Neighborhood News Digest – 8 August 2023

Afghanistan

Taliban Prepare Suicide Bombers in Water Dispute With Iran - Bloomberg

In mid-May, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi issued a warning to the Taliban: honor Afghanistan’s water-supply agreement or face the consequences. A well-known Taliban figure offered a mocking gift of a 20-liter water container in response and told him to stop making terrifying ultimatums. About a week later, a skirmish erupted on the border, leaving two Iranian guards and one Taliban member dead. The Taliban sent thousands of troops and hundreds of suicide bombers to the area, according to a person familiar with the matter, who says the group is prepared for war.Click here to read… [2]

Afghan supreme leader warns fighters against attacks abroad: defence minister – The Hindu

Afghanistan's supreme leader has warned Taliban members against carrying out attacks abroad, the defence minister said, days after Pakistan said Afghans were involved in a spate of suicide attacks there. Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said in a speech to members of Afghanistan's security forces, broadcast by state television on Saturday, that fighting outside Afghanistan is not religiously sanctioned "jihad" but rather war, which had been barred by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.Click here to read… [3]

Bangladesh

BJP chief JP Nadda meets Bangladesh Awami League delegation, discuss ties – Hindustan Times

A visiting delegation of Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Monday and discussed issues such as bilateral relations and measures to curb militancy. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, a member of Awami League’s presidium and the agriculture minister, is heading the five-member delegation that includes party joint general secretary and information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud, party organising secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, and women MPs Aroma Dutta and Marina Jahan.Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh to tone down law critics accuse of crushing dissent – The Print

Bangladesh will tone down its Digital Security Act, criticised by many as a draconian curb on dissent, to allow bail for suspects and halt the jailing of journalists for defamation, the law minister said on Monday. Journalists and rights activists have long demanded the repeal of the act to protect press freedom.Click here to read… [5]

Bhutan

Conservation and sustainability don’t slow down Bhutan economically: PM Lotay Tshering – Telegraph India

In an era of rapid climate change, accelerated by global warming, only three countries in the world can claim to be carbon-negative. In other words, they absorb more carbon dioxide, one of the leading greenhouse gases responsible for heating up the earth, than they produce. The first of these countries to promise and attain carbon negativity was Bhutan, which began its pioneering efforts at COP 15 in Copenhagen in 2009.Click here to read… [6]

Rail link between Bhutan and Assam on course, Myanmar Trilateral highway a big challenge: Dr S Jaishankar - Business Today

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday said that the Indian government is in talks with the Bhutanese regime over the rail link between Bhutan and Assam. He added that Bhutan is keen to open up more places for tourists and that the rail link is advantageous for Assam as well. “We are in talks on the rail link between Bhutan and Assam, Bhutan is very keen to open more points for tourists and it is very good for Assam,” Dr Jaishankar was quoted as saying by ANI.Click here to read… [7]

Maldives

Maldives' Incumbent President Solih Will Face 7 Other Candidates In Next Month's Election – Republic World

Incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and seven other candidates have registered to run in the Maldives' presidential elections next month, the island archipelago's fourth since becoming a multiparty democracy in 2008. Solih is expected to face stiff competition after democracy campaigner and ex-President Mohamed Nasheed split off from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party. Nasheed's new party, The Democrats, nominated the lawmaker Ilyas Labeeb as its candidate ahead of Monday's deadline to register for the Sept 9 election.Click here to read… [8]

MVR 50 million generated as green tax in June 2023 – Raajje

Ministry of Finance has disclosed that the state has generated MVR 50 million as green tax in June 2023. Statistics released by the Finance Ministry show that most of the green tax was generated from tourists visiting the resorts, with a total of MVR 46.9 million generated during the month. MVR 1.8 million was generated from tourists visiting guest houses and 661,336 was generated from tourists visiting tourist hotels.Click here to read… [9]

Myanmar

Security situation in Myanmar poses challenges to trilateral highway project: External Affairs Minister - The Hindu

One of India’s most ambitious regional infrastructure building initiatives with Southeast Asia is facing “big challenges” because of the security situation inside Myanmar, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said on August 7. Meeting a select gathering of media professionals for a “breakfast meeting”, Dr. Jaishankar highlighted the trilateral highway project that aims to connect India, Myanmar and Thailand, and said projects associated with this mega initiative were stuck because of the breakdown in the security structure in Myanmar, where the military junta took charge in February 1, 2021.Click here to read… [10]

