Neighborhood News Digest – 22 November 2023

Afghanistan

Islamic Emirate Reacts to UN's Assessment of Afghanistan- Tolo News

The Islamic Emirate in a document to the United Nations articulated its stance towards the assessment of the situation of Afghanistan conducted by a UN team, saying that it welcomes recommendations that support the strengthening of the national economy of the country and opening of the pathway to the recognition of the “current government" and "encourages regional connectivity and transit via Afghanistan.” Click here to read... [2]

Germany pledges 5m euros in aid to Afghanistan Amidst Crisis- BNN Network

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has received a significant contribution of 5 million euros from Germany to aid in life-saving assistance efforts in Afghanistan. This funding, intended to bolster humanitarian initiatives, comes at a crucial time for the Afghan population currently embroiled in a complex emergency situation. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

BNP announces 48-hour blockade programme from November 22- Bangladesh Live News

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party, announced this programme in a virtual press conference. The blockade is supposed to be from 6 am on November 22 to 6 am on November 24, across the country. The blockade programme was announced in the sixth phase with one-point demand, including the resignation of the government, non-partisan neutral government during the election period, and Khaleda Zia's release. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh grapples with severe Dengue outbreak; cases cross 3 lakh, death toll reaches 1,549- The Telegraph

Dengue cases in Bangladesh have crossed the 300,000 mark as the nation grapples with its worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease, media reports said on Monday. Bangladesh's overall tally of dengue infections stood at 301,255, with the country logging 1,549 deaths by the viral disease this year. Click here to read... [5]

Bhutan

Leaders remind armed forces to remain apolitical- Kuensel

The Royal Bhutan Army headquarters on November 19 issued a circular to all its personnel reminding them to ‘remain apolitical’ and ‘NOT get involved in any political activities’. ‘Anyone found violating the instructions will be dealt with severe disciplinary action,’ the notice, which called for strict compliance, stated. The Chief of Police Major General Chimi Dorji issued a similar notice to all police personnel on October 30. Click here to read... [6]

ECB Poised and Prepared for Upcoming National Assembly Elections, 2023-24- Bhutan Today

As the custodian of the electoral process, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) is ensuring that the National Assembly (NA) Elections, 2023-2024, will be conducted with utmost integrity, transparency, and fairness. The ECB has demonstrated its full preparedness through extensive awareness programs and training initiatives. “The ECB is fully prepared to hold the National Assembly Elections, 2023-2024”, said ECB. Click here to read... [7]

Maldives

Maldives under Muizzu: While New Delhi expects increased role of Beijing in Male, Islamabad may be the surprise- Firstpost

Maldivians are aware that if they grow closer to China, they could be caught in a debt trap. Further, proximity to China would push India, which provides maximum support and funds most of its development, away. China too has never been popular in the Maldives, considering its reputation of grabbing national assets in lieu of loans. In this scenario, China could consider employing Islamist Pakistan to act on its behalf in Maldives, which is also a Muslim majority country. Pakistan’s caretaker information minister, Murtaza Solangi, was present at the swearing in of Muizzu. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives and Saudi Arabia set to sign trade agreement- Sun Online

The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia decided on November 21 to sign a trade agreement with the Maldives. The meeting was chaired by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. The Saudi Press Agency reported that Maldives and Saudi officials have initiated negotiations for the trade agreement. Click here to read... [9]

President: UAE has always been a reliable development partner- Sun Online

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s commitment of providing additional funding earlier this month to complete the Velana International Airport’s expansion project is just one such example of how the UAE has always been a reliable development partner and stood with the Maldivian people, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

India asks its nationals in Myanmar to register with embassy in Yangon- Money Control

Amid mounting hostilities between Myanmar’s anti-junta groups and government forces, India on November 21 asked its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the neighbouring country and advised Indians living there to register with the embassy in Yangon. Since the current conflict in Myanmar started in 2021, a large number of citizens from the neighbouring country have taken refuge in India. According to the UN, the intensified fighting in Myanmar since last month has displaced about 90,000 people. Click here to read... [11]

Vietnamese spiritual leader urges India to start peace dialogue between Myanmar junta and rebels- The Hindu

India must intervene to build dialogue among the warring factions in Myanmar, the senior-most Vietnamese Buddhist monk stationed in India has proposed. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Thầy Huyền Diệu, also known as the Venerable Dr. Lam, the founder of the Vietnamese monastery in Bodh Gaya, said India has cultural influence in the form of Buddhism and should exercise this advantage over Myanmar to initiate dialogue among the junta, the National Unity government, and ethnic armed groups in that country. Click here to read... [12]

Nepal

Nepal will put forth its claim on climate actions in COP 28- Nepal News

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' warned that if we could not stop global rise on temperature, there could be a serious and adverse impact on the prospects of climate resilient development in the developing countries like Nepal. Addressing the national conference on climate change here today, PM Dahal warned that there could be rise on the cases of climate change-induced disasters, food security crisis and scarcity of potable water. Click here to read... [13]

NHRC urges govt to conclude transitional justice process soon- The Himalayan Times

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to bring the transitional justice process to a conclusion soon. Expressing concern that conflict survivors have not yet received justice even after 17 years since the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA), the NHRC has called for amendments to transitional laws. Click here to read... [14]

Pakistan

Pakistan court declares jail trial of ex-PM Imran Khan illegal, his lawyer says- The Hindustan Times

A Pakistani court declared illegal the jail trial of former prime minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets, his lawyer said. A special court has been conducting the trial on a jail premises citing security concerns since Imran Khan was indicted on the charges last month. Click here to read... [15]

Regional peace not possible sans Kashmir dispute resolution: PM Kakar- The News

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday said that Pakistan wants cordial ties with its all-neighbouring countries but added that peace in the region is not possible without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Addressing graduation ceremony of the officers of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy Asghar Khan in Risalpur, the interim premier said peace in the region could not be guaranteed till the resolution of India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) dispute between Islamabad and New Delhi. Click here to read... [16]

Why Sino-Pak naval exercise in northern Arabian Sea is a concern for New Delhi- Firstpost

The near-simultaneous naval exercises between China and Pakistan in the northern Arabian Sea and those involving Russia and Myanmar off the Andamans carry a message for India. The general region where the week-long exercise (11-17 November) takes place has witnessed past naval battles between India and Pakistan. Click here to read... [17]

Sri Lanka

US oil supplier RM Parks enters Sri Lankan market- Money Control

US fuel retailer RM Parks in collaboration with Shell Petroleum has entered Sri Lanka, becoming the fourth brand to operate oil stations in the cash-strapped island nation. The Board of Investment said that RM Parks Inc, a California-based US fuel distribution company, signed an agreement for an investment of $100 million. Click here to read... [18]

Sri Lankan inflation rises to 1% in October- Reuters

Sri Lanka's consumer price inflation rose to 1% in October year-on-year from 0.8% in September, the statistics department said on November 21. The National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) (LKNCPI=ECI), which captures broader retail price inflation, is released with a lag of 21 days every month. Food prices fell 5.2% in October after declining 5.2% in September, from a year earlier, the Department of Census and Statistics said in a statement. Click here to read... [19]

Explainer: Why CMEC extension to Sri Lanka will get India worried- ETV Bharat

While Sri Lanka has expressed its willingness to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing has also expressed its interest in expanding the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor to the Indian Ocean Island nation. Click here to read... [20]