Neighborhood News Digest – 1 August 2023

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments BBC

The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music "causes moral corruption". Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in public.Click here to read… [2]

Muttaqi Calls for Removal of Sanctions in Meeting with US: Mujahid – Tolo News

The acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in the meeting with US officials in Doha stressed the need for the removal of sanctions, according to the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman. The spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told TOLOnews that Muttaqi also urged the US to not create obstacles for the economic development of Afghanistan.Click here to read… [3]

Bangladesh

Defense Minister Meets Bangladesh Chief Of Staff - MENAFN

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah discussed on Monday with Bangladesh Chief Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed ways to boost joint cooperation between the two countries. A statement by Ministry of Defense said Sheikh Ahmad received the General and his accompanying delegation during his official visit. The two sides highlighted bilateral relations.Click here to read… [4]

By joining BRICS, will Bangladesh serve as a role model for other south Asian nations - Pressenza

The father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fixed the foreign policy of the country at the birth of Bangladesh. The main statement of this principle is ‘friendship with all, enmity with none’. The current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also confident in the principle of friendship with all countries. The progress of the country is most important to him. Therefore, he is moving forward with the aim of establishing Bangladesh as the ‘Golden Bangla’ by maintaining friendship with developed countries. Joining the BRICS group is significant in that respect. It is the demand of time to join BRICS for the sake of Bangladesh’s development.Click here to read… [5]

Bhutan

Govt invites applications from exporters for allocation of wheat quota for Bhutan – The Indian Express

The government has invited applications from exporters to allocate quota for exports of wheat to Bhutan during 2023-24 on humanitarian and food security grounds. In a trade notice, the DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) has laid out a detailed procedure for allocation of quota for export of wheat, ‘atta’ and ‘maida’ on humanitarian and food security grounds, based on requests received from Bhutan.Click here to read… [6]

E-mobility project installs more EV charging stations – Kuensel

Japan’s Minister for Environment Akihiro Nishimura launched the first electric vehicle charging station at Dangrina, Thimphu installed through a project supported by the Japan government yesterday. The installation of charging stations is part of the project titled “Leveraging nationally determined contributions to achieve net-zero emission and climate-resilient development in response to the climate emergency”.Click here to read… [7]

Maldives

U.S. slaps sanctions on ISIS, al-Qaeda supporters in Maldives - The Hindu

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on 20 individuals and 29 companies for providing financial support to operations of ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorist groups in the Maldives. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday that the aim of these designations is to deter and disrupt financial and other forms of support for terrorist activities within the Maldives.Click here to read… [8]

Myanmar

Myanmar military extends emergency, postpones election - Aljazeera

Myanmar’s military has officially postponed an election promised by August this year after extending a state of emergency it imposed in the aftermath of its 2021 coup. In a statement on state television on Monday, the military cited ongoing violence as the reason for the election delay.Click here to read… [9]

Myanmar to release new top-denomination banknote - Central Banking

Myanmar’s central bank will introduce a new 20,000 kyat banknote, it announced on July 24. The note will become the highest-value paper money in circulation. The new bill carries an image of Rattha Mandaka, a white elephant born in July 2022. The note will mark the elephant’s first birthday.Click here to read… [10]

Nepal

Why Nepal Needs to Debate the Role of Its Army – The Diplomat

Nepal is engaged in a fierce debate about rightsizing its army. Statements by two members of parliament ignited the debate. On June 20, parliamentarian Swarnim Waglé warned that Nepal is headed to a disaster if the “difficult” decision of rightsizing the military is not taken. Citing the reduction of troops in Sri Lanka in the wake of the economic crisis, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party MP said that Nepal did not need 90,000 troops.Click here to read… [11]

Nepal plans to export 370 MW electricity to India through low-capacity transmission lines – KNN

Nepal is considering to export 370 megawatt (MW) of electricity to India using low-capacity transmission lines, reported Kathmandu Post. The land locked country decides to do this besides the existing only high-capacity 400kV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur line as other under-construction high-capacity transmission lines have not been completed.Click here to read… [12]

Pakistan

Islamic State says it carried out Pakistan suicide bombing that killed 54 – The Guardian

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 54 people in Pakistan, as the country battles a rising tide of militant attacks. The bombing took place at a rally for a pro-Taliban party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan that has faced a rapidly declining security situation due to attacks from militant groups including the Pakistan Taliban and Islamic State’s regional affiliate.Click here to read… [13]

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says 'neutral' person to be picked interim premier; elder brother to be PM again if party wins elections – The Hindu

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ruled out the possibility of the appointment of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as the caretaker Prime Minister, saying a "neutral person" will be selected to lead the interim government next month to make upcoming general elections transparent.Click here to read… [14]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka records single-digit inflation after 2 years: Report - Wion News

After facing its worst financial crisis since Independence, Sri Lanka has recorded single-digit inflation for the first time in two years. According to a statement from the Census and Statistics Office, the Colombo Consumer Price Index, which the Sri Lankan government uses to monitor inflation, showed a year-over-year rate of 6.3 per cent in July 2023, down from 12 per cent in June this year.Click here to read… [15]

Sri Lankan envoy bats for land connectivity - The Hindu

Land connectivity is essential for the growth of ties between India and its neighbouring island, said the Sri Lankan envoy here, pitching for connectivity projects resembling the “Channel tunnel” from the U.K. to Europe as a possible future initiative if environmental concerns are cleared.Click here to read… [16]