Tag Archives: Russia

China Weekly Digest 15 February-28 February 2023

India-China Relations
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s reality check on China : The India China Newsletter, March 1, 2023

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s visit to India, and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s recent interview and comments on relations with China, and what they tell us about where things stand between the two countries. Click here to read…

Chinese foreign minister to attend G20 meeting : Business Standard, March 1, 2023 : Business Standard, March 1, 2023

Newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang will attend the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New Delhi on March 2, 2023. Click here to read…
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China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang is expected to visit India in March : The Diplomat, Feb 24, 2023

China standing “ready” implies that for the relationship to go back to normal, the ball is in India’s court, as Beijing will not be softening its posture at the border. In this context and at this juncture, it is worth analyzing where former Foreign Minister Wang Yi left off.Click here to read…

India-China Bilateral meeting at physical mode in Beijing : Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India Feb 22, 2023

After 3 years, on 22 Feb 2023, India and Chinese officials had in person talk in Beijing on the standoff along the Line of Actual Control. To achieve this objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next (18th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels. Click here to read…
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China International Affairs
China appreciates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s positive comments on China-Russia relations : Xinhua News, Feb 17, 2023

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on the 16th that China appreciates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s positive comments on China-Russia relations and is willing to work with Russia to promote comprehensive strategic coordination between the two countries in the new era. The partnership continues to move forward. The level of mutual trust between Russia and China is unprecedented, and the two sides are working together to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries. Russia-China relations have become the cornerstone of a multipolar global order, injecting balance and stability into international affairs. Click here to read…

China releases position paper on Ukraine crisis political settlement : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China, Feb 24, 2023

“For a safer world, we must all insist on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, on the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation, on returning to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter” .Wang Yi
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On the Eve of 1st anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict : Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People’s Republic of China Feb 16, 2023

Over the past year, all participants have done what they could and got what they deserved. Ukraine has suffered heavy casualties — 42,000 of its own troops and 38,700 foreign volunteers — and its population has been sharply reduced as 13.3 million people fled the country and 8.5 million Ukrainians were absorbed by Russia after the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson. In addition, large cities and small towns were bombed and weapons, equipment, bridges and other infrastructure were destroyed. The Ukrainian people have had a hard time. While having suffered immeasurable losses, Ukraine has to carry on the proxy war for the U.S. and the EU and thus has become the biggest loser in the conflict.Click here to read…
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Zelensky wants Xi Jinping meeting following China’s peace points : BBC Nes, Feb 28, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he plans to meet China’s leader Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing’s proposals on ending the war in Ukraine. The 12-point document does not specifically say that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine and the Chinese authorities have so far not publicly responded to Zelensky’s call for a summit with Xi. Click here to read…

Lei Feng Spirit – Li Xi’s CCDI Work Report – Military Financial Work Guideline : People’s Daily, Feb 24, 2023

The paper is basically a compilation of 12 points, which have been part of Beijing’s public positions on the war. No one who reads this can come away with the idea that China is in any way a neutral mediator. It clearly views the conflict in Ukraine as a product of what it says is Cold War mentality and an outdated European security architecture. Click here to read…

Chinese envoy urges NATO to contribute positively to world peace, Stability : China Military Voice. Feb 19 ,2023

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun said, “We urge NATO to draw lessons from history, abandon the obsolete Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and stop dangerous acts of creating imaginary enemies, destabilizing Europe, and messing up Asia Pacific. It should contribute positively to world peace and stability, instead of merely being a troublemaker,” Click here to read…

China- Domestic Affairs
2nd Plenary session of 20th party Committee held in Beijing : Xinhua News, Feb 26, 2023

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) started its second plenary session in Beijing on Sunday afternoon. The plenum will review a draft plan on reform of Party and state institutions, and the proposed name lists of candidates for the leading positions of state institutions to be recommended by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress and candidates for the leading positions of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to be recommended to the first session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC. Click here to read…
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Xi Jinping’s speech on ‘Party and State Institutional Reform’: People’s Daily, March 1, 2023

General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech in the Political Bureau Central Committee Meeting on Party and State Institutional Reform and carry forward the great spirit of party building, keep in mind the “three musts”, be self-confident, self-improving, upright and innovative, Forge ahead, work tenaciously, firmly promote Chinese-style modernization, and work together to achieve the goals and tasks set by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Click here to read…

The next chief of staff draws speculation before leadership shuffle : Nikkei Asia, Fen 27, 2023

The successor to Chinese president Xi Jinping’s Chief of the staff has yet to be names as a new Vice Premier. Click here to read…

Pensioners protest as China’s healthcare system struggles to recover from COVID spending : China Project. Feb 15, 2023

Crowds of elderly Chinese people took to the streets in Wuhan and Dalian to protest local healthcare reforms. While protests aren’t that rare in China, such public anger at its cash-strapped healthcare system may signal waning trust in the government. Click here to read…

Labour on China, Solar panelling and Xinjiang, Truss in Japan, Xinjiang visit : Substack. Feb 19, 2023

Although Parliament was on recess this week, three stories floating around Westminster are worth unpacking. The first involves the so-called Chinese “spy balloons”, the second a visit to London by Erkin Tuniyaz, the governor of Xinjiang, and the third a planned intervention from the Foreign Secretary dubbed “the great clarification”. Click here to read…

Chinese modernization is a new model for human advancement : China Daily. Feb 27, 2023

This new era presents to the world a country willing to work with the other countries to uphold the common values of humankind, and pursue peace and development while helping build a community with a shared future for all. The pragmatic approach on cooperation with other countries, China being a largest trading partner with more than 140 countries and regions and leads the world in total merchandise trade. Click here to read…

2nd Plenary session of 20th party Committee held in Beijing : Xinhua News, Feb 26, 2023

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) started its second plenary session in Beijing on Sunday afternoon. The plenum will review a draft plan on reform of Party and state institutions, and the proposed name lists of candidates for the leading positions of state institutions to be recommended by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress and candidates for the leading positions of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to be recommended to the first session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC. Click here to read…

China-Economy-Technology and Development
U.S. Assaults Multilateral Trading System : China-US Focus, Feb 21, 2023

China and the United States were recently reported to have clashed again on the shore of the usually placid Lake Geneva in late January. However, the haggling at the World Trade Organization is not so much a contest between the world’s two largest economies as it is a battle between the U.S. and all other WTO members. At stake is the integrity, or even survival, of the world trade body. Chinese Ambassador to the WTO Li Chenggang characterized the U.S. as a “unilateral bully” and “rule breaker.” Click here to read…

China has reiterated its call for multilateral development banks (MDBs) :The Diplomat, Feb 22, 2023

The first session was held virtually last Friday, and the second session will be held in person on the margins of the G-20 meeting in India. The topic is fraught. Some coverage has implied China is using this position as a deliberate excuse to itself avoid a push from the United States and IMF to provide debt relief. Click here to read…

The changing economic security policies vis-à-vis China : Merics Report, Feb 22, 2023

Countries are adopting ever larger and more complex sets of policies to protect their security and strategic assets, and to diversify their supply chains– all to make sure they are not exposed to security risks and that their economies are resistant to shocks and weaponization by third countries. Click here to read…

Renewed China energy demand threatens to fuel global inflation : NikkeiAsia, feb 25, 2023

China’s appetite for energy is roaring back as its economy recovers from a downturn caused by its draconian Zero-Covid policy. Many pundits are worried about that a surge in China’s imports on crude oil and other energy resources could push those price higher, fuelling inflation higher. Click here to read…

Intellectual Debate on Global South: Building a new International System : Sinification. Feb 18 , 2023

How to respond to the growing political divide between China and the West marked by partial decoupling, security alliances, and the risk of sanctions, amongst other things, continues to be a major topic of discussion among China’s intellectual elite. As already evidenced in previous editions of this newsletter, opinions vary considerably. Those presented here so far have ranged from Da Wei (达巍) stressing the importance of preserving if not strengthening ties with the West and Shen Wei (沈伟) arguing in favour of reforming the WTO and building up a network of free trade agreements to Ye Hailin (叶海林) emphasising the need for China to demonstrate its military might to demobilise US allies and Lu Feng (路风) calling for self-reliance and greater assertiveness in the field of tech. A certain amount of overlap certainly exists among these perspectives but the differences are nonetheless striking. Click here to read…
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China-Military Affairs

