Neighborhood News Digest- 12 March 2025

Afghanistan

8 KM of TAPI Pipeline Installed in Afghanistan: Ministry -Tolo News

Homayoon Afghan, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said that the construction of the TAPI project in Afghanistan has progressed by eight kilometers. The ministry’s spokesperson said that with the improvement of weather conditions, the construction process of this project will accelerate. Click here to read… [2]

India donates 32 tons of aid to support drug treatment in Afghanistan-The Khaama Press

India has donated 32 tons of humanitarian aid, including medicines, medical equipment, winter coats, and social support items, to aid drug treatment centers in Afghanistan. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated on its social media platform X on Tuesday, March 11 that it has been actively working to support drug use disorder treatment in Afghanistan. A major highlight is the donation from the Government of India, which contributed 32 tons of humanitarian aid. Click here to read… [3]

UK backs referring Taliban to International Court, urges progress on women’s rights-The Khaama Press

The United Kingdom has expressed support for referring the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for accountability on their actions. James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Security Council, expressed the UK’s support for referring the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for addressing concerns about their actions. Click here to read… [4]

Muttaqi’s Muscat Visit: New Chapter in Afghanistan-Oman Ties- Tolo News

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, in a meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate, assured Oman’s readiness to strengthen bilateral ties. Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that both sides discussed facilitating Afghanistan’s exports to Oman, launching direct flights between the two countries, and creating necessary facilities to enhance cooperation. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

Revenue Tk 52,000cr short of IMF target for Jul-Dec – The Daily Star

Revenue collection fell significantly short of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) target in the first six months of the current fiscal year, with the floor for the fourth instalment of an ongoing $4.7 billion loan programme proving too ambitious. Click here to read… [6]

Army has full confidence in its chief: ISPR – The Daily Star

Bangladesh Army remains strong, united, and fully committed to its constitutional duties under the able leadership of the Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman. The command chain is robust, and all members of the Bangladesh Army, including senior generals, are unwavering in their loyalty to the constitution, the chain of command, and the people of Bangladesh, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today. Click here to read… [7]

Govt wants to delay graduation from LDC – Prothom Alo

Bangladesh is scheduled to graduate from the status of least developed country on 24 November 2026. However, the interim government is working on delaying it further. However, it is not like that the government can defer the graduation if it wants. So the interim government will appeal to the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) of the United Nations in this regard. Click here to read… [8]

Bhutan

Bhutanese Citizens to Gain Work Opportunities in Singapore Soon – Daily Bhutan

In a significant development, Bhutanese workers will soon have the opportunity to work in Singapore’s manufacturing and services sectors. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower has announced that Bhutan, along with Cambodia and Laos, will be added to the list of Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) for foreign labour. Previously, the NTS list included workers from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. With Bhutan’s inclusion, Bhutanese workers will now be eligible for employment in Singapore’s key industries, expanding their access to overseas job markets. This move is expected to create new economic opportunities for Bhutanese individuals seeking employment abroad while addressing Singapore’s labour needs. Click here to read… [9]

Bhutan to host BIMSTEC’s Cultural Industries Office – Kuensel

Cultural cooperation is one of the 14 key sectors under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). The establishment of the first-ever BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Office (BCIO) in Bhutan is expected to further promote cultural traditions and creative industries across the region. The BCIO marks a significant milestone in Bhutan’s longstanding commitment to fostering cultural industries as a means of poverty reduction and community regeneration—an idea first outlined in the Jodhpur Initiatives. With its strong cultural foundations, Bhutan has been identified as a suitable location for the BCIO. Click here to read… [10]

Maldives

Foreign Ministry says no security threat despite anti-terror operation – Adhadhu

The Foreign Ministry has said there is no security threat despite an anti-terrorism operation by security forces in the Male' region. In a statement today, the ministry said there is "no present concern at this time" while the operation is still ongoing. "These operations are routinely conducted in line with intelligence reports, as preventive measures, to ensure the safety and security of the Maldives," it stated. The ministry said authorities will continue to monitor and take swift action on any information on threats to ensure that the Maldives remains a peaceful destination. Click here to read… [11]

