Neighborhood News Digest – 26 September 2023

Afghanistan

Muttaqi Travels to Russia To Participate in Moscow Format Meeting – Tolo News

A delegation from the Islamic Emirate led by the acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi went to Russia on Monday to participate in the Moscow Format meeting. The Islamic Emirate's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, told TOLOnews that this meeting will cover a range of political and economic topics. "Regional cooperation is crucial for Afghanistan's economy and security. There are also some concerns from neighboring countries, which will be discussed, and that Afghanistan is safe. Economic issues relating to Afghanistan's reconstruction will be discussed,” said Mujahid.Click here to read… [2]

Taliban considers using US mass surveillance plan to clamp down on ISIS – The National

The Taliban are creating a large-scale surveillance network for Afghan cities that could involve repurposing a plan crafted by the US before its 2021 pull-out, an Interior Ministry spokesman told Reuters, as authorities seek to supplement thousands of cameras already in the capital, Kabul. The Taliban – which says they are focused on restoring security and clamping down on ISIS, the extremist group that has claimed responsibility for many major attacks on Afghan cities – have also consulted Chinese tech giant Huawei about potential co-operation, the spokesman said.Click here to read… [3]

MoIC: Goods Worth $759 Million Were Exported Abroad – Tolo News

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that in the first six months of the current year, they exported goods worth 759 million dollars. The statistics of this ministry show that goods to Pakistan worth $379 million, India worth $241 million, Kazakhstan worth $20 million, the United Arab Emirates worth $18 million, and China worth $12.5 million were exported.Click here to read… [4]

Bangladesh

Fitch Cuts Bangladesh’s Outlook to Negative as Reserves Decline - Bloomberg

Bangladesh’s sovereign rating outlook was cut by Fitch Ratings to negative from stable as declining reserves and a squeeze in dollar liquidity increased the South Asian nation’s vulnerability to shocks. Fitch joins S&P Global Ratings in downgrading the outlook on Bangladesh even after the South Asian country secured a $4.7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund in January. Moody’s Investors Service cut Bangladesh’s credit rating in May.Click here to read… [5]

Kazakhstan in talks with Bangladesh on visa-free regime - Azer News

A visa-free regime with Seychelles is to take effect soon, official spokesperson of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Aibek Smadiyarov said, Azernews reports, citing Kazinform. “Recently, an agreement on visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and Seychelles was signed. A visa-free regime is to take effect as part of the agreement following internal procedures. Citizens could travel both countries without a visa for up to 30 days,” said Smadiyarov at a briefing.Click here to read… [6]

Bangladesh promises minority panel ahead of national poll - UCA News

The Bangladesh government has agreed to establish a commission to protect the interests of its religious minorities -- Buddhists, Christians and Hindus -- two days after the country's largest forum of religious minorities launched a hunger strike. Officials announced the government's decision to establish a minority commission by October, on Sept. 23, two days after the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) began the indefinite hunger strike in Dhaka.Click here to read… [7]

Bhutan

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives supports projects that benefit youth, women and persons with disabilities – The Bhutan Live

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives awarded 150,000 Canadian dollars, which is more than Nu 9.1 M to four Civil Society Organizations in the country. The fund will be used to support projects that will benefit youth, women, and persons with disabilities. The four CSOs that received the fund are the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, the Bhutan Transparency Initiative, the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, and the Draktsho Vocational Training Centre.Click here to read… [8]

Maldives

Commonwealth team to observe Maldives election run-off - Commonwealth

Commonwealth election observers will be deployed to the Maldives for the second round of voting in the 2023 Presidential Election. Voters will be returning to the polls after none of the candidates secured more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round held on 9 September. The second round of the election, between the incumbent, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Dr Mohamed Muizzu of the People’s National Congress (PNC) / Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) coalition, will be held on 30 September.Click here to read… [9]

Speaker Nasheed envisions a bright future for democracy in the Maldives - Edition

Speaker of Parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed confidence that the mechanisms of governance in the Maldives will continue to operate smoothly, and he believes that the future for democracy in the Maldives is very bright. The former president made this statement in response to a question from a journalist about whether he will support current president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih or opposition candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in the second round of the presidential election.Click here to read… [10]

Myanmar

Over 500,000 stimulant tablets seized in Myanmar - Sentinelese Assam

Over 500,000 stimulant tablets seized in MyanmarMyanmar Police seized over 500,000 stimulant tablets in eastern Myanmar’s Shan state, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control. Acting on a tip-off, the joint anti-narcotic task force raided the suspect’s house in Namhkam township on Friday and found 534,000 stimulant tablets worth more than 267 million kyats (about $0.13 million), it added on Sunday. Similarly, on Saturday, the police searched the motorcycle driven by a suspect in Myitkyina township, northern Myanmar’s Kachin state and seized 1,900 stimulant tablets and 297 gram of heroin, the committee said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The suspects were charged under the Southeast Asian country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and further investigations were underway, it said. (IANS).Click here to read… [11]

