Clashes between the forces of the Islamic Emirate and Pakistan military happened along the Durand Line in Spin Boldak port, a spokesman told TOLOnews. Haji Zaid, a spokesman for Kandahar governors, said that one member of the Islamic Emirate was killed and 10 others were wounded in the clashes. Meanwhile, a source from Chaman on the other side of the Durand Line told TOLOnews that one Pakistani forces member was wounded in the fightingClick here to read... [2]
The International Conference on Afghan Women's Education, co-chaired by Indonesia and Qatar, was convened in Bali, Indonesia on 8 December 2022.
At the International Conference on Afghan Women's Education, representatives from more than 30 countries stressed the need of supporting women's education in Afghanistan. The foreign minister of Pakistan, who attended the conference, said that his country supports women's access to education, saying an investment in female education is an investment in the future of the nation. Click here to read... [3]
The problem of lack of water caused by continued drought over the past couple of years in Afghanistan is a huge concern on different fronts. Providing clean and safe water for the people has been a great challenge, particularly, with climate change which is an addition to the existing problem. “The problem of lack of water is serious and UNICEF would help Afghanistan in addressing the problem. Bringing clean, safe water to 9 million people the following year is a priority for the organization,” Salam Al-Janabi, UNICEF Afghanistan spokesperson, said. Click here to read... [4]
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign affairs minister, met with Takashi Okada, the Japanese ambassador, in the Afghan capital to discuss aid to Afghanistan and the resurrection of the Afghan economy.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, announced in a string of tweets on Sunday, December 11, that the leadership of the ministry visited the Japanese envoy in a constructive meeting. The Japanese diplomat, according to the ministry’s statement, said that his country is in dialogue with the international community to set the stage for the reconstruction of the Afghan economy. Click here to read... [5]
So routine are protests and violence in Bangladesh that treating the ongoing crackdown against Sheikh Hasina’s opponents as anything but election-generated noise could seem a stretch. From the latest deaths of opposition activists in police firing, and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) demanding a “caretaker” administration that could ensure electoral transparency, to an angry Hasina vowing to never let “arson terrorists” come to power — this is quintessential Bangladeshi politics. Even Western criticism, visible in a recent ambassadorial joint statement asking for free, fair, and peaceful elections, and Indian and Chinese silences, are not novel. Click here to read... [6]
Terming the BNP lawmakers' decision to resign from Parliament a mistake, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said that the House would not sit idle without the seven of them. Several other senior leaders reacted to the BNP's move a day after the party conducted its 10th and last divisional rally, and declared 10-point charter for demands that included the dissolution of Parliament and holding the next election under a non-party government. Click here to read... [7]
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not “bend down to any external pressure” or internal conspiracy to derail the nation from its constitutional path towards democracy and fundamental freedom, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam in unison on Sunday. They said the government is determined to hold the next parliamentary elections in a free, fair, transparent and participatory manner under the independent election commission. Click here to read... [8]
The capital budget for this fiscal year 2022-23 was revised by 4.79 percent to Nu 40.31 billion (B) as compared to the approved budget of Nu 38.47B. This, according to the finance ministry’s first quarter budget report, is an increase of Nu 1.84B. The fiscal year (the last year under the 12th five-year Plan) has allocated about 52 percent of the total budget as capital budget. It is more than the current expenditure, unlike in the past. Click here to read... [9]
China's act of flaring up the territorial disputes can be the means to 'punish' Bhutan for aligning with India as Beijing assumed that Thimphu's foreign policy for their country is influenced by New Delhi's dominance and control, Epardafas.com reported citing scholars. Click here to read... [10]
The Reserve Bank of India has signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) to enable MMA to make drawals in multiple tranches up to a maximum of $200 million from the RBI. This agreement has been signed under the SAARC Currency Swap Framework. Click here to read... [11]
Elections Commission (EC) has initiated the process of dissolving Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) due to failure to meet the 3,000-member requirement. EC’s chairman Fuad Thaufeeq told Sun on Sunday evening that DRP had been given three months’ notice to bring up membership numbers after the party’s membership fell below 3,000.“According to the law, we need to give three months’ notice to political parties that fail to meet the 3,000-member requirement, and take measures to dissolve the party if they fail to meet the membership mark during that period,” he said. Click here to read... [12]
In comments to The Hindu about India’s decision to engage the Myanmar military government that came to power in February 2021 after deposing the elected National Unity Government (NUG) and jailing thousands of leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, Ms. Marsudi said that it could make the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) efforts towards democracy “less effective”. Instead, she urged India and other countries to follow the ASEAN “five point consensus” that calls for an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties. Click here to read... [13]
It is reported that Pakistan is looking forward to intense collaboration with China regarding the development of sub-warfare equipment. China is allowing Pakistan to maintain and overhaul Chinese-made equipment, thus letting Pakistan’s defence industries become a course of action for Chinese defence sales. It is alleged that Pakistan, enticed by China, has intensified military-industrial collaboration with the new regime in Myanmar, one of India’s critical neighbours to the East. It is reported that Myanmar is keen to advance its domestic arms industry with Pakistan-China combined sustenance even as it has developed a bilateral defence corporation with RussiaClick here to read... [14]
CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday said foreign powers directly interfered in the November 20 federal and provincial elections and called the situation serious.This is the first time a top politician has publicly accused foreign powers of meddling in the recent elections. “We have seen many elections since joining the peace process [in 2006]. But never before had I seen this level of foreign meddling, when foreign forces meticulously decided whom to defeat and whom to elect,” said Dahal while addressing a meeting of the office bearers of the Press Centre Nepal, the press wing of his party, at Harisiddhi in Lalitpur. “All past elections were announced and conducted by Nepalis, but that was not the case this time. This is a very serious development.” Click here to read... [15]
Our general elections took place at a time of great turmoil in the international arena. The Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, bitter rivalry between China and the United States—all have cast a long shadow over South Asia. The world is coping with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising unemployment and skyrocketing food and energy prices. Nepal too is suffering from rising inflation, liquidity crunch, unemployment, loss of tourism revenue and public frustration over poor state response. Click here to read... [16]
At least seven people lost their lives and 16 others suffered injuries on Sunday in Chaman, which came under heavy gunfire and artillery shelling by Afghan border forces, the military’s media wing said. Pakistani troops retaliated against the “unprovoked and indiscriminate” fire, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, without giving details of any losses on the other side. Click here to read... [17]
Despite the former army chief stressing in his farewell address that the institution had decided to stay away from politics, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chair¬man Imran Khan on Sunday urged the establishment indirectly to facilitate early elections as he believed the country was fast heading towards a default.
