Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

Neighborhood News Digest – 07 March 2023

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

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

Pakistan releases 147 imprisoned Afghan refugees – Devdiscourse

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

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

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

Public Universities Open, Female Students Not Admitted – Tolo News

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

Bangladesh
The fiery call for freedom – Daily Star

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

How Rohingya camps are turning into crime zones – Dhaka Tribune

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

Bhutan
Bhutan looks beyond LDC graduation – Kuensel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assessing Possible Military Developments in Myanmar This Year – Irrawaddy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sri Lanka’s woes with cannabis legalization – Himalmag

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

Neighborhood News Digest – 06 March 2023

Afghanistan
Iran opens trade center, permanent exhibition in Kabul – Tehran Times

Iran’s trade center and permanent exhibition of Iranian products was inaugurated in Kabul on Sunday, the Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan announced. In a tweet, the embassy mentioned the purpose of opening this center is to take a fundamental step in the development of trade relations between the two countries of Iran and Afghanistan. The embassy added that this center will be a place for Afghan businessmen to familiarize themselves with Iranian products. The development of exports to Afghanistan with the establishment of a permanent trade center for Iranian goods in Kabul is the beginning of a new chapter in the economic relations between the two countries. Click here to read…

Thousands of women in Afghanistan likely to be punished for adultery after Taliban invalidates divorces – Mint

The oppression of women under the Taliban regime of Afghanistan continues as now thousands face the threat of prosecution for adultery after the government declared their divorces as invalid, which automatically invalidates their second marriage. The declaration is another nail in the coffin of women’s rights in Afghanistan after the regime snatched away their employment and education. Click here to read…

Doha agreement empowered Taliban, weakened US power in Afghanistan: Ned Price – Samaa English News

The United States on Wednesday stated that the Doha agreement empowered Afghan Taliban but weakened its partner in the Afghan government. This remark was made by State Department Spokesperson Ned Price during the regular briefing while expressing his views on the three-year anniversary of the Doha agreement between America and the Afghan Taliban. Click here to read…

Six TTP terrorists including prominent commander killed in Afghanistan IED blast – Samaa English News

At least six terrorists of Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) including an important commander were killed and 15 others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Khost province of Afghanistan. The attack comes a week after a senior Pakistani delegation had visited Afghanistan’s capital for talks with Taliban officials. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Rupee and Taka to replace Dollar as currency of exchange between India, Bangladesh – Wion

India and Bangladesh may soon do away with dollar as the currency of exchange between two two South Asian neighbours. The development is expected to reduce the cost of trade as well as losses due to Rupee-Dollar and Taka-Dollar differences. The latest bilateral deliberations between India and Bangladesh took place on the sidelines of the G20 finance chiefs meeting held in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on February 24-25, Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper reported. Click here to read…

India proposes Bangladesh to produce defence equipment jointly – New Age

Indian high commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma on Sunday proposed Bangladesh to develop and produce of defence equipment jointly while inviting Bangladesh Armed forces to benefit from India’s cost-effective and high quality military gears. The envoy also expressed India’s readiness to partner with Bangladesh in its defence modernization through the US$ 500 million Defence Line of Credit extended by New Delhi to Dhaka earlier. Click here to read…

Fire destroys homes Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh – Reuters

A big fire at a camp for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh destroyed homes and sent thick black clouds of smoke through the area on Sunday before being brought under control. The blaze erupted at Camp 11 in Cox’s Bazar, a southeastern border district where more than a million Rohingya refugees live. Most of the refugees fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017, and the fire left some of them homeless again. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Reduce one minister immediately: Opposition Party – Kuensel

“One minister should be reduced immediately,” says the opposition party, Druk Phunsum Tshogpa. The party’s press release, which was issued yesterday, accused the government of being irresponsible by showing a blatant disregard for the law and taking an unduly long time to take the decision. “This is not only against the compelling objective and earnest spirit of the civil reform and Civil Service Reform Act 2022 but also in contravention to the Constitution.” Click here to read…

Solar fence along India-Bhutan border mitigates human-elephant conflict – Money Control

An 18-km-long solar fence erected along the India-Bhutan border helps mitigate human-elephant conflict, protecting over 10,000 people residing in 11 villages in Assam’s Baksa district by keeping away wild pachyderms coming from the Himalayan kingdom. The barrier, erected on the Indian bank of River Bornadi, which marks the international border, has led to a dip in incidents of wild pachyderms straying into villages and a reduction in deaths due to man-elephant conflict. Click here to read…

Bhutan to benefit from India becoming International Aviation Hub – The Print

India is expected to become a major international aviation hub, and it will also benefit Bhutan directly by being its immediate neighbour as India believes in the ‘Neighbourhood first policy’, the Bhutan Live Reported. In order to renovate the Air India fleet and overcome the losses caused due to the pandemic, the Tata Group will buy 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. With the Boeing order estimated at USD 34 billion and the Airbus deal at around USD 35 billion, the entire deal is the largest in commercial aviation history. Click here to read…

EAM Jaishankar holds bilateral meeting with Foreign Ministers of Bhutan, Croatia in Delhi – The Times of India

Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met Bhutan Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on March 04 in Delhi. EAM Jaishankar also met Croatia Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman. EAM held bilateral talks with both ministers on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. Click here to read…

New irrigation channel construction expected to address water crisis in Bhutan’s Jangphutse: Report – ANI

A new irrigation channel which is under construction is expected to solve the water woes of people in Bhutan’s Trashi Yangtse, The Bhutan Live reported. As paddy cultivation season approaches, it is normally a time of struggle for Jangphutse farmers under Toedtsho Gewog in Trashi Yangtse. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid speaks to WION on India’s G20 Presidency – WIO News

Maldives’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid spoke to WION’s Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on a range of issues. When asked how he sees India’s G20 presidency with reference to giving a voice to the Global South, Shahid said that he is glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had kept it inclusive and is gunning to champion every nation’s cause. He said that he expects India to take up every nation’s cause in the south, especially as the world emerges from the pandemic. Click here to read…

‘Small Countries Need UN Charter’s Protection’: Maldives Foreign Min on Ukraine Vote – the Wire

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid said that the Indian Ocean nation’s consistent vote in favour of United Nations resolutions criticising Russia’s military action in Ukraine reflects the view among small countries that a functional international system based on the UN charter and principles shields them from geopolitical vagaries. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar challenge – The Statesman

After Indonesia was handed over the Asean chair in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 13 November 2022, the immediate expectation of the rest of the grouping’s members pertained to the measures Indonesian President Joko Widoko would take to resolve the political crisis in Myanmar. When Indonesia held the Asean chair last, it had expertly pulled its weight and rallied its Asean colleagues to muster up a credible response to the Myanmar crisis. Click here to read…

US Adds Three Myanmar Organizations to Trade Blacklist – The Irrawaddy

The United States on Thursday added three organizations in Myanmar to its trade blacklist for aiding the junta, along with firms from Russia and China. The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued 37 sanctions, including against 28 organizations from China, four from Pakistan, three from Myanmar and one each from Russia, Belarus and Taiwan to its export blacklist. Click here to read…

United Nations rights office calls for action to end Myanmar ‘catastrophe’ – The Star

The UN human rights office has strongly condemned violence carried out by the military dictatorship in Myanmar against opponents of the regime. “Two years after the military launched a coup, the generals have embarked on a scorched earth policy in an attempt to stamp out opposition,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said in Geneva on Friday. “Urgent, concrete action is needed to end this festering catastrophe.” Click here to read…

Nepal
Prachanda in trouble as Nepal’s top court admits petitions for role during armed conflict – Indian Narrative

Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the court administration to register two writ petitions against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, also the Maoist party chief, for declaring that he would take the responsibility of 5000 of the total 17,000 deaths during the country’s armed conflict (1996-2006). Responding to a case filed by 20 individuals mostly victims of the conflict era, a division bench of the Supreme Court Justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal on Friday ordered the court administration to register the petitions filed against Prachanda. Click here to read…