Gov’t Repays Costly USD100 Million Loan to Foreign Agency – PSM News

The Ministry of Finance and Planning has repaid a USD100 million loan taken from a foreign financial agency during the previous Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government. The MDP government borrowed the loan from Cargill Financial Service International, a United States-based financial agency in 2022 as budget support, rather than to fund a major project. The terms of the loan included an interest rate of 7.15 percent, with repayment over three years. As a result, the government paid an additional USD26 million as interest on top of the original USD100 million loan. Click here to read… [12]

Myanmar

UN Urged to Investigate Myanmar Special Envoy for Conflicts of Interest – Irrawaddy

The UN is facing calls to investigate Myanmar Special Envoy Julie Bishop for potential conflicts of interest over her private work with Chinese state-owned companies connected to Myanmar’s military junta. Rights group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) reports that Bishop is a strategic advisor for Energy Transition Minerals (ETM), a mining company involved in the contentious Kvanefjeld project in Greenland. The project, focused on extracting rare earth minerals and uranium, has drawn opposition for its environmental impact and partnership with two Chinese state-owned companies – Shenghe Resources and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Click here to read… [13]

Second batch of 266 Indians airlifted from Myanmar scam centres, 549 rescued till now – The Times of India

The second batch of 266 people were airlifted back to India after being rescued from scam call centres in Southeast Asia. In a social media post on X, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Indian Embassies worked with Myanmar & Thailand governments to secure their release & facilitate their repatriation. "Government of India arranged for the safe repatriation of 266 Indians yesterday by an IAF aircraft, who were released from cybercrime centres in South East Asia. On March 10, 283 Indians were similarly repatriated," Jaiswal said. Click here to read… [14]

Pakistan

Indus canal projects: Bilawal backs President’s call for consensus- The Express Tribune

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has voiced concerns over water distribution policies, emphasising that such decisions should be made through collective agreement rather than by a single authority. He highlighted President Asif Ali Zardari’s warning to the government against making unilateral decisions on constructing new canals from the Indus River, stressing the need for national consensus on the matter, Express news reported. Click here to read… [15]

PM orders establishment of Daanish University in Islamabad using £190m NCA funds-The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced to construct Daanish University of Applied and Emerging Sciences in Islamabad utilizing £190 million amount that was transferred from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s account. Click here to read… [16]

Troops in action after terrorists hijack train, take hostages- The Express Tribune

Security forces on Tuesday liquidated 16 terrorists in a clearance operation launched after an unknown number of heavily armed terrorists stormed a Peshawar-bound train in Balochistan's Bolan district and took hundreds of passengers, including women and children, hostage in a brazen attack which, according to security sources, was orchestrated by their "overseas" handlers. Click here to read… [17]

Matter of diplomat’s deportation from US under investigation: FO-Dawn

In response to media speculations regarding the deportation of a Pakistani diplomat from the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that the matter was “under investigation”. Local media reported a day ago that “Ambassador K K Wagan was deported from the US” due to an immigration objection. Click here to read… [18]

Sri Lanka

Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka mark 50 years of diplomatic ties – Daily Mirror

Saudi Ambassador Khalid bin Hamoud Alkahtani hosted an official reception to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. The event was attended by Chief Guest Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, along with Sri Lankan ministers, deputy ministers, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic mission heads, and media professionals. Click here to read… [19]

Sri Lanka 'welcomes' investment opportunities from Adani, says official – Reuters

Sri Lanka has not changed its stance on doing business with India's Adani Group and welcomes investment opportunities from the conglomerate, the country's cabinet spokesperson said on Tuesday. Gautam Adani, the chairman of the ports to power business group, and top executives of Adani Green were indicted by U.S. prosecutors last year for their alleged role in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials to secure solar power deals. Click here to read… [20]