Tag Archives: Maldives

Neighborhood News Digest – 07 March 2023

Afghanistan
4 IS-Khorasan Commanders ‘wanted’ In India Eliminated In Shootouts In Pak & Afghanistan – Republic World

At least four Islamic State [IS] Khorasan commanders “wanted” in India have been shot down by unknown gunmen in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area of Pakistan, as well as Afghanistan. The four wanted IS-K commanders, from the Islamic State’s [ISIS] Central Asian province who were killed have been identified as—Syed Noor Shalobar, Syed Khalid Raza, Ejaz Ahmed Ahangar alias Abu Usman al-Kashmiri and Bashir Ahmed Peer alias Imtiaz Alam. “Khorasan” refers to Asia’s region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click here to read…

Pakistan releases 147 imprisoned Afghan refugees – Devdiscourse

A total of 147 Afghan refugees imprisoned in Pakistan for not obtaining residency, were freed and allowed to return to Afghanistan on Sunday, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported. According to Khaama Press, children and women are among those who have been released, and a prisoner’s body has also been transferred, according to local officials for refugees in Kandahar. Click here to read…

Taliban govt annuls divorces, forces women to return to abusive husbands – Business Standard

In a fresh blow to the women in Afghanistan, couple of days ahead of International Women’s Day, reports by AFP, suggest that the Taliban regime is forcing women to go back to their abusive husbands. They are being forced to return to their husbands they had divorced. The AFP talked about an Afghani woman, Marwa, a domestic abuse victim. She was one of a small number of women who, under the previous US-backed government, were granted legal separation in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Public Universities Open, Female Students Not Admitted – Tolo News

Universities in the cold areas of the country started classes on Monday with the absence of female students. In December of last year, the Ministry of Higher Education announced that the female students are suspended from going to universities until further notice. “Based on the leadership of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Islamic Emirate on Hout 15 (1402 solar yar/ March 6), the lessons began in all universities. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
The fiery call for freedom – Daily Star

Suhrawardy Udyan, or what was known as Ramna Race Course back in the day, is closely linked with Bangladesh’s history. It was where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, with a sense of passion, a vigour for democracy, and an anticipation for change, made the most iconic declaration of his life on March 7, 1971, and subsequently etched his name in the history books unlike any before or after him. He showed his political guile, moved people with his captivating voice, and in a matter of 19 minutes, went from being the leader of the Awami League to the country’s greatest national asset. Click here to read…

How Rohingya camps are turning into crime zones – Dhaka Tribune

At least 11 rogue armed groups, including Myanmar’s Arakan Salvation Army (Arsa), are active in the refugee camps. They are allegedly engaged in drug trading, kidnapping, infighting, extortion and rapes, according to a report by the Ministry of Defence. The report was placed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on February 15. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutan looks beyond LDC graduation – Kuensel

Bhutan sought partners who want to collaborate and invest in the country once it graduates the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group at the summit of the LDC in Doha last week. The fifth United Nations conference on the LDC was preceded by the summit of the LDC, on March 4. The heads of government and the heads of delegation of the LDCs exchanged their views on how they can collectively address shared challenges and come up with meaningful solutions. Click here to read…

Will 13th Plan realise Zhemgang’s ecotourism dream – Kuensel

Zhemgang dzongkhag administration is preparing development plans to promote community-based ecotourism for the upcoming 13th Five-Year Plan. While the dzongkhag has rich culture and biodiversity, issues with accessibility and other infrastructure prevented it from realising its full potential mainly community-based ecotourism business for both international and local tourists. Click here to read…

Lifeline in human-elephant conflict hotspot in Assam’s Nagrijuli along India-Bhutan border – Northeast Now

“It is our lifeline. But for this solar-powered fence, the life and livelihood of over 10000 people living across eleven villages in our area would have been perennially in peril as it was before this 18-kilometre-long fencing came into being,” says Bhim Bahadur Chetri overlooking, across the fence, the now-barren bed of Bornadi River that flows down from Bhutan hills to rejuvenate land and life in Nagrijuli area in Assam’s Baksa district. Click here to read…

Need political consensus to bolster Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal connectivity – EastMojo

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) subregional initiative, which was endorsed way back in 1997 to strengthen the region’s pursuit of trade and economic integration, has still a long way to go. The subregion houses more than one-fifth of the world’s total population. Countries in the subregion share a common heritage, history, and linguistic, cultural and social ties. The subregion has immense potential for economic growth and significant untapped economic potential for intra-regional trade. Click here to read…

Maldives
Is the Maldives an example of Asian democracy in the current world challenges? – MEM

The political situation in the Maldives has been tumultuous from 2008 to 2022, with power shifting back and forth among various players within the Maldivian Democratic Party. Recently, the former President Nasheed has come to realise that even his closest childhood friend and current President, Ibrahim Solih, is out to get him. Solih government’s arrested Nasheed’s brother in an attempt to silence him from being critical of his presidency, but Nasheed has stood firm. Click here to read…

Pres. Solih reaffirms Maldives’ unwavering support to Palestine – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Maldives to the State of Palestine in their quest to achieve their legitimate right to self-determination. The Maldivian President on Sunday, met with the Palestinian President on the sidelines of the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Speaking at the meeting, President Solih reaffirmed the strong support and unwavering commitment of the government and the people of the Maldives to the people and the government of the State of Palestine in their quest to achieve their legitimate right to self-determination. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Hope is rare now in Myanmar’, UN Human Rights Council hears – UN

“Hope is rare now in Myanmar,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Türk said, calling for robust support for its citizens under fire. “The disregard and contempt for human life and human rights that are continuously demonstrated by the military, constitute an outrage to the conscience of humanity,” he said. The latest report, covering the period between 1 February 2022 to 23 January this year, details a number of incidents in which thousands were detained, hundreds of houses were burned, and dozens of people, including children, were killed by shelling and military raids. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Losing More Than One Soldier Per Day: Kayah Resistance – Irrawaddy

Junta troops lost an average of more than one soldier per day in clashes with resistance forces in Kayah State in February, according to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF). In February, a total of 45 regime soldiers were killed and 16 wounded in 35 clashes with resistance forces including KNDF across Kayah State and neighboring townships in southern Shan State. Click here to read…

Assessing Possible Military Developments in Myanmar This Year – Irrawaddy

Human rights campaigner Igor Blazevic asks security analyst Anthony Davis about the state of the civil and armed opposition to the junta, and the condition of the Myanmar military after two years of trying to contain the armed uprising. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal’s New PM Dahal Switches Partners – The Diplomat

On February 27, the Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) withdrew its support for the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. The CPN-UML ministers resigned en masse, bringing down the curtain on the seven-party coalition government that was formed in Nepal barely two months ago. To start with, this was a coalition of strange bedfellows, with parties with opposing agendas and ideologies coming together. Their lust for power was their common agenda. Click here to read…

CPN objects to SC order to register case against PM Prachanda – The Telegraph

Nepal’s ruling CPN (Maoist Center) on Sunday objected to the Supreme Court’s order to its administration to register writ petitions against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” for claiming responsibility for 5,000 deaths during the decade-long insurgency in the country. In a press statement, party’s General Secretary Dev Gurung said that the order passed by the joint bench of justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal on Friday has drawn serious attention of the CPN (Maoist Center). Click here to read…

Political instability, funds crunch cripple capital spending – The Kathmandu Post

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal didn’t have enough time to listen to the private sector representatives in a consultative meeting on the country’s economy on Sunday. Dahal himself had organised the meeting at the finance ministry as he has also been looking after the finance portfolio following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel last week. Click here to read…

Pakistan
More trouble for former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, court junks his plea on arrest warrant – The Tribune

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Monday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s plea for suspending the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him in the Toshakhana case. After a dramatic Sunday when the police could not find the former Pakistan PM at his home while his opponents alleged that he had fled to a neighbour’s house, Khan contended that a private complaint against him did not merit an arrest warrant. Click here to read…

Pakistan: Govt takes ARY News off air for airing Imran Khan’s speech – Firstpost

The private ARY TV news channel was taken off air on Monday for broadcasting Imran Khan’s speeches a day earlier. The move came hours after Pakistan’s media regulator banned broadcasts of the ousted prime minister’s speeches. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Sunday night banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live and recorded speeches of the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician after Islamabad police failed to arrest him. Click here to read…

Pakistan has to give assurances on financing BOP deficit: IMF – The Economic Times

Pakistan will be required to give an assurance that its balance of payments deficit is fully financed for the remaining period of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the lender’s resident representative said. The external financing is one of the last in a string of prior actions the lender wants Islamabad to complete before it clears funding stalled since late last year, Esther Perez Ruiz told Reuters in an e-mailed response on Monday. Click here to read…

9 Cops Killed As Suicide Bomber Rams Into Police Van In Southwest Pakistan – Times Now

A suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle rammed into a police truck in Pakistan’s restive southwest, killing at least nine policemen and wounding seven, officials said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place on a bridge in the district of Sibi in Baluchistan province, but Baluch separatists and local militants have been blamed for previous such attacks. Click here to read…

Fazl rejects SC verdict on Punjab, KP elections issue – Dawn

Pakistan Democra­tic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday severely criticised the judiciary for its decisions regarding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for postponement of the elections owing to the prevailing economic crisis and fragile security situation in the country. “Today we are asked that it is a Constitution’s requirement to hold elections [in Punjab and KP] within 90 days, but the same Supreme Court had given Gen Pervez Musharraf three years’ time to hold polls,” said the Maulana at a news conference. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka gets fresh China assurances to wrap up IMF deal – Economy Next

Sri Lanka has received fresh financial assurances from China on debt re-structuring on the parameters required by the International Monetary Fund, sources with knowledge of the matter said. China earlier sent a letter to Sri Lanka saying they are giving a moratorium till the end of the year but did not mention the parameters of an IMF debt sustainability analysis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to hold election after getting Treasury’s guarantee on funds – Business

Sri Lanka’s election commission on Monday said that the new date for the cash-strapped country’s local election will be announced after receiving a guarantee from the Treasury on the funds required to hold it. The local body polls scheduled for March 9 were postponed due to a plethora of reasons linked to the country’s current economic crisis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka reiterates rejection of UNHRC resolution 51/1 – Colombo Page

Sri Lanka has reiterated to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) its position that it rejects the Resolution 51/1 which was passed by the Council last year. Addressing the 52nd Regular Session of the UNHRC last Friday, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, Himalee Arunatilaka said a “series of unhelpful resolutions” had been adopted by the HRC, the latest being Resolution 51/1, without Sri Lanka’s consent as the country concerned. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s woes with cannabis legalization – Himalmag

Some propose legalising marijuana production to ease Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Yet, any move to legalise marijuana cultivation in Sri Lanka will have to overcome a long history of prohibition, social stigma and criminalisationClick here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 02 March 2023

Afghanistan
Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan resigns – India Today

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Wednesday resigned from his post, citing personal reasons. “After serving close to three years as Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, I have requested the government that the time has come for me to move on and focus on my personal pursuits – family, books, and agriculture/environment,” he tweeted. Click here to read…

Afghanistan resumes passport distribution after 5-month hiatus – AA

Afghanistan Wednesday resumed distributing passports five months after service problems were suspended due to “technical problems.” According to the Passport General Directorate, the technical problems have been resolved and the distribution of passports will resume. Afghans who went to directorate branches formed long lines to get new passports. Earlier, the Taliban interim administration had announced that it would resume passport distribution across the country on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Foreign Minister calls for promotion of peace, harmony across nation – The Print

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday called for promotion of peace and harmony across nations and stressed the need for inculcating a mindset of respect towards others at an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation in Delhi. “We have been promoting cultural peace across nations… If we inculcate a mindset of respect for others irrespective of religion, colour, we can hope to have sustainable peace across nations,” the minister said. Momen called for an end to violence, war and terror in regions and nations, and said if there is peace there will not be millions of refugees like the Rohingyas, who are being provided shelter by Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Anti-Russia sanctions by the West hit Global South, including Bangladesh: Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen – The Hindu

Countries that have been unleashing sanctions against each other after the beginning of the Ukraine war never consulted Dhaka, even though Bangladesh is among those nations “hit hardest” by the economic fallout of the crisis, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said. Mr. Momen spoke to The Hindu hours after arriving in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that began on Wednesday evening with a conversation and dinner among the delegations of the participating countries. He reiterated that there was an urgent requirement to maintain open channels of dialogue at both regional and global levels so that less developed countries are not left alone to deal with the unpredictable scenarios of the contemporary world order. Click here to read…