India needs to engage with Nepal despite political uncertainty – Deccan Herald

Even as Nepal suffers from the economic fallout of the Ukraine conflict in terms of higher food, fuel and fertilizer costs and reduced growth on the one hand and is buffeted by the US-China contestation for influence witnessed in the acrimonious debates on the US-sponsored MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) versus Chinese BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) projects, it continues to be plagued by political uncertainty. Though it is only three months since the general elections were held in November 2022. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan former PM Imran Khan dodges arrest as police arrive at his Lahore residence over Toshakhana case – The Indian Express

The Islamabad Police arrived at Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan’s Lahore residence Sunday in connection with the Toshakhana case amid massive protests by his supporters, Dawn reported. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief addressed party workers outside his house. Click here to read…

Pakistan crisis: Talks with IMF to begin tomorrow; here’s what to expect – Mint

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are currently locked in a debate over an unfinished loan program required for the ongoing economic crisis. The Pakistan government is likely to resume virtual talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tomorrow i.e. on 6 March, a report by Pakistan-based media outlet Dawn has stated. These talks with the IMF will finalise revenue and expenditure figures for the next four months, a senior government official told the daily. Click here to read…

UK, Pakistan sign pact for supply of ammunition to Ukraine via Germany – The Economic Times

The UK’s ministry of defence signed the pact with Pakistan Ordinance Factories recently, following which an ammunition consignment of 162 containers, including artillery rockets, was shipped from the Karachi Port to Ukraine via Germany in February, ET has reliably learnt. The consignment went via vessel ‘MV Juist’ from Karachi Port, to be transferred via German Port of Emden. Click here to read…

Bankrupt Pakistan gets another 1.3 billion aid from all-weather friend China – Times Now

This comes only days after Beijing gave the cash-strapped nation a $700 million gift. Dar announced the finance would be provided by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) during a news conference held in this location. This week, China gave Pakistan a much-needed $700 million cash infusion to bolster its struggling economy before the conclusion of negotiations with the IMF for financial assistance. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s president says Punjab polls to be held on April 30 – AlJazeera

Pakistani President Arif Alvi has announced that elections for the dissolved assembly of Punjab, the country’s most populous province, will be held on April 30. The decision on Friday followed a proposal by the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold the polls between April 30 and May 7, according to a statement from the president’s office. Click here to read…

Pakistan to Host Counterterrorism Talks with US – VOA

Pakistan will host a two-day meeting with the United States starting Monday to discuss cooperation in countering what Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry called the “common threat of terrorism” facing the two countries. Christopher Landberg, the U.S. State Department’s acting coordinator for counterterrorism, will lead the U.S. interagency delegation in the talks, the ministry said Sunday. “The two-day dialogue will provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange views and share their experiences and best practices in the domain of counterterrorism,” the statement added. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
India, Sri Lanka May Use Indian Rupee for Economic Transactions – NDTV

India and Sri Lanka are exploring the possibility of using the Indian Rupee for economic transactions and have discussed the initiative that will help in building a stronger and closer partnership through trade and investment-led measures between the two countries. The High Commission of India here organised a discussion on the use of the Indian Rupee (INR) for transactions between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to dump China for India? Colombo allays Indian security concerns after spy ship row – Hindustan Times

Sri Lanka’s fresh attempt to mend ties with India over the Chinese ‘spy ship’ row. Colombo said it won’t allow any country to use its land to harm India. Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry said that the country wants to balance things to ensure peace and lauded India for coming to its rescue when it faced an unprecedented economic crisis last year. The Lankan minister said his government plans to work more closely with New Delhi. Click here to read…

Indo-US strategic allies hold up Sri Lanka’s struggling politics, economy – Business

With a focus on boosting security and fostering economic growth, India and the US have recently strengthened their strategic alliance in the Indo-Pacific region. They have both committed to helping Sri Lanka during its current crisis, with India offering USD 4 billion in aid through 2022 while the US donated over 3.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and over USD 17.9 million to Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to read…

Opposition asks EC to hold LG polls on 19 March – Island

All Opposition parties have called on the Election Commission (EC) to hold the local government (LG) polls by 19 March. The SJB, the JVP-led NPP, the TNA, the SLFP, the TPA, the SLMC, the ACMC, and the breakaway fractions of the SLPP, had jointly written to the EC, urging it to hold the LG elections on 19 March, in keeping with its undertaking given to Court, TNA Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told The Island. Click here to read…

Neighbourhood News Digest – 03 March 2023

Afghanistan
Ned Price: Islamic Emirate Has Not Fulfilled Doha Agreement – Tolo News

The spokesman for the US State Department once again accused the Islamic Emirate of violating the Doha agreement. Ned Price in a press conference said that Islamic Emirate has not “fulfilled the Doha Agreement” in terms of engaging in political dialogue, fighting terrorist groups and respecting human rights. Click here to read…

Six TTP Members Killed in Afghanistan’s Khost IED Blast – The Khaama Press

At least six members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) including a prominent commander were killed and 15 others injured in a blast that took place in Afghanistan’s Khost province on Thursday. Sources reported that six TTP militants were killed and 15 others injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Khost province. The identities of the slain commanders were revealed to be Abdul Manan, Alam Khan Mudakhel, Kajir, and three others unidentified. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Dhaka calls on G20 to take corrective actions to reverse global warming – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged the G20 countries to take corrective actions to reverse the trend of global warming and advocate for fulfilling the global commitments of financing and technology transfer to fight climate change. Click here to read…

Dhaka, Delhi discussing de-dollarisation – Daily Star

Bangladesh and India are in talks about doing away with the dollar as the official currency for payments between the two countries — a development that would bring down the cost of trade as well as the conversion rate losses for businesses and ordinary people. The talks took place on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on February 24-25. Click here to read…

‘Have so far identified 33 militants’ – Daily Star

Rapid Action Battalion claimed to have seized a video from a member of newly-formed militant outfit Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya in Chattogram on Wednesday. During a briefing at Rab’s media centre in the capital’s Karwan Bazar, the law-enforcement agency disclosed the 7-minute video, purportedly created by the militant organisation. The video also contains speeches of Jama’atul Ansar ameer Anisur Rahman alias Mahmud, and chief of dawah (invitation) wing Abdullah Maimun. Khandaker Al Moin, Rab’s director of legal and media wing, said, “we have so far identified 33 militants from this one and another video…” Click here to read…

Bhutan
Govt. foregoes Nu 3.31B as fiscal incentives – Kuensel

The government had foregone estimated tax revenue of Nu 3.31 billion (B) in 2021 with the implementation of the fiscal incentives measures, according to the National Revenue report 2021-22. In 2020, the tax foregone was estimated at Nu 5.01B. The fiscal incentives are government policy tools and the Fiscal Incentives (FI) 2017 was formulated to stimulate private sector growth, generate employment opportunities and entice foreign investments in Bhutan. Click here to read…

Bhutan reports outbreak of African swine fever in pigs, villages near India affected – Mint

An outbreak of African swine fever in pigs is reported from a Bhutanese village near the border with India. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on Thursday cited Bhutan health authorities and informed that the outbreak killed 6 pigs in a herd of 58 in a village in the Dagana district. Click here to read…

Inflation drops to 4.33 percent in January – Kuensel

Going by the trends of the country’s domestic inflation rate, which measures the price of consumer goods and services in the country, it is cooling down. As of January this year, the year-on-year consumer price index was recorded at 4.33 percent compared to the same month last year. Recording a drop to 30 months low, the rate is lower than the Royal Monetary Authority’s (RMA) upper threshold of 6 percent. Click here to read…

Maldives
UNICEF Regional Director to South Asia calls on State Minister Khaleel – Raajje

