Tag Archives: Trade

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…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – December 19, 2022

Afghanistan
Afghan Traders Abroad Face Hurdles Investing in Afghanistan: Tolo News

Some Afghan traders living abroad said current problems caused by the banking system and international sanctions, as well as the closed girls’ schools, are causing obstacles to investment in Afghanistan. Obaidullah Sadar Khail, head of the Afghan trader council in the UAE, told TOLOnews in a special TV program that the problems in the banking system that began nine months ago have still not been solved. “The banking system is important for the traders and over the past nine months, this problem has not been solved,” he said. Click here to read…

Joint Committee Formed to Address Tensions along Durand Line: Tolo News

Afghan chargé d’affaires in Islamabad Sardar Ahmad Shakib said on Sunday that a joint committee has been formed to address issues between the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan along the Durand Line. The committee will address all borer problems from now on, he said. “Any tension that happens by any side needs to be solved through talks. The committee has been created by both sides to address issues,” Shakib added. Click here to read…

Pakistani Delegation of Ulema to Visit Afghanistan to Discuss Cross-Border Hostility: The Khaama Press

According to Pakistan’s Geo News, which cited Pakistani authorities, the four-member reconciliation delegation of Pakistan will visit the Afghan capital, Kabul, and Kandahar, to put an end to the clashes along the border amid news of the establishment of a joint committee to address the border tensions surface. The Afghan border forces fired indiscriminately and without provocation at the civilian area in Chaman city of Pakistan’s Balochistan, for the second time in five days, using heavy weapons.Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani premier, condemned the Afghan Border Forces’ “unprovoked shelling” of civilians in Pakistan’s Chaman district, in response to the first of the twin border clashes in a week and urged the Afghan side to make sure that such occurrences “not repeated again. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Experts: Bangladesh must prepare for hybrid warfare – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh needs to take protective measures and formulate a doctrine in order to address the growing threat of hybrid warfare amid the country’s technological advancement, said the speakers at a roundtable Sunday morningClick here to read…

Jamaat-e-Islami | Old party, new brand – The Hindu

In the backdrop of the protests led by the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), authorities in Dhaka arrested Jamaat-e-Islami’s ameer Shafiqur Rahman and his son Rafat Sadik Saifullah last week. The arrests were interpreted as a move to pre-empt Jamaat, the largest Islamist party in Bangladesh, from infusing critical mass to the protest rally set to be launched by BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Click here to read…

China biggest source of FDI for Bangladesh in FY22 – Dhaka Tribune

China has become the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) source of Bangladesh in terms of the gross flow of $940 million for FY22. It also ranked top in foreign investors with 104 investors at eight export-processing zones (EPZs), said Song Yang, economic and commercial counsellor of Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh on Saturday. Click here to read…

Bhutan
An uplifting moment – Kuensel online

As the year near its end, there is one special day all Bhutanese look forward to. December 17, our National Day is not only the most significant day for Bhutan, but a day where Bhutanese from all walks of life come together as a big family to celebrate with pride and joy. The gathering today at Changlimethang and in all the dzongkhags and beyond is an uplifting moment for all of us. Click here to read…

Tawang clash was a deliberate PLA operation – Sunday Guardian Live

The Chinese attempt to seize a post is not a simple face-off as it is being made in some quarters. The implications of the loss of the Yangtse post would have been very costly for India. It is to the credit of the Indian Army that they thwarted this attempt very professionally. Click here to read…

Recurrent budget cut for financial prudence: FM – Kuensel online

The government cut the recurrent expenditure from the last fiscal year 2021-22 to spend the limited domestic resources judiciously, Finance Minister Namgay Tshering said. About 40 to 50 percent of the budget was cut across all agencies in the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to the pre-pandemic. The finance ministry itself saw a cut in the budget by about 60 percent. Click here to read…

Maldives
Foreign Secretary attends Human Rights Day Event organized by UN

Maldives, HRCM – Raajje

Foreign Secretary Ahmed Latheef has attended an event organized jointly by the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM). The event, held to mark the Human Rights Day 2022, also commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) under the theme “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All.” The event saw Latheef delivering remarks, where he reaffirmed the Maldivian government’s commitment to the values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Click here to read…

Myanmar
SL Navy rescues 104 distressed Myanmar nationals – Sri Lanka Mirror

Sri Lanka Navy rescued 104 distressed Myanmar nationals aboard a passenger vessel in Sri Lanka’s waters about 3.5 nautical miles north of Veththalakerni early morning yesterday. The distressed vessel is reported to have trespassed into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters following a mechanical failure while it was carrying the passengers from Myanmar to Indonesia. Click here to read…

81 human trafficking cases prevented in Myanmar between 2020 and 2021 – The Star

Myanmar have prevented 81 cases of human trafficking, helping 840 people between 2020 and 2021, said Brigadier General Aung Htay Myint, head of the Transnational Crime Division. He revealed the information during the 5th inter-ministerial meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking – COMMIT, which took on via video link at the Myanmar Police Force headquarters, state-run newspapers reported. Click here to read…

EU supports WFP’s food insecurity efforts in Myanmar – Mizzima

The European Union (EU) has contributed EUR 6.5 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) towards its humanitarian assistance in Myanmar, where some 15 million people are facing moderate or severe food insecurity, according to a recent press release. Click here to read…

China-Myanmar-Thailand Economic Corridor safe haven for drugs, online scams: Report – The Print

The China-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Economic Corridor along river Moei has become a safe haven for drugs, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and online casino scams, according to a report in Mekong News. The report says that most of the “unholy syndicates” along the tributary of the Salween river from Tachileik to Myawaddy, are controlled by people of Chinese origin but from different nationalities.Click here to read…

Nepal
President Bhandari calls upon parties to recommend PM by December 25 – The Khabarhub

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called upon the parties to recommend a name for the Prime Minister within 7 days from Sunday. According to a source in the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, the President called for the name of the Prime Minister to be recommended as per Article 76 (2) of the Constitution. As per the President’s notice, the political parties have to recommend the name of Prime Minister by 5 pm, December 25. Click here to read…

Maoist Centre to initiate govt formation process after swearing-in ceremony – Khabarhub

The Maoist Centre has decided to participate in the government formation process only after the House of Representatives (HoR) members are sworn in. The Maoist Centre came to the conclusion that it would be wise to initiate the government formation process only after the lawmakers were administered the oath of office. Maoist Centre’s leader Janardan Sharma said the leaders put their views to opt for the government formation process after the lawmakers are sworn in. Click here to read…

Pakistan
PDM mulls over options to avert dissolution of Punjab, KP assemblies: Dawn

The city remained a hub of political activities on Sunday aimed at preventing the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former president Asif Zardari and ex-premier Chaudhry Shujaat met each other separately to find a way out of the ‘quagmire’ caused by PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement that the two legislatures would be dissolved on Friday. Click here to read…

FM Bilawal arrives in US capital today for talks: Dawn

As Foreign Min¬ister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrives in the American capital on Monday, he has a difficult mission: underlining the need for stronger ties with the United States without disturbing its close relationship with China. The foreign minister completed his four-day visit to the UN headquarters in New York on Friday and then went off-the-radar for the weekend, stirring wild speculations in the Pakistani American community. Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Washington and New York offered no explanation on his weekend engagements. Click here to read…

When under-fire Bajwa speaks…: The News

Sources close to General Bajwa said that the recently retired former Army Chief could not respond in public to what PTI chairman alleges against him because of some codal limitations but it is insisted what Khan mostly says about Bajwa is untrue. Bajwa is now the focused target of Imran Khan who not only sees Bajwa as the sole reason for all his failures in the government but also alleges that the general had removed his government as part of a US conspiracy. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
IMF says China agrees to form global sovereign debt ’roundtable’ – Daily News

Chinese officials have agreed to form a global sovereign debt “roundtable” that would include a wide variety of stakeholders, including private sector creditors, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday. Georgieva told an event hosted by the IMF that she was feeling “a bit more optimistic” about the prospects for dealing with major debt issues facing low- and middle-income countries after high-level meetings with Chinese authorities last week. The IMF chief said last week she had a “fruitful exchange” with her Chinese counterparts on the need to accelerate debt relief for countries like Zambia and Sri Lanka, adding that she saw “space for a platform for more systematic engagement on debt issues, where China can play an active role”. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka to use Indian rupee for international trade, more countries aim to follow – WION

