Neighborhood News Digest- 03 July 2024

Afghanistan

Mujahid: Many Countries are willing to Support Afghanistan-Tolo News

The head of the Islamic Emirate delegation at the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, described the Doha meeting as positive for Afghanistan, saying that the outcome demonstrated the supportive stance of various countries toward Afghanistan. Zabihullah Mujahid said there were no discussions on the recognition of the Islamic Emirate, girls' education, or an inclusive government during the meeting. Click here to read... [2]

Nebenzia: 'Taliban' Should Not Be Ignored as Afghanistan's Current Rulers”-Tolo News

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said that the 'Taliban' are the current rulers of Afghanistan, and no one can ignore this fact. Vasily Nebenzia said: "Taliban are de facto authorities in Afghanistan, and we've been saying consistently that you have to recognize this fact and deal with them as such. Because whether you like it or not, this movement is running the country now.” Click here to read... [3]

Pakistan’s defense minister vows to continue attacks inside Afghanistan-The Khaama Press

Pakistan’s Defense Minister has stated that as part of a new military operation against insurgents, Pakistan will conduct attacks in Afghanistan in the future. Speaking to BBC Urdu on Tuesday, Khawaja Asif said, “It’s a fact that we have operated in Afghanistan and will continue to do so. We won’t welcome them (Taliban) with cake and sweets. If they attack, we will respond.” Click here to read... [4]

UN denies Taliban claim of banking restrictions removal-The Khaama Press

In the third session of the Doha talks, the United Nations Secretary-General rebutted claims by a Taliban spokesperson regarding the lifting of certain banking restrictions imposed on the group. Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, informed Afghan media that the issue had been discussed, but no decision had been reached during the Doha meeting. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh

Dhaka-Delhi relation a model for others: PM - The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday described the relationship between Bangladesh and India as a "model" and "example" for others as both countries have resolved many problems through dialogue. Click here to read... [6]

Take advance preparation for floods: PM – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed authorities to prepare for more potential floods this year, following discussions at an Executive Committee of the National Economic Council meeting held at the NEC auditorium in Sher-E-Bangla Nagar yesterday. Click here to read... [7]

BB: Net forex reserve now above $16bn – Dhaka Tribune

The net reserve of Bangladesh now stands at $16 billion, surpassing the $14.7 billion target set for June by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the Bangladesh Bank. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan

CSOs show improvement in implementing accountability standards – Bhutan Times

A recent validation workshop held in Haa, funded by the Asia Foundation and organized by the Bhutan Transparency Initiative (BTI), revealed positive developments in the implementation of the Bhutan Civil Society Organization Accountability Standards (BCAS) 2023. The workshop assessed the impact of the standards on the internal mechanisms of CSOs in Bhutan and identified areas for further improvement. While the BCAS program is still in its early stages, the initial assessment conducted in 2023 indicated that a significant number of CSOs required support in achieving compliance. Almost 59 percent of the 46 CSOs who participated scored below 50 percent. Click here to read... [9]

25 delegates from Bhutan get management lessons at IIM-K – The Hindu

An intensive seven-day training programme conducted by the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode (IIM-K) under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme concluded here on July 2. A total of 25 participants formed an all-Bhutan delegation under the umbrella programme conceptualised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The institute had designed the customised ITEC programme on a special request from the Royal Civil Service Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

Italian military jets return to the Maldives – The Edition

Four fighter jets and a cargo plane belonging to the Italian military have landed at Velana International Airport July 2. The roaring sound of the jets flying over the Malé area when they landed at the airport attracted the attention of many people, with some sharing videos of the aircrafts soaring in the air. However, this is not the first time Italy's military aircrafts have made a visit to the island nation, with the jets having landed in Maldives twice last year for refuelling and other logistic purposes. Click here to read... [11]

Samoa Agreement signed with reservations on secular provisions: government – Adhadhu

The Maldives signed the "Samoa Agreement" formed between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with reservations to secular provisions that conflict with the Constitution, the government has said. The Parliament approved signing the agreement on June 30. The government signed the agreement July 2. The move has since drawn widespread criticism over provisions in the agreement that conflict with Islam and the Constitution of the Maldives. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

Chin Forces seize Myanmar’s Matupi bordering Bangladesh and India - NE Now

The Chin Brotherhood which includes forces from the Zomi Federal Union, Chin National Organization, Mindat Chin National Council, Maraland and Kanpetlet Chin Defense Forces (CDF), and Matupi CDF Brigade 1, has said that it has seized total control of Matupi town in southern Chin State on Saturday after 20 days of fighting. According to reports, Operation Chin Brotherhood was launched on June 9 to drive junta troops out of Myanmar’s poorest state, which borders Bangladesh and India. Click here to read... [13]