China, Russia, South Africa to hold joint maritime exercise : China Military Online, Feb 19,2023

China, Russia and South Africa, from February 20 to 27, the navies of the three countries will hold the second joint maritime exercise in the eastern waters and airspace from Durban to Richards Bay of South Africa, said the Chinese defense ministry in a written statement on Sunday. And the focus of this exercise is “the joint operation to safeguard the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities”.Click here to read…

Intellectual Debate on Global South: Building a new International System : Sinification. Feb 18 , 2023

How to respond to the growing political divide between China and the West marked by partial decoupling, security alliances, and the risk of sanctions, amongst other things, continues to be a major topic of discussion among China’s intellectual elite. As already evidenced in previous editions of this newsletter, opinions vary considerably. Those presented here so far have ranged from Da Wei (达巍) stressing the importance of preserving if not strengthening ties with the West and Shen Wei (沈伟) arguing in favour of reforming the WTO and building up a network of free trade agreements to Ye Hailin (叶海林) emphasising the need for China to demonstrate its military might to demobilise US allies and Lu Feng (路风) calling for self-reliance and greater assertiveness in the field of tech. A certain amount of overlap certainly exists among these perspectives but the differences are nonetheless striking. Click here to read…
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Xi & the Party School – How Xi’s Two Sessions Engagements Shape Policy – 2522 Framework : People’s Daily, Feb 28, 2023
The first part of the article basically tells us that on December 11, 2015, the first national party schools work conference in the new era was held. Xi had then talked about the role of these institutions as the “main channels for the Party to educate and train party members and leading cadres.” Click here to read…

Xi and Putin have declared a new Cold War : Telegraph.UK, Feb 27, 2023

Our global order is in deep trouble. It is now more protectionist and more divided than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Our post-Cold War complacency has seen autocratic states multiply in recent years. Click 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 – 22 February 2023

Afghanistan
Top Kashmir jihad commander who led Indian suicide bombers in Afghan IS attacks believed killed – The Print

Kashmir-born jihad commander Ejaz Ahmad Ahanger — alleged to have led an Islamic State cell responsible for a series of suicide attacks by Indian nationals in Kabul and Jalalabad — is believed to have been killed in southern Afghanistan, intelligence officials, as well as members of his family, have told ThePrint. Click here to read…

Thousands of trucks stuck as Taliban shut key Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossing – Deccan Herald

A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained closed for a third day, with thousands of goods vehicles stuck and businesses facing losses as officials from both sides try to broker a solution. Taliban authorities on Sunday closed Torkham, the main point of transit for travellers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Massive blast hits Kabul mosque, sparks tension in Afghanistan – Firstpost

Afghanistan’s capital Kabul was shaken by yet another explosion on Tuesday. A blast took place near the Ziyarat Mazjid Abul Fazl Shrine in central Kabul. According to media reports, there has been no information about casualties or possible damages from the explosion yet. Click here to read…

Fresh batch of USD 40 mln in cash aid reaches Afghanistan – United News of India

A fresh batch of 40 million U.S. dollars in cash that came as humanitarian aid reached the cash-strapped and war-torn Afghanistan on Tuesday, a statement of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank said. This is the fourth batch of cash as humanitarian aid arrived in Afghanistan since Feb. 9 as part of the international community’s support to help the economically impoverished country to enhance its foreign exchange reserve. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh demands Bangla be adopted as UN’s official language – BS

A senior Bangladesh minister on Tuesday exhorted the United Nations to formally adopt Bangla as one of its official languages, on the day when the country celebrated the Language Martyrs Day to commemorate the pioneers of the Bengali language movement. The UN has six official languages — English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly held last year, it adopted Bangla, Hindi and Urdu as the non-official languages following an India-sponsored resolution. Click here to read…

Russia summons Bangladesh envoy over sanctioned ships dispute – Reuters

Russia summoned the ambassador of Bangladesh on Tuesday to protest over Dhaka’s decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports. Bangladesh earlier this month banned dozens of Russian ships that have fallen under Western sanctions from entering its territorial waters, citing the need to comply with the restrictions. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it had told Bangladesh’s ambassador in Moscow that the move was not in line with “traditionally friendly bilateral relations and may adversely affect the prospects for cooperation in various fields”.Click here to read…

Why Did Bangladesh’s Kuki Chin Flee to India’s Northeast? – The Diplomat

Since November last year, over 200 Kuki Chin people have fled their homes in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts to take shelter in the Indian state of Mizoram. The Kuki Chin have ethnic ties with the Mizos in India and were fleeing military operations by the Bangladesh security forces in the restive CHT. Click here to read…

Bhutan
India supporting Bhutan in efforts to establish digital infrastructure – ANI

The relations between India, and Bhutan are touching new heights as the India has been consistently supporting Bhutan in its efforts to establish a digital infrastructure, The Bhutan Live reported. The Indian government recently announced that it is going to help Bhutan in building its third international internet gateway. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives holds first strategic dialogue between the Maldives and UK – Raajje

The First Strategic Dialogue between the Maldives and the United Kingdom (UK) at the Senior Officials level has been held in Maldives. The First Strategic Dialogue between the Maldives and UK was held in a hybrid format, on 20 February. Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the discussions of the dialogue focused on thematic areas including economic and trade cooperation, security cooperation, governance, democracy, human rights and rule of law, environment and climate change, higher education, visas and immigration and regional and international cooperation. Following the discussions, the two countries agreed to establish Maldives-UK working group on maritime security and a working group on trade. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed to formalize the Ocean Country Partnership Program under the UK’s Blue Planet Fund. Click here to read…

Myanmar
At Least 30 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Clashes in Yedashe – Irrawaddy

At least 30 junta military troops were killed in clashes with resistance fighters in Yedashe Township, Bago Region on Feb. 16, according to the Taungoo District Battalion of the People’s Defense Force (PDF) and residents. A combined force of Taungoo District Battalion 3501’s companies 4 and 6, under the PDF of the National Unity Government, launched an attack on a junta military column near Zayit Yoe Kone Village at around 9 a.m. on Feb. 16. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Delivers State Honors—Whether Recipients Want Them or Not – Irrawaddy

Junta-appointed chief ministers and military commanders have been hand-delivering honorary titles bestowed on citizens by junta boss Min Aung Hlaing after the recipients failed to show up in Naypyitaw last month to accept the awards personally.While many of the title recipients are junta loyalists, some were honored posthumously, and some, it seems, unwillingly. Click here to read…

Challenges to India–Myanmar relations and their impact on the Act East Policy – The Sangaie Express

In the early 1990s, as the global economy was expanding, India’s ‘Look East Policy’ (LEP) signalled a strategic change in its international outlook from the Cold War era. This involved a renewed foreign policy (‘Act East Policy’ (AEP) push to deepen interactions with the Southeast Asian region. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bloc, established in 1967, has become a global economic powerhouse in the 21st century and India, for its part, views itself as a key trading and investment partner in this region. It thus places great importance on maintaining a cordial relationship with Myanmar, which serves as a key gateway to Southeast Asia. Click here to read…

Nepal
Oli’s offer has Madhav Nepal dreaming of Sheetal Niwas – The Kathmandu Post

Former prime minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Kumar Nepal suddenly finds himself thrust to the spotlight following news reports that CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has proposed Nepal as a possible presidential candidate. Nepal is also eager to run for the President in a vote scheduled for March 9, but the question remains whether the political parties will agree to make him their ‘consensus candidate’ for the top job. Click here to read…

Access tunnel of 140 MW Tanahun hydro project built – The Kathmandu Post

Tanahun hydropower project has built the access tunnel as a part of its first phase of infrastructure construction. The 140-megawatt project is being constructed in Damauli. According to the project, the tunnel is 436-metre-long with a 7-metre diameter of entrance. Rajabhai Shilpakar, project chief, said that the tunnel will facilitate transporting construction materials and equipment to the upper side of the proposed dam construction area. In the first phase, a 140-metre-tall dam will be built. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Top Hizb commander Bashir Ahmad Peer shot dead in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi – The Tribune

