Neighborhood News Digest – 09 October 2023

Afghanistan

Over 2,000 dead in Afghanistan earthquake, houses flattened, Taliban seek help – India Today

The death toll from Saturday's powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan rose to 2,000. Several houses were flattened. The Taliban sought help from local organisations to rescue people and shift the injured to hospitals. Click here to read... [2]

Afghan Embassy in Spain 'Interacting' With Islamic Emirate Foreign Ministry – Tolo News

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Spain has announced that the embassy is interacting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the current government of Afghanistan. In a statement published on the embassy's Facebook page, the embassy wrote that the Afghan embassy in Madrid represents "Afghanistan and its people" and is trying to provide better consular services for citizens of the country residing in Spain." Click here to read... [3]

Bangladesh

Biden’s democracy crusade goes astray in Bangladesh - Deccan Herald

Economically, Bangladesh has been a success story for the past decade. Growth has steadily topped 6 per cent and on average, between 2016 and 2021, outpaced countries such as India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Bangladesh will soon “graduate” from from the ranks of poorer nations, relinquishing various trade and development assistance prerogatives it no longer needs. Politically, the country is not quite as exemplary. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League has been in power since 2009. While the party notched a landslide victory in 2018 polls, that election was widely condemned as being insufficiently free and fair. Click here to read... [4]

Bangladesh’s prime minister pins re-election push on mega-projects – FT

Bangladesh’s prime minister disembarked from her motorcade last month to unveil an 11km elevated expressway, one of a flurry of infrastructure projects launched as she steps up her campaign for a record fifth term in power. Sheikh Hasina hailed the expressway, which cost $1bn and breezes over Dhaka’s traffic-clogged streets, as part of the “journey of progress” that has turned one of the world’s poorest countries into a success story under her watch. “I am giving it to you as a gift,” Sheikh Hasina told a rally. Click here to read... [5]

In Bangladesh, climate dangers menace ‘extremely vulnerable’ Rohingya refugee camps – SCMP

Bangladesh has opened its borders to the refugees, but policies including the requirement that they live in temporary shelters means they are less protected from monsoons and cyclones, Jing Song, senior operations coordinator for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told This Week in Asia. Click here to read... [6]

Bhutan

PDP’s attempts to secure external funds illegal? – Kuensel

The People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) announcement of having explored external funds and having money ready in case they win the upcoming election has raised concerns among other political parties. Former Education Minister, Norbu Wangchuk, in a 4:20-minute voice message in a Telegram group, said that the PDP’s president has toured about 25 countries and explored Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to improve the economic situation of the country. Click here to read... [7]

Bhutan-China border demarcation talks inching towards completion: Bhutan PM Tshering – The Hindu

When asked about whether India was in the loop on the negotiations, Dr. Tshering said that it would be in Bhutan’s interest to make sure both India and China are happy with the decisions it makes. “We obviously do not want to solve one problem and give birth to another problem,” he added. He also clarified, for possibly the first time, that the “3-Step Roadmap” signed between Bhutan and China in October 2021 comprises first agreeing to the demarcation of the border in talks on the table, after which the two sides would visit the sites along the demarcated line on the ground, before finally and formally demarcating the boundary between them. Click here to read... [8]

Maldives

No consultation on Indian troop presence, says Muizzu's Spokesperson in response to Nasheed's interview- Avas

Transitional Spokesperson Mohamed Firuzul spoke to reporters on Sunday, referring to Nasheed’s interview and emphasized that there had been no prior consultation on this matter between Nasheed and Dr. Muizzu and expressed his regret that Nasheed had made such a false statement. "Not even only India, no foreign troops of any country can stay in the Maldives," he said. In a recent interview Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed suggested that the President-Elect might allow 75 Indian military personnel to remain in the Maldives. Click here to read... [9]

Pres-elect expresses desire to further strengthen ties with Islamic nations- Raajje

President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, accompanied by the Vice-President-elect Hussain Mohamed Latheef, met the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Maldives, Matrek Abdullah Al-Ajalin Aldosari. During the meeting Muizzu expressed his desire to further strengthen ties with Islamic nations. Click here to read... [10]

Myanmar

12 Myanmar based NSCN (K) members join NSCN - Morung Express

Twelve (12) armed Myanmar based NSCN (K) cadres led by Maj Gen Tingkam Konyak and Brigadier Tampha Konyak has joined NSCN (R). According to a press release issued by NSCN (R) MIP Secretary, an official program was organized to welcome them at CHQ, Pinhang, Tizit on October 7. Click here to read... [11]

