Neighborhood News Digest – 05 June 2023

Afghanistan

Pakistan Permits Barter Trade With Russia, Iran And Afghanistan – Republic World

In a bid to ease the mounting pressure on its fast-depleting foreign reserves, cash-starved Pakistan has announced a barter trade agreement with Russia, Iran and Afghanistan for certain goods. The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday issued the Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) – a declaration outlining the procedure - allowing both state-owned and private enterprises to engage in goods-for-goods trade, with a specific requirement for private enterprises to be listed as active taxpayers by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).Click here to read… [2]

Pakistan, Afghanistan may face acute food shortages in coming months: UN – Firstpost

World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the two United Nations bodies, have said that Pakistan and its neighbour Afghanistan are among the countries with “acute food shortages.” The two bodies have predicted a worse future for both countries if the economic and political crisis further deepens. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been officially declared as “early warning hotspots.” Click here to read… [3]

Bangladesh

Why United States’ opposition to Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina has put India in a tricky situation – Scroll

On May 24, the United States announced it will deny visas to Bangladeshis believed to be complicit in rigging elections, adding to Washington’s recent human rights push against Dhaka. The United States has accused Bangladesh of political violence, human rights violations and election manipulation. Some observers argue this stance is meant to pressure Hasina into reducing Beijing’s influence in Dhaka amid geopolitical competition between the United States and China. Click here to read… [4]

Bhutan

Bhutan and Japan sign HR development grant – Kuensel

Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Royal Government of Bhutan finalised the grant aid agreement for the human resource development scholarship project in Thimphu yesterday. Under this agreement, Japan will provide a grant aid of JPY 191 million (Nu 11.2 million) to the Royal Government of Bhutan to support educational expenses for those individuals who receive the scholarship to pursue higher studies in Japan. Click here to read… [5]

Maldives

India, Maldives able to develop deep and close cooperation at all levels: MoS Muraleedharan – The Print

India and the Maldives have been able to develop deep and close cooperation at all levels including political, administrative, entrepreneurial and people-to-people ties apart from their strong development partnership, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Sunday. Click here to read… [6]

Myanmar

‘Around 300 terrorists from Myanmar entered Manipur’ – Imphal Free Press

Amid the present unrest in Manipur since May 3, around 300 terrorists from Myanmar, including ‘lungi clad’, have entered Indian territory in Manipur, according to retired Lieutenant General L Nishikanta Singh. Click here to read… [7]

The Myanmar junta kills … and the rest of the world looks away – The Guardian

The problem is not that governments around the world are unaware of what is happening in Myanmar. It’s that they are not doing nearly enough to stop it. Since the military seized power in a coup in early 2021, it has terrorised the country, killed, tortured and imprisoned thousands of citizens, broken countless laws, and made a mockery of the UN. Click here to read… [8]

Nepal

India, China vie to build rail links with Nepal, raising possibility of direct rail connectivity – Financial Express

India and China, two Asian giants, have long competed for influence in the South Asian region. In recent years, both nations have shown a keen interest in establishing rail links with Nepal, a landlocked country nestled between them. There are many possibilities and implications of a potential rail connectivity between India, China, and Nepal and can have a far-reaching strategic, economic, and geopolitical impact. Click here to read… [9]

Nepal PM Prachanda calls India visit “astounding success” – The Print

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka ‘Prachanda’, on his arrival at Kathmandu, dubbed his four-day visit to India an “astounding success”. During the briefing, the Nepal PM Prachanda also cited ongoing projects such as the 900 MW Arun III being implemented by the Indian company Sutlej in Sankhuwasabha, as well as the Lower Arun project, which has been entrusted to the same company. Click here to read… [10]

Pakistan

Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan accuses military of trying to destroy his party – The Indian Express

Pakistan’s embattled former Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused the powerful military and its intelligence agency of openly trying to destroy his political party, saying he had “no doubt” he would be tried in a military court and thrown in jail. Click here to read… [11]

Pakistan: Food prices soar as CPI inflation record 38pc in May – The Print

Pakistan’s consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation rate soared to a record 38 per cent on a year-over-year (YoY) basis in May 2023, the highest since July 1965 — except for a few years in between due to the lack of monthly data, Geo News reported. According to figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), CPI-based inflation reached 36.4 per cent in April 2023 while rising 1.6 per cent month-over-month (MoM) in May. Click here to read… [12]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe urges unity among parties to handle economic crisis – The Telegraph Online

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for joint action by all parties for Sri Lanka to emerge from the unprecedented economic crisis. Wickremesinghe, who made the remarks while addressing a legal conference held at the Central Resort of Nuwara Eliya on Friday, said that none of the political parties in Parliament currently possess a 50 per cent voter base. Click here to read… [13]

Sri Lankan tourism revenue sees significant increase in month of May – Business Standard

Sri Lanka's estimated tourism revenue in May saw a remarkable growth of over 200 per cent year-on-year, reaching $131.5 million, according to the latest data from the country's central bank. This impressive increase occurred despite the fact that May is considered an off-peak month for tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media on Saturday. Click here to read… [14]