In a major setback to the Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, the launching commander of the outfit Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam was killed on Monday in Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Peer was killed on Monday evening after an assailant shot at him from point-blank range outside a shop in Rawalpindi. Click here to read…

Pakistan, ready to sell US embassy property, can cover imports only for 3 more weeks – Mint

Islamabad now intends to raise money by selling a property associated with its embassy in Washington. As of December 2022, for a building that formerly housed the defence section of the nation’s embassy in the US capital, Pakistan received three offers. Click here to read…

Pakistan Nears IMF Bailout Pact After Tax Plan Approved – Bloomberg

Pakistan is inching closer to reviving a $6.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund after the parliament approved on Monday the plan to roll out higher taxes. An agreement is expected to be finalized within three days after most issues were resolved, ARY News reported, citing Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, secretary at the finance ministry. A bill that will increase the general levy to 18% from 17% and boost tax on imports of luxury items such as mobile phones to 25% from 17% was approved by the parliament. Click here to read…

Amid massive spike, Pakistan bans TV coverage of terror attacks – Firstpost

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned TV channels across the country from covering terror attacks as it “creates panic and unwarranted chaos among the viewers not only in the country but also Pakistanis living abroad.” The latest order by Pakistan’s electronic media regulatory body comes in continuation to the earlier ones asking TV channels to adhere to the provisions of the PEMRA Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015, Geo News reported. Click here to read…

For Pakistan to find way out, nobody reaches difficult situation without cause: EAM Jaishankar – The Economic Times

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that Pakistan’s future will be largely determined by its own actions and choices and it is for the neighbouring country to find a way out of its economic troubles. In an exclusive interview with ANI, the minister referred to India’s assistance to Sri Lanka during the economic crisis faced by the island country and said it is a very different relationship. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
‘No money to print ballot papers’: Bankrupt Sri Lanka to postpone local elections, Opposition cries foul – Times Now

The March 9 vote was meant to be a key test of support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in July after months of protests over a dire economic crisis. According to a court submission by the Election Commission, the treasury has refused to fund the printing of ballot papers, fuel or police protection for polling booths. Click here to read…
Courts can rule on election date, but cannot save the economy – Daily Mirror
Courts can rule on election date, but cannot save the economy, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said addressing a business and legal forum in Kandy. “Although political parties can go to courts to decide when the election should be held, the economy cannot be saved by courts,” President Wickremesinghe said, stating that the responsibility of saving the country’s economy falls on the Parliament. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 15 February 2023

Afghanistan
Taliban Divided: Interior Min says Afghanistan in “intolerable” state, spokesperson rebuts – Firstpost

Haqqani’s comments came amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Last year in December, the hard-line group banned university education for women in Afghanistan, apart from other obscurantist moves to curb natural freedoms of the people Click here to read…

Taliban forces kill 3 Daesh members in raid on Kabul building – Arab News

Taliban intelligence forces killed three Daesh militants and arrested one in an overnight operation in the Afghan capital of Kabul, an official said Tuesday. The raid on a residential building targeted Daesh militants who organized recent attacks in the capital, said Khalil Hamraz, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for Afghanistan’s general director of intelligence. He called the target in the Karti Naw neighborhood an important Daesh hideout. Click here to read…

Feb.15 Marks 34th Anniversary of Soviet Withdrawal – Tolo News

Wednesday, 15 February 2023, marks the 34th anniversary of the withdrawal of the former Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Many of the survivors of the Soviet attacks said that Russian soldiers in Afghanistan committed mass killings. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
AL’s counter to BNP on streets raises fear of violence – New Age

The ruling Awami League’s recent tendency to announce a counter-programme on the same day as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s programme has put the country’s two major political parties on a collision course, raising fear of violence. Speaking with New Age, senior politicians, and political analysts said that these counter-political street programmes were a serious worry that may put people’s lives in danger in the coming days as the next general election drew closer. Click here to read…

Unit 1 of Rampal plant to resume power generation Wednesday – Dhaka Tribune

Unit-1 of the 1329MW Rampal coal-fired power plant will resume production from Wednesday, still under a test run that started in August before being discontinued last month. According to official sources, Unit-1, having 660MW capacity, was forced to shut down on January 14 due to shortage of coal supply. The authorities of the power plant were unable to open any letter of credit (LC) to import coal due to the dollar crisis. Click here to read…

Let’s not neglect jute any longer – Dhaka Tribune

It is very encouraging to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself comment on the state of the jute industry in Bangladesh, hitting the nail on the head when she proclaimed that despite being an environment-friendly agricultural product, jute did not get the expected attention and incentives like the RMG (readymade garments) industry. Click here to read…

Bhutan
FDI in the digital sector sees huge potential – Kuensel

Having failed to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) over the years, the FDI Policy is yet again on the government’s table for review. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the average FDI inflows to Bhutan have been less than USD 20 million a year since 2010, contributing less than 1 percent of the gross domestic product. Click here to read…

A Force of Change – Kuensel

Almost a decade after His Majesty’s address to a group of young de-suup trainees at the Military Training Center in Tencholing, Wangdue, the de-suup family today has grown from a few hundred to a formidable group of around 35,000. Click here to read…

Maldives
Latvian traveler caught smuggling drugs into Maldives – Raajje

A foreigner has been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that a traveler from Latvia, 49, was arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Maldives by ingesting them. The arrest was made following an intel report received by the Police Intelligence Unit, by the efforts of officers from the Maldives Immigration and Maldives Customs Service. Click here to read…

UNICEF Representative presents Letter of Appointment to FM Shahid – Raajje

The new UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, Dr. Edward Addai has presented his Letter of Appointment to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Dr. Edward presented his Letter of Appointment to Minister Shahid on 14 February 2022. During the meeting held following the presentation, Minister Shahid and the Representative discussed the role of UNICEF in the Maldives. As such, discussions were held in areas on child protection, maternal and child heath, immunization, nutrition, pre and primary education and social inclusion. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar’s opposition opens foreign ministry office in US – RFA

Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government officially opened a shadow embassy in Washington on Monday, with a U.S. State Department official at the event using a speech to reject the legitimacy of elections planned by the military junta later this year. The so-called NUG has set up a government-in-exile after the military took power from a democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup. Click here to read…

No sales of arms to Myanmar for ‘a very long time’, says Singapore minister – Borneo Bulletin

Singapore has not sold military weapons to Myanmar for a very long time and has effected a ban on the sale of arms there, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan in Parliament yesterday. The minister was replying to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) Dennis Tap on recent assertions in the report of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar which stated that Singapore functions as a “strategic transit point for potentially significant volumes of items” including raw materials that contribute towards military production by the Myanmar military. Click here to read…

It’s Time for Myanmar’s Neighbors to Sideline the Military Junta – The Diplomat

Anyone still hoping for a political solution to Myanmar’s crisis should ask one question: is the military junta willing to be held accountable for its crimes? The definitive answer, demonstrated repeatedly by their mounting atrocities, is “no.” But without accountability for the crimes committed since the February 2021 coup, which include the burning of women and children alive, there can be no political solution to the country’s conflict. Click here to read…

Chinese crypto scams forcing Filipinos to work for them in Myanmar – Mizzima

Chinese criminals running cryptocurrency scams in Southeast Asia are targeting Filipinos to work for them because of their English-language and computer skills, a Philippine foreign ministry official said Monday. Filipinos were “prized” targets for scam networks operating in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, said Eduardo de Vega, acting undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Click here to read…

Nepal
“Differences Between Friends Can Be Resolved Through Talks”: Nepal Ex-PM – NDTV

Nepal’s former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who on Tuesday held an extensive meeting with visiting Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, said any kind of differences between Nepal and India can be sorted out through dialogue, a source close to the CPN-UML chairman said. Click here to read…

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completes his two day official visit to Nepal – NewsOnAir

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra completed his two-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal. During his two days visit Foreign Secretary Kwatra called on the President of Nepal, Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr. Bimala Rai Paudyal alongwith meeting other senior members of the Government of Nepal and other leaders. Click here to read…

Nepal King Rekindles Calls For Restoration Of Nepal’s Status As A ‘Hindu Kingdom’, Joins Protests Against Government – Swarajya Marg

