other South Asian countries due to COVID-related guidelines. According to Etihad Airlines, the ban will be in place until July 31st. However, other airlines have said this is pending government review. The extension does not include UAE citizens, diplomats or those holding the nation's investor visa. Nor does it include fully vaccinated travellers that hold a residency visa and have taken three tests since June 23rd. Read: UAE widens travel ban leaving many South Asians unable to return to country However, those who fall outside this bracket and hope to conduct business or travel for leisure to the UAE will have to continue to wait for the restrictions to be lifted. Since April, expats in India have been left in limbo overseas, with many forced to re-evaluate their options. The need to have alternative solutions has become more apparent than ever for those facing limited mobility, not only impacting business but jeopardising family safety. Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a spike in demand for second citizenship as a tool that can be leveraged to diversify assets whilst also providing a safety net during times of uncertainty. According to data, there have been as many as 5,000 high net-worth Indians who have left the country since 2020. In conjunction, there has been a sharp incline in interest for Citizenship by Investment (CBI) - a process that confers citizenship to an applicant and additional dependents once an economic contribution is made to a host country. Read: Dominica Completes $2m Bypass Project to Safeguard Community During Hurricane Season "As governments become more insular and impose stricter visa controls, the opportunity to travel and do business globally is considerably hampered. So, Citizenship by Investment is a wonderful way to reverse that as it gives the Indian national better access to travel and business opportunities," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners is a global investor immigration firm specialising in providing citizenship solutions. Since 1993, Dominica has welcomed Indian investors, among others, to become citizens of the Caribbean nation. The country's CBI programme offers successful applicants a trusted route to second citizenship with benefits such as increased travel freedom to over 140 destinations, access to top tier educational institutions and alternative business prospects. The programme has also been ranked as the world's best offering for second citizenship by an annual independent study conducted by experts at the Financial Times' PWM.

China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Centre has officially been launched in Chongqing, China. Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, Chongqing Vice Mayor Cai Yunge, Supervision Officer of National Administration for Rural Revitalization Li Yue and Ambassadors of South Asian countries - Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan - to China attended and addressed the ceremony. Read: China's foreign minister says Indo-Pacific strategy should be dumped Wu Jianghao said General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared at a Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that China has brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China.  This is not only a great achievement scored by the CPC and the Chinese people, but also an important part for humanity to get rid of poverty, he said.  Read:China is a trusted partner in Bangladesh’s socio-economic development: Hasina

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has rejected Bangladesh’s ranking in the Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020.

Bangladesh appeared as the second-worst among South Asian countries in curbing corruption after Afghanistan, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020.

Bangladesh and other South Asian countries must ramp up action to curb the health emergency, protect their people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and set the stage now for fast economic recovery, the World Bank said in its twice-a-year-regional update on Sunday.