Neighborhood News Digest- 02 May 2024

Afghanistan

World Bank Provides $84 Million to Afghanistan-Tolo News

The World Bank in a statement said that it will provide $84 million in aid to Afghanistan. The World Bank's statement mentioned that this aid will be used to combat the economic crisis, implement livelihood projects, support women, address climate change, and support returning migrants to Afghanistan. Click here to read… [2]

Uzbekistan announces $44 million export contracts with Afghanistan-The Khaama Press

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan has announced that it has signed export contracts worth $44 million with Afghan traders. Central Asian Times reported on Tuesday, April 30th, that these contracts were signed during a three-day visit by a delegation of Afghan traders to Tashkent. Click here to read… [3]

US State Dept emphasizes continued engagement with Kabul-The Khaama Press

During a press briefing, the spokesperson for the US State Department defended the country’s policy towards Afghanistan, stating that the US is engaging with Kabul to safeguard its national interests. Ned Price, the spokesperson for the US State Department, told reporters on April 30th, that engaging with the Taliban is vital for safeguarding the national interests of the United States and the people of Afghanistan. Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Saima Wazed calls for collaborative health leadership in Southeast Asia-The Daily Star

Saima Wazed, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia, has emphasised the creation of a roadmap for the priority programmes that will guide the strategic direction during her term. She said this while addressing the Regional Consultation on WHO South-East Asia Priority Programme Initiative in New Delhi recently. Click here to read… [5]

BJP invites Awami League to observe national polls situation in India-Dhaka Tribune

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has invited the Bangladesh Awami League to observe the overall preparation and campaign taken for the national elections in India. Awami League Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan disclosed the information to the media through a press release on Wednesday. Click here to read… [6]

Bhutan

Bhutan leads the South Asia region in globally recognised primary healthcare system measurement-Kuensel

Bhutan is the pioneer in primary healthcare (PHC) measurement in South Asia. This is according to a study carried out by Ministry of Health (MoH), in partnership with the World Bank and with funding support from the Government of Japan and The Global Fund. The assessments focused on Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI), Service Delivery Indicators (SDI), and Bhutan’s Healthcare Costing Analysis. Click here to read… [7]

1M Euros for digitalisation of education-Kuensel

The European Union (EU) and UNICEF committed one million Euros to enhance student’s learning experiences and skill development to boost employability and economic growth while reducing disparities. The EU and UNICEF announced the funding yesterday at the end of a two-day stakeholder consultation workshop. The workshop discussed a detailed plan for leveraging technology in education to tackle digital exclusion and promote modern skills. Click here to read… [8]

Maldives

Maldives foreign minister likely to visit India next week – The Times of India

Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer's visit to India amid shifting alliances and strained relations. The visit holds geopolitical significance during the Indian elections. The visit will come around May 10, a deadline that Male set for India to withdraw its troops. Discussions may include future visits, debt relief, and defense cooperation, reflecting the evolving dynamics between the countries. Click here to read… [9]

Indian government offers 34 scholarships to Maldivians – The Edition

The Government of India, under its Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has offered 34 fully funded scholarship slots to Maldivians for 2024-2025 academic session. These scholarships are open to students who wish to pursue Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD courses in Arts, Science, Engineering, Business, Tourism and various other fields at multiple leading universities in India. Click here to read… [10]

President and First Lady depart on an unofficial visit to Singapore – Avas

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed have departed on an unofficial visit to Singapore. The President's Office did not disclose details of the trip due to its informal nature. This marks President Dr. Muizzu's second unofficial visit to Singapore since assuming office in November 2024. His previous visit took place on March 21. Since assuming office, President Dr. Muizzu has undertaken official visits to Turkey, UAE, and China. Click here to read… [11]

Myanmar

EU renews Moldova & Burma sanctions regimes & amends Burma listings - Global Sanctions

The EU has renewed its Moldova sanctions regime for 1 year until 29 April 2025. Moldova sanctions target (inter alia) those “responsible for actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence of Moldova” and currently apply to 11 individuals and 1 entity (regulation, decision). Click here to read… [12]