The former King of Nepal Gyanendra Shah on Monday (13 February) joined a public campaign that seeks to reinstate Nepal’s status as a “Hindu Kingdom”. Notably, the campaign was launched on the day the Nepal government led by the Communist Party leader Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ declared a public holiday to mark 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Asked to condemn Moscow, but followed India’s example of ‘neutral’ stand in Russia-Ukraine War: Imran Khan – India TV

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that the former Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had asked him to condemn Russia in its act of invading Ukraine, but he refused to do so citing India’s stand on the matter. Click here to read…

Govt turns to parliament after Alvi ‘refuses’ ordinance – Dawn

Despite its attempt to expedite pas­sage of fiscal measures mandated by the Internat­i­o­nal Monetary Fund (IMF), the government was forced to head to parliament on Tuesday after President Arif Alvi “adv­ised” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to take parliament into confidence over the Rs170 billion in new taxes that are being levied. Click here to read…

The economic woes of Pakistan and Sri Lanka have similar origin stories – Scroll

Economists ascribe Sri Lanka’s recent financial problems to a severe decline in tourism and remittances, as well as a substantial tax cut, but poor governance is atop the list of the factors that played havoc with the island nation’s economy, which relied heavily on tourism and remittances. Both these sources were hit badly by the Covid pandemic as the workers were laid off on a mass scale. Click here to read…

Pakistan nearly doubles gas prices to meet IMF bailout terms – Money Control

Cash-strapped Pakistan nearly doubled natural gas taxes Tuesday in an effort to comply with a long-stalled financial bailout, raising concerns that the hardship could pass to consumers in the impoverished south Asian country. Click here to read…

Pakistan-Turkey relations: What’s in it for Ankara? – DNA India

Three devastating earthquakes struck Turkey’s South-eastern region bordering Syria in the early hours of 06 February 23. The widespread destruction and ensuing loss of life have, as expected in any major disaster of this magnitude, overwhelmed the country. The World community responded swiftly and immediate for HADR operations, given the intensity of envisaged damage, both to property and life. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s too responded to the request by Turkey soon after. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka envoy meets Indian ministers seeking support for economic recovery – Hindustan Times

Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda on Tuesday met with union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss India’s support for his country’s economic recovery, including through the expansion of bilateral trade and use of the rupee for trade settlement. Click here to read…

Protests against Wickremesinghe sweep Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated provinces – Peoples Dispatch – Peoples Dispatch

On February 11, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and students of Jaffna University in Sri Lanka staged a protest against a musical event organized by the secretariat of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Jaffna as part of Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence day celebrations. At least 18 protestors, including Selvarajah Kajendren, Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the TNPF, were arrested at the protest. They were later released on bail. Click here to read…

Japan to grant 5 bn yen to Sri Lanka for public health sector fuel purchases – Economy Next

Cabinet spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the weekly cabinet press briefing on Tuesday February 14 that 35 million US dollar-worth grant is to be made under Japan’s Economic and Social Developmenet Programme so that Sri Lanka may continue essential and urgent health services uninterrupted. Click here to read…

Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum successfully held in Sri Lanka – Daily FT

Amidst the changing global dynamics, with the intention of strengthening socioeconomic relations between Russia and Sri Lanka, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) recently organised a four-day program, Russia-Sri Lanka Economic Forum (23-27 Jan.), which heralded fruitful outcomes for both nations. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 14 February 2023

Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Taliban forces raid IS hideout in Kabul – India Blooms

“The security forces attacked an important hideout of the IS in Kartai Naw locality of Police District 8 on Monday evening, killing several insurgents,” Mujahid said in his twitter account. Since the operation site is at a residential area, the operation was carried out slowly and carefully to protect the locals, the chief spokesman said. Click here to read…

Differences emerge in Taliban leadership as interior minister makes public criticism – Arab News

Major differences have emerged within the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan, experts said on Monday, after a senior official described the country’s situation as “intolerable” over the weekend. Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is in the spotlight following a critical comment on the current situation in Afghanistan during a public event on Saturday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Opposition Protests in Bangladesh Threaten Bilateral Relations with India – South Asian Voices

Large-scale protests have rocked Bangladesh’s major cities like Faridpur, Rajshahi, and Dhaka in recent months. Amid rising energy and fuel prices, Bangladeshis have mounted significant pressure on the current Awami-led government. National and international media outlets have attributed these protests to opposition forces led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami aiming to reassert their influence. Despite historic ties with the Awami League, the time is ripe for India to amend its approach to Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Bangladesh bars Russian ships from its maritime territory after US sanctions – BD News

The Bangladesh government has imposed restrictions barring the entry of 69 Russian ships into its maritime waters in line with US and EU sanctions. This means that Russian vessels will not be able to bring in shipments of imports, stop for fuelling, anchor in the area, or even use sea routes. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh Foreign Secretary level meeting to take place on Wednesday – India Blooms

India and Bangladesh are scheduled to hold Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Wednesday, which will review the ongoing cooperation between the two countries apart from the issues of mutual interests. Click here to read…

Greater energy cooperation will benefit both India and Bangladesh – The Daily Star

In the near future, Bangladesh needs to transition from conventional energy sources to ensure its energy security and long-term sustainability. Following the Ukraine crisis, energy security has become a major concern for developing and least-developed countries. In this context, cross-border energy cooperation and revitalizing the idea of the power corridor could perhaps help Bangladesh to mitigate its energy crisis. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Social Media Platforms Are A Way For Locals To Earn Money – The Watch Dog News

Bhutan Users are being drawn to social media sites like Tik Tok & YouTube due to their gaining popularity. These users are currently growing in recognition on a national and international scale. According to Bhutan Live, these platforms are providing Bhutanese citizens with new economic opportunities. Click here to read…

Bhutan’s Paro drafts by-law in its quest to become waste-free – DeviDiscourse

Bhutan’s Paro town’s district Waste Management Committee has drafted a by-law to achieve its target of becoming a waste-free district in the next few years, The Bhutan Live reported. Consultation and familiarization meetings on the draft by-law were held with the district’s local leaders, institutions, and regional offices, recently, according to The Bhutan Live. The by-law will also be put up in the upcoming Duzongkhag Tshogd for endorsement. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives NOC secretary general emphasises anti-doping education importance after WADA visit – Inside the Games

WADA’s Asia and Oceania office manager Kenny Lee Kyu Hwan and programme development manager of National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) relations Cui Ying travelled to Malé for the South Asian RADO member country representative meeting. South Asian RADO manager Hussain Mohamed joined Lee and Cui on their visit to the MOC. Click here to read…

New Record: Highest-ever single-day arrivals with over 8,000 tourists – Edition.mv

The Maldives on Saturday recorded its highest-ever single-day arrival with over 8,000 tourists visiting the country. In January of this year, the daily average of arrivals was 5,566, and so far in February, it is 6,190. The total number of tourist arrivals from February 1–11 is 68,085, which is a 35.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022. Click here to read…

Myanmar
The civil war in Myanmar: No end in sight – Brookings

The second anniversary of the February 2021 coup d’état in Myanmar has just passed, and the abysmal state of armed conflict, insurgency, chaos, and anarchy has only been deteriorating. Despite the repeated calls by regional organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and by the United Nations to stop the violence, protect human rights, and respect the democratic process, the Burmese military junta has demonstrated no appetite for political concessions or negotiation with the resistance movement.Click here to read…

Myanmar’s arrested environmental activism – East Asia Forum

In the two years since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar’s natural environment has deteriorated as the embryonic legal and regulatory regime that was emerging during the decade of political and economic reforms has unravelled. Gold mining has significantly increased, particularly in Kachin and Shan States, causing extensive social and environmental problems. The military has issued new mining permits while informal or illegal mining has also proliferated, causing deforestation, erosion and flooding while also damaging fisheries by polluting waterways with toxic sediment. Click here to read…

Chevron Exits Myanmar After Finalizing Sale of Yadana Stake – The Diplomat

The U.S. oil major Chevron announced on Friday that it would finally cut its ties with military-ruled Myanmar, after agreeing to sell its assets in the country. According to a report by Reuters, the firm said it had agreed to sell for an undisclosed amount its 41.1 percent interest in the Yadana offshore gas field to a subsidiary of the Canadian company MTI. Click here to read…

Nepal
Former monarch joins campaign to reinstate Nepal as ‘Hindu State’ – Indian Express

