Neighborhood News Digest – 9 August 2023

Afghanistan

The Taliban Are Diverting Aid, But How Much? – The Diplomat

“… [I]t is no longer a question of whether the Taliban are diverting assistance from our programs to help the Afghan people, but rather how much they are diverting,” writes the U.S. Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko in the introduction to its 60th quarterly report, published this week. The report highlights findings in an analysis prepared by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) for USAID and shared with SIGAR, which noted that “According to multiple U.N. officials across different agencies, the Taliban have effectively infiltrated and influenced most U.N.-managed assistance programming.” Click here to read... [2]

Taliban cancels licenses of 216 aid organisations within a year – The Economic Times

Over 200 aid organizations have suspended their activities in Afghanistan over the last year for not adhering to the Taliban's guidelines, said the Taliban-appointed Deputy Minister of Economy, Abdul Latif Nazari. Nazari stated that the closure of these organizations isn't permanent. They will be granted licenses again if they meet the needed criteria. Click here to read... [3]

‘Restructuring Afghanistan’: Taliban stresses on implementation of Sharia law – Hindustan Times

Taliban-appointed Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan Sirajuddin Haqqani while speaking to a gathering of religious clerics, tribal elders and local officials in Laghman, said that the current Jihad in the country is to implement Sharia law. “We perform Jihad today by implementing Sharia and ensuring the government endures, and by reconstructing the country,” he said, as per Tolo News. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh

West supports BNP’s ‘Islamic democracy’ in Bangladesh - My Voice

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has been pushing for the establishment of an “Islamic democracy” in Bangladesh, garnering support from Western countries despite concerns about its extremist ideology. BNP aims to replace the existing secularist democracy with a system that emphasizes political Islam, which has been linked to various problems, including militancy in the region. Click here to read... [5]

Bangladesh’s Awami League Reaches Out To India and China - The Citizen

Bangladesh’s ruling party, Awami League (AL), recently sent delegations to India and China to talk to the ruling parties in these countries. These meetings assume significance in the context of the Bangladesh parliamentary elections due in January 2024. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League will be seeking a third consecutive term under challenging conditions. Click here to read... [6]

Bangladesh: Government foreshadows replacement of notorious Digital Security Act - IFJ

Bangladeshi authorities have announced an intention to replace the nation’s much-criticised draconian Digital Security Act (DSA) with a revised Cyber Security Act due for introduction in September. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges Bangladesh’s leaders to ensure any future legislation respects and defends press freedom, not criminalises it. Click here to read... [7]

Bhutan

RBP bolsters crackdown on drugs – Kuensel

In a decisive move to address the escalating concern of drug-related crimes, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has “strategically” established field divisions and amplified its manpower, marking a significant step forward in their efforts to combat the proliferation of narcotics. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for the Narcotics Drugs and Other Vices Division, Colonel Dorjee Khandu, underscored the paramount importance of these measures in fortifying the nation’s resolve against the burgeoning drug trade. Click here to read... [8]

Bhutan reaches out for rice amid export ban, India likely to offer it – Hindustan Times

Bhutan has requested India to allow rice export to the country after India banned overseas shipments of non-basmati rice, causing global rice prices to rise. Bhutan has made a diplomatic request for rice shipments of up to 90,000 tonnes. India's rice ban allows for exemptions for export under government-to-government deals and in cases of requests made by "friendly countries" with genuine food-security needs. India's share in global rice exports is nearly 40%. Click here to read... [9]

India, Bhutan In Talks For Establishing Railway Connectivity – NDTV

India and Bhutan are in talks for laying a railway link between Assam's Kokrajhar and Bhutanese town of Gelephu that could promote both trade and tourism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday. In an interaction with the media, he also said the internal situation in Myanmar has created challenges for various infrastructure projects including the ambitious trilateral highway initiative. Click here to read... [10]

Maldives

USAID helps scale innovative climate adaptation technology in Maldives - Dredging Today

Rising sea levels and coastal erosion are significant threats to Maldives, a low-lying island nation in the Indian Ocean. INVENA, along with its technology partner the Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have piloted a nature-based solution that minimizes coastal erosion by placing underwater structures that harness ocean currents and wave forces to accumulate sand strategically. Click here to read... [11]

Exploring the Potential of Renewable Energy in the Maldives - Energy Portal

The Maldives, a tropical paradise known for its stunning white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, is facing a critical challenge: how to meet its growing energy demands while reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels and lowering its greenhouse gas emissions. The answer may lie in harnessing the power of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and ocean energy. With its abundant sunshine, steady winds, and vast ocean resources, the Maldives has the potential to become a global leader in renewable energy production and use. However, realizing this potential will require overcoming a number of technical, financial, and institutional challenges. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar

In talks with Bhutan for Railway link and with Myanmar for shipping pact: Jaishankar - Economic Times

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday outlined two cross-border connectivity initiatives in South Asia, including a rail link between Bhutan and Assam and a coastal shipping agreement with Myanmar that could boost trade and people to people ties between Indian states and neighbouring countries. Click here to read... [13]

UN report says atrocities and war crimes by Myanmar's military 'more frequent and brazen' - Wio News

An investigative report published on Tuesday (August 8) by a team of United Nations officials revealed that the war crimes committed by Myanmar's military have become "increasingly frequent and brazen". The war crimes include bombing civilians. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

Political parties struggle to curb cadres’ social media activity – The Kathmandu Post

In a statement following its standing committee meeting on Sunday, the CPN (Unified Socialist) directed its leaders and members not to make any remarks on social media against the party and its leadership. “As people involved in the party and its organisations have been speaking and writing on social media and public media ignoring the party’s discipline, this meeting directs them not to make such remarks,” the statement reads. “If they continue to defy the party’s policies and instructions, they will be punished as per the statute.” Click here to read... [15]

38 Killed After Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides, Floods In Nepal – NDTV

Landslides caused by heavy rain have killed at least one person, and blocked a major highway in Nepal this week, officials said on Tuesday, as the number of deaths from the annual monsoon rains nears 40. The rains, which lash the Himalayan nation from June to September, kill scores of people every year, and many more go missing as the monsoon triggers landslides and floods. Click here to read... [16]

Pakistan

PM Shehbaz confirms advice for NA dissolution to be sent to President Alvi tomorrow – Dawn

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday confirmed that he would write to President Dr Arif Alvi tomorrow (August 9) to dissolve the National Assembly, which would bring the incumbent government’s term to a marginally premature end. The government has announced that assemblies will be dissolved three days ahead of its mandated period, following which elections are to be held within 90 days. Click here to read... [17]

ECP disqualifies former PM Imran for five years – Dawn

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified former prime minister Imran Khan for five years following his conviction in the Toshakhana case last week. An Islamabad trial court on Saturday sentenced Imran — who was absent from the hearing — to three years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 on him while hearing the ECP’s criminal complaint against the PTI chief for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts. The court found him guilty of “corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from the national exchequer wilfully and intentionally”. Click here to read... [18]

Pakistan to buy more electricity from neighbouring Iran – Firstpost

According to a Tuesday statement from the finance ministry, Pakistan would purchase more power from its neighbour Iran. Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, served as the chairman of the Economic Coordination Committee where the decision was made. Energy-starved Pakistan has agreements in place with Tehran to purchase power for its border regions, particularly for Chinese-funded construction projects at the port of Gwadar. Click here to read... [19]

Elections can be delayed until March next year if…: Pakistan minister – Hindustan Times

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the general elections in the country can be delayed until March next year after the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the new census, requiring the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to carry out fresh delimitation of constituencies, Geo News reported. “If delimitation of constituencies is carried out then the elections will be held in the third week of February or the first week of March,” the security czar told Geo News on Monday. Click here to read... [20]

PM Shehbaz Sharif likely to step down on Wednesday; makes farewell visit to Pak Army HQ – The Economic Times

The prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, is expected to leave office on 8 August, as the country's National Assembly is dissolved ahead of this year’s general election. Sharif is set to advise President Arif Alvi of the dissolution of the assembly two days prior to the end of its five-year term. If Alvi does not immediately issue a notification to dissolve the assembly, it will be automatically dissolved within 48 hours of the notice. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz coalition government has expressed a desire to remain in power for a few more days. Click here to read... [21]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka issues tenders choosing India over China for power projects near Jaffna - Economic Times

Sri Lanka has issued tenders choosing India over China for power projects near Jaffna, shortly after President Ranil Wickremesinghe's New Delhi trip. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) recently called for tenders to execute the hybrid power projects in three northern islands of Sri Lanka using a grant of $12 million from India, according to Colombo-based sources. Click here to read... [22]

In Sri Lanka, Chaotic Social Security Reform Denies People’s Rights - HRW

The Sri Lankan government raised electricity tariffs in August 2022 and February 2023 as part of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a $3 billion loan. It also doubled value-added taxes and phased out fuel subsidies, contributing to a spike in prices. The IMF program acknowledges the risks these measures pose but says they are necessary to improve the government’s finances and that “all program measures are mindful of the need to protect the most vulnerable.” Specifically, the program requires the government to overhaul the country’s cash transfer program, called Samurdhi, and allocate a minimum amount of funding to four cash transfer programs. Click here to read... [23]