Neighborhood News Digest- 09 May 2024

Afghanistan

Uzbek foreign minister emphasizes acceleration of ‘Trans-Afghanistan’ project-The Khaama Press

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has announced that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the country, in a meeting with Bakhtiyor Saeedov, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, have requested an acceleration of the process for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project, known as “Trans-Afghanistan.” Click here to read... [2]

China to donate $1.5 million to support internally displaced Afghans-The Khaama Press

During a meeting with Leonard Zulu, the UNHCR Representative for Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, stated that his country intends to donate $1.5 million to support internally displaced Afghans. Leonard Zulu appreciated China’s assistance in a post on social media platform X. Click here to read... [3]

Two Schools Reopen in Kunar After Eight Years-Tolo News

Two schools in the Sarkano district of Kunar province, which had been closed due to rocket fire from Pakistani forces and past conflicts, have been reopened after eight years. Officials from the Kunar Directorate of Education state that with the return of the local residents, these schools have been reactivated, and they assure the provision of more facilities in the educational sector. Click here to read... [4]

ISIS uses Pakistan for attacks in Afghanistan: Afghan Defense Ministry-The Khaama Press

Rising insecurities in Pakistan have led to new verbal tensions between Kabul and Islamabad. The Pakistani army states that the TTP still uses Afghan soil for its attacks in Pakistan, while the Taliban officials deny this accusation, claiming that ISIS entered Afghanistan from Pakistan. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Three difficult choices to heal economy - The Daily Star

Bangladesh yesterday made three major decisions to cushion the economy against critical risks such as stubborn inflation and depletion of foreign currency reserves. Click here to read... [6]

PM Hasina: Conflict in Middle East may affect Bangladesh economy – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said in parliament that the conflict situation in the Middle East may affect the economy of Bangladesh. Click here to read... [7]

Foreign secy of India arrives in Dhaka – The Daily Star

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived in Dhaka yesterday evening on a two-day official visit to "finalise the schedule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming India visit". Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan

India, Bhutan establish new land customs stations to boost bilateral trade – The Print

To improve bilateral trade and customs cooperation, the governments of India and Bhutan have agreed to establish new land customs stations along the two countries’ borders. Click here to read... [9]

All is well in tourism? – Kuensel

Much to the satisfaction and happiness of those in the tourism and allied businesses, 2024 started on a good note, with tourist arrivals almost doubling in the first quarter. Figures shared show that April alone received nearly as many tourists as in the first three months of 2023. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

Chinese research ship's activity unrelated to Maldives: Shiyam – Adhadhu

The Maldives government does not believe that Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong 03 conducted any research related to the Maldives despite docking in Male' twice and skirting Maldivian territorial waters for three months before departing for China, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam has said. Speaking in Adhadhu's "Etherefuh" program, Shiyam said he had not been informed about the ship conducting research in Maldivian waters. The current government previously cancelled a hydrography agreement with India for underwater research, he noted. Click here to read... [11]

Monetary Authority of Maldives (MMA) Reports Growth Across Key Sectors in First Quarter – The Maldives Journal

The Monetary Authority of Maldives (MMA) has released its quarterly business survey report, revealing positive growth trends across major industries in the country's economy for the first quarter of this year. The report, provides insights into the current economic landscape and forecasts anticipated changes for the upcoming quarter and findings suggests that all major sectors of the Maldivian economy experienced growth during the first quarter. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Rebuffs Hun Sen’s Request to Meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta on Wednesday denied a request by former Cambodian leader Hun Sen for talks with democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since a 2021 coup. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has largely been hidden from view since the military detained her as they seized power in a putsch that has plunged the country into turmoil. The junta has rebuffed numerous requests by foreign leaders and diplomats to meet the Nobel laureate, 78, who has reportedly suffered health problems during more than three years in detention. Click here to read... [13]

Mizoram CM opposes fencing of Indo-Myanmar border, discusses with centre - NE Now

Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma on Wednesday expressed optimism about the Centre exempting the 510-km long international boundary that Mizoram shares with Myanmar from being fenced. During an interaction with leaders of Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO) in Aizawl, Lalduhoma also expressed hope that the Centre may not lift the existing Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the neighbouring country. Click here to read... [14]