Myanmar envoy applauds KRCS’ humanitarian efforts - Kuwait Times

Myanmar Ambassador to Kuwait, U Chan Aye, acclaimed on Wednesday the Kuwait Red Crescent Society’s (KRCS) efforts in supporting humanity and relief work around the world. This came in a statement for KUNA after his meeting with Deputy Chairman of KRCS Anwar Al-Hasawi, who said that KRCS is a pioneer in providing relief services for many parts of the world, expressing his appreciation for these exceptional efforts to relieve those affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Click here to read… [13]

4.0 magnitude earthquake jolts Myanmar, tremors felt in Nagaland - MSN

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter Scale hit 90 km (56 mi) away from Mon, Nagaland on May 1 evening. With epicentre in Myanmar, the earthquake of magnitude 4.0 jolted Myanmar, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) informed. The NCS stated that the epicentre was of the earthquake was located at Latitude 26.34 and Longitude 95.85. The NCS also said that the epicentre was at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Click here to read… [14]

Nepal

Nepal is a Hindu country but embracing Hindutva is not on its political agenda - Hindustan Times

Many in India ask, how closely are Nepalis following Indian elections and who are they supporting? And, inevitably, how are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu-revivalist party Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) regarded in Nepal? Natural curiosities. After all, India and Nepal are the only two Hindu-majority countries in the world, with the share of their Hindu population standing close to 80%; 81.19% in Nepal’s case according to the 2021 census. Supporters of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, or national democratic party, wave their flags as they take part in a protest demanding a restoration of Nepal's monarchy in Kathmandu. Click here to read… [15]

Nepal’s labor exodus drives Indian laborers to fill gaps in domestic factories - My Republica

As laborers worldwide celebrated International Labor Day on Wednesday, laborers in the brick factories of Harisiddhi, Lalitpur Metropolitan City-28, rushed to work from early morning to make a living from their hard-earned daily wages. This bustling scene reflects the persistent challenges confronting workers in Nepal. Click here to read… [16]

Nepali envoy to Canada Paudyal presents credentials - My Republica

Ambassador of Nepal to Canada Bharat Raj Paudyal presented his Letters of Credence to Mary J. May Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, amidst a special ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on April 30, 2024. During the audience, Ambassador Paudyal conveyed greetings and best wishes from the President of Nepal Ram Chandra Paudel and the Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal to the Governor General of Canada for her personal health and happiness as well as for the continuous peace, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Canada, reads a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa, Canada. Click here to read… [17]

Pakistan

PPP challenges plan to privatise public enterprises-Dawn

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to privatise loss-making public enterprises faced a first setback on Wednesday when his key ally in the Centre, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), opposed the idea and suggested that the federal government go for public-private partnerships to restore institutions like PIA and Steel Mills instead of selling them to private businesses. Click here to read… [18]

Protests continue in Balochistan against new check posts-Dawn

Highways in Balochistan remained blocked for the 10th consecutive day as transporters went on with their strike against a government decision to set up more check posts on major roads to provide safety to passengers in the wake of the Noshki killings. The transporter union has been protesting for over a week against the new SOPs for the transporters issued by the provincial government to establish security pickets at the Quetta-Taftan and Coastal highways. Click here to read… [19]

Militant attacks claim 70 lives in April, says report-Dawn

Following a brief lull in March, militant attacks in the country surged once again in April, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly its southern districts, bearing the brunt. These findings were released by an Islamabad-based think-tank, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), in its monthly security assessment report. According to statistics, the country experienced at least 77 verifiable militant attacks during April, resulting in 70 fatalities, including 35 civilians and 31 members of security forces. Four militants were killed. The number of injured individuals was 67—32 civilians and 35 security personnel. Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka

AKD: NPP confident of winning any election-The Island Online

JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said that victory was assured for his party in any forthcoming election as they had won support, trust and confidence of more than 51 percent of the electors throughout the country. Dissanayake addressed two May Day rallies of the JVP/NPP in Matara and Colombo. He said: “Our enemies mocked us saying that converting three percent of popularity into 51 percent would be a miracle. That miracle has been achieved. Mustering the trust of more than 51 percent of electors for the NPP no longer is a magic or miracle. It has become a ground reality. Click here to read… [21]

Workers’ rights lost in quest for presidential elections-Daily Mirror

May Day was observed yesterday in the country and elsewhere across the world, but the question remained whether it was done in a befitting manner as usual in Sri Lanka with politics taking center stage rather than the rights of workers. Click here to read… [22]