Myanmar Wa State’s ban on tin mining comes into force – Business line

Myanmar’s Wa State has halted mining of tin from August 1 and the suspension could be a prolonged one, according to the International Tin Association (ITA). Despite the mining stoppage, the tin market will likely be volatile during the current quarter as macroeconomic conditions are not favourable for demand and consumption to rise.Click here to read… [11]

Expiry of US general licence for transactions with Burma/Myanmar banks – EU Sanctions

On 21 June 2023, OFAC designated Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (previous post). A general licence was issued at the same time, allowing entities to engage in transactions with the 2 banks for the purposes of winding down. On 5 August 2023, the general licence expired (press release). Therefore, transactions with the 2 banks must now be made into a blocked account in accordance with the Burma Sanctions Regulations.Click here to read… [12]

Nepal

Nepal linked to India’s real-time energy trade – The Kathmandu Post

India has opened a door for its neighbours including Nepal to participate in the real-time energy market in addition to the existing access to the day-ahead market. This allows Nepal to either sell or buy power in India’s energy exchange market as per the requirement, in real time. In the day-ahead market (DAM), the prices and quantity of electricity are determined a day before the actual physical trading.Click here to read… [13]

Nepal’s PM Prachanda to visit China in September end – The Print

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will visit China in September end, Foreign Minister N P Saud said on Sunday, a trip aimed at maintaining a balance in ties with both the neighbours – China and India. This will be Prachanda’s second foreign trip after assuming the office in December last year. The 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) leader visited India in June as his first foreign trip after assuming office for the third time.Click here to read… [14]

Construction Of India Centre For Buddhist Culture In Nepal Begins – NDTV

The construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) formally began at Lumbini in Nepal with the Bhoomi Pooja rituals on Sunday. Attended by monks from different Buddhist nations, the 'Bhoomi Pooja' was performed at the Lumbini Monastic Zone, the birthplace of Gautam Budhha, the Light of Asia.Click here to read… [15]

Pakistan

Nawaz Sharif will be next Pakistan PM if PML-N returns to power: Shehbaz Sharif – India Today

Nawaz Sharif will be Pakistan's next premier if the ruling PML-N returns to power after the country goes to polls in November, his brother and the country's current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said. Shehbaz Sharif's remarks came at a public meeting in Kasur, some 50kms from Lahore, on Sunday evening.Click here to read… [16]

Pakistan Shelves Iran Gas Pipeline Project After US Mounts Pressure: Report - Outlook

Pakistan has shelved multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project with Iran. The reports said Pakistan has temporarily shelved the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project to import cheap energy from neighbouring Iran. Pakistan’s move apparently under pressure from the US which has imposed sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, PTI reported.Click here to read… [17]

Afghan nationals’ involvement in terror incidents in Pakistan detrimental to regional peace: COAS Munir – Dawn

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Monday said the “involvement of Afghan nationals” in terrorism incidents in Pakistan was “detrimental to regional peace [and] stability”. The army chief’s remarks came days after the Foreign Office confirmed the involvement of Afghan terrorists in the last month’s Zhob cantonment attack.Click here to read… [18]

Is India ready for Pakistan-China threat? Two-front war would mean defeat: Gen Naravane writes – The Print

India faces unique challenges due to its inimical nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan on the western border and China on the northern border. India has fought wars with both countries, and the threat of a collusive partnership between them remains a concern. However, it is crucial to recognise the vast difference between preparing for a two-front threat and actually fighting a two-front war. These terms are often used interchangeably due to a lack of understanding.Click here to read… [19]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan President Visits India, Highlights Close Relations – ORF

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an official visit to India last month. It was his first trip to India since taking over as president of the Indian Ocean island state. Wickremesinghe came to power amid social and political upheaval as Sri Lanka went through its worst economic crisis last year.Click here to read… [20]

Sri Lanka Air Force training aircraft crashes; 2 military personnel killed – Deccan Herald

A Chinese-built training aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force crashed on Monday shortly after take-off, killing the pilot and an officer, the air force spokesman said. A PT-6 aircraft used for training pilots crashed shortly after takeoff from the Air Force station in Trincomalee, Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, said, the Daily Mirror website reported.Click here to read… [21]