Neighborhood News Digest – 11 January 2023

Afghanistan

World Clerics' Delegation Seeks Education for Every Muslim: Tolo News

A delegation of Muslim clerics, which has visited Afghanistan, on Tuesday called for ensuring the right to education for every Muslim and emphasized the need for girls’ access to education in Afghanistan. The head of the delegation, Sheikh Mohammad Saghir, said they have discussed education for women and girls in their meetings with the officials of the caretaker government. He said the Islamic Emirate assured that the existing problems would be removedClick here to read... [2]

Resistance Against the Taliban (IEA) Continues in Afghanistan: The Khaama Press

The recent gender-based decrees issued by the Supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan restricting women from working for NGOs and getting university and higher education, culminated the tensions among the Afghan people. The implementation of the ban completely erased Afghan women and girls from society, which prompted severe condemnations from the international community and the people of Afghanistan. Although some foreign governments, aid organizations, and other stakeholders called the de facto authorities to reverse the decision, nothing has changed so far. Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Countrywide opposition sit-ins today – New Age

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other opposition parties and alliances have completed necessary preparations for holding their second simultaneous movement through a countrywide mass sit-in today amid warnings from the government over public suffering. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh maintaining good relations with both US, China despite challenges, Momen says – Dhaka Tribune

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said Bangladesh is maintaining good relations with both global powers USA and China through its balanced foreign policy, though it is a “challenging” task. “That is a challenging thing. They (US, China) might have their own problems. That is their headache, not ours. We want to maintain good relations with both,” he said. Click here to read... [5]

EC’s Tk 8,711cr EVM project to get nod soon – Daily Star

Planning Minister MA Mannan yesterday said the Planning Commission will soon approve the Election Commission's proposal to purchase new EVMs. According to the ECs development project proposal, it needs Tk 8,711 crore for the purchase and management of two lakh electronic voting machines. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

Share-trading in secondary market sees more than two-fold rise – Kuensel Online

Share-trading in the secondary market increased by over two-folds last year with more than 30 million (M) shares of 18 listed companies being bought and sold by individuals and institutions. The market traded shares worth Nu 1.92 billion (B) last year, more than two-fold increase from 2021 at Nu 708.9M. It saw an increase of Nu 1.21B, according to Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan (RSEBL) figures. Click here to read... [7]

Maldives

Why Maldives Sided With Mauritius on the Chagos Islands - The Diplomat

In August 2022, Maldives’ President Ibrahim Solih sent a letter to the prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, expressing the Maldives’ government’s support for Mauritius’ claim to the Chagos Islands, which are currently administered by the United Kingdom as part of its British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Solih affirmed that Maldives would back Mauritius’ claim during future votes at the United Nations General Assembly. Click here to read... [8]

National reserve sees exponential growth in 2022 - Raajje

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has disclosed that the national reserve of the country has seen exponential growth in 2022. Statistics publicized by MMA shows that the national reserve was at USD 827 million by the end of 2022. Statistics shows that USD 134 million was earned as revenue in foreign currency, during December 2022. This is an increase of USD 71 million compared to November 2022.https://raajje.mv/129114

Myanmar

For UN’s Migration Agency, Business as Usual With Myanmar Junta - The Irrawaddy

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Myanmar Crisis Response Plan 2023, which was updated on Dec. 14, 2022, has all the right jargon and sounds impressive unless one thinks about it for two minutes. It is about the IOM searching for a total of US$37.2 million for Myanmar and raises some questions. Click here to read... [9]

Myanmar Junta Continues to Target Women and Children: NUG - The Irrawaddy

At least 265 children and 414 women have been killed by Myanmar’s regime since the 2021 coup, according to the Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG). The NUG’s ministry reported this week that 13 percent of the victims are female and nearly 9 percent are under-18s, including infants. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar Air Force bolsters fleet with the commission of new aircraft - Shephard Media

The Myanmar Air Force commissioned new aircraft during its annual Air Force Day event at Meitkila Air Base on 15 December 2022. Among the types on static or flying display were two of six new Su-30SME fighters, six newly delivered Chinese-built FTC-2000G light fighters, and two Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters. Click here to read... [11]

