Neighbourhood News Digest – 25 May 2023

Afghanistan

Iran's water right issue: Tehran gives Afghanistan one month to resolve problem, says report - Wion

After the rise in tensions over Iran's water rights from the Helmand River in recent days, Tehran has now said that Taliban-ruled Afghanistan should clarify the issue of Iran's water rights within a month. According to a report by Tolo News on Saturday (May 20), Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan, told Iranian media that if the Taliban want Kabul to move towards peace and stability, it should have constructive interaction with its neighbours. click here to read... [2]

Taliban brutality against hapless Women in Afghanistan – IDR

When the Taliban forces inhumanly treated women protestors and subjected women protestors to verbal and physical violence, Mrs. Mahtab and her family fled from Kabul to Ghazni province in the southeast of Afghanistan. One of Mahtab’s relatives says, “We were at home day and night; fear and terror surrounded us all. Mahtab was always at home and no longer had any activities against the Taliban and had given up her work.”
click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s journey of development – Dhaka Tribune

Over the years, the economic triumph of Bangladesh has been applauded by its development partners and global institutions. On one side, as per the UN General Assembly's decision, Bangladesh will graduate from the group of least developed nations (LDC) in 2026, on the other side, IMF, a worldwide financial organization that closely monitors global macroeconomic conditions, has expressed that Bangladesh's economic growth has the potential to overtake that of China's and India's. click here to read... [4]

Why the US Should Be Neutral in Bangladesh – The Diplomat

Bangladesh has geostrategic significance. It serves as a connecting bridge between South Asia and East Asia, and between South Asia and the Middle East. It has drawn the attention of China and the United States. The outcomes of its upcoming elections will have political and economic ramifications beyond its borders, influencing the broader region. click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh PM’s Second Qatar Visit This Year Highlights Significance Of Dhaka-Doha Ties – Eurasia Review

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Doha on Monday, 22 May on a three-day official visit to attend the Qatar Economic Forum 2023 at the invitation of Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani…On 23 May, Sheikh Hasina will join the opening session of the 3rd Qatar Economic Forum, address the students of Qatar University in Doha, and hold meetings separately with Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi and Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Khalid A. Al-Falih. click here to read... [6]

'Send Sheikh Hasina to graveyard': Bangladesh Opposition leader gives open threat to PM – India Today

A video of a BNP leader, which is the opposition party in Bangladesh, is making rounds on social media where he is heard giving an open threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying 'Send Sheikh Hasina to her grave'. Abu Sayeed Chan, a top BNP leader from Rajshahi, has publicly directed his activists for the 1975-styled assassination bid against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in an oblique reference to the gruesome massacre of almost her entire family in a military coup then. click here to read... [7]

Bhutan

Amid Doklam row, India needs to focus on Siliguri corridor – The Tribune

The Chinese have laid claim to areas up till Mount Gyemochen in south-east Sikkim. This lies around 8 km further south of Batang La, the present tri-junction, and the claim covers the entire area of the Doklam plateau, comprising 60-odd square km of undulating terrain, which lies in the Haa district of Bhutan. Any shifting of the tri-junction south will not only make Doklam Chinese territory, but their boundary would then rest on the Jampheri ridge, the highest feature in this area after which the mountain ranges roll southwards for 40 km through Bhutan, before reaching the border with India, on the northern edge of the Siliguri corridor. click here to read... [8]

Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Index witnesses rise of 3.3 pc over past seven years – Devdiscourse

Bhutan has a reason to celebrate as the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index of the country has witnessed a remarkable rise of 3.3 per cent over the past seven years, The Bhutan Live reported. The announcement was made in Thimphu on Tuesday as Bhutan's Prime Minister Lotay Tshering launched the 2022 GNH report. The survey, carried out by the Centre for Bhutan and GNH Studies, shared details regarding the well-being and overall happiness of the people of Bhutan, as per The Bhutan Live report. click here to read... [9]

Singapore and Bhutan sign Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on carbon credits – India Blooms

Under the MOU, Singapore and Bhutan agreed to work towards signing a legally binding bilateral agreement that sets out a framework for the international transfer of correspondingly adjusted carbon credits by end-2023. Both countries will also identify mutually beneficial Article 6-compliant carbon credit projects that will support both countries in achieving their NDCs. Minister Gan said, “Effective partnership between countries is important in addressing the global climate challenge. This is the first MOU that Singapore is signing with a carbon-negative country. click here to read... [10]