In a symbolic but significant political move, former Nepal king Gyanendra Shah on Monday joined a public campaign that envisages restoration of Nepal’s earlier status of a “Hindu Kingdom”. The campaign was launched on a day the Nepal government led by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ declared a public holiday to mark 23 years of the Maoist war. Click here to read…

Kwatra meets top Nepal leadership – Tribune India

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday interacted with the entire top leadership of Nepal, including President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda whom he invited for an official visit to India, Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal and his counterpart Bharatraj Paudyal. Kawtra’s visit follows that of several high-level officials from the US State Department as both Foreign Offices recover from the political shock of incumbent PM and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba having been deprived of the PM’s chair due to an alliance between the country’s two major communist parties. Click here to read…

Prachanda-Oli rift set to jolt Nepal again – Hans India

Never the best of allies, the growing rift between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is sending shockwaves in the ruling communist-led seven party alliance. The Prachanda government is also challenged by smaller aspirational parties including the youth-oriented Rastriya Swantantra Party (RSP) and Madhesi parties. Besides the Nepali Congress which has the highest number of the seats in parliament is making incremental gains, putting it in pole position to play the kingmaker role, exploiting the rift in Nepal’s communist camp. Click here to read…

Pakistan
US, Pakistan talks to enhance defence ties – Dawn

Pakistan and the United States began their defence talks in Washington on Monday to enhance coordination on strategic issues and explore various options for ramping up bilateral military and security ties. The four-day talks, ending on Feb 16, is a second round of the Pakistan-US Mid-Level Defence Dialogue. The first round was held in Pakistan in January 2021. Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Mohammad Saeed is leading the inter-agency delegation that reached Washington on Sunday. Click here to read…

Pakistan orders embassies to NOT issue visas to Afghan nationals – First Post

Amid deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Islamabad’s Foreign Office has ordered its embassies in European countries to not issue visas to Afghan citizens until further orders. This came after the alleged visa scandal of the issuance of Pakistani visas to 1,600 Afghan nationals on fake residential cards of Sweden, ARY News reported. Click here to read…

Pakistan set for tax hikes in return for massive IMF bailout – The Hindu

The dire outlook from economists and political analysts comes after the International Monetary Fund delayed the release of a crucial $1.1 billion portion of a 2019 deal worth $6 billion, on hold since December over Pakistan’s failure to meet the terms. The latest round of the talks between Pakistan and the IMF concluded on Friday with the Fund recommending steps including imposing new taxes. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka junks Prabhakaran is alive claim by Tamil Nadu leader – Deccan Herald

Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran, in an attempt to keep the Sri Lankan Tamils issue boiling in Tamil Nadu and to remain relevant, on Monday claimed that Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founding chief of once-dreaded LTTE, was alive and that a “conducive atmosphere” prevails now for him to appear. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka opposition leader lambasts govt for tax policy, interest rates, utility tariff hike – Economy Next

Sri Lanka opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has criticised the cash-strapped government’s tax policy, cost-reflective utility tariffs and the Central Bank’s decision to maintain interest rates at their current level, proposing that stolen money be recovered to increase state revenue. Click here to read…

Indo-Sri Lankan relations since independence: a checkered history – News In Asia

India-Sri Lanka relations are undoubtedly at their best now, thanks to India’s timely and generous assistance to the financially-beleaguered southern neighbor. But in the past 75 years or more, bilateral relations have been troubled more often than not. Therefore, the million-dollar question now is: Will India’s help during the ongoing financial crisis stabilize the relationship and put it on a growth trajectory for a change? 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 – 08 February 2023

Afghanistan
Turkiye, UAE to reduce missions in Afghanistan over ‘security concerns’ – Middle East Monitor

The embassies of Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Afghanistan intend to trim down their missions due to security concerns, after international employees reported receiving threatening letters from unknown parties, Sputnik reported. Click here to read…

Afghanistan announces aid for quake-hit Turkey and Syria – Pakistan Observer

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Tuesday announced AFN 15 million (approx. $166,000 USD) in humanitarian aid for people affected by recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Of the total, AFN 10 million (approx. $111,000) will be for Turkey, and AFN 5 million (approx. $55,000) will be for Syria. Click here to read…

6 million people in Afghanistan face famine risk: UN – The Print

As Afghanistan continues to face the worst humanitarian crisis amid ongoing political chaos, the United Nations (UN) warned that two-thirds of Afghans are facing severe hunger and are in urgent need of aid, with six million facing the risk of famine, TOLOnews reported on Monday. Click here to read…

Afghanistan: Taliban issuing gun licenses to traders, businessmen as abductions soar – Firstpost

The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan have decided to provide gun licenses to traders in the capital Kabul. The Taliban’s security department in Kabul has announced that businessmen in Afghanistan’s capital will be provided with security and gun licences. According to a report by Tolo News, the Taliban arrived at the decision after a series of meetings with traders in Kabul. Click here to read…

Pakistan: Peshawar Bombing Planned In Afghanistan, Foreign Intelligence Agency Funded It, Say Investigators – Outlook

The suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Peshawar was planned in Afghanistan and the terror plot was funded by a foreign intelligence agency, according to Pakistani investigators on the case. A suide bomber struck a mosque in high-security Police Lines area of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on January 30. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh seeks new terms for Adani coal electricity deal – Washington Post

Bangladeshi officials are seeking a discount on electricity purchased from the power company owned by Gautam Adani, according to a stock exchange filing that was made public on Tuesday, in the latest sign of mounting scrutiny of the Indian billionaire’s dealings. Click here to read…

Political trajectory of Bangladesh – New Age

As regards to parliamentary elections, it is almost certain that ruling party candidates will make it to parliament even without competing for people’s votes. Today, nomination from and loyalty to the ruling party are more important than the support and confidence of the electorate. Hence, once electoral candidates of the ruling party become members of parliament or ministers, they remain beholden to the party, not to the people of their constituency or the country; and they serve the interests of the former, not the latter. Click here to read…

The Constitutionality of 15th Amendment – The Daily Star

In 1996, the BNP-led government passed the 13th Amendment to the constitution, allowing the formation of the neutral caretaker government (NCG). The amendment represented a “political settlement” as the then Awami League-led coalition of parties demanded such a system, and BNP, after much resistance, accepted it. It not only allowed a peaceful transfer of power, but also provided equal opportunity to major political parties. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Current account deficit to widen to Nu 75.63B in June this year – Kuensel

Bhutan’s current account deficit (CAD) is estimated to deteriorate further by 19.3 percent to Nu 75.63 billion (B) in June this year from Nu 63.4B in the same month the previous year. These figures are based on the Macro-economic Framework Coordination Technical Committee of the finance ministry. Click here to read…

Bhutan to add more solar capacity to reduce reliance on imports – minister – Reuters

Bhutan will add around 300 to 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generation capacity in the next two to three years to reduce its dependency on electricity imports from India, the Himalayan kingdom’s minister for economic affairs said on Monday. Click here to read…

DGPC will take over the Kholongchhu project – Kuensel

Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) has asked for a loan from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), and other financial institutions of India to finance 600MW Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited (KHEL). Nu 4.5B was spent on the project so far. The project’s total cost is estimated at Nu 54.4B at the 2020 price level. Click here to read…

Bhutan’s parliamentary delegation calls on President – Mint

A Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. India is foraying into new avenues of bilateral cooperation with Bhutan such as space cooperation, smart agriculture, youth and sports, start-ups, renewable energy and digital development, to help the Royal Government of Bhutan realize its vision of prosperity for all. Click here to read…

India will always be a reliable friend to Bhutan: Om Birla to Bhutan National Assembly speaker – The Hindu

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on February 6 said India would always be a reliable friend to Bhutan while noting the ₹2,400-crore allocation for the neighbouring country in this year’s Union Budget during a meeting with a Bhutanese Parliamentary delegation. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives offers condolences following tragic loss of lives, massive destruction in the wake of earthquake in Turkey – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended condolences following the powerful earthquake in Turkey, which has resulted in the loss of many lives. In a Twitter post on Monday, the Maldivian leader expressed grief in hearing of the earthquake that shook Turkey. He extended sympathies and condolences to the families mourning the death of their loved ones. Click here to read…

Police assault 2 journalists covering political protest in the Maldives – Committee to Protect Journalists