Days after the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said that it was awaiting the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to designate Indian Rupee (INR) as a foreign currency in Sri Lanka, reports have emerged saying banks from India’s neighbouring island nation have opened special rupee trading accounts, called Vostro accounts. Sri Lanka had requested the RBI to facilitate and promote trade and tourism in the SAARC region. Click here to read…

New Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera – Daily News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe promoted Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed him as the 25th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from December 18 with the retirement of former Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne.Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera was accorded a Guard of Honour in accordance with Naval traditions, at the Navy Headquarters yesterday, Vice Admiral Perera a proud product of the Royal College, Colombo joined the Si Lanka Navy in the Executive Branch in 1987 as an Officer Cadet of the fifth intake of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 17, 2022

Afghanistan
Envoys of Over 10 Countries Discuss Afghanistan at Moscow Format: Tolo News

Representatives and officials from more than 10 countries exchanged views on the Afghan situation in the “Moscow Format” meeting on Afghanistan that began on Wednesday. Click here to read…

Doha Office Says Gaining Recognition Takes Time: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate’s Political Office in Qatar said it considers the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community to be a process that will take time, and that efforts are ongoing to achieve recognition. Click here to read…

SIGAR Assesses Factors Behind the Collapse of Afghan Gov’t: The Khaama Press

The US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a recent report assessed the underlying factors behind the collapse of former Afghan government in 2021, listing at least nine factors that led to Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Russia’s Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan Opens without Taliban: The Khaama Press

Sputnik reported that there are 11 countries represented at this meeting, including Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. At a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the discussion will center on the military-political, socioeconomic, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as well as coordinating measures to bolster regional security. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Lavrov’s Dhaka visit: Dhaka to focus on food, energy supply, Rohingya crisis – The Daily Star

Lavrov will visit Bangladesh to attend the 22nd Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting on November 23-24 to be held at Hotel InterContinental at the invitation of Bangladesh, the current chair of IORA. Lavrov, who happily accept the invitation, will also be meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, officials have confirmed. International relations analysts said Russia faces global isolation. The UN General Assembly has adopted several resolutions since March this year demanding end to the war, territorial integrity of Ukraine and Russia’s reparation for the damages caused by attacks in Ukraine…Bangladesh has abstained from voting in two UNGA resolutions and voted for Ukraine in one…The US and European Union are Bangladesh’s major export destinations and they are supporting Bangladesh in the Rohingya crisis, politically and financially. Click here to read….

Bangladesh seeks Singaporean investment to become ‘connectivity hub’ – The Daily Star

Decribing Singapore as a “connectivity hub” for distribution of services as well as trade, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam yesterday shared the aspirations of Bangladesh to emerge as a facilitator of regional connectivity for the land locked countries and regions of South Asia. Highlighting the need for more investment in infrastructure development, including sea ports and air ports, he sought more Singaporean investments to facilitate Bangladesh’s transition as a regional connectivity and manufacturing hub. Click here to read…

Shahriar Alam: Dhaka, Tokyo relations to be strengthened through PM-level talks – Dhaka Tribune

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Wednesday expressed his optimism that Bangladesh-Japan relations would further be strengthened through the upcoming prime ministers-level meeting in Tokyo. The prime minister is scheduled to pay the official visit to Japan from November 29 to December 1 at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. Click here to read…

Dhaka to warn diplomats against commenting on internal matters – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh will warn diplomats stationed in Dhaka against making remarks on the country’s internal matters, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque has said. “We will not tolerate any ambassador’s interference; they will be cautioned again,” the minister said while responding to questions from reporters in Meherpur on Wednesday morning. “Bangladesh is a sovereign nation; we liberated this country through a bloody war. We will not make any concessions when it comes to maintaining the dignity of our country.” The minister’s comments came in light of Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki’s statement on Monday that he had heard about “ballot stuffing” and that some police officers had stuffed ballot boxes the night before the last general election, which was something he had never heard about happening in any other country. Click here to read…

Bhutan
RBI provides an additional currency swap facility of USD 200M to RMA – Kuensel online

RBI and RMA signed an agreement to extend the validity of the Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement signed on January 31, 2020 and also to provide additional swap support to Bhutan, yesterday. This agreement enables the RMA to avail an additional swap amount of up to USD 200M or equivalent in Nu 16.57B from the RBI. This support of USD 200M INR equivalent is in addition to the existing currency swap support of USD 200M INR equivalent extended by the RBI. This agreement was facilitated by the government of India at the request of the government of Bhutan. The agreement will be valid till June 30, 2023. Click here to read…

Japan, Bhutan sign technical cooperation project on digital health – Kuensel online

To improve healthcare services, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a record of discussions in Thimphu for implementation of the project “Strengthening government capacity for using digital technology and data” yesterday. Representatives from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), which will implement the project, attended the signing ceremony. Click here to read…

Bhutan at risk of dropping to Tier 3 of Trafficking in Persons Report – Kuensel online

Since 2020 Bhutan was ranked on Tier 2 Watch List in the Trafficking in Persons Report. This means that the country is not fully compliant but making significant efforts to be compliant to eliminate the severe forms, nature and scope of trafficking. The ranking also risks the country losing loans or aid from multinational financial institutions, according to Home Minister Ugyen Dorji who introduced the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) to the members of the National Council (NC) on November 14. Click here to read…

Maldives
New type of drug smuggled into Maldives – The Edition

Maldives Customs Service seized a new type of drug smuggled into Maldives. Customs found the drug; methorphan while inspecting a box posted through courier from Bahrain. Officials claim that after finding a suspicious substances within the package, they conducted a more thorough investigation. The substance found inside the package were inspected on September 17 and had tested positive for Methorphan, according to Customs. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar releases ex-U.K. ambassador, Australian aide to Suu Kyi from prison

Myanmar’s junta released four foreign prisoners including an Australian aide to Aung San Suu Kyi and a former British ambassador to the Southeast Asian country, according to state media, in what authorities described as an amnesty to mark a national holiday on Thursday. The military government, which took power in a 2021 coup that deposed Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government, will free Australian economist Sean Turnell, Briton Vicky Bowman, Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota and American Kyaw Htay Oo, the state-run MRTV News channel said. The four will reportedly be deported. Click here to read…

Detained Japanese documentary-maker to return from Myanmar, sources say – Japan Times

A Japanese documentary filmmaker detained in July in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, was set to return to Japan Thursday after being released, according to sources familiar with the matter. Toru Kubota was sentenced last month to a total of 10 years in prison for violating the immigration law and for sedition and electronic communications-related violations. Click here to read…

Myanmar Will Not Hold an ‘Election’ in August 2023 – The Irrawaddy

An election is understood to mean “a formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a political office or other position.” Myanmar’s junta has claimed it will organize an ‘election’ for August 2023. Don’t call it what it isn’t. The junta’s event, whatever it is and looks like, will in no way be an election. If analysts, media, and diplomats use the term ‘election’, the onus is on them to justify and prove why and how exactly it wasn’t legitimate when in fact it wasn’t even what happened. Click here to read…

Vice President Harris Heads to Asia, Will Discuss Myanmar, South China Sea Disputes – VOA News

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Thailand this week to promote U.S. economic interests at a regional summit and discuss concerns over an ongoing military crackdown in Myanmar. Harris will deliver remarks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a gathering that includes 21 members who push for increasing economic integration and prosperity. Click here to read…

B’desh intelligence officer shot dead by Rohingya drug smugglers on Myanmar border – Hindu Post

An Bangladesh Air Force officer, working at the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), was killed in a gunfight with drug traffickers along the Myanmar border in Bandarban’s Naikkhyangchhari, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on Tuesday. RAB constable Sohail Barua, who was injured in the firing, has been admitted to the Neurosurgery Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital DMCH and has already undergone head surgery, he added. Click here to read…