Thailand, Myanmar sign agreement on extradition of criminal suspects - RFA

Thai and Myanmar police have agreed to the extradition of suspected criminals from each other’s countries, but the deal will not apply to Myanmar citizens who have fled to Thailand to avoid conscription or have committed minor crimes, said a senior Thai officer. A memorandum of understanding was signed at Thai police headquarters in Bangkok during a visit last week by Myanmar’s interior minister and police chief, Lt. Gen. Ni Lin Aung, said assistant to the Thai police chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Itthipol Achariyapradit. Click here to read... [14]

India, Myanmar completes first transaction exceeding Rs 1 crore through Punjab National Bank - MSN

India and Myanmar pioneered a new bilateral trade payment system, as the Yangon office of Punjab National Bank on Tuesday completed the first transaction exceeding Rs 1 crore for a shipment of pulses under the Rupee-Kyat Settlement Mechanism. The initiative aims to streamline trade transactions between India and Myanmar, enhancing efficiency by eliminating complexities associated with exchange rates through direct payment in local currencies. Click here to read... [15]

Nepal

Ruling ally urges Nepal's PM Prachanda to resign

The ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) has called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to step down to clear the way for the formation of a "national consensus government". Click here to read... [16]

How Japan’s newest yen note came from the Nepali mountains - Edition

Banks across Japan began stocking their ATMs on Wednesday with shiny new yen notes sourced from an unlikely location – vibrant yellow flowering paperbush shrubs that grow on craggy Himalayan mountains in Nepal. Before entering the wallets of Japanese consumers, the yen notes had a long, complex journey involving months of labor and transport by land and air across thousands of kilometers. Click here to read... [17]

COVAX supplying Covid vaccines to Nepal every day since Sunday - Kathmandu Post

The COVAX facility, the United Nations-backed international vaccine-sharing scheme, has been supplying vaccine doses to Nepal for the last three days. Officials said that the vaccine is part of the 1.6 million doses the facility has committed to supply to the country in 2024. “We received 46,000 doses on the first day,” said Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the immunisation section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services. “Vaccine doses arrived yesterday and today too.” Click here to read... [18]

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs bids farewell to Nepal's Ambassador - Gulf Times

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met Tuesday with Ambassador of Nepal to the State of Qatar Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal, on the occasion of the end of his tenure. HE, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs thanked the Ambassador for his efforts in enhancing and promoting the bilateral relations, wishing him success in his new duties. Click here to read... [19]

Pakistan

Controversial tax drives fuel dealers to strike-Dawn

A divided house of the Pakistan Petro¬leum Dealers Association (PPDA) on Tuesday annou-nced a countrywide strike for July 5 to protest the imposition of 0.5 per cent advance turnover tax in the budget, although the government has conceded its mistake and assured withdrawal of the controversial tax. Click here to read... [20]

Govt opens backdoor for public hiring-The Express Tribune

The federal government has decided to fill thousands of vacant positions from grade 1 to 16 with prior approval from its austerity committee and has also limited the monetary benefits of top bureaucrats to Rs1 million per annum for attending board meetings. Click here to read... [21]

Imran dispels rumours of PTI ‘forward bloc’-Dawn

Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday dispelled the impression of any forward bloc in the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and asserted that a decision regarding the PTI deserters was yet to be taken. Click here to read... [22]

ECP misread PTI poll ruling: SC-The Express Tribune

Supreme Court Justice Ather Minallah has remarked that the Election Commission of Pakistan has wrongly interpreted the Supreme Court verdict on PTI’s intra-party polls, asking if it is not the duty of the apex court to rectify the felony committed by the electoral watchdog. Click here to read... [23]

Sri Lanka

Japan welcomes Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring efforts – Daily Mirror

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Tuesday praised Sri Lanka's recent efforts to address its economic crisis and debt restructuring, following the South Asian country's agreement with creditor nations, according to the Japanese government. Click here to read... [24]

SJB parliamentary group rules out national government – Daily Mirror

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentary group unanimously approved a resolution that the party will not support any national government under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said today. Click here to read... [25]

Wickremesinghe responds to critics on Sri Lanka's debt restructuring deal – Times of India

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe addresses criticism of debt restructuring, emphasising transparency and parliamentary scrutiny. The plan aims to resume projects, secure foreign loans, and address short-term credit assistance. Click here to read... [26]