Neighborhood News Digest- 24 May 2024

Afghanistan

Qatar's Al-Khulaifi Requests Islamic Emirate Attend 3rd Doha Meeting-Tolo News

Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, Minister of State for the Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, in a meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, requested the participation of an Islamic Emirate representative in the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan to be held at the end of June. Click here to read… [2]

Taliban delegation meets Qatar’s Amir and Haniyeh in Tehran-The Khaama Press

The Taliban delegation, during their trip to Tehran, met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Office. Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared images of this meeting on the X social media platform on Thursday, May 23. Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban, and Amir Khan Mutaqi, the Foreign Minister of this group, participated in the funeral procession of Raisi on Thursday. Click here to read… [3]

Italian organization builds homes for Bamyan cave dwellers-The Khaama Press

The Taliban governor’s office in Bamyan province announced an Italian organization, along with the University of Florence, will build 100 houses for cave dwellers. Annie Bali, head of the Italian organization Vento, declared during a meeting with Bamyan Governor Abdullah Sarhadi on May 22 that construction of the houses would commence shortly. Click here to read… [4]

Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations: Claims and Counter-Claims-Tolo News

In the ongoing saga of cross-border accusations, the Islamic Emirate has once again denied allegations of Afghan soil being used against other countries, particularly Pakistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLO news that in some cases, opportunistic individuals use Pakistan's soil to enter Afghanistan. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

Feud over gold stash behind murder - The Daily Star

Slain lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar and key suspect Aktaruzzaman used to run a gold smuggling racket until they fell out over money and Azim kept a stash worth over Tk 100 crore to himself, detectives said. Click here to read… [6]

UN Peacekeepers: Allegations of rights abuse may result in their return – The Daily Star

If allegations of human rights abuse against a UN peacekeeper are substantiated, it results in non-deployment or even repatriation, said a spokesperson for the UN secretary-general. Click here to read… [7]

PM Hasina says she rejected proposal for airbase – Dhaka Tribune

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that a “white-skinned” foreign country wants to install an airbase in Bangladesh and that it is still conspiring against her government after being rejected. Click here to read… [8]

Educating Rohingya children: Initiatives to maintain cultural roots tied to Myanmar – Dhaka Tribune

To help them remember their homeland and foster a desire to return, various programs have been initiated. These programs aim to familiarize the children with the country they left behind, so that it does not feel entirely foreign if and when they return. Click here to read… [9]

Bhutan

Hotter and wetter monsoon this year: NCHM-Kuensel

The coming monsoon, between June and September, might be a difficult monsoon, according to experts from the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), with the centre’s outlook predicting slightly above normal temperatures and rainfall. The South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), held on April 29, also mentioned that the Hindu Kush Himalayan region should brace up for the upcoming monsoon, with experts warning of high rainfall. Click here to read… [10]

World Food Forum to launch Bhutan Chapter for youth-Kuensel

The World Food Forum (WFF), facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Bhutan, is launching the country chapter in June to empower young people to be more engaged in policy-making, food education and to encourage startups in the agri-food sector. Click here to read… [11]

Maldives

Maldives to launch India's RuPay service despite tensions between two nations-India tv News

Notwithstanding the turbulence in their bilateral ties, the Maldives will soon launch India’s RuPay service, which a senior minister has said "will bolster the Maldivian Rufiyaa." RuPay, a product of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is the first of its global card payment network in India, with wide acceptance at ATMs, POS devices, and e-commerce websites across India. Click here to read… [12]

Myanmar

Over 1000 more refugees enter Mizoram as Myanmar fighting intensifies – Hindustan Times

Over 1,000 people from Myanmar have taken refuge in Mizoram’s border district of Champhai after fighting intensified between Myanmar’s rebel forces and the ruling junta, the district administration said on Thursday. Click here to read… [13]

Rohingya displaced by Myanmar armed group, say activists – The Hindu

Rohingya activists accused a Myanmar ethnic armed group on May 22 of displacing thousands of the persecuted minority in western Rakhine state, after the United States said it was troubled by increasing violence. Click here to read… [14]

Nepal

BIMSTEC’s 27-year evolution: Charter comes into force after Nepal’s ratification – The Print

The charter of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) came into effect Monday — 27 years after the grouping was first envisioned in Bangkok, Thailand. Click here to read… [15]

The drought that forced a Himalayan village in Nepal to relocate – BBC

When prolonged drought struck the village of Samdzong, the residents had to make a critical decision: whether to stay or leave. Click here to read… [16]

Pakistan

IMF mission returns to Washington sans staff-level agreement- The Express Tribune

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday that significant progress has been made towards reaching a staff-level agreement with Pakistan for an Extended Fund Facility, however, its mission returned to Washington without handing over a new bailout package. The IMF’s two-week assessment mission concluded without striking a new deal as Islamabad grappled with the challenges of political instability and enhanced economic vulnerabilities. Click here to read… [17]

UAE commits to investing $10 billion in Pakistan-The Express Tribune

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday committed to investing $10 billion in multiple sectors of the country’s economy, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. According to the statement, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a bilateral meeting with the President of the UAE and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Click here to read… [18]

PM Shehbaz meets Ayatollah Khamenei after Tehran funeral for Raisi- Dawn

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and expressed condolences on the death of late President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash. Recalling the late president’s visit to Pakistan last month, the prime minister highlighted his commendable role in further strengthening Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations, the PM Office said in a press release. Click here to read… [19]

PTI censures Gandapur’s alleged exclusion from SIFC meeting-The Express Tribune

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday censured the government for allegedly excluding Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur from an upcoming meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The former ruling party in a post on X stated that there was “clear malice” behind an alleged decision to not invite Gandapur to the “unconstitutional and illegal” SIFC meeting. Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka

Snap general election to follow presidential election immediately – Daily Mirror

A snap general election will follow immediately after the presidential elections to be concluded in October, this year, the Daily Mirror learns. Click here to read… [21]

Government refutes plans to dissolve parliament: Bandula – Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has no plans to amend the Constitution to extend his term of office or hold a snap general election as reported, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardana said today. Click here to read… [22]

‘Frequent visitors to India': ATS on Sri Lankan ISIS ‘terrorists’ arrested from Ahmedabad – Hindustan Times

Two of the four Sri Lankans arrested from Ahmedabad on May 20 for suspected ISIS links, had been to India “38 to 40 times,” the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) said on Wednesday. Click here to read… [23]