Nepal
Exports may fall slightly after LDC graduation, report says – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal will be stepping into uncharted territory after it is inducted into the company of middle-income developing countries in 2026, and exporters are beginning to worry about the higher tariffs and stricter rules of origin provisions that will follow. Being a least developed country (LDC) meant Nepal got preferential treatment; but after 2026, it will have to hold its own. And the thought disconcerts many. Click here to read…

Nepal closes Uttarakhand border for three days ahead of polls – Times Now

The Nepal-India border will be closed for three days in advance of the federal and provincial assembly elections in the Himalayan nation on November 20. A meeting of Nepalese and Indian security officials in Rupandehi on Saturday decided to beef up border security and seal the border for three days beginning November 18Click here to read…

Shape up, or ship out’—why Nepal’s young politicians are challenging an ageing establishment – The Print

The current crop of top leaders is quite exceptional in that each has allied with their opponent in the past. Chances are that if neither the Nepali Congress-led coalition—led by Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist politician Pushpa Kamal Dahal, or Prachanda—nor the United Marxist Leninist (UML) party of K.P. Oli and Madhesi leader Upendra Yadav’s grouping get a majority, then one or the other weak link in any of the chains may snap and new chains may be created. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Default risk soars amid political turmoil, delay in IMF talks: Dawn

The country’s default risk as measured by five-year credit-default swaps (CDS) — insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default — rose sharply overnight amid political turmoil and uncertainty about talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Click here to read…

Pakistan floods ‘10th costliest disaster’ in a decade: Dawn

THE calamitous Pakistan floods of 2022 were the tenth most expensive climate disaster to have buffeted a nation over the last decade, according to risk modelling firm RMS. The floods inflicted an estimated loss of $3 billion on the country, caused over 1,700 deaths and displaced eight million people. Click here to read…

PTI ‘steps back’ from next COAS appointment issue: The Express Tribune

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday indicated that his party has now taken a ‘hands-off’ approach to the imminent appointment of a new army chief, saying that it has “taken a step back” on the matter. Click here to read…

Govt lambastes Imran for selling Toshakhana gifts: The Express Tribune

As PTI chief Imran Khan faces fresh allegations of unlawfully selling state gifts, volley after volley of statements from the ruling coalition called out the former prime minister for the abuse of Toshakhana, hinting that criminal proceedings would be initiated as per the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka abstains from UN vote seeking Russian reparations to Ukraine – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law by its invasion of Ukraine and requiring Moscow to pay reparations to Kyiv for damages, loss and injury resulting from the war. The draft resolution, ‘Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine’, introduced by Ukraine was adopted Monday in the 193-member UN General Assembly by a recorded vote of 94 in favour, 14 against and 73 abstentions, including by India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Those voting against the resolution were Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia and SyriaClick here to read…

President directs immediate implementation of FTA with Singapore – Daily FT

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday instructed the relevant officials to implement the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA) immediately. He issued these instructions during the discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat on the implementation of the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. The existing problems in this regard were discussed at length and the President highlighted the need to provide quick solutions to all the existing problems. Click here to read…

Special Envoy of South Korean Foreign Minister pays courtesy call on Speaker – Daily News

Special Envoy of South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Han Dongman and his delegation paid a courtesy call on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana on Tuesday. Dongman whilst thanking the Speaker for being a host during the visit of South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-Seug, extended an invitation to him to visit South Korea in 2023. During the cordial discussion between them focusing on several matters of mutual interests, the Speaker expressed the intentions of the Government to encourage electric cars and renewable energy sources as a policy. Dongman acknowledging that the world is heading towards renewable energy and environmentally friendly methods stated that the two nations could look into future prospects on the matter in future. Further discussions also looked at future investment opportunities and increasing the quota for Sri Lankans who wish to be employed in South Korea. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 16, 2022

Afghanistan
Kabul: Unidentified Man Killed Pakistani Soldier at Spin Boldak Crossing: Tolo News

The US State Department said that Washington’s “commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring,” in a recently released statement. “We will continue to press for an orderly transition of power to an inclusive government with broad support, especially women and minorities,” the US State Department said. “We will use every diplomatic, economic, political, and assistance tool at our disposal to uphold the basic rights of all Afghans; support continued humanitarian access to the country; and ensure the Taliban honors its commitments.” Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Bangladesh abstains from UN vote against Russia – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh has abstained at the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution calling for Russia to be held accountable for violations of international law through its invasion of Ukraine and requiring Moscow to pay reparations to Kyiv for damages, loss and injury resulting from the war. Click here to read…

COP27: Bangladesh wants climate finance doubled by 2025 – The Daily Star

Bangladesh has demanded that developed countries double their collective provision of adaptation finance by 2025, as was agreed at COP26 in Glasgow last year, and provide support to vulnerable countries to implement the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Click here to read…

G7 ‘global shield’: Bangladesh among first to receive climate funding – The Daily Star

Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Ghana will be among the first recipients of funding from a G7 initiative to help countries affected by climate change, according to a programme announced Monday at the COP27 summit in Egypt. The “Global Shield” initiative, coordinated by G7 president Germany, aims to provide rapid access to insurance and disaster relief funding for climate-vulnerable countries following floods and droughts. Click here to read…

First-ever hajj conference from Nov 17 – The Daily Star

The first-ever national level conference and fair on hajj and umrah management will be held in the capital from November 17. The three-day conference will be held at the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Center. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference virtually at 10:00am on Thursday. Click here to read…

Bangabandhu Railway Bridge: Crossing the Jamuna in 5 minutes: Dhaka Tribune

Rail travel over the Jamuna River is set to become significantly faster with the expected completion of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge in 2024. Due to the risky condition of the existing Jamuna Bridge, trains currently need half an hour to trundle across the river. Furthermore, broad-gauge trains are not allowed to operate on the bridge in order to ensure safety. On the other hand, the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge will allow trains to travel across the river at over 100kmph, cutting down the river-crossing time to around five minutes. The bridge will also allow broad-gauge trains to cross. Click here to read…

Bhutan
SoEs should let private sector grow: NA’s Economic and Finance Committee – Kuensel online

The National Assembly’s Economic and Finance Committee (EFC) recommended that state-owned enterprises (SoE) refrain from venturing into businesses that offer better prospects and opportunities to the private sector. The chairperson of the committee and MP for Gangzur-Minjey, Kinga Penjor, said that most of the SoEs operate in commercial sectors such as manufacturing, energy, natural resources, financial, communication, aviation, trading, and real estate sectors. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives arrests 14 for alleged Islamic State-tied bomb plot – The Hindu

Police in Maldives have arrested 14 people allegedly working with foreign Islamic extremists to carry out a bombing in the tiny archipelago state, police said. The suspects had been working with the Islamic State group and apparently planning an attack with the intent of killing many people, Uswath Ahmed, the nation’s counterterrorism head, told reporters Monday night. He did not elaborate. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Ground Report: Myanmar Refugees in Mizoram Camps Are a Picture of Resilience – The Wire

On September 19, military helicopters attacked a school and village in Myanmar, killing at least 13 people, including seven children. Six days earlier, India’s National Investigation Agency announced it had seized explosives and cash in Mizoram that were meant for the Chin National Front (CNF), a constituent group of the democratic resistance to Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar, climate and economy on agenda for U.S. VP Harris in Asia – Kalki Media

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will discuss Myanmar, regional security, economic ties and the climate crisis during a trip to Asia that starts this week, according to a senior administration official. Harris is expected to meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Saturday in Bangkok and on Monday she will sit down with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the U.S. official said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

India Should Exercise Caution Over Myanmar Timber Imports – The Irrawaddy

The confusion over Myanmar timber exports to India was laid to rest last month when the central government in New Delhi informed the Indian border state of Mizoram that timber was not on the restricted list of commodities from Myanmar. New Delhi’s directive was in response to a letter written by Mizoram governor Hari Babu Khambhampati seeking clarification on the issue of timber imports, following a petition by an association of wood-based industries in the state pushing for the removal of timber from the restricted list of commodities. Click here to read…

