Neighborhood News Digest – 15 September 2023

Afghanistan

Taliban welcome first Chinese ambassador since takeover – Independent

The Taliban extended a grand welcome to China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan on Wednesday, confirming Beijing’s diplomatic acceptance of the caretaker rulers. China appointed ambassador Zhao Sheng as its mission head in Afghanistan, becoming the first prominent nation to have a functional diplomatic mission in the country. This comes more than two years after the fall of Kabul when the Taliban took control of the nation.Click here to read… [2]

Pakistan targets Afghan refugees amid Taliban border tension – DW

Pakistani law enforcement agencies have launched a renewed crackdown on Afghan refugees, with the aim of exerting pressure on the Taliban administration in Kabul to curb the activities of the militant network Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The intensification of the crackdown on refugees comes in response to the TTP's attacks last week on Pakistani security forces in Chitral, a border region.Click here to read… [3]

World Food Programme warns of budget shortfall in Afghanistan – The Print

The World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that one billion dollars are required to avert a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. The organisation also stated that it can provide food assistance to one in every ten Afghan citizens in need.Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Tripura’s export volume with Bangladesh has grown in recent years, says Union Minister Anupriya Patel – Indian Express

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel has said Tripura is ranked fourth among Himalayan states in terms of export to foreign nations, especially Bangladesh, and that export quantum has significantly grown in the last few years. Patel, who is on a two-day visit to the northeastern state, Wednesday visited different parts of Sepahijala district and reviewed the progress of development initiatives and centrally-sponsored welfare schemes in the district.Click here to read… [5]

Bangladesh fire: Hundreds of shops gutted in market fire in Bangladesh's Dhaka – Wion

A huge fire gutted several hundreds shops at a market in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, but there were no casualties as the blaze swept through the area in the early hours of Thursday (September 14) before stores opened. It took six hours for military forces and firefighters to contain the blaze, which spread quickly in the Mohammadpur market due to the large amount of flammable items such as cooking oil and plastics, officials said.Click here to read… [6]

Bhutan

Assam: 750 litres of diesel brought from Bhutan seized – The Sentinel

Based on information, the 6th Bn SSB deployed along the Indo-Bhutan border on Tuesday seized 750 litres of diesel from a vehicle with Bhutan registration number at No. 2 Khagrabari near the Bhutan border and apprehended two persons along with a pick-up van.Click here to read… [7]

Wood and wood-based products export to bring Nu 10B - Kuensel

Bhutan, a forest-abundant country, aims to earn a revenue of Nu 10 billion from the export of wood and wood products in the next five years. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Loknath Sharma, announced this during a recent live television discussion. He said that the government would soon introduce a timber project that will help Bhutan to earn Nu 10 billion within the next five years.Click here to read… [8]

Maldives

ADB Approves Support To Expand Renewable Energy In Maldives – Orissa Diary

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a financing package of $50.5 million to expand renewable energy development in Maldives. The package consists of $41.5 million from the Asian Development Fund (ADF), an $8.5 million concessional loan from ordinary capital resources, and a $500,000 grant from the Climate Change Fund. The ADF provides grants to ADB’s most vulnerable developing member countries.Click here to read… [9]

Second round of polls: 408 new voters to cast ballots, list publicized – Raajje

The registry of new voters for the upcoming second round of this year’s presidential election has been publicized. The Elections Commission of Maldives (EC) revealed that complaints may be filed regarding the registry, from Friday through Monday. The list of additional voters who are eligible to cast their ballots for the second round was publicized by the commission on Thursday.Click here to read… [10]

Myanmar

Suu Kyi party says Myanmar junta depriving her of medical care – Firstpost

Myanmar’s junta is endangering the life of jailed democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi, her political party said on Thursday, accusing the generals of depriving her of medical care and food during her incarceration. Suu Kyi has been detained since the military seized power in February 2021, ending a 10-year democratic experiment and plunging the Southeast Asian into bloody turmoil.Click here to read… [11]

UN rights expert urges US to go further with sanctions against Myanmar junta – Arab News

The UN human rights expert for Myanmar on Wednesday called on the United States to further tighten sanctions on the country’s military rulers to include their main revenue source, the state oil and gas enterprise. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, a former member of the US Congress, also said it was vital for Washington to at least maintain levels of humanitarian support for victims of the junta inside and outside Myanmar.Click here to read… [12]

Nepal

Ahead of festive season, Nepal to import 20,000 MT sugar from India – The Hindu

Ahead of the festive season, Nepal is set to import 20,000 metric tonnes (MT) of sugar from India, which meets at least 70% of the Himalayan country’s domestic annual demand of approximately 3,00,000 MT. In view of the upcoming festivals, including Vijaya Dashami and Deepawali, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has asked the Finance Ministry to give customs waiver for importing 60,000 MT of sugar to meet the local demand. The Finance Ministry has, however, given permission to import only 20,000 MT for the time being.Click here to read… [13]

Signing of BRI implementation plan uncertain – The Kathmandu Post

On September 1, a meeting of various government agencies held at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar entrusted the National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Min Bahadur Shrestha with coordinating with various government entities and finalising a draft plan on implementing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects. The Shrestha-led committee is quietly laying the ground for the execution of BRI projects.Click here to read… [14]

Pakistan

Pakistan News Updates: Pakistan fails to pay salaries to overseas officials amid severe dollar crunch – The Economic Times

Pakistan's Ministry of Finance has failed to pay the salaries of staff employed in certain diplomatic missions for the last three months due to the dollar liquidity crunch in the country. This has led to a massive hue and cry, The News International newspaper reported.Click here to read… [15]

Why Pakistan-backed The Resistance Front has become biggest headache of security forces in Kashmir – India Today

The Resistance Front (TRF) was formed online after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. A front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, TRF has become the most active outfit in the Kashmir valley and has the support of the Pakistani state machinery. Wednesday's Anantnag gunfight is just another example.Click here to read… [16]

Pakistan Bar Council seeks respect for legal norms under new CJP – Dawn

Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Haroonur Rashid has expressed the hope that designated Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, upon assuming office, will decide pending complaints against judges and decide constitutional matters in accordance with the law and court traditions. The PBC also hope that during Justice Isa’s tenure as CJP, benches will also be constituted transparently.Click here to read… [17]

Sri Lanka

Daily automated fuel price revising system from next year – Daily Mirror

In an effort to streamline the fuel dispensing process at all Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) refueling stations, the CPC has decided to introduce a daily automated price revision system starting next year. The discussion took place between the CPC Dealers Association and CPC officials at the Ministry. The focus of the meeting was to improve the stock-taking process within the corporation.Click here to read… [18]