Talks needed, open minds too – Daily Star

In recent days, several media reports have focused on the possibility of talks between the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP over holding an inclusive national election. Those reports read the ruling party may take an initiative to bring the BNP to the table for ensuring the latter’s participation in the national election, slated for January next year, to make it acceptable to all. But the BNP is currently busy waging a simultaneous movement with like-minded parties to press home the demand for an election-time caretaker government and resignation of the incumbent government. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutan strategises to promote tourism – Kuensel

The Department of Tourism (DoT) has come up with a marketing strategy to promote Bhutan abroad. It consists of raising awareness in media, engagement with international B2B (travel agents) and webinars, travel and trade events, advertising and digital marketing campaigns, domestic industry engagement and existing and new market activations. Officials of DoT said that social media is also part of the strategy and they have several big influencers from Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom coming to Bhutan. Click here to read…

Duty-free shops begin selling gold to tourists – Kuensel

Tourists visiting Bhutan can purchase gold from the Bhutan Duty-Free shops in Phuentsholing and Thimphu. The shops started selling gold on March 1. In Thimphu, tourists can purchase the gold from the duty-free shop at Chubachu and in Phuentsholing, the duty-free shop will be temporarily housed at the Bank of Bhutan office. The price of gold at the duty-free shops will be based on the global gold price. “However, products bought from a duty-free shop anywhere in the world are cheaper, which is the same in Bhutan. The same principle will also be applied to the sale of gold. Therefore, the gold bought from the Bhutan Duty-Free shops should be cheaper compared to the normal market,” Dorji Dhradhul said. Click here to read…

Handmade carpets an alternate source of income for women in Bhutan’s Cha-Ngar-Zam village. – ANI

Handmade carpets or dramtse dhen are an alternate source of income for women in Bhutan’s Zhemgang district’s Cha-Ngar-Zam village. A group of twelve women working in the Traditional Dremdhen Unit weave carpet of all sozes and designs. The traditional Drumdhen Unit not only generates profits but is also helping empower rural women. Click here to read…

Maldives
Former Maldives president gets 11 years for corruption, slapped with $3 million penalty – India Narrative

Former Maldivian president Abdullah Yameen, currently the opposition leader, has been asked to pay $1 million of laundered money and $2 million more related to corruption while dealing with a foreign company for resort development. The Criminal Court in the Maldives also sentenced Yameen to 11 years in prison over corruption and money laundering charges related to the leasing of Aarah island in Vaavu Atoll to a foreign party, according to the Maldivian media. Yameen is the leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Click here to read…

Myanmar
Indian State-owned firm sold artillery barrels to Myanmar: activists – The Hindu

An Indian State-owned arms manufacturer has shipped artillery barrels to military-ruled Myanmar, an activist group said Wednesday, warning they could be used by the junta in its crackdown on dissent. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the generals toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government two years ago, ending a brief democratic experiment and sparking mass protests. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta sentences nearly 2,400 people in February alone – RFA

Myanmar’s military junta sentenced almost 2,400 people to prison terms in February, more than doubling the number of prisoners it sentenced since taking power in the 2021 coup to nearly 4,700. Statistics from the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, or AAPP, showed that between the coup and Jan. 31, 2023, the junta had sentenced 2,299 people, but in February 2023 alone, it sentenced 2,384. Click here to read…

Malaysia’s Anwar says Asean cannot view Myanmar crisis as a ‘purely internal’ issue – SCMP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for new ways to persuade Myanmar’s ruling generals to resolve the civil conflict, as he revealed more than 200,000 refugees had fled Myanmar to his country. Anwar made the comment in Manila, where he was visiting as part of his first regional tour since taking office last November. Click here to read…

China, Myanmar Have Resumed Work on Railway Project, Report Says – The Diplomat

Earlier this week, the news magazine Frontier reported that a Chinese state company had quietly resumed preliminary work on a railway running from southern China to the Myanmar coast in Rakhine State. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal welcomes over 120,000 tourists in 2023, Indians top the list in Feb – Business Standard

Nepal has welcomed more than 1,20,000 tourists in the first two months of this year, the Himalayan nation’s tourism department said on Wednesday, with Indians accounting for the highest numbers of arrivals in February. Click here to read…

In Nepal game of political dice, Prachanda-Deuba & India are back while Oli out in the cold again – The Print

The wheels are turning in Nepali politics again, barely a couple of months since the elections threw up a new coalition government led by two Communist parties, one of whose leaders abandoned his pre-poll partner to become Prime Minister in alliance with the other. Click here to read…

Nepal welcomes investment in nationally prioritized sectors from China: ambassador – global Times

Nepal is a virgin land for investment and it welcomes investment from China in the nationally prioritized sectors including energy, agriculture, tourism, mines, mineral, infrastructure, and information and communication technology, said Nepali Ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha on Tuesday. “China is a trusted neighbor and reliable development partner of Nepal. China is not only the largest source of tourism for Nepal, but also one of our largest trade and investment partners,” he said. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan risks $18 bn fine for not completing Iran gas pipeline – Daiji World

Pakistan risks a fine of $18 billion for not completing the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project in the timeframe stipulated in the agreement, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed. The apex committee of the National Assembly (NA) met with Noor Alam Khan in the chair and deliberated on the non-utilisation of 332 billion PKR in gas infrastructure development cess, The Express Tribune reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan launches its first-ever digital census – The Hindu

Pakistan Wednesday launched its first-ever digital population and housing census, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying that it will help future planning and efficient utilisation of resources ahead of this year’s general elections. Click here to read…

Pakistan appoints envoy for Kartarpur to woo pilgrims – Tribune India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-large for Kartarpur Corridor as part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world, a government notification said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest IMF bailout plan – Aljazeera

Sri Lankan workers have gone on strike in defiance of a government ban to protest against a rescue plan for the bankrupt island nation, forcing the closure of some hospitals, banks and ports. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax hikes and spending cuts imposed to secure a sorely needed International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. About 40 trade unions, including government hospital staff and bank employees, stopped work on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Indonesia to sign a Preferential Trade Agreement with Sri Lanka to increase bilateral trade – Colombo Page

Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Dewi Gustina Tobing said her country would like to finalize a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Sri Lanka to facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries. The Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday (28) to discuss issues including enhancing cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, and tourism. Click here to read…

Indian Navy Ship Sukanya departs after successful bilateral naval exercise with Sri Lanka Navy – Colombo Page

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sukanya which arrived in Colombo on 27th February 2023 on a three-day official visit, departed the island today (01st March) after successfully concluding bilateral naval exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy. At her departure, the ship conducted a naval exercise with SLNS Gajabahu of the Sri Lanka Navy and in the Passage Exercise (PASSEX), Replenishment at Sea (RAS) drills, formations and ship man oeuvres, communication exercises were conducted, the Navy said. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 23 February 2023

Afghanistan
Taliban Demand US Return $3.5 Billion In Afghan Assets After Court Ruling – NDTV

Taliban authorities called on Washington Wednesday to return $3.5 billion belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank after a New York federal judge ruled the families of victims in the 9/11 attacks cannot seize the funds. The United States took control of the assets soon after the Taliban stormed back to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with President Joe Biden saying the money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims. Click here to read…

Taliban bans, restricts media operations in 2 Afghanistan provinces – Committee to Protect Journalists

On Tuesday, February 21, Taliban officials, in a meeting with journalists in the southern province of Helmand, announced a ban on all media outlets—including Taliban-run Radio Television of Helmand and Bakhtar News Agency —preparing and distributing photos and videos, according to the media watchdog Nai and a journalist inside Afghanistan, who spoke to CPJ by messaging app on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal. Click here to read…

Afghanistan: Pakistan, Taliban officials hold talks on ‘terrorism threat’ following deadly attacks – Wion News

Days after Islamabad witnessed some deadly attacks, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asid and intelligence chief Nadeem Anjum held talks with the Taliban government on Wednesday (Feb 22) on ways to counter the “threat of terrorism.” The meet was held in Kabul, led by Afghan’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar. Click here to read…

China’s Clouded Future in Afghanistan – The Diplomat

More than a year since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the country is now facing a new terrorist threat that is making it more risky and difficult for China to commit to the region. While the Islamic State (IS) has been weakened globally since its territorial defeat in 2019, it continues to thrive in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

What Are the Conditionalities of IMF Loans in Bangladesh: Dispelling the Myth – Geopolitics

About the IMF assistance, the term “conditions” does not refer to a deep economic reform or a massive change in the economy; rather, these conditions are basically the future working plan or suggested economic reforms for better economic conditions in a future developed Bangladesh. Besides, PM Sheikh Hasina also highlighted the issue and said, “The IMF provides loans to a country only when it has the capacity to repay the loan…We will not accept an IMF loan with any conditions.” The IMF focuses on some broad areas where Bangladesh has rather shown optimistic marks. Click here to read…

Mulling on National Security Strategy of Bangladesh: Priorities and Posture – Geopolitics

The hostile overture of Myanmar didn’t spiral, partly owing to Bangladesh’s restrained posture. Had Bangladesh overtly embroiled itself in escalation dynamics, the situation might spiral out of control, and the aggressor-victim dichotomy would be blurred. Conversely, Myanmar’s hostile actions propelled diplomatic measures by Dhaka, which attest to the conciliatory bent of Bangladesh. The absence of overt retaliatory measures doesn’t indicate the feebleness of Bangladesh, rather the strategic patience of Bangladesh can be interpreted as a commitment to peace, eschewing unwarranted conflicts. Click here to read…

Military support to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar may undermine Bangladesh’s security – Dhaka Tribune

Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain on Wednesday said that using a liberal interpretation of the non-lethal assistance clause may allow the United States to provide military support to the various ethnic armed organizations (EAO) in Myanmar which “may undermine” Bangladesh’s security as these groups have some ties to the same separatist factions operating in the country. Click here to read…

Paradoxes of terrorism in Bangladesh – Daily Star

We have heard the word “paradox” innumerable times in relation to development in Bangladesh. Now, in a new book titled The Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism in Bangladesh, published by the British multinational publisher Routledge, its editors say that “the chapters in this volume will illustrate that Bangladesh is an exciting and often paradoxical case for terrorism studies in general.” One of the paradoxical elements pointed out in this book is the fact that “most of the key coordinators or leaders of the new generational groups of terrorists are educated in secular universities, either in Bangladesh or abroad” against a typical perception that religious seminaries, known as madrasas, are the breeding ground of Islamic terrorism. This book is published as a part of the Routledge Studies in South Asian Politics series. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutanese Crown Prince is country’s first citizen with digital identity – Royal Central

Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan undertook his second solo official engagement as he became the first citizen to be inserted in the country’s new digital identity platform. Click here to read…

Maldives
Adhaalath Party agrees to form alliance with MDP for upcoming election – Avas

Adhaalath Party has decided to back President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and form a coalition with the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for the upcoming presidential election. Adhaalath Party is part of the current ruling coalition. The MDP National Assembly passed a resolution on February 15 giving the MDP presidential candidate and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih the power to decide if he wants to form a coalition in the upcoming presidential election. Click here to read…

Two arrested for Bank of Maldives internet banking scam – Edition

According to the Maldives Police Service, two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing information to access Bank of Maldives’ (BML) internet banking and buying goods worth over MVR 200,000 through QR code scanning. The arrests were made on Saturday, and the two men, a 25-year-old and a 27-year-old, have been remanded in custody for 15 days. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar Junta’s Rakhine Poll Plan Hinges on Arakan Army – Irrawaddy

The military coup in February 2021 triggered an armed uprising across the country, with fighting raging in both towns and villages – but Rakhine State has been relatively stable. This is partly because the ethnic rebel Arakan Army (AA) reached a ceasefire agreement with Myanmar’s military three months before the coup thanks to mediation by Japan’s Sasakawa Foundation. Rakhine State had experienced two years of fierce fighting before the putsch, but during that time Rakhine lawmakers were able to help displaced civilians through Parliament. On the political stage, the Arakan National Party (ANP) won popular support in northern Rakhine while the National League for Democracy (NLD) was strong in southern Rakhine. Click here to read…

India is keeping close ties with Myanmar, even transferring weapons, NGOs say – RFA

