Neighborhood News Digest – 07 June 2023

Afghanistan

Car bomb causes deaths in northern Afghanistan – provincial spokesperson – The Print

A car bomb detonated in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan on Tuesday, causing some deaths, the provincial spokesperson said. The blast had targeted the provincial governor, the head of the provincial information office, Mahzudeen Ahmadi, said. He did not provide details on whether he had survived. Click here to read... [2]

Afghanistan: Costs and concerns of the Taliban as a security provider – ORF

A section of global counterterrorism discourse is now getting divided between political and military aims. On Afghanistan, most capitals are undergoing a level of political fatigue mixed with unclear policies on how to move forward with the new reality of the Taliban ruling Kabul. On the other hand, the militaries charged with countering terrorism are tempted to go ahead and target as well as eliminate perceived threats, even if that could mean a level of cooperation with the Taliban itself. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

PM Sheikh Hasina calls for boosting cooperation between armed forces of Bangladesh and India - News On Air

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for boosting cooperation between the armed forces of Bangladesh and India. She said this when Army Chief General Manoj Pande paid a courtesy call on her at her office at the Bangladesh Parliament, Jatiya Sangsad.

Prime Minister’s Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the media after the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh government seeking clarification from MEA on ‘Akhand Bharat’ map in new Parliament building - The Hindu

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told journalists in Dhaka that the Awami League government is in the process of seeking clarification from India regarding the map that has drawn protests from Nepal and Pakistan as it shows the spread of ancient Indian kingdoms from the west to the east of the subcontinent that covers present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Click here to read... [5]

Gravitas: Bangladesh performs better than Pakistan in most matrix - Wio News

Bangladesh is surpassing Pakistan in various fields. The nation is levelling up from its "impoverished" status and is now the 33rd largest economy in the world. What does this mean for Pakistan? Molly Gambhir tells you more. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Bhutan offers prayers for Odisha train crash victims - Kuensel

A prayer ceremony was held at the Grand Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong on June 4, for the victims of the train tragedy that took place in Odhisha, India on June 2. His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and members of the Royal Family graced the ceremony and lit 1,000 butterlamps, joined by the Prime Minister, senior government officials, the Indian Ambassador, and senior dignitaries from IMTRAT and Project DANTAK. Click here to read... [7]

Crypto Mining in the Himalayas: Bhutan’s Gamble With Bitcoin – The Diplomat

For the very first episode at our new home, The Diplomat, Beyond the Indus podcast hosts Joe Wallen and Tushar Shetty explore how Bhutan, an isolated kingdom tucked in the Eastern Himalayas, is quietly gearing up to become the world’s next Bitcoin superpower. We speak to Tenzing Lamsang, editor of Bhutan’s largest private newspaper, The Bhutanese, to understand how the former hermit kingdom decided to leapfrog into the fourth industrial revolution by aiming to become the world’s largest per capita producer of cryptocurrency. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives

India tops Maldives tourist arrival markets halfway through 2023 - Raajje

India has once again become the top tourist market for Maldives, halfway through 2023. This was revealed by the Ministry of Tourism in its latest daily statistics, publicized on June 5. The neighboring country overtook Russia, which was the frontrunner among the tourism markets with the highest number of tourist arrivals into the first few months of the year. 2022 ended with the neighboring country as the top source market for Maldives tourism. Click here to read... [9]

Maldives’ presidential election: it’s not just about India and China - Lowly Institute

The Maldives has been in the news in recent years as an important focus of geopolitical jostling in the Indian Ocean. It is now gearing up for a presidential election in September, which will pit the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih against several challengers. Some observers may be tempted to see the election in terms of a contest of influence between India and China. But the island state’s domestic politics and foreign relations are much broader and more complex than that. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

ASEAN provides relief aid for Myanmar people affected by cyclone Mocha - Vietnam Plus

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) has handed over relief items for the communities severely affected by cyclone Mocha in the townships of Sittwe, Rathedaung, KyaukTaw and Ponnagyun of Myanmar. Click here to read... [11]

Thailand cuts power to Myanmar border towns’ notorious casinos, but they keep operating - Federal News Network

A Thai state enterprise that has been exporting electricity to neighboring Myanmar has cut off power to two border towns with notorious casino complexes that allegedly host major organized crime operations, Thai officials said Tuesday. The towns of Shwe Kokko and Lay Kay Kaw in Myanmar host gambling and entertainment complexes developed by Chinese investors that are accused of being centers where people from other nations are tricked into taking jobs and then put into virtual captivity and forced to work in call centers conducting internet scams. There also are allegations that the complexes are centers for drug and human trafficking. Click here to read... [12]

No forced return of Rohingya refugees, promises Bangladesh: UN - Alarabiya

Bangladesh has promised that no Rohingya refugee will be returned to Myanmar against their will in a controversial proposed repatriation process, a top United Nations official has said. “Refugees who wish to return should have access to clear, factual information to be able to make free and informed decisions,” Kelly T. Clements, the UN deputy high commissioner for refugees, said in a statement late Monday after a four-day visit to Bangladesh. Click here to read... [13]

Nepal

India-Nepal relations soar high – Business Standard

By visiting China in 2008, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also called Prachanda, became the first Prime Minister to break the tradition of Nepalese premiers choosing India as their maiden destination of visit. Fast forward to June 2023, Prachanda not only chose India to be his first destination, but also expressed contentment with his four-day visit, dubbing it an “astounding success”. The recent visit indicates that India and Nepal are moving beyond their fraught phase and taking this “hit” relationship to “Himalayan Heights.” During these four days, both countries prioritised convergences over divergences, signing five projects and six memorandums of understanding (MoUs). Click here to read... [14]

India hands over LPG gas stoves, cylinders to underprivileged families in Nepal – The Hindu

The Indian Embassy in Nepal has handed over 275 LPG gas stoves, cylinders and other accessories to underprivileged families in Tirhut Rural Municipality of Saptari district in the Himalayan country. Consul General of India Nitesh Kumar and President of Nepal-India Women Friendship Society (NIFWS) and Member of House of Representatives Chanda Chaudhary handed over the cylinders in Saptari district on June 3. Click here to read... [15]

Pakistan

Pakistan issues 215 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India: Pak High Commission – The Print

The Pakistan high commission on Tuesday said it issued 215 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to facilitate their participation at an event to be held on the eve of ‘martyrdom day’ of Guru Arjan Dev. Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan govt’s debt swells to Rs 58.6 trillion – The Indian Express

The Pakistan government’s total debt has increased 34.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 58.6 trillion at the end of April, according to the latest report by the country’s central bank. The increase was 2.6 per cent on a month-on-month basis, Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday. Click here to read... [17]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka-India grid connectivity to be achieved by 2030: Lankan Minister Kanchana Wijesekara - India Blooms

Following a meeting the day before with World Bank Director of Regional Integration Cecile Fruman and Country Manager Chiyo Kanda, Wijesekara tweeted early on Tuesday that the World Bank has been helping the government-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) understand the technical requirements and business models for the project. Click here to read... [18]

Sri Lanka, Nepal to Link Payment Networks LankaPay and Fonepay - Regulation Asia

The payment link will enable Sri Lankan and Nepali citizens to make merchant payments in each other's country using a mobile-based QR code. Click here to read... [19]