VIF Neighbourhood News Digest: August 29, 2022

Afghanistan

MoD Says US Drones Entering Afghan Airspace From Pakistan: Tolo News

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that American drones are entering Afghanistan's airspace from Pakistan. At a press conference, acting Defense Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid asked Pakistan to not allow its airspace to be used against Afghanistan. Click here to read... [2]

China Supports Travel Ban Exemptions for Islamic Emirate Leaders: Tolo News

China hopes that the UN Security Council will extend travel ban exemption for the leaders of the Islamic Emirate in a bid for the international community to remain engaged in Afghanistan. Talking to reporters at the Security Council Media Stakeout, the Chinese Ambassador at the UNSC, Zhang Jun, said that the humanitarian situation is critical in AfghanistanClick here to read... [3]

Court ‘Terminates’ Executive Order to Split Afghans Frozen Asset: The Khaama Press

A New York court has denied the request to compensate 9/11 victim families from Afghanistan’s frozen foreign reserves, terminating President Joe Biden’s executive order to split the $7 billion in Afghan asset between poverty-stricken Afghanistan and families of 9/11 victim. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

‘By far, Bangladesh has become one of the countries with most cooperation and fruitful results under the BRI framework’: Dhaka Tribune

Ambassador of China to Bangladesh HE Li Jiming has been gracious enough to grant this extraordinarily open and forthright interview to Probir Kumar Sarker, exclusively for Dhaka Tribune, which we shall be running in five parts this week. This is the second part. In Monday’s section, Ambassador Li discusses the alignment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and the role China plays in Bangladesh’s developmentClick here to read... [5]

Rice production growth slows despite rising demand: The Daily Star

The rice production growth in Bangladesh is slowing as the room for a further expansion of modern high-yielding varieties (HYVs) has squeezed amid reducing cropped area and growing use of agricultural land for non-farm purposes. Click here to read... [6]

Project to buy carriages: After 6 years, it now needs a fresh start: The Daily Star

Another railway project involving a Chinese contractor has plunged into deep uncertainty after a government committee directed the authorities not to take the hard loan arranged by the company. Click here to read... [7]

Bhutan

We must rejuvenate SAARC, says former Bhutan PM Tsering Tobgay Business Standard - Business Standard

Speaking at the fifth “India and the World” lecture, former Prime Minister of Bhutan Tsering Tobgay expressed concerns about the current status of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and, citing the recent political and economic crises in Sri Lanka, called for greater efforts to rejuvenate the regional intergovernmental organisation. Click here to read... [8]

For Bhutan, India remains a major source market - Economic Times

With Bhutan set to open up, ET HospitalityWorld spoke with Arun Kumar – market vice-president – North India, Nepal, Bhutan, Marriott International about his company’s new properties in Thimphu and Paro, which were set to welcome visitors from September 23, 2022. Click here to read... [9]

Rising imports from China draining Bhutan’s forex reserves - Economic Times

According the data provided by the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan in July 2022, foreign exchange reserves in the country shrunk to $970 million at the end of December 2021 from $1.46 billion in April 2021, while external debt increased to $3.2 billion. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

'MVR 1.9 bln lost to corruption must be recovered': Finance Minister - Avas

Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer has said MVR 1.9 billion owed to the state between 2009 and 2020 has still not been recovered. The minister made the statement on Sunday while speaking at a ceremony held to kick off a workshop conducted by the Anti-Corruption on establishing an asset recovery system. Click here to read... [11]

Bill on increasing GST submitted to the Parliament - Avas

The Attorney General's Office said three bills were sent to the Parliament Office on Sunday. They are bills seeking to amend the Tourism Act, the Goods and Service Tax Act, and the Judiciary Act. The government had earlier announced that it would propose amendments to the GST Act to increase the percentage charged as GST. Click here to read... [12]

Foreign Minister Shahid travels to India - Avas

Foreign Minister and 76th UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid has arrived in India on an official visit. Shahid's visit to India coincides with Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed's unofficial visit to the neighboring country. Click here to read... [13]

Myanmar

In Myanmar, Vietnamese firms learn the political risks of backing the junta - RFA

Vietnamese firms are confronting political risk from overseas investments as the price of doing business with Myanmar’s brutal military regime, a less predictable partner than the authoritarians they are accustomed to. Vietnam’s largest venture in Myanmar is by VietTel, Vietnam’s largest cellular provider. The military-owned company has a major stake in Myanmar’s MyTel, which is also military-owned and has been hemorrhaging customers since the Feb. 1, 2021, coup d’etat that ousted Myanmar’s elected government. Click here to read... [14]