India, the world’s largest democracy, has nurtured closer relations with Myanmar’s military junta over the past two years, including providing weapons at least four times since the 2021 coup d’etat, two humanitarian and advocacy organizations in India said. The Indian government and Indian companies sold radar technologies and remote control air defense systems to Myanmar’s military government in 2021, said India for Myanmar, which helps refugees from the war-torn country who have fled to neighboring India. Click here to read…

Can Myanmar-Bangladesh ties promote ASEAN- SAARC regional stability and prosperity? – Nagaland Post

Naf River flows through Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Rohingyas who fled through this river crossing the tortured, oppressed, expelled and fearing for their lives have taken refuge in Bangladesh. However, trade between the two countries can continue on this river route, cargo ships can crowd the river ports of the two countries. Boats full of tourists can be floated on the river where tourists can see the sights of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Although the ongoing Rohingya problem with this neighboring country of Bangladesh is an obstacle, initiatives should be continued to improve the relationship between the two countries. Click here to read…

Nepal
Congress-Maoist alliance back in focus – The Kathmandu Post

Immediately after the Election Commission on Wednesday kicked off the presidential election process by publishing the voter list, a new kind of political understanding seemed to be in offing between the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre). A meeting between the two sets of leaders on Wednesday evening agreed to revive the old five-party alliance formed in July 2021 after CPN-UML chief KP Sharma Oli’s ouster from prime minister’s office, the Post has learnt. Click here to read…

Nepal’s stated policy keeps it from joining China’s GSI – The Kathmandu Post

China on Tuesday released a concept paper of its Global Security Initiative (GSI), calling on countries to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape in a spirit of solidarity, and address the complex and intertwined security challenges with a win-win mindset. The GSI aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace and development in the world, said the concept paper which was also subsequently distributed to the Nepali media by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu. Click here to read…

Chinese ambassador to Nepal increases political engagement ahead of Presidential Election – ANI

With just two days left for the nomination filing for the Presidential Election slated next month, the Chinese envoy to Nepal Chen Song has increased his political engagement.
Song’s political engagement increases as the parties remain divided over who should stand as the candidate for the March 9 Presidential election. Click here to read…

Indian Foreign Secretary’s visit to Nepal and its geopolitical connotation – Khabarhub

Indian Foreign Secretary, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, recently concluded a two-day official visit to Nepal on February 13–14 2023, at the invitation of the Nepali Foreign Secretary and his counterpart, Bharat Raj Paudyal. Although this was a meeting at the level of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, it was given greater significance due to the close ties between India and Nepal. Click here to read…

Pakistan
China approves $700m loan to Pakistan – The Telegraph Online

Pakistan’s all-weather ally China has approved a loan of $700 million and the funds will be transferred to the central bank this week, finance minister Ishaq Dar announced on Wednesday as the cash-strapped country tried to avert a financial crisis. The announcement by Dar on the loan by the Board of China Development Bank (CDB) came a day after Pakistan’s National Assembly unanimously passed a money bill aimed at raising tax revenues to fulfil the demands set by the IMF for seeking a $1.1 billion loan facility to avoid an economic meltdown. Click here to read…

Imran Khan supporters detained as Pakistan races to secure IMF deal – Financial Times

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Wednesday night that up to 700 of its activists and leaders had been arrested during protests designed to destabilise the government, which is urgently seeking an IMF bailout to avert a default. Khan and his allies said last week that they wanted their supporters to be detained en masse to force early elections. Click here to read…

‘Not able to feed soldiers’: Now, Pakistan’s economic crisis hits army – Business Today

Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis has hit one of the most important institutions in the country – the army. The Pakistan Army is reportedly facing food shortage in messes due to a cut in supply amid the worst economic crisis in the country. Some field commanders have written letters to the Quarter Master General (QMG) Office in the General Headquarters, pointing to cut in food supply to soldiers in all army messes, News18 reported on Wednesday. Click here to read…

President’s move to set election date draws political ire – Dawn

President Arif Alvi’s move to set a date for Punjab and Khyber Pakht­unkhwa elections has drawn sharp criticism from his political opponents, who have accused him of acting like a PTI worker, though at least one legal expert has suggested that Mr Alvi was “well within his rights” to announce the poll dates. On Monday, hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reaffirmed its decision not to consult the president on the matter, Mr Alvi went solo and announced April 9 as the election date for both provincial assemblies. Click here to read…

Pakistan Implements Austerity Measures To Secure IMF Funding – Hindustan Herald

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has announced a new austerity drive that will save the country 200 billion rupees ($766 million) per year. Ministerial allowances and travel expenses will be reduced as part of the measures taken as Islamabad seeks a $1 billion funding agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Furthermore, according to Reuters, all federal ministries and government offices would be required to cut spending by 15%.Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Crisis: Sri Lankan President will come to Bengaluru to meet Chinese Foreign Minister for debt relief – News WALLI

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet the Chinese Foreign Minister in India on Friday. The Chinese Foreign Minister is about to arrive in India to participate in the meeting of foreign ministers of G-20 countries. According to sources in the Sri Lankan government, Wickremesinghe will ask the Chinese foreign minister for debt relief. President Wickremesinghe said in a meeting in the city of Kandy- ‘During the meeting of the G-20 foreign ministers, he is expected to discuss the debt restructuring (resetting their payment schedule) of those countries whose economies have been destroyed. I hope to talk to the Chinese Foreign Minister there on how to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt. Click here to read…

Power price hike pushes Sri Lanka crisis to the brink – The Print

The latest electricity price rise in crisis-hit Sri Lanka has left stall owner Mohammed Lafeel in a quandary: the 66 per cent increase means he can’t afford to pay for electricity but can’t manage without it so goes deeper into debt to keep it on. Over the last month, with inflation hovering at 55 per cent year-on-year, Lafeel says his income has fallen by about a third as fewer customers buy his knick-knacks as more of them struggle under the island’s worst financial crisis in seven decades. Lafeel says he doesn’t know how he can repay the 300,000 rupees ($835) he borrowed for his daughter’s wedding and has had to borrow more to reconnect the power at home after it was cut off because he hadn’t paid the bill. Click here to read…

Forty more buses received under Indian Credit Line – Daily News

Another phase of the distribution of new buses given to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) under the Indian Credit Line took place on Tuesday at the Lanka Ashok Leyland premises in Panagoda, Homagama. These new buses are to be distributed to all depots in the island according to a concept of the Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, to put 500 new buses into operation this year, in order to strengthen public transport in rural areas of the country in conjunction with the 75th Independence Commemoration. Accordingly, as the third phase of the programme, 40 new buses were handed over to the SLTB depot at Lanka Ashok Leyland Institute premises, Athurugiriya, under the patronage of Minister Dr. Gunawardana. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 21 February 2023

Afghanistan
Main Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing closed, residents report gunfire – Deccan Herald

Taliban authorities have closed the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, an Afghan official said on Monday, and residents in the area reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point. A Taliban provincial information official said the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass, was closed for all trade and travellers. “The Pakistan side hadn’t committed to their promises, they have promised to create facilities for transit, sick people and passengers,” said Siddiqullah Quraishi, the head of the Afghan province of Nangahar’s information department, as the reason for the closure. Click here to read…

China to become Afghanistan’s second-largest trade partner in 2023 – The Print

China’s trade with Afghanistan has been growing fast and it may become the second-largest trading nation with Afghanistan in 2023 after Pakistan, a situation that bodes well for the continuation of the CPEC part of the Belt & Road Initiative into Afghanistan, as per Silk Road Briefing (SRB). Click here to read…

Donor organisations suspend budget for at least 40 COVID-19 hospitals in Afghanistan, says Health Minister – Firstpost

Donor organisations have suspended the budget for at least 40 COVID-19 hospitals in Afghanistan over the past 18 months after political developments in the country, said Health Minister Qalandar Ebad. According to a report in Tolo News, Ebad added, “The suspension of the budget and restrictions on health projects have affected health services in Afghanistan.” Click here to read…

The Future of the Belt and Road Initiative in Afghanistan: Obstacles, Opportunities, and The Taliban’s Perspective – Silk Road Briefing

China has also considered Afghanistan’s membership and participation in the BRI with a delegation from Afghanistan participating in its forum in 2017. Afghan delegations have also been participating in Russian economic and trade development forums. However, despite some agreements in including Afghanistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), no progress has currently been made regarding China’s economic presence through the BRI in the country. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Youth Delegation Corner inaugurated, alumni portal launched in Dhaka – NewsOnAir

Bangladesh Youth Delegation is an International Youth Exchange programme between the governments of India and Bangladesh. It aims to promote cultural exchange, leadership development, and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. Since its inception, nearly 800 Bangladeshi youth selected under the BYD programme, have visited India to participate in various activities that promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries. Click here to read…

Japan to provide grant aid for 2 projects in Bangladesh – New Age

Bangladesh and Japan on Monday signed the exchange of notes on the Japanese grant Aad for two projects. One is to provide the grant for the ‘Project for Improvement of Equipment for Technical Education’ – up to JPY 997 million, approximately USD7.7 million. Another is to provide an additional grant for the costs of the development of the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management, the augmented grant of which is up to JPY 2,762 million, about USD 21 million. Click here to read…

Bangladesh shuts down main Opposition newspaper – The Hindu

The only newspaper of Bangladesh’s main Opposition party halted printing on Monday after a government suspension order was upheld, stoking fears about media freedom in the South Asian nation. Campaigners and foreign governments including the U.S. have long expressed worries about efforts by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to silence criticism and what they see as creeping authoritarianism. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Committee yet to review barrage or PI dam option – Kuensel

The committee of experts from Bhutan and India, which was supposed to review and present its recommendations on the proposal to build a barrage at the 1,200MW Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project (PI) by January-end was only formed around that time. Click here to read…

Youth unemployment increases in 2022 – Kuensel

The youth unemployment rate in 2022 is estimated at 28.6 percent which is an increase by 7.7 points compared to 20.9 percent in 2021, according to the Labour Force Survey Report, 2022. Of the 101,170 youth population, 8,496 youth were unemployed and actively seeking work. Click here to read…

President Solih heads to Singapore on unofficial visit – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has left to Singapore on an unofficial visit. The Maldivian leader departed on the unofficial visit from Velana International Airport (VIA) on Monday. His last unofficial trip to Singapore was in October 2022. The president had made four previous trips to Singapore in 2022, the first being from February 10 – 15 and the second being from February 23 – March 6. Click here to read…

Myanmar
EU imposes new sanctions on Myanmar’s junta -AA

The European Union adopted its sixth sanctions package Monday against the military junta in Myanmar for human rights violations. EU foreign ministers approved “restrictive measures against nine persons and seven entities in view of the continuing escalation of violence, grave human rights violations and threats to the peace, security and stability in Myanmar,” the Council of the European Union, an EU institution representing member states, said in a statement. Click here to read…

Over 100 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Four Days of Resistance Attacks – Irrawaddy

At least 106 Myanmar junta troops were killed in four days of attacks as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) escalated their attacks on regime targets across the country. In one case, a PDF couple was arrested and killed by junta troops a day before their wedding in Magwe. Incidents were reported in Mandalay, Sagaing, Magwe, Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Kayah and Mon states. The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs. Some military casualty figures could not be independently verified. Click here to read…

Opium farming has flourished under Myanmar’s junta – UCANews

Everything in Myanmar is in the worst-ever state. The Southeast Asian nation has a broken economy and a broken society. To add salt to the wound, it is home to more than 1.3 million displaced people. But when it comes to narcotics, Myanmar still holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s second-largest producer of opium, a key source of many psycho-tropical substances such as heroin, morphine and codeine. Despite the chaos, social unrest, and civil war, the army-ruled nation managed to increase opium cultivation last year. Click here to read…

Nepal
India donates 20 kidney dialysis machines to Nepal – The Economic Times

India on Monday handed over the first tranche of the 200 kidney dialysis machines to the Government of Nepal as part of its effort to develop the health infrastructure in the Himalayan nation. Click here to read…

Late Gen. Bipin Rawat honoured in Nepal, bell in his name placed inside revered temple – India Narrative

In commemoration of India’s late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, a bell has been placed at Nepal’s revered Shree Muktinath Temple. The bell named “Bipin Bell,” has been installed at the revered Hindu temple in Mustang district during the visit of four former Indian army chiefs namely Gen VN Sharma, Gen JJ Singh, Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen Dalbir Suhag. Click here to read…

Assessment of India’s Approach to Nepal – Indian Defence Review

As per International Monetary Fund, India is fastest growing economy in the world. Indian economy is crossing Chinese economy that will grow just by 5.2% in 2023. Economy and security are the two faces of the same coin. In other words, both affect each other, and most importantly both have the potential to transform the regional and international polity and economy. Economic growth and military might both determine any country’s stature in international system of states. Click here to read…