Nepal’s trade deficit with Bhutan over Rs 126 billion in five years – Khabarhub

Nepal is running over Rs 126 billion worth of trade deficit with Bhutan in the past five years. Exports and imports with Bhutan and Bangladesh are taking place through Kakadbhitta transit in the eastern border of the country. According to Purna Prasad Lamsal, the information officer for the Mechi Customs Office, Kakadbhitta, Nepal imported goods worth over Rs 177 billion from Bhutan through transit in the past five years beginning the fiscal year, 2018/19 until 14 May 2023 of the current FY, 2022/23. The exports to Bhutan during the same period amounted to more than Rs 50.7 billion. click here to read... [11]

Maldives

Maldives signs a Double Tax Avoidance Agreement with Malaysia - Raajje

The Maldives has signed a Double Tax Avoidance Agreement with Malaysia. The agreement was signed during a ceremony held at the Parliament Building of Malaysia, on Wednesday. Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Maldives and the Deputy Finance Minister 1 of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Malaysia. click here to read... [12]

Maldives-Hungary ties progressed through high-level visits over the past two years: pres - Raajje

The friendly ties between the governments of Maldives and Hungary progressed well particularly over the past two years, through high-level visits, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The president made this remark during a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Monday, which saw the new Ambassador of Hungary to Maldives István Szabó presenting his Letter of Credence to the Maldivian leader. click here to read... [13]

Myanmar

India among 5 nations that supplied weapons worth $1 bn to Myanmar junta, says UN report - Thailand Business News

A latest United Nations (UN) report has revealed that the military junta in Myanmar has imported roughly $1 billion worth of weapons from five countries — Russia, China, Singapore, India and Thailand — since it took over the country in a coup in February 2021. click here to read... [14]

Cyclone Mocha death toll rises sharply in Myanmar - BBC

They say most of the victims of Cyclone Mocha that made landfall last Sunday were from the Rohingya minority. The junta had earlier put the death toll at 21, but local residents told the BBC that at least 40 had died. About 800,000 people have been affected by one of the strongest storms to hit the region this century, the UN said. With winds of up to 209km/h (130mph), Mocha - a category five storm - battered the Rakhine state, in western Myanmar, as well as the regions of Sagaing and Magway. click here to read... [15]

How Thailand’s Myanmar Policy Could Change Under Move Forward - The Diplomat

One of many questions to emerge from the stunning opposition victory at Thailand’s general election on May 14 is the possible impact on the country’s policy toward Myanmar. The progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), which won the most seats in the House of Representatives, is also the one major party that has flagged a significant shift in the country’s foreign relations in general, and its approach toward Myanmar in particular. click here to read... [16]

Nepal

Nepal hydropower drive puts India over China, but what's the risk? – Japan Times

Competition over Nepal’s mountain hydropower potential is intensifying with India moving ahead of China in a geopolitical tussle that several analysts and industry insiders fear could jeopardize the Himalayan nation’s energy supply and ambitions. Nepal has in recent years looked to its rivers — which have the potential to generate more than 42,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power — to ease power shortages at home and export excess electricity in a bid to develop its struggling economy. click here to read... [17]

In Nepal, a fledgling political outfit gives traditional parties a run for their money – The Hindu

When Swarnim Wagle, an economist and former vice-chairman of Nepal’s National Planning Commission, announced on March 30 that he was quitting the Nepali Congress, it came as a bombshell for many political watchers. Mr. Wagle once declared that he could not imagine being in a party other than the Nepali Congress, with which his three generations had had an allegiance. Many saw his move as his grudge against the Nepali Congress high command for denying him a ticket to contest the November general elections. He swiftly joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a new political force that was born just five months before the November polls. click here to read... [18]

India to ship grains to Indonesia, Nepal, Senegal, Gambia – Mint

India will despatch around 1.05 million tonnes of food grains to Nepal, Indonesia, Senegal and Gambia as part of its economic diplomacy in the current financial year, waiving curbs on exports. India banned wheat and broken rice exports and imposed a 20% export duty on non-basmati rice varieties last year to keep prices down. In what is likely to add heft to India’s role in providing food security on the global stage, the department of food and public distribution has allowed exports of 300,000 tonnes wheat to Nepal. click here to read... [19]