Malaysia Says No to Myanmar Junta’s Poll Plan – The Irrawaddy

Malaysia announced on Monday it will not support the Myanmar junta’s planned election next year, becoming the first among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reject the polls. Myanmar’s military staged a coup in February last year after the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) government won a second term with a landslide election victory. The military accused the NLD of serious election fraud – a claim that was debunked by international observers. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal, China seal a deal for utilisation of Rs15 billion in Chinese grant – The Kathmandu Post

Nepal and China on Tuesday signed an agreement for the utilisation of Rs15 billion (800 million RMB) in Chinese grants for various projects selected by the Nepali side. Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, Nepali ambassador to China, and Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), signed the agreement on the behalf of their respective governments, in Beijing. CIDCA is China’s external aid and development agency that has already made a foray in Nepal with different developmental activities. Click here to read…

Elections fail to perk up the economy – The Kathmandu Post

Polling day is less than a week away, and the high-pitch campaigning has reached a crescendo; but the same fervour is not being seen in the economy as the expected election bonanza has failed to materialise. Domestic airlines are flying half-empty planes, retailers are reporting low demand for meat, restaurant owners say only a few diners are walking in through the doors, and beverage dealers say alcohol consumption has dropped to an all-time low. Click here to read…

In Kathmandu, leaders compete to be ‘different’, make & break ties, as Nepal voters ‘seek change’ – The Print

Communist leader and former Prime Minister K. P. Oli, 70, released a rap song at the Lord of the Drinks (LOD) nightclub in the heart of Kathmandu’s tourist paradise Thamel in the past weekend, in a bid to connect with the youth. Outgoing Prime Minister, and Nepali Congress leader, Sher Bahadur Deuba’s wife Arzu Rana Deuba, disarmingly told a podcaster Monday — who asked her if she wanted to be PM — that she had taught assertiveness training to young women and yes, someday (she would), but that Nepal’s patriarchal society was likely not ready for a woman PM. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Govt seeks IMF waivers amid flood-driven slippages: Dawn

Pakistan’s formal talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the 9th quarterly review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) have been delayed further amid authorities’ request for a series of waivers on performance criteria owing to flood losses and the Fund’s push for sticking to committed tax-to-GDP ratio of at least 11pc.Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Budget allocated Rs.852 bn for social welfare – State Minister – Daily News

Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told Parliament yesterday that social welfare has not been forgotten in this year’s Budget and the government has allocated Rs. 852 billion out of the total state expenditure through this Budget. Click here to read…

China’s top global ambassador says Sri Lanka is ready to take off – Daily News

President Xi Jinping’s top-most international roaming ambassador said Sri Lanka’s infrastructure facilities, human resources and other required facilities are in place and the country is all set to take off. President of the Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Ambassador Lin Songtiyan said now what is needed to attract foreign investments is to enact necessary legal reforms. Click here to read…

UNP to take action against its LG member for holding protest in front of Chinese Embassy – Daily Mirror

UNP is to take action against its local government member Sashi Hettiarachchi who held a protest in front of Chinese Embassy asking China to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt to that country, Party General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara said yesterday. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 15, 2022

Afghanistan

Foreign Airlines’ Use of Afghan Airspace is Increasing, Say Aviation Author: Tolo News

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) said that the number of flights passing through Afghanistan’s airspace has increased compared to the past six months. Click here to read…

Taliban Orders Full Implementation of Sharia Law in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The Islamic Emirate leader Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada ordered judges to fully implement Shaira law on criminals, according to sources, months after the group leadership announced the need for preserving Islamic values. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
A watershed moment for Bangladesh-US relations?: Dhaka Tribune

The military junta of West Pakistan organized among the most brutal genocides in history on March 25, 1971 with a plan to crush the Bengali nation. On a single day, around 50,000 people were massacred across the country. Click here to read…

Health minister: Population growth rate decreases significantly in Bangladesh: Dhaka Tribune

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said Bangladesh has been successful for controlling population growth rate as the current population increasing is now 1.22%. “Population growth rate has decreased significantly as the government of Bangladesh has been implementing various effective family planning programme since 2009,” he told a meeting titled “Population and Development” in Pattaya of Thailand, an official release said. Click here to read…

Bhutan
RCSC will provide Nu 10,000 for childbirth for civil servants – Kuensel Online

The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) will pay Nu 10,000 to every civil servant on the birth of a child under the Civil Servant’s Welfare Scheme (CSWS). This was decided during its 160th Commission meeting held on November 9. It was an effort to explore avenues to introduce additional welfare benefits to cater to the emerging needs of the civil servants under the CSWS. Click here to read…

Canada govt. to offer biometrics service in Thimphu this month – Kuensel Online

The Embassy of Canada in New Delhi on November 24 and 25 will offer biometrics collection services for visa applicants at the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Thimphu. According to a press release from the embassy, the biometrics collection service is offered to those living in or who can legally enter Thimphu and have applied for a visitor visa, study or work permits, or permanent residence. Click here to read…

Maldives
President Solih sends greetings on 55th anniversary of Maldives-Japan ties – Raajje

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has extended greetings on the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Maldives and Japan. The president sent his greetings to the Emperor of Japan, H.M. Naruhito, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida on the occasion on Monday. President Solih told H.M. Naruhito that over the course of the past decades, Japan has proven to be one of the most “steadfast” and “reliable” development partners to the Maldives. Click here to read…

Discussions held on opening an Australian High Commission in the Maldives – Raajje

The new High Commissioner of Australia to the Republic of Maldives, Paul Wesley Stephens and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has held discussions on opening an Australian High Commission in the Maldives. High Commissioner Paul presented his credentials to the President during a ceremony held at the President’s Office, on Monday. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar’s Most Powerful Ethnic Group Rejects Junta’s 2023 Poll Plan – The Irrawaddy

The Karen National Union (KNU) political wing of Myanmar’s oldest ethnic armed group has rejected the junta’s plan for a national election next year, calling it an attempt to legitimize military rule. The rejection came on Friday at a public meeting of the KNU-led National Unity Committee of Karen Ethnic Armed Groups held in Takaw village, Hlaingbwe township, Karen State. The meeting was attended by leaders of Karen armed groups, religious groups, Karen political parties, and over 1,500 people. Click here to read…

It’s Time to Take the Gloves Off on Myanmar – The Diplomat

When G-20 leaders meet on the resort island of Bali this week, Russia’s war in Ukraine will undoubtedly dominate the conversation. But U.S. President Joe Biden should also use the G-20 to address another conflict unfolding much closer to Bali, as the people of Myanmar valiantly resist an illegitimate junta that is unleashing a campaign of violent repression, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. To date, the United States has taken an equivocal approach to the crisis raging in Myanmar. This visit presents a perfect opportunity to make clear that the U.S. and its international allies support the Myanmar peoples’ struggle for democracy by announcing new financial measures aimed at pressuring the corrupt, criminal junta responsible for these atrocities. Click here to read…

Biden, Xi start summit with vow to avoid conflict – Mizzima

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping opened their high-stakes summit in Bali with a handshake on Monday, and with both men stressing the need to manage differences and avoid conflict. Biden says he looks forward to having “continuing and ongoing open and honest dialogue” while Xi urges “finding the correct direction” in developing mutual relationship. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal reduces power export to India as production dips – Kathmandu Post

On Monday, the NEA exported 230MW to the southern neighbour, although Nepal is authorised to sell over 400MW of electricity in the Indian market. Recently, the NEA started exporting the power generated also by the Chilime (22.1MW) and Solukhola (23.5MW) hydropower projects. The total installed capacity of hydropower projects in Nepal is over 2,200MW, according to the NEA. But, the state-owned power utility said that available output at the moment is around 1,550MW as projects’ output fluctuates depending on water levels of rivers and production dips to the lowest especially during winter. Domestic peak demands of the electricity on Monday stood at 1,418MW. Click here to read…