Maoists cotton to Congress, as Dahal, Oli size each other up – The Kathmandu Post

Even with just four days to go for the filing of nominations for the presidential election, the CPN (Maoist Centre) is still keeping its cards close to its chest. There have been no clear indications about whom it will support as the new head of state, even though the party seems to be inching closer to the Nepali Congress on the issue. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Dialogue with India ‘need of Pakistan’: Former Pak Army spokesperson – India Today

Dialogue is a need of Pakistan, the former chief of the country’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Athar Abbas, said. “The way forward is not just the state apparatus, because if you leave it [solely] to the security establishment, there will be no move forward. It will be like taking one step forward and two steps backwards,” he added. Click here to read…

Section 144 imposed in Lahore for 7 days citing terror threats: Mint

The caretaker government of Punjab province in Pakistan imposed Section 144 in Lahore for seven days, citing terror threats amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) protest and rallies, ARY News reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s elite in trouble amid bankruptcy as IMF tells Shehbaz Sharif govt to tax only the rich – Firstpost

Pakistan last week increased prices of commodities that are now weighing on people of the cash-strapped country. Concerned about poor in the bankrupt South Asian nation, IMF said that the Shehbaz Sharif government to tax its high earners and ensure that only poor get the subsidies. Click here to read…

Imran gets preventive bail from arrest in 1 case, Lahore HC disposes plea in 2nd – Hindustan Times

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has secured preventive bail from arrest by the Lahore high court till March 3 in a case pertaining to protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan office, Geo TV reported. The second plea was disposed of by the high court after Khan’s counsel withdrew the petition, Dawn reported. Click here to read…

Cash-starved Pakistan’s current account deficit shrinks 90% to $0.24 billion in January – The Economic Times

“Current Account Deficit (CAD) recorded USD 0.2 billion in Jan 2023 against a deficit of USD 2.5 billion in Jan 2022,” the central bank said in a brief statement on Twitter. The decrease in the deficit is also 16.55 per cent lower than December when the SBP announced that the deficit was USD 0.29 billion. Click here to read…

Pakistan Covid Scam: Amid bankruptcy, 2 of 4 billion rupees of corona relief fund vanish without trace – Firstpost

In a major embarrassment for the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistani government, a recent inquiry has revealed financial discrepancies in the allocation of and expenditure on medical resources in the Corona Relief Fund (CRF). This comes amid looming fears of a default as the country is going through a severe economic crisis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Ranil govt. faces mounting pressure for ‘attempt to postpone’ polls in Sri Lanka – The Hindu

Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing mounting pressure from the political Opposition and civil society over his government’s apparent attempts to postpone local government polls, scheduled in early March, citing the lack of funds. Click here to read…

Sri Lankans attacked Tamil Nadu fishermen: CM Stalin tells Centre – India Today

Sri Lankans assaulted Indian fishermen, took away their catch and equipment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin apprised the Centre on Monday and urged that the matter be taken up with Sri Lanka to ensure action against assailants and prevent recurrence of such attacks. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s great IMF lie – Himal

Sri Lanka has been subject to a great lie: the IMF solution! For close to a year now, the country has been implementing the International Monetary Fund’s recommendations with complete obedience. The sudden devaluation of the Sri Lankan rupee, a drastic increase in interest rates, the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and severe cuts to state expenditure all amount to harsh austerity measures. The consequence is economic devastation as the country sinks into a depression. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 20 February 2023

Afghanistan
‘Efforts Continue to Resume World Bank Projects in Afghanistan’: MoF – Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Finance said that efforts are being made to resume World Bank projects in Afghanistan following David Malpas, the president of the World Bank, announcing that he will leave his position in June. The World Bank supports programs in Afghanistan in the areas of health, agriculture, rural development, and other sectors, the ministry said, adding that the bank has begun working on a number of these projects. Click here to read…

Taliban replacing civil laws with Islamic ones – Devdiscourse

Afghanistan’s new rulers- Taliban have launched a “purification” campaign across the country to replace civil laws with Islamic ones, writes Susannah George in The Washington Post When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the group quickly launched what officials called a “purification” campaign aimed at stripping the country of civil laws and institutions to build an entirely Islamic society. Click here to read…

Taliban aims to create special economic zones out of abandoned foreign outposts -Firstpost

The Taliban administration will move ahead with plans to turn former foreign military bases into special economic zones for businesses, the acting deputy prime minister for economic affairs said in a statement on Sunday. The acting commerce minister had told Reuters in December that his ministry was working on the plan for former American bases and would submit it to both the economic committee led by acting deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and to the cabinet for approval. Click here to read…

FM Bilawal warns terrorism will go beyond Pakistan if Afghanistan doesn’t act against militant groups – Dawn

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said that it would not take much time for terrorism to go to other places beyond Pakistan if the interim Afghan government did not demonstrate the “will and capacity” to take on militant groups operating from its territory. Click here to read…

After Temporary Suspension, What’s Next for the Trans-Afghan Railway? – The Diplomat

A temporary suspension of the transit of freight wagons from the Galaba railway station in the city of Termez, Uzbekistan to the Hairatan railway station in Afghanistan just across the river was lifted on February 10. A few days later a new agreement was signed between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh to procure 100 electric buses from India this year: Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader – NewsOnAir

The government of Bangladesh has requested India to supply 100 electric buses for use in Dhaka and Chattogram this year. The request was made during a meeting between the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Dr. Binoy Geogre and Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at his office on Sunday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue 2023 – Gov.UK

The second Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 19 February 2023. Both countries agreed to convene the Dialogue annually and its Joint Working Group (JWG) regularly. The JWG would cover a broad range of trade and investment issues, including mutual barriers to market access and trade, with an agenda agreed between the UK and Bangladesh in advance. Both countries underscored the importance of the Dialogue and agreed to enhance the bilateral trading partnership to increase mutual prosperity ahead of and after Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. Click here to read…

Bangladesh will get to pick new SAARC secretary general – The Kathmandu Post

Ending months-long confusion and speculation, seven of eight member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), barring Afghanistan, have agreed to nominate a new secretary general of the regional grouping from Bangladesh. With the incumbent general secretary, Esala Ruwan Weerakoon of Sri Lanka, set to complete his term in March 2023, there was a confusion as to who would replace him, because as per the alphabetic order it is Afghanistan’s turn to nominate a new secretary general. Click here to read…

Bhutan
RMA encourages inward remittance inflow – Kuensel

Bhutan’s inward remittances have become an important contributor to the country’s foreign currency reserves in recent years. From January 2016 to December 2022, the economy received a total of USD 439.27 million (M) in remittances, according to the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA). Its contribution to convertible currency inflow in the country was 14 percent as of November last year. Click here to read…

Govt. revises foreign currency reserves requirement – Kuensel

The government has revised foreign currency reserve to meet the 12 months of essential imports. This comes after the Cabinet endorsed the revision of the essential import value of 2017 on February 13 upon the recommendations submitted by the independent review committee. Click here to read…

Bhutan must not let China gain foothold – The Tribune

Considering the historical and geopolitical backdrop, the Bhutan Government should not allow China to open an embassy in Thimphu. That one act, however well-meaning and bona fide, may ruin sovereign Bhutan, like Tibet in 1950, and also cause a cartographic upheaval in India’s neighbourhood, thereby paving the way for the possible creation of ‘Greater Burma’, ‘Greater China’ and ‘Greater Nepal’ in the east. Click here to read…

Maldives
Rift in the ruling political party of Maldives must worry India – News Drum

President Solih retains the ticket for the nest presidential candidate. However, Nasheed maintains distance. If it continues, the Pro-Chinese opposition alliance, which is quite frail, may take advantage. Click here to read…

IS module ‘received funds from Maldives – Economic Times

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet said the Islamic State (IS) inspired module run by Mohammad Mohsin Ahmad, a native of Patna, received funds from Maldives to further ISIS activities. It said the funds were routed through bitcoin exchange Wazir X to Syria via another account in Canara Bank. A person identified as Afsha wired money to Ahmad in US dollars on December 7, 2021, and the funds were transferred using bitcoins to Syria after ten days, it said. Click here to read…

Discussions held on visa exemption agreement between Maldives, Mongolia – Raajje

Discussions have been held on the signing of a visa exemption agreement between Maldives and Mongolia. This was done during a courtesy call Ambassador of Mongolia to the Maldives Ganbold Dambajav paid on Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid on Sunday. Dambajav presented his Letter of Credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as the newly appointed Ambassador of Mongolia to Maldives on Sunday. Following the credentials ceremony, the new Mongolian Ambassador paid a courtesy call on FM Shahid where he expressed commitment to work to continue working closely in the multilateral arena. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Once Myanmar Road Is Complete, Imphal to Bangkok by Road in 16-18 Hours: CM N Biren Singh – Outlook

Once the Asian Highway project in Myanmar is complete, a person can reach from Imphal to Bangkok by road in 16-18 hours, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said on Friday, stating that the Northeastern state is the gateway of India for South East Asian countries. Addressing the CII-organised B-20 conference here, Singh said plans are afoot to start international flights from Imphal to Mandalay in Myanmar and Bangkok in Thailand. “Manipur has the perfect setting for the implementation of the country’s Act East Policy,” he said. Click here to read…

India wary of instability in Myanmar – Tribune

THERE are not many countries that opt to employ their air power against their own citizens. Pakistan has had no qualms about using its air force against terror elements in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). According to British media reports, the Myanmar air force recently carried out a MiG-29 airstrike on Camp Victoria, the military headquarters of the Chin National Army, near the Mizoram border. Indian government sources have categorically stated that no bombing took place over Indian territory. India’s concern amid the unstable situation in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021, and the standoff between pro-democracy forces and the military junta is the large number of Myanmar rebel elements (50,000 by one account) fleeing to Mizoram. Click here to read…

Chin Resistance: Myanmar Junta Trying to Retake Thantlang – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta is attempting to seize back Thantlang with daily airstrikes, according to the Chin National Army (CNA), the armed wing of the Chin National Front (CNF). “Since we seized the town’s police station jets have dropped bombs every day,” said Salai Htet Ni, the CNF’s spokesman. He said at least 20 bombs were dropped by two jet fighters and also attacked with Mi-35 helicopters on Thursday. Two resistance fighters were killed and four injured, the spokesman said. However, he said junta troops could not attack the town on the ground and CNA troops were in control of the town. Click here to read…

Nepal
As Dahal, Oli spar over presidential candidate, Congress sees chance to revive its old alliance – The Kathmandu Post

With the crucial presidential election scheduled early next month, candid talks and serious bargaining are going on between major parties, particularly the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center). Meanwhile, Congress leaders have reportedly met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and offered to revive their pre-election alliance after the presidential election slated for March 9. Click here to read…

Rastriya Swatantra Party not to join government immediately – The Kathmandu Post

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided not to join the government immediately. A joint meeting of the central committee and parliamentary party held at its central office in Basundhara on Monday took the decision to this effect. Click here to read…

The economic crisis in Nepal: Is it going to be the next Sri Lanka? – ORF

For quite some time, the economy of Nepal is taking a downward turn. The previous government under Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and the present government under Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ adopted certain measures to revitalise the economy. Click here to read…

India, Nepal agree to add 200 MW to Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line – Business Standard

Nepal and India have inked an agreement to increase the power import and export capacity through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line from 600 megawatts to 800 megawatts, authorities here said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Dialogue with India on levels other than military ‘need of Pakistan’, says former DG ISPR Athar Abbas – Dawn

Former Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General (retd) Athar Abbas, said on Sunday that dialogue with India on levels other than the security establishment’s is “a need of Pakistan”. He made the remarks during a panel discussion — titled Search for peace and security among neighbours — on the final day of the 14th Karachi Literature Festival held at Karachi’s Beach Luxury Hotel. Click here to read…

Pakistan President Alvi slammed for allegedly pressuring Election Commission to announce poll dates – The Hindu

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has come under scathing attack from ministers of the ruling coalition for allegedly acting on former premier Imran Khan’s advice to put pressure on the country’s electoral watchdog to announce poll dates for provincial assemblies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Click here to read…

Inflation surges to nearly 40 per cent in crisis-hit Pakistan – The Economic Times

