Neighborhood News Digest – 20 June 2023

Afghanistan

Restrictions on women, girls should be removed in Afghanistan: UN – Business Standard

Representatives from several countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) criticized the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and asked the Taliban administration to remove the gender-based restrictions on women and girls, Khaama Press reported. While reviewing the report of Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, the council members called the Taliban's de facto authorities to respect and protect the rights of all people of Afghanistan, including, women, girls, religious minorities and political groups. Click here to read… [2]

'Preventing it is not our responsibility', says Taliban spokesperson on Human Trafficking report – Devdiscourse

Following the United States (US) Department of State's latest report on Human Trafficking in Afghanistan, Taliban's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that human trafficking is done beyond the borders and "preventing it is not our responsibility," Khaama Press reported. Click here to read… [3]

Taliban slams US report on rising threats in Afghanistan – AlJazeera

The Taliban has rejected a United States watchdog’s report saying foreign armed groups and domestic security threats have increased in Afghanistan since the group took over the country in a blitzkrieg in August 2021. “We strongly reject SIGAR’s propaganda,” the Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement late on Sunday, referring to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Click here to read… [4]

Pak-Afghan rift widens after Taliban minister trashes Durand line as border – Business Standard

The Taliban administration's Defence Minister Maulvi Muhammad Yaqub Mujahid has said that the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, called the Durand Line, is merely a 'line'. Mujahid, the son of Mullah Muhammad Umar Mujahid - the founder of the Taliban, told TOLO News in Kabul in a video interview that Afghanistan will raise the matter with Islamabad when the people want it. Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh

Rising From The Ashes: Surprising Resurgence Of Jamaat-E-Islami In Bangladesh’s Political Landscape – Eurasia Review

In the intriguing landscape of South Asian politics, where variables are as diverse as the region itself, the recent resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh has claimed the front page, creating a pronounced ripple in an already complex pool of political equations. This surprising return of the party to the political scene, following almost a decade of political banishment, has sparked a flurry of questions and speculation. So, what are the reasons behind this surprising resurgence, and what implications does it have for Bangladesh’s future? Click here to read… [6]

Bangladesh to adopt single exchange rate - Central Banking

Bangladesh will “adopt a unified and market-driven single exchange rate regime” in the third quarter of this year. Bangladesh Bank announced the move in its monetary policy statement for the second half of 2023. The policy fulfils pledges made to the International Monetary Fund as part of a loan package approved in January. Bangladesh has had a managed floating exchange rate regime since May 2003. Click here to read… [7]

Bhutan

Bhutan lowers fees for longer-staying tourists – Reuters

Bhutan will lower the nightly fees it charges tourists who stay more than four days, in an attempt to boost visitor numbers that are still a fraction of the level before the COVID-19 pandemic. When the scenic Himalayan kingdom reopened its borders for tourists in September last year after more than two years of pandemic closure, it raised its "Sustainable Development Fee" to $200 per visitor per night from the $65 it had charged for about three decades. Click here to read… [8]

MPs call for review on penalties – Kuensel

The National Assembly directed the Good Governance Committee to review how to hold the governing and administrative bodies of national digital identity host agencies to account if there is a lapse. Khamaed-Lunana MP Yeshey Dem said that it is unfair to impose severe penalties on users while governing and administrative bodies only are liable to minor fines and lenient penalties, as outlined in the National Digital Identity Bill. Click here to read… [9]

Maldives

Maldives participates in the 53rd session of UNHRC - Raajje

The government of Maldives is participating in the 53rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The 53rd Session of the UNHRC commenced in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. It will proceed through July 14 and the delegation from Maldives will be delivering national statements under several agenda items, in accordance with the government’s key policies and priorities. Further, the Maldives’ delegation is scheduled to deliver a joint statement for the Annual Panel on Adverse Impacts of Climate Change on behalf of a group of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) based in Geneva. " target="_blank">Click here to read… [10]

Maldives, World Bank sign US$67.8m deals to support SMEs and fisheries sector - Devi Discourse

The Government of Maldives and the World Bank today signed two agreements totalling US$67.8 million (approximately MVR1 billion) to support critical reforms to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and to strengthen competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the fisheries sector in Maldives. us678m-deals-to-support-smes-and-fisheries-sector" target="_blank">Click here to read… [11]