UNICEF Regional Director to South Asia, George Laryea-Adjei has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. During the meeting, State Minister Khaleel and the Regional Director discussed the role of UNICEF in the Maldives, in areas on child protection, maternal and child heath, immunization, nutrition, pre and primary education and social inclusion. Further, both parties identified the progress in the implementation of the UNICEF Country Programme Document which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2022-2026) and the Government’s Strategic Action Plan 2019–2023 with the vision of transforming Maldives into an equitable, prosperous, inclusive and connected island nation. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Malaysia’s Anwar says ASEAN must be tougher in bid to resolve Myanmar crisis – The Print

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said during a visit to the Philippines that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must prove it is “relevant” in helping to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. In a pre-recorded interview with Philippine news channel ANC aired on Friday, Anwar said that ASEAN, which is leading diplomatic efforts to bring peace, needed to be more assertive and noted that his country was shouldering 200,000 displaced people from Myanmar. “We can’t see this as a purely internal issue, so I have appealed to friends in ASEAN to say, look we have to be tougher,” Anwar said. “If necessary engage with the armed forces of this country because sometimes the military junta do not understand the civilian narrative.” Click here to read…

Only Civilian Govt Can Deliver Stability, Myanmar’s NUG Tells China – Irrawaddy

Myanmar National Unity Government (NUG) Acting President Duwa Lashi La told China that only the NUG can guarantee the country’s stability and foreign investment. The remark followed Chinese special envoy Deng Xijun’s visit to the China-Myanmar border, where he met with seven of Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations (EAOs). The acting president said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he heard about the visit of the special envoy and his meetings with northern EAOs through the news media. Click here to read…

13 Crony Parties Keen to Contest Myanmar Junta’s Proposed Election – Irrawaddy

Late last month, Myanmar’s military regime enacted the new Political Parties Registration Law requiring parties to re-register with the junta-appointed Union Election Commission within two months or face dissolution. So far, 13 out of over 90 political parties have re-registered with the junta’s election body. Five of the parties are running nationally and the eight others in their regions and states, according to the junta-appointed UEC. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), Democratic Party (Myanmar), and United Democratic Party have also re-registered under new names. Click here to read…

Nepal
CPN (Unified Socialist) decides to vote for NC’s Poudel in presidential election – The Kathmandu Post

The CPN (Unified Socialist) has decided to give the party’s support to Nepali Congress’ presidential candidate Ram Chandra Paudel in the upcoming presidential election. The decision was taken during the party’s central committee meeting on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Poll code defers Dahal’s confidence vote- The Kathmandu Post

With the presidential election only nine days away and the parties in the newly revived coalition focused on the poll, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal could delay the vote of confidence in Parliament. Government spokesperson Rekha Sharma said Dahal will seek a vote of confidence and reshuffle his Cabinet only after the presidential polls. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Govt swallows last bitter pills to keep IMF sweet – Dawn

With unprecedented policy doses within 24 hours, Pakistan on Thursday completed all the prior actions needed for staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avert sovereign default and secure long-delayed $1.2bn disbursement. Sources told Dawn that policy actions stood completed after the exchange rate was allowed to move freely with a massive Rs25 per dollar depreciation in two days, an unusual 300-basis-point surge in State Bank’s policy, and the government’s announcement of continuing with an almost 10pc increase in power rates on a permanent basis through a special surcharge. Click here to read…

No backchannel talks with India, says Pakistan’s Foreign Office – India Today

Pakistan said on Thursday that no backchannel talks were being held between Islamabad and New Delhi. “At this stage, there is no backchannel between Pakistan and India,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at the weekly media briefing here while responding to a question. India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such an engagement. Click here to read…

Pakistan: Inflation hits highest level on record – The Print

Monthly inflation, measured by a basket of products called the Consumer Price Index (CPI), jumped to 31.6 per cent in February year-on-year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. Last month, prices rose at the fastest pace ever in the country’s history, according to available data, with food, beverage and transport costs driving inflation to a point where analysts fear “families will have to make choices and sacrifices,” reported the Dawn. Click here to read…

Pakistan Risks $18 Billion Fine For Delaying Completion Of Iran Gas Pipeline: Report – BQ Prime

Pakistan could face a whopping $18 billion as a penalty for not completing the gas pipeline project with Iran in the time frame stipulated in the agreement. The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, which met with its chairman Noor Alam Khan in the chair on Wednesday, deliberated on the non-utilisation of Rs 332 billion ($4 billion) in gas infrastructure development cess, which was collected for developing three mega gas projects, including the building of a pipeline to import gas from Iran. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Election Commission, Other Commissions to get new members this month? – Daily Mirror

The Constitutional Council (CC) is planning to finalize the appointments of members to the independent commissions including the Election Commission before the end of this month, a top source said. The CC, a parliamentary body headed by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane, called for applications to select nominees to the commissions in keeping with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. The source said the applications are sorted out for the selection of candidates at the moment. “New commission members are to be appointed within the course of this month,” the source said on condition of anonymity. Click here to read…

The aftermath of Sri Lanka’s economic crash – The Hindu

As the island nation eagerly awaits a provisional IMF package to chart its path to economic stability, it is currently witnessing a new wave of protests, mainly by workers and professionals, as people’s economic hardships increase. The government also faces criticism over the recent postponement of local body electionsClick here to read…

Russia Ready to Bring Nuclear Power to Sri Lanka – Power

Government officials in Sri Lanka said they will work with Russia to bring nuclear power to the country as part of its effort to increase the supply of electricity for the island nation. Professor S.R.D. Rosa, chairman of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, told local media the country is looking at offshore and onshore installation of small modular reactors, or floating nuclear installations, that would have generation capacity of 100 MW per unit. Click here to read…

The Real Cause of Sri Lanka’s Debt Trap – The Diplomat

The root causes of the country’s debt problem have been attributed to various factors, including corruption and nepotism, alleged predatory lending from China (the so-called “Chinese debt trap”), and a structural balance of payments deficit. These debates aside, it is increasingly clear that the immediate cause for Sri Lanka’s collapse is the structure of the country’s debt itself – specifically, its deep and growing exposure to international sovereign bonds (ISBs) issued at high interest rates. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 01 March 2023

Afghanistan
Taliban kill top Islamic State commander in Afghanistan – The Hindu

Taliban forces killed a top Islamic State commander who allegedly planned attacks against diplomatic missions in Afghanistan’s capital, a government official said. Violence in Afghanistan dramatically dipped after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. But in the past year, security has worsened, with a spate of mass casualty attacks claimed by Islamic State’s regional chapter. Click here to read…

Taliban releases Iran border guard, moves into Afghanistan’s Embassy in Tehran – Al-Monitor

An Iranian border guard was released by the Taliban on Monday after being detained on the Afghanistan-Iran border. The guard was searching a vehicle for contraband on the Iran-Afghanistan border when the driver fled and drove the vehicle into Afghan territory while the guard was still inside. Afghan border forces detained the guard along with the other vehicle occupants but then released the guard, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Holds Major Place in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy – Business World

India’s choice of Bangladesh as the only South Asian invitee demonstrates the esteem with which it approaches its immediate eastern neighbour and presumably the best friend in the neighbourhood, while, other countries that have been invited to the G20 meeting are Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, Oman and the UAEClick here to read…

Capacity building programme for 40 civil servants from Bangladesh begins – The Print

A capacity-building programme for 40 civil servants from Bangladesh commenced at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie on Tuesday, according to an official statement. The NCGG is dedicated to promoting collaboration and learning among civil servants in India and neighbouring countries, in line with the ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) philosophy espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it said. Click here to read…

Hasan: China does not interfere in Bangladesh politics – Dhaka Tribune

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said China is a development partner of Bangladesh and it wants to be a partner in future too for materializing the dream of a developed nation by 2041 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “China is a development partner of Bangladesh. And they want to be a development partner in future also to materialize the dream of a developed nation by 2041 under the dynamic leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They didn’t poke nose in the politics of Bangladesh and don’t want to do it in future too,” he said. Click here to read…