Pakistan is trying hard to contain inflation in the last few weeks, but with little success. The recent hike in inflation comes even as the Pakistan government imposed new taxes and increased petroleum prices to fulfill the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before releasing USD 1.1 billion dollars under an already agreed USD 7 billion deal. Click here to read…

At least four killed as Pakistani Taliban militants storm police HQ in Karachi – The Guardian

Militants launched a deadly suicide attack on the police headquarters of Pakistan’s largest city on Friday, with the sound of gunfire and explosions rocking the heart of Karachi for several hours. Two police officers, a ranger and a civilian were killed and 14 others wounded, said Murtaza Wahab, a government spokesman in Sindh province, where Karachi is located. Two suicide bombers were killed and at least one blew himself up after entering the police building, officials said. Click here to read…

Pakistan sent back same relief goods to earthquake-hit Turkey it received in 2022: Report – Business Today

A Pakistan-based journalist said that recently Islamabad had sent C-130 planes with relief supplies and rescue personnel to the quake-hit areas of Turkey. The relief materials sent by Pakistan were the ones that Turkey sent to the Sindh province when the region was hit by floods in 2022. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: The looming question of police powers under 13A – ORF

Any discourse on power devolution for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka ends up in a deadlock, invariably on the question of ‘police powers’ for the provinces. It has already been guaranteed under the India-facilitated Thirteenth Amendment to the nation’s Constitution, which was incorporated in 1987 but has not been enforced. All of it only went on to show that police powers as per the Indian scheme, and adopted in 13A is neither diarchic nor dysfunctional, as is being made out to be. Instead, it is a vibrant arrangement, with the dynamism of democracy working full throttle and ensuring that neither the rider nor the mount is derailed – now, or ever. Click here to read…

Germany raises the red flag – Daily Mirror

Germany has raised the red flag on multiple issues with Sri Lanka, particularly the import ban and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Germans have also sought Sri Lanka’s support for a resolution at the United Nations against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some German companies operating in Sri Lanka have warned that they will be compelled to consider withdrawing from the country if the import ban continues. Sri Lanka has slapped an import ban on several items owing to the shortage of US dollars, but Germany has urged the Government to relax the ban. Click here to read…

Pali and Buddhist Uni. will be converted to an international centre of Buddhist studies – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he has given his consent to several requests made by the Maha Nayaka Theras of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters, during a discussion held yesterday (19) between the Sanga Committee members and the President at the President’s House in Kandy. The President stated that he will urgently work to appoint a competent authority to the Pali and Buddhist University and to turn it into an “International Centre of Buddhist Studies”. This proposal made by the Sangha Committee members is essential and will definitely be implemented to raise the quality of Piriven education. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 16 February 2023

Afghanistan
Afghanistan remains primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia: UN report – The Hindu

Afghanistan remains the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia, with groups such as ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enjoying greater freedom of movement in the country owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy, a UN report has said. Click here to read…

‘India, Iran, China missions in Kabul facing terror risk’ – Hindustan Times

The embassies of India, China, and Iran in Kabul face the threat of attack by the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), which has strengthened its capacity faster than anticipated and positioned itself as the primary rival to the Taliban setup in Afghanistan, according to assessments by several countries. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan resumes operations on Afghanistan railroad after dispute – Eurasianet

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed an agreement on an Uzbek-operated railroad that runs on Afghan territory, allowing the full resumption of vital cargo and aid deliveries after a short hiatus. That will come as a relief to Kabul, since the deal resolves a dispute over the railroad Afghanistan uses to receive around half of its imports and much of its humanitarian aid. Click here to read…

ISIS Is the Common Enemy Of Afghanistan, International Community: Khalilzad – Menafn

Zalmay Khalilzad, Former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation says that ISIS is the common enemy of Afghanistan and the International Community. The Afghan-American diplomat on Twitter said that cooperation against ISIS (Daesh) can be an important part of future relations. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
FS Kwatra calls on PM Hasina, reaffirms India’s support for deeper economic partnership with Bangladesh – Economic Times

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday called on Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which he reaffirmed India’s support for wider and deeper development and economic partnership with her country. They also agreed to maintain close engagement in the context of Bangladesh’s participation as a Guest Country during India’s G20 Presidency. Click here to read…

Bangladesh seeks US support for RAB’s capacity building – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday sought US support for increased capacity of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while visiting US state department Counsellor Derek Chollet acknowledged improvement in performance of the Bangladesh’s elite anti-crime police unit. Click here to read…

‘We hope China will help repatriate Rohingyas’ – The Daily Star

State Minister for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman yesterday expressed hope that China will help to repatriate Rohingya people. Enamur made the comments after a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the ministry’s office at Bangladesh Secretariat. “We hope China will play an important role in repatriating forcefully displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar,” said Enamur. Click here to read…

Bhutan
India to help Bangladesh import hydropower from Nepal, Bhutan: FS – United News of Bangladesh

India has assured Bangladesh of extending its cooperation for importing hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India, said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen Wednesday. Talking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, he said they also discussed the “practical problem” in terms of transmission lines inside Bangladesh as there is a need for expanding the transmission network and boosting its capacity. Click here to read…

More bans likely to save dwindling foreign exchange reserves – Kuensel

To save the plummeting country’s foreign exchange reserves, it is likely the government will add more items to the import ban list and monetary measures. In addition to the continuation of the moratorium on vehicle import, the finance ministry has proposed to the Cabinet, a phase-II moratorium to suspend construction loans and put a ban on the import of furniture, processed meat and food items, junk foods, alcohol, and LED television. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives Non-Resident Ambassador presents credentials to President of Finland – Raajje

Aishath Shaan Shakir has presented her credentials as the Non-Resident Ambassador of Maldives to the Federal Republic of Germany. The Maldivian Ambassador to Germany and the Kingdom of Norway as well, Shaan presented her Letter of Credence to President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Young leaders are the strength and future of Maldives – Raajje

The young leaders of today are the strength and future of the country, says First Lady Fazna Ahmed. She said this in her remarks at the virtual opening of the 2nd Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) and the Big Six Movement on Wednesday. As such, she urged the society to pay attention to the growth and development of girl guides and young leaders. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar: Supreme Court Rejects Aung San Suu Kyi’s Appeal On Corruption Charges – Eurasia Review

Myanmar’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal of two corruption charges, sources close to the court told Radio Free Asia. Suu Kyi, 77, was sentenced by a military junta court in October to three years in Naypyidaw Prison for two corruption cases that involved charges of accepting money from Maung Weik, a businessman linked to the military. Click here to read…

Four Myanmar Parties Register for Junta Election – The Irrawaddy

The USDP, FDP and MPD were among 34 parties that met military chief Min Aung Hlaing ahead of the 2020 general election. The party leaders sought the commander-in-chief’s assurance that he would intervene if voting was deemed unfair. They also called for then UEC chairman U Hla Thein to be replaced, saying they do not trust him because he was appointed by the National League for Democracy (NLD). Click here to read…

Kinship across border: How Nagas helped their Myanmar brethren – East Mojo

February marked the second anniversary of the Myanmar coup but on February 2, 2023, residents of Chiu Village, also known as Solo, a Myanmar Naga settlement adjacent to the Indian border in Noklak district of Nagaland were not thinking about any protests. Instead, they watched as a fire caused by a solar panel malfunction gutted over 70 houses and a Morung. Click here to read…

Nepal
Demand to make Nepal a ‘Hindu Nation’ intensifies again, millions of people gathered – News Track Live

The demand to make our neighboring country Nepal a Hindu nation once again has started intensifying and this campaign has also got the support of the country’s former Maharaja Gyanendra Shah. Former king Gyanendra Shah on Monday (February 13) joined an important campaign related to the restoration of the former status of the Hindu state. This was Gyanendra Shah’s first political presence after the end of the monarchy in Nepal. Significantly, this campaign has been launched on a day when the violent Maoist-turned-PM Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Nepal government declared a public holiday in the country to mark the completion of 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to visit India on first foreign trip as Nepal PM soon: Reports – Economic Times

Nepal and India have discussed the possibility of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” visiting New Delhi on his first foreign trip after assuming power in December last year, according to a media report on Wednesday. Prachanda discussed his intention to visit India during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Monday, officials said. Click here to read…

Creating a paper device to improve public health in Nepal – Nature.com

While working on his PhD at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in early 2010, Basant Giri worked with a microfluidic chip, a device half the size of a credit card that can channel the flow of a tiny amount of fluid for early cancer screening. Giri found that these minuscule devices could detect cancer biomarkers using 100-fold lower sample volumes than those required by conventional, bulky laboratory equipment. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pak Hikes Fuel Prices To Historic High With Effect From Today. Details Here – NDTV

Hours after unleashing a tax-loaded mini-budget, Pakistan on Wednesday night hiked up the prices of petrol and gas to a historic high in a bid to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for unlocking the critical loan tranche, reported Geo News. The petrol price has been increased to 272 rupees per litre after an increase of 22.20 rupees, a press release from the Finance Division read, noting that the surge has taken place due to the rupee’s devaluation against the dollar. Click here to read…

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in H1 2023, says Moody’s economist – Times of India

Inflation in Pakistan could average 33% in the first half of 2023 before trending lower, and a bailout from the International Monetary Fund alone is unlikely to put the economy back on track, a senior economist with Moody’s Analytics told Reuters. Click here to read…

Fitch downgrades Pakistan’s rating; warns default a ‘real possibility’ – India Today

The beleaguered Pakistani economy faces substantial credit risks with “critically low levels” of foreign exchange reserves, New York-based global ratings agency Fitch said on Tuesday, warning that a default is a “real possibility.” Fitch downgraded Pakistan’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) to ‘CCC-’ from ‘CCC+’, citing further worsening in liquidity and policy risks. Click here to read…

Pakistan court cancels bail of ex-PM Imran Khan in Election Commission protest case – The Hindu

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Wednesday rejected the bail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for failing to attend the court hearing of a case linked to protests outside the election commission, a ruling which could lead to his arrest. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists staged a protest after Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case last year. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
China silent on debt reduction targets for Sri Lanka to get IMF bailout loan – Economic Times

China on Wednesday said it supports debt-trapped Sri Lanka’s efforts to get the much-needed IMF bailout facility but parried questions on reports that it will not follow the global lender’s debt reduction targets for it to clear the relief package. Last month, China gave Sri Lanka the financing assurances required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock a USD 2.9 billion bailout package for the country, days after India strongly backed the island nation’s efforts to secure the loan from the global lender to recover from its worst-ever economic crisis. China’s EXIM Bank has issued a letter granting Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on repayment and agreeing with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Click here to read…

The Geopolitics of Sri Lanka’s Energy Crisis – Diplomat

Two top foreign officials visited Sri Lanka within a fortnight spanning late January and early February. The optics of these tightly choreographed events may have obscured the nuts-and-bolts objectives sought by the United States and India. As Quad members, the two powers are on the same page in their bid to counter China’s influence the region. With Sri Lanka going through its worst-ever economic crisis and on its knees for an IMF bailout, diplomatic interactions with such visitors take place in the shadow of a glaring power imbalance. Click here to read…

Defence co-operation with Sri Lanka explored at Aero India – Economy Next

Sri Lanka’s State Minister for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon at an aviation confab has brought out the potential for greater defence co-operation between the two countries, India’s embassy in Colombo said. Forums like Aero India can be used for defence cooperation through joint ventures, co-development and production whilst investing in research and development, the High Commission quoted Minister Tennakoon as saying.Minister Tennakoon had been accompanied by a business delegation from Sri Lanka to identify avenues for greater cooperation. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Sri Lanka underline strong defence ties – Island

Sri Lankan Defence leadership has stressed the importance of maintaining existing strong military-to-military cooperation and expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s unstinted support in the past.The following is the text of statement issued by Pakistan High Commission in Colombo after the five-day visit undertaken by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI (M), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Pakistan. It was his maiden overseas visit after his appointment as CJCSC. He arrived in Sri Lanka on 9th Feb on special invitation of his counterpart General Shavendra Silva, and was accorded a red carpet reception and a traditional welcome upon his arrival at BIA. During his stay, General Sahir called on the President of Sri Lanka, Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Commanders of Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Air Force. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 10 February 2023

Afghanistan
Putin Says Afghan Humanitarian Condition Has ‘Deteriorated’ – Tolo News

Russian President Vladmir Putin pointed out that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated, with “four million” Afghans needing urgent emergency assistance. The fifth multilateral meeting of security envoys was held on Wednesday in Moscow. The meeting lasted for two days. Click here to read…

