China: Daily Scan, May 20, 2022

Afghanistan

Statement Released from Afghan Politicians at Turkey Meeting: Tolo News

The Afghan politicians who recently met in Turkey released a statement saying that the establishment of a council will help change the current Afghan situation.
The meeting among the Afghan politicians was hosted by Marshal Abdul Rasheed Dostum and it was held under the title of “National Resistance of Rescuing Afghanistan”. Click here to read... [2]

US-Taliban Deal Biggest Factor in Collapse of ANDSF: Watchdog: Tolo News

The biggest factor that led to the collapse of the Afghan military in August last year was the U.S. decision to withdraw forces and contractors from Afghanistan through an agreement with the Islamic Emirate signed by the Trump administration and executed by the Biden administration, a U.S. watchdog report concluded. Click here to read... [3]

The Taliban Orders Female TV Presenters to Cover Their Faces with Masks During Performances: The Khaama Press

The Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prohibition of Vice has issued a new directive requiring female presenters on television to wear masks. The order was officially announced on Wednesday, May 19 by Taliban Ministry of Interior agents to MOBY Group television channels, including TOLONews. Click here to read... [4]

The Afghanistan Freedom Movement Group Claims Responsibility for Today’s Explosion of Mazar-e-Sharif: The Khaama Press

Tahreek-e-Azadi Afghanistan (Afghanistan Freedom Movement) claimed responsibility for an attack on the 209th AlFath Taliban Corps convoy in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh province. An explosion occurred this morning, Thursday, May 19, in Mazar-e-Sharif Sharif’s 5th district, and it is believed that the target of the explosion was a Taliban army convoy, leaving three people wounded. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Govt imposes 65-day fishing ban- The Daily Star

A 65-day ban has been imposed on all kinds of fishing in Bangladesh maritime from today. Click here to read... [6]

Form separate land commission for them- The Daily Star

The government needs to strengthen its efforts to improve livelihood of the country's indigenous community people living in the plainland, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday. Click here to read... [7]

Navy rescues 33 Rohingyas- The Daily Star

Members of Bangladesh Navy yesterday rescued 33 Rohingya refugees from the Teknaf coast in Cox's Bazar while they were being trafficked to Malaysia through the Bay of Bengal. Click here to read... [8]

Gas supply to remain suspended in parts of Dhaka on Saturday- The Daily Star

Gas supply will remain suspended in different parts of Dhaka on Saturday (May 21, 2022) from 9:00am to 9:00pm, for replacement of supply lines. Click here to read... [9]

Submit report on present situation of commodity prices in 3 days: Cabinet- The Daily Star

The cabinet today (May 19, 2022) directed the finance and commerce ministries along with Bangladesh Bank to prepare a report within three days on the present situation of the prices of essentials for the next course of action to tackle the challenges to emerge as the outcome of Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19 pandemic. Click here to read... [10]

JS body seeks US lawmakers’ support for lifting sanctions on Rab- The Daily Star

A delegation of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has sought US lawmakers' support for lifting US sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and seven of its current and former officials imposed on December 10 last year. Click here to read... [11]

Bhutan

PGI set to emulate Bhutan’s ‘Happiness Index’, patients to fill feedback forms: Times of India

For the first time, the premier medical institute PGI will be focusing on a “happiness index,” which involves a sense of resvponsibility towards patient care, mental and physical well-being and good governance. Click here to read... [12]

Bhutan looks to taxis to jump-start stalled electric vehicle push: CAN

As night sets in, Dorji Wangchuk plugs his electric car into a charging station, then starts thumbing his rosary and mumbling prayers while he waits for the half-hour before he can continue driving his taxi around Bhutan's capital, Thimphu. Click here to read... [13]

Maldives

Ranil Wickremesinghe ropes in ex-Maldives President to ‘coordinate’ foreign aid for crisis-hit Sri Lanka: The Hindu

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed Maldivian Parliamentary Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed as the “coordinator” for securing foreign aid to Sri Lanka that is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Click here to read... [14]

Myanmar

Striking Myanmar Civil Servants Denied Passports - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military regime has stopped issuing passports to striking civil servants to prevent them leaving the country. A striking doctor said: “Instead of arresting strikers at the airports, the regime has barred them from applying for or extending passports. I made enquiries about an extension and found a list of striking civil servants has been sent to the passport office.” Click here to read... [15]

KNLA Captures Strategic Camp From Myanmar Military Near Thai Border - The Irrawaddy

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied resistance forces seized a strategic camp from the Myanmar military in Karen State near the Thai border on Wednesday despite facing heavy air strikes called in by the regime. Click here to read... [16]