Dhaka to lodge protest against Myanmar shelling into Bangladesh: FS - New AgeBD

Bangladesh will lodge its strong protest with Myanmar so that nothing such happens inside Bangladesh as the country witnessed two mortar shells from Myanmar inside Bangladesh territory on Sunday afternoon. Click here to read... [15]

Myanmar Kyat exchange rate reaches record low - Thai World

On August 27th, the value of the Myanmar Kyat (MMK) to the US Dollar (USD) hit a record low at 3,400 MMK/US$1. Similarly, the price of the Baht strengthened against the MMK to a never before seen rate of 100 MMK/฿1. The price of gold bullion has also spiked, reaching a record high of over 29 Lakhs MMK (around 2,900 Baht) per Kyattha(16.3293g). Click here to read... [16]

Myanmar strongly condemns and rejects statements issued on the anniversary of August 2017 incidents of Rakhine State: Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Eleven Myanmar

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar issued a statement rejecting the statements issued on the anniversary of August 2017 incidents of Rakhine State on August 25, 2022. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar has learnt the issuance of statements by certain countries and organizations including the spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary General on the anniversary of the incident that took place in Rakhine State on 25 August 2017. Click here to read... [17]

Nepal

31 member Indian Army team arrives in Nepal on five-day visit - AwazHind Times

A 31-member delegation of the Indian Army’s “Defence Course” arrived in Nepal on Sunday. The visiting team includes students participating in the ‘National Defence Course-62’ that was held at the National Defence College in New Delhi, according to a press release issued by Nepali Army. Click here to read... [18]

What does it mean for China that Nepal has now awarded two joint storage projects totaling 1200MW to India? - Inventive

The West-Seti Hydropower Project and Seti River Project (SR6), combined storage projects totalling 1200MW that China had twice abandoned, were officially granted by Nepal on August 18 to India’s National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC). The undertaking will be a year-round energy storage system. India will receive power through its national grid, either for internal consumption or export. Click here to read... [19]

Standoff between Nepal's President & govt over citizenship to 'foreign women’ - WioNews

Nepal is in the grip of another political crisis as the country's rulers are clashing. There is an apparent tussle between the executive and the president over citizenship Bill and it appears that the lawmakers are stuck between the government and president. Click here to read... [20]

Pakistan

Death toll breaches 1,030 mark as floods wreak havoc: The Express Tribune

Floods continued to devastate the country on Sunday, particularly the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan leaving at least 119 people dead and more than 70 injured in the past 24 hours. Click here to read... [21]

Several airlifted, many still stranded in KP: Dawn

With many still marooned in flood-affected regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a significant number of people airlifted to safety on Sunday, the prime minister and the army chief made an attempt to bring a healing touch for a nation in grief. Click here to read... [22]

Crucial IMF meeting for renewal of loan plan today: Dawn

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meets on Monday (today) to consider a bailout package for Pakistan as Islamabad claims tying up at least $37 billion in loans and investments. If the board approves the deal, the IMF will immediately disburse about $1.2 billion to Pakistan and may provide up to $4 billion over the remainder of the current fiscal year, which began on July 1. Click here to read... [23]

Flood inflicts $10bn loss on Pakistan economy: Miftah Ismail: The News

The flash floods have inflicted a loss of at least $10 billion on different sectors of the country’s struggling economy, says Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail. Click here to read... [24]

Sri Lanka

Sharp exchange between Delhi, Beijing over ship in Sri Lanka: The Indian Express

The docking of the Chinese military vessel in Sri Lanka has touched off a fresh war of words between New Delhi and Beijing — this time over Colombo. A day after the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, in a thinly veiled reference to India, alleged “thorough interference” into Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and invoked what he called the history of aggression by “the northern neighbour”, New Delhi hit back sharply Saturday. Click here to read... [25]

Chinese company refuses to budge: Daily Mirror

A Chinese fertilizer company involved in a dispute with Sri Lanka, has refused to budge and had demanded that Sri Lanka respect the spirit of the agreement reached between both parties. Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group reminded the Sri Lankan authorities of a supplementary agreement reached between both parties in February 2022. Click here to read... [26]

SL envoy woos Chinese investment in solar, wind energy: Daily Mirror

Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona said Sri Lanka is an ideal spot for solar energy development and also wind energy development and China can be a big help as we transition to clean energy. “We would be able to address a huge part of our energy crisis by relying on renewable energy,” he said, according to the Chinese media. Click here to read... [27]