Neighborhood News Digest- 30 July 2024

Afghanistan

Kabir Visits Iran for President's Inauguration Ceremony-Tolo News

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Political Deputy of the Prime Minister, along with his accompanying delegation, went to Iran on Monday to participate in the inauguration ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian. Hamdullah Fetrat, Deputy Spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said that during this visit, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir will also meet with various Iranian officials. Click here to read… [2]

Ministry of Information and Culture Seeks to Register Historical Sites-Tolo News

The Ministry of Information and Culture announced its efforts to register the country's historical sites on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Khabib Ghufran, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, said that some of the country's historical monuments are already registered with UNESCO, such as the city of Zuhak, the city of Gholghola, Minaret of Jam in Ghor, and the Kakrak Valley. Click here to read… [3]

Women Entrepreneurs Concerned Over Lack of Access to Markets-Tolo News

Several women entrepreneurs express concern about the lack of markets available for their products and the shortage of raw materials in the capital. They said that the absence of a market has become a serious challenge for them. They are calling for support from the Islamic Emirate and aid organizations for their products. Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Govt set to ban Jamaat-Shibir – Daily Star

The Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday unanimously recommended that the government ban Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir for their alleged involvement in anti-state activities. Click here to read… [5]

Nationwide mourning today – Daily Star

The government has declared today a nationwide mourning in remembrance of those killed in the recent violence centring the movement for reform in government job quotas. Click here to read… [6]

BJP protests insults to Hindu religion, Modi in Bangladesh quota movement – Dhaka Tribune

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has protested slogans and remarks made by students during the quota reform movement in Dhaka against the Hindu religion, India, and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Click here to read… [7]

Protesters take to streets again – Daily Star

Quota reform protesters yesterday staged demonstrations across the country, including in Dhaka and Chattogram cities, but law enforcers dispersed them at many places and detained at least 80. Click here to read… [8]

Bhutan

Combating the drug influx-Kuensel Online

The call for nationwide drug testing reflects the threat drug-related issues are posing to our national security. The health minister’s estimation that up to 30 percent of the Bhutanese population could be drug-dependent paints a stark picture of the severity of this crisis. While this figure may be debated, the reality is that drug-related problems are escalating, as evidenced by the increasing number of daily police apprehensions. Click here to read… [9]

India-Bhutan River Panel: Mamata Banerjee's Demand At Niti Aayog Meet- NDTV

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday told the assembly that she demanded the formation of an India-Bhutan river commission at the recent Niti Aayog meeting in Delhi. Ms Banerjee said this while speaking on a resolution regarding erosion control and flood mitigation in her state. Click here to read… [10]

Maldives

Maldives sees significant increase in tourist arrivals – Avas

The number of tourists visiting the Maldives in July has seen a s significant increase compared to the same period last year. Traditionally, June-July is considered the low season for Maldives tourism. However, the figures for the period this year indicate a significant increase in arrivals. According to the Ministry of Tourism, 144,279 tourists have arrived in the Maldives thus far this month. This is a 15 percent increase compared to July last year when 125,424 tourists visited the Maldives. Click here to read… [11]

Dollar reserve insufficient to cover imports for one month – Adhadhu

The state’s official dollar reserve did not have enough funds to pay for essential imports for a month by the end of June, statistics from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) have shown. The gross international reserve stood at USD 509.1 million at the end of last month, according to the MMA’s latest statistics. This was USD 17 million higher than the previous month. But when unusable funds (predetermined short-term drains) are deducted, the reserve was lower than May last month. This was due to an increase in the amount to be deducted. Click here to read… [12]

Pakistan

ECP notifies 93 PTI MPAs in three provinces-Dawn

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday notified 93 returned members of three provincial assemblies as the lawmakers belonging to the PTI in pursuance of the July 12 Supreme Court order, but still failed to de-notify those who had been allocated additional reserved seats in the national as well as provincial assemblies. Click here to read… [13]

JUIF-PTI alliance talks hit stumbling block-The Express Tribune

The ongoing talks between the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hit a stumbling block soon after the latter's chairman, Barrister Gohar, refuted Maulana Fazlur Rehman's recent claim that the former ruling party was ready to quit assemblies, it emerged on Monday. Click here to read… [14]

Indonesian envoy calls for increasing volume of bilateral trade-Dawn

Charge d’affaires of Indonesia to Pakistan Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma has said that the current annual trade of $45 million between the two countries is much less than its potential which needs to be further increased. Speaking at the Quetta Press Club during his visit on Monday, Mr Kusuma said economic diplomacy and people-to-people contact is the main priority of the Indonesian government and “our arrival in Balochistan is a part of this agenda”. Click here to read… [15]

Sri Lanka

76% say ‘No’ to Ranil joining Rajapaksas for Presidential poll – Daily Mirror

Nearly 76% of voters in Daily Mirror’s poll were of the opinion that President Ranil Wickremesinghe should not team up with the Rajapaksas in the upcoming Presidential elections. Of a total of 1,645 respondents, nearly 76% voted ‘No’, nearly 21% voted ‘Yes’, while nearly 3% voted ‘Do Not Know’. Click here to read… [16]

SLPP decides not to support Ranil, but to field its own candidate – Daily Mirror

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), at its Central Committee meeting, decided today not to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential election, but to field its own candidate instead. Click here to read… [17]

Nuwan Bopage named Presidential candidate of Aragalaya activists – Daily Mirror

Lawyer Nuwan Bopage has been named as the Presidential candidate of the Alliance for People's Struggle formed by the Aragalaya activists. Click here to read… [18]

Sri Lanka must shift to rule-based system for investment: SOERU chief – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka needs to transition from a system dominated by ministerial discretion to a rule-based administration, to create an investment-friendly climate and promote a thriving private sector, Sri Lanka’s State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SOERU) Head Suresh Shah said. Click here to read… [19]