Neighborhood News Digest - 01 January 2025

Afghanistan

Shah wa Arous Dam in Kabul Officially Opens With Ceremony-Tolo News

The Shah wa Arous Dam in Kabul was inaugurated today (Tuesday) by the Ministry of Energy and Water during a ceremony attended by the deputy prime ministers. The deputy prime ministers described the completion of the Shah wa Arous Dam as a significant step toward water management in Afghanistan and reiterated the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to managing the country’s water resources. Click here to read… [2]

Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Policy: Triumphs and Trials in 2024-Tolo News

The reopening of embassies, the appointment of new Islamic Emirate consuls to several Afghan embassies abroad, and the closure of others were some of the major developments in Afghanistan’s foreign policy in 2024. Click here to read… [3]

2024 Ends With Still No Recognition of Interim Govt- Tolo News

The year 2024 proved to be politically tumultuous for the Islamic Emirate, with key issues such as the fate of the constitution and the interim cabinet remaining as unclear as in previous years. International recognition of the Islamic Emirate also remained unresolved. Notable developments included new decrees issued by the Emirate’s leadership and global conditions set for normalizing relations with Afghanistan under the Islamic Emirate’s rule. Click here to read… [4]

Taliban denies rumors of Pakistani military presence in Wakhan, Badakhshan-The Khaama Press

Amid increasing rumors about the presence of Pakistani military forces in Wakhan, Badakhshan province of Afghanistan, a spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Badakhshan addressed the issue. Ihsanullah Kamgar told the Bakhtar News Agency that they are monitoring the borders and have not received any reports of Pakistani soldiers being present. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

The year of BNP’s possible second coming – The Daily Star

For BNP, 2024 is the year its 17 years of perseverance started showing signs of bearing fruit. However, 2024 started bleakly, with the Awami League helping itself to a fourth consecutive term in an election shunned by the BNP. Click here to read… [6]

Economy to see muted recovery in 2025 – The Daily Star

As political agendas now occupy a large chunk of reform efforts, economists believe the economic recovery in 2025 could be muted compared to what was expected after the political changeover in August 2024. Click here to read… [7]

March for Unity begins with silence to honour July uprising martyrs -Dhaka Tribune

The March for Unity commenced at the Central Shaheed Minar on Tuesday afternoon with one minute of silence to honour those who lost their lives during the July uprising. Organized by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the event started at 4pm, drawing attention to the sacrifices made during the movement. Click here to read… [8]

BNP ramps up preparations for elections without delay – Dhaka Tribune

Against a backdrop of political unrest, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has said that swift national elections are the key to ending the country’s growing instability. With mounting urgency, party leaders are demanding the announcement of a clear roadmap. Click here to read… [9]

Chhatra Shibir is co-fighter of July uprising: Sarjis Alam – Prothom Alo

The chief organiser of the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, Sarjis Alam, has lauded the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir as its activists were co-fighters during the student-led mass uprising in July and August. Click here to read… [10]

Bhutan

Strengthening Assam-Bhutan ties: A historic visit - Borderlens

As Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma concluded his successful visit to Bhutan, the ties between Druk Yul and the people of northeast Bharat have seemingly grown stronger. Sarma, who embarked on the official visit from 16 to 19 December 2024, at the invitation of the Royal Bhutan government in Thimphu, engaged in discussions on various bilateral issues with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay. Click here to read… [11]

Gelephu International Airport deposit extended until March 2025-Kuensel

The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) International Airport’s nation building fixed-term deposits (FTD) programme subscription deadline has been extended by an additional three months until March 31 of next year. Click here to read… [12]

Maldives

2025 Poised for Development Project Launches and Economic Recovery: President Muizzu – PSM News

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that 2025 will be a year when various development projects will commence across different parts of the country, economic prosperity will be restored, and general prosperity will begin to reach the entire nation. He made these remarks in his address to the Maldivian people, extending his good wishes and congratulations for the new year. In his address, the President said while the world is seeing the light of a new year by the Grace of God, the Maldives is meeting this day with beacons of hope, of visions of development and Islamic brotherhood. The President extended his sincere best wishes and congratulations to all the people of the Maldives on the occasion of the New Year. Click here to read… [13]