Myanmar Supreme Court rejects jailed Suu Kyi appeals – Reuters

The Supreme Court in military-ruled Myanmar has rejected appeals against six corruption convictions for the jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to media reports. Suu Kyi, in detention since the military toppled her government in a 2021 coup, faces 27 years in prison. She is appealing dozens of convictions for crimes ranging from treason and bribery to violations of the telecommunications law. Click here to read... [12]

Myanmar Junta Steps Up Sagaing Raids After Resistance Attack - The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s junta has raided Indaw in Sagaing Region after its forces suffered casualties in the clashes with the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF). Clashes broke out near Thaung Kyi village on October 4 and at least five junta troops, including two officers, were killed and 10 injured, according to the anti-regime Indaw Revolution news service. Click here to read... [13]

Thailand donates to Myanmar health program via UNICEF - China Daily

Thailand contributed 3.6 million Thai baht to UNICEF to support public health programs in border areas of Myanmar, especially on public health challenges in areas along the Thailand–Myanmar border. The donation was presented by Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, deputy prime minister and ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday in Bangkok. The around $100,000 donation is aimed at supporting the UNICEF's humanitarian programs in Myanmar. Click here to read... [14]

Nepal

10 Nepali students killed in Hamas attack in Israel, confirms Nepali Embassy - The Statesman

At least 10 Nepali students have been killed in the Saturday’s Hamas invasion of Israel, an official of the Nepal Embassy in Israel confirmed on Sunday. Earlier, there were reports that some Nepali students have gone missing after Hamas attack in southern Israel. “Around 10 Nepali students died in the ongoing situation in Israel,” news agency ANI quoted a Nepal Embassy in Israel official as saying. Click here to read... [15]

Why Nepal earthquake could be a precursor to big quakes in the Himalayan region - India Today

The Nepal earthquake that shook parts of North India this week did not come as a surprise to seismologists but as a much-awaited alert of more such inevitable quakes that could hit the region ‘anytime’. Scientists have predicted for long that a lot of pressure is building up under the Himalayas, as it sits on a tectonically active border of the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate. The Himalayas were formed when the Indian Plate moved north from the Indian Ocean to collide with the Eurasian Plate, approximately 40-50 million years ago. The Indian plate stretches from the Hindukush to Arunachal Pradesh, and the entire region remains tectonically active. Click here to read... [16]

India, Nepal Discuss Security Issues, Defence Supplies In Bilateral Meet – NDTV

Nepal and India have discussed a wide range of issues relating to mutual security, defence supplies, training and capacity building as part of the efforts to step by bilateral cooperation. The two sides held the 15th Meeting of the India-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (BCGSI) in Pokhara, Nepal, on October 5 covering a wide range of issues relating to mutual security, defence supplies, training and capacity building and joint military exercises. Click here to read... [17]

Pakistan

Pakistan: Truth about loud 'explosion' heard near nuclear facility in Dera Ghazi Khan revealed – The Week

After videos of a loud blast being heard in Pakistan's Punjab province, rumours started making rounds on X platform that the incident took place near a 'nuclear research site'. Some social media posts even alleged that a Shaheen missile test had gone wrong. However, the local administration has ruled out any such incidents, according to Pakistani media. Click here to read... [18]

Islamabad judges’ promotion delayed for a month – Dawn

Promotion of dozens of judges of Islamabad’s subordinate judiciary has been delayed at least for a month as the senior member of the Selection Committee proceeded abroad. Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, the senior member of the Selection Committee that is considering the cases of additional district and sessions judges, senior civil judges and civil judges for onward promotion to the next grade, has gone abroad for about a month. Click here to read... [19]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Assumes Leadership as Chair of Indian Ocean Rim Association- Colombo Page

Sri Lanka is set to host the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers meeting on 11 October, 2023, in Colombo. The meeting will see the participation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, with other senior Ministers, of the 16 Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member States. Senior Ministers of Japan, Korea and United Kingdom would also participate as the Dialogue Partners in the meeting. Click here to read... [20]

India-Sri Lanka ferry service set to begin Tuesday, over a decade since plan first mooted- Indian Express

In 2011 the two countries signed the MoU to operate a passenger ferry service among them. Around 12 years later, the highly anticipated passenger ferry is set to commence operations on Tuesday (October 10). The ferry would run between Kankesanthurai in Jaffna, Sri Lanka and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, with an anticipated journey time of 3 hours. Click here to read... [21]

IMF - World Bank Annual Meetings to commence tomorrow (09)- News First

A group of Sri Lankan officials including State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena are set to participate in the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund, on October 9 - 15 in Marrakech, Morocco. Click here to read... [22]