Neighborhood News Digest- 17 January 2024

Afghanistan

Wakhan Corridor officially connects Afghanistan to China: Taliban- The Khama Press

A report from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province confirms that Afghanistan is now officially linked to China via the Badakhshan province. Moizuddin Ahmadi, the head of Information and Culture in Badakhshan, reported on Monday, January 15th, that the construction of the Pamir Highway has been completed up to the Chinese border. Click here to read... [2]

Islamic Emirate Denies Intention to Access Nuclear Weapons-Tolo News

The political office of the Islamic Emirate has denied allegations about Kabul’s intention to "access nuclear weapons." The head of the office, Suhail Shaheen, said that the Islamic Emirate plans to repair the weapons left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan. Click here to read... [3]

Taliban changes educational curriculum to align with Sharia- The Khama Press

Mansoor Ahmad Hamza, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Education, stated in an interview with national radio and television on Monday, that the ministry has removed lessons that were contrary to Islamic Sharia law from the educational curriculum and replaced them with content consistent with Sharia law. Click here to read... [4]

Taliban tightens grip on book stores, publishing houses in Afghanistan-The Khama Press

The Taliban is tightening its grip on books in Kabul. They have visited bookstores with a list of banned books, seizing works by Afghan authors. Such incidents underline the ongoing challenges and restrictions facing publishing and education in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, raising concerns about freedom of expression and access to knowledge. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Lingering Red Sea crisis pushes up trade costs for Bangladesh- The Daily Star

The protracted Red Sea crisis has started to hit Bangladesh as the country's international trade costs have risen, a development that may hurt exports, stoke inflationary pressures, and delay the recovery of the economy. Click here to read... [6]

Do the AL’s priorities and public expectations match? – Dhaka Tribune

In Bangladesh, both the apolitical people and the opposition supporters are traditionally critical of the incumbent governments, while office-bearers, ruling party leaders, and supporters try to woo the people by taking different measures. Click here to read... [7]

US, EU ambassadors to meet Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud Wednesday- Dhaka Tribune

US Ambassador Peter Haas and European Union Delegation to Bangladesh Ambassador Charles Whiteley will meet new foreign minister Dr Mohammad Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday. Click here to read... [8]

Bangladesh’s Foreign Loans: Repayment to rise 63pc in three years – The Daily Star

The government's foreign debt repayment is expected to increase as much as 63 percent by fiscal year 2025-2026 from the last financial year, indicating renewed pressure on the country's coffers. Click here to read... [9]

Bhutan

2024 Military Strength Ranking: US Tops, Bhutan At The Bottom, India At... – NDTV

The United States has the most powerful military globally, followed by Russia and China in second and third place, respectively. India holds the fourth position, as reported by Global Firepower, a website that keeps track of global defence information. Click here to read... [10]

Bhutan receives first tourism award in China – Kuensel

Bhutan received the ‘Outstanding Destination Excellence Award’ at the 18th National Geographic Traveler China Golden Awards Ceremony, marking the first award for the country in the China market. The awards ceremony took place on December 28 of last year at the Zhengda Centre in Beijing and acknowledged outstanding accomplishments in travel, hospitality, lifestyle, and destinations. Click here to read... [11]

Maldives

Special tourism promotion event to be held in China– The Edition

Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has announced that a special tourism promotion event is scheduled to be held in China in May 2024. The corporation has called on interested companies to apply for participation. MMPRC said that the event, titled "ITB China 2024" will be held from May 27 to 29. It will be held at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Centre. Interested parties must send in applications before 3pm, January 21. Applications can be submitted through a dedicated google form. Click here to read... [12]

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's party loses key seat to pro-India opposition amid diplomatic row– Mint

In a domestic setback for Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, the pro-India opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) secured a decisive victory in the capital Male's Mayoral election on January 13. MDP candidate, Adam Azim, has been elected as the new mayor of Male. With 41 boxes counted, Azim took a substantial lead with 5,303 votes. His rival Aishath Azima Shakoor of Muizzu's People’s National Congress (PNC) secured 3,301 votes. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar

As rebels gain grounds in Myanmar, can the Rohingya return- TBS News

The Arakan Army, an ethnic insurgent group fighting the junta government of Myanmar, seized a key port town, Paletwa, in Chin state on 14 January. The town is located to the east of the Bangladesh border and the river port is just 12km away. To the north is the Indian border. Click here to read... [14]