Pakistan has an enormous untapped resource to boost economic growth significantly. Its two key bases of foreign exchange earnings are exports and remittances. Each one contributes about $30 billion annually. Another source that can contribute an equivalent amount, as per a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, has received little attention. The untapped source is women’s empowerment. Click here to read... [18] The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, has said that Kashmir is the top priority of OIC agenda and he will submit a comprehensive assessment report on the human rights situation in Kashmir to member countries.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1019253-oic-secretary-general-visits-loc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to read...Adding another $30b to GDP: The Express Tribune
OIC secretary general visits LoC: The News
A Reuters report said Georgieva, World Bank President David Malpass and other financial leaders met in person in China’s Anhui Province last week with officials from the People’s Bank of China, China’s Finance Ministry and its EXIM Bank and China Development Bank. Georgieva said the discussions touched on the common framework for debt treatment set up in late 2020 by China, the United States and other Group of 20 major economies, as well as some specific cases of countries seeking debt relief. Click here to read... [19]
In the two years since he was first elected to Parliament, Sri Lankan legislator Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has won many fans within Sri Lanka, including from the Sinhalese majority. But his recent speech in Parliament, threatening to launch a “China go home” campaign, similar to the “Gota go home” people’s movement that dislodged the former President, made more heads turn. China was “forcing down” useless investments in Sri Lanka, China has “no democracy, no human rights,” he roared in the House. If China is truly a friend of Sri Lanka, it must restructure the bankrupt island’s debt and help the crisis-hit country access IMF support, the 32-year-old Opposition MP argued. Click here to read... [20]
[24]
[25]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/2022/december/12/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest
[2] https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-181138
[3] https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-181108
[4] https://www.khaama.com/drought-and-lack-of-water-a-major-concern-in-afghanistan/
[5] https://www.khaama.com/afghan-fm-meets-with-ambassador-of-japan-discussing-aid-and-economy-78653/
[6] https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bangladesh-razor-edge-india-looming-economic-crisis-political-instability-8317080/
[7] https://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2022/12/11/awami-league-remains-unmoved-over-bnp-mps-resignation
[8] https://www.dhakatribune.com/foreign-affairs/2022/12/11/state-minister-some-developed-nations-put-bangladesh-under-undue-pressure
[9] https://kuenselonline.com/capital-budget-up-by-5-percent-in-this-fy/
[10] https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/china-threatens-bhutan-for-aligning-with-india-report20221211215531/
[11] https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/rbi-signs-currency-swap-agreement-with-maldives-monetary-authority/
[12] https://en.sun.mv/79657
[13] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/follow-asean-path-on-myanmar-says-indonesian-fm-after-new-delhi-engages-military-rulers/article66251745.ece
[14] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/col-nagial/is-china-using-pakistan-as-its-proxy-to-arm-military-rule-in-myanmar/
[15] https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2022/12/12/dahal-sees-foreign-hand-in-poll-debacle
[16] https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2022/12/11/assessing-the-election-results
[17] https://www.dawn.com/news/1725912/unprovoked-shelling-by-afghan-forces-kills-seven-at-chaman
[18] https://www.dawn.com/news/1725911/imran-wants-apolitical-military-to-help-stabilise-economy</p
[19] https://dailynews.lk/2022/12/12/local/292899/imf-chief-cites-%E2%80%98fruitful-exchange%E2%80%99-china-sl-debt-issues
[20] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/shanakiyan-rasamanickam-an-mp-to-watch-in-sri-lanka/article66248821.ece
[21] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - December 12, 2022&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/2022/december/12/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest
[22] http://twitter.com/share?text=VIF Neighbourhood News Digest - December 12, 2022&url=https://www.vifindia.org/2022/december/12/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest&via=Azure Power
[23] whatsapp://send?text=https://www.vifindia.org/2022/december/12/vif-neighbourhood-news-digest
[24] https://www.vifindia.org/author/Aakriti-Vinayak
[25] https://www.vifindia.org/author/Anil-Kumar-20221110