China company to build Nepal road linking India border – Economic Times

The Nepal Army has awarded the contract for the sixth package of the Kathmandu-Terai-Madhesh Expressway to China First Highway Engineering, sidestepping an Indian firm, less than 10 days before the general elections in the country. On November 11, the Nepal Army, which is in charge of the project, issued a letter of intent to China First Highway Engineering that was earlier disqualified in the tender but later made a backdoor entry despite lacking technical expertise, according to people in the know. The companies whose proposals have been rejected are preparing to approach court against the decision, ET has learnt. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Lawmakers want Imran to pay for ‘US plot’ allegations: Dawn

Treasury members, including two federal ministers, lambasted Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the National Assembly on Monday for “taking a U-turn on the cipher issue”, declaring that the ex-premier would have to pay a “political price” for his “lies and false narrative” regarding the US-backed regime change conspiracy. Click here to read…

Pakistan out of UK’s ‘high-risk countries’ list: Dawn

The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its ‘high-risk third countries’ list through a statutory instrument, effectively meaning the UK foreign office recognises the progress Pakistan has made to be removed from FATF’s grey list. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
IGP, Public Security Ministry Secy summoned by SLHRC: Daily Mirror

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Public Security Ministry Secretary were summoned by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (SLHRC) to inquire into possible violations of human rights following the arbitrary actions by policemen these days. Click here to read…

Budget 2023 sticks to reform path with IMF nod pending: Daily Mirror

With an International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal yet to be sealed, Budget 2023 presented to Parliament yesterday stuck with the reform path Sri Lanka had embarked upon after the economy crashed in April, as a result of bad economic policies followed for decades. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 14, 2022

Afghanistan
OIC Opens Mission in Kabul: Tolo News

The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) opened a mission in Kabul with a ceremony attended by senior officials of the Islamic Emirate and OIC representatives. Speaking at the ceremony, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the office would play an important role in the improvement of relations between Afghanistan and Islamic countries. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate Denies Terrorist Groups’ Presence in Afghanistan: Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate once again denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying that there is no evidence to show that there is any threat to the world from Afghan soil. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Istanbul explosion: No Bangladeshis injured: Dhaka Tribune

No Bangladeshis were injured in the blast on Istiklal street in the tourist centre of Istanbul, Turkey. Six people were killed and 53 others were wounded on Sunday when an explosion rocked a busy pedestrian street in central Istanbul in an incident President Tayyip Erdogan called a bomb attack that “smells like terrorism”, reports Reuters. Click here to read…

‘Bangladesh on track to achieve Vision 2041’: Dhaka Tribune

Charles Whiteley, ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, recently sat for an exclusive interview with physician, author, and youth leader Dr Rakib Al Hasan to discuss Bangladesh’s development over the past 50 years, what it must do to continue its progress, and the country’s relationship with the EU. Click here to read…

Bhutan
US offers opportunities for Bhutanese students

Apart from popular destinations like Australia and Canada, Bhutanese students also apply to study, learn, and experience exchange programmes in the United States (US). Such opportunity, according to officials from the Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi, is facilitated through the prioritisation of student visa appointments. This assurance comes after many Bhutanese complaints that it has become extremely difficult to get visa appointments in Delhi which many say has been filled until 2024. Click here to read…

Maldives
Maldives arrests 13 in crackdown on terror groups

A joint counter-terror operation is underway in the Maldives where the Maldives police and the defence forces have arrested 13 people. The operation was launched on Saturday. The Maldivian media has reported that nine people have been arrested from Addu City, two from capital Male and two from Guradhoo island. All the arrested people are Maldivian men. Click here to read…

Maldives inflation rose to 3.1 percent in September 2022

The rate of inflation, as measured by the annual percentage change in the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 3.1 percent in September 2022. Inflation rate rose from 2.6 percent in August 2022, reports Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). Meanwhile, the monthly percentage change in the national CPI decelerated to 0.16 percent in September 2022, from 0.22 percent in the preceding month. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar’s junta slams opponents with prison sentences of up to 225 years

Myanmar’s military junta has imposed prison sentences of up to 225 years on nearly 20 of its political opponents since taking power in a coup early last year, sending a clear warning to anyone who might dare challenge its rule. Click here to read…

UN chief tells Myanmar junta to get democracy ‘back on track’

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged the Myanmar junta to immediately return to democracy, saying it was the only way to stop the “unending nightmare” engulfing the country. Myanmar has spiralled into bloody conflict since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi´s civilian government in February last year, with thousands killed. Click here to read…

Myanmar objects ASEAN’s review on 5PC and its engagement with the country’s ‘unlawful’ organisations

Myanmar categorically rejects and dissociates itself from the said-review on the Five Point Consensus (5PC) and the decision made by the nine ASEAN leaders at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday. Click here to read…

Myanmar Junta Facing Major New Armed Threat in Far West

Renewed fighting in Myanmar’s far west between the military and a powerful rebel group is opening another deadly front in the country’s post-coup chaos, piling pressure on a junta still struggling to consolidate power. The military’s February 2021 coup and subsequent crackdown on peaceful protests set off a wave or armed resistance across Myanmar that has been stretching the junta’s forces thin. By some estimates they now hold effective control over less than half the country. Click here to read…

Nepal
Nepal and India agree to repair Koshi embankment at 35 locations

November 14, 2022
Nepal and India have agreed to conduct repair and maintenance works at three dozen locations of the Koshi embankment that got damaged in monsoon floods this year. After conducting a joint inspection of the embankment from Chatara down to the Nepal-India border, officials of the two countries concluded that the embankment should be repaired to prevent future disasters from floods. Click here to read…

China’s vice minister for culture Li Qun visits Nepal

China’s Vice Minister for Culture and Tourism Li Qun, who has arrived in Nepal on a five-day trip, visited Durbar Square in Kathmandu where he inspected the heritage site jointly reconstructed by the two countries. The site was damaged during the 2015 earthquakes. Li, who is leading a delegation of Chinese officials, on Saturday visited Durbar Square in Kathmandu where he inspected the heritage site jointly reconstructed by Nepal and China. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Govt. in balancing act between social welfare and fiscal stability with Budget 2023: Daily Mirror

Ahead of today’s budget presentation, the government yesterday disclosed plans to prop up State expenditure by 29.2 percent to provide relief to the economically-battered population while moving towards fiscal stability and expecting a gradual economic recovery.
State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday said that all preparations are made to present the 2023 budget with an expenditure of Rs.7.88 trillion. Click here to read…

SLT September profits down on higher costs; revenue at Mobitel declines: Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka Telecom PLC (SLT) saw its profits declining in the three months ended September 30, 2022 (3Q22) due to sharply rising costs stemming from a bevy of factors including the sharp fall in the value of the rupee against the dollar and the soaring inflation amid the decline in revenues at its mobile services subsidiary, Mobitel Private Limited. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 11, 2022

Afghanistan
Department of Food Safety Forms Within AFDA: Tolo News

According to AFDA representatives, the department was created to examine the quality and freshness of foods sold in the nation’s markets.”With the creation of new departments and staff, we monitor and inspect 24 hours a day in all areas of all the drug facilities; at the same time, we will also have twenty-four hour monitoring of all our food facilities,” said Jawid Hajir, spokesman of the AFDA. Click here to read…

Moscow to Host Conference on Afghanistan on Nov. 16: Tolo News

The Russian Federation’s Foreign Ministry said that Moscow will host a multilateral meeting due to be held on November 16 in Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the discussion will focus on the military-political, socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as well as coordinating efforts to strengthen regional security. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
Freight operation from Chittagong suspended as lighter vessel workers on strike: Dhaka Tribune

Lighter vessel workers in Chittagong launched an indefinite strike from 6am Friday refraining from transferring goods from moored ships to press home their five-point demands. Click here to read…

FM Momen urges Japan to stand by Bangladesh in its development journey: Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed optimism that Japan will play a crucial role while Bangladesh is graduating from the LDC status in 2026 on way to becoming a developed country by 2041. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutan witnesses drop in tourist arrival due to new tourism rules – NE Now

Bhutan, which reopened its border for tourists on September 23 this year after a gap of over two years following the Covid-10 pandemic, has witnessed a significant drop in tourist footfall thanks to the Himalayan nation’s new tourism rules. Hit hard by the pandemic, the country’s tourism industry hoped for a revival after the reopening of the gates for visitors but minimal tourist footfall has left the people involved in the tourism sector worried a lot. Click here to read…

