Neighborhood News Digest- 25 April 2024

Afghanistan

Mawlawi Kabir Calls for Kabul's Participation in Moscow Format-Tolo News

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the deputy prime minister for political affairs, during his meeting with Zamir Kabulov, Russia's special envoy for Afghanistan, requested formal membership of Afghanistan in the Moscow format meeting. According to a statement from the Arg, Zamir Kabulov emphasized the continuation of Moscow's relations with Kabul during the meeting and added that Moscow wants Afghanistan’s seat in the United Nations to be assigned to the Islamic Emirate. Click here to read… [2]

Malaysia Pledged to Help Kabul Strengthen Ties with World: Arg- Tolo News

A Malaysian delegation led by the prime minister's representative has met with officials of the Islamic Emirate in Kabul and said that Kuala Lumpur is striving to help Afghanistan expand its interactions with the world. The delegation has stated that the purpose of their visit is to expand Malaysia's relations with the Islamic Emirate. Click here to read… [3]

US State Dept pressures Taliban to revoke discriminatory decrees against Afghan women-The Khaama Press

The U.S. State Department asserts it’s pressuring the Taliban alongside allies and partners to rescind discriminatory laws against Afghan women and girls. It states that any significant steps toward normalizing relations with the Taliban are contingent upon a profound change in their behaviour. The State Department wrote in its annual report on the status of women in Afghanistan that the Taliban have effectively excluded women from the public sphere with their directives. Click here to read… [4]

Farmers in Kunduz Complain About Falling Heng Prices-Tolo News

Farmers in Kunduz province are complaining about the falling prices of heng. According to them, in recent years, farmers' interest in cultivating this medicinal plant has increased. They are requesting the interim government to make efforts to market heng products. According to statistics from the Kunduz Directorate of Agriculture and Irrigation, over the past years, more than 1,000 hectares of land in various parts of the province have been cultivated with heng. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

IMF calls for smaller budget amid low revenue receipts - The Daily Star

As Bangladesh continues to underperform in revenue collections, the visiting mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested the government formulate a smaller-than-usual national budget to minimize the deficit. Click here to read… [6]

173 return home from Myanmar prisons – The Daily Star

A total of 173 Bangladeshi citizens, who have been held imprisoned in Sittwe (Akyab), the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State, for one to three years, returned to Bangladesh yesterday. Among the 173 Bangladeshis, there were 3 women who hailed from Bandarban Sadar upazila. Click here to read… [7]

Working with Bangladesh to counter security threats: Haas – The Daily Star

The militaries of the US and Bangladesh are finding more ways to expand their ability to work together to counter security threats and alleviate the impact of natural disasters, said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas. Click here to read… [8]

India-Bangladesh bilateral trade witnessed a huge surge in BJP’s tenure: Sarbananda Sonowal – Social News

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday said that the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh has increased many folds during the BJP-led government's tenure at the Centre. Click here to read… [9]

Bhutan

WHO workshop to enhance routine health information systems – Kuensel

WHO’s regional workshop in Paro will focus on enhancing the capacities of countries to standardise, harmonise, analyse, and utilise Routine Health Information System (RHIS) data at various levels of healthcare governance. The workshop from April 23 to 26 in Paro is being conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH). Click here to read… [10]

Maldives

First SEZ Project: Initial permit issued to a Canadian company – The Edition

Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Board of Investment has given the initial permit for the first project to be conducted under the SEZ Act. Ministry of Economic Development and Trade stated that this permit had been issued to Canadian company, Abraxas Power Corporation for the large-scale installation of solar panels. The technical partner for the project is Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd. Click here to read… [11]

Independent members join PNC: PNC alone has acquired super majority – The Edition

Six of the eleven independent candidates who had secured seats in the parliamentary elections of the upcoming 20th term held on Sunday has officially joined the ruling political party, People's National Congress (PNC). PNC stated today that six candidates were signed into the party on April 23 under the presence of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, tallying their total number of seats to 72. While these Independent MP-Elects had signed into the PNC following their success in the polls, the Anti-Defection Act was ratified by the President on April 16. Click here to read… [12]

Myanmar

Myanmar junta minister heads to China for security talks - New Age BD

The Myanmar junta’s home minister has left for China for security talks with Beijing’s minister for public security, state media said on Thursday. Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae left for China on Wednesday for a ‘working visit to discuss law enforcement and security cooperation from 24 to 29 April’ at the invitation of Wang Xiaohong, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar. It did not give further details but ties between the junta and Beijing -- a major ally and arms supplier -- have frayed in recent months over the mushrooming of online scam compounds in Myanmar’s borderlands. Click here to read… [13]