Biden’s Half-Hearted Policy Towards Southeast Asia - Foreign Policy

Even though Southeast Asia is a strategic region in the emerging U.S.-China standoff, the Biden administration’s policy toward it in 2021 left much to be desired. During its first year in office, the Biden team lacked a strategy for the region, was short on ambassadors, and paid little attention to cultivating top-level ties. But in 2022, the administration stepped up its game in the region by showing up in person, clarifying its approach in key strategy documents, and boosting cooperation through initiatives such as the elevated Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Click here to read... [12]

Nepal

Nepal’s PM Prachanda wins vote of confidence in Parliament, 1st to get 99% backing – The Print

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Tuesday won the vote of confidence in the country’s Parliament. In a rare case in Nepal’s political history, Prachanda is the first Prime Minister to get 99 percent endorsement. Late on Monday evening, Dahal reached out to the opposition Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba seeking support on the vote of confidence. Click here to read... [13]

India extends anti-dumping duty on jute imports from Nepal, Bangladesh – The Bussiness Standard

India has extended anti-dumping duty on imports of certain jute products from Nepal and Bangladesh for five years, a move aimed at protecting domestic players from cheap inbound shipments. These duties were imposed following recommendations of the commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). Click here to read... [14]

Nepal Orders ISPs To Disable Crypto Websites, BlockFi Repaid Investor $15 Million Over Crypto Crash– Outlook

The Nepalese government has warned Internet service providers in the Himalayan nation with legal action if they allow any cryptocurrency related activities on their networks. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority on January 8, 2023 issued a warning ordering all Internet service providers (ISPs) to refrain from running and maintaining “websites, apps, or online networks” that are associated with cryptocurrencies. Click here to read... [15]

India begins construction of access road to link proposed Dodhara Chandani dry port – The Kathmandu Post

The construction of a Rs3.2 billion access road on the Indian side that links the proposed Dodhara Chandani dry port on the western border with India has started. The access road project construction has been undertaken by the Indian government. India has also agreed to construct an Integrated Check Post on the border which would be connected to the dry port by a railway line. The inland terminal will provide access to India’s largest seaport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, and facilitate Nepal's foreign trade and lower its costs, officials said. Dodhara Chandani dry port will be the first business gateway to India from Nepal's far west. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan

World Bank cuts Pakistan’s GDP growth forecast in half: Dawn

The World Bank’s latest forecast also points to a “sharp, long-lasting slowdown” with global growth pegged at 1.7pc this year, compared to 3pc it predicted in June, said the bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report, a flagship publication of the World Bank Group. It said that global growth was slowing sharply in the face of elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment, and disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read... [17]

OGRA recommends 74% increase in sui gas prices: The Express Tribune

According to the recommendation, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) would be allowed to increase gas prices by up to 74.42% and the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) by 67.75%. Ogra’s decision will be implemented after the approval of the federal government. If the federal government does not approve it within 40 days, the decision will be implemented automatically. Click here to read... [18]

Lifeline to Pakistan: Saudi Arabia mulls $10bn investment, to raise deposit to $5bn: The News

Islamabad’s efforts to shore up the country’s forex reserves with the help of Saudi Arabia — amid a worsening currency crisis — have started paying off as Riyadh is beefing up its deposit in the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) from $3 billion to $5 billion. According to the Saudi media, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Tuesday directed his financial officials to study increasing the Pakistan deposit by $2 billion. Click here to read... [19]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe's party to join hands with Rajapaksa's SLPP in local body polls – Devdiscourse

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghes United National Party (UNP) will join hands with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party led by the powerful Rajapaksa family in the upcoming local body elections. Click here to read... [20]

Govt. to cut public expenditure by 5% as State coffers run dry – Daily Mirror

As State coffers have run dry owing to the steep contraction of the economy last year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed all ministries to cut five percent of their allocated budgets for 2023 to manage limited funds by prioritising salary and pension payments to public sector employees. Click here to read... [21]

Politics is Most Sacred –Daily News

Politics is the most sacred out of them because it was initially an honourary service done by those who had the means to live. Those who entered politics also had the people’s confidence as those doing a sacred duty by the society. Click here to read... [22]