Bhutan Parliament Passes Bill Mandating One Year Training Programme for All Citizens – The Wire

Both houses of the Bhutan parliament recently approved a Bill that would mandate every citizen who attains the age of 10 to attend a one-year integrated training programme. The one-year training programme, called Gyalsung (National Service), would include three months of basic military training followed by nine months of specialised training in various fields like agriculture sciences, entrepreneurship, computers and coding, and health sciences. Commencing in 2024, it will be mandatory for all those who have reached 18 years of age and completed Class XII. Click here to read…

Maldives
9 Indian workers among 10 dead in Maldives fire The Tribune

At least nine Indians are reported to have died in a blaze in Male quarters housing migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The fire broke out in a garage, near a mosque, around 12:30 am on Thursday and quickly spread upstairs to the cramped living quarters. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the 10 deaths, but said it would not comment on how many of the deceased were Indians till their identification. Reports from the Maldives said of the dead, nine were Indians and one Bangladeshi. Click here to read…

Hungary’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister arrives in the Maldives – Avas
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó has arrived in the Maldives today, on an Official visit. He is visiting the Maldives at the invitation of Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. This is the first Official visit from a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and marks an important milestone in the 47-year-long bilateral relationship between the Maldives and Hungary. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Appointment of Myanmar junta general as ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference chair criticised – Mizzima

CSO Progressive Voice has joined with other organisations in condemning the appointment of a Myanmar junta general, General Tun Aung, to the chair of the of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Air Chiefs Conference (AACC). It has called for other countries to immediately sanction General Aung Tan and for ASEAN to ban Myanmar any ASEAN meetings, group=s and activities. Following Justice For Myanmar’s revelation that the Myanmar military junta had recently been appointed chair of the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference (AACC). General Tun Aung led the junta’s delegation where they assumed the AACC Chairmanship for the coming year. Click here to read…

ASEAN summit begins with Myanmar likely to dominate agenda; ‘little progress expected’ – Reuters

Leaders of Southeast Asian nations began an annual summit on Friday that is likely to be dominated by Myanmar’s escalating violence and political gridlock, with increasingly frustrated members of the group struggling to get the country’s junta to comply with an agreed peace plan. Several representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have blamed Myanmar’s military rulers for failing to implement a peace plan agreed jointly last year, which includes ending hostilities and allowing access for a special envoy and aid. Click here to read…

Australia to give $135 million as humanitarian support to Bangladesh and Myanmar – TBS News

“As part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to supporting the humanitarian response in Myanmar and Bangladesh, Australia will provide $135 million in2022-23 to assist with the delivery of life-saving food, water and shelter through partner organisations,” said Australian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. The package of support will also deliver essential protection, education and health services for those most in need, including women, girls and people with disabilities. Click here to read…

Nepal
Senior Chinese official coming today despite Nepal’s reservations – The Kathmandu Post

Despite reservations from the government, Chinese Vice Minister for Culture and Tourism Li Qun, who is also the head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, is arriving in Nepal on Friday on a five-day visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had advised the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu to postpone the visit until after the November 20 elections, but the Chinese side insisted that the trip would be purely “personal” and involve visits to cultural heritage sites, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation told the Post. The Nepali Embassy in Beijing is not aware of the visit. Click here to read…

The Election Manifestos of Nepal’s Parties Run Along Predictable Lines – The Diplomat

Political and economic issues have dominated the political parties’ agenda per their manifestos. Parties have pledged to develop better infrastructure, accelerate economic growth to over 7 percent, create 250,000 jobs per year, and provide free services such as electricity and water. Similarly, some parties are seeking to change the political system. Click here to read…

India hands over 200 vehicles to Nepal for use in general elections – Daily News

On Nepal’s request, the Indian government on Tuesday handed over 200 vehicles to the Himalayan country that would be utilized at the time of general elections slated for the 20th of this month. The Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, handed over vehicles to Minister for Finance, Janardan Sharma, as a gift of India for logistical support to various Nepali institutions for the conduct of elections. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Imran asks CJP to probe army officer’s role in attack: Dawn

As Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) long march resumed after a week from Wazirabad on Thursday, party Chairman Imran Khan addressed the participants from his Zaman Park residence here through a video link, reiterating his accusation that a senior army officer was behind his attempted assassination. Click here to read…

Pakistan, Saudi FMs discuss security: The Express Tribune

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, held wide-ranging discussions on host of issues related to political and security domains, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Foreign Ministry to extend diplomatic support to resolve Chinese organic fertilizer cargo issue: Daily Mirror

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is to seek a diplomatic solution between the two countries regarding the Chinese ship which freighted organic fertilizer to Sri Lanka in 2021, at diplomatic level and the payment of US$ 6.7 million made by the Sri Lankan government. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 09, 2022

Afghanistan
Afghanistan Exported $1.8 Billion in Goods in Past 7 Months: Tolo News

The office of the first deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdullah Ghani Baradar, said that Afghanistan’s exports abroad have reached $1.85 billion over the past seven months. According to Baradar’s office, exported goods went to Pakistan, India, Iran, China, UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Iraq. Click here to read…

Afghanistan Among Countries with Most Displaced People: Tolo News

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that over 70 percent of the world’s refugees and displaced people come from the most climate-vulnerable countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Yemen. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
AIUB-supported Bangladesh Education Forum inaugurated in Dubai: Dhaka Tribune

American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) organized a conference ‘Education Forum 2022′ at the Crown Plaza, Deira, Dubai, UAE, on November 4. Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, deputy education minister of Bangladesh, inaugurated the education campaign. Click here to read…

Hasan: World leaders’ COP27 engagement brings new hope: Dhaka Tribune

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said the joining of world leaders’ to the COP-27 conference ushered a new hope towards protecting the world from the adverse impact of climate change. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Bhutan’s UN Peacekeeping Contingent leaves for CAR – Kuensel Online

Bhutan’s first UN Peacekeeping Contingent boarded a special Drukair flight to Central African Republic (CAR), yesterday. His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graced the departure ceremony at Paro Airport. A Guard of Honour was presented at the Ceremony. Bhutan’s contingent, which comprises of 180 Royal Bhutan Army Personnel, is part of the United Nations’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission for the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Click here to read…

Building a Resilient Food System in Bhutan – Relief Web

The Royal Government of Bhutan in its 12th Five Year Plan (2018-2023) has provided strategies to promote commercialization, and agribusiness development and diversification while ensuring food self-sufficiency. The 2030 Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Strategy 2030 prioritises food self-sufficiency through transformation of the RNR sector while ensuring sustainable natural resource management. Click here to read…

Maldives
Discussions held on new avenues for cooperation between Maldives, Serbia – Raajje

This was done during a meeting held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. His visit came upon the official invitation from his counterpart, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dačić. Discussions have been held regarding new avenues for cooperation between the Maldives and Serbia. This was done during a meeting held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić as part of FM Shahid’s recent visit to SerbiaClick here to read…

Myanmar
ASEAN actively aiding and abetting Myanmar junta’s war crimes and crimes against humanity – Mizzima

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has appointed the Myanma junta to chair the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference and allowed it to take control of the ASEAN counter-terrorism website. The illegitimate Myanmar military junta has been appointed chair of the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference, as it intensifies the use of its air force to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is also continuing to co-chair the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) – Plus Experts’ Working Group on Counter Terrorism and will host a meeting in December. The junta is using its control of the ASEAN counter terrorism website to post disinformation and propaganda. Click here to read…

US, EU add more sanctions as Myanmar violence deepens – Aljazeera

The United States and European Union have announced new sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime aimed at officials, companies and arms dealers, as campaigners urge quicker implementation of the measures given the deepening crisis in the country. The EU sanctions apply to 19 more individuals and entities, including a minister and chief justice, and are a result of “the continuing escalation of violence and grave human rights violations following the military takeover two years ago”, the European Council said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

How China, India and Bangladesh could be drawn into Myanmar’s conflict – Lowly Institute

