Neighborhood News Digest- 04 July 2024

Afghanistan

Taliban demand prisoner exchange for release of American citizens-The Khaama Press

The Taliban spokesperson announced on Wednesday that discussions were held in Doha with US representatives regarding prisoner exchange. Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the Taliban would release American citizens in exchange for the release of its fighters from Guantanamo. Click here to read… [2]

UNICEF plans to reconstruct 190 schools in Afghanistan-The Khaama Press

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it plans to reconstruct 190 schools in Afghanistan this year. On Tuesday, July 2nd, the organisation announced that rebuilding these schools will provide education opportunities for 200,000 children. Click here to read… [3]

Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Business Forum Held in Tashkent-Tolo News

A three-day exhibition of Afghanistan's domestic products opened on July 3 in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Nooruddin Azizi, the acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, emphasized the strengthening and development of commercial and transit relations between Kabul and Tashkent during the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Financial account turns positive as govt adjusts data as per IMF advice - The Daily Star

The financial account has turned positive after more than a year, yet it might not be good news for Bangladesh since it is the result of the revision of national data in line with IMF prescription and does not indicate improvement in the health of the economy. Click here to read… [5]

What’s the harm if India given transit? – The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh cannot keep its doors shut in this era of globalisation and she wondered what the loss would be if India is given transit facilities. Blasting those who criticised her recent visit to India, Hasina said the opposition parties continue saying many things about her tour. Click here to read… [6]

How Bangladesh’s trafficking networks are targeting women at Rohingya camps – Dhaka Tribune

More than one million Rohingya refugees are living in squalid refugee camps in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, most of whom fled the brutal violence and persecution in neighboring Myanmar in 2017, which is now a subject to UN genocide probe. But many of these Rohingya refugees are risking their lives to cross the sea to escape hunger, kidnapping and violence inside the makeshift camps in Bangladesh. Click here to read… [7]

Bhutan

NC endorses the 13th Plan – Kuensel

The National Council (NC) yesterday endorsed the 13th Plan with all 23 members present voting in favour of the five recommendations submitted by the NC’s Economic Affairs Committee (EAC). For the endorsement, the EAC’s chairperson and NC member from Samdrupjongkhar, Tshewang Rinchen, presented the committee’s observations and findings to the House. The House recommended the requirement of details for major economic projects beyond hydropower and renewable energy in the 13th Plan, as the current Plan lacked clarity on specific plans and programmes for other sectors like agriculture, livestock, tourism, mining, and manufacturing. Click here to read… [8]

Maldives

Pres. eager to seek additional support from Sri Lanka in educational field – Raajje

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has expressed desire to seek additional support in the field of education, from the government of Sri Lanka. This was done during a meeting High Commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Maldives Pelpolage Ranga Sujeewa Goonawardena held with President Muizzu, following a ceremony to present his credentials. The ceremony, held at the President’s Office on July 1, saw the Sri Lankan High Commissioner presenting his Letters of Credence to the Maldivian president. Click here to read… [9]

Myanmar

Fighting Erupts in Myanmar’s Shan State as Armed Groups Resume Offensive - The Diplomat

Ethnic armed groups are once again on the march in eastern Myanmar along the country’s border with China, after the collapse of a China-brokered ceasefire last week. Yesterday morning, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) reportedly launched a large-scale offensive in the vicinity of Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State. The Irrawaddy reported that “fierce clashes” were now taking place around the strategic city, the northern terminus of the railway from central Myanmar and the location of the Myanmar military’s North Eastern Regional Command. In response, junta bases in Lashio town have reportedly bombarded villages in the area. Click here to read… [10]

Floods add to people's misery in northern Myanmar - UCA News

Thousands of people, including displaced people, have been hit by floods caused by recent torrential rain in northern Kachin state in civil war-hit Myanmar. However, there were no immediate reports of deaths in the flooding which occurred after several rivers burst their banks, forcing thousands to flee. In a statement on July 3, the Meteorology Department said the water level in the Ayeyarwaddy River in the Kachin capital Myitkyina had come down. Click here to read… [11]