Maldives authorities must swiftly investigate the recent assaults of journalists Hassan Shaheed and Ahmed Misbaah and ensure that members of the press can report on public events without fear of violence by police, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Myanmar
New sanctions on Myanmar 2 years after military coup – the Malaysian Reserve

THE US and its allies Canada, the UK and Australia have imposed fresh sanctions on Myanmar, adding to pressure on the military regime, two years since it overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Jan 31 the US restrictions target six individuals and three entities linked to the junta’s efforts to generate revenue and procure arms, including senior leadership in its energy sector and its Air Force. Click here to read…

HURFOM wants Myanmar junta to face ICC having documented its abuses – Mizzima

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is calling for a referral of the Myanmar military to the International Criminal Court to ensure that there is an end to military rule. Whilst the new sanctions announced by the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom to mark the second anniversary of the February 2021 coup were welcome, according to HURFOM these actions came too little too late for the thousands of people killed by the Burma Army. Click here to read…

Myanmar junta makes plans for elections – Mizzima

The junta propaganda leader General Zaw Min Tun said that it is still too early to say whether the election will be held or not. It has been a controversial topic among the public. Some are wondering if the military junta is really going to back out of the elections because of the disapproval of the people, revolutionary forces and international organisations. But, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is committed to election preparations. Click here to read…

Nepal
Rs 38m worth of tea exported – The Himalayan Times

According to National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB), tea farming is done on around 27,500 hectares of land, with more than one-third of the total tea gardens located in Jhapa. Of the total 28 million kilograms of tea, Jhapa produces as much as 18 million kilograms, which is the highest in terms of district-wise production, Chief of NTCDB Indra Prasad Adhikari said. Click here to read…

Nepal launches National Pashmina Sector Export Strategy to increase to USD 75 million exports by 2026 – My Republica

The Government of Nepal today unveiled its National Pashmina Sector Export Strategy 2022-2026′, which is expected to enhance the supply capacities of the private sector and reconnect the sector with regional and global markets for more Himalayan Chyangra Pashmina exports. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pervez Musharraf buried in Karachi; PM, prez, army chief did not attend funeral – Hindustan Times

Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was buried in his hometown of Karachi on Tuesday. Click here to read…

All Parties Conference on terrorism postponed for the second time – Dawn

The All Parties Conference (APC) — called by the incumbent government to discuss important security and economic challenges being faced by Pakistan — has been postponed for the second time this week. The multi-party moot was first slated for Feb 7 (today). However, in a tweet yesterday, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had rescheduled the conference to Feb 9, Thursday. She did not mention why the meeting was moved. Click here to read…

Putin snubs Pakistan; Russia declares ‘won’t do anything that impacts India ties’ – Hindustan Times

Russia has presented fresh proof of its close partnership with India. The Vladimir Putin administration has “strangled” its defence ties with Pakistan in favour of “friend” India. Denis Alipov, the Russian Ambassador to India, clarified in a statement that “Russia would never do anything detrimental to India.” The clarification came after Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow would continue to support Pakistan in regular military contacts. On January 30, Pak Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto visited Moscow to intensify Islamabad’s defence and trade cooperation with Russia. Click here to read…

Debt reprofiling viable option for Pakistan under IMF watch: report – Business Recorder

Reprofiling of bilateral debt remains a viable option under the International Monetary Fund (IMF)‘s watch, according to a report by Arif Habib Limited, as Pakistan remains in talks with the Fund’s mission for the resumption of the stalled ninth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Click here to read…

Pakistan sets up relief fund for Turkey earthquake victims – The International News

In response to the deadly earthquake in Turkey that has claimed over 5,000 lives, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the establishment of a relief fund to help victims. After a plane load of relief goods and a rescue team from Pakistan reached Turkey, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb took to Twitter and said: “To help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey at this difficult hour, PM Shehbaz Sharif has decided to establish PM Relief Fund.” Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Paris Club creditors give assurances to back IMF bailout for Sri Lanka – Reuters

The Paris Club of creditors has given financing assurances to support the International Monetary Fund’s approval of an extended fund facility for Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan president’s office said on Tuesday. The assurances are crucial to unlocking a $2.9 billion deal from the IMF, which is still pending executive board approval. “Paris Club members as well as Hungary, Saudi Arabia and India continue to look forward to working together along with all bilateral creditors and to engage with other key stakeholders in order to proceed with a comparable debt restructuring as soon as possible,” the informal group of creditors said in a separate statement on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India the biggest friend of Sri Lanka: PM – Investing

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene on Tuesday called India as the biggest friend of Sri Lanka in the time of crisis. Addressing the Tata Tiscon Dealer Convention 2023, he called on Indian companies to invest further in Sri Lanka. Outlining the benefits of Indian investments in Sri Lanka, PM Gunawardene highlighted that 90 per cent of components used by Lanka Ashok Leyland (NS:ASOK) were indigenous. At the event, High Commissioner Gopal Baglay said that both the Indian government and Indian corporates are working to build relationships that are beneficial to the people within and beyond India, especially the neighbours, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Neighbourhood First” Policy. Click here to read…

Thirteenth amendment to Sri Lankan Constitution, No lessons learnt in 75 years – The Leaflet

The political implication of not implementing a proper federalist policy is the Tamils in Sri Lanka losing their voice and rights, thereby being subjected to further marginalisation. Every self-respecting Tamil in India and across the world should ask for nothing less than a federal Sri Lanka. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 06 February 2023

Afghanistan
Days After Peshawar Blast, Pak Teams to Ask Afghan Taliban to ‘Rein in’ TTP – The Wire

Days after the January 30 suicide bomb attack at Peshawar which killed 100 people, Dawn has reported that Pakistan will ask the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban government to rein in militants in the country. Click here to read…

Two injured in blast in Afghanistan capital Kabul – Big News Network

Taliban-ruled government’s security official reported that a blast took place in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul’s ‘Pashtunistan Square,’ and injured two civilians, Khaama Press reported. On Saturday evening, an explosion took place which was caused by the magnetic mine placed in a Toyota ‘Hilux’ vehicle, said Khalid Zadran, Taliban’s appointed spokesperson for the Kabul police Command. Click here to read…

Qatar Sends Envoy To Afghan Capital To Meet With Taliban – Radio Free Europe

An envoy for Qatar’s foreign minister visited the Afghan capital on February 5 and met with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, according to an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement. The visit comes after the Taliban administration placed restrictions on women’s education and NGO work, which Qatar labelled “deeply concerning” amid widespread international criticism. Click here to read…

Biden to Extend Executive Order Regarding Afghanistan – Tolo News

US President Joe Biden indicated to US Congress he is extending the executive order for the “national emergency with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the potential for a deepening economic collapse in Afghanistan.” The Islamic Emirate called on Washington to not politicalize the issue of Afghanistan’s assets and to immediately release them. Click here to read…

Taliban Say Want To Partake In Multilateral Meeting On Afghanistan In Moscow Next Week – Urdu Point

A representative of the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities) should take part in a meeting of secretaries of the security councils on the Afghan issue, scheduled to take place in Moscow next week, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh asks Pakistan to apologise for 1971 atrocities – Wion

Bangladesh has asked Pakistan to apologise for atrocities committed by its forces in 1971. The matter came up during the meeting between Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in Sri Lanka where the ministers were present to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the island nation. Click here to read…

Bangladesh scraps parboiled rice G2G import deals with Indian co-op agencies – THB

Bangladesh has cancelled its orders to import two lakh tonnes of parboiled rice from two Indian cooperative agencies through government-to-government (G2G) deals after having kept them in “abeyance” for a few weeks. Trade sources said Bangladesh, which began dragging its feet after getting a couple of offers offering the rice at lower prices, has returned the “bid bonds” submitted by the two cooperative agencies during negotiations. Click here to read…

India-Bangladesh Cooperation and Connectivity are still win-win – Dhaka Tribune

There is no question that Bangladesh would benefit from a more robust and assertive regional foreign policy. But while its interests are naturally not in lock-steps with India’s, there is still plenty of meat on the bilateral partnership bone for both countries. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Funding the FAM tour – Kuensel Online

Elections can be an expensive affair and the new political parties know it well. Having to introduce their party, president and candidates to the voters, new political parties are allowed familiarisation (FAM) tour in all the 20 dzongkhags. The two new political parties Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa (DTT) had been to more than a dozen dzongkhags. Click here to read…