Thaksin's Unofficial Involvement in Myanmar Conflict Questioned - ASEAN Now

Thaksin Shinawatra, the ex-Prime Minister of Thailand deposed in the 2006 coup and now a convict on parole, is suspected of having held undisclosed dialogues with various conflict parties in Myanmar. The clandestine discussions reportedly took place in Chiang Mai and involved representatives of different ethnic groups in conflict with Myanmar's government, such as the Shan State Army, Kachin National Organisation, Karen National Union, the exiled National Unity Government, and also representatives from the junta-led government in Naypyidaw. Although it is unclear what advancements, if any, were made at the informal meetings, questions are being asked about Thaksin's legal authority to represent the Pheu Thai-led government in any capacity. Click here to read... [15]

Myanmar's public struggles with inflation as currency tumbles - Nikkei Asia

Myanmar has been fighting a losing battle to stabilize its currency, despite employing a wide range of tools, and ordinary people are paying for it in the form of runaway inflation. A 31-year-old hotel worker in the Southeast Asian nation's economic capital of Yangon is nearing her breaking point in dealing with higher prices. Click here to read... [16]

Nepal

Korea to take Nepali workers for jobs in service sector and forestry: Ambassador Park - My Republica

Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Nepal, Park Tae-Young, has said that final preparations are being made to take Nepali workers from Nepal to two more areas. While Korea is currently recruiting workers in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors from Nepal, it is now going to recruit manpower from Nepal to meet its demand for the forestry and service sectors as well. Click here to read... [17]

Why do US Firms Invest Less in Nepal? My Republica

The interest of the United States of America in Nepal has increased significantly in recent years due to its strategic importance. A new turning in bilateral assistance experienced after the MCC Compact Agreement worth USD 500 Million was signed between Nepal and the USA on 14th September 2017, and later ratified by the parliament of Nepal. This highest bilateral grant amount from the US government is an indicator of the high probability to open the door for the US private sector to invest in big projects in Nepal as the US investments have been proven to be a major driving force for economic transformation in many countries. Click here to read... [18]

Explained: History of India and Nepal’s border issue- Indian Express

Nepal’s cabinet last week decided to put a map on its Rs 100 currency note showing certain areas administered by India in Uttarakhand as part of its territory, provoking External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to say that such “unilateral measures” by Kathmandu would not change the reality on the ground. The territorial dispute is about a 372-sq-km area that includes Limpiadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani at the India-Nepal-China trijunction in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. Nepal has claimed for long that these areas belong to it both historically and evidently. Click here to read... [19]

Pakistan

PTI leadership misguided Imran on all issues: Sher Afzal Marwat-Dawn

PTI leader Sher Afzal Khan Marwat alleged on Wednesday that party leaders Omar Ayub Khan and Senator Shibli Faraz misguided former Prime Minister Imran Khan on all issues. “Imran has been misguided on every matter, there are many such matters which I will bring to light once they (Faraz and Ayub) give their statements,” Marwat said while speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail. Click here to read... [20]

‘Ready to face inquiry into 2014 sit-in’, Imran responds to military flak-The Express Tribune

Former prime minister and incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan, has said that he is ready for any inquiry into his party’s 2014 sit-in, a day after the chief military spokesperson hinted at a judicial probe into the event. The army on Tuesday sought a sincere and public apology from Khan and asked him to shun what it called “politics of anarchy and hate” to revive his political fortunes. However, at the same time, it dismissed the possibility of any ‘deal’ with the PTI founder, saying there won’t be any talks with “anarchists.” Click here to read... [21]

Pakistan’s first moon satellite enters its orbit-Dawn

Pakis¬tan’s inaugural lunar satellite, ICUBE-Q, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully entering the moon’s orbit on Wednesday afternoon, as confirmed by Institute of Space Technology. ICUBE-Qamar was successfully deployed in lunar orbit on May 8, at 1:14pm. According to the Institute of Space Technology, the pivotal development highlights its importance in potentially unlocking larger-scale space missions for Pakistan in the future. Click here to read... [22]

Sri Lanka

Govt’s pre-poll development drive met with stiff resistance from Election Commission – Daily Mirror

The government’s development drive ahead of the presidential election met with stiff resistance from the Election Commission (EC) which barred the involvement of political representatives of the ruling side in any such activities, an official said. Click here to read... [23]

Ex Major General arrested for trafficking ex-military personnel to Russian-Ukrainian war front – Daily Mirror

A retired Army Major General and a former Army Sergeant have been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department on charges of trafficking ex-military personnel to conflict zones in Ukraine. Click here to read... [24]

Sri Lanka targets economic transition achieving net zero – Daily Mirror

Plans are underway to introduce legislation in Parliament, which would ensure that all government policies focus on the transformation to a highly competitive export-oriented economy, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Click here to read... [25]