Manipur conflict rages on amid Myanmar civil war - Tribune India

The euphoria in India over the success of the G20 summit has led to a strategic neglect of conflict-ridden Manipur. The fallout in the North-East has been exacerbated by gross inaction on the part of the Centre and the state government. The 28-month-old civil war in Myanmar has partly fanned the Manipur flames, resulting in over 200 people being killed, thousands displaced and 4,000 weapons stolen, besides an influx of refugees from Myanmar. Ethnic cleansing has partitioned Manipur — a Kuki-free Imphal valley and Kuki-inhabited hill areas devoid of Meiteis. The acute polarisation has sparked fears of a revival of insurgency, given the access to weapons, mostly taken from state armouries.Click here to read… [12]

Myanmar seeks China’s input on ID system, Israel’s facial recognition bill faces backlash - Biometric Update

Myanmar is seeking input from China on introducing a biometric identification system, a project that has raised concern among rights activists who fear that it could worsen the country’s human rights situation. The war-torn country is currently preparing to conduct a national census and introduce an electronic identification system that will collect demographic and biometric data. Last week, Junta-appointed Immigration Minister Myint Kyaing visited Beijing to seek its help with the project, The Irrawaddy reports.Click here to read… [13]

Myanmar-based outfits recruiting workers for attacks on security forces, ethnic groups in Manipur: NIA - NE Now

Banned organisations in Myanmar are recruiting workers to carry out attacks on security forces and members of ethnic groups in violence-hit Manipur, the national investigation agency (NIA) informed. This statement from the NIA came following the arrest of a “trained operative” of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – an outlawed organisation from Manipur, Scroll reported.Click here to read… [14]

Nepal

Nepal Army chief leaves for Delhi to attend Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs' Conference – Vartha Bharti

Nepal Army chief Gen. Prabhuram Sharma left for New Delhi on Sunday to attend the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs' Conference (IPACC) being held in the Indian capital from September 25 to 27. The Indian Army will host the two-day conference of Army chiefs of the Indo-Pacific nations with an aim to evolve a common strategy to ensure peace, prosperity and stability against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.Click here to read… [15]

Nepal, China sign 12 agreements during PM Prachanda's visit to Beijing – The Tribune

China and Nepal on Monday signed 12 agreements, including seven MoUs, to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade and road connectivity coinciding with the visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" amid reports that he was not inclined to sign up Beijing's new security doctrine.Click here to read… [16]

MCC-funded power line uncertain as bidders quote high prices – The Kathmandu Post

Questions were raised from various quarters after the date for the MCC Compact’s entry-into-force was fixed for August-end even as land acquisition has yet to begin for the transmission line project to be implemented under the US programme. Acquiring land has been a persistent challenge for infrastructure projects, particularly transmission line projects.Click here to read… [17]

Pakistan

Imran Khan's lawyer says ex-premier shifted to Adiala prison, jail admin denies – India Today

Imran Khan's lawyer on Monday said he was shifted from the Attock jail to high-security Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi following a high court order, but Adiala jail officials dismissed claims that the former prime minister has been relocated. In August, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to transfer the deposed party chief to Adiala prison where A-class facilities are available, keeping in view 70-year-old Khan's affluent family background, social and political status.Click here to read… [18]

Pakistan's 40% Population Lives Below Poverty Line, Says World Bank: Report – NDTV

Pakistan's 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, as per the World Bank, Dawn reported. The country now needs to take a look at its policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders, as per the World Bank.Click here to read… [19]

US envoy visits Pakistan’s China-funded Gwadar port . At play is ‘silent diplomacy’ – The Print

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome’s secret visit to the China-funded Gwadar port in Balochistan earlier this month has sent ripples of conjecture on what it means for diplomatic relations across the subcontinent. Apart from a brief stop by the charge d’affaires in 2021, this is the first time a United States of America ambassador to Pakistan has visited the port in 17 years. It’s a significant move because Gwadar port is a heavily barricaded area, access to which is closely monitored.Click here to read… [20]

Pakistan Army taking over govt land for farming to boost food production: Report – Wion

Pakistan Army is planning to take over large swathes of land owned by the government to boost food production, Nikkei Asia has reported, amidst concerns over the all-powerful military’s growing presence in the functioning of the country. The fact that the army, which has significant influence over politics and foreign policy of the country, now intends to mark its presence in the agricultural sector has triggered concerns.Click here to read… [21]

Sri Lanka

Terrorists found 'safe haven' in Canada, we support India's 'strong' response: Sri Lanka - India TV News

Sri Lanka has come out in support of India amid the latter's ongoing row with Canada, saying that terrorists have found "safe haven" in Ottawa and that Trudeau made "outrageous" allegations about India's role without providing any solid evidence. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, in an interview with news agency ANI, said that he was "not surprised" with Trudeau's "outrageous and unsubstantiated" allegations linking India's role behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.Click here to read… [22]

No Permit For Chinese Vessel To Dock In October: Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Says India's Concerns 'Important' - ABP LIve

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Monday said that Colombo has not given China the permission to dock its sea vessel in the island nation. He also said that the concerns raised by India over the issue is “important” for Sri Lanka. Responding to reports regarding a Chinese research vessel, Shi Yan 6 scheduled to be docked in Sri Lanka in October, Sabry said they have a standard operating procedure and that they have consulates many friends, including India, as per an ANI report.Click here to read… [23]