Bangladesh: Infinite possibilities, limited utilization – TBS

By ensuring expatriate investment in Bangladesh, it is possible to change the economy of the country. That is because their investments, unlike foreign investments, will always remain in the country. Be it a profit or a loss, it will stay in BangladeshClick here to read…

Bhutan
India’s aim to open doors to foreign universities to benefit Bhutanese students – India Blooms

India is going to open its doors to foreign universities and this is likely to help Bhutanese students who aim to study abroad without bearing the huge cost of going away to far-off nations. These institutes will conduct undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, post-doctoral and other programmes and award degrees, diplomas and certificates in all disciplines, on a standalone basis, with the prior approval of the UGC, reports The Bhutan Live. Click here to read…

Maldives
Ambassador of Sweden to Maldives calls on State Minister Khaleel – Raajje

The newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Jan Thesleff has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday. At the meeting, State Minister Khaleel welcomed Ambassador Thesleff and congratulated him on presenting credentials as the Non-Resident Ambassador from Sweden to Maldives. Click here to read…

Discussions held to further increase collaboration between Maldives and Seychelles – Raajje

The High Commissioner of Seychelles met with the Maldivian State Minister on Monday. During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Minister congratulated the High Commissioner on his appointment as the non-resident High Commissioner of Seychelles to the Maldives and reflected on the close and friendly relations between the Maldives and Seychelles that has existed for several decades. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Drugged, abducted: Myanmar woman gang-raped in Delhi – New Indian Express

A refugee woman, who is a native of Myanmar, was allegedly gang-raped by four people in the national capital, official sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the heinous crime was reported from the Kalindi Kunj area of southeast Delhi. The victim woman, in her complaint to the police, alleged that she had come to visit someone in south-east Delhi area and that an unidentified auto driver allegedly drugged and abducted her and then took her to some secluded place. Click here to read…

Myanmar military gets new aviation fuel supplies despite abuses – Aljazeera

Amnesty International, Global Witness and advocacy group Burma Campaign UK said on Wednesday they had identified more companies involved in aviation fuel transactions, following up on an investigation into the aviation fuel supply chain last year that found supplies for civilian aviation were being diverted to the military. Click here to read…

Will Myanmar Follow Through This Time On Its ‘Rohingya Repatriation Promise’? – Eurasia Review

Local media reported that on February 9, 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 and instructed the authorities to prepare transit camps for repatriation. Since the military’s taking over power in 2020, this is the biggest step forward for Rohingya repatriation. Click here to read…

Japan to provide additional $60M in humanitarian aid to Myanmar – AA

Japan on Tuesday announced that it will provide additional $60.3 million in humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. In response to the rapid increase in the need for humanitarian assistance due to the deteriorating situation since last year, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Tokyo will provide additional humanitarian assistance totaling $60.3 million to the Southeast Asian nation. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal PM to reshuffle Cabinet after three allies pull out: Top developments so far – Indian Express

Nepal Parliament’s second largest party CPN-UML on Monday withdrew its support to PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” government, resulting in a political imbroglio ahead of the presidential polls. “A high-level meeting of the party held under the leadership of party chief K P Sharma Oli on Monday decided to quit the government and withdraw the party’s support to the Prachanda-led government,” Bishnu Rijal, deputy chief of the party’s central publicity committee, told PTI. Click here to read…

Nepal’s political turmoil puts Indian Neighborhood at risk – Asiana Times

Apart from Bhutan, a hermit kingdom, and Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh, the region around India is engulfed in political and economic unrest, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal facing a difficult path to recovery while Burma and Afghanistan are essentially failed nations. Click here to read…

IMF reaches staff-level agreement with Nepal for $52 million financing – Devi Discourse

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Nepal to release $52 million out of a $375.8 million bailout package, the global lender said in a statement on Tuesday. The funds to be released under the first and second reviews of an extended credit facility, subject to an approval from the IMF executive board, will take the total support to the Himalayan nation to $156.6 million, the IMF said. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan court orders non-bailable arrest of Imran Khan in Toshakhana case – Hindustan Times

A Pakistani court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as the cricket star-turned-politician called on his supporters to keep up protests amid a roiling political crisis. The court in the capital Islamabad that ordered the former premier’s arrest said Khan had skipped a hearing on charges of selling state gifts and concealing his assets. Judge Zafar Iqbal’s order came on a day of political drama in Pakistan, as three other courts on Tuesday ruled Khan was immune from arrest on separate charges relating to allegations of terrorism, attempted murder against a rival politician, and graft. Click here to read…

Pakistan has no food for its poor but purchases weapons, shows report –Business Standard

While Pakistan’s citizens are queuing up for wheat flour, pulses and medicines, the Generals have usurped a major part of the Budget for new weapons, reported Afghan Diaspora Network (ADN). The army, responsible for much of what is horribly wrong in Pakistan, cannot deny that it has fattened up on what has been snatched from the people. Click here to read…

South Korean investments in Pakistan suffer losses due to eco crisis – The Economic Times

Senior officials from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) and the local chamber of Korean investors have alleged that the failure to open letters of credit for raw material imports in Pakistan was causing Korean firms to lose millions of dollars in sales, according to experts who track Korean business interests in Pakistan. Click here to read…

Moody’s slashes Pakistan’s rating to Caa3 – The Economic Times
Global ratings agency Moody’s cut Pakistan’s sovereign credit rating to ‘Caa3’ from ‘Caa1’ on Tuesday, over the country’s increasingly fragile liquidity and external position. Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves are far less than necessary to cover its imports and external debt obligations over the immediate and medium term, Moody’s noted. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to visit India – Daily News

Foreign Affairs Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry, PC will make an official visit to India from March 2 to 4, 2023 to attend the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geo-economics which will be held in New Delhi. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Indian External Affairs Ministry. The Minister is scheduled to participate in two special panel discussions on the topics “Healing a Divided World” and “Bytes of Promise: How can Technology Lift Communities” which will be held on March 3, 2023 during the above conference. Click here to read…

Indian High Commission calls on Sri Lankan government to investigate recent attacks on Indian fishermen – The Print

Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka has strongly raised the issue of recent attacks on Indian fishermen with Sri Lankan authorities. Indian High Commission has called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate the matter and ensure that use of force and violence in any form is not used against the fishermen. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan govt. bans strikes ahead of mass protest announced by unions – The Hindu

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared public transport services “essential”, in a move that outlaws strike action by those working in the sector. The announcement came days ahead of a mass protest announced by worker unions against the steep rise in taxes and living costs. Click here to read…

New UNP led alliance to be formed with breakaway SJB group – Daily News

A new alliance led by the United National Party (UNP) will be formed in a couple of weeks with a breakaway group of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Lands and Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. He was speaking at a meeting with the Badulla District candidates, who are contesting the Local Government Elections from the UNP ticket, at Riverside Hotel in Badulla. The event was presided over by UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardena. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 28 February 2023

Afghanistan
Why India is cautiously engaging with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan -Scroll

In February, the Indian budget for 2023 allocated Rs 200 crore in aid to Afghanistan. It was an indication of how far India’s engagement with the Taliban has progressed, even as New Delhi has yet to officially recognise the regime in Kabul. This is in stark contrast to the position India took during the Taliban’s previous stint in power from 1996 to 2001, when the regime was overthrown by an American-led military coalition. Click here to read…

Will China’s latest investment in Afghanistan actually work? – Aljazeera

The Taliban-run Afghanistan saw its first significant foreign investment last month when a Chinese firm signed a 25-year-long, multimillion-dollar contract to extract oil. Experts are cautiously optimistic the project may bring jobs and income despite China’s sketchy record on executing deals. Click here to read…

Pakistan threatens Afghanistan with war even as Taliban refuses to act against TTP bases – First Post

