Pakistan plans to resolve the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) dispute with India through the Permanent Indus Commissioners of both countries. If no substantial outcome is achieved, Pakistan may approach the Permanent Court of Arbitration (CoA), which is brokered by the World Bank. Attorney-General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan stated that Pakistan will adopt a legal course and go to the CoA if necessary. The treaty's Article 9 allows for arbitration if both countries cannot agree on a resolution mechanism bilaterally or through the General Conference of the United Nations (G2G). If the World Bank establishes the CoA, it will take a decision on Pakistan's application. However, if India does not implement the verdict, Pakistan has legal justification to consider it an act of war.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40371066/govt-mulling-resolving-iwt-row-via-indus-bodyPremier David Crisafulli has announced that Queensland will host the next Quad meeting, a leaders' summit involving US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's counterparts from India and Japan. The event would be the first time Air Force One landed in Queensland since 2014, when Barack Obama attended the G20 summit.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-news-live-fire-razes-multi-generational-family-home-20250703-p5mc76.htmlA trade deal between Vietnam and the US has left the Southeast Asian country with several questions and a major challenge, particularly regarding intellectual property rights. The agreement, which was signed in June, aims to increase bilateral trade but has raised concerns about the protection of Vietnamese businesses' patents and trademarks. Vietnam's government is now grappling with how to balance its commitment to free trade with the need to safeguard domestic industries from foreign competition.
https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/trade-deal-leaves-vietnam-with-questions-and-one-big-challenge-11751590122432.htmlTimor-Leste's full membership in ASEAN will be formalized at the upcoming summit, with Kuala Lumpur hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025. Timor-Leste has applied for membership since 2011 and underwent the accession process, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but continued nonetheless. In 2022, it was accepted "in principle" as a new member. However, Myanmar's junta has opposed Timor-Leste's inclusion, citing a violation of the ASEAN Charter's non-intervention principle. The issue will be discussed at the upcoming AMM-PMC in Kuala Lumpur, with follow-up actions potentially addressed during the meeting.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/364017/timor-leste-to-become-aseans-11th-member-by-2025-end?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=popular_rightA shift away from the US dollar is expected to continue in favor of emerging markets in Asia, as a record rally in US stocks is outweighed by a de-dollarisation trend. Analysts at Societe Generale say this is due to the erosion of the dollar's status as a reserve currency, with global investors becoming cautious about their $62 trillion in dollar-based assets. This comes after the Trump administration's "reciprocal tariffs" and a potential softening of US growth, which has also led to a decline in crude oil prices denominated in the US currency.
https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3316939/de-dollarisation-favours-asian-assets-despite-record-us-stock-run-societe-generale-says?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionIndia and Kuwait are holding foreign office consultations. The talks come after a recent incident involving Air Asia India, which was grounded due to safety concerns raised by the Asian Development Bank. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is leading the delegation. The discussions also touch upon issues related to Southeast Asia and South Asia, including the Lok Sabha in New Delhi.
https://www.lokmattimes.com/international/india-kuwait-foreign-office-consultations-impart-momentum-to-bilateral-ties/India's Special Secretary Rajesh Agarwal is leading high-level trade talks with the US in Washington to conclude a bilateral trade agreement. The talks come after a 90-day pause, during which the tariff rate was kept at 10% for most countries. The deadline for this pause was set by US President Donald Trump on July 9. Negotiations are expected to continue until September-October to finalize a bigger trade deal.
https://www.lokmattimes.com/business/us-to-start-sending-letters-to-trade-partners-on-tariff-hikes-kicking-in-from-aug-1/Indonesian Deputy Speaker Eddy Soeparno condemned the killing of Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, Director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, along with his family, by Israeli forces as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a grave offense against human rights. He described the death as a great loss for both Indonesia and Palestine, urging the international community to take unified action to end Israel's genocidal actions and hold war criminals accountable. Soeparno reaffirmed Indonesia's support for Palestinian independence, stating that defending Palestine is a fulfillment of the country's constitutional mandate to uphold world peace and oppose colonialist practices.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/364029/mpr-condemns-israeli-murder-of-gaza-hospital-director?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=popular_rightPakistan and Russia have agreed to collaborate on establishing a robust rail and road network to link Pakistan with Central Asia and Russia, providing landlocked states direct access to warm waters through Pakistan. The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial conference in Tianjin, China.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/612321-pakistan-russia-vow-to-expand-road-rail-connectivity-for-access-to-warm-waters