ISIL-K threatened to launch terrorist attacks against Indian embassy in Afghanistan: UN report – India Today

The ISIL-K have threatened to launch terrorist attacks against the embassies of India, Iran and China in Afghanistan and by targeting them, the terror group sought to undermine the relationship between the Taliban and the UN member states in the Central and South Asia region, according to a UN report. Click here to read…

$40 million in cash as humanitarian aid reaches Afghanistan – India Blooms

A fresh batch of $40 million in cash as humanitarian aid reached the cash-strapped and war-torn Afghanistan on Wednesday, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank, said in a statement on Thursday. This is the second batch of cash as humanitarian aid arrived in Afghanistan since Jan. 14 as part of the international community’s support to help the economically impoverished country to enhance its foreign exchange reserve. Click here to read…

India-Russia to implement Strategic Partnership as country remains an important stakeholder in Afghanistan: NSA – Financial Express

Ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in the first week of March, NSA Ajit Doval is on a two day visit to Moscow and called on President Vladimir Putin. He also participated in the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/National Security Advisers on Afghanistan, he also called on President Vladimir Putin. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
PM seeks more Japanese investment in various sectors in Bangladesh – New Age

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the Japanese investors to come up with robust investment in Bangladesh’s various sectors as Japan Bank for International Cooperation governor Nobumitsu Hayashi paid a courtesy call on her. ‘Japan is a trusted partner of Bangladesh,’ PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam quoted her as saying while briefing the newsmen after the meeting at the premier’s official Ganabhaban residence in the city. Click here to read…

Saudi businesses interested to invest in Bangladesh – TBS

The businesses of Saudi Arabia is very much interested to invest in Bangladesh as a high-profile delegation of the Kingdom, led by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammad bin Salman Al-Saud, would take part in the Bangladesh Business Summit in March next. Click here to read…

Sugar exports at 2.7 mn tonnes in FY23 so far; Bangladesh top market: AISTA – Business Standard

India has exported 27.83 lakh tonnes of sugar till February 9 of the ongoing 2022-23 marketing year, with Bangladesh and Indonesia being the top markets, trade body AISTA said on Thursday. The sugar marketing year runs from October to September. The government has allowed export of 60 lakh tonnes till May of the 2022-23 marketing year. According to AISTA, mills have exported a total of 27,83,536 tonnes of sugar from October 1, 2022 to February 9 this year. Click here to read…

Bhutan
RMA revises foreign exchange quota to limit misuse – Kuensel

To curb the thriving informal foreign exchange market, the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA), has revised the foreign exchange quota from February 6 this year. An official from the authority said that their study found an increase in the drawings of convertible currencies (USD) and Indian Rupee (INR) by travellers abroad. “The authority is doubtful of the misuse of the quota.” Click here to read…

Indo-Bhutan relationship touching new heights – The Sentinel

India and Bhutan’s relationship is climbing to a new height as New Delhi has been proactively supporting Bhutan in its efforts to establish a digital infrastructure, The Bhutan Live reported. On January 31, the Indian government announced its help for the development of Bhutan’s third international internet gateway. Click here to read…

Maldives
The Maldives: geopolitics of Chinese tourism – Lowy Institute

As 2023 kicks off with China reopening its borders, the Maldives is holding its breath in anticipation of a returning influx of Chinese tourists. But 2023 is also a presidential election year and like any other country, the Maldives is not immune to geopolitics. With a presidential election set for September, Maldivian candidates need to balance the economy and Beijing. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Anwar urges Thailand to step up on Myanmar crisis – Jakarta Post

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim asked Thailand on Thursday to play a bigger role in bringing stability to coup-hit Myanmar, as diplomatic efforts to bring peace there flounder. Anwar held his first bilateral meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha since the former won office late last year. The Thai government has faced international criticism for maintaining normalised ties with Myanmar’s junta and for downplaying alleged atrocities in its neighbour since the country was plunged into chaos following a putsch two years ago. “There’s very little we can do except to continue this so-called constructive engagement with the Myanmar junta,” Anwar told reporters. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta: Rohingya Repatriations Planned – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta says it is working to bring back Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine State for Bangladesh following the military’s supposed counter-insurgency operations in 2017.Junta leaders, including International Cooperation Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Border Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Thet Thet Khaing and Immigration and Population Minister U Myint Kyaing, visited Maungdaw on the Bangladesh border on Sunday and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Click here to read…

10 Myanmar migrant workers arrested in Manipur, India – BN

Regional police arrested 10 Myanmar nationals in Churachandpur District in the Indian state of Manipur. Manipur police arrested Myanmar handloom workers in Vaal area of New Lanka on February 5th. “Last night, the Manipur police raided the handloom factory and arrested about 10 people. Now, no one dares to stay in their own homes and hide in the forest,” said a Myanmar handloom worker in Manipur. Click here to read…

Nepal
Indian foreign secretary visiting Nepal on Monday – The Kathmandu Post

After two back-to-back visits from the United States in a short span of time, it now appears to be New Delhi’s turn to engage with the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is arriving in Kathmandu on Monday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal. Click here to read…

‘Political instability’: Nepal PM ‘Prachanda’ rules out review of Constitution – India Today

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” on Thursday ruled out the review of the country’s Constitution, warning that such a move may lead to “political instability.” Prachanda made these comments at an event organised here to present the preliminary findings of a study on electoral reforms in Nepal. Click here to read…

Biden now invites PM Prachanda for conference amid growing US-China rivalry in Nepal – India Narrative

The United States has invited Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda to the Summit for Democracy to be hosted by President Joe Biden in late March. Samantha Power, administrator of the USAID, who paid a visit to Kathmandu on Tuesday and Wednesday, told a media briefing that Prachanda has been invited to the second Summit for Democracy which is taking place on March 29 and 30 both virtually and physically. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan, IMF fail to reach staff-level pact on bailout package: Report – Hindustan Times

The deadlock persists between Pakistan and International Monetary Fund as the two sides have failed to reach the staff-level agreement to unlock the USD 1.1 billion loan tranche after 10 days of “tough” talks, The News International reported. The development comes as negotiations, which took place between IMF and Pakistan from January 31 to February 9, concluded in Islamabad. The IMF’s mission had arrived in Islamabad to hold talks with Pakistani authorities. Click here to read…

Pakistan Skips Russia-hosted Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan – VOA News

Pakistan confirmed Thursday that it skipped this week’s Russia-hosted multilateral consultations on Afghanistan, suggesting there are other forums in which it can more effectively contribute to the Afghan peace process. Regional countries, including China, India, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan were invited to Wednesday’s security adviser-level meeting in Moscow. Click here to read…

Fuel stations across Pakistan run dry as hoarding, black market sale takes over: Report – Times Now News

Only a few days back, reports of long ques at fuel stations in Pakistan came out indicating how fast the country’s economy was taking a tumble, and to make matter worse, fuel stations in the country are now reportedly shutting down after running out of fuel. Click here to read…

A safe decision? Pakistan to give travel passes to nationality holders in Afghanistan – Firstpost

Authorities in Pakistan’s North Waziristan have announced to issue special cards to Pakistani nationality holders staying in the border areas of Afghanistan in order to facilitate their hassle-free cross-border movement. This comes amid reports of massive spike in terror activities and smuggling of millions of dollars into Afghanistan from Pakistan on a daily basis. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
IMF Insists on Creditor Assurances to Unlock $2.9 Billion Sri Lanka Bailout – Bloomberg

The International Monetary Fund said its approval for a $2.9 billion loan to bail out crisis-riddled Sri Lanka will depend on the island nation securing assurances on debt relief from its bilateral creditors. “Sri Lanka continues to engage with official bilateral creditors to obtain financing assurances and also continues to advance domestic reforms,” an IMF spokesperson said in a statement on the progress of its Extended Fund Facility to the South Asian nation. Click here to read…

In final stages of negotiations with IMF on bailout package: Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe – The Print

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said Sri Lanka was in the final stages of negotiations with the IMF on the much-awaited USD 2.9 billion bailout package that could help the debt-trapped island nation recover from the unprecedented economic crisis. Wickremesinghe also said that his government was having “direct discussions” with Beijing to restructure the country’s debts with China. Click here to read…

Japan asks Sri Lanka to make efforts to regain trust of Japanese companies – Daily Mirror

Japan stressed the need for Sri Lanka to make efforts to regain the trust of Japanese companies and to resolve the issues and concerns of Japanese companies in Sri Lanka for revitalization of their economic activities in Sri Lanka, according to the Japanese embassy in Colombo. Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs Takei Shunsuke who was in Sri Lanka to attend the Independence Day celebration made this point when he had talks with Foreign Minister Ali SabryClick here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 07 February 2023

Afghanistan
Saudi diplomats leave Afghanistan, relocate to Pakistani capital -sources – The Print

Saudi diplomats have left Afghanistan for “training” and will return, the Taliban administration said on Monday, though three sources familiar with the matter said security concerns had contributed to their departure. Click here to read…

Dollars Smuggled From Pakistan Provide Lifeline for the Taliban – Bloomberg

Millions of dollars are being smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan every day, providing some support for the squeezed economy after the US and Europe denied the Taliban regime access to billions in foreign reserves. For Islamabad, the outflows are exacerbating a rapidly developing economic crisis. Click here to read…

Qatar Envoy Speaks with Kabul Officials About Economy, Girls’ Education – Tolo News

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, had discussions with the Islamic Emirate officials regarding politics, the economy, girls’ education, and women’s employment in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh could buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes in Feb-June – Reuters

Bangladesh will buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes between February and June if prices soften further, an energy adviser to the prime minister told Reuters on Monday, in a reversal of a government decision last year to halt spot purchases after prices spiked. “This is a high demand season for us. Ramadan is coming, this is also irrigation season, therefore, if market softens, we will buy 10-12 more spot LNG cargoes,” Bir Bikram Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on the sidelines of the India Energy WeekClick here to read…

Idols at 14 Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh: Report – Hindustan Times

As many as 14 Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by “unidentified miscreants” on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, sparking fear among locals. The incident took place in Baliadangi Upazila area, news agency ANI reported citing local media. Click here to read…

4 direct questions to Bangladesh Home Minister after 14 attacks on Hindu temples | Exclusive

India Today’s Shahidul Hasan Kokhon spoke to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to understand how he perceived the issue and his party’s stand on it. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bangladesh could buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes in Feb-June – Reuters

Bangladesh will buy 10-12 spot LNG cargoes between February and June if prices soften further, an energy adviser to the prime minister told Reuters on Monday, in a reversal of a government decision last year to halt spot purchases after prices spiked. “This is a high demand season for us. Ramadan is coming, this is also irrigation season, therefore, if market softens, we will buy 10-12 more spot LNG cargoes,” Bir Bikram Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on the sidelines of the India Energy WeekClick here to read…

Idols at 14 Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh: Report – Hindustan Times

As many as 14 Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by “unidentified miscreants” on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, sparking fear among locals. The incident took place in Baliadangi Upazila area, news agency ANI reported citing local media. Click here to read…

4 direct questions to Bangladesh Home Minister after 14 attacks on Hindu temples | Exclusive

India Today’s Shahidul Hasan Kokhon spoke to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to understand how he perceived the issue and his party’s stand on it. Click here to read…

Maldives
Beyond Realpolitik: Enlisting the Maldives into the U.S. Indo-Pacific Vision – South Asian Voices

In February 2020, then-U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visited the Maldives to announce plans to open a resident U.S. embassy in the country. That same year, the United States also entered into a “Framework for Defense Cooperation” with the Maldives, committing both countries to uphold peace and security in the Indian Ocean and to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. While bilateral relations date back to 1966, this will mark the first time Washington will have resident diplomatic representation in the Maldives, symbolizing a growing mutual interest in strengthening relations. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Rewards Crony Arms Dealer With Palm Oil Plum – Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime has permitted the US-sanctioned Htoo Group, owned by a notorious arms dealer, to import over US$5.4 million worth of palm oil per month, according to operators in the edible oil business. The Htoo Group of companies is owned by junta crony U Tay Za, who was sanctioned by the US last year for providing arms to Myanmar’s military. The group is currently led by his sons, who have also been targeted by US sanctions. Click here to read…

10 Myanmar immigrants held in Manipur – Times of India

At least 10 Myanmar nationals, including five women, were arrested from Churachandpur district on Sunday afternoon for crossing into the Indian territory illegally without any valid papers. The development took place after 80 illegal immigrants from Myanmar were arrested by a joint security team from Tengnoupal district last month. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal’s RSP quits coalition government, 3 ministers resign – The Telegraph

