Neighborhood News Digest- 21 August 2024

Afghanistan

952 Ex-Officials Return to Afghanistan via Contact Commission-Tolo News

The Commission for Contact with Personalities has announced that since its inception, over 950 individuals, including former ministers, governors, and members of the previous government’s parliament, have returned to the country. Ahmadullah Wasiq, the commission's spokesperson, pledged that everyone who has returned through the commission has been provided with security cards, enabling them to resume their lives in full safety. Click here to read… [2]

US and Philippines agree on temporary shelter for Afghan refugees-The Khaama Press

The United States and the Philippines have agreed to a temporary residence arrangement for several Afghan refugees until they can be resettled and receive a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) from the U.S. This agreement allows the refugees to stay in the Philippines while awaiting their immigration processing. Click here to read… [3]

Vice-Virtue Ministry Announces Major Strides in Women’s Rights-Tolo News

Officials from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue announced that over the past year, more than 5,000 of nearly 10,000 registered complaints have been effectively addressed. During a press conference presenting the ministry's annual report, key achievements were highlighted, including securing women’s access to inheritance, preventing violence against women, halting the sale of women, destroying musical instruments, and arresting sorcerers. Click here to read… [4]

Russian humanitarian aid arrives in Kandahar-The Khaama Press

Continuing the humanitarian aid efforts to Afghanistan, officials in Kandahar province have announced that humanitarian aid from Russia has arrived in Kandahar on Tuesday. In a related development, the British Embassy for Afghanistan announced on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day that it has provided aid to more than 2.7 million people in Afghanistan in 2023. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh's Summit reviewing cross-border power deals after India rule change – Daily Star

Bangladesh's Summit Group plans to renegotiate preliminary deals to import renewable power from India after a recent rule change by New Delhi allowed generators that exclusively export their electricity to sell locally, the utility's chairman said. Click here to read… [6]

AL govt leaves behind $156 billion debt – Daily Star

When Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2008, Bangladesh's total debt was just $33.66 billion. When she fled amid an unprecedented student-led uprising on August 5, she left behind a burden of $156 billion in local and foreign loans for the country to carry. Click here to read… [7]

ISPR protests misleading media report – Daily Star

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) yesterday protested a report published by various media outlets titled, "Army Chief faces anger by young army officers at a meeting that day." Click here to read… [8]

Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant: Separating fact from fiction in the $5bn embezzlement allegations – Dhaka Tribune

A little known website called Global Defense Corp has alleged that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajib Wazed Joy, and niece Tulip Siddiq have reportedly embezzled over $5 billion in collusion with Russian officials by artificially inflating the cost of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP). Click here to read… [9]

Bodies of 7 children, woman recovered from Naf River – Dhaka Tribune

The bodies of seven Rohingya people, including children and a pregnant woman, came floating in the Naf River in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday. Click here to read… [10]

Bhutan

Flash flood hits Gangtey, damaging crops and water supply - Kuensel

Wangdue—The usually quiet Bayta Chhu stream swelled due to heavy rainfall upstream, flooding Bayta, Geyla, and Tokha villages in Gangtey Gewog, Wangdue on the afternoon of August 18. The flood, which began around 2 PM, is the first of its kind to hit the gewog in recent years. Click here to read… [11]

Maldives

Zameer meets Saudi Foreign Minister, hands over letter from President – Adhadhu

Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer had a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Riyadh today on August 19. The Foreign Ministry said Minister Zameer presented a letter from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. During the meeting, both Ministers reflected on the close ties of friendship and cooperation between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia, which are rooted in the common Islamic heritage, shared values and principles. Click here to read… [12]

Discussions held on boosting Maldives-UAE cyber security cooperation – Raajje

Discussions have been held on boosting cybersecurity cooperation between the governments of Maldives and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The discussions were held as part of the recent visit conducted by a high-profile delegation of the UAE Cyber Security Council to the Maldives. Head of the UAE Cyber Security Council Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti led the delegation on the official state visit to Maldives. According to the Maldives Police Service (MPS), the visit carried the purpose of enhancing bilateral relations and boosting cybersecurity cooperation. Click here to read… [13]

Pakistan

Foreign policy priorities under question after IMF delay-The Express Tribune

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) decision to postpone the approval of the $7 billion bailout package has called into question Pakistan's leaning towards the West and also put the credibility of its policymakers at stake. The IMF board's meeting was conditional to giving credible assurances for meeting the $26.4 billion external debt repayment requirements for this fiscal year, which the government could not secure within the due time, according to the government officials. Click here to read… [14]

Imran Khan faces possible military trial after Faiz Hameed's arrest, warns Irfan Siddiqui-The Express Tribune

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Senate and head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has suggested that former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan's fears of being tried in a military court might be justified following the arrest of ex-spymaster Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed. Click here to read… [15]

Imran applies for the post of Oxford chancellor from prison-Dawn

Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has applied to become the next chancellor of Britain’s prestigious University of Oxford, his party said. “Imran Khan had given instructions that he would like to submit his application and now the application scrutiny will take place,” Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesman for PTI, told AFP. Click here to read… [16]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka braces for Presidential election amid severe Police shortage – Daily Mirror

Sri Lanka is preparing for a challenging presidential election on September 21 amid a significant police shortage and ongoing anti-crime operations, the Daily Mirror learns. Currently, Sri Lanka Police is grappling with a deficit of approximately 30,000 police officers. The shortage arose due to the retirement of officers, others leaving the services and some stepping down due to disabilities. Click here to read… [17]

Bandula Lal Bandarigoda sworn in as MP – Daily Mirror

Bandula Lal Bandarigoda was sworn in as a Member of Parliament before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena today. He was sworn in to fill the vacancy created after former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara lost his Parliamentary seat. Click here to read… [18]

Economic crisis, policy choices, anti-incumbency shape Lanka’s presidential race – Daily Mirror

The presidential race kicked off last Saturday by four main candidates- President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa, National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Namal Rajapaksa– stoking voter enthusiasm to participate in the presidential poll to be conducted on September 21 to elect the next executive president of Sri Lanka. Click here to read… [19]

In Sri Lanka, two candidates promise to abolish executive presidency – The Hindu

The executive presidential system has not delivered on any of the aims for which it was introduced, contend activists. Click here to read… [20]