Myanmar

Thailand defends divisive Myanmar junta talks - The Jakarta Post

Thailand on Monday defended hosting talks with the Myanmar junta that have split the regional bloc leading diplomatic efforts to end the chaos engulfing the country since the military seized power. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February 2021 coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with more than 3,600 civilians killed in the military's crackdown on dissent, according to a monitoring group. The generals have been barred from high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc, of which Myanmar is a member. Click here to read… [12]

NTPC trains Myanmar power professionals on solar energy - Economic Times

State-owned NTPC Ltd on Monday said it has begun the last phase of a five-day training programme for power sector professionals from Myanmar. In a statement, the Ministry of Power said these programmes are being conducted under the India-Myanmar Government to Government framework for cooperation in the power sector as part of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Click here to read… [13]

Nepal

Adipurush row: Protests break out in different cities; Nepal bans screening of Hindi movies – The Indian Express

The row over the film ‘Adipurush’, a multilingual retelling of the Ramayana, escalated on Monday, with protests breaking out in several cities. The film, helmed by Om Raut and fronted by Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, has received flak for its dialogue, colloquial language and representation of some characters from the mythological epic. Click here to read… [14]

PM ‘Prachanda’-led CPN (MC) and three other parties form Socialist Front Nepal – The Print

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’-led CPN (Maoist Centre) and three other Left parties on Monday jointly announced the formation of a socialist front. The ruling parties – CPN (Maoist Centre), People’s Socialist Party (JSP) and CPN (Unified Socialist) Party – and CPN Communist Party (JSP), which is not in the government, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at an event here to form the Socialist Front Nepal. Click here to read… [15]

Nepal witnessing calls to restore Hindu statehood. BJP has a role in it: US report – The Week

Nepal is reportedly witnessing a growing call to restore its status as a Hindu nation and the movement is allegedly funded by the BJP, according to the latest International Religious Freedom report by the US State Department. The report published in May quoted Nepali civil society activists who claimed the "influence from the ruling BJP and other Hindu groups in India continued to pressure politicians in Nepal, particularly in the right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to support reversion to a Hindu state." Click here to read… [16]

Pakistan

Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif approves Rs 25 billion aid for flood victims – The Print

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved to provide Rs 25 billion aid for flood victims, to address the reservations of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Geo News reported. Sources said that the amount allocated by Pakistan’s PM is expected to contribute to the debt-driven budget and will be spent rehabilitating the flood victims. Click here to read… [17]

As Imran Khan’s PTI faces crackdown, a new party of deserters is taking shape – The Hindu

The Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) was launched earlier this month by Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT), a former key member of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Abdul Aleem Khan, another former close aide of Mr. Khan. “Dead on arrival” is how the PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi dismissed the newly launched party. Click here to read… [18]

Pakistan refugees drowning in Mediterranean highlights a deeper humanitarian crisis - Mint

Nine people will be produced in court on allegations and suspicion of human trafficking in relation to the tragic drowning of the trawler near Greece, which killed many people. The incident reminds one of the chilling incident of Komagata Maru, a humanitarian crisis that haunts Canada's immigration policies till date. Click here to read… [19]

Pakistan: Finance Minister Dar’s dare, IMF’s stare – Money Control

Pakistan desperately needed a bailout but its expansionary budget for 2023-24 with an eye on the upcoming elections has belied the IMF’s expectations of greater fiscal responsibility. It could fall on a newly elected or caretaker government to deal with the mess, but the forex-strapped country has precious little time left to avoid a default. Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka

World Bank to approve $700 million for Sri Lanka next week - Tamil Guardian

At the next board meeting on 28 June, the World Bank will likely approve $700 million in welfare and budgetary support for Sri Lanka. In March, the International Monetary Fund approved a bailout of nearly $3 billion to assist the island with economic recovery. This bailout is expected to bring further funding of up to $4 billion from various institutions including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. According to Reuters, $500 million of the World Bank's funding will be for budgetary support and will come in two tranches of $250 million each. Click here to read… [21]

India and Sri Lanka look to accelerate implementation of a digital education project - DD News

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay exchanged diplomatic notes with Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education M.N. Ranasinghe to expedite the establishment of modern computer labs and smart boards equipped with customized curriculum software in 200 schools. Click here to read… [22]