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the third largest member of the ruling coalition in Nepal, has quit the government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ after he denied reinstatement of the party’s chairperson Rabi Lamichhane to the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. Three ministers of the RSP on Sunday resigned after a joint meeting of the party’s central members and lawmakers decided to quit the government. Click here to read…

After Power, another senior US official is visiting Nepal – The Kathmandu Post

The Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power starts her two-day Nepal visit on Tuesday. And a week after her return, another senior official of the Biden administration is visiting Kathmandu, foreign ministry officials said. Click here to read…

Amid slump in power generation, NEA reduces supply to industrial sector – The Kathmandu Post

The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, the country’s largest power project with a capacity of 456 megawatts (MW), is currently producing just around 77MW of electricity. This, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is due to the reduced water level in the Tamakoshi river with the country seeing no winter rainfall. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Normalisation of India-China relations better for the world; weak Pakistan would not be better for the region, says Russian envoy – The Hindu

The sooner there is normalisation in India-China relations, the better it would be for the world, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said, adding that a weak Pakistan would not be better for the region, India or Afghanistan, and Russia would not do anything detrimental to India in its relations with Islamabad. Mr. Alipov acknowledged that India-Russia ties have been under stress for sometime in terms of economic ties, which had accelerated since last year due to the “tectonic geopolitical” shifts in Europe, referring to the war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Pakistan will lose moral ground on Kashmir if it gives recognition to Israel, says Imran Khan – The Print

“Because Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India, we do make statements on that. About Israel, it was the stated position of the founder of Pakistan and the situation is similar to what is happening in Kashmir,” he said, responding to a query about him not commenting about China’s atrocities towards Uyghur Muslims. Click here to read…

Split-up polls unaffordable, agree Punjab, KP governors – Dawn

Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Monday met his Punjab counterpart Balighur Rehman and caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and agreed that the country could not afford separate elections in current circumstances and, therefore, polls for national and provincial assemblies should be held later this year after the completion of the federal government’s tenure in August. Click here to read…

Analysis: How dependable is US offer of help with terror threat – Dawn

A SPIKE in terrorist attacks in Pakistan has once again forced the United States and its old — but not always close — ally to consider reviving their coordination against terrorism. “There are groups in Afghanistan that pose a threat to both of us, and it’s only appropriate that we coordinate our efforts to counter them,” Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Dawn. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan President Pledges Full Implementation of 13th Amendment – Diplomat

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed the All-Party Leaders Conference on Reconciliation on January 27 that the Cabinet was agreeable to fully implementing the 13th amendment to the constitution. Wickremesinghe said that he is bound to implement the laws of the land. The 13th amendment, he pointed out, is part of the constitution. He reiterated this in his address to the nation on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. Click here to read…

Prez Wickremesinghe Assures To Fix Sri Lanka’s Debt-Ridden Economy – Business World

Amidst the ongoing financial crisis in Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday assured of fixing the debt-ridden country by treating the “root cause” of the malaise and not by administering “painkillers.” The president in his series of tweets suggested systematic change and national unity in conjunction with economic reforms can help the country to achieve prosperity. He further pointed out many of his decisions as unpopular. But this will not let any of my fellow citizens starve or die in queues, he added. Click here to read…

South Asian countries endorse SL’s proposal to set up climate change university – Daily News

Bhutan Education and Skills Development Minister Jai Bir Rai called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Temple Trees yesterday and held detailed discussions on bilateral relations, potential for investments and regional issues. The Prime Minister referred to the historic religious and cultural relations between the two countries and said the efforts must be made to enhance trade, investments and tourism. Minister Jai Bir Rai thanked Sri Lanka for providing scholarships to Bhutanese students to study medicine, engineering, information technology and other courses in premier universities. He also expressed willingness to send Bhutanese teachers and educationists to the South Asian Teacher Education Development Centre set up in Sri Lanka with assistance from UNESCO. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 01 February 2023

Afghanistan
Afghanistan Exported $1.7 Billion Worth of Goods Over Past 10 Months – Tolo News

The office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Economy said that over the past 10 months, the nation’s exports have topped $1.7 billion and that revenue from this has been collected. The office of the deputy Prime Minister said that despite all the difficulties, including the freezing of the nation’s assets and sanctions on the banking industry, the value of the Afghani currency has been maintained against other currencies. Click here to read…

Uzbekistan and Russia explore trade route through Afghanistan – Prensa Latina News

Uzbekistan and Russia analyzed the possibility of setting up a new trade route to the countries of Southeast and South Asia via Afghanistan, the Ministry of Transportation reported. The two governments exchanged views on the potential of the Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan multimodal corridor connecting Russia with Southeast and South Asia, the source said. Click here to read…

Iran to inaugurate trade center in Afghanistan next month – Mehr News Agency

An Iranian trade center is scheduled to be opened in Afghanistan next month, Deputy Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi announced on Tuesday. Referring to the $1.5 billion worth of trade between Iran and Afghanistan in the first 9 months of the current Iranian year (starting from March 21), Mousavi expressed hope that with the opening of Iran’s trade center in Afghanistan, the level of Tehran-Kabul relations will be enhanced. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
69 officials punished by Election Commission over irregularities – Dhaka Tribune

For their involvement in numerous offences, including unethical activities and National Identity Card (NID) forgery, the Election Commission (EC) meted out different punishments to 69 officials and employees. There were 25 first-grade officials among them, including a deputy secretary and a regional election officer. Three second-grade officers were among the 69. The list also included 25 third-grade and 16 fourth-grade officials. Departmental proceedings were started against these 69 between 2018 and 2022. Several of them were sacked, while some were demoted. Many others will not get an increment for one-three years. Others were let off with a warning. Click here to read…

‘Peace remains elusive without CHT accord’ – Daily Star

It is not possible to establish peace in the rest of the country keeping the Chittagong Hill Tracts in an uproar, said speakers at a rally in Chattogram yesterday. The implementation of the CHT Peace Accord is a must to establish peace in the hills, they said in the divisional solidarity rally, organised by CHT Peace Accord Implementation Movement, to mark 25 years of the accord’s signing, in front of Chattogram Jela Parishad Bhaban. Click here to read…

Experts: Fake news threatening human rights, democracy – Dhaka Tribune

Fake news, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech have become more widespread and dangerous with the growth of social media, and experts have called for these insidious threats to be addressed. The high prevalence of fake news is having an impact on democracy, freedom of expression and human rights across the globe, the speakers said on Tuesday at an international seminar at a Dhaka hotel. The event, titled “Fake News: A Threat to Human Rights and Democracy”, was hosted by Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP). Click here to read…

Bangladesh orders 191 ‘anti-State’ news sites blocked – The Hindu

The Bangladesh government has ordered the closure of 191 websites it accuses of publishing “anti-state news”, stoking concerns about media freedom in the South Asian country. Information Minister Hasan Mahmud told Parliament on Monday that the government has instructed the telecoms regulator to close the domains following “reports from intelligence agencies”. He said the sites, which were not named, were “conducting activities that spread confusion among the public”.Click here to read…

Bhutan
Nuns get training in leadership, management skills in Bhutan – ANI

The Bhutan Nuns Foundation recently organised a 10-day capacity-building training programme to educate and empower the country’s nuns, so that they could become agents of change and contribute to society, The Bhutan Live reported. The report further quoted the foundation saying that the nuns rarely get training opportunities due to which their knowledge remains under-utilised. Click here to read…

India Announces Support To Bhutan To Establish Third International Internet Gateway – Republic World

The Embassy of India in Bhutan revealed on Tuesday that the Indian government has announced its support to Bhutan for the establishment of the third international internet gateway. On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Thimphu released a statement and stated that the Indian government will be facilitating a “concessional rate to bring down the cost of operations of the gateway.” The consulate also announced that the initiative is a part of the expanding India-Bhutan digital partnership. Click here to read…

BTP holds first General Assembly – Kuensel Online

At the first general assembly of the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), the party revealed four more candidates after declaring the party president’s profile. The assembly took place at the Royal Institute of Management’s (RIM) multipurpose hall in Semtokha, Thimphu. President Dasho Pem Tshewang offered the new candidates Tashi Khadhars after introducing them to the people. Click here to read…

Maldives
Discussions held on enhancing Maldives-Poland cooperation in tourism, trade – Raajje

Discussions have been held on enhancing cooperation in tourism and trade between the governments of Maldives and Poland. This was done during a farewell call non-resident Ambassador of Poland Adam Burakowski paid on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday. During the meeting held at the President’s Office, the Maldivian leader conveyed greetings and good wishes to Ambassador Burakowski. He went on to express sincere gratitude for the remarkable services rendered under his leadership as the ambassador. The meeting saw President Solih and Ambassador Burakowski expressing keen interest to work closely to discuss matters of mutual interest, especially to enhance and strengthen the existing cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels. Click here to read…

32 percent increase in tourist arrivals – Avas

The Maldives’ tourism has grown by 32.5 percent this year compared to the same period last year. According to the statistics released by the Tourism Ministry, 155,886 tourists arrived in the Maldives as of the 28th of this month. This is a 32.5 percent increase over the same period last year. One hundred seventeen thousand six hundred eight tourists arrived in the Maldives during the same period in 2022. Statistics show that the largest number of tourists visiting the Maldives comes from Russia. Click here to read…

MDP Primary: Nasheed admits defeat – Avas

Parliament Speaker and leader of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘s President, Mohamed Nasheed, has admitted defeat in the party’s Presidential Primary.
Nasheed contested against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in MDP’s presidential primary on Saturday. President Solih received 61 percent with 24,572 votes, against Nasheed’s 15,631 votes — 31 percent. Nasheed did not comment on President Solih’s apparent victory on the day of the election or the day after. Click here to read…

Myanmar
As Myanmar crisis simmers on, sentiments stay in favour of refugees in Mizoram – Indian Express

The Myanmar military’s bombing of Camp Victoria, a key rebel hideout on the Indo-Myanmar border, last week, underlines the continuing instability caused by the nearly two-year coup in the neighbouring country. The unrest also continues to spill over across the border to the northeastern state of Mizoram. Since the coup began in February 2021, thousands of Myanmarese nationals, caught in the crossfire between the Myanmarese Army and pro-democracy rebel forces, have crossed the border and entered India. Click here to read…

Australia targets Myanmar, Iran with economic sanctions – AP News

Australia on Wednesday announced targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against “individuals responsible for egregious human rights abuses” in Myanmar two years after a military junta seized power in the Southeast Asian country. The Myanmar sanctions target 16 members of the military’s governing regime and two military-controlled entities, the government said. Click here to read…

US, allies hit Myanmar with sanctions on coup anniversary – DW

Marking Wednesday’s two-year anniversary of Myanmar’s military coup, the US and its allies announced further sanctions on the country. Washington, along with Canada and the United Kingdom and Australia on Tuesday imposed sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises, energy officials and others, as per a statement by the US Treasury Department. The statement said this was the first time the US had targeted Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) officials, the managing director and deputy managing director. It is the country’s single largest revenue-generating state-owned enterprise. Click here to read…

Nepal
USA to invest over $1 billion in Nepal over next 5 years – Economic Times

The United States of America will invest over $1 billion in Nepal over the next five years in green energy, electrification of the country, small and medium enterprises, women-led businesses and other sectors. The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, US, Victoria Nuland said, “The United States plan to invest over $1 billion in Nepal over the next 5 years in everything from green energy, and electrification of this country to small and medium-sized enterprise particularly investing in the women-led business.” Click here to read…

Nepal ranks 110th in Corruption Perceptions Index – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal has been ranked in 110th position out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index. According to Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, an annual flagship publication of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption group based in Berlin, made public on Tuesday, Nepal made a slight improvement by climbing seven positions in the global rankings. Nepal was ranked in the 117th position in 2021. Click here to read…

‘Lamichhane cannot get ministry back’– The Himalayan

Senior Advocate Mithilesh Kumar Singh said that as per Article 78 (4) Rabi Lamichhane cannot become a minister as the SC invalidated his election to the House of Representatives and the same ought to be interpreted as his defeat. Click here to read…

In deep economic crisis, Nepal may just sail through – Firstpost

The economy in Nepal which was on the path of recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic has further been hit by the Ukraine crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the global economic impact of the war in Ukraine is exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and impacting Nepal’s import-reliant economy, increasing inflation, and decreasing international reserves. Click here to read…