Pakistan has warned of military action inside Afghanistan if the Afghan Taliban continues to provide support to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the Afghan Taliban has denied the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) bases inside Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban told the Pakistani delegation that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – also known as the Pakistani Taliban – has no presence in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban also claimed that all members of the TTP leadership had relocated to Pakistan after the Taliban captured Kabul. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Argentina reopens embassy after 45yrs – Daily Star

Overwhelmed by Bangladesh’s support for the Argentine football team that went on to win the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina reopened its embassy in Dhaka yesterday, 45 years after it had closed it. “The people of Bangladesh never forgot to show love for Argentina. So, we today humbly came here and reopened the embassy in Bangladesh as a new channel to cement our relations,” Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said, inaugurating the embassy in the city’s Banani in the afternoon. Click here to read…

Bangladesh adds 44 countries in the list of dual citizenship, total rises to 101 – NewsOnAir

Bangladeshi citizens can now avail citizenship of 44 more new countries while keeping their Bangladeshi citizenship.The decision to expand the existing list of 57 countries to 101 countries for which the Bangladeshi people can keep dual citizenship was cleared by the cabinet on Monday. Out of these 44 countries 19 countries are in Africa, 12 countries are in South America, 12 countries are in the Caribbean region and one in Oceania. The new list includes Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Sudan, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Fiji among others. Click here to read…

Khaleda Zia is disqualified from participating in any election, says Bangladesh Law Minister – First Post

Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq has clarified the confusion over Khaleda Zia’s involvement in the upcoming polls. “Khaleda has been released from jail temporarily for medical treatment. Apart from that, her current physical condition is not suitable for politics,” the law minister said while speaking at an event in Brahmanbaria on Saturday. Khaleda Zia is named in two corruption cases, the law minister added. “While one case has already been tried, the other one is still under trial. As per Article 66 of the constitution, she is disqualified from participating in any election due to being sentenced,” said Huq. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutan aims to eliminate malaria by 2025 – The Print

Bhutan, which had earlier failed to meet targets for the elimination of malaria in 2018 and 2020, now aims to eliminate the disease by 2025, The Bhutan Live reported. Bhutan’s Health Minister said that cross-border issues in the south especially during the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered the country’s progress to eliminate malaria. Click here to read…

Maldives
President concludes unofficial visit to Singapore – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has concluded his unofficial visit to Singapore. The President departed on the unofficial visit to Singapore on 20 February. He returned to Malé on 26 February. His last unofficial trip to Singapore was in October 2022. The president had made four previous trips to Singapore in 2022, the first being from February 10 – 15 and the second being from February 23 – March 6. Click here to read…

Maldives: Persistent Threat – Eurasia Review

Maldives recorded no terrorism-linked fatality in 2022, as in 2021. The abduction and killing of blogger Yameen Rasheed by a local affiliate of Al-Qaeda on April 23, 2017, was the last fatal incident of terrorism recorded in the country. There have, however, been at least nine terrorist attacks in the country since the Rasheed killing, including three in 2019, four in 2020 and one each in 2021 and 2022. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Beyond the Headlines: China’s special envoy meets ethnic armed organisation representatives on Myanmar visit – Myanmar Now

Members of the anti-regime People’s Defence Force (PDF) in the junta capital of Naypyitaw launched two handmade rockets into a compound where the 2031st Air Defence Battalion is based at 9:30am on February 22. The explosives struck a building in the site, which is some 23 miles southeast of Naypyitaw’s centre, according to a spokesperson of the resistance group. He added that they could not confirm the extent of the damage caused by the attack, but described it as a “test hit.” Click here to read…

Nestle to close factory, head office in Myanmar – Vietnam Plus

Swiss food giant Nestle is set to halt all production in Myanmar, but it has yet to give a time frame, according to international media. This is the latest foreign company planning to draw back from the country. A spokesperson of Nestle said on February 27 that due to the “current economic situation”, Nestle’s factory in Yangon, as well as its head office, will “cease operations”. Click here to read…

Chairman of Myanmar’s USDP meets youths in Yangon – The Star

Khin Yi, chairman of Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) met with youths at Myanmar Convention Center(MCC) in Yangon Region, on Saturday (Feb 25). In attendance was USDP’s vice-chairman Myo Zaw Thein, Yangon Region USDP’s chairman Khin Maung Soe who is also USDP’s CEC, the CEC members from USDP’s headquarter and 3,226 youths in the Yangon region. Click here to read…

Nepal

Nepal heads towards fresh instability as Oli ditches Prachanda – Economic Times

India’s key northern neighbour Nepal may again be heading towards political instability with KP Oli led – CPN-UML – on Monday withdrawing its support to Prachanda-led government following a rift over backing the main opposition party’s candidate for the presidential polls. However, the exit of CPN-UML may not immediately affect the Prachanda-led government, which is supported by the Nepali Congress (NC) which has 89 MPs in the House. Click here to read…

Community cooperation across Nepal-India border saves lives during floods – the Third Pole

Nagdev Yadav is president of the Community Development and Advocacy Forum Nepal (CDAFN), an NGO involved in coordinating local stakeholders to ensure the functioning of the early warning system. He tells The Third Pole that the system helps around 64,000 people every year in Nepal and India. CDAFN’s counterpart in India is an NGO called Yuganter. Its executive director Sanjay Pandey says around 10,000 families in India benefit from the system. Government agencies in both countries, including Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, provide support to the system from time to time. Click here to read…

India hands over Madan Bhandari Memorial College built with Indian assistance to Nepal – ANI News

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava handed over the college building of Madan Bhandari Memorial College, Kathamndu, built with Indian assistance to Nepal. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan economic crisis results in big layoffs; 1 million textile workers to be hit – Business Today

The industrial sector in Pakistan is preparing for more job cuts and a sharp decline in production. As a result of the economic uncertainty that has gripped Pakistan, more than 1 million informal workers in the textile sector are likely to be impacted, National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) Secretary General Nasir Mansoor said. Click here to read…

Forces ready to take ‘fight back to the enemy’ if war imposed on Pakistan: Army – The Hindu

Pakistan’s civil and military leadership said on Monday that the armed forces were ready to take the “fight back to the enemy” if a war was imposed on the “peace-loving nation”. In a statement on the anniversary of an aerial skirmish between the air forces of India and Pakistan, the army said that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, three services chiefs and the armed forces “pay tribute to the resilience of the nation and resolve of armed forces displayed during Operation Swift Retort”. Click here to read…

Defaulting Pakistan takes the steam out of CPEC – The Print

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project that was commenced a decade ago was held as a harbinger of prosperity for Pakistan. However, seven years later, many projects under the CPEC still remain non-starters while some of those being operational have become liabilities and are incurring losses. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Pakistan Navy Chief calls on President – Daily News

Chief of the Pakistan Navy Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi who is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka met President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s Office yesterday (27). During the discussion, the emphasis was placed on enhancing maritime regional cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, alongside exploring opportunities for the further expansion of maritime activities between the two nations. Symbolizing this meeting, the Pakistan Navy Chief presented a commemorative gift to President Wickremesinghe. A group of senior naval officials from both countries attended the event. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka: Authorities must exercise restraint in use of force and facilitate the right to peaceful assembly – Amnesty

Responding to the news that one protestor had been killed and dozens injured as a result of the unlawful use of water cannons and tear gas by the police in Colombo in Sri Lanka on Sunday, Harindrini Corea, Regional Researcher for the Right to Protest at Amnesty International said, “It is worrying that even after months of widespread protests in the country, the Sri Lankan police needs to be constantly reminded of their duty to facilitate the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and exercise restraint in the use of force while policing assemblies. Their actions over the last several months have cost the lives of many peaceful protestors including another death today. Click here to read…