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar sparked renewed civil conflict between Myanmar government forces, the Tatmadaw, and perhaps a dozen insurgent groups seeking their own ethnic states. Many of these conflicts have cross-border implications, but the insurgency in Rakhine state has particular consequences for the broader region. China has already been drawn into the conflict in Rakhine state to protect key interests, and India and Bangladesh could soon follow. This may produce unpredictable outcomes. Click here to read…

Nepal
Six dead after earthquake hits Nepal, tremors felt in New Delhi – Aljazeera

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake has struck Nepal, killing at least six people, injuring several others, and destroying multiple houses in the northwestern district of Doti, officials said. The earthquake, which hit at about 2am local time on Wednesday (20:15 GMT), sent tremors into northern India. Click here to read…

India-Nepal border to be closed for 72 hours before Nepal general elections – Live Mint

As Nepal goes to the general election on 20 November, the India-Nepal border will be closed for 72 hours to prevent any movement of anti-social elements. The officials from the border areas of both nations held a meeting in the Rupandehi district of Nepal on Saturday and discussed the preparations regarding the border. “A decision to seal the border for 72 hours from November 17 till 12 midnight of November 20 was taken at the meeting of the coordination committee of officials of the neighboring districts of the two countries,” said Maharajganj District Magistrate Satendra Kumar. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Imran ‘abandons’ designs to sway chief’s selection: Dawn

After repeatedly calling for a consultative process before picking the new army chief, ousted prime minister Imran Khan now does not see any problem if the appointment is made by the Shehbaz Sharif government. Click here to read…

Editorial: A state of anarchy: Dawn

WHAT happened in Wazirabad last week was perhaps a story foretold. The gun attack on Imran Khan has pushed the country deeper into anarchy. The would-be assassin may have been arrested but the motive behind the shooting remains shrouded in mystery. The former prime minister has been quick to blame the top government leaders and a senior ISI official for plotting the attack. He has named names. Click here to read…

We need funds, not debts: Shehbaz: The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sensitising the international community on the plight of flood-hit Pakistan, on Tuesday said the country needed additional funding, not debts, to rebuild a resilient and adaptive infrastructure as the financing gap was widening by the day. Click here to read…

Disqualification sword hangs on Imran over failure to submit poll expenses details: The Express Tribune

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to take action against former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan over his failure to submit details of election expenses that he incurred during the recently-held by-elections held on October 16. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
UNHRC must get SL rulers to work according to Intl. norms: Cardinal: Daily Mirror

Whilst highlighting that cruel and intolerable suppression is exercised by the government, and expressing his surprise over the alleged attempts to hide evidence and save those who are responsible for the Easter Sunday attack, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith yesterday said he hopes UNHRC takes notice of the situation and get Sri Lankan rulers to work according to international norms. Click here to read…

President mulls appointing new governors: Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is mulling to appoint new governors to the nine provinces in place of the present ones appointed by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Daily Mirror learns. A governor is a post appointed by the president to exercise executive powers over the provincial councils. Any statute passed by a provincial council comes into force only after assent by the governor concerned. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 07, 2022

Afghanistan
UNAMA Calls for Climate Change in Afghanistan to Be Addressed: Tolo News

As the UN climate change summit began in Egypt on Sunday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called for urgent global cooperation to stop the destructive effects of climate changes in Afghanistan.“The Afghan people stand on the precipice of devastating climate projections. As COP27 opens today, the UN in Afghanistan calls for urgent collective action to halt the destructive impact of the altering climate in the country that is one of the least prepared against climate shocks but is ranked the sixth most affected in the world to climate-related threats,” UNAMA report reads. Click here to read…

Islamic Emirate: Moscow Format Should Have Kabul Delegate: Tolo News

In response to TASS news agency’s reporting that Kabul would be absent from the “Moscow Format” meeting on Afghanistan which will take place in Moscow in mid-November, the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate said that this meeting would be incomplete without a representative from the current government. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
PM Hasina: Bangladesh an ideal place for investment: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said many renowned companies from around the world are setting up their factories in the economic zones of Bangladesh. “Bangladesh has emerged as an ideal place for investment with a favourable investment climate. We are building 100 Special Economic Zones across the country with all amenities available. Many of the world’s famous companies are setting up their factories in these zones,” she said. Click here to read…

IMF team attends BERC presentation on setting power, gas tariffs: Dhaka Tribune

The visiting team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been keen to know how the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) sets power and gas tariffs. A four-member IMF delegation, led by Rahul Anand, head of its Asia and Pacific Division, has been in Bangladesh since October 26 to discuss the government’s request for a $4.5 billion loan and held a series of meetings with its different departments. Click here to read…

Bhutan
Sagar: Indian Army personnel, 350 trainees from Bhutan, Sri Lanka visit ICCC – Free Press Journal

India Army personnel, along with the 350 trainee soldiers from Bhutan and Sri Lanka, visited the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) set up by Sagar Smart City Limited on Friday to learn more about monitoring of administrative services. Click here to read…

Revival of a traditional art form – Kuensel Online

The exhibition by Rinzin Dorji and Penjor Dorji includes a piece that is 100 percent made in Bhutan, using nettle canvas and mineral paint. The event was organised to showcase works of art with the use of natural pigments – organic and mineral-based. The Executive Director of RTA, Rinzin Ongmo Dorji said that although RTA’s main mandate is to promote the traditional art form of weaving, the organisation also works towards promoting the other traditional crafts in the country. Click here to read…

Maldives
Tourism occupancy averages at 58.8 percent – Avas

According to the MMA’s October data, the occupancy rate stood at 58.8 percent this year, up 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year. While tourism occupancy peaked in February this year, standing at 72.7 percent, it stood at 70.1 percent earlier in January. According to MMA statistics, the number of flights to the Maldives is also increasing. The number of international flights arriving in the Maldives reached 11,070 as of September. There were 8,698 flights during the same period last year. Click here to read…

Goods worth MVR 39 bln imported thus far this year – Avas

The Maldives’ imports from January to September this year stood at MVR 39 billion. According to the central bank, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) data, while goods worth MVR 39 billion have been imported thus far this year, imports stood at MVR 27 billion during the same period last year. This year’s figures are up by MVR 12 billion compared to 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Australia under pressure to sanction Myanmar military after Amnesty

International report and leaked ANZ Bank transactions – ABCNet

The Australian government is under pressure to impose sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta and activists are calling on ANZ Bank to reconsider its dealings in the South-East Asian nation amid new revelations about jet fuel supply chains and transactions. An Amnesty International report released on Thursday called on the international community to “urgently prevent shipments of aviation fuel from reaching the Myanmar military”. Click here to read…

Crime Surges Under Myanmar Junta as Rule of Law Crumbles – The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s citizens have witnessed surging crime in their neighborhoods since the military coup last year, as law enforcement deteriorates and the regime is unable to run the country properly. The country’s business hub, Yangon, is no exception. Click here to read…

Myanmar to top Asean summit agenda as G20 and Apec draw big powers to region – SCMP

Southeast Asia’s territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea are likely to take a back seat when officials gather this week amid growing violence in military-ruled Myanmar and heightened Sino-US tensions, analysts have said. Top diplomats from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are set to convene in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for an annual summit, which is also expected to draw world leaders to the region. The meeting often takes centre stage in Southeast Asia’s year-end diplomatic bustle but this time, it would wrestle for attention with other high-profile forums, including the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summits in Bali and Bangkok, respectively. Click here to read…

Nepal
Hamro Nepali Party aims to emerge as an alternative force – Khabar Hub

The Hamro Nepali Party has made public its election commitment paper for, aiming at establishing itself as an alternative political force. At a program organized in Lalitpur on Sunday, the party said time has come to break the traditional standard of Nepali politics. The party launching ‘stick campaign’ said its political philosophy and principle would be ‘Nepal-ism’. The party has shared the national programme of constructing seven ring roads linking mountain, hill and Tarai regions in each province. The commitment document also stated that long term plan would be made for the development of health, education, agriculture and tourism. Click here to read…

