Neighborhood News Digest – 30 November 2023

Afghanistan

Stanikzai: Afghan Embassy in India to Reopen in Coming Days- Tolo News

Following the halting of operations of the Afghan embassy in India, now Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the embassy will reopen in a few days. Stanikzai pledged that the Islamic Emirate consulates are active in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad and provide consular services to Afghan immigrants. Click here to read... [2]

EU provides 142 million Euros to support forced Afghan migrants- The Khama Press

Amid ongoing humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan, the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has revealed that the European Union has pledged 142 million euros to assist migrants. On 28th of November, the Ministry issued a report stating that Raffaella Ludovica, the head of the European Union’s office in Afghanistan, along with her delegation, had a meeting and discussions at the ministry’s headquarters and decided to allocate 142 million euros to newly expelled migrants from Iran and Pakistan. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Tax collection falls short of IMF loan condition - The Daily Star

The government has fallen Tk 17,946 crore short of the revenue it was to collect in the form of taxes last fiscal year as per one of International Monetary Fund's (IMF) conditions for a $4.7 billion loan. The target was to collect Tk 345,630 crore between July 2022 and June 2023. But the government finally collected Tk 327,664 crore in total tax revenue last fiscal year, according to a Finance Division report. Click here to read... [4]

EC: No scope to revise election reschedule without application - Dhaka Tribune

The Election Commission (EC) believes that there is no opportunity to reschedule the election for the BNP and like-minded parties, as none of the representatives of these parties have applied for rescheduling yet, according to EC top brass who spoke to Dhaka Tribune. The election is set to be held on January 7, and the deadline for submitting nominations is today. The commission also made it clear that once the deadline for submitting nomination papers ends, the commission will not reconsider rescheduling the election for any party, including the BNP. Click here to read... [5]

Bhutan

Carbon neutrality pledge and six key themes of Bhutan Pavilion – Kuensel

In pursuit of sustaining carbon neutrality, Bhutan Pavilion, which opens on December 1, will focus on six key themes during the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) ending December 12. The pavilion will host over 40 events and see participation of over 150 national and international delegates. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan National Elections: Voters Go to Polls With More Choice and Economy on Their Minds – The Wire

Bhutan is the youngest democracy in South Asia, having transitioned from a monarchy to a parliamentary system in 2008. On Thursday, 496,836 voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect candidates to the 47 seats of the fourth parliament. Click here to read... [7]

Maldives

With Mohamed Muizzu’s India-out policy, Turkey’s inroads into Maldives – Indian Express

The international evolution of the Maldives has long been framed in terms of the entrenched geopolitical rivalry between India and China. The new president of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has muddied that framework by choosing Turkey as his first foreign destination. Turkey being the first destination for an official visit breaks the trend of previous leaders of the island nation choosing India as their first port of call. Click here to read... [8]

EC approves formation of Yameen-affiliated PNF -Avas

The Election Commission (EC) has given the green light for the formation of the People's National Front (PNF), the new political party led by former President Abdulla Yameen. After internal strifes with the leadership of the ruling PPM-PNC coalition, President Yameen parted ways with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) on November 23. Although Yameen cannot serve as the legal founder of the party as he is serving a sentence on a money laundering and bribery conviction. Therefore, Yameen's son, Zane Abdulla Yameen, was listed as the party's founder. Click here to read... [9]

Myanmar

Myanmar, China conduct naval drills as fighting surges in border area-Business Standard

Myanmar and China are conducting naval drills together as the military government in the Southeast Asian nation loses ground in its northeast border region to a coalition of militias that also has strong ties to Beijing. Three Chinese vessels were anchored in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, and that officials from both nations met on Tuesday to discuss the maritime security exercises. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar's Military Junta Faces Biggest Threat to Its Power Since 2021 Coup: Report- NDTV

The ruling Junta in Myanmar has been losing vital military locations and border towns to well-armed ethnic militias that have collaborated with resistance forces to launch massive new offensives in recent weeks. This is a development that has not been seen in decades when it comes to Junta in Myanmar. Click here to read... [11]

Nepal

PM Dahal off to the UAE to attend COP-28- Nepal News

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is set to lead Nepali delegation to the 28th Conference of Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. PM Dahal is scheduled to attend the high-level segment of the COP-28 World Climate Action Summit being held from December 1 to 2. He will also deliver a national statement on December 2. During the visit, the Prime Minister is hosting a high-level side event entitled 'Call of the Mountain: Who Saves us from the Climate Crisis?'. Click here to read... [12]