Foreign minister likely to meet Myanmar counterpart on sidelines of NAM summit – Prothomalo

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said he is likely to hold a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit to be held in Uganda. "I am going to attend NAM summit ... I may hold a meeting with Myanmar foreign minister there," he told reporters at Shah Amanat International airport in Chattogram on Tuesday. Click here to read... [15]

Taxing times: Sagaing resistance ramps up revenue collection - Frontier Myanmar

In February 2022, the National Unity Government announced a new policy on local tax collection in areas of Myanmar under its control. The main goal of the NUG, a parallel administration established by lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup, was to fund the armed resistance and its social services. However, the policy was also aimed at preventing People’s Defence Force fighters under its command from collecting arbitrary taxes at their own initiative. There had been complaints that PDF groups were jostling among themselves to raise funds, setting up numerous toll gates that were burdening local people. Click here to read... [16]

Nepal

China Eyes Gorkha Soldiers From Nepal - the citizen

There is little doubt the ‘Agnipath’ project of Agniveers is poorly conceived and adversely affects Armed Forces, particularly the Army, at the cutting edge. True, other militaries also have short-term engagement of soldiers but none have unresolved borders, and the type of operational areas in difficult terrain like ours, as also a nexus like China-Pakistan, with Nepal, Myanmar and now Maldives sucked into China’s strategic sphere. Click here to read... [17]

Nepal looks to Pakistani, Russian and Chinese markets to diversify its tea trade - Kathmandu Post

Nepal has resumed the export of crush, tear, and curl (CTC) tea to Pakistan after years, as the demand from the world’s largest tea importer has significantly grown, according to Nepali traders, who are now eying former Asian buyers to diversify the market currently limited to India. Click here to read... [18]

Pakistan

Pakistan military trial of most of 103 May 9 suspects almost complete: Report – Firstpost

The military trials of most of the 103 civilians, allegedly involved in the May 9 attacks on key defence installations across Pakistan, are almost complete, and in 90 per cent of cases, the suspects have been found guilty, according to a media report on Tuesday. Jailed former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party founder Imran Khan, 71, and hundreds of his party colleagues are being tried under multiple cases, including one under the stringent Official Secrets Act in connection with the May 9 violent protests by his supporters that damaged key military installations across Pakistan. Click here to read... [19]

Pakistan: 'Terrorist party cannot be allotted...', says Maryam Nawaz on PTI's 'bat' symbol row – India TV

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Saturday rejected an attempt by former prime minister Imran Khan's PTI to retain its traditional electoral symbol of a cricket bat. The PTI founder alleged there were efforts to eliminate the PTI under the covert 'London Plan', referring to Nawaz Sharif's exile. Click here to read... [20]

China’s perspective on ties with Pakistan and CPEC’s prospects – Hindustan Times

This year marks a decade since the announcement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This brief analyses Chinese-language literature to understand the country’s current stance on Pakistan and the CPEC. Two trends emerge. Click here to read... [21]

Imran, Bushra Bibi indicted in Iddat case – Dawn

The charges against the couple were framed by senior civil judge Qudratullah on a complaint filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Farid Maneka under Sections 34 (common intention), 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage) and 496B (fornication) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Click here to read... [22]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka in talks with regional countries for economic activities beyond EEZ– Daily Mirror Online

Negotiations are underway with regional countries, including India, as per the United Nations Law of the Sea to explore economic activities in a sea area extending 250 nautical miles beyond Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone, the National Oceanic Affairs Committee Secretariat said. Click here to read... [23]

Sri Lanka tourism records stellar performance: Over 100,000 visitors flock in first 15 days of January – Daily Mirror Online

As per the latest data revealed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) yesterday, the island nation has welcomed 101,362 international visitors. When compared with the corresponding period in 2023, tourist arrivals have surged by a staggering 114 percent Year-on-Year (YoY). For the whole of January 2023, Sri Lanka welcomed a total of 102, 545 tourists. Click here to read... [24]

Pathfinder Shipping, with int’l partners to restart Rameswa ram-Talaimannar ferry link – Daily News

Pathfinder Shipping, a member of the MMBL-Pathfinder Group, along with its Indian and Norwegian partners are ready to re-establish the ferry link between Rameswaram and Talaimannar within six to nine months after approvals have been granted in keeping with the bilateral agreement between the two countries. Click here to read... [25]