Climate shocks add risks to Nepal’s power projects – Kathmandu Post

People’s Hydropower Company Limited had planned on completing the 54MW Super Dordi Hydropower Project B in 2021 before the landslide debris brought by the Dordi stream in Lamjung damaged the project’s dam in the monsoon last year. “We had completed 95 percent of the dam-related work, and the project’s overall physical progress was over 70 percent when the massive debris brought by floods damaged the intake,” said Keshav Bahadur Rayamajhi, managing director of People’s Hydropower Limited. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Imran endorses PM-suggested SC probe panel: Dawn

The PTI’s long march, which came to a standstill after the assassination attempt on Imran Khan in Wazirabad, will resume its journey on Tuesday (tomorrow) from the same place where the party chairman was injured in the gun attack. Click here to read…

PM Shehbaz arrives in Egypt to attend climate change summit: Dawn

PM Shehbaz was received at the international airport of Sharm El Sheikh by Egypt’s senior officials and the officers of the Pakistani embassy. The prime minister was accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, cabinet members and other senior officials. Click here to read…

Pak-China ties: challenges & avenues: The Express Tribune

In a 47-point communique, both sides have brought up all issues of mutual interest worthy of in-depth analysis. In this limited space, I will address four points, particularly on the socioeconomic front. According to the numbers available publicly, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has already brought $46 billion worth of capital to Pakistan including concessionary loans, commercial debt and investment with state guarantees. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
President meets UN Secretary General: Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres in Egypt, Cairo where he briefed the Secretary-General on the Government’s plans on the National Environmental Policy.
The Secretary General recalled memories of his first visit to Sri Lanka in 1978, President Media Division (PMD) said. Click here to read…

VIF Neighbourhood News Digest – November 04, 2022

Afghanistan
SIGAR Highlights Afghan Situation in Latest Quarterly Report: Tolo News

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction released its 57th quarterly report, in which it highlighted the political, economic, humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan. The report underlined the establishment of the “The Afghan Fund,” saying that the US State Department did so to provide $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan central bank assets for the benefit of the Afghan people. Click here to read…

Czechia to Close Embassy in Kabul: Reports: Tolo News

Czechia will close its embassy in Kabul on January 1 this year, as no improvement in the country’s security situation is expected anytime soon, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the country’s local media. The Czech embassy opened in Kabul in 2007, temporarily closed in August 2021, and had to evacuate its staff due to the rapid advance of Taliban forces to the capital, according to Anadolu. Click here to read…

Bangladesh
PM Hasina: Mustaque, Zia were behind Nov 3 jail killings: Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday told Parliament that those who killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman committed the November 3 jail massacre in 1975. Click here to read…

Bhutan
India defence secretary, COO Bhutan meet to enhance defence cooperation – Live Mint

India’s defence secretary Giridhar Armane and Chief Operations Officer Lt Gen Batoo Tshering, Royal Bhutan Army, met in New Delhi to enhance bilateral defence cooperation. “During their interaction, they discussed ongoing defence cooperation between the two country’s armies and reviewed areas of mutual interest to increase cooperation,” the ministry of Defence said in a press release. Click here to read…

Maldives
Single Use Plastic Waste Threatens Maldives – NTD

Community leaders in the Maldives have called for the world to stop using single-use plastics. The discarded waste often ends up on their picturesque beaches. Click here to read…

Maldives welcomed 153,737 tourists during October – Raajje

In the first two days of November alone, Maldives had welcomed 10,471 tourists. India remains the top source market for the archipelago nation’s tourism. Daily arrivals this ongoing month is much higher than that of September’s. Maldives welcomed a total of 153,737 tourists during October this year. This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism in its latest weekly statistics, publicized on Thursday. Click here to read…

Myanmar
Myanmar junta responsible for crisis, says Indonesia foreign minister – Reuters

Myanmar’s military government is responsible for a lack of progress on a peace plan agreed with ASEAN, Indonesia’s foreign minister said on Thursday, adding the regional bloc has done its part in trying to end hostilities in the strife-torn country. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has urged Myanmar to implement a peace plan agreed last year to halt a spiral of violence that has gripped the country since the military overthrew an elected government in Feb. 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar court sentences ex-politician to 173 years in prison – Aljazeera

A court in military-ruled Myanmar has handed a 148-year prison sentence to a former parliamentarian from the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) party, adding to a previous conviction which will now see Win Myint Hlaing, 52, spend a total of 173 years in prison. The sentence, which was handed down on Monday to Win Myint Hlaing after his conviction on terrorism charges, appeared to be the longest jail term given to any member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and NLD party since the military grabbed power in February 2021. Click here to read…

Myanmar: Investigation reveals aviation fuel supply chain linked to war crimes – Amnesty

The international community must urgently prevent shipments of aviation fuel from reaching the Myanmar military, Amnesty International said today, as it published an investigation into the companies involved in the supply chain, as well as shocking new accounts of deadly air strikes on civilians. Deadly Cargo: Exposing the Supply Chain that Fuels War Crimes in Myanmar provides the most detailed look into aviation fuel since the military seized power in the 2021 coup, from the distant port where the fuel originally departed to the unlawful air strikes that killed civilians – and every step in between. Click here to read…

Myanmar could face aid ‘catastrophe’, experts warn, after junta law change – The Guardian

Myanmar’s junta has passed a law that grants it sweeping powers over aid delivery, prompting warnings of a “catastrophic” effect on services to those in need in the crisis-hit nation. Sources inside aid agencies in Yangon, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Guardian that the new rules would severely impact their ability to reach vulnerable communities, likely resulting in wholesale shutdowns of some programmes. Click here to read…

Nepal
India to import 22 megawatt more energy from Nepal – Khabar Hub

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has received approval from India to export 22 megawatt of power produced from Chilime Hydropower Company. Spokesperson of NEA Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai confirmed that the approval was obtained on October 31 from India’s Central Electricity Authority to export more power to India. With this approval, Nepal now would export 386 MW of power to India, Spokesperson Bhattarai added. Click here to read…

Supreme Court order against extending term of GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower Limited in Nepal – Economic Times

Nepal’s Supreme Court on Thursday issued an interim order and asked the government not to implement its decision to extend the term of India’s power giant GMR that is developing the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project. The Cabinet had decided to extend GMR’s term by two years. A single bench of Justice Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada issued the interim order against the Cabinet’s July 15 decision, according to the apex court sources. Click here to read…

Nepal’s Oli vows balanced ties with China, India if returned to power – The Print

Nepal’s main communist opposition party will balance the Himalayan nation’s ties with neighbours China and India for mutual benefit if it is returned to power in a general election this month, its leader said. oth Asian giants have been locked in a high stakes battle for influence in Nepal — sandwiched between the two countries — longing for a friendly government in Kathmandhu. Click here to read…

Pakistan
Attempt on Imran Khan’s life shocks nation: Dawn

In what appeared to be an assassination attempt, former prime minister Imran Khan was shot at and injured on Thursday evening when a suspect, standing in front of the container carrying the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief and senior party leaders, showered a volley of bullets with an automatic pistol when the party’s ‘Haqaaqi Azadi’ march reached Wazirabad’s Allahwala Chowk. Click here to read…

Imran named PM, interior minister, army officer for assassination bid: Umar: The Express Tribune

Umar issued a video statement, accompanied by a fellow party member and provincial minister Aslam Iqbal, wherein he disclosed that both of them had a conversation with Imran after the attack and the PTI chief revealed that he already had information about it. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka
Ban on travelling overseas under tourist visa and finding jobs stays: Daily Mirror

The Foreign Employment Ministry is to take every possible action to prevent all attempts to travel abroad for work under tourist visas. Addressing the media, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara advised the ministry officials to take action to send women abroad for all jobs especially to the countries such as the UAE and Oman under work visa. Click here to read…

Two Russian warships enter territorial waters of Sri Lanka: Daily Mirror

A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships led by the flagship of the Nakhimov Guards missile cruiser Varyag, the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs and the large sea tanker Boris Butoma have entered the responsibility zone of the TOF south of Sri Lanka. Click here to read…