France, Britain and others allowed to intervene in Myanmar ICJ genocide case - Hindustan Times

Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and the Maldives are allowed to intervene in Gambia's Myanmar genocide case with the International Court of Justice, the ICJ said in a statement on Wednesday. Myanmar has denied genocide, rejecting the U.N. findings as "biased and flawed". It says its crackdown was aimed at Rohingya rebels who had carried out attacks. (AFP). The countries had asked to intervene in the case at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, in November 2023. Click here to read… [12]

Junta fails to protect Myanmar’s people, says UN ambassador - Bangladesh Post

Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations (UN), addressed the UN General Assembly on the topic of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, on 1 July 2024. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun was nominated to the post by the previous National League for Democracy (NLD) Myanmar Government. The UN decided to allow him to stay in the post of Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN, whilst rejecting the Myanmar junta’s nominee for the post. Click here to read… [13]

Nepal

Nepal’s largest party withdraws support to PM Dahal’s government- Asian News Network

The CPN-UML on Wednesday decided to withdraw its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. UML chief whip Mahesh Bartaula said all the UML ministers will submit their resignations to Prime Minister Dahal today. “The UML withdrew its support to the government to pave the way for the formation of the national consensus government. The prime minister will be informed of the decision later today,” said Bartaula. Click here to read… [14]

Concept Paper on AI prepared for first time in Nepal - Himalayan Times

The government has for the first time prepared a Concept Paper on the use and practice of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The government developed the concept paper to determine the basis for formulating the related policy and laws on the use and operation of AI in the context of the country lacking these and in view of the growing use and development of AI the world over. Click here to read… [15]

Political turmoil hits Nepal: Prachanda to face floor test - WION

The political landscape in Nepal is once again in limbo the embattled Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has clarified that he will not resign from his post and instead he'll face a floor test. Click here to read… [16]

NOC accelerates petroleum storage facility construction process - Himalayan Times

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has accelerated petroleum storage facility construction process at Rohini river bank in Rupandehi. Construction of embankment at Rohini rivulet, the border of Omsatiya and Rohini rural municipalities, was underway and 70 per cent construction of the embankment has been completed so far, said Enginer Hiramani Khanal. He said that construction activities of the embankment have been forwarded at Rohini rivulet by assessing the flood situation of last 50 years. Click here to read… [17]

Pakistan

Petrol dealers to go ahead with strike from tomorrow-Dawn

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) on Wednesday announced that its talks with provincial and federal governments and other stakeholders had hit a deadlock, leaving them with no option but to go for a nationwide closure on July 5. Click here to read… [18]

Putin offers enhanced energy supplies to Pakistan-The Express Tribune

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday offered Pakistan increased energy supplies, including crude oil, during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Putin and Shehbaz are in Kazakhstan for the regional summit and this was their second meeting. Both leaders met in September 2022 in Samarkand on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Click here to read… [19]

Tax exemption for army men, bureaucrats challenged in LHC-Dawn

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court challenging the exemption from income tax on property sales granted to retired and serving army personnel and bureaucrats in the budget for fiscal year 2024-25. The petition filed by Mashkoor Hussain through Advocate Nadeem Sarwar pleaded that the tax exemption given to the bureaucrats and military personnel was in violation of the equality clause of the Constitution, which stated “all persons are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law”. Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka

ADB urges SL to embrace green bonds for growth – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka must intensify efforts to sustain its growth while addressing the climate change challenges, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stressed yesterday, highlighting the need for the island nation to turn to green bonds to meet its needs. Click here to read… [21]

Sri Lanka closes US $ 12.5bn bond restructuring deal – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka has successfully concluded its discussions with the bondholders, reaching an agreement on the restructuring terms yesterday. This follows an unsuccessful first round of talks in April. Click here to read… [22]

President has no chance of getting tenure extension; only trying to create uncertainty: AKD – Daily Mirror

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has no chance of getting a one-year extension of his tenure as the Supreme Court has given a clear ruling in 2019 that the President's tenure is five years, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today. Click here to read… [23]