Ranil proposed winding up UNP – Daily Mirror

United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had proposed to wind up the party following its humiliating loss at the last elections, former Minister Navin Dissanayake revealed. Dissanayake said that Wickremesinghe had several discussions with party seniors and questioned the relevance of the UNP after it lost the elections. However, some UNP members wanted the party to continue, especially since some UNP supporters did not vote
at the last General Election. “I was firmly of the view that we can get those UNPers back,” he said. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 27 February 2023

Afghanistan
Afghan Assets Made $70 Million in Interest: Mehrabi – Tolo News

Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, Central Bank supreme council member and board member of the Afghan Trust Fund in Switzerland, said that the $3.5 billion fund–including $36 million and $34 million in interest–should be used for achieving monetary stability and reducing volatility in the Afghan currency exchange. Click here to read…

Taliban Seeks Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Approval after Appointing Envoy to Tehran – News18

The Iranian foreign ministry could hand over the administration of the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban, news agency Khaama Press reported citing an Afghan diplomat. The Khaama Press also said that the handover process will be completed in the next few days. The development comes shortly after the Taliban-run foreign ministry stated in a letter that Mohammad Afzal Haqqani has been appointed as a designated ambassador to Tehran. The letter said that Haqqani will be in charge of the diplomatic mission in Iran as the first secretary of the embassy. Click here to read…

Pakistan Reopens Border Crossing With Afghanistan That It Shut Over Shelter To Terrorists – Outlook

Pakistan on Saturday reopened a border crossing with Afghanistan that it closed earlier over a tussle with the Afghan Taliban over terrorism. Earlier, Pakistan closed the Torkham border for vehicular traffic for the last six days amidst bilateral tensions. It was opened on Saturday, allowing the movement of over 7,000 trucks stranded. Click here to read…

Afghan women launch Women’s Revolution in Kabul to fight for fundamental human rights – Devdiscourse

According to one of the organizers, Donya Safi, the movement aimed to “protect the basic rights of citizens, particularly women, as access to basic rights is a serious requirement for the citizens.” We started this campaign to fight the injustice and inequity against women, reported Amu TV, according to Khaama Press. Click here to read…

Enrollment Drops By 70% in Universities, Educational Centers – Tolo News

The union of universities and educational centers said that the recent restrictions on female education has severely affected the universities. The media director of the union, Mohammad Karim Nasiri, said that the number of participants has dropped by 70 percent. “If we speak generally, enrollment has dropped from 60 to 70 percent in the universities. Prior to this many people were registering,” he said. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Severe dollar crisis hobbles Bangladesh businesses – Aljazeera

There is a severe shortage of greenbacks in Bangladesh due to its dwindling foreign reserves and a sharp drop in the value of its taka currency against the dollar. In the past six months, Bangladesh’s foreign reserves have dropped below $32bn from $39bn while the value of the taka has fallen by 27 percent from 84 to the dollar to 107. Click here to read…

Russia thanks Bangladesh for abstaining in UNGA on Ukraine resolution – India Today

Russia on Saturday thanked Bangladesh for abstaining from voting in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that underscored the need to reach “comprehensive and lasting peace” in Ukraine, days after Moscow protested Dhaka’s decision not to allow the docking of Russian ships under Western sanctions. Click here to read…

US, India, and the election in Bangladesh – Daily Star

In recent months, there have been quite a few visits from countries that are deemed to have the potential to wield significant influence on Bangladesh politics, especially around elections. A number of top US officials visited Bangladesh for talks with government officials, civil society members and senior journalists over the last few years. The Indian foreign secretary visited on February 15. The Chinese foreign minister, on his way to Africa, stopped by in Dhaka in January for a brief meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart at the airport. Usually, newly appointed Chinese foreign ministers begin their stint with a tour of Africa. This time, however, the minister seemed to consider Bangladesh important enough for a brief stopover on his first trip abroad. Click here to read…

Bhutan
India pledges to invest Rs 2 billion in Bhutan’s Gyalsung Infra Project – Economic Times

On Saturday, the first tranche of the grant that was presented will be used for the DeSuung for Gyalsung (DFG) programme as a special India-Bhutan Friendship Project. The DFG seeks to engage about 11,000 DeSuups in the Gyalsung infrastructure construction project through a hybrid skilling and on-the-job training program over the next two years. Click here to read…

To Woo Indian Tourists, Bhutan to Sell Gold at Duty-Free Rates – the Wire

According to the latest prices, 10 grams of 24-carat gold in India costs Rs 57, 490 while it costs around Rs 40,200 in Bhutan. However, tourists will have to pay the sustainable development fee and stay at least one night at a hotel certified by Bhutan’s department of tourism. Click here to read…

Bhutanese economy, moving forward – Kuensel

The Water Male Tiger Year 2022 was challenging for the Bhutanese economy. As the economy was getting better from the headwinds from two years of the pandemic, the new variant of Omicron threatened the economy once again at the beginning of last year. This was followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on March 24 last year marking one year as of yesterday. This dimmed the global economy including Bhutan’s forecast, coupled with the persistent inflation, particularly for food and energy. Click here to read…

Bhutan to implement “Health in all policies” strategy to ensure public well-being – ANI

‘policies”>health in all policies’ is an approach where impacts on health are considered in all decision-making and across all sectors and policies, the Bhutan live reported. according to the centres for disease control and prevention of Bhutan, the approach considers potential health outcomes when making policy decisions about transportation, education, housing and other areas that affect communities. Click here to read…

Impact of War in Ukraine: Perspective from Bhutan – Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Its economic lifeline dependent on India, Bhutan is vulnerable to any repercussion the war has on its immediate neighbour. The shortage of fuel was the first of these repercussions, causing long lines of motor vehicles to form at fuel stations even as the government sought to allay public concerns. India’s announcement of halting its wheat exports created fear of a potential shortage of food. At the same time, Bhutan’s close relations with India and the latter’s strategic relations with Russia made for a delicate situation. Eventually, Bhutan learned some invaluable lessons. Click here to read…

Maldives
MATI launches two books to commemorate Golden Jubilee of Maldives tourism – Raajje

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) has launched two books to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Maldives Tourism. The books were launched at the 33rd Annual General Meeting of MATI held at Kurumba Maldives on 19th February 2023. Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom, Chairman of MATI, Mohamed Umar Maniku, Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem, Secretary General of MATI, Ahmed Nazeer, CEO and MD of MMPRC, Thoyyib Mohamed took part in the launching ceremony. Click here to read…

Maldives-UAE discuss ways to strengthen defense cooperation – Raajje

Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have explored expanding defense cooperation. Maldives Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has met with the UAE’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei. She met with the UAE’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, on the margins of the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX 2023) on Friday. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Japan to ‘Appropriately Handle’ Project Benefiting Myanmar’s Military – HRW

During a televised parliamentary budget session on Wednesday, February 22, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his government will “appropriately handle” a development aid project in Myanmar that is benefiting the country’s abusive military. Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese foreign minister, echoed the prime minister’s public pledge to take appropriate action. Click here to read…

Myanmar continues to be in FATF Black List; UAE, Turkiye in Grey List – India Today

Myanmar along with Iran and North Korea continue to be on the ‘Black List’ of the FATF with the global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering on Friday terming the three countries as “high-risk jurisdictions”. In a statement, issued after the second plenary of the FATF in Paris under the presidency of T Raja Kumar of Singapore, the Financial Action Task Force also said the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkiye, Jordan, South Africa and 20 other nations will be in its ‘Grey List’ and they will be under increased monitoring. Pakistan was removed from the ‘Grey List’ in October last year. Click here to read…

No Myanmar refugees involved in drugs trafficking in Mizoram, says minister Lalchamliana – Times of India

None of the Myanmarese refugees in Mizoram have been found to be involved in drugs and narcotics trafficking to date, home minister Lalchamliana said on Saturday. Lalchamliana said barring 10 or 20 people, 31,050 displaced Myanmar nationals taking refuge in the state have been profiled and temporary identity cards have been issued to them. Click here to read…