India would never back a plot against the President – Adhadhu

The Indian government will never back plans to remove a Maldivian President from office, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said. After an investigation by the Washington Post, Nasheed said in a post on X that India had always supported democracy in Maldives. "India would never back such a move, as they always support Maldives’ democracy. India has never dictated terms to us, either," Nasheed wrote. The former President has always maintained close ties with India. He criticized the Muizzu administration for moving away from India earlier this year and welcomed the improvement in relations later in the year. Click here to read… [14]

Myanmar

Myanmar says 2024 census shows population of 51.3 million – Reuters

Myanmar said its 2024 census found a population of 51.3 million, slightly smaller than 10 years ago, as the junta prepares for promised elections amid ongoing conflict and unrest across the country, state media reported on January 1, 2025. The census, which was held in October, will be used to compile voter lists for the elections planned for this year that opposition groups have widely condemned as a sham. Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military overthrew an elected civilian government and violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, sparking a nationwide armed rebellion. Click here to read… [15]

Thailand says no evidence of bank transactions for Myanmar weapons – Reuters

Thailand's central bank and anti-money laundering agency said on December 30, 2024, that they have not found any evidence to support a report from a U.N. expert that some of the country's banks were used to help Myanmar's junta acquire weapons. The report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in June said companies registered in Thailand had used Thai banks to transfer funds for weapons and related military materials for Myanmar worth $120 million in the 2023 fiscal year, compared with $60 million the year before. Click here to read… [16]

Pakistan

Peace deal ‘delayed’ as Lower Kurram reps skip jirga sitting-Dawn

A Grand Jirga working towards a peace accord that would lead to the reopening of roads in restive Kurram hit a snag on Tuesday, as two representatives from Lower Kurram were not available, delaying the solemnisation of an agreement between the warring sides. A day earlier, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gov¬ernment, had clai¬med that they expected a peace accord to be signed by Tuesday. Click here to read… [17]

Govt plans to pull out of Haj operation, Senate panel told-Dawn

The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs was informed on Tuesday that the government plans to phase out its involvement in the Haj arrangements and intends to transfer the responsibility of managing the operation to private companies, possibly in 2025. Religious Affairs Secretary Dr Zulfiqar Haider disclosed this while briefing the Senate committee about the government’s next Haj scheme. Click here to read… [18]

Tax misappropriation scam unearthed in inquiry-The Express Tribune

The district administration has uncovered a Rs393-million scam involving the misappropriation of Transfer of Tax on Immovable Property (TTIP) fees during the registration of sale deeds. Officials from the Municipal Corporation are accused of negligence and misconduct, prompting recommendations for disciplinary action under the Punjab Employees Efficiency and Disciplinary Act 2006. Click here to read… [19]

Sri Lanka

We move forward in 2025 with renewed vision and determination: President– Daily Mirror

Claiming that Sri Lanka achieved significant economic stability as a nation in 2024, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said with this progress as the foundation, the country would move forward in 2025 with renewed vision and determination, working towards creating a prosperous nation and ensuring a beautiful life for everyone. Click here to read… [20]

Foreign nationals behind cyber scams in Sri Lanka primarily target Chinese nationals – Daily Mirror

An investigation into financial frauds involving foreign nationals, including Chinese individuals, has revealed that the majority of the accounts targeted in Sri Lanka were those of Chinese nationals, with only a limited number of local accounts affected by the cyberattack, the Daily Mirror learns. Click here to read… [21]

I was misunderstood during Aragalaya: Gen. Shavendra – Daily Mirror

Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva yesterday asserted that he wanted to avoid civilian casualties at all costs caused by military fire during the ‘Aragalaya’ period in 2022, but the rulers misunderstood his strategy, which put him at a disadvantage. Click here to read… [22]

Sri Lankan police social media accounts, government website hacked – The Economic Times

The social media accounts of the Sri Lankan police and the official website of the government's Printer Department were targeted by cyberattacks on Tuesday, according to officials. "Our YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and X were hit by cyber-attacks. By now, we have restored all of them other than YouTube," said Police Spokesman and Superintendent K B Manathunga. Click here to read… [23]