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Neighborhood News Digest- 28 February 2025

Afghanistan
Trump: Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan should have been retained for strategic reasons-The Khaama press
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated during a cabinet meeting that the U.S. should have kept....

February 28, 2025 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , China , Maldives , Myanmar , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , Bhutan , Bangladesh , USAID , Assam , Water crisis , Teesta project , AKD , Bagram airbase , Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA)
Neighborhood News Digest- 17 February 2025

Afghanistan
UNSC Grants 23-Day Travel Exemption to Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar-Tolo News
The United Nations Security Council sanctions committee has announced a 23-day travel exemption for Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy pri....

February 17, 2025 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , India , Pakistan , China , Maldives , Myanmar , UNSC , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , BIMSTEC , Bhutan , Saudi Arabia , Bangladesh , USAID , Türkiye , PECA , Indian Ocean Conference , India-Myanmar.
Contested Figures: The Reality of US Aid Assistance to Pakistan
Bharath R Nair Article

Summary
Discrepancies between U.S. and Pakistani data on foreign aid reveal a lack of transparency and accountability in Pakistan’s fund management. The U.S. reports billions in aid, while Pakistan records much less, suggesting potenti....

February 12, 2025 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , FATA , USAID , Aid , UNHCR , Critical Infrastructure , Obligation , Disbursement , Green Revolution , Kerry-Lugar-Berman
USAID and its Crony Humanitarianism
Rajesh Singh Commentary

One may or may not agree with the Trump Administration’s decision to effectively handcuff the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). But the allegations against USAID for serving all sorts of ‘liberal’ causes in the guise o....

February 11, 2025 Governance and Political Studies , Commentary , USAID , Heritage Foundation , Sheikh Hasina , George Soros , Reporters Without Borders , OCF , Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , International Republication Institute
Neighborhood News Digest- 31 January 2025

Afghanistan
Islamic Emirate: Military Equipment ‘Seriously Protected’-Tolo News
The Islamic Emirate has rejected the remarks of Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson, who claimed that US military equipment in Afghanis....

January 31, 2025 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , Maldives , Myanmar , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , Bhutan , election , Bangladesh , USAID , WHO , Emergency , PTI , India-Sri Lanka , Maldives-India relations , Maldives-Saudi Relations , Oslo , ATRA , Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) , Maldivian Foreign Ministry , Maldives Economic Gateway (MEG) Project , Political Party.
Neighborhood News Digest - 26 June 2024

Afghanistan
Afghanistan Qualifies for the World Cup Semi-Final for the First Time Ever-Tolo News
The Afghanistan national cricket team won its final match of the Super Eight stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 against Bang....

June 26, 2024 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , India , economy , Maldives , Sri Lanka , Afghanistan , Bhutan , Supreme Court , Bangladesh , USAID , BRI , IMF , territorial dispute , imports , India-Myanmar , Thailand-Myanmar , US-Myanmar , India-Sri Lanka , US-Bangladesh , China-Bangladesh , Bamyan , Ex-LTTE , World Cup , Poppy Cultivation Pakistan , Ogra , Maldives - China Trade , Bhutan Economic Opportunities
Great Game in Reverse: Decoding Central Asia’s Geopolitical Rebalancing
Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

Central Asia’s geostrategic location is critical, making this region a focal point of geopolitical struggle for centuries. In 1904, British geographer Halford Mackinder presented his ‘Heartland Theory,’ in which the Eurasia region is referred t....

November 13, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy , West Asia , Article , China , USA , USAID , Joe Biden , Great Game , Gas pipeline , C5+1 , Macron , Uranium , Halford Mackinder
Neighborhood News Digest – 22 September 2023

Afghanistan

US, Islamic Emirate Hold Talks on Narcotics in Doha – Tolo News
Karen Decker, the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, said on X that she met with the “Taliban delegation” in Doha and held te....

September 22, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Climate Change , Bhutan , elections , USAID , Taliban , Pakistan Elections , Doha , IMF , Human Rights , Suu Kyi , Aid , Khalistan , Nepal-China , PM Dahal , Electricity trade , Sri Lanka UN , Garments Exports
Neighborhood News Digest – 9 August 2023

Afghanistan
The Taliban Are Diverting Aid, But How Much? – The Diplomat
“… [I]t is no longer a question of whether the Taliban are diverting assistance from our programs to help the Afghan people, but rather how much th....

August 09, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , Nepal , Afghanistan , Bhutan , elections , USAID , Taliban , Imran Khan , renewable energy , Power , UN , Aid , Drugs , Shehbaz Sharif , India-Myanmar , Sharia Law , Railway connectivity , Landslides , Iran electricity , Delayed elections , India-Sri Lanka-China , Digital Security , India-Bangladesh-China
Neighborhood News Digest – 08 June 2023

Afghanistan
Russian Foreign Minister reiterates country’s support for inclusive government in Afghanistan – The Print
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated Russia’s support for an inclusive government in....

June 08, 2023 VIF Neighbourhood News Digest , Pakistan , China , Russia , Nepal , Afghanistan , Bhutan , USAID , Imran Khan , energy , Tourism , World Bank , Debt Trap , Budget , ADB , India-Bangladesh , India-Maldives , Heatwave , India-Sri Lanka , Akhand Bharat , Online Security
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