Nepal PM expands cabinet for 10th time, inducts two ministers – The Print

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday expanded his cabinet as he inducted a minister and a state minister and assigned them portfolios that were vacant for a long time. In the 10th cabinet expansion, Nepal PM Dahal aka Prachanda inducted two members from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), the Office of President said in a release issued on Tuesday. click here to read... [20]

Nepal: Former Deputy PM and Home Minister including 16 others arrested in Bhutanese refugee scam, 17 on run – DD News

Nepal Police investigation report on the Bhutanese refugee scam recommends the prosecution of 33 individuals including senior political leaders of different political parties accused in the scam. The police recommended the attorney's office to implicate those involved in the scam on three types of charges—fraud, organised crime and treason—both police and District Attorney Office Kathmandu confirmed. click here to read... [21]

Pakistan

Pakistan mulling possible ban on Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party: Defence Minister – The Hindu

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on May 24 said the government is mulling a possible ban on Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party following the attacks by his supporters on military installations after the former Prime Minister's arrest. On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of 70-year-old Mr. Khan by paramilitary Rangers. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander house, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. click here to read... [22]

Ex-PM Imran Khan’s PTI hit by more resignations in Pakistan – AlJazeera

A senior vice president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice, PTI) has quit the party while its secretary general has stepped down from his role, marking another blow to the embattled ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Fawad Chaudhry, the senior vice president and a former federal minister, tweeted that he was “parting ways” with Khan and the party. click here to read... [23]

Pakistan Growth Slows Sharply as Economic Challenges Mount – Bloomberg

Pakistan’s economic growth slowed sharply to one of the lowest levels in its history as its woes intensify amid record inflation and interest rates, along with a stalled International Monetary Fund bailout. The National Accounts Committee reported gross domestic product provisionally expanded 0.29% for the fiscal year ending June 30, in a statement released on Thursday in Islamabad. An initial 5% GDP target set last June, was revised down to 2.3% in September after devastating floods last summer. click here to read... [24]

Suicide bomber hits checkpoint in northwest Pakistan, killing 4 in second attack in as many days – Deccan Herald

A suicide bomber targeted a security checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing two soldiers, a policeman and a civilian, security officials said. It was the second attack to hit Pakistan in as many days. The bombing happened in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan and is a former stronghold of the militant Pakistani Taliban group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. click here to read... [25]

J&K part of India, Pakistan has no right to talk about it, says Union Minister – The Hindu

Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India, and Pakistan has no right to talk about it and should rather pay attention towards its own people, Union Tourism Minister G K Reddy said in Srinagar on May 23. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, Mr. Reddy said Pakistan was battling a crisis and should focus on its own plight. click here to read... [26]

Sri Lanka

Crisis-Hit Sri Lanka Signs Deal With Chinese Oil Company - Outlook

Cash starved Sri Lanka has signed a deal with Chinese oil company—Sinopec, the report said on Monday. The news agency, PTI said the island nation has signed a long-term agreement with Chinese oil and gas giant Sinopec on important storage, distribution and sale of petroleum products. click here to read... [27]

Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe to embark on Japan-Singapore visit – DD News

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe is embarking on an official visit to Singapore and Japan on Tuesday. Wickremesinghe's first stop will be Singapore, where he is scheduled to meet with Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister, K. Shanmugam. Thereafter, he will proceed to Japan for a four-day visit, during which he will engage in crucial discussions with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on strengthening bilateral relations and addressing regional and international issues. click here to read... [28]

Is Sri Lanka transitioning from an economic crisis to recovery? - ORF

Is Sri Lanka moving on from the unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 and how should India-Sri Lanka relations adapt to this are a few pressing questions facing New Delhi. Many had begun to write Sri Lanka off as a basket case of economic development tragically gone wrong, highlighting Sri Lanka’s excessive borrowing for Chinese Belt and Road Initiative projects. There is little doubt that Sri Lanka’s economic crisis offers cautionary lessons for others in the developing world. click here to read... [29]