Bhutan on course of graduating from Least Developed Countries status by June 2023: Reports – India Blooms

To graduate the status, countries are expected to follow a smooth transition strategy. Macroeconomic stability, product space diversification, and disaster resilience are some of the parameters recommended for inclusion in Bhutan’s transition strategy, reports ANI. Click here to read…

How an Indo-Bhutan Border Market Has Moved Beyond Narratives of Conflict and Security – The Wire

Local trade dynamics and shared inter-dependence of resources among local communities at the border markets hold important lessons for engendering cooperation and the benefits of peaceful, stable and open (yet regulated) borders. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives tourist arrivals increase by 30 percent in January – Edition.mv

The tourist arrivals to the Maldives increased by 30.9 percent in January, the Ministry of Tourism reported. According to the ministry’s recent statistics, the total number of tourist arrivals stood at 178,159 by the end of the review date on February 1. In January 2023, the total tourist arrivals reached 172,536 which is a 30.9 percent increase compared to the 131,762 arrivals in the same month last year. Click here to read…

Maldives remains in the same position on the corruption index – Edition.mv

The Maldives’ efforts against corruption remained unchanged, according to last year’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The country ranked 85th out of 185 countries with 40 points on the CPI. The measure is calculated based on the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, the Varieties of Democracy Project and the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA). Click here to read…

Myanmar
Indonesia pushes for implementation of Myanmar peace plan, resumption of COC talks – The Jakarta Post

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat wrapped up in Jakarta on Saturday, with a proposal from Indonesia to implement a five-point peace plan for Myanmar and to resume negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Click here to read…

‘Rice diplomacy’ between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar – The News Mill

Bangladesh has offered over $40 a tonne more to Indian co-operatives to import 2.5 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice in a government-to-government deal compared with prices quoted by the private trade in a global import tender. The import deal will be through NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and Kendriya Bhandar in two tranches with Dhaka getting rice at $443 and $443.5 a tonne each, according to media report. Click here to read…

Uncertainty weighs on Myanmar’s economy, says World Bank – Mizzima

Call it a double-whammy. When assessing the current dire state of the Myanmar economy, two factors stand out. Firstly, close to three years of response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw a combination of lockdowns, social distancing, masking and travel restrictions hammer the economy, particularly small to medium businesses, and the livelihood of day workers. Secondly, the 2021 military coup and its aftermath rattled people’s daily lives and added to the uncertainty. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal-China to meet on cross-border transmission line in two weeks – Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China are scheduled to hold another round of discussions later this month on the development of a cross-border transmission line between the two countries. A Joint Technical Group comprising representatives of the Nepal Electricity Authority and the State Grid Corporation of China had previously held two rounds of talks in China and Nepal, respectively, on the issue before the Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

A peek into the Nepali economy during the pandemic – Kathmandu Post

Anyone who reads on Nepali economy must be familiar with Sujeev Shakya and his writings. The founder and CEO of the Nepal-based international management consulting and advisory firm, Beed Management, has been writing economic columns for over two decades. He has also published several books on the topic including Unleashing Nepal, Unleashing The Vajra, Arthat Arthatantra (It’s the Economy) and Arthat Pariwartan (It’s the Change). Click here to read…

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Urpilainen to visit Nepal – Kathmandu Post

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Wednesday for an official visit to meet Nepali leaders and launch several EU actions in the country. “I look forward to presenting our Global Gateway strategy, the EU’s positive offer to partners to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.” Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pervez Musharraf, Former Military Ruler of Pakistan, Dies at 79 – The New York Times

Pervez Musharraf, the onetime military ruler of a nuclear-armed Pakistan who promised critical support for Washington’s campaign against Al Qaeda after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but faced growing resistance at home in a land seething with anti-Western passions, died on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was 79. Click here to read…

Seven injured in two Quetta attacks – Dawn

Seven people were injured in two terrorist attacks, one of them said to be a suicide bombing, on Sunday. The first incident took place near the Police Lines on Gulistan Road and the other on Mano Jan Road. Five people, including an office-bearer of the Civil Secretariat Staff Association, suffered injuries in the first attack. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue, extends support to separatists – Hindustan Times

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue on the occasion of what they call ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, a propaganda tool against India by expressing support for separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also used the occasion to issue anti-India statement claiming that New Delhi has “opened a new chapter in suppressing” people of Kashmir. Click here to read…

Pakistan economic crisis: IMF places new bailout conditions, PM says they are beyond wildest dreams – Indian Express

The first round of technical talks between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a cash-strapped Pakistan concluded on Friday, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif terming the IMF bailout conditions as something “beyond our wildest dreams”. Stating that IMF is giving a “tough time” to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his team, the Pakistan PM on Friday hinted that harsh measures have to be taken to revive the stalled loan programmeClick here to read…

Army chief lands in UK on five-day visit – Dawn

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Muneer arrived here on Saturday on a five-day visit. The COAS will attend meetings on defence-related issues, being held between February 5 and 9. Gen Muneer is in London to attend a conference at Wilton Park, an executive agency created by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to foster open dialogue between governments. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
India delivers fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at Presidential Secretariat premises under Economic Assistance Scheme of Indian government. NewsOnAIR

India delivered fifty more buses to Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat premises, this morning as Sri Lanka celebrated its 75th Independence Day yesterday, February 4. High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over the buses to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland had bagged the contract for supplying 500 buses to the Sri Lanka Transport Board, of which 75 buses were already delivered to the Island nation earlier this year. The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by the Export-Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government. Click here to read…

India leads internationally in canvassing support for Sri Lanka, says Lankan envoy – The Print

“India’s neighbourhood policy clearly was demonstrated last year when the Sri Lankan economy headed into crisis. India moved in very quickly. Early in 2022, India realized that Sri Lanka was going to have a very serious balance of payments problem. Sri Lankan government and the Indian government discussed that and together worked on a strategy over the last year. India supported us with nearly USD 4 billion, USD 3.9 billion dollars of funding and it was done without any conditions, done without any strings attached,” said the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. Click here to read…

Not rebooting economy through ‘painkillers’, says Sri Lanka president – Wion

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickermesinghe said on Sunday (February 5) that he is repairing debt-ridden South Asian nations economy by tackling ‘root cause’ and not just by administering ‘painkillers. He asserted that systemic change and national unity along with economic reforms were needed to bring prosperity back to the country. 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 – 30 January 2023

Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, China’s double-dealing is coming back to bite it – Deccan Herald

The violent attacks at Dasu hydro-electricity dam, Karachi Confucius Centre, Gwadar port and other areas signal the rise in militancy in Pakistan-Afghanistan. China’s gambit of softening the leaders in these countries through investments is thus not working. Nevertheless, China is enticing Kabul to link up with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor by proposing to build cross-border railway networks from Peshawar to Kabul and Quetta to Kandahar. Beijing is also using the trilateral cooperative arrangement with Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2017 to extend CPEC to Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Muslim nations call for human rights in Afghanistan as Taliban enforces Islamic Sharia laws – Firstpost

With most of the world watching appalled as the Taliban imposes Islamic rule in Afghanistan, several Muslim countries have urged the ruling regime in Kabul to tone down its radical Islamist tendencies. According to a report by UAE-based media network Al Arabiya Post, several Islamic nations are worried about the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam as it poses political challenges. Several Muslim leaders have claimed that the Taliban has enforced Sharia laws in Afghanistan based on their own interpretation of Islam. Click here to read…

Protests sweep across Afghanistan over burning of Quran in Sweden, Netherlands – The Print

Widespread protests swept Afghanistan after the Holy Quran was desecrated in parts of Europe like Sweden and the Netherlands. Numerous people condemned the action as they gathered in Kabul and called it against human and Islamic laws, TOLOnews reported on Saturday. Click here to read…

Afghanistan’s Economy is Gradually Recovering not Collapsing: World Bank – The Khaama Press

The World Bank has been closely monitoring the evolving economic situation in Afghanistan, and the latest reports indicate the economy is not collapsing, but gradually recovering. The latest economic developments and key economic indicators by the World Bank Afghanistan Economic Monitor indicate positive signs of economic revival in the war-torn country. Click here to read…