Nepal
‘Prachanda’ government in danger in Nepal: 4 ministers including deputy-PM resign – Sangri Today

Four ministers of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), including Deputy Prime Minister Rajendra Singh Lingden, have resigned from Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s government formed two months ago in Nepal. Actually, Prachanda’s government has announced going out of the coalition and supporting Ramchandra Poudel of the opposition party Nepali Congress for the post of President. Angered by this, the RPP ministers decided to quit the government on Saturday. Click here to read…

Nepal reports lowest growth in 7 years in Q1 – Dajji World

23 fiscal year which began in mid-July 2022, the lowest year-on-year growth in the past seven years, the National Statistics Office (NSO) has reported. The country logged a growth of 3 per cent over the same period of the 2021-22 fiscal year and has targeted an 8-per cent growth for the current fiscal year, Xinhua news agency reported. Click here to read…

China’s ambassador steps up political engagements ahead of crucial presidential elections in Nepal – Dajji World

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, has stepped up his high-level political engagements in Kathmandu as political parties in parliament stepped up their dialogues on who should be elected the next president of the country. Nepal is electing its new president on March 9 and political parties in parliament will have to file their nominations by February 25. Ahead of nominations for the crucial presidential elections, parties have started their internal debates to see potential nominees. Click here to read…

A potential debt trap in Nepal – Devi Discourse

The risk here is that a country’s national debt could become too high when Nepal needs heavy investment in quality infrastructure. When that happens, spending without proper calculation of income or direct contribution to the national output can be disastrous. As a result, increased interest payments can divert funds from other much-needed government projects, or there is a less private investment because of high-interest rates. Budgets are tightened and confidence in the economy weakens. For the fiscal year 2022–2023, Nepal’s government is only permitted to raise a maximum of 256 billion Nepalese Rupees (about USD 2 billion) in internal loans. The decision to limit external borrowing comes at a time when several countries, including Sri Lanka, were facing debt distress. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Pakistan govt halts clearance of bills, salaries amidst economic crisis – Deccan Herald

The cash-strapped Pakistan government has directed the accountant general to cease the clearing of bills, including salaries, owing to the current economic crisis, according to a media report on Saturday. The Ministry of Finance and Revenue also instructed the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) to halt the clearing of all the bills of the federal ministries/divisions and attached departments until further notice, The News International quoted official sources as saying. Click here to read…

Imran faces 36 cases in ECP, Lahore & Islamabad – The Express Tribune

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan faces a whopping number of 36 cases currently pending against him in various courts of Islamabad, Lahore and in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). These include disqualification, pre-arrest bail, criminal proceedings, protective bail and defamation cases. One case pertains to terrorism as well and the PTI chief is yet to be granted pre-arrest bail in that one. Click here to read…

Pakistan economic crisis: Now country’s healthcare system gets hit, medicines supply deteriorate – Mint

Amid Pakistan’s external debt servicing obligation for the ongoing fiscal year 2022-23 rovers over $23 billion, of which $6 billion has been repaid and $4 billion rolled over, reports are arriving that country’s healthcare system has been badly hit and its struggling for essential medicines. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s Weekly Inflation Crosses 40 Percent For 1st Time In 5 Months – NDTV

Consumer prices rose significantly in the outgoing week on the back of onions, chicken, eggs, rice, cigarettes and fuel, official data showed on Friday, driving the weekly inflation to over 40 per cent for the first time in over five months, the Dawn reported. Though week-on-week inflation eased slightly, it still remained high as bananas, chicken, sugar, cooking oil, gas and cigarettes became costlier, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. Click here to read…

China, Iran, Uzbekistan come to Pakistan’s rescue from economic crisis – Mint

Amid this unstable economic situation, Iran is promoting trade with Pakistan, while China has granted a new $700 million loan to the country. This week, Pakistan has received a new $700 million loan from China to help shore up its foreign exchange reserves, in another step to help the South Asian nation recover from an economic crisis, according to Reuters. Iran has established six border markets to promote trade with crisis-hit Pakistan, said Iranian Consul General Hasan Noorain as quoted by pkrevenue. Uzbekistan has also inked a $1 billion deal to increase bilateral trade with Pakistan at the 8th meeting of the Pakistan-Uzbekistan Inter-governmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) held in Tashkent on Friday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
India & Sri Lanka review defence & security cooperation at annual defence dialogue – Economic Times

Top defence officials of India and Sri Lanka have held the seventh edition of their annual dialogue during which the two sides reviewed the bilateral defence and security cooperation and identified new avenues for engagement. The two-day meeting of the 7th edition of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) between India and Sri Lanka, which began in New Delhi on Thursday was chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. Click here to read…

Sri Lankan opposition-led protest march comes under police tear gas water cannon attack – The Week

Sri Lankan police on Sunday fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a protest march organised by the country’s main opposition coalition here against the delay in local body polls. The Election Commission on Friday formally announced that the local body elections would not be held on March 9 as planned, and a fresh date will be notified on March 3. Click here to read…

Neighborhood News Digest – 23 February 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

China’s Clouded Future in Afghanistan – The Diplomat

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

Bangladesh

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paradoxes of terrorism in Bangladesh – Daily Star

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

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

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

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

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

Two arrested for Bank of Maldives internet banking scam – Edition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan Implements Austerity Measures To Secure IMF Funding – Hindustan Herald

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

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

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

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

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

Forty more buses received under Indian Credit Line – Daily News

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

Neighborhood News Digest – 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 – 20 February 2023

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

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

Taliban replacing civil laws with Islamic ones – Devdiscourse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bhutan
RMA encourages inward remittance inflow – Kuensel

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

Govt. revises foreign currency reserves requirement – Kuensel

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

Bhutan must not let China gain foothold – The Tribune

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

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

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

IS module ‘received funds from Maldives – Economic Times

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

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

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

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

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

India wary of instability in Myanmar – Tribune

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

Chin Resistance: Myanmar Junta Trying to Retake Thantlang – Irrawaddy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany raises the red flag – Daily Mirror

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

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

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

Neighborhood News Digest – 17 February 2023

Afghanistan
US weapons left in Afghanistan are becoming a new threat to Pakistan and India | OPINION – India Today

Approximately, $7 billion of military equipment the US transferred to Afghan Defense Forces over 16 years was left behind in Afghanistan after the US completed its withdrawal from the country in August 2021. This equipment went into the hands of Afghan Taliban and TTP. Click here to read…

Ruling Taliban display rare division in public over bans in Afghanistan – Economic Times

In recent months, the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has appeared to take a stronger hand in directing policy. In particular, it was on his orders that the Taliban government banned women and girls from universities and schools after the sixth grade. Click here to read…

China, Iran call on Afghanistan to end restrictions on women – Indian Express

China and Iran have urged mutual neighbor Afghanistan to end restrictions on women’s work and education. The call came in a joint statement Thursday issued at the close of a visit to Beijing by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during which the two sides affirmed close economic and political ties and their rejection of Western standards of human rights and democracy. Click here to read…

The Taliban are digging an enormous canal – The Economist

Taliban officials have started talking up a new canal under construction in the arid north of Afghanistan. A video recently posted on YouTube shows shiny diggers roaring over sand dunes and workers from different ethnic groups toiling together. The Islamist regime says some 5,500 people are working around the clock on the project, using over 3,300 bits of machinery. Click here to read…

Afghanistan Protected Against Pakistan Economic Crisis: Official – Baaghi TV

The Afghan Ministry of Economics said that the current government is working so that Afghanistan does not suffer more from the economic problems in Pakistan. “Every kind of political, economic, and security crisis in the region can affect Afghanistan’s political and economic situation, but management, planning, and policymaking in Afghanistan has caused it to not be affected much by the economic problems of its neighbors, including Pakistan,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh sanctions to remain until police reform: US – New Age