288 Myanmar security personnel sent back from Bangladesh - Dhaka Tribune

In a coordinated early morning operation on Thursday, Bangladesh repatriated 288 members of Myanmar's security forces who had sought refuge across the border. This group included members from the Border Guard Police (BGP), army, and immigration units. According to Shariful Islam, public relations officer at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the operation commenced at 6 am at a site managed by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). Click here to read… [14]

Thailand Takes Action on Refugee Crisis Amid Thai-Myanmar Dispute - ASEAN Now

Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul accompanied the deputy PM on an inspection of the problematic Tak's Mae Sot district, where local officials reported just under 1,000 refugees sheltering. Formed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on April 11th, the committee focused on the impact of the Myanmar conflict on Thailand, from the expected arrival of refugees to the necessary security measures. Nikorndej Balankura from the Foreign Affairs Ministry outlined the committee's three main objectives: safeguarding Thailand's sovereignty, preventing acts against the Myanmar government on Thai soil, and upholding humanitarian principles. Click here to read… [15]

Nepal

Nepal-China Aid Project meeting held in Lhasa

The first meeting of the Nepal-China Aid Project has been held in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The Consulate General of Nepal in Lhasa said that in the meeting held on Wednesday, the focus was on the aid project to be conducted in Nepal. In the meeting, both sides discussed forming a project coordination mechanism, choosing the format of projects, implementation and monitoring. Both sides have agreed to hold two meetings in the middle of this year and to review the project implementation at the end. Click here to read… [16]

Evidence-Based Policy Making in Nepal: Challenges and the Way Forward - My Republica

Evidence-Based Policy Making (EBPM) is especially important in today’s context in Nepal. Nepal underwent a huge political transformation to establish itself as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. This has been a huge achievement for the people of Nepal. This system of governance allows people to make decisions for themselves and decentralizes power. Nepal has had 7 systems of governance in the last 60 years alone. This recent system of governance is where a lot of hope rests for the Nepali people. Click here to read… [17]

Nepali, Tamang, Nepal Bhasha official languages of Bagmati - Kathmandu Post

The Bagmati provincial government has decided to use Nepali, Tamang and Nepal Bhasha (Newari language) as the languages of official business across the province. A meeting of the provincial Cabinet on Wednesday took the decision. According to Internal Affairs and Law Minister Ganga Narayan Shrestha, who is also the spokesperson of the provincial executive, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will make an official announcement about the provincial government’s decision amid a function in Basantapur, Kathmandu, on May 6. Click here to read… [18]

Pakistan

IMF board to finalise $1.1b disbursement on Monday-The Express Tribune

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will meet on April 29 to discuss the approval of $1.1 billion funding for Pakistan, the fund said on Wednesday. The funding is the second and last tranche of a $3 billion standby arrangement with the IMF, which was secured last summer to avert a sovereign default and which runs out this month. Click here to read… [19]

PTI faces yet another challenge to intra-party elections-Dawn

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has accepted another plea against the PTI’s intra-party elections, sources told Dawn on Wednesday. The electoral watchdog seems to be meting out ‘special treatment’ to the party, as it has been issued a notice over alleged irregularities in intra-party polls, conducted on the ECP orders on March 3. This is the third time that the commission has called the legality of PTI’s internal polls into question. Click here to read… [20]

Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline remains stalled under cloud of sanctions-The Express Tribune

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Pakistan this week put the spotlight on a major gas pipeline deal between the two neighbours which has faced delays due to geopolitical issues and international sanctions. The two nations reiterated the importance of cooperation in the energy domain, including trade in electricity, power transmission lines and the IP Gas Pipeline Project, a joint statement released following the culmination of the visit said. Click here to read… [21]

Sri Lanka

SLPP, UNP initiates action for forming broad alliance – Daily Mirror

In its first move for the formation of a broad political alliance, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had a meeting with Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) stalwart Basil Rajapaksa and representatives of other parties and groups, and decided to accelerate political work in view of the presidential election after May Day. Click here to read… [22]

Iran, Sri Lanka boost bilateral bonding in Uma Oya project unveiling – Daily Mirror

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was in Sri Lanka for a short visit to inaugurate the Uma Oya project said his country was ready for stronger ties with Sri Lanka as a sovereign, independent country. Click here to read… [23]

Court blocks Maithri from running SLFP – Daily Mirror

The Colombo District Court issued an interim injunction preventing former President Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Click here to read… [24]

Government to inform Parliament on trafficking Sri Lankans for military service in Russia, Ukraine: Wijeyadasa – Daily Mirror

Claiming that the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are looking into the incidents of Sri Lankans being trafficked for military services in Russia and Ukraine, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe informed Parliament that Public Security Minister Tiran Alles will make a statement regarding the matter in Parliament tomorrow. Click here to read… [25]