Axiata announces exit as Nepal plans Investment Summit- The Kathmandu Post

Malaysia’s Axiata Group, the parent company of Ncell, has decided to exit Nepal in a blow to the government which is preparing to hold an investment summit in April 2024 to attract domestic and foreign investors to the country. Seven years after entering Nepal’s telecom sector by acquiring the majority stake from Swedish telecommunication giant TeliaSonera, the Malaysian company decided to quit the Nepali market citing decreasing profits and other challenges in operation in the country. Click here to read... [13]

Nepal makes history as first South Asian nation to formally register same-sex marriage- The Mint

Nepal, becomes the first South Asian country to formally recognize and register a same-sex marriage following the Supreme Court's decision, on November 29. Nepal is second Asian country after Taiwan to do so. In 2007, Nepal's Supreme Court had already granted permission for same-sex marriage, a stance further reinforced by the 2015 constitution, explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, on June 27, 2023, the Supreme Court issued an interim order, prompted by a writ petition led by individuals, including Gurung, to officially legalize same-sex marriage in Nepal. Click here to read... [14]

Pakistan

PIA accounts frozen amid safety review by EU – Dawn

The accounts of Pakistan Inter­n­ational Airlines were frozen by the Federal Board of Revenue on Wednesday at a time when a team from the European Union’s Avi­ation Safety Agency (EAS­A) is in Pakistan. Furth­ermore, the Pakistan State Oil threatened to stop oil supply to the airline if outstanding dues were not settled by today (Thursday). Click here to read... [15]

Pakistan’s stock market rose by 46% in past 5 months compared to India’s 3% — what’s behind the jump – The Print

Investors who put their money in the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s even just five months ago would have seen investments grow on average by a blistering 46 percent, compared with a little more than 3 percent growth had they instead invested in the Indian stock market. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan court acquits Nawaz Sharif in a graft case; former PM one step closer to contesting upcoming election – The Hindu

A Pakistani court acquitted former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a graft case on November 29, removing a major obstacle for him to run in parliamentary elections in February. The Islamabad High Court's decision comes weeks after it restored Sharif's right to appeal a 2018 conviction in a case relating to the purchase of luxury apartments in London. Sharif, who served as Prime Minister three times, returned to Pakistan in October, after four years of self-exile abroad to avoid serving out a 10-year prison sentence on corruption charges. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan beats India in vote to bag UNESCO vice chair role – The Indian Express

Pakistan defeated India in an election at the UNESCO executive board for the post of vice chair last week, in which Islamabad’s candidate got 38 votes while India’s received 18. Pakistan’s victory of being elected as vice chair of the UNESCO Executive Board for 2023-2025 from the Asia Pacific Group, is being seen as a major setback for Indian diplomats in the UN. Click here to read... [18]

Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan Nominates Close Aide Gohar Khan To Lead Party In Polls – NDTV world

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan will not contest the intra-party polls and has instead nominated Barrister Gohar Khan for the post of Pakis­tan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman to lead the party in the upcoming general elections, a top leader said on Wednesday. Barrister Ali Zafar announced that Chairman Imran Khan would not be contesting intra-party polls scheduled for December 2 and Barrister Gohar Khan had been nominated for the slot of party chairman, Dawn newspaper reported. Click here to read... [19]

Sri Lanka

Individual debt burden soars to Rs. 1.2 Million – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka’s net per capita debt has reached an alarming figure of Rs. 1.2 million as of December 31, 2022, according to the annual report of the Auditor General marking a staggering increase from Rs. 264,811 recorded on December 31, 2012. The comparison of total public debt against the median annual population reveals a noteworthy trend, showcasing a 62.53% increase in net per capita debt when compared to the previous year. Net debt per capita is a crucial metric that measures the value of a government’s debt in terms of the amount attributed to each citizen within its jurisdiction. The sharp rise in this figure raises concerns about the financial burden borne by the average Sri Lankan citizen. Click here to read... [20]

Rs 1.3Bn wasted in importing organic fertilizers from China – Daily Mirror

It has been uncovered that a staggering sum of Rs 1.3 billion was paid to a Chinese company for the import of organic fertilizers, despite failing crucial tests and lacking the necessary approvals from the Director General of Agriculture. The ill-fated transaction has left the agriculture sector in dismay, raising questions about accountability and the due diligence process. This was revealed in the annual report 2022 of the Auditor General. Click here to read... [21]