The United States will not lift sanctions on an elite Bangladesh police unit accused of extrajudicial killings until it is reformed, a top US envoy visiting the country has said. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet visited Bangladesh this week and he discussed security cooperation with government representatives in Dhaka. Click here to read…

We want peace, but ready to repel external attacks: PM – Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the armed forces are being developed appropriately to give a fitting reply if the country comes under attack by external forces. “If external forces attack, we have to face that. For that we have to build up appropriate armed forces and accordingly we have taken various steps,” she said while addressing the 10th Tigers’ Reunion of the East Bengal Regiment at Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA). Click here to read…

AL, BNP take to city streets today – Daily Star

The Awami League and its associate bodies will hold programmes across the capital today, countering the BNP’s pre-scheduled road march.Dhaka’s north and south units of the BNP will bring out processions around 2:30pm to press home its 10 demands that include the next national election under a non-partisan caretaker government.On the other hand, the ruling AL will hold programmes at 3:00pm and 4:00pm protesting “terror and anarchy of the BNP”.Click here to read…

Bhutan
125 aspiring NC candidates register with ECB – Kuensel

There could be fewer candidates vying for a seat at the National Council (NC) in the upcoming elections than 2018 going by the record of registered candidates with the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB). The ECB has registered 125 aspiring National Council (NC) candidates including nine female candidates from all dzongkhags as of yesterday. In 2018, there were 177 aspiring candidates including eight female candidates. Click here to read…

Bhutan Airlines loses Nu 150M in the first quarter – Kuensel

The winter holidays have come to an end and intake in universities in Australia ending in March means bad news and business for the airlines. Passengers travelling out for a vacation to Bangkok and those going to Australia have kept the business alive, but the traffic is expected to decline as schools reopen in the country and admission for the spring semester closes in March. Click here to read…

Capital budget use slows in first half of fiscal year – Kuensel

The country has spent Nu 9.9 billion (B) as capital expenditure in the first half of the fiscal year 2022-23, according to the budget performance report for the second quarter of the fiscal year. This makes up about 24 percent of the total capital budget for the fiscal year, which has been revised to Nu 41.83B. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives can adapt to sea-level rise. Here’s how – Down to Earth

Low-lying island countries like the Maldives have been experimenting with raising the height of such islands to cope with sea-level rise and a new study showed that these efforts are efficient. Using simple engineering techniques to elevate islands threatened by submergence and creating new islands entirely where people can be moved to can help small island nations like the Maldives, according to a report by researchers from the University of Southampton, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and TEDI-London, along with Maldivian scientists. Click here to read…

Two Years Later: The Campaign to Protect Maldives’ Waves – Save the Waves

It has been two years since Save The Waves and local partners launched the “Save Our Waves Maldives” campaign. Our fight to reverse the ongoing damage to the famous wave of Chickens continues while also advocating for the protection for all of Maldives’ treasured surf spots, which are under constant attack from coastal development and infrastructure. Chickens Surf Break in The MaldivesThe campaign has two primary goals: the first is to restore the wave at Chickens and the second is to create legal protection for Maldives surf ecosystems across the island chain. Click here to read…

Myanmar
China, Myanmar to promote economic cooperation in post-pandemic era – The Star

China’s Yunnan provincial department of commerce and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) held a meeting here on Wednesday (Feb 15) to promote economic and trade cooperation. Speaking at the meeting, UMFCCI President U Aye Win (pic) said that it is a timely meeting to promote the economic and trade cooperation between Myanmar and China’s Yunnan province, adding it will assist Myanmar’s economic development and private business sector development. Click here to read…

Civilians Resort to Suicide as Myanmar Junta Steps Up Attacks – The Irrawaddy

At least four people in Sagaing Region’s Kantbalu District have killed themselves over the past year due to mental trauma caused by junta raids, according to local sources. Junta troops and affiliated Pyu Saw Htee militias have subjected locals to frequent raids in the past year, detaining and torturing residents, abducting them for ransom, making death threats, and torching their homes. Click here to read…

Myanmar plans to sell gold to Japan – The Star

Myanmar is planning to sell gold to Japan, said U Myo Myint, chairman of the Yangon Region Gold Entrepreneurs Association. “Now a Japanese company inquired to buy gold from Myanmar. We are also planning to export,” U Myo Myint said. During 2017 and 2018, gold was sold to Japan, but it had to be stopped due to the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. “It has been exported before. It was stopped because of Covid-19. Now they are asking about price and market situation,” U Myo Myint continued. Click here to read…

Nepal
India, Nepal jointly inaugurate two Dharchula International Suspension bridges – The Print

District Magistrate Pithoragarh Reena Joshi and District Magistrate Darchula, Nepal Dirghraj Upadhyay jointly inaugurated two Dharchula International Suspension bridges in the border area Dharchula of Pithoragarh district. Click here to read…

Nepal plane crash: Investigators suspect human error in preliminary report. Details here – live Mint

A preliminary probe report in the Yeti Airlines crash that killed 71 people, including five Indians suspect human error behind the deadly crash. Yeti Airlines flight 692 lost thrust and fell after the propellers of both engines went into a feathered position. The flight had taken off from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on 15 January, crashed on the Seti River gorge between the old airport and the new airport in the resort city of Pokhara. As per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the state investigating an accident or incident must produce a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident. Click here to read…

Pakistan
TTP rejects UNSC report, says it has no presence in Afghanistan, slams Pakistan govt – News Vibes of India

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) tonight rejected a report of the UN Security Council (UNSC) which has suggested that the outfit has presence in Afghanistan and blamed the “duplicitous policy of the government of Pakistan” for such a “biased” view. Click here to read…

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves rise above $3bn – Dawn

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank rose by $276 million to $3.2 billion in the week ending on February 10, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday. According to the state bank, net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $5.5bn, bringing the country’s total liquid foreign reserves to $8.7bn. Click here to read…

Pakistan, Polish entities ink MoU for supply of defence equipment to Ukraine – Economic Times

Poland is going beyond just being a transit state for transfer of Pakistani arms to Ukraine, with a Polish entity signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Pakistani company for supply of defence equipment to Kyiv. Some other Pakistani and Polish companies are also involved in transfer of the equipment, while a Canadian firm is acting as an intermediary. Click here to read…

US Concerned About Debt Owed To China By Cash-Strapped Pakistan – NDTV

The United States is concerned about debt owed to China by Pakistan and other countries, US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad as the country dealt with an economic crisis. Pakistan, historically a close ally of Washington, has become increasingly close to China, which has provided billions in loans and is Islamabad’s largest single creditor. Click here to read…

Is China and Pakistan’s ‘iron brotherhood’ crumbling? – Times of India

For years, China and Pakistan have been tom-tomming their ever-tightening geopolitical embrace to the entire world. With Pakistan at the centre of its Belt and Road ambition, China has pumped billions of dollars worth of investment into the country and has extended diplomatic support to Islamabad at every global platform – directly or indirectly. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka economic crisis: Power prices hiked by 66%; aims to gain IMF support – Business Today

Sri Lanka in the midst of an economic crisis, is hiking up prices as it aims to persuade the International Monetary Fund to lend it a helping hand. Sri Lanka hiked up prices of power by 66 per cent, following an increase in electricity prices by 75 per cent last year. The country’s inflation was above 54 per cent on-year in January and income taxes as high as 36 per cent. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka’s Local Elections Are a Major Threat to the Ruling Class – The Wire

Two themes dominate the political debate in Sri Lanka at present: managing the economic crisis through restructuring sovereign debt and the local government elections announced for March 2023. Click here to read…

Constitutional reforms within unitary system – Daily News

The obstinate refusal by the Tamil political parties to give up federal demand, which every sane opinion labelled as a ‘non-starter’ has deadlocked the recent attempts to find a lasting solution to the minority demands for devolution. Click here to read…