Myanmar Fuel Importers Blame Shortages on Junta Dollar Controls - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar is facing fuel shortages partly because of the regime’s controls over US dollars. In early April, the regime-controlled Central Bank of Myanmar ordered that foreign earnings must be deposited with licensed banks and exchanged for kyats within one working day at the official rate. The regime also ordered that fuel be sold at fixed rates. Click here to read... [17]

Burmese civilians are caught between the junta and the resistance - The Economist

When moe moe and hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers just like her went on strike after the Burmese army launched a coup in February 2021, they were promised that the resistance would take care of them. As the movement opposing the putsch became more organised, forming a shadow administration called the National Unity Government (nug), it raised $120,000 to support some 360,000 public-sector workers who were shunning their desks. Click here to read... [18]

Conflict between Myanmar’s proxy forces may outlast a political resolution - RFA

Pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militiamen and anti-junta People’s Defense Force (PDF) paramilitaries are engaged in what will likely become a protracted conflict in Myanmar with no formal process in place to mediate between the two civilian proxy armies, an analyst said Wednesday. Click here to read... [19]

Home of Myanmar opposition government’s defence secretary targeted in bomb attack - Myanmar Now

The Mandalay home of Naing Htoo Aung, the secretary of defence for the National Unity Government (NUG), was bombed in a targeted attack by a group of unidentified armed men on Tuesday night, according to local sources. Click here to read... [20]

Nepal

RJP gets mayor, NC deputy mayor in Jaimini Municipality- The Himalayan Times

Nara Bahadur Pun from Rastriya Janamorcha Party, the common candidate of the five-party alliance, has won the mayoral post in the local level election in Jaimini Municipality of Baglung district. Pun garnered 8,755 votes whereas his closest rival Leela Rana from the CPN-UML got 2,873 votes.Click here to read... [21]

Government amends law to ensure security of health personnel- The Himalayan Times

The government has amended the Security of Health Workers and Health Organisations Act, 2010, to ensure safety and security of health personnel and health institutions via remedial actions against incidents of frequent attacks on them over the death of patients in the course of medical treatment. Click here to read... [22]

Maoist Centre bags seven local levels, NC two, UML one, in Rolpa- The Himalayan Times

As per the count, the CPN-Maoist Centre secured victory in seven local levels, whereas NC and CPN- UML secured victory in two and one local level, respectively. Click here to read... [23]

Pakistan

In US, Bilawal defends Imran’s Moscow visit: Dawn

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday strongly defended Imran Khan’s Moscow visit, saying there was no way for the former prime minister to know that Russia would invade Ukraine on the day he landed in the Russian capital. Click here to read... [24]

Fazlur Rehman seeks state institutions’ support for nascent government: Dawn

Questioning the Supreme Court suo moto notice on apprehensions that criminal justice might be undermined by people in positions of authority, the chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Thursday demanded “solid and full support” of the state institutions for the newly placed coalition government to bring the country out of crises “created under the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf rule”. Click here to read... [25]

Current account deficit narrows to $623m in April: The News

Pakistan’s current account deficit fell by 39 percent to $623 million in April from $1.0 billion the previous month, boosted by a jump in remittances and decline in imports, the central bank said on Thursday. Click here to read... [26]

Rupee surpasses 200 against dollar during intra-day trade: The Express Tribune

The rupee lost Rs2.41 to Rs200.80 at around 1:45 pm compared to Wednesday's close at Rs198.39. According to reports, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed surprise over the free-fall in the rupee and convened a meeting to take measures to end uncertainty in capital markets. Click here to read... [27]

Imran hints at turning Islamabad long march into prolonged sit-in: The Express Tribune

"We only want one thing and that is elections and do not want the imported government. We want independence via free and transparent elections. The ocean of people will not leave Islamabad until we get a date for the elections," he said while addressing party workers in K-P House in Islamabad. Click here to read... [28]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka defaults on debt for first time in its history: BBC

It comes after a 30-day grace period to come up with $78m (£63m) of unpaid debt interest payments expired on Wednesday. The governor of the South Asian nation's central bank said the country was now in a "pre-emptive default". Later on Thursday, two of the world's biggest credit rating agencies also said Sri Lanka had defaulted. Click here to read... [29]

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka runs out of fuel: Arab News

Most Colombo residents stayed home on Thursday, unable to reach work or drive their children to school, as crisis-hit Sri Lanka ran out of fuel. Click here to read... [30]

Sri Lanka slips into default, central bank head agrees to stay on: Aljazeera

Sri Lanka’s central bank governor says he will stay in his position given an improvement in political stability in the midst of an economic crisis, and he would not step down as he had earlier warned. Click here to read... [31]

Sri Lankan forces ended LTTE civil war through 'humanitarian operation': Gotabaya: The Hindu

Marking the national War Heroes Day, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the armed forces ended the LTTE civil war in 2009 through a “humanitarian operation”, but the government still faces a UN-led probe into the alleged human rights violations. Click here to read... [32]