Samantha Power Visiting Nepal: USAID Administrator – The Mirage

Administrator Samantha Power will travel to Kathmandu, Nepal in early February. While there, Administrator Power will meet with civil society leaders, community groups, students, businesses, and government officials to discuss Nepal’s efforts and achievements in becoming a more democratic, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient country. Click here to read…

Pakistan
US envoy, Pakistan officials discuss Afghan Taliban ban on women – The Express Tribune

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West, who visited Pakistan on January 30-31, discussed terrorism and Afghan Taliban’s ban on girls education with top officials including army chief General Syed Asim Munir. In a tweet from his official handle on Tuesday, the US envoy appreciated Pakistan’s hospitality over two days of productive meetings related to Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Pakistan blames ‘security lapse’ for Peshawar mosque blast, 100 dead – The Hindu
Pakistani authorities scrambled Tuesday to determine how a suicide bomber was able to carry out one of the country’s deadliest militant attacks in years, unleashing an explosion in a crowded mosque inside a highly secured police compound in the city of Peshawar. The death toll from the blast climbed to 100. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s corruption perception score falls to worst level in 10 years – Dawn

Although Pakistan managed to maintain its ranking in Transparency International’s Corru­ption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2022, its overall score fell to the lowest level since 2012. According to the report released on Monday, Pakistan ranked 140 out of 180 countries — a position unchanged from 2021. However, its overall CPI score fell to 27 out of 100. Last year, the score was 28 out of 100. Click here to read…

TTP attack on Mianwali police station ‘repulsed’ – Dawn

A day after a deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar claimed over 100 lives, a police station in Mianwali came under a gun attack by a group of heavily armed militants be­longing to banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan (TTP) on Tuesday night. However, police clai­med late at night the attack had been repulsed. Click here to read…

North-west Pakistan in grip of deadly Taliban resurgence – The Guardian

The seemingly uncontrollable resurgence of the TTP in Pakistan had been forewarned by many observers since the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2020, after they seized control from the US-backed government and imposed brutal Islamic rule on the country. The triumph of the Taliban in Afghanistan was celebrated in Islamabad including by the then prime minister, Imran Khan, who said the country had broken from “the shackles of slavery”. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Useful meeting, says Jaishankar after reviewing ties with Sri Lankan envoy – Hindustan Times

External affairs minister Jaishankar said in a tweet that he had a “useful meeting” with Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda and reviewed his recent visit to Lanka and “taking the understandings forward”. The Sri Lankan high commission said in a statement that Moragoda met the external affairs minister to review the current status of the relations between Sri Lanka and India, and to discuss the “way forward and follow-up action, emanating” from Jaishankar’s recent visit to Colombo. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka Is Calm Again. That Doesn’t Mean Things Are Any Better – New York Times

On the surface, calm has returned to Sri Lanka since the South Asian nation plunged into political chaos and virtual bankruptcy last summer. Gone are the fuel lines that snaked for blocks; a seaside expanse that had been the site of a monthslong protest encampment was resplendent over the holidays with Christmas lights and carnival rides. But underneath, the island nation’s economy remains on a ventilator, with the government yet to secure a way out of crushing debt. Sri Lankans have become resigned to a sad reality: pared-down meals, shrunken incomes and reduced expectations. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s ex-President Sirisena apologises for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings – The Hindu

Sri Lanka’s former President Maithripala Sirisena on January 31 extended an apology to the country’s minority Catholic community for the devastating 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians. His apology came weeks after the Supreme Court on January 12 ordered him to pay LKR 100 million (roughly ₹2.2 crores) as compensation to the victims. His failure to pay the victims would send him to jail on contempt of court charges. Mr. Sirisena, the Sri Lankan President from 2015 to 2019, also said he would contest the next presidential election due in 2024. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 19 January 2023

Afghanistan
30 pc decline in imports from Afghanistan via Attari ICP – The Tribune

The decline of 30 per cent in the imports from Afghanistan through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari can be attributed to clashes between Pakistan forces and Taliban fighters on the international border being shared between Afghanistan and Pakistan besides floods in Afghanistan. The trade through Attari-Wagah route dipped as the import from Afghanistan registered a fall of Rs 1,018 c in 2022 (from January 1 to December 31) in comparison to the previous corresponding period (2021). Click here to read…

Dozens of people killed as cold wave sweeps Afghanistan – Al Jazeera

At least 70 people and tens of thousands of cattle have died due to freezing temperatures across Afghanistan, the country’s Ministry of Disaster Management confirmed with Al Jazeera as Afghans reel from a spell of cold weather amid a humanitarian crisis. The ministry said on Wednesday that 70 people and 70,000 cattle have died in the past week. Click here to read…

Qatar Emphasizes Need for Engagement with Islamic Emirate – Tolo News

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani emphasized the need for continued engagement with the Islamic Emirate as he addressed a panel discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Al Thani criticized a number of the recent actions the current government took but said that engagement with the Islamic Emirate was the only way to bring change in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
A deepened friendship between the US and Bangladesh – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh and the US have shared historical experiences. Both nations share a strong belief in democracy and have endured bloody wars to gain their independence. The democratic process is ongoing. The US have witnessed heinous acts of violence and racism. The American people are openly and honestly discussing these concerns, and they are speaking up forcefully to make changes in society and hold lawmakers responsible. Click here to read…

Bangladesh Sents Back Consignment From Embargoed Russian Ship – Marine Insight

On Tuesday, January 17, Bangladesh sent away a Russian ship carrying supplies for their Rooppur nuclear power plant, an incident which has left Russia dissatisfied. The move was made because of the US embargo on the Ursa Major ship. According to international laws, a country that allows embargoed vessels to dock at ports also faces embargo charges. The ship was slated to dock on Dec 24. However, the US government alerted Bangladesh on Dec 22 about its embargo status, which was relayed to the Russian Ambassador Alexander Mantitsky by Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry’s Maritime Affairs Secretary Khorshed Alam. Click here to read…

‘PM Hasina should get Nobel prize for hosting Rohingyas’ – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel prize for her humanitarian and responsible policy in hosting the Rohingyas, the speakers said during a discussion Wednesday. They were addressing the discussion “Rohingya’s: Victims of Genocide and Looking for Answers” organised by the Entrepreneurship Economics Program of the Dhaka School of Economics. The speakers also urged the international community to play a strong role in the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Sea ‘a graveyard’ as number of Rohingya fleeing Bangladesh by boat soars

The number of Rohingya refugees taking dangerous sea journeys in the hope of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia has surged by 360%, the UN has announced after hundreds of refugees were left stranded at the end of last year. Rohingya in Bangladesh refugee camps have warned that human smugglers have ramped up operations and are constantly searching for people to fill boats from Myanmar and Bangladesh headed for Malaysia, where people believe they can live more freely. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Foreign Secretary in Thimphu days after China-Bhutan border talks – The Tribune

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra reached Thimphu on Wednesday on a three-day visit. Kwatra will hold talks with his counterpart Pema Choden, besides calling on the country’s top leadership. He will also co-chair the 4th India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks. India is Bhutan’s largest benefactor and had earmarked $282 million for its development during 2022-23. The focus of the visit is expected to be on boosting cooperation in the hydropower sector, defence ties and reviewing the situation in the strategically sensitive Doklam tri-junction. Click here to read…

Maldives
India, Maldives must together ensure regional security: EAM S Jaishankar – The Tribune

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached the Maldives on Wednesday as part of his two-leg overseas tour and with his counterpart Abdullah Shahid reviewed India’s ambitious development projects in the island that will far surpass earlier Chinese efforts at building infrastructure there. After the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion, Jaishankar said it was one of the most anticipated projects. He said at a press conference that another equally ambitious project, the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), would become an “economic corridor”. Click here to read…

India announces 100 million Maldivian Rufiyaa for community development projects in Maldives – News on Air

Dr. Jaishankar held discussions with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on strengthening India-Maldives cooperation and took stock of ongoing development projects financed by India in Maldives. He said the MoUs and agreements are a reaffirmation of a strong developmental partnership between the two countries. He expressed happiness on witnessing an MoU between Maldivian National University and Kochi University of Science & Technology. The minister said India has handed over two sea ambulances to help the MALDIVES NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE (MNDF). He also said India has completed 23 out of 45 impactful community development projects. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Leaked Memo Shows Resistance Growing Beyond Control – Irrawaddy

Leaked minutes from a top-level “counterterrorism” meeting led by Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Soe Htut show the junta is at its wit’s end after failing to drum up public support to crush the shadow National Unity Government (NUG). Click here to read…

Kokang: Caught Between Myanmar and China – Irrawaddy

One of the most unexpected developments in the struggle against Myanmar’s latest military dictatorship is the support for the resistance that has come from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). An ethnic armed organization (EAO), the MNDAA is based in Kokang in the far northeastern corner of Shan State in eastern Myanmar. More than 90 per cent of Kokang’s population of approximately 150,000 people are ethnic Chinese of Yunnan descent, and the region’s cultural, personal and even political ties with China have always been strong. Click here to read…

Singapore doesn’t authorise transfer of arms to Myanmar, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Print

Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or “items with potential military application” to Myanmar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, rebutting a report which claimed it functions as a “strategic transit point” for items that “feed” the junta’s weapon production. Click here to read…

Nepal
India stealing a march on China on rail connectivity with Nepal? – Kathmandu Post

As a Chinese technical team started a feasibility study for the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway, India has almost completed a detailed feasibility study for the Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway project, officials at the Department of Railways said. The two projects highlight the geopolitical rivalry between the two neighbouring giants who are competing for influence in Nepal. Click here to read…

Ghimire and Neupane in the House Speaker race – Kathmandu Post

Dev Raj Ghimire of the CPN-UML and Ishwari Neupane of the Nepali Congress have on Wednesday filed nominations for the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The election is scheduled for Thursday morning. Neupane’s candidacy was proposed by Congress lawmaker Bishwa Prakash Sharma and was seconded by Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist). The Congress and the Unified Socialist, both of which had voted for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a floor test in Parliament on January 10, had earlier decided to field their own candidate against the ruling alliance’s candidate for Speaker. Click here to read…

Rastriya Swatantra Party goes against its own policy as it picks plum Cabinet posts – KathmanduPost

The party has disregarded its own commitment to cutting the costs of legislatures and the executive, cutting off unnecessary positions, as they bargained for, and heartily accepted the deputy prime minister and state minister in the power sharing. The party’s change in tone and action, soon after emerging as the fourth largest force in the Parliament from its first foray into parliamentary politics, is now widely criticised by political commentators and experts. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Rice can’t cushion fall – Island

The prospect of having to face an election always fills an unpopular regime with horror and has a sobering effect on self-important politicians intoxicated with power. The SLPP-UNP government has awakened to the fact that many people are starving, and something needs to be done urgently to help them. It has decided to provide 10 kilos of rice each, free of charge, to two million families per month for a period of two months. Technically, the proposed handout amounts to an election bribe in all but name, for the Cabinet decision thereon came after the Election Commission (EC) had initiated the process of conducting the local government (LG) elections. But only those with a callous disregard for the suffering of the poor will be able to bring themselves to oppose the distribution of free rice irrespective of the government’s ulterior motive. Click here to read…

China opposes Dalai Lama’s planned visit to Sri Lanka – Devdiscourse

China on Tuesday opposed a suggested visit by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka, saying the bankrupt island nation must safeguard the bilateral relationship. A top Chinese embassy official here met the powerful Buddhist prelates in the central town of Kandy to express opposition to the visit for which no dates have been fixed yet, a statement from the embassy said. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka hopes for ‘good news’ from Jaishankar’s two-day visit starting Thursday – Devdiscourse

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s two-day visit here starting Thursday is anticipated with much hope given Sri Lanka’s crucial negotiations with the IMF to secure a USD 2.9 billion bridge loan for a bailout to come out of the economic crisis. His visit comes two days after President Ranil Wickremesinghe Tuesday announced in Parliament a breakthrough in talks with India to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt, saying the discussions have been successful. Click here to read…

Govt. goes ahead with Election Expenses Bill despite Opposition’s objections – Daily News

The government decided yesterday (18) to present the Bill to regulate election expenses, which discloses parties giving money for election campaigns, despite the Opposition’s objections. Although agreement was not expressed by the Opposition during a special meeting held at the Parliament premises with the participation of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, representatives of the ruling party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Maithripala Sirisena under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was announced that the Act will be presented. Click here to read…