Girls React to Ban on Females Enrolling in University Entrance Exam – Tolo News

Girls who graduated from high school expressed criticism over the decision of the Islamic Emirate to suspend the enrolment of female students for the next university entrance examination. They called on the Islamic Emirate to allow women to continue their education. The decision of the Islamic Emirate followed an earlier decision to ban females from attending universities. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh to maintain good relations with US, India, China: Momen – Daily Star

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today said Bangladesh would continue to maintain a balanced foreign policy, noting the importance of the country. “My challenge is, there are three countries — the US, India and China. These are powerful countries. I have to maintain the relationship with these three countries in such a way so that we can have an improved relationship with each country,” he said. Click here to read…

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina likely to attend G-20 summit – The Hindu

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit India in September to join the G-20 summit on an invitation sent by her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, a Foreign Ministry official said here on Sunday. India officially assumed the G20 presidency on December 1. The country is expected to host over 200 preparatory meetings across the country. The next G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State or governments is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10 this year, in New Delhi. Click here to read…

Concurrent movement adds a new dimension to struggle: BNP – New Age

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party said on Sunday that the simultaneous programme of various political parties had instilled confidence in the ongoing movement to restore democracy. ‘Since the simultaneous movement has started, trust has been created among the people while the political parties agree with the demands and fight to restore democracy,’ BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said after a meeting with the liaison committee of a 12-party alliance at the BNP chairperson’s office at Gulshan in Dhaka. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Sharing information to media is our responsibility: PM – Kuensel Online

Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering once again said that public servants have a responsibility to share information with the media. “My only request and the message to all agencies in the country is that if one cares about what they are doing for the larger benefit of the country, if what they are doing is public service, the public must know,” Lyonchhen said. Click here to read…

India and Bhutan pledges to strengthen bond on India’s Republic Day – Press Editorials

India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted and thanked Bhutan counterpart Lotay Tshering for his warm wishes and message to India on its Republic Day. In a revert message, Modi wrote, “India is always known for its unique partnership with its neighbour.” Click here to read…

China building hundreds of new border village structures, laying new territorial claims to push Bhutan for speedy border settlement – Tibetan Review

China has been building more and more villages and other structures in Bhutanese territory and making new territorial claims against this occupied Tibet’s southern neighbour while pushing the country to reach a speedy border settlement that would give it a strategically commanding perch over India, according to a pardafas.com report Jan 24. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives president to run again after winning primary – The Hindu

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a party primary and will run for a second term in September elections. Mr. Solih defeated Mohamed Nasheed, the parliament speaker and a former president, in the Maldivian Democratic Party primary held Saturday night. Click here to read…

UNSC paralysed, composition doesn’t reflect today’s realities: UNGA president – Tribune India

“More than one-third of the UN membership directly addressed this question. So, there’s very clearly a push from the membership. I do have hopes,” he said on UNSC reforms before arriving here on Sunday on a three-day visit, his first to any country since he took over the UNGA presidency in September 2022 from Maldives’ Abdulla Shahid. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar’s Economy Under Uncertainty – Mirage News

Myanmar’s economy remains subject to significant uncertainty, with ongoing conflict disrupting business operations, a World Bank report released today says. While some firms are showing signs of resilience, household incomes remain weak, and Myanmar’s potential for inclusive growth has been severely weakened by recent shocks, according to the report, Myanmar Economic Monitor: Coping with Uncertainty. Click here to read…

Myanmar: Two years after coup, global action needed to halt military’s ‘nationwide assault on human rights’ – Amnesty International

Since the coup, nearly 3,000 people have been killed, 1.5 million have been internally displaced, more than 13,000 are still detained in inhumane conditions, and four people are known to have been executed while at least 100 have been sentenced to death. In addition, 7.8 million children are out of school. Click here to read…

Myanmar: Activists plan nationwide strike Feb. 1 to mark anniversary of 2021 military coup – Crisis 24

Activists have called for a nationwide “silent strike” across Myanmar 10:00-15:00 Feb. 1 to mark the anniversary of the 2021 military coup. Participants plan to stay in their homes and close businesses for the duration of the action. Click here to read…

Nepal
Conflict of interest: Taken for granted in Nepal – The Himalayan Times

One of the national pride projects, the Sikta irrigation project, was initiated in fiscal year 2005-2006 and was supposed to be completed by 2014-2015.This Rs. 12.8 billion project was believed to be a game changer in Western Nepal, as it was aimed at irrigating 33,766 hectares of land west of the Rapti River in Banke district. Now, almost a decade after the stipulated completion deadline and multi-fold construction cost overruns, the project is still incomplete, and, over the years, the main canal has been damaged several times during the testing process. Click here to read…

US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to meet PM, other top leaders – The Himalayan Times

US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has arrived in Kathmandu. She is in Nepal for a two-day visit and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other top leaders tomorrow.This is the first visit of any high-level foreign leadership after Dahal became prime minister. According to American Embassy sources, Nuland will also meet UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba tomorrow. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Imran Khan to contest from 33 seats in Pakistan National Assembly bypoll – Hindustan Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan has decided to contest National Assembly bypoll from all 33 vacant seats, senior party leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said. Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday evening, PTI vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the decision was taken during the party’s core committee meeting. Click here to read…

Ahead of crucial talks, IMF spots Rs 2 trillion breach in Pakistan’s budgetary estimates – Indian Express

Ahead of its crucial talks with the cash-strapped Pakistan government, the IMF has found an over Rs 2,000 billion breach in budgetary estimates for 2022-23 in its initial assessment that might result in escalating the budget deficit and primary deficit targets with a massive margin. Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials are scheduled to kick-start parleys from Tuesday for accomplishing the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility during which the fiscal slippages and reconciliation of figures will be the major topic of discussion. Click here to read…

Bilawal lands in Moscow on two-day official visit – Dawn

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in Moscow on Sunday on a two-day official visit. The foreign minister and Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar are also expected in Washington soon as part of Pakistan’s effort to re-engage with the US. Upon his arrival in Moscow, Mr Bhutto-Zardari was received by senior officials of the Russian foreign ministry, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia Shafqat Ali Khan and other embassy officials. Click here to read…

UN human rights body to review Pakistan’s record in Geneva today – Dawn

As the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council takes up Pakistan’s human rights record at its meeting in Geneva on Monday (today), a few countries, including the United States, have raised specific questions in respect of human rights issues in the country. Click here to read…

Petrol Prices in Pakistan reach all-time high: Key things to know – Mint

Days after the country’s currency fell to its lowest level against the US dollar in the interbank and open market, Pakistan’s government raised the price of petrol and diesel by ₹35 per litre on January 29, shocking the nation’s inflation-stricken citizens once more. The revelation came during a televised speech by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. Prices were previously changed once every two weeks, from the first to the 16th of each month. It was announced that the new prices would come into effect on January 29 at 11 am. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Ban Ki-moon in Sri Lanka next week – Daily Mirror

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will arrive in Sri Lanka next week to witness the signing of an agreement between the Global Green Growth Initiative (GGGI) and the Ministry of Environment, President’s Senior Adviser on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene told Daily Mirror. Wijewardene said that Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on February 06 as the head of GGGI. Click here to read…

China’s debt moratorium offer to Sri Lanka not sufficient for IMF to approve funding program: Report – The Print

Citing sources, the news report said that the IMF needs more assurances from China to secure IMF board approval for the bailout package for Sri Lanka. Earlier, China’s Foreign Ministry said that Export-import Bank of China (EXIM) has extended debt to Sri Lanka. EXIM has reportedly offered a two-year moratorium to Sri Lanka on its debt. EXIM said that it will help Sri Lanka in its efforts to secure a USD 2.9 billion loan from the IMF, as per the Daily Mirror report. However, the IMF is not satisfied with the offer, Daily Mirror cited a top diplomatic source. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka President warns of falling into crisis again if government programs disrupted – Colombo Page

Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe warns that the country slowly recovering from the economic crisis will fall into a crisis again similar to the situation last year, if the economic and agricultural programs implemented by the government and the debt restructuring program according to the IMF are disrupted. “If we move away from these programs, the country will return to the situation it was in May, June and July last year. If that happens, we will have to face another crisis,” the President said speaking at an event in Anuradhapura. Click here to read…