Neighborhood News Digest- 14 May 2024

Afghanistan

Afghanistan loses UN voting rights over unpaid dues-The Khaama Press

Afghanistan’s representation at the United Nations confirmed that Afghanistan’s voting rights in the General Assembly had been suspended due to unpaid membership dues. Mr. Nasir Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting representative at this organization, stated that countries that fail to pay their membership dues to the United Nations for more than two years are deprived of their voting rights in the General Assembly “based on the Charter and operating procedures.” He said that Afghanistan has not paid these dues since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. Click here to read... [2]

Iran reports increase in Saffron exports to Afghanistan-The Khaama Press

Iranian media, citing an official source in the country, have reported that Iran’s saffron exports to Afghanistan have tripled. Rokna News Agency cited Rouhollah Latifi, an official from Iran’s Rural Cooperation Organization, as saying on Saturday, May 11, that Iran’s saffron exports to Afghanistan have increased by about 198 per cent. Click here to read... [3]

Iranian official: Gemstones from Afghanistan smuggled into Iranian market-The Khaama Press

Qadir Qiafeh, deputy head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, stated that gemstones from Afghanistan are smuggled into Iran and sold illegally, as reported by Iranian media. In an interview with an Iranian media outlet, Qiafeh stated that gemstones mined in Afghanistan enter Iran through unofficial channels and trade in their markets. ILNA news agency reported on Sunday, May 12, that Qadir Qiafeh emphasized Iranian investment in Afghanistan mines. Click here to read... [4]

UNAMA Head Discusses Upcoming Doha Meeting with Iranian Dep. FM- Tolo News

Roza Otunbayeva, the head of UNAMA, and Ali Bagheri, the deputy foreign minister of Iran, discussed the upcoming Doha meeting on Afghanistan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, quoting Roza Otunbayeva, in a statement wrote that the United Nations Secretary-General's special representative in Afghanistan emphasized the need to coordinate global stances to establish stability in Afghanistan and also called for Iran's engagement with the interim Afghan government. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Make budget tight, control inflation - The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the finance ministry to formulate a contractionary budget for the upcoming fiscal year to control inflation. Click here to read... [6]

State Dept: Donald Lu to focus on strengthening US-Bangladesh ties – Dhaka tribune

Washington's point person for South Asia, Donald Lu, was set to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday on a two-day visit to strengthen US-Bangladesh relations. Click here to read... [7]

Bangladesh's Development Not Possible Without Good Ties with India: Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud – News18

Bangladesh’s development is not possible without good relations with India as both countries share a common border of several thousand kilometers, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Monday. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan

Asian women parliamentarian caucus focuses on gender equality and climate change – Bhutan Broadcasting Services

Women’s participation and representation in the political arena is still a challenge in most countries. In Bhutan, there are only five women in the Parliament, two of whom are eminent members in the National Council. To increase women’s representation in politics, women parliamentarians from 12 countries gathered in the capital, on May 13, for the Asian Women Parliamentarian Caucus. The Bhutanese government is hosting the meeting. Click here to read... [9]

Maldives

India extends budgetary support to Maldives – PSM News

Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to the development and prosperity of the Maldives by extending a budgetary support of USD 50 million. This support comes in the form of a rollover of a USD 50 million Treasury Bill, facilitated through the State Bank of India (SBI), effective from May 13, 2024, for an additional year. The decision to rollover the Treasury Bill follows a request made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer to India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar during the official bilateral visit to India from May 8-10, 2024. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives' GDP growth will rise to 5.2 percent this year: IMF – The Edition

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated after its Executive Board concluded the Article IV consultation with Maldives that the country's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to rise to 5.2 percent this year. In a press release published by the IMF, it was detailed that Maldives' economy weathered the headwinds from the Ukraine war and showed resilience in its recovery from the effects of Covid-19, with inflation being maintained at 1.9 percent year on year by December 2023. Click here to read... [11]

Myanmar

Myanmar military massacres more than 30 in Sagaing Region-Myanmar Now

Myanmar regime forces slaughtered more than 30 civilians on Saturday during a raid on the village of Let Htoke Taw in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region some 40 miles west of Mandalay. Witnesses said the junta personnel—some of whom were reportedly in soldiers’ uniforms while others wore plainclothes—fatally shot 33 villagers and torched civilian homes, causing the death of an elderly woman who was unable to escape the fire. Click here to read... [12]

Nepal

Nepal President's economic advisor resigns after criticising inclusion of Indian territories in map on Nepal ₹100 notes-Hindustan Times

The economic advisor to Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel has resigned after his controversial remarks on the government’s decision to issue new hundred-rupee notes with a map that includes three Indian territories, a move already rejected by India. The President approved Chiranjivi Nepal's resignation on Sunday, according to a press release issued by the Office of the President. Click here to read... [13]

Pakistan

Shehbaz steps down as PML-N president-The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stepped down as the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday, paving the way for party supremo and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif to be elected as the party head. Party leader Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed the news in a post on X that had the premier’s resignation letter attached. Click here to read... [14]

AJK protests-Dawn

Sincelast week, Azad Jammu & Kashmir has been roiled by protests, fuelled principally by disconnect between locals and their administration, as well as the government of Pakistan. At the heart of the protests appears to be lack of service delivery on the part of the AJK administration, as well as Islamabad’s apparent indifference to the local people’s plaints. Click here to read... [15]

Chinese envoy explores future of Pakistan-China strategic collaboration-The Express Tribune

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong elucidated on the concept of "new quality productive forces" and its implications for the transformative collaboration between China and Pakistan. According to Ambassador Zaidong, this concept, introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2023, underscores the fusion of innovation, technology, and industry to drive sustainable development and prosperity. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan, US recognise TTP as threat to regional, global security-The Express Tribune

Pakistan and the United States have recognised that banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Da’ish terrorist group are posing a threat to regional and global security, underscoring close cooperation between the two countries to deal with the challenge. The two countries held a counter terrorism dialogue in Washington last week and a joint statement issued on Monday. Click here to read... [17]

Sri Lanka

Climate change to cause 1. 2 percent annual loss of Sri Lanka’s GDP by 2050: Ruwan – Daily Mirror

The cost of climate change will account for a 1.2 percent loss of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Sri Lanka by 2050 according to estimates by the World Bank, Senior Presidential Advisor on Climate Affairs Ruwan Wijewardene said. Click here to read... [18]

Central Bank advises businesses to grasp current exchange rate mechanism – Daily Mirror

The Central Bank emphasised the importance of businesses in Sri Lanka understanding the current exchange rate system. Sri Lanka’s businesses, the exporters in particular, recently called for a stable and competitive exchange rate, amidst the recent sharp appreciation of the rupee. Click here to read... [19]

Resumption of India-Sri Lanka passenger ferry service delayed till May 17 – TTJ

IndSri Ferry Service has announced further delays in the commencement of passenger ferry services scheduled to operate between Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam in India, citing delays in the delivery of the ferry and